#cool campsite Holland

[micheltaanman-blog]

Nederland- Tinyhouse inspiratie

[americangirlstar]

american girl contemporary dolls’ animal crossing islands

bc apparently covid is now canon to the agverse you know they all got new horizons

lindsey bergman: the first contemporary doll also has THE most chaotic island. she does what she wants and nobody can stop her. she only accepts the villagers with the wildest designs, made everyone’s catchphrase either uwu speak or smth like “gay rights,” only wears the most hideous outfit combinations, and buys everything from redd no matter how fake it is. one room of her house is filled with haunted artwork, another has nothing but snapping turtles. she’s figured out how to make memes into clothing patterns and now every pathway on her island is the pogchamp face. best friends with flick. honestly she’s an icon 

kailey hopkins: spends 90% of her time swimming or fishing. only 90% because she actually takes her role as island rep seriously and she has worked very hard to get it to five-star. she does abuse her power to make a million rivers and turn her island into basically a waterpark, but that just makes it cooler. died of joy when swimming was enabled and now has two of everything you can collect in the ocean decorating her house, every room of which resembles a beach house. also collects seashells and has very pretty shell arches decorating doorways

marisol luna: she went into the game with a list of who she will and will not allow on her island and is ruthless in kicking out villagers in order to get who she wants to move in. absolute QUEEN at catching tarantulas/scorpions, goes hunting for them on islands with the insane amount of nook miles she collects by doing random quests. loves collecting emotions for her character to do and then making funny videos out it. filled out the fossils in her museum FAST and now just digs up fossils to decorate the lawn with. each room of her house is a different dance studio. 

jess mcconnell: QUEEN of fishing and bug-catching but can’t dive for SHIT. she has about three of every fossil because she can’t stand the idea of selling them. is obsessed with gathering every possible DIY recipe even if she doesn’t plan on making anything with them, she just thinks they’re neat. has a shrine on her island for redd and celeste in attempts to get them to come more often. she’s been on her island religiously every day since she got the game, it’s a little scary. thinks murder should be legal on her island 

nicki fleming: cannot chose a mean dialogue option to save her life. she can barely stand to kick out villagers she dislikes either, only does it if they ask to leave and then prays to the nintendo gods that bunnie will come visit the island. the main room of her house is reflective of her actual room, the rest of it is absolutely gorgeously decorated, stuff made to look like meadows or snowy mountains. winter is her favorite, she makes a snowboy every day no matter how many times she crashes the snowballs. LIVES for cj and flick because she always hated the idea of her fish/bugs dying for a competition. saves all her new stuff for the museum for nighttime because she feels bad waking up blathers 

mia st clair: wants to hack the game so that it’s winter all the time. soon as the winter DIYs dropped she redecorated her entire island and house to be as icy as possible. she’s basically queen elsa at this point. she’s horrible at catching items so her museum is mostly fossils, but even then sometimes she sells fossils before identifying them if she’s short on bells. she visits sable every day in hopes of making her feel happy. she has pretty much every possible clothing wand so that she can carry around one to match each outfit. one time her brothers went on to try and fuck with her island and we don’t speak of what happened following that. fear her 

chrissa maxwell: shares an island with gwen and sonali. she’s the one in charge so she’s working very hard to make it a 5-star island so isabelle will stop bugging her about it. also very into DIY and likes to decorate the island with things she’s built. favorite seasonal event was the wedding anniversary one, she can’t get enough of redesigning and taking photos of those funky lil alpacas. plus, she got a lot of neat stuff out of it. goes to the able sisters every day to see what kinds of new outfits they have, and yet somehow cannot make a good fashion decision to save her life. obsessed with swimming and now leaves all other museum donations to her girlfriends so she can spend all her free time looking for crabs 

gwen thompson: somehow absolutely brutal. will send clashing-colored toilets in the mail to villagers she doesn’t like to fuck with their home design and hit them with butterfly nets. she’s tried to hit them with axes as well. shakes trees constantly in an effort to catch wasps and has not gotten stung once because she’s that quick with a net. her favorite character is celeste and chrissa and sonali have barely any star stuff because whenever celeste is on gwen is hogging the switch. changes her characters’ hairstyle, like, every five minutes. when she sends her friends gifts the letters will say something like “fuck u, love u <3″ it’s so wildly different than how she normally acts in public that it’s a little scary 

sonali matthews: even worse than gwen. has tried to murder villagers she dislikes before. sometimes fucks with parts of the island just to see how people react. would sell her soul to redd just to piss off tom nook. the only thing she takes seriously is gardening, she has a fenced-off area where she breeds flowers and woe befall anyone who messes it up. her house is a hoarder’s nightmare and chrissa and gwen have been begging her to let them redesign it but she refuses. screenshots the worst parts of their island and posts them on twitter with the dreamcode so people can see the graveyard she made to intimidate rodney 

lanie holland: still lives in a tent because she thinks it’s cool, refuses to pay up to nook so she doesn’t have to get a house. somehow has the cutest outfits of everyone. her island design is to die for, half the island is full of flowers arranged in rainbow-order and the other half looks like a faerie forest. has filled out her museum’s bug collection and has half the fossils but keeps forgetting to go fishing. her little sister emily joined her island and keeps trying to get lanie to upgrade to a house or expand other stores but lanie refuses, it’ll mess with the aesthetic. emily basically has a huge mansion in the corner of the island while everything else is practically a glorified campsite. leif is lanie’s favorite and she only collects bells in order to buy things from him 

kanani akina: the most beautiful island design you’ve ever seen. she also takes the best screencaps and posts them just so her friends know what she’s up to but becomes internet famous for how gorgeous everything is. the best designs, very diverse plants, all the houses are arranged in an aesthetically pleasing way. kanani’s house is on the beach so she can easily swim, fish and collect shells, but the inside is the best part. five of the six rooms are just as beautiful as you’d expect, with soft pastel aesthetics and quiet music playing. then her basement is referred to as the “special room” which holds nothing but several candles in a summoning circle and a single tarantula figure in the center. there’s a skeleton in the corner. whenever anyone asks about it she pretends she doesn’t know what they’re talking about. it’s the funniest thing 

mckenna brooks: disastrous. horrible at paying nook back and keeps getting angry letters from the happy home academy. her goal is to find any loopholes in the game and exploit them, no matter that the game is super simple and thus “cheats” aren’t very useful. she found out about island star ratings and now is trying in vain to get a five-star but she can’t get above a three. has been stung by wasps about a million times while shaking trees to try and find loose bells. one time she shook a tree and a toilet fell out and it now has a dedicated podium on her island, and whenever anyone asks she simply tells them that the toilet is the god of the island. hasn’t been able to keep a villager for longer than a few weeks, and also somehow got raymond on accident. still having the time of her life

saige copeland: spends far too much time designing customs and far too little removing weeds. wants to have flowers in rainbow order like lanie but keeps accidentally picking them. has absolutely no rush to do anything, lived in a tent for like three months because she forgot she could pay off loans. only accepts peppy or normal villagers so her island is pretty much all-girl and she refers to it as the amazon island; this is, however, because somehow no horses have shown up on her island yet even though she very much wants them to. likes to dream and go to random islands to get inspiration. she has a room in her house full of rainbow eels because she thinks they’re pretty 

isabelle palmer: will not stop buying things from the able sisters. she visits every day, pretty much buys one of everything, and then mixes and matches costumes instead of fixing her island. lives for the days when label visits because she takes her requests very seriously and comes back in outfits that slay™. almost exclusively gives clothing gifts to her villagers so that they have a better fashion sense. has a lot of flowers but can’t figure out how to get them to mix. the bug section of her museum has butterflies and nothing else simply because she only thinks to try and catch butterflies. hits rocks every day to try and find the daily Money Rock™. keeps trying to get raymond but her sister won’t let her pay anyone actual money for him 

grace thomas: when she visits the nook store she will solely speak to tommy. constantly checking the wiki to find out which DIYs sell well, and thus only collects shells in order to make shell arches to turn around and sell back. insanely good with bells and with figuring out how to make her island palatable, got a five-star fast. the main room of her house is decorated like a restaurant, with two different kitchen rooms and the upstairs decorated to look very french. she made everyone’s catchphrases french, too. is the only person in the world upset you can no longer eat the fish. goes swimming every day just so she can find a scallop and talk to pascal, she thinks he’s cool 

lea clark: there are a lot of plants here. just. far too many plants. of every color too! she’s very proud of it. she has a short attention span though so there’s like fifty different unfinished projects. she is best friends with like three villagers and forgets the names of the rest, but one time she accidentally hit a villager with a butterfly net and cried for an hour. only ever dresses in summer clothes and is awful at saving money so she only has like eight bells at a time. seasonal events are her absolute jam though, she can’t get enough of them. would die for leif. almost got blocked by the animal crossing twitter for constantly begging them to give her the froggy chair (thanks @lesbianleaclark!) 

