#chris's tree service in Madison

[chrisstumps05]

Stump Grinder Back in Action! 🔥 Motor Installed & Running + Tree Job wit...

[dknuth]

Road Trip to Charleston

We are going to Chris and Anne's in North Charleston, SC this year for Thanksgiving. It will be a larger crowd this year with Anne's mother and sister joining in. So we have a nearby hotel to give Cathie a respite from the crowd.

We are also driving this year. We have always flown before, but it seemed like a good time to see the country between. Besides it will be a long trip in the EV. The Ioniq is much more comfortable for long distance driving than the Prius, but it is an EV, and that adds some complexity to travel.

Planning charging is the biggest hurdle. You can't just wing it in an EV. You really need to plan out your stops in advance. We've found the best app for that to be ABRP. (A Better Route Planner) It does seem to me to be the best. But even then there is a learning curve.

So we set out with a route/charging plan from Madison to Townsend Tennessee, with an overnight in Louisville on the way.

We recharged in Chicago and then stopped to charge again in Lafayette IN. There the charger wouldn't link up with the car. When I took it off I could see that a part seemed to be missing in the socket on the car. So I assumed that was the problem. There was a Hyundai dealer close by, so we went there. They had no electric cars and could not work on them, or even look at it. The closest dealer that could was in Indianapolis, 70 miles away - further than our charge would get us. The dealer there would be closed when we arrived and said over the phone it might be 4 days before they could look at the car.

This was shaping up to be a real problem. Then a salesman from the dealer came out and suggested that we try their charger on the other side of the building. We did and it charged! Apparently, the missing part doesn't affect the charging!? So we canceled the tow and were on our way again.

The hotel in Louisville had a secret charger in the back, it was a slow charger, but fast enough to get the car charged overnight. So Friday morning we were on the road and fully charged.

We'd rented a cabin in the woods outside of Townsend and after a couple of quick charging stops we were there with no further issues.

I had never been to the Smokies and Cathie was last there as a child. So a few days there seemed worthwhile. It's well past the tourist seasons, so no crowds, but no colorful leaves on the trees either.

We are doing an old people visit, mostly driving, very little walking, and no real hiking. So we've driven a couple of loop drives. The first was the Cades Cove Loop. Cades Cove is a broad valley surrounded by mountains. In the late 1800's and early 1900's there were up to 700 people living and farming in the valley. With the creation of the park they were all bought out and moved away. Some of the houses and barns were preserved and the park service maintains the open look of the fields with controlled burns. It's a lovely area.

Even with the limited walking Cathie fell on the road when she tried to turn around and walk simultaneously. Luckily traffic moves very slowly. A woman got out of the approaching car and asked, "Are you all right honey?" When Cathie assured her she was the woman gave her a hug. We've been better at making sure she has her walking stick with her since.

[dizajn]

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[mr-michael-kyle]

It had been only one hour since President Biden finished an emotional defense of his withdrawal from Afghanistan, however MSNBC had found a more compelling story.

Nicolle Wallace led off her second hour with a warning concerning the Republicans.

“You can imagine the alarm we felt when we heard about this on Sunday from Congressman Madison Cawthorn,” she stated.

Two hours later, Joy Reid led her show “with the Republicans who continue to pour gasoline on the flames of January 6th.”

She used a Nazi reference in describing “junior brownshirt Madison Cawthorn,” who was “pushing the Big Lie,” issuing what would “be better described as a threat.”

And the North Carolina lawmaker is, in Reid’s view, “an embarrassing, creepy, tree-punching but sitting member of Congress.”

Next, Chris Hayes got his chance at the top of his program: “Civil War is coming, people. You know, there`s supposed to have a building crescendo for a second Civil War, a flirtation with thoughts about it among some of the right. We saw that on full display, of course, on January 6th.” And then he turned to Cawthorn.

On what planet are some heated remarks by a freshman congressman more important than the end of our 20-year war in Afghanistan, marked by the death of 13 service members and some Americans tragically left behind? Especially when the president has just given a forceful and somewhat angry speech defending his handling of the disaster?

On what planet are some heated remarks by a freshman congressman more important than the end of our 20-year war in Afghanistan?

It’s almost as if these MSNBC hosts stated whew, glad the war is over, now we can return to saving the nation from Republican extremists. Biden’s role in the chaotic end to the war was clearly not a very good story for a network catering to liberal viewers, which sees anything associated to Trump and the Capitol riot as in its sweet spot.

In fairness, these programs did cover Afghanistan later on, and other hosts — Ari Melber, Rachel Maddow, and Lawrence O’Donnell — led with the war.

I wrote Wednesday that the political damage to Biden could be lessened if the media move on from the lost war. However I was talking about a month or so, not a couple of short hours.

Biden’s role in the chaotic end to the war was clearly not a good story for a network catering to liberal viewers.

I’m not saying that the Cawthorn controversy isn’t worth covering. However as with Marjorie Taylor Greene, he’s a Washington newcomer with no power on the Hill or within the GOP. Both parties, and all of the networks, play up wild-sounding voices from the opposite ideological side. However, leading with Cawthorn hour after hour?

At a North Carolina event, the congressman — who spoke at the Trump rally on Jan. 6 — delivered a dire message from the stolen-election camp.

“The things that we’re wanting to fight for, it doesn’t matter if our votes don’t count,” he stated. “Because, you know, if our election systems continue to be rigged and continue to be stolen, then it’s going to lead to one place — and it’s bloodshed.”

Well, that’s a scary word.

The local GOP posted a video of the speech on Facebook — it’s since been taken down — and a Democratic aide pushed it out on Twitter.

The 26-year-old Cawthorn, who’s partially paralyzed from a automobile accident, additionally uttered these ominous-sounding words:

“I’ll tell you, as much as I’m willing to defend our liberty at all costs, there’s nothing that I would dread doing more than having to pick up arms against a fellow American. And the way that we can have recourse against that is if all of us passionately demand that we have election security in all 50 states.”

Cawthorn’s spokesman issued a statement saying the congressman was “in no way supporting or advocating for any form of violence.” In fact, he’s “CLEARLY advocating for violence not to happen over election integrity questions” and “fears others would erroneously choose that route.”

You can decide whether or not he was sending not-so-subtle warnings or not. By the way, Cawthorn has additionally called for Biden’s Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, saying: “I’ll remove Joe Biden from office, and then, when Kamala Harris inevitably screws up, we’ll take them down, one at a time.”

He naturally didn’t imply anything illegal by “take them down,” his PR person insists.

Other media outlets, including The Washington Post, have jumped on this as well. CNN’s Chris Cillizza says Cawthorn “hasn’t grasped that angry and inflammatory rhetoric in the service of political expedience has real-world consequences.” Liz Cheney says Kevin McCarthy and other Republicans ought to “condemn” Cawthorn’s remarks and explain why they’re “dangerous.”

However on another level, that is all talk by somebody who wields no real clout. Cawthorn has clearly learned the way to use the media — one might say the same about AOC, in a totally different context — to amplify his message.

That doesn’t imply the press has to play along, even if MSNBC offers it top-story treatment.

