#Cedar Grubbing

[conchovalleyeden]

Brush Clearing vs. Tree Removal: Which Land Clearing Service is Right for Your Project?

When preparing land for construction, agriculture, or landscaping, effective land clearing is essential to ensure the site is ready for development. Depending on the type of vegetation present, two common services that may be needed are brush clearing and tree removal. While both play important roles in land preparation, it's crucial to understand the differences between the two and which one is right for your specific project. Here’s a breakdown of each service and how they contribute to land clearing.

Brush Clearing: Ideal for Overgrowth and Vegetation Management

Brush clearing is the process of removing smaller plants, shrubs, and undergrowth from the land. This service is typically used when there is dense vegetation, overgrown shrubs, or smaller plants that hinder the development process. In Bloomington, brush clearing is often part of land clearing projects where the land is filled with unwanted brush or weeds.

Brush clearing can be particularly useful in transforming a property for farming, landscaping, or site development. It helps clear space for construction, eliminates potential fire hazards, and improves the overall look of the property by removing thick vegetation. Additionally, it allows for better soil preparation and ensures that other land clearing services, like tree removal or excavation, can be performed more efficiently.

Tree Removal: Necessary for Larger Trees and Structural Considerations

On the other hand, tree removal involves cutting down larger trees that may pose a risk to the site or interfere with the development plans. Tree removal is often more complex than brush clearing and requires specialized equipment to handle the trees and their root systems safely. This service is essential when there are mature trees that need to be removed to make way for construction, roads, or other large-scale land development projects.

In Bloomington, tree removal is often necessary when trees are too large or too close to existing structures. Additionally, certain species of trees may cause foundation issues or root damage over time. Whether you're preparing land for a new home or a commercial building, tree removal helps ensure that there are no obstructions that could affect the construction process.

Choosing the Right Service for Your Project

Both brush clearing and tree removal serve important purposes, but the decision on which service is right for your project depends on the vegetation on the property and the scope of your project. If your land is overgrown with shrubs and small trees, brush clearing may be the best option. However, if there are large, mature trees that need to be removed, tree removal is essential to ensure the site is ready for development.

In many cases, a combination of both services may be required to fully prepare the land. Working with an experienced land clearing team in Bloomington can help determine which services are necessary to meet the specific needs of your project and ensure that your land is cleared efficiently and safely.

Author : Concho Valley Land Clearing

Who We Are

Discover the excellence of Concho Valley Land Clearing, a family-owned and operated enterprise dedicated to top-notch land clearing and forestry mulching services. Proudly serving the Texas Concho Valley, our team at Concho Valley Land Clearing is committed to delivering exceptional results for all your land management needs. we are a small company always adding to our fleet and growing our operation. We serve San Angelo, Brady, Big Lake, Junction, Mason, Sonora, Rocksprings, Brownwood, Ballinger, Winters, Coleman, and the surrounding areas.

Contact Us

Concho Valley Land Clearing

1562 Lost Trail Rd, Eden, Texas, 76837, USA

(210) 464-0475

Find Us On Social Media

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[thecupidwitch]

Elements And Their Correspondences

Earth

Direction: North

Time: Midnight

Season: Winter

Color: Green, brown

Zodiac: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Ruling planets: Venus and Saturn

Tarot Cards: Pentacles, Coins

Tools: Pentacle, salt, stones, dirt, crystals, wood, flowers

Cystals: Emerald, Jet, tourmaline, quartz, onyx, azurite, amethyst, jasper, peridot, granite.

Animals: gopher, bear, wolf, ant, horse, stag, deer, dog, cow, bull, bison, snake, worms, moles, voles, grubs

Herbs: Oak, cedar, cypress, honeysuckle, ivy, primrose, sage, grains, patchouli, nuts, magnolia, comfrey, vetivert, moss, lilac, lichen, roots, barley, alfalfa, corn, rice.

Rules: Grounding, strength, healing, success, stability, sturdiness, steadfastness, foundations, empathy, fertility, death, rebirth, wisdom, nature, animals, plants, money, prosperity.

Water

Direction: West

Time: Dusk

Season: Fall

Color: Blue, Indigo, Sliver

Zodiac: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Ruling planets: Moon, Neptune, Pluto

Tarot Cards: Cups

Tools: Ocean, sea glass, cup, bowl, seaweed, hag stones, cauldron

Cystals: Moonstone, pearl, silver, aquamarine, amethyst, blue tourmaline, lapis lazuli, fluorite, coral, blue topaz, beryl, opal, coral

Animals: fish, snake, frog, crab, lobster, eel, shark, dragonfly, seahorse, dolphin, sea otter, seal, whale, alligator, crocodile, beaver, octopus, penguin, salamander, turtle, starfish, koi, coral, barnacle, manta ray, manatee, jellyfish, nautilus, heron, duck, geese, crane, swan, water birds, ammonite, dragons, serpents

Herbs: seaweed, aloe, fern, water lily, lotus, moss, willow, gardenia, apple, catnip, chamomile, cattail, lettuce, kelp, birch, cabbage, coconut, cucumber, comfrey, eucalyptus, gourd, geranium, grape, licorice, lilac, pear, strawberry, tomato

Rules: emotion, intuition, psychic abilities, love, unconscious mind, fertility, self-healing, reflection, lunar energy, deep feelings, curses, death

Fire

Direction: South

Time: Noon

Season: Summer

Color: Red, Orange

Zodiac: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

Ruling planets: Sun, Mars

Tarot Cards: Wands or Swords (depends on belief system)

Tools: Athame, candles, swords, wands, dagger, lamp, flame

Cystals: Carnelian, red jasper, bloodstone, garnet, ruby, agate, rhodochrosite, gold, pyrite, brass, fire opal, lavastone, tiger's eye

Animals: Lion, snake, coyote, fox, ladybug, bee, shark, scorpion, horse, mantis, tiger

Herbs: Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, allspice, basil, cacti, marigold, chilis, garlic, mustard, nettle, onion, heliotrope, hibiscus, juniper, lime, orange, red pepper, poppies, thistle, coffee, jalapenos, lemon, cumin, saffron, coriander

Rules: Energy, will, destruction, strength, courage, power, passion, lust, sexuality, anger, war, new beginnings, protection, loyalty, transformation, action, movement, achievement, creativity, desire, willpower

Air

Direction: East

Time: Down

Season: Spring

Color: Yellow, gold, white, light blue, pastels

Zodiac: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Ruling planets: Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus

Tarot Cards: Wands

Tools: Feather, wand, staff, incense, broom, bell, sword, pen

Cystals: Amber, topaz, citrine, jasper, agate, pumice, alexandrite, amethyst, fluorite, mica, clear quartz

Animals: Birds, flying insects, spiders, bats

Herbs: Bergamot, lavender, marjoram, peppermint, sage, dandelion, bluebell, clover, frankincense, primrose, lemongrass, pine, aspen, yarrow, violets, vervain, myrrh, dill, anise, aspen

Rules: Intelligence, wisdom, knowledge, logic, thought, communication, truth, inspiration, intuition, memory, creativity

Tip jar

[cnestus]

i recently solved a fun little bug mystery at work and i thought it might be interesting to write up a step-by-step narrative of how i did so, as a sort of example of the kinds of things i get to do for my job. this is a stupidly long post because i have no editorial self-control so i'm putting the rest under a cut.

the above insect is a bark beetle, one of a series of 6 specimens i found in a drawer at work. they did not have species labels on them, and the collection labels indicated that they were collected in 1997 from "Chinese Cedrus used for artifical christmas trees." the infested wood had been intercepted and the beetles collected and pinned, but whoever was working in the lab at the time wasn't able to suss out the species, which is extremely reasonable because even IDing american bark beetles to species can be a massive pain in the ass, let alone ones from asia.

the beetles were clearly in the genus Phloeosinus based on the shape of the antennae and the large spines on the elytral declivity (the ass area), and whoever pinned them at least got them that far themselves, but determining the actual species was going to be a lot harder. even american beetles in this genus can be devilishly hard to confidently ID to species since they often look alike and also are quite morphologically variable in ways the bleed into each other. they are pretty cool though and those ass spines are usually critical in species-level identification

btw since i'm going to be writing out this word a lot in this post, it's pronounced roughly as "flea-o-sign-us" if you're curious.

determining bark beetle species is often made much easier by knowing what tree the beetle came out of since most bark beetles (but not ambrosia beetles, which are also scolytid/scolytine beetles but a whole other can of worms grubs) are highly host-specific, usually being adapted to only a certain tree species or genus or small group of related genera.

