#Georgia Trees Service

[wctimber]

The expansion of its operations by WC Timber & Tree Service is a reaffirmation to improve the beauty and healthiness of the urban landscape within Calhoun, Georgia Trees Service. WC Timber & Tree Service is dedicated to maintaining high standards in their tree care services that go beyond what clients expect; 

[wandering-jana]

Live oak and Spanish moss.

Fort Frederica, Georgia

Jan. 2024

[the-dixon-effect]

Sticks and Stones

A/N: dear fic writers, consider this a public service announcement. DO NOT schedule a week of fic writing that coincides with a camping trip, it is hell!!!!

era: season 3-4, prison era

summary: Y/N suffers from chronic pain in her feet, but hates to feel vulnerable around others so constantly overworks herself. perhaps a certain archer could be the right kind of medicine... | requested from this ask by @justalexheree :) guys i really did my research for this one so i hope you enjoy ^.^

pairing: Daryl Dixon x f!reader

words: 1.4k

warnings: mentions of chronic foot pain ig?? lil' time jump

It must be late by now, you thought. You were hesitant to look up to check the position of the sun for fear of getting distracted. You were crouched down, working out in the allotment around the front of the prison. The farm was a brilliant idea, you decided, despite the high amount of labour that was necessary to feed the residents of the prison-turned-camp. God knows you needed the food. Perhaps if the members of your community were aware of your condition, you wouldn't be forced to work out here all day, practically sweating your skin off in the Georgia sun. It didn't matter anyway, 'cause you couldn't let that happen.

So here you were, digging up soil and planting seeds 'til the sun disappeared behind the trees. It was somewhat enjoyable, you convinced yourself, of course you had your thoughts and daydreams to entertain yourself, and back in your old life you would have never found yourself spending so much time outdoors. Even so, a mundane office job might have arguably been a little better for your body. You constantly found yourself having to distract yourself from the persistent ache in your feet, maybe some company would do you good, you thought.

"Hey, we're all eatin' inside, ya can prolly finish up now," you heard the familiar voice of the crossbow-wielding man from several metres away. You knew you needed to stop, but there was still work to be done. If only there was enough food in the first place, then maybe you would let yourself resign to the dining area. Save it for those who needed it, you thought.

"Alright, I'll be inside in a second," That was a lie. It's not like the rest of the group would notice your absence, you figured. You better just stay out here a little longer, making sure the crops were tended to until it was dark. Then maybe you'd get some rest. For now, you didn't need to eat. Truthfully, your feet were killing you and it felt like you could keel over at any second. Get over yourself, you said, over and over in your mind, these people need feeding.

You remembered the look the archer gave you when he called you inside, observing how you were the only person left out in the field. You turned to check if he had left and, to your surprise, he was still stood watching, hands buried in his pockets as he looked straight ahead and met your eyes.

"C'mon," he shouted across the distance between the two of you. You couldn't really say no to him, except he left you wondering why he was so eager for you to join him. You put down your equipment and split from whatever idle job you had yourself occupied with. Something you did appreciate about the humble farmer's life was the reasonable tan you had acquired, which was on display in your little denim shorts as you jogged up to meet him. A part of you wished Daryl would notice.

"Ya' alrigh'? Yer limpin'," he asked, meanwhile you were contemplating on the fact that this might be the most words you'd ever heard the archer speak, to your face anyway. Your lack of association with the man didn't stop you from admiring from afar, though.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Been a long day."

"I bet," he replied, walking side-by-side with you up to the building entrance. You thought it was sweet how he paid attention to you and noticed something like that. Maybe one day you'd open up about your condition, when it felt right.

3 MONTHS LATER

You looked around the room, searching for Daryl's eyes. Today, more than ever, you needed to be with him. After months of breaking down his thick walls, it was safe to say that he'd become one of the most important people in your life. Your feet were hurting like hell today, and the only thing that would make you feel better right now was his presence.

He'd been out on a solo run, which you'd begged Rick to let you join him, ultimately to your disappointment. So you spent your day as you always did, out in the pasture, tending to the crops. After a while you headed back inside in hopes of finding Daryl, perched at one of the rusty tables, waiting for you. To your dismay, you couldn't find him anywhere.

You approached Rick with a worried look shaping your features, "Where's Daryl? Is he back yet?" you asked, your voice laced with concern. "Nah, he's not back yet," sensing your anxiety, he placed a gentle hand on your shoulder and spoke, "Y/N, he's gonna be fine. Anyway, he's scheduled to be back in... about an hour."

So you waited. And waited. It felt like the longest 60 minutes of your life, busying yourself in your cell by reading a book that Carol recommended, not absorbing a single word. By the time you decided that there was nothing else you could do to distract yourself, you headed downstairs and made idle chatter with one of the prison newcomers, Karen.

"I hear your boyfriend Daryl's coming back from a run today," she said.

"Oh, no, he's not my boyfriend," you said with a slight giggle.

"Oh, right! Gosh, it's just that you two are so close, I just figured- you know what, nevermind, ignore me," she said with a chuckle.

You smiled and looked at the floor, and tried to silence your anxious thoughts about whether something might have happened to him, if he's hurt, or anything. At this, the double-doors swung open and in walked the man you'd been waiting for for the last 48 hours. You approached him, suppressing the relief and excitement you felt just from seeing him walk through those doors. His eyes lit up at your welcoming smile, and maybe, just maybe, he would be inclined to embrace you right here if the prison foyer wasn't so crowded.

For now, he had other things on his mind that he needed to clear with you. Just like you, he spent the last 48 hours worrying more about your safety than he did his own. He regretted not being able to stay with you, or at least bring you along with him. He was the only person who knew about your condition and how badly you were affected by it, which meant he felt an immense responsibility to take care of you and offer you acts of service. Not to mention, you were also the only person who Daryl felt totally comfortable around, comfortable enough to share some of his childhood trauma and emotion with. You liked to think the two of you had a special bond, but despite your healthy friendship, you couldn't help wanting more. Either way, all he wanted right now was to be with you and to not have to deal with anyone else in this damn place.

Maggie shot you a mischievous look from across the room as you tugged on the archer's sleeve. You rolled you eyes at her following Daryl up the steel staircase and entered his cell. You sat down next to him on the mattress and he copied you by rolling his head back against the cool brick wall. You sighed in contentment, still in somewhat pain in your feet.

"So, how'd it go?" you asked, turning to face him.

"Was fine. Are ya' alrigh'?" you noticed how he changed the subject, sensing his concern.

"Yeah, I'm okay. It's just a little relentless, you know," you felt a little guilt for immediately beginning to talk about yourself, even when you knew you needed his comfort. His closeness was good enough for you.

"Mm, I know. Ya' gotta stop overworkin' yerself, ya know," he drawled. His pretty eyes were staring deeply at you now.

"Uh-huh. It's just, it's kind of relentless, you know. Like nothing I do makes it better. There's no distraction that works," it felt undeniably good to talk to someone about it, someone who understands. Someone who doesn't subject you to the same stereotypes or think that you're making it up. He wrapped an arm around you and you instinctively rested your head in the crook of his neck. He smelled delicious, like the outdoors, mixed with the distinct notes of Marlboro cigarettes and stormy weather. This was a pretty good distraction, you thought.

"Hey, I'll always make a run into some pharmacy to get ya yer meds, or anythin' like tha'," he spoke softly with his lips resting on the top of your head, occasionally brushing against your silky hair. "Jus' tell me what ya' need." It was this. You needed this.

“I just need you.”

[ncdweller]

Helene Reflections

Cell service

I don’t think anyone knows how this is strung together. Our neighbors lost service hours before we did. We have T-Mobile, but almost everyone here uses Verizon.

Cell service was available in Georgia and Tennessee, so if you are close to those state lines, you had service.

My understanding is usually cell towers are connected with fiber to a network. I doubt that’s the case here because 1. Fiber is very rare here, and 2. These towers are usually on high mountain tops, but generally close to major highways.

I’m thinking they may use microwave links.

That would explain the disruption. Power outages are everywhere and if one tower is down, then the chain may be broken. There is no mesh network that I can tell, at least not out here.