[captainkirkmccoy]

Two friends from childhood vow to always be friends, but they grow apart when one of them moves away. Fast forward couple decades where one is successful and the other has fallen on harsh times and is homeless. The successful one takes in their old best friend and falls in love, but doesn't act on it because it would be taking advantage of them. The homeless friend gets back onto their feet, moves out and after getting a job and places of their own, asks out their friend on a date.

"Always and forever, you promised." Jimmy Kirk whispered from his sleeping bag just feet away from Leo's. They were sleeping in a pop-up tent behind the farmhouse, close enough that they could run inside if something spooked them and far enough away that they couldn't quite see Leo's mom and dad peeking at them from the wide kitchen windows. "Yeah, but only if you let me go to sleep, brat." Leo grumbled, rolling over so that he can get a glimpse of the lively fire that was still blazing from their s'mores attempt earlier. They ended up eating more marshmallows and chocolate than an actual put together s'more but the fire was still comfortable and he knew his parents would make sure it was out completely before they went to bed. Jim sat up, face lit up by the fire and freckles standing out against an otherwise pale face. He got so white in the winter that Leo's mama fed him extra servings of everything. "You can't promise something in exchange for something else. That won't count."Leo sighed. Jim was four-years-younger and his best friend regardless. They had shuffled together out of boredom and desperation--Leo's mama volunteering to babysit Jim when Winona first came to Madison, Georgia, with nothing to her name except a five-year-old shadow named Sam and a wailing baby. The town gossip said that Winona's husband had died on the day baby James was born and that she had fled Iowa as fast and as far as she could go."I meant it, okay? You'll be my best friend always and forever, no matter what."That seemed to appeal Jim, who snuggled back into his sleeping bag and fell asleep minutes later. Leo tried not to think what always and forever looked like and if that was a promise he would keep--even if he already knew he would do everything and anything to try. ***Leo was starting to hate the townhouse he had bought the year of his big promotion to head of surgery at Atlanta General. It was draftier than it seemed, too big and took too long to make it look presentable for when his mother came over. She had a penchant for announcing a visit a day before she would arrive, about to drop a bomb that would upset his fragile staus quo for months after she went back to Madison, leaving him untethered in Atlanta. Two years ago, it was that she was selling the farmhouse and relocating to the new over 50 community (more luxury than comfort). Last year it was that she was remarrying--fifteen years after David McCoy had passed away and twelve after she started vehemently protesting (and unfriending) anyone who tried to set her up. Her new beau, as she called him, was named Christopher Pike and he had moved to Georgia from San Francisco, where he spent years before retirement teaching at some prepatory for rich service brats. Two days ago, she had called and annouced that her and Chris were coming for the weekend--she was desperate to see her son before their Christmas vacation to England and Scotland and had decided to stage a Christmas brunch, lunch and dinner into the three days she would be invading his home. It wasn't as if he didn't have any room, it was just that he had finally gotten used to the quiet that three oversized stories afforded and had enjoyed being a confirmed bachelor, no matter his mother's protestations that he find someone after the divorce. But five-years post-marriage had made him comfortable with living alone, no one to balk at his long nights at the hospital, no one to nag him about not spending enough time being together. ***He was prepared for his mother and Christopher Pike. He was not prepared for Jimmy Kirk. "Hey," Jim said, a tad sheepishly, ducking his head as Leo stared, open-mouthed at the new arrival at his front door. "Leo, you remember, Jim, right?" Eleanora McCoy unwrapped her rather long multicolored scarf and set it on a hook provided by a sturdy wooden hall tree. Chris Pike still kept every stitch of winter clothing on, as if he was ready to bolt the first moment of trouble. Leo, still lost for words, nodded. 

"Well, he's been staying with us for a bit and we couldn't leave him alone for Agnes Carlton and her harpies to devour him. And we knew you wouldn't mind--what with all the space you have! It'll be wonderful to catch up again, I'm sure."

Leo hadn't seen Jim in almost twenty-years. If his mama hadn't said something he wouldn't have believed that the scruffy, skinny guy in front of him was Jim Kirk--the same shit-stirring little brat that had been his best friend during childhood. Whenever he pictured Jim Kirk grown up, he pictured him somewhere cold--chopping wood in layers of flannel with a gorgeous wife and brood of equally adorable and raucous children. What he saw instead. despite the obvious gap in years and fact that he had indeed grew up, was an emaciated, rough looking kid. Unable to stop himself he shuffled forward and hugged him. The other man smelled of fresh air, salt and the lingering cologne that he knew Chris Pike wore, telling him that this jacket was a hand-me-down from the other man's closet. "Sorry," Jim whispered in his ear as they broke the hug but Leo was unsure of whatever the man could be sorry about. ***

"Before you start--" his mama said in the kitchen as she started unpacking vegetables from her trusty old farmer's market bag that must have been as old as Leo himself. "What were you thinking, mama? And did you hunt him down just to torture me?" He's sorting through the rest of her groceries with a purpose, desperate to let his hands do something as his mind races."He's homeless, Leo."The wrapped baguette that he was holding nearly drops to his hardwood floor. Before he can say anything else, Eleanora rushes on. "He contacted Chris," at Leo's confused look his mother said, "Old friend of the family, if you believe it or not. So he contacted Chris a few weeks ago about work. He came back to Georgia with nothing, Leo. And we haven't been able to find out what happened. God only knows where Winona is. bless her heart."

"And your solution is to leave him with me?"

"Well, I know you were close and you would still have been if --"If that bastard didn't insist on taking the Kirks away, left unsaid. The bastard being Winona's new husband, a brute of a man who everyone in town called "Gaston." He and Winona met at the factory that she worked at and he insisted on whisking the family away to greener pastures. Jim (like Leo) had been devastated. Madison was the only town he knew.  The McCoys had even volunteered to keep Jim for a bit, to finish out the end of the year of seventh grade but Gaston had charmed Winona into packing up the clapboard house they lived in and moving to California, where he insisted they could become something more. Last he heard, Gaston had been forced out of the house after leaving the Kirks in shambles. Sam had run away, Jim had done a brief stint in a juvenile detention center and Winona had buried herself in work (she was the best engineer Madison had ever seen and apparently that went for Mountain View too)."Jimmy just needs to get on his feet, Leo. Chris is going to get him a job at the community college as soon as we get back and see about signing him up for some classes. He's apparently a genius, did you know?" Eleanora's eyes twinkled with pride. ***

It took four days of awkward side-stepping for Jim and Leo to get to know each other again. Once they did, they fell into the same banter and inside-jokes that had dominated most of their adolescent and pre-teen conversations. It took two weeks for Leo, now dubbed Bones as soon as Jim learned he was an old sawbones like his dad, to fall in love with his best friend. Once it happened, it felt inevitable. He couldn't imagine a time when he wasn't in love with Jim.But damn if the timing wasn't right. Jim's face still held that gaunt look that months of living in homeless shelters and on the streets did to a guy. He eventually got out the story from Jim: he had a good job at startup in Palo Alto. But when he walked in on his boss "harassing" one of their young interns, Jim got into an "altercation" and was fired (Jim was as vague as possible, probably in part for having told the story too many times and the rest because the vague terms made it easier to deal with). Because it was a startup, Jim had been living in the co-op that most of the engineers had shared and with that he had nothing but his car and the few belongings a sympathetic co-worker got for him. He stayed around the area in the hopes that he could get the rest of his things and maybe someone else would report the asshole to the cops so that Jim could at least get a reference and move on. In the end, he sold his car and bought a one-way plane ticket to the last place he felt home: Madison. "I'll make this up to you," Jim said, one night, pinks flush with the whisky they had shared from the highball glasses Leo inherited from his father. "Nah. That's what best friends do, kid. Always and forever, remember?"

