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dogcopter · 4 years

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Dogcopter Appearance Masterlist

thank you to resources SU Wiki Dogcopter and Dogcopter/Gallery, and Steven Says wiki transcript searcher

This is just a list of Dogcopter appearances in SU, not analysis. One or two may surprise you!

Dogcopter episode appearances

Lars and the Cool Kids

Lion 2

Some people say ‘You can't teach an old dog new tricks’... Unless you're Dogcopter 3, in 3D! This February, the fur hits the fan!

Steven: Whoah, I can see why this is your favorite film franchise. Connie: That's right! In a world where humanity is pushed to the brink, it turns out that the one who is most human, is a dog! Copter. Steven: and did you see where that missile came out of? Connie: Heh, yeah. I just hope it stays faithful to the book.

Amethyst: Oh, that's easy! Who needs to go see movies when you’ve got magic?

Steven: I'm sorry! I ruined everything, didn't I? I don't know why you hang out with me. I mess stuff up all the time. Connie: I don't know why you hang out with me! I'm so much more less interesting than you! And obviously you have some sort of magical destiny. Why would you even care about something like Dogcopter? Steven: Why?! Because it's Dogcopter! He's a dog, and a helicopter, and a cop! He shoots missiles out of his butt, and he's gonna save the world! Dogcopter is very cool and important to me. Connie: Well, I'm no Dogcopter.

Keep Beach City Weird

Dogcopter 3 SUX April 23, 2014

I saw Dogcopter 3 in 3D tonight and all I have to say is WOOF!

First of all, it’s a huge mistake to turn the last Dogcopter book into THREE movies. Yes, the last book is over 900 pages, but there’s not enough story! And the 3D was completely unnecessary. If I wanted to see butt missiles flying at my face, I’d feed a dog some bottle rockets and put on a pair of safety goggles.

Dogcopter is supposed to be an uncompromising look at the military-industrial-pet complex, not “fun”! Fun is the worst.

Also, if you live in the Delmarva area - do not see it at the Beach City Cineplex. The parking lot is a mess! Probably from a bunch of angry Dogcopter fans rioting. Ugh, I’m going to see this 3 more times to make sure I hate it.

Tags: dogcopter 3 in 3D keep beach city weird kbcw

Lion 3

Dogcopter: I win. Steven: Oh, what? That was a good move! Dogcopter: Thanks. Steven: Dogcopter. How do you do it? Dogcopter: How do I do what? Steven: I mean, what's your secret? How'd you get so talented? Dogcopter: Don't focus so much on talent, Steven. Making art is all about communication. A piece of art is a conversation. Every choice you make, is a statement.

Continued under cut

Dogcopter: Don't worry about labels, or conforming to a standard. Just be true to yourself, and people will appreciate your honesty. Steven: Woah. Thanks for the advice. Dogcopter: And take a deep breath. Steven: What?

suworkbook wrote a brilliant piece of meta around this dream

Steven: Here again? I don't know what this place is but it feels... familiar. Why can't I breathe? Wait a minute... Lion! Lion, my face is not your bed! What's going on with you?

Chille Tid

Steven: Whoa. Dogcopter! Mr. Copter! Sir! I'm one of your biggest fans, can I please have your autograph? Dogcopter: (meows) Steven: Mr. Copter, please! Steven: Hey wait! Where are you going?! Steven: I hope the rumors about Dogcopter in the tabloids aren't true. Steven: Huh? Oh! Hey, Pearl! Steven: Wait! Don't eat me! Steven: Oh, man! Thanks for the upgrade, Pearl! Now I can catch up with Dog— Steven: Woah, Amethyst? Steven: Hmm... This is... getting really weird. Lapis: This is weird. Steven: Hey, that sounds a lot like— Lapis: Steven! Steven: Lapis Lazuli! Lapis: Steven, what are you doing in here?

Keep Beach City Weird

KEEP BEACH CITY SPOILER FREE January 04 2016

Hey weirdos! For the past few months, I’ve done something unprecedented - I’ve stayed off the internet.

It was hard but I had to do because I’ve been trying to stay SPOILER FREE for the movie event of the new millennium! This December was the revival of one of the most famous sci-fi franchises in the world. Yep, you know what I’m talking about: DOGCOPTER.

So for three months, I sequestered myself from all internet communications. I handed over my laptop and my phone to my little bro, Peedee, and ordered him to bury them in an undisclosed location in the deserts of New Mexico.

I think he just put them in the walk-in freezer at the fry shop.

I won’t lie, it was hard. But I calmed my nerves by reacquainting myself with the “Young Adult Conspiracy” section at my local library. And instead of getting in arguments with internet trolls, I got in real life arguments! With my dad!

And after months of avoiding and spoilers or teasers or trailers, I was in line for Dogcopter 4, and then some dummy walking out of the theater TOTALLY SPOILED EVERYTHING and was like, “I can’t believe that Dogcopter’s parents are actually cats.”

Ug! I hope you’ve seen the movie because that’s pretty much the big ending. Dogcopter dies defending the planet but then he comes back to life because he’s actually part cat and cats have 9 lives. Anyway, the movie was pretty much ruined. So now I’m back. Spoilers are the worst.

Tags: Keep Beach City Weird Dogcopter

Fun fact if you invert this poster and adjust the contrast a bit, some odd diagram in the back appears:

Steven’s Birthday

Amethyst: What are you doing? Steven: Well uh...What are YOU doing? Greg: What are YOU doing to your body? Amethyst: Woah, woah, woah, have you been stretching yourself out all day? Steven: No! I was just... slouching. Greg: Why are you doing this? It... really isn't like you. Steven: Because, Dad, I can't stay a kid forever, when Connie grows up and becomes president what is that gonna make me? First Boy!? Amethyst: Steven, you can't just keep stretching forever. If you hold it too long, you could really hurt yourself. Steven: Yeah well, I'm half human so maybe it works different for me, we'll just have to wait and see, right? Greg: Steven...

Connie: That one's... "Canis helicopterus". Steven: Uh-uh, "Helicopterus"? Connie: Yeah, Dogcopter, get it? Now you make one up! Steven: Okay, um, That one's, uh, snake constellation. Connie: That's... pretty good. Are you okay? It looks like you're gonna throw up. Steven: Oh yeah, everything's fine! Connie: Okay... that's good. You know, to be honest, I was a little worried before. This might sound silly, but I'm really glad that I'm going to get to grow up with you. Connie: ...Steven? Steven! What's going on? What happened? Connie: We were just talking then all of a sudden- Pearl: He turned back into a baby?! Connie: YES!

Keep Beach City Safe

DOGCOPTER 4: ALL DOGS GO TO WAR Jan 5 2016

Dogcopter 4 has finally been released! All Dogs Go to War!

I’ve been dying to see this movie for age, but I never had the time. I’ve been so busy with my blog and picking the perfect present for Steven. I’ve watched all the other Dogcopter Movies, but I haven’t had time to watch this one. But now I have a little free time to do something. After I watch it I won’t spoil it for the rest of you. I’m gonna be a Smart Spoiler and drop hints in my post for you guess. Only those who have watched it will notice the clues. Yep, watching it 9 times.

#Dogcopter 4 #Steven's Birthday Present #Dogcopter Movies #Smart Spoiler

Same Old World

Lapis: So, what does happen in Empire City? Steven: Well, let's see. If you lived here, you could get a cool apartment, and be a single Gem taking on the big city. You'll have a fun job at a local coffee shop and come home to a wacky roommate... Lapis: I have no idea what you're talking about. Steven: Awww.

Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service

Steven: I'll take care of this! Kiki: Steven, be careful! Steven: Don't worry about me! Anything is possible when you have... rockets for bones! Kiki: Steven, that was so brave! Steven: Well, it's cheddar than nothing.

Steven: Oh, hey, Dogcopter. Dogcopter: (meows) Steven: See ya, dream Kiki! Kiki: Oh, okay. See you, dream Steven! Steven: Dream Steven!