so Cedrus is the genus for eurasian cedar trees, and there is one species of Cedrus native to china, Cedrus deodara, but that seems like an odd choice of plant to harvest and send to america for artificial christmas tree trunks. most actual Cedrus species are from the mediterranean area. however there are also some chinese trees in the cypress family Cupressaceae (+Taxodiaceae) that are called cedars, and in fact most species of Phloeosinus are exclusively found in trees in this family. one likely species is Cunninghamia lanceolata, traditionally called "chinese fir" despite not being a fir but also more recently marketed as "chinese cedar" because that's how common names for species go.

oh and there is also the tree Toona sinensis in the family Meliaceae that's ALSO sometimes called "chinese cedar" for some reason but more importantly also called "beef and onion plant" lmao, but that was an even worse candidate for an artificial christmas tree trunk and also not a known host for the beetles. easily discounted but i had a laugh.

so my first angle of attack was to assume that the collection labels were correct and the beetles were in fact from a Cedrus tree. i was able to find a list of about a half dozen Phloeosinus species known to attack Cedrus cedars, but none of them were native to china. this would most likely mean that one of the mediterranean species had been transplanted to china for cultivation, which is entirely plausible. after digging though a bunch of literature i wasn't able to find a good key for Phloeosinus species in the entire area i wanted, but found a couple regional keys covering geographic ranges that when combined covered about what i wanted. for non-biologists, this is what a species key looks like:

sort of a choose your own adventure kind of thing but for determining a creature's true identity. anyway none of the results i got from these keys led to species who's descriptions matched the one that i had. i should also mention that my specimens had a rather distinctive feature unlike any other Phloeosinus species i'd ever seen before, which was an elytral vestiture consisting of these really funky little black explanate scales:

most Phloeosinus species have some kind of vestiture on their elytra but all the ones i'm familiar with have the hairs and scales light-colored and never shaped anything like this, so i figured that the description of the correct species would surely mention these scales.

so anyway dissatisfied with this avenue, i decided that the next most likely option is that whoever made the labels for the specimens was told that they had come from "chinese cedar" by the importer and had just assumed that meant Cedrus but it was actually one of the cypress family cedars. again most of the described species do in fact use Cupressaceae as hosts.

so next i found this UN report with a (hopefully) comprehensive list of all non-EU bark and ambrosia beetle species that attacked conifer trees. i culled from that a list of Phloeosinus species listed as coming from "asia." since that was too broad of an area, i then looked up all of these species in the species catalogues listed in the report, mostly Alonso-Zarazag et al (2007), though some were also listed in Wood and Bright (1992) or Bright and Skidmore (2002), which i happen to have physical copes of. from these i could narrow the list down to just species found in china.

now things became difficult because there are no keys to chinese Phloeosinus, or at least none in english. also even just written descriptions of many of these species were impossible to find because they were all written like 60-100 years ago and usually in chinese or german or french and had never been translated or uploaded anywhere online. likewise almost none of them had research-grade (or any) photos anywhere online.

so after hours of fruitless digging, the best i could come up with was a guide to scolytine beetles of korea (PDF link), which contained a key with a handful of the species on my list and did include english descriptions of these. now one of the species in the guide, P. perlatus, IS DESCRIBED as having dark scales, and my specimens did seem to land on that species when i ran them through the key. that's promising! and the hosts were on my list of possible non-Cedrus chinese cedars! also promising! buuuut something just didn't sit right with me. parts of the species description in that paper just didn't seem to quite match my specimens, like for example the size was a little off, described as being 2.4-3.4mm long, while all of mine were in the 3.3-3.6 range. plus the photos of the species, while distressingly low-resolution, just didn't look like mine.

okay so that was dissatisfying. i'd managed to whittle down my list of suspects a good deal from what little scraps of information i could find about them through my sleuthing, either the wrong hosts or the ones that did have english descriptions available online like in that korean guide didn't fit, but i was still left with several possible candidates and no way to narrow it down further, of course this all assuming that the beetles i had on my hands even were a species that had been scientifically described and named. bark beetles are a huge group of critters and many are quite understudied, especially in asia, and a bunch of new species are described every year!

i was about ready to just give up, but then by coincidence i had a reason to email a couple of high-level bark beetle researchers about a different beetle mystery i was also working on, which was in a group that they were the authorities on. on a whim, i mentioned my Phloeosinus conundrum to them to see if they had any ideas and they recommended i contact Dr. Roger Beaver. yeah, i know right? fucking kickass name i'm so jealous. sidenote: it's so funny how many bark beetle researchers have extremely appropriate names, like two of the biggest names in the field are Steve Wood and Dave Wood. no relation.

so anyway i contacted Dr Beaver, who had done some research on east asian Phloeosinus in the past and he was kind enough to send me an unpublished provisional key to chinese species that he had written up a few years ago. using that key, i ended up at "P. pertuberculatus (?=sinensis)" which means that there was some suspicion that P. pertuberculatus and P. sinensis were the same species, just described and named independently by two different entomologists (Hans Eggers and Karl Eduard Schedl respectively), as often happened, especially in the glory days of insane 18th-20th century european entomologists describing literally thousands of new species during their careers.

now these two species WERE both on my final list of suspects of chinese Phloeosinus species that hadn't otherwise been eliminated for one reason or another, and both had Cunninghamia "cedar" trees as known hosts. Dr Beaver was then kind enough to scan and send me the original descriptions of these two species:

which i was able to use google translate on:

not the nicest translation but still an admirable attempt on google's part to deal with all the entomological jargon, and most importantly the description of the elytral scales on P. sinensis definitely seems to match my specimens more than the pertuberculatus. plus i found a paper on taiwanese bark beetles (PDF) coauthored by Dr Beaver that had a (also distressingly low-resolution) photo of pertuberculatus that didn't seem to match my specimens:

aaand finally: i'd been trying for days to access the webpage of a chinese museum that popped up as the only notable result on a google image search for P. sinensis but every time the website would time out and the cached version of the image was too small to make out any details on, but it finally occurred to me this evening that the reason was probably because my work computer or work wifi was just automatically blocking chinese websites because of america's insane paranoia about chinese spying, and sure enough i opened it up on my home computer and it fucking worked!

that's a pretty fucking bang-on match for my specimens! the scales look right, the color is right, the size is right, the ass bumps are right, the host is right, the geography is right, and the translated description otherwise seems to match! here's mine again so you don't have to scroll all the way up:

so i'm calling this 26-year mystery solved! not all of the bug puzzles i've worked on have had as meandering of a path to their conclusion as this, but i thought that this one did display a good number of the different methods i use. the biggest thing that was missing was me wandering into my lab's massive library of old dusty entomology journals stretching back over a century and digging out some old article that never got scanned and put online, as often happens, but in this case since the bugs were asian and out library mostly covers north american entomology that wasn't going to be very fruitful.

hopefully this was interesting to... somebody besides myself. if you've read this far and weren't bored to tears then congratulations you probably have the same kind of brain damage as me!

[thrashkink-coven]

A day with Lucifer, Astaroth, Hermes and Faviel

Lucifer was very motivational. Did prayers with Faviel and immediately got gifted a murder of crows and black birds!!! :)

If that’s not a sign idk what is. Tell me my spell is working without telling me lol. Faviel usually summons crows as The Father of Black Birds, but it’s usually only a few. I almost always hear crows cawing outside my window after praying to him (there were tons in the sky while I was doing my spell). But I’ve never received so many before! They were all so friendly! And three different species of black birds all in the same garden! (Black bird, crows and ravens) !!!!!! He’s never let me get this close before! Usually it’s a look but don’t touch situation. I’ve tried feeding them so many times but they always take off. But this time it worked!!! and I made a raven friend!!!

They appreciated my grubs and even gave me a feather in exchange! It was amazing! I was searching for cedar and pine for Hermes and took a path I don’t usually go down. Something just told me to go that way. One of the crows followed me all the way back to my street :) Oh gods I hope they remember me.

Funny how every day I dedicate to them is always amazing.

[cryptidclaw]

Cryptidclaw's WC Prefixes List!

Yall said you were interested in seeing it so here it is! 

This is a collection of mostly Flora, Fauna, Rocks, and other such things that can be found in Britain since that’s where the books take place! 

I also have other Prefixes that have to do with pelt colors and patterns as well!

Here’s a link to the doc if you dont want to expand a 650 word list on your Tumblr feed lol! the doc is also in my drive linked in my pined post!

below is the actual list! If there are any names you think I should add plz tell me!

EDIT: I will update the doc with new names as I come up with them or have them suggested to me, but I wont update the list on this post! Plz visit my doc for a more updated version!

