#Val Stanton

[knittergirl80]

My husband and I are still doing our Heartland rewatch. He has watched up through season 11, which we finished last night, but nothing beyond that. The only thing he knows about future seasons is that Ty dies and there are two more Katies.

When we were watching the show on vacation, he kept making jokes about how Val was the real hero of the show. He is still keeping it up. I know he's doing it because Lisa is one of my favorite characters, and he likes messing with me and making me laugh.

He has come up with a few ideas about Val that were really crazy so I suggested that he write a crack fic using them. I know he never will, but it's fun to joke about with him. Somehow, last night, he was starting a cult surrounding Val.

[confessions-heartland]

"Val was one of Heartland's funniest villains. They should bring her back - especially if she's still with Dan."

[heartlandtfln]

"(615): I saw this news story about two naked Satanists being arrested so I thought I should ask if you need bail money or pants"

[emotionaldashtoons]

If there was a Inside Out 3, what would it be like?

(Poster Edit by Me/App on Android: PixelLab)

Like we already got how Sadness and Joy were lost in the first movie, than Anxiety taking control in the second film, I think I the third should be about Riley is ready to go to college next Thursday, and then, nine new emotions appear to take over Riley's mind, the names would be Love, Courage, Surprise, Pride, Trust, Suspicion, Frustration, Shaudenfreude, and the dark emotion himself, Spite. The nine emotions cannot handle it when Riley develops a new crush onto the new boy and that's where things get serious when Spite takes the eight new emotions in his control and uses Love to make Riley's crush into love madness.

As Spite gets rid of our nine heroic emotions out of their jobs, it's up to Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, Anger, Anxiety, Envy, Ennui, and Embarrassment to save Headquarters and go through place to place in Riley's new developed mind, which is practically now a Mindtopia. And it means it'll be a lot more tricky.

Returning Voice Cast

Amy Poehler as Joy, Lewis Black as Anger, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, Bill Hader as Fear, Mindy Kaling as Disgust (YES YES YES! I'M BRINGING THEM BACK! RISE OF THE O.G.!), Maya Hawke as Anxiety, Ayo Edebiri as Envy, Adele Exarchopoulos as Ennui, Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment, Kensington Tallman as Riley Andersen, Diane Lane as Mom, Kyle MacLachlan as Dad, and Lilimar as Val Ortiz.

WHO WOULD CO-STAR IN INSIDE OUT 3?

Sophia Bush (Incredbles 2, Van Wilder) as Love, James Marsden (the X-Men, and Sonic The Hedgehog films) as Courage, Charlie Day, (The Super Mario Bros Movie, The LEGO Movie) as Surprise, Kristen Wiig (the Despicable Me and How To Train Your Dragon films, Bridesmaids) as Pride, Natasha Lyonne (Uncut Gems, DC League of Super Pets) as Frustration, Diego Luna (Andor, The Book of Life) as Trust, Aubrey Plaza (Scott Pilgrim VS The World, The To Do List) as Suspicion, Flula Borg (DCU's The Suicide Squad, Ralph Breaks The Internet) as Shaudenfreude, Nathan Fillion (DCU's Superman, Cars 3, Monsters University) as Spite,

Xolo Maridúena (DCU's Blue Beetle, Cobra Kai) as the new boy Riley has a crush on, Cameron Rivera, Dan Fogler (the Fantastic Beasts films, Fanboys) as Mind Councilman Mr. Chairman, J.K. Simmons (Spider-Man, Klaus) as The Mind Warden, Nicole Scherzinger (Moana, Men In Black 3) as Spite's Big Fan, Grey Griffin (Onward, Tuff Puppy) as Miss Leah, Edie McClurg (A Bug's Life, Planes Trains And Automobiles) as (the new voice of) Nostalgia, Yong Yea (Inside Out 2) as Lance Slashblade, Ron Funches (Trolls, Hoops, Noelle) as Bloofy, James Austin Johnson (Saturday Night Live) as Pouchy, Steve Purcell (Brave, Toy Story: That Time Forgot) as Deep Dark Secret, Jeff Pidgeon (Toy Story) as The Mind Receptionist, Eli Fucile (the Incredbles films) as Awe,

Paula Pell (Sisters, The Cat In The Hat) as Mom's Anger, Conrad Vernon (the Shrek, and Madagascar films) as the Mind Constructor, Flea (Toy Story 4, The Big Lebowski) as Mind Cop Jake, Sam Richardson (Werewolf Within, Ruby Gillman, Veep) as Mind Cop Sam, Frank Oz and Dave Goelz (The Muppets, Sesame Street) as Mind Cop Dave and Mind Cop Frank, John Ratzenberger (Toy Story, Cars, The Incredibles, Up, Coco) as Fritz, Paula Poundstone (Inside Out) as Forgetter Paula, Bobby Moynihan (IF, Hoppers, We Bare Bears) as Forgetter Bobby, and Angela Kinsey (The Office, Furry Vengence) as The College Advisor.

Crew

Directed by Kelsey Mann

Co-Directed by Bob Peterson

Screenplay by Josh Cooley, Meg LeFauve, and Andrew Stanton

Produced by Galyn Susman, p.g.a., & Jonas Rivera, p.g.a.

Executive Producers Pete Docter, Mark Nielsen, and Ross Stevenson

Story by Josh Cooley & Meg LeFauve

Music by Mick Giacchino

Director of Photography by Kim White and Patrick Lin

Edited by Catherine Apple

Production Designer Jason Deamer

Animation Supervisors Jerome Ranft and Conrad Vernon

Visual Effects Supervisor David Ryu

Casting by Natalie Lyon & Kevin Reher

\🟡🟡🟣🟡🟢🟡🟡🔴🟣🔵🟡🟡🟡/

What do you think about it?

