#can I move to 100 acres with no neighbors please? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sylvie-writes · 4 years ago

Text

Dr. Husband

word count: 5278

pairing: doctor steve rogers x wife reader

warnings: talks about heat exhaustion? there’s nothing graphic, but if the hospital theme bothers you, then this isn’t the fic to read!

prompts (from @/fluffyomlette): “Your pulse is a little high. Is it because I’m holding your hand?” and “You’re not supposed to pick favourites, doc.” “Trust me, if I didn’t, you’d be dead by now.”

a/n: this just popped in my head about a month ago and i had to write it for no explainable reason. i really couldn’t think of a title oops. if you all have a better idea please tell me so i can change it lol.

please excuse any mistakes!

Summer was finally in full force, blazing sun rays beamed down on the dry ground and once gorgeous flowers drooped in dire need of water. Sounds of children playing outside, pool water splashing as a result of cannonballs, while lawnmowers whirled to life and laughter from the watching wives resounded this afternoon. In your neighborhood, it was tradition that the women would get together every other Saturday and have drinks in the cul-de-sac while their husbands had unsaid competitions of manicuring their yards. Unfortunately for you, your husband was a doctor and that meant little time for him to do the yard, and you didn’t have children at the moment that could go play with the others. The women who were your neighbors were a bit too picky choosy for your taste. They only seemed to bond over their children and sitting around home, two of which you didn’t have or do, so you weren’t ever truly invited to their day-drinking. It was actually fine with you as these people were so hot n’cold and you were just tired of trying to fit in with faux friends. You had plenty of true friends and then your husband who was a child of his own.

For three weekends so far, Steve had told you he’d cut the lawn and as much as you wanted to believe him, you knew that he was so exhausted from work and being on call a majority of the time, that he would never find the hours to do so. That was okay with you because what he did was important and you weren’t gonna be on his ass like the feds about the yard when you could easily do it yourself. It wasn’t like he was just sitting around, no, he was working so you just decided to cut the lawn yourself, something you’d done plenty of times before.

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Unfortunately the day you chose to do so, the sun was out blazing and a simple walk out the door was a trip to an off-brand hell. Instead of making a wise decision and waiting to cut the grass in the evening, you chose the latter and decided to cut the grass at noon, the very time the sun was in full shine.

Dressed in attire for yard work and having already eaten a sandwich for lunch, you headed out the garage door to tackle the mess there in hopes of finding the push mower within. Steve’s father, Joseph, had given you both a lot of his lawn equipment, but the riding mower was broken at the moment and you (again) stupidly decided to push mow the almost two acre lawn. It took a good half hour to get the darned thing out on the driveway and while doing so, you noticed that your neighbors, the wives to be exact, had decided to come out for one of their occasional and somehow spontaneous get-togethers which consisted of unattended kids drawing with chalk as their mothers sat a few feet away dipping their feet in the small splash pool. You often found the idea both inventive and funny.

For only a second more did you let your attention linger on the group before returning back to fill the lawn mower with gasoline. After doing so, you tossed on a pair of sunglasses and went full steam ahead with cutting the grass, disregarding the rising, and very unsafe, temperature.

About an hour in, the temp had already risen to be above 100 and something no one should have spent any longer than half an hour in. Steve had always said you were stubborn at all the wrong times and boy was he right. You had just finished up half of the front yard and quarter of the back yard. It was mad that you were actually thinking about pushing mowing two acres, especially in this unruly weather.

You were so determined and when your mind was set on something, you let all other matters slip away, including regards for your own health. The unusual amount of sweat on your skin seemed to go unnoticed by you as well did the growing headache.

Finally, about half an hour later, more of the backyard was finished and your inner saboteur continued to influence your goals.

“Just finish this half and you will be close enough to the end,” translated into “Just finish the whole yard, you might as well since you are this close.”

This was the worst mindset to have, especially with the given circumstances as you had been out here for at least two hours, no drinks of any sort, no real breaks aside from fueling the lawn mower, and no cares to the worsening symptoms that now included noticeable dizziness.

The lawn mower eventually ran out of gas and you went to refill it once more. Making your way through the front yard, your unknown adrenaline rush came to an end along with the machine’s power. It wasn’t until your vision started to star and blur that you finally noticed your decline in health, but by then it was too late and you were on the plush and groomed grass of the front yard. Ironically, you noticed the fruits of your labor since you were currently laying on it.

Five minutes had passed since your drop to the ground and one of the ladies out in the court, Genevieve, noticed your figure, quite the contrast to the viridescent grass. Despite that she thought you were “demented” for cutting the grass yourself, she knew you weren’t unhinged, so to say, that you would just lay on the grass as it would serve no purpose to do so. She didn’t take you for a nature lover either so this was not normal.

Genevieve squatted down in the lawn, her sparkly sandals reflecting in the sea of green. Unknowing of what to do, the woman in a panic threw the back of her hand to your forehead and you burned hotter than a metal kettle. By time she stood, the other ladies had gathered around and were now circling in mass hysteria as if they were staring at a dead body and not your unconscious, yet breathing frame. Many long seconds later, Priscilla, who was Genevieve’s closest friend and who despised you as much as you did her, decided to call 911. The other moms then left to go usher their children away from what they described as a “traumatic experience” and back to their large homes for some sort of last minute luncheon.

Eventually, an ambulance arrived in your usually quiet neighborhood, something that was clearly displayed as almost every neighbor popped their heads out of their houses in sheer curiosity. Their nosey nature often bothered you but was normally put behind some sort of service act such as a baked cake or bottle of wine just to be invited into your house. You didn’t miss the way your neighbors would study your house when they were finally welcomed in. Steve was much better at hiding his cross nature and would return some compassion of his own while you struggled to bottle your annoyance and sealed it with a forced smile. As luck would have it though, you were knocked out and couldn’t give them a piece of your mind for staring because heavens know this would’ve been the last straw and no one could have stopped your rant.

It was when you were in the red wagon and being attended over by paramedics that you noticed you were on the way to somewhere that wasn’t home.

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At the hospital, the doctor and nurses hydrated you back to reality and suddenly you appeared in a bed, a doctor standing at the side with a clipboard in hand allowing your mind to draw up a million conclusions before you remembered what you had done last.

The doctor spoke a fast introduction and he then moved on to fill you in on what had happened as confusion still painted your face although when he told you Genevieve’s account of what led up to your ultimate passing out, you visibly cringed at such carelessness that ended up bringing you here. Hundreds of falls, burns, and bruises thanks to your clumsy nature, but this had to be the one thing to send you to the hospital. Some sort of twisted joke it sure was.

Moving to roll a stool to your bedside, the doctor passed you a cold bottle of water before bringing his eyes to give your IV a quick check as a nurse had put it in not too long before you awoke.

“Luckily, Mrs. Rogers, your neighbors found you in time and you only experienced severe heat exhaustion. Had you prolonged your exposure anymore you could have experienced a heat stroke. For now, I ask that you rest and I’ll come back to release you.” The doctor expressed his reassurance with a kind grin before walking out of the plain and boxy room that could make one go insane with its lack of liveliness.

Staring out the open doorway and into the empty hallway, you knew that Steve worked on this very floor, but honestly what were the chances that he’d see you? At one point he’d eventually find out about today’s mishaps, but that was a problem for later when you were more conscious and caring. Letting your worries temporarily go (something that was only happening thanks to your fatigued mind), you slightly shifted into a somewhat “comfortable” position on the stiff bed and rough cotton sheets. Albeit that there was an IV uncomfortably stuck in your arm, you fell into a much needed slumber.

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Lunch break at last.

That was all that had been on Steve's mind for the past three hours which had been extremely hectic. Granted, he was used to this fast-paced workplace having worked here for almost a decade, but today was absolutely out of control with injured patients coming in left and right. It wasn’t some sort of bad omen, rather just an unlucky day for many Steve had assumed. He had just finished up with a pediatric case and was now on his way to enjoy the leftover baked chicken salsa that you had made just for him last night and packed for his lunch this morning. You knew how busy his week had been and you took the liberty to make his favorite dinner dish to compensate for the work that had left such a toll on him. A smile immediately overtook his face when he walked in the house last night and that’s when you decided that you would gladly cook anything he’d like over and over again just to see that look of adoration. As Steve held you in his arms at that moment, he kept thinking how he really didn’t deserve you and little did he know, the same thought ran in your own mind. Yet, in reality, you both went together like a puzzle piece to a puzzle. Without the piece, the picture would never be completed and without the other, you and Steve would have never enjoyed life to the fullest.

Strutting down the never ending hall, Steve passed many doors, some he had been in just a mere hour or two ago. As he walked past an open door and did a double take as he saw a patient asleep, but no sign of anyone else in the room. If he were that patient, he’d want the door shut for some privacy, something which the man highly valued, so he crossed the short distance and closed the door. He didn’t mean to look at the patient for so long as they weren’t in his care and that would be awfully creepy, but Steve could help but do a double take and noticed that the familiar face was, in fact, you. From first glance it didn’t even look like you and that was coming from the man who had studied your face just to commit it to his memory. In a loving way, of course.

He slowly walked in your room, taking in the image before him of you lying in a hospital bed. His mind had assumed that the worst thing had happened to you and for a moment, Steve’s breathing ceased and his legs were glued to the ground. As his eyes scanned over your body again, his fears were calmed when there were no visible wounds and you just seemed to be resting. Although as a doctor, he unfortunately knew anything could be possible.

Hunching over the top half of the bed, Steve smoothed your stray hairs away from your forehead and placed an awakening kiss there. You were a light sleeper a majority of the time and your spouse knew that this small action would wake, but not startle you. Every night he’d come home from work and do the same thing except then he knew you were safe and sound. Now, he was just filled with uncertainty.

“What happened?” Those were the only words he was able to get out and you gave him an answer, just not one that he was looking for. You were already getting defensive and he could sense it.

“Genevieve saw me pass out in the yard and overreacted, Steven. You know they all don’t exactly have good track records with medicine.” You rolled your eyes at the last statement remembering how your neighbors have often nonchalantly tried to get Steve to diagnose them when it came to something as simple as a scrape. Then again, all of your neighbors were in the business industry so that explained their lack of medical knowledge or at least that is the excuse you drew up for them.

“Nice try, (y/n), but you do have a medical chart and it’s over there,” Steve pointed over his shoulder and towards the doorway where a plastic chart holder sat mounted on the cream wall. “You didn’t just pass out, and the neighbors did not overreact. They did the right thing despite how much I know you hate that. Now, either you tell me the truth or I go read that file.” His tone was serious, but not condescending. Hidden in his eyes was a tad sprinkle of mischief.

Stubborn as ever, you didn’t respond and folded your arms over your chest in a form of defiance.

Against what is probably legal, Steve picked up your medical chart to read what had happened as you wouldn’t disclose the information to him. Your husband was a worry-wart sometimes and while you appreciated how he doctored you when you were sick, he could be a bit overbearing. A great example would be the time when you were cooking dinner and burned your forearm when taking the casserole out of the oven.

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“Babe, dinner is ready!”

The timer on the oven was currently beeping and you walked towards it. Turning off both the oven and the timer, you grabbed a short oven mitt and reached in to grab the casserole dish off the top rack. As you did so, you lifted your arm a bit too high and hit the side of your forearm on the interior roof of the oven. The temperature was ridiculously hot and the pain was immensely strong that you immediately pulled your arm back, the casserole long forgotten.

Steve came running in at your string of curses and came in to see you holding your arm and hissing a bit as if that would relieve the pain. He walked closer to you as you leaned up against the island. Your husband delicately took your arm in his hand, raking his eyes over the burn that was soon to blister.

After a short inspection, Steve placed his other hand on the small over your back and led you to the sink, flipping on the cold water and running it over your burn. Out of the corner of his eye, Steve could see you squeezing your own eyes shut in pain.

“I know, sweetheart, it hurts, I’m sorry.” He continued to rinse your scalded skin, but turned his head to sweetly kiss your temple.

A few minutes passed and Steve was content with the rinse job as you had finally opened your eyes, even engaging in some of your jokes that were always said at the wrong time. From the kitchen, the man guided you down the hallway, through your bedroom and into your joined bathroom. He sat you on the edge of the bathroom tub while rummaging through your unorganized medicine cabinet. It was barely ever touched and when it was, it was often in a state of panic hence the messiness of it. Fortunately, Steve found a tube of bacitracin and some cotton dressings from God knows how long ago. At this point he could care less and would rather have you cared for.

You curiously watched him as he dug through the cabinet and a loving smile grew on your face. How lucky were you to have this man. You were really appreciative of him in times like these especially.

Said man returned and crouched before you, distracting you from your thoughts as he softly grabbed your hand once more.

The doctor worked his magic and in no time was your arm wrapped up and lathered in ointment.

“Wow Doc, you did a great job.” Steve was still holding your hand as you quietly giggled in content. He placed a kiss on top of your knuckles and peered up at you with those gorgeous (and borderline seductive) sapphire eyes. Chuckling, Steve murmured against your skin, “Only for my favorite patient.”

As always, you decided to play along with Steve’s playful banter. “You’re not supposed to pick favorites, doc.”

Your husband knew your clumsy nature and seemed to have the perfect response, “Trust me, if I didn’t, you’d be dead by now.”

With your non-injured hand you went to hit his shoulder and he grabbed it in faux hurt.

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“You know, Dr. Rogers, that is a violation and I can actually report you for it.” You lifted your line of sight to see Steve who looked back at you with his lips pressed in a fine line. He shook his head disapprovingly after reaching the end of the report and now looked like he was going to sit back in the seat beside your bed.

“Hey, what are you doing? They already examined me and I am about to get released.” The man ignored you and instead leaned over the flimsy bed railing. Steve rubbed his hands together in a warming manner before placing two fingers on your next in an attempt to find your pulse. He unfortunately carried that common trait among doctors of having hands that were colder than that of a penguin’s ass. You knew very well this pulse check was useless as you were in conditional health and that he was probably doing this to annoy you.

“Well I like to do a check of my own. It never hurts to get a second opinion, darling.” Blue eyes squinted at you and you returned the patronizing gesture.

The free hand that was not on your neck had found its way to hold your own hand and when your husband pulled back, he wore a smug smirk on his lips.

“Your pulse is a little high. Is it because I’m holding your hand?”

“You know, your shoulders must hurt from carrying such a big head all the time.” Steve had the nerve to laugh at your elementary grade insult and even though you weren’t really mad, your face would have said otherwise to anyone else.

“So I’ll take that as a yes then, wifey.” He then quickly dropped to press a chaste kiss to your lips before releasing your hand and sitting down in the chair.

Looking to the clock on the wall, you focused your vision on the distant numbers to read that it was most likely Steve’s lunch break.

“Are you spending your lunch break with me?” Your tone was now sweet and soft as it usually was towards Steve and his heart leaped at the progress being made.

“It seems that I am. ‘Was really looking forward to that chicken salsa, though.” A heap of blonde hair rested on your hand that Steve had now laid his head against, still holding tight with both of his own hands. You giggled at his dramatics and ruffled a free hand through his greasy hair.

“I haven’t eaten anything, you think you could spend your lunch break with me?” His head popped up at this and his face held the eagerness of an energetic puppy.

“Of course, sweetheart. We can head to the cafeteria. Hopefully they have something good for my girl.” It was now your turn for your heart to swell at his words. Not even a second later though, the sentimental moment was replaced with Steve’s usual sarcastic humor.

“See, I love you so much that I am willing to sacrifice my precious chicken salsa just to have lunch with you. You should be grateful to have me as your husband.” Steve’s pearly whites beamed at you in a cheesy smile and you gave a dismissive wave of your hand.

The two of you talked and enjoyed the rare time together for the next ten minutes until Steve noticed you shifting to sit up against the pillows. He thought nothing of it until suddenly you were throwing your legs over the side of the bed and making to get out of the so called cotton prison.

Waving a finger, Steve tutted you and hurriedly scooped your legs back onto the bed. You looked absolutely peeved and Steve knew it was from the way that he was treating you like a child or better yet, a patient. His wife, the fighter and he, the doctor. Two unlikely personalities but ones that worked best together nonetheless. This made Steve laugh whenever he thought about it.

“You can get up the minute you get released by the doc, okay?” Caring eyes now gave you a pleading look and you felt a small tinge of guilt crawling up your chest at how mean you had been to your husband when he has only been trying to help.

A knock on the wooden door signaled a visit from the one person you had been waiting on for what seemed to be ages.

“Speak of the devil.” Muttering the phrase so only Steve could hear you gave him an “I told you so” kind of look.

The Doctor looked up from the same clipboard as earlier to greet you once he made it in through the doorway, but he was surely surprised by the figure sitting in the chair beside you.

“Oh Dr. Rogers, what a surprise! So this is your wife I presume? I guess I should have put two and two together,” Your doctor of the moment laughed with Steve who added in a chuckle or two of his own.

“Yep, this is Mrs. Rogers!” Steve didn’t look at you, but lovingly squeezed your hand that was resting against his, “We are quite the handful so I am surprised you couldn’t tell that she was my other half.” A snicker ended his words and you couldn’t help but do the same.

Once the short introductions were over, the doctor walked over to do a speedy final exam on what was necessary as Steve watched from the sidelines still getting used to the idea of not being the one doing the examination. He hadn’t been in any other position in the hospital for such a long time that it took some time to get used to the fact that he wasn’t the one diagnosing and rather waiting for the diagnosis.

The doctor pulled away from hovering over you and now sat back on his rolling leather stool, scooting his way over to the computer and desk.

“Well I must say, (y/n), that you definitely live up to some of the stories your husband tells.” The other man in the white coat finished up his typing before turning back around to face you and his colleague.

“Ah, I hope he’s giving me some good street cred,” You teased and from the side you saw Steve shaking his head and chuckling under his breath.

“I assure you that they were all good things.” With that, the doctor formally released you, walking out of the room to give you some time to redress and such.

You went to get out of the bed for the nth time, but finally succeeded. Your legs felt a bit wobbly upon the first step, and Steve noticed this. He came up to stand beside you and placed a hand on your lower back with the other out in front in case you did fall. Placing your own hand on his scrub clad chest to steady yourself, you silently thanked him with a tender pat.