Little Homeschool

Steven: Sadie's been touring with The Suspects, promoting their new album, and Connie has been getting a head start on college prep. She's two years away from applying, but she says it doesn't hurt to start early. Steven: And speaking of higher education, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl and I have been cooking up a dream of our own! Cherry Quartz: I have no idea who you're talking about.

Snow Day

Amethyst: Guess what we've got lined up tonight. "Pupcopter's Sky-High Adventure"! Pearl: Sheet masks with cute animal faces! Garnet: And, most importantly, pizza. Steven: Uh, guys, I've been a vegetarian for, like, a month, and "Pupcopter" is for 6-year-olds, and I have my own skin care routine. Anyways, it's cool. I already ate. Amethyst: Oh well. We'll just watch the movie with Cat Steven. Garnet: My bad. I was sure we were in the pepperoni timeline.

In Dreams

Dogcopter: (flies away) Stefan: Noooo!

Together Forever

Lion: (roars) Connie: Huh? Steven: Hey, Connie! How you doin'? Connie: Steven? What are you doing here? Steven: You're gonna have a fifteen-minute break in...two minutes, right? Connie: Whoa! Spot on. Steven: Connie, let's go for a walk. I'm sure you could use some fresh air. Connie: I would love to! But um... Steven: No, no, no! Don't worry! We'll go with Lion, and I promise you'll be back in fifteen minutes! Connie: Okay! Let's do this!

Growing Pains

Drew: I know you're eager to chase the mail truck, Dogcopter. But the mail truck is a decoy. Good boys chase the blue car. Be a good boy, Dogcopter. Drew: Nice work, DC! Now get the bomb off the bridge! We're almost out of time! Drew: Dogcopter! No! Drew: Dogcopter, I can't lose you. Drew: Is this... what I think it is?

Announcer: Dogcopter 6: Till Death Do We Bark: I Now Pronounce You Man And Woof! Steven: Everyone's getting married but me! Ugh! I feel like poop.

#dogcopter #steven universe #steven universe meta #copter lore #rose is lion 2020 #kbcs lore #long post

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gellavonhamster · 4 years

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where the gin is cold but the piano's hot

TFOTA, the Roach/the Bomb, pre-canon & missing scene || ao3 links - eng, rus

The night he first sees her, jazz is playing – at least some kind of music he likes is playing, and he considers any decent human music to be jazz because the mortals haven’t invented any music better than jazz yet, and it’s unlikely they ever will. It’s hot and crowded at the club, and a smell of sweat and perfume is hanging in the air. The attention of those listening to music while seated at the tables is drawn to the band; the attention of those dancing is drawn to their partners, and no one notices a petite young woman stealthily pulling expensive cigarette-cases out of patrons’ pockets and taking ladies’ handbags off the backs of the chairs. No one but him. Van is in no hurry to approach her; there is no doubt she is the one he’s heard about, but first he has to make sure it pays to get involved with her. The only thing he can say about her so far is that she isn’t much of a thief. It is seen with the naked eye that she’s relying on glamour too much, and would hardly be able to snatch anything without it.

It is later that she demonstrates her true talent, when one of the poor idiots notices his watch missing and makes a fuss. He and his buddies give chase to the thief, who makes a bolt for the back door, so Van leaves a couple of coins on the table quickly – because the music here is fine – and rushes after them. At the exit to the backyard, Van gets a chance to behold one of the stranger’s tricks that he’s been told about: a loud bang goes off, black smoke fills the doorway, and the mortals collapse, screaming and rubbing their eyes violently. All of them save for the owner of the watch, who’s already in the yard at that moment – and though he went down like a tree as well, he’s managed to seize the girl by the shoulders and drag her after him. Van would have watched her fight her chaser off – he’s almost sure she’d be able to do that – but there’s no time for that, so he decides to interfere, creeps up on the mortal, grabs the man’s shoulder, and digs into the pressure point with his claw. The mortal makes a gurgling sound and passes out.

The first thing she attempts to do when Van offers her his hand to help her get up is to hit him.

“Hey, hey,” he says conciliatorily, holding up his hands. “I’m just trying to help, you know.”

She staggers to her feet, and smoothens down her dress reflexively.

“Who sent you?” she asks him, looking at him closely. Obviously, she can see his real appearance through the veil of glamour, just like he can see hers. She’s a pixie, though not a pure-blood, apparently. The little wings on her back tremble in sync with her uneven breathing.

“No one. But I have matters to discuss with you. Come, let’s have a chat,” Van glances back. One of the robbed man’s pals tumbles out of the building, still squinting in pain. “And hurry up, would you?”

The bar he leads her to has worse music and simpler clientele, but they can catch their breath there, and talk everything through in peace. While he is describing the upcoming job to her (a local moneybags with no idea there were faeries in his bloodline, his great-grandmother’s charmed necklace, the people willing to pay a good round sum for that necklace), as well as what would be required from her (sleeping potions and explosives) and what she could get out of it (not more than fifteen per cent from what they were to pay him – that would be just fair), she listens to him with a light frown and fiddles with the thin bracelets on her thin wrist. She looks tired, distrustful – makes one think her life isn’t easy. Then again, would anyone with an easy life go stealing watches from restaurant revellers? She’s also outrageously pretty: a voluminous cloud of white hair; blue wings that look delicate, never mind if not too strong; warm brown skin with white spots like that of a doe; huge eloquent eyes. Van stumbles over his words twice while explaining her the proposed plan of the heist, and both times it’s because he gets carried away by the sight of her – in other words, both times because he’s a damn fool.

“Twenty-five per cent at least,” she says in the end, having found out all the details of interest to her.

“Fifteen. At most.”

“Twenty-five, and you can saddle me with more work.”

“Fifteen, and all I need from you is to have my back with your firecrackers. No offense, darling, but you’re not that good as a thief.”

“Twenty,” she’s toying with a fork someone has left on the table. “And don’t call me darling,” with that, she suddenly drives the fork into the tabletop within an inch of Van’s hand, and he flinches.

It is worth it, because she smiles at him – smiles at him for the first time; a radiant, mischievous smile. Now that’s what her face has been made for, Van thinks absentmindedly. Not for anxiety, not for weariness, but for smiling.

“Which one of these is charmed?” he asks, gesturing at her bracelets with a nod. “Or is it your earrings?”

She frowns again, and he thinks: did he really have to say that?

“There’s nothing charmed on me,” she tells him. “Why?”

Oh, Van thinks, so no trinkets that increase attractiveness. So it’s just that he hasn’t been with anyone for a while now. The only rational explanation.

“I just thought there might be,” he replies offhandedly, and holds out his hand for a handshake before she can ask again – he cannot lie, after all. “All right, twenty it is. And how shall I call you then, by the way?”

“My name is Liliver,” she says and shakes his hand, and he feels like the wind has been knocked out of him and thinks: come on, you idiot, what are you, a boy?

“Liliver,” he repeats. Her name jingles on his tongue. “I’m Van.”

“Well, Van, it’s nice to meet you,” she lets go of his hand and raises her glass. “Shall we drink to the beginning of our alliance?”

They stay at the bar for a long time, paying for drinks with enchanted shards of bottles, and by the end of the evening he’s almost sure he is far gone.

The necklace theft goes without a hitch, they get their gold, and in a few days Van contacts her again: he needs a partner for robbing a mortal antiquarian whose collection, unbeknownst to him, includes some merfolk weapons.

“Bear in mind, it’s a long journey,” Van tells her as he sits down on the edge of the table in her workshop. Liliver makes her bombs in the attic of an abandoned house on the outskirts of Brooklyn. This is also where she sleeps, and though she has smartened the attic up as much as possible with the bought and stolen knick-knacks and paintings, she still cannot help thinking that this is not a place meant for living. Sometimes she dreams about the family manor and the bedroom with rhododendron shrubs outside the window – unfortunately, those dreams are usually nightmares. “We’ll have to fly.”