***

A week later, Jim was gone. His bed was tidy and a note lay on a pillow, ripped out from the pad of DR. DAVID MCCOY that Leo realized the brat must have had after all these years. Thanks. It read. For Everything. His mother called him. "We're back. Is Jim ready to come to Madison?  We can pick him up tomorrow."

Leo took a deep breath. "Jim's not here, Ma."

"What?" Her voice took on a shrill quality that she usually used when the dogs had accidents on her rugs. "What do you mean?" Her voice was far away and muffled as she said, "Chris! Leo says Jim's not there."

“He left.”

His mother let out a string of swear words that would have made Jim proud. “I’ll call you back, Leo. Chris is going to go looking.”

***

Months passed with Leo, Chris and Eleanora dividing their time between Atlanta, it’s suburbs, and Madison. They combed through every homeless shelter in the tri-state area, prowled the streets and alleys for Jim. 

With every passing dead end brought Leo back to those few years after Jim left the first time and his father getting sick. He felt the deep pull of despair and melancholy as winter gave way to spring and spring gave way to a fucking horribly warm Summer.

He spent most of his weekends at the soup kitchen with his mother’s husband, who he realized he liked more for the way he never gave up on Jim, calling in favors, flying back to San Francisco, exhausting lead after lead until Leo wasn’t sure who was more miserable: him or Chris. 

A year passed by the only way it could in this instance, slow and without much of anything to look forward to. Leo found himself talking to a real estate agent about selling the townhouse which was feeling less big and more like a prison without Jim in it. 

***

“Ma, I just want a quiet Christmas.” He insisted on the phone, as he shoved some garland and lights into the closet. His mother had shipped them over in the hopes that it would inspire some holiday spirit but Leo wanted nothing to do with anything holiday or cheer. 

He took the phone away from his ear to protect from her shrill response. His mother and her husband were staying home this Christmas and were insisting that he come back to Madison. He could think of nothing he’d rather do less. 

“Ma, Jesus Ma, hold on.”  He set the phone between his shoulder and cheek, hoping that the Chinese delivery was early and it wasn’t some carolers or something equally unpleasant. 

He swung the door open and dropped his phone. 

Jim Kirk, completely transformed from the last time he saw him, was standing at his front door. Jim Kirk who he had imagined showing up hundreds of times before, except real. 

“Hey Bones,” The completely transformed Jim Kirk said, a smirk lighting up his face with mischief and purpose. 

“Hey Jim.” Leo managed to get out, taking in his perfectly trimmed hair, the dark jacket that framed broad muscled shoulders, the healthy bright glean to his face. 

“I’m sorry about...well, everything.”

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Jim nodded, swallowing hard. “I am.”

“Good, though my mama and Chris might demand some explanations.”

Jim looked away, the same sheepish expression that he’d seen just a year ago playing on his face. “Yeah. Definitely.”

“Do you want to come in?”

Jim shook his head. “No, Bones.”

Leo couldn’t help but let his shoulders sink at that. He could hear his mother’s high voice from the floor, demanding to know if Leo was still there. 

“I want you to come out with me.”

“What?”

“You. Me. Like a date?”

Leo blinked. 

“I’m here to cash in on my promise, Bones.”

“Promise?” Leo’s voice was a rasp as his mouth got drier and drier by the second. 

“You know,” Jim’s grin widened. “Always and forever.”

[loadacademy575]

Beyond A Steel Sky Soundtrack

Way FourArtistBernard KirschenbaumYear1976Typestainless steelDimensions250 cm × 220 cm × 240 cm (100 in × 86 in × 96 in)LocationLynden Sculpture Garden, Milwaukee, WisconsinCoordinates: 43°10′34.6″N87°56′10.4″W / 43.176278°N 87.936222°W

Beyond the Supernatural, a 1980s role-playing game; Stormfront Studios, a U.S. Video game developer originally named Beyond Software 1988–1991; Literature. Beyond, a 2015 non-fiction book by Chris Impey; Beyond (comics) (set-index article), things in comics called Beyond, including: Beyond (Virgin Comics), a 2008 series from Virgin Comics. His last major song was a reach back in time when things weren’t so complicated. Grover Washington Jr.’s sax and a steel pan play you to a beach, blanket for two, a musical safe haven where he.

Way Four is a public art work by artist Bernard Kirschenbaum at the Lynden Sculpture Garden near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The stainless steel sculpture is an open circle that creates an orbit for two triangles; it is installed on the lawn.(1)

The Metropolis scenery is heavily inspired by the architecture of Hugh Ferriss, while the film's music is taken from the 1948 Superman serial composed by Mischa Bakaleinikoff. For the animation work, the storyboards were done digitally, but the character animation itself was hand-drawn on paper before each frame was scanned and digitally. Apple’s new Apple Arcade subscription-based gaming service is basically Apple’s way of helping customers sort through the chaff in the App Store, as the highly curated service features premium.

See also(edit)

References(edit)

^Buck, Diane (1995). Outdoor Sculpture in Milwaukee: A Cultural and Historical Guidebook. Madison: The State Historical Society of Wisconsin. pp. 182–183. ISBN0-87020-276-6.

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Way_Four&oldid=935129731'

Five years after she debuted with An Ember in the Ashes, Sabaa Tahir is finally bringing her beloved story to a close. A Sky Beyond the Storm finishes the story Tahir began in her 2015 bestseller, but the journey has been much longer for author herself. 'I began writing Ember 13 years ago,' she tells Bustle. 'I have spent more than a decade of my life writing, breathing, laughing, mourning and celebrating with my characters. They are a part of me, as familiar to me as my hands or my face. So when I wrote the final words on the final page of the final book, I felt as though I was saying farewell to my best friends, to a piece of me.'

An Ember in the Ashes launched at a time when multi-doorstopper YA fantasy series — think Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen and Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses — were at their height. But as an #OwnVoices novel, written by a Pakistani American woman and starring multiple characters of color, Ember was unlike most of its peers. It was the first in a long line of YA fantasy novels from South Asian and Muslim authors, hitting store shelves ahead of Roshani Chokshi's The Star-Touched Queen, Swati Teerdhala's The Tiger at Midnight, and Hafsah Faizal's We Hunt the Flame.

But according to Tahir, there's still much work to be done to diversify YA publishing. 'Over and over, authors from marginalized groups are told, 'We already have a book like this,' or 'We already have an author like you.' But books by marginalized authors shouldn’t be a quota you fill,' she says. 'How many vampire books written by white authors? Dozens. I’ve nothing against that, but authors from marginalized groups deserve the same respect. Just because authors have similar experiences or ethnic backgrounds doesn’t mean their stories will be identical. We contain multitudes and our work is meaningful and distinctive.'

