#prairie observatory

[weezeryuri]

yoooo, saw you like urban exploration, what would yoi wanna explore :0

THE OAKLAND ILLINOIS PRAIRIE OBSERVATORY

[victorluvsalice]

Welcome to another episode of "I have decided to upgrade the Valicer farmhouse!" It's been a while since Victor, Alice, and Smiler's home got a refresh, and this particular one was prompted mainly by the following two facts:

A) Thanks to all their various side hustles (Victor selling the produce from his greenhouse and occasionally licensing songs, Alice writing books and selling paintings, and Smiler making SimsTube videos), plus the profits from their grocery store and Alice's brief career as an official Artist, the gang had LOADS of money to spend on new furniture and the like

B) My parents agreed as a birthday present to buy me 100 bucks worth of Sims 4 packs, and I spent a good chunk of that on them purchasing Horse Ranch and Home Chef Hustle, so I had some new Build/Buy items to play with!

So yeah -- figured it was time to upgrade some furniture and add some new fun stuff for the trio to use in their daily lives! Let's take it room by room:

Smiler’s Party Barn – This space was pretty much all about the furniture upgrades -- I updated the couch by the stairs to the most expensive and comfortable one (in of course the most wild swatch I could find – purplish-pink with zebra print details on the frame); changed out the chairs around the games table to more expensive and comfortable ones from that actually matched the puzzle table and were still just as colorful; and updated Smiler’s bar to a bigger one (it’s now a three-tiler, black with glowing yellow lights along the bottom -- aesthetic!) and got the most expensive and comfortable barstools to go along the front. Gotta make sure the guests are comfy! :D Even more importantly, though, I ended up changing around a bunch of the pictures and posters – the two sky prints the trio’s picked up from observatory visits are now behind the bar with a couple of space-themed posters; the DJ posters previously behind the bar are now above the ottomans on either side of the karaoke machine; a cute purple painting of a woman previously above the bar is now over the stairwell; and the big portraits of the Valicer wedding (Victor and Alice kissing and Victor and Smiler kissing) are now by the ping-pong table, in a collage with the two biggest pictures of the trio posing in their swimsuits on their honeymoon. :) But where did the other pictures of the wedding and honeymoon go? I’ll tell you shortly...

Cow Paddock – But first, let’s go outside and around to the back of the barn to Moory’s pen! Where, with the power of Horse Ranch, I added some patches of prairie grass and a proper water trough for our cow (moving the CC bucket fountain from "Cottage Garden Stuff" by @plumbobteasociety I was using to represent a source of water for Moory over to the corner of the pen for decoration purposes...though it occurs to me it might be nice to put in the chicken pen to pretend it’s now a drinking fountain and bath for the chickens). The water trough is probably just going to be for decoration (it’s intended for the horses that came with Horse Ranch and I’m not sure other animals can drink out of them), but the prairie grass actually serves a purpose – I know from seeing the option grayed out on the shed previously that you can refill a cow or llama’s feed with the stuff! So that’s cool. :) (And yes, I saw that option BEFORE I owned Horse Ranch, so, uh, great job Sims team.)

Living Room – I changed out the rug under the couch, coffee table, and TV stand for one of the new colorful Horse Ranch ones (doesn't it look cool?), and upgraded the couch and the two chairs in front of the fireplace into more expensive and comfortable models (though I made sure to keep the bright and wacky colors -- the Get Famous and Growing Together furniture have really good swatches in this regard, I'm pleased to report). Again, though, the big change was updating all the stuff on the walls -- mostly because I absolutely had to clean up all the photos around the house so I actually had room for NEW snaps. Plus I'd started looking at some of the photo collections and going “Do we really need this many pictures of you guys in front of your house at the family reunion?” XD I mean, I like them, but maybe some variety would be a good thing. And look a little less self-important. XD So what I did was remove the four-picture collage of the gang doing various poses in front of the house at the family reunion from one side of the TV, grabbed one medium-sized photo out of the set to keep, sold the rest (and the frame), and moved into its place the picture of everyone posing in front of the store that was upstairs by Smiler’s room previously. And THEN I moved the collage of photos of them on their honeymoon that was previously in the little notch next to the kitchen (which no longer exists as I made the kitchen bigger -- more on that later) over to the corner by the phonograph! So it’s right near the other big wedding collection. :) So THAT’S a little better!

Study – Mostly more picture rearranging in this room, though I did upgrade the chess set and chairs on the left wall to fancier versions – and discovered that the black and red chessboard also has black and red pieces, so I decided to go with that as a color theme. *shrug* If I can’t have white and red, I’ll go with black and red! Anyway, over the chess table, I stuck four of Victor and Alice's original Selvadoradan honeymoon snaps into one of the four-photo collage frame sets I unlocked, then arranged the remaining two photos on top of them in a way that made them look like part of the set (you can tell they're not because the frames aren't as thick, but still works). Then, over by Smiler's guitar, I got two more three-frame collage sets, put the photos from the trip to Granite Falls in those, and arranged them appropriately behind the rug, next to the window. The picture Alice painted of Smiler playing their guitar and the the one she painted of the Granite Falls ranger station sign then went up on the side wall next to the rug (because Victor has the picture Alice painted of him playing piano next to his piano, so I wanted Smiler's portrait to be next to THEIR instrument). After that, I moved the picture of Alice scratching herself that Victor did on the Valicer Honeymoon out of there and upstairs to the attic rec room (I couldn't bring myself to delete it, it amuses me too much XD), then moved the sketches and fancy light Alice unlocked from the Artist career over a little, into that space. Making room for a little photo collage of sorts next to her fancy easel -- the photo of her painting at their old house that Victor took on the top, one of the photos she took of Rory to become friends and get her to turn her into a werewolf on the bottom –

And one of those Moschino Stuff slideshow photo frames in the middle! Because I've been meaning to start using those for AGES now. This is where a bunch of the smaller photos went – I put all the little photos of the wedding from the party barn, one of my favorite little photos from the family reunion, a snap of them posing in front of the store, and a snap from their New Year’s Eve trio date into there and turned on the frame to display them as a slideshow, changing once per hour. :D So now I have a spot to keep tiny photos that I may like, but don’t have room for on the wall! Yay! :)

First Floor Hallway – Bunch of little changes here -- first up, I made the washer and dryer brighter colors (because why wouldn't I?) and put the MySim trophy of Yuki Alice found recently on top of them – turns out that WASN’T a duplicate after all! Nice! Then I got one of the three-photo-frame collage sets I unlocked with the family reunion, put the best three photos of the scenery around their honeymoon island in it (and sold the fourth, which was of a rainy miserable day anyway), and slapped the set up next to one of the windows beside the study. Wasn’t sure where else to put them, and they looked good there! And finally, I grabbed myself the egg-shaped decorative egg display shelf I downloaded from @somecreativecc (seriously, if you need displays, they are the place to go) and slapped it up where the previous hanging shelf with all the eggs had been (right by the entrance to the kitchen and the cats’ downstairs scratching post), moving all the eggs (with the help of “moveobjects on” to access all the slots) onto there! So now all ten eggs fit properly on those shelves, and there’s a dedicated space for the remaining two that need to be found, yay.

Downstairs Back Entrance/Mudroom – I had to move one of Alice’s paintings out of here into the kitchen, and rearrange the boots so they were along the wall next to the coat rack – reason being, the room is now smaller! And why is it smaller?

#sims 4 #the lazy save #builds #house remodel #I wanted to do this earlier #but then I thought 'okay wait I KNOW I am getting Home Chef Hustle at some point' #'because I want the small appliances to remodel the kitchen with' #'so wait until you've gotten that and any other packs you want for Christmas' #and so I did #which was a good idea because I got more stuff to play around with :) #I don't actually have that much interest in giving the trio a horse #but I like using some of the objects in the game to make my farm a little more realistic #that water trough is nice even if Moory can't use it #and that rug is lovely! So colorful :D #and yes the gang had money to spend so I spent it #only the best furniture for my trio now #as long as it comes in absurdly colorful swatches XD #I have embraced color in my game #and all of you are going to have to deal :p #queued

[suffering-and-happy-about-it]

The Great North (All the Things She Said, Part 2.)

Description: After a rather unlucky coincidence, Lord Asriel is left alone on his supposed expedition to meet the king of Lapland. Thanks to Thorold's advances, he's lucky enough to get an assistant sent over from the University of Oxford.

Part Summary: Whatever you imagined North to be like, its actual appearance didn't match your expectations and wasn't as thrilling. On the other hand, it was thrilling to see the first armoured bear in your life - except he hadn't had his armour and started drinking heavily.

Word Counter: 5.3 K

A/N: To be frank, I'd like to tie the story into the concept of the cannon while not specifically writing anything that would change it - so, Iorek already rampaged Trollesund and killed his predecessor and by that logic, he's already bending the steel for people of Trollesund. The witches also are connected to Lanselius at this point. So, why not mention it, huh?

