#Nez Perce pack

[eucyon]

The Nez Perce pack of Yellowstone started with 6 wolves captured and relocated to Wyoming from Canada in 1996. The pack initially had trouble adjusting to the move with several escapes from the acclimation pens and multiple livestock depredations (cause for the offending wolf to be shot). Eventually the pack began to thrive, reaching its peak in 2002 with a total of 20 wolves. The Nez Perce wolves were led for seven years by two brothers (70M and 72M) and a female (48F) until all three of them passed in 2005 and the pack subsequently dissolved.

[dear-indies]

Hello! I'm looking for FCs that can fit a character that is tough, gruff and seems like they would only respond in one word sentences. I'm open to any gender and ethnicity, just need some help finding FCs that fit the quiet but tough vibe. thank you in advance!

Eric Bogosian (1953) Armenian.

Emilio Rivera (1961) Mexican.

Michelle Yeoh (1962) Chinese Malaysian.

Benjamin Bratt (1963) Peruvian [Quechua] / White.

Ming Na Wen (1963) Macanese / Malaysian Chinese.

Peter Dinklage (1969) - has achondroplasia.

Park Hee Soon (1970) Korean.

Clemens Schick (1972)

Andrew Lincoln (1973)

Daniel Wu (1974) Hongkonger.

Omar Metwally (1974) Egyptian / Dutch - has spoken up for Palestine!

Ito Hideaki (1975) Japanese.

Pedro Pascal (1975) White Chilean.

Chaske Spencer (1975) Yankton Dakota Sioux, Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota Sioux, Lakota Sioux Nakoda Sioux, Nez Perce, Cherokee, Muscogee, White.

Nonso Anozie (1978) Igbo Nigerian.

Natasha Lyonne (1979) Ashkenazi Jewish.

JD Pardo (1980) Argentinian / Salvadoran.

Krysten Ritter (1981)

Alberto Guerra (1981) Cuban.

Dichen Lachman (1982) Nepalese Tibetan / German, English, some Scottish.

Riz Ahmed (1982) Pakistani - has spoken up for Palestine!

Brian Tyree Henry (1982) African-American.

Son Suk Ku (1983) Korean.

Cara Gee (1983) Ojibwe

Clayton Cardenas (1984) Mexican, some Filipino.

Asia Kate Dillon (1984) Ashkenazi Jewish / Unspecified - non-binary and pansexual (they/them) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Richard Cabral (1984) Mexican.

Jessica Matten (1985) Red River Metis of Cree and Saulteaux descent, Chinese, White.

Martin Sensmeier (1985) Tlingit, Koyukon, Eyak, White.

Rahul Kohli (1985) Punjabi Indian - has spoken up for Palestine!

Oliver Jackson-Cohen (1986) Egyptian Jewish and Tunisian Jewish / English.

Sonoya Mizuno (1986) Japanese / English, Argentinian.

Monica Raymund (1986) Afro-Domincan / English, Ashkenazi Jewish -is bisexual.

Deepika Padukone (1986) Konkani Indian.

Kyle Gallner (1986)

Kali Reis (1986) Wampanoag, Nipmuc, Cherokee, Cape Verdean - is two-spirit (she/her) and queer.

Michaela Coel (1987) Ghanaian - is aromantic - doesn't have social media but in 2022 she boycotted an Isr*el-sponsored film festival!

Lewis Tan (1987) Chinese Singaporean / Irish, possibly English.

Rob Raco (1989)

Daniel Kaluuya (1989) Ugandan.

David Castañeda (1989) Mexican.

Úrsula Corberó (1989)

JuJu Chan (1989) Hongkonger.

Hannah John-Kamen (1989) Nigerian / Norwegian.

Assad Zaman (1990) Pakistani.

Kiowa Gordon (1990) Hualapai and White - has spoken up for Palestine!

Sarah Kameela Impey (1991) Indo-Guyanese / British.

Kasamatsu Sho (1992) Japanese.

Hari Nef (1992) Ashkenazi Jewish - is a trans woman - has spoken up for Palestine!

Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs (1993) Mohawk - is queer.

Freddy Carter (1993) - has spoken up for Palestine!

Alex Høgh Andersen (1994)

Gabriel Basso (1994)

Ayo Edebiri (1995) Afro Barbadian / Nigerian - is queer.

Ambika Mod (1995) Indian.

Emilio Sakraya (1996) Moroccan / Serbian.

Tati Gabrielle (1996) African-American, 1/4 Korean.

Archie Renaux (1997) Punjabi Indian and British.

Lizeth Selene (1999) Mexican [Unspecified Indigenous, Black, White] - is genderfluid and queer (she/they).

Zoe Terakes (2000) Greek Australian - is trans masc non-binary guy (they/he) - has spoken up for Palestine!

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (2001) Ojibwe, Cree, Chinese Guyanese, Afro Guyanese, White.

Here you go! If you /tagged/NAME search on my blog you'll find gif packs with the vibes and please let me know if you need more preferably with a specific age rage!

[willowsallen]

Hi riley I hope your day is awesome! I'm planning to commission a rather large pack from someone both to help them and also the indigenous community with resources. Do you have a list of Indigenous faces that you'd both love to have over 1k+ pack wise and also has the material to achieve that?

ok sooooo....... i'm loving this!!!! love to see indigenous faces everywhere. so, besides kiowa gordon in dark winds (what i just answered last) here are some faces i think deserve way more (and tbh i don't know if all can reach 1k but they deserve to be mentioned regardless!!!). i also put '!!!' next to my faves, but seriously all of these are perfect choices! the rpc would be so grateful. and and AND these are not all of my favorites, just those that don't have as many resources compared to other "popular" indigenous faces.

grace dove (secwepemc)

alaqua cox (menominee, mohican)

willow allen (inuit) !!!

anna lambe (inuit)

cara gee (ojibwe)

tanaya beatty (da'naxda'xw, himalayan)

morgan holmstrom (metis of cree, filipino)

martin sensmeier (tlingit, koyukon, eyak, white) !!!

luciane buchanan (tongan, white)

jana schmieding (lakota sioux) !!!

paulina alexis (nakota sioux) !!!

lily gladstone (blackfoot, nez perce, white)

ashley callingbull (cree) !!!

ellyn jade (ojibwe, taino, afro-jamaican, white) + two-spirit

dove clarke (blackfoot, black) + nonbinary

madeleine madden (eastern arrernte, kalkadoon, cadigal, bundjalung, white)

alyssa wapanatâhk (plains cree, white)

blu hunt (oglala lakota, apache, white) !!!

[bigaladventures]

Days 23-25: Grand Teton National Park ⛰️💕

Day 23 - Saturday, September 24 - Bradley & Taggart Lakes Hike, camping at Jenny Lake

I woke up with the sun on Saturday filled with anticipation for my first day in Grand Teton National Park. After the prior afternoon admiring the striking mountains from afar, I was eager for a closer look, and to learn more about the geology and the history of the area.

My first stop was at one of the park’s primary visitor centers, where I was able to get much of the information I was looking for. 

I learned that the Teton Range is the youngest mountain range in the Rocky Mountains, formed by many earthquakes along the Teton fault and a combination of volcanic activity, oceanic reefs and receding tides, and glacial movement. The evidence of people populating the area dates back ~11,000 years to the recession of glaciers at the end of the ice age.

When Europeans arrived the tribes included Shoshone, Bannock. Blackfoot, Crow, Flathead, Gros Ventre, and Nez Perce. In addition to being an important source of food and materials, the mountains were of great spiritual significance to the American Indians, who the US government pushed off of their traditional lands. Another reminder of the painful history that put me in a position enjoy this majestic place.

I also spoke with a very nice park ranger who helped me plan my hikes and also practice using my bear spray (with an empty can of course!). Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks are home to grizzlies as well as black bears. (By the way, if you don’t already carry bear spray in bear country I highly encourage you to do so! Not only will it help you feel more adventurous and secure going deeper into nature, but it also is 90% effective at deterring an attack and can save your life and the life of the bear.)

After the visitor center (which had a beautiful view behind it, pictured above)I headed out for my first hike, a 6 mile loop around Bradley and Taggart Lakes. Wind was minimal on the lakes and the lighting was just right create a glassy surface for perfect reflections.