With Steve’s guidance, you went to change out of the wretched paper gown and into your shorts and shirt from working outside. It wasn’t exactly the most flattering outfit but at this moment you could care less for the only thing on your mind was getting out of this room.

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The ride in the elevator seemed to move slower than a snail and almost stopped on every floor. You were so crammed by the time you were only on the fifth floor that you used this as an excuse to lean up against Steve. He rubbed your arm and enveloped you in a side hug and planted a kiss on your head. The two of you never cared for PDA but neither of you had realized the onlooking eyes.

You found it mildly comedic when some of your fellow passengers seemed disgusted that a doctor was handling a patient in such a way. It was definitely gonna be a joke for later on.

Eventually you made it to the first floor and begrudgingly pushed yourself out of Steve’s warm embrace when the smell of garlic bread hit your nose.

“Huh, they never cook spaghetti around here. They must know we have a special guest today.” Steve pressed his lips against your ear to jokingly whisper to you as he ushered you out the elevator doors.

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Standing in line with a plastic tray at the cafeteria made you have flashbacks to middle school lunch and you shuddered at the thought. The memories played back in your mind like a movie and were interrupted (much to your relief) when Steve tapped your shoulder.

“You want this?” Steve held one of the plastic salad containers in hand, the white sleeve of his lab coat draped on top of the other stacked bowls in the open air freezer.

You nodded and he placed it on your tray, slightly bumping your hips as he walked past to grab a drink.

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For a good twenty minutes, you and Steve sat in comfortable silence in one of the booths until clicking clogs came closer and closer. So close that a shadow loomed over your table conveying that someone was here to speak.

“Dr. Rogers, I don’t think it’s entirely wise of you to have lunch with your patient. Actually, it’s quite inappropriate.” The older woman in burgundy scrubs pointed her gaze to the hospital band on your wrist and both you and Steve started laughing upon noticing. So that explained all the weird looks.

“Oh no, Dr. Williams! This is my wife (y/n),” You politely beamed up at the woman and set out your hand for a handshake. At this, her unenthusiastic expression changed to one of apologetic and she shook your hand with much grief as Steve continued on with his introductions.

“(y/n), this is Dr. Williams. She is the medical director for my department.”

“Wow! I’ve heard many wonderful things about you, Dr. Williams.” She went to return the praise before a beeping in her coat pocket signaled the time for her departure.

“Duty calls, but I’ll have you know this one here never shuts up about you. It was nice to finally put a face to a name, (y/n),” You glanced at Steve and noticed he was sheepishly grinning and turning redder by the second. So much so that he was hiding his face in his palms.

““I hope you have a quick recovery as well, hon!” The standing woman gave you a nod of her head and then turned to your husband whose face had finally regained its color. “As for you Steven, I will see you later. You have another resident to deal with today.” Dr. Williams sighed at the thought, waving you both goodbye and soon enough she was out the double doors of the lunch room.

“Ooh babe you’ll have to tell me how all of that goes.” Spooning some spaghetti into your mouth, you goofily raised your eyebrows at Steve.

“Trust me, it is not fun at all. When I was a resident, I would have never acted like some of the people I’ve trained!”

You snorted, “Uh huh. Sureee.”

“No really,” Steve’s eyes widened and he leaned over the table like he was sharing some sort of secret with you, “The audacity of some of these people.”

“I think you are just an old man now, Stevie, and can’t keep up with the times.” The blond screwed up his eyes and stuck his tongue out at you.

“Oh hush and finish your food, Miss. ‘I am soooo young’.” A napkin flew at Steve’s chest and the two of you laughed at the childish antics that had just ensued.

Just as both of your styrofoam containers became empty, an unpleasant ringer sounded in Steve’s pocket, just like the one of Dr. Williams’s departure. Once he gave the screen a swift peek, he looked back up at you with a long face.

“You gotta go?” Golden strands bobbed up and down as Steve nodded and you grabbed his hand.

“It’s alright! Thank you for spending the time with me today, though. I really appreciate it. Thanks for putting up with me, you know how I am sometimes.”

The larger hand encompassing yours gave a sympathetic squeeze.

“Oh darling, anytime, you know that. If you need anything, call me okay? I will try my best to answer.”

The temporary silence that filled the room was now replaced by annoying buzzing from the device that Steve had silenced for the moment. He irritability took it out and shoved it back in his pocket. Normally this didn’t bother Steve because this was his job, but since you were here, having just been sick, he wanted nothing more than to drop everything and focus on you. Knowing that was impossible, he tried his best to juggle both yet it seemed that the world wasn’t gonna wait on him.

“Do you want me to call Ma to come get you? I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. Her and Dad love your company.” For the moment, Steve appeared to look like he was ignoring the constant beeping, but you knew internally he was already out of the cafeteria and sprinting down the halls.

“No no, I’m fine, honey,” The doctor stared at you as if he didn’t believe you. “I mean it, Steve. I am fine. Now shoo.”

Dr. Rogers shared another laugh with you before pecking your lips and running out the room shouting, “I’ll see you later!”

He really was too good for this world.

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a/n: i really enjoyed writing for doctor!steve, so if anyone has any ideas that involves him and that you’d like me to write, send it in! <3

taglist (is open!): @memissbee @tricereads @buckybarnesthehotshot @bval-1 @tonystankschild @just-one-ordinary-fangirl @turtoix @kelbabyblue @jakiki94 @aubreeskailynn @calirindo @lady-elena-adeline @siriuslyslyslytherin @sushiinmidnight @patzammit @iwik3it

#Steve Rogers #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers headcanon #steve rogers x y/n #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans characters #doctor steve rogers #doctor steve rogers x wife reader

303 notes · View notes

willowbird · 4 years ago

Note

Hi! How are you??? Congrats on 100 sweets!

For the prompt thingy can you write some Andrew and Kevin being best friends and shit (maybe Neil as well... idk) but yeah. please. Thank you<3

Oh! You want Kevin and Andrew going apple-picking and Andrew being his wingman? That’s what you said, right? Right? (also thank you thank you thank you!)

This one got a little bit long again, sorry friends. Rather read it on AO3? None of my formattings transferred over so if you want the full effect of how often I use italics (a lot, it’s a lot, like -- it’s excessive I’m sorry) then you might wanna click the link. Otherwise!! Enjoy :)

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The rusticly decorated archway had a worn sign that proclaimed 'Welcome to Sonny Acres Farm!' far too cheerfully. Andrew looked up at it in disdain and then landed his judgemental stare the reason he was here in the first place.

Kevin was too used to the glare to be affected by it. "It has good reviews," he explained, like that was anywhere close to being a valid excuse for dragging him out here. The sun was warm but the breeze was mild, the fresh scent of autumn leaves made just a bit sweeter by the hint of apples. It was ten in the morning, the world was quiet but alive, and Andrew was disgusted by how fucking beautiful it was.

"Right." Andrew didn't know why Kevin had wanted to come to this place so badly, but he was sure it had nothing to do with the reviews. First of all, why the fuck was he looking at reviews anyway? Why the fuck would anyone want to go apple picking of all things? When Andrew had asked these perfectly reasonable questions, Kevin had been annoyingly evasive.

'Are you coming or aren't you?' he'd snapped instead of giving a straight answer, already getting flustered. As if it weren't already glaringly obvious that he was hiding something. Which of course meant that Andrew had agreed to go, if only to see what the fuck this was really all about.

"So are we just going to stand here, or…?" Andrew raised a single eyebrow at his distressingly tall best friend, mostly because he knew how much it irritated him.

Since it looked like Kevin was still preparing himself for something, and Andrew was getting impatient, he only gave him a moment to respond before shrugging and striding forward. He passed under the sign and followed the path to the building closest to the parking lot they'd just come from, not bothering to look back and see if the Abominable Anxiety was following or not. The building revealed itself to be a shop, selling everything from Sonny Acres merch like t-shirts and tote bags to baskets of apples and just about every apple-themed product you could imagine. Apple sauce, apple butter, apple candy, apple pies. Apple soap, apple shampoo, apple lotion. Apple plates, apple dresses, apple earrings, apple apples.

(No, literally, there was a statue thing that was a large apple… made out of smaller apples.)

Also, four shelves of different kinds of apple candles. Andrew wasn't sure whether to be disturbed or impressed.

The bell on the door chimed behind him before he could make up his mind and he looked behind him to see Kevin entering. Andrew looked him dead in the eye and made a slow, simple gesture at the shop, keeping his expression deadpan.

Unaffected, because he was a bastard, Kevin dared to just roll his eyes and walked past Andrew without comment. He walked through the shop to the check-out counter at the back, looking around like some kind of lighthouse-wannabe giraffe man until he came to stand before it. He stood there awkwardly for a moment before knocking on the surface and clearing his throat.

"Uh… hello?"

Andrew continued to look around the shop, discovering a new apple-themed bit of nonsense with each scan of his eyes. His brain was beginning to hurt. He didn't look over at the desk through the shuffle of the clerk or whoever coming out at Kevin's call and didn't really register their greeting in return. He did snap his attention in that direction at Kevin's response though, which was a stammering, awkward, "Oh, hey… yeah. Hi. Apples."

Andrew watched with instant understanding as the veritable catastrophe played out before him. It was a fucking train wreck and Andrew had never been more glad to be at a place called Sonny Acres in his entire fucking life. Kevin hadn't stopped talking. It was like he couldn't, and it just kept getting so much worse which meant it kept getting so much better. Andrew thought about coming to his rescue, he really did.

"I mean, there are apples here. Of course there are apples. I mean, apples to pick. I came to pick your apples - oh God not YOUR apples! The apples that you grow at the farm. On the farm. On the farm. I promise I understand English grammar."

Oh Kevin. So that's why he's been unable to get a straight answer out of him earlier. There was absolutely nothing straight about this little trip to the apple orchard at all.

The not-straight answer in question was several inches shorter than Kevin but still too tall to be trusted. Additionally, he was wearing a sunny, affectionate smile like he did so often, the expression easy and comfortable on his face. There were even dimples in his light brown cheeks. Ridiculous. His hair was curly and bleached to a springy caramel except for the roots, and was held back with a headband that, yup, had apples on it. Objectively, Andrew could see why Kevin was being an absolute disaster over the man. Personally, he liked someone a little less sunshine and a little more lightning bolt. Or he would, if he did relationships, which he didn't. He didn't even think about them, and certainly not regarding the unfairly hot neighbor that lived across the hall from him and Kevin.

Andrew moved forward, jamming his focus back on the two morons in front of him rather than Idiot Who Shall Not Be Named.

Sonny Acres Sunshine laughed at Kevin's antics like he was being charming, his eyes dancing. Yeah, dancing. Sweet fuck. "You're a riot Kev."

"Yeah, Kev is hysterical," Andrew agreed breezily as he stepped up beside him, looking the other man up and down. "Aren't you Kev? A regular John Mulaney this guy. Hysterical." He slapped Kevin on the back harder than necessary and ignored the glare he got in return. The dumbass could thank him later.

Sonny Sunshine grinned at him. "You must be his roommate. Andrew, right? I'm Jeremy! He's talked a lot about you. I'm glad you guys came."

"Funny," Andrew deadpanned, studying his own fingernails, "he never mentioned you. Wonder why that is."

"So! Apples," Kevin cut in, apparently feeling pushy today. "Ah, we've never been apple picking or anything. Is there a way we should go about this?"

The process seemed fairly obvious to Andrew, but he let it go.

Jeremy grinned at Kevin, bright and enthusiastic. "I can walk you through it, no problem. You'd be surprised how many people have never been apple picking before."

Somehow Andrew doubted this, but - charitable soul that he was - he let that one go too.

"Really? Fall is supposed to be the time for it though, right?" Kevin attempting to chit-chat was one of the single most pathetic sights Andrew had ever had to witness. It took all his self control not to grimace.

Jeremy didn't seem to notice though. He just kept smiling, watching Kevin talk like -- oh.

Well then, Andrew's role here had just changed. Andrew could practically see the blue, purple, and pink hearts dancing around his roommates head. Idiot. Ah well, if they were going to do this, they may as well do this.

Andrew sighed heavily. "Maybe you could just come with us? Kevin owes me a home-made apple pie and I will not suffer subpar apples."

The look of annoyance Kevin shot him morphed quickly to gratitude the second he realized what Andrew was doing.

Jeremy was oblivious.

"Sure thing! It'd be my pleasure." Andrew didn't miss the way Jeremy looked directly at Kevin as he said that, because clearly neither of these idiots understood subtly. That was fine. It made his job easier. More amusing, too.

Jeremy asked them to give him a moment to recruit something called an 'Alvarez' to watch the shop for him then left them alone, disappearing into the back room.

As soon as he was gone, Andrew dropped a heavily judgemental stare on Kevin. This one had significantly more effect and Andrew was pretty enough to feel smug about that. He let the silence stretch until Kevin visibly strained with how hard he was trying not to squirm. Then and only then did he sigh and release him, granting a benevolent shrug as he strolled lazily around shop, trailing his fingers over the apple merchandise.

"So," he said, "Jeremy."

"What about him?" God, it was like he wasn't even trying. Andrew gave him a look and Kevin sighed. His shoulders sagged as he accepted defeat and Andrew basked in sweet victory.

"He's just perfect, alright? He's smart, and athletic, and adorable, and perfect, and sweet, and hilarious, and when he suggested I come see the orchard…" Kevin drifted off, like no other explanation was needed. For once, he was right.

"For the record, I fully expect an apple pie out of this." Andrew picked up an apple-shaped snow globe with an apple tree inside it that had miniature apples floating about in place of snow. He shook it and watched the apples spin and cloud around in a murder-red blur for a moment before he looked up at Kevin. "Also, you are buying the ice cream."

Kevin sighed but didn't argue. "What am I supposed to do? I've been out of the dating sphere for a while."

"Kevin you were never in the dating sphere." Kevin's 'dating' experience included mostly a lot of pining and one actual relationship with a girl who had gotten pissed at him for being abused by his shit family. Yeah. Andrew didn't tell Kevin what to do, but he could lay ground rules that the bitch wasn't permitted at their apartment. He also corrected Kevin every time he said her name by muttering 'Traitorous Bitch' until Kevin finally saw reason and broke up with her.

"You aren't being helpful." My, someone was whiny today.

Andrew set down the snow globe. "Want my advice?"

"Yes!"

"Offer to suck his cock."

"Andrew!" Kevin looked so scandalized one would think a nineteenth-century rake had just asked him to bare his ankles.

Andrew rolled his eyes. "Just be up-front with him, Kev. You like him, tell him. Be honest about what you want, ask him what he wants. Talk about it. Take it from there."

"What if I embarrass myself?!"

"Then you embarrass yourself." Andrew shrugged and scooped up an apple-shaped hackysack. He tossed it into the air a few times then grabbed another and tossed them back and forth. "What is the worst that could happen? Mr. Sunshine says 'no thanks'?"

Kevin scowled at him. "Yeah, and then refuses to ever even look at me again."

Andrew scooped up a third applesack (hackyapple?) and adjusted his rhythm before he landed his judgement back on Kevin. "If he never speaks to you again just for being honest with him then he isn't worth your time to begin with." He stared at Kevin for several revolutions of his pattern, the schick of the hackyapples hitting and leaving his palms the only sound in the shop.

Predictably, Kevin was the one to look away first. Andrew gave him a moment and added a fourth hackyapple to the pattern.

"I really like him…" Kevin finally said, his voice low.

"Clearly," Andrew agreed without sympathy. "Look, you have two choices here Day. You can do something about it, or you could do nothing about it, and let me tell you - pining is not a good look on you."

The overgrown ear of corn muttered something like "Speak for yourself" and then yelped as Andrew smoothly nailed him in the forehead with a hackyapple (those things had just the perfect heft to them).

"What was that?" Andrew asked nonchalantly, smoothly dropping into the three-pattern.

"I said, speak for your-- ow! Stop that!"

Andrew gave him an innocent look.

"Oh cool! You can juggle?" Jeremy's sunny voice cut in before Kevin could attempt to say something stupid again. Andrew looked over and abruptly dropped his hands to his sides, letting the applesacks hit the ground with soft whacks.

"Nope." Andrew shrugged, picking up the apple-globe again and shaking it as Kevin grumbled and scooped up the fallen hackyapples.

Jeremy chuckled like he'd just made a joke and lifted up three honest-to-fuck baskets with little gingham clothes lining the insides to protect the apples. One was red, one was green, and one was blue. Andrew sighed and held his hand out for one, the just stared at Jeremy when he was offered first the red, then the blue, before taking the green one that was rightfully his. "Kevin likes red," was all he said.

"Yeah?" Jeremy looked at Kevin and smiled as he offered him the red basket. "That's perfect then, blue is my favorite. At least of the baskets. I also like green," he volunteered, looking into Kevin's green eyes.

Sickening, this was truly sickening.

"Yeah, green," Kevin offered eloquently.

Andrew watched as Jeremy nudged the tall idiot and just barely managed not to shake his head in disdain. He did snort his amusement when he caught Kevin watching Jeremy's ass as the man led them out of the shop through a side door near the back by the desk. The door took them right out to a path that led directly into the orchard. Andrew gave Kevin a pointed shove and made a meaningful gesture for him to catch up with the object of his affection. Kevin scowled at him, but did as instructed because he knew Andrew was right. Because Andrew was always right.

As it turned out, apple picking wasn't as terrible as Andrew had thought it would be. Getting to watch his best friend trip over himself on a constant loop served to be excellent entertainment for the day. He also got to covertly vet this guy that Kevin was so stupid over and as far as he could tell, Jeremy Knox was exactly what he appeared to be. He laughed at Kevin's terrible attempts at humor, was actually able to keep up with him when the conversation turned to the misrepresentation of American History in public schools, and Andrew counted at least thirty-seven times over the course of their little apple picking extravaganza where Jeremy found an excuse to touch Kevin. They weren't invasive touches, nothing gross or grabby or anything, but they were telling. Jeremy was always adjusting the basket he was holding or touching his arm or his hand or picking a leaf out of his hair or -- well, yeah. It was gross.