gabriela mcbride: her island is more important than her social life. she is very serious about making it a functioning island, and is obsessed mainly with filling out her museum. every time she catches a sea bass instead of something new she lets out a series of swears not appropriate for a child audience. she is best friends with all of her villagers and cries whenever one of them thinks about leaving. her favorite kk slider song changes by day and she’ll switch the music around everywhere whenever she feels like it. visits other islands in order to gather materials to sell in order to make her house bigger; she’s got a dance room, a poetry corner, a student council room, and the main room looks like the liberty arts center. whenever anyone (who’s not redd) visits her island she cries and tries to figure out how to give them things for free because she loves them so much. whenever redd comes by without genuine art she tries to hack into the game in order to skin him alive

tenney grant: obsessed with getting every kk slider song. every time he shows up to the island she pulls up the list of available songs and picks one she doesn’t have yet to request. she wants to get a different song playing in every area of the island and every room of every house. shares an island with logan, jaya and holliday but she’s in charge, which sucks because holliday is way better at doing island management. she’ll text holliday with what isabelle wants her to do and then go DIY a guitar. she set up a stage area near the beach so they can give concerts for the villagers and honestly it looks gorgeous. she named her island “nashville” but makes no attempt to actually make it look like tennessee. she released her dream code on her twitter and because she’s technically a celebrity people keep coming by and asking her why everything on the island looks good except logan’s house and she’s like “ask logan idk” 

logan everett: speaking of which, yeah, logan’s house is a disaster. he cares naught for decorating his place and fills it with random things he thinks are “cool.” likes to run through flowers until they explode. the best diver on the island, though, and is responsible for that area of the museum, while tenney gets fishing, jaya gets bugs, and holliday gets fossils. they all work together to buy everything from redd whether it’s real or not because they think the art is pretty, they find out whether or not it’s real after taking it to blathers. he will place random toilets in the middle of the island and wait for someone else to find it, they have no idea he’s the one doing it and it’s driving them crazy. it’s also the funniest thing he’s ever done and he’s very proud of it. whenever kk shows up he requests a song tenney doesn’t have yet and leaves it outside her door. she didn’t ask him to do this he’s just like that 

z yang: the god of all things video games. she’s a streamer now and while she mostly streams mario, zelda or sonic games, on holidays she’ll stream her island and take suggestions for what she should do to it. due to this, her island can be a mess at times, but she somehow keeps getting good ratings. every time there’s an update she loads up a report of what’s new so she can be one of the first to try it out. she named her island something like “zworld” and refuses to change it. every room of her house is a different movie set, and she put cameras everywhere on the island “so the villagers don’t get any ideas.” somehow keeps getting rare villagers on the first try and won’t let them leave 

luciana vega: would die for celeste. her island is incredibly space-themed and well cared-for, because this game soothes her anxiety so she’s on it 24/7. her town flag is an incredibly accurate constellation. she fills out her museum specifically cause it’s run by celeste’s brother and she’d do anything for that owl; her parents got her a celeste plush for her birthday and now she won’t let go of it. she schedules her life around animal crossing updates. her favorite thing to do is go swimming at night and just look at the animation on the waves under the stars. also wisp’s best friend. won’t accept a villager unless they look like they could potentially be an alien, which means she has the coolest villager collection of everyone 

blaire wilson: due to her family’s experience running an inn she knows exactly how to run a village. her island’s almost boring in how well it’s designed and run, but she always has something extra to keep interest, like an island in the middle that’s filled with exotic flowers. went to the wedding picture event every day in order to get every piece of furniture she could and now has a “wedding area” of her island that nobody uses but is great for photos. isabelle is her favorite character and she will do anything for her. somehow able to make the funniest animal crossing memes in the world. once caught a coelacanth without expecting it and screamed and dropped her switch 

joss kendrick: the BEST fisher. has never lost a fish once, nobody knows how she does it. best friends with cj and takes his seasports challenges way too seriously. wishes they were able to surf but swimming is good, too, though sometimes she’ll spend upwards of ten minutes chasing a particularly stubborn crab. she is incredibly patient at terraforming and uses this skill for evil, as every time her cheer squad comes to visit her island she has completely changed it around and then has them all play hide-and-seek. nobody knows how to find anything. the only consistent thing is that the beach will be the coolest-looking beach in the whole game. she named her island “lesbos” and accepts villagers that “pass the gay vibe check.” nobody is sure what the gay vibe check is 

kira bailey: is horrible at saving bells or getting a good rating on her island but she doesn’t care because her main focus is DIYing her own decor to make her island look like her aunts’ conservatory. as such, will only accept animals that could potentially live there, such as koalas or kangaroos. she’s bad at figuring out where to put houses and buildings so her island’s a mess to navigate, however she knows the routes like the back of her hand and gets confused when people ask her how the hell she finds anything. for some reason absolutely terrified of wisp and refuses to wander her island at night in case they show up 

[lordofthenerds97]

Fast Cars and Freedom

2/? Poison

Words: 5,418 Rating: T+ Chapter 1

Ari walked into school the next morning, her head swimming. She had managed to live through her dinner with the Byers, albeit a little rattled. That was one of the first few times that she had been with the whole family since the return if both herself and Will, and she had to admit that she was a little unnerved. And not only did she have to deal with that, but there was also the stress of having Joyce's new boyfriend at the table with them. He was a nice enough man and Ari actually liked him. But the fact that he knew nothing of the events of the Upside Down was a little disconcerting. Especially having a conversation about anything remotely close to their disappearance. She cringed just thinking about how the night had gone. 

"So, Ari, are you in the same grade as Jonathan?" Bob asked. 

Ari nodded, unsure what else to say. Jonathan hadn't known that his mother's boyfriend was going to join them. If he had, he would have warned Ari, and she would have been better prepared to deal with the situations that might arise. Probably by avoiding the whole fiasco in the first place. 

"She's pretty smart. And really artistic too." 

Joyce nodded, a smile on her face. "She and Will have that in common. They've done some comics together, and they turned out really good!" 

Ari ducked her head, the tips of her ears turning red from embarrassment. 

That seemed to excite Bob. "You know, when I was your age, I was all about comic books. I loved the superheroes, and even wanted to be one myself." 

Will perked up at that, noticing how uncomfortable Ari was. "Really?" he asked. "That's cool!" 

Bob turned his smile on the youngest Byers, grinning almost from ear to ear. "I thought so. And still do. Maybe you can show me some later, if you're up for it." 

Will nodded enthusiastically. 

Ari wasn't sure if she should jump into the conversation or not, but she felt like she needed to make her presence known. She didn't like sitting in the corner, not having anything to contribute. So, taking a deep breath, she steeled herself. "I like photography more." she said, daring to look up. 

If they were surprised by her sudden contribution, they didn't show it. Bob, however, took the reigns of the conversation and surprised them all by getting her to smile and say more than she had to anyone in the past several months. 

"That's really neat, Ari. What kind of camera do you use? I like Canon, personally." 

A soft smile graced her features, silently thanking him for turning the conversation in a direction that she was comfortable with. "Nikon. The first camera I ever has was my dad's old one. It was an old '56 Nikon. He gave it to me when I was eight.  The thing still works, if you believe it." 

Bob laughed. "Oh, I do. Nikon makes a good product. What's your favorite subject?" 

She didn’t hesitate to respond, even enthusiastically. "Landscapes. More mountains, than anything. There's this one mountain campsite that we always used to go to when I was younger. I have some of the crapiest pictures known to man, but I love them because they came off my dad's camera." She laughed, smiling fondly at the memory. "He was so proud of me that day. He even promised to buy me a brand new camera when I was old enough to use the dark room." 

Jonathan interrupted with a smirk, holding his hand up. "You would not believe how meticulous this girl is in the dark room. She puts me to shame." 

Will laughed at his brother and friend. He loved having them together. It made his small family feel a little more whole. "Her shots are really good too. She won a couple photography competitions a year or two ago." 

Ari turned to Will, surprised that he would remember that. But, Jonathan had probably told him, since he was the one that she beat out for the gold medal. "Thanks, Will." 

He shrugged. "I'm just telling them what you're too shy to." 

And the night had worn on from there. Ari found herself laughing and smiling, more than she had in a long time. She couldn't remember the last time her face hurt from smiling so much. There was something about Bob that put her at ease. Maybe dinner with them wasn't such a mistake after all. She rather enjoyed their company.  

Ari was suddenly jerked out of her thoughts when Steve stood in front of her, waving his hands to get her attention. All of her friends noticed that she had been distant lately, especially in school. Nancy and Steve tried to keep her out of her dead stare zones as best they could, but really only Jonathan had much success in keeping her grounded. They had been friends for a long time, since the third grade. They had both been labeled freaks and loners from an early age, something that drew them together to fight as one. Nancy and Steve accepted the fact that they wouldn't always be able to help her, and Jonathan wasn't always around to do it himself. After all, he had a younger brother to take care of. 

But the shared trauma that Ari and Will had both gone through only served to bring her closer to the broken family. They knew of her thoughts and self torture when her parents didn't. They were the ones that helped her through it. 

"Steve?" she asked, confused. She saw the worried look on his face and her concerns shifted focus. "What's up? Is everything okay?" 

Steve snorted. "I was going to ask you the same thing." he said, looking her over. 

She rolled her eyes. "Don't lie, Steve. It's unbecoming." 

"You know, here I was, coming over to talk to my friend and cheer her up. But what does she do? Turn the tables and force me to talk about my feelings." 

Ari frowned. The way he wouldn't quite meet her eyes told her that there was something really wrong. Glancing around, she grabbed his arm and headed for the nearest room, which so happened to be the AV club. She dragged him along with her despite his muffled groan. When they were both safely tucked inside the room, she set her books down, locked the door, and faced him with crossed arms. "Spill." 

He ran a hand through his perfectly styled hair, and she could see the lines of worry that creased his face. "Nance and I...we had dinner with Barb's parents." 

Realization hit Ari like a ton of bricks, wiping out whatever brief happiness she might have felt. She followed his example and ran her slender fingers through the bright red strands that adorned her head. "I should have been there..." she muttered quietly. Since her return from the Upside Down and the revelations of what really happened to Barbara, she had shut out her best friend's parents when they needed her the most. They didn't know the details of what happened. They didn't know why their daughter disappeared. They didn't know why Ari had suddenly become so withdrawn towards them. And they could never know. But the guilt that weighed on her conscience day in and day out became a little heavier knowing that she was part of the cause of the Holland's further pain. 

Steve shook his head, pulling her into a hug when he saw the blank expression on her face. He knew she was retreating into the dark recesses of her mind, to the pits of guilt, pain, and despair that always seemed to drag her down to their murky depths. "It's better that you weren't." he said quietly. "You need time. And so do they. Besides, it was incredibly awkward. I started rambling about KFC." 