“Where?”

“Louisiana. Ever been there?”

“Now I will,” she shrugs, ready to go anywhere just not to stick here all the time. Liliver knows: she can run to Louisiana or to Australia or to the end of the world, but her sorrow will tag along loyally and dutifully. Still, at least this way she’ll take her mind off that, and make some money at the same time. Van just chuckles approvingly in response.

After New Orleans (a dagger with its hilt carved to look like a mermaid’s tale; a party on a terrace of a huge house; the high-heeled shoes she threw into the ditch; the flight back on ragwort ponies, making stops in the fields and forests and dying hick towns), they don’t see one another for almost half a year. Liliver doesn’t try to look for him: firstly, she’s got things to do as it is, and secondly, she is inexplicably sure that one day he’ll come to her himself. And so he does, with a bottle of bathtub gin and a new brilliant plan that he cannot put into action without her help.

Some more time after that, they start working together on a regular basis, stealing from humans and faeries alike. Van teaches her to move more nimbly, makes her practice on him, having her pilfer at least one object from his pockets per day. For her part, Liliver gives up on trying to make an assistant out of him after he almost blows up both of them by accident – not that she really is in need of a helper anyway. Together they break into houses, pick locks, crack safes, together they appear in the restaurants, movie theatres, and at the races. Every so often their business brings them to Faerie, and Liviver is surprised to discover that she is able to be there again after all she’s gone through, able to breathe without hearing the cries that her loved ones died with each and every second – it appears that time is a good healer indeed.

Usually she ensures the routes of escape or cleans out the victims’ pockets while Van distracts them with smooth talk. He has a way with words – in most cases he does not even need glamour to pitch a line to humans and even faeries. Though when it comes to mortals, a goblin and a pixie certainly cannot do without magic – after all, they cannot show their true faces to them. Especially Van, who is no oil painting even compared to some of his fellow goblins.

In spite of that, eventually she must admit she’s head over heels for him.

Of course, part of the reason must be that before he came into her life, Liliver was lonely. Her entire family had been slaughtered; all of her friends either died or turned out to be traitors. Her new life in the mortal world was rather survival than life, a row of endeavours to make a living, not get into trouble, kill time, and not go insane from grief. She didn’t bond with any other faeries she has crossed paths with, first for fear of getting stabbed in the back again, and then for fear of having lost the ability to socialize, make friends, love. Then she met Van and was surprised to find out she was still able to trust somebody – and to laugh. Is it possible to fall for someone just because when you’re with them, you can laugh, listen to other’s stories and tell your own, tease and rib each other? Is it enough just to feel alive next to someone – and is there any need for anything else, really?

With him, it’s easy – but it all becomes ineffably difficult as soon as it comes to giving him a clue about her feelings. Liliver knows she’s good-looking, knows that she has the ability to win others’ affection; still, she’s afraid of using these weapons of hers lest she ruin the friendship she still needs so much. He’s not much older than she is, yet something in this ridiculous awkward affair reminds her of her youth and her crush on the sprite her parents had hired to teach her and her sisters sword-fighting: it’s the same overwhelming affection, blushing and smiling stupidly at the memories of accidental touches, the same certainty that if she tries to make a step forward, nothing good will come out of it. The same fear of being laughed at.

He does not laugh – he simply either does not understand or ignores all her careful attempts at flirting. There is no telling if it’s the former or the latter. She’s afraid to learn the truth, so she doesn’t ask.

At some point Liliver gives up and agrees to go on a date with the sylph who shops for potion ingredients at the same place as she does. A month later she dumps him, and the same evening she sleeps with a nixie that lives in the city canal. The succession of relationships in her life becomes almost continuous. The faces on the pillow next to her in the mornings keep replacing one another.

Her feelings for Van do not disappear, but as the years go by, she gets used to them, and cannot imagine herself without that bright sweet sadness, just like without the wings on her back.

On a hot day in June 1968 by the human chronology, she and Van sit on a rock near Grand Canyon and drink mead.

“Are you seriously planning to steal from the Court of Teeth?” Liliver asks him, holding up her face to the scorching sun.

Van shrugs. “You think we can’t handle it? We?”

It ends up being the only time when they can’t handle it.

The Court of Teeth turns them into its marionettes, and it is his fault. Shouldn’t have tried to bite more than he could chew, some nuts are too tough to crack, and so on, and so forth. Van could have regarded it as a sort of justice – not that it would have stopped him from trying to escape captivity by any possible means – if Liliver hadn’t been caught too. They tortured her, subjected her to the same geases and curses as him, enslaved her – and it is his fault.

Their lives are spared because they’re useful. His sleight of hand and talent for thievery, her profound knowledge of potion- and bomb-making. Their lives are spared – but now these lives are pitch-black and hopeless, with no room for rest, for respect, for freedom. The work they’re being assigned makes his skin crawl, and he’s seen quite a lot in his lifetime. He is a thief and a crook, but he has never been a murderer – before. He’s killed when there was no other way to get out alive, sure, but not deliberately, not frequently, and without excessive violence. He used to have at least some kind of moral compass. Now he can’t afford it anymore.

He could have let that shit consume him completely, but he keeps holding on – for Liliver. Liliver, who could have grown to hate him, for it was his overconfidence that has doomed them for a life in the service of one of the most bloodthirsty Courts – but she hadn’t, she keeps talking to him, keeps sharing healing ointments with him and even applying them herself to the fresh scars on his face. He used to be quite a scarecrow by the standards of most Faerie folk even before, and now it’s way worse. But she does not look away, does not wince, she touches his wounds ever so carefully and they heal a little faster under the influence of the potions and under her fingers, and his pain is almost worth these touches.

At times, Van lets himself imagine another life, a life in which she hasn’t become a slave through his fault, a life in which he doesn’t look like a freak next to her lovely self, a life in which he could let himself confess his feelings to Liliver and stand a chance of having them returned. At times, but not too often. Dreams are fine stuff, but one can’t live in them forever.

And he has to go on living and looking for a way to win back freedom for himself and for the woman he loves – the more so for her.

“Tell me something,” Liliver asks him sometimes at night, crawling up closer to him on the stone floor, so he tells her whatever he can remember: tales of kings and heroes, seers and warriors, priests and knights. Tales with happy endings, because they get enough of the opposite of that on daily basis. Crooks are well-versed in pretty stories.

At night, she presses her cheek to his shoulder and laces her fingers with his when he takes her hand – because she’s cold and miserable and wants to hold on with all her strength to whoever’s beside her, even to someone like him.

Sometimes in his sleep he feels a tender fleeting touch of her lips on his cheek or his brow and does not open his eyes, for he knows that it could be nothing but a dream.

After the Court of Teeth, working for Prince Dain seems like a fairy tale. At first Liliver cannot shake off the thought that in a moment she’s going to wake up and find herself in a musty little room in the dungeons, her back aching after a night spent on cold stone, her fingers still gripping Van’s clawed hand so hard they’ve gotten numb. Every morning she wakes up with relief – and a little bit of regret, because she misses his warmth close to her body, his steady breath. Both of them have their own rooms now – a far cry from the royal chambers, most certainly, but good enough for her. Admittedly, she has long come to accept that even if she gave him a hint that she wouldn’t mind him spending a night in her room, he would say nothing and pretend he didn’t understand. She misses his stories and his songs and his attempts to reassure her with promises that one day they’ll get out of that nightmare, but why in the world would he continue to regale her with all that if the nightmare really is over? He must be just happy to take a break from her constant presence.

They are still close, still exchange the jokes only the two of them understand, still get drinks together evenings, but Liliver feels like something has become history beyond recall. It might be because now that they’re spies, the unseen and faceless gears in the machinery of court intrigue, each day they become less of Van and Liliver and more of the Roach and the Bomb. What use do shadows have for names? What use for feelings and memories? It also might be because they’ve spent so many years working in pair but now they’ve found themselves a part of a trio. Their associate, a young half-blood faerie who goes by the Ghost, is friendly and reliable enough but secretive as well, and even though it doesn’t take too long for Liliver to stop feeling wary of him, it still isn’t quite the same as the life she and Van used to live in the lands of humans, back when it was two of them against the world.

