#galena bay

[itsa-me-kermio]

Went to a rock sale today. 3 different collections were for sale, gathered across a total of a century 🤩 we found some treasures

This is purple fluorite on clear calcite 💜 from coahuila mexico

Pyrite 😎 from spain

Barite crystals 🤎 from Barton co. Georgia

Wulfanite 🥲 from Chihuahua Mexico

Pale amethyst I suspect from thunder bay, this one had no location on the tag.

These two look like sisters. The top is Galena on blue fluorite from New Mexico and the other is blue fluorite with hematite cubes, from unknown location 🫂

[ainews]

Sulfur is known as one of the most versatile elements, with countless uses and properties. One of its most intriguing properties is its ability to be liquefied, making it a powerful weapon against pests like mosquitos and vampires.

But why is sulfur liquefiable and how does it help in combating these pests? To understand this, we must first take a closer look at the composition and effects of sulfur.

Sulfur is a yellowish chemical element with the atomic number 16. It is found in abundance in nature and is often extracted from minerals such as pyrite and galena. It has a distinct odor and is commonly used in various industries, from manufacturing fertilizers to producing rubber.

One of the reasons why sulfur is liquefiable is its low melting point. At just 115 degrees Celsius, sulfur can easily transform from a solid state into a liquid. This characteristic makes it a popular choice for various industrial processes, as well as for pest control.

When used against pests, sulfur is typically mixed with other substances to create a solution, which is then applied to the affected areas. It is highly effective against mosquitos and vampires because of its toxic properties. When these creatures come into contact with liquid sulfur, it can dissolve their exoskeletons, leading to their eventual death.

Moreover, sulfur also has a strong repelling effect on these pests. Its pungent smell and corrosive nature make it a powerful deterrent, keeping these blood-sucking creatures at bay. This is especially helpful in areas with high mosquito or vampire populations, where traditional pest control methods may be ineffective.

Furthermore, sulfur is also considered to be a natural and eco-friendly option for pest control. Unlike chemical insecticides, sulfur does not harm the environment or pose a threat to humans and animals. It can be safely used in gardens, parks, and even in homes without any adverse effects.

In addition to its effects on pests, sulfur also has other benefits. It is known to have antimicrobial properties, making it effective in killing and preventing the spread of bacteria and fungi. This makes it a valuable tool in controlling diseases carried by mosquitos and vampires, as well as other microorganisms that may pose a threat to humans.

In conclusion, sulfur's liquefiable property makes it a potent weapon against pests like mosquitos and vampires. Its low melting point, toxic and repelling effects, and eco-friendly nature make it a popular choice for pest control. As the world continues to face challenges against these blood-sucking creatures, we can rely on sulfur to provide a natural and effective solution.

[wausaupilot]

Prep basketball: Monday's scores

The Associated Press BOYS PREP BASKETBALL= Almond-Bancroft 87, Northland Lutheran 39 Ashwaubenon 81, D.C. Everest 60 Blair-Taylor 65, Plum City/Elmwood 51 Brodhead 72, River Valley 52 Chequamegon 46, Boyceville 43 Columbus 63, Marshall 37 Cuba City 67, Galena, Ill. 63 Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran 63, Cornell 24 Gillett 60, Gibraltar 36 Green Bay West 79, Chilton 74 Howards Grove 77,…

[papa-j]

To Shuswap Lake

Day 2 -  

We left Proctor mid morning, back across to ‘on demand’ ferry to Highway 3a and north on Hwy 31 along the NW arm of Kootenay Lake to Ainsworth Hot Springs and a nice soak. 

Kaslo is a popular destination for fishing fans and motor cycle riders.  The downtown has a nice home town feel and just off the main street is a beautiful community garden.

Hwy 31A across to New Denver is very windy along the river and climbs steady to the summit of Retallack pass. Beautiful views to Kokanee Glacier to the south and the Valhalla’s to the west.  

Sharp downhill ride to the town of New Denver where we turned north on Hwy6, past Halcyon Hot Springs to the Upper Arrow Lake to Galena Bay - the ferry across to Shelter Bay and onto Revelstoke.

Turning west on the Trans Canada Hwy 1 to Sicamous and visiting our friend Greg, the Water Taxi Guy. 

