#albion indiana

[ozma914]

Notes On the Haunted Writing Project

 A few thoughts on our upcoming book project, which is tentatively titled Spooky Noble County, or: Hoosier Ya' Gonna Call?

(Kidding! I'm just calling it Haunted Noble County, although History Press may have something to say about that.)

I'll probably cut down to posting one blog a week, for now. I post based on my work schedule, which amounted to one on the weekend, one the next Wednesday or so, one the next Monday or so; repeat. Luckily I have some good blogs already written and waiting, along with some bad blogs. That'll give me more time for research and writing, plus in September I'll be on vacation, which will make things complicated.

I just realized I'm doing vacations wrong: They're supposed to be less complicated.

This is what a less complicated vacation looks like.

Emily and I want to tour around Noble County, looking for spooky/haunted things/places to take pictures of. If a ghost shows up, that's just gravy.

By the way, I knew about Spook Hill, although I haven't been there for many years; I also knew about Sand Hill, which is the second highest hill in Indiana. What I didn't know is that the Spook Hill Cemetery (that's not its real name) is actually ON Sand Hill.

Emily wanted to know who determined these things. Did they count the Indiana Dunes? How about Brown County? I assured her surveyors have pretty good rulers, although climbing up three feet at a time can be a pain.

Anyway, we'll use two cameras: The newer one, called the Blue Camera, has better pixel thingies, for photos so sharp you'll need bandages. The older one, called the Black Camera, can switch from automatic to manual for more creative photography.

The black camera looks something like this one. You know: black.

Sadly, I had neither with me when I spotted what I thought would be perfect for a book cover:

Isn't it cool? I KNOW! But it was an off the cuff picture snapped with my cell phone, and cuff photos often don't cut it. So every time there's a storm forecast I'm going to stand in the same spot with the blue camera (it's waterproof) and wait for my chance. Or maybe I'll get lucky and someone will donate an historical photo that's better.

Meanwhile I have a list of people to talk to now, and tales of haunted places around the county I didn't know about. I intend to do the bulk of the interviewing and researching in September ... we'll see. But I have deadlines now, so I can't slack off.

I mean, I can ... but Emily recently bought a whip, and the more she practices, the more nervous I get.

By the way, while this process is going on you're all welcome to check out our previous historical books, or humor books, or fiction, or, by gosh, anything else you want, 'cause this is America! Remember, writers live on reviews, purchases, and coffee ... and I don't drink coffee, so don't let me metaphorically starve.

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0058CL6OO

Barnes & Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/"Mark R Hunter"

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4898846.Mark_R_Hunter

Blog: https://markrhunter.blogspot.com/

Website: http://www.markrhunter.com/

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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrhunter/

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarkRHunter

Substack:  https://substack.com/@markrhunter

[unteriors]

S Sixth Street, Albion, Indiana.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