Verizon and T-mobile have set up satellite linked trailers around Asheville, but you have to be close to them to use them. T-mobile says anyone can use their access, no matter which service you subscribe to. Verizon has not said that about their access.

Indeed, even here, we started getting the SOS status on our phones a day before T-mobile restored service here. That tells me either AT&T or Verizon had stay coming back online. But our phones kept switching from SOS to No Service, so it must have been a pretty distant tower.

We drove south on Saturday looking for a cell signal, and it was interesting seeing vehicles abruptly pull off the highway when they got a signal. We didn’t get a good signal until we got close to Clayton, GA, where my in-laws live, so we checked on them. They had trees down everywhere and no power. But they had cell service.

Conspiracy theororists at the local church claimed that Verizon turned off cellular service before Helene arrived.

Which brings me briefly to the rumor mill.

The most egregious one I’m aware of is someone walking to the fire station in Black Mountain and telling them that the dam was failing and everyone in its path needed to evacuate.

This was completely false, but they brought in FEMA engineers and local authorities to investigate. This tied up emergency resources that were needed elsewhere.

On the positive side, we have visited all of our immediate neighbors face to face. Social media is truly isolating.

[bloodstainedsaint]

of sweet teeth and indulgence (dick winters x reader)

summary: just home from the war, you and dick go on an ice cream date :)

word count: 1200+

warnings: domestic & post-war dick, who's also still shy despite an established relationship); fluff, fluff, and more fluff (+ mentions of war i guess but that's like in every fic); and mentions of nix bc he should be a warning in all winters fics lol

notes: inspired by this and this, happy christmas to anyone who celebrates 🎄 this is my present to you !!

“(Y/N), are you ready yet?” Dick called from downstairs. You were taking some time to doll yourself up, putting your hair in a trendy style, wearing makeup and accessories, donning a nice dress and heels — things that you haven't done for three years on account of your service in the war. While you wanted to dress up for Dick, this was also for you. You took a final look in the mirror and found someone you hadn't seen in years looking back.

“Coming, Dick!” you responded, almost losing your footing coming down the stairs due to your excitement (and the unfamiliarity of heels compared to the sturdy boots you'd become accustomed to).

Dick watched with wonder in his eyes and a smile upturning his lips; he thought you looked like an angel coming down from heaven.

Mistaking his expression as teasing at your expense, you lightly smacked his chest with your purse, a grin of your own gracing your face. “You could've helped me with my hair, you know.”

“No, you…” he started, his face turning the color of his hair as he cast his gaze off to the side, “...just look stunning.”

Heat rising to your cheeks, you decided it was your turn to soak in the other's appearance. It was much different than the fatigues and officer uniforms that you’d been admiring him in ever since you met him at Camp Toccoa, but you'd be lying if you said seeing him in a suit and tie didn't similarly drive you crazy.

You tenderly took his face in your hands and guided his eyes back to you, whispering, “You look handsome as well, Dick.” You brought him closer to give him a short, sweet kiss that made his heart stop beating in his chest.

He pulled away and gave you a quick peck on your forehead before offering you his arm. You gladly accepted it, and the two of you walked together to his car. His hand gently rested on your thigh as he drove, the radio playing swing music.

“Where are we going?” you asked as you took your eyes away from the window where you’d been watching trees pass by, their leaves falling to the ground in vibrant displays of red, orange, and yellow.

“Ice cream,” he said simply, a playful smile on his face and a quick glance to you.

You rolled your eyes with an incredulous look. “Yes, I know we’re getting ice cream. I was asking where.”

“Well, Nix recommended this one place. We’re going to see if Raritan’s ice cream is up to snuff.”

It really astounded you how much of a sweet tooth the man next to you had; even in autumn when the weather was chillier he couldn't turn ice cream down. You bet he could go for ice cream during a winter as harsh as Bastogne’s was, where his nose and ears had flushed cherry red and his face had become pale.

You smirked. “Of course. Because why would Nix ever lie to you?”

“Because he knows not to mess with me about ice cream.”

-

Dick helped you out of the car when you arrived and took your hand as the two of you walked inside. The interior popped out at you: checkered floor and a counter with a row of colorful stools across from the ice cream holders and soda fountains. Dick had said that the ice cream parlors (if one could call them that) were much more modest in the camps and forts he’d trained in prior to Georgia; in Europe, ice cream was hard to find at all — which was why his face lit up with joy at the selection of frozen treats.

Watching your lover, a usually private man, positively beam and hold your hand tighter in his as he led the two of you to the counter brought a smile to your face. He ordered one of his favorites: not plain vanilla, as one might think of someone like him, but cookies and cream, while you decided to go for a pumpkin pie flavor to match the autumn mood. Dick, being Dick, paid for both of them and took you outside to walk along a path shaded by grand trees on either side.

As you walked by his side, hand in hand, your conversations went wherever your mind took you. There was much to talk about now that the war was over and not occupying all of your time.

“How’s Lewis?” you said, having gotten to the ice cream cone.

“Doing better,” Dick said with a sigh, “though sometimes he still comes drunk or hungover to work. One time he showed up and asked if we were married yet.”

You raised your eyebrow. “Are you sure he wasn't sober? That seems like something he’d say sober.”

“Drunk as a skunk. But the promise I made then hasn't changed; we’re going to find a small, quiet corner of the world together and get married there.”

Imagining a ring adorning both his and your ring fingers someday, you squeezed his hand. “You’re a man of your word, Dick; I don't doubt you for a second.” You blissfully sighed and gazed at the sky, reminiscing about all of the stolen kisses and fleeting moments the two of you shared during the war. “We did so much sneaking around back then, but the whole of E Company knew anyway. D’ya think it was me helping with you shave during the Bulge that gave it away?”

He chuckled, a sound that only you and a few others had the pleasure of hearing often. “Nix will always remind us that he knew first and that he was the one who got us together. The sneaking around was just for us to look good around Sobel and everyone outside of Easy.”

“Couldn't have him knowing that his XO was running around with a subordinate,” you said, bumping his shoulder. “If only he could see us now, going on an ice cream date and planning to get married. Might shock him more than your request to be court-martialed.”

Finished with his ice cream, he sighed and said, “I've missed this.”

You turned to him with a simper. “What, ice cream?”

He smiled as he shook his head. “No, walking with you like we did whenever we got the chance to get away.”

“We have all the time in the world now for that and anything you want to do.” You slowed your walk to a stop and fully faced him. “This is our reward.”

Your eyes caught something on his lip, so you leaned in to kiss him, which he gladly indulged you in. Barely pulling away, your lips ghosting his, you said, “You had some ice cream on your lip, Major.”

“You know, ice cream’s not the only thing I’ve missed.” He brought his hand to the back of your head and kissed you unabashedly, realizing and taking advantage of the fact that finally no one was watching. Giggling into the kiss, you tasted not only the sugar of the ice cream but also the bittersweetness from years of yearning for one another. You wrapped your arms around his neck and brought him closer, deepening the kiss, and all of the time lost during the war was made up in that one moment.

-

taglist: @mads-weasley, @ronsparky, @dcyllom, @malarkgirlypop, @joetoyesbrassknuckles101, @sweetxvanixlla

[thegentlemansresurgence]

Thank you for those who have reached out, wondering if I’m safe after hurricane Helene. I’m good. Family is good. Some sustained more damage than others but we’re good.

Power came on yesterday but no tv or internet. Cell service gets really strained once everyone else wakes up so I don’t know the extent of the damage in Florida or Georgia but I’m close enough to North Carolina and Tennessee that thru word of mouth, it’s really bad up above us. Chimney Rock is gone.

I hope you’re safe. I hope your family and friends are safe as well.

Say a prayer for those lineman and others who left their homes to help get us back up and running. Pray for those who are struggling and those that have lost have lost friends, family, homes, businesses in this. God be a shield and a comforter as we move forward.

Off to go cut some trees down. Be safe and big hugs!

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

I asked chatgbt to make an image of Florida running out of homeowners insurance and flooded by a hurricane.