Animals

Mammal

Badger

Bat

Bear

Beaver

Bison

Boar

Buck

Calf

Cow

Deer

Elk

Fawn

Ferret

Fox

Goat

Hare

Horse

Lamb

Lynx

Marten

Mole

Mouse

Otter

Rabbit

Rat

Seal

Sheep

Shrew

Squirrel

Stoat

Vole

Weasel

Wolf

Wolverine

Amphibians

Frog

Newt

Toad

Reptiles

Scale

Adder

Lizard

Snake

Turtle

Shell

Birds

Bird

Down

Feather

Albatross

Bittern

Buzzard

Chaffinch

Chick

Chicken

Coot

Cormorant

Corvid

Crane

Crow

Curlew

Dove

Duck

Dunlin

Eagle

Egret

Falcon

Finch

Gannet

Goose

Grouse

Gull

Hawk

Hen

Heron

Ibis

Jackdaw

Jay

Kestrel

Kite

Lark

Magpie

Mallard

Merlin

Mockingbird

Murrelet

Nightingale

Osprey

Owl

Partridge

Pelican

Peregrine

Petrel

Pheasant

Pigeon

Plover

Puffin

Quail

Raven

Robin

Rook

Rooster

Ruff

Shrike

Snipe

Sparrow

Starling

Stork

Swallow

Swan

Swift

Tern

Thrasher

Thrush

Vulture

Warbler

Whimbrel

Wren

Freshwater Fish 

Fish

Bass

Bream 

Carp

Dace

Eel

Lamprey

Loach

Minnow

Perch

Pike

Rudd

Salmon

Sterlet

Tench

Trout

Roach

Saltwater fish and other Sea creatures (would cats be able to find some of these? Probably not, I don't care tho)

Alge

Barnacle

Bass (Saltwater version)

Bream (Saltwater version)

Brill

Clam

Cod

Crab

Dolphin

Eel (Saltwater version)

Flounder

Garfish

Halibut

Kelp

Lobster

Mackerel

Mollusk

Orca

Prawn

Ray

Seal

Shark

Shrimp

Starfish

Sting

Urchin

Whale

Insects and Arachnids

Honey

Insect

Web

Ant

Bee

Beetle

Bug

Butterfly

Caterpillar

Cricket

Damselfly

Dragonfly

Fly

Grasshopper

Grub

Hornet

Maggot

Moth

Spider

Wasp

Worm

Trees

Acorn

Bark

Branch

Forest

Hollow

Log

Root

Stump

Timber

Tree

Twig

Wood

Alder

Apple

Ash

Aspen

Beech

Birch

Cedar

Cherry

Chestnut

Cypress

Elm

Fir

Hawthorn

Hazel

Hemlock

Linden

Maple

Oak

Pear

Poplar

Rowan

Redwood

Spruce

Willow

Yew

Flowers, Shrubs and Other plants

Berry

Blossom

Briar

Field

Flower

Leaf

Meadow

Needle

Petal

Shrub

Stem

Thicket

Thorn

Vine

Anemone 

Apricot

Barley 

Bellflower

Bluebell

Borage

Bracken

Bramble

Briar

Burnet

Buttercup

Campion

Chamomile

Chanterelle

Chicory

Clover

Cornflower

Daffodil

Daisy

Dandelion

Dogwood

Fallow

Fennel

Fern

Flax

Foxglove

Furze

Garlic

Ginger

Gorse

Grass

Hay

Heather

Holly

Honeysuckle

Hop

Hyacinth

Iris

Ivy

Juniper

Lavender

Lichen

Lilac

Lilly

Mallow

Marigold

Mint

Mistletoe

Moss

Moss

Mushroom

Nettle

Nightshade

Oat

Olive

Orchid

Parsley

Periwinkle

Pine

Poppy

Primrose

Privet

Raspberry

Reed

Reedmace

Rose

Rush

Rye

Saffron

Sage

Sedge

Seed

Snowdrop

Spindle

Strawberry

Tangerine

Tansy

Teasel

Thistle

Thrift

Thyme

Violet

Weed

Wheat

Woodruff

Yarrow

Rocks and earth

Agate

Amber

Amethyst

Arch

Basalt

Bounder

Cave

Chalk

Coal

Copper

Dirt

Dust

Flint

Garnet

Gold

Granite

Hill

Iron

Jagged

Jet

Mountain

Mud

Peak

Pebble

Pinnacle

Pit

Quartz

Ridge

Rock

Rubble

Ruby

Rust(y)

Sand

Sapphire

Sediment

Silt

Silver

Slate

Soil

Spire

Stone

Trench

Zircon

Water Formations

Bay

Cove

Creek

Delta

Lake

Marsh

Ocean

Pool

Puddle

River

Sea

Water

Weather and such

Autumn

Avalanche

Balmy

Blaze

Blizzard

Breeze

Burnt

Chill

Cinder

Cloud

Cold

Dew

Drift

Drizzle

Drought

Dry

Ember

Fall

Fire

Flame

Flood

Fog

Freeze

Frost

Frozen

Gale

Gust

Hail

Ice

Icicle

Lightening

Mist

Muggy

Rain 

Scorch

Singe

Sky

Sleet

Sloe

Smoke

Snow

Snowflake

Soot

Sorrel

Spark

Spring

Steam

Storm

Summer

Sun

Thunder

Water

Wave

Wet

Wind

Winter

Celestial??

Comet

Dawn

Dusk

Evening 

Midnight

Moon

Morning

Night

Noon

Twilight

Cat Features, Traits, and Misc. 

Azure

Beige

Big

Black

Blonde

Blotch(ed)

Blue

Bounce

Bright 

Brindle

Broken

Bronze

Brown

Bumble

Burgundy

Call

Carmine

Claw

Cobalt

Cream

Crimson

Cry

Curl(y)

Dapple

Dark

Dot(ted)

Dusky

Ebony

Echo

Fallen

Fleck(ed)

Fluffy

Freckle

Ginger

Golden

Gray

Green

Heavy

Kink

Knot(ted)

Light

Little

Lost

Loud

Marbled

Mew

Milk

Mottle

Mumble

Ochre

Odd

One

Orange

Pale

Patch(ed)

Pounce 

Prickle

Ragged

Red

Ripple

Rough

Rugged

Russet

Scarlet

Shade

Shaggy

Sharp

Shimmer

Shining

Small

Smudge

Soft

Song

Speckle

Spike

Splash

Spot(ted)

Streak

Stripe(d)

Strong

Stump(y)

Sweet

Tall

Talon

Tangle

Tatter(ed)

Tawny

Tiny

Tough

Tumble

Twist

Violet

Whisker

Whisper

White

Wild

Wooly

Yellow

[foxglove-the-never-fairy]

Fairy Names Pt. 2

Fly with you! It’s been a while hasn’t it? Anyway, I’m here for a second part of one of my most popular posts.

The first post listed fairy names that were used in the DS game “Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue” in the create-a-fairy section of the game. While the names provided were feminine, I have pulled all of the masculine fairy names from the original Pixie Hollow game. Some names are repeats from the original post, but I kept them in as I wanted to get this out as soon as possible. I hope you enjoy. Here’s the original post.