Upon the completion of my hike, I headed further north towards Jenny Lake, where I had reserved a campsite on the last night this very popular campground was open for the season. Many of the national parks book up far in advance for the more peak seasons, so I had to be diligent about checking for cancellations - and fortunately luck was on my side. My campsite was pretty private given its great proximity to the bathrooms and its amazing location within a quick 3 minute walk to a peaceful lakeshore spot.

After setting up camp, I headed down to the rocky lakeshore to practice yoga and meditate on a fairly flat rock. I found so much inner peace stretching, sitting, and breathing to the sound of the crystal blue lake lapping the rocks beneath a setting sun. Even after having spent many more weeks on the road, this moment on Jenny Lake ranks as one of the main highlights of my trip to date. (Play the video below with sound on for the full effect!)

Knowing that I would need to pack up my campsite before departing for a very big hike the following day, I made dinner and turned in early to get a good night’s rest. I also set up a new set of LED string lights that made my campsite feel so much more homey (and easier to find in the dark!).

Day 24 - Sunday, September 25 - Hiking to Lake Solitude, camping at Signal Mountain

I woke up just in time to scurry over to my meditation spot on Jenny Lake and witness the spectacular pink colored mountains as the sun rose.

It was hard to say goodbye to my special spot, but I had a big day ahead, so I packed up my campsite and waited in line for the first shuttle boat across Jenny Lake (there was a rainbow in the wake!) to start my journey into Cascade Canyon, a 10 mi hike, with the option to add an additional 6 miles to glacial Lake Solitude. 

Fairly early on in the hike, as I turned a corner near entering the canyon, I heard a rustling in the bushes. My heart beating more quickly, I stopped in my tracks, and then heard what I thought for sure would be the first bear I met in the park, say “I’m not a bear!” - I replied, now laughing, “or you’re a lying talking bear!”

It turned out that this not-a-bear was a human from Nebraska named Andrew, who became my hiking buddy for the day and my inspiration to trek all the way to Lake Solitude! 

I am so glad that Andrew and I met for so many reasons — we were both nomadic adventurers who share similar passions for personal growth, spiritual exploration, human connection and nature (Andrew, if you are reading this, you are so awesome!).

And if we hadn’t met, I almost certainly wouldn’t have had the motivation to complete the trek to Solitude, a route that turned out to deliver absolutely breathtaking views along the way and a destination well worth the effort. I only wish we had had more time at the lake, as it was such an incredibly beautiful spot to rest and meditate, and it was warm enough outside to swim (unfortunately I didn’t come prepared for that!).

It was very helpful to have a friend who enjoyed deep conversation to share this hike with, as it was surely challenging and very long - I clocked 16+ miles in the end (and Andrew gets extra credit because he didn’t take the boat shuttle in the morning so he did the full 19 miles!). After meeting a very cute Pika on the way down (finally! I saw one! and boy was it cute!), we made it back to the parking lot and said goodbye as the sun set and light was fading. 

This would be my first evening setting up camp in the dark! Fortunately I have multiple lights (an inflatable solar powered lamp, very handy, as well as a headlamp, my string lights, and a fan that doubles as a light as well) and setting up / taking down camp had become second nature to me at that point, so it was an easy process. Needless to say after 16 miles of hiking, I was very ready for a good night’s sleep! 

Day 25 - Monday, September 26 - Easy exploring in Grand Teton, arriving in Yellowstone and visiting West Thumb Geyser Basin

After the huge hike to Lake Solitude I was ready for a more restful day. In the morning I made coffee and breakfast and watched the sun rise over Jackson Lake by my campground. It was another dazzling vista, with the intrigue of cloud cover coming and going over the course of the hour or so I was sitting there. 

But it was also a view colored by the realities of a warming world and the drought-stricken west: Jackson Lake is a reservoir feeding irrigation for neighboring agricultural region in Idaho, and while it’s normal for water levels to lower over the course of the summer, the past few years of extremely dry weather have led to significant draining of the lake. 

By mid morning I was ready to pack up camp and continue exploring the more northern parts of Grand Teton while I made my way towards the border of neighboring Yellowstone. I found many peaceful spots to sit and explore new perspectives — the banks of the snake river at Oxbow Bend, and the meadows of Willow Flats were two particular highlights of the day. At Oxbow Bend I saw two bald eagles, and in the Willow Flats I tried shifting my perspective by laying on the ground to take a plants-eye-view of the Tetons! 

Upon entering Yellowstone, I stopped by my campground at Lewis Lake to set up and get some recommendations from the campground ranger. Turned out that I had enough remaining daylight to check out West Thumb, my first geyser basin.

I arrived just as the sun was setting, and my breath was truly taken away. I really had no idea what to expect from Yellowstone, which I subsequently learned much more about. Yellowstone is a Caldera, a concave plateau located atop a super volcano capable of massive eruptions, one of a small number globally. The only volcanic site I had ever seen was a mudpot area in Lassen Volcanic National Park, which is a mini representation of what you’ll find in the mesmerizing Yellowstone. 

The glow of the setting sun made my time in West Thumb truly magical. I took my time meandering along the wooden boardwalk from fountaining geysers, to colorful hot springs, to steaming fumaroles, to bubbling paint pots. 

I left West Thumb bubbling like a geyser with excitement to wake up early the next morning and explore more of Yellowstone, the first national park, home of thousands of bison, bears, wolves and many other animals and plants, a truly unique national treasure 🥹 ♨️ 🦬 💕

[denimbex1986]

'While Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” brilliantly captures the ethical dilemma surrounding nuclear weaponry, the film overlooks the ensuing devastation caused by Hanford’s lethal nuclear byproducts. Hanford is, in fact, only given a movie-mention one time in the three hour epic, and that’s simply not enough. From 1944 up to the Cold War’s conclusion in 1991, Hanford provided over 60% of the plutonium for the country’s nuclear weapons program, sufficient for several tens of thousands of arms in the US nuclear stockpile.

The history behind the Hanford site is absolutely terrifying. Even more horrific is the contamination risk left behind and still growing. Today, Hanford, Washington, only 35 miles from the Oregon border, is considered to be the most toxic site in the US.

Before the 1940s and the grim reality of the Second World War, life near a bend of the expanse of the Columbia River was rather idyllic. Folks in the communities of White Bluffs and Hanford, Washington grew peaches, grapes, and wheat. They raised sheep, cattle, and their families in the high desert land. Long before this, the arid plain was the traditional winter home for several Native American tribes, who to this day maintain treaty rights to hunt and fish along the river.

Enter The Manhattan Project

Everything surrounding nuclear research in the late 1930s was the most heavily guarded clandestine secret of the era. Little was known about the deadly effects of splitting a minuscule atom, but the US military was determined to find out via research they code-named the Manhattan Project. More specifically, the race to produce the world’s first nuclear weapon. Conjecture turned to fact and Hanford’s fate was sealed in 1940 when the first particles of Plutonium were created. Specifically, the isotope plutonium-239 is what the military was after.

Physicists at the then top-secret labs in Los Alamos, New Mexico already had plans drawn up for a nuclear bomb they dubbed the “Fat Man” due to its bulbous structure. It was a plutonium-based weapon, while its cousin “Little Boy” was uranium-based. Both were life-ending.

Uranium is needed to produce plutonium, its mother-element, so to speak, and massive quantities of refined plutonium-239 would be needed in the race to produce a war-ending bomb. In that era, the mere existence of element 94 was taboo. Classified documents of the time referred to plutonium with the code words “49” or “product.”

The Columbia River Site of Hanford was Selected in 1943

In February 1943, the US government forcibly seized 670 square miles of desert in southeast Washington. They did this by “condemning” the land just north of Richland, WA that encompassed the small towns of Hanford and White Bluffs. Not dissimilar to events in Oregon’s Scoggins Valley 30 years later, residents were given the ultimatum to pack up and move within 30-90 days.

Their homes were torn down and fruit orchards pulled up by the roots. Even the dead were forced to leave; their bodies were exhumed from the town cemetery and reburied in nearby Prosser. The Army broke the Treaty of 1855, informing the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakima Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Nez Perce Tribe, and Wanapum that their hunting and fishing rights would be restricted and eventually revoked.