So, two years ago, I wrote: By the time most of you will read this it will be March 15, which is too important a day to ignore. As the man who taught me to use a chainsaw said, it is immortalized by Shakespeare’s famous warning: “Cedar! Beware the adze of March!” He put it that way because the importance of March 15 is, of course, that it is the day in 1820 that Maine, the Pine Tree State, joined the Union. Maine statehood had national repercussions. The inhabitants of this northern part of Massachusetts had asked for statehood in 1819, but their petition was stopped dead by southerners who refused to permit a free state—one that did not permit enslavement—to enter the Union without a corresponding “slave state.” The explosive growth of the northern states had already given free states control of the House of Representatives, but the South held its own in the Senate, where each state got two votes. The admission of Maine would give the North the advantage, and southerners insisted that Maine’s admission be balanced with the admission of a southern slave state lest those opposed to slavery use their power in the federal government to restrict enslavement in the South. They demanded the admission of Missouri to counteract Maine’s two “free” Senate votes. But this “Missouri Compromise” infuriated northerners, especially those who lived in Maine. They swamped Congress with petitions against admitting Missouri as a slave state, resenting that enslavers in the Senate could hold the state of Maine hostage until they got their way. Tempers rose high enough that Thomas Jefferson wrote to Massachusetts—and later Maine—Senator John Holmes that he had for a long time been content with the direction of the country, but that the Missouri question “like a fire bell in the night, awakened and filled me with terror. I considered it at once as the knell of the Union. It is hushed indeed for the moment, but this is a reprieve only, not a final sentence.” Congress passed the Missouri Compromise, but Jefferson was right to see it as nothing more than a reprieve. The petition drive that had begun as an effort to keep the admission of Maine from being tied to the admission of Missouri continued as a movement to get Congress to whittle away at enslavement where it could—by, for example, outlawing the sale of enslaved Americans in the nation’s capital—and would become a key point of friction between the North and the South. There was also another powerful way in which the conditions of the state’s entry into the Union would affect American history. Mainers were angry that their statehood had been tied to the demands of far distant enslavers, and that anger worked its way into the state’s popular culture. The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 meant that Maine men, who grew up steeped in that anger, could spread west. And so they did. In 1837, Elijah P. Lovejoy, who had moved to Alton, Illinois, from Albion, Maine, to begin a newspaper dedicated to the abolition of human enslavement, was murdered by a pro-slavery mob, who threw his printing press into the Mississippi River. Elijah Lovejoy’s younger brother, Owen, had also moved west from Maine. Owen saw Elijah shot and swore his allegiance to the cause of abolition. “I shall never forsake the cause that has been sprinkled with my brother’s blood,” he declared. He turned to politics, and in 1854 he was elected to the Illinois state legislature. His increasing prominence brought him political friends, including an up-and-coming lawyer who had arrived in Illinois from Kentucky by way of Indiana, Abraham Lincoln. Lovejoy and Lincoln were also friends with another Maine man gone to Illinois. Elihu Washburne had been born in Livermore, Maine, in 1816, when Maine was still part of Massachusetts. He was one of seven brothers, and one by one, his brothers had all left home, most of them to move west. Israel Washburn, Jr., the oldest, stayed in Maine, but Cadwallader moved to Wisconsin, and William Drew would follow, going to Minnesota. (Elihu was the only brother who spelled his last name with an e). Israel and Elihu were both serving in Congress in 1854 when Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act overturning the Missouri Compromise and permitting the spread of slavery to the West. Furious, Israel called a meeting of 30 congressmen in May to figure out how they could come together to stand against the Slave Power that had commandeered the government to spread the South’s system of human enslavement. They met in the rooms of Representative Edward Dickinson, of Massachusetts—whose talented daughter Emily was already writing poems—and while they came to the meeting from all different political parties, they left with one sole principle: to stop the Slave Power that was turning the government into an oligarchy. The men scattered for the summer back to their homes across the North, sharing their conviction that a new party must rise to stand against the Slave Power. In the fall, those calling themselves “anti-Nebraska” candidates were sweeping into office—Cadwallader Washburn would be elected from Wisconsin in 1854 and Owen Lovejoy from Illinois in 1856—and they would, indeed, create a new political party: the Republicans. The new party took deep root in Maine, flipping the state from Democratic to Republican in 1856, the first time it fielded a presidential candidate. In 1859, Abraham Lincoln would articulate an ideology for the party, defining it as the party of ordinary Americans standing together against the oligarchs of slavery, and when he ran for president in 1860, he knew it was imperative that he get the momentum of Maine men on his side. In those days Maine voted for state and local offices in September, rather than November, so a party’s win in Maine could start a wave. “As Maine goes, so goes the nation,” the saying went. So Lincoln turned to Hannibal Hamlin, who represented Maine in the Senate (and whose father had built the house in which the Washburns grew up). Lincoln won 62% of the vote in Maine in 1860, taking all 8 of the state’s electoral votes, and went on to win the election. When he arrived in Washington quietly in late February to take office the following March, Elihu Washburne was at the railroad station to greet him. I was not a great student in college. I liked learning, but not on someone else’s timetable. It was this story that woke me up and made me a scholar. I found it fascinating that a group of ordinary people from country towns who shared a fear that they were losing their democracy could figure out how to work together to reclaim it. Happy Birthday, Maine.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[stubobnumbers]

CFB Promotion and Relegation - The Big Ten

B1G Tier One - Big Ten (FBS): Minnesota Wisconsin Iowa Illinois Northwestern Indiana Purdue Ohio State Michigan Michigan State

B1G Tier Two - Mid-American Conference (FBS): Northern Illinois Ball State Central Michigan Eastern Michigan Western Michigan Akron Bowling Green Kent State Miami (Oh.) Ohio Toledo

B1G Tier Three - Ohio Valley Conference (FCS): Dayton Youngstown State Ohio Dominican Lake Erie College Ashland University Walsh University U. of Indianapolis McKendree University Quincy University Roosevelt University