~🧚🏻‍♀️🔥 Foxglove 

First

Aaron

Ace

Acorn

Agate

Ajay

Alabaster

Alder

Alec

Aleron

Alex

Anchor

Andrew

Archer

Axel

Badger

Bailey

Baker

Bale

Banjo

Barclay

Basil

Benjy

Bert

Bevel

Birch

Bo

Boomer

Boone

Brock

Bruce

Brynn

Buddy

Burr

Burton

Buster

Calder

Casper

Cecil

Cedar

Chance

Chase

Chip

Clay

Cliff

Coal

Cog

Comet

Cosmo

Cote

Covey

Crag

Crane

Cyan

Dale

Dane

Darius

Darrin

Dawson

Decker

Deon

Devlin

Dewey

Donner

Drake

Dug

Dunn

Dustin

Dusty

Echo

Eddy

Edward

Elk

Emery

Erik

Ernie

Errol

Fennel

Fincher

Finn

Fir

Flint

Ford

Francis

Garnet

Glen

Gourd

Gourdie

Grove

Grub

Gull

Hale

Hare

Harris

Hawk

Henry

Heron

Hob

Jacob

James

Jasper

Jay

Kernal

Koto

Lance

Lark

Leaf

Lore

Lute

Lyric

Martin

Maze

Mica

Michal

Nadir

Nester

Oak

Ollie

Onyx

Otter

Peat

Pier

Pine

Quake

Quarry

Quinn

Rain

Ranger

Reed

Richard

River

Robin

Rook

Rusty

Rye

Sage

Sam

Scout

Sean

Seth

Shale

Shoal

Skimmer

Skyler

Spike

Spruce

Sterling

Stone

Tad

Teak

Thatcher

Thistle

Timber

Tiny

Toadstool

Tobey

Todd

Topher

Torn

Torrey

Vail

Valiant

Vern

Vic

Wedge

Wes

Wren

Wynn

Zak

 Middle

Air

Almond

Apple

Aspen

Autumn

Badger

Bark

Beacon

Bear

Bitter

Brave

Bright

Brisk

Broom

Bumble

Candle

Cedar

Chilly

Citrus

Cloud

Cloudy

Clover

Cocoa

Copper

Cricket

Crow

Cub

Dapple

Dash

Day

Drift

Eagle

Elm

Evening

Falcon

Far

Fern

Fig

Fire

Fleet

Flicker

Foggy

Fox

Frost

Frozen

Funny

Garlic

Green

Hail

Hasty

Hawk

Hickory

Holly

Hurry

Ice

Ivy

Jelly

Jumpy

Lemon

Light

Lightning

Lime

Little

Lock

Lotus

Magic

Mango

Maple

Merry

Misty

Moon

Morning

Moss

Mossy

Mountain

Muddy

Never

Nickel

Night

Nimble

Oak

Orange

Otter

Parsley

Pear

Pebble

Pepper

Pine

Plum

Pollen

Pumpkin

Purple

Quick

Rain

Rainy

Rock

Rumble

Sage

Sandy

Sea

Shy

Silk

Slight

Snow

Sour

Speedy

Spider

Spring

Squall

Star

Storm

Stout

Strong

Sugar

Summer

Sun

Swift

Tangle

Thunder

Tiny

Toad

Tumble

Twisty

Water

Whiffle

Wild

Wind

Winter

Wrinkle

 Last

Beam

Bee

Bell

Berry

Breath

Breeze

Bug

Button

Buzz

Chill

Chime

Cliff

Cloud

Clove

Crash

Curl

Dale

Dance

Dash

Dew

Din

Drop

Dust

Ear

Elbow

Eye

Feather

Field

Fig

Flame

Flap

Flash

Fleck

Flight

Flip

Flipper

Fly

Fog

Foot

Forest

Freeze

Fruit

Garden

Gem

Glade

Glimmer

Glow

Gourd

Grace

Griddlee

Gust

Heart

Hill

Hop

Horn

Hush

Jewel

Knee

Lake

Light

Lock

Loop

Lull

Meadow

Mello

Mint

Mist

Moon

Muddle

Muse

Newt

Noise

Nose

Peal

Pebble

Petal

Pin

Plume

Pond

Pool

Ray

Ripple

River

Roar

Root

Row

Ruckus

Rumble

Sand

Shadow

Sky

Smash

Song

Spark

Sparkle

Sparrow

Speck

Spirit

Splash

Spring

Sprite

Sprout

Stem

Stone

Storm

Stream

Stripe

Swamp

Swirls

Thistle

Thorn

Toad

Tree

Twill

Twist

Vale

Valley

Vine

Weather

Web

Whirl

Whisk

Whisper

Willow

Wind

Wing

Wings

Wink

Wish

[landclearingflorida]

Cost to clear land in Florida

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Specialized Models for Florida Land Clearing:

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Our Skid Steer Mulcher, priced at $2500 daily, is a versatile solution capable of clearing trees up to 6 inches in diameter and all underbrush. With its compact design and exceptional maneuverability, this machine excels in tight spaces, making it ideal for underbrush, smaller lots, and tight residential areas. The rubber tracks allow for pavement and curb traversal, clearing an average of 1 to 2 acres a day. This option is perfect for affordable one-day clearing jobs, producing fine mulch with an 8-foot maximum cutting height.

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To read the full blog visit: https://floridalandclearing.com/cost-to-clear-land-in-florida/

[0nionbaby]

WORMS IN THE WOODPILE

There are worms in the wood pile. Rows of cedar and pine stacked much taller than my head. I can hear them in there. Though I know it sounds quite strange, to hear worms and their whispers. Such tiny conversation is no more than the scent of a sound! 

Truly, it takes a careful listener to be caught in it. Between the wind’s whistle // the hum of cars returning home // in the gap separating your uneven breaths // buzzing lightbulbs // the sizzle of the gas stove // their voices. Oh, but those voices – they live through the night. There are wigglers whispering. It’s an incessant ringing, like the eardrum ricochets after concussion – the taste of soft-bodied tinnitus. It’s the murmurings of maggots. Each syllable strung out into a solid line, an infected tune. They don’t speak the language that you and I do. What a silly assumption, to think worms know English words. But they know my name; they know yours too.

I move 3 logs to the wood stove fire within an hour during the afternoon. It’s winter and the house is cold. The fire will burn for hours if you feed it steadily. The thick flame, hungry, will consume everything you put in its mouth. A cracking blaze of laughter and purring heat in the furnace. White hot noise. Make your ear soft again, and you can hear the screams of grubs – their agony. And then the ringing, the gossip, for a moment it stops.

 – V.V.

Published in University of Portland's Writers Literary and Art Magazine Spring 2023: In the Garden

[bugoutpest]

Morayfield Termite Control

Morayfield’s warm climate attracts pests that can cause serious damage to your property. These include Termites, Mosquitoes and Flies.

Many older homes in Morayfield are made of timber, and a termite attack can have disastrous results. Termite inspections and treatment are very important. The best place to start is with Palace Pest Control, they know where to look for the little guys! To know more about Termite Control Morayfield, visit the Bug Out Pest Solutions website or call 0426263320.

Termites are a very destructive wood-eating pest that can cause significant damage to your home. They enter homes through soil and eat the structural timbers within them. Termites can be prevented by maintaining a proper moisture level in soil around the house, keeping firewood away from the house, and installing concrete foundation blocks and retaining walls.

During the spring, swarmers (winged reproductives) fly out of mature termite colonies and look for a new habitat. They are usually found in rotting or damp wood components of your home, tree stumps and root sections, fence posts, and firewood piles. Termite species differ in size, but all termites have a caste system that includes workers, soldiers, and nymphs (immature reproductives). Queens and kings are the sexually mature members of the colony.

Mosquitoes are blood-feeding insects that cause a lot of discomfort with their itchy bites. They also spread diseases and viruses in humans and animals.

The best control measures for mosquitoes are source reduction and the use of insect surface sprays. Ensure that fly screens on doors and windows are in place and regularly wash and clean them. Wear light coloured clothes and use an insect repellent that contains picaridin or diethyltoulamide (DEET).

Remove all sources of water where mosquitoes can breed. Regularly empty and scrub, overturn or cover tyres, wheelbarrows, trailers, garden containers, bird baths, flower pot saucers, pet drinking bowls, vases and children’s toys.

Flies are common pests in urban and rural areas. These insects are often attracted to garbage receptacles, compost piles, excrement and rotting organic materials. They also breed in poultry ranches and swine facilities.

Female flies can lay hundreds of eggs, and larvae can hatch within four days. They grow up to 12 mm in just a few days, and are then ready to pupate.

To control flies, all trash containers should have tight-fitting lids and be kept dry. Similarly, manure should be buried under inorganic wastes to deteriorate its capacity for fly breeding, and all poultry facilities should be fully enclosed. Pesticide bait formulations may be used to reduce fly populations.

Silverfish (Lepisma saccharinum) are insects that feed on starch, cellulose and certain glues in book bindings and wallpaper. They are easily identified by the tiny skin casts that they leave behind on items as they move across them. They are often introduced into buildings in cardboard cartons of books and papers. They breed in wall voids, in subflooring and cellars and even in shake roofs.

To control them, vacuum carpets and floors regularly, keep food in one part of the house and use dehumidifiers in humid areas. You can also try running sticky traps in areas they frequent like basements and cupboards or dusts that are toxic to them such as boric acid, diatomaceous earth and Japanese cedar essential oil.

In early summer, scarab beetles lay eggs that hatch into grubs that munch on grass roots. They can cause serious damage in yards, gardens and sporting ovals. The grubs grow until mid- to late fall and then move deeper into the soil where they spend the winter. The next spring, they emerge as adult beetles and the cycle starts again.

Preventive products containing imidacloprid, thiamethoxam or clothianidin will reduce 75-100% of grubs when applied in June or July and watered-in immediately. Curative products containing carbaryl, trichlorfon or zeta-cypermethrin kill grubs on contact and should be used during the late summer or fall. Your pest control technician will recommend the best option for your situation.

Both rats and mice are rodents that can cause structural damage to your home. They are nocturnal and feed on garbage, seeds and other plant materials. They can also gnaw on wires and wood and are known fire hazards. They can enter the home through gaps and openings. A mouse can squirm through a hole that’s one-quarter inch in size, while a rat requires a larger gap.