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

September 27, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Sep 28, 2024

Last night, at about 11:10 local time, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida, where the state’s panhandle curves down toward the peninsula. It was classified as a Category 4 storm when it hit, bringing winds of 140 miles per hour (225 km per hour). The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane wind scale, developed in 1971 by civil engineer Herbert Saffir and meteorologist Robert Simpson, divides storms according to sustained wind intensity in an attempt to explain storms on a scale similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes. 

The Saffir-Simpson scale defines a Category 4 hurricane as one that brings catastrophic damage. According to the National Weather Service, which was established in 1870 to give notice of “the approach and force of storms,” and is now part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a Category 4 hurricane has winds of 134–156 miles (209–251 km) per hour. “Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.” 

Hurricane Helene hit with a 15-foot (4.6 meter) storm surge and left a path of destruction across Florida before moving up into Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky with torrential rain, flash floods, high winds, and tornadoes. A record level of more than eleven inches of rain fell in Atlanta, Georgia. At least 45 people have died in the path of the storm, and more than 4.5 million homes and businesses across ten states are without power. The roads in western North Carolina are closed. Moody’s Analytics said it expects the storm to leave $15 to $26 billion in property damage.

Officials from NOAA, the scientific and regulatory agency that forecasts weather and monitors conditions in the oceans and skies, predict that record-warm ocean temperatures this year will produce more storms than usual. NOAA hurricane scientist Jeff Masters noted that Helene’s landfall “gives the U.S. a record eight Cat 4 or Cat 5 Atlantic hurricane landfalls in the past eight years (2017–2024), seven of them being continental U.S. landfalls. That’s as many Cat 4 and 5 landfalls as occurred in the prior 57 years.”

President Joe Biden approved emergency declarations for Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina before Helene made landfall. Tennessee governor Bill Lee, a Republican, did not ask for such a declaration until this evening, instead proclaiming September 27 a “voluntary Day of Prayer and Fasting.” Observers pointed out that with people stuck on a hospital roof in the midst of catastrophic flooding in his state, maybe an emergency declaration would be more on point. 

After a state or a tribal government asks for federal help, an emergency declaration enables the federal government to provide funds to supplement local and state emergency efforts, as well as to deploy the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help save lives, protect property, and protect health and safety. Before Helene made landfall, the federal government placed personnel and resources across the region, ready to help with search and rescue, restore power, and provide food and water and emergency generators. 

The federal government sent 1,500 federal personnel to the region, as well as about 8,000 members of the U.S. Coast Guard and teams from the Army Corps of Engineers to provide emergency power. It provided two health and medical task forces to help local hospitals and critical care facilities, and sent in more than 2.7 million meals, 1.6 million liters of water, 50,000 tarps, 10,000 cots, 20,000 blankets, 70,000 gallons of diesel fuel, and 40,000 gallons of gasoline to provide supplies for those hit by the catastrophe. 

FEMA was created in 1979 after the National Governors Association asked President Jimmy Carter to centralize federal emergency management functions. That centralization recognized the need for coordination as people across the country responded to a disaster in any one part of it. When a devastating fire ripped through Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the day after Christmas in 1802, Congress agreed to send aid to the town, but volunteers organized by local and state governments and funded by wealthy community members provided most of the response and recovery efforts for the many disasters of the 1800s. 

When a deadly hurricane wiped out Galveston, Texas, in 1900, killing at least 6,000 residents and destroying most of the city’s buildings, the inept machine government proved unable to manage the donations pouring in from across the country to help survivors. Six years later, when an earthquake badly damaged San Francisco and ensuing fires from broken gas lines engulfed the city in flames, the interim fire chief—who took over when the fire chief was gravely injured—called in federal troops to patrol the streets and guard buildings. More than 4,000 Army troops also fed, sheltered, and clothed displaced city residents. 

When the Mississippi River flooded in 1927, sending up to 30 feet (9 meters) of  water across ten states, including Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, killing about 500 people and displacing hundreds of thousands more, President Calvin Coolidge appointed Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover to coordinate the federal disaster response and pull together the many private-sector interests eager to help out under federal organization. This marked the first time the federal government took charge after a disaster. 

In 1950, Congress authorized federal response to disasters when it passed the Federal Disaster Assistance Program. In response to the many disasters of the 1960s—the 1964 Alaska Earthquake, Hurricane Betsy in 1965, and Hurricane Camille in 1969—the Department of Housing and Urban Development established a way to provide housing for disaster survivors. Congress provided guaranteed flood insurance to homeowners, and in 1970 it also authorized federal loans and federal funding for those affected by disasters. 

When he signed the Disaster Relief Act of 1970, Republican president Richard Nixon said: “I am pleased with this bill which responds to a vital need of the American people. The bill demonstrates that the Federal Government in cooperation with State and local authorities is capable of providing compassionate assistance to the innocent victims of natural disasters.”

Four years later, Congress established the process for a presidential disaster declaration. By then, more than 100 different federal departments and agencies had a role in responding to disasters, and the attempts of state, tribal, and local governments to interface with them created confusion. So the National Governors Association asked President Carter to streamline the process. In Executive Order 12127 he brought order to the system with the creation of FEMA.

In 2003, after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S., the George W. Bush administration brought FEMA into its newly-created Department of Homeland Security, along with 21 other agencies, wrapping natural disasters together with terrorist attacks as matters of national security. After 2005’s Hurricane Katrina required the largest disaster response in U.S. history, FEMA’s inadequate response prompted a 2006 reform act that distinguished responding to natural disasters from responding to terrorist attacks. In 2018, another reform focused on funding for disaster mitigation before the crisis hits.  

The federal government’s efficient organization of responses to natural disasters illustrates that as citizens of a republic, we are part of a larger community that responds to our needs in times of crisis.

But that system is currently under attack. Project 2025, a playbook for the next Republican administration, authored by allies of the right-wing Heritage Foundation and closely associated with Republican presidential candidate Trump and vice presidential candidate Ohio senator J.D. Vance, calls for slashing FEMA’s budget and returning disaster responses to states and localities. 

Project 2025 also calls for dismantling the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and either eliminating its functions, sending them to other agencies, privatizing them, or putting them under the control of states and territories. It complains that NOAA, whose duties include issuing hurricane warnings, is “one of the main drivers of the climate change alarm industry and, as such, is harmful to future U.S. prosperity.” 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[palms-upturned]

Settler colonialism destroys to replace. As Theodor Herzl, founding father of Zionism, observed in his allegorical manifesto/novel, “If I wish to substitute a new building for an old one, I must demolish before I construct.” In a kind of realization that took place half a century later, one-time deputy-mayor of West Jerusalem Meron Benvenisti recalled, “As a member of a pioneering youth movement, I myself ‘made the desert bloom’ by uprooting the ancient olive trees of al-Bassa to clear the ground for a banana grove, as required by the ‘planned farming’ principles of my kibbutz, Rosh Haniqra.”

(…)

Why should ostensibly sovereign nations, residing in territory solemnly guaranteed to them by treaties, decide that they are willing, after all, to surrender their ancestral homelands? More often than not (and nearly always up to the wars with the Plains Indians, which did not take place until after the civil war), the agency which reduced Indian peoples to this abjection was not some state instrumentality but irregular, greed-crazed invaders who had no intention of allowing the formalities of federal law to impede their access to the riches available in, under, and on Indian soil. If the government notionally held itself aloof from such disreputable proceedings, however, it was never far away. Consider, for instance, the complicity between bayonet-wielding troops and the “lawless rabble” in this account of events immediately preceding the eastern Cherokee's catastrophic “Trail of Tears,” one of many comparable 1830s removals whereby Indians from the South East were displaced west of the Mississippi to make way for the development of the slave-plantation economy in the Deep South:

“Families at dinner were startled by the sudden gleam of bayonets in the doorway and rose up to be driven with blows and oaths along the weary miles of trail that led to the stockade [where they were held prior to the removal itself.] Men were seized in their fields or going along the road, women were taken from their wheels and children from their play. In many cases, on turning for one last look as they crossed the ridge, they saw their homes in flames, fired by the lawless rabble that followed on the heels of the soldiers to loot and pillage. So keen were these outlaws on the scent that in some instances they were driving off the cattle and other stock of the Indians almost before the soldiers had fairly started their owners in the other direction. Systematic hunts were made by the same men for Indian graves, to rob them of the silver pendants and other valuables deposited with the dead. A Georgia volunteer, afterward a colonel in the Confederate service, said: ‘I fought through the civil war and have seen men shot to pieces and slaughtered by thousands, but the Cherokee removal was the cruelest work I ever knew.’”