She snorted in laughter, hugging him back. Her chin rested on his shoulder as he slowly rubbed circles on her back to relax her. "I'm sorry." she muttered eventually. "I...I should be over this by now." 

Steve sighed and pushed her back by the shoulders, his eyes searching her face. It was easy to tell that she was tired. Tired of fighting, tired of pressing forward, tired of lying. But he knew how much of a fighter she was and how stubbornly determined she could be. And he knew that she wouldn't allow this to break her. She would definitely bend, but she wouldn't snap. "Do you think Will is over it?" he asked slowly. 

She bit her lip and shook her head. 

"Exactly. He's not. And he won't be for a good while. Neither will you. But this is what you've got us for, Ari. We're here for you. Will knows better than anyone what the two of you went through. Nance and Jonathan are always there to listen. And me?" He shrugged with a crooked half smile, "I'm always down for a pick-me-up shake or float. We got your back, Ari. You got that?" 

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and letting his calming presence wash over her. She focused on the hands that still held her shoulder, giving her something to ground herself to. Finally, she opened her eyes, nodding. "I got it." she said softly. 

He grinned. "Good. Now come on. I need some help with my biology assignment. You up for the task?"

A cloud of smoke filled the air around the three teenagers, the collective smell of burning cigarettes killing whatever fresh air they would have gotten. Billy's eyes narrowed as his eyes scanned the yard, looking for his new target. He didn't see anything that interested him. All the girls in Hawkins were so boring. They were all the same, willing to do anything it took to be in the backseat of his car for an hour. He needed a change of pace, something exciting to do for a change. He was halfheartedly listening to the story one of the other guys was telling, not really paying attention to the details. Then he bit down on his cigarette before yanking it out of his mouth, his body going rigid. The other two noticed his sudden change in demeanor, all jumping to attention to follow his gaze. 

He watched as she made her way from one end of the yard to the other, clutching her books close to her chest. She was accompanied by none other than the so-called King Steve as she walked. 

"See something you like, Billy?" Tommy asked. 

His blue eyes narrowed as he watched her. "Who's that with Harrington?" he asked, nodding his head in their direction. 

Tommy frowned and squinted, raising his hand to block out the sun. He snorted when he realized who it was. "Her? No one important." 

Billy bit back a growl, turning to give the smaller guy a glare. "Who is she?" 

Andy, one of Tommy's friends, stepped up beside them with a laugh. He took another drag before answering Billy's question. "That one is fun." he said. "She's a Siren." 

Billy rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "I don't care about your crap nicknames around here, Andy." 

The boy shook his head with a frown. "No, you don't get it, Hargrove. She has this way about her. People say she's killed before. Or, at least, talked some lovesick guy into splattering his brains all over City Hall." He nodded as they all watched Harrington open the door to the gym for her. "She can have a man wrapped around her finger in seconds. But she's dangerous. You know that Byers kid?" 

Billy frowned, turning to Tommy. "The one you were knocking around yesterday?" 

Tommy mumbled something under his breath before looking away, nodding. 

"What about him? He's just a nuisance little kid." 

Andy snorted. "You would think so. He disappeared for several weeks last year. So did Ari and this other chick that Harrington's girlfriend Wheeler hung around with. Ari came back first. Then the Byers kid. But the other one hasn't showed her face." 

Billy snorted. "You really expect me to believe all that?" 

Tommy shrugged. "Believe what you want, man. But that's true. Byers is a freak. And Ari is the ring leader. Don't dance with her. Nor unless you want your body found in the woods." 

The California native snorted and rolled his eyes as the other two made their way back to the school, knowing gym was about to start. He stood there for several more minutes, shoving his hands in the pockets of his tight fitting jeans. There was something about that girl, something that caught his attention. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was definitely interesting. 

Turns out, life in Hawkins might not be as boring as he had expected. 

Ari groaned when Nancy handed her a flier. "Sheet faced? Really, Nance?" 

Nancy snorted, biting her lip with a smile and grabbing her bag from her locker.  "I know. Say what you want, but she knows how to throw a good party." 

Ari shook her head. "I don't think so. You know I'm not a huge party person. Besides, you and Steve will probably abandon me if I go anyways." 

Nancy rolled her eyes. "Jonathan is gonna be there." 

Ari raised an eyebrow. "Funny you should mention that," she said. "He said the same thing about you." 

The other girl gave her friend a frown. "So?" 

Ari shut her locker with more force than she intended to, causing Nancy to jump in surprise. "Sorry," she apologized, adjusting her grip on her items. "Come on, Nance. I see the way you two look at each other. When are you both going to be the responsible adults you're supposed to be and start dating already?" 

That made Nancy stop short, her mouth falling open. "What?!" 

Ari laughed. "I'm not blind, Wheeler. There's definitely sparks between you two. I could see that the night you pulled me out of the Upside Down." 

A red blush started creeping up Nancy's neck and she looked away, grumbling something under her breath. Ari laughed again which brought a small relief to Nancy. She hasn't heard her friend that jubilant in a while, and she was glad to hear the sound of her laugh again. 

"You must be Ari."

Ari had to stop short to avoid slamming right into the chest that suddenly blocked her path. She raised an eyebrow as her light green eyes trailed up the rest of his body to land on his face. He looked at her with a cocky smirk, one corner of his mouth quirked up. She could smell the cigarettes and gasoline on him, a smell that wasn't all together unpleasant. But the way he looked at her screamed trouble, and she didn't want to get involved with anything of the sort. 

"The one and only." she deadpanned. 

Nancy looked between her friend and the tower of muscle that she assumed was Billy Hargrove, the new kid that all the other girls had been raving about. A quick glance to Ari, and she knew she should get out of dodge. She mumbled something about seeing her later before scurrying towards the door and Jonathan. The concerned photographer made a move towards his best friend, but Nancy grabbed his arm and hauled him out of the school with a sharp, "Let's go." 

He adjusted his footing, putting his left hand in his pocket while bringing up his right arm to rest on the lockers beside him. He leaned his weight against the lockers and grinned at her. "I've been learning all sorts of fun facts about you." 

She arched an eyebrow. "Congratulations." 

"You're not like all the other girls around here." 

Ari rolled her eyes. "No sh**, Sherlock." 

He snorted. "Screw you too, Watson." 

That made her pause. "You're the first person to know the correct response to that. Props to you." 

His grin widened. "You got plans tonight, babe?" 

"Avoiding social settings like the plague." 

Billy snorted. "Awe, come on. It can't be all bad." 

Her features hardened. "Trust me, it is." she ground out. "Look, is there a point to this conversation, Hargrove?" 

He blinked, caught off guard. "I never told you who I was." 

She rolled her eyes. "You didn't have to. I can smell the arrogance and conceited bad-boy attitude seeping from you from a mile away." 

He raised an eyebrow, stepping closer to her. "And?" 

Ari glared. "It's polluting the air. You might consider a shower next time." With that, and not giving him a chance to respond, she pushed past him and stalked into the parking lot, grumbling to herself. She found herself being jerked backwards, and she immediately dropped her bag, spinning on her heel and throwing her fist out with as much force as she could muster. 

"Woah!" 

He released her arm and barely managed to duck under the blow in time. He caught a glimpse of red on her chest as she righted herself but he didn't have a chance to dwell on it as she picked up her bag and continued mumbling. He sighed and helped her, picking up a book that she had dropped and handed it to her. She narrowed her eyes at him and cautiously took it, her slender fingers brushing up against his calloused ones. 

"Sorry," he muttered. "Didn't mean to scare you." 

She let out an exasperated sigh. "It's fine. But do yourself a favor, Hargrove." 

"Yeah?" 

"Leave me alone." 

Later that night, Ari was in her room, sitting cross legged on her floor with homework and books spread out. Her parents were out to dinner, which meant she had the place to herself.  They had insisted she call them every hour, especially since they were in the next town over. Music blared from the boombox on her dresser, and she nodded along to Queen as she worked on homework. She frowned when the shrill ring of the landline cut through the rock song. Sighing, she stood before heading downstairs. "Hello?" 

"Ari!" 

She winced as her ear was assaulted with the sound of screaming teenagers and pounding music. "Steve? I can hardly hear you." 

"I can't findNancy!" 

She pinched the bridge of her nose when she heard him talk. She knew he was drunk. "Steve. What did you do?" 

"Nothing!" he defended. 

Ari sighed. "Obviously, you did something. Stay there, I'll be over in a few minutes." She hung up the phone and headed back up to her room. She was more than intent on having a nice evening in, catch up on her homework, and hopefully get a jumpstart on her application for Harvard. But Steve had to go and change those plans. She dug around until she found a clean pair of pants, grimacing when sh realized they were her biking pants, metal plated and almost completely leather. Shrugging it off, she shimmied into them, not bothering to change out of the baggy sweater she had stolen from Jonathan before pulling on her fitted leather jacket and matching boots. She grabbed her keys and drivers license and made her way to the garage. There was no way she was going to let Steve drive in the condition he was in. So, as always, she had to be the mature and responsible adult in her group of friends. 

The engine if her bike growled as she cruised through the streets, looking for the right house. She had to twist and turn to avoid kids going from house to house and she shook her head, her tinted visor hiding her features from other adults that were watching. Finally, she found Tina's house. She shouldn't have been surprised that it was the biggest and loudest on the block. She groaned as she parked, seeing several people dressed up and standing around outside. She heard chanting going on and figured someone was trying to down a whole keg in one gulp. She found people so irritating, and quite frankly, sometimes disgusting. But she sighed and pulled off her helmet before approaching the house. 

Get in, grab Steve, and get out, she thought. It was a simple enough endeavor. Or, so she thought. 

