#Electrical's Power Pole Service

[eriselectrical]

Keep Your Power Running Smoothly with Eris Electrical's Power Pole Service

At Eris Electrical, we understand the importance of a reliable power supply for your home or business. Power poles play a crucial role in delivering electricity safely and efficiently, but like any infrastructure, they require regular maintenance and occasional repairs to keep them functioning at their best.

Our power pole service is designed to address all your power pole needs, ensuring your electrical system operates smoothly and safely.

Why Choose Eris Electrical for Your Power Pole Service?

Experience: With years of experience in the electrical industry, our technicians have the knowledge and skills to handle all your power pole needs.

Reliability: We understand the importance of a reliable power supply, and we're committed to ensuring your poles function flawlessly.

Safety: Safety is our top priority. We adhere to strict safety standards to protect our technicians, your property, and the public.

Quality Service: We take pride in delivering high-quality service that meets or exceeds our customers' expectations.

24/7 Emergency Service: Electrical emergencies can happen at any time. That's why we offer 24/7 emergency service to address urgent issues promptly.

[rj-fowler-electrical]

Have you ever wondered what it means to get an electrical switchboard upgrade? Has your central coast electrician suggested you need a switchboard upgrade due to adding a pool or renovation to your property? Perhaps the thought of updating your switchboard has crossed your mind. It is advantageous to learn more about switchboard upgrades before proceeding with one.

So, let us take a better look at a switchboard upgrade, from its definition and process to its benefits. We like to keep it simple so here’s what you should know.

What Is an Electrical Switchboard?

An electrical switchboard is the hub of your home. For your family to safely use electricity in your home, it needs to travel through overhead or underground powerlines to your home going through an electricity meter and then going to different circuits in your home.

These meters and circuits are in a box called an Electrical Switchboard.

[scotianostra]

On 31st August 1874 The Aberdeen Tramway Company horse-drawn tramway started operating.

Initially the system opened for public traffic with seven tram cars operated by 56 horses, the trams were first built by Starbuck Car and Wagon Company of Birkenhead, but from 1883 the company turned to a local manufacturer, R & J Shinnie of Union Row, Aberdeen, who provided subsequent tramcars.

The first routes opened from North Church to Queen’s Cross and from St Nicholas to Causewayend, and extended to Mannofield in 1880, their aggregate cost of construction being £18,791, whilst, in the year ending June 1879, the passengers numbered 957,115, and the receipts amounted to £5080, at a running cost of £3959.

Aberdeen Corporation took over the company on 26th August 1898 and formed the Aberdeen Corporation Tramways the country’s most northerly municipal tramway.

Horse drawn trams were soon replaced by electric ones, the first electricity generating station in Aberdeen opened in 1894. The first electric trams ran in Aberdeen in 1899, using the standard trolley poles until 1935 when bow collectors were fitted to take power from the overhead wires; the trams were double deck and painted in a dark green and cream livery, often with the words Corporation Transport painted prominently on the sides.

In the late 1930s the city purchased 18 trams from Nottingham Corporation Tramways, which closed in 1936. Further secondhand trams were later obtained from Manchester; the last new trams for the city were built by R Y Pickering of Wishaw in 1949.

The city’s best known service was route 1, from Bridge of Don to Brdge of Dee the numbering of which is preserved by the current number 1 bus service serving the same areas; the city’s last tram operated on 3 May 1958, being replaced by diesel buses.

A short stretch of track that served as a terminus for the Sea Beach route remains alongside the Beach Boulevard where, following their final day in service, the entire fleet was burned; this remainder formerly ran right across to the former Constitution Street depot now the Science Centre, however the western end is now occupied by a hotel.

The pics shows one of the original trams, you can find more pics and info here http://www.tramwaybadgesandbuttons.com/page148/page4/page202/page202.html

[beardedmrbean]

Hawaiian officials attributed the cause of catastrophic wildfires to alleged failures from the state's main power utility company and downed power lines this week after Democrats blamed the disaster on global warming.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday, the government of Maui County, Hawaii, alleged Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) and its subsidiaries failed to properly power down live electrical equipment amid a red flag windstorm earlier this month. Due to this failure, downed power lines operated by the utility company sparked a series of deadly fires on the island, the lawsuit claimed.

"The lawsuit alleges that the Defendants acted negligently by failing to power down their electrical equipment despite a National Weather Service Red Flag Warning on August 7th," Maui County said in a release announcing its lawsuit. 

"The lawsuit further alleges HECO’s energized and downed power lines ignited dry fuel such as grass and brush, causing the fires," the announcement added. "The lawsuit also alleges failure to maintain the system and power grid, which caused the systemic failures starting three different fires on August 8th."

EXPERTS THROW COLD WATER ON DEM CLAIMS THAT HAWAII WILDFIRES CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE

Maui County argued in the lawsuit that HECO has a duty "to properly maintain and repair the electric transmission lines, and other equipment including utility poles associated with their transmission of electricity, and to keep vegetation properly trimmed and maintained so as to prevent contact with overhead power lines and other electric equipment."

However, Democratic lawmakers, a top White House official and Hawaii Gov. Josh Green have all blamed the event, which has claimed the lives of at least 115 people, on human-caused global warming.

ENVIRONMENTALISTS ARE BLOCKING FOREST MANAGEMENT METHODS SAVING ICONIC SEQUOIAS AMID YOSEMITE WILDFIRE

"This is devastating. This is a climate emergency," Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., an original sponsor of the Green New Deal, wrote in a post on X on Aug. 10. "I stand in solidarity with my friends and colleagues from Hawai’i — we must act fast, provide aid, and invest in a resilient and safe future."

"Heartbreaking fires in Hawaii! Scientists are clear that climate chaos wreaking havoc on ecosystems everywhere is the new norm," Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said in a separate post. "We need to take action immediately or else it will get even worse."

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who spearheaded a recent congressional investigation into Big Oil, called on President Biden to declare a "climate emergency" in response to the fires.

"My heart breaks hearing of the devastation in Maui," Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., added. "The climate crisis is here and it's killing people. It’s time for [Biden] to declare a climate emergency."

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., joined in, saying the wildfires were a "devastating view of our planet as we fail to adequately address the climate crisis."

And White House clean energy czar John Podesta called for policies to reduce carbon emissions to fight future natural disasters like the Maui wildfires which he said were "fueled by climate change."