Now there are three of them: three spies of the Court of Shadows, three cards up Prince Dain’s sleeve. A king, a queen, and a knave. When Jude Duarte, their little Queen of Shadows, joins them, there is finally an ace in this deck.

Soon after, there is a coup, Dain’s death, his father and sisters’ deaths, and then young Cardan is on the throne, and Jude is his seneschal, standing beside his throne and only officially not on the throne herself. And then she and Jude are examining the chambers of the late King Eldred, checking if it will be safe for Cardan here, if he should still watch out for assassins hiding in secret passages. And then she, Liliver, the last survivor of her family, a thief, a spy, and a former servant of the Court of Teeth, is lounging on the huge bed of the deceased monarch just because she can.

Anything comes true; anything but the dearest wishes.

Jude and she laugh like children, sprawled across the pillows, and Liliver, for once in a while, remembers her little sisters – the way they used to climb into each other’s beds just like that and share secrets, not the way blood flowed from their slit throats.

The secret Jude elicits from her is both a long-held one and one that is too fresh, like a non-healing would.

“You should tell him,” Jude suggests as if she has any right to give such advice, as if there is nothing unhealthy and incendiary going on between her and the young king, nothing that causes suffering to both of them.

“Perhaps,” Liliver agrees.

She cannot promise she’ll do that because, like any faerie, she cannot lie.

His hands are shaking a little while he wipes his neck and his face with a cool damp cloth, but he feels strength coming back to him, filling his veins anew. He is still not as vigorous as before the poison dart hit him, but with each breath he takes he’s a little stronger than a moment ago. While he is cleaning up, Liliver sits on his bed and tells him what has happened while he was unconscious – about Jude’s return and how she healed him, about Madoc’s alliance with the Court of Teeth – that blasted Court of Teeth again! About the Ghost, who apparently can be trusted again. About Cardan turned into a giant serpent, which feels even more disheartening than the fact that they’re on the brink of war: Van has really taken to this boy, so spoiled and unloved at the same time.

“So it means there’s no way to save him?” he asks, and sits down on the bed next to Liliver.

“I had nearly started thinking there was no way to save you. I didn’t want to believe that,” she smiles sadly, “yet still I couldn’t help thinking about that. And then Jude rescued you. She still hasn’t succeeded in bringing Cardan back, but now I’d rather believe that she just has to figure out how to do it than that she doesn’t have enough power for that.”

He thinks of Jude, whom he hasn’t seen yet since he came round, and smiles, too. He’d have to thank her: mortals must consider that appropriate.

“A mortal High Queen,” he chuckles, shaking his head. “We guessed it right with her code name, didn’t we? Our girl is the real ruler of Faerie.”

Liliver grins. “I know, right?”

She still has the same smile as many years ago, and she still seems made for merriment, for joy, but now he can press his lips to that smile, and now he knows that, as it turns out, he could have well done that ages ago.

“You know that you owe me, right? For all those years,” she whispers gleefully and kisses him on the lips, on the forehead, on the neck. Maybe back then, in the dungeons of the Court of Teeth, it was not a dream.

“My dear,” he replies, holding her closer, “Just like you do owe me.”

Now all that remains to be done is to win a war.

The night she first sees him, jazz is playing – at least some kind of music she likes is playing, and the only genre of human music she knows is jazz, though she likes the twenty-first century songs from the player that Vivienne Duarte got her just as well.

“Sounds romantic,” the High Queen remarks when Liliver tells her about that.

“Not romantic enough if I hadn’t tried to kill him even once, right, Your Majesty?”

“Hey, you tried to stab me with a fork the very first time we met,” Van points out.

“And I’ll try again if I have to,” she waves him away, and kisses him.

#tfota #the folk of the air #the bomb #the roach #holly black #my fic #gella talks tfota #talk talk talk #an attempt was made #should i mention that english is not my native language? i probably should

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jodybouchard9 · 4 years

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A Tour of Martha Stewart’s Garden—and Her Planting Pet Peeve

HGTV

In these months of quarantine, many people have turned to gardening as a way to keep busy—while they keep their social distance from the rest of the world. As it turns out, the home and garden expert Martha Stewart has been doing the same, just on a much bigger scale.

In the past few months, Stewart has been filling her time gardening at her 150-acre farm in Bedford, NY. Now, she’s turned her quarantine activity into a new show: Her gardening series, “Martha Knows Best,” premiered on HGTV on July 31 and will be airing new episodes on Fridays at 10 p.m.

For the series premiere, Stewart doubled down with back-to-back episodes, titled “Vegetable Garden” and “Container Gardens.”

She gives viewers a peek at her beautiful farm, shows off her gardens with her gardener Ryan (no social distancing there, so we have to assume he is part of her social bubble), and even helps both the rapper Snoop Dogg and Antoni Porowski of Netflix’s “Queer Eye” with some tips on growing their own potted plants.

Read on to find out what advice Stewart gives these celebrities, plus, get some great tricks for your own quarantine gardening.

Use Bubble Wrap to save on soil

Stewart, and her gardener Ryan (right), talk to Antoni Porowski (left) about apartment-friendly plants over video chat.

HGTV

In the “Martha Knows Best” season opener, titled “Vegetable Garden,” Stewart video chats with Porowski, best known as the chef on the hit Netflix show “Queer Eye.”

Porowski is hoping to grow some vegetables in his New York apartment and asks for Stewart’s advice on getting started with potted plants.

When Porowski shows Stewart a large, empty pot, she tells him to fill half of the pot with Bubble Wrap before pouring in the soil. She explains that without that packing material as a cushion, he’d end up adding way more soil than his vegetables need.

“You would have used twice as much soil, and unnecessarily, so I’m saving you the price of at least one bag of potting soil.”

It’s a great money-saving tip, and Porowski is impressed.

Get your soil tested

Stewart and Ryan know that the key to healthy plants is healthy soil.

HGTV

Also in this episode, Stewart takes a video call from Mitch in Lemoore, CA. While he has a sunny yard, he can’t seem to get his garden up to snuff. His vegetables are dying, and Mitch can’t figure out what he’s doing wrong.

Right away, Stewart asks about Mitch’s soil. When Mitch turns the camera to his garden, Stewart knows right away that the dirt isn’t up to snuff.

“Yeah, see, it’s way too hard,” Stewart says. “Nothing can grow in that.”

She also says that it often helps to get the soil tested.

“First thing to do is take off the grass, dig up some soil,” Stewart says. “You can have it tested by the local extension at any university. You should have a pH of about 6.5, 6.7.”

Use the right tools

Stewart and Ryan need the right tools to get a garden looking this good.

HGTV

When Stewart and her gardener, Ryan, are preparing to plant some vegetables, she says that one of her top planting pet peeves is when people don’t use the right gardening tools.

“It makes the job so much harder,” she says.

Stewart points out that she and Ryan are using a shovel and a spade, which look alike, and could be easy to confuse.

However, a shovel has an angled bottom with a concave shape (perfect for digging up dirt), while the spade is a flat tool with a straight edge (which is great for cutting).

“So, a spade cuts. A shovel lifts,” Stewart says. “Easy. Remember that.”

Use the right pot for the right plant

Stewart and Snoop Dogg talk tomatoes on video chat.

HGTV

In the next episode, “Container Gardens,” Stewart focuses on creating the perfect container plants.

She takes a video call from her friend Snoop Dogg, who’s hoping to plant some tomatoes in a pot.

Snoop Dogg has a few different pots of different sizes, and he and Stewart choose one that looks big enough for his tomato plant.