It seems that I have creative ideas for it. And it also seems that director Kelsey Mann and Amy Poehler really want a third Inside Out, you guys can look up the new articles if you want. I'll see you soon.

[asoiaf-forum-rpg]

FACECLAIMS & ETHNITICITÉS

artist : darejani-artist

DEVONS-NOUS RESPECTER ABSOLUMENT LES ETHNICITÉS SUGGÉRÉES POUR LES GRANDES FAMILLES SUZERAINES ?

S'il est préférable de respecter les ethnicités suggérées pour chaque grande famille suzeraine du Royaume nous pouvons comprendre que dans un soucis de ressources, il soit parfois difficile de les respecter. 

Certes, dans un but de représentation (Westeros étant un monde vaste et riche), nous aimerions que le plus de gens puissent être représentés parmi les grandes familles du jeu. 

Ainsi, au moment de choisir votre personnage et la famille, nous vous demandons de faire un minimum d'effort avant de lui choisir une ethnicité différente de celle suggérée (auquel cas d'ailleurs, si une ethnicité différente est choisi, nous changerons alors l'ethnicité choisie par celle représentée, pour favoriser l'intégration de membres futurs et pour rester cohérent.e.s).

De plus, nous tenons à vous rappeler que nous jouons dans un univers fictif et que les ethnicités à proprement parler se compare différemment des nôtres (autant dire que même les ethnicités de Westeros sont fictives). Nous avons les Premiers Hommes, les andals, le style valyrien, les dorniens, les marchiens, les rhoynars, etc. Or, le métissage est donc forcément quelque chose de plus rependu qu'on peut le penser.

Prenons pour exemple le couple royal composé de Daeron II Targaryen et Mariah Martell. Heureux parents de quatre enfants, pourtant, leurs fils ne se ressemblent pas tous physiquement. 

Certains partagent les traits dorniens de leur mère, comme Baelor qui a, selon le lore officiel, des cheveux noirs de jais coupés courts, hérités de sa mère dornienne. Tandis que Maekar, quant à lui décrit comme un homme sévère, puissamment bâti, portant une barbe d'argent pâle parsemée d'or impeccablement taillée, partage le physique typiquement valyrien de la maison Targaryen. Nous souhaitons que cette diversité de physique soit conservée afin de conserver cette idée selon laquelle, puisque les héritiers de la maison Targaryen partagent de plus en plus de traits dorniens (qui, jusqu’à tout récemment étaient des ennemis de la couronne et du royaume), donne une certaine ‘’légitimité’’ aux prétentions de la Maison Feunoyr sur le Trône de Fer.

Idées de Faceclaims et des Ethnicités sur le forum

le Nord; (premières nations, métisses & blanc.he.s) suggestions faceclaims : tantoo cardinal, lily gladstone, janae collins, zahn mcclarnon, elizabeth frances, jacob seth lofland, glenn stanton, amber midthunder, dakota beavers, michelle thrush, harlan blayne kytwayhat, stormee kipp, jessica matten, william belleau, etc.

le Conflans; (blanc.he.s & au choix)

le Val; (noir.e,s, métisses & blanc.he.s)suggestions faceclaims : bethany antonia, phoebe campbell, angela bassett, wil johnson, kurt egyiawan, steve toussaint, john macmillan, nanna blondell, savannah steyn, theo nate, viola davis, lashana lynch, thuso mbedu, sheila atim, letitia wright, michaela coel, lupita nyong'o, nonso anozie, justice smith, regé-jean page, adjoa andoh, abbie hern,

les Terres de l'Ouest; (blanc.he.s, métisses & au choix)

les Îles de Fer; (blanc.he.s, métisses & au choix)

les Terres de la Couronne; (blanc.he.s, noir.e.s, métisses & au choix)

le Bief; (asiatiques, métisses & blanc.he.s) suggestions faceclaims : anna sawai, hiroyuki sanada, shinnosuke abe, takehiro hira, hiroto kanai, tadanobu asano, fumi nikaido, yuka kouri, moeka hoshi, takehiro hira, tokuma nishioka, yuki kura, jessica henwick

les Terres de l'Orage; (latins, métisses & blanc.he.s) suggestions faceclaims : pedro pascal, rosabell laurenti sellers, òscar jaenada, ishbel bautista, victor oliveira, michel brown, víctor clavijo, jorge antonio guerrero, cristian gamero, mabel cadena, benedetta porcaroli

Dorne; (arabes, indiens, noir.e.s., métisses, blanc.he.s & au choix) suggestions facelaims : mena massoud, marwan kenzari, navid negahban, meryem uzerli, halit ergenç, burak ozçivit, ugur günes, mehmet ali nuroglu, ekin türkmen, rami malek, indira varma, alexander siddig, keisha castle-hughes

Autres Régions (ex. : Tyrosh, Essos, etc.); (au choix)

[kwebtv]

Monsters at Work - Disney+ - July 7, 2021 - Present

Animated Fantasy (10 episodes to date)

Running Time: 22 - 24 minutes

Voice Stars:

Billy Crystal as Mike Wazowski

John Goodman as James P. "Sulley" Sullivan

Ben Feldman as Tylor Tuskmon

Mindy Kaling as Val Little

Henry Winkler as Fritz

Lucas Neff as Duncan P. Anderson

Alanna Ubach as Katherine "Cutter" Sterns

Recurring:

Bonnie Hunt as Ms. Flint

Curtis Armstrong as Mr. Crummyham

Jennifer Tilly as Celia Mae

Stephen Stanton as Needleman and Smitty

Christopher Swindle as Jeff Fungus

[mitchipedia]

My favorite movies of 2024 (third try posting, trying to correct egregious formatting errors)

Home for the Holidays (1996). Holly Hunter, a mid-30s single mother and museum curator, flies home to visit her family on Thanksgiving and finds her family is painfully weird, and she doesn’t fit in. But then everything clicks for her.