By the way, I was then questioning myself as far as the logic goes and while it's not technically a rightful expedition I think there still would need to be official documents and results written down.

Tagging: @emmyspov

Series master list:  h e r e   | Series playlist:  h e r e

As you walked through the city of Trollesund, watching people being busy, fully captivated by their work and duties, your head was pretty much fully emptied out. The travel itself wasn't bad - the college paid you a ticket for a zeppelin and a first-class ticket to a ship setting out of Northern Brytain. By that point, you've been on the road for a week and each of them, you've captured in your journal. For each of your expeditions, there was a journal; this one was thicker than the rest of your journals and also vestured in a leather cover. As soon as you landed in Svalbard, the omnipresent cold hit your face, crawling deep into your bone marrow. And you had to add that you were wearing a proper coat, a warm hat, and boots padded with the finest, warmest fur. None of that helped. And you haven't even set out to venture to Asriel's observatory which was located at least two days' worth of travel from Trollesund... Without counting the time you'd use for resting.

"I already hate it here, " Joy mumbled, obediently running next to your foot. She was very curious about the town since it differed from everything you had experienced in Brytain. Everything in this town looked so dishevelled, old, and worn out, showing obvious signs of usage; all of the oil and dirt had its magic, you needed to admit. The people of Trollesund might've not been the richest, but everything they made was sturdy and steady.

"You're such a grouch, come on. We're on an adventure." "We're far from home and everything is so wild and cold here. How can you be so optimistic, Y/N?" "Because we, my dear, will see all of the northern fauna in its natural habitat. There are so few studies originating in taking interest in this rare ecosystem and the bio-cultural symbiosis between animals, armoured bears, and humans. We're gonna make the top ten for sure!" - You answered with a broad smile, trying to remind yourself of all of the great prospects that were ahead of you, waiting for you to explore them. The... Another part of the negotiations, the 'Golden boy part', was something you were trying to forget about for as long as you could. "May I remind you that I still am a coyote, Y/N, an animal that is supposed to live in warm American prairies and deserts? I'm not a snow fox, you know?" "And may I remind you that as long as I'm fed and warm, you're feeling that way too? What's gotten into you, Joy? Haven't seen you like this for a long time."

This time, the coyote looked up to you with its gentle golden eyes, her expression being overshadowed with worries and fear. Not hesitating, you dropped to your knee and looked your daemon deep into her eyes. What Joy needed to hear couldn't be said out loud. "Listen, Joy, Dr Carne has sworn on the law of scholastic sanctuary that this will forever remain a secret. And he never intended for anything but good to happen to us. This man wouldn’t cross us and he wouldn’t give out heads to the Magisterium for free. You have nothing to be scared of, we are safe and fine and we'll have an amazing adventure out here.”

“You’re really this calm about… Well, everything? This man is studying Dust, Y/N, he’s not conducting just some ordinary environmental expedition, you do realize that?” “I’m calm because I have faith in Carne and Asriel. Do you really assume that with the danger that this expedition holds, he’d just take the papers, travel all the way to London, and then wave them in front of the Cardinal’s face to flip him off? Think about the time we’ve been editing his article about Space and time… Remember how much he managed to reveal with this paper alone? His vocabulary and sentence structure, the way he's able to express his opinions or to explain the basics to a person who had never heard of such things... We both know he’s a genius.” “A genius with no sense of self-preservation or an ounce of reason in his mind. This is dangerously close to tiptoeing with insanity, Y/N, and you’ve taken part in this voluntarily.” - Before you could say anything else to Joy, both of you looked at a well-built man who had just approached you. He had a big smile, a fuzzy beard and warm, dark eyes. Since you had a raising suspicion that the man was at least somewhat nice, you smiled right back at him, standing up with the journal in your palm.

“Are you alright, lassie? Couldn’t miss the way you're standing in the middle of the street if I tried to.” “Ah, yes, thank you for asking. Joy, my daemon, is feeling a little bit unsettled because she can sense a huge animal wandering about.” - Even if the man hadn’t ever seen you, based on your blabbering alone he must’ve realized you’re coming up with everything on the spot. Not an ounce of truth in anything you’ve been saying. - “We’ve travelled here all the way from Oxford, you see? I’m an animal and environmental researcher and we’ve travelled here for our newest study, the bio-cultural system of Svalbard. Joy has been just rather unnerved by the presence of Panselbjørns on the island, just as I’ve been.”

“Oi, based on the way you’re talking alone I’m sure you’re a scholar, eh? And your daemon isn’t wrong if that's what you think, lassie. We have a bear living in this town." - The man explained rather proudly as he stepped closer to you, his deamon taking the form of a hound sitting beside him while staring at you with dark eyes. "A bear working for humans?" - The question was filled with genuine confusion on your part. You haven't seen an armoured bear in person before. Still, what you've gathered from all of the literature and official documents concerning negotiations with said bears, these sentient creatures were taking a strong liking in their pride. Proud as all bloody hell; so proud they'd rather die than humiliate themselves in such a way.

The Panselbjørne were majestic bears awaking respect within every living soul that had bumped into them, solitary sentient creatures that bowed to no man. They didn't answer to anyone but their king and even this bond was supposed to be quite loose. So how the hell did an armoured bear get into the city in the first place? "How did an armoured bear get in here? I suppose he hadn't just walked in asking about work applications, had he?" "Lassie it was a bloody massacre. The bear came here one day and started attacking the folk while destroying the city. It was horrible, young lady. After we took off his armour, he vouched to help the folk repair what he broke. He's not a bad bear, our Iorek." "Iorek Byrnison you mean?" - As you looked over to Joy, you'd swear that you had already read this name somewhere. It was a very old and very official document regarding the succession of the Svalbardian throne. Who had written it down and how precisely this document got into the college's possession was beyond you, but it was there. - "I've heard of him. Would it be possible to speak with him? For the... Research purposes, of course."

"It would be wiser not to interruprt him during the day, lassie. Then, it would be smart to ask the bear himself if he'd like to chat with you, I'm not the one to tell you. But if I were you, I'd try asking the folk working with him how much he'd drink. That might help you with talking to him." Drinking? A Panselbjørn drinking spirits? Again, Joy's eyes scanned the man in front of you. This situation seemed somewhat tricky, to begin with; a prideful creature working in a human town, drinking alcohol? No. That was not at all what Panselbjørne were supposed to be like. - "Thank you, sir, I'll ask around about Iorek around Trollesund."

"I thought you'll be staying about?" - The man wondered, raising one of his eyebrows while watching you as if something was wrong. "Never said that. I'll soon join a colleague of mine in his laboratory far up north. The innkeeper told me you can see the auroras clearer there than anywhere else in the whole world." - You answered, stepping away from the man to nonchalantly suggest that you'll be ending the conversation with him. Your sledge was about to prepare, that was one thing, and you wanted to look around for the Iorek you've been told about. "Aye, I know who you're talking about. We've seen the lad here once or twice, dressed very expansively with the behaviour of a butcher's dog. Haven't met someone with a more punchable face 'til then." "That sounds... Precisely like Lord Asriel. Let me apologise for his behaviour if he had been causing any trouble. It won't happen again. Well, I'll have to..."

"Careful for the witches, lassie. They have their contacts in here." - The man said instead of saying goodbye, turning right on his heels, leaving you in the middle of the road. After watching his back disappear in the distance, you've decided to sit down and start writing your first entry in the journal. The first one was making enough sense - Iorek (An armoured bear working for humans? Drinking Spirits? - Need to attempt to talk to Iorek for the sake of research... Fine, it's just curiosity.) - while your last one was simply - WITCHES??? HERE??? - with three lines highlighting the words.

Obviously, just like every other kid living in Brytain, you've been familiar with the entire concept of witches even though you haven't seen them with your own eyes. These women were supposedly enchantingly beautiful and free-spirited, who were enough to madden one's mind. Unlike the bears, they weren't in your research field and the stories about them were mere rumours rather than actual, historically reliable sources. So while you heard of the concept, you couldn't tell how much of said concept is based in reality. After finishing writing down your notes, you decided to pick yourself up and stroll through Trollesund - it wasn't for long, but you still had around thirty minutes to capture a glimpse of the mysterious Iorek.

As you made your way through the settlement, everything seemed to be in order; which, in translation meant that there were no bears in sight. That was until you came about a big, fenced property from where great slams of pure force could be heard; a huge gate made out of the thickest iron plates you’ve seen was held together by an overly-sized chain, locked together with a massive lock.

“Do you think Iorek is there?” - Joy muttered with curiosity, trying to catch a glimpse of anything under the gate, yet the small crack wasn’t enough for her to get a good look at the scenery. As you formed an answer, another of the forceful slams rang through the air, followed by a painful, horrifying roar which undeniably belonged to a bear. Blood started to freeze in your veins as you listened to the sound of unsaid rage and pain. - “I think he is. Let’s look around for an entrance, he might be hurt.”