She forced her way through the crowd, pushing through people and dodging anyone that seemed interested in talking to her. Her light green eyes scanned the crowd once she stepped inside, looking for Steve. She found him slumped over the kitchen island and she rolled her eyes, muttering to herself. She made her way over to him. 

"Yo, you still with me Steve?" 

"Ari?" he asked tiredly as she helped him to his feet. "What're you doinghere?"

She snorted at his slurred words. "You called me. I'm not letting you drive home like this. Come on." She put his arm over her shoulders, holding onto his wrist with one hand and gripped his waist with the other. "Let's go." 

"Yo, we got a new Keg King, Harrington!" Tommy shouted, blocking their path and pulling Billy along by the shoulder. He eyed Ari's tight outfit appreciatively, grinning at her.

She growled as she heard Tommy approaching. She was in no mood to deal with him or any other of his friends. "Back off, Tommy." she snapped. "Get out of my way, Hargrove. I don't have time to deal with you." 

"What's the rush, Siren?" Tommy asked, obviously drunk as he stumbled over to her. He pushed Steve out of her grasp and they both grunted as they were separated, Tommy grabbing ahold of Ari's arm. "Surely you have time to sing us a song?" 

She pushed him back and Billy grabbed him, shoving him in the other direction. "She said leave her alone, Tommy." he snapped. 

She hoisted Steve back up despite his complaints, and when Billy turned back to her, she glared. "I don't need you to fight my battles, Hargrove. Now, get out of my way." 

His eyes narrowed at her and he took a step forward. Steve tried to put himself protectively between them but failed miserably. Billy just rolled his eyes. "Back off, Harrington. You're drunk. I don't like beating up drunk guys." 

Ari snorted. "Sure. Now move." 

He took a step towards her, his cologne overpowering as he stepped into her bubble. She could see the sheen of sweat that covered his bare chest, a few drops trickling down his sculpted abs. But she glared at him something fierce, supporting Steve as best she could in his drunken state. The party around them seemed to stop, even the music fading away as people watched with open mouthed expressions of both shock and horror. 

"Is that who I think it is?" 

"Dude, she's facing off against Billy." 

"He'll slaughter her for sure." 

"No way, man. She's the Siren for a reason. She'll totally destroy him." 

"What's she doing with Steve? I thought he was Wheeler's boyfriend." 

"Who cares? What's she doing with Billy? Doesn't she know he's mine?" 

"Why don't you make me, sweetheart?" he said with a seductive smirk, leaning down. "I can think of a few ways-"

Without warning, she dropped Steve who grunted in protest, stumbling a few feet away from her, and she thrust her hands to Billy's chest, shoving him backwards. She normally preferred to stay as far away from violence as possible, but she was in no mood to play games with anyone. And that included Billy Hargrove. There was a collective gasp as he regained his footing, glaring fiercely at her. She returned the favor, not moving from her spot. "You can either get out of my way right now, or we can have a problem, Hargrove. Either way, I'm not in the mood to deal with your crap." 

He pursed his lips as he looked her over. She wasn't a small woman, by any means. She was only about a head shorter than he was, and she was filled out in all the right places. But he had no doubt that under her skin was nothing but pure muscle, judging by the way she was able to haul around the drunken Steve Harrington. He knew she had fast reflexes and a powerful punch. But he wasn't sure what had given her reason for that. There was a look in her eye, a dangerous glint of something that told him she was a fighter and she didn't plan on backing down. And he didn't doubt that after downing the whole keg, he was a little tipsy himself. There was no way he was going to physically attack her. He could do so verbally, but it was obvious she knew how to hold her own. 

Everyone watched with bated breath as he stood in front of her, arms crossed over his bare chest. She stood opposite him, supporting Steve while at the same time staring him down, daring him to make a move. 

Finally, after more than one tense moment of silence, he stepped aside, dropping his arms as he backed into the crowd. Her hard features softened and she nodded once, acknowledging his surrender before turning to Steve. 

"Let's go, pretty boy." she muttered. She supported the majority of his weight as they walked out into the night, followed by several onlookers that continued to whisper. 

Ari grit her teeth and tried her best to ignore them, gripping Steve's wrist a little harder than she should have. He whined about her hold on him before she managed to get them to her bike. She blew out a puff of hair, blowing several stray strands out of her eyes. "This is gonna be fun." 

After a long and semi-awkward ride, she managed to get them both to Steve's house alive. She helped him inside  wondering what caused him to get so wasted. Normally he was one of the more mature ones in their little group, but tonight he proved he could definitely be at the opposite end of the spectrum. Ari helped him up the stairs to his room, basically dumping him on his bed before moving to get a bottle of aspirin she knew he would need in the morning. When she got back, he was struggling to take his shoes off. She rolled her eyes before kneeling down to help him. 

"You're a goodfriend..." he slurred. 

She snorted. "Thanks, Stevie. You're not too bad yourself." 

He frowned down at her, his hands falling to his sides. "DoesNancy hate me?" 

Ari paused. "No. She loves you, Steve. You know that." 

He shook his head, his normally perfectly styled hair going in every which direction. "She called bull..." 

That made her pause. "She called bull? On what?" 

He made a weak gesture towards himself, a broken expression on his face. Her heart ached at the sight. She knew something was going to happen sooner or later that would blow up in Nancy's face. She just hoped the aftermath wouldn't be too awful. Ari sighed and pulled him into a hug. He buried his face in her shoulder, holding her tightly. "You're amazing, Steve. And if she called bull on that, then she must have been out of her mind." 

He muttered something in agreement before he let her go. When she pulled back, he was wearing one of the biggest, and stupidest, grins she had ever seen. "Somebodyyy likes yoooou!" 

She rolled her eyes with a small smile. "Oh yeah? Who?" 

He frowned, as if trying to remember. "Billy?" he said, asking more than telling her. 

She snorted and almost broke out into full blown laughter. "As if, Harrington. You must really be trashed if you think Hargrove has the hots for me." 

He nodded. "He does!" he insisted. 

That time she did laugh. "Sure. Whatever you say, Stevie."

Ari made her way down the street, her mind wandering to various places as she drove. She was pretty much in the middle of nowhere, which gave her a little more freedom to think. She was glad she didn't have to focus on all the other stupid, and most likely drunk, drivers on the road. She could focus on her own thoughts and her own demons. 

She was so deep in thought that it took two flashes of lightning to get her attention. She looked around on the third strike, trying to figure out where it was coming from. No storm clouds were rolling in, and the sky seemed to be completely clear. She jumped as she heard a loud crash of thunder, the sky lighting up once again, this time a bright red. She screamed and slammed on the brakes, the bike spinning out underneath her at the sudden movement. 

The wheel hit a hole, and between the sudden contact and the skidding of the tires, she was thrown from the bike. She let out a scream as she flew through the air, landing with a thud about ten feet from her bike, her body rolling and scraping against the concrete. She hissed as the pavement tore through her pants, the hiss of metal scraping grinding on her ears. When she finally came to a stop, she groaned as she tried to push herself up to her hands and knees. Thankfully she had been wearing all of her riding gear, and the metal plating protected her from the majority of the fall. 

She grunted with the effort of simply raising herself to her knees, working slowly and slightly dazed to take off her helmet. She noticed the crack in it as she dropped it to the ground beside her, breathing heavily as she looked up. 

Another scream tore from her throat when she saw it. 

It towered in the sky, red lightning flashing and illuminating it. It had to be at least 100 feet in the air, probably more. Long tendril like appendages reached from its body. It was nothing more than a faceless shadow that towered over her, sending a message of impending doom. She scrambled backwards, scraping the palms of her hands up as she did. She didn't even register the pain as she heard a voice calling out to her. 

"Ari! Ari, where are you?!"

"Will?!" she screamed back, her head whipping around. She could hear him. She knew he was there. But she couldn't see him. 

Another flash of lightning illuminated the sky, and suddenly, she was back in the Upside Down. Her eyes were wide as she wildly looked around. Everything looked the same to her, the poison flakes floating through the air. She heard a howl in the distance, the sound sending a shiver down her spine.

"Will, where are you?!"

"Ari! I'm here!"

She stumbled to her feet and looked around, her head whipping in every which direction. His voice seemed to be getting farther and farther away from her. She felt something latch onto her shoulder, and she screamed as she was jerked around. 

"Ari!" 

Her eyes suddenly refocused, seeing none other than Billy Hargrove standing in front of her. 

"Billy?" she asked, confused. She winced at the pain in her head. He gripped her by the shoulders, looking her over. 

"What happened? Are you okay?" 

She frowned, trying to process the slur of words. At least, she thought it was a slur. 

"I...I don't...know..."

He snapped his fingers in front of her face and then cursed when she blinked slowly. "Max, help me."

Ari's head was spinning, and she felt like she could fall over. "Billy...what..."

"I don't know, Red. But you sure gave me one he** of a scare. What were you swerving all over the place for?"

Ari frowned again, her mind not processing the question. She turned to look over her shoulder, seeing her bike on its side in front of her. The black helmet she wore was cracked and lying on the ground beside her, along with her gloves.  

"Dog..." she slurred, reaching up to touch her forehead. When she took her fingers back, the tips were covered with red. 

Billy cursed. "Now I'm stuck doing the responsible thing and driving your injured a** to the hospital."

She mumbled something in response before her vision went black. He grabbed her as she fell, grunting with the effort. She might have been toned and lithe, but muscle sure as he** weighed a lot. He mumbled under his breath before shouting at Max to open the passenger side door.

[mydopephotos]

Smoke and Strut Top 10 hikes for Cannabis Smokers on Vancouver Island

There's nothing like smoking in nature, being surrounded by trees and plants, maybe sit near a waterfall or a different body of water. Here in B.C. you can smoke in any park besides in campground common areas and within 6 meters on a playground. This is awesome since we have so much to see and do here on Vancouver Island.