I saw this movie when it first came out and once or twice more in the late 90s, but not since then. This time, I had the insight that this is a coming-of-age movie about Holly Hunter’s character leaving her young adulthood behind her. By the end of the movie, she is no longer an adult trying to fit into her childhood home. She’s just an adult visiting her family.

The movie has great writing, direction by Jodie Foster, and is well-acted by a wonderful cast: In addition to Hunter, we have Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, pre-rehab Robert Downey Jr., Dylan McDermott, Geraldine Chaplin and middle-aged Steve Guttenberg.

I could do a scene-by-scene discussion of this movie. But I’ll stop here.

Tombstone (1993). Val Kilmer gets praise as Doc Holliday, and he deserves it, but also spare some praise for the late great Powers Boothe, who chews the scenery magnificently as the villainous Curly Bill Brocius.

Another main villain of the movie, Johnny Ringo, played by Michael Biehn, is a nihilist. Ringo hates himself and the world. Curly Bill loves the world and loves life and takes joy in cruelty.

In that way, Curly Bill is a lot like Spike from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

Wolfs (2024) George Clooney and Brad Pitt are two mob fixers called to cover up a crime scene. They are lone wolves, forced to work together. The ending is confusing at first, but I gathered later that this movie was intended as the first of two parts. And now, the second part will never be made because of a dispute with Apple. Still worth watching.

The Big Sleep (1946). Bogey, as detective Philip Marlowe, solves crimes and sparks with Lauren Bacall. The storyline of this movie is legendarily complicated and confusing; at one point, the director called author Raymond Chandler from the set to find out who committed one of the murders and Chandler responded lol idk.

The Fabelmans (2022). Supposedly a fictionalized autobiography by Stephen Spielberg, but he later said everything in it is true.

Interstellar (2014). Matthew McConaughey in spaaaaaaace. A rare movie where he does not say “alright alright alright.” Now I know where this meme comes from.

Fall Guy. Comedy-drama starring Ryan Gosling as a stuntman called on to do something involving solving a crime. I don’t remember the specifics, but I remember the movie was fun.

Batman Begins. I saw this one on a plane years ago and hated it. We watched it on the big TV in the living room in 2024, and I liked it. It turns out that watching a movie on a six-inch screen while slightly nauseated is not the best way to appreciate cinema.

White House Down. Die Hard in the White House starring Channing Tatum.

The Accountant. Ben Affleck is a forensic accountant and lethal mercenary. Ridiculous premise, but surprisingly good and occasionally even heartwarming.

Which reminds me: I forgot a book on my 2024 favorite books list: The Bezzle, by Cory Doctorow, the second in his Marty Hench series, which also features a hardboiled forensic accountant.

It turns out that “hardboiled forensic accountant” is a genre.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. 2024 Sequel to the popular Eddie Murphy movies of the 80s. It does what it says on the tin.

Farewell, My Lovely Robert Mitchum is Philip Marlowe in this 1975 movie with Charlotte Rampling, Sylvia Miles, Harry Dean Stanton, and Jack O’Halloran (most famous for Superman II) as Moose Malloy.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes. But not Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which didn’t click for me.

Road House. Jake Gyllenhaal beats people. Fun, great music and scenic Florida locations. You did not think remaking the bad 80s Patrick Swayze original would be a good idea, but you were wrong.

American Fiction. Comedy-drama about a Black, button-down professor fed up with woke culture who uses a pen name to write a super-woke fraudulent memoir and is caught up in a maelstrom when the book becomes a runaway bestseller.

I hate saying “woke,” but I can’t think of anything else here.

The trailer does a good job of capturing the movie’s intelligence and humor but does not capture the story’s surprising heart.

This is not an anti-woke movie, despite the premise. I would not recommend an anti-woke movie.

Mr. Holmes. Ian McKellen plays an aged Sherlock Holmes, struggling with dementia, living in the country, tending his bees and reconstructing the specifics of a case that drove him away from London and into retirement three decades before.

The Emperor’s New Clothes. What if Napoleon escaped from exile on St. Helena and returned to France to raise an army and reclaim his throne, but instead failed to contact his underground network of supporters and had to go undercover as a common grocer?

American Fiction and The Emperor’s New Clothes are testimonies to the value of committing to the bit. You take a slight premise — something that by rights should be nothing more than a Saturday Night Live skit — take it seriously, follow it through to its conclusion, and it can come out great.

Stage Door. 1937 comedy-drama starring Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou and, in a small role, Lucille Ball, about young struggling actresses living in a boarding house in New York.

The Maltese Falcon. Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade. I think I saw this only once before, on a little kitchen-table black-and-white TV around 1980. I missed so much. Much of the action is in the characters' faces and body language.

The Six Triple Eight. A Black Women’s Air Corps battalion during World War II is called on to sort millions of pieces of personal mail for soldiers. The mail has been stored in warehouses since the beginning of the war. The movie makes it clear that personal mail is not a luxury; it is essential to keeping up morale for soldiers and their families.

As one of the heroes notes, these women are fighting two wars, one against Hitler and another against flagrant white racism.

Kerry Washington gives a great performance as Captain Charity Adams, who commands the platoon with an erect spine and stentorian voice. Her goals are two-fold: To deliver on the mission of delivering the mail, and prove that Black women are up to the task. Her nemesis is General Halt, a fat, bald racist Southerner who seems to despise Adams and her battalion more than he hates Hitler. Halt is portrayed with delicious awfulness by Dean Norris from Breaking Bad. I could barely stand to look at him by the end of the movie.