Patrick Wolfe, “Settler colonialism and the elimination of the native” (emphasis mine)

[pcttrailsidereader]

Hurricane Helene and the Appalachian Trail

This is an excerpt from a recent NY Times article by Victor Mather. Although the PCT is not so vulnerable as the AT to the ravages of hurricanes, weather extremes can easily have an outsized impact on miles of the ribbon of trail that connects Mexico and Canada. This article serves as a grim reminder about just how fragile these National Scenic Trails are.

As the scope of devastation caused by Hurricane Helene comes into focus, an American landmark that dozens of towns benefit from is facing historic destruction: the Appalachian Trail.

The 2,200-mile trail along the East Coast and the Southeast attracts millions of hikers each year, and brings an economic boost to a host of towns along the route. But last week Hurricane Helene became the most destructive natural disaster the century-old trail had seen, uprooting trees, destroying bridges and washing away rock steps, making large portions impassable, according to the conservancy that manages it.

Damage from flooding, strong winds and tornadoes was present in many of the 14 states the route touches, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy said.

“The scope and scale is historic,” Sandi Marra, the conservancy president, said of the damage. Although it was not yet possible to T

The conservancy plans to assess the damage and prioritize the hardest-hit areas, Ms. Marra said, but the timeline for clearing and rebuilding the trail will not be quick.

“I cannot imagine it will be normal in 2025,” she said.

Some parts of the trail may need to be rerouted, forcing hikers onto roads, she said. Trailhead parking lots may have been washed away, and both small bridges for hikers and highway bridges used to get to the trail may be gone.

The conservancy’s website notes that many of the towns are also encouraging visitors not to come so they can prioritize recovery.

Throughout the region, the hurricane sent water and mud down from mountains. As a result of the deluge, some small towns have been virtually cut off from the outside world.

Some of the places where hikers stay, eat and form communities, can typically expect economic growth and a boost in tourism, the conservancy said.

“Nobody can hike the Appalachian Trail without these communities,” said Gary Sizer, who hiked the trail in 2014 and wrote the book “Where’s the Next Shelter?” about the trip. “The whole experience is a series of three-to-five day backpacking trips. You get to a town, you meet some people. Hikers form a community.”

The conservancy is advising hikers to stay off the trail in some areas. National forests through which the trail passes in North Carolina, Tennessee and southwest Virginia are closed.

Beyond the forests, the conservancy also urged hikers to postpone their trips through a southern stretch between Georgia and Rockfish Gap, Va. That’s more than 800 miles of the trail.

“People will say they’re not officially closed, and that’s true,” Ms. Marra said of the network of trails. But the storm has made parts of the path “precarious and dangerous,” according to Janet Hensley, who follows and helps hikers from a van every year and is known to many of them as Miss Janet.

“On the trail, you may spend half of a day getting through a cluster of trees blocking the path,” Ms. Hensley said of the damage.

For any damage to the trail, there is greater concern about the nearby communities. Ms. Marra cited Damascus, Va.; Hot Springs, N.C., and Erwin, Tenn., as among the hardest-hit places near the trail.

“You have people who are literally struggling for water and food,” Ms. Marra said of the residents around the trail. She suggested hikers travel to places where they would not put pressure on services. “Why strain a system that is already broken?”

For decades, the Appalachian Trail has had a special hold on hikers, with many attempting, and the most intrepid succeeding, in traversing the whole thing.

“It’s a very diverse trail,” Mr. Sizer said, explaining its popularity. “In Georgia, it’s lush and humid with rolling hills, somewhat easy going. North Carolina, that’s your first experience above tree line. By the time you get up North, you’re literally climbing hand over hand, you’re not just hiking.”

Still, the trail and surrounding communities are normally a happy and welcoming environment for enthusiasts like Ms. Hensley. She has become a well-known sight on the trail for 15 years, driving her sticker-covered van with its large smiley face on the roof to bring water, food and replacement equipment to hikers. During a phone interview, she was interrupted for a selfie.

“When they see the van, it makes them happy,” she said.

But the smiles for hikers and the trail community are muted now. “It’s just heartbreaking,” she said.

[twopoppies]

I absolutely love all of your fic recommendations. Thank you so much for this. Do you know of any fics, especially lesser known, where H &/or L have blue collar jobs? Construction, assembly line, mechanic, farming, etc? Thank you for your service to the fandom! 💝

Hi, darling. Oh, that’s a fun question. I think I can pull something together for you.

Ever Since I Tried Your Way by flowercrownfemme / @lesbianiconharrystyles (E, 26K) I loved everything about this fic, from the setting to the characterizations to the slow way Harry discovers himself and how Louis supports everything about him. It’s just beautifully written and wonderfully moving. Rancher Louis / eventual rancher Harry

An Invincible Summer by Brooklyn_Babylon / @twopoppies (E, 45K) this one is mine, I hope you like it. Farmer Harry / Temporary farm hand /author Louis

Never content to stay in one place for long, a few months down south researching for his novel seemed like an idyllic, slow-paced summer to Louis. He wasn’t ready for the blistering heat, the backbreaking work of watermelon picking, or how stifling the attitudes in rural Georgia would feel. And he definitely hadn’t anticipated falling in love with the farmer’s son.

The summer of 1946 would turn out to be everything worth writing about.

our little corner of the world by brownheadedstranger (E, 30K) This fic reads like original fiction in the best sort of way. The whole fic makes you feel like you’re stuck in the hot, dusty little town along with the boys. It’s beautifully written – slow and wistful – and I really need to re-read it now that I think of it! Line cook Harry / diner worker Louis.

The Road Less Travelled by freetheankles / @anymerrylilthought​ (E, 98K) Also known as “the lumberjack fic”, this fic is an instant classic. The author makes widowed Louis’ pain and depression so real and so moving. The characters are three-dimensional and complex and the well written sexual tension is finally relieved with super hot smut. Link is to a download. Lumberjack Louis

So Darling, Just Say You’ll Stay Right By My Side by supernope (E, 28K) Another fic I read too long ago to recall details of, and my rather unhelpful notes read, “LOVE! Slow build up, but so sexy!” So…here’s to trusting old me. I’m not too worried, this author is pretty sure bet. Chief of police Louis. Deputy Harry.

Divine Intervention by Awriterwrites / @a-writerwrites (E, 6K) This fic is short, but super sexy and bittersweet. Something about the way Louis is so gentle in it just gets to me. Building inspector Harry

where the tide takes you, I will follow by @pinkcords (E, 40K) First of all, I’m so happy this author is writing again! Second, everything about this was just lovely. The slow, dreamy tone of their writing fit the setting and the way Harry and Louis fell into each other so, so well. I love how descriptive their writing is without being flowery or pointless. The smut scenes were toe-curlingly sexy, and gave us beautiful insight into both of the boys. I just wanted to live inside this fic. Fish shack worker Louis

may we all have a vision now and then by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry (M, 4K) This author is one of my favorite writers in this fandom and everything they do is infused with so much delicacy and tenderness. I literally cried through this fic because of how wounded Harry’s character feels. Read it and then treat yourself to their whole AO3 catalogue. Trucker Louis

it’s time to find your wings again by we_are_the_same / @why-let-your-voice-be-tamed (T, 12K) I just loved the fairytale quality of this story––not cute and cuddly, but dark and curious and intense–– more like a Grimm fairytale. So unique and so worth reading. Prison guard Louis

Naked & Proud by kiwikero (E, 19K) Farmer Harry runs an organic store. Lust at first sight. Summer love. All sorts of good stuff in this really well-written story.

O’ Christmas Tree by @justalittlelouislove (M, 15K) I love this author’s writing and this one is just 100% wonderful fluff that still managed to make me cry! It’s sweet and charming and one of the very few kid fics I actually enjoyed. Christmas tree farmer Harry.