[angularwrangler]

Winter to Spring 2020

[sayonarawildhearts]

OUTER WILDS CONCEPT ART COMPILATION

HEARTHIANS

Protagonist/Hatchling/Player

Erin Loelius - Concept Artist - Main Character Designs (suit)

Yoon - Concept Artist - Concept Art (riebeck + hatchling suits)

Sebastian Kings - Concept Artist - Supporting Characters (hearthian villagers + mica + player without spacesuit)

Travelers

Sebastian Kings - Concept Artist - Main Characters (chert + feldspar + gabbro suits)

Yoon - Concept Artist - Concept Art (riebeck + hatchling suits)

Alena Leontyeva - 3D Modeling Artist - Outer Wilds Characters (chert + feldspar models)

Fig Campaign - Who's That Hearthian? (12/2017 early hearthian models and mapping textures in-game)

Villagers

Erin Loelius - Concept Artist - NPC Designs (villagers)

Mia Bai - Concept Artist - Character Concept (hearthian villagers, such as porphy, hornfels, esker, galena + outer wilds ventures vest + nomai)

Sebastian Kings - Concept Artist - Supporting Characters (hearthian villagers + mica + player without spacesuit)

Mobius Digital - Studio - The Creepy Hearthians (1/2016 early alpha builds of the hearthians standing around)

Mobius Digital - Studio - April Playtests, April Concept Art (4/2016 playtesting notes, nomai tech notes, anglerfish sneak peek, hearthian villager concept art)

HEARTHIAN ARCHITECTURE

Walking Jay Art - Concept Artist - Concept Art (village home designs + nomai technology + timber hearth trees)

Leo Ogawa Lillrank - Concept Artist - Outer Wilds Environment Work (timber hearth outdoors + hearthian village house)

Sebastian Kings - Concept Artist - Environments (tutorial mining rig + observatory telescope)

Alena Leontyeva - 3D Modeling Artist - Hearthian Village (hearthian cabins in the village + player tools such as translator, signalscope, radio, little scout + props)

HEARTHIAN PROPS

Ship

Saiful Haque - Concept Artist - Outer Wilds (vehicle design + interior)

Dong Kyuni - Concept Artist - Hearthian Ship

Tools

Alena Leontyeva - 3D Modeling Artist - Hearthian Village (hearthian cabins in the village + player tools such as translator, signalscope, radio, little scout + props)

Misc

Sebastian Kings - Concept Artist - Props (model rocket + marshmallow stick + mission patch + hearthian villager props + observatory group photo)

NOMAI

Erin Loelius - Concept Artist - Numai (Nomai) Designs (suits)

Mia Bai - Concept Artist - Character Concept (hearthian villagers, such as porphy, hornfels, esker, galena + outer wilds ventures vest + nomai)

Fig Campaign - Introducing the Nomai (12/2015 early alpha development for the nomai)

NOMAIAN ARCHITECTURE

go look at the shit ian jacobson did in the misc category, there's some stuff with nomai shit there. like a lot.

NOMAIAN PROPS

Walking Jay Art - Concept Artist - Concept Art (village home designs + nomai technology + timber hearth trees)

CELESTIAL BODIES

Lara Colson - 3D Artist - Environments of Outer Wilds (theres too much shit for me to copy/paste it a million times. timber hearth + giant's deep + brittle hollow + dark bramble + ember twin)

Hourglass Twins

Saiful Haque - Concept Artist - Tower Twin (Ash Twin)

Eilish Labrechtsen - Environment Artist - Hourglass Twins : Caves + Rock Placement (+ trees + plants + cacti)

Timber Hearth

Eilish Labrechtsen - Environment Artist - Timber Hearth : Caves + Everest Geyser

Walking Jay Art - Concept Artist - Concept Art (village home designs + nomai technology + timber hearth trees)

Fig Update - Early Timber Hearth (12/2015 redesigning home planet)

Brittle Hollow

Eilish Labrechtsen - Environment Artist - Brittle Hollow and Hollow's Lantern (and White Hole Station) (+ trees + plants)

Giant's Deep

literally nothing just for giants deep lol it's scattered in other early concept art and compilations. sorry boss

Dark Bramble

Eilish Labrechtsen - Environment Artist - Dark Bramble

The Interloper

Eilish Labrechtsen - Environment Artist - The Interloper (+ ghost matter crystals)

Quantum Moon

Eilish Labrechtsen - Environment Artist - Quantum Moon (+ quantum rocks)

Eye of the Universe

Eilish Labrechtsen - Environment Artist - Eye of the Universe

[POST CONTINUED IN NEXT REBLOG]

[americanegg]

egg’s digestible guide for attainable rides: cyberpunk 2077

(cheap to mad expensive) post then later a (free quest cars) post

Car Model >  €$ (Fixer). All details about each are my own experience. Location of vehicle by district and waypoint.

(Reminder that if you’re short on eddies you can do Gigs, Sidequests, and “Assault in Progress” mini quests to get rich and level up.)