To prevent a rat infestation, contact your local pest control company to remove the rodents from your property. The company’s entomologist can help you identify the rodents, as well as recommend other preventative measures. The staff can also monitor and treat sanitary sewers for rat activity in the area. To know more about Termite Control Morayfield, visit the Bug Out Pest Solutions website or call 0426263320.

[books-of-the-great-leviathan]

Chapter 34- Luca

***

A village.

Hells, he thought, because there was no overwhelming reason not to stop. They didn't have enough food to keep going, however much further the going was, and he himself could see the way the forest transitioned to alpine scree a scant few hundred meters up. If there was no game or foraging down here, there wouldn't be up there, either.

The stream widened downslope, a dramatic eruption of whitewater and jagged boulders, becoming a plunging, leaping cataract that split into several smaller tracts. In the distance Luca made out the glint of a waterfall. The mountain's shoulder fell in the full evening sun, illuminating the thatch and tile roofs of the village.

It was a seam of simple whitebrick buildings bounded by small meadows and grazing-patches for touga, cedar bough fences, conical wattle-and-daub beehives surrounded by glimmering clouds of bees. All was strung together by a series of dirt paths and rope bridges, spanning gorges, linking together the flanks of the village into a whole.

All was quiet, the deep hush of empty air and falling twilight, the snort of touga as they snuffled at their feed, the distant clang of harness bells.

"Think it's safe?" Niive asked flatly. "They might attack us with those pitchforks over there."

"Look." Luca pointed to a path winding down the mountainside, all the way to a slice of beach and ocean at the mountain's foot. A natural harbor. "If Isabella followed us, her navy could easily dock down there, out of sight. They could be waiting for us to show our faces-"

"If," Cereza said. "I don't think she's here. This is...right, this place. It's right that we came here."

She blinked, then grinned. "And I for one am starving."

Luca looked at Sirin for support. She shrugged.

"Useless, the lot of you," he said. He studied the sea again, but there was no sign of the Leviathan, no stormclouds or lightning. Could their overland path have outrun the beast? "Fine. We go into town. We buy food. We leave. We don't linger. We don't mingle."

He undid his kerchief and pulled it over his head, shielding his face.

"What are you doing?" Cereza said.

"Cee, every town in Lapide has a painting of our faces."

"Look at this place! The last time they got a painting of our faces, you were ten years old." She dug her elbow into his ribs, then began down the incline, toward the path. "Besides, that scarf makes you look stupid. Come on!"

Niive hurried after her, her wings hidden, to catch her round the waist and whirl her with a shriek in an airborne circle. Alois followed, then Puppy, bounding at his side.

Luca gave Sirin another glance and found her standing, rigid, her black eyes narrowed.

"What's wrong?" Luca said.

This place. It reminds me- Her fingers curled to her palms. Reminds me of another.

"Alkona?"

She nodded. Luca took her hands and felt her shiver at his touch. Her fingers were cold. "We really don't have to go," he murmured. "I can find...grubs, or-"

Sirin gave him a wicked little smile and tugged her hands from his. I'd like to see you eat a grub, she said, and strode past him, after the others.

A few whispers chased them as they entered the village, but the old man tending the bees gave them a smile and a nod, and if any eyes lingered on them, it was only for a moment. The streets were scattered with people, laden with baskets, leaning from windows to call down to friends below, children racing along with paper kites bobbing behind them. Luca lifted his head to watch them go by, and saw the strings of painted pennants hung between buildings, the long flags dancing from weathervanes. Charms hung from doorways, chiming in the breeze.

The women that passed all wore bright colors and garlands of mud lily, moonwort, and wild duskrose, their hands inked with swirling symbols. The small chapel of the Triune was aglow with candles, a priestess walking her circles inside. In the village square all was festooned in more flowers, more pennants, kites in the shapes of monsters and sea-beasts tied to door handles and hitching posts, market stalls and windowsills.

The grandest kite of all groaned and billowed above, made of painted paper framed with lightlock. It had to be twelve feet long or more, a serpentine form with fangs agape and eyes aglow, scaled in crimson, tethered to the well at the square's center.

"Triune," Luca said. "It's Nagidanze."

"It's...what?" Alois asked.

"Nagidanze. Serpent's Dance. It's the night the Triune defeated Nagizi, the moon-eater. She was a beast from the glowlands, a serpent of monstrous size. When she ventured toward the surface she found the triplet moons casting a light to rival any she'd encountered down below. She grew jealous, and ambitious, and reached her head above the waves, and plucked the moons from the sky like fruit, swallowing them down in an instant. The Triune couldn't have that. They gathered poisonous flowers-"

He brushed a garland with his fingers. "-and with a handful of stars granted them their glow until they shone brighter even than the moons. Try these, they said. They're grander than those dim little moons. You want light? Take this down to the glowlands. Nagizi couldn't help herself. She swallowed the flowers, and when the poison made her sick, she spat the moons back out, into their proper place. Tonight marks the anniversary of when she was tricked, and it's always celebrated with-"

"Moon cakes!" Cereza cried.

She streaked past Luca, headed for the small open-air cantina on the far side of the square, where an old woman crouched over a steamer, pulling moon cakes from the fragrant steam. When Cereza returned her arms were full of cakes. She was already halfway through one, taking ravenous bites of the dough and sweet ginger.

"Only cost me a silver hairpin," she said. "Worth it. I died for these, you know. Oh! Look at those sashes over there! Do you suppose those are phosfly shells worked into the embroidery? I think so. I hope so! Come on, Niive- oh, Alois, would you hold these? I don't want to get sugar everywhere..."

She and Niive and Alois hurried off, leaving him with Sirin. She stood, a little hunched, staring at the kites, the flowers, the gaggles of villagers around them, drinking at the cantina or picking through the market or simply heading home from the fields. Luca put his hands in his pockets and leaned back against the well, nearly upsetting the bucket a woman had placed there.

"Oh, sorry," he said. She gave him an evil look and moved on. "Well, that's done it. Now we'll have to leave."

You don't like this? Sirin waved a hand at the festivities.

"Of course I like this. But our being here puts these people at risk."

You always think that, Valere.

"Well, it's been something of a pattern."

You, and me, and doom. We are triplet companions, like the moons, like your gods. Never one without the other pair.

"I wouldn't go that far."

I would.

He regarded her. "You really think that?" he asked her softly. "About you and me?"

She raised her eyes. There is no you and me. There can't be.

"Why not? Triune, Sirin, why not?"

She sank down next to him on the broad lip of the well. You build. I destroy.

"You healed me. You saved my life."

I did not want it for a cause, like you would. I wanted it because-

"Because?"

Her hands wound into fists, then opened again.

Because I could not bear a world without you, she said. Because I could not imagine facing the sun in a world where you were gone. I did not save you. I destroyed my fear. It was not good. I am not good like you.

"Sirin-" He sputtered a laugh. "Sirin, I'm not like that, I'm not..."

She furrowed her brow.

Luca let out his breath. "I just want to impress people. Scrabble for scraps of what I can save so I feel less afraid, so I have something to belong to. Words and winged ships. It's all a trick, a show. So I'm not ashamed. So I can sleep at night. But you..."

He slid down next to her, bracing his elbows on his knees. "You have power. You can make a difference. And it's not through sacrificing yourself."

He paused.

"I meant what I said, by the stream," he told her, softly. "Every word."

Sirin said nothing. Her eyes were downcast, dark in the lengthening shadows. A group of children played nearby, decorating one another with flowers.

One of the boys ran over with a basketful.  "You new here?" he asked.

Luca nodded. "Just passing through."

"Here. You need to wear them." The boy gave him a bunch of duskrose, the color of a sunset. "So Nagizi doesn't eat you tonight."

He gave Sirin a sideways glance and scampered off, rejoining the others. Luca held out the flowers to Sirin.

She looked skeptical. What am I supposed to do with these?

"You heard the boy. You wear them. So Nagizi doesn't eat you tonight."

She snorted, then fell silent, pensive. Luca sensed she was thinking.

"What?" he asked.

Sirin nodded at the playing children. They trust you. But they're afraid of me.

"They just don't know you." He reached out, brushed his finger down her cheek, let his hand drop. "Show them. Weave them a story."

She frowned, but held out her hands. Two of the girls whispered to one another, watching her. Darkness unfurled from Sirin's fingertips- formless and hazy at first, then sharpening, entwining, becoming the winged, dancing forms of birds. Flocks of them, billowing, elegant, the synchronized dance of gulls in flight, never colliding, ever in balance.

The children's eyes grew big, One of the bolder girls ran her fingers through the shadows, gasping as she touched them.

"They're cold!" she said.

"They're magic," Luca said, and the girl laughed, and Sirin ducked her head. The gesture did nothing to hide her smile. The children hurried off, and Sirin's birds dissolved, shadow seeping down the stones of the well to pool at her feet once more.