Desk Set. Katharine Hepburn heads up the research department of a TV network and is threatened by Spencer Tracy, a consultant hired to bring in a computer. I was delighted to see that the computer in this 1952 movie behaved exactly like a 2024 LLM: give it a question in plain English and you get an answer that’s clear, credible and likely to be wrong. Spoiler for a 73-year-old movie: Tracy’s character explains at the end that the computer is not there to replace the researchers but to free the researchers up for more valuable work. This is exactly what AI companies tell us here in 2024.

The set for the computer is brilliant — so many blinkenlights! The pieces of the computer, including the blinkenlights panel, were later used in the movie and TV show Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. This computer is my mental ideal of how computers ought to look.

Woman of the Year. Hepburn and Tracy again. There were a couple of moderately racist gags in the beginning that threw me off for a bit, and I never quite recovered because Tracy’s character is a dishrag. Still, it makes my favorites list because of the snappy dialogue and cinematography and because it’s Hepburn and Tracy.

His Girl Friday. Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in a heartwarming romcom about two awful people who find true love with each other.

[icedskinnyvanilla]

Hi, could you share your experience studying forensic science? maybe elaborate on the material that's taught and laboratory work that you get to do? what do you plan on doing after finishing the degree? :)

-🦆

hi anon i love this question!! since i recently started i haven’t done that much but i can talk about some of the things i’m learning at the moment. we’ve covered a lot of topics like crime scene investigation, forensic bio, chem, and toxicology. we also learn about collecting and analyzing data, for example identifying unique fingerprint patterns under a microscope or analyzing blood spatter patterns to reconstruct the events of a crime scene. the lab work is def some of the most interesting things i’ve done! i’ve also been doing a lot of reading. i just finished the anatomy of violence by adrian raine, inside the criminal mind by stanton samenow, and am currently reading forensics by val mcdermid. the best advice i have for anyone interested in the subject is to read the works of professionals, they’re where i get most of my knowledge from. i’m still figuring out what i’d like to do after i finish my degree but ideally i’d be a crime scene investigator or forensic lab technician! hope this helps :)

[the-real-tc]

Bad Business Chapter 2: For Better

Author's Note: Thanks for all likes and re-blogs so far, everyone! I appreciate the encouragement. Here's the next installment. Things are still relatively calm, as you'll see. This time we have a small side plot involving what I'd call Heartland magic, you know, that not quite true-to-life horse-healing stuff that's nevertheless entertaining (or at least I hope it is). While it may seem like nothing much is happening in this chapter, I can tell you it's laying a foundation, so pay close attention.

Special thanks to tnwalk7rach for her help with this chapter as she provided invaluable information. Any inaccuracies are solely my fault, as creative liberties were taken.

***

Chapter 2: For Better

"I'm so glad to get that announcement out of the way," Amy sighed after making sure Lyndy was tucked in safely for the night. "It was driving me crazy keeping it a secret. As it is, I think Lisa and Lou were getting a little suspicious."

"I'm relieved to get it out of the way, too," Ty said in agreement.

"You're not planning to bubble-wrap me again this time, right?" Amy said to her husband as they prepared for bed.

"Uh... No," Ty said, a grin creeping up on his lips. "I think I'm over that 'super-over-protective' phase."

"Well, good!" Amy said while sliding under the bedsheets. "Because bubble-wrap spooks the horses."

"Does it, now?"

"Mm-hmm," Amy replied with a mock-serious nod, brushing her fingertips across his chest. "Noise-sensitive equines could be set back weeks just by being exposed to the stuff. Snap-crackle-pop! Instant horse trauma."

"Now you're sounding like an old Rice Krispies cereal commercial," Ty said, snuggling in close to Amy. He rested his chin against her shoulder and brought an arm over her belly.

"Ty..." Amy began slowly.

"Hmm?"

"How would you feel about it if I decided to ride during this pregnancy?"

Ty hesitated before answering, leading Amy to believe he was not thrilled with the idea. "I think... if your Ob/Gyn says the risks are minimal, then I think you should follow her advice," he finally answered.

"You didn't really answer my question," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"Be honest: would you or would you not be okay with it if I got the all-clear?"

Ty inhaled sharply. He knew Amy was not trying to bait him, but he felt cornered, nevertheless. "Amy, I will always have your safety and that of our baby as my highest concern. But I know I can't bubble-wrap you. I don't want to be that guy who dictates everything his wife does because he's too insecure. If you want to ride this time around, then go for it."

"Okay," she said. "I'll see what the doctor says when I go in for my check-up."

"All right," he said agreeably, but to Ty's ears, his wife did not sound as if she fully believed him.

***

"Have I told you lately how proud I am of you?"

After donning one of Jack's old shirts that she had claimed for sleepwear, Lisa looked at her husband over her shoulder with a quizzical expression. "No. Why do you ask?"

"Tonight," Jack said, moving to stand close behind her so he could place his hands on her shoulders. "You didn't make a peep about being the reason why Scott can take on Cassandra as full partner at the vet clinic."

"Why should I have? It was a group decision," Lisa said, trying to deflect any praise.

"Mm-hmm," Jack murmured, bringing his lips to her cheek. "And who was it that brought the clinic to the group's attention in the first place?"

"Well, I may have suggested it," Lisa conceded. "And though I voluntarily abstained from the final vote, the rest of them still had to unanimously choose to support Scott."

"That could not have been an easy task with Dan Hartfield being involved," Jack grunted, trying without success to hide his personal disdain for the man.

"Actually, Dan helped convince the others," Lisa said. "Some of them were concerned there was too much of a personal interest on my part since Ty is family, after all. I pointed out Ty has his own practice at Heartland with Amy apart from the clinic, and Dan mentioned how much Scott has done for all of us in the horse business in Hudson."

"Really," Jack said dubiously.

"Yes. And you'll never guess who seconded the motion."

"Who?"

"Val Stanton."