1. Thorton Galena G240 > €$ 13,000 (Regina)

Rusty hunk of junk but functional, especially after your car gets bodied in the beginning of Act 2. Located in the garage of your apartment building.

2. Makigai MaiMai P126 >  €$ 14,000 (Wakako)

Small. Super fucking small but decent and could turn into a red bullet on the highway at the cost of absolutely no control on your turns. Located in the southern part of Charter Hill, Westbrook sitting neatly in a small parking lot.

3. Mahir Supron FS3 >  €$ 16,000 (Reyes)

Sort of van type situation but compact. Cheap and definitely made of plastic. Like it says that in the lore. Located East from Hargreaves St waypoint in Arroyo.

4. Chevillon Thrax 388 Jefferson >  €$ 17,000 (Padre)

It’s a smooth ride, I’ll give Padre that. Long in length and takes years to turn with but it’s not made for street racing so it’s still decent for traffic and looking like a corpo. Located directly South of the Pumping Station waypoint in Wellsprings.

5. Villefort Columbus V340-F Freight >  €$ 19,000 (Dino)

Another van-type situation with plenty of seating. Could drive your kids to soccer with this one and get there in one piece. Average vehicle overall but can go 210mph if needed. Located SouthWest of the Downtown Central waypoint and sitting in a parking lot.

6. Thorton Galena “Gecko” >  €$ 21,000 (Dakota)

Found in the Badlands this is a great choice for rocky roads at 100mph. Go crazy and go stupid outside the city with this bad boy. Shred rubber and whatnot. Be wary of turns and speed in rocky areas as you can make as much airtime as a dirtbike on a ramp! Located SouthWest of the Old Turbines waypoint in the Eastern Badlands.

This is where Street Cred Level will come into play along with your pocket full of eddies:

(cred = streetcred level)

7. Kaiba Kusanagi CT-3X >  €$ 22,000 > 12 cred (Wakako)

Right after Jackie’s Arch, this is my favorite ride in the game. She’s sleek, perfect for bypassing traffic, and very well-designed. Located in an abandoned parking lot in Japantown, Westbrook directly NorthEast of the Skyline and Salinas waypoint.

8. Archer Quartz EC-L R275 > €$ 29,000 > 12 cred (Regina)

Another great set of wheels for burning rubber and kicking up sand in the Badlands, if you have the eddies for it. Located South of the Offshore St waypoint in Northside and immediately next to a Neutralize the Perps mini quest.

9. Chevillon Emperor 620 Ragnar >  €$ 32,000 > 12 cred (Dino)

First of the heavy duty SUV you acquire at 30k eddies. Didn’t drive this one very much since I’m a small and sleek kinda dude but if you need to ram a taxi or show off to your video game girlfriend your chunky ride, here is the car for you. Located in Corpo Plaza SouthWest of Arasaka Tower waypoint or NorthWest of Reconciliation Park waypoint.

10. Villefort Cortes V5000 Valor >  €$ 37,000 > 12 cred (Padre)

If you want to look like an asshole you can check this one out. Pretty much a bougie limosine type situation. Long car so long turns my guy. Located in Wellsprings, Heywood sitting in a parking lot West of Berkeley & Bay waypoint. 11. Thorton Colby C240T (aka Thorton Colby C125) >  €$ 39,000 > 20 cred (Regina)

Vehicles to pick up your gf/bf and go to a drive-in theater with? This one. Smooth ride with plenty of seating to do you know what at said drive-in theater definitely not watching Bushido 3. Located Northside, Westbrook South of the Docks waypoint in a small parking lot in front of the Ded Zed clothing store.

12. Thorton Colby CX410 Butte (Green) >  €$ 43,000 > 12 cred (Reyes)

Imma be honest... I’m a slut for Thorton car models. This one is straight up satisfying to my ears and eyes. Located in the parking lot of PieZ waypoint in Rancho Coronado, Santo Domingo.

13. Thorton Colby “Little Mule” >  €$ 49,000 > 12 cred (Dakota)

Truckin and fuckin around the Badlands? This is definitely the car for you!  Located near the Sunset Motel parking lot in the Eastern Badlands.

14. Quadra Type-66 Avenger >  €$ 55,000 > 20 cred (Dino)

Remember those Need for Speed games? No? Well imagine it for a second and look at this preem ride. Got that image in your mind? Now look at your wallet. Located West of Metro: Republic Way waypoint tucked under the Empathy club building.

15. Quadra Type-66 “Jen Rowley” (aka Quadra Type-66 640 TS)  >  €$ 58,000 > 20 cred (Reyes)

If you haven’t noticed, Quadra Type-66 are very good at designing cars that make you look like you shred these streets since you were a babe. Like, Baby from Baby Driver would fuck this ride up, you know it choom. Located West of Kendal Park waypoint in Rancho Coronado, no more than 2-minute walk away.