What were once thriving small communities in rural America were effectively wiped off the map.

The project brought an influx of residents to the area, with Richland’s population soaring from fewer than 300 to more than 11,000 people. Workers were not informed of what they would be building or why. At that time “aiding the war effort” was enough of an explanation. Patriotism was high while jobs were scarce. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” was the enforced mentality at the Hanford Site. Until the first bomb was dropped on Japan, people performed their jobs never knowing what they were actually building.

Hanford, Washington Became Home to the World’s First Production-Scale Nuclear Reactor

Only a select few elites knew the truth of what was being built in Washington State. The general public would have no inkling for another two years.

Manufacturer DuPont began advertising for workers in newspapers for an unspecified “war construction project” in southeastern Washington, offering an “attractive scale of wages” and cozy living facilities. Before the war ended in 1945, The Hanford Engineer Works successfully constructed 554 buildings, three nuclear reactors, and three 820 ft. plutonium processing canyons. The project required 386 miles of roads, 158 miles of railway, four electrical substations, and 780,000 cubic yards of concrete.

Construction of the B Reactor began in August 1943 and was completed on September 13, 1944. The reactor produced Hanford’s first plutonium on November 6, 1944. The 1.5 lbs. of paste-like material was packed into a lead box and sent by car to Portland, Oregon, where it went on by passenger train to Los Angeles. From there it was picked up by a US Army officer from Los Alamos. The man was never informed that he was guarding a payload of highly radioactive substance.

By April 1945, shipments of plutonium were headed to Los Alamos every five days.

Plutonium Produced at Hanford Was Used in The First Nuclear Weapon, and Eventually in the Bomb Dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, August 9, 1945.

On July 16, 1945, in a remote desert location near Alamogordo, New Mexico, the Trinity Test commenced, powered by the plutonium from Hanford, Washington. It was the world’s first detonated nuke, creating an enormous mushroom cloud some 40,000 feet high and ushering in the new Atomic Age. As physicist Robert Oppenheimer watched the bomb go off, he disconcertingly thought, “I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”

On August 6, 1945, the uranium bomb “Little Boy” was dropped over Hiroshima, Japan, taking between 90,000 and 146,000 human lives with it. Three days later “Fat Man” packed with its load of Hanford-produced plutonium detonated over Nagasaki, killing an additional 39,000 to 80,000 people over the next four months.

In 2010, Robert Alvarez, a former Energy Department official, said enough plutonium was buried at Hanford to create 1,800 bombs the size of what was detonated on Nagasaki.

After WWII Hanford Still Continues to Poison

Production of weapons-grade plutonium never ceased at the Hanford Site, even after the war officially ended. Realizing new threats from Soviet-era Russia, manufacturing continued under the Atomic Energy Commission to produce a total of 57 tons of the grayish metallic substance. This was enough to arm the majority of the 60,000 weapons in the U.S. arsenal.

Individually, the nine reactors at the site possessed a life expectancy of 22 years. Decommissioning began in 1963 and was largely completed in 1987 with the shut down of “N”, the last reactor still in operation. Since then, most of the Hanford, Washington reactors have been entombed (or “cocooned”) to allow the radioactive materials to decay, and the surrounding structures have been removed and buried.

Unfortunately shutting down anything nuclear does not equal “safe”. The ecological nightmare of 56 million gallons of toxic waste at Hanford is a bleak reminder of this reality.

Signs of Hanford’s impact on the environment were noticeable as early as 1960, when a 55-foot whale, killed off the coast of Oregon, was radiating gamma rays. Scientists suspected it had eaten irradiated plankton contaminated from waste products that had floated down the Columbia River into the sea.

In 1989, the Tri-Party Agreement was signed by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and the Washington State Department of Ecology to clean up Hanford’s mess.

In April 2021 an Underground Hanford Storage Tank Was Discovered to be Leaking Radioactive Liquid Into the Ground.

As reported by The Oregonian earlier this year, tank B-109 is seeping some of its 123,000 gallons of radioactive waste into Central Washington land. The giant tank was constructed during the Manhattan Project and received waste from Hanford operations between 1946 to 1976. Not only does this spell trouble for our northern neighbor, but things could also quickly turn ugly for Oregon and Idaho.

In a disturbing new article by literary journal Virginia Quarterly Review, author Lois Parshley writes in extreme detail about the danger levels still present at the site.

60% of Hanford, Washington Employees Have Reported Toxic Exposure and High Cancer Rates

The article also caught the attention of The Oregonian. Douglas Perry breaks down some highlights of the VQR article in his October 2021 piece, citing the “growing risks to entire Northwest region”.

Hanford technician Abe Garza is interviewed by the VQR. “Shortly after he arrived at the worksite, [Garza’s] nose started bleeding, and wouldn’t stop,” Parshley writes. “Another crew member complained of a terrible headache. A third said he could smell something like onions. (Previous chemical exposures at work had destroyed Garza’s ability to smell.) Garza knew right away something had gone wrong, but it was already too late: A potentially lethal cloud of chemicals was sweeping over them.” Garza was later diagnosed with heavy-metal poisoning — as well as toxic encephalopathy, a dementia-like condition that often proves fatal.

Garza was performing a routine inspection of the site’s holding tanks in 2015. “The amount of high-level waste currently in just one of Hanford’s 177 tanks would cover a football field to a depth of one foot. More than a third of the single-shell tanks have already leaked. One of the double-shell tanks, into which waste was moved after concerns over leaks, has also failed. In late April of 2021, news broke about a new leak in one of the single-shell tanks, which is estimated to be spilling nearly 1,300 gallons a year.”

An astonishing 60% of Hanford, Washington employees have reported some level of toxic exposure. More terrifying is the amount of radioactive waste and gas, seeping into the groundwater and contaminating the very air.

A 2002 study found that Native American children from the Hanford area have “an extremely elevated risk of immune diseases.” Cancer is also exceptionally prevalent among residents of the area.

What Can Be Done? Namely, What is the US Government Doing to Facilitate the Cleanup Process at Hanford?

The Hanford Site is roughly 230 miles from Portland and a scant 35 miles from the Oregon border. Our state has a tremendous stake in what continues to happen in efforts to clean up Hanford’s disastrous mess.

In a 2019 report, the Department of Energy extended its timeline for cleaning up Hanford’s radioactive sludge until 2100.

Faced with rising costs, the US DOE announced that it would redefine what constitutes “high-level radioactive waste” under federal law, which would allow it to leave additional waste in place, rather than transferring it to safer, long-term storage. The DOE estimates that this relabeling could save the agency between $73 and $210 billion. When applied to Hanford, Washington, it would allow the tanks holding nuclear waste to be filled with concrete and left where they are, after which the DOE has promised a 100-year-long monitoring period.

A century of monitoring might seem like enough, but the timeline of nuclear contamination is measured on a much different scale. Even after the monitoring period, some of Hanford’s waste will still be radioactive.

Tom Carpenter is the executive director of HanfordChallenge.org, a group that aims to “create a future for the Hanford Nuclear Site that secures human health and safety, advances accountability, and promotes a sustainable environmental legacy.”

“If you inhale strontium-90,” says Carpenter, referring to a radioactive particle widely found around Hanford, “and it kills you, and you’re buried in the ground, those radionuclides will persist around your grave.” He added: “They can get into food supplies again. They essentially never go away.”

One thing the release of Oppenheimer has done for Hanford is renew public interest in tours. The B-Reactor Tour remains the crowd favorite, yet the Manhattan Project tour also merits a visit. This tour delves into the indigenous narratives, settler tales, and the histories of both Hanford and White Bluffs.

Consider taking a virtual tour at Hanford.gov...or book an in-person tour: manhattanprojectbreactor.hanford.gov.'

[jasonhackwith]

My review of Magpie and the Spellcaster, by Kelly (Opie) Benscoter

MY REVIEW: ●●●●●●ʘ | (7/7)

FULL DISCLOSURE: I am the designer and publisher of this book (through my business, Firewind Productions). I'm also a good friend of the author. Yes, I'm quite biased, but speaking as a lifelong lover of fantasy (especially fantasy involving animals), I really think you will enjoy this one.