B1G Tier Four - Great Lakes Athletic Conference (D2): Michigan Tech Northern Michigan Davenport University Ferris State University Grand Valley State University Hillsdale College Northwood University – Michigan Saginaw Valley State University Wayne State University Finlandia University

B1G Tier Five - Great Midwest Athletic Conference (D2): Tiffin University University of Findlay Central State Adrian College Albion College Alma College Calvin Hope College Kalamazoo College Olivet College

B1G Tier Six - Northern Sun Conference (D2): St. Thomas Bemidji State University Concordia University, St. Paul – Minnesota Minnesota State University – Mankato Minnesota State University – Moorhead Southwest Minnesota State University University of Minnesota – Duluth Winona State University Iowa Wesleyan University

B1G Tier Seven - Wisconsin Football Association (D2): University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire University of Wisconsin – La Crosse University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh University of Wisconsin – Platteville University of Wisconsin – River Falls University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point University of Wisconsin – Stout University of Wisconsin – Whitewater Wisconsin Lutheran

B1G Tier Eight - Wisconsin Football Conference (D3): Beloit College Carroll University Carthage College Concordia University Wisconsin Lakeland University Lawrence University Ripon College St. Norbert College

B1G Tier Nine - Minnesota Football Conference (D3): Augsburg University Hamline University Macalester College Bethel University – Minnesota Carleton College St. Olaf College The College of St. Scholastica University of Northwestern – St. Paul Saint John's University – Minnesota Gustavus Adolphus College

B1G Tier Ten - Minnesota Football Coalition (D3): Concordia College – Minnesota University of Minnesota – Morris Crown College Martin Luther College Itasca CC Vermilion CC Mesabi Range College Minnesota State CTC Minnesota West CTC Rochester CTC

B1G Tier Eleven - Illinois Football Conference (D3): University of Chicago North Park University Saint Xavier University Augustana College – Illinois Aurora University Benedictine University Concordia University – Chicago Elmhurst University Eureka College Greenville University

B1G Tier Twelve - Upper Mississippi Conference (D3): Central Lakes Fond du Lac Illinois College Illinois Wesleyan University Knox College Lake Forest College Millikin University Monmouth (IL.) North Central College Rockford University

B1G Tier Thirteen - Heartland League (D3): Wheaton College – Illinois Judson University Olivet Nazarene University University of St. Francis – Illinois DuPage Community Christian College (MI) Concordia (MI.) Lawrence Technological University Madonna University Siena Heights University

B1G Tier Fourteen - Hoosier Conference (D3): Anderson University – Indiana DePauw University Franklin College Hanover College Manchester University Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Trine University Wabash College Indiana Wesleyan University University of Saint Francis – Indiana

B1G Tier Fifteen - Ohio Conference (D3): Capital University Case Western Reserve University Baldwin Wallace University Bluffton University College of Wooster Heidelberg University Mount St. Joseph University Mount Union Kenyon College Oberlin College

B1G Tier Sixteen - Buckeye Football League (D3): Defiance College Denison University Hiram College John Carroll University Marietta College Muskingum University Notre Dame College Ohio Northern University Ohio Wesleyan University Otterbein University

B1G Tier Seventeen - Small Northern Colleges League (D3): Calumet College of St. Joseph Marian University – Indiana Oakland City University Taylor University Trinity International University Hocking College Wilmington College Wittenberg University

[sportsbuff]

January Transfer Window 2023 - Update

Premier League 2022-2023

January transfer window update for all you sports buffs.

AFC Bournemouth

Out

Ferdinand Okoh (Dorchester) 

James Hill (Hearts) 

Arsenal

Out

Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Coventry)

Miguel Azeez (Wigan)

Arthur Okonkwo (Sturm Graz)

Ovie Ejeheri (SJK Seinajoki)

Aston Villa

In

Aaron Ramsey (loan recall) 

Tyreik Wright (loan recall) 

Alex Moreno (Real Betis)

Out

Cameron Archer (Middlesbrough) 

Tyreik Wright (Plymouth Argyle) 

Jhon Duran (Chicago Fire) 

Frederic Guilbert (RC Strasbourg) 

Indiana Vassilev (St. Louis City SC) 

Brentford

In

Byron Wilson (Coventry) 

Conor McManus (Bray Wanderers) 

Fin Stevens (loan recall) 