Lambing Season by @helloamhere (E, 26K) This is beautiful little emotional fic and it’s one of my favorites. If you’ve ever wanted to leave your shitty work environment, escape to an idyllic countryside, and find love along the way, read this one. Farmer Louis.

Coup de Foudre by angelwarm (M, 15K) The characters (particularly Louis) are pretty OOC, but god this fic is gorgeous. After I read it I just sat there not knowing what to do with myself. It’s sad and hopeful and just gorgeously written. Diner Worker Harry

Wild and Unruly by 100percentsassy, gloria_andrews / @gloriaandrews (E, 124K) One of the OG classics in this fandom. If you haven’t read it yet, you’re missing out. It’s just a great, original story. Plus, cowboy Harry, city boy Louis, bad guys to hate, nail biting drama, hot af sexual chemistry and smut, and a super satisfying ending. Rancher Harry.

————

You might also check my Military AU fic rec for jobs like soldiers, engineers etc.

[wctimber]

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[loganxwalker]

starter for @charliesxdavis

location: moose lodge rentals, 7:15pm

"I thought the storms in Georgia were crazy," Logan wasn't standing too close to the windows in the lodge. There was no rain with this storm, only wind, but it was baffling Logan nonetheless. She hadn't heard from Dean in a few hours since cell phone service started dropping, so she was left to her own devices at the lodge rentals where she had diverted to on her way to meet some friends. "But this," she gestured toward the window, watching as it looked like the tops of the trees could touch the ground, "this is insane."

[mercurygray]

Could we possibly get some transcripts from the paragals' interviews from the *Darkening Skies* miniseries? Pretty please?

Why did I join the army? To get away from my mother, of course.

There was something adventurous about it, certainly, to see somewhere I'd never been before. Jobs weren't growing on trees and I thought, well, it'll sound good, maybe, when I apply for something.

The pay was good. Fifty dollars a month was good pay, in those days, for a girl - but man alive did we raise hell when we found out we were making less than the men did. Even after jump pay - still making less!

My brother was already in the Navy - he died at Pearl Harbor - and so I said, I'll go. I didn't know what else to do but I wanted to do something.

There's a…a long tradition of military service in my family, and I grew up with it, and around it. It was the most natural thing in the world, for me, to volunteer.

We were saving to buy a house, when we - when we got back, and the pay was going to help. We thought about getting married beforehand, for the benefits, but they wouldn't take me if we were married, so we just stayed as we were.

We had girls from all over- really, all over the place.

You enlisted in - enlisted in the WAC, first, the Women's Army Corps, and they sent you to Fort Des Moines and taught you how to march and how to drill and how to shine your shoes and then they had someone interview you, sit you down at a desk and ask if you had any special qualifications, if there was anywhere you wanted to serve. Some girls had been typists, or teachers, or had, you know, college degrees and those sorts of things and they liked that.

I barely finished high school, they weren't going to pick me for anything special.

Some politician had made a joke about getting women into the front line, and they wanted volunteers to make that happen. And I said - that. That is what I'm meant to do.

I remember the bus down to Georgia - goodness, was it ever hot. We were just about dying on that bus. We had our barracks bags, and we got off that bus in our…our uniform trousers and boots and some of the men laughed. It was strange to see women in pants in those days, you see. We were a little ridiculous. But we showed them.

You have to remember that your options were quite limited, as a woman in the late 30s. The Depression was still lingering in some parts of the country and if you weren't married, you weren't worth much. And suddenly every man was expected to join the army - so where did that leave us? I think it's safe to say that a lot of women were there because they liked a challenge. I know that was true for me. And did we ever get one.

-transcripts from veteran interviews, Season 1, Episode 1 of The Darkening Sky miniseries

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 10.12

Holidays

Asexuality Visibility & Education Day

Child Rambunctiousness Appreciation Day

Children’s Day (Brazil)

Columbus Day [original date]

Commonwealth Culture Day (Northern Mariana Islands)

Cookbook Launch Day

Day of the Pluricultural Nation (Mexico)

Day of Cultures (Costa Rica)

Day of the Six Billion (1999)

Destiny Day\

Dia de la Rasa (Day of Race; Mexico)

Dia de la Raza (Latin America)

Fall Astronomy Day

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The First of October! (Dr. Seuss)

Freethought Day

Geoscience Day

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Harry Potter Book Day

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Holy Translator’s Day (Ukraine)

Indigenous Peoples Day (San Francisco)

Indigenous Peoples’ Resistance Day (Belize)

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Lady of Aparecida Day (Brazil)

Love Your Bookshop Day (Australia)

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National Education Day (Kiribati)

National Engineer’s Day (Uruguay)

National Farmer’s Day

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Native Americans' Day

No Smoking Day (Armenia)

October Big Day

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Piomingo Day (Chickasaw Nation)

Rice Day (Texas)

Sarandi Battle Day (Uruguay)

Superstar Day

Women Pharmacist Day

World Algae Day

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World Spanish Language Day UN)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Black Jewish Drinking Day

Drink Local Wine Day

International Pinotage Day

Märzen Day

National Gumbo Day

National Know Your Lemons Day

National Pulled Pork Day

National Pumpkin Pie Day

Independence & Related Days

Asgardia (Declared; 2016) [unrecognized]

Equatorial Guinea (from Spain, 1968)

Wasteoftimeistan (Declared; 2017) [unrecognized]

2nd Saturday in October

African Penguin Awareness Day [2nd Saturday]

Fall Astronomy Day [2nd Saturday]

Global PT Day of Service [2nd Saturday]

Home Movie Day [2nd Saturday]

I Love Yarn Day [2nd Saturday]

International African Penguin Awareness Day [2nd Saturday]

International Newspaper Carrier Day [2nd Saturday]

International Pinotage Day [2nd Saturday]

Migratory Bird Day (Mexico) [2nd Saturday]

National Chess Day [2nd Saturday]

National Costume Swap Day [2nd Saturday]

National Curves Day [2nd Saturday]

National Family Bowling Day (a.k.a. Kids Bowl Free Day) [2nd Saturday]

National Motorcycle Ride Day [2nd Saturday]

National Period Day [2nd Saturday]

National Thrive Outside Day [2nd Saturday]

National Tree Planting Day (Mongolia) [2nd Saturday]

Pinotage Day [2nd Saturday]

Sandwich Saturday [Every Saturday]

Six For Saturday [Every Saturday]

Spaghetti Saturday [Every Saturday]

Universal Music Day [2nd Saturday]

World Hospice and Palliative Care Day [2nd Saturday]

World Migratory Bird Day [2nd Saturday]

World Porridge Day [Saturday of 1st Full Week]

World Squash Day [2nd Saturday]

Weekly Holidays beginning October 12 (1st Full Week of October)

Bone and Joint Health Action Week (thru 10.20)

Festivals Beginning October 12, 2024

Appleumpkin Festival (Tecumseh, Michigan) [thru 10.13]

Arkansas Rice Festival (Weiner, Arkansas)

Augusta Bottoms Bier Festival (Augusta, Missouri)

Autumn Brew Review (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Autumn Reggae Wine & Music Festival (Mt. Airy, Maryland) [thru 10.13]

Beet Festival (Sherman, Connecticut)

Blairsville Sorghum Festival Blairsville, Georgia) [thru 10.13 & 10.19-20]

Boonville Days: Texas Heritage Festival (Bryan, Texas)

Cape Cod Cranberry Day (East Sandwich, Massachusetts)

Chesapeake Virginia Wine Festival (Chesapeake, Virginia)

Chili Cook-off (Ludlow, Vermont)

Chincoteague Island Oyster Festival (Chincoteague, Virginia)

Cordell Pumpkin Festival (Cordell, Oklahoma)

Cranberry Harvest Festival (Grayland, Washington) [thru 10.13]

Davison Pumpkin Fest (Davison, Michigan)

Downtown Oyster Stroll (Westminster, Maryland)

Fall Festival (Wellington, Kansas)

Garlic & Harvest Festival (Bethlehem, Connecticut) [thru 10.13]

Georgia Apple Festival - Ellijay, Georgia) [thru 10.13 & 10.19-20]

Grape & Fall Festival (Hollister, Missouri)

Greek Festival (St. Augustine, Florida) [thru 10.13]

Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival (Hartsburg, Missouri) [thru 10.13

Harvest Celebration (Woodstock, Vermont) [thru 10.13]

Harvest Fest and Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off (Stillwater, Minnesota) [thru 10.13]

Harvest Fest (Billings, Montana)

Harvest Fest Street Fair (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)

International Alba White Truffle Fair (Alba, Italy) [thru 12.8]

LaFayette Apple Festival (LaFayette, New York) [thru 10.13]

Little River ShrimpFest (Little River, South Carolina) [thru 10.13]

Lobsterfest (Spring Brook, Pennsylvania)

McLoud Fall Fest (McLoud, Oklahoma)

Medford Apple Festival (Medford, Oregon)

Mount Holly Cider Days (Belmont, Vermont) [thru 10.13]

New Bedford Seaport Chowder Festival (New Bedford, Massachusetts)

Newburgh Seafood Festival (Newburgh, New York)

New Harmony Apple Festival and Fall Harvest (New Harmony, Utah)

Oak Harbor Apple Festival (Oak Harbor, Ohio) [thru 10.13]

Ohio Sauerkraut Festival (Waynesville, Ohio) [thru 10.13]

Peanut Festival (Grapeland, Texas)

Plate by Plate (San Francisco, California)

Pork Roll Palooza (Phillipsburg, New Jersey)

PumpkinFest (Aurora, Minnesota)

Pumpkinfest (Montague, Michigan)

Pumpkinfest & Regatta (Damariscotta, Maine) [thru 10.14]

Punkin Days (Floydada, Texas)

Saratoga International Flavorfeast (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Snowflake Harvest Fest (Snowflake, Arizona)

Sonoma County Harvest Fair (Santa Rosa, California)

Steak, Stein, and Wine Festival (Cameron, Texas)

Swansboro Mullet Festival (Swansboro, North Carolina) [thru 10.13]

Sweet Potato Festival (Darlington, South Carolina)

Taste & Brews Fall Fest (Canton, Georgia) [thru 10.13]

Taste of Brunswick Festival (Alberta, Virginia)

Taste of Cambridge (Cambridge, Maryland)

Tunkhannock Rotary Harvest and Wine Festival (Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania)

Valparaiso Fall Harvest Festival (Valparaiso, Indiana)

Weekend Along The Farm Trails (Sonoma County, California) [thru 10.13]

West Cape May Lima Bean Festival (West Cape May, New Jersey)

Whiskies of the World (Atlanta, Georgia)

The WhiskyX (San Francisco, California)

Wine & Food Celebration (Springfield, Missouri)

World Championship Gumbo Cook-Off (New Iberia, Louisiana) [thru 10.13]

Feast Days

Al Held (Artology)

Ayathrem begins (Zoroastrianism)

Barclay Shaw (Artology)

Carlo Acutis (Christian; Saint)

Cloud-Stamping Pentathlon (Shamanism)

Crowleymas (a.k.a. Feast for Life of Aleister Crowley; Thelema)

Day of Fortuna Redux (Ancient Rome)

Day of Giving the Black Land to Horus and the Red Land to Set (Ancient Egypt)

Edith Cavell and Elizabeth Fry (Church of England)

Edwin of Northumbria (Christian; Saint)

Eugenio Montale (Writerism)

Feasts of the Spirits of the Fire (Pagan)

Fiacc (Christian; Saint)

The Flying Sorcerers, Parts 1 & 2 (Underdog Cartoon, S2, Eps. 25 & 26 1965)

Fortuna Redux (Old Roman Goddess of Successful Journeys & Safe Returns)

Frank Sinatra Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Guido Molinari (Artology)

Herbert (Roman Catholic)

International Pastafarian Headgear Day (Pastafarian)

Lester Dent (Writerism)

Louis Brisson (Christian; Blessed)

Montaigne (Positivist; Saint)

Our Lady of Aparecida (Brazil; Christian; Saint)

Our Lady of the Pillar (Fiestas del Pilar; Christian; Saint) [Spain]

Prince Humpty Dumpty (Muppetism)

Radim Gaudentius (Czech Republic; Christian; Saint)

Robert Mangold (Artology)

Seraphin of Montegranaro (Christian; Saint)

Serge Clerc (Artology)

Wanting Wonton Day (Pastafarian)

Wilfrid of Ripon, Bishop of York (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Lucky Day (Philippines) [55 of 71]

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Premieres

Argo (Film; 2012)

Bad Times at the El Royale (Film; 2018)

The Blind Owl, by Sadegh Hedayat (Novel; 1936)

Cat-Choo (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1951)

The Caves of Steel, by Isaac Asimov (Novel; 1953)

Chimp and Zee (WB MM Cartoon; 1968)

Crazy Little Thing Called Love, by Queen (Song; 1979)

The Doctor and the Soul, by Viktor E. Frankl (Philosophy Book; 1946)

Don’t Knock the Rock (Film; 1956)

Fairy Tail (Anime TV Series; 2009)

First Man (Film; 2018)

The Gay Divorcee (Film; 1934)

Got My Mind Set On You, by George Harrison (Song; 1987)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams (Novel; 1979)

The Homeless Flea (MGM Cartoon; 1940)

Hot Noon [or 12 O’Clock for Sure] (Woody Woodpecker Cartoon; 1953)

The Hot Spot (Film; 1990)

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, by Dr. Seuss (Children’s Book; 1957)

The Hunter (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1931)

If I Ran the Zoo, by Dr. Seuss (Children’s Book; 1950)

Inherit the Wind (Film; 1960)

It’s in the Bag or Rocky Gets the Sack (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 309; 1964)

Jesus Christ Superstar (Broadway Rock Opera; 1971)

JR, by William Gaddis (Novel; 1975)

Kick, by INXS (Album; 1987)

Lady Sings the Blues (Film; 1972)

Look Now, by Elvis Costello (Album; 2018)

Memphis Belle (Film; 1990)

Midnight Frolics (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1938)

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, by Virginia Lee Burton (Children’s Book; 1939)

The Narrows, by Ann Petry (Novel; 1953)

Night Life in the Army (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1942)

October, by U2 (Album; 1981)

Orientalism, by Edward W. Said (History Book; 1978)

Parlez Vous Woo (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1956)

Please Try to Remember the First of October!, by Dr. Seuss (Children’s Book; 1977)

Rabbit At Rest, by John Updike (Novel; 1990) [Rabbit #4]

Rollin’, by The Bay City Rollers (Album; 1974)

The Saint Abroad, by Fleming Lee (Short Stories; 1969) [Saint #42]

A Short Weight for All Seats or One of Our Trunks (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 310; 1964)

Sideways (Film; 2004)

Soda Squirt (Ub Iwerks Flip the Frog Cartoon; 1933)

Sorry Safari (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1962)

Super Pink (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1966)

Touché and Go (WB MM Cartoon; 1957)

Trout Fishing in America, by Richard Brautigan (Novel; 1967)

Tusk, by Fleetwood Mac (Album; 1979)

Ultraman: The Adventure Begins (Toho Animated Film; 1987)

Today’s Name Days

Edwin, Gottfried, Horst, Maximillian (Austria)

Maksimilijan, Serafin, Velibor (Croatia)

Marcel (Czech Republic)

Maximillian (Denmark)

Aare, Aaro, Are (Estonia)

Aarre, Aarto (Finland)

Edwin, Séraphin, Wilfried (France)

David, Horst, Maximilian, (Germany)

Andromahi, Andromahos, Valantios (Greece)

Miksa (Hungary)

Serafino (Italy)

Kira, Lase, Monvids, Valfrids, Vitenis (Latvia)

Deimintė, Gantas, Salvinas (Lithuania)

Valter, Vibeke (Norway)

Cyriak, Eustachiusz, Eustachy, Grzymisław, Maksymilian, Ostap, Salwin, Serafin, Witold, Witołd, Witolda (Poland)

Andronic, Prov, Tarah (Romania)

Maximilián (Slovakia)

Pilar (Spain)

Manfred, Valfrid (Sweden)

Christopher, Cristopher, Kester, Kristofer, Kristopher (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 286 of 2024; 80 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 6 of Week 41 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Gort (Ivy) [Day 14 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Jia-Xu), Day 10 (Ji-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 10 Tishri 5785