There are somethings you will need to be aware of on your hikes and out in the woods.

1. Pack In What You Pack Out! Meaning please don't leave your snack wrappers or drink containers. Be sure to bring them back to your car with you or dispose of them correctly.

2. Be Fire Safe! The past few years we’ve has a lot drier conditions making it easier for forest fires to start. So I always bring a container I can fill with a bit of water and ash my joints in or my pipe bowl. 

3. Don’t Get Lost! Now that everyone has a cell phone we can pre download maps and follow the map to keep on track. There is a mountain bike trail app called trailforks, it has all the trails I'm going to talk about. Trailforks allows you to follow yourself on the map and see all the trails near you as you pass them.

4. Bring Snacks! A lot of these trails take a few hours, I don’t know about you but i tend to get hungry when I smoke. 

How should I consume when out and about ?

Doobie - Always a good choice besides the smell, joints get you real high and they are perfect for sharing.

Vape pen - Vape pens are perfect for these kind of trips. Just be sure to charge it up before you go out. (don’t know how many times this has happened to me get way out in the bush and have no way to get high)

Pipe - Like a joint, pipes are very good for sharing and are super portable. Pipes can give huge hoots as well it can be fun to blow smoke into the woods.

Edibles - A smaller dose can most definitely enhance your outdoor experience but a bigger does can also be fun. 

Unbreakable piece - personally I have two silicone bongs one specifically for hiking and camping there's nothing quite like smoke by the river using the water from the river in the bong.

My Go To Hikes:

Seal Bay Nature Park

Seal Bay Nature Park is located northeast of Courtenay on Bates road. The road divides the park into two parts. On the east side of the road is an amazing rocky beach along the ocean. The trail down to the water is carved out of a huge lush second growth forest. There are benches on the way down to stop and take in the scenery. Seals can be heard barking in the distance. Once down on the beach you can light one up and start to explore the ocean side. There is lots of structures built from driftwood and big logs to sit and watch for whales. The west side of the road is a loop around the melda marsh the trail is called the swamp loop, don’t let that deter you though. This hike has lots of fallen trees to walk across and bridges over streams filled with frogs and otters. There are huge stumps to climb inside and look out points that overlooks the marsh.

Rosewall Creek Provincial Park 

This hike is a bit south of Courtenay, only accessible by the ocean highway. After parking start walking toward the highway, be sure to cross the bridge of the highway (the trail is on the north side of the river). I usually spark up a doob at this point, there is minimal wind since you are pretty deep in the woods. The trail is partly washed away near the beginning from a flood a few years back but there is a relatively well used trail there now. There is a beautiful waterfall at the end of the trail with a rather deep swimming hole beneath the waterfall. 

Willowbrae Trail / Halfmoon Bay

The Willowbrae Trail is the beginning part of the trail to Half Moon Bay. The trail is located in Ucluelet on the westside of Van Island. At the beginning of the willowbrae trail you get your first taste of the humongous trees and vegetation the island has to offer. After about a km you will come to a point where you have to either go down straight down to a beach or go left, GO LEFT. This will take you to Halfmoon Bay you will instantly be greeted with more trees, giant ferns and long stretches of boardwalks keeping you above the forest floor. There are some fallen giants along the boardwalk where you can see the network of roots that one tree has. Once you come to the stairs you are mostly there. At the bottom of the stairs you will find a seemingly deserted beach. When ever I have been here I've only seen a hand full of people. It’s the perfect beach to whip out the bong and snacks and get settled.

Hole In The Wall

This place is kind of different, park at the Coombs Country Candy store which is located to the right, as soon as you come into Port Alberni coming from the east side of the island. The trail head is across the highway, to the right of the concrete barriers. Start walking straight, soon there will be a clearing and the path goes right or left, GO RIGHT. The trail will have a few turnoff points but keep going straight. Walk for about 10 minutes and there will be a mountain bike disc brake that has been consumed by a tree turn right here. At the bottom of the hill there, you will see the hole in the wall. It’s a cool place to explore, Inuksuks have been built all around the river bed. You can also go through the hole the the river on the other side. If you turn left the trail take you down stream where you will find a waterfall that has a rope swing into the pool created by the waterfall. This is an awesome place to smoke and enjoy the water.

Englishman River Falls Provincial Park

This trail is located near Parksville closer to a town called Errington. It has a huge waterfall with a bridge that crosses over top of them. This allows you to get some awesome photos of the falls. On the other side of the falls you can turn left or right. The left turn takes you to the top of the falls there is also a picnic table beside the water it’s a nice place to have a snack. If you take a left it will take you down the river from the falls. This area is usually heavily populated, especially in the summer months so I usually use my vape and maybe and edible for this hike. There are big grand fir trees along this trail. Towards the bottom of the river there is another bridge to take you back to  the parking lot. At this bridge there is a part where the river gets calm and the water is deep. It’s always a perfect place to take a dip. 

Newcastle Island

Newcastle Island is located in the Nanaimo harbour. It’s a very short ferry ride that only costs $8 return. Depending on the route you take, expect to be on the island for most of the day. Be sure to bring snacks, water and weed. Cannabis is only permitted at the campsites but you can easily smoke without anyone knowing. The island is amazing with lots to see. There are many beaches, a lake and a viewpoint facing SugarLoaf Mountain, there is also a campground with fire pits. Albino Racoons can be spotted as well as seals and otters. 

Cable Bay Trail 

Cable Bay Trail is located south of Nanaimo near Cedar. The trail flows through the forest for 2 km, down to the ocean facing Gabriola island. This is a designated off leash area so it cool to bring your pooches while you smoke one by the water. If you keep following the trail it will take you to Dodds Narrows where Vancouver Island meets Mudge Island. Here the current flows towards Gabriola and towards Van Island. This creates a huge flow of water, if your lucky you might see seals here catching fish. This is quite a spectacle to see. 

Hollands Creek Trail

This awesome trail is right in the heart of Ladysmith. My favorite way to get to this trail is from dogwood road, there is a parking lot here. This is a loop trail that takes about 2 hours. If you take the side of the trail that the parking lot is on you can go through a more forested area and it will take you to the other side eventually. On the other side you can park on the corner of 6 Ave and Methuen St. This part is wheelchair accessible. This trail has a few waterfalls and is and awesome nature walk.

Gowlland Tod Provincial Park

This hike is way down island close to Victoria and easily accessible from willis point road. This park is huge and has over 20 km of trails and amazing nature views. The ocean near the bottom is usually calm and there are many spots to hang out by the water. There are lots of old concrete structures to explore and loads of wildlife. 

Mystic Beach

This magical hike is located an hour and a half north west of victoria. The trail from the parking lot to Mystic Beach is an hour hike, and is covered in big roots to climb over and huge trees to look at. The beach is down a creaky wooden stairway. Mystic Beach has such fine beautiful sand the ocean here seems clearer. It’s easy to spend the days laying on the beach here. There are often people the whole way to the beach and at the beach so discreet puffing is encouraged.

All of these hikes are awesome,  whenever I am in the area I try to go and walk the trails there. I’ve always had great times here and have always left with amazing photos. 

Written by Scotty Frey

References:

At the trails themselves and Google maps

[brokehorrorfan]

Best New Horror Movies on Netflix: Summer 2017

I know there's an overwhelming amount of horror movies to sift through on Netflix, so I've decided to take out some of the legwork by compiling a list of the season's best new genre titles on Netflix's instant streaming service.

Please feel free to leave a comment with any I may have missed and share your thoughts on any of the films you watch. You can also peruse past installments of Best New Horror Moves on Netflix for more suggestions.

1. Clown

Before Spider-Man: Homecoming swings into theaters, watch director Jon Watts' feature debut. Beginning as a faux-trailer that went viral, Clown was essentially willed into existence with the aid of genre favorite Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever) as a producer. Andy Powers (Oz) stars as a dad who comes across an old clown costume to wear to his son's birthday party, only to find that he physically cannot remove it. He then develops an insatiable hunger for children, soon learning that he must sacrifice five kids in order to remove the suit. Laura Allen (The 4400) plays his wife, while Peter Stormare (Fargo) provides the ancient, demonic history of clowns. Not your typical killer clown movie, Clown combines classic monster movie motifs, body horror elements, supernatural undertones, and gallows humor into one coulrophobic package. Read my full review of the film here.

2. Beyond the Gates

Beyond the Gates was clearly made by horror fans for fellow fans. The 80-minute romp can best be described as Jumanji meets The Beyond. Estranged brothers Gordon (Graham Skipper, Almost Human) and John (Chase Williamson, John Dies at the End), along with Gordon’s girlfriend, Margot (Brea Grant, Halloween II), find and play an old VCR game. They must obey the tape’s host (Barbara Crampton, Re-Animator) in order to solve the mystery of their father's disappearance. It's slightly hindered by a limited budget - the set-up is slow and the ending is a tad anticlimactic - but it's so spirited along the way that the faults barely register. First-time director Jackson Stewart taps into the VHS nostalgia to create a film that would feel perfectly at home on a mom-and-pop video store shelf in the late '80s. Read my full review of the film here.

3. The Eyes of My Mother

The Eyes of My Mother is too pensive for horror fans look for typical blood and scares, but those who appreciate arthouse fare are likely to get wrapped up in its unsettling tone. Writer/director Nicolas Pesce makes an impact with his debut, utilizing stark black-and-white photography to explore a character study illustrating the repercussions of murder. The story is told in three chapters, which each one showing a significant familial moment in a woman's life that shapes her into the disturbed individual she ultimately becomes. It’s a slow burn, even at a mere 76 minutess, but every moment is spent ruminating in its dark tone.