Mads Bech (loan recall) 

Beaux Booth (Dorking) 

Kevin Schade (Freiburg) 

Paris Maghoma (loan recall) 

Romeo Beckham (Inter Miami) 

Out

Myles Peart-Harris (Forest Green Rovers) Loan extension 

Aaron Pressley (Accrington) 

Lachlan Brook (Crewe) Loan extension 

Edon Pruti (Hartlepool) 

Mads Bech (Groningen)

Brighton & Hove Albion

In 

Facundo Buonanotte (Rosario Central) 

Jamie Mullins (Bohemians) 

Out

Aaron Connolly (Hull) 

Reda Khadra (Birmingham) 

Ed Turns (Leyton Orient) 

James Beadle (Crewe Alexandra) 

Chelsea

In

David Datro Fofana (Molde) 

Benoit Badiashile (Monaco) 

Andrey Santos (Vasco da Gama) 

Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid) 

Mykhailo Mudryk (Shakhtar Donetsk) 

Crystal Palace

Out

Killian Phillips (Shrewsbury) 

Jack Butland (Man Utd) 

John-Kymani Gordon (Carlise) 

Malcolm Ebiowei (Hull) 

Everton

In

Ellis Simms (loan recall) 

Nathan Broadhead (loan recall) 

Niels Nkounkou (loan recall) 

Out

Salomon Rondon (released) 

Nathan Broadhead (Ipswich) 

Tom Cannon (Preston) 

Niels Nkounkou (Saint-Etienne) 

Fulham

In

Anthony Knockaert (loan recall) 

Out

Idris Odutayo (Maidenhead) Loan extension 

Anthony Knockaert (Huddersfield) 

Ibane Bowat (Den Bosch) 

Leeds United

In

Max Wober (RB Salzburg) 

Georginio Rutter (Hoffenheim) 

Out

Mateusz Klich (MLS pending) 

Alfie McCalmont (Carlisle) 

Leo Hjelde (Rotherham) 

Leicester City

In

George Hirst (loan recall) 

Out

George Hirst (Ipswich) 

Ben Nelson (Doncaster) 

Liverpool

In

Cody Gakpo (PSV) 

Billy Koumetio (loan recall) 

Max Woltman (loan recall) 

Jakub Ojrzynski (loan recall) 

Out

Jake Cain (Swindon Town) 

Manchester City

In

Liam Delap (loan recall) 

Out

Josh Wilson-Esbrand (Coventry) 

Liam Delap (Preston) 

Kayky (Bahia) 

Manchester United

In

Jack Butland (Crystal Palace) 

Wout Weghorst (Burnley) 

Out

Martin Dubravka (loan recall) 

Newcastle United

In

Amadou Diallo (free) 

Garang Kuol (Central Coast Mariners) 

Martin Dubravka (loan recall) 

Out

Garang Kuol (Hearts)

Nottingham Forest

In

Danilo (Palmeiras) 

Gustavo Scarpa (Palmeiras) 

Alex Mighten (loan recall) 

Out

Loic Bade (loan recall) 

Southampton

In

Mislav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb) 

Carlos Alcaraz (Racing Club) 

Out

Dynel Simeu (Morecambe) 

Dan Nlundulu (Bolton) 

Nico Lawrence (Torquay) 

West Ham United

In

Luizao (Sao Paulo)

Armstrong Okoflex (loan recall) 

Out

Thierry Nevers (Bradford) 

Wolverhampton Wanderers

In

Matheus Cunha (Atletico Madrid)

Joe Young (loan recall) 

Louie Moulden (loan recall) 

Theo Corbeanu (loan recall) 

Christian Marques (loan recall) 

Lewis Richards (loan recall) 

Mario Lemina (Nice) 

Pablo Sarabia (Paris Saint-Germain) 

Out

Leo Bonatini (released)

Joe Young (Telford)

[anthonybwilson]