"I have to say I had my misgivings when Dan roped the two of you into this," Jack said with a shake of his head, "but I admit I was wrong in this case. This little investors' group has been doing a lot of good."

Lisa did not reply immediately, but simply gave a cold, abstract "Mm-hmm."

Jack instinctively interpreted her chilly response to mean she was thinking once again about Lanny and Paige. "I heard about the reward the group is offering in the Barick murder case," he said quietly, lowering his hands from Lisa's shoulders to encircle her about the waist. "Your idea again?"

"No. Tanner Gunn's idea," Lisa answered, turning now so she could wrap her own arms around his frame as she leaned into his chest. "It was an easy decision to put up the reward money. After all, Lanny was one of the original members of the investors' group... That poor family..."

"Yeah," Jack said, now rubbing a gentle circle into Lisa's back. "I sure hope someone out there can provide answers."

"Me, too," Lisa said with a soft sigh. "You should have heard Paige's family at the memorial and press conference today, Jack. It's been a year, but the pain there is still so raw."

"I tell you, if someone had done that to Marion, I wouldn't have rested until her killer was brought to justice," Jack said passionately. "As it is, losing her in that auto accident wasn't easy, either. But it was an accident. It was something I could come to terms with, even if it wasn't fair."

"That must have been a terrible time for you. For all of you," Lisa murmured. "I wish I had known you then. I wish I could have been there for you."

"I know. But you're here now, and I'm grateful."

"I wish I had been able to meet her," Lisa said wistfully as they separated and climbed into the bed. "I knew about her only vaguely, which is really a shame."

"The two of you would have got along very well," Jack declared.

"Really? You think?"

"Why, sure. You love horses. Marion loved horses. She would have liked the way you treat your animals and staff at Fairfield."

"Would she have liked me—with you?" Lisa asked. It was a question that occasionally occurred to her, but had never found an opportunity to broach the topic with Jack.

"Oh, I don't think that would have been a problem for her," Jack said dismissively, pulling the covers over them both.

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Having a step-mother younger than she was wouldn't have been strange?"

"'Strange'? Naw. She would have loved you, Lis. Where is this coming from all of a sudden?"

"Oh, I don't know. Just thoughts about family, I guess," Lisa said, lying back while Jack switched off his bedside lamp. "Amy's announcement... Things are going to be busy around here again with a new little person. I love my life with you and everyone else at Heartland. But sometimes, I wonder..."

"You wonder what it would be like if you'd had kids of your own," Jack said knowingly, inching nearer to her. Lisa slid readily into his arms, bringing her head to rest beneath his chin.

"Yeah," she whispered. "But then I think, if I had been able to carry the ones I lost to term, I think: I would want them to be exactly like the family I have, right now."

"Well, good," Jack said happily, kissing the top of her head. "Because I think if Marion had been able to choose the kind of woman to look after her children and grandchildren, she would have chosen someone exactly like you."

"Would she?"

"You love them as if they were your own," Jack said earnestly. "You've been able to do things for them I couldn't, and I'm not just talking about money."

"No?"

"All right, it's true you have spoiled them more than I ever could, but it goes beyond that. You're generous with your time, your advice, and your business expertise," Jack stated. "For example: If it wasn't for you, I might not have been convinced to let Lou have her Dude Ranch on the family property."

"And see how beautifully that turned out," Lisa said contentedly, instantly remembering a magical winter's night at that same Dude Ranch, cabins strung with bright lights, and the exchange of rings and vows.

"Yes, for the most part, you're right about that," Jack said with a soft chuckle, his mind also drifting back to the same winter's night, and the joys that followed since.

Sleep came easily to the happy couple, secure in each other's embrace.

***

Two Weeks Later

"So?"

"Dr. Hawthorn has given me the all-clear," Amy said as Ty opened the truck door for her. "She says everything looks good and it's okay for me to ride during the first trimester."

"That's good, Amy," Ty said, hoping he sounded genuine.

"It is," Amy said. "Now, are we ready to take on our latest client?"

"I think so," Ty said, as he started the truck.

"Great," Amy said with a smile while she buckled her seatbelt. "Because he's supposed to be arriving with his horses just after lunch."

Earlier that morning, Amy had received a call from a potential new client named Marvin Clancy about a case of foal rejection.

"Bring them to Heartland as soon as you can," Amy had advised. "My husband is a vet, so if there's something medically wrong with the mare, he can determine the issue. If it's something behavioural, I'll get to the bottom of it."

Now as the couple drove back home, they compared notes.

"Did you find out if it's a maiden mare?" Ty asked.

"No, but we can ask when Marvin arrives," said Amy.

"Okay," Ty said. "Is the mare showing any signs of aggression?"

"Fortunately, no," Amy answered. "Marvin told me she just won't let the little one suckle and seems to be fearful of it."

"Hmm," Ty murmured. "Could be a few things going on in this situation."

"Right," Amy said. "I can't wait for us to figure it out. We make a great team, Ty."

"I know," Ty said with a grin. "I love working with you at Heartland."

"I'm thinking it's probably still way too early for this foal to be weaned," said Amy, picking up their topic at hand.

"Yeah," Ty said. "I'm a little worried because it could be really difficult to find a surrogate on such short notice. If push comes to shove, we'll start a bottle-feeding regimen, obviously."

"You up for some late-night feedings, 'Dad'?" Amy teased.

"Practice for when Number Two arrives," Ty replied smartly, reaching over to rub Amy's belly.

"Good answer," Amy said, giggling at the ticklish sensation resulting from her husband's touch. "On a related note, I'm looking forward to having you as my birth partner this time around, Ty."

"What, your dad isn't your first choice? Didn't he do a good enough job last time?"

"Umm, let's not go there," Amy replied, rolling her eyes and laughing.

***

Due to the unusual circumstances of the mare's rejection of her foal, Marvin Clancy was obliged to trailer them separately.