4. Backcountry

Backcountry is based on a true story of a black bear attack. The predator doesn't show up until two thirds of the way through the film; the rest of the time is spent developing the relationship between Alex (Jeff Roop) and Jenn (Missy Peregrym, Reaper), who embark on what's supposed to be a romantic and relaxing weekend hike through the woods. Tensions first rise upon the introduction of an Irish backpacker (Eric Balfour, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), then again when the couple gets lost in the dizzying forest. It finally takes the form of a suspenseful survival thriller when the ferocious bear begins attacking their campsite. The investment in character development is worthwhile, as it causes the viewer to care about them, thereby making the final act even more harrowing. Real bears were used during production, adding to the ripe intensity.

5. Dig Two Graves

The first act of Dig Two Graves could be mistaken for a coming-of-age drama - not only thematically but also stylistically - as a young girl (Samantha Isler, Captain Fantastic) from a podunk town attempts to reconcile with her brother's death. Things really heat up when a trio of creepy men tell her they can bring him back to life... but someone else has to take his place. The story is structured in an interesting way, sprinkling in flashbacks that contextualize the actions taking place in the present. Isler delivers a brilliant performance, as does Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs), who plays her grandfather, the town's sheriff.

6. XX

XX is a horror anthology made up of four segments written and directed by females, each one strong and unique. “The Box” by Jovanka Vuckovic adapts a Jack Ketchum short story about a boy who's forever changed upon seeing the contents of a mysterious box. “The Birthday Party” by Annie Clark (better known as musician St. Vincent) is a darkly comic tale about a woman who finds her husband dead on the day of her daughter's birthday party. “Don’t Fall” by Roxanne Benjamin (Southbound) turns a serene hike into a blood-thirsty creature feature. “Her Only Living Son” by Karyn Kusama (The Invitation) finds a mother learning a deep, dark secret about her son. There's not much of a through line outside of them all being female-led (3/4 of which are maternal roles), though neat stop-motion animation wraps around the tales. Several familiar faces populate the cast, including Melanie Lynskey (Heavenly Creatures), Natalie Brown (The Strain), and Mike Doyle (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit). It's no secret that we need more female voices in film, and XX is a potent declaration that's impossible to ignore.

7. Stake Land II: The Stakelander

Despite a terrible title that could be mistaken for a joke, Stake Land II: The Stakelander is a sequel to Stake Land, Jim Mickle's impressive 2010 vampire film (which you should watch first; it's also on Netflix). Mickle resigns to executive producer, but his co-writer, Nick Damici, returns to pen the script. Damici also reprises his role as Mister, reuniting with Connor Paolo as Martin. The vampire slaying duo embark on a journey across a Mad Max 2-style post-apocalyptic wasteland infested with ferocious vampires, which resemble zombies more than your traditional bloodsuckers. As is often the case, it's the other humans that prove to be the real threat. Like its predecessor, the film finds a rare balance between drama and intensity. It's not as effective as the original, but fans won't be disappointed by the follow-up.

8. Tag

Tag (also known as Riaru onigokko) is not for everyone, but it's too gleefully weird not to warrant a recommendation. Written and directed by Sion Sono (Suicide Club), the Japanese film opens with a bus full of school girls getting sliced in half in one fell swoop. It only gets stranger from there as the infinite possibilities of multiple universes are explored. One girl survives each time, continually awakening in different realities after watching all her friends get killed in gory fashions - including a teacher mowing down her class with a mini-gun. I thought it might be adapted from a manga, as it has that bizarre, fantastical feel to it, but it's instead based on a novel. It's dreamlike and absurd but not without heart.

9. The Windmill

The Windmill (formerly known as The Windmill Massacre) is a slasher film from the Netherlands, although it's (mostly) in English. It follows a guided bus tour of Holland that breaks down near a mysterious windmill. One by one, the passengers are picked off by a cool-looking killer armed with a scythe. With glossy production value and a dark tone, it feels more like a throwback to late '90s slashers rather than the golden age of the '80s - but there's still some solid gore and practical effects. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but the film offers a slightly more involved plot than the average slasher, including flawed characters and supernatural elements. It's also gleefully mean-spirited to the very end.

10. Man Vs.

As you may have guessed from the name, Man Vs. uses a survival reality show as the framing device for a creature feature. Doug (Chris Diamantopoulos, Silicon Valley) is the survival expert/host, filming himself in the Canadian wilderness - only to learn that he's not alone. It would have been cheaper to make a found footage film, but it's more effect as a traditional movie - though there are some shots from Doug's gear. The set-up is a bit slow, however you may learn some survival tips along the way. The story essentially becomes Survivorman vs. Predator in the final act. Unfortunately, the CGI creature is Syfy-level bad, preventing the big reveal from having much impact, but Diamantopoulos delivers a solid performance nonetheless.

11. Abattoir

Abattoir is directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II-IV, Repo! The Genetic Opera), based on the same named graphic novel he created. It follows a real estate journalist (Jessica Lowndes, 90210) and a detective (Joe Anderson, The Crazies) as they investigate a series of houses in which tragedies occurred having the offending rooms torn out. They end up in a Twin Peaks-esque town where a local (Lin Shaye, Insidious) tells them of Jebediah Crone (Dayton Callie, Sons of Anarchy), an enigmatic reverend attempting to build a gateway to pure evil. Although set in the present, the picture is an unabashed love letter to film noirs of the 1940s and ‘50s. While the execution of the fascinating concept is lacking, Bousman manages to create a wonderfully imaginative neo-noir universe rife with spooky atmosphere. Read my full review here.

Bonus: The Keepers

If you were among the throngs of viewers morbidly captivated by Making a Murderer, The Keepers will be your new true crime fix. The Netflix original documentary series is every bit as compelling and frustrating as Making a Murderer, but the heinous crimes are even more stomach churning. The story revolves around an unsolved murder case of 26-year-old nun in 1969 and her then-students who have teamed up decades later to try to get to the truth. There appears to be a cover up that involves sexual abuse at the hands of a priest. The show consists of seven hour-long episodes. It probably could have been shaved down to five, but it's structured in such a way that make you want to keep binge watching.

Bonus: Riverdale: Season 1

Riverdale is like Twin Peaks meets Pretty Little Liars by way of Archie Comics. It reinvents the classic Archie characters for a modern audience with an interesting murder/mystery plot. I'm admittedly beyond the key demographic for the trashy teen drama that ensues, but the first season is fun enough, albeit inconsistent, to hook me. Several of the younger actors deliver great performances, given the heavy-handed material, but it's even more fun to see the parents played by '90s stars like Luke Perry (Beverly Hills, 90210), Mädchen Amick (Twin Peaks), Robin Givens (Head of the Class), and Skeet Ulrich (Scream). If you enjoy MTV's Scream, you'll likely get a kick out of this one as well.

[euroexploro-blog]

Intro

I'm Rosie travelling around UK and Europe with boyfriend George in our Vanny (Vauxhall Combo Van). We arrived in London on April 6th (after around 24 hours flying from NZ). We stayed a week in a hostel in Shoreditch, found Vanny and set off on the road. We went straight up to Bakewell to see a friend and her friends, and stayed three (very cold + uncomfortable) nights in the back of Vanny. Then we were off to Wigan and stayed a (very comfortable) night with George's third cousin and a bottle of Emperial Moët. He was incredibly generous and helped us with supplies for a bed base to start the van kit-out. We then headed to Windermere in the Lake District and stayed a night roadside, waking to find three horses staring at us over the fence. We then made our way back to London and we're lucky enough to stay with George's uncle for about a week as we got Vanny ready to hit Europe. We booked in our ferry tickets and hit the road towards Harwich, having a stopover in Chelmsford where we found a carpark to stay the night. We had two nights in Harwich parked outside The Castle pub and on May 3rd we made the crossing to Hoek Van Holland. I had been getting progressively more unwell and by the time we landed in Netherlands I was not in good shape- resulting in a spew on the motorway (spewbag had holes in it 😓) and an emergency stop. We got to Amstelveen in Amsterdam where we camped in a camping ground for the following week as I got better then worse then better, all the while trying to do and see as much as we could. My highlights for Amsterdam were very predictably #1 keukenhof gardens. Sososo worthwhile and we were lucky to be in the right season. #2 I loved walking along and sitting beside the canals further out of the central city. #3 can't get enough of the parks and green areas on the train trip to the city from our campground. We had lots of bunnies hopping around our campground and it was surrounded by park/forest that was well used by horses and was so fun to see. #4 I'm inspired to ride a bike everywhere I go when I get back to Christchurch. (If only we had as safe and efficient bike routes..) I recovered and was keen to keep moving so we left the Netherlands and moved south to warmer weather which we immediately noticed when we hit Antwerp in Belgium. We were only there one night but I really loved it there. Hectic when we found ourselves central city at 5.30pm but once we got organised and did grocery shopping we were set. We ended up in the docklands area and stopped by a small marina next to a building site where apartments were going up. We set ourselves up and had a delicious meal on our cooker, having finally found the right gas cylinder to fit. We watched a very pretty sunset and moved to a carpark George had spotted earlier, where other campers were parked and people were picnicking on the grass bank looking as the sun went down. We went for a wander and it was a nice feeling in the air, lots of people around enjoying the springtime. It looked as though a festival was getting setup close by. The next morning we walked through the cafes and trendy bars, found a bunch of bedding had been chucked out for the rubbish collectors and so claimed a foam mattress that we dragged back to the van and cut down to size. We didn't really see a lot of Antwerp really but I would definitely recommend the docklands as a highlight to adventure around. Next we were off to Valenciennes in the north of France. It was a nice little town where we stayed two nights, first in a suburban residential carpark and second at the end of a dead-end street in a new subdivision(we never actually got out of the van at this spot-just climbed through the back and slept then climbed back through and set off). We were off again and headed to Epernay, home of Champagne and the beginning of our baguette buying. We stayed at the campground there for three nights and could walk into the town centre pretty easily. First night we arrived we walked into town bought a bottle of bubbles and went home to make dinner. The next couple of days consisted of wandering + baguettes + picnicking + bubbling. Highlights consist of all of the above plus #1 watching sunset over the vines from up in the hills-where you can see other little villages dotted about. Also #2 good place to picnic (although moderately busy) is the tourist info centre gardens. #3 flower market looked cool but we were sort of late and they were starting packing up. And since last Tuesday we've been camping in Paris at Noisy-Le-Grand, a train ride from the centre of the city. The drive from Epernay to Paris was really pretty, ambling through little villages and stopping for fruit and bread as we see places that appeal. We found a pretty place to make lunch, next to a paddock full of about 6 horses (including an adorable little baby horse). Since setting up in Paris we've seen as much as we can see in terms of touristing. Highlights at this stage #1 loved walking through to the middle of L'Arc de Triomphe. The walk underground was cool, the archway was humongous and it was fun being surrounded by the loopy traffic but not being involved (saw a confrontation between cyclist and bus driver mid roundabout which was hectic). #2 I can't get enough of the walk along the river Marne by our campsite. Such a nice way to start and end the day to/from the busy city. #3 Eiffel Tower is real cool, I just wish George hadn't pointed out the number of rats about. #4 nice + free view over Paris from Sacre Coeur. Was really good in the warm late arvo with a cold beer from a hawker we managed to barter with. Today's goal is to get up the Eiffel Tower but unsure yet how much standing in a line we will tolerate(missed out on prebooking tickets). Overall I couldn't be more pleased with our trip and our means of travel so far. Vanny is perfect, she's little but she's comfy. We've got a good setup to be able to slide out half the bed to have couch + bench surface to cook on and slide it back in for our bed at night + our recycled mattress is much more versatile than the air bed we were using previously (now used as picnic blanket when required).