Saturday News/Sports TV for 1/14/2023

Saturday News/Sports TV for 1/14/2023

- [ ] 4:00am: CNN This Morning Weekend (CNN) - [ ] 5:00am: The Katie Phang Show (MSNBC) - [ ] 5:00am: Premier League Mornings (USA) - [ ] 5:30am: Premier League: Manchester United vs Manchester City (USA) - [ ] 6:00am: Velshi (MSNBC) - [ ] 7:00am: Smerconish (CNN) - [ ] 7:30am: Premier League Mornings (USA) - [ ] 8:00am: CNN Newsroom (CNN) - [ ] 8:00am: MSNBC Reports (MSNBC) - [ ] 8:00am: Premier League: Brighton & Hove Albion vs Liverpool (USA) - [ ] 9:00am: CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield (CNN) - [ ] 10:00am: Alex Witt Reports (MSNBC) - [ ] 10:00am: Premier League Mornings (USA) - [ ] 10:30am: NBA Countdown (ABC) - [ ] 10:30am: Inside College Basketball (CBS) - [ ] 10:30am: Premier League: Brentford vs AFC Bournemouth (NBC) - [ ] 11:00am: PGA: Sony Open in Hawaii (ESPNPLUS) - [ ] 11:00am: NBA: Bucks at Heat (ABC) - [ ] 11:00am: NCAA BB: Wisconsin at Indiana (CBS) - [ ] 11:30am: NFL Championship Chase: Wildcard Weekend (FOX) - [ ] 12:00pm: Yasmin Vossoughian Reports (MSNBC) - [ ] 12:00pm: NHL: Flames at Stars (NHLN) - [ ] 12:00pm: NCAA BB: Kansas State at TCU (ESPN2) - [ ] 12:30pm: FOX NFL Kickoff (FOX) - [ ] 1:00pm: CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta (CNN) - [ ] 1:00pm: Golf Central Pregame (GOLF) - [ ] 1:30pm: FOX NFL Sunday (FOX) - [ ] 2:00pm: Symone (MSNBC) - [ ] 2:00pm: PGA: Sony Open in Hawaii (NBC) - [ ] 2:00pm: NCAA BB: Arizona State at Oregon State (PAC12N) - [ ] 2:00pm: NCAA BB: Iowa State at Kansas (ESPNPLUS) - [ ] 2:30pm: NFL NFC Wild Card: Seahawks at 49ers (FOX) - [ ] 3:00pm: PoliticsNation (MSNBC) - [ ] 4:00pm: CNN Newsroom with Pamela Brown (CNN) - [ ] 4:00pm: American Voices with Alicia Menendez (MSNBC) - [ ] 4:00pm: PGA: Sony Open in Hawaii (GOLF) - [ ] 4:00pm: NCAA BB: Arizona at Oregon (ESPN2) - [ ] 4:30pm: NHL Hockey Central Saturday (NHLN) - [ ] 5:00pm: Good Evening Arizona at 5pm (KTVK) - [ ] 5:00pm: Football Night in America (NBC) - [ ] 5:00pm: NHL: Maple Leafs at Bruins (NHLN) - [ ] 5:30pm: NFL on FOX Postgame (FOX) - [ ] 5:30pm: Coyotes Live Pregame (BSAZ) - [ ] 6:00pm: Ayman (MSNBC) - [ ] 6:00pm: On Patrol: First Shift (REELZ) - [ ] 6:00pm: NHL: Coyotes at Wild (BSAZ) - [ ] 6:15pm: NFL AFC Wild Card: Chargers at Jaguars (NBC) - [ ] 7:00pm: On Patrol: LIVE (REELZ) - [ ] 8:30pm: Coyotes Live Postgame (BSAZ) - [ ] 9:00pm: Arizona’s Family News at 9pm (KTVK)

[wutbju]

Dr. Richard J. Stashevsky, 86, of Noblesville, finished his race and met his Savior Jesus Christ in heaven on December 21, 2022, while surrounded by members of his family.

Richard was born Ryszard Janusz Staszewski on January 10, 1936, in Warsaw, Poland to Janusz Staszewski and Lidia Szawielko.

Richard was 3 years old and living in Warsaw when Germany invaded Poland in 1939. He was wounded during the bombing, losing most of the sight in his left eye. Richard and his mother were separated from his father during the Nazi occupation. After the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, tens of thousands of Polish citizens were sent to Nazi concentration camps or to forced labor camps. Richard and his mother were among those and arrived at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in October, 1944 and were later transferred to a satellite camp for forced labor. In April, 1945, the British army liberated the camps. Between the end of WWII and 1949, Richard and his mother lived as refugees in Displaced Persons camps in Gottingen, Wattenstadt, and Braunschweig, Germany.