While Tahir doesn't have any immediate plans to return the Ember series after A Sky Beyond the Storm, she'll continue writing and pushing representation in publishing forward. 'All I can say for sure is that I want to do something different with my writing,' she says of her next project. 'Maybe explore some darker terrain.'

But before you start longing for Tahir's next work, read on for an excerpt from the hotly anticipated A Sky Beyond the Storm.

Excerpt from A Sky Beyond the Storm, exclusive to Bustle

I: The Nightbringer

I awoke in the glow of a young world, when man knew of hunting but not tilling, of stone but not steel. It smelled of rain and earth and life. It smelled of hope.

Arise, beloved.

The voice that spoke was laden with millennia beyond my ken. The voice of a father, a mother. A creator and a destroyer. The voice of Mauth, who is Death himself.

Arise, child of flame. Arise, for thy home awaits thee.

Would that I had not learned to cherish it, my home. Would that I had unearthed no magic, loved no wife, sparked no children, gentled no ghosts. Would that Mauth had never named me.

“Meherya.”

My name drags me out of the past to a rain-swept hilltop in the Mariner countryside. My old home is the Waiting Place — known to humans as the Forest of Dusk. I will make my new home upon the bones of my foes.

“Meherya.” Umber’s sun-bright eyes are the vermillion of ancient anger. “We await your orders.” She grips a glaive in her left hand, its blade white with heat.

“Have the ghuls reported in yet?”

Umber’s lip curls. “They scoured Delphinium. Antium. Even the Waiting Place,” she says. “They could not find the girl. Neither she nor the Blood Shrike has been seen for weeks.”

“Have the ghuls seek out Darin of Serra in Marinn,” I say. “He forges weapons in the port city of Adisa. Eventually, they will reunite.”

Umber inclines her head and we regard the village below us, a hodgepodge of stone homes that can withstand fire, adorned with wooden shingles that cannot. Though it is mostly identical to other hamlets we’ve destroyed, it has one distinction. It is the last settlement in our campaign. Our parting volley in Marinn before I send the Martials south to join the rest of Keris Veturia’s army.

“The humans are ready to attack, Meherya.” Umber’s glow reddens, her disgust of our Martial allies palpable.

“Give the order,” I tell her. Behind me, one by one, my kin transform from shadow to flame, lighting the cold sky.

Beneath A Steel Sky Soundtrack

A warning bell tolls in the village. The watchman has seen us, and bellows in panic. The front gates — hastily erected after attacks on neighboring communities — swing closed as lamps flare and shouts tinge the night air with terror.

“Seal the exits,” I tell Umber. “Leave the children to carry the tale. Maro.” I turn to a wisp of a jinn, his narrow shoulders belying the power within. “Are you strong enough for what you must do?”

Maro nods. He and the others pour past me, five rivers of fire, like those that spew from young mountains in the south. The jinn blast through the gates, leaving them smoking.

A half legion of Martials follow, and when the village is well aflame and my kin withdraw, the soldiers begin their butchery. The screams of the living fade quickly. Those of the dead echo for longer.

After the village is naught but ashes, Umber finds me. Like the other jinn, she now glows with only the barest flicker.

“The winds are fair,” I tell her. “You will reach home swiftly.”

“We wish to remain with you, Meherya,” she says. “We are strong.”

For a millennium, I believed that vengeance and wrath were my lot. Never would I witness the beauty of my kind moving through the world. Never would I feel the warmth of their flame.

But time and tenacity allowed me to reconstitute the Star — the weapon the Augurs used to imprison my people. The same weapon I used to set them free. Now the strongest of my kin gather near. And though it has been months since I destroyed the trees imprisoning them, my skin still trills at their presence.

“Go,” I order them gently. “For I will need you in the coming days.”

Beyond A Steel Sky Soundtrack Cast

After they leave, I walk the cobbled streets of the village, sniffing for signs of life. Umber lost her children, her parents, and her lover in our long-ago war with the humans. Her rage has made her thorough.

Beyond A Steel Sky Soundtrack Trailer

A gust of wind carries me to the south wall of the village. The air tells of the violence wrought here. But there is another scent too.

A hiss escapes me. The smell is human, but layered with a fey sheen. The girl’s face rises in my mind. Laia of Serra. Her essence feels like this.

But why would she lurk in a Mariner village?

I consider donning my human skin, but decide against it. It is an arduous task, not undertaken without good reason. Instead I draw my cloak close against the rain and trace the scent to a hut tucked beside a tottering wall.

The ghuls trailing my ankles yip in excitement. They feed off pain, and the village is rife with it. I nudge them away and enter the hut alone.

The inside is lit by a tribal lamp and a merry fire, over which a pan of charred skillet bread smokes. Pink winter roses sit atop the dresser and a cup of well water sweats on the table.

Whoever was here left only moments ago.

Or rather, she wants it to look that way.

I steel myself, for a jinn’s love is no fickle thing. Laia of Serra has hooks in my heart yet. The pile of blankets at the foot of the bed disintegrates to ashes at my touch. Hidden beneath and shaking with terror is a child who is very obviously not Laia of Serra.

And yet he feels like her.

Not in his mien, for where Laia of Serra has sorrow coiled about her heart, this boy is gripped by fear. Where Laia’s soul is hardened by suffering, this boy is soft, his joy untrammeled until now. He’s a Mariner child, no more than twelve.

But it is what’s deep within that harkens to Laia. An unknowable dark­ness in his mind. His black eyes meet mine, and he holds up his hands.

Beyond A Steel Sky Soundtrack Download

“B-begone!” Perhaps he meant for it to be a shout. But his voice rasps, nails digging into wood. When I go to snap his neck, he holds his hands out again, and an unseen force nudges me back a few inches.

His power is wild and unsettlingly familiar. I wonder if it is jinn magic, but while jinn-human pairings occurred, no children can come of them.

“Begone, foul creature!” Emboldened by my retreat, the boy throws something at me. It has all the sting of rose petals. Salt.

My curiosity fades. Whatever lives within the child feels fey, so I reach for the scythe slung across my back. Before he understands what is happening, I draw the weapon across his throat and turn away, my mind already moving on.

The boy speaks, stopping me dead. His voice booms with the finality of a jinn spewing prophecy. But the words are garbled, a story told through water and rock.

“The seed that slumbered wakes, the fruit of its flowering consecrated within the body of man. And thus is thy doom begotten, Beloved, and with it the breaking — the — breaking —”

A jinn would have completed the prophecy, but the boy is only human, his body a frail vessel. Blood pours from the wound in his neck and he collapses, dead.

“What in the skies are you?” I speak to the darkness within the child, but it has fled, and taken the answer to my question with it.

[davidblaska]

We’re inundated with too much weather 

The white lab coats are wearing hip boots at Stately Blaska Manor today. Our sensitive instrumentation (an ash pail left outside) recorded 9 inches of precipitation Monday, four of which settled in the subterranean caverns below the manor where the vast right wing conspiracy holds its satanic rituals.