Magpie and the Spellcaster is an action-packed foray into the world of talking animals in the tradition of Brian Jacques' Redwall and Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. Opie grew up on the Nez Perce Reservation near Lapwai, Idaho and was inspired by Nez Perce creation stories and the animals that frequently occupied them. In this first book of the Flights of the Magpie series, for example, Coyote plays an advisory role to the central protagonist Magpie, who is a guardian of his forest and the animals who live there.

Opie's dialogue is very thoughtful and contains all kinds of gems that will have you grinning and laughing out loud at times, while dealing honestly with very real pathos and tragedy as it comes. Without spoiling anything, I'll tell you that the animals of the forest come together in a way that reminds me very much of some of the best battle scenes from Brian Jacques' books, punctuated with a wholesome resolution that feels just a little bit like Aesop's Fables and sets up the characters for further adventures in the series.

Filled with Jon Dawley's quirky and engaging illustrations, Magpie and the Spellcaster is also peppered with really great original poems about some of the animals of the forest as well as wry glimpses into Opie's sometimes slightly twisted sense of humor. The end result is enormously entertaining and I highly recommend it!

View all my reviews on GoodReads.com

[rentreadbuy]

5 Underrated But Splendid Books Every Bibliophile Must Try!

It is very rightly said that it takes time to understand good books and people. Also, there is an idiom, “Do not judge a book by its cover.” It is because something may not look like what it is. This majorly suits books as people can often be deceiving. Many books have been underrated for some reason but deserve to be read by everyone, especially bibliophiles. Therefore, when you are buying books for rent, you must consider a few of them.

Gladly Rent These Books Online!

When renting books online, you may consider the following as well:

With This Heart by R.S. Grey

“With This Heart” depicts a story about second chances at life, with a message of living life to the fullest. It showcases life, discovering love, self-searching, learning to live and to let go and eventually finding love.

The Dying Grass: A Novel of the Nez Perce War by William T. Vollmann

Vollmann sketches the fighting retreat of the Nez Perce Indians, with back references to the Civil War. Packed with many striking characters on both parties of the conflict, the author added another feather to his cap through this impressive story.

The Emigrants by W.G. Sebald, Michael Hulse (Translator)

The Emigrants has four sections, each registering a man’s life who no longer lives in his motherland, men who, in the dusk of their lives, can find no peace with the past or happiness in the present. Each story of the book reads like a personal description, a close encounter between the narrator and his public.

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

This is a classic and memorable story of valour and romance. The Blue Castle is perfect for the lover of classic books for teens, escapist fiction, chaste teen romance books, and wholesome writing and plot.

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

The first-person narrative of Wildwood Dancing, which takes place in early 16th-century Transylvania and follows five young sisters from the ages of five to seventeen, is written from the perspective of Jenica (also known as “Jena”), the second sister.

Summing Up!

Whether looking for books for rental in Noida or anywhere across the country, RRB should be your perfect choice. Besides, it has many known and unknown pieces of writing you wouldn’t regret reading. From the genre you want to the author, you can rent any book on this platform. Furthermore, the services offered here make it much more exciting and desirable. Therefore, buy books on rent on RentReadBuy to get not only amazing friends in the form of books but also its never-to-miss discounts and services! Remember to visit its official site to learn more about it.

[sisterofthewolves]

Article from a publication from International Wolf Center, spring 2002. 

[katherine-mcnamara]

ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ  LILY GLADSTONE GIF PACK  ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ  

By clicking on the source link at the bottom of this post you will be able to access #324 gifs that are 270x180 in size of the loml from Room 104 4x10. These gifs were all made by me from scratch, for roleplaying purposes. Please don’t repost into gifsets/gif hunts or claim as your own. Please reblog if using. Hope y’all enjoy!  If you enjoy my gifs consider tipping me on ko-fi or donating to an indigenous cause, gofundme, or creator.

Lily is Aamsskáápipikani Blackfoot, Kainai Blackfoot, Nez Perce, and Scottish. Please cast her appropriately or don’t use my gifs.

[rotanawrites]

Morningstar Angeline Gif Pack

Click this link to find a download link for #31 gifs of actress, model, and filmmaker Morningstar Angeline. She is Nez Perce, Shoshone, Blackfoot, Navajo, Chippewa Cree / Mexican, Unspecified White, so cast her respectfully.

These fit tasksweekly tasks: #172: Nez Perce, #118: Shoshone, #055: The Navajo, #015: Indigenous Peoples Of The Americas, #066: Blackfoot Confederacy, #075: Mexico, and #003: Gifs

These were made as part of The Great Tasksweekly Catch Up. You can find all of those resources on my blog under /tagged/tgtwcu

[wanderingchance]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/09/salmon-future-us-dams

Hey friends, I haven’t really done this before but there is a serious problem with a clear and feasible solution.

With the current talks of infrastructure, we may be able to save salmon from going extinct in the Northwest if enough voices are raised.

I wrote and emailed the following message to Washington and Oregon state Senators, and if you have a spare minute please do the same and share this post. To make it easier I’ll even include a list of their emails at the bottom.

Dear Senators,

During talks of infrastructure spending I would like to draw your attention to a single action that would leave a significant impact for generations to come.

Along the Snake River are a series of eight dams that have turned the cold rushing waters that the majority of salmon in the northwest rely upon for spawning migration into fatally stagnant hot water of which only 1% can get through (according to Trout Unlimited, a conservation non-profit organization). The salmon will go extinct unless urgent action is taken. American Rivers listed the Snake as the country’s most endangered river, citing the dams, along with the climate crisis and poor water quality, as its biggest threats.

By removing four of the dams, Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite, we would relieve the pressure point these tightly packed dams create and have “an impact that can be undone in a single stroke that is acknowledged to be very likely to have a major effect” (David Montgomery, author of King of Fish: The Thousand-Year Run of Salmon). The outcome of recent dam removals on the Elwha River in Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula is proof that dam removal works, the salmon there have rebounded even faster than scientists initially predicted.

These fish are the central component in the way of life for the Nez Perce tribe, a main staple for the orca whale population, and an important component of the ecological web of the northwest. Without restoring their habitat we lose much more than the salmon, and the time to act is growing slimmer.

We are also in a time where moving to renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar are paramount. Energy Strategies, a company serving power producers and governments throughout North America, conducted the study on behalf of a coalition of conservation and consumer advocacy organizations called the NorthWest Energy Coalition.

The study found that the four dams aren’t necessary to power the region, since the electricity they generate could just as easily be supplied by a mix of renewable energy, efficiency and demand management. This transition would come with a monthly cost increase of just $1.25 per household.

This single change will leave a legacy that countless people and animals will benefit from, keep the river cool and productive during climate change, and move us further into alignment with our goal of a sustainable future. Thank you for your time and consideration, I hope you are as moved as I was when discovering this information and make it a priority when discussing our needs for infrastructure renewal.