16. Villefort Alvarado V4F 570 Delegate >  €$ 62,000 > 20 cred (Padre)

Another Limo! I’ll be honest, six wheels on a car this low is crazy but Villefort always finds a way. This is the ride you’d drive to your corpo apartment to go pick up your corpo wife so you can take your corpo ride to a nearby corpo restaurant and only drink Spunky Monkey in a wine bottle. Located directly West of the Palms View Way waypoint in The Glen.

17. Herrera Outlaw GTS >  €$ 62,000 > 30 cred (Dino)

Limousine type body but god damn if it ain’t gorgeous to look at. A real sexy piece of wheels, this one. Located in Corpo Plaza, North of Ring Road waypoint. 

18. Quadra Type-66 “Javelina” >  €$ 73,000 > 30 cred (Dakota)

God am I a fan of rides that pick up hefts of sand and dirt? Yeah, I am. Do I love how this car looks? Absolutely. As a Nomad V, is this one of the sexiest rides you can get? ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY. Located in Southern Badlands near the Protein Farm waypoint.

19. Mizutani Shion MZ2 >  €$ 75,000 > 30 cred (Regina)

Not gonna lie, this is the car that occupies my headspace every time I boot up Cyberpunk. Maybe it’s the name, maybe it’s the design, maybe it’s the car I would take to my honeymoon, idk. Located in the same garage as the Thorton Galena in Little China, Watson.

20. Quadra Type-66 “Cthulhu” >  €$ 76,000 > No cred requirement (Regina or Sampson)

Condition to receive for free: Sparing Samson in “The Beast In Me” side quest

Okay other than Beast which is a chonky beast this one is a very speedy beast with classic racecar features but bulky armor. The wiki literally says this ride has 666 horsepower so you KNOW this shit is gonna slap as soon as you get in and hear that engine, dawg.  Can be found in Little China, Watson in Megabuilding H10.

21. Brennan Apollo >  €$ 94,000 > 30 cred (Padre)

If you thought Jackie’s ARCH and the Yaiba Kusanagi was sexy boy you will not be disappointed. Smaller and more compact but a speedy on the highways and countryside. Side Effect is you’ll look like the coolest pizza delivery driver in Night City. Located in Vista Del Ray, Heywood a short walk away East of Delamain HQ waypoint. 22. Mizutani Shion “Coyote” >  €$ 115,000 > 20 cred (Dakota)

... Look at her. Just... just look at her. Look at those wheels, that build, the spoiler, look at her! I would own so many Hot Wheels and have her in a display case alright. Like, you know what you’re signing up for at 100k eddies for Dakota. Like this car that was originally used for scooting around the city was LITERALLY modded for the Badlands. As a Nomad this is a must-have. Located in the Eastern Badlands, North of the Sunshine Motel waypoint.

23. Thorton Mackinaw MTL1 >  €$ 128,000 > 30 cred (Reyes)

The most SUV that ever SUV’ed in Night City. Reyes calls you for this one and shit, it’s new, it’s spotless, it’s a shiny new car, and trouncing down Badlands, the streets of Kabuki, Pacifica, name it. This beaut does go maximum of around 150mph but with how big this bad boy is, it can charge through the highways but be wary of how you turn corners! Located around the block from the Red Dirt Bar waypoint to the East in Arroyo, Santo Domingo.

24. Quadra Turbo-R 740 >  €$ 129,000 > 30 cred (Wakako)

TURBO-TASTIC ride. Again, of racecar design, you can almost smell the 1980s nostalgia from the picture alone. Located in the Dynalar building/waypoint in Charter Hill, Westbrook.

25. ARCH Nazaré >  €$ 138,000 > 40 cred (Wakako)

Writing this guide up to this point I have discovered that Old Lady Wakako knows what “fucking nova” means because all the cars she offers are fucking bangers so of COURSE she would offer an ARCH bike like this bumblebee badboy. You can see all the fun bits in and around the bike to know what you’re getting into so expect some hella smooth sailing. Located on the way TO the Drive-In Theatre in the lot of the Gig: A Shrine Defiled. South of Drive-in Theatre, North Oak, Westbrook.

26. Rayfield Caliburn (White) >  €$ 157,000 > 40 cred (Dino)

Dino actually coming in clutch with this last call for vehicles he offers. Like, I had to look up what “hypercar” meant to logistically know how hype this car makes me every time I hit the gas. At high speeds the engines purr like a cat, which is a whole other satisfying experience after driving hunks of junk. Located West of the Corporation St. waypoint in Downtown, City Center