Cereza's laugh rang through the thickening crowd- more villagers pouring in, more stalls built and filled, the twang of stringed instruments and tambourine clatter filling the air as shadows lengthened. The first of the three moons was already a radiant disc overhead, the second a ghost-crescent. Soon the third would join them. Luca glimpsed Cereza chatting with the sash-merchant, working her wiles on him no doubt.

"Let's go rescue the poor man," he said, and straightened. "Come on."

I thought you wanted to leave.

Luca shrugged, not missing the way she eyed him sidelong. "And miss the music?"

Anything for a song, Valere.

He held out his hands; his heart gave an unsteady jag as she reached out to take them. "Anything," he agreed, "to see you smile like that."

The evening gathered, the mountain air clear as springwater, the roar of the river lending a pulsing undercurrent to the festival. Shadows became dense, deep-blue, all the deeper for the flare of candles; they underlit Nagizi's kite, the effigy alive as it twisted and coursed in the wind. Spirits flowed, sweet with honey and bitter with a drop of lillem-sap to sting the lips and whisper of venom. Girls twirled by in skirts of embroidered ruffles, scattering flowers and rounds of steamed bread painted with dyes, swiftly fallen on and scrabbled up by onlookers.

One boy crowed as he broke open his bread and held up the coin hidden inside, to the crows of his friends; they hoisted him onto their shoulders and paraded him for the crowd, brandishing flagons of spirit. Luca caught the occasional glimpse of Cereza and Niive and Alois, hands held in a string like they didn't want to lose track of one another in the crowd, Puppy threading between their feet.

Luca felt like one of the kites loosed to the breeze. The crowd buoyed him from booth to booth, from blankets spread on stoops, from windows thrown wide and ledges arrayed with festival offerings. Bread and drink and fresh sugared fruit was pushed on him, boys and girls dancing by to plant wine-wet kisses on his cheeks.

Sirin was ever near him, like a shadow herself; she didn't dance or spin, but watched so hard she seemed to hum, as if drinking their surroundings in with her entire body. A street magician let off a burst of light, and she flinched, her face illuminated crimson, her eyes lit like small fires. Light filled the shadows, the seams of darkness between. All down the mountainside the world seemed aglitter with candles. They lined paths and bridges, set onto the rock shelves overlooking the river, like the land was the sea and it reflected the night sky. The firmament was a coursing tapestry of stars, as bright as Luca had ever seen them on the open ocean.

His head swirled with stars as he stared at them. Maybe he'd had too much to drink, or maybe it was Sirin. He watched her as she laughed, silent as always, at the street magician's next trick: a conjuring of Nagizi, an eruption of crimson toward the moons above, jaws wide as if to swallow them down. The serpent-god dissolved as her jaws clashed shut; glowing motes of light cascaded down to cover the cheering crowd.

Sirin looked up at Luca, still grinning. This is fun, she signed.

"Isn't it?" He pushed closer. "Sirin, you're-"

He cut off as the music became louder: a brazen rhythmic beat, drum and tambourine and singing strings. The crowd began to chant again, and clap, and stomp at the cobblestones. At the square's entry, it parted, revelers shuffling aside. Three costumed figures emerged forth, young girls dressed in sapsilk, loose hair woven with springs of cedar. Effigies of the Triune. They led a touga between them, one at its haunch and two more at its head. The animal was collared in wreaths of flowers, its flanks daubed with blue paint.

Luca nudged Sirin. "They never do this part in Valeris. It's an old ritual. Older than the Triune, I think. From the Sundered Empire days, maybe before."

The music pared down to a single drum and tambourine as the procession neared the well at the center of the square.

"Now," began one of the girls at the touga's head. "We defeat she who ate the moons. We feed the dirt its due, so it might flower again come summer next."

She drew the sickle at her belt, a wicked crescent of steel, gleaming in the candlelight, and held it high. "I call Sola. I call Ina. I call Yuna. I feed your islands and I feed your seas, and I feed your people, too. Take this offering so all might begin again."

She bent, and with one quick movement slashed open the touga's throat. The other two girls held on as the animal screamed, blood gouting across the stones and turning the girls' robes slick and red; it collapsed to its knees, shuddering, and the girls caught it, lowering it to its side.

Sirin's grip clenched on Luca's arm. He glanced at her. "All right?" he asked her, softly, and she nodded, dark brows drawn together.

A priestess approached and set a censer by the touga's head, filling the air with the mingled scents of blood and smoke. The girl took her sickle and slit the touga open, plunging her hands into its body. She dug and sliced and reemerged with its heart, steaming in the cool night air.

The musicians plunged into a tune, strident and raucous, and the crowd churned around Luca and Sirin: people whirling toward friends, linking hands or arms, laughing and chattering. Sirin looked up at Luca with brows raised.

"There's a reason this night is called a dance," he said. "You see that heart? It's holy. But not just anyone gets it. We've got to earn it."

He held out his hands. "We've got to dance for it."

Sirin shook her head, eyes wide. I do not dance, she signed.

"Tonight you do!"

I cannot dance.

"I can. Unless you're too scared?"

She grinned, sudden and savage. Luca's heart felt full with moonslight as she took his hands and held them, hard. Her grip was strong and callused, and at the first twang of the mandolin she dug in her heel and swung him round, into the dance. He gasped, the sound lost; it burst into a laugh as she swung him again.

All at once they were in the thick of it. It was a reel, hooked in arms, partners coiling close, then releasing, then coming back together. A lift, a swing, a whirl; feet tangled with feet. Sirin's palms were slick against his arms, and as he pulled them into the next pattern of the dance her eyes sprang wide. She shook her head.

"It's all right," Luca called. "I know this one."

She shook her head again, harder, and Luca laughed. They whirled past other dancers; his shoulder knocked another couple, and they stumbled, and Sirin looked mock-aghast. The world became a blur of candlelight and flower garlands, fish-scale spangles like scattered stars, the burn of spirit on Luca's tongue.

He swung Sirin again, and she swung with him. She fought prettier than she danced- her feet were light but her legs were stiff, her hands gripping his arms so hard her nails bit into his flesh. He didn't care. He spun her, and her limbs forgot their awkwardness. Sirin laughed, a silent cackle, her head thrown back, her face alive like he'd never before seen.

She half-fell against him, her face pressed to his shoulder, her body pressed to his. He felt her pulse through him, close as his own. Her arm looped round the back of his neck, hand slipping through his curls. Her skin burned against his; she turned her face and he felt the brush of her mouth to his throat, to his pulse.

Applause burst around them, and a gabble of voices. An old man tapped Luca's shoulder.

"They like you two," he yelled over the music, gesturing toward the effigy Triune. "They want you to have the heart this year."

Luca clasped Sirin's hand and pulled her through the crowd, toward the girls and their dead touga. They'd been cooking the heart over a small brazier, the air rich with the scent of roasting, and at Luca's approach they sliced it and lifted it forth and tipped it into a small basket full of herbs and crushed spices and pink salt.

"Thank you," Luca called, taking the basket. He presented it to Sirin with a bow, and she returned a mock curtsy.

"Cheeky," he said. "Hungry?"

Not for that.

He faced the crowd and proffered the basket. "The Triune bless us all tonight!" Children rushed forward, dirty faces and sugary hands, and grabbed for the roasted meat. Luca let the basket go, watching as the children vanished with it into the crowd.

He threw his free arm over Sirin's shoulder and spun them again. The dance broke up around them, reforming as the tune changed. Another reel. Luca and Sirin ambled toward the outskirts of the square, kicking at the scattered flowers underfoot.

They reached the edge of the crowd, the streets quiet after the clamor of the dance. Now Luca heard the rushing water, the crash of the distant sea. He hesitated, then ran his hand over Sirin's hair. It felt smooth and dense under his palm, ridges of scar tissue like cedar-bark. Her eyes were soft in the haze.

"I wish this could go on like this," Luca told her. "Forever."

She smiled, all rue this time. Nothing is forever, she spelled against his chest.

"I know. That's why it's a wish."

Wishes and dreams. Count them against the ocean, Valere, and you come up with hands full of seawater.

"Cynical monster."

Foolish prince.

"I love it when you insult me."

Then you'll die a happy man.

Sirin's muscles were hard in her arms. She could crush him, he knew, snap bones, but she held him like she might a bird.

"I wish I'd known you all my life," Luca murmured. "I wish I'd known you before."

I would have killed you before.

Luca laughed, brushing a fleck of pollen off Sirin's cheek. "What a way to die."

Don't say that.