Stewart instructs the rapper to cover up the hole at the bottom with a stone so the soil doesn’t fall out, then tells him to loosen the roots of the tomato plant a bit.

However, by the time Snoop Dogg is finally putting the tomato plant in the container, Stewart realizes their mistake: The pot is too small.

“Nope,” she says, “it has to go way down. Find a slightly bigger pot.”

The new pot works much better, allowing Snoop Dogg to add extra soil around the plant and giving it lots of room to grow.

In the end, the container plant looks perfect, and Stewart tells Snoop Dogg he can expect fresh tomatoes in about 30 days.

Utilize spacers for proper drainage

Stewart and Ryan put spacers under these container plants.

HGTV

Also in this episode, Stewart tends to her own container plants. She plants some succulents in a long, rectangular container and tops her plants with some lovely gravel, to personalize the look.

While these container plants may look finished, Stewart explains that there’s one more step she needs to take, to help with drainage.

With great drainage, these plants will flourish.

HGTV

“The last thing you do after you plant your containers is put in spacers,” Stewart says, putting small wooden sticks under her container to lift it up.

“You don’t want to see these spacers, necessarily,” Stewart explains, “but you do want to have the space, so that the drainage is free.”

Choose shade-loving plants for a shady area

Martha Stewart talks to Maggie about her windowboxes.

HGTV

In this episode, Stewart takes another video call, this time from Maggie in Mendenhall, MS.

Maggie explains that she just moved into a new home and wants to plant something in her flower boxes, but doesn’t know what to choose.

She explains that this part of the house is in shade 99% of the day and that she’s worried nothing will grow here.

Stewart says Maggie has lots of options, like ferns, Solomon’s seal, and colorful sweet potato vines. Still, she tells Maggie to start simple.

“Try some ferns to start,” she says.

It’s no wonder Stewart’s farm is so beautiful—it seems she knows everything about plants! Her advice is sure to help her fellow quarantine gardeners grow some fantastic foliage.

The post A Tour of Martha Stewart’s Garden—and Her Planting Pet Peeve appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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jadenotis1996 · 4 years

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How Long Does It Take To Grow A Grape Vine From Seed Jaw-Dropping Tricks

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How To Prune Newly Planted Grape Vines

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How Big Do Sea Grapes Grow

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#How Long Does It Take To Grow A Grape Vine From Seed Jaw-Dropping Tricks #Does Grape Grow On Tree

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teenageexpertbird-blog · 5 years

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Kitchen And Bathroom Remodeling Tips And Tricks

Kitchen And Bathroom Remodeling Ideas And Tips

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haulix · 5 years

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The Essential HaulixDaily Content from 2018

2019 is upon us. As the music business slowly returns to normal, we wanted to take a few moments to reflect. The past year has been a busy one for us. From traveling the country to appear at conferences and colleges, to creating a wide array of content covering our changing industry and the best ways to navigate it, we did our best to bring you a little bit of everything.

Everyone knows music professionals are busy so we wouldn’t blame you for being unable to keep up with our every post or activity. Instead, we decided to compile our favorite posts from the past twelve months and present it here for easy access.

Use the links below to catch up and prepare for the year ahead.

Inside Music Podcast:

#138: Palisades (Lou Miceli)

#137: Going DIY with Connor Skelly

#136: Running A Label with Save Your Generation Records

#132: Hot Mulligan (Chris Freeman)

#128: Local H (Scott Lucas)

#126: A Perfect Circle

#121: Freelance Life (Landon Defever)

#117 I Love You(Tube) with Brad LaPlante

Industry Advice and Insight:

Job Hunting Tips For The Music Business

How To Set Better, More Attainable Goals in 2019

The Best Reason To Not Care About The Opinions Of Others

A Beginner’s Guide To Better Networking

The Near-Mythical Power of Cutting Yourself Some Slack

You Need A ‘When-Then’ Plan

Why Brand Consistency Matters

How To Land The Music Internship of Your Dreams

You Need A Back-Up Plan In Music. Always.

A Global Directory of Women In Music Exists. Here’s How You Can Join It.

Learn To Control Your High

Smart Speakers Are Responsible for a Boom in Music Consumption

Meet The Companies Revolutionizing The Industry With Blockchain

How Anyone Can ‘Make It’ In The Music Business

Writing Advice:

Advice All Music Writers Should Follow in 2019

18 Problems Music Blogs Face Today (And How To Solve Them)

How Plagiarism is Treated In Music Writing Today

Who Reads Your Music Blog?

How To Write Better Concert Reviews

How To Create Quality Music Festival Coverage

How To Conduct Great, Quality Music Interviews

A Cure For Writer’s Block

A Simple Trick For Improving Your Relationships with Publicists

Coverage Confirmations 101

Make More Memes

10 Lessons From 10 Years in Music Writing

Be Your Own Archivist

Advice For Musicians:

What Artists Can Learn From The Marketing Genius of Heart Attack Man

How to keep shirt costs low without risking the quality of your merch

Spotify Officially Releases its Playlist Submission Feature

YouTube Has A Plan To Increase View Counts

Getting The Most Out Of A Song Premiere

How To Change Your Apple Music Profile Picture

Your Music Won’t Be For Everyone, And That’s Okay

The Truth About Success In Music

Five Questions To Ask Before Hiring A Publicist

Four Ways To Increase Your Chances Of Being Heard

The Dos And Don’ts of Proper Email Etiquette

Piracy Reports And Stories:

Music Piracy Is More Popular Than Ever

Young Music Consumers Boost Legal Consumption and Downloads

In Mexico, 97% Of The Population Admits To Illegally Downloading Music

BitTorrent Is Still One of The World’s Most Popular Websites

Editorials:

Dear Spotify: Please Create A ‘Followed Artists’ Feed

No, Albums Are Not Dead or Dying

Remember to Save Some Art for Yourself

#Haulix #Best Of 2018 #Best Of The Year #Essential Content #Marketing #Advice #How To #Journalism Tips #Music Writing #Music Business #Music Industry

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josephkitchen0 · 6 years

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What is the Best Mulch to Prevent Weeds?

All Photos By Shelley Dedauw

The best mulch to prevent weeds depends on where the mulch lies, what else you need it to do…and, of course, cost.

What is the most important factor for a successful garden? I asked my friend, Kathy, a master gardener through the local university in Reno around the time I planned my first Nevada garden. I’d grown food under my mother’s tutelage before I turned 18, but this was the first time I depended on the soil to feed my own children.

Her answer was one simple, strong word: “Mulch.”

She didn’t tell me to wait until last frost or to avoid beefsteak tomatoes within our erratic growing seasons. Nor did she tell me to amend my soil yearly, adding copious amounts of organic material. These are also crucial factors. But her knowledge gleaned through the Cooperative Extension and her own experience, told me to cover my dirt.

Mulching is the simple act of covering soil with a protective layer. Materials can be organic or manmade, compostable or semi-permanent. Whether it’s applied to avoid drought, discourage weeds, or keep bulbs warm, the focus is on what lies beneath.

If you need more convincing, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service says mulching is one of the easiest and most beneficial things you can do for your soil, and the Arbor Day Foundation says mulching is a newly planted tree’s “best friend.”

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Mulching Lessons Learned

Even after Kathy’s admonition, it didn’t immediately sink in. I never learned how to lay mulch in Mom’s garden. We pulled weeds both morning and early evening, and then rested when midday sweltered. Perhaps that was Mom’s way of keeping three teenagers busy during summer vacation. Mulching could have reduced that weeding tenfold. And mom didn’t worry about watering; we had a well, weren’t in a drought, and she had trained her kids how to efficiently move a sprinkler.

That year I grew jack-o-lantern pumpkins. Did I mention this was my first year cultivating in Nevada? Jack-o-lanterns are fun to grow, but they don’t have much culinary value. And I can purchase three jack-o-lanterns at the supermarket for how much I paid the water authority to grow a single plant.