For his part, Andrew hung back and let the two idiots moon over each other, occasionally joining the conversation whenever Kevin shot him desperate looks or the topic deserved his input.

By the time they were done, Andrew was half-expecting an invitation to the nuptials.

"Hey, this was really great. I'm glad you decided to come by," Jeremy said as he packed their apples into white paper back with smiling little apple-people on them. "Both of you, of course," he amended unconvincingly with only a small glance to Andrew before giving his undivided attention to Kevin again.

"Of course. Yeah! This was amazing. With the apples. And you." Dear Jesus.

Andrew gave Kevin a swift kick to the shin and just stared at him when the man winces and glared down at him. He tried to laser the instruction 'Ask him out you nimrod' directly into his stupid brain and it must have worked because when Kevin finished his silent hissy fit he turned to Jeremy with an apologetic smile and said, "We should do this again."

Andrew kicked him again, because that wasn't good enough.

"I mean! Without the apples. Not that I don't like apples, Andrew ow! Cut it the fuck out!"

Andrew heaved a sigh and threw up his hands, turning to go find those hackyapples. You try to help a guy…

Jeremy was chuckling by the time Kevin turned back to him. Andrew watched out of the corner of his eye as the cheerful orchard-tender placed a hand over Kevin's on the counter. He couldn't see Kevin's face from the angle he was at but he was sure it was as red as some of those fucking apples they'd picked.

"I'd really like that," Jeremy said more quietly.

"M-me too," stammered Kevin with the utmost class.

Pleased with himself, Andrew scooped up a handful of the hackyapples and made his way back to the counter to purchase them. Because he was feeling charitable, he said nothing about the dopey-ass grin on Kevin's face as they gathered up their apples and left. He didn't even comment on the way the dumbass was legitimately humming when they got into the car -- because he was a supportive and generous friend.

That generosity lasted all the way back home. They were just getting to their apartment and Andrew was holding both bags of apples so Kevin could unlock the door when Kevin suddenly stopped and looked down the hall toward the stairs they'd just climbed. Then he lifted his hand in a wave and said, "Oh, hey Neil."

Shit shit shit shit shit!

Andrew glared at the back of Kevin's head, willing him to open the goddamn fucking door.

"Kevin, hey. Andrew? What've you got?" Unable to ignore him now that he'd been directly addressed, Andrew turned slowly and stared blankly as Neil-fucking-Josten came to stand right in front of him. He was wearing a lightly curious smile on his stupid face, one that pulled up on just the one side of his mouth and revealed just the shadow of what might be a dimple if the infuriating man were to smile any deeper. What was even more offensive was the way his eyes reflected the light so that they looked like a celestial sea, stars within stars staring back at him, tempting him with all the things he didn't want to want.

Not only that, but Neil must be just coming back from a run because he was lightly flushed and the pink that clung to his cheeks, throat, and ears made Andrew’s brain do a thing resembling an old-fashioned VCR when you attempted to rewind a tape while it was still playing -- streaks of static breaking up what should be comprehensible. His wild auburn curls were pulled back with a garishly orange bandana but that only meant there was nothing in the way of his eyes.

His eyes...

He must have been silent for too long because Neil peered into the bags he was holding. “Oh, hey -- apples.” That curious little smile softened and spread slightly as he looked up at him again.

Andrew said, “Apples.”

“I love apples,” Neil said.

Andrew said, “Apples.” Because he was that fucking smooth.

Kevin coughed behind him and Andrew tore his gaze away from Neil’s stupidly pretty face, glaring down into the bags of apples.

“You should take some,” Kevin offered. “We have more than we need. I’m going to look up how to make an apple pie later too, if you want any.”

“Really? Thanks.” Neil flashed a cheeky grin at Kevin then looked to Andrew. “Can I?”

Andrew said, “Apples.” This time though, he also nodded and attempted to angle the bags so that Neil could reach in a pick out a few. He was sure the other man could hear the way his heart was playing his ribcage like a xylophone as he leaned in so damn fucking close to examine the apples that Andrew could see how criminally long his eyelashes were. Then he was pulling away with his prize, three smallish apples and one large one.

He held them up and nodded. “Thanks for the apples. See you later for the game, Kevin?”

Andrew nodded mutely and Kevin grunted an affirmative, and then Neil was gone, vanishing into the apartment across the hall. Andrew stared at the closed door for a moment then turned toward their own apartment. Kevin was standing there with a smug look on his fucking face.

“Apples,” Kevin said conversationally.

“Shut the fuck up Kevin.” Kevin was still cackling when the door shut behind them. Fucking bastard.

#asks #anon #100 followers #kevin day #andrew minyard #aftg #aftg fic #ao3 link #andrew and kevin are best friends #i had like 20 different ideas for this #but I went with this one because i also wanted kevin to go on a date?#andrew makes a good wingman #andrew can juggle!#i don't know why i made him juggle but he just can #hackyapples #its a thing #hashtag hackyapples

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mikenewtonhateblog · 5 years ago

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Yo, thanks for answering the questions! Also PLEASE talk about the cryptid

Get ready for whats going to sound like Creepy Pasta LiteTM. I live in the wonderful mix of suburbia HellTM and woods. My street is a dead end road with 500+ acres of state land thats forest. Those woods are cursed on their own and I Stay The Fuck Out Of Them. I won’t find a sexy vampire lover in there, I’m gonna find a cougar or worse

Let me introduce you to Worse: the cryptid that lives in the woods and on occasion comes out and fucks with things. I haven’t seen it except for a pair of glowing eyes that blinked and went from 6 feet off the ground to crouched when I turned my high beams on (and floored it into my driveway bc Fuck THAT) just outside the light of our single street lamp. Worse, as it shall be named, has done a whole lot of fuckery over the years which includes but is not limited to: screaming/screeching at ungodly hours of the night, getting into peoples fenced backyards, killing all kinds of animals including a 100 pound dog that fish and wildlife couldn’t tell what did it or how since the dog was killed within 20 feet of it’s house and the owners heard/saw nothing. Worse knows how to open gates with simple locks and has opened our giant backyard gate even when the lock (one of those thats in the ground and u pull up then swing so the metal unhooks and it can open) was bent so it took a lot of strength to come in and fuck around but it’s rude ass can’t close gates, now that we have it bungee corded shut this doesn’t happen anymore, but when it did..... Worse full on SNAPPED a medium size apple tree in our backyard trying to use it to climb onto the roof one night. Literally the trunk was broken in half. Worse is the reason when I take my dogs out at night I have a pitch fork with me because I’ll die for my babies. Worse has found other ways to be stomping around on our roof at night, has caused the house on the edge of the woods to change owners like 3 times, and has caused hell in a neighborhood you can reach by walking a short trail through the woods. Many dogs, BIG dogs, have gone missing in that neighborhood from their backyards at night (which is gated so it wasn’t peoole stealing the dogs). A person on my street had an out door chicken coup that one night had been broken into and all their hens gone or eaten, like the side of the coup had a hole RIPPED in the metal mesh. Another neighbor had to move their horses because something was harassing them at night.

So yeah when it gets dark outside, I close all my blinds, lock the doors, and stay tf inside.

#asks #AND BEFORE ANYONE ASKS NO ITS NOT A SK*NW*LKER BECAUSE I’M NOT ANYWHERE NEAR NAVAJO LAND #im in bigfoot country but this isnt bigfoot and fun fact my great uncle filmed the most famous bigfoot footage from 1967 #roger patterson was married to my grandma’s sister pat #cryptid stuff

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vaulteventmedia · 4 years ago

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This Is What Home Buyers Want Most in 2021

Check out these tips on where to spend your money for the best ROI & where you can make big impact changes without spending a small fortune.

Outdoor space is in.

That’s the feature most home buyers are looking for these days, according to real estate agents, who say the season’s stay-at-home orders have left millions of people feeling cooped up.

If you’re going to spend time and money on a home improvement project, it pays to focus on things future buyers might find valuable, in case you choose to sell one day. Projects like refurbishing a patio or replacing a garage door, can improve your day-to-day experience in your home and boost its value too.

In fact, many Americans have spent their time at home over the past few months tackling DIY renovations. Quarterly earnings reports from big box home improvement chains Lowe’s and Home Depot both showed year-over-year improvement from 2019, even as overall consumer spending fell by record amounts amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The upward trend isn’t just a result of recent stay-at-home orders. According to the 2019 State of Home Spending Report from HomeAdvisor, Americans spent an average $7,560 on home improvement in 2018, a 17% increase from the previous year.

Here’s how to find the right home renovation project that fits your budget, makes you happy and would make a future buyer happy, too.

Deciding on a Project

As you determine what projects to take on, consider those that will bring you the biggest returns on your investment if you decide to resell.

You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars or dedicate months of work on pricey renovations to increase your home’s value. Even small DIYs can have a significant impact when it’s time to list.

The best way to get the most return for your money is by focusing on where you spend the most time, such as the kitchen. That’s where potential buyers will likely spend their time, too, and will pay the most attention while viewing.

According to the 2020 Cost vs. Value Report from Remodeling Magazine, an industry trade publication, renovations that saw the most significant costs recouped upon a home’s sale include minor kitchen remodels (78%), siding replacement (78% for fiber-cement and 75% for vinyl), and wooden deck additions (72%).

Personal Tastes: A Balancing Act

According to Will Rodgers, a real estate agent based in Virginia, it’s OK to get a little creative with your design choices. Just don’t go overboard.

“Don’t put something in that you’re going to hate,” he says. “But don’t put in something so unique that it’s going to turn 90% of buyers away.”

Reach out for a second opinion from a friend or neighbor before choosing anything drastic or highly custom, such as dark tiles in the bathroom or several bright paint colors.

“You want to find the sweet spot: something you enjoy that reflects your taste but is not so custom and loud that it turns buyers off in two or three years,” Rodgers says.

Larger Renovations

Before you head to your local home improvement store or call your contractor, consider these projects to help boost your home’s value when it’s time to sell.

Outdoor spaces

As many Americans prepare to spend more time at home long-term, either due to extended social distancing or changing remote work circumstances, outdoor space is more appealing than ever.

“The top features home buyers want in the age of coronavirus are a quiet property or neighborhood, followed by more outdoor space, such as a yard or patio,” says Andrina Valdes, executive sales leader and COO of Cornerstone Home Lending, Inc. in Texas.

Whether you’re working with several acres of land or just a couple hundred square feet of balcony space, spending your renovation resources on outdoor living space can make a significant difference for potential buyers.

Some examples may include updating light fixtures, improving railings on the front porch, installing an outdoor ceiling fan to keep cool, or even an outdoor fire pit or fireplace for your backyard. For bigger renovations, home additions, new porches, and fence installations remain popular choices, according to the State of Home Spending Report.

Kitchen

“A lot of people spend the most time in the kitchen, and I think it’s the best value dollar for dollar,” Rodgers says.

According to the 2019 Remodeling Impact Report from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR), real estate agents ranked “complete kitchen renovation” and the less-expansive “kitchen upgrades” as the two projects most likely to appeal to buyers and bring the most resale value to a home.

In fact, 20% of real estate agents say completing a kitchen upgrade played a part in closing a home sale.

Remodeling a kitchen can be an expensive undertaking, but there are ways to complete the project on a budget while still adding value.

“Gutting and doing expensive remodels will never give a seller a dollar-for-dollar profit,” says Deborah Baisden, a real estate agent based in Virginia. “Paint cabinets, put in new countertops and appliances, take down wallpaper, and paint trim.”

And don’t forget about smaller changes to make a big difference. Changing light fixtures and cabinet knobs can have an impact on your space for comparatively little impact on your budget.

Master bathroom

Beyond the kitchen, the place a potential buyer is most likely to value an upgrade is the master bath.

The Remodeling Impact Report suggests you can recover 50% of the resources spent on a master bathroom remodel upon the sale of your home.

Recouping value can be especially dependent upon how much you account for potential buyers in your design choices for both kitchen and master bathroom renovations.

“Certainly, there are design trends that have wide appeal among a range of homeowners,” the Cost vs. Value Report from Renovation Magazine states. “But because of the vast differences in aesthetic tastes, one person’s elegant new kitchen or bath will be viewed by a range of other prospective buyers as tacky and outdated and in desperate need of a reset.”

Consider a neutral color scheme (think white or light gray), updated fixtures, and popular trends like subway tiles for broad appeal.

Flooring

According to the Remodeling Impact Survey, flooring is one of the best ways to recover costs by adding value. The survey suggests homeowners who install new wood flooring could recoup 106% of what they spend in increased home value, while refinishing hardwood floors could recover 100% of the cost when it’s time to sell.

If you don’t have hardwood flooring already and aren’t quite ready to commit to the cost of new wood installation, consider vinyl or laminate alternatives, according to Rodgers.

“It looks like real wood, but it’s super scratch-resistant, unlike wood,” he says. “For the general home buyer, it’s more economical, it’s more durable, and it’s mostly waterproof, which is nice.”

If you already have hardwood floors, consider waiting to refinish them until you’re closer to a list date, as they can easily get scratched up or worn again.

Smaller Projects

Clean and declutter

It may not be the most exciting project on your list, but completing a thorough deep clean and declutter of your home is a great place to add value.

Clear out each of your closets and drawers, donating any items you no longer need. You can even try to earn a few bucks in the process by listing items on sites like Craigslist, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace. Localized resale apps, such as Letgo, OfferUp, or VarageSale are also great options.

Then work on cleaning harder-to-reach places attentive buyers may also examine, such as the baseboards or inside the oven.

“Walk through the house with a critical eye and see what your eyes are drawn to,” Baisden says. “If the home is too full of the current family, a new family will not be able to see themselves in it. Start packing things away and consider having a stager in to help advise.”

If you’re planning on listing your home anytime soon, you’ll thank yourself for getting rid of things you don’t need in advance of the moving process, and presenting a clean, organized space to potential buyers can be key to scoring a deal.

Curb appeal

“We cannot help but judge a book by its cover,” Rodgers says. “When a buyer is walking up, and they’re seeing the grass isn’t cut, and the plants are all overgrown, they make that judgment instantly.”

Your home’s curb appeal is its first chance to make a good impression on a potential buyer — or leave them with a bad taste in their mouth from the start.

“Freshly mulched and edged flower beds and a well-manicured lawn will make the phone ring for showings,” Baisden says. “Stand at the front door and look at the porch for missing mortar or cracks. Is the door freshly painted and a pleasing color? Is there room for a burst of color in pots on the porch or in the flower beds? Are there spider webs?”

The impact a first impression makes on a potential buyer is critical and can influence the price a buyer is willing to pay for your home or even the closing of a deal altogether.

Repairs and updates

Minor repairs make for a productive but relatively inexpensive weekend project that easily adds value to your home.

Look for small things easy to overlook when you’ve lived in your space for a long time: cracked windows, holes in walls, doors that don’t quite close all the way.

According to the Cost vs. Value Report, of 22 projects evaluated, several minor renovations were among those that saw the most value recouped when it came time to sell, including garage door replacement (94% recouped), window replacement (72%), and entry door replacement (69%).

These small repairs (in addition to bigger repairs like a new roof or siding) are signs you’ve maintained your home well over time.

Buyers are looking for a space that’s been taken care of, not left in disarray or damaged, and preparing a home completely move-in ready can have real value.

Energy efficiency

Another emerging trend among buyers that can help you decide where to devote your resources is efficiency.

The most recent What Home Buyers Really Want Report from the National Association of Home Builders shows, among home buyers surveyed, 89% ranked Energy Star windows as either “essential” or “desirable,” while 86% said the same about Energy Star appliances. Eighty-one percent of home buyers said it was essential or desirable for their entire home to be energy efficient.

According to data from Energy Star, the average American household, which spends $2,000 annually on energy bills, can save about $575 or 30% each year by switching to energy efficient products. In addition to saving you money on utility bills in the short term, an already energy-efficient home can be a great selling point for buyers, especially those who may be debating between new construction (which is more likely to have efficiencies built-in) and an older home.

Do Your Research

“Go find a new construction community and walk inside,” Rodgers says. New home builders “spend a lot of money and time investing in figuring out what people want and what the latest trends are. They can buy any materials they want, so they take time to figure out the right ones.”

Don’t just spend your research time on design trends, though. Scrutinize your budget too. Make sure the changes you want to make fit within your means, without enough left over emergency savings. You can’t rely on potential resale value to fund your investment in a project; this mindset could lead to debt and negative effects on your credit and overall financial health.

If your project can’t be completed with your current savings, consider postponing it until you have a bit more to spend on the things you really want, or find ways to reduce costs in a way that will still leave you (and a potential buyer) satisfied with the final result.

This information was found at https://time.com/nextadvisor/mortgages/what-home-buyers-want/ and shared with you with Manies Construction, LLC

#homeimprovement #renovations #2021hometrends #ROI

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hudsonespie · 5 years ago

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Dry Ports

Okay, this is not a column about the merits of a certain postprandial libation made in Portugal and known for its sweetness, in case you’re wondering about the title. We’ll save that for another time – although, come to think of it, most of you worldly-wise MarEx readers could probably do a much better job on that topic than I could.

No, this column is about the growing phenomenon of “dry ports,” sometimes referred to as inland container ports or just inland ports. But there’s a big difference between an inland port and dry port: Dry ports are not located on a body of water. In fact, they’re usually hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean or river. And that’s the point: They’re transshipment centers where there are no navigable waterways, hence “dry ports.” But there are rails and interstates.

Inland ports, on the other hand, are “wet ports.” located on a river or lake. There are hundreds of inland ports dotting America’s interior, notably those along our so-called “Marine Highways” – the Mississippi and its tributaries in America’s heartland, the Columbia and Snake rivers out West, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway up North. They carry millions of tons of cargo each year, mainly breakbulk items like coal, iron ore, heating oil, gasoline, corn, wheat, soybeans and lumber.

All About Containers

But they don’t carry containers. Or if they do, the numbers are miniscule. That’s where dry ports come in. They’re transshipment points. Containers are offloaded from ships directly onto rail cars and moved inland to the dry port, which is really an intermodal transfer facility, where they’re transferred onto long-haul unit trains or offloaded for pickup by trucks and delivery to nearby factories or warehouses.