"Then what shall I say? Shall I regale you with stories?" He paused, his fingertips light on her skin. Still they swayed, though the music had long since changed. Body to body, hands twined in hair, so Luca could scarce tell where he ended and Sirin began. The dancers were a bright mass at the corner of Luca's vision, but here at crowd's edge the shadows crept in. "Maybe a song?"

If you sing I will straighten that crooked nose of yours.

"But I've grown so fond of it."

Something tells me you're making light of my threats.

"Never." He smiled at her. She didn't smile back. She studied him, a crease between her eyebrows. "What is it?"

Now all I can think about is how much I wish there was more time. Her eyes were bright. I'm glad I didn't kill you.

He let out a laugh; it sounded like a sob. His throat was tight. "There is more time, Sirin. There's time for us. Whatever you're afraid of, we can weather it together."

I want to believe you.

"So do. That's the only way."

She had no more words. She bent her head, her forehead pressed to his temple, her cheek to his cheek. Luca brought her hands to his lips.

He kissed her knuckles, her palms, the pulse at her wrist.

Shadow unfurled from her hands, stinging his face, but he didn't pull away. Did she feel the racket of his heartbeat? She had to. Ah, Triune, she felt everything, didn't she? He sure as hell felt her, the heat of her, the give of her against him.

He thought of her standing knee-deep in the river, standing before him and not looking away. The white froth against her brown legs. Wet with river-water. His head swam; he felt weightless, tumbling, as if struck and sinking once again. Was he drunk? He couldn't be sure on that matter, but he'd never been surer of anything, never wanted anything more than to bring her face to his, to bring her mouth to his, to kiss her here in this dark.

Still, he hesitated. But there was no reality here, no end to the night, not under these stars. His hands weren't his own. He reached for her. She let him, and Luca let the bloodrush come at the sound of her soft gasp as his hands found her face, then fell to the lines of her body under rough linen. His fingers slipped under the hem of her shirt; she lifted it for him. Skin, soft and scarred and warming as he traced the curve of her breast.

Lower. This time the gasp was not soft. This time she took his wrist in her hand and did not draw away.

He thought he whispered her name. She could not whisper his. Her fingers tightened round his wrist. Her mouth was a breath from his.

Luca remembered the way she'd looked at him, naked in the forest, the haze of sunlight, the force of her gaze burning him where he stood. She looked at him now, her dark eyes lightless. Some shift. Some decision, he thought, made and settled.

A chill traced his nerves.

"Sirin-" he began.

A voice cut him off. "There you are! I- Oh. Saints."

Luca let out his breath, counted to ten to give his body a chance to not be quite so obvious, and turned. Alois stood behind them, his face lightly flushed. Someone had given him a wreath of emberwort, the petals glowing like coals against his black curls.

"I'm...I'm sorry," he said. He paused, then hastily pulled the wreath from his head and stuffed it into a pocket.

"What is it?" Luca asked. His voice was unsteady; Sirin's hand gently settled on his side, just over his ribcage.

Alois pointed to the chapel, its doors thrown wide and tied back with tassels of flowers. An old woman in blue robes stood in the doorway- the priestess they'd seen walking her circles.

"I think I found something," Alois said. "Something important."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure." Alois shook his head. "I think you'd better come inside."

[bucephaly]

Insect self portraits

[mutant-distraction]

CEDAR BEETLE

Found in N. America, this beetle parasitizes on cicadas. Its eggs hatch and the larvae burrow into the ground, searching for buried young cicada grubs or nymphs. The beetle larva will attach itself to the cicada larva and slowly consume it. Photo by Nicky Bay / Macro Photography

[beerselfie]

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[tenaciouscupcaketaco]