Pumpkin leaves spread out full and green within June, fed by an intermittent sprinkler beneath the vines. But July was cruel. Plump and smooth in the morning, the leaves shriveled by midday.

I’m not proud of what I did. I watered more. That’s not the right answer when you garden in a desert. Sure, it plumps those leaves back up super-fast. But then you receive the water bill.

Kathy’s single word returned to me during the second week of wilting-and-watering. Dipping deep into the mower bin, I retrieved grass clippings and laid them on a tarp overnight. In the morning, I packed them tight around the stems. Leaves didn’t shrivel that afternoon and I didn’t turn the hose on until the next day. I could go two to three days between watering sessions instead of running out in panic to feed my failing pumpkins.

Why We Mulch the Way We Do

Moisture retention keeps plants alive, allows you to work elsewhere instead of answering to your garden’s every need, and promotes healthy fruit.

Did you know two factors for tasty heirloom tomatoes are variety and water control? The first is simple: some tomato varieties just taste better than others. But a second and newly discovered factor is how much water the plant receives when fruit forms. Well-irrigated tomato plants result in watery fruit. That’s why hydroponically grown produce is so tasteless. The secret is to give the tomato only the water it needs and not a drop more. But if you’re unsure of the amount, or have a busy lifestyle, “just enough” can easily become “holy cow, my plants are dying!” And compensating by overwatering after a dry stretch causes cracking.

“Just enough” water is made simpler by using drip lines and mulch. Run the drip line along the soil with emitters near each plant. Cover soil and hose with mulch. Then watch your plants for a few days to see how they fare. If they wilt in the heat, it’s more effective to add more mulch than increase water flow.

Summer heat upsets crops like carrots, which like warm tops and cool roots. Winter frost kills bulbs or pushes them out of the ground. A thick layer of organic material regulates soil temperature.

Weed suppression is a third reason to mulch, especially in gardens that get enough moisture. More water means more weeds. And the reason mulching suppresses them follows the basics of photosynthesis: plants need sunlight for growth. Vegetables above the mulch already stretch tall in the light but recently germinated seeds have to fight their way through. The best mulch to prevent weeds is whatever keeps back the light. If the layer is thick enough, weeds don’t stand a chance.

Clockwise: A mulched raspberry bush, mulched garlic, and mulched carrots.

The Cheapest Methods

It’s not necessary to purchase expensive mulch unless you have aesthetic requirements. Homeowner associations may require you surround perennials with attractive bark or rocks. Vegetable gardening is different, especially if you’re growing food to save money.

The best mulch to prevent weeds is also the cheapest. Free materials that also benefit soil include compost, leaves, sawdust or wood chips, straw or grass clippings. Search online classifieds or get to know local farmers, offering to buy hay bales that have gotten wet. Collect leaves in the fall and store in plastic garbage bags to use in the next year’s garden. Contact tree care companies about receiving the chipped results of their labors.

Never use herbicide-treated grass clippings. A good friend accepted lawn trimmings from her church and used them as garden mulch. When her vegetables died, she realized the church had applied a weeding/feeding solution to the lawn but had failed to tell her. Though she disposed of the clippings, some remained in her soil. Those herbicides mean she can only plant bladed grasses, such as corn, within those spots for a couple years.

If you’re using straw, look for bales that don’t have seed heads still attached…unless you want to grow wheat. I didn’t mind so much when grains sprouted beside my garlic. I let them ripen then pulled them for the chickens. But the next year’s bales had even more seeds and wheatgrass became the first crop of spring. Also, find organic bales if possible, because some wheat is sprayed with glyphosate herbicide right before harvest so spikelets mature at the same rate. Glyphosate will kill your broadleaf crops.

Those Manmade Mulches

Weed cloth, tomato plastic, and rubber mulch promise weed suppression or increased growth, but do they really work?

I’ve used weed cloth once and was not happy with the results. If I’d spread it beneath perennials, out of walkways, I’d have been happier. But the black fabric heated up my soil in the summer and tore beneath my gardening shoes. I only used it once. But a tear-resistant weed cloth can help northern gardens with shorter growing seasons.

The same with paper weed layers. Advertising claims were promising: it would warm the soil to increase growth and could be tilled in after harvest. But it crackled and tore. Soon the soil heated up too much. Tilling was more of a hassle than just ripping the paper up and throwing it away. I didn’t purchase it again.

Layers made from recycled tires or plastics must be removed at the end of the season, or they can pollute the ground. To some gardeners, this is worth the work. Others would rather be organic with material that can eventually become more soil.

The only plastic mulch I’ve ever used is that red tomato film, which promises increased yield because it reflects the right kind of light onto the plants. And though I’ve used it for five years, I can’t testify whether it truly increases yields. More important factors came into play each year such as soil amendment and blossom drop due to high temperatures. Whether or not it actually works, I do like it for two reasons: It’s easy to unfold, pin into place, and plant the seedlings into holes cut within the film. And it suppresses weeds everywhere except where light shines through the holes. If you do use plastic mulch, poke holes in it so water can pass through.

The Good, the Ugly and the Just Plain Bad

Every mulch material has its flaws. Straw can harbor insects that crawl into the little tubes. Grass clippings may mold and compact. Peat moss may be unsustainable and wood chips may turn sour or attract termites.

Some gardeners use old carpet, leaving it in the garden year after year instead of removing it as it drops fibers. Carpet can disintegrate with frequent watering. Recycled paper may be used as a weed barrier but it’s necessary to use newsprint with soy-based black ink. Decomposing paper can raise soil acidity as well.

A highly debated form of mulch is cocoa shells. This may be the best mulch to prevent weeds if you don’t have pets…but avoid it if you do. Cocoa shells retain a little theobromine, the ingredient in chocolate that’s toxic to pets. Some companies treat their cocoa shells, removing the fat that carries the theobromine, which also diminishes the sweet smell. If you use cocoa mulch, be sure it’s treated so it’s nontoxic.

And though some gardeners will tell you to never use hay because it contains weed seeds, others prefer it because it adds more nutrients to the soil when it decomposes.

In my experience, the best mulch to prevent weeds is whatever improves soil after harvest. This includes compost, straw, and leaves. The worst are those that must be removed because it can be difficult to get every piece. Removing mulch after harvest adds unnecessary labor if compostable material can be used instead.

What you use for mulch depends on where you’re using it, your budget, if you intend to remove it or till it in, and whether you want organic or manmade products. Research the pros and cons to each type before choosing the right one for your garden.

Lazy Desert Mulching

After reading article after article and trying product after product, I learned to keep it simple. I work hard on my garden to attain maximum yield, but I don’t have time to waste. I don’t need to create more work.

Seeds sown into bare ground grow a couple inches before they meet the mulch. Grass clippings land around tiny carrots while leaves pack against tall, slender onion greens. Transplants sink into the soil and, within minutes, straw packs against the stems. Potatoes grow six inches, are hilled up and grow again. When I cannot hill any more, I apply straw to reduce watering and allow even more growth. And deep mulch gardening doesn’t end there. When summer heat reaches triple digits, soaker hoses point downward and more straw lays atop to keep every precious drop where it belongs.

By harvest, I’m exhausted. I’ve spent hours each day cultivating, weeding, watering and preserving the vegetables. With sagging shoulders, I scan the tired and frost-damaged plot while chickens pace behind me, eager to reach fallen tomatoes. Autumn cleanup is simple: Remove the plants chickens can’t eat. And open the gate. Poultry claws dig deep into that organic layer, separating it so my hens can find pests hoping to overwinter.

Then cold weather hits. I’m not worried. I used to be embarrassed by my lazy cleanup techniques until I read an article about how keeping a cover is crucial for soil health. The entire land gets a rest.

And in the spring, the shovel digs deep, mixing chicken droppings with decomposed leaves, straw and grass. It all rests beneath the surface to feed beneficial microbes and create nitrogen for the next round of crops.

What have you found to be the best mulch to prevent weeds? Let us know in the comments section.