As you asked Joy to run around the perimeter, you let the journal fall into your bag before circling around the other side of the property. The walls were made out of various steel plates, some of which were thicker than your thigh, and the spots that were only fenced by wires were blocked off properly. “Here! Here!” - Joy cried out as you saw her tail disappearing into an easily missable hole in the fencing - you could see a woman turning at you, obviously telling you not to go there just as you slipped in, holding your breath so you could squeeze through the tight space. As you pushed further in, you could feel your coat catching on various wires and small pieces of scrapped materials. The curious it’s got the better of you, didn’t it? Because just as you stumbled in, literally falling on your palms covered in leather gloves, you saw Joy cowering in fear; her golden eyes were open wide, he tail low between her back legs as she walked away from anything that was standing right in front of you. The presence of Iorek hit almost all of your senses at once.

First, there was the stench of his breath and the volume of it; the smell of spirits and meat the bear was feasting on after his shifts had ended wrapped around your nose, making you gag inaudibly. Then, there was the size of his enormous paws; one swing would knock you unconscious, and the second would either rip your head off or slice your throat open effortlessly. Only after that, you gathered enough courage to look at the bear hovering over your head - he was furrowing at you, his eyes watching you with anger as if you were the one holding him inside of the gates. His fangs were sticking out of his mouth as he hung it open, trying to figure out what to do, and his scarred muzzle crinkled in a confused expression. Iorek. As you prepared for your head to be chewed on, the bear simply snickered with anger and turned away from you. - “My workshop is forbidden to people and their daemons. Leave now, I do not require company and neither do I want it.”

Before he could make it halfway back to his shop, he began to grunt in displeasure; this time, it was nothing more than mere pain. By looking at the ground, you were quick to deduce what the origin of said pain could've been. There was a small, almost unnoticeable blood trail left behind the animal as it slowly moved forward. "You're injured." - Your tone was quiet and rather gentle in order not to upset or challenge the bear. You still had an awful lot of work to do and you needed to get to the observatory, quite frankly, alive. - "Humans are annoying and I know that, but I'm here to help. I won't pray, I promise Iorek." - Your knowledge of his name caught his attention; he turned his head right back at you and looked at you closer. You, in the meantime, walked over to a crate to sit down on, opening your bag; as you struggled to find any cloth, you simply took your coat off and pulled your cashmere sweatshirt down in order to have at least something to operate with.

"I haven't seen you around before... And yet, you know my name. Who are you?" - The bear asked you with suspicion, looking you up and down. - "It is in your best interest not to lie because bears won't fall for such deception." "Lucky me, I wasn't about to lie anyway." - With a smile, you put your coat back on and sat down, patting your knees. Iorek, even though you tried to be as calm and gentle as possible, was still on the edge over whether he could trust. - "Let me start with the basics, then - my name is Y/N and... It might come off as a surprise, but I'm a doctor of animal studies, operating at the University of Oxford in Brytain, Iorek. No malicious intent in sight so, please, stop being stubborn and let me help you. This bloody sweater cost me a whole fortune."

With a prolonged sigh, the bear sat down in front of you, putting his palm on your new, stylish warmers. You've maybe bought a whole new wardrobe just because you wanted to dress nicely in Asriel's presence; he might've been a private, strange person who had no self-preservation instinct, yes, but you wanted to match his style in this regard. You wanted to feel equal to him. "You differ from the people of Trollesund, miss Y/N, your heart seems to be filled with kindness. They are cruel and cold, holding me inside these gates without mercy, let me out when the sun sets behind the horizon. None of them would've helped me. I won't forget this gesture." "Why do you think that is? Why do you think they wouldn't help?" - While chit-chatting with the bear, you started to pull the bit of metal out of his paw. Iorek twitched a few times, closing his eyes in pain. As you watched it slip out, you grabbed one of the fabrics to cover it, searching for a small bottle of spirit in your bag. Also, Iorek's compliment about the kindness in your heart made you smile blatantly, but you assumed Iorek knew that he is the cause of the said smile. - "I don't have proper disinfection so this has to do. Desperate times, am I right? It will sting... A lot."

Normally, you weren't too big on drinking - but the innkeeper told you that it can save your life in the Northern wilderness. So you've bought a few mini-bottles to have on hand and right at that moment, it paid off. "I don't have to think about their reasoning..." - At this moment, he howled in great pain as you poured the spirit into the wound, covering it with another piece of fabric immediately. - "What you see around is my punishment for all the harm I've caused to the folk of Trollesund. The night it happened... I wasn't myself, Y/N, I was a beast torn from the chain. I couldn't compose myself no matter how much I tried. I've spilt blood, destroyed properties and brought night terrors."

"If I may, you don't strike me as this sort of... Of a bear. I don't know you, by all means, but you seem to be wise and astute. Just as I seem to be kind." "Back then, I've long forgotten who I once was. I've been exiled from my homeland and my friend, Lee Scoresby, wasn't nearby - I shouldn't have accepted the spirits the locals offered me to forget my wrongdoings because when I did... I have been deceived and stripped of my armour - which is the biggest shame that a Panserbjørn can imagine." "I know I've promised not to pray and I hope you won't understand my boldness as an attempt at deceiving you..." - You mumbled while patching the paw together, making sure the improvised bandage will be comfortable to walk around and work with. - "But what happened before you accepted the..." - The rest of your question couldn't be finished because of the metal gate opening loudly with folk pouring in, led by the man you'd met earlier.

"Las, this is not a place you should be at. It's dangerous." "No, it's not, trust me. This sentient, conscious animal needed help and as an animal researcher, it was my duty to assist. Iorek is not to be at fault." - With that, you stood up and patter the side of his enormous paw, letting him know that your job is done. - "I'll leave this workshop at once." - Looking away from the few newcomers, you turned your head to Iorek. - "When I'll come back to Trollesund for supplies, would you spare some time for me? Please?" "I will, Ms Y/N, doctor of the University of Oxford. It was an honour to meet you." "Pleasure was on my side, Iorek."

"You see, we could call for Sysselman to arrest you at once." - One of the ladies who were accompanying the gentleman, and who was yelling at you before, hissed in your direction. Now, you were standing outside the workshop and listening to repeating enormous slams coming from there. Iorek was back at work. "Yes. You definitely could." "You're lucky we're in a good mood..." - She muttered, letting you scoff under your breath. Not even Joy was able to hide the grin on her face. "Good mood, sure." - Joy's voice rang inside your head as you walked among them, not listening to the rest of what she had to say. - "They're just scared because they don't want to get tangled up in a diplomatic dispute with Jordan, as simple as that, Y/N. Sometimes it's fun, having some sense of authority." "Just don't let it mingle with your mind too much. I wouldn't stand listening to hours of your self-praising dialogue." "Oh shush, Y/N."

Not long after being forced out of Iorek's workshop, more like forced-labour tiny space for a bear that was far too intelligent and big for it, your sledge was ready to set off on a journey through the Great Northern wilderness. On your journey, being accompanied by a local hunter, you've taken two photograms (one belonged to a waste, endless snow plain with the sun setting on the horizon and the second belonged to a pair of snow foxes who were staring at you and Joy with pure interest) and made countless journal entries to describe the excitement that filled you up. The pages were filled with plain reflections and observations, occasionally you also drew a sketch, trying to capture the essence of the place inside your mind.

To be frank, the further you were from any signs of civilization, the darker the nights got and the colder the climate was - snow usually came late at night or very early in the morning, but that wasn't anything Samuel couldn't handle. The reindeer pushing the sledges with all your belongings was well-tamed and calm, even though the biggest snow storms you had to push through. On a late evening of the second day, you stopped yourself for a second to look at a majestic cliff covered in snow that was frozen solid.

Your cheeks were on fire, stinging with each blow of the ice-cold wind, you've been dressed with God knows how many layers of clothing just to be able to use your limbs and keep warm. Samuel made you both a strong herbal tea mixed with some of the spirits to keep your bloodstream bumping that hot fluid into your body, so you unfastened the staple off your belt to take a sip out of the thermos while taking in the sight. On the very edge of the cliff, probably built into the rock, there was the observatory you've heard all about. The lights were on, almost welcoming and inviting. It wasn't excessive but it wasn't too small either, the outer walls made out of, presumably, insulating panels to keep the place warm. So far, the place itself didn't appear to be too bad.

"Almost there, miss. I'll get you inside in about an hour before another snowstorm hits us. How are those cheeks of yours doing, huh?" - The hunter asked with a scoff, poking fun at you. Sure, you should've expected the North to be very cold (that's why you bought so many warm clothes in the end), but you didn't expect your mimic muscles to stiffen up in a rather uncomfortable smile which you weren't able to shake off for the most part of today's morning. Now, you scoffed at the question, but you'd been crying seven hours ago since the spasm hurt really bad. You had to close your eyes and push your face above a fire for the muscles to finally relax. "Much better now, Samuel, you're a wizard. Now I'm better off knowing I'll need to pack a face mask with me." "Don't call me that. Don't want the Magisterium coming after me." "Oh, don't worry." - You answered in a similarly amused tone of voice. - "Your secret is definitely safe with me."