1989-2020 Poetic Work Of Mario William Vitale

1989-2020 Poetic Work Of Mario William Vitale (Manuscript of Poet Mario William Vitale) From 1993-1997 - Attended State University in Connecticut,Attempted plays : Tartuffe, Miracle Of St. Anthony and Balm in Gieade,( His poetic aspirations had in 1989 from submitting his first poem entitled, "Remembrance Of A Loved One"- (Sparrowgrass Poetry Forum)Next from 1989-1997 ( Wrote primarily for Poetry.com and The International Library Of Poetry),* Received editors choice award in 1997 for poem, " A Beacon Of Light ",(1998) Sent poetic manuscript to N.Y. Time Magazine and Chief Editor " John Hyland".Back with rave reviews !* ( From 1999-2008:Had adapted a real keen sense of style for writing poetry: ( 1999- Sent Editorial to:New Man Magazine for the Passion of Christ Movie;Sent followup letter to company with poetry platform information attached,* 2000-2007 : Magazine : ( Catholic) Maries Rose Ferron Magazine submitted poem" Beacon Of Light", which had excellent editorial reviews as the outset !2008- Wrote poem entitled: ( The Heavy Cross) to Poetry.com* Achieved Poetry status of work of Excellence in writing from the Academy Of American Poetry in which still having received rank and status as a member of Academy;* ( The Connecticut Poetry Society)* Short story submitted entitled, "China Dog Ray" submitted to Virginia WritersQuarterly, West Virginia, Also having member status on their board of Poetry.* ( Attribute Poetry to an ever increasing love of God and his unconditional love that he has for us in return,Thankfulness toward family and friends.( To our past ancestors who fought to uphold freedom that far too many of us take for granted ?One needs a pure heart that's fixed on truth,This is in order to withstand the true great test of time !Life is way too short,Press toward the goal or mark of our high calling that is in Christ Jesus The Lord !~My contempoarry artists include that of ellan Bryant Voight, Kay Ryan and carl Phillips.Which all three are Participants in the Academy Of American Poetry.* Having been a member since 2006,My work reflects the likes of past poets such as C.S.Lewis, Hawthorne and edgar Allen Poe.Most of my work reflects with the values of religious beliefs intact,( In my personal view it is essential in demonstrating a real heart of creativepassion !The reader I believe will benefit by my artistic style of development in a verypositive light.)To further the need for poetry to become more main stream, Mario Vitale was born in Bristol , Ct Has developed a skill for writing poetry in the free verse form. has been featured on Hubpages.com, Starlitecafe.com & Poetry soup. Vitale lives with his elderly mother Ann Soulier in Wolcott, Ct. Currently has written well over 1,000 poems & 2 short story's toward credit platform. Vitale has taken the poetic world by storm being featured on Google, Yahoo & MSN. Looks up to contemporaries in the poetry industry such as John Ashbery & Major Jackson. Has been a favorite featured poet reader at Barnes & Noble in Waterbury, Ct. Also featured on such sites as Poetry soup, Writer's café & Neo Poet. Mario William Vitale 1 Winfield Drive Wolcott, ct 06716 A Beacon Of Light Written by: Mario Vitale A beacon of light to a much hurting world in need ! Can't help but to claim.., Some sense of identity, Stregnth and encouragement only come from above ! Amidst in the distance, the trapped seagull.., Lieth frightened but still yet adrift ! In a most vengeful fashion striking the passing fish, A true source of hope, Yet a most triumphal beam ! This beacon of light shineth forth, Passerby's can err' escape the helping hand.., To the most sparkling of radiance ! (2)Thanksgiving Dinner by Mario Vitale Home for the holiday from New Orleans, with Mother and Father at the tiny drop leaf, brown rosewood, mahogany table with the gold, grinning claw feet; Father, choler- red-in the-face, short- sleeved white shirt and cane, says the blessing as Mother brings in the turkey and cranberry. Then Mother asks, “Won’t you have more?” and father : “Do you think Moll Flanders was a *****?” (I have suffered and bleached my hair blond.) I am silent before their replies. Mother sighs. “I can scarce speak to her.” And Father, too, quotes Shakespeare. (I am thin as paper and the rose- colored bowl of blown glass sitting on the silver stand, half- filled with water.) “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless daughter” (3) Song of Spring Today I heard a robin sing heralding the coming spring A song of exultation to the sky an ode to earth's awakening I saw a willow on the hill It's branches greening in the sun and all the earth seemed hushed & still sleeping streams began to run I heard a softly rising breeze whispering through the grass singing through the still bare trees waiting winter's chill to pass I saw the sun, so bright and warm warming the earth after the rain the buds and leaves, no frost to harm at least, at last, it's spring again. (4) The Ancients It's my last day with the old giants In mourning I hike the lost trails, sniffing the aroma of the bark, that cinnamon of the forest Under tepees of wood in a membrane of shadows, I stalk the earth, its mammal traces, its elusive tracks, to sit on a fallen log where spiders macramé, moss sloping to my knees unaware of invisibles within, grubbing in their tunnels A lizard taps my foot, responding, I muse to its touch, my thoughts like Indian visions, And when daylight mushrooms into night, and an owl hoots from cedar, I still sit with a lizard on my shoe Huddled with the ancients of the woods (5) Epiphany Written by: Mario Vitale It clings to the cliffed shore, to the wintered face of the thistle path, to the fingers of the old man's glove as he waves his memory homeward In that breath between come and go she moves up from the bay; gold turns her stride, the line of her dress, the soft sea pulling at her feet When he reaches out and the frail birds fly and the sun and the sky have married deep into the sea, it clings Even as his shadow threads retreat, it clings, even now as it dissolves to mist (6) A Return Home, Only Time Will Tell Written by: Mario Vitale Oh blessed hope ! Both hardly a believable dream, Sweltering heat with bloodshed in the street... Send the troops home ! There is no clear reason for them to roam.., These are desolate times ! For we have chosen ill faded rhymes.., The casualties are enormous ? For a stated cause that clearly atrocious.., A mother's cry as the door chime rings, A vanishing salute to freedom as the church choir sings ! Let us look above to all the heavenly love.., Merciful one, take this chip off my shoulder.., Stop the senseless fighting before our dear nation grows a bit colder, Suddenly, seeds were dropped out of a farmers bag, In time roots spring up fresh out of the fertile soil... As the sun heats up, Time will tell when this harvest will soon boil... In the vast game of life, One's time is so very brief ! The soul yearns for its' heavenly relief.., Share with others who may want to turn over a brand new leaf.., Time will tell of the true importance of helping one another, To never give into the finish line.., Nor harsh criticism that our society puts out ! Like a famous fighter in his final bout ! Time will tell of the return home, To the open arms of a loved one ! (7) A Valiant Knight Written by: Mario Vitale A Valiant Knight Death springs a new day basking in the breeze In solemn moments lets pause to think of a place A far off castle in the mountains away from it all A valiant knight lived in the structure of it's dwelling Those days of old where mere men had a noble demise A beautiful maiden was in waiting for her knight He would often fight for the cause of stregnth and dignity The draw bridge where the castle stood had a very unique aura A mystery of sort sought up in the vast array of crowned nobility For the king on his thrown was humble yet greedy Always would take care of himself caring nothing for the needy A valiant knight was concerned about the kings trust Often they would disagree on who it was to serve A joker came in front of the king one day with a magic wand Waving the wand in the air then there floated ivy everywhere For the court jester was a fool in the making of his legacy The maiden would often come forth and see For she treasured a red rose that was plucked sometime before Cherished the calling of her stature to the glory of the throne A valiant knight would often sing sweet songs in the night Had a following of village people that would sit before his feet Having a way of words that he would often share The castle was filled with dragons and warlocks searching for love A cause to be brave amidst uncertainty of the kingdom The legacy of golden capulets filled ardent vestibules Let us toast to the valiant knight who keeps a watch on all that is good (8) Hampton Beach The smell of fresh fry doe Time had elapsed playing at the casino Fresh lobster with a side order of fries Those spacious wonderful sky's Down at the shell the continental were playing A walk by the lady of a statue in waiting Flip flops and the sound of laughter A playground for kids in the middle The boardwalk with seagulls flocking over head Fire works in the midnight air with a cheer (9) God's World It is raining again. Summer will be over before it ever gets here Thunder rolls far away, drops hit the windshield, the sky turns gray The Sunflower, the blue Delpinium, the white Stinkwood drink the moisture greedily. The green and silver leaves of the Aspens sparkle as the rain hits them, and the wind turns them round and round The creek flows on, oblivious to the change in the weather. A break in the clouds allows a bit of sun to hit the side of a towering mountain Three cows slowly wend their way homeward. It is dusk. The gray clouds lift and the sun bursts through, before sliding behind the hills for the night It is God's World. He gives it to us to enjoy and to share with each other (10) Jake's House There was a man whose name was Jake Who had a house upon the lake Every morning he would wake And for breakfast have a piece of cake He had a private fishing hole; He always used a long cane pole He fried his fish on red hot coal And served it in a great big bowl For a pet, he had a cat (11) In The Zone Written by: Mario Vitale In The Zone whispers... through the dark deranged portals you evoke fear filled with angelic fervor on it's textual base yet we dig much deep then ever before cries in the dark will light the spark of what we need to know still we stand idle as the average novice introduces its spell along again then the sadness evokes a newer feeling dwindling through the vain extraction of the never world we visually see a flash then a new day approaches on the lawn two lovers having passionate *** the screams of vile extreme explodes throughout perhaps this is the place where Nero tread yet again I sit alone in my house now huddled in the corner the twilight sun has tainted my inner vision the howls of Satanic laughter gives a piercing shriek through a candle was lit by the edge of my bed One can remain lax in the quietness of the moment yet again the setting of the sun a new day has begun as we embark on the moment Does death hurt you the most or is it fear You can equate logic through a firm grasp of the hand whispers again... then a faint cry, we construct living pyramids to honor the dead A stroke of luck an the impulse ensues onto so much more but for what are we grasping for straws what are we searching for ? quietness again this time I'm in the zone as if zombie creatures with viscous long fangs that bite dripping blood off side we run away to hide no one questions anymore no one has a voice alone one last time yet feelings of grandeur awake to the message of hope that spills from the sky a challenge to be free is a question of time eyes with spots digging holes in a pool of blood Satan laughing again spreads his wings Suddenly I awake but to what ? (12) An End Of The Age Of Innocence Part III Written by: Mario Vitale In our fast paced twentieth century world.., We oft' have neglected to stop to smell the roses, Oft' we used to bow our heads silently to pray, As we reflect back to the sixties is had launched a pad to rebellion ! With a vast amount of liberal bias and thinking, No wonder why our nation is sinking.., Sinking amidst a cuss pool of mere morality.., For now it is a quite different time, A very unique but different type of day.., An end of the age of innocence, One hath been enlightened.., From seeking truth, Some fresh out of a garbage can.., Yet for Gods' sake, He hath such an amazing plan ! Hence, to shun the broad road, Yet to seek to venture in the narrow.., Such as a distant bird in flight ! You might see this creature venture out at night ? Of the Eagle nor the Sparrow.., It used to mean something to have a sense of common courteous.., To hold open the door for your neighbor ? Yet for the time being we relent and waiver.., Would you prefer another taste of a certain ice cream flavor ? To ponder we must be content with who we are in the inside.., Nor, a mere fancy suit or blazing sport's car, Life is a roller coaster.., In what you do while busy making other plans.., Finding solace among the height of nature., Such to think at what is quite simple, As a young child reflects on his or her poster board, Playing with their magic crayons.., For in eternity it is such a very long time ! Take heed in what you do, Now is the expectant hour ! What will one choose to do ? There can be no place nor need for any compromise, Within it's vast perpetual spectrum ! One just can't put a price tag on a genuine but unique heart ! Hence, with honest integrity.., The time for change is today ! (13) He Was There by Mario William Vitale From the inner silence of the lamb he was there In welcoming to the world to share Within the multiple of words the mouth speaks As a heart beats through the passage of time To every poem that was ever written To every burden ever lifted To rivers crossing where people living Sometimes loving other moments giving In storms that were outside brewing What is the significance of this love In painted pictures from above To every soldier in a battle To every cow amidst the cattle Not a second glance at any real romance A field of dreams throughout our head From both fire and ice will make you think twice Perhaps another chance at a roll of the dice When every kingdom comes thy will be done Shadows in the shining morn if there's a rose it bears a thorn, He was there in every circumstance When they tried to throw stones at her He was there drawing a line with his finger in the sand It is my hope that some day all will understand A glance at the past will tell us of our future Amidst the inner pain & uncertainty Through shadows in a field of dreams In moments of solace amidst the pain A light moved out upon the street outside A day that wasn't meant to be Thorn crown was pulled upon his head Those shouts of intense anger from the mob There was only one who would help him back on his feet, A light that brought only a few to greet Let us not run away & hide Each one of our sins was placed on that cross To lose the battle now would end in tragic loss Father please forgive them for they know not what they do He said the prayer now the rest is up to you That cross that broke a sinful world apart With his blood-soaked crown with spear in side To show the whole world he had nothing to hide The summoned cry brought about healing in the sky Watch the free angelic dove fly! (14) Momma Of Pearls by Mario William Vitale Since there's nothing I could find That was worth giving you, I sat down to think a while And write a line or two If I had a magic wand I'd wave it just for you, And give you anything you'd like No matter how many or few If I could give you back the years You so willingly gave to me I'm sure that you spend them over again The same as they used to be Remember when those days and nights Instead of going to the fair I'd always say tell me again The story of the three little bears I tried to get a strawberry pie But they were out of season Then I thought of gold Mario William Vitale Written by Mario William Vitale 48/M/Wolcott, Ct 310 Please log in to view and add comments on poems