andy.billig@leg.wa.gov john.braun@leg.wa.gov sharon.brown@leg.wa.gov reuven.carlyle@leg.wa.gov annette.cleveland@leg.wa.gov steve.conway@leg.wa.gov j.darneille@leg.wa.gov mona.das@leg.wa.gov manka.dhingra@leg.wa.gov Perry.Dozier@leg.wa.gov doug.ericksen@leg.wa.gov phil.fortunato@leg.wa.gov david.frockt@leg.wa.gov chris.gildon@leg.wa.gov bob.hasegawa@leg.wa.gov brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov steve.hobbs@leg.wa.gov jeff.holy@leg.wa.gov jim.honeyford@leg.wa.gov sam.hunt@leg.wa.gov karen.keiser@leg.wa.gov curtis.king@leg.wa.gov patty.kuderer@leg.wa.gov marko.liias@leg.wa.gov liz.lovelett@leg.wa.gov jim.mccune@leg.wa.gov mark.mullet@leg.wa.gov ron.muzzall@leg.wa.gov joe.nguyen@leg.wa.gov T'wina.Nobles@leg.wa.gov mike.padden@leg.wa.gov jamie.pedersen@leg.wa.gov emily.randall@leg.wa.gov ann.rivers@leg.wa.gov june.robinson@leg.wa.gov christine.rolfes@leg.wa.gov rebecca.saldana@leg.wa.gov jesse.salomon@leg.wa.gov mark.schoesler@leg.wa.gov timothy.sheldon@leg.wa.gov shelly.short@leg.wa.gov derek.stanford@leg.wa.gov kevin.vandewege@leg.wa.gov keith.wagoner@leg.wa.gov judith.warnick@leg.wa.gov lisa.wellman@leg.wa.gov claire.wilson@leg.wa.gov Jeff.Wilson@leg.wa.gov lynda.wilson@leg.wa.gov Sen.dickanderson@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.leebeyer@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.brianboquist@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.ginnyburdick@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.petercourtney@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.michaeldembrow@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.lynnfindley@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.lewfrederick@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.saragelser@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.fredgirod@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.jeffgolden@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.chrisgorsek@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.billhansell@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.dallasheard@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.kaysejama@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.betsyjohnson@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.billkennemer@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.timknopp@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.katelieber@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.dennislinthicum@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.jamesmanning@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.debpatterson@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.chuckriley@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.artrobinson@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.elizabethsteinerhayward@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.kathleentaylor@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.kimthatcher@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.chuckthompson@oregonlegislature.gov Sen.robwagner@oregonlegislature.gov

[imagine-organization-xiii]

Organization members as horse breeds?

I was a magic-obsessed kid and I never really went through a horse phase, so i had to actual legit research on this. I got my info from a lot of sources: here, here, here, and here.

oOoOo

Xemnas - Thoroughbred - the most popular racing horse in North America with its deep chest and lean body. Known as a ‘hot-blooded horse,’ which means it’s known for its agility, speed, and spirit. A competitive horse, but it is also a popular companion animal.

Xigbar - Quarter Horse - arguably the most popular breed in the US, the quarter horse is the fastest breed of horse over short distances. They are used for companions and pleasure riding, as well as for barrel racing and racing.

Xaldin - Percheron - Originating from France, this is one of the more popular of the larger horses because it is used to mix breeds and because of it’s elegant look. The largest horse on earth when he was alive was a percheron named Dr. Le Gear, who reached a height of 2.13 meters.

Vexen - Dutch Warmblood - known as one of the most intelligent breeds in the world, the Dutch Warmblood is a sport horse that is normally used as a recreational and competitive horse. It’s known for its temperament and reliability.

Lexaeus - Clydesdale - one of the more famous breeds, clydesdales have a unique coloring with large white ‘socks’ and extensive feathering. Gentle in nature and used primarily for hauling, they have become worldwide famous through Budweiser ads.

Zexion - Morgan Horse - Compact, brave and agreeable, they are best known for versatility. Small in stature but big in heart, they are used today as a riding horse and driving horses and excel in the western and saddle seat disciplines.

Saix - Mustang - Originally Colonial Spanish horses and descended from once-domestic horses, Mustangs are now a feral breed. They are surefooted, have great endurance, and are used for a variety of purposes depending on their breeding.

Axel - Appaloosa - Developed by the Nez Perce Native American tribe in the Pacific Northwest, they are best known for their colorful spotted coat pattern.They are tough, independent, hardy and sure-footed, with big bodies and sparse manes and tails.

Demyx - Arabian - the oldest horse breed registry in the world with its lineage going back as far as 3000 BC. Most other horse breeds can trace their ancestry back to the Arabian. It’s a rather spirited breed, but also loving and loyal.

Luxord - Andalusian - This Spanish breed originated in the Iberian Peninsula and was first recognized as a breed in the 15th century. It was known for its prowess as a war horse and prized by nobility. With long, thick manes and tails, the Andalusian is strong, compact and elegant.

Marluxia - Tennessee Walker - a gaited breed of horse that was developed in the Southern United States during the 18th century for use on farms and plantations. Its smooth gaits make it comfortable for riding long distances, so it was the mount of choice for many Civil War generals.

Larxene - Haflinger - small horses that are versatile enough to be both ridden and driven. They're known for their golden coloring and white manes and tails. They take on many different disciplines today, from Western dressage to eventing to driving and more.

Roxas - Shetland Pony - a Scottish breed of pony with a heavy coat and short legs. They are strong despite their size, and are used for riding, driving, and pack purposes.

Xion - Falabella - one of the smallest breeds of horses in the world, considered to be intelligent and easily trainable. They are considered to be a show and companion breed, and can only be ridden by small children.

[tasksweekly]

[TASK 169: COMANCHE]

In celebration of November being Native American Heritage Month, here’s a masterlist below compiled of over 90+ Comanche faceclaims categorised by gender with their occupation and ethnicity denoted if there was a reliable source. The Comanche are a Native American and Native Mexican tribe who historically have lived in a region they call “Comancheria”, which encompasses the US states of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas and the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The majority of Comanche now live in Oklahoma or Texas. If you want an extra challenge use random.org to pick a random number! Of course everything listed below are just suggestions and you can pick whichever faceclaim or whichever project you desire.

Any questions can be sent here and all tutorials have been linked below the cut for ease of access! REMEMBER to tag your resources with #TASKSWEEKLY and we will reblog them onto the main! This task can be tagged with whatever you want but if you want us to see it please be sure that our tag is the first five tags, @ mention us or send us a messaging linking us to your post!

THE TASK - scroll down for FC’s!

STEP 1: Decide on a FC you wish to create resources for! You can always do more than one but who are you starting with? There are links to masterlists you can use in order to find them and if you want help, just send us a message and we can pick one for you at random!

STEP 2: Pick what you want to create! You can obviously do more than one thing, but what do you want to start off with? Screencaps, RP icons, GIF packs, masterlists, PNG’s, fancasts, alternative FC’s - LITERALLY anything you desire!

STEP 3: Look back on tasks that we have created previously for tutorials on the thing you are creating unless you have whatever it is you are doing mastered - then of course feel free to just get on and do it. :)

STEP 4: Upload and tag with #TASKSWEEKLY! If you didn’t use your own screencaps/images make sure to credit where you got them from as we will not reblog packs which do not credit caps or original gifs from the original maker.

THINGS YOU CAN MAKE FOR THIS TASK -  examples are linked!

Stumped for ideas? Maybe make a masterlist or graphic of your favourite faceclaims. A masterlist of names. Plot ideas or screencaps from a music video preformed by an artist. Masterlist of quotes and lyrics that can be used for starters, thread titles or tags. Guides on culture and customs.

Screencaps

RP icons [of all sizes]

Gif Pack [maybe gif icons if you wish]

PNG packs

Manips

Dash Icons

Character Aesthetics

PSD’s

XCF’s

Graphic Templates - can be chara header, promo, border or background PSD’s!

FC Masterlists - underused, with resources, without resources!

FC Help - could be related, family templates, alternatives.

Written Guides.

and whatever else you can think of / make!

MASTERLIST!

F:

Raven De La Croix (1947) Comanche / French - actress.

Karita Coffey (1947) Comanche - ceramist.

Yolanda Martinez (1950) Comanche, Apache, Spanish - singer, drummer, composer, and artist.

Gigi Bannister (1960) Comanche / Osage - actress and makeup artist.

Teri Greeves (1970) Comanche, Kiowa / Italian - beadwork artist.

Keri Ataumbi (1971) Comanche, Kiowa / Italian - painter, sculptor, and jewelry maker.

Shiah Luna (1984) Comanche / Mexican - actress.

Amber Stevens / Amber Stevens West (1986) Comanche, African-American / Irish, Norwegian, German, English, Dutch, Scottish, Welsh - actress and model.

Billie D. Merritt (1990) Comanche, Choctaw / African-American - actress.

Janee’ Kassanavoid (1995) Comanche - hammer thrower.

Marla Nauni (?) Comanche, Potawatomi / Seneca - actress, singer, and model.

Bernadette Perez (?) Comanche / Mexican [Purepecha, Spanish, Possibly Other] - actress, director, producer, and storyteller.

Chyna Rose Stevens (?) Comanche, African-American / Irish, Norwegian, German, English, Dutch, Scottish, Welsh - makeup artist.