Seemed like every time we looked at the weather radar, western Dane county was one roiling red blob. It long and it rained hard. The indentured servants report hearing emergency vehicles throughout the night. A Madison fire truck stopped outside the manor at 1:40 this morning to check out the lake that had grown from the small pond on the south side of the Beltline, across from Odana Hills golf course. 

At that, we were lucky. The basement seems to be draining and, given a few months, will flow past the French Quarter in New Orleans after flooding several states along the way. We got out easy.

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Mazomanie appears to be underwater; there’s no way in or out. A hundred people are sheltered in the fire station. The Highway 14 bridge at Black Earth is washed out. Cars are stranded in Middleton. 

An automobile dealership in Cross Plains is flooded. 

Mineral Point Road between Grand Canyon Drive and Gammon Road on Madison’s far west side is under water. 

To make matters worse, the global climate change scolds are making clucking sounds.

Our gay liberal friend Greg Humphrey decided to “experience” the flooding and is lucky not to become a casualty. His account is here.

Indict John Brennan

What’s this? The New York Times actually permitted a Trump supporter to weigh in on the eternal Russian meddling investigation that has managed to ensnare actual Russians but no Trump figures.

One Chris Buskirk writes that  former chief CIA spook John Brennan, “and a self-declared supporter of the Communist Party candidate for president in 1976 …”

claims that he knows that the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians. To my mind, in making this claim, he provided ample evidence of why he should not possess a security clearance. Because if he does actually know this — and if his knowledge is based on information gained through the use of his clearance — then he is guilty of a grave security breach. If not, well, then he’s just a windbag. … Perhaps Mr. Brennan will describe for us, under oath, the source of his information about the alleged collusion. That would be interesting. 

The news media wants us to think for ourselves?

No good deed goes unpunished

We reported that local government’s experiment with permanently housing “wet” alcoholics on Tree Lane was attracting fights. The contracted social services agency operating the housing tried to counter by restricting visitors. In stepped Brenda Konkel to assert all kinds of rights without, of course, any responsibility. So the fighting continues.

Sunday, August 12, 3:24 p.m. Police officers responded to Tree Lane for a disturbance and located two juveniles/suspects involved (15-year-old AAF and 16-year-old AAF). The 16-year-old complied with officers’ orders but the 15-year-old attempted to walk away/resisted contact.  The 15-year-old’s behavior escalated – she kicked at officers, pulled away from officers, refused to ID herself, etc.).  She was placed under arrest and conveyed to the Juvenile Reception Center for resisting.  Investigation continuing.

Tuesday, August 14, 1:06 p.m. Police officers responded to Tree Lane for a vehicle parked in the lot that was reported stolen.  Officers observed a juvenile/suspect (13-year-old AAM) walk towards the stolen vehicle.  The juvenile was instructed to stop and he did not.  The juvenile fled on foot.  The juvenile was apprehended.  A second juvenile/suspect (15-year-old AAM) was also located/identified.  Both juveniles were transported to the Juvenile Reception Center on multiple charges (13-year-old charged with operating a motor vehicle without consent, resisting and possession of marijuana; 15-year-old had a pending capias/warrant).

Saturday, August 18, 11:05 p.m. Multiple callers were reporting a fight occurring in the 7900 block of Tree Ln (Madison Supportive Housing), involving approximately 30 individuals.  During the fight, someone possibly got pepper sprayed by other people involved in the fight.  Subjects had fled as officers arrived on scene.  Those remaining on scene did not want to speak to officers and anyone who may have been pepper sprayed did not come forward.  Officers remained on scene thereafter in order to ensure stability.  Investigation continuing.

Remember this when you see Brenda Konkel’s name on the ballot for mayor of Madison.

No more saving for a rainy day We're inundated with too much weather  The white lab coats are wearing hip boots at Stately Blaska Manor today.

[petlover18-blog1]

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Top QCOnline.com photos from 10 years ago this week

New Post has been published on https://www.petlovers.shovelnews.com/throwback-thursday-top-qconline-com-photos-from-10-years-ago-this-week/

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Top QCOnline.com photos from 10 years ago this week

Feature Photo

Kelsey Grahm, 16, and Kayla DeVore, 18, milk DeVore’s cow Dominique at the Rock Island County Fair on Monday evening, July 14. Grahm is showing Dominique in the Brown Swiss 4-H competition.

Patrick Traylor

Casino construction enters final phase

The inside of the main gaming floor in the new Casino Rock Island features a wave ceiling. The $150 million, 42,000 square-foot casino, hotel and convention complex is scheduled to open in December.

Gary Krambeck

Feature Photo

Tailor Neuhaus of Quincy, Illinois falls asleep on the back of “Exit” a cow he is caring for at the Rock Island county Fair on Wednesday afternoon.

Gary Krambeck

Feature Photo

Niabi Zoo’s trio of giraffes, left to right, Kenya, Mimi and Twiga will once again be able to venture out to greet visitors now that the zoo has reopened after storms ripped through the area Monday morning, causing damage to the park. All loose tree limbs and unsalvageable trees have been removed and electricity has been restored. Animals were locked inside before the storm occurred and were safe from any injuries. The zoo is open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day through Labor Day.

Todd Mizener

Feature Photo

Quad City Heat players, from left to right, Jami Whitcomb, Erin Mykleby, and Alissa Rohm celebrate after winning their losers-bracket game against the Ohio Jaguars during the ASA Fastpitch National Championship at the Greenvalley Sports Complex in Moline on Thursday, July 31.

Nick Loomis

Feature Photo

The Milan Aces’ Ayla Serrano, bottom, is called safe after Lil’ Rebels catcher Mikayla Thielges drops the ball during the teams’ losers-bracket game at the ASA Fastpitch National Championship at the Greenvalley Sports Complex in Moline on Thursday, July 31. The Aces won 9-6.

Nick Loomis

Feature Photo

Quad City Heat third baseman Molly Anderson, left, can’t quite make the play on Ohio Jaguars base runner Julie Ezzo, right, during the teams’ losers-bracket game at the 2008 ASA Fastpitch National Championship at the Greenvalley Sports Complex in Moline on Thursday, July 31.

Nick Loomis

Feature Photo

Quad City Crush infielder Ashley Schwenneller misses the tag with the ball popping up and away as Ohio Attack’s runner Lauren Grimes slides in safe at secpnd base.

Gary Krambeck

Feature Photo

Katie Hirshfelder, right, congratulates her Milan Aces teammate Jessica Gilliam, left, after their victory over the Lil’ Rebels from Las Vegas, Nev., during the teams’ losers-bracket game at the ASA Fastpitch National Championship at the Greenvalley Sports Complex in Moline on Thursday, July 31.

Nick Loomis

Feature Photo

Fellow Lil’ Rebels Lauren Lynds, left, and Sarah Detwiler, right, of Las Vegas, Nev., walk off the field together after losing their losers-bracket game against the Milan Aces on Thursday, July 31, during the 2008 ASA Fastpitch National Championship at the Greenvalley Sports Complex in Moline.

Nick Loomis

Feature Photo

Fastpitch fans watch as the sun sets on their teams’ game at Greenvalley Sports Complex Thursday evening.

Gary Krambeck

Feature Photo

Players from the Quad City Crush look out onto the field as the last few outs end their game with a defeat to the Ohio Attack on Thursday.