In 1949, Richard and his mother received a sponsorship to emigrate to the United States. They crossed the Atlantic by ship and arrived in Boston aboard the USAT General S. D. Sturgis. From there they traveled to Minnesota to work off the cost of their sponsorship. In 1950, they moved to Albion, Michigan where many other Polish and Russian immigrants had settled. Richard graduated from Albion High School in 1955 and on November 16, 1956, became a United States citizen.

Richard excelled in school and earned his BA and MA from Bob Jones University, his DD from Broadfording Bible Seminary, and an honorary LLD from Trinity College of the Bible. He never stopped learning and his collegiate record contained 262 earned credits from nine different colleges.

Richard married the love of his life, Beatrice Mae Sweet on July 30, 1960. In 1986, Beatrice was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and over the next 35 years, Richard would become her primary caregiver. He was with her as she completed her own journey home on December 16, 2021.

Richard loved young people and spent his vocational life as a teacher, principal, and school administrator. He began his career teaching elementary school for Northview Public Schools in Grand Rapids. After four years in the classroom, he transitioned to administration and served as the principal of East Oakview Elementary for the next seven years.

In 1972, Richard felt called by God to the ministry of Christian education. Over the next 34 years, Richard would lead Christian schools in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee, Maryland, and Georgia. Students were positively impacted by his kindness, compassion, and unwavering love for Christ.

Richard enjoyed collecting stamps, playing and watching soccer, fishing, board games, playing the mandolin and harmonica, redecorating, and cooking.

He was most recently a member of Castleview Church and Prairie Lakes Health Campus.

Richard Stashevsky is survived by his children, David (Jennifer) Stashevsky, Susan Schulman, Joy (Russ) Wolfe, and MaryAnne (Ryan) Ashley; his sister, Nikki Slagle; 11 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Beatrice Stashevsky.

A celebration of life will be held on Monday, January 2, 2023 at Indiana Funeral Care in Indianapolis. Visitation will be from 11:00 am until the time of the service at 1:00 pm. Burial will be at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens on January 3.

[ykjlaw]

[20thcenturystvehiclereview]

RV Thursday! Albion, Indiana, USA https://goo.gl/maps/2i2V8nyKDoPnQGy47

[chalten26]

Noble County Schoolhouse por Equinox27 Por Flickr: This schoolhouse is used as a Halloween venue and had advertised their hauntednight in New Paris at the hardware. I drove over and found the place but no sign of any activity. I was so excited by the look of the building, I couldn't quit taking pictures even though the light was low. Okay, this is really strange; I just checked out the website they listed on the flyer - www.hauntedgreencenter.com. They have no pics of the place and it says it was open this evening but there was no one around and the inside looked like it was just full of old junk, definitely not ready for any kind of event.

[ozma914]

Tree Procrastination Brings Blossoms

 My fourteen regular readers might remember that a couple of years ago I realized some kind of trees were growing up in the middle of our lilac bushes. I had to decide, quickly, whether to remove the trees, transplant the lilacs, or have my back yard declared a nature preserve and let the government worry about it.

If you read my blog from April--of this year--you already know that I reacted the way I often do when faced with difficult decisions: I ignore them and hope they go away.

But maybe that's for the best, because this spring the trees I almost cut down were spectacular.

One of them is apparently a cherry tree:

 We base this on the fact that last fall it had cherries growing from it. Can't get nothin' by me.

The other is, possibly, a crabapple tree:

I don't know ... I think I'm crabby enough, without the tree. You should hear it bark.

The lilacs?

The bushes are smaller and I had to clear a lot of dead wood out even before the invading trees showed up, but the lilacs that remain seem to be doing well. We're considering some transplanting work. I'll ... you know ... get around to it.

Before you blame me for not acting sooner, if I had we wouldn't have been able to enjoy some really beautiful spring blossoms:

How did they get there? The same way we end up at car washes: bird poop.

There are three things we really need more of in the world: beauty (real beauty, not that Hollywood crap), peace, and real chocolate with no calories.

I just thought of four other things, so maybe I should just leave it here.

http://markrhunter.com/ https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0058CL6OO https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/"Mark R Hunter"

Remember, every time you don't buy a book, a leaf falls from a tree. You autumn readers should be ashamed.

[rapeculturerealities]

New Indiana law that expands the definition of rape takes effect Friday | Politics | wevv.com

Starting Friday, the definition of rape in Indiana will be expanded.

House Bill 1079 says a person who has sexual intercourse with someone who attempts to "physically, verbally, or by other visible conduct refuse the person's acts" commits rape.