As you pushed closer and closer to the observatory, the night was getting bleakly cold; you had high snow boots on with a pair of woollen socks inside, but you couldn't feel your feet for at least ten minutes by that point. As usual, both your daemons hid under the fabric holding all of your stuff in place so they wouldn't freeze to death. Thankfully, the doorstep was just a small bit away now, not even ten minutes of a painfully slow pace. "Are you sure you're supposed to be here? Doesn’t add up to me!" - Samuel called out all of a sudden, trying to shout over the strong wind howling in your ears. - "I know I shouldn't stick my nose into your scholar business, but... You seem nice and I do mean it in the best way possible." "I'm pretty positive I am, Sam, this is my home for the next four months. Shame I won't be able to take morning strolls under the morning sun!" "Well, technically you can but you’ll need to dress properly and take a cup of hot coffee! But that's beside the point! I'm talking about that scholar who's living here! Asriel IDon’tRememberHisLastName!" "What about him? Has he been acting up around you? Was he rude?" "You see, you're nice and he's... How should I put it delicately?" "I know what he's like, don't worry! I've already worked with him previously. And to answer your question, I'm totally in the right place. Only Golden boy would choose this place to in voluntarily."

“Golden boy?” - Samuel repeated with an amused expression creeping all over his face. - "I like that. I like that a lot. I’m just worried because sometimes he doesn’t seem to have an ounce of reason. Asriel is smart, smarter than all the folk in Trollesund with me included, but he has the look of a madman.” “Really? Either I’m blind or he never looked at me that way. I’d never suspect that, to be honest with you!” “Or never look at you in that way, probably. As I said, you’re a nice person to be around.” “Samuel thank you for the kind words but stop complimenting me. All the blood will flow into my cheeks and instead of pushing my face above a fire, I’ll have to push my head into a sink full of boiling hot water.” - And with that, you’ve both stopped at the summit, standing right below the entrance. The storm was getting worse, the wind now picking on both intensity and cold.

As Samuel helped you carry all your bags and replenishments of supplies, you started to look for your copy of the keys that had been sent to you by Thorold; you managed to open the door wide, putting it all into an entrance hall before saying your goodbye to Samuel, wishing him farewell as you watched him pushing back through the snow, his reindeer never leaving his side. The night was just getting worse and as you watched him disappearing into the void of darkness, you hoped he'd make it back home alright. It was hard to tell if it was the journey’s toil that had left its mark on you or if it was the numb feeling in all of your limbs, but you’d never been in a warmer and nicer place than Adriel’s observatory. It was visible at the first glance that he doesn’t bother with cleaning too much; the place wasn’t wreaked by strange smells or dirt visible by the eye, but pure chaos had overtaken every surface visible on the first floor. It was dimly lit, feeling almost overly secretive and intimate, but you’ve been able to recognize the kitchen and a door cracked open, leading into the bathroom.

As you walked further into the building and took off your gloves, hat and the hood of your coat, the feeling of a burning, almost painful sensation overwhelmed you; your limbs remembered that they were indeed still attached to your body upon regaining sense. It felt strange… To have all five fingers again. The sudden warmth difference also wore you out instantly. Now that you were in safety, you were ready to sleep through a whole day's worth of time. You could’ve been standing in one place for around five minutes, just taking in the interior of the place and regaining control over your body when you noticed fuss coming to you from the upper floor; Asriel wasn’t seen for a few moments as he made his way to the stairway, pulling the sleeves of his sweater up to his elbows.

It was unclear who Asriel was expecting to appear on the doorstep... Yet simply the way Asriel stopped in his tracks to look at you with disbelief made you realize that you certainly weren't who he'd been awaiting. He froze in place, still holding the hem of his sleeve between his fingers while watching you awkwardly smile at him, even raising your numb hand to wave his way; Stelmaria was accompanying him, tilting her head to her shoulder as she let her eyes ponder over you and Joy.

Asriel still looked the way you remembered him - and mind you, it was a few good years since you’d had the time to look at him properly, without any sense of rush. When he was around Jordan, which wasn't too often, you'd pass each other in the hall while walking to entirely different parts of the college - once in a time. The man was clearly in good condition (given the circumstances outside, he had to be in the best shape possible), letting his clothes delicately outline his frame; his sweater was tucked into cosy pants that highlighted his hipbone as well as emphasized the width of his shoulders. The features on Adriel’s face had grown a little deeper, worried, and the wrinkles were standing out more than you remembered - but that could be easily explained due to the dim lighting of the observatory. Sure, his hair was quite overgrown and wavy, but that could be understood due to the absence of any professional barber. If someone would ask you if there was a feature which remained just the way you recalled it, it was his eyes - the shape and intense blue checked out perfectly, just like the intensity with which he was watching you.

It was still there. Throughout the years you’ve spent building your own academic career, you managed to persuade yourself that this must've been a fabrication of your mind, something that would make you feel better about spending your evenings in utter silence disturbed only by the music coming from the gramophone located in the back of his office. Now, standing in front of him as you returned his look, it clearly wasn’t just a delusion. The lingering sensation in his stare, unsaid words you wished to hear. Thoughts locked in the fortress built out of cold logic and knowledge, topics that were never brought up even though you’d both enjoy talking about them; you’d maybe even laughed, who knew?

Before you could say anything out loud, just as you opened your lips to greet him and send regards from Dr Carne, Asriel outran you by a long shot. As he made his way down the stairs, you could hear him breathing out loud as if you had just upset him somehow. Then, he spoke; in a tone that sent chills down your spine and made you shiver. First, there was the frown and second, there was the thunder taking the form of his voice. - “What on Earth are you doing here, Ms Y/L/N?”

#lord asriel x fem!reader #lord asriel #asriel belaqua x fem!reader #asriel belaqua #his dark materials (2019 2022) #his dark materials imagine #his dark materials hbo #his dark materials #hdm #iorek byrnison #IT'S IOREK #WOOOO #i do love this bear and I would die for him without a doubt in my mind #he's the mvp of movie/show no doubt about it

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Traces of an Ancient Watery World in Capitol Reef Capitol Reef National Park in south-central Utah is neither home to a capitol, nor a reef. It was named instead for two geologic features: the prominent white domes of Navajo Sandstone, which reminded early settlers of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.; and a formidable ridge of rocky cliffs that presented a barrier to travel. The settlers (some likely traveling in prairie schooners) likened it to the maritime navigational hazard of an ocean reef. The ridge, called Waterpocket Fold, runs north-south for 90 miles (140 kilometers). It is visible in the above image, which was acquired on May 2, 2022, by the Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) on Landsat 9. The ridge is named for a common feature in the park. Waterpockets are natural depressions or pockets—eroded from the rock—that collect rainwater and snowmelt, a precious source of freshwater for wildlife and humans in the desert. Geologically, Waterpocket Fold is a monocline, a structure in which the rock layers have been folded up or down on one side. (Structures in which the rock layers are folded on both sides—either bent up like a U-shaped smile or down like frown—are called synclines and anticlines, respectively.) Between 75 million and 35 million years ago, the tectonic forces that uplifted the Rocky Mountains also buckled older rocks below Capitol Reef. The rock layers above did not break, but bent, like a tablecloth draped over a table edge. The bend in this drape forms the Waterpocket Fold. More recently, rains, flash floods, and freeze-thaw cycles have eroded and sculpted the cliffs, canyons, bridges, and domes into what we see today. Capitol Reef tells a geologic story of hundreds of millions of years of deposition, uplift, and erosion—punctuated by episodes of volcanism and glaciation. The park boasts a nearly complete series of rock layers spanning from the late Permian Period (about 290 million years ago) to the end of the Mesozoic Era (66 million years ago). Deposited along and in a shallow sea and ancient delta, these rocks hold a nearly continuous record of life and environments here from before the rise of the dinosaurs through their demise. Today, they are some of the most well-known rocks of the Colorado Plateau, including the Moenkopi, Chinle, Navajo, Entrada, and Dakota formations. Several of these are visible in the below image of Big Thomson Mesa within Capitol Reef. The photograph was taken on June 14, 2009, by the crew on the International Space Station. Capitol Reef also hosts part of the largest and oldest fossil megatracksite in North America. These are mostly trace fossils, or ichnofossils, found in the Moenkopi Formation, which formed in the Early Triassic Period, about 240 million years ago. Unlike body fossils, trace fossils are the marks or other evidence that ancient life left behind—like footprints, burrows, and even feces (coprolites). Many of the trackways at Capitol Reef were formed when fish dragged their fins or reptiles scraped their feet, toes, or claws as they swam along an ancient shoreline or traversed a tidal mudflat. The impressions that they left were later filled with sand, which hardened into sandstone, forming casts. In May 2022, park officials reported the loss of part of a rare fossil trackway. After posting a photo of a rock outcrop on social media, park officials were alerted to the missing tracks by a paleontologist who was familiar with the site. An examination of previous photos of the site revealed the fossils had been removed sometime between August 2017 and August 2018. NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Astronaut photograph ISS020-E-9861 was acquired on June 14, 2009, with a Nikon D3 digital camera fitted with an 800 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by the Expedition 20 crew . The image in this article has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast. Lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. Story by Sara E. Pratt.