HAWAII WINDS TO LESSEN AS FIREFIGHTERS ATTEMPT TO CONTAIN WILDFIRES; CONDITIONS REMAIN DRY AND BREEZY

"This summer has brought one climate disaster after another, from extreme heat in Arizona and Texas and across the Southeast, to floods in Vermont and upstate New York, to thick smoke from Canadian wildfires," Podesta told reporters on Aug. 16. "And all of us have watched in horror as the Maui fires have claimed over 100 lives — the largest loss of life of a fire in the last 100 years in America."

"To stop these disasters from getting even worse, we have to cut the carbon pollution that’s driving the climate crisis, and that’s what the Inflation Reduction Act is all about," he continued.

Experts, though, have thrown cold water on claims that climate change triggered the Maui fires.  Instead, they said the event was largely a result of years of poor forest and brush management, in addition to declining agriculture. Such conditions, they said, allow fires to spread rapidly and make fires harder to contain. "Blaming this on weather and climate is misleading," said Clay Trauernicht, a University of Hawaii at Manoa professor and environmental management expert. "Hawai'i's fire problem is due to the vast areas of unmanaged, nonnative grasslands from decades of declining agriculture."

"These savannas now cover about a million acres across the main Hawaiian Islands, mostly the legacy of land clearing for plantation agriculture and ranching in the late 1800s/early 1900s," he continued. "The transformation to savanna makes the landscape way more sensitive to bad 'fire weather' — hot, dry, windy conditions. It also means we get huge buildups of fuels during rainy periods."

[andmaybegayer]

Do you have a favorite plug/socket connector of any kind?

Hmm, favourite, not really, when I need to connect things I'm usually turning to matters of convenience, price and requirement, there's not many alternatives to, say, a u.fl antenna connector. Actually wait no I was talking about this on IRC last night, I do at least kind of have an answer, which are the GES S and 100 series of high voltage, high cycle connectors. Really all the GES high voltage stuff is fun but these are the best.

These are the family of single-pole high voltage connectors that use a long, long, LONG PTFE socket to provide safe isolation for the spicy end of an equally long PTFE sheathed plug, so that when you turn on a 50+kV source on the one side you can trust that you haven't just electrified the panel you plugged into by forming an arc. They look like this:

I saw a video of these on Twitter or Fedi once and I unfortunately cannot find it because they're great, when you pull them out they leave a vacuum behind so as the tip clears it makes a loud *pop* noise. These are effectively an electrical connector on the end of a sufficiently long stick that the enormous potential you're creating between the tip and the panel can't arc back up and bite you in the ass.

The various models are rated for up to 100kV of potential, the small ones can do 30A and the big ones can do 80A. They're also rated 100k mating cycles, so you can use them when you're working with, say, high voltage machinery that might need to be disconnected and serviced regularly.

Consider that, at 80A and 100kV, you're moving 8 megawatts, which is somewhere between 5-15 % of the output of your average nuclear reactor.

They make multi-pole ones rated for more ordinary 5-12kV loads, which are much more convenient if you only have to deal with moderately high voltage connections.

[spiderh0rse]

freeman's mind noted part 5, e21-25

e21

images just come to him like a prophet for an angry god

a lil scared of big blue lobster out in Power Up

could solve all his problems by exploding things with his mind

wants marshmallows....

FUNNY NOISES. "HERE'S JOHNNY". MANNNN

thinks headcrabs would make cool lawn ornaments

"rubble rumble rubble rumble rubble rumble" he just likes saying words real quick together

he thinks he's a good liar

doesn't want green slime on his suit :(

not amazed at the orange HEV suit but admits it's good otherwise

THE SUIT DENTS WHEN YOU SHOOT IT SO STOP SHOOTING IT

(not sure why the formatting is doing this.)

e22

"pyew!"

has seen The Terminator

"what's the point of being an honest citizen if I'm just gonna get shot at anyways" FUCK THE TROOPS

has seen Rambo

concerned about accessibility!! :D

"lasers!" Said in the samw done in laser/caution

urgh the electron measurement nonsense. I hate that. Particle and wave. Depends on what you know about it

new sport? Houndeye killing?

Gordon I don't think the soldiers care about fixing the generator

had an old apartment where the basement got flooded because he did a cannonball so sick his bathtub sunk into the floor

"bbbrrrrrrp!"

"NYYYAAA"

hey if you survive the electricity you'd have a sick scar

high five Death!

e23

yes the military is incompetent we all know this

doesn't know how to play guitar

is very polite asking people to not kill him

thinks the radio chatter is dissing him

stresses to the soldiers that he graduated from MIT

seems less bothered by having killed a bunch of people now. Interesting difference from earlier

beepbeepbeepbeepbeep

"I don't like to beep too much" YOU HAVE BEEN BEEPING. ALL SERIES

thinks radios are how The Man finds you

grey map? Haunting.

smushing more words together without proper words to put them apart,, man after my own heart

smuggling an elephant almost wouldn't surprise him

would love rubber on the HEV.

cheery about leaving behind the dying guard

he is not happy right now

e24

may believe cavemen had to deal with gargantuars and HECU. May be ironic

wants to go up

he's a CAT. (meows multiple times) (hisses)

says out loud that he's scared

straining noises,,,

karma strikes him often

thats why the dinosaurs went extinct! Him!

expert in atomic level electricity

has frequently had to sit through family members shitty photo albums

one of the perks of killing everyone: no one can yell at you

he's in great shape! and has been exercising all day! please give this man some food!

likely not forklift certified

would like henchmen throwing switches for him

would sacrifice minions for good parking

threatens someone and then says he won't actually do it because it's be gross

wants to hit the clubs after a good shower

slur count four.

e25

could climb over the concrete but wants a nice ride

thinks a train derailment (shakes violently bnsf derailment-) would look cool

talks about some story about one teacher of his asking if crashing a motorcycle into a haybale or concrete divider is more dangerous at 60mph. My bet is on the haybale. Lots of little things that'll run you through. Nasty stuff. Straw impales telephone poles sometimes. Wear a helmet.

if he were a conductor killing his passengers would be his idea retirement

since no one can see him confused he's still a genius

barnacles now dubbed "string things"

he's covered in BLOOD again

cant emulate turtles and hide in his bright orange shell

expects to find a cult in On A Rail. string theory crowd......

ongoing commentary about if the aliens are demons or not

percussive maintenance does do wonders

pro slavery. not racist somehow. Gambling instead?? I have no idea where he gets these ideas from.

there are just. Unholy screams btw. in the background.

doesn't have a bandolier :'(

hey a switch!

poor guy is Not getting paid for this. Community service.

continues to be grossed out by the barnacles. Reminds him of the summer he worked fast food

"QUIT BEING METAL"

If he were a wizard he says

[mountainmaven]

Brain dump - long (sorry)

This past week has been surreal. The flood up here has thrown me for a loop. I am better today but it's still settling in and I'm still processing. I've been through hurricanes before - I lived in FL for almost 20 of my adult years, and I experienced Hurricane David in my youth. That this was "only" a tropical storm, and the damage it caused on our mountain is just mind blowing. I know too that this devastation is literally nothing compared to say Maui for example or other countries completely obliterated by typhoons or other hurricanes. But it's still a devastation nonetheless. The entire mountain, and all the recreation areas are closed until further notice.