"Sassy was not too pleased when I tried to transport little Windy with her," he explained. "I know it's best for the foal's first trailering to be with its mama, but mama wasn't having it."

"Well, you managed to get them both here," Ty said, "that's the important part. How old is Windy?"

"Six days old," Marvin answered.

"And have you started bottle-feeding him?" Amy asked.

"As soon as we noticed Sass wasn't feeding him," Marvin replied. "My wife and I have been in the stable pretty much since he was born, keeping an eye on things, getting him used to being around people. It's the first foal born on our farm, so it was a pretty big deal."

"So this is Sassy's first foal?" Amy asked of the Quarter Horse.

"No, it's her third," Marvin answered, "but the first she's had on my farm. I bought her two years ago from a friend. He said she'd had two before."

"Hm," Ty said reflectively. "And no indication she rejected the foals in those instances?"

"None at all," Marvin said, "which is why it's so concerning. I'd like to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible, obviously."

"Did Windy at least get some of the colostrum?" asked Ty, wanting to ensure the newborn had benefitted from the early nutrients and antibodies that first milk provided.

"Yeah, he suckled just fine the first two days," Marvin said. "But by day three, Sassy-girl started avoiding him and wouldn't let him feed."

"Okay, I'll do an examination of Sassy and run some tests to rule out a few things like mastitis or something more serious," Ty said.

"And if it's not something medical?" Marvin asked, sending a knowing glance in Amy's direction.

"Then I'll take over," Amy said. "For now, we'll keep up with the bottle-feeding routine. In the meantime, we should both try putting out some feelers into the community to see if there's a mare nearby that can come in as a nursemaid—as a last resort."

"All right," Marvin said with a hint of reluctance. "I'll try."

"Good," Amy said. "We all want what's best for these two, right?"

"For sure," Marvin said with a smile. "I'll call tomorrow to check in."

"Sounds good, Marvin," Ty said, shaking the man's hand. "We'll be in touch."

***

Next Day

"We can definitively rule out mastitis or any other problem affecting Sassy's mammary glands and milk production," Ty informed Marvin over the phone. "No indication of inflammation, swelling, ulcers, or tumors."

"Well, that's good, right?" Marvin asked.

"It's a good start," Ty acknowledged. "It means Sassy isn't rejecting Windy because she's experiencing pain or discomfort due to nursing."

"Okay, so what do we do next?"

"Well, we're continuing with bottle feeding, but Amy is going to turn them out into the paddock today and observe how they interact," Ty said. "Sometimes, horses don't like being cooped up in a stable. It could be Sassy just wants some space."

"But y'all are still handling Windy and getting him used to people, right?"

"Right, when we feed him," Ty replied.

"But nothing more?"

"What do you mean 'nothing more'?" Ty asked.

"I mean, I had hoped you and your animal-behaviour specialist wife would be more pro-active with the, y'know, the imprinting process," Marvin said, an edge of irritation creeping into his tone.

The concept of imprinting was not foreign to Ty, but it was one both he and Amy discouraged their clients from attempting too early on in a foal's development.

I don't even think I need Amy to diagnose what's up with Sassy and Windy, Ty thought ruefully. Marvin and his wife have probably been too hands-on with this poor foal, and his mama doesn't like it.

"Marvin, I'm sorry to disappoint you," Ty said as calmly as possible. "It's been our experience that over-handling a newborn foal can be detrimental to the bonds it's supposed to develop with its mother in those critical early days."

"Yeah, but this horse expert guy we follow on YouTube makes the point that the earlier you imprint on your horse, the easier he'll be to train up," Marvin argued. "He's a published author. Says de-sensitizing them early makes 'em more docile and more likely to trust humans."

Ty, not wanting to sound combative, said, "Mr. Clancy, I know there are plenty of people out there on the Internet with plenty of opinions, and I'm glad you're interested in doing what's best for Sassy and Windy, otherwise you wouldn't have brought them here, right?"

"That's right," Marvin said in agreement.

"So I'm asking you to trust me and my wife," Ty said. "There's still plenty of time to get Windy to 'trust humans', and my wife can even help you with that process. She's gentled wild horses; she knows what she's doing."

Marvin huffed, and grudgingly accepted Ty's request of trust. "Fine. But if Windy doesn't train up right, you know who I'm blaming."

***

"Well, I think we can draw a very strong conclusion about what the problem is with Sassy and Windy," Ty said, as Amy came down from the loft after putting Lyndy down for a nap.

"Oh?" she asked, fully curious.

"Yep," Ty said with a curt nod. "I spoke with Marvin just now, you know, to tell him there's nothing physically wrong with Sassy, and he mentioned he and his wife bought into the whole early imprinting thing with foals. They were apparently in there handling Windy as soon as he was born."

"Oh," Amy said. "That actually could explain a lot about why Sassy is rejecting Windy."

"Exactly," Ty said. "I mean, I don't blame him for doing what he thinks is best for his horses, but in this case, it's doing more harm than good."

"Well, the good news is we can probably fix the problem because we've caught it early. Windy is due for another feeding right about now, but when that's over, it will be time to turn them out."

"That's what I told Marvin you'd be doing," Ty said.

"And it needs to be done now more than ever," Amy added. "In fact, I think I'll turn Sassy out right away. It will give her space, and maybe it will give her time to miss her baby. Her mothering instincts don't just disappear overnight; we just need to help her remember them."

To Amy and Ty's disappointment, however, Sassy showed little interest in Windy by the afternoon. The foal's full stomach meant he was not inclined to want to suckle due to hunger, but he knew his mother's scent anyway, and craved her maternal closeness. Sassy wanted nothing of it. Every time the foal neared, she distanced herself from him. The window to get Windy nursing again naturally would be closing swiftly, and the pair of horse healers fretted this might be a rare case when they would have to accept defeat.