The benefits are legion. Dry ports relieve congestion at busy ocean ports by freeing up precious dock and storage space. They take trucks off the road and thereby reduce fuel consumption, air and noise pollution and highway congestion. They speed delivery of goods by avoiding holdups caused by driver shortages or terminal delays or lack of storage space at crowded ports and save money in the process because short-haul rail is a lot cheaper than drayage (truck).

And perhaps most importantly, they spur development in economically depressed areas by spreading inland the wealth generated by large ocean ports. A dry port brings jobs and tax revenues and attracts a host of other businesses ranging from huge distribution centers (think Amazon warehouses) and refrigerated storage facilities to small mom-and-pop operations. It can be an economic godsend for impoverished regions.

Canal Connection

Dry ports are really an East Coast phenomenon – the result mainly of the Expanded Panama Canal, which opened in 2016 and brought increasing volumes of containers from Asia to ports up and down the East Coast. On the West Coast, where the bulk of Asian imports (70 percent) arrive, containers are offloaded directly onto two-mile long unit trains for the long journey inland to places as far away as Chicago and Dallas.

It’s estimated that Asian container cargoes to the East Coast have nearly doubled in the last three years, all due to the Canal. In response, East Coast ports have had to scramble to handle the onslaught, and dry ports emerged as the ideal solution.

Late last year the Georgia Ports Authority announced plans for its third dry port – this one located in Gainesville in northeast Georgia. The Northeast Georgia Inland Port will be built on a 104-acre site roughly 300 miles from the port of Savannah at an estimated cost of $90 million.

“Our inland terminals are bringing our ports and producers closer together, providing new economic opportunities,” commented GPA Board Chairman Jimmy Allgood. “That’s good news for Georgians, who will benefit from increased employment options as more companies expand or locate here. Georgia Ports already support more than 440,000 jobs across every corner of the state.”

Norfolk Southern will provide the rail link between Savannah’s Garden City Terminal and the dry port when completed in 2021. It’s estimated the new facility will take 150,000 trucks off the road each year and ease congestion in and around the Atlanta metropolitan area.

It joins Cordele Inland Port in Cordele, Georgia and Appalachian Regional Port in Chatsworth as one of three dry ports serving Savannah’s fast-growing container business, which grew nearly eight percent last year and now ranks third overall in the U.S. behind LA/Long Beach and New York/New Jersey.

Cordele Inland Port is located in southwest Georgia, 200 miles from Savannah, and offers direct rail service via CSX to both Savannah’s Garden City Terminal and the port of Brunswick, the second largest auto import center in the U.S. Cordele itself is known as the “Watermelon Capital of the World” and anchors a regional center for agriculture including the production and export of cotton, peanuts, peaches and – you guessed it – watermelons.

The Appalachian Regional Port (ARP) in the northwest corner of the state near Chatsworth opened just last year with an initial capacity of 50,000 container movements per year via the CSX Railroad. That means 50,000 fewer trucks on the road, and because it’s located nearly 400 miles from Savannah it provides a significant reduction in both air pollution and traffic congestion. Container-handling capacity at ARP is expected to double in the next ten years to 100,000 containers per year.

Competing for Cargoes

In neighboring South Carolina, the port of Charleston is another fast-growing container port that competes with Savannah’s for Asian cargoes. Charleston has its own network of dry ports including Inland Port Greer and Inland Port Dillon.

Opened in 2013 and 212 miles from Charleston, Inland Port Greer is nestled in the industrial heartland of the Upstate region centered around Greenville/Spartanburg where BMW, Michelin and other international manufacturers already operate. It’s serviced by Norfolk Southern’s main line and is strategically located on the I-85 corridor between Atlanta and Charlotte with easy access to 100 million consumers within a 500-mile radius.

Containers arriving in Charleston move from ship to rail to Inland Port Greer where they are loaded onto trucks for the proverbial “last mile,” which generally means no more than a one-day drayage. Ship to rail to truck – that’s the magic formula for intermodal. But it’s the rail portion that saves money and reduces the carbon footprint once the container is offloaded from the ship.

“The value of using Inland Port Greer for our intermodal needs is a savings of approximately $150 per container,” says Shivakumar Basavanahally, Director of Supply Chain Operations for Himatsingka America in Spartanburg. Headquartered in India, Himatsingka is a major international manufacturer of home textile products like linens, draperies and upholstery.

Inland Port Dillon opened last April and is 160 miles from Charleston, giving cargo owners and especially shippers of refrigerated cargo a new supply chain option. In close proximity to I-95, it has rail service provided by CSX and is expected to take 45,000 containers off the road annually.

“CSX is pleased to be a key link in extending the South Carolina Port Authority’s reach from the Port of Charleston to the Pee Dee Region of South Carolina through establishment of Inland Port Dillon,” said Dean Piacente, CSX Vice President of Intermodal, at the dedication. [Editor’s note: “Pee Dee Region?” Okay, it’s in the northeast corner of the state along the Pee Dee River, named after the Pee Dee Indians.]

Piacente added: “CSX is proud of our role working together with the port in converting the movement of containers from highway to rail, reducing highway congestion and providing environmental benefits to the citizens of South Carolina while promoting economic growth and commerce.”

Along with Inland Port Greer, the facility will handle the growing volume of container cargo traveling to and from the port of Charleston via intermodal rail, which has increased 180 percent since 2011. Today, nearly 25 percent of the port’s container volume moves by rail.

South Carolina and Georgia are not the only states with dry ports. Virginia opened what may be the first U.S. dry port way back in 1989. Located in Front Royal, the Virginia Inland Port (VIP) brings the port of Virginia 220 miles closer to inland markets through direct rail service from the terminals in Hampton Roads. Intermodal rail cars arrive at VIP and gain access via Norfolk Southern to markets in the Baltimore/Washington area, Pennsylvania, New York/New Jersey and portions of the Midwest.

Well-known companies such as Home Depot, Kohl’s, Rite Aid and Red Bull have opened distribution centers in Front Royal to utilize VIP, bringing jobs and economic benefits to the region. VIP also consolidates and containerizes local cargo for export.

How to Play It

The growing popularity of dry ports means more business for Class 1 railroads – in this case, CSX and Norfolk Southern, which sorely need it due to the decline in coal shipments from the Appalachian region. Short-haul lines like Florida East Coast and Patriot Rail will also benefit by providing the critical link between ports of entry and the Class 1 carriers.

On the retail side, the big box retailers and supermarkets – Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Kroger’s – are worth a look as is, of course, Amazon. Amazon is really in a class by itself, flush with cash and opening huge, largely automated fulfillment centers at a torrid pace nationwide. These will invariably be located near major rail depots or interstate highways. Other possibilities include freight forwarders and trucking outfits like XPO.

As for the container lines themselves, why bother when there is so much opportunity elsewhere? There’s too much risk involved, too much cyclicality in maritime. Stick with dry ports!

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/dry-ports via http://www.rssmix.com/

0 notes

peacefulheartfarm · 5 years ago

Text

Our Virginia Life

This week I want to share our dream with all of you. Perhaps you’ve been dreaming the dream as well and just don’t think you can get there. Sometimes it takes time—a lot of time. But it is so worth it. I encourage you to start today.

Welcome new listeners. It’s so good to have you. And welcome back veteran homestead-loving regulars. Thank you for stopping by the farmcast every week. I appreciate you all so much. I’m super excited to share with you what’s going on at the farm this week and I’m super existed to share the history of our homestead dream with you.

Today’s Show

Homestead Life Updates

Our Virginia Life

Greek Spiced Ground Meat with (optional) Yogurt or Sour Cream

Homestead Life Updates

Garden

Starting with the garden which seems to be at the end of our list of priorities at the moment. The strawberries are overwhelmed with wheat grass. I believe I mentioned that the straw we bought for mulch was full of seeds. I’ve never seen so much waste of wheat. Scott is working on that project today. The carrots are overrun with grass and weeds. I just looked at them. They seem to be holding their own for the moment. It will have to do until Tuesday. That is 3 days from now. Market is tomorrow. Church on Sunday and much needed rest in the afternoon. Cheesemaking on Monday. Hang in there, guys. I’ll save you. And the rest of the garden needs to be weeded and fertilized as well. I still need to get the green beans planted. The peanuts did not sprout and will need to be replanted. And the first harvests will be happening next week as well. I use flowers as pest control but I’m so far behind on my flower starts that the bugs may take over in June. Oh well, we do what we can and don’t sweat it. That’s not quite true is it? We will be sweating a lot come next week.

Cows

Cows are finally getting back into a routine. They really, really don’t like change. We added a new cow. We split up our girls and put one with Butter as a companion. Butter had a calf. All changes. The big one was we changed their feed. Once we changed their feed, all of a sudden the entire herd of Normandes no longer wanted to come into the milking shed and stick their head in the stanchion. I don’t mind so much the ones that we are not milking. But Claire and Buttercup are in milk and have to be milked twice a day. Anyway, we fooled them by putting a bit of sweet feed on top of their nutritional supplement and they are now eating it and getting better about coming into the shed without a lot of hassle. Still some work to do there, but we are making progress. We changed their dairy supplement from a garden variety from Southern States to a non-GMO, non-soy dairy supplement. It’s like a kid that is used to eating McDonald’s and then being switched to organic salad greens. They were pretty petulant. Butter is a different story. She will eat anything you put in front of her and beg for more.

Lambs and Goats

The lambs and goats are doing great. We couldn’t be more pleased with how this group of lambs is progressing. And the goats just keep on keeping on eating weeds and brush that the others won’t touch. They have cleaned up so much around here in the way of small trees that were sprouting, briars, wild blackberry bushes and so on. Good job!!

Creamery

The creamery project has been sitting idle for nearly two weeks. Scott had to fix the bush hog and then mow everything. He built the quail cages for when the little guys get out of the brooder and into their permanent digs. A load of gravel was delivered and he spent quite a bit of time spreading that in the places where erosion and mud was making our lives miserable. A day of digging a trench for drainage out of the milking shed took another day of his time. The days seems to slip by one after another. There is always so much to do and not enough hours in the day.

That update was pretty intense with listing our setbacks on timing. But you know what? We love it and wouldn’t have it any other way. Our lives are filled with purpose and meaning. The geese are strutting around with their gaggles of goslings. The trees are leafing out. The garden is full of all kinds of plants. The calves are a joy to watch as they bask in the sun or galivant around their pasture. We have taken the moment to look at the stars at night in a while. But they are there, waiting for us to enjoy their magnificence.

Our Virginia Life

That brings me to today’s topic. Have you dreamed of living the homestead life? Do you think it is impossible? I want to give you inspiration and share a bit of our journey. It all started in the last century.

The Beginning . . .

Scott and I met in 1999 in western North Carolina. We were two people following similar paths who met and become life-long friends. We apprenticed together at a spiritual training center learning how to teach a meditation technique. This is where we reconnected to our hearts and desire to be close to the land. The dream of our homestead life was born.

During our training we dreamed of a sustainable farm and communal living. We wanted to raise good food as close to nature’s intended way as possible. We knew that experiencing loving relationships with others and soaking up nourishing nature would ultimately help us remember our kinship with God and creation. Two souls had found each other.

Our dream has changed and evolved over time. It continues to evolve. We just took a step and then another and another. Each step clarified our vision. Each step led to the next and sometimes our direction needed to change. So we changed. We continue to take steps and we continue to change.

The first step began 16 years ago and we still don’t have that creamery built. But we love our homestead life and all it brings us.

Buying Land Was the First Step

In the summer of 2003, we bought our first piece of land in southwest Virginia. We rented a mobile home nearby. At this point in our lives we had a great deal of debt: credit cards, school loans, taxes, and now a mortgage. We set out to pay everything off in full. We would have our farm — but we would have it debt-free. We both took on lucrative jobs in Information Technology as the electronic medical records industry kicked off.

Our jobs required extensive travel. We traveled all over the US and to a couple of European countries as well. Every other week we flew home to Virginia to visit our beautiful piece of land.

In 2005 we bought our own mobile home and moved it onto our land. And in the fall, our wedding ceremony took place at the homestead. It was so beautiful. Even though it was November the weather had permitted the leaves to change very slowly. And with very little wind this particular fall, there were many leaves still on the trees. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect time.

Learning to Produce Food

Our first experience with livestock was raising chickens in the summer of 2006.

The contract we had been working for a couple of years was done. I moved on to a different contract and continued traveling. Scott was done with traveling. He remained on the homestead and built a couple of chicken tractors ala Joel Salatin. He raised, and we processed, around 100 chickens. We ate a lot of them ourselves and gave a lot away to relatives and neighbors. This part of the journey was just a taste to get our feet wet.

Twists and Turns and . . . Texas?

Somewhere along that two-year time period we paid all of our debts in full. The next step along the path was making the money needed for infrastructure.

February 2007 Scott went back to work . . . in Texas.

I was now traveling to various places around the country every week instead of every other week. I lived in hotels and airports with a too quick Saturday and Sunday at home with Scott. What a far cry from the peaceful life we envisioned. We persevered and dreamed on.

In 2008 we bought an additional 40 acres adjoining our property. We were in debt again. This time for more money than ever before. It’s a good thing that I got to walk around that property occasionally or I might have forgotten exactly why we went into debt again. The “why” had to do with dreaming bigger. We were learning about raising sheep. Still very much a dream at this point . . . we’re still living in Texas. The timeline to move permanently to the homestead kept getting longer. That can happen when you’re dreaming while making good coin.

The constant travel and living out of a suitcase got really old, really fast for me. It was fine when I was traveling with my best friend and awesome life partner. Doing it alone was torture. Within a year I was insisting that Scott get a job closer to home. If I was going to fly home every weekend, I wanted it to be Virginia — not Texas. Scott made it happen.

South Carolina is Closer Than Texas

From the fall of 2008 until December 31, 2016 Scott traveled 6 hours every Sunday evening to Beaufort, South Carolina. A guy by himself doesn’t need much and a travel trailer we purchased for the task was sufficient housing. Every Friday evening, he returned to the homestead in Virginia. Six hours again. He did it alone for the first year and a half. Then I got a job offer . . . just outside of Savannah, Georgia.

We moved the travel trailer to a park halfway between Savannah and Beaufort. It was an hour drive for me and 45 minutes for him. We were completely back together again as a couple.

Then in 2010 I got a job offer at the same hospital where Scott had been working for over two years. I jumped on that like a duck on a June bug. We moved the travel trailer to Beaufort and cut our work commute down to 20 minutes. As we were still driving 6 hours each way, we were actually able to leave a little earlier on Friday as Scott no longer drive backwards 45 minutes to pick me up. We only buying gas for one vehicle. These were small but important steps on our journey.

All of this unconventional living circumstance was worth the huge amount of stress that came with it. After all, we were now back together as a couple. That was great. We were at the homestead every single weekend. That was great. And it was only going to be for a couple of years . . .

Five years later and nearly 12 years into the process, I was stressed beyond my capacity to remain sane. I needed a nest. For the final two years of working in Beaufort, we rented an apartment. Moving from 100 square feet to over 1,000 square feet of living space was just enough nesting happiness to get me through it.

In the end, even that wasn’t enough and we decided to make the leap to full-time homesteaders. That was December 31, 2016. Over 13 years of tiny steps and a couple of giant steps.

Getting that creamery built is the focus of our lives right now. We are over 2 years into that process. The dream keeps going. The dream keeps moving forward.

From Chicken Tractors to Raw Milk Artisan Cheese

Let me back up a little bit and fill in some details of how we grew the farm during this period of time. How did we go from pasture raised chickens to artisan cheese? What the heck happened there? Well, we tried a few different things over the years. In order to succeed as a small homestead farmer, diversity is important. You don’t want to have all of your eggs in one basket. However, having a central core enterprise is also important. So one big basket and lots of smaller baskets was our ideal. This also supports our ideal of living a traditional life where every farming family raised much of their own food in addition to their main crop or livestock enterprise.

The weekend life allowed us to dabble a bit in a lot of areas. And we read a lot and studied a lot about many areas of interest. We did a lot of trial and error experiments on a small scale. There is so much that can be done on a homestead. Which was going to be the best fit for us? Like a lot of folks, we tried to do too many things at once. Having that central enterprise is the only way to make it.

Early on we were clear that raising the chickens in 2006 was a great learning exercise but not where our hearts were. Having them for eggs and meat for personal use, yes. But not as our central farm enterprise. In 2009 we put in fruit trees. That’s a long-term project that continues to stretch over many years. Also, for personal use at this point, though the orchard will provide a small income at a later date. You know. The date we actually have time to give it attention. 😊

In 2010 we bought a flock of sheep and a donkey as a guardian animal for them. Twelve pregnant ewes and a pregnant donkey. We proceeded along the lines of raising sheep and selling lamb as our centerpiece. We learned a lot over several years. At one point we had over 70 sheep. However, two things happened that prompted us to change our course yet again. An issue arose around raising and marketing lamb. One, we simply didn’t have the land to raise enough livestock to make it profitable – and two, in 2011 something big changed on the homestead. Love crept in, awakened and rapidly altered the farm dream.

I wanted to make my own butter and cheese and I loved drinking raw milk. I still can’t stand the taste of cooked milk. In 2011 we bought cows. With working toward homestead sustainability as part of our mission, we also wanted beef (and pork and chicken and rabbit). And after researching every cow breed under the sun, we settled on the Normande. It’s a dual breed cow. A prolific milk producer as well as producing well-marbled muscle perfectly suited for beef. For more details on these cows, give a listen to the Peaceful Heart FarmCast episode I dedicated to them.

Suffice it to say, I fell in love with these cows. We knew the lamb was not going to produce the income we desired without adding a lot more pasture. Another alternative arose out of the dream. We could build a creamery and make artisan and farmstead cheese. It just happened to coincide with my desire to have more of these cows in my life. To pay for it, how much longer are we going to have to work for someone else? Yes, that’s the decision that drove the planned two years of living in a travel trailer to a full seven years of craziness.

It was so worth it.