There are 2 roads that go up and down the mountain, one on each "side" of the mountain, and then a 21.5 mile road that connects them. On our side of the mountain are 4 neighborhoods, 3 of which got hit far harder than we did. They have roads that are absolutely completely gone. Houses were damaged (though all are still standing for now), cars were lost to flooding. Our little library was badly damaged, as was the school. I hear that the fire department was destroyed. The school is currently being "held up" by giant boulders that they brought in in hopes that it won't just fall into the ravine.(that's all we have up here. a fire department, the library and an elementary school - plus the hotel that is a little further down the mountain and they're fine thank goodness). Our road was badly damaged and yet now that I've seen with my own eyes the damages, that road damage is minor compared to what just one of the other neighborhoods experienced. The neighborhoods on the other side of the mountain - I don't know how bad they were hit, though they are all off grid so no public services were affected that I'm aware of.

The energy company did an outstanding job of getting power back to everyone quickly - I think everyone's power was restored in around 72 hours (they did it by neighborhood). That included having to replace fallen poles, and lines. The water company also did a good job of addressing the damage and giving people water until they can fix it. I'm not sure if the other neighborhoods have running water yet. We do, we never lost it, but we did have a boil order in affect that was lifted Saturday night. One of the things each of them had to deal with was dirt. They either had to remove so much dirt to get to where they needed to be to make repairs, or they had to add enough dirt so they could access where they needed to make repairs. They really were on it though.

The ski lodge on the other side of the mountain also sustained significant damages, not sure if they'll be open for the season this year -but if the roads aren't fixed in time it won't matter anyway.

We are currently restricted to using the road up and down the mountain only when absolutely necessary (and they'd prefer we do it before 7 am and/or after 5 pm), and we have to show proof of residency to get back up. (I'm fine with both of those things, inconvenient, yes. And while I would like a little more freedom to come and go, it's okay).

I hear chainsaws all day now, and have for the last week. They're cutting up trees that had fallen, but they are also felling other trees. My guess is because they're going to move the electric poles further in, away from the road. All of our ravines, washes, dry river beds weren't enough for all the water that was coming down the mountain. Almost all of them are 2-4 times wider than they were before. Our springs (we have tons of natural springs in our mountain range) are overflowing and will probably do that off and on for a while.

So far the wildlife seem to be okay - we've seen deer, and the wild horses so they're' fine. Though I just now realized I haven't heard any foxes at night since the storm so they may have moved to a safer location. And the burros further down the mountain are okay too.

One of the things we love about living up here is how removed we feel from the valley. But in times like this it makes it harder. Not just because of the isolation and reduced ability to go down to the valley, but the dismissal we feel from others. They don't understand what it's like up here, they diminish the effects the storm had on us (because they hardly got any storm), and all they're worried about is when they they come up and hike, or if the ski lodge will be open. The lack of compassion for humanity and people's lives and homes is kind of unsettling. So on one hand we love that we're often not included when people talk about the valley, but on the other hand times like this it would be nice to be thought of lol.

I had a therapy session yesterday that helped a bit. But now I'm worried about the possibility of having to travel to FL to help my brother out with my dad, but they're having an "above normal" hurricane season and I'm just not sure my mental health can take it. We're going to call my brother this weekend to discuss things.

[givehimthemedicine]

ok timeline theory gang, have you been over this already?

the Indianapolis Gazette, in a minor story beside the Creel headline, reports a power outage in Hawkins. as best I can read it:

Auto Blunder To Blame For Outtage Jordan ? Peck(?) 23, was driving his Chevy ? late last night on Highway 40 when he claimed the "steering cut out" causing him to lose control of the vehicle and slam into a power line which subsequently disrupted electricity service to over 1,000 residents of Hawkins. Peck was arrested under suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and being held on $$$(?) bail.The power outage comes amidst frequent outtages caused by -

(by what?? caused by what??????)

that story screams coverup. if not wholly fabricated, it reeks of Someone having tampered with a car and damaged a power pole to explain away a power failure caused by Something Else.

we know since literally the first episode that power outages mean something strange is afoot, but the murders and the outage aren't the same night. the Gazette timeline places the Creel murders on Saturday night (March 21) and the power outage in question didn't happen until days later. It's referred to as "last night" in this paper dated Thursday, March 26, 1959. meaning..

have I got this straight?: in the timeline where the Creel murders happened on March 21, Hawkins then suffered a major power outage on the night of March 25, which is when the murders happened in the other timeline? and the true reason for this outage was extremely likely covered up? 🤨

wouldn't you think "baby's first psionic mass murder" would be grounds for a power outage? why wasn't there one on the 21st? or was there? the reference to recent "frequent outtages" does allow for the possibility. although now I just wanna know why it's plural, nay, frequent outages.

I don't think I'm totally up to date on the Henry/Edward timeline theory but like. is the power going on and off across Hawkins every time a rabbit gets murdered in the other timeline or something?

[daisiesonafield-blog]

Info for Faith In The Future World Tour MILWAUKEE, WI - JUN 13 2023

With special guests THE ACADEMIC & SNARLS!

Important Times:

4:00 PM - Venue parking opens

6:00 PM - Doors Open (enter thru South Gate)

7:00 PM - Snarls

8:00 PM - The Academic

9:00 PM - Louis Tomlinson

Times are all approximate and subject to change.

General admission (pit tickets):

GA in the back of the venue

Rain expected - prepare accordingly!

Guests with General Admission Standing Room Only can begin lining up no earlier than 9am on 6/13.

Sequentially numbered wristbands will be given out on a first-come first served basis. All guests must be present to receive wristbands.

Any guest camping overnight or arriving before 9 am will not be given wristbands and be sent to the back of the line.

Guests are encouraged to return at 3pm for Standing Room Only entry.

If you have seats there's no need to line up!

Subject to change. Check the venue’s socials for updates!

⚠️ HYDRATION REMINDER ⚠️

Hydrate before the show, while waiting in line and during the show

For optimal hydration drink something with electrolytes such as Gatorade or LiquidIV

Rain expected - prepare accordingly!