#space #science #earth observatory #nasa #news #Utah

[2022-mmac]

Poetry As Words - Workshop and Poetry Readings Annual Community Poetry Event

Workshop & Poetry Reading from NM Poet Laureate Lauren Camp and Poetry Readings from Community Poets of All Ages

Thursday, April 25, 2024 Doors Open at 5:00 PM POETRY READING & WORKSHOP: 5:30-7:30 PM

MMAC Center 101 E BROADWAY - MOUNTAINAIR, NM 87036 Event Manager, Karen Smith

ADMISSION: FREE! (Donations appreciated.) Snacks and beverages provided Bring Poetry to Read/Perform All Ages - Community Event

Register to Attend: Online: https://forms.gle/VPNuYax34sfbNNkGA

Or by email: [email protected] Or by Voice or Text message to: 505-847-5068 Or in person at the MMAC Gift Shop during regular hours And in person if time is available at the event (Depends upon how many poets sign-up)

Writer and educator Lauren Camp works in the confluence of sound, psychology and language.

New Mexico Poet Laureate Lauren Camp is the author of eight poetry collections, most recently In Old Sky (Grand Canyon Conservancy, 2024). She was awarded a 2023 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship. Other honors include a Dorset Prize and finalist citations for the Arab American Book Award, the Housatonic Book Award and the Adrienne Rich Award for Poetry. In 2022, she was Astronomer in Residence at Grand Canyon National Park. Lauren is the recipient of fellowships from Denver Botanic Gardens, The Taft-Nicholson Center for Environmental Humanities and Black Earth Institute. She was a visiting writer at the Mayo Clinic, and artist in residence at Lowell Observatory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Her poems have appeared in many journals and anthologies, including Kenyon Review, Prairie Schooner, Mid-American Review, Missouri Review, and The Academy of American Poets’ Poem-a-Day. Her work has been translated into Turkish, Mandarin, Serbian, Arabic, French and Spanish. She teaches for Poetry Out Loud-New Mexico and leads her own community workshops.

Witter Bynner Foundation for Poetry, NMarts, National Endowment for the Arts

#mmac #visitmountainair #freeevent #workshop #poetry #poems

[justfront]

Sunriver nature center animal jumping line

#Sunriver nature center animal jumping line full#

Even on an August night, we braved the 40 degree temps to see the night sky through their many (donated) telescopes and hear all about the different configurations of stars, clusters, constellations and planets. Arrived Now – Where Dream Vacations Come Trueįor more information on the Sunriver Nature Center in Oregon and other great places to check out during your time in Sunriver, call or email our reservation specialists today to discuss reserving your lodgings through us. 18 reviews of Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory 'Terrific non-profit educational center with a fantastic observatory and educated, friendly staff. be found on-line at the following Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. and Animals for sale in Kalamazoo, MI Age: 3 months 979 West River Center. This summary of the animals and plants encountered by Lewis and Clark is. The Sunriver Nature Center features interpretive exhibits. Michigan Phone [phone] Animals from our lines are fully pedigreed. You can also learn more by calling [phone] or speaking with one of our representatives at Arrived Now. Mount Bachelors super pipe and many jumps, jibs, rails and boxes are a freestyle skiers and. You’ll find the Sunriver Nature Center at 57245 River Rd., Sunriver, OR 97707. Solar viewing at the observatory lasts from 11:00am – 2:00pm. Sunriver Nature Center is open daily from 9:00am – 5:00pm during the summer season, which lasts from Memorial Day through Labor Day. And theres a reason we play leap frog - frogs take long, high jumps but toads. Sunriver Nature Center Bird Walk Friday, Ap 08:00 10 Walk with us on the wild side Join Tom Lawler, expert local birder and nature photographer, to discover the rich bird habitats of Sunriver. Animals that inhabit the area include deer, elk, coyote, raccoon, and a variety of. Included with the price of your admission is a solar viewing session at the Oregon Observatory, as well as events such as the Raptor Talk. Frogs and toads belong to the same animal group but are very different.

#Sunriver nature center animal jumping line full#

(KTVZ) - Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory has welcomed a female Eurasian eagle-owl ( Bubo bubo) to its ambassador. Sunriver Nature Center & : Exempt Type: Full Time Reports to: Executive DirectorSummary/Objective This position is. Children under the age of 4 years old and members of the Sunriver Nature Center are admitted for free. Known as world's largest owl, with distinctive orange eyes SUNRIVER, Ore. The Creature Cave and the Lake Aspen Loop exhibit provide a firsthand look at the animals that call Sunriver and the rest of Central Oregon home.Īdmission for the Sunriver Nature Center in Oregon costs $5.00 for children ages 4 – 12 years old and $7.00 for adults. Summer brings on hands-on exhibits such as toad and snake viewing. Inside, exhibits vary throughout the year. Visit the botanical garden and learn about the native flora of Central Oregon. Start off with a walk on one of the nature trails, where you’ll traverse forest and wetland terrain while seeing the resident raptors, or birds of prey, that live at the nature center as a part of the facility’s active bird rehabilitation efforts. Here, visitors of all ages can enjoy hands-on activities, live animal exhibits, nature walks on the Sam Osgood Nature Trail and Lake Aspen Loop, and even solar viewing at the adjacent Oregon Observatory at Sunriver. Sunriver Nature Center is a fun and educational place where visitors come to experience the wonders of the forest and learn about the natural world in the scenic setting of Central Oregon. Read on for more details on what makes the Sunriver Nature Center in Oregon such a fantastic attraction to visit during your vacation! Experience the Wonders of the Sunriver Nature Center in Oregon Located next door to the Oregon Observatory at Sunriver not far from the Deschutes River, the Sunriver Nature Center is a must-see destination for visitors who love nature and are fascinated by science, history, and the environment. What is a Combining Zone?Ī "combining zone," or sometimes referred to as an “overlay zone,” is a special zoning district, placed over an existing base zone(s), which identifies unique conditions and regulatory standards in addition to those in the underlying base zone.Home Charming Vacation Rentals in Sunriver Oregon Sunriver Attractions Sunriver Nature Center in Oregon A "base zone" is a county zone that specifies allowable uses for real property and land use requirements including minimum parcel size and development standards.

#Sunriver nature center animal jumping line

[ainawgsdoutdoors]

We went on a family hike and picnic this afternoon. There were a LOT of other people on the trail and Zella was very much excited to see everyone. We also saw about 7 other dogs on our hike.

#trail dogs #hiking #german shepherd #white german shepherd #dogs #zella #walnut point state park #prairie observatory #abandoned places

[callistolivia]

What will you haunt? 🌬

Sun in the 1st

Valleys, trenches, the base of mountains, untouched forests, prairies, weapons, military bases, stadiums, stages, and wardrobes

Sun in the 2nd

Ballrooms, bed and breakfasts, hotels, mansions, mineshafts, bathrooms, old money, bank vaults, opera houses, jewelry

Sun in the 3rd

Playgrounds, schools, libraries, phones, attics, musical instruments, rivers, cars, typewriters, parlours

Sun in the 4th

Homes, cottages, barns, lakes, beaches, antique stores, factories, clocks, pictures, gardens

Sun in the 5th

Amusement parks, art galleries, bars, nightclubs, wine cellars, vineyards, street markets, theatres, board games, arenas

Sun in the 6th

Deserts, zoos, meadows, windmills, studies, desks, machines, grocers, bridges, churches

Sun in the 7th

Mirrors, reflections, perfumes, lockets, paintings, courthouses, porcelain and pottery, gowns, masks, boutiques 

Sun in the 8th

Tombs, ravines, sewers, wetlands, rocky shores, heirlooms, flea markets, basements, occult emporiums, ritual sites

Sun in the 9th

Boats, airplanes, trains, train tracks, ancient sites, deer trails, campsites, islands, universities, highways

Sun in the 10th

Mountain tops, rainforests, cliffs, winter, heritage buildings, government buildings, fortifications, bunkers, elevators, museums

Sun in the 11th

Conservation areas, laboratories, convention centres, subways, dormitories, statues, murals, the internet, observatories

Sun in the 12th

Prisons, institutions, asylums, dreams, the ocean, submarines, caves, film, hard-drives, spaceships

#astrology #just some thoughts i had if i could linger anywhere as a spirit 👀 #the signs #sun in houses

[pedros-mustache-main]

mutuals as historical buildings??

now that’s what i’m talking about!!!!