***

By the next morning, Amy wanted to persist in turning Windy out with the rest of the horses after each of his bottle feedings. She decided to hold off introducing any sort of dry feed for the time being, just to give the foal more time to observe the adults foraging so he would get the idea. Sassy persisted in her avoidance tactics.

When Georgie arrived home from school that afternoon, she went immediately to saddle Phoenix for a round of jumping practice. She noticed Amy watching the latest arrivals on her way from the stables.

"How are they doing?" the teen asked her aunt.

"No breakthroughs yet," Amy replied. "But at least we think we know what the trouble is."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"The owners were trying to do something with the foal called 'imprinting'," Amy explained. "In theory, it's supposed to help the foal become used to humans so it's easier to train later on, but instead it can really interfere with the natural bonds the baby is supposed to have with its mother if it's done too early or too aggressively. Since there's no medical reason for Sassy to be rejecting Windy, we think it's the over-handling by humans that's turned Sassy off from her own foal."

"Gee, that's too bad," Georgie said in sympathy. "Poor baby. I hope you guys can work it out."

"Me, too," Amy said with a sigh. "Anyway, I'll let you get to your practice."

"Thanks," Georgie said, snapping her helmet chinstrap and pulling it snug. Remi, upon seeing Georgie mount up, scampered from her spot on the porch to be closer to the action.

"Here comes your shadow," Amy said with a chuckle, giving the dog a quick rub around her furry jowls.

"Hi, girl," Georgie cooed. "Did you come to watch me practice? Good girl!"

Remi snuffled and gave her tail a few vigorous wags before settling down on the sidelines to take in Georgie's practice rounds. But before long, the dog wandered off towards the paddock, drawn to the pair of new horses. She yawned once with an extravagant stretch, and sat herself down next to Amy.

The dog and the human looked out upon a few of the permanent equine residents standing lazily in the paddock, grazing about. Windy the foal, having discovered other large animals not his own mother the previous day, would take a few tentative steps towards a strange horse, then suddenly prance off, as if playing a game of keep-away. The elder horses generally paid the foal no attention. His mother, though, avoided him at each playful approach, trotting off in a different direction each time he chanced to get near.

"Come on, Sassy," Amy said under her breath after observing this behaviour for close to an hour. "Take care of your baby. We stinky people aren't going to get in your way anymore."

Remi huffed and whined once, as if picking up on Amy's exasperation. She got to her feet, gave her tail a few gentle wags, then padded over in Sassy's general vicinity.

Amy watched in awe as Sassy sniffed curiously at this canine invading her space. Remi tolerated this attention with perfect calm and acceptance. Next, Sassy's large tongue came out, giving Remi's snout a long lick.

"Pals for life now," Amy said, a grin spreading across her face.

Ten minutes later, Remi was lying down at Sassy's feet, and the horse was nibbling calmly at some grass. Windy, however, was wary of the dog, its earlier curiosity around new creatures evidently forgotten.

***

"I think we've had a breakthrough," Amy said to Ty that evening after another round of bottle-feeding Windy was complete.

"Oh? What happened?" Ty asked.

"The canine companion factor," Amy answered triumphantly. "You know as well as I do that some nervous and stressed-out horses respond well to a companion animal. I mean, remember that goat Lisa had with Fairfield Flyer's clone a couple years ago?"

"Right," Ty said, thinking of how the high-strung thoroughbred had benefitted from the smaller animal's presence in its stall.

"Well, this afternoon, it was like Remi knew Sassy needed a friend. She went right over to her, and that seemed to break the ice. Sassy let Remi get right up to her and even licked her."

"You're kidding," Ty said.

"Nope. Remi just lay right down next to her out there in the paddock for the whole afternoon," Amy said. "It's the most relaxed I've seen that horse yet. I'll let her stay out tonight with the other horses, but I'd like to try turning Windy out again tomorrow and see what happens."

"That's excellent," Ty said. "Fingers crossed that Sassy will let Windy nurse tomorrow."

"I have a feeling she will," Amy said. "Gut instinct."

"Well, sure hope your gut's right, 'cause I actually forgot how tiring these round-the-clock feeding schedules can be."

"Oh, having second thoughts, 'Dad'?" teased Amy.

"Never," Ty said, stretching over to kiss her.

***

True to Amy's "gut instinct", Sassy was not on the alert when Windy's spindly legs carried him towards her early the next morning. Amy and Ty had purposely not fed the foal at the appointed time in the schedule so as to encourage it to seek out "breakfast" from its mother.

"Ty, look," Amy said in an excited whisper. "She's not running away from him."

"I see it," Ty said, his own excitement building.

The couple watched as the foal, ears flicking, crept closer, drawn by the promise of his mother's warm milk. He stretched his tongue out to the teat, latched on, and started suckling. Sassy remained in place, completely unperturbed by this activity.

"He's nursing!" Amy cried happily.

"Yes!" Ty exulted. "Marvin is going to be a very happy man when we tell him."

"He sure is," Amy said. "But make sure he knows he needs to get himself a Shepherd now, because I have a feeling Georgie isn't about to give up Remi."

Indeed, the canine was still out in the paddock, snoozing peacefully near the nursing mother and foal in the dewy morning grass.

***

Two Days Later...

"I know I said it earlier, but thanks for deciding to come to this one with me," Lisa said to Jack as they climbed into the Fairfield truck in preparation for departure to the vast Westfield estate.

"I have to admit this whole faux fox hunt deal really isn't so bad, despite the presence of certain individuals," Jack chuckled, a wry smile partially hidden beneath his generous moustache.

Both knew exactly which individuals Jack was referring to. Upon arriving at their destination, they walked with their horses on leads towards an open area before Paula Westfield summoned Jack.