Eat well!

Here are important policies:

The venue is CASHLESS! Pay with a card!

Parking: Parking is first come, first serve. Reserve in advance here ($25). SpotHero for nearby parking here ($5-20).

ADA info here

Cameras: No cameras or recording devices of any type are allowed into the venue. 

Water: Patrons may bring in an empty, clear plastic water bottle, one liter or smaller. 

Concession food options info here

NO food - exception made for patrons with a medical necessity and/or special dietary requirements. 

NO alcohol

NO Animals (except service animals)

NO smoking or vaping. Designated smoking areas will be available outside the venue. 

NO Marijuana or any cannabis products

NO drugs

NO Aerosol sunscreen/bug spray (except spray sunscreens 6oz or less, 1 per patron)

NO Coolers, umbrellas, strollers

NO Glass, Metal, or Hard Plastic Containers

NO knives, firearms, Brass knuckles, Tasers & mace/pepper spray or weapons of any kind

NO Foot powered or electric scooters, Bicycles, tricycles or unicycles, Wagons, Skateboards, roller skates, inline skates or hoverboards

NO Kites, Hula-hoops, Frisbees, or beach balls

NO Booster seats or Car seats

NO Fireworks

NO Laptops

NO Lawn chairs

NO Selfie sticks

NO Laser Pointers

There is NO RE-ENTRY!

VIEW VENUE MAP

VIEW SEAT MAP

*This list is not exhaustive. Items not appearing on the list may still be prohibited at the discretion of MWF Security if the items pose a potential threat to safety of our guests or due to event restrictions.

For more details click here 

Bag Policy:

No backpacks at all or bags larger than 9x10x12 

All bags larger than 9X10X12 will need to be returned to a vehicle or home before entering the Park.

All bags are subject to inspection prior to entering the grounds.

Any prohibited items will be confiscated by security and will not be returned.

Banners, signs and flag policy:

Signs are allowed but cannot be on poles

NO Banners or flags on poles

Contact:

For additional questions please call the venue at 414-273-2680. You can also access their website. Email:info@bmopavilion.com Message them here. Check their twitter here and IG here for updates. Address: Milwaukee World Festival, Inc, 639 E. Summerfest Place, Milwaukee, WI 53202 USA

[moonbeambucky]

A Whole New World (Part 5 - End)

Pairing: Genie!Bucky Barnes x Reader Word Count: 2530 Warnings: angst, fluff

Summary: Three wishes open up a whole new world of opportunities to a girl looking for a home but finds love along the way.

A/N: Remember this is an Aladdin AU set in a royal modern world with magic. Here we are at the end. I hope you’ve enjoyed it. Feedback is always appreciated!

PART 4 | A WHOLE NEW WORLD MASTERLIST 

 Steve’s mouth opened at the betrayal of a man who has been at the service of the crown since he was born. Before he knew it he was stripped of his jacket that bore the symbol of Midgard, his eyes widening as it now appeared on Pierce along with his late father’s crown. He sat down on the throne, smirking at Steve as he did to rub his betrayal in deeper.

Finally, after all these years of advising those he felt were beneath him he’s done it. Pierce was the King, not the rightful one but the right one in his mind, and it was time that big changes came to Midgard.

Steve’s blue eyes burned with fire, his blood teeming with such unadulterated rage that he threw his arms up, elbowing some of the guards that held him back, shrugging the rest off. He ran towards Pierce to physically remove him from the throne he dared to sit upon.

Two rows of men lined up in front of their new King, shields drawn as they tried to block the former prince from getting through. It shouldn’t have been a struggle but it was. Fueled by adrenaline and anger, Steve clawed through them nearly making it towards Pierce.

The old man jumped back in his seat, scared yet impressed by Steve’s strength. It was tempting to wish for a trait such as that but Pierce knew better. As guards piled themselves over the prince to restrain him, Pierce turned his head towards Bucky, showing no emotion in his face or voice as he demanded, “For my second wish, I wish to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world!”

The thick muzzle muffled the heavy breath he exhaled. Bucky didn’t want to do this but he had no choice. With a reluctant wave of his hand he granted the wish and Pierce was lifted in a cloud of purple smoke, feeling a surge of electricity flowing through his body. In his hand appeared a staff, a gun metal grey that reflected in the light. At the top was a large skull with eight tentacles wrapping around the pole. A sinister smile stretched across his weather face, anxious to test his new powers and the former prince and his friend were the perfect subjects. 

Pierce raised the staff in the air and suddenly Steve and Sam were lifted up, floating but unable to move within their magical grasp. He squeezed his fists slowly and the two men felt the constriction around them, hissing and grunting the harder and harder it became to breathe. 

Y/N heard the struggling gasps for breath, watched as Pierce was delighted with himself, as he and all of his men watched him crush the life from Sam and Steve. She watched Bucky stand there, a man with so much power and yet he looked so small, visibly bothered by the wish he granted.

There was no plan when she ran out, hoping she could grab a sword at best from one of the guards and strike Pierce. It was a fool’s plan. She barely made it before Rumlow grabbed her, wrapping his thick forearm around her neck and she began to choke. Bucky lifted his head, tears brimming his eyes as he knew there was nothing he could do to stop this.

If there was one thing that Pierce admired about Y/N it was her tenacity. He grew tired of torturing Steve and Sam, waving the staff and throwing them against the wall. An invisible force pulled her from Rumlow’s grasp and she too was raised in the air. 

“A funny thing about your princess…” His words were aimed at Steve who groaned in pain. “She’s nothing but a street rat playing pretend.” 

With another wave of the staff her clothes were swapped for something she was more accustomed to, a tattered shirt, dirty sweatpants and sneakers that were falling apart. 

Pierce turned to Rumlow, smirking, “And what do we do with rats in the palace?”

“Exterminate them,” Rumlow replied, a sickening grin spreading across his face that didn’t hide his twisted excitement. 

Pierce’s fist squeezed again and Y/N cried out in pain, as if the tentacles on his staff were coiled around her; the constriction was overwhelming. Her eyes shut tight as she tried to fight it but she knew there was no way to beat magic.

“Stop!” Bucky pleaded softly through the thick muzzle. A tear rolled down his cheek, his heart shattering in his chest, cursing himself because he was powerless to intervene. He shut his eyes, unable to bear the sight of watching the light in hers go out but they snapped open a moment later as he felt the sharp sting of Pierce backhanding him.

“Don’t you dare talk back to me slave, I own you!” The words were hot on Pierce’s tongue like fire. 