Originally published in Countryside July/August 2016 and regularly vetted for accuracy.

What is the Best Mulch to Prevent Weeds? was originally posted by All About Chickens

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oldguardaudio · 7 years

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Windham Weaponry GUNSMITH’S BENCH -> TOPIC: How to Stake a Telestock Castle Nut

Windham Weaponry at HoaxAndChange.com

Windham Weaponry @ Hoax and Change

Vol. 6 / Issue #3 / March 2017

MARKETING NEWS

Mark Eliason, VP Sales & Marketing

The Maple sap is beginning to flow here in Maine – a sure sign of Spring, along with Mud Seaon and “Tax Time”.

Yes, that was a thinly veiled reminder that Windham Weaponry is offering some great deals in our Tax Time Savings Sale. We’ve been adding new items every week to this sale which goes on until April 30th. All sale items are priced at 15% OFF! Upper Receiver Assemblies, Barrels, Magazine, Parts & Accessories – maybe just what you’re looking for!

To see this week’s specials, just go to www.windhamweaponry.com then click on Uncle Sam and be sure to use the Discount Code “Tax Time” at the website Checkout

As I looked back into the archives, I realized we hadn’t featured our very accessorized “CDI” rifle since June of 2012 – one of our first Newsletters. So, high time to reintroduce you to the well balanced, and very tricked out Carbine you’ll see in the masthead and in our Feature Rifle section below. The Windham Weaponry CDI was developed as a result of numerous customer requests for a rifle that includes many of our most popular accessories. Think of it as the firearms equivalent of a Shelby Mustang – already factory equipped for maximum performance!

To see all our rifles and accessories, go to www.windhamweaponry.com

or call us for a free catalog (1-855-808-1888) – We would love to hear from you.

As always, hunt and shoot safely, and feel free to contact us with any AR related questions.

This Month’s Feature Rifle:

Windham Weaponry “CDI”

Model: R16M4FSDHTS

MSRP: $1680.00

Caliber: .223 Rem. / 5.56mm NATO

Weight/Length: 7.025 lbs without magazine / 36.125″ overall (32.375″ with Telestock collapsed)

Type: Rifle, Semi-Automatic, Gas Impingement System

Magazine: 30 Rounds (ships with one 30 Round magazine) Accepts all std. sizes Receiver: Forged 7075 T6 Aluminum Flat Top Upper Receiver

Receiver Finish: Hardcoat Black Anodize Finish

Bolt: Carpenter 158 Steel

Barrel: 16″ M4 Profile, Chrome Lined with Vortex Flash Suppressor

Barrel Material: 4150 Chrome Moly Vanadium 11595E Steel with M4 Feedramps

Rifling: 1 x 9″ Right Hand Twist

Stock: Magpul MOE 6-Position Telescoping Buttstock

Forend: Diamondhead Free-Float Forend with Magpul MOE AFG Angled Grip

Pistol Grip: Magpul MOE Black Pistolgrip with Storage Compartment

Rear Sight: Diamondhead Dual Aperture Rear Flip-up Sight

Front Sight: Diamondhead Front Flip-up Sight

Includes: Lockable Hard Plastic Gun Case, Black Web Sling, Full Color Operators Manual, Transferable Lifetime Warranty

See your local FFL Dealer to purchase.

FROM THE GUNSMITH’S BENCH

Erik Winter, Windham Weaponry Gunsmith

TOPIC: How to Stake a Telestock Castle Nut

I get asked now and then, “Why doesn’t Windham Weaponry stake their castle nuts on?” The reason we choose not to is because many people want to upgrade some part of the stock, usually the endplate, and this requires loosening of the castle nut and removal of the stock. It’s much more difficult to do this if the castle nut is already staked on. The factory torque of our castle nuts is generally tight enough not to loosen under normal wear and tear.

But if you feel that you would like to stake your castle nut on to make sure the nut never backs off, it is very easy and takes less than 3 minutes. Here’s how:

First make sure weapon is unloaded.

Push in takedown and pivot pins and remove the upper receiver from the lower receiver.

Now with the lower on a non-marring surface, take a center punch and a hammer, and punch the end plate in the areas shown. That is what the little square cut outs are for in the castle nut:

If you ever have questions about your rifle, you are always welcome to call

Windham Weaponry Customer Service (Toll Free: 1-855-808-1888). Shoot Safely!

CUSTOMER SERVICE CORNER

Cheryl Eliason, Customer Service Manager

We receive a variety of customer service related questions from our customers, and in order to better serve all of you, highlight one question each month.

This month’s question is: What are the high wear parts of an AR15 type rifle?

Answer: The items that see the most wear in an AR15 type rifle are located in the bolt carrier group and fire control group. They are the extractor, extractor spring and insert, gas rings, ejector, ejector spring, disconnector, disconnector spring and the hammer and trigger springs. These parts see use every time the rifle is fired and will wear over time. Although these parts will be serviceable for several thousand rounds, many people replace the extractor related parts and the gas rings every 1,500 to 2,000 rounds as part of a preventative maintenance schedule. All of these items are available individually from our website and we also offer a Field Repair Kit for $34.95 that contains most of these items We also offer similar kits for .308 & 7.62×39 caliber rifles. And, our “Most Wanted Parts” Kit for AR15/M16 includes a smaller selection of those critical maintenance parts.

BUY IT NOW – Field Repair Kit

BUY IT NOW – Most Wanted Parts Kit

Questions?

Send them to: [email protected] or [email protected]

WINDHAM WEAPONRY FEATURED PRODUCTS

Matt Hasty, Retail Sales Manager

Troy Flip-Up Battle Sight – Rear

PART#: TROY-RS Price: $119.00

Troy’s Rear Flip-up Battle Sight offers durability and dead-on accuracy – the choice of Special Ops and Tactical users worldwide. This a high quality aluminum auxiliary iron sight fits all M1913 Picatinny rail systems, is quick to install, and easily adjustable for windage. Solid push button operations deploys the sight instantly, then folds it away until needed again. A stainless steel cross lock system ensures that the sight remains upright and zeroed under extreme combat conditions. This sight is designed to work with same plane rail systems. offers low folded height, and dual locking rear apertures. The front of the sight base is marked with Windham Weaponry’s script logo. Lifetime Limited Warranty by Troy Industries – proudly made in the USA.

BUY IT NOW…

Troy Flip-Up Battle Sight – Front

PART#: TROY-FS-M4

Price: $99.00

The Troy Front Flip Battle Sight is a high quality auxiliary iron sight that fits all M1913 Picatinny rail systems. It is quick to install, and easily adjustable for post height. A solid push button system with stainless steel cross lock ensures the sight remains upright and zeroed under extreme combat conditions. Folded height is only 0.475″ above rail. This sight is designed to work with same plane rail systems. The front of the sight base is marked with Windham Weaponry’s script logo. Lifetime Limited Warranty by Troy Industries – proudly made in the USA.

BUY IT NOW…

Want to Order? or If You Have Questions?

Call Customer Service / Sales 1-855-808-1888

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Todd J. Coons, VP Law Enforcement & International Sales

WHAT’S NEW IN LAW ENFORCEMENT

I can’t believe that we are already into March. The winter here in Maine has been your typical winter… Long and Cold. Come on spring. As many of you know I travel a lot attending shows and February and March are no different. I attended IWA in Nuremburg Germany in March and will be heading to St. Louis for the ILEETA on March 19th. If you’re going to be attending please come by the booth in St. Louis.

Look who I ran into in Germany – J Drake from Magpul

We’ve got some VERY exciting things happening here at WW in the LE Department so watch your emails for some CRAZY rifles specials. Cindy and I are currently working on a mass email blast for our LE/Military customers and some great prices on rifles. Please keep in mind if your department or agency has rifles, AR15/M16, that are in need of repair we have ALL the parts you would need to make it like new again. We have deep discounts for Law Enforcement Departments and Agencies, so please contact Cindy or me for pricing.