"Hold him?" asked Jack, handing Lisa the line tethered to his jumper for the day, a Fairfield horse named Striker.

"Sure," Lisa said, taking the line from him. They were early still, as only a handful of participants had arrived, mostly those directly involved in a more official capacity. Moments later, she heard a voice she instantly recognized calling out a greeting, so she turned in response to it.

"Hello, Lisa! I see you managed to drag that fine husband of yours to another one of these things," Val said with a dry laugh and a half-grin.

"Hi, Val. Yes, I certainly did," Lisa replied warily. She was never entirely comfortable when Val referred to Jack in such familiar terms. But I really need to remember Jack has known Val longer than he's known me, she thought, they're just friends.

Jack was oblivious to Val's scrutiny while he stood talking with Paula about his role in today's proceedings.

"I guess he had such a great time at the last one, he couldn't stay away this time, eh?" Val laughed again, this time a little too harshly for Lisa's liking. "My, he sure does look handsome in those breeches and that jacket, I'll say!"

"Mm-hmm," Lisa agreed with a tight-lipped smile.

"Let's hope the weather cooperates," Val chatted on. "No more freak snowfalls, please and thank you!"

Lisa was about to add "And no more drinking so much you can't stay on your horse, Val," but charitably stopped herself before making such a pointed dig at her former rival for Jack's attention and affection.

"That is a very fine animal," Val stated, nodding towards Lisa's steed.

"He's something, isn't he? His name is Herring," Lisa responded, glad for the change in subject. "You remember Ben, my nephew?"

"Of course I remember Ben. I seem to recall my Ashley had an eye for him while he was staying at Briar Ridge."

"Well, Ben's horse—Red—is the sire," Lisa said.

Val sent a dubious look at Lisa. "Red's the sire of Herring? Seriously?"

Lisa tried to conceal a laugh. "Seriously. I know, it's not a very creative name. It wasn't my idea."

"I might be interested in him, if you're looking for a buyer," Val said, stroking the horse's neck.

"Well, I did have another client interested in him earlier," Lisa replied. "But why don't I have Herring trailered over to Briar Ridge next week or so? You can try him out; see if he's what you really want, and we'll see if we can hammer out a deal."

"All right, sure," said Val. At that moment Paula dismissed Jack and called for Val's attention to deal with some other matter. "We'll talk soon, Lisa."

"Okay."

"Hello, Jack," Val said huskily, a bright smile flashing across her face as they passed each other.

"Val," Jack responded cordially, about to tip a non-existent hat before remembering his head was bare. He continued on to where Lisa was waiting with their mounts.

"What was that about?" he asked as he reached his wife's side, having seen the tail end of their conversation.

"Val might be interested in buying Herring," Lisa answered while staring after the other woman's retreating figure, somewhat surprised she had not found some excuse to linger in order to chat with Jack.

"No kidding," Jack uttered.

"Jack," Lisa began tentatively, "I know these kinds of events are out of your comfort zone, but I'll say it once more: I really appreciate everything you do to make it out here with me."

"Well, I seem to recall a fly fishing date that was out of your comfort zone some years ago," Jack said with a twinkle in his eye. "Not too many ladies would have agreed to that. But you went the extra mile and even bought all the gear, just so you wouldn't disappoint me."

"I knew I wanted to spend time with you and to get to know you better," Lisa said, gazing up at him with affection. "I wasn't about to let that opportunity pass me by."

"And I'm forever grateful you came," he commented, remembering how she allowed him to hold her close and guide her hands and arms while holding the fishing rod. It meant so much to him that she trusted him implicitly, even at that early stage in their relationship.

I caught a real beauty, he recalled saying to the kids when he returned from that date; his meaning slowly dawning on them as he shuffled inside with a very contented smile on his face.

"We should do that again sometime," Lisa said, reaching for his hand and taking it in hers.

"Sounds like a plan!" Jack answered heartily.

*** Chapter 3: Or Worse

[diazpoems]

You know what, I didn’t really like Lou’s dude ranch idea, but I’m proud that she stood up to Tim. I also like Amy’s conflict with Tim and how it mirror’s Ashley’s conflict with her mom. You can’t live vicariously through your own kid. Parents cannot put their goals on them, or they’re going to run them into the ground, and if they’re a shitty enough parent, they’re gonna cry at them about it and act like the damage isn’t their own to account for. Tim needs to fucking learn his place. He’s like my dad, actually. In his words “Push push push and work till you get where you need to go”, and that’s all well and good (except it’s not, because we shouldn’t work ourselves to the bone, but I digress) except most of the time it’s Never where the kid wants to go. So like I relate to this and appreciate this episode a lot.

[cowboybuckleys]

[welcometoheartland]

Countdown to Season 12 - 18 Days || 11x01 - Baby on Board

You said your dad told you you weren’t gonna be a good father, but I think you already had that thought in your head somewhere. And now you’re trying extra hard to be the best father in the world, no matter what. And I really do admire you for it, Ty. But you need to relax a whole lot and treasure this time a little bit more. ‘Cause it’s gonna go by fast, believe me. And it’s precious; you don’t want to spend it all on worrying. This is a beautiful thing. Enjoy it.

[confessions-heartland]

“Ty was a very impulsive, not to mention DANGEROUS man! Instead of getting to marry Amy, he should have gone to jail for beating up Jesse Stanton. He got off way too easy and the only reason he did was because Val felt pity for him ;> in the real world he’d be done for! #ilovejessestanton“

[heartlandtfln]

"Val: You’re not a very nice young lady.

Georgie: And you’re not a very nice old one."

[eddiesmunsonn]

Heartland Season 11 Episode 11

[cmthompson]

Here’s Cullen again.

Now I have less jobs looming over my shoulder, guilting me out, I can actually take my time on jargon.