Peaceful Heart Farm Creamery is Born

Finally, I’ve gotten to the part of the story where the creamery comes in. It has been a wild and varied journey getting here. But this is the one. We are investing all of our time and energy into becoming a local cheese resource for our community. We will use traditional cheese making techniques to develop our local cheeses. I have two recipes that meet my expectations regarding the product I want to sell . . . and I have two others that are currently in development. One is failing miserably. Fear not! I will prevail. We are going to produce the best cheddar cheese that Virginia has ever seen! With a slight tweak on the salt, I’m expecting my alpine-style cheese to be a winner this year as well.

The creamery still has a long way to go before passing state inspection. I’ve got a little time to get the cheese right. In the meantime, I’m getting to know you and getting some really good traditional cooking information together for you. If you are buying local food, it pays to know how to prepare it well.

The latest change is the addition of the herdshare program. We became aware of this need some time ago for offering herdshares to our fellow Virginians. Not everyone wants to live this life but they want the benefit of the great food that it produces. One of those great foods is milk from pasture-raised cows. If you’ve been following me, you’ve heard me talk about this before. You can own a piece of a grassfed dairy herd. We provide the land, animals and labor so you don’t have to do that part.

We purchased a lovely Jersey cow from a fellow Farmer’s Market vendor. She has had her calf and is now producing wonderful A2A2 milk. We are offering milk and/or yogurt (full fat or low fat with honey) during the summer months, May through October. November through April cheese and butter will come out of the herdshare. During times of abundance in the summer you may find yourself with a little extra product. Your herd sometimes produces a LOT of milk. And at other times not so much.

What Else?

At some point we added cashmere goats to our livestock. I’m a big knitter and dream of using only 100% cashmere. More and more my skepticism that I will ever reach that goal increases. You can only do so much! For now, they keep our pastures clear of brambles and provide us with some really great nutrition. But their days are numbered. You remember what I talked about earlier? There are only so many hours in a day. So, dream big but keep in mind that at some point, likely you will have to trim it back a little.

At the present time on the homestead, the only food we don’t produce is eggs (and coffee). That situation will be rectified in the next few months. I believe I’ve mentioned before that Scott doesn’t have the time to invest in building elaborate chicken housing and protection. His priority is getting that creamery functional. Instead, we’ve opted for quail. This is 99% my project. Scott will build a couple of cages that will likely take no more than a day or two to complete. The rest is all on me.

With the addition of the quail, all of our food will now be produced on the homestead. We spend hours and hours working, sweating and loving every minute of our life.

We are meeting new people just like you at the Wytheville Farmer’s Market. Come see us on Saturdays 8am to 12 noon. Taste our grass-fed beef, lamb, and goat. Talk to us about your interest in a herdshare and taste our yogurt. There are lots of other great vendors there as well. And remember, you can come directly to the farm on Tuesday mornings 10am to 12 noon or Saturday afternoons from 3pm to 5pm. Call for directions. We’d love to help you get here.

Greek Seasoned Ground Meat Medley with (optional) Yogurt or Sour Cream

This recipe is for my Keto and carnivore friends and listeners. If you have a traditional, diversified farm with all kinds of ruminant animals, this recipe is for you. Or if you are shopping at your local farmer’s market for a variety of grass-fed meats, this recipe is for you. It calls for one pound each of beef, lamb and chev or goat, but you can use any combination of these meats. Or you could divide the ingredients by three and only use 1 lb.

What You Need

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground lamb

1 lb ground chev (goat)

3 tablespoon butter

Spice Mix

3 teaspoons garlic, minced

1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 ½ teaspoon dried basil

1 ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme

¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 teaspoons salt (less is fine)

3 teaspoons ground pepper

¾ cup water

What To Do

Brown ground meats until fully cooked

Drain pan drippings and add butter (this is actually optional but worth it)

Mix in spices and water

Simmer 5 to 10 minutes

Serve with yogurt or sour cream

Final Thoughts

I hope you found some inspiration to follow your dreams whatever they may be. By continually putting one foot in front of the other, you will get there. Keep the vision in front of you and keep plugging away. Start as small as you need to and build a little each day. It doesn’t matter how long it takes or what route you follow. It really doesn’t. It is all about the journey. You will never reach your destination because there is always another dream in the making. It’s all about the journey and living each day to the fullest. Go for it!

If you enjoyed this podcast, please hop over to Apple Podcasts and give me a 5-star rating and review. Also, we’d really love it if you shared it with any friends or family who might be interested in this type of content.

As always, I’m here to help you “taste the traditional touch.”

Thank you so much for stopping by the homestead and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

Recipe Link

Greek Seasoned Ground Meat Medley with (optional) Yogurt or Sour Cream

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Can I sue the insurance company?

Car insurance if I don't drive?

My mom is taking me off of her car insurance policy since I no longer own a car, don't have a job to get one or pay gas, and don't even live with her anymore. Yesterday I got my drivers license address changed to my current address which is with my boyfriend. Now his family is making a big deal about it saying that even if I'm not driving, it's illigal to have a licensed driver living in their house with no car insurance and that I have to be under insuarance. This dosnt make any sense to me. Is it even true or are they misinformed? Please help!!!""

Help me with me car insurance?

i am 34 years old have a new license with pass plus and recentley bought a car. what is the cheapest car insurance for me(third party) thanks

""Im looking for affordable whole life insurance for myself and my husband, we are on a fixed income.?

our ages are male 42 and female 41

""Are manual shift cars better on gas than automatics, and are they cheaper insurance wise?""

Are manual shift cars better on gas than automatics, and are they cheaper insurance wise?""

I'm moving to florida from new jersey.?

Anything I should know before I move? Like is rent cheaper or auto insurance or like anything that would surprise me?

Car insurance for teenagers!!?

I'm currently 19, I've held my driving license for 9months, since February. I've done the pass plus thing which in my opinion and everyone else's opinion a waste of time as it doesn't really save you that much off car insurance. Car insurance for me and my friends are through the roof, the only way to get lower car insurance is to get ourselves named as a named driver through our parents as they've got many years worth of no claims bonuses. Or to even change the address of where we live, such as a family or friends place, which is away from London and off the public roads. car insurance is a cheaper that way, as well as if you pay it annually instead of in monthly instalments. I work and basically want to get a car that is relatively cheap to insure, around the 1000-1500 mark not 4000 mark. I've tried fiat punto's, corsa's, the lot and they all seem to give me quotes of 4000 when the car is worth like a 1000. Its absolutely ludicrous, I want to be the owner of the vehicle so I can start my no claims bonus, otherwise my insurance will be high for some time, but i don't want to pay 4000 or go as a named driver as i will not work on my no claims bonus. Any suggestions? I both want and need a car, buying the cars not a problem, running the cars not a problem, paying for road tax or MOT's is not a problem it's just the insurance which is the main problem!!! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! :) Thanks in advance-Mike""

If I own property and pay insurance from 2 different insurance companies.?

If something were to happen to my property can I collect money from both insurances?

Will the insurance company cancel my car insurance after a DUI in VA?

i got a dui in VA, is offence, .08 bac, well i got convicted of yesterday. i have to do a DWI Education classes and have a restricted licence to drive to work. my insurancce is still valid for a good 6 months. do i have to inform the insurance company, will i lose my insurance, do i need a sr22 or not. please advice..""

""How much do people pay (per month, year etc) for car insurance?

The price can be per month year etc.

Where to buy affordable health insurance?

I was forced to retire at the age of 64. I am not eligible for medicare until Sep of 2011. Looking for health insurane I can buy now

""What is a good, affordable health insurance?

I'm looking for some health insurance for me and my husband that we can actually afford. We live in NJ and the policy we have now is going up way to much now. We are looking for something we can afford with little to no deductible would be great too.

How much would insurance cost around for a 2002 ford explorer for a 16 year old?

please don't tell me it depends and such...i just want a range Thanks

""I am 21, and have been driving since I was 16. How much will my insurance be?

My parents always paid for my insurance (dont hate) and now I want to use the car for a courier service. How much do you think my insurance will cost me?

Can I take my car to get repaired anywhere even if my insurance says no?

I got my window broken when someone broke into my car and I had an appt at the dealership where I bought to the car to get it repaired ASAP (and was going to) but my insurance nixed the idea. They said they wouldnt pay a dime if I did that. I HAVE to go to their suggested business. Now I have to drive to and from work with a taped up window for 2 more days till THEIR guy can fit me in. Is this legal??? It seems so unfair. BTW- I have Mercury auto insurance and I live in California.

If i got a car as a gift and dont have insurance and a car hits me is that ok?

my friend gave me a car and i dont have insurance, but a guy hit me this morning, will his insurance pay for it?""

What percent of damage will Infinity Insurance total a car in california?

according to kelly blue book, car is valued at 15,660 for private party sale damages came out to 8,566 that is about 54% in damages i dont want to drive a car that is this damaged, because it wont be as safe, even after repair. if its not quite at their totaling percentage, is there a way i can insist or push the insurance into totaling the car? and would the fact that Infinity is a real cheap insurance effect their percentage to total?""

Long Term Care Insurance?

Please give me the pros and cons of obtaining long term care insurance. What is the criteria, and who should buy long term care insurance? Conversely, who should not, or who does not need such a policy? What does it cover and what are the variable costs. Also, does it help prevent you from going into a nursing home should that be indicated? Thank you!""

How much would it cost to insure a pontiac firebird?

Im turning 16 soon and will be getting a car I was wondering how much money it would cost to insure a 1997 Pontiac Firebird.

Do you need motorcycle insurance in Georgia?

do you need motorcycle insurance in Georgia

What is the best car insurance to get?

Cheap, reasonable, and the best.""

What is the cheapest car insurance?

I'm 18 and i have a 2000 honda civic. Please help

Where is the cheapest place to get renters insurance?

My land lord is requiring everyone to get renters insurance now so im just looking for the cheapest most basic insurance I can get.

When you get a car insurance quote do you pay that amount each month?

Say my quote says 600 dollars is that what I pay a month?

Car insurance question?

I only renewed my car insurance 5 month back and paying a load for it. I just found I can save 30 a month. on the whole I would save even after another initial payment. Would it be a good thing to swap insurance companinies for this and can I swap.

If i cahnge car insurance after 7 days of getting it due i have to pay the full amount??

Heres the deal i got a car and put safe auto on it. i then wrote the postdated check for 7 days from then. well today (5 days after getting my car) i found a lot cheaper insurance. CAn i canel the saufe auto and not have to pay the full amounnt??? or do iahve to essentially pay 2 full months of car insurance????

Can I sue the insurance company?

What should you do if you hit a car but have no insurance?

my friend hit a car the other day but he has no insurance,the damage done to his car was very minor and he only scuffed the bumper of the other car, it appears the other driver wants to claim, should my friend admit to no insurance ? please help ive run out of ideas for him..............""

Car insurance for new driver that will not drive far..?

HI, I am turning 17 in november, and already looking at cars. The cars i am looking at are getting insurance at over 5000 (im male) a year fully comp! The car is only like 2500..... The thing is i will barely use my car as i live really close to school, so will walk all weekdays - especially as i am banned from parking in school as i live too close. I will occasionally use it on weekends - but if i go out in the evening im not going to take my car - drink driving.. So the only time i will use my car is quite alot in the holidays and very occasionally on some weekends, and therefore think 5k for a few car trips is ridiculous.. So is there any form of insurance where you pay for how far you drive? BTW the cars i was loooking at are 1L's, peugeots and vauxhalls mainly. These ok? Im looking at nothing over 60,000 miles and 7 years old max - i think i will do 3000 max a year. IM looking to sped about 2500 on a car, but need cheaper insurance than that! Hope you can help Many Thanks""

How much would it cost on insurance average for a 17 year old owning a street bike?

im looking at 2012 ninja 250r kawasaki street bike and wondering the average insurance monthly and im 17 years old

What is a good name for insurance company?

Since Obama wants to make the health insurance mandatory. I thought that the only way to survive in the USA, is to start my own insurance company. Please help me to come up with the name.""

How do I find health insurance for myself as an individual?

I am currently a sophomore in college, and I really hate student insurance, as it covers and pays for almost nothing, and doesn't include dental. Where do I go if i need to get a different provider?""

HOW does indemnity insurance affect Home insurance?

How does having indemnity insurance on a home for buiding work carried out with out building regs affect the cost of Home building insurance?

Car insurance ?

ok heres my problem. i am 18 and i just finished a drivers ed program i want to get my license but i cant because in order to take the road test to get my full license (not a learners) i need a car on which i am insured but i cannot buy a car because in order to even buy a car you need to have some one in the house which you live in who has car insurance and no one in my family drives so they dont have insurance as you can see im in a cycle that i cant get out of... what do i do?

What exactly is a car insurance quote?

literally, is it a QUOTE? what is it?! i feel pretty darn stupid for asking this question. but you know, it's annoying the shiz outta me.""

Car Insurance Coverage and a DUI Question?

My daughter received a DUI a while back, as she put the car in 'Drive' (instead of 'Reverse') and drove through the side of a restaurant. (closed, thank God!...No people there) She refused the Breathalyzer, and was taken to the ER for about 7 hours. She was given a DUI. This car was titled, registered and insured by me- I am her mother. She is over 30 years old. The insurance has covered to fix the car, but the restaurant has retained an attorney. (I live in SC and have $100,000 property damage on the car) Yesterday, my insurance adjustor called to ask for a release of my daughter's medical records, so they could meet with the restaurant's attorneys and show that she was not drunk. Well, she was drunk, and my daughter's attorney has told me not to release that information, as it is a violation of her rights- she already refused the breathalyzer, etc.Also, she WAS drunk, and this would only release that information possibly to others. Please no rude comments about all of this- I get it! Question: Can my insurance company refuse to pay for my daughter's ER bill ($13,000) AND the property damage, AND whatever else- due to the fact that they are going to decide she was 'drunk.' ??? Is there any way to protect my assets? Specifics would be great, if you know them. Thanks.""

New Car with Hail Damage - Insurance?

I am looking at buying a new car that has minimal hail damage to the bonnet and roof. About 10 tic tac sized dents all up, extremely hard to see. They are discounting it heavily and I really like the car but when I rang up the insurance company today they said they will not insure it. Does anyone know any companies that will insure a BRAND NEW minimally HAIL DAMAGED CAR? (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)""

I'm having trouble trying to get under my dads insurance policy?

I've just gotten my license and found a car I was going to buy so I called my Dad's insurance company to try to get under his policy. However they said I cannot go under his policy because she knows that I will be the primary driver as well as the fact that my dad is already the primary driver for two other cars. Without my dad my insurance rate is around $4500/yr. My dad does not speak english very well so I have to do the calling and talking. What should I say and do so I can get under my dads insurance policy?

My Car Insurance won't pay for my car accident?

I Totaled my 2000 ford mustang gt at an intersection, it was my fault. I ran into a car, and that car hit the car in front of him as a result. So technically i was responsible for damages of 2 cars. I only had liability so i knew my car wouldn't be fixed. But now my insurance company said that my payment for that month was processed the day after my accident, so i wasn't insured on the day of the accident. I just found this out, and i want to know what will happen now that my insurance wont pay for the damages? will the other people's insurance sue me? All answers are appreciated! Thanks!""

Where can I find information on low rate home owner's insurance?

I have a hmeowners insurance since I bought my home 10 years ago. The premium has gone up about 25%. Want to find out better rate from good companies - websites etc information

Will my wreck affect my dads insurance rates?

I'm on my step dads insurance on his buisness truck. If I got into a wreck would it affect his insurance rates or just mine.

How much will my insurance go up for a speeding ticket?

I got a speeding ticket in July going 100 mph in California. I live in AZ and was visiting when I got pulled over. I got a notice in the mail saying it's mandatory for me to appear in court. Does anyone know how much my insurance will go up? I'm 25 yrs old and this is my 2nd speeding ticket. The 1st one was in AZ and it doesn't show up on my record because I went to driving school.

Insurance Forum?

Are there any good forums that discuss insurance products without trying to sell you something?

I need health insurance. I am 60 years old and live in Pa.?

There is no state program I qualify for, because I am on Social Security retirement. I need an affordable health plan which includes screening tests (MRI's, colonoscopies, blood ...show more""

How much would car insurance cost for me?

i'm 16 and i live in the southern california area, around north hollywood. i would be driving a honda accord, thats leased so far but we're (family) is planning on buying it soon. i also have pretty good grades. how much do u think it would cost? and which auto insurance is best and the cheapest?""

I am looking for car insurance for a courier?

this is different from regular insurance.. is there any service that offers just courier insurance. one who uses their car to make deliveries

Will my parents insurance go up?

My parents have state farm. I'm 17 and I just got my license. I would want my name under my moms car. will my parents insurance go up? and if so about how much?

How can i get cheap car insurance in the UK?

hey people, i have tried getting cheap car insurance for a while n i have had no joy. the cheapest i have got it is about 2,897 that is ridiculas for a 18 year old male at college who hasn't got a penny spear! i got a car givin to me a 1998 ford fiesta 1.25 zetec and i need help pritty bad. please help me!!!!!!!!!!""

How much would you expect motorcycle insurance to cost me?

i live in san diego county, i'm 19, i've had my license for about a year (i have one crash on my record from when i was in a car on my permit, with no injuries), and i want to get a honda rebel 250 cruiser.""

How much does is a ticket if you are pulled over without registration and insurance in CA?

A girl I just started dating, who has lived in California for a few years, has not registered her vehicle in CA. She drives around with out of state plates, expired stickers, and does not have insurance. How much will it cost her if she get's pulled over. and what other non monetary consequences will she will face. I have stressed the importance getting it registered, siting scenarios such as, what if you are in an accident and are seriously injured or seriously injure someone else, without insurance, who pays for the hospital bills? . For some reason that does not create enough sense of urgency.""

Best car insurance quote for a 17 year old. (UK)?

im going on my parents insurance, and i need the cheapest insurance as possible. i heard a company named something like 'quantitive' do a good price? but im not sure... looking for no more than 2000""

""For an fha home mortgage what is a rough estimate of how much we can get, me and my wife combined make?""