Nina Hargis (?) Comanche - actress.

Andria Benet (?) Comanche / Coahuiltecan - musician, filmmaker, writer, poet, photographer, and curator.

Veronica Wood (?) Comanche, Kiowa / Irish, German - actress.

Apryl Allen (?) Comanche, Unspecified White - singer-songwriter, composer, playwright, and author.

Cece Meadows (?) Comanche / Yaqui - plus-sized model and makeup artist.

Liv The Artist / Olivia Simone Komahcheet (?) Comanche, Navajo - actress, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and graphic artist.

Juanita Pahdopony (?) Comanche - actress, poet, writer, and artist.

Dana Goodin (?) Comanche - podcast host, fashion designer, and writer.

Jhane Myers (?) Comanche, Blackfoot - actress, producer, dancer, and artist.

Bethany Dupoint (?) Comanche, Kiowa - model.

Ava Battese (?) Comanche, Potawatomi, Pawnee, Seminole - basketball player.

Julianna Brannum (?) Comanche - filmmaker.

Shauna Osborn (?) Comanche, Spanish, German - poet, artist, and wordsmith.

Kimi Greene (?) Comanche, Unspecified White - singer and blogger.

Terry Gomez (?) Comanche - actress, director, and playwright.

Wakeah Jhane (?) Comanche, Blackfoot / Kiowa - artist.

Laurena Killsnight (?) Comanche, Nez Perce - actress, artist, and writer.

Ginny Underwood (?) Comanche, Kiowa - producer and writer.

Jessica Quoetone (?) Comanche, Kiowa - basketball player.

Cynthia Canada (?) Comanche, Kiowa - painter.

Toyacoyah Brown (?) Comanche - writer.

Cynthia Masterson (?) Comanche - artist.

Nahmi Koassechony-Burgess (?) Comanche, Chiricahua Apache - softball player.

J. Nicole Hatfield (?) Comanche, Kiowa - painter.

Blaize Burgess (?) Comanche, Shawnee / African-American - basketball player.

Carmen Selam (?) Comanche, Yakama - artist.

Cynthia Clay (?) Comanche / Unknown - artist.

M:

Rance Hood (1941) Comanche - artist. 

Gil Birmingham (1953) Comanche - actor.

Micki Free (1955) Comanche, Cherokee, Irish - singer-songwriter, guitarist, flutist, and harmonicist.

Raoul Trujillo (1955) Comanche, Tlaxcalan, Metis, Ute, Apache, Pueblo, Andalusian Moor, Sephardi Jewish, French - actor, director, dancer, and choreographer.

Benjamin Dane (1962) Comanche / Blackfoot - actor.

Jonathan Joss (1965) Comanche, Western Apache, Spanish - actor.

Rodrick Pocowatchit (1966) Comanche, Pawnee, Shawnee - actor and filmmaker.

Quanah Parker Burgess (1975) Comanche - artist.

Comanche Boy / George Tahdooahnippah (1978) Comanche, Choctaw - boxer.

Rudy Youngblood (1982) Comanche, Yaqui, Cree - actor, musician, dancer, and artist.

Thundercat / Stephen Lee Bruner (1984) 1/8 Comanche, 7/8 African-American - rapper-songwriter, singer, guitarist, keyboardist, drummer, and producer.

DJ ELITE (1990) Comanche, French / Irish - DJ, producer, and audio engineer.

Chance Comanche (1996) Comanche, Choctaw, African-American, Irish, Scottish - basketball player.

Phillip Bread (1998) Comanche, Blackfoot / Kiowa - actor and model.

Marco Fuller (?) Comanche, Choctaw, German / Colombian - actor.

Darryl Tonemah (?) Comanche, Kiowa, Tuscarora - actor and singer-songwriter.

Hud Oberly (?) Comanche, Osage, Caddo - actor and filmmaker.

Jason Asenap (?) Comanche / Muskogee - actor, director, and writer.

Duane Loken (?) Comanche - actor and singer.

Cornel Pewewardy (?) Comanche, Kiowa - singer-songwriter and flutist.

Sy Hoahwah (?) Comanche / Southern Arapaho - author and poet.

Randy Granger (?) Comanche, Apache, Mayan, Tequesta, Tłı̨chǫ, Alaskan Athabaskan, Unspecified Non-Native - singer-songwriter and flutist.

Jason Lawton (?) Comanche - actor and producer.

Timothy Tate Nevaquaya (?) Comanche, Yuchi / Chickasaw, Choctaw - flutist and visual artist.

Glass Eden (?) Comanche, Mescalero Apache - singer.

Alan Odinson (?) Comanche - archer.

David Lopezz the Double Letta / David Lopezz (?) Comanche / Raramuri - rapper.

Chief Sonne Reyna (?) Mexican [Comanche, Yaqui, Apache, Comecrudo, Coahuiltecan] - singer and drummer.

King Keeno (?) Comanche - rapper.

Joe Galarza (?) Mexican [Comanche, Possibly Other] - musician, instrument maker, painter, muralist, and sculptor.

Aaron Adson (?) Comanche / Pawnee - singer.

Sunrise Tippeconnie (?) Comanche, Navajo - filmmaker.

Lans Saupitty (?) Comanche - singer.

Tyler Martinez (?) Comanche, Navajo, Chiricahua Apache - actor, stuntman, equestrian, and artist.

Kenneth Cozad (?) Comanche, Kiowa - musician.

Benny Tahmahkera Jr. (?) Comanche - actor.

John Robert Jr. (?) Comanche, Unspecified White - actor.

Robbie Mitchell (?) Comanche, Unspecified Other - model (instagram: nativepapi_47).

GP Handman / Rahim Asad Shakur (?) Comanche, Afro-Jamaican - rapper (instagram: famerica_handman).

Paul Chaat Smith (?) Comanche / Choctaw - author and curator.

Steven A. Flores (?) Comanche / Mexican - actor and artist.

Raymond Love (?) Comanche, Irish - filmmaker.

Arch W. Gibson (?) Comanche - writer. 

Eric Tippeconnic (?) Comanche - painter.

Shinali Robbie R. Daniels (?) Comanche - singer.

Nocona Burgess (?) Comanche - painter.

Phillip Roybal (?) Comanche, Kiowa, Caddo - mixed martial artist.

Larry Hood (?) Comanche - artist. 

Barthell Little Chief (?) Comanche - artist. 

Tim Saupitty (?) Comanche - artist.

NB:

Peshawn Bread (1996) Comanche, Blackfoot / Kiowa - Two-Spirit (They/Them/She) - actor, model, filmmaker, and poet.

Raven Two Feathers (?) Comanche, Cayuga, Cherokee, Seneca - Two-Spirit (They/Them/Their’s) - filmmaker.

Problematic:

Hozhoni Whitecloud (2001) Comanche, Omaha, Otoe, Ho-Chunk, Plains Cree, Lakota Sioux, Menominee, Muskogee, Arikara - model. - Cultural appropriation.

[greenjourneyseeds]

Seed List 2020

The following varieties are now available freshly packed for 2020. Amaranth, Chinese Giant Orange Amaranthus sp. 100 seeds Amaranth, Love Lies Bleeding Amaranthus caudatus 200 seeds Ashwagandha (Indian Ginseng) Withania somnifera 40 seeds Balloon Flower (Jie-geng) Platycodon grandiflorus 50 seeds Balsam, Garden Impatiens balsamina 75 seeds Bean, Nez Perce heirloom dry Phaseolus vulgaris 25 seeds Beebalm, Wild purple Monarda fistulosa 40 seeds Calendula Mix Calendula officinalis 50 seeds California Poppy Eschscholzia californica 200 seeds China Aster Mix Callistephus chinensis 50 seeds Cockscomb, red Celosia cristata 40 seeds Cowslip Primula veris 25 seeds Echinacea (Purple Coneflower) Echinacea purpurea 40 seeds Farewell to Spring Clarkia amoena 50 seeds Holy Basil (Rama Tulsi) Ocimum sanctum 100 seeds Marigold Mix, China Cat singles Tagetes patula 50 seeds Mexican Sunflower Tithonia rotundifolia 30 seeds Morning Glory, Kniola’s Purple-black heirloom Ipomea purpurea 20 seeds Motherwort Leonurus cardiaca 100 seeds Nasturtium Mix Tropaeolum majus 20 seeds Painted Poppy Mix Papaver somniferum 300 seeds Shirley Poppy Mix Papaver rhoeas 200 seeds Skullcap, Barbed Scutellaria barbata 75 seeds Strawflower Mix, Giant Helichrysum bracteatum monstrosum 75 seeds Sunflower Mix, Amber Eye Helianthus annuus 50 seeds Sweet Pea, Bi-colored fragrant Lathyrus odoratus 20 seeds Tobacco, ‘Perique’ smoking Nicotiana tabacum 100 seeds Toothache Plant Spilanthes oleracea 40 seeds Zinnia, Peruvian Zinnia peruviana 25 seeds

[hipsofsteel]

bro you gotta tell me more about chris

Gladly! The dad man is important to me. And so, we meet…

Christopher “Chris” Lewis Joseph, personification of Eastern Oregon/Nyo!Oregon

Credit to crikadelic, who will not be tagged in this post for reasons.