[doxampage]

Meet Kenny Mok’s Winning RC Car Fleet

Kenny and his ORB Racing FF210

Over the summer, community manager Ruud van den Muijzenberg and I traveled across Europe visiting RC car events. One of the best things about these trips was the incredibly cool people we met along the way. To our delight, many of them were already using Shapeways 3D printed parts on their RC cars.

In this second of our Driver Profiles, we talk to Kenny Mok, whom we met at the IconicRC Revival meeting in Grantham, England in July. Kenny has been a Shapeways customer for a while and runs 3D printed parts on multiple cars in his fleet.

Kenny prepares to race at the IconicRC Revival

Name: Kenny Mok Age: 39 From: London, UK Profession: IT Consultant Hobbies: 1:1 cars, Fishkeeping, Football, Karaoke and Eating Years in RC: 2 First RC Car: Tamiya TA01 Alfa-Romeo 155 DTM

IconicRC 4WD car line-up

A couple of weeks before we went to England for IconicRC Revival, we announced that we were going to join the event on IconicRC’s Facebook group. We were welcomed with lots of replies of people showing off their 3D printed RC car parts.

One of those people was Kenny, who showed us his ORB Racing FF210, a very unique and almost fully 3D printed front wheel drive buggy that we actually featured in the magazine earlier this year. He was clearly very excited to show off the cars he had built, and even challenged our community manager Ruud van den Muijzenberg to a race!

When we finally met at IconicRC, Kenny told us he has only been in the RC car racing hobby for about 2 years. After looking up information on drones and quadcopters, he stumbled across a group of RC-car-loving enthusiasts, IconicRC. Kenny initially thought that racing RC cars was a dead hobby, but soon realized it is very much alive and active. He found a group of great people in IconicRC, who race from club level to pro.

Kenny added, “When I was a kid, I was never able to afford hobby RC cars. But being older, like the most of us, I am now able to relive my childhood once again and buy the cars I dreamed of as a kid.”

Kenny racing in one of the Revival heats

When we asked Kenny about his experience at the event, he told us,

“Revival 2017 was my first ever Revival. It was simply awesome! From the smell of fried bacon and grilled onions emanating from the campsite to the enthusiastic chattering of conversation with fellow racers, I soon forgot that there was actually racing involved. I met people from all over the world. Some had travelled quite far (Holland, Germany) and it was great to share views and experiences with everyone. The show of beautiful vintage cars was just simply sublime. Oh, and the racing was fun! This will surely be a regular event for me and a lot of other fellow enthusiasts. I thoroughly recommend this to all RC vintage enthusiasts, I would even go so far to class this as the vintage racing event of the year!”

A special commemorative edition FF210, Kenny’s second FF210

Kenny races a very special 3D printed buggy. The ORB Racing FF210 is an almost fully custom-made front -wheel-drive buggy that features many parts 3D printed at Shapeways. In the picture above you can see the special commemorative edition FF210 that was built by Paul Dijkstra, ORB Racing’s designer and Shapeways community member. Paul created this model to celebrate the FF210’s racing success in 2017.

Kenny likes the FF210 so much this is actually his second one. The FF210 is special because it is the only modern front-wheel-drive buggy in existence. And being front-wheel-drive makes it very competitive on low-grip and wet surfaces compared to regular buggies. With England being a very rainy and wet country, Kenny’s FF210 should feel right at home.

Kenny’s Tamiya Top Force

As cool as it is, the FF210 is of no use at the vintage-focused Revival as it’s too modern. Luckily Kenny brought a whole fleet of cars (painted his signature white) to race at the Revival in multiple classes. Just like the car we raced on sunday at the same event, Kenny also races a vintage Tamiya Top Force featuring 3D printed parts designed by ORB Racing. Besides developing their own FF car, ORB Racing also offer a lot of 3D printed replacement parts that are otherwise very hard to find and often expensive if available at all.

“The fact that I can now have 3D printed replacement parts which feel just as strong as the originals is a real lifesaver for collectors and racers of now obsolete cars,” Kenny told us, reflecting the driving force behind many RC car drivers’ use of 3D printed parts.

Kenny’s Yokomo YZ2 with JConcepts front wing mount

He continued,

“I also use Shapeways printed parts from JConcepts on my modern Yokomo YZ2 buggies. Shapeways really opens the world up to designers where beforehand, production costs would have meant it was impossible for their designs to become a reality. Now it’s just a matter of uploading your file and having the design 3D printed at a very reasonable price. The public’s trust in 3D parts is growing as the materials used have become stronger. At the moment, only replacement parts are made for certain cars. I would love to see a whole car built from 3D printing, i.e. a Shapeways-branded car package!”

IconicRC Wheelie race line-up

2017 was a great year of racing for Kenny, who even organized, for the first time, his own event: Super Off Roader at Surrey and Hants Radio Controlled Car Club. Kenny has big plans for next year too, with the IconicRC Revival being the main event. But there are plenty more races on the calendar, like the IconicRC Cup and the highly anticipated Schumacher Challenge.

Kenny told us that even though he will try to better his race performance at upcoming events, meeting fellow RC enthusiasts means more than the results. So if you happen to go out to a race next year, look out for Kenny and his fleet of white RC cars and go have a chat!

The post Meet Kenny Mok’s Winning RC Car Fleet appeared first on Shapeways Magazine.

Meet Kenny Mok’s Winning RC Car Fleet published first on http://ift.tt/2vVn0YZ

[micheltaanman-blog]

Lieveling ga je mee ?

Lieveling ga je mee ?

Rolling Homes heet het beduimelde boekje wat ik al jaren meesleep . Ik word blij als ik er doorheen blader . Eigenwijze gasten die hun huis op wielen bouwen en daar parkeren waar ze happy zijn . Het is niet een uniek Amerikaans feestje. Hier in Europa en soms bij je om de hoek en dichterbij dan je denkt ,blijkt dan ineens een creatief reservaat te zijn waar deze traveltribe als een zwerm…

[web-fi]

I had just put the baby to rest a bit in his cot, whilst my two bigger kids rested after our morning visit to the Artis zoo in Amsterdam. I intended to take a nice cooling shower and wash off all the heat and sweat of our day so far out and about. Feeling rather proud to be touring the stunning capital of the Netherlands with my littles and exceptionally exhilarated thinking about what to do this evening.

Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door and I found Dorothy there wearing nothing but a bath robe and looking disgruntled. I quickly bustled her into our room and motioned her to be quiet for the baby.

“What’s up ?” I ask her rather alarmed.

“My toiletries have gone.” She answers quietly.

“What do you mean, they’re gone ?” I ask her again.

“Gone. As in ‘not there anymore’.” Dorothy’s tone is slightly sarcastic. “I had left them in the paper bag I put all my toiletries in. Didn’t unpack everything, you see.”

“No I don’t see. Why didn’t you unpack everything ?” I am starting to sound annoyed too now, but not for the same reasons. “The housekeeper probably thought it was rubbish and threw it away.”

“Oh no !” Dorothy wailed. “There is stuff in there I really need. Like my deodorant and my nicotine stickers. All my vitamins, my probiotics… The lot. Gone!”

“Just call housekeeping and inform them that they took it by mistake and demand they return your stuff.” I offer as logical solution.

“Oh but I can’t do that !” Dorothy looks at me bewildered. “The anti-lice shampoo is in there too, remember. Whoever finds it is going to think I’ve got bugs.”

“Sweetheart look, you’re going to have to put your pride aside for a moment and just ask for it back. Nobody will mention the anti-lice shampoo.” I promise her.

“You’re right, of course. I’ll just have to keep my head held high whenever they return it. I’ll never see that person again in my life anyway.” Dorothy reluctantly agrees. “What time are we meeting up later on ?”

“Six o’clock downstairs. We can grab some nice little snacks from the executive lounge before heading out.” I suggest.

“Oh goodie. I just love getting free stuff. What are we going to do tonight ?” Dorothy inquires.