@archaicmusings: the acropolis of athens, athens, greece.

i mean? duh? did you expect anything different? of course cal with her interest in classics history would be one of the most recognizable buildings of the classics age! now, don’t ask me what the heck this building was for because i don’t know. that is not my side of history, friends, and i’m smart enough to admit that.

anyways, can’t you just see cal leading a tour around the building?! she would absolutely be wearing socks and sandals and that makes me love her more. 

 @almightygwil: little red schoolhouse, farmington, maine.

this is more of a concept of buildings than a specific building, but the one pictured above (built in 1852) is pretty spot on in terms of the building(s) i would choose for ellie. 

when i think of ellie, i think of little house on prairie. i think of one room schoolhouses and lots of kids under the tutelage of one teacher. essentially, when i think of ellie, i think of the historical life i would kill to live in the mid-to-late nineteenth century (if things didn’t suck for so many people back then). ellie is warm and absolutely gives great hugs (even if i’ve need received one from her) and i would love to be her student in one of these schools. 

@im-an-adult-ish: wrigley field, chicago, illinois. 

do i know anything about baseball? barely. do i know about the significance of wrigley field? again, not really. 

what i do know is baseball is really important to meredith and so is wrigley field. i mean, her dog is named after it so that’s some indication of its importance. i do think that something about wrigley field screams “all american” and meredith is a very all-american girl (in the best possible way). 

@ineloqueent: yerkes observatory, williams bay, wisconsin. 

according to the internet, the yerkes observatory was “the birthplace of modern astrophysics” in 1892 when it was founded. i don’t know if that holds water, but i do know that tina loves stars and space and looking at stars in space. of all the other observatories i was looking at, i liked this one the most because, while it serves a specific function, it also is architecturally beautiful. it’s really european in feel (especially for being in wisconsin of all places) and we love our european tina!!! anyway, the combined natures of science meeting european architecture was what made me say, “yeah tina would be this building.” 

@dancingdiscofloof: palacio de cristal, madrid, spain.

the first place on our list that i’ve been to irl!

i had absolutely no idea where we were going when we started the trek from madrid’s palace to this crystal palace. really, i was just walking and trying not to cry ‘cause i’d only eaten bread and cheese for a week. but then! out of the blue! this beautiful crystal palace in the middle of a park. also ducks!

this building reminds me of rove for two reasons: it’s classic, and rove is classic. it’s also modern, and rove is also modern. from what i can gather, the crystal palace operates slightly like a museum. different art exhibits have been housed in the building from time to time. (when i was there, the sculptures inside were these weird, like, sandstone naked people?? idk what that was about) 

anyway, rove kinda reminds me of a museum or at least a very classy museum tour-guide.

@gwiilymslee: le mont saint michel, normandy, france.

look at that! it’s like freaking tangled! america could never!!!

all freaking out aside, audrey is absolutely a princess who deserves not only her own castle, but her own castle on an island. i think mont-saint-michel truly has this otherworldly feel to it, like something out of a novel or a movie. audrey gives me those same vibes.

@joemazzmatazz: san bernadino alle ossa, milan, italy.

another place on our list i’ve been to irl! i was in italy (among other countries) last year, and i randomly found this chapel nearby the milan cathedral. there are bones and skeletons of (supposed) plague victims decorating the very cramped room, and let me tell you, it was one of the weirder experiences of my life sitting in that room. 

i chose this for regan because, while i could have gone for the quintessential 80s punk scene and that would have fit just fine, i also think regan is a blend of the macabre and the aesthetic if that makes sense? like she’s one of those people who can really pull off the edgy, grunge vibe while also maintaining class and sophistication. that’s the general feeling i got from this chapel when i was there, so i thought it fit. 

@deacyblues: the flatiron building, new york, new york.

pearl will never not scream early 20th century to me. the flatiron building was built in 1902 and is typically seen as a landmark of the rapid growth of new york city, as well as the development of architecture in the united states. 

anyway, to me the flatiron building is iconic of the early 1920s, and so is pearl. the building has some european feel to it, too, with the way the faces of each side are carved, and pearl often speaks with this blend of american/british vernacular. really, i think what i’m trying to say is pearl reminds me of transatlantic movie-stars, and so does the flatiron building.

@six-bloodyminutes: the guggenheim, new york, new york.

there are two sides to mo. when i first met her, i was like, “huh, this girl is pretty put together. she seems like she knows what’s going on.” then i got to know her more and i thought, “oh wait. she, in fact, does not know what’s going on.” 

the geggenheim reminds me of mo because, from the exterior, it’s sleek and classic, but also unique. it makes you want to take a closer look. on the inside, it’s full of modern art that makes zero sense whatsoever. mo is much the same: put together on the outside, but on the inside, she’s full of surprises, absolutely delightful in her exuberance, and a joy to get to know better. also: i feel like if she were a staircase, she’d be the staircase inside of the guggenheim as well. 

@hijackmy-heart: casa mila, barcalona, spain.

nat is fun. like she makes me laugh a lot and she’s witty (in two languages!!) and she absolutely knows how to have a good time. much like this really strange looking building. there’s a certain whimsy to nat that i feel like this building evokes, too. all in all, 10/10 building, 10/10 person.

@kiwi-hardy: bishop’s castle, rye, colorado.

the last place on the list that i’ve been too irl! the story of bishop’s castle is strange: essentially this man named jim bishop bought land in c.o. for $450 in the 60′s, and he has been handcrafting this massive stone castle ever since. there have been legal battles (over the stones used themselves and over road signs and who controls the castle in the event of jim’s death) but let me tell you one thing: that castle is not built to code whatsoever. i was afraid for my life.

i feel like nothing captures the chaos of leah as much as the house with a fire-breathing dragon on one side, a gift shop on another, and spray painted signs all over the property that say many things but particularly “enter at your own risk”

#mutuals as tag #okay enough distraction #back to writing

[seraphica]

The ‘See America’ project from Creative Action Network aims to revive the legacy of the New Deal arts projects and WPA posters, with designs from a wide variety of artists. Proceeds benefit the National Parks Conservation Association [via / purchase]

#national parks #glacier national park #sleeping bear dunes #tallgrass prairie #golden gate bridge #great smoky mountains #saint croix river #multnomah falls #blue ridge parkway #mcdonald observatory #dinosaur national monument #graphic design #art

[spectralarchers]

Two years ago, I was landing in Indianapolis, Indiana and was met there with an amazing friend, @kate-katiehawkeye picked me up from the airport, and with her, I took off into what would end up being a 21.500 kms (14.000 miles) long Roadtrip across 23 state lines and from one end of the United States to the other.

We slept in a tent, and experienced bears, bison and coyotes in the camp, but we also slept in at the haunted Stanley hotel (thanks for that, Stephen King), saw dinosaur tracks, aliens in Area 51 but more than anything, we saw the remaining glaciers in Glacier National Park. They will be gone by this time next year.

This is a non-exhaustive list of the things we saw:

🏞️ National Parks and Forests: Garden of the Gods National Park, Rocky Mountains National Park, Arches National Park (and a hike out to Delicate Arch), Mesa Verde National Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Monument Valley Tribal Park (it's not a national park, but is as important as them!), Grand Canyon National Park, Slide Rock National Forest, Lake Mead National Recreational Area, Death Valley National Park (and temperatures of 57'C / 127'F), Angeles National Forest, Sequoias National Forest, Sequoias National Park, Yosemite National Park, Humboldt National Forest, Wasatch National Forest, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park (and its Canadian partner, Waterton), Little Big Horn National Monument, Mount Rushmore National Monument, Badlands National Park.

🏞️ State Parks and Forests: Finger Lakes State Park, Ray Robert's Lake State Park, Lake Arrowhead State Park, Palo Duro State Park, Clayton Lake State Park, Cheyenne Mountain State Park, Rifle Gap State Park, Mancos Lake State Park, Storrie Lake State Park, Redwood Forest State Park, Salt Lake State Park and Custer State Park (where they saved the species Bison!)

⛲ And all the other landmarks we saw along the way: Cahokia Mounds, the Gateway Arch, Black Jack Battlefield, Little House on the Prairie, Old Red Museum, Sixth Floor Museum (where JFK's shooter was positioned when the killing shots were fired), Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, Clayton Dinosaur Footprints, Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings, US Figure Skating Hall of Fame, US Olympic Center Colorado Springs, Denver Museum of Science and Nature, Stanley Hotel, Pioneer Cemetery at Glenwood Springs (where Doc Holliday's remains are buried, just as Kid Curry's), the 4 Corner Monument, Acoma Pueblo, Oatman AZ (where Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable had their honeymoon), Las Vegas, the Luxor Titanic Exhibit (with real items from the Titanic), Hoover Dam (no Transformers in sight, sadly), Area 51, Calico Ghost Town, Warner Studios, Griffith Observatory, Solvang, the James Dean Memorial (placed at the intersection where he lost his life in a car race), the California Academy of Science, Golden Gate and Alcatraz, Francis Ford Coppola's Winery, Utah Olympic Park, Sundance (where they host the Sundance Film Festival), Waterton, Buffalo Bill Museum of the West, Old Trail Town, Devils Tower (where they filmed Encounters of the Third Kind, which is shown every night at the camping center), Crazy Horse monument and Mammoth Site, the Corn Palace, as well as Elk Horn, Waverly (because that's where Hawkeye is from) and a whole bunch of other places too.