Gary Krambeck

Feature Photo

Jessica Walker, 10, plays with paper and stick-on letters while watching the Oklahoma Select play during the third day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at the Alan Campbell Sports Complex in Rock Island on Wednesday afternoon, July 30.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

The American Athletics Bartholomew’s Devon Mercurio picks off the Elyria Sundogs’ Jamie Frindt during the third day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at the Alan Campbell Sports Complex in Rock Island on Wednesday afternoon, July 30.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

The Jersey Outlaws and Central Pennsylvania Eagles take a moment of silence before their game in memory of the late Outlaws assistant coach Tom Tobin on the third day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at the Alan Campbell Sports Complex in Rock Island on Wednesday, July 30. Tobin, 54, died from a heart attack in his Quad-Cities hotel room late Monday night.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

The Tampa Mustangs’ Amanda Patrick is safe at second base after a dropped ball by the Lady Laser Blue’s Jess Contrel during a softball game on the second day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at Green Valley Sports Complex in Moline on Tuesday afternoon, July 29.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

The Alabama Pride’s Jaz Lunleford bunts during a softball game against the Washington Glacier NW during the third day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at the Alan Campbell Sports Complex in Rock Island on Wednesday afternoon, July 30.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

Elyria Sundogs pitcher Tess Sito high-fives teammate Erin Sunagel during a group handshake on the mound between plays during the third day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at the Alan Campbell Sports Complex in Rock Island on Wednesday afternoon, July 30.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

American Pastime pitcher Ryane Panasewicz warms up before taking the field with her team from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., on Wednesday, July 30, in Moline. American Pastime is one of more than a dozen teams from California at this year’s tournament.

Paul Colletti

Feature Photo

The Alabama Pride’s Jaz Lunceford is tagged out in a pickle by the Washington Glacier NW’s Laura Luther during the third day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at the Alan Campbell Sports Complex in Rock Island on Wednesday afternoon, July 30.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

Darian Duell holds her head in her hands after the Saratoga Thunder, from Saratoga Springs, New York, lost their game on Wednesday, July 30, at Greenvalley Sports Complex in Moline.

Paul Colletti

Feature Photo

Aside from a slight trim every now-and-then, Genna Bock never has had her hair cut. At almost 4 feet long, Genna’s hair stops at her knees when it is not braided. Genna is in the Quad-Cities with her team, the Sting Elite, from the Twin-Cities in Minnesota.

Paul Colletti

Feature Photo

The Alabama Pride’s Olivia Gigson crosses home plate during a game against the Washington Glacier NW on the third day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at the Alan Campbell Sports Complex in Rock Island on Wednesday, July 30.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

The California Grapettes from Stockton, Calif., sing ‘Baby Got Back’ as part of their warm-up routine on Wednesday, July 30, at Greenvalley Sports Complex in Moline.

Paul Colletti

Feature Photo

The Jersey Outlaws’ Jessica O’Hara trips over the outfield fence after trying to stop a home run by a Central Pennsylvania Eagles hitter during a softball game on the third day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at the Alan Campbell Sports Complex in Rock Island on Wednesday afternoon, July 30.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

Madison Townsend 8 of Silvis enjoys the “Swinger” ride during the Rock Island County Fair on Wednesday.

Gary Krambeck

Feature Photo

Kayla Mizlo, 10, left, and Jurnie Hinde, 9, get to try on fire fighting gear at the Port Byron Fire Department on Thursday afternoon, July 24. The two-day safety camp consisted of various activities teaching kids about the different emergency services and preventative safety measures.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

The Washington Glacier NW’s Jessi Guy tags out the Alabama Pride’s Robyn Harmon at second base during a softball game on the third day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at the Alan Campbell Sports Complex in Rock Island on Wednesday afternoon, July 30.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

The Jersey Outlaws’ Jessica Miller watches her team losing against the Central Pennsylvania Eagles during the third day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at the Alan Campbell Sports Complex in Rock Island on Wednesday afternoon, July 30.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

Kyle Miller waits for his drink at the concession stand during the third day of the ASA 18 Under National Tournament at the Alan Campbell Sports Complex in Rock Island on Wednesday afternoon, July 30.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

New Jersey Outlaws coach Chris Scott wears a ribbon on his hat during the third day of the ASA 18 Under National Tournament at the Alan Campbell Sports Complex in Rock Island on Wednesday afternoon, July 30. The Outlaws’ coaches and players wore different ribbons in memory of assistant coach Tom Tobin, 54, who died from a heart attack in his Quad-Cities hotel room late Monday night.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

Central Pennsylvania Eagles’ Jasa Mitchell is safe at second while the Jersey Outlaws’ Rachel Forte is left waiting for the ball during a softball game on the third day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at the Alan Campbell Sports Complex in Rock Island on Wednesday afternoon, July 30.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

The Windmills’ Kristin Wirtz slides into home plate on a missed throw to NY Bad Apples catcher Leah Porter during a softball game on the second day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at Green Valley Sports Complex in Moline on Tuesday afternoon, July 29.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

T.J. Veerkamp, 13, plays Mario on a Nintendo DS during the second day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at Green Valley Sports Complex in Moline on Tuesday afternoon, July 29. Veerkamp was taking a break from watching his sister play with the Cincinnati Tribe.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

Tom Rutledge of Geneseo submitted this Photo of the Week. He writes: `While visiting County Mayo, Ireland, this past May, my wife, Elaine, and I were walking on the beach (Atlantic Ocean) on a late afternoon and passed by some schoolchildren playing.’ Have a photo taken by a Quad-Cities area photographer to share? Here’s how: –By e-mail: Send your photo in a JPEG format at 200 dpi resolution to features@qconline.com. –By mail: Send your photograph to Photo of the Week, c/o Arts Living, The Rock Island Argus, 1724 4th Ave., Rock Island, IL 61201. –In person: Drop off your photo at The Dispatch, 1720 5th Ave., Moline, or The Rock Island Argus, 1724 4th Ave., Rock Island. Ask the customer-service representative to forward the photo to the Life Department. All submitted photos must include your name, city and daytime phone number; the names and hometowns of any people in the photo; the date and location of the photo, and, if necessary, a description of what is happening in the photo. Photos will not be returned.

Submitted

Feature Photo

The Wisconsin Bandits’ Allie Deming holds onto first base after avoiding being picked off by the Tampa Mustangs during their game on the second day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at Green Valley Sports Complex in Moline on Tuesday afternoon, July 29.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

California Grapettes Melissa Turney, left, and Katrina Morgan collide while moving to catch a fly ball during their softball game against the Jersey Intensity on the second day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at Green Valley Sports Complex in Moline on Tuesday afternoon, July 29.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

Members of the Washington Glacier NW from Vancouver, Wash. sit under a shelter after rain stopped play of all games during the second day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at Green Valley Sports Complex in Moline on Tuesday morning, July 29.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

Zachary Kimble, 15 months, hits his grandfather, Maynor Castaneda of Newnan, Ga., in the head with his sunglasses during the second day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at Green Valley Sports Complex in Moline on Tuesday afternoon, July 29. Castaneda’s daughter and Kimble’s aunt plays with the Homeplate Athletics.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

The California Grapettes’ Leslie Grissom of Merced, Calif., practices fielding during warm-ups before their game against the Jersey Intensity on the second day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at Green Valley Sports Complex in Moline on Tuesday afternoon, July 29.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

Brinly Burke, 4, of East Moline reaches up to pet a goat at the farm animals petting barn at the Rock Island County Fair.