The pressure was closing in and Y/N could feel the crack of her ribs as she struggled to breathe. She wished Bucky could help but she knew his limitations and suddenly she smiled. It hurt to laugh, excruciating pain racked through her body but she did it still, taunting Pierce with the few breaths she had left. 

Words faintly squeezed out from her throat, “You might control the genie…”  she hissed painfully, “but you’ll never be as powerful as he is.” Pierce whipped his head in her direction. “With his powers he could snap his fingers and wipe out half of the universe.” 

Pierce begins to ponder her thoughts. This genie gave him his power, perhaps he could take it all away, unless– 

“Y/N no!” Bucky cried, not understanding why she would even put the thought in Pierce’s head. With these powers this monster will be unstoppable. 

“Slave, for my third wish, I wish to become an all-powerful genie!”

Bucky closed his eyes, not wanting to witness the terrible idea come to life. A quick wave of his hand and Pierce is lifted high into the air in a cloud of black smoke, the colors of the stones flashing like lightning. His hold on Y/N dissipated and she dropped to the ground, slamming down hard on her knees. 

Pierce cackled wildly as he felt his new powers surge through him. “The universe is mine to command, to control!” He raised his hands feeling the absolute power they hold, too distracted to notice a new gauntlet that appeared on the ground.

Y/N spotted it, limping and pushing through the pain to grab the gauntlet. “Not so fast, Pierce. Aren’t you forgetting something?” He looked down at her, confused to see an onyx gauntlet in her hands. “You wanted to be a genie, you got it, and everything that goes with it!”

Metal plates began to cover Pierce’s arm like shackles and he panicked. He tried to use his powers to stop them but it was useless. The orange stone glowed brightly as a force was pulling him towards the gauntlet. Rumlow began to back away but Pierce grabbed him by the ankle, both men screaming as they were sucked into the glowing gem. 

Bucky’s muzzle vanished and he ran to Y/N who held the gauntlet protectively against her, not wanting it to slip into the wrong hands. Without their leader the remaining guards let go of Prince Steve and Sam, and tried to make a run for it but an army came rushing in. Armed with spears, a group of strong women with shaved heads blocked the traitors from leaving. By their side King T’Challa of Wakanda.

The King extended his hands to Prince Steve and Sam to help them up. “I received word that you might need help.”

“Seems like I’m always thanking you for something.” Steve smiled, hugging T’Challa. His army, the Dora Milaje, made quick work of restraining Pierce’s men and taking them out. 

There was a feeling of relief when the room was alone again, with Prince Steve, Sam and Y/N checking to see if they were all okay. Sam felt a pain in his cheekbone, the tender skin feeling like it was on fire as he grimaced. Steve had scrapes littered across his face and a trail of freshly dried blood that ran down from his hairline. Y/N knew that shock was the only thing keeping her on her feet, that and Bucky who she leaned against. 

“And what are we gonna do with that?” Sam asked, pointing at the gauntlet she clutched tightly. 

Bucky held out his hand, wordlessly asking her to hand him the gauntlet and trusting he would know what to do. As one hand held the dark object the other waved above it and suddenly the gauntlet began to shrink until it was no longer visible to the naked eye. Bucky brought his palm up to his mouth and blew the invisible gauntlet away. Smaller than a grain of sand, his breath carried it to the largest desert across the world, buried deep and never to be found again. 

Steve lifted the bronze gauntlet from the floor where Pierce once stood and handed it back to Bucky. He thanked Steve and stared at the man he knew would be a great King someday, turning his gaze back towards Y/N his lips pulled into a straight smile, knowing she would be a wonderful Queen.

“You have one wish left,” he said, passing the gauntlet to her. “You can be a princess again.”

Y/N took the gauntlet, chewing on her bottom lip as she stared down at the glowing gems, each one a tempting option that could make her dreams come true. She took a step closer to Steve and missed the way Bucky’s head hung low.

“Steve, I’m sorry for lying to you. You deserve love, true love, with someone... who would move mountains for you.” She put the glove on and turned back to Bucky who was ready to grant her wish. “Bucky, I wish for your freedom.”

His head picked up in shock. The gauntlet lifted off her arm and hovered in the air, and out from it came a swirling glow of white light that circled Bucky. The metal plates that once wrapped around his arm suddenly unlocked and the gauntlet fell to the ground with a clank. It was dull and unpolished and the light that once shined through the stones went out. 

Bucky stared at the flesh of his arm in awe, tears filling his eyes as he cried, “I-I’m free. I’m–” He lifted his head to Y/N’s smiling face and threw his arms around her. “Thank you.” His words came out in a choked cry in her ear, enthusiastically squeezing his arms around her before she winced in pain. Apologies spilled from his lips as quickly as the tears from his eyes.

Her own eyes welled up, not wanting to let him go. Bucky was free and she knew this was the last time she was going to see him. Goodbye was going to be harder than she thought. Tears were flowing freely when they pulled apart and Y/N sniffled a few times. She smiled through them despite the ache in her heart when she said, “There’s a whole new world out there for you to see.” 

Bucky lifted his left hand towards her face, sighing as he felt the overwhelming softness of her skin. His thumb delicately brushed away a tear from her cheek, his mouth stretched into a hopeful smile. “There is, and I would be honored if you were by my side to see it.”

Her mouth opened in shock and stretched to a wide smile as she nodded, feeling overwhelmed with joy. Bucky wasn’t a genie anymore but he could still make her wish come true. He closed the distance between them, molding his lips to Y/N’s with renewed passion for the life she granted him. 

They pulled apart but didn’t let go over each other, with Bucky wrapping his arm around her. He could still feel his heart pounding in his chest in celebration. From the corner of his eye he saw Steve and Sam, their bodies turned away for privacy, awkward smiles stretched across their faces. 

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” Bucky said, getting his attention, “I suppose your search for a princess will have to continue.” 

Though his body felt beaten and broken Steve was happy to feel relief in his mind. There was confidence in his smile as he answered, “No, I think I’m done looking for princesses.” He faced Sam, a silent understanding between them and he extended his hand out. Sam laced his fingers with Steve’s and a soft smile bloomed on his face, as bright as a spring flower.

It wasn’t as much of a shock to Y/N when she thought about it. There has always been something between the two of them, she just didn’t see it until now. 

“Steve!” 

The sound of his mother’s voice made him drop Sam’s hand in a panic, only to rush to her side to be sure she was alright. He was relieved to see that no harm had come to her. Phil and Melinda stood behind Queen Sarah, each of them giving a small nod to Sam. He returned the gesture, happy to know his gut was still reliable and that some people were still loyal to the crown.

Queen Sarah wrapped her frail arms around Steve and he was careful not to squeeze her too much. She looked up and frowned at his injuries. “Oh Stevie…” 

“I’m alright mom, I promise. As long as you’re okay,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

She pressed her palm to his cheek, letting it linger for a moment before she stepped forward. Sam, Y/N and Bucky bowed their heads before her. Y/N’s eyes screwed tight as she felt a shooting pain in her side from the position she was in. 

“Please, there is no need for that.” There was kindness in her voice, and warmth in her smile that eased their nerves. 

The Queen wanted to thank each of them for everything they have done to protect Midgard starting with Sam, the boy who grew up in the castle to become the incredible man he is today. She moved onto Y/N and Bucky, welcoming the latter as an official citizen of Midgard. 

When she turned back to Steve she saw he and Sam had joined hands again and Steve took a deep breath, “Mother I–” 

“I can’t believe it took you two this long.” She smiled softly at them and Steve’s defenses dropped, finally realizing his mother never wanted him to find a princess but to find love and he has.

Bucky stares at Y/N with a loving gaze in his eyes. She returns a smile but winces as she touches her bruised cheek and he can’t help but lean in to press a kiss against her temple.

“Hey Y/N,” his voice is as soft as his lips on her tender skin. She hummed softly. “I still don’t know what Indiana Jones is.”

A bubble of laughter escaped her lips and Y/N’s tightened her hand with Bucky’s. “I can’t wait to show you.”

[portent-transportation]

Portent Transportation: A KSP Story (roleplay? Interactive fiction? Play-by-play? Live play?)

The golden age of aerospace was a time of heroes, a time of daring missions to the far reaches of Kerbol, a time of legends, whence the greatest achievements of Kerbalkind were made in beautiful, pure pursuit of advancement. The next step for Kerbal civilization. The stars themselves.

And now that time is long, long past.

Now is the time of FREAKS

Like Valentina.

This is her second mission to the Mun's surface, her third trip to the Mun overall. It will also be her second encounter with Portent Transportation's fuel outpost floating just above its equator.

The era of heroes is long past. These are the times of industry and avarice.

Portent Transportation is not a prestigious organization. This is their first, and oldest, multi-part project. It is only 2 years old, and it is the simplest type of fuel station possible. Nothing more than spuriously placed docking ports on a ship, with no intended method of refueling.

At the end of its life, the vessel is to be towed into a suborbital trajectory to be destroyed by high-velocity impact with Mun's surface.

Not officially, of course. There are laws preventing that type of wanton trash disposal. There will simply be a convenient malfunction during a routine correction burn for orbital decay. A corporate Oopsie.

But, for now, it still has some fuel left, and it can thus make Portent some money.

Despite the vast majority of aerospace industry leaving the system for the frontier colonies like Deb Deb, there is still money left to be made doing odd jobs around Kerbol.

Valentina EVAs to board the outpost's makeshift "cupola," a discounted relic from an old fashioned lander can left over from the early days of aerospace. She meets with Jeb, who's been here alone for the last month.

Well, not exactly. Multiple crafts have refueled at the station, most of them from other aerospace groups.

Portent is not the only aerospace group at large in Kerbol. Although they lack the funds and staying power to conduct missions out in the stars, they have exploited several niche industries on Kerbin, like scrap services. Enough scrap to put together a true aerospace corporation. If not in the colonies, then around local space.

Well, "local space" conjures images of inter-Kerbol flight. Portent is not quite at that point yet. In fact, only two missions have left Kerbin's sphere of influence.

Portent's current major success almost bankrupted the company, but it did manage to clutch out a win on finances in the long-haul.

With Minmus' flat poles comes access to nearly constant sunlight, perfect for the solar panels needed to supply enough electricity to the mining vessels that refuel interstellar missions to the colonies.

That's right. If you weren't paying attention, Portent Transportation is, in fact, primarily a spacefuel and spacetrucking company.

But that's neither here nor there.

Valentina can't see it, but Jeb waves her goodbye as she departs.

Valentina makes a quick suborbital correction and ejects her injection stage. It will become Munar debris.

She then makes another short burn back into an orbital trajectory.

Then, a few minutes later, she makes another suborbital burn.

[rj-fowler-electrical]

Here at RJ Fowler Electrical/Central Coast Overheads & Undergrounds, we do not mind drawing attention to all our specialised equipment we use to help us get all our level 2 electrical jobs completed quickly and safely. Why? Because the safety of our qualified electricians and electrical apprentices come first and our equipment complies with all required standards and regulations.

Let us talk about our Elevated work platform also known as an EWP, cherry picker, boom lift or bucket truck.

[aemiron-main]

Highway 49: Victor Creel and the Car Crash

So, I was combing back through the Indianapolis Gazette article about the Creel murders, and I noticed something:

“Auto Blunder To Blame For Outage

Jordan Manson Peck, 23, was driving his Chevy late last night on Highway 49, when he claims the ‘steering cut out,’ causing him to lose control of the vehicle and slam into a power line, which subsequently disrupted electricity service to over 1000 members of Hawkins.

Peck was arrested under suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol and is being held on a $750 dollar bail.

The power outage comes amidst (blank) outages caused by-“

“Power Cutoff

The power pole east of Hawkins was cut in two by a (blank) (blank) by Jordan Manson Peck (blank), Friday night. The power lines had to be cut (blank) before the lines could be repaired, and power to Crab Orchard and rural Marion area were halted for several hours. Peck was not seriously injured.”

“The bodies were discovered early Sunday morning after Creel was found wandering aimlessly along the side of Highway 49, South of Hawkins.”

That car crash happened on the same highway where Victor was found wandering. However, the car crash/power outage occurred “last night,” according to the Gazette, which, would have been Wednesday, March 25th, as the newspaper was published on Thursday, March 26th.

Victor, however, was found wandering along the side of the road Sunday morning, on Sunday, March 22nd.

But also, why does that one section say “Friday night” regarding the car crash? So, we have two different dates for the car crash- we have “last night” and “Friday night,” and the date on the paper is Thursday, March 26th.

“Friday night,” and “last night”, likely arent the same day and instead “last night,” being the 25th (creel murders date) in henry timeline) whereas “friday night,” could have been Friday the 20th (with the creel murders happening on the 21st/the paper ACTUALLY being published the 22nd).

But this gets even weirder, because if we ignore the “friday night,” part and focus on the “last night”, part, and assume that the date on the paper (Thursday march 26th) is correct, then “last night” would have been Wednesday, March 25th- which is the night of the Creel murders in Henry’s timeline/in the Dear Billy script.

So, to recap:

The Indianapolis Gazette (the paper that mentions Edward) says that Jordan’s crash/the power outage happened on both

A.) “Friday night”

And B.) “Last night”.

This Indianapolis Gazette article was published on Thursday March 26th, 1959.

Which would make “last night” Wednesday, March 25th, 1959 (the date of the Creel murders in the Henry timeline/Dear Billy script), and which would make “Friday night,” Friday, March 20th, 1959.

What if we combine “last night” with “Friday night”, in the sense of “l night,” being the same as “last night,”? Well, if we set the publication date of the paper aside, that would make “last night,” Friday March 20th, making the publication date of the paper Saturday March 21st (the date of the Creel murders according to the Gazette/in the Edward timeline). Which doesn’t work because the Indianapolis Gazette claims that the bodies were found Sunday morning, meaning that the Gazette couldn’t have been published on Saturday, March 21st. But it COULD have been published on the 22nd, which would track with “friday night,” and the march 26th publication date on the the indianapolis gazette being wrong.

There’s just something very strange about the Weekly Watcher and the Indianapolis Gazette both supposedly being published on the same day (March 26th 1959):

And yet, the Weekly Watcher (which mentions Henry), is published and talking about Victor’s trial only one day after the murders occurred in Henry’s timeline, which doesn’t make sense, because Victor didn’t go to trial overnight.

Dear Billy script- Henry exists, murders happened on the 25th

Weekly watcher- Henry exists, was published on the 26th.

So, there’s no way that the Weekly Watcher and Dear Billy are the same timeline, because Victor’s trial didn’t happen in the span of a single night.

It’s also interesting that Jordan was deemed under the influence of drugs on the highway- and then we also have Victor, who was likely drugged by the lab.

And the section that specifically mentions Highway 49 for Jordan is also the section that mentions “last night,” which if the paper was published on the 26th (the day after the murders in Henrys timeline) would mean that Jordan was on the highway on the night of the 25th (the night the murders happened in the Dear Billy timeline)

Long story short: what the fuck is going on here? Why does it say that Jordan’s accident both happened “last night,” and “friday night,” when “last night” would have been a wednesday, not a friday?

“Last night,” from the 26th (the day this paper was supposedly published) is the night of the Creel murders in Henry’s timeline/the 25th.

Whereas “friday night,” would only really work if this paper was actually published on Sunday, March 22nd, as that was the morning after the Creel murders, and Friday night had just happened.

It’s so weird. Something’s going on here.

[aeautoevcharger]

Rome Airport in Italy successfully cooperates with Nanjing AE

Background:

To encourage the purchase of electric vehicles and EV charging stations, the Italian government approved a new incentive measure, which has officially come into effect in 2023. The incentive measure is part of dedicated funding for the automotive industry, with about $8.7 billion expected to be spent in the year 2023-2024 to provide subsidies for the purchase of  vehicles of low-pollution and low-emission and charging infrastructure. The introduction of this incentive measure will inject new vitality into Italian electric vehicle market.

Policy subsidies:

What incentives are there for buying an electric car in Italy?

The most important new content of the electric vehicle incentives announced officially in 2023 include subsidies for the purchase of charging stations and a list of beneficiaries. For example, the long-term rental companies offer double subsidies for those whose income is below 30,000 euros .The total fiscal coverage of electric vehicle incentives in 2023 is $150 million.This move will further expand the user groups of electric vehicles and allow more people to enjoy the convenience and benefits of environmentally friendly travel.

Additionally, further donations are expected to be used to purchase and install electric vehicle charging stations. 40 million euros will be used to subsidize the installation of EV chargers. The policy aims to reduce net emissions to zero by the year 2050 and replace diesel vehicles by 2035 or earlier.

Current status of charging infrastructure:

By the end of 2022 , Italy had 36,772 EV chargers installed at 19,334 charging stations (stations or poles) and 14,048 public locations. Equally important, the output power of charging point is also growing.The number of ultra-fast charging points has been tripled, with the output power ranging from 100kW to 350kW. This improvement measures will greatly improve charging efficiency and meet the growing charging demand. 

The number of charging stations close to city centers and major cities is growing rapidly . There are more than 600 charging stations every 10 kilometers, aiming to solve the charging problem in the popularization of electric vehicles and provide users with more convenient charging services. Motorway charging points increase rapidly compared to the previous year. In one year, the number of charging stations has been quadrupled , with 64% of them having the power of 150kW or more, providing drivers with shorter charging times for long-distance journeys.

Case:

AE system (AEAUTO) signed a batch order of #120kW DC fast charging stations with Italian bus operators in the first half of this year. The EV chargers will be used for the airport internal bus fleet, buses, and luggage transport vehicles, to improve the overall operational efficiency of the airport and make it convenient for passengers. Meanwhile, this will reduce carbon emissions and provides employees with environmentally friendly and efficient charging service.

There are a lot of fleets in Rome airport in Italy. Including land transportation services and passenger and baggage transport vehicles within the airport area, which require dedicated base locations for maintenance and charging. These vehicles play a vital role in airport operations, providing indispensable support for maintaining flight operations and comfortable passenger travel. Therefore, providing efficient charging solutions for these electric ground service vehicles and employee electric vehicles is crucial for airports.

Selection process:

Airport management began looking for the right charging station product to meet their needs. After visiting Nanjing AE(AEAUTO) #charging station samples at an international trade show , they contacted the local dealer and decided to cooperate with AE system . AEAUTO has a high reputation in the field of charging infrastructure and is committed to #providing the best charging solutions to electric vehicle customers. The products not only provide the perfect combination of functionality, efficiency and convenience, but also meet economic efficiency requirements.

Solution:

Nanjing AE (AEAUTO)#electric vehicle charging stations are equipped with #V2G technology, which not only provides fast charging but also enables two-way flow of energy. It can be realized that the electric energy from the line network can be charged into the power battery of the electric vehicle during the low power load period, and the electric energy in the electric vehicle power battery can be fed back to the line network during the peak electric load period. It can help the line network achieve peak-cutting and valley-filling and frequency modulation functions. It is also equipped with multiple charging method options such as #APP/OCPP/RFID; multiple standard insertion guns can be customized, including #CCS/CHAdeMO/GBT; it also has high-efficiency charging capabilities, with a #charging efficiency of up to 97%. It only takes 20 minutes to fully charge. AE system (AEAUTO)#dc charging stations are carefully designed to be durable, reliable and comply with all relevant safety and technical standards. The dealer and installation teams strategically placed these #charging stations in the airport’s on-site parking lots to ensure that the charging needs of ground service electric vehicles and employee electric vehicles are met without affecting daily operations of the airport.

Result:

The AE system(AEAUTO)#dc fast charger was put into use at the Italian airport, it #successfully solved the problem of bus operators charging their bus fleets. In follow-up feedback, the airport management expressed appreciation for Nanjing AE(AEAUTO) #fleet charging solution and believed that the solution complies with international charging standards and regulatory requirements. It not only helps reduce carbon emissions and is in line with the airport's sustainable development goals , but also meets their economic needs .The customer expressed great satisfaction with this cooperation.

Nanjing AE systemalways adheres to the concept of innovation, constantly improves product quality and service levels , and creates more business opportunities for customers! Whether you are an operator or an individual car owner,AE system will wholeheartedly provide you with the highest quality #ev charging solutions. Make your travel more pleasant and convenient!

[richwall101]

Electric (Overhead Pickup) Trolleybus

A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tram Introduced in the 1920's is an electric bus that draws power from dual overhead wires (generally suspended from roadside posts) using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires, and two trolley poles, are required to complete the electrical circuit. This differs from a tram or streetcar, which normally uses the track as the return path, needing only one wire and one pole (or pantograph). They are also distinct from other kinds of electric buses, which usually rely on batteries. Power is most commonly supplied as 600-volt direct current, but there are exceptions.

Currently, around 300 trolleybus systems are in operation, in cities and towns in 43 countries. Altogether, more than 800 trolleybus systems have existed, but not more than about 400 concurrently. There are no longer any public Trolleybus services operating in the UK. Those that are running are in preserved Transport museum sites.

This image shown is of a preserved Trolleybus as operated by Nottingham City council now running in a transport museum.

[testormblog]

Dirty and Poor

I had little to amuse my inquisitive mind, a few homemade, wooden toys and the hammer I’d confiscated from Dad. Some children like to bang pots and pans; I loved to bang the hammer, mostly on the nails popping up from the old house’s floorboards. The noise let Mother know where I was playing. At first, I bruised my small fingers. With practice, my aim with the hammer became proficient unlike Dad’s.

There weren’t other children to play with. The yard dog, Woolie, black with curly fur, kept me company instead. The dog was so large that I could sit on its back. Together, we observed the comings and goings in our surroundings, in particular the trains passing the house. The rail motor travelled back and forth from Bethania to Beaudesert twice daily. Steam engines hauled regular goods trains. The most exciting, noisy and smelly were the long cattle and horse trains, headed with two steam engines, going to the abattoir. I’d tell my dog everything. He always seemed interested until one day, Woolie became bored and wandered off. The dog was likely bitten by a snake. Time moved slowly with the same daily routine. Except one day, I heard a steam engine’s brakes.

I excitedly watched it stop on the line beside my house. Whilst I wasn’t allowed outside to investigate the unusual event, this was the best day in my life to date! Men offloaded wooden planks from the train’s freight wagons. This second hand timber had come from Camp Cable, the wartime American Army camp, several miles up the line, near Logan Village. Life became interesting. My family were building a house nearby and closer to Bethania Railway Station. My great uncle had transferred to my father a patch of land considered too small for dairy cows or commercial cropping. This triangle of land had been part of the farm established by my forebears before the railway line and the road had separated it. The military had occupied the land and its surrounds with a transit camp. Bethania had been the intersection point for trains transporting troops to the Canungra Jungle Training Camp and Camp Cable.

Pop, an uncle and a neighbour built the cottage where the military’s tents and mess huts had been. Dad wasn’t skilled in carpentry. The simple home had one bedroom, a sitting room, a kitchen, a front veranda and a bathroom with an open wash house and a thunderbox outside. I slept in a cot tucked behind the bedroom cupboard.

As it was in a rural area, the cottage received no rubbish collection, sewerage or water supply services. Rubbish and effluent weren’t an issue. These were buried when Dad showed the inclination. Maintaining sufficient water in the two small tanks for household use and the vegetable garden was an issue. We were dependent on rainfall. Even then, the high tank had to be over half full for enough water pressure to exist for the bathroom and kitchen taps to flow. Mostly, water was dispensed by bucket. I was bathed once a week, and only if I looked sufficiently dirty, in no more than an inch of water in the bath tub. As I didn’t own a toy boat, I didn’t mind.

The cottage did have electricity for lights and three power points for the fridge and sewing machine in the kitchen and the small radio in the sitting room. Dad installed the power pole near the cottage. He purchased a milled log from the sawmiller. Then, he and his mates met, because that was the only labour available, to dig by shovel a large hole in which to stand the pole. At one metre deep, the men hit hard rock. Whilst they didn’t think the hole to be deep enough, they still positioned and raised the pole. For years after, Dad prayed the pole wouldn’t topple on the house in vicious wind. It held until the electricity company replaced it.

A wood stove sat in the kitchen. Finding wood was a chore and a cost most families struggled with. My father fed the stove with used railway sleepers his maintenance gang shared amongst themselves.

Outside, Dad constructed a fowl house from old tanks, sleepers and wire and dug a garden to support the family with eggs, meat and vegetables.

The primitive house met my biggest wish. The rail track ran along the backyard’s fence line! I loved waving at the passengers and guards. Sometimes, I watched Dad banging the spikes along the track.

I was far happier outside, away from Mother’s sight. In addition to the ambience her temperament created, inside the cottage was a horrid place to be. Mother hated housework. We lived in the continual squalor of dirty dishes, clothes, floors and fireplace. The beds weren’t made. The ‘night water’ wasn’t always taken outside early in the morning.

Mother presented a different face outside the cottage however. She was immaculately dressed as a walking advertisement for her dressmaking skills. She was a seamstress and a busy one. Initially, she received her clients in the sitting room but soon a small room was added to the veranda to keep clients away from the squalor. At one point, she started a dressmaking shop with a friend in Beenleigh. Their venture failed quickly as neither understood how to manage a business’ finances.

Money regularly created tension between my parents. There was father’s, mother’s and the housekeeping. Dad handed over the agreed housekeeping from his wage to pay the bills. There never seemed to be enough though. Appliances had been purchased on high interest hire purchase plans. Whatever Mother earnt from sewing appeared to be hers to spend how she wished, usually on more clothes for herself. Dad wasted what remained of his wage on race horses and alcohol. Their financial struggle was a circular form of hell that they couldn’t escape from, precipitated by their inability to work together. Whilst they didn’t physically abuse each other, verbally they did.