Islamic: 8 Rabi II 1446

J Cal: 16 Orange; Twosday [16 of 30]

Julian: 29 September 2024

Moon: 69%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 6 Descartes (11th Month) [Sir Thomas Moore / Campanella]

Runic Half Month: Gyfu (Gift) [Day 6 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 21 of 90)

Week: 2nd Full Week of October

Zodiac: Libra (Day 20 of 30)

[austinxfox]

[ miles heizer, male, he/him] - was that austin fox i saw arriving into beacon hills today? i hear that they are 19 years old and are a witch. they are known to remind others of dyed hair - something new every few months & tired eyes sparkling in the sunshine. i do wonder what adventures are in store for them? [spirit, 22, est, she/they, n/a]

𝐈 . . . 𝐁��𝐒𝐈𝐂 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 !

name . . . . austin james fox nicknames . . . . aus, aussie (by his siblings) age . . . . nineteen sexuality . . . . pansexual date of birth . . . . september 4th 1999 place of birth . . . blue ridge, georgia species . . . witch

gender . . . . male pronouns . . . . he/him current location . . . . beacon hills languages . . . . english and some scraps of high school spanish

𝐈𝐈 . . . 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 !

zodiac . . . .virgo bad habits . . . .being stubborn, bottling up his emotions, workaholic hobbies . . . .art, baking & cooking, camping, exploring, reading, video games fears . . .his newfound abilities, losing those he loves, the unknown (mainly of the supernatural variety) other mentionable details . . . .achievement unlocked! austin has recently discovered he is a witch!

𝐈𝐈𝐈 . . . 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒 !

faceclaim . . . .miles heizer height . . . .5'10 hair colour . . . .brown, but regularly bleached blond and dyed different colors (currently split dyed black and orange for halloween) eye colour . . . .blue scars . . . .numerous small ones from past adventures, longer ones on right arm and left leg from creature encounter

𝐈𝐕 . . . 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 !

parents names . . .wyatt fox and london fox (neé kennedy) parents relationship . . . .caring and loving. they are devoted to each other as well as their children, as evidenced by how close the family is siblings names . . . .alexandria (eldest sister), dakota (older sister), dallas (younger brother) pets . . . .ferret named bolin income . . . .a combination of saved up money from odd jobs, inheritance from his grandfather, art commissions and catering services, currently embarking on a steady job hunt residence . . . .currently searching for a permanent residence

𝐕 . . . 𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘 !

Trigger Warnings: Death and near death experiences, major injury

Born in Blue Ridge, Georgia to London and Wyatt Fox, Austin enjoyed a normal life for the most part. He did well in school, helped out around the house with chores, and could usually be found goofing off with his siblings or friends whenever they were free. Unbeknownst to Austin and his siblings, they were technically far from normal. The four of them were members of the latest generation of witches in the Fox family. Magic poured down both family trees, an incredible inheritance that unfortunately painted a rather large target on their backs where hunters were concerned.

(A target that motivated London and Wyatt to keep quiet about their heritage. Only for the time being, they promised themselves and each other. Just until we are safe and the kids are old enough.)

When Austin was eight years old, his grandfather James Fox passed away. The family traveled to Mystic Falls - his parents' hometown - for the funeral and after some discussion, decided to move in order to support Grandma Susan Fox as well as assist her in running the family farm on the outskirts of town.

One small town was traded for another and they moved into the Fox farmhouse. While he was overjoyed to be reunited with his grandma and to have a new wealth of places to explore, the fish out of water feeling was overwhelming at first. The Fox siblings were the new kids, in mostly unfamiliar territory outside of school and the farm.

So, Austin picked up an old habit. Exploration. He'd loved roaming around suburbia and the small town he hailed from, eyes full of wonder. The experiences were practically magical. While the feelings of loneliness remained, he could easily lose himself in learning more about Mystic Falls as well as the surrounding areas.

And then, he met Lucas Thornhill. The two of them swiftly struck up a friendship and stuck to each other like glue. Adventures became a Lucas and Austin thing, treated as something precious like family birthday traditions. Their summers were spent hiking and camping, sharing dreams of getting out of Mystic Falls with each other and the stars.

(As time went on, Austin felt something shift. He still deeply treasured the friendship they had built, the bonds between them strengthened as time went on. But he also couldn't bring himself to deny the presence of something deeper. His gaze would linger just a little longer and he constantly felt like he was on a rollercoaster with how often his heart or his stomach swooped as if they were birds in flight. These feelings and other similar experiences like what his grandma Susie described in her stories about her relationship with his grandpa. He was falling in love with Lucas. Half of Austin was terrified, scared of putting such a special bond in jeopardy. As for the other half? Lost in daydreams of an incredible relationship, a natural extension and progression of how thing were now.)

Then came the night of the attack. It had started like countless others before with the two of them venturing into the woods side by side. As swift as lightning, the creature struck. While Austin did the best he could to fight back, whatever it was focused the brunt of their attack on him. Miraculously, Lucas managed to kill the creature and help arrived.

As the story goes, Austin didn't survive the attack. But the truth is that he woke up to find his grandma Susie at his bedside in the hospital. She was whispering healing spells under her breath and anger practically radiated off of her. She reassured him that 'everything had been taken care of', that he 'didn't need to worry about being led into danger anymore.'

That night, Austin learned about the lie that left his grandmother's lips. She had long been the most vocal critic of the adventures he embarked on albeit for understandable and valid reasons. Danger lurked around so many corners, but as pure as her intentions were - it did nothing to stop the wave of magic that rushed out of her grandson as his emotions took hold. Water poured out of the faucet in the nearby bathroom and a blast of telekinesis scattered the napkins as well as papers outlining his treatment plan. The pillows behind Austin spontaneously exploded in a cloud of cloth and feathers, as if giving a final confirmation of what he was. A witch.

That same night, Susan Fox told Austin and his younger brother Dallas about their magical heritage. Apparently, their older sisters Alexandria and Dakota had been told before they left for college a few years ago. Then came the next reveal of the night - the presence of the supernatural. Not just in Mystic Falls, but in the wider world around them.

Presently, Austin is still reeling from all of this. His parents gifted him a couple of heirloom grimoires in the event he changes his mind about avoiding magic. As it stands, his current stance remains unchanged. Despite the reassurance that the damage from his first blast back during his hospital stay was minuscule, Austin still views these newfound abilities as dangerous and best locked away.

Besides, he has more important things on his mind right now. Namely finding Lucas to tell him the truth...

[packedwithpackards]

Queering the Packards?: The importance of documenting LGBTQ ancestors

A quote from Victor Salvo, Founder and Executive Director of the Legacy Project on QueerBio. Image from Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. What he says applies to genealogy as much as mainstream histories like biographies.

When I started my research, I tended to follow the usual path of focusing on male progenitors and their wives, including English immigrants like Samuel Packard who landed in what became Massachusetts after Indigenous people relinquished the land, often by force. In January 2021, I speculated that a friend of Carrie Chapman Catt, a suffragist in a relationship with Mary Garrett Hay (and later with Alda Wilson), could have been attracted to Alaska "Al" Packard (1868-1934), the first female FBI agent and my sixth cousin three time removed, while Al had a close friendship with Harriet Taylor Upton. Many months later, in October 2021, I included question from Christine E. Sleeter in an article I quoted from: "How might a family historian tease out clues of LGBTQ family members in the past?" Late last year, I noted my ancestor (fifth cousin four times removed), Elizabeth Dwight Packard (1859-1915), who was living with another woman, Lucy Huston Sturdevant (1860-1940), who also served as the executrix of Elizabeth's estate after Elizabeth's death. This year, I surmised that since my sixth cousin three times removed, Elizabeth Packard (1912-1985) was listed as single in the 1930, 1940, and 1950, and the fact she was near queer neighborhoods, it may indicate that Elizabeth is queer herself as I surmised. I would love to do a deeper dive into her life, as there is a gap of information from 1950 to 1985. Last but not least is my post last month, with a major focus on the relationship between my fifth cousin five times removed, Sophia Brett Packard (1824-1891) and Harriet Elizabeth "Hattie" Giles (1828-1909), who are known most prominently for founding Spelman Seminary in Georgia, which is known today as Spelman College.