Gary Krambeck

Feature Photo

Fred Dumenigo hands Camile Benito of the Miami Stingrays a foul softball during the second day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at Green Valley Sports Complex in Moline on Tuesday morning, July 29. Dumenigo made the trip to the Quad-Cities to watch two daughters play for the Stingrays.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

The California Grapettes’ Leslie Grissom slides safely into home plate past the Jersey Intensity’s Maggie McSpadden’s during a softball game on the second day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at Green Valley Sports Complex in Moline on Tuesday afternoon, July 29.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

Xtreme-Havoc’s Alli Rivera throws to Jordan Chappell to tag out the Miami Stingrays’ Kim Diaz at home plate during a softball game on the second day of the ASA 18-Under National Tournament at Green Valley Sports Complex in Moline on Tuesday morning, July 29.

Patrick Traylor

Feature Photo

John Rhodes, owner of Rhodes Works in Moline, cuts the lawn of a rental property for a customer on 11th Street in Rock Island Monday afternoon. In the background a tree service crew works to remove a large tree from the top of the home next door. Mr. Rhodes said he was on vacation when the damaging storm passed through the Quad Cities on July 21 and he now has to play catch-up with all of his clients who had damage to their landscaping.

Todd Mizener

Feature Photo

Rock Island County Board Chairman Jim Bohnsack shows his grandson Jacob Bohnsack how he sheers a sheep in the sheep barn at the Rock Island County Fair Wednesday afternoon.

Gary Krambeck

Feature Photo

A player in the ASA National Championship tournament hits a beach ball during the opening ceremony Sunday at the i wireless Center. One hundred nineteen teams from around the country are in the Quad-Cities to compete in the 18-under event.

Nick Loomis

Feature Photo

Softball players and coaches from all over the country filled the i wireless Center on Sunday, July 27, for the ASA National Championship Tournament opening ceremony.

Nick Loomis

Feature Photo

Maggie Hull of the Rockers softball team from the Chicago area dances to Minus Six during their performance at the ASA National Championship Tournament opening ceremony at the i wireless Center on Sunday, July 27.

Nick Loomis

Feature Photo

The Georgia Challengers softball team poses for a picture on one of the John Deere tractors on display during the opening ceremony of the ASA National Championship Tournament on Sunday.

Nick Loomis

Feature Photo

Kevin Carton, left, and Matt Sivertsen, right, both of Moline, perform with the rest of Minus Six for softball players from all over the country during the ASA National Championship Tournament opening ceremony at the i wireless Center on Sunday, July 27.

Nick Loomis

Feature Photo

Participants in the 2008 ASA National Championship applaud the tournament’s umpires during the opening ceremony at the i wireless Center on Sunday, July 27.

Nick Loomis

Source: https://qconline.com/throwback-thursday-top-qconline-com-photos-from-years-ago-this/collection_8e5fe062-8f46-11e8-9c69-77e7316753d7.html

[blackpjensen]

WNLA’s 100th Anniversary Honored With Proclamation From Governor: This Week’s Industry News

Want to keep up with the latest news in lawn care and landscaping? Check back every Thursday for a quick recap of recent happenings in the green industry.

Governor Issues Proclamation Honoring WNLA’s 100th Anniversary Commemorating its 100th Anniversary, Governor Scott Walker issued a State of Wisconsin Gubernatorial Proclamation on January 3, 2018 officially declaring it as Wisconsin Nursery & Landscape Association Day (WNLA). Governor Walker presented the Proclamation to WNLA President Ross Swartz in a ceremony at the State Capitol in Madison, Wisconsin. Also on hand were WNLA Board members and officers, Executive Director Brian Swingle, Representative Paul Tittl of Wisconsin’s 25th Assembly District, and Representative Amy Loudenbeck of the 31st Assembly District. The Proclamation recognizes the economic impact of WNLA and acknowledges the environmental and social impact of nursery plants and landscaping, mentioning the benefits of erosion control, noise abatement, water filtration and purification, air quality improvement, oxygen production, energy savings, community beautification and pride, plus the advantage to wildlife and pollinators that a robust landscape provides. The Wisconsin Nursery and Landscape Association serves the Green industry and its 225 members, which include growers, landscapers, and industry suppliers. WNLA is celebrating its 100th Anniversary with events in 2018.

MGIX Kicks Off January 15 with Powerhouse Lineup The Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association’s regional conference, Midwest Green Industry Experience (MGIX) takes place January 15-17 at the Columbus Convention Center. Featured presenters include Marty Grunder (Attain, Train, Retain and Entertain a Modern Day Green Industry Workforce), Jeffrey Scott (Nine Proven Profit Strategies for Tree Lawn and Landscape Contractors). In addition to business education, the MGIX is loaded with courses on pruning, plant maintenance, identifying weeds and planning pest management strategies. It also includes a State of the Industry report by Craig Regelbrugge, AmericanHort.

Portland’s New Pesticide Ban Expected to be Costly Beginning July 1, 2019, residents and city workers will no longer be able to freely use synthetic pesticides in Maine’s largest city, except in a few limited cases, reports the Portland Press Herald. The City Council on January 3 unanimously passed an ordinance regulating pesticide use in Portland. Advocates say it’s one of strongest anti-pesticide ordinances in the country, with scofflaws facing potential fines ranging from $100 to $500. Portland will start using organic pesticides on all city-owned properties beginning this summer. The only exempt properties will be Hadlock Field, Riverside Golf Course and five high-use athletic fields that remain exempt until 2021. City staff estimates that the ordinance could cost up to $700,000 to implement. Those costs would cover new employees, equipment and up to a $250,000 set-aside to replace the turf on athletic fields.

WaterSmart Innovations Conference Issues Call for Abstracts Experts in the field of urban water efficiency are invited to submit abstracts for the 11th annual WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition (WSI), slated for October 3-5 in Las Vegas. Abstracts must be submitted to speakers no later than Monday, February 26. Professionals, scientists, government employees, organizations, public and private institutions, policy makers, students and all others working in an industry related to water efficiency are invited to submit an abstract for an oral presentation, panel discussion or workshop. A complete list of topics and submittal guidelines is available at the WSI website. Candidates chosen as presenters will be notified by email and postal mail no later than Monday, April 30.

Industry Consultant Dan Pestretto Forming Peer Groups Landscape business consultant/coach Dan Pestretto is forming “Mastermind Peer Groups” focused on helping owners build businesses that work for them. The groups will be based on honesty, accountability and the sharing of diverse perspectives in a safe haven of confidentiality. Group members will learn how to implement the “Seven Step Business Systemization” plan along with developing a complete operations manual specific to their own company and brand. Pestretto says affordable groups (no more than six members each) are being formed for different revenue-range companies, including companies of $500,000.