Physical Description

At 5′10, with dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a slightly olive skin tone, Chris is a very good looking man. He’s got well trimmed facial hair that can be a bit scruffy and thin, but he maintains it well. He’s well muscled from his work as a cattle rancher, and general farmwork. He is half Nez Perce (Nimiipuu) and half English, born in the area of present day Joseph, Oregon in 1806, and celebrates his birthday on February 14th.

Chris’s face claim is model Julian Schratter. He has no voice claims at the moment.

Personality

Christopher and Beverly were cut from the same cloth in some respects. Controlling either of them is nearly impossible. He’s a force of nature when he wants to be, stubborn and insistent and nearly impossible to be forced to do something he refuses to do. He’s as free-spirited and wild as he wants to be.

At the same time, he shows a remarkable degree of caution and thoughtful behavior that his twin sister tends to lack. If not caught in an urgent situation or in his own whirlwind of passions, he approaches things with well-thought out responses and is a calm and collected and highly intelligent man. He’s a great person to go to for advice.

He’s also very attached to those he forms close relationships with, either as family or friends. He’ll always have his twin sister’s back, and anyone who finds themselves in the position of being “adopted” as his child has just gained an ally and parental figure who will love them and defend them endlessly. Although, dispute it as he does, he does have a favorite child (Adam).

Sexuality and Gender

Behold, the one and only heterosexual cisgender OC I’ve made for my States. Chris is an incredible ally however, who openly supports all his friends and family.

Also, his type of women is as follows, so I promise you can trust him.

And he means it.

Religion

Chris has a personally styled fusion between Christianity and the indigenous religions he was raised around on the Columbian Plateau. He is not really big on explaining his faith as it’s a deeply personal and conflicting matter even for himself, so I don’t have much more to say than that for him. However, one of his two most irreplaceable objects he owns is a copy of Henry Harmon Spalding’s translation of the Book of Matthew into Nez Perce. Take from that what you will.

Employment

Chris has previously made his living as a farmer and for a brief while as a blacksmith, but nowadays, he owns a cattle range and is a full-time rancher, with a large range area in Central/Eastern Oregon. He also raises horses on the side, both as a secondary income and to continue traditions of horse breeding he was raised in with the Nez Perce.

Pets

I’ll try to keep this brief, but Chris has seven animals he considers close pets/his long lifespan has affected theirs, so I’ll divide it into sections.

Dogs

Zip and Lucky

Zip is Chris’s working dog, a purebred blue heeler who knows how to move a cow herd as well as he knows that when Chris puts on dark and clean pants, he’s leaving the house for meetings (sadness) and when he puts on less nice “farm” pants, they’re working stock that day (happiness!)

Lucky is based on Rincon, the dog owned by Chris’s faceclaim. Lucky is a beloved pet mutt and gets to come with Chris and Zip to work cattle, although his main job is to sit and stay since he has zero Cow Sense.

Horses

Jackrabbit, Strawberry, Juniper, and Celilo

Is Chris a dog or cat person? Neither, he’s a horse person (followed by dogs).

Jackrabbit is Chris’s horse he’s had the longest, serving as Chris’s warhorse during his youth. He’s one of the fastest horses any of the western states own, and he’s very selective about who’s allowed to ride him (Christopher, Beverly, Adam, and Helen are the only people who can). He’s a wild tempered buckskin Nez Perce Horse stallion.

Strawberry is a red roan Appaloosa that Chris has had nearly as long as he’s had Jackrabbit. She’s a gentle mare and very good with people.

Juniper is a Kiger Mustang mare, slightly more testy than Strawberry, and more prone to being spooked, but she’s a good horse.

Celilo is a palomino American Quarter Horse gelding, bought to be a reliable pack-horse for Chris. He’s as gentle as Strawberry and loves people.

Jackrabbits

Little Lady or “Lady”

Once upon a time, Chris and Juniper accidentally spooked a mother jackrabbit into the claws of a hawk, and then nearly immediately found her babies. Chris raised the three kits and released them into the wild shortly afterwards, but Lady stuck around his house. She appears pretty reliably every year, and seems to have been affected by his long lifespan, so he gave her a name and treats her a bit more like a pet than anything else.

He loves to joke that Jackrabbit met an actual jackrabbit, and everyone around him glares at him.

Relationships with other States

Family first

Western Oregon/Oregon

Credit to crikadelic again.

Sometimes, your twin sister is a lumberjack lesbian (quite literally on both counts) with arms made of steel and one hell of a right hook. Also she’s way more liberal than you, and politically you get dragged along with whatever she wants.

Ironically, once upon a time, Beverly wasn’t the main personification of the Oregon Territory. It wasn’t until American settlement picked up that the power of the state swung to her. Before then, Christopher held most of the power, but this was also when the Oregon Territory including all of Washington, Idaho, parts of Montana and Wyoming, and since Chris was entirely east of the Cascades, well, it made sense that he held the upper hand. Only later as the size of the land they represented shrank did power trade hands.

As independent as Beverly is, and as willing to tell her twin to fuck off, they have a very close relationship. They tell each other off, and sparks fly between them quite often, with Beverly usually being the one to storm off while Chris remains a wall of a human being. But they’ll quietly make up out of sight later, and then be right back to joking around and teasing each other.

And when it comes to advice, Beverly has no closer confidant than her twin, and often shows him the vulnerability that no one else sees. They trust each other implicitly, knowing that despite their differences, they won’t lead the other astray. No one could ask for a better twin sister.

Eastern Washington/Nyo!Washington

Credit to ME! 

First off, he’s the one on the right, the one on the left is Idaho (we’ll get to him in a bit).

Adam Landes-Bush is the original cause of a radiation of dad energy that seeps from Christopher at pretty much every moment of every day. After retrieving Adam from the Whitman Mission shortly after the Whitman Massacre, Chris basically said “My weird looking white kid now” and ran with it.

He and Adam had to learn to live together fast with help from Helen, as Adam is mute, and Helen taught them both Plains Sign Talk. But Chris adored Adam and taught him how to shoot, hunt, ride, and accepted his limitations when he hit them. He did his best to give Adam a good life, even when it meant sending him away from impending war to live with Martha, who he barely knew then.

They remain close, sharing more culturally with each other and Idaho than they sometimes do with the western halves of their states. Chris was the first person Adam came out to, and the fact that Chris instantly accepted allowed him to embrace his identity as a gay man in a time that it was socially, at best, simply not talked about. Chris would and has killed to protect this boy, and would gladly do so again.

Western Washington/Washington

Credit to crikadelic

Martha, Adam’s younger sister, views Christopher as a father figure, and so, in turn, he’s a little nicer to her than he is to Beverly sometimes.

Christopher and Martha met at a crossroads in both their lives. Christopher had been involved in the Nez Perce War and come home feeling lost and alone. Beverly had taken off around the same time to run wild in the Southwest, leaving a still very young Martha to fend for herself and Clark, and now Adam. Martha was struggling to handle the load, and Christopher needed to find his place in this unfamiliar world, and fast.