The previous definition of rape meant engaging in sex, either through the use of force or the threat of force, or with a person who was unaware that the activity is occurring or is mentally incapable of giving consent.

Local advocacy groups like the Albion Fellows Bacon Center says this is a great first step.

"We all hope that there's more convictions, that this allows for prosecutors to actually push forward and not only have more arrests, but actually have more convictions for people who perpetrate these crimes," says Hannah Brewer, Survivor Service Navigator.

[samdeancass]

That’s Not Her Name

Requested by: Anonymous

Pairing: Sam x reader

Genre: Fluff, tiny bit of angst if you squint.

Characters: Sam, Y/N, Dean, Cas

Description: Y/N has always gone by her nickname, ever since the traumatic event that happened during her childhood. When Y/N encounters somebody from her past, how will TFW react? What will she tell Sam?

A/N: Feedback is appreciated :)

Sam, Dean, You and Cas were all on a hunt to kill a group of nasty ass vampires who had drank themselves through the state of Indiana. Sam had tracked them down to a town called Albion.

After a long 12 and a half hour drive crammed in Baby, listening to the loud rock music coming from the radio, Dean had finally pulled into a restaurant. Looking at the food through the restaurant window, your stomach gurgled and Sam muffled a laugh.

“And what are you laughing at, Sam?”. You glared at the back of his head and proceeded to flick him on his ear.

“Ow! Sorry! I’ve just never heard your stomach gurgle like that before. It really just made me laugh.” Sam had gotten out of Baby and made his way to your door, opening it. You stepped out and gave him a playful shove.

“Hey, you two! No flirting while I’m around. I’d rather keep this food down rather than throw it back up!”. Dean shouted, making his way towards the front of the restaurant, Cas following behind him. You and Sam both stuck your tongues out and made your way inside, holding each others hands.

Once you had sat down and ordered, you all began to put together a plan of attack to take down the vampires,

“Alright, so once it’s night, we’ll drive over to were those bloodsuckers are holed up. Y/N/N, you and Sam go in through the front and me and Cas will go through the back. We’ll surround them. Then we’ll be slashing our way through the whole vamps nest and make it back to the bunker by morning.” Dean rattled off everybodys instructions of what to do, ignoring the grumbling of his stomach.

“Dean, you’re stomach needs to stop grumbling. It’s making me uncomfortable.” Cas began to squirm at the noise, trying to move further along on the chair.

“Well excuuuussseee me! It’s not like I can actually control when it makes noises, ya know!”

Dean and Cas continued to bicker when you noticed somebody out of the corner of your eye. Immediately recognising them as somebody from your past, you turned your head and ducked down. Sam noticed this and looked at you, a worried look in his eyes.

“Y/N/N, you Ok?” You looked up ever so slightly and gave him a nod. Sam, still wary, held onto your hand and gave it a little squeeze, giving you some reassurance.

“Y/N? Is that you?” You heard a voice speak at the side of you, and groaned inwardly. When you looked up, you could see the confusion written all over the boys faces.

“Sorry pal, I think you have the wrong girl, that’s not her name, her names Y/N/N”. 

Your friend, who’s name is Matt, looked at you and studied your face. “Nope, this is definitely Y/N. I could spot that H/C hair anywhere! How have you been?” 

You and Matt had a quick and brief conversation about the things you both have been up to. You introduced, Sam, Dean and Cas, who shook his hand with confusion and bewilderment written all over their faces.

“Alright, I’ll have to get going now. Lovely to see you again Y/N. Nice to meet you guys, to.” As Matt had left the table, all eyes were turned on you, waiting for you to explain.

“Ok, Y/N/N or whatever your name is, what the hell just happened?” Dean angrily whispered, confusion knitted all over his features.

“Well, I’m really not supposed to tell anybody, but I suppose the cats got to come out of the bag sometime.” You paused, taking a deep breath. “What cat? What bag?” Cas muttered, becoming even more confused. “It’s a figure of speech, Cas!” You, Sam and Dean moaned in unison, becoming a little irritated with the angels cluelessness.

“Go on, babe. Tell us.” Sam placed a reassuring hand on your knee and squeezed.

“Alright. My name isn’t Y/N/N, that’s my nickname. My real name is Y/N. I had to change it when I was younger. I went into witness protection with my family after my father and I witnessed our family friend being murdered by a complete psychopath.” You took a deep breath and carried on. “I’ve always been very wary of my surroundings in case somebody from my past recognised me and blew my cover, like what just happened.”