Please reach out to my assistant, Cindy Thompson at [email protected] or me at [email protected] in order to give us the opportunity to earn your business. We would love to work with you.

Stay safe out there,

Todd J. Coons

Vice President, Law Enforcement & International Sales

In this Section, we encourage our customers & friends to send us their comments, photos and experiences with Windham Weaponry products. What are you doing with your Windham?

Here is a picture for the Windham customer files. Upper is a Windam 7.62×39 with changed forward hand guard, flash suppressor, and Cera Koted, Troy open flip up sights and a Bushnell holographic red dot. Sweet little shooter!

Scott G. Arizona

************

In 2006, I utilized a Bushmaster carbine while in a child rescue in Tajikstan, N. Afghanistan.

I was delighted when Windham opened after the move of Bushmaster. Today, I bought a Windham 5.56 M4 16″ Upper to mesh with a lower I have. I purchased it from Machine Gun Tours in Colorado.

Needless to say, I am delighted. I thank you for the quality and durability of the product! It meshes perfectly with my lower and shoots beautifully! Very accurate. There were many other uppers available but I was set on a Windham.

Sincerely, Kyle W Evergreen, CO

************

To send items, please email: [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!

BREAKING NEWS…

Windham Weaponry & The Windham Indoor Shooting Range Donate $100,000 to help build

Boy Scouts’ Camp Hinds Shooting Facility

Windham Weaponry, Inc. and the Windham Indoor Shooting Range, have donated $100,000 to support a new shooting range complex for the Boy Scouts’ Camp Hinds in Raymond, Maine. In recognition of the donation, the facility will be named “The Windham Weaponry Youth Shooting Sports Ranges”.

“We believe in teaching youth and families the safe, responsible enjoyment of shooting sports, and the Boy Scouts of America does that extremely well,” said Windham Weaponry President Warren Dyke in a Pine Tree Council of Boy Scouts press release.

Windham Weaponry’s owner, Richard Dyke, stated that “We are pleased to provide an exciting and safe experience for all youth and families who visit Camp Hinds”.

The new shooting sports range complex, which includes 4 multi-use bays, 5 range pavilions, a shotgun range, and a 100 meter rifle range, is the only Boy Scout-owned range of its type on the East Coast.

W.I.S.R. Mission Statement

We at Windham Indoor shooting Range & Retail Store pledge to practice high ethical business practices, superior customer service and provide only quality products for our customers. Our passion is providing world-class firearms training through the full spectrum of skill levels by our experienced professional instructors. Our highly qualified instructors are teachers first with a deep commitment to providing a safe, positive and effective learning experience. We believe in building strong relationships as we guide you through your selection of firearms, accessories and training to fulfill your shooting needs.

We’re always looking for your feedback on how we’re doing. Feel free to email me at anytime with questions or concerns – [email protected] – Peter

What is Normalcy Bias?

Normalcy Bias is a state of mind that is common in our society. For every day that you live your life not touched by violence it takes you longer to identify and react to a violent situation. Identifying a potential risk or threat to your safety is called situational awareness. Once you identify the risk your training will give you the skills and you will commit to action instead of panicking in fear.

All of our instructors have real world experience carrying and handling firearms in stressful and sometimes chaotic situations. We offer a wide range of courses to build and master skills. Visit our website to view our courses and training schedule.

Don’t be a victim!

www.windhamindoorshootingrange.com

The Windham Indoor Shooting Range,

where “Training Begins at the Door.”

999 Roosevelt Trail, Windham, Maine * Tel.: 207-892-0274

Windham Weaponry GUNSMITH’S BENCH -> TOPIC: How to Stake a Telestock Castle Nut Windham Weaponry GUNSMITH'S BENCH -> TOPIC: How to Stake a Telestock Castle Nut Vol. 6 / Issue #3 / March 2017…

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buckeyelsaz · 7 years

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Buckeye Locksmith AZ: Transponder Key Problems

The crew at Buckeye Locksmith AZ has kindly provided instructive information for vehicle owners everywhere, not just in Buckeye, Arizona – if you are having problems with your transponder keys, then you might want to take a look at the information provided. All sorts of issues can occur when it comes to car keys, and some of the most common ones have been outlined here. So what can go wrong? Have a look and see if you are dealing with a similar problem!

First of all, for anyone who does not know, a transponder key has a transmitter in its plastic portion. It sends an emission to the receiver, meaning electrical signals are alerting your car that it is okay to start when you use said key with your vehicle. Here are some things that can go wrong…

The transponder key simply isn’t working. If the transponder key has stopped working, meaning it is unable to emit the frequency needed to work, it might be lacking in electrical power. If there is low power, then the key might emit a different signal of frequency that is not recognizable to your vehicle. When that happens, often times just a new battery is needed. This is something that is simple to obtain, and it is something that you should do right away. Why? Because it provides security that you need. When it comes to dead batteries, it is such an easy fix, that it is pointless to wait and potentially have to pay for a locksmith or the dealership to unlock or help start your automobile for you. Check the battery! It is part of your car’s anti-theft system, and you want it to be working all of the time, not just some of the time.

There is chip damage. The transponder chip can end up becoming damaged, and when this happens, you might end up needing a brand new transponder key. This is something that you can contact your dealership for, and they can make sure that your old key is deactivated.

The transponder key is locked. Say that you bought a refurbished transponder key in an effort to save money. The chip has been harvested from another key and inserted into the new key. What could go wrong? Well, with some cars, once the chip is programmed, you are unable to reprogram it. So basically you are left with a key that is locked. For this reason, it is not necessarily the best idea to try to buy new transponder keys online, or at least, refurbished ones. There are many lock and security providers that will refuse to deal with a refurbished transponder key, so it is important to make sure that if you buy one, it comes from a company that you can trust. Make sure the business is reputable and has great reviews. It should be in good standing.

The transponder key was programmed incorrectly. If you go to someone without experience, they might not know precisely what they are doing. There are certain tricks that a lock and security professional will know about to ensure everything is done properly. To ensure proper transponder key programming, do your research or call a professional from the get go.

The transponder key might be surrounded by too much metal. This might sound strange, but if you have an excessive amount of metal surrounding your transponder key, it could be blocking the transponder from picking up the appropriate signals. At the very least, if you are unable to figure out what is wrong, this is something that is worth looking into as a possible problem.

For the most part, transponder keys come with a great deal of convenience, no matter what you happen to drive. But occasionally, issues can arise. Sometimes, it is as simple as having the battery switched out, which is something that many car owners do themselves. Other times, the issue has to do with improper programming. It is easy to avoid problems by fixing them as soon as signs start to come up. For instance, if your transponder key only works sometimes, or if you can see that there is a light flashing frequently, it might be alerting you that the battery is dying. When you do notice that something is wrong that isn’t in your realm of do it yourself expertise, remember to hire a reputable company for the job. If you are in Buckeye, Arizona, you can call Buckeye Locksmith AZ, but if you are anywhere else, do your research. Look up local locksmiths that are licensed and insured and that have great reviews. Or go to your dealership. Even if these things cost you more at first, you will find that you save money by avoiding potential problems down the road.

There are far too many stories of people buying parts off of places like eBay, only to realize they bought the wrong parts, or that they were misled into buying something not actually needed. There are too many stories of people using so-called experts off Craigslist who weren’t licensed or insured and ended up causing damage to their vehicle or to their car keys. Do things right the first time, even if you think you could save a little bit of money cutting corners. Use an expert who only cuts keys, not corners, no pun intended! Remember that the majority of keys for cars that were created after 1995 use transponder chips. So if your car was made after 1995, you should keep this information in mind because it might come in handy at some point in time.

Watch your transponder key for signs of problems, and if you notice problems, have them dealt with right away! You will be glad that you did later. Remember that this is part of your car’s anti-theft system, so it is your security that is at stake.

Article source here: Buckeye Locksmith AZ: Transponder Key Problems

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