69,000 a year, we have a car payment at 325, student loans total of 460 a month, a credit card payment of 15 a month with a balance of only 30 left, other than the normal cell phone bill and utilites car insurance etc that basically all we have , my credit score is a 688 , and my wifes will soon be around a 640 so we have the required score for an fha loan""

Can I sue the insurance company?

Can I have military health insurance and Regular Health Insurance?

1.Am I allowed to have both military and normal health insurance? 2. Can I see regular nonmilitary doctors with Military health insurance?

Cheapest car insurance uk?

I know it also depends on what car you have but just a rough guess how much will it cost for me I'm 21 Iv also heard that the older you are the cheaper the insurance

What is the best health insurance in CA right now?

I need help. I don't have health insurance right now and I want to find an affordable one. I live in San Francisco, and I work part-time. I look at Athem insurance and it was around 60 bucks a month. I can't really afford that right now. Is there any other health insurance that is affordable and good?""

What are the odds of insurance rates increasing after a ticket?

Okay, so late last year, I had a run in with a cop on the freeway who pulled me over for speeding. After having a lengthy talk with him, I managed to talk him into just citing me for some dice I had on my rear-view mirror. It ran me a little over a hundred bucks, and I don't think it really effected my insurance. Now, just the other day, I got caught in a speeding trap on the freeway and got pulled over, and this time I did get a ticket for speeding for doing 81 mph. Now, as far as I know, insurance companies only check a person's MVR once every three years or so, but I've only just begun to research the subject. So my question is, given the information I just provided, what are the odds that my insurance company finds out about my new ticket and raises my rates?""

""If you are driving someone else's car while they are in it, does insurance cover an accident?""

Hey, I have my full G license however I am not insured under any car because I do not own a car. However, my girlfriend does own a car and we're planning on going on a trip which requires 12 hours of driving. She wants me to drive but I am unsure that if we got into an accident we would be covered. So question: Are we covered by the insurance company in the event of an accident Note: I am driving, have no car or insurance in my name on any car She is in the passenger seat during the whole duration of the trip""

How can I lower my insurance?

I m paying 660 for insurance I have liability I live in upstate ny they told me my insurance was so high because they spotted me in brooklyn run a red light I work in brooklyn n my agent say I need to have a lease to lower my insurance again I wanna lower it to the max If any body got any advice or idea I will be glad to hear a few of them list all the possible options

Insured driver drives uninsured vehicle and crashes into my car. Is her insurance responsible?

Basically a woman who has her own insurance drove her friends uninsured vehicle and crashed into two parked cars including mine. Will the drivers insurance par for the damages or will they get out of paying? I have my own insurance, but I don't want my rates to go up because of this moron which is why I would rather have the drivers insurance pay for it. Any advice would be appreciated.""

Will i still get accepted on my husbands insurance while already pregnant before him getting the job?

I recently found out that i am pregnant and i'm planning on getting medicaid but i'm not sure that if once my husband get a job with health insurance if it will affect the medicaid and that if me being pregnant before him getting the job would affect me getting accepted to his insurance?

According to the TV everyone is talking about cheaper car insurance.?

I have never heard anyone talking about cheaper car insurance. Is it me?

""Poverty level, affordable health insurance plan for a family of 5?

i want to help my parents find health insurance that they can afford

How long do I have to take traffic school after i receive a speeding ticket in the state of California?

I already paid for the ticket that I received last December but my insurance went up, can i still take traffic school to get it off my record? If not, are there any ways I can lower my insurance?""

Where to go for car insurance?

I live in Missouri and plan on getting a new car soon. I need car insurance and would like to know what a good car insurance company would be. I'm single and live on my own and ...show more

How much would nyc car insurance be for a 19 year old insuring only himself? ?

How can i get cheap auto insurance in texas being 20 years old?

im 20 years old and im finally getting my own truck but I don't really have a whole lot of money so I cant pay an outrageous price for auto insurance. liability is fine with me but what is the cheapest I can get.

What happens after i complete traffic school for a speeding ticket?

I'm 17. I got a speeding ticket in February, payed it in March, and finished traffic school this month. I went to take my traffic school certificate this week. Does this mean it is cleared? I live in California? I'm wondering because I'm trying to get an insurance rate and it asked if i ever got a ticket.?""

Looking For Auto Insurance?

Im needing help looking for auto insurance. I just got dropped from my fathers insurance company due to the fact that ive had 2 accidents and three speeding tickets in the last three years time. Yes i know thats bad and im not looking for the smart comments i just really need help with any insurance companies that anyone knows of that will consider covering me. Thanks so much for your time.

Does your car insurance premium change?

Hi, Im 16 turning 17 and im getting my license in 9 days. Someone told my family that if we take a crap car like my 2002 honda accord to my test and use that to get our insurance, then the price of insurance on that car will be what we will pay for any other car for the rest of my teenage life. If i were to take the honda to the test, get the insurance, and say lease a newer car, will my insuracne cost stay the same as what we were charged for the honda? Sorry its long and confusing""

What is the difference between 'underwrite' and 'insure' ?

are they the same?

Can i change a court order insurance?

My kids have been on medi-cal since i separated with their father and it has been great. I have a child with special needs and we were able to go to the best clinics in town like UCSF and Stanford. i felt that my child gets the best medical care. The court ordered the father to provide a new insurance and we came to Kaiser last year. In almost a year dealing with Kaiser doctors i don't feel the same professionalism and quality of care as we used to get being at different other clinics. I started to think of changing the coverage to what we had prior to this. But i am not sure how i could change the court order and what evidence i need to provide asking for the change. Kids are still on Medi-cal, but its their secondery now.""

I'm moving to florida from new jersey.?

Anything I should know before I move? Like is rent cheaper or auto insurance or like anything that would surprise me?

Can my car insurance be cancelled?

I have had insurance for 20+ years. I recently called them to tell them I had moved. For the first time EVER they are insisting (through phone calls, mail and email) that I MUST give them information on who I live with and what THEIR car insurance is. I don't want to give this out. Can they cancel my insurance? Has anyone ever heard of this?""

Motorcycle Insurance?

I am looking at a red 2007 Honda Shadow VLX. I'm a 21 year old female, I'm on State Farm with my car, living in Lake Charles, which is probably one of the bigger cities in Southwest Louisiana. Just wondering what average cost might be to insure this bike. Like, minimum or if it's totaled. I only have one speeding ticket from a year ago on my record I believe. Thanks!""

What 125cc motorbike is cheap to insure but will do over 70mph?

Preferably a four-stroke in insurance group 2

Where can I find cheaper car insurance quotes?

I'm 17 in a few months, have a car, and have been checking insurance quotes.""

Liberty Mutual Insurance please help!?

If you use Liberty Mutual for your car insurance, how much is the insurance for two people each under two cars? If not, generally speaking, how much is it for two people to be insured for two cars each? My fiancee and I both have clean records no tickets and in the age bracket of 22-24. Thanks!""

Can I sue the insurance company?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/free-insurance-quotes-aaa-john-gutierrez/"

0 notes

garynsmith · 7 years ago

Text

SoCal Realtors help clients, save animals as wildfires rage

http://ift.tt/2BTnYVM

Nora Davis

Multiple wildfires continue to wreak havoc in coastal Southern California. Covering 96,000 acres at the time of this article’s publication according to the LA Times, the “Thomas” fire that broke out near Ventura County earlier this week is currently the most widespread, threatening at least 12,000 homes. Also in danger is Sylmar, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley, and Bel-Air, where the “Skirball” fire has so far destroyed four homes.

Within Ventura, approximately 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles, is the small SoCal city of Ojai, which is battling its fourth and toughest day of fires whipped up by powerful winds. Most residents have evacuated the town now surrounded by a ring of flames.

Realtor Nora Davis, a Coldwell Banker agent and leader of the Davis Group, is one of the few still in Ojai. She’s been bravely taking in the horses, chickens and goats of her clients, neighbors and complete strangers at her Creek Road Ojai ranch this week and successfully transported a good number of the horses out of danger to her brother’s ranch.

A specialist in ranch property, Davis, who evacuated earlier in the week and then came back, has been getting from clients asking her to check on their properties and animals. With no internet, she is texting them with updates.

Davis is developing a routine of combing through an area after a fire has run its course.

Smart home tech your clients need right now

Capture your clients’ hearts with cutting-edge closing gifts and smart home tips READ MORE

“After it moves, I go in and check — upper Ojai I went and checked yesterday and it’s devastating up there,” she said. “Closer to town and going out to the west of Ojai, that’s where it’s worse.”

Born and raised in Ojai, Davis said the Ventura county town that burned down in the 1920s is being offered substantial support from emergency authorities.

“We have a lot more help than two days ago. We have Cal Fire and the National Guard now and with more help we are hoping they can get a better handle on it,” she said.

The Ojai Community Thomas Fire Network Facebook group was proving to be a helpful resource where people who hadn’t evacuated were posting photos and updates for others.

One Ojai resident posted to the group:

“I know everyone wants to get home but please stop saying it’s safe to come home when you’re still In a mandatory evacuation area. The firefighters know what they are doing, it is literally the job they are trained for … The air is not healthy to breathe, the winds could shift, and what happens when flames are moving faster than cars because everyone is once again evacuating all at once? Save your lives, save the lives of your pets, save the lives of others, listen to the firefighters, and stay away. stay safe.”

Screen shot of a post on the Ojai Community Thomas Fire Network Facebook Group

Davis says she is always very honest with clients looking to buy in Ojai.

“I tell them: We are a low valley surrounded by mountains; we do have fires and we do have floods,” she said.

The fires come on the heels of a brutal firestorm that overtook the North San Francisco Bay in October and ravaged areas of Sonoma and Napa counties.

Davis also advises clients to keep their homes clear of brush and to know the routes in and out by heart.

That line of thinking seems to be wise, as the Los Angeles Police Department reportedly put out a warning today to those around L.A., not to rely on navigation apps, because they were in some cases directing people toward danger.

“The Los Angeles Police Department asked drivers to avoid navigation apps, which are steering users onto more open routes — in this case, streets in the neighborhoods that are on fire.” https://t.co/I3sICDIF4A

— Joel Rubin (@joelrubin) December 7, 2017

Watching from a beach house in Gaviota, evacuated long-term Ojai resident Martha Fellows, an agent with Century 21 Troop Real Estate, said that a little over 20 miles away, the Ventura county city of Fillmore as well as Carpinteria, a small oceanside community in Santa Barbara, were also in danger.

“I have a client who I sold a house to in the foothills of Fillmore and that house in the danger area,” she said.

Fellows said that the fires this week mark the worst ever in Ojai, a town with a permanent population of around 30,000.

“The last bad one was in 1985, but this is not like anything we’ve ever seen, this is at a whole new level,” she added.

Relocated out of danger, Keller William’s Tonya Peralta, who is staying in touch with her Ojai community, had a busy day ahead working with the handful of people she knows who are still in Ojai to help field questions from her clients.

“I have clients in Ventura who lost their house, I’m trying to find rentals for him,” she said. She was checking on the state of an Ojai neighborhood for a client and was able to reassure her that the area was OK.

December business is just going to have to take a back seat for now. “At the moment, we were supposed to have three closings this week. That’s been derailed until we know if they are alright,” Peralta said. Two out of three of the listings are located in mandatory evacuation areas, so Peralta was being realistic.

Fellows still had no doubts that Ojai would manage whatever happened and bounce back. “Ojai has got a rich and varied history,” she said. “There’s ranchers, edge-pushing religious and intellectual thinkers, there’s a huge range, but we live together and we get along.”

Email Gill South

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hottytoddynews · 7 years ago

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Gov. Bill Anoatubby speaks from beneath the great seal of the Chickasaw Nation. Photo courtesy of Chickasaw Nation.

This story was originally published in “Unconquered and Unconquerable”, a magazine created by Meek School Students and Faculty.

Q: Where and when did you start in the tribe’s government?

In 1975, I began work with the Chickasaw Nation as tribal health director. A year later Governor James asked me to be the accounting director. He later appointed me as special assistant to the governor, then asked me to be his running-mate in the 1979 election. That was the first election that included lieutenant governor. We were elected as a team and then re-elected in 1983.

Q: When you were elected governor, was it a close race? Why did you run?

When Overton James retired, several people wanted to be Governor.

As lieutenant governor, I was faced with the choice of running for governor or losing my opportunity to serve the Chickasaw Nation.

I felt it was my calling in life to serve the Chickasaw people, so I was compelled to run for governor. In 1987, I was elected governor of the Chickasaw Nation in a fairly close race.

Our leadership team was focused on economic development, healthcare, housing, education, senior services and other services to offer opportunities to the Chickasaw people.

Gov. Bill Anoatubby inducts veteran storyteller and tribal elder Irene Digby into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame. Photo courtesy of Chickasaw Nation.

Q: Did you have any idea back then that the tribe would grow to such a strong economic position?

Even in those early years, we had a vision of what might be, because we knew the Chickasaw people had always had the focus, determination and resilience necessary to succeed in the face of virtually any challenge.

Chickasaws persevered and adapted throughout our history, including removal from our homelands, allotment of our new territory and an attempt to dissolve our tribal government and assimilate us into mainstream society.

Through all those challenges, we continued to embrace our identity as a nation and our hope that we would once again be self-governing and self-sufficient.

In the 1950s and 1960s, we began to take meaningful action on that vision, as community leaders fought for our right and ability to elect our leaders and govern ourselves.

In 1971, we held our first gubernatorial election since Oklahoma statehood. Twelve years after that election, the Chickasaw people established a new constitutional form of government.

In 1987, we had four tribal businesses and about 250 employees.

Today, we operate more than 100 diversified tribal businesses and have more than 13,000 employees. Our annual outlays now are measured in hundreds of millions.

Q: What do you like most like about your job?

Our mission is “to enhance the quality of life of the Chickasaw people,” so it is gratifying to see the results of our efforts. Many of our services offer opportunities to pursue a higher education, advance in one’s career, or start a business.

There are countless examples of Chickasaws who have seized those opportunities and achieved success.

It is gratifying to see Chickasaws who have utilized tribal services and make it a point to “come back home” to work for the tribe.

People who have earned degrees from Harvard or other prestigious universities choose to work for the tribe because they believe so strongly in our mission.

We have seen many people who started working for the Chickasaw Nation as part of our summer youth program advance to become part of the leadership team.

They now have the opportunity to mentor young people and help prepare them to be leaders in the future.

Last year, we provided more than $18 million in grants and scholarships to more than 5,000 students.

Chickasaws are enjoying success in the arts, sciences, business, etc.

We have also made great strides in revitalizing our history and culture.

One example is the Chickasaw Cultural Center, which reflects the vision, imagination and spirit of the Chickasaw people. It is a special place where Chickasaw people embrace the culture and heritage which bind us together as a people.

We have also established many programs, camps, events and other initiatives to help us preserve and revitalize our language and culture.

It is essential to revitalize our Chickasaw language and preserve it for future generations, because so much of our culture is bound up in the knowledge of our language. Therefore, we have made a special effort to preserve and teach our language.

One example is our partnership with Rosetta Stone. We believe a collaboration between our fluent speakers and Rosetta Stone will be a significant step toward ensuring our language is documented and accessible for future generations.

Gov. Bill Anoatubby with young friends at Chickasaw Youth Day. Photo courtesy of Chickasaw Nation.

Q: Which of the tribe’s achievements are you especially pleased with?

We have made great progress in several areas. Our economic development and business diversification efforts have a great impact.

Growth in business revenues has allowed us to create new jobs and increase the number of services we offer.

In 1987, we operated 33 programs. About 99 percent of the funding for those programs came from the federal government.

Today, we operate nearly 300 programs and services. Tribal business revenue provides the majority of funding for those services.

In 1987, higher education funding was about $200,000 annually and provided scholarships to 157 students.

Today, in addition to providing grants and scholarships totaling more than $18 million to more than 5,000 students, we operate four early childhood centers serving more than 330 students. We have also implemented a STEM initiative to introduce students to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We believe it is vital to show students how their classroom studies apply to real world career options.

We have also made significant strides in health care. We invested more than $150 million of tribal revenue to build a state-of-the-art 370,000 square foot medical center that opened in 2010.

We also built new health clinics in Ardmore and Tishomingo. Our investment in those new clinics helps ensure we will be able to deliver high-quality health care for years to come.

We also opened a new cultural center in 2010. Almost 500,000 people from around the world have visited to learn more about Chickasaw culture and history.

We are currently involved in a tourism initiative which is bringing hundreds of thousands of tourists to Oklahoma.

Q: What’s the biggest disappointment?

Regardless of how hard we work, everyone makes honest mistakes from time to time.

While it is always disappointing to make mistakes, we do our best to learn from them and move on to the next opportunity.

There is always much to be done. Sometimes we must choose from several good options to find the “best” option.

That can be difficult at times, but we try to determine what is best for the people we serve and move forward.

Q: You are known for working with state and local governments. Could you give examples and tell us why that sort of cooperation is so important?

We make it a point to work closely with city, state and local governments, because we know that we can all do more by working together. We believe it is important to be a good neighbor.

Our cross-deputation agreements with state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies are one example.

Cross-deputation agreements enable all officers to enforce the law, investigate and prosecute crimes without jurisdiction becoming an issue.

Our compact with the state of Oklahoma to offer Chickasaw Nation license plates to Chickasaw citizens is another example.

Our compact keeps funding for schools, roads, employee retirement, wildlife conservation and other programs intact while offering our citizens a visible way to demonstrate their pride in being Chickasaw.

We also work closely with cities and counties to help maintain roads and bridges, which helps local governments stretch budgets and makes roads safer for everyone.

Q: Is it true that relations between the federal government and the tribes have never been better? Are there bridges still to be crossed?

While we have a positive relationship with the federal government we must protect the rights of our citizens. A recent settlement rooted in the allotment process that took place more than a century ago helps illustrate both points.

The case centered on more than one million acres of Chickasaw and Choctaw tribal lands the U.S. took control of on the eve of Oklahoma statehood.

As federal trustee, the government held those lands for the benefit of the Chickasaw and Choctaw nations, but the government had not provided a proper accounting of the management and disposition of those lands.

Over a period of many years, we made numerous requests for an accounting. In December 2005, we filed suit requesting an accounting of the management of that land and restoration of the value of that trust.