You felt a lot better telling the boys and Cas this secret. It had been waying down on you ever since you met them working on a ghoul hunt. You knew you could trust them, it was a matter if they would trust you after finding out.

You looked around at them all, their expressions now a lot softer and understanding. Sam wrapped an arm around your waist and kissed the top of your head. “Thank you for telling us, Y/N/N. I know that must have been hard for you to say.” 

Cas and Dean were both looking at you with reassuring expressions, giving you the solitude you needed. You knew that everything was going to be alright.....

Tags: @akshi8278

[thereturnofthedirtyblog]

GHOST ADVENTURES EPISODES :

S19, Ep 5

2 Nov. 2019

Albion Castle

Zak and the crew are in San Francisco investigating a mysterious castle built on top of sacred caverns said to be a haunted by a female apparition. The current owners claim to be plagued by paranormal activity in almost every corner of the property.

S19, Ep6

9 Nov. 2019

Cerro Gordo Ghost Town

Zak and the crew trek a treacherous cliffside trail to investigate a former mining town haunted by the lost souls of its former residents.

S19, Ep7

16 Nov. 2019

Pasadena Ritual House

Zak and the crew investigate the Pasadena, California, home of a self-proclaimed Satanist. A seance conducted inside the historic Victorian house reveals an inhuman presence has attached itself to Aaron and is trying to communicate with him.

GHOST ADVENTURES SPECIALS :

“Curse of the River Bend: McPike Mansion”

Alton, Illinois, US January 5, 2019

The crew travels to Alton, Illinois, a town considered by many to be one of the most haunted places in America, to investigate the Victorian McPike Mansion that has a rich history and reports of dangerous paranormal activity.

“Curse of the River Bend: Mineral Springs Hotel”

Alton, Illinois, USJanuary 12, 2019

The crew concludes their two-part investigation of Alton, Illinois, at the Mineral Springs Hotel. The 1914 structure has been witness to multiple deaths, and Zak believes a demonic entity is keeping these lost souls trapped inside the building.

“Serial Killer Spirits: H.H. Holmes Murder House”

Irvington, Indiana, US October 5, 2019

S19, Ep1

Zak Bagans and the “Ghost Adventures” crew investigate the Irvington, Indiana, home where H.H. Holmes, America’s first serial killer, killed a nine-year-old boy. The current owner believes dark and sinister forces have overtaken the property, leaving her vulnerable to possession.

“Serial Killer Spirits: John Gacy Prison”

S19, Ep2

Joliet, Illinois, US October 12, 2019

Zak Bagans and the crew head to Illinois in search of the spirit of infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Their investigation leads them to the Old Joliet Prison, where they hope to come face-to-face with the Killer Clown himself.

“Serial Killer Spirits: Axe Killer Jail”

S19, Ep3

Council Bluffs, Iowa, US October 19, 2019

Zak Bagans and the team travel to Council Bluffs, Iowa, to investigate the jail that once held Jake Bird, a prolific serial killer who may have killed as many as 46 people and was said to have placed a deadly curse on the men who convicted him.

“Serial Killer Spirits: Ted Bundy Ritual House”

S19, Ep4

Bountiful, Utah, US October 26, 2019

Zak Bagans and the “Ghost Adventures” team investigate an abandoned house in Bountiful, Utah, where locals claim notorious serial killer Ted Bundy murdered one of his victims. Overloaded with satanic rituals and violence, the home is drenched in a dark, sinister energy.

“Halloween Special: Curse of the Harrisville Farmhouse”

Harrisville, Rhode Island, US October 31, 2019

S19, Ep0

Zak and the team investigate the home of the Perron family, who are portrayed in the film The Conjuring. The Harrisville home is one of the most terrifying places in the world and has also been made famous by the work of Ed and Lorraine Warren who were called in to help by the Perron family. The crew is ready to confront the dangerous consequences of investigating the infamous house.

#HauntedParaClassics

[ykjlaw]

Marshall v. State of Indiana, a case examining whether the State properly established that the Officer had reasonable suspicion that Marshall was speeding. However, this case not about a traffic ticket—Marshall was subsequently charged with three counts related to operating a vehicle while intoxicated. 

https://ykjlaw.com/criminal-drug-dui/