They were able to cooperate quickly, Chris taking on the workload of the farm and helping with Clark, allowing Martha and Adam to start growing and learning the responsibilities they needed to run a state. And in exchange, Martha taught Chris how to read and write English, and helped him improve his skills in speaking the language. 

To this day, they haven’t forgotten this point in their lives, and tend to critique each other much more carefully than they critique the other halves of their states.

End of Family, onto other states

Idaho

Credit to crikadelic

Ah, Clark Ashley, who exists in the most interesting little place in Chris’s mind. He’s friends with this guy, almost a father figure, hell, helped raise the little twerp. At the same time, he’s made Adam cry before, so he could also wring his neck. 

Clark and Chris have a very good and amiable relationship in general, and enjoy the other’s company. Clark admires Chris a lot, and Chris views him like a much younger version of Beverly, carrying many of her same qualities of extreme stubbornness and rampant emotions, as much as Clark will say he’s nothing like her.

However, the root of Chris’s constant problems with Clark relies mainly on one fact. Clark’s internalized homophobia at himself that affects his and Adam’s relationship, which has swayed from deeply involved romance to barely tolerating being in the same room. When Clark and Adam get into spats with their push me, pull you, almost a relationship, Chris gets caught in the middle, and always takes Adam’s side in the fight. He’s tried to even discourage them from pursuing each other at times to end the constant back and forth, but it’s never worked.

However, as Clark’s started to accept himself in the 21st century, Chris has been the one person who’s been able to reassure him that , yes, for some crazy reason, Adam still likes you, and Chris thinks that this time, for real, Clark is unlearning the toxic culture he absorbed. So, he wishes that crazy kid lots of luck.

Southern California/California

Credit to crikadelic

To say Roberto and Christopher are antagonistic would be the nicest way of putting it. Despite pretty much being of equal levels of importance to Beverly in her family, they cannot tolerate each other.

Roberto blamed Christopher for some of the worst of Beverly’s behaviors in the 1870s and 1880s, and Christopher blamed Roberto for stifling Beverly so much that she hadn’t been able to emotionally mature. Both arguments had some validity, and yet, a divide in opinions had begun.

Nowadays, Chris and Roberto are mainly antagonistic on pure principle. Chris represents a part of Oregon that is noticeably more red, and Roberto represents 55 blue electoral college votes. Chris has been considerably affected by Californication (large real estate development projects generally seen as similar to those in California), and Roberto sees him as very set in the past and unable to move forward.

Let’s just say Beverly has to work out the holiday seating arrangements very carefully.

Montana

Credit to crikadelic

Helen Rankin has been a friend since Chris met her when the Nez Perce went to trade with the Crow. She taught him sign, became an unofficial mother figure to Adam, and, much later on, officially involved with Christopher himself (they dated from 1898 to 1927).

They’re close friends and allies still. Helen’s as strong as a mountain in more ways than one, and one of the few people who can sway Chris when he’s a storm of emotions. She can be just as stubborn as him, and yet he admires her just as she is, and she feels the same about him. She’s saved his ass so many times, and he’s saved hers a few himself. If they needed the other there, they’d be there in a heartbeat.

They also additionally have an “unofficial” daughter to accompany their unofficial son in Adam. I’ve been developing a Missoula, Montana OC (Mariah Welch), and she’s been heavily influenced by Chris over the years, and is about as damn close to him as Adam. 

A quick note

Before I move on to my next section, I have been tinkering with my canon in the last several months, after a friend who had allowed me to entwine my Statetalia canon very heavily with theirs ghosted me, and this has affected this character significantly.

Christopher had been involved with their Nyo!Texas in the modern day, with Helen as his best friend. However, no longer comfortable with using this person’s OCs, I have yet to decide if Chris and Helen have, in the last few years, rekindled their relationship, or if my own Texas OC, who is a woman and in the earliest stages of development, is in a romantic relationship with him. This is going to take a long while to decide for personal reasons, and I’m okay with that.

Other States-Brief Thoughts

Northern California/Nyo!California- Inexplicably, he likes Alejandra way more than Roberto. Probably because of their little side project for the independent state of Jefferson.

Kansas- Nowhere near as antagonistic as Beverly and Evelyn’s relationship. He will agree with Evelyn to a certain point, but then he has to start defending his sister. Anyhow, she’s cute.

Nebraska- Logan’s a decent guy to have a drink with, definitely would have been a good guy for Adam if Adam hadn’t been so focused on Clark. IF he and Helen don’t end up getting back together in canon, he’s lowkey pushing for Helen and Logan to get together.

New York- Literally irrelevant to him, why are you asking for an opinion on that jackass?

Texas- Absolutely one amazing, ass-kicking woman, with the gift of aim from the gods, a smoking hot body, and God, she could step on him frankly. (I reiterate, my Texas OC is in development and this is subject to change).

RANDOM FACTS

-Sniper man! Christopher has served as a sniper for several wars. The Nez Perce were noted marksmen during the Nez Perce War, and one of the US’s most noted snipers was from Eastern Oregon. 

-Additionally, Christopher has always served in the US Marine Corps when he’s been fighting for the US.

-He originally was given the same last name as Beverly, Joseph-Astor. He dropped Astor following the Nez Perce War as an act of protest.

-Chris has two “paired” names from when I created his character. Beverly’s middle name is Columbia, so Christopher and Columbia, after Christopher Columbus (something neither of them is very thrilled about nowadays), and his middle name of Lewis pairs with Idaho’s first name, Clark, in honor of that famous expedition.

-Has a knife that was from Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery as a trading item. It’s his second most irreplaceable object.

-Speaks Nez Perce (Niimi'ipuutímt), Chinook Jargon, Crow, Plains Sign Talk, ASL, Russian, German, Spanish, Basque, and English. 

-Has the most currently established tattoos out of any of my OCs.

[mypubliclands]

#NationalRecreationMonth: Hit the trail

During week two of National Recreation Month, take a hike in the vast wilderness. Did you know that this year is the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System? Perfect time for a visit! Find your next #trail adventure at blm.gov/visit, and check out some of our picks below!

Before heading out, be sure to pack sun protection, plenty of water and sunscreen. Summer temperatures could reach over 100 degrees Farenheit, so consume at least 1 gallon (4 liters) of water when you’re out in the heat. If possible try to get outside earlier in the day to avoid the hottest time of the day. 

Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area, Virginia

The Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area offers 13.4 miles of hiking trails, 7 miles of horseback riding trails and 6.6 miles of mountain biking trails. It is the site of 2 fishing ponds, (one of which is universally accessible), 800 acres of forest and meadows, environmental education programs, equestrian facilities, geocaching, and bird watching. 

This landscape mosaic contains a variety of terrains and vegetation types. These include gently sloping open meadows, mature hardwood forests along steep slopes and floodplains, and riparian areas, freshwater ponds and streams. Red and white oak, beech, sweet gum, Virginia pine, and persimmon, which are common sights in mid-Atlantic woodlands, appear throughout the forests at Meadowood. The ponds, streams and riparian areas at Meadowood host a wide variety of insects, fish and other wildlife.

Humbug Spires Wilderness Study Area, Montana

This 11,175-acre roadless area is located 26 miles south of Butte. Impressive granite outcroppings, part of the Boulder Batholith, rise 300-600 feet and provide outstanding rockclimbing opportunities, most of which range from 5.5 to 5.7 in difficulty, although routes to challenge all levels of ability are present. A three-mile (one way) trail starts at the parking area and winds along the creek through an old-growth forest, and then climbs a ridge and eventually reaches the “Wedge," one of the more prominent spires.

Recreation opportunities include horseback riding, hiking, rock climbing, photography, wildlife viewing, primitive camping and small stream fishing.

Nez Perce National Historic Trail, Idaho

The Nez Perce National Historic Trail passes through Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Wyoming. Added to the National Trails System in 1986, the Nez Perce National Historic Trail commemorates the flight of the Nez Perce Indians from their homeland in the Pacific Northwest to Canada to escape capture by the U.S. military. Using an indirect escape route as dictated by terrain and strategy, the Nez Perce passed through four states and traveled over 1,170 miles, from Wallowa Lake, Oregon, to the Bear Paw Battlefield near Chinook, Montana.