CASE Announces “Kickstart” Landscape Business Development Contest CASE Construction Equipment is now accepting entries for the CASE Kickstart Contest, a business development contest where landscaping contractors can win a suite of prizes designed to take their company to the next level. Business owners are encouraged to enter the contest online by answering basic questions about their operation, and describing how they would evolve their services by winning the contest. The deadline for entry is March 30, 2018

Six Landscape Pros Earn Jeffrey Scott’s 2017 Mighty Oak Awards Six outstanding lawn and landscape companies earned business consultant and author Jeffrey Scott’s 2017 Mighty Oak, based on their performance as a business leaders. Scott announced the awards at his Leader’s Edge peer group meetings. The award winners: Seth Kehne, The Lawn Butler, Knoxville, Tenn.; Loriana Harrington Beautiful Blooms Landscape & Design, Menomonee Falls, Wis.; Douglas McIntosh, McIntosh Grounds Maintenance, Milan, Mich.; Bob Drost, Drost Landscape, Petoskey, Mich.; Sean Baxter, Lawn & Landscape Solutions, Olathe, Kan.; and Chris Cotoia, Executive Landscaping, South Yarmouth, Ma.

Website Launch for Drought Tolerant TamStar St. Augustinegrass TamStar St. Augustine is a new drought tolerant, low water use grass developed by turfgrass breeders at Texas A&M University. A new website dedicated to TamStar at tamstargrass.com, was launched recently by the Turfgrass Producers of Texas to serve as a resource for industry professionals and homeowners. The site offers research and information about TamStar’s benefits, installation, maintenance and where to purchase this scientifically advanced sod. TamStar St. Augustine is the result of more than a decade of  research at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas. It was bred to stand up to drought and specifically meet the demands of commercial and residential lawns and landscapes in Texas.

LiveWall Installed To Bring Comapny’s Corporate Values To Life Applied Imaging installed a 198-square-foot LiveWall Living Wall as the main design element in the lobby of its new corporate headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Applied Imaging is an independently owned provider of document imaging technology and managed IT and network services. LiveWall is the developer and supplier of the green industry’s most sustainable, durable and low-maintenance living wall system. The 198-square-foot living wall is 9 feet tall and 22 feet long. In total, it includes 98 LiveWall modular planters, which contain inserts that hold the growing medium and a mix of six different tropical plants, chosen for their ability to thrive indoors. The integrated irrigation components use drip stake assemblies, which inject water into the growing medium. The light fixtures above the green wall use LiveWall Norb (Nutri-Orb) bulbs, a specialized white-light LED grow bulb that provides the light spectrum and light nutrition plants need while giving off a white light like regular indoor lighting.

Greenworks Commercial And Carswell Establish Partnership Greenworks Commercial, producers of battery-powered outdoor equipment for landscaping and turf management professionals, and Carswell Distributing Company have announced an exclusive partnership to benefit independent lawn and landscape dealers throughout 13 southern states. Through the arrangement, Carswell and Carswell OEI will provide distribution, logistics, service and sales support for both the Greenworks Commercial 82-Volt line of tools and the newly launched Greenworks Elite 40-Volt line of tools, among independent dealers in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas and Missouri.

Ruppert Landscape Announces New Branch in Southern Richmond Ruppert Landscape has expanded its Virginia landscape management operations to include a new branch in southern Richmond. This branch joins four existing landscape management branch offices in Virginia located in northern Richmond, Gainesville, Alexandria, and Fredericksburg. Dave Sharry has been promoted to branch manager and tasked with overseeing the new branch. As branch manager, he will be responsible for the overall welfare of the branch, including the safety and development of his team, strategic planning and budgeting, training, and day-to-day operations.

Douglas Dynamics’ Doug Clark Receives Certified Snow Professional Designation Douglas Dynamics LLC, has announced that Doug Clark, product manager for Western Products, has earned his Certified Snow Professional (CSP) designation from the Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA). Clark joins fellow Douglas Dynamics CSP employees, including Andy McArdle, director of product marketing for Douglas Dynamics, and Daniel Gilliland, training manager for SnowEx. SIMA’s Certified Snow Professional certification was developed for owners, operators, and executives within the snow and ice industry. It focuses on the critical elements of running a professional snow business and recognizes a level of service, quality and value to customers.

The post WNLA’s 100th Anniversary Honored With Proclamation From Governor: This Week’s Industry News appeared first on Turf.

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[caseinpoints]

Dairyland Power Cooperative/SoCore’s Wisconsin project wins Project of Distinction Award

TRC, a recognized leader in engineering, environmental consulting and construction-management services, announced that SoCore Energy’s development of 18 MW of solar energy for Dairyland Power Cooperative won a prestigious award. TRC served as a key development consultant to SoCore.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) named the Dairyland/SoCore project, which encompasses 14 sites in Wisconsin and Iowa, one of four recipients of 2016 Project of Distinction Awards. The Dairyland/SoCore project includes solar arrays ranging from 600 kW to 2.75 MW and can produce enough electricity to power 2,500 homes. Notable details include:

It has singlehandedly doubled the total deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) generation in Wisconsin

It was the first large-scale deployment in Wisconsin of single-axis tracker arrays, with panels that turn with the sun all day long to maximize electric output

All 14 solar sites double as “pollinator gardens,” sustaining and growing bee and butterfly populations that benefit crops, flowers and trees through planting of native seed mixes of grasses and flowering plants. The pollinator gardens also reduce storm water runoff and erosion

Dairyland member distribution cooperatives are offering member-consumers the opportunity to invest in or own community solar gardens adjacent to the 14 sites, maximizing the use and cost-effectiveness of new power grid interconnections.

“TRC is proud to be part of the team that assisted Dairyland and SoCore on this innovative, award-winning solar project,” said Chris Vincze, TRC’s chairman and CEO. “Every day, across all kinds of electric power generation and transmission and development of renewable energy sources, TRC experts are consistently delivering our clients innovative solutions.”

TRC has Wisconsin offices in Brookfield and Madison and a laboratory in Madison as well.

Dairyland’s solar projects were developed under power purchase agreements with SoCore Energy, which installed, owns, operates and maintains the facilities. TRC provided SoCore professional consulting services including: geotechnical investigations, topographic and American Land Title Association surveys, wetland surveys, sensitive-species reviews, storm water permits, Phase I environmental site assessments and Karner blue butterfly habitat surveys. Wisconsin is home to some of the country’s most abundant habitats supporting the world’s largest remaining populations of the Karner blue butterfly, which has been listed federally as an endangered species since 1992.

Key criteria for SEIA and SEPA in choosing winners were: Innovation in use of technology, design, financing and collaboration; the benefits they provide to multiple stakeholders across their communities; and their replicability and development of best practices for the Midwest region.

“SoCore is honored to be part of such a unique project in Wisconsin,” said Laura Caspari, director of development at SoCore Energy. “The Project of Distinction Award was a reflection of the great collaboration between SoCore, Dairyland, TRC and the communities with whom we worked. We are excited about the contribution these developments have made to increasingly clean, reliable and cost effective energy for Co-op members.”

News item from TRC

Solar Power World

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(via https://youtube.com/watch?v=mHY6m3WwCdQ&si=5eaQaCPhgRzPvkag)