After nearly a decade of litigation, we reached a $186 million settlement with the federal government.

The fact that the government was willing to acknowledge the serious nature of our concerns, and take steps to resolve those, represents a significant milestone in helping solidify our relationship with the U.S.

The fact that we had to file suit illustrates the importance of continuing efforts to protect and defend our tribal sovereignty.

The WinStar World Casino complex, arguably the world’s largest, is a big piece of the business empire the tribe has built under Anoatubby. Photo courtesy of Chickasaw Nation.Q: Why is it so important to defend tribal sovereignty?

The exercise of sovereignty is the foundation of virtually every action we take. Our sovereignty is inherent. While it is recognized in the U.S. Constitution, it is not given or taken away by the federal government.

The federal government does, however, have the capacity to limit our ability to exercise tribal sovereignty.

Our ability to exercise our sovereignty is something we should never take for granted.

One example of the importance of defending tribal sovereignty is seen in recent decisions by the National Labor Relations Board.

In June 2015, the NLRB dismissed a complaint alleging the Chickasaw Nation had violated the National Labor Relations Act.

The board ruled the NLRB does not have jurisdiction over the Chickasaw Nation.

That case was never as much about the NLRA as it was about our sovereignty as a tribal nation as recognized in our treaties with the federal government.

We were pleased that the Board understood that our treaties remain the bedrock of our relationship with the federal government.

Q: Tell us about your “listening sessions” and what you learn from them.

Listening conferences are a formal way of communicating directly with people we serve so we are able to tailor our services to best meet their needs. Some of our listening conferences were conducted when we began offering services outside the Chickasaw Nation jurisdictional area – the 13 counties in south-central Oklahoma. Those sessions were intended to give citizens more input into the development of new tribally-funded services.

We also hold meetings designed to offer information about services, and to receive feedback from citizens.

While we publish annual programs and services guides, it is often helpful to meet with citizens in person, because that gives us the opportunity to explain the services in more detail, answer questions.

Q: Where does the Chickasaw Nation go from here, economically and in terms of service to tribal citizens. What challenges remain?

While we are on a much more stable financial foundation than ever before, it is essential to continue to focus on economic development and business diversification.

While we plan to continue reinvesting in our established businesses, our corporate development team is also evaluating a wide range of new business opportunities.

One example is our strategy to develop a diverse portfolio of high-tech companies with tremendous growth potential.

We have invested in innovative companies such as Ekso Bionics, iRpowr, Capstone metering and Corvid Technologies, which are creating new markets in their respective industries.

We are also engaged in economic development initiatives designed to have a positive impact on the state and local economy.

Designed to bring more tourism to Oklahoma, the Adventure Road initiative generated more than 385,000 new trips to the area last year, bringing in approximately $647 million in spending from March to September.

Business diversification and economic development efforts contribute to our mission by providing employment opportunities and allowing us to offer more programs and services. We remain committed to offering a wide range of services to help meet the need for housing, health care, education, aging services, career development, family services and more.

We also plan to continue our efforts to embrace, preserve and revitalize our culture and language.

As we move forward, we will continue to implement programs that meet the ever-changing needs of Chickasaw people.

Q: And finally, what message would you like to send to people?

Our mission “to enhance the overall quality of life of the Chickasaw people” is at the core of everything we do.

Quality of life includes meaningful employment, safe, secure housing, quality affordable health care, access to higher education and more, so when we evaluate a business opportunity, develop a new policy, or consider a new service, we ask ourselves how it will affect the Chickasaw people.

We will only move forward when we truly believe it will help us meet our mission.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Ariel Cobbert, Mrudvi Bakshi, Taylor Bennett, Lana Ferguson, SECOND ROW: Tori Olker, Josie Slaughter, Kate Harris, Zoe McDonald, Anna McCollum, THIRD ROW: Bill Rose, Chi Kalu, Slade Rand, Mitchell Dowden, Will Crockett. Not pictured: Tori Hosey PHOTO BY THOMAS GRANING

The Meek School faculty and students published “Unconquered and Unconquerable” online on August 19, 2016, to tell stories of the people and culture of the Chickasaw. The publication is the result of Bill Rose’s depth reporting class taught in the spring. Emily Bowen-Moore, Instructor of Media Design, designed the magazine.

“The reason we did this was because we discovered that many of them had no clue about the rich Indian history of Mississippi,” said Rose. “It was an eye-opening experience for the students. They found out a lot of stuff that Mississippians will be surprised about.”

For questions, email us at [email protected].

The post Unconquered and Unconquerable: A Conversation with Governor Bill Anoatubby appeared first on HottyToddy.com.

#hottytoddy #olemiss #oxfordms #oxford ms #mississippi #university of mississippi #the grove

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clarkfamily · 7 years ago

Text

PNT DIARY 1909

Note: Empty entries have been omitted.

Note: PNT had his own system for recording the weather although he only uses it sporadically in the first month of this diary year, and twice in May. The notations occur after the date in each entry. Please see the post for 1906 to read the key.

1/1 I am 5 ft 9 1/2 in tall.

1/2 We chopped trees on W side of 10 acre lot.

1/3 Joe and I walked out to E. Lebanon and back.

1/4 January thaw. Boys went back to college. Chopped out N. We got one load of wood there, too. Saw one bee.

1/5 9° all day. Snow goes fast. Put together queen cages. They did not draw water.

1/6 9+-.The bees flew a lot for three hours. Chopped out North. Snowy cold weather with a wind tonight. 47°.

1/7 +9. Temp dropped 27°. Cut wood. We drew 3 bbls of water. Water is running in S. pasture about 20 bbl a day. 0°

1/8 Chopped.

1/9 10°

1/10 Took Daisy down to Jewitts. We drew water. Warm. Sunday.

1/11 Thawing and almost raining. Chopped.

1/12 0 all day. Took 2 boxes down to Harry on the train. Sunday.

1/13 Mama went to Brookside to stay until Saturday. We drew 3 loads of wood. About 3 inches of snow fell.

1/14 0 a little all day long. We drew 4 loads of wood from 10 acre lot. Made 9 wooden cell cups.

1/15 Finished drawing limb wood from the hedge out north.

1/16 Joe and I drew 4 loads of wood from the S. pasture to Edgar's. Finished drawing logs from the hedge.

1/17 A good old snow storm. We got one load of water. Went down to Edgar's. Bees got snowed in.

1/18 A cold day. -16°. Tonight shoveled off roofs, etc. About 1 1/2 feet of snow came.

1/19 We chopped down a very large maple N. of sugar house 150 years old. -18°

1/20 Warmer.

1/21 Thawing.

1/22 Thawing. A little too warm for chopping fast. Made 9 3/4 lbs of butter. 47°

1/23 Sawed on the maple all day. Did not draw water. Rained a little. Finished my 22 queen cages.

1/24 (• Hail thunder. Did not draw water.

1/25 Joe and Mr. Farnam led Puck to the depot today. Drew water. Sawed logs. Tinkered. It froze today. 30°

1/26 Sawed and we cut a beech in this corner of the woods.

1/27 We cut some beeches in this corner of the woods including the old bent one.

1/28 Sawed and we drew 6 logs out to sugar house.

1/29 Joe and I sawed 41 blocks near sugar house. Did not draw water because of snow meltdown on roof. 2°

1/30 Did not saw. Tinkered. We drew water.

1/31 Sunday. About 3 inches of snow came.

2/1 Shoveled snow off roofs. We drew logs to sugar house.

2/2 Joe and I sawed beech logs.

2/3 -7

2/4 Joe and I finished sawing logs at the sugar house.

2/5 Warmer. Bees came out a little and some were chilled. Sawed logs near wood pile.

2/6 Snow going. Bees came out a little. Rained a little. Tinkered. Saturday.

2/7 Fine warm day. Took Sally down to Mr. Jewitts. Have not drawn water for 3 days.

2/8 Began to clean out pig pens etc. Fine day. Drew water.

2/9 Finished cleaning out pig pens. We drew 2 loads limb wood from woods up to the house.

2/10 Rainy day. Did not draw water. Split sugar wood. Tinkered on swarm box.

2/12 Carrie's horn hit me in the eyebrow and cut it. Joe drew 2 foot wood to sugar house. Friday.

2/13 Tinkered on a swarm box and about finished my queen xearing(?) apparatus. They drew wood.

2/14 Papa and I drew water. Milked. Half of the ground is bare. Edgar and I walked over to John's barn.

2/15 - 2/21 [Empty]

2/22 Saw crows all day. First spring day. Joe and I drew 5 loads of wood to Edgar's from the pasture.

2/23 Found two mice in chaff around bee hive. They have been in the hive. Repacked them. We drew water again.

2/24 - 2/28 [Empty]

3/1 George Gray finished sawing wood here. Planted tomatoes in house, Earliana, Early Jewel, New Globe.

3/2 - 3/4 [Empty]

3/5 We finished working up 2 foot wood in the woods and began to split in the yard.

3/6 Sat. Saw a flock of redpolls eating my kale seed. Never saw them before. (Acanthis linaria).

3/7 - 3/12 [Empty]

3/13 Prepared the hotbed to plant Mon. Used the old skylight. We finished splitting in yard. Pa went to school meeting.

3/14 Joe went away and I did chores and milked.

3/15 Planted the hot-bed. I row Nameless, 5 rows New Globe, 4 rows Earliana, 5 rows Early Jewel, tomatoes.

3/16 Joe cut up wood in woods and we patched the sugar house windows, etc.

3/19 Henry Allen Hazen born. [Ellice's oldest child.]

3/20 - 3/24

3/25 The worst wind I can remember. Blew off hotbed sash and killed 2/3 of the tomatoes. Saw first woodchuck.

3/27 Edgar and we three tapped all the trees. 207 South 91 out North. First lamb came. Replanted front of hotbed.

3/29 Lost nearly all of that sap because the float sank.

3/30 We gathered 8 bbl. No 3 swarm of bees is dead and think my black swarm is.

3/31 Made butter. Mama finished it. We gathered 9 bbl of sap.

4/1 Worked up 2 ft wood down south. We gathered 8 bbl sap.

4/2 Joe and I gathered 7 bbl sap. Saw a bluebird. Have heard him several days. The robins sing a little. Bees working in sawdust.

4/3 Snowed 2 in last night. We gathered 9 bbl sap. Snow did not stay. Put the sleds in cider mill.

4/4 - 4/10 [Empty; b day turns 19 on the 8th]

4/11 Went over to Farnam's and cut scions. Saw the first hermit thrush and purple finch. Sunday.

4/12 Chickens in the incubator hatching.

4/13 Joe gathered 3 bbl after chores last night. Sap ran all night. We gathered 22 bbls today. Worked in my cold frame.

4/14 All day tinkered. Dana came after his syrup. 15 gal.

4/15 We gathered 6 bbl sap and emptied lots of rain water.

4/16 Saw first blossom, Hepatica aculeloba. Heard frogs tonight in barn field and Jones field for the first time. Gathered 6 bbl.

4/17 Edgar tinkered here. We gathered 3 bbl. Set out 55 tomatoes in my cold frame.

4/18 Went over to Gray's across. Heard partridge drum. Edgar boiled.

4/19 Papa and I went downtown and got a cypress tank. Planted cabbage and radish in nursery. Monday.

4/20 Set 106 eggs. Washed out tanks and fixed up the sugar camp. Walked to town and got 3 qts. of peas. Joe harvested my patch in S. Field.

4/21 Mama and Mrs. Wells washed buckets. Planted small peas. (see S notes). Joe began to harrow.

4/22 Warmer. Helped Edger tinker on his wagon. Transplanted 100 tomatoes into the cold frame. Bees are gathering pollen fast.

4/23 Piled one pile of wood. Grafted one tree in nut orchard. Bees did not come out.

4/24 Mama and I grafted 2 trees. Too cold. Papa sowed the barley out S. field. Planted onions in my garden.

4/25 Cold. Ground froze a little. Walked out through Brown's pasture to get some alder flowers. 27°

4/26 Saw a horned lark for first time ever. Transplanted 2 cut leaf elder to yard. Papa and I filled a spring hole out north. Cool.

4/27 Burned brush on Garden. Papa sowed Swedish oats in W. field. Piled wood. Ground froze.

4/28 Got a food chopper. Piled chunks in wood shed.

4/29 Froze last night. Piled wood in the shed. Painted a bee hive. Planted one row of peas. Tested out eggs (20) from 106. 22°

4/30 Nothing done. Went to Fox place twice after mail.

5/1 Cold and stormy. Some of the snow melts. Transplanted tomatoes.

5/2 Tops of hills are covered with snow. Milked one cow.

5/3 Snow went today. Squalled a little this morning. Put spring tooth harrow together. Painted hives. Warmer.

5/4 Mama and I grafted. Looked into my bees. Cobb began to shear our sheep. Joe fenced. David's well has caved in. Saw new sparrow.

5/5 Best day yet. Tied up wool, weighed and put it away. Perkins came to buy wool. Papa set native trees in E. field to graft.

5/6 Hugh came home from NHC. [New Hampshire College] Cobb finished shearing the sheep.

5/7 We dosed the sheep and it killed 3. Went down to Lane's woods. Saw a brown creeper. Cattle are out at most neighbors.

5/8 Fine day. Planted 1 row in garden. Hugh fenced in his orchard. Made a glass cold frame.

5/9 Got golden sweet scions at George Gray's. Harry Farnam called. Gathered plants. Saw first bobolink. Sunday.

5/10 Turned cows out and got up 6. Hugh and I put a fence through Fox place orchard.

5/11 Rain last night. 60 chickens hatched from 106 set. Planted peas. They planted 4 rows of early potatoes in 7 acre lot.

5/12 Covered up 17 rows of potatoes in 7 acre lot. Went down town in the evening. Hugh is grafting nowadays in his orchard.

5/13 Covered 9 rows of potatoes and we finished planting them. Hear a whip-poor-will.

5/14 Went down town and called on cousin Edwin. Planted his potatoes. Called on Mr. Crowell. Got home late. Saw Posey's bees.

5/15 Planted in the garden. Grafted in Hugh's orchard. Fixed up a scare hawk. They planted the N. field all with flint corn.

5/16 (• [rainy] all day.

5/17 (• [rainy] all day. Hazen worked on my father's tooth.

5/18 Partly clear and rainy. Walked to Crosses, Cutts and back, 16 miles. Rode downtown. Got new bike tire. ($1.40). Hugh gave me my wheel.

5/19 Papa took his wool to the Junction and got 30¢ a lb.. (1,655 lbs) (4 clippings) Went down to Posey's. Set 50 seedling apples in garden.

5/20 Grafted in hay pasture and North orchard. Joe harrowed my tomato patch.

5/21 Planted in the garden. Papa and Hugh planted Sanford corn in garden field. Went to L.H.S. cantata with Hugh.

5/22 Piled wood in shed. Mrs. Dewey was up with Ellha(?). Cut 50 tomato stakes.

5/23 Hugh and Mama went to Brookside.

5/24 Hazen put two gold crowns in my jaw. Rode Hugh's wheel home. Grafted in Horse pasture and Hugh's orchard. Monday.

5/25 Helped dip sheep. Shelled 1/2 bu [bushels] corn for seed.

5/26 Fine day. Grafted porters on Fox place. Hugh and I went to Mr. Cutt's and I bought two swarms of bees @ $4.00

5/27 Hazen filled 2 teeth for me. About finished planting the garden. Got home 11:15. Got stung on jaw.

5/28 Transplanted stonehead cabbage into the hen yard. Moved tomatoes onto back piazza. Randall Slayton drove in drunk.

5/29 rain

6/1 Planted squashes in hen yard. Began to transplant tomatoes from back piazza.

6/2 Mowed around apple trees in the field. Worked on bees. Set out more tomatoes, some from hotbed.

6/3 Hoed peas.

6/4 Set stakes for pea wire. Set out more tomatoes.

6/5 Set out about 180 tomatoes in rain.

6/6 Shook out a queenless swarm of bees from a box hive.

6/7 Papa and I wired my peas. Transplanted 150 tomatoes. I now have 418 set out, which is all. They began to cultivate corn.

6/8 Began to hoe corn. In the North field. We hoe only witch grass spots at first.

6/9 Hoed peas and corn. Planted a bed of pine 4 ft x 12 ft. Hugh's queen came.

6/10 Went across to creamery. Set out 102 cabbages in garden. Papa tinkered on separator.

6/11 - 6/19 [Empty]

6/20 Hugh and I called on Albert Atherton. Saw his milking machine work. We caught a real tree toad near Coles. Never saw one before.

6/21 - 6/24

6/25 We finished all the hoeing without a drop of rain.

6/27 Ellice went home with Dana and Henry.

6/28 They got one load of hay from door yard. Hoed in garden and raked in rough patch.

6/29 We got in 4 loads of hay from E. field. Hoed in garden. Dr. Caverley called.

6/30 Hoed and worked on hay. They mowed clover in S. end of S. field and also Baker Lane. Finished E. field 1 load.

7/3 They got in most of the hay and clover in S. field July 5. Sold first peas 1 1/3 pecks.

7/4 Called on Harry Farnam and we wheeled down to the old cemetery.

7/5 Tinkered and hoed corn in west field July 6.

7/7 Sold $1.95 worth of peas from house to house. We finished the S. field.

7/8 - 7/17

7/18 Uncle Bert and I walked up on Ela Hill.

7/19 Sold first Telephone peas, 40¢ a peck. Picked 7 qts. of berries 10¢ a quart, with Uncle Bert on the hill.

7/20 We finished the rough place and this place. Got one load from Fox Place. Bert and Mary left for Brookside.

7/21 Picked raspberries from 6 am to 6 pm on the hill. Got 10 qts. as measured in field (true).

7/22 Sold peas. First currants 2 qts. for $.25 and 15 qts. raspberries. Finished S. field on Fox place.

7/25 Picked currants.

7/26 Sold peas and currants. We have all the hay put up on Fox Place.

7/27 Picked 16 quarts of raspberries. Sold them and 6 qts. of currants for $2.75. Finished haying. Went to the Grange.