And, I got to meet some of y'all and those are days I will forever cherish in my memory ❤️

#tgar

[newstfionline]

Headlines

Lead in some Canadian water worse than Flint (AP) Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have been unwittingly exposed to high levels of lead in their drinking water, with contamination in several cities consistently higher than they ever were in Flint, Michigan, according to an investigation that tested drinking water in hundreds of homes and reviewed thousands more previously undisclosed results. Residents in some homes in Montreal, a cosmopolitan city an hour north of the U.S.-Canada border, and Regina, in the flat western prairies, are among those drinking and cooking with tap water with lead levels that exceed Canada’s federal guidelines. The investigation found some schools and day care centers had lead levels so high that researchers noted it could impact children’s health.

All evacuations lifted for Southern California wildfire (AP) Authorities lifted all evacuation orders as firefighters made progress Sunday on a large blaze that sent thousands fleeing homes and farms northwest of Los Angeles. Firefighters have contained 70% of the blaze, which has burned nearly 15 square miles (39 sq. kilometers) of dry brush and timber. Three buildings were destroyed.

Relatives Say at Least 5 US Citizens Killed in North Mexico (AP) Relatives say at least five U.S. citizens, including four children, who live in a religious community in northern Mexico were killed in a shooting attack they suspect may have been a case of mistaken identity by drug cartel gunmen. As many as 13 other members of La Mora — a decades-old settlement in Sonora state founded as part of an offshoot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — were missing after the attack on a convoy of three SUVs carrying community members, said a relative who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals.

López Obrador and Mexico’s military in rare public spat after ‘El Chapo’s’ son is freed (Washington Post) A retired Mexican general has openly criticized the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador after the botched attempt to arrest the son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán--a rare challenge that’s raising concerns about growing discontent in the military.

Guatemala’s Next President to Cut Ties With Maduro’s Venezuela (Reuters) Guatemalan President-elect Alejandro Giammattei said on Monday that he will break off all diplomatic relations with the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro when he takes office on Jan. 14.

Bolivia protests enter third week as Morales faces ultimatum (Reuters) Bolivian protests sparked by the contentious election victory last month of President Evo Morales entered their third week on Monday, with the long-standing leader facing rising pressure from an ultimatum by opposition groups to step down.

Earthquake Shakes Chile’s Capital, Causes Buildings to Sway (AP) A strong earthquake caused buildings to sway in Chile’s capital on Monday as thousands of people marched in the city’s center to demand better social services and less economic inequality.

Spanish king greeted with protests in Catalonia (Reuters) Several thousand demonstrators banged on kitchen pots and chanted “Catalonia has no king!” on Monday in protest against a visit by the Spanish royal family to the capital of the region that has been hit by weeks of separatist protests.

A happy 30th anniversary (Foreign Policy) The 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall is on Saturday, which the city will mark with a week-long arts festival. The wall itself has now been down for longer than it stood: 10,316 days, or more than 28 years.

EU Top Court Rules Poland Broke EU Law With Its 2017 Judicial Reform (Reuters) Poland broke European Union law when it lowered the retirement age for judges in 2017 and introduced a different retirement age for women and men in the profession, the bloc’s top court ruled on Tuesday.

At least six killed as security forces open fire on Iraq protesters (Reuters) Iraqi security forces killed at least five people when they opened fire on protesters in Baghdad on Monday, a Reuters witness said, as thousands took part in the largest wave of anti-government protests for decades. Internet access in the capital Baghdad and much of Iraq has been cut off, internet blockage observatory NetBlocks said late on Monday.

Iran marks 1979 takeover of US embassy with nuke announcement (AP) The head of Iran’s nuclear program says Tehran is now operating 60 IR-6 advanced centrifuges in violation of its atomic deal with world powers. The comments came as Iranians mark the 40th anniversary of the start of the 444-day hostage crisis.

Qatar, Turkey to Scale Up Cooperation: Qatar Foreign Ministry (Reuters) Regional allies Qatar and Turkey plan to scale up their cooperation into a “comprehensive strategic partnership”, Qatar’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday, as Doha deals with a prolonged boycott by fellow Gulf Arab states.

Violence Continues in Syria Despite Agreement (Foreign Policy) Russian and Turkish troops, drones, and armored vehicles began joint patrols in northeastern Syria on Friday, as part of an agreement designed to halt a violent Turkish offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters that has so far killed almost a thousand civilians and soldiers and wounded hundreds more. Under the agreement, Moscow and Ankara will jointly patrol two sections of the Syrian border to the west and the east of the Turkish incursion. But though Syrian Kurdish fighters completed their withdrawal to 20 miles from the border last week, clashes continued throughout the region as Turkey sought to expand the planned “safe zone” deeper into Kurdish territory.

After Violent Clashes in Hong Kong, China Responds (Foreign Policy) On Monday, Chinese state media issued another threat to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters, condemning their actions and urging the city’s authorities to take a “tougher line” against the demonstrations. The statements followed one of the most violent weekends in Hong Kong, in which protesters vandalized the Xinhua news agency office. More protests are planned for this week, focused on pushing for an investigation into the police. Meanwhile, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has been summoned to appear in Beijing on Wednesday for a meeting with Vice Premier Han Zheng--the first such meeting since the protests began in June.

Philippines’ Duterte Appoints Drug War Critic as ‘Drugs Tsar’ (Reuters) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed his main political rival, Leni Robredo, his “drugs tsar”, after the opposition leader expressed alarm about the death toll in an anti-narcotics campaign and said it needed a fresh approach.

A rare protest in Singapore (Foreign Policy) A few hundred people turned out for a rally against immigration in Singapore on Sunday. Public protest in the city is rare, but the demonstration suggests that the ruling party’s immigration policies are likely to be a key issue in next year’s parliamentary elections. Around 40 percent of Singapore residents are foreign-born.

#headlines #news

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Good Lands for the 26th U.S. President

Before he was president, Theodore Roosevelt tried his hand at ranching in North Dakota. When he first visited the Dakota Territory for a bison hunting trip in 1883, the wealthy New Yorker was immediately drawn to the cowboy lifestyle and desolate beauty of the badlands—a complex landscape of heavily weathered and eroded canyons, buttes, spires, and channels.

The OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager-2) on Landsat 9 captured this image of the meandering Little Missouri River cutting through the region on November 24, 2023. Flanking the river on both sides are networks of streams that, over time, carved the region’s soft sedimentary rocks into hills and ridges.

“The Bad Lands grade all the way from those that are almost rolling in character to those that are so fantastically broken in form and so bizarre in color as to seem hardly properly to belong to this earth,” Roosevelt said of the region’s exotic landscapes. “It was here that the romance of my life began.”

Heavily sculpted by water and wind, badland outcrops of sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone are often interspersed or capped with bursts of color, usually due to charred lignite coal transformed into a type of red rock called clinker. This erosion-resistant rock forms when the material above coal seams gets baked and fused by underground fires, which can occur naturally in this area.

Roosevelt was so enamored by the terrain and the potential for profit when he first visited that he invested in a cabin and cattle operation 7 miles (11 kilometers) south of Medora during the two-week trip. After the unexpected death of both his wife and mother just a few months later on Valentine’s Day, he returned to North Dakota in 1884 to grieve and take up ranching full time.

He thrived working with cattle at Elkhorn Ranch and later credited his time in North Dakota as launching him on a pathway to the presidency. However, the actual business of ranching proved challenging. Despite investing more than $80,000 on his operation, he lost much of his herd due to overgrazing and a harsh winter in 1886. By the time he sold off his last cattle interests in 1901, he had lost more than $20,000.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park was designated in 1947 as a memorial to Roosevelt, though at the time it only included the South Unit and Elkhorn Ranch Unit. The North Unit was added a year later.

Today, the park’s prairie grasslands and scattered forests are home to an array of wildlife including bison, elk, deer, pronghorn, and prairie dogs. Park rangers are managing these and hundreds of other animal and plant species in the hopes of ensuring they remain resilient to climate change.

Temperatures in North Dakota have risen by more than 2.6°F (1.4°C) since the beginning of the 20th century, according to NOAA’s state climate summaries. According to the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s Fifth National Climate Assessment, warming and overall aridity is expected to increase in the Northern Great Plains in the future as the climate changes, adding to the region’s already intense seasonal variability.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Wanmei Liang, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey. Photograph by Douglas Schulze and courtesy of the National Park Service. Story by Adam Voiland.