“I’d really love to go on one of those canal tours around Amsterdam. Been here so many times and never done that.” I give her a warm smile and see her out. Off to my shower, then some well-deserved feet-up.

100 highlights canal tour

As agreed, we met downstairs for our evening snacks in the executive lounge. Then we headed out towards Amsterdam central station where we booked our tickets for a tour on the canals of Amsterdam by boat. We were too late by then for an open boat tour, but still managed to get a seat on a closed boat. It was near seven o’clock by the time we got down by the water, so the heat had cooled down greatly and a closed boat was welcome.

The boat was comfortable with tables surrounded by comfortable seats, each hosting four or six visitors per table. We also were handed headphones so that the tour was guided in the language of your choice. My children plugged in, and the baby was adamant on following suite here too. So inevitably I had to donate my headphones to the smallest child, leaving me without any explanation. Just the glory of the quaint houses and marvellous buildings I experienced along the ride.

I cannot tell you what we saw since I had no headphones. Though I do know we sailed past Anne Frank’s house and saw hundreds of people queuing up even at this hour. At one point a smaller open boat kind of crashed into our boat. Apparently it had ignored the fact that we had priority. Our captain didn’t seem phased about it and the other boat continued it’s route, though the occupants had been startled by the crash. Nothing happened really.

The Netherlands in general

Till this day I remain a great fan of Holland. It’s more than the land of syrup and pancakes, friendliness and cleanliness, the Netherlands has something for everyone. Whether you would like to pass time on your travels on a stunning road trip or surrounded by water, let the Netherlands blow you away.

If you’re the kind of person who loves to have flannel on your back and s’more in hand, camping is a perfect way to explore the Netherlands. Camping is not really my cup of tea personally, but if you want to experience the best, Holland has a few campsites with unrivalled views, facilities and more.

Back to Amsterdam

By the time our boat trip was over, the kids were simply knockout. Yet they didn’t quite yet want to give into their fatigue. I had promised to take them to the hotel’s Sky Lounge where drinks and snacks are served with a beautiful view on the city.

“Oh yes, cocktails !” Dorothy had said with certain rapture.

The rest, dear peeps, is a tranquil scene of adults sipping margaritas, children playing quietly and baby dozing of snug in mama’s arms.

“Did you get your stuff back ?” I finally ask Dorothy.

“Yes, like you said. The lady just handed me over the bag and apologised explaining that they thought it was to be thrown out with the garbage.” Dorothy goes on. “I think she’d seen the shampoo though, because she couldn’t get away from me fast enough.”

“Oh well, no big deal.” As I finish my drink and feel completely sparked in my energy. Walking around in the open air all day exploring new places has that effect on me. I intend on performing a meditation ritual before bed with my children, to express thanks and gratitude to be living this wonderful life together.

    Amsterdam in summer will make you come alive. #cruise #amsterdam #netherlands #travelwithkids I had just put the baby to rest a bit in his cot, whilst my two bigger kids rested after our morning visit to the…

[shannrussell-blog1]

A 4WD adventure with basic food prep facilities and limited food storage doesn’t mean you need to go without tasty meals. I’m not suggesting you serve up 3-course gourmet dinners every night, but there are plenty of ways that you can enjoy wholesome, tasty food at camp.

My trips usually take me to beautiful but isolated areas, the sort of place where at the very best you may be able to pick up some fruit or vegetables in a can… yuck! So in order to avoid bland gruel in a pot each night, I have come up with a number of tips to help you prepare quick, easy and tasty camp meals.

I attempt to ensure any meal on my meal plan meets at least two of these requirements:

Tasty

Nutritious

Easy to cook

Limited ingredients from the fridge

Quick to prepare

On top of this, the following tips are important for long camping and 4WDing trip?

Storage

Our Land Cruiser has a full drawer system in the rear along with a decent sized tub for food and a smaller tub for snacks. Any storage solution you use (food packaging included) needs to be of decent quality, as things do get bounced around in the back of a 4WD. Sometimes you can’t avoid glass containers, so pad them out with rubber, tea towels or anything that will absorb the shock.

Items that need cooling

A 12V fridge/freezer in the back of your 4WD makes a world of difference. If your budget doesn’t allow for this then an esky with ice will work for up to a week, which can be quite effective if you apply a few tricks of the trade. You can take fresh meat, have cold drinks and take more perishable items along with you. That said, fridge and freezer space becomes a premium, and you have to do everything you can to fit it all in.

Last year, we travelled for 5 weeks in the Kimberley and split our 55-litre Evakool fridge into a half freezer/half fridge. We managed to take 5 weeks worth of meat in the freezer and picked up fresh produce wherever it was available.

Rather than fresh milk we took about 35 litres of long life milk, as one bottle was running out, we would pop another one in the fridge to cool down.

Taste and nutrition

A tasty meal is a great way to finish a day of adventure, and nutritious food prepares your body for the next. The trick is to find meals that combine taste and nutrition with ease of preparation, preferably containing ingredients that require minimal cold storage. We have made everything from sushi to roast meals, chicken pesto pasta, BBQ’s and teriyaki chicken on our adventures.

Easy dish with plenty of colour. Pilbara, Western Australia.

Variety

You won’t be looking forward to a bowl of 2 minute noodles a few days in if that’s all you’ve packed for your trip, not to mention that they are pretty average for your health. Having variety means you’ll look forward to each meal, rather than it just being a means to an end.

Switching up what we eat when is worth considering too. If you don’t plan on leaving the campsite for the day, then it may be easier to prepare a big roast lunch during sunlight hours, and keep dinner simple so there is minimal pack up before departure the next day.

Longevity

Food with a long shelf life is your friend on a long 4WD trip… food with a long shelf life that does not require refrigeration is your best friend! Think UHT milk, tinned tuna, canned lentils & beans and pretty much anything that is dehydrated or preferably freeze dried.

Bread is a staple that makes food preparation pretty easy, there’s not much you can’t slap between a few slices to make a sandwich, but it just doesn’t last, especially in warmer regions. Any bread we take is consumed during the first few days for lunch, if we want more then we make it on the go, bread baked in a camp oven is pretty special.

Wraps are fantastic alternatives. They last for ages, taste good and can be used with a myriad of fillings. Turkish bread and pizza bases last well too.

Ease of cooking

I try and keep meal preparation to under 30 minutes. Food preparation space is likely to be limited in the campsite. If the meal requires more than 2 pots or pans, it’s too complicated!

You’ll find food tastes better when you are camping anyway, leave the 5-course degustation menu for an evening meal when you are at home!

Fresh seafood

If you can catch it, we are in. From delicious blue manna crabs to fish and crayfish, we eat a huge amount of seafood when travelling. This reduces the need to take as much meat, and you get to eat delicious, fresh seafood instead!

What can you do at home?

Preparation of your food at home will save you a massive amount of time and effort while you are on the road.

1. Repackage and marinate

One of the first things we do when preparing for a long 4WD trip is to remove the packaging and divide food up into the portions required for each meal. This also means you don’t have excess rubbish to deal with and you save on fridge space.

If a freezer is not an option, then vacuum sealing your meat makes it last substantially longer in a fridge. Most butchers will do this for free.

Any meat that is going to be marinated can be done at home before you freeze or vacuum seal it. The marinade has longer to be absorbed, and it’s one less messy job for the campsite!

2. Premix any dry ingredients

Where a meal requires a mix of spices or dried vegetables, combine them in a zip lock bag and label it before you leave. It’s so much easier to do this at home than out bush. And it’s easy to grab it from your food tub when it comes time to prepare your meal.

3. Cook in advance

We always cook a few meals prior to departure. Soup or the mince and sauce ready for a spaghetti bolognese are easy to prepare at home and even easier to warm up on the campfire.

Not a bad set up for dinner with family & friends. Holland Track in Western Australia.

Planning your meals

I hate the thought of being locked into cooking something that won’t satisfy my culinary cravings, so it’s important to allow for some flexibility in your meal plan. For a 3 week trip, we plan for 21 days of breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Plus a few extra meals and some emergency tinned rations. Each morning we consult our taste buds and make sure the ingredients for the chosen meal will be defrosted and made accessible for that night.

Breakfast

For breakfast, we try to keep it fast and simple, and will usually eat cereal or oats. If we have more time, we will do pancakes, bacon and eggs, fruit and custard or omelettes.

Lunch

Our midday meal is often bread or wraps, with salad, cheese and meat (ham, beef, salami or tuna). Our salad is cucumber, tomato, alfalfa sprouts and mayonnaise. Other options are a cup of noodles or soup, mee goreng, hamburgers or toasties and crackers.

Dinner

For dinner, you have a huge range of options; Soft tacos, roast beef, sushi, fish and chips (get a chip cutter!), stir-fry, nachos, steak, chicken katsu curry, chops and vegetables, hamburgers, satay chicken, a BBQ, spaghetti bolognese or anything else that tickles your fancy. We will have dessert a couple of times a week, which is usually fruit and custard, golden syrup dumplings, damper or scones.

What food do we take?

Here are some of the more common items found in our fridge and camp pantry.

Tinned food: Beetroot, sweet corn, baby corn, pineapple, mixed fruit, tuna, spaghetti, tomatoes, baked beans and corn.

Fresh produce: Cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, apples, oranges, onions, potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, snow peas and baby corn.

Snacks: Nuts, dried fruit, muesli bars, BBQ noodles, fruit.

All this food preparation can be daunting at first. But the more you do it the easier it gets, and the more adventurous you become. The smell and taste of a roast lamb or chicken curry cooked over an open fire is incredibly satisfying, especially when you have planned and prepared it yourself. Take the time to get it right and you’ll have a fantastic holiday.

Everyone seems to have their own camping food hack, what’s your secret to easy food preparation in the bush?

The post Meal Planning for Outback 4WD Adventures appeared first on Snowys Blog.