7/29 Sold peas and currants.

7/30 They mowed barley. 96 1/2°

7/31 Hoed corn. Hugh and Harry went to Ascutney.

8/1 - 8/3

8/4 Picked berries all day on the hill. Got 16 qts. Mama went too. They finished hoeing corn the second time.

8/5 - 8/18

8/19 Peddled apples, etc. Picked 8 1/2 qts. berries (black). Tomatoes cracked bad in the rain and did not ripen.

8/20 - 8/22

8/23 Sold 95 pounds of tomatoes 5 cents a pound at market.

8/24 Joe and Harry began to cut on the S. end of the hedge between the 7 acre lot and the 10 acre lot.

8/25 - 8/30

8/31 Worked on oats in W. field. Mr. Hazen, Annah, Louise, Ellice, & [Henry?] called. Have a scion 5 ft tall 1 yrs growth.

9/1 Thunderstorm in early morning after cold days. Saw occultation of Mars. Cold weather. Cows just beginning to come up nights.

9/2 - 10/7

10/8 Heard august fly (cicada?).

10/9 - 10/12

10/13 Recreation (magazine) came out this week. Warmer. Replaced broken panes of glass in the barns. Took off the screens (too soon).

10/14 - 10/24

10/25 Sent order for bee supplies to A. I. Root Co.

10/27 Cleaned out the well here at the house. Found a chipmunk in it. Well is 22 feet from ground 2 ft in ledge.

10/28 - 11/23

11/24 Snowed fast towards night. Slid down to Hanes woods (1/2 mile) on Harry's skis.

11/25 Five inches of snow came. Heaps 3 ft deep on piazza roof.

11/26 - 11/28 [Empty]

11/29 Fine day. Papa took 14 lambs and 18 sheep to the early tran(train?) to be carred(?). Tinkered on my section press.

11/30 Tinkered. Went to town in wagon. Harry swept out the cow stable.

12/1 Finished my section piece. Put on storm windows.

12/2 Harry and I went up to John Hall's to see his Jerseys. He has about 42 swarms of bees.

12/4 Did nothing. Went to see Ira Peabody about Florida.

12/5 Sunday.

12/6 Joe and I drew sugar wood to sugar house from woods.

12/7 - 12/31 [Empty]

#Philip Townsend #diary #text #storrs hill

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aqlyrics-blog · 7 years ago

Text

Hold Tight

New Post has been published on http://aqlyrics.com/lyrics/kanye-west-hold-tight/

Hold Tight

–Intro: Kanye West & Quavo– When I came up had to show my ass, yeah Clothes tight, clothes tight, holds tight, hold tight Hold tight, hold tight Hold tight, hold tight Hold tight, hold tight Hold tight, hold tight And I just figured out the whole time Uh, I was actin’ like I’m white

–Verse 1: Quavo & Kanye West– When I came up, had to show my ass, yeah, that’s the black side I was trappin’ out the bando, nosy ass neighbors uptight When I come around, when I come around, niggas don’t act right I’m yellin’ out, “Please don’t come with that fake shit,” screamin’ it all night What the fuck did you say? What the fuck did you say? (Ayy, uh) I’m on my Wraith shit, I’m on my, I’m on my Wraith shit (race, yep, woo) Get the fuck out my face, get out of my way (move, fuck did you say?) I’m on my Wraith shit, I fell in love with all races (race, yep) When you’re aiming for something I tell ’em Hold tight, hold tight, hold tight When you’re aiming for something I tell ’em Hold tight, hold tight, hold tight When you’re aiming for something I tell ’em Hold tight, see that melody right there? That’s why I’m me When you’re aiming for something I tell ’em

–Verse 2: Kanye West & (Quavo)– I be actin’ like I’m white (white) Fuckin’ white bitches, black and white dick (oh, ayy) [?] like we don’t tiki talk shit, bossed up 100 bump, I do that shit all night Sniff a line I be sniffing Miley Cyrus with Miley Cyrus In a bathroom with my thumb in her ass Now I’m actin’ like I’m white

–Pre-Chorus: Kanye West & Quavo– You stayed 3 exes up and you never came to see me in my own room You the only good enough for the mountain Only good as the people you got around you This is all associations around you I only got [?] but never doubt you Forgive me if I ever doubted you Forgive me if I ever doubted you Forgive me if I ever doubted you Forgive me if I ever doubted you Forgive me if I ever doubted you Please forgive me if I ever doubted you Forgive me if I ever doubted you Please forgive me if I ever doubted you Forgive me if I ever doubted you Please forgive me if I ever doubted you Forgive me if I ever doubted you

–Chorus: Quavo– Ayy, ’cause I’m actin’ like I’m white Don’t make me show my ass, that’s the black side Yeah, I’m actin’ like I’m white Don’t make me show my ass, that’s the black side ‘Cause I’m actin’ like I’m white Don’t make me show my ass, that’s the black side Yeah, I’m actin’ like I’m white Don’t make me show my ass, that’s the black side

[Verse 3: Young Thug] I’m chillin’, pourin’ up until I can’t feel my anger Blessed my nigga Yeezy with a banger I was sharin’ all my thoughts with a stranger Wrestle this bitch like Kurt, no Angle [?] of these diamonds drippin’ off me like a sink Act inside a pineapple mango She been in the [?] with no anger Whoop, I’m adios, as-salamu alaykum (nigga, that that) I just want a round house, we gon’ have ’em bleedin’ Nah, I ain’t green, sharin’ is carin’, bae, I be just feedin’ Coca Cola, Shade, I don’t want to fuck it bae, I just want see it Look, nigga, late, I been [?] but you just ain’t see it Wait, lil’ nigga, I can afford it I just was broke with no shawty I just found out it’s important To take off them faders and put on some Forgies I got six rings, I’m just lordin’ I used to be broke it’s so boring (broke, borin’, yeah) I came out that smoke, can’t ignore it (yeah) Now all my pockets is on Norbit

–Verse 4: Takeoff– That Mac 11 up from the top I was on the block, no guap, runnin’ from cops They was talkin’ ’bout me, they wanted to see the album flop And we will never stop, the game on Buscemi lock I do wrong and do right, forgive me for not livin’ right Sippin’ on Bud, like givin’ you advice I’m mackin’ white Mansion on acres, my white friends are only invite If it wasn’t no wrong, feel like a nigga right

–Verse 5: Quavo– Dr. King sacrificed his life because they didn’t treat us right (King, no) Don’t call a young nigga racist because my best friends white (no, white) Yeah, my best friends white, white (ayy, ooh)

–Verse 6: Offset– I was actin’ like I’m white (white) Diamonds shinin’ off the lights (shine) Pain came with the limelight (pain) Feds put me in the spotlight (feds) Mama told me that these bitches ain’t never gon’ count (these bitches don’t count) ‘Cause you walk the one to talk, might see you around (I see you around) This is the way that we kick it (We kick it) 200 thou’ in my kitchen (200 racks) Bad bitches in the facility (bad bitches) I put my hoe on a mission (ayy) Y’all niggas better hold tight (hold tight) I gave 200 to Jew, told him make it right (make it right) They mad, we blew up like dynamite (mad) I can see everythin’ like a satellite (I can see)

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politicalfilth-blog · 8 years ago

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Is Your Government a Democracy or a Totalitarian State?

We Are Change

Article via The Daily Sheeple

The USA is already a Totalitarian State with a Ministry of Propaganda that works overtime to generate a flimsy illusion of “democracy.”

Is your “democracy” (or republic) actually a Totalitarian State? That is, is it a “democracy” or “republic” in name only? To find out, take this quick quiz.

1. Does your government (federal, state and local) seize citizens’ assets without due process? In other words, the rule of law is dead; the state is the law. If the answer is yes, Your “democracy” is already a Totalitarian State. The answer in the USA is a definitive “yes.”

2. Does your government impose tyranny by complexity? If so, the average citizen lacks the wealth and connections needed to fight the seizure of private property without due process or recourse.

In the USA, the answer is “yes,” the government is a tyranny by complexity.

3. Is your government essentially “for sale” to wealthy elites? If the answer is yes, Your “democracy” is already a Totalitarian State–or more accurately, a fascist Totalitarian State.

4. Does your government spy on its entire citizenry? If the answer is yes, Your “Democracy” is already a Totalitarian State. The answer in the USA is a definitive “yes.”

Well, you have your answer: the USA is already a Totalitarian State with a Ministry of Propaganda that works overtime to generate a flimsy illusion of “democracy.” Please read the following links if you seek documentation of these systemic abuses of centralized power.

Orwell and Kafka Do America: How the Government Steals Your Money–“Legally,” Of Course (March 24, 2015)

Government in the USA is expropriating the private property of its citizenry without due process on a vast scale. I have provided documentation of this extraordinary reality many times over the years.

The various levels of government have a variety of “legal” (haha) means to steal your property without due process or recourse: civil forfeiture, absurdly expensive traffic fines that lead to jail sentences in the local debtors prison-gulag, forfeiture of assets, including land, should government agents find the marijuana plants they planted on your property (surprise!), the state steals your money in a bank account and notifies you after the fact that the state suspects you owe it taxes, though they have zero evidence of that claim–and on and on.

The courts place no limits on the central state’s power, for they are simply one side of the same statist coin, and so we have a totalitarian kleptocracy that in true Orwellian fashion claims it is a functioning “democracy”:

Criminalizing Poverty For Profit: Local Government’s New Debtors Prisons (October 20, 2009)

“Upholding the Law” or Simply Theft by Other Means? (October 26, 2009)

Theft By Other Means II: When the State Steals Property, Is It Not Theft? (November 10, 2009

State Over-Reach: Stripmining the Citizenry for Fun and Profit (November 13, 2009)

Death of Donald P. Scott (Wikipedia); (source):

“In October of 1992, millionaire recluse Donald Scott and his bride of two months, Frances Plante Scott, lived in a storybook wooded valley in the mountains high above Malibu, Calif. Trails End Ranch is almost completely surrounded by state and Federal park land, and the neighboring government entities had made numerous attempts to buy out Scott and annex his property.

Stymied in their attempt to buy the Scott ranch, government officials hit on an alternative plan. Contending an officer had seen “marijuana plants growing under the trees” during a drug-seeking overflight, agents from various jurisdictions gathered quietly outside the locked gate to the ranch in the morning mists of Oct. 2, 1992.

After greedily studying the maps of the 200 acres of prime land they were told they’d be able to grab under federal asset seizure laws should they find as few as 14 marijuana plants, they cut the chain on the gate with bolt-cutters and raced a mile up the dirt drive to the ranch, complete with police dogs.

Frances Scott was in the kitchen, brewing her morning coffee, when dozens of men in plainclothes and brandishing guns — no badges or warrants in evidence — came swarming in. Understandably, she screamed for her husband, still asleep upstairs.

Donald Scott, 63, came hurrying down the stairs, a handgun held over his head. The officers shouted for him to lower his weapon. He did. They shot him dead.”

Your government in action–completely legally, of course. I hope you approve. The irony of tragedies like this is that when young Americans faced similar “law enforcement” tactics in the late 1960s and early 1970s via COINTELPRO and other blatant violations of constitutional rights, we were written off as radical hippies who were a threat to something (certainly not democracy, but “something.” Like perhaps an illegal war and an out-of-control secret government?)

Now that average citizens are facing similar tactics, they might find it interesting to study the COINTELPRO campaign of the FBI and other “law enforcement” officials against the anti-Vietnam War movement three decades ago.

According to attorney Brian Glick in his book War at Home, the FBI used four main methods during COINTELPRO:

1. Infiltration: Agents and informers did not merely spy on political activists. Their main purpose was to discredit and disrupt. Their very presence served to undermine trust and scare off potential supporters. The FBI and police exploited this fear to smear genuine activists as agents.

2. Psychological Warfare From the Outside: The FBI and police used a myriad of other “dirty tricks” to undermine progressive movements. They planted false media stories and published bogus leaflets and other publications in the name of targeted groups. They forged correspondence, sent anonymous letters, and made anonymous telephone calls. They spread misinformation about meetings and events, set up pseudo movement groups run by government agents, and manipulated or strong-armed parents, employers, landlords, school officials and others to cause trouble for activists.

3. Harassment Through the Legal System: The FBI and police abused the legal system to harass dissidents and make them appear to be criminals. Officers of the law gave perjured testimony and presented fabricated evidence as a pretext for false arrests and wrongful imprisonment. They discriminatorily enforced tax laws and other government regulations and used conspicuous surveillance, “investigative” interviews, and grand jury subpoenas in an effort to intimidate activists and silence their supporters.

4. Extralegal Force and Violence: The FBI conspired with local police departments to threaten dissidents; to conduct illegal break-ins in order to search dissident homes; and to commit vandalism, assaults, beatings and assassinations. The object was to frighten, or eliminate, dissidents and disrupt their movements.

I’ve published many first-hand accounts of the kleptocratic predation of the state of California. I invite you to read this carefully:

Welcome to the Predatory State of California–Even If You Don’t Live There (March 20, 2012)

First the state steals the $1,343 and authorizes its parasitic predatory bag-“person” Wells Fargo Bank to steal another $100 for handling the state’s theft.

A week or two later the citizen is notified of the theft as a fait accompli. Now the onus is on the law-abiding citizen to attempt to reclaim his own money from a distant, all-powerful Kafkaesque state agency. How can this be legal in a nation supposedly operating under rule of law?

Let’s be very clear about what happens here in America on a daily basis:

1. The state (or other agency of government) steals citizen’s money without due process.

2. Then, in a move akin to the executioner making the condemned buy his own death bullet, the state authorizes the “too big to fail” corporate bank which received billions in taxpayer bailouts to steal $100 from the citizen for the digital theft of his money by the state.

3. If the citizen needed that money to pay rent, buy medication to stay alive, etc., tough luck, Buckwheat, the state of California has your money before they notify you of the purported tax liability and now you enter the Kafkaesque insanity of pleading for a “refund” of your own money from an agency designed to thwart transparency and the reclamation of your own money.

So if you get evicted and are living in a cardboard box and pass away due to inability to buy your meds, hey, the State of California’s political class and special interests couldn’t care less: they want your money and the rule of law doesn’t apply to them.

If you understand that a purported tax liability is one issue and due process is another far more important issue, then you understand that we now live in an totalitarian nation where “rule of law” is only invoked at the convenience of the political and financial Elites for propaganda purposes.

The state of California has three basic methods of looting law-abiding citizens:

1. The old “you didn’t pay a $25 filing fee, the fine is now $499 which we took from your bank account.” Never mind you have the cancelled check endorsed by the state, proving they received it and cashed it; the Board of Kafkaesque Authority claims “we didn’t get the check” and loots your account for the $499 (true story.)

2. “Fishing expeditions” where companies and citizens are dunned for taxes and fees they might owe, though there is no evidence they do in fact owe fees and taxes. I received many emails describing these fishing expeditions, for example, merely having a license is “evidence” that you must have unreported income.

3. Enforce all sorts of dubious claims, most importantly:

A. That anyone collecting a pension from work performed while residing in California is liable for California taxes on that pension, regardless of where they live;

B. Any income resulting from something invented in California must be reported as income in California, regardless of where the income is derived from or where the inventor now lives.

In other words, residency has no meaning. Any income remotely connected to California–for example, you had the idea while residing in the state–obligates you to pay California income tax on that idea in perpetuity.

You know the dominant emotion that the government at every level generates in law-abiding, taxpaying citizens? Fear. And for good reason.

Welcome to the United States of Orwell, Part 1: Our One Last Chance to Preserve the Bill of Rights (March 26, 2012)

Welcome to the United States of Orwell, Part 2: Law-Abiding Taxpayers Are Treated as Criminals While the Real Criminals Go Free (March 27, 2012)

“I received a letter last year that we owed the state of California’s Franchise Tax Board $90,000 for taxes in the year 2008. We replied to the Franchise Tax board in a similar manner as RT stating that:

— Did not reside in California in 2008

— Did not file a State income tax return in California in 2008

— Did not have any outstanding tax issues with California in 2008

— Did no business in California in 2008

— Owned no property in California in 2008

The CA Franchise Tax board responded by putting a lien on us in the state – fortunately, our banks and assets have no business in CA or I am certain our accounts would have been robbed as well.

After a great deal of uncertainty and angst, I found an accountant in CA who advised us that we needed to file a complete CA tax return for 2008 even though we did not owe any tax. We filed the return and received a response that we owed the state $625 to cover the State’s collection fees. We paid the fee and within two weeks received a “refund” check for the $625.

On reflection, we felt as if we had been “held up” by some powerful gangsters and if it had not been for an honest tax accountant we would have suffered much financial damage.”

Welcome to the United States of Orwell, Part 3: We had to Destroy Democracy in Order to Save It (March 28, 2012)

Welcome to the United States of Orwell, Part 4: “Consumer Protection” Just Another Federal Reserve Power Grab (March 29, 2012)

The Dodd-Frank bill, like Obamacare, is tyranny by complexity. Consider the Glass-Steagall Act, at 37 pages in length, and the 2,319-page monstrosity of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

If you still doubt the government is the tool of elites, please read this:

The Purchase of Our Republic (by Y. Falkson) (June 5, 2014)

Centralization and sociopathology are two sides of one coin: the central state:

Centralization and Sociopathology (May 21, 2013)

At the lower levels of the kleptocracy, employees of the government enrich themselves by legalizing their own looting.

Pay Our Pensions Or We’ll Throw You in Jail: the Legalization of Looting (March 19, 2014)

“Improving Public Safety” and Theft By Other Means (January 15, 2010)

What happens to once-legitimate governments that devolve into totalitarian kleptocracies? They lose their legitimacy (“the Mandate of Heaven”) and fall.

Smith’s Neofeudalism Principle #1: If the citizenry cannot replace a kleptocratic authoritarian government and/or limit the power of the financial Aristocracy at the ballot box, the nation is a democracy in name only.

This article was originally seen at TheDailySheeple.com and was authored by Charles Hugh Smith

The post Is Your Government a Democracy or a Totalitarian State? appeared first on We Are Change.

from We Are Change https://wearechange.org/73506-2/

#We are Change #We Are Change

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