#science #space #nasa #news #earth observatory

[darbyb]

Good morning ☕️☀️ (at Paynes Prairie Observatory) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtQxrMGAAik/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=103hu7558gnhu

[attractionsolympia-blog]

Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve

Founded in 1976 to preserve Puget prairie grasslands and Mima mound landforms, The Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve on Waddell Creek Raod, Olympia, welcomes visitors to explore approximately 640 acres of grassland covered forest land and Mima mounds. As one of the National Natural Landmarks in Washington, this is a unique place to know more about Mima mound hypotheses, geology, fire, prairie ecology and Native American historical usage of the mounds.

What made these big mounds remains a mystery, and this puzzle is one with suggested explanations ranging from glaciation, earthquakes to giant gophers, an extraterrestrial activity and various other phenomena, but none are proven.  Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve is a brilliant place for hiking and walking especially when the wildflowers have blossomed on the rolling hills in the spring.

The National Natural Landmark provides a fully accessible path which is half a mile that enables everyone to enjoy the unique and alluring landscape. There are various viewpoints including the official refuge site itself - for those who have limited time this should be the priority. There are also different views on the road going over to the shooting range. They offer a variety of trails, apparently, one that is wheelchair accessible.

Nice Trails

At the beginning of the trail, you have a look outbuilding that allows you to see how far out the mounds are and see how massive they are. Down inside the little observatory you have the history of the hills and theories of past explorers on the walls. It is very informative, and the trail is nice to walk around with pets and or kids - nothing too tricky. The mystery behind the mounds is intriguing, and if you're into history and nature, this spot is right for you.

This is a wonderful spot for the whole family since it is kid-friendly. They have an easy paved hike with exciting facts about native plants throughout the park. Also, it has a more extensive trail choice. It is a peaceful place where kids can carefully explore, discover and experience nature. It is highly recommended to go in May or June when the butterflies are migrating.

Summary

If you liked your geology, then this would be an excellent park to tour. It is not known what made these big mounds of gravel on the otherwise flat prairie, but there are plenty of them of all sizes. These mounds extend over an area of about 12 miles; some of the best-undeveloped views can be seen further to the east, north of Tenino along the route of the Amtrak line.

This place is loaded with unusual native flowers, birds, and butterflies. Endangered species including the checkerspot butterfly and streak horned lark as well as Mazama pocket gopher are under local protection. There are always plenty of bluebirds around and often beautiful hawks circling above. This is a lovely open area to get out and have a walk and feel a Pacific Northwest prairie environment.

Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve is a beautiful place in Olympia where you can enjoy the natural beauty. The natural beauty of any place is not complete without trees and for beautiful trees, care of these trees are important. You can find a different tree service provider in Olympia. You can find more information about trees from http://deadoralivetreeservices.com/.

 Location: https://goo.gl/maps/9CJGuufBUVv

[manifestiv]

Gratitude 2018

Thanks for the inspired idea, @justinsymbol!

Sometimes listing accomplishments is therapy.

• January (starting with playing bass in freezing 🥶 🐃 weather in Lewisville w/ our @limpbizkit tribute) I enjoyed working 1 last month of my 12th year (off & on) at Starbucks while we began booking the first 2 legs of the years-in-the-making 8 month long #OctouR2018 to end with the late fall release of our sophomore album God is a Martian 👽 all from Grandma’s in Irving.

• February I got to play a couple last times on bass w/ @secretofboris while tightening #GodisaMartian tracks & tour set lists in @manifestiv

• March MV finished dress rehearsals and began our triangular stint with Rosegarden Funeral Party in TX before Lillith aptly painted the cover of our album in Roswell en route to CA shows ending in Hollywood at Bar Sinister w/ Spirit in the Room

• April began in CA with Compton at Machine before darting up to the Bay, 1st to play Berkeley at @924-gilman, then to our 1st of 3 Oakland shows & returning home to Vallejo at IntegriTea wrapping the South leg before finishing tracking w/ Nate Nauseda in Cotati at Prairie Sun Recording, doing a house show w/ Untamed Creatures after writing a batch of songs (now being considered for live use with an all-star lineup that is collaborating for the first time to play at the Damn Fine Music Fest II at Three Links in Dallas 1/19/19)

• May took us up the coast w/ Striplicker & Die Robot from Santa Cruz w/ Aurora Beam thru Oakland over to Sac w/ Vio\ator & Killer Couture before hitting OR & WA vigorously then returning to recharge @yellowstone-national-park prior to the MV reunion w/ Bloodied & Keldari Station at our 1st of 2 @seventhcirclemusiccollecti-blog1 appearances and reentering TX to our 1st of 2 RFP reunions as well at Fort Worth’s Rail Club for Industrial Knight

• June we continued tour at Armoury in Deep Ellum w/ BATHHØUSE before I returned the next night to SoB on 2nd guitar for Jermaine’s bday show alongside a special vibraphone crossover of #DontMentionLove at Pro Rehearsal Studios, where the day after we recorded a Peter Murphy cover of #CutsYouUp w/ RFP before we canceled the next leg Mid’s remaining dates as support & funds for all involved, MV included, dropped & our Munich friends Maik & Dana got married so we flew to Chicago for my birthday to catch URIZEN to catch our luckily cheap flight via gorgeous Iceland 🇮🇸 to Germany 🇩🇪 (right before Vinnie Paul tragically passed) to stay w/M&D and begin borrowing their VW Polo to prove Deutsch road worthy

• July truly began on the 4th when we met Maik’s friend Alex (obsessed w/ 🇺🇸) then drove to the Czech Republic 🇨🇿 for a few days to hang w/ cool musician Alex before a week in Berlin (new favorite city) then back thru Dachau Concentration Camp (spiritually scarring) before our flight to Ireland 🇮🇪 for a week where we booked it so close to beforehand, Saturday had gotten so full that we had to sleep on the Dublin streets in our suits (blast)

• August began with our hike to & alongside the cliffs of Keflavík 🇮🇸 on our way to DFW in time for me to rejoin SoB to play both The Curtain Club in Dallas for Chad’s Bday & Ridglea Metalfest 2018 in Fort Worth before MV practices w/our time planning in Europe 🇪🇺 on the way to our trek to Tahoe to build for our camp we’d play twice at Burning Man this year, wrapping with the build and the last time we would ever drink, which is when the real fun started

• September began w/ those shows on Playa, a massive camp wide de-dusting at camp leader Iceman’s Donner Lake resort that covered a humongous BM repair that enabled resumption of our OctouR on leg 7: Crown, concluding our round w/ RFP northbound from where we left off in Vallejo & played our final Oakland show this year

• October wrapped its namesake tour’s 8th month hitting Hotel Utah in San Francisco, showing RFP OR & WA, ending up playing our 2nd time to The Observatory w/ Moonchyld & including their volunteering of the RFP van SlowDive time off together while Bummobile was in the shop to drive us to by K&K Sound System for power supplies to replace the one eaten by Playa on the way to a swell lakeside B&B, all before debuting Boise & freezing together in Denver for 2 kickass shows amidst a thrift score of a lifetime (including a Mutiny Information Café debut w/ our fantastically complimentary & stunning eHpH) before getting back to our respective musical agendas back home including multiple DFW metroplex MV dates including an art show & almost won costume contest as ourselves w/ fam @littlesparkfilms & @projectzer0art, both Krautstein & multiple mOBSCENE tributes, and triangulating where MV would settle in the area

• November had a slew of TX shows begin it for both MV & SoB, 2 together, while we executed final steps for album release (mix/master at Mediocre in Leander near Austin w/RFP South leg drummer & all around badass CJ Bills we’d began before 🇪🇺, then the most organic CD packing ever) beginning holiday festivities amidst our move out of Bummmobile into our new pad in Dallas & compounded w/bitter unsweetness of Lillith’s younger brother Joey’s untimely death the day of @nineinchnails in Irving ironically that Lillith & I couldn’t have scored better tickets for (in front of the sound booth) & had much needed abundant camaraderie to a perfect setlist that was the only thing that could have kickstarted the grieving & healing process right

I’d still have to say 2018 won.

• December began with RFP winning multiple @dallasobserver-blog Music Awards they’d earned nominations for while on the road w/us in the fall amidst our final tour leg in 🇺🇸 for a hot minute while we launched our best show yet back at Curtain in Deep Ellum for the #GodisaMartian release with stellar follow-up lineup & regal, directly followed the next weekend by SoB’s direct support slot after fam in Rivethead for the friendly & mind blowing Stabbing Westward who we got the privilege to hang alongside all day making unforgettable memories just before gearing up in the mortuary field for a slew of demo sessions galore for both MV & SoB new material & painting commissions.

It’s not even Christmas, yet 2018’s already won.

#tourlife #industrial music #manifestiv #experimental music #throwback #european travel #burning man #pacific northwest #california #colorado #make tumblr great again #music blog #tour life #cd release show #tour review #texas #aliens