I am convinced that I have more than five queer ancestors within my family tree. In fact, I have a draft post about my fourth cousin five times removed, Frances Appleton Packard (1836-1902) who was always listed as single and never noted as marrying anyone, which can be a clue that the person is a queer individual, [1] to use the word in a non-pejorative way. After all, there are over 4,000 ancestors on the two family trees I've created on Ancestry, one for my mom's side and another for my dad's side so I don't confuse myself with which ancestors are which. I already know the stories about my great-granduncle Stanley Sterling Mills (1901-1934) being gay and my grandaunt on my dad's side, Ellen, who had a partner who lived with her for many years named Fran.

There are many posts out there about LGBTQ ancestors. Some recommend genealogists check occupations, examine family patterns, read newspapers, examine prison and court records, search cemeteries, look for terms like "cross dresser, Sapphist, sodomite, tribad, or Uranian", and keep in mind that ancestors weren't "as free to live their lives openly like LGBTQ+ people can today". Others suggest looking for personal accounts, wills, criminal records, census records, examining local history, asking questions if records don't exist for a specific person, and recognizing that official records can "subtly divulge clues", Beyond this, were a pamphlet about LGBTQ history in the U.S. published by the National Park Service, Thomas MacEntee's 10-page piece about why stories of LGBTQ relatives are important, the Queer Ancestors Project in San Francisco, and other discussions online about this topic. [2]

Current genealogical software is not inclusive of transgender individuals and some LGBTQ relationships, as some have pointed out. As for other Packards, some have published books that fall into Queer Studies, although I'm not sure of their relation. [3] More broadly, there are the collections of the Lesbian Herstory Archives (lampooned in the film Watermelon Woman), the South Asian American Digital Archive, the GLBT Historical Society, and Library of Congress, along with important sites like Out History which focuses on LGBTQ history. In addition, there is a guide put together by Fordham University Libraries, the Dickinson College LGBT History Project (documents LGBTQ life in central Pennsylvania), the archival collections at ONE Archives at USC Libraries, the LGBTQ Iowa Archives and Library, the LGBT Legacy Project, the collaborative project known as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Archive at University of North Texas, the archive collection of LGBT Community Center in New York, and the digital collections of The ArQuives, Canada's LGBTQ archives institution.

This is only scratching the surface. [4] As the National Museum of American History puts it, "LGBTQ+ history is a part of American history...since its founding, both knowingly and unknowingly." After all, pressure from genealogists caused FamilySearch to allow same-sex family trees. I agree with those who say that while our ancestors may have kept their identities and orientations secret, they likely left clues, and it’s time to "stop pruning their branches of our family trees". There need to be new ways of visualizing information to accommodate families that aren't heteronormative (i.e. married man and woman having children) or re-imagining family trees altogether. This is coupled with telling stories which don't fall into usual patterns which are easily shown in existing genealogy software which is strongly heteronormative. It can counteract the intentional hidden nature of "lives, stories, and histories of LGBTQ people...by socially dominant individuals and groups" through various means over the years. [5]

Notes

[1] An Ancestry.com blogpost by Michael J. Leclerc says as much: "Common signs of LGBTQ+ people are those who never married, or who married late in life or had no children. But these facts alone are not proof. Additional signs can help."

[2] "How To Find Out Who Your LGBTQ+ Ancestors Are", Our Culture Magazine, Jul. 7, 2021; Michael J. Leclerc, "5 Tips for Finding Your LGBTQ+ Ancestors," Ancestry Blog, Ancestry.com, Oct. 7, 2020; Mary McKee, "How to trace LGBT ancestors," FindMyPast Blog, FindMyPast, Feb. 3, 2022; Alex Madison, "Queer Ancestors Project to unveil anthology," Bay Area Reporter, May 16, 2018. MacEntee suggests gaining an understanding of gay history in the U.S., LGBTQ subcultre, gayborhoods, occupations offering clues, use FAN Club approach (tracing Friends, Associates and Neighbors of the person in question), recognize that there were marriages of convenience, and provides many resources on pages 9 to 10. As a word of caution, he uses the word "transgendered", which is wrong. As Vox points out, "the umbrella term for people who identify with a gender different than the one assigned to them at birth is "transgender" or "trans." These words are adjectives, not nouns. Additionally, the word "transgendered" is offensive to trans people and unnecessarily confusing." Also of note is "Northampton LGBT ancestor Anna de Naucaze’s story intrigues, inspires" in The Rainbow Times. There's also the inane question (and discussion) posed on /r/Genealogy in January 2018 about the ethics of documenting a deceased ancestor as LGBT, with people responding that you need "some incontrovertible proof" to say someone is gay, emphasizing "documented evidence", explain reasoning and document conclusions, and saying it would be a "touching tribute". The worst were those who sneered they don't document anyone's sexual preference (why?) and arguing that it should be kept secret if the deceased person wanted something secret (a pretty absolutist view).

[3] This includes Queer cowboys : and other erotic male friendships in nineteenth-century American literature by Chris Packard (more about him here) and Women / men = Femmes / hombres : erotic poetry with William Packard as an author as noted in this search, here, and on his Wikipedia page.There may even be Packards within the Digital Transgender Archive, although I haven't looked at the results in depth yet.

[4] There's also a page on the National Trust for Historic Preservation on LGBT history, along with an AARP article entitled "LGBTQ Is a Growing Market for Travel Industry", Trans Oral History Project, and LGBTQ pages on Wikipedia which could be helpful like

"List of LGBT rights activists", "LGBT tourism", "List of LGBT writers", "LGBT history", "Timeline of LGBT history", "LGBT nobility and royalty", "History of gay men in the United States", "Bisexuality in the United States", "Drag queen", "List of LGBT awareness periods", "Queer erasure", "History of same-sex unions", "History of transgender people in the United States", "Transgender legal history in the United States", "List of LGBT actions in the United States prior to the Stonewall riots", "History of violence against LGBT people in the United States", "LGBT historic places in the United States", "Timeline of same-sex marriage in the United States", and "Intersex rights in the United States" to name a few.

[5] William Blumfield, "High School Students Stand up for Truth in Play with Lesbian Character", The Good Men Project, Jan. 28, 2017; Ellanora Lerner, "Centering My Queer Ancestors' Stories", Jewish Women's Archive, Feb. 21, 2020; "LGBTQ+ Hall of Ancestors", Honey Arts Therapy, accessed Sept. 27, 2022; Sarah Ngu, "In Search of Queer Ancestors", Asian Americans Writers' Workshop, Dec. 4, 2019; Javy Rodriguez, "How This Gay Couple Honored Their Ancestors at Their Brooklyn Wedding", Out magazine, Nov. 8, 2020; "Stories of Our LGBTQ Ancestors: Dr. Amber Starbuck and Mabel Stevens", Northampton Center for the Arts, May 3, 2019; Cynthia Laird, "News Briefs: Learn about LGBTQ roots at genealogy class", Bay Area Reporter, Jun. 20, 2018; Tat Bellamy-Walker, "How the Black queer community is re-imagining the family tree", NBC News, Feb. 16, 2022; "Want to learn more about your LGBTQ ancestors and others who flew under the genealogical radar? New series shows you how", Cincinnati Public Radio, Oct. 18, 2021; Bob Vitale, "Uncover the lost LGBTQ branches of your family tree", Columbus Monthly, Sept. 16, 2021; "LGBTQ Genealogy – Inclusive Family Trees", House Elves Anonymous, Nov. 19, 2020. Also see LGBTQ history posts from the UK National Archives from March 2008 to February 2022, Jacob Ogles' "15 Gay Romances of the Renaissance Era" in Advocate magazine, Miss Rosen's "The Pleasures of Gay Life in 1950s Fire Island" in Blind magazine, and "LGBTQ+ History Research at the Archives & Library of the Ohio History Connection" at Ohio History Connection.

Note: This was originally posted on June 12, 2023 on the main Packed with Packards WordPress blog (it can also be found on the Wayback Machine here). My research is still ongoing, so some conclusions in this piece may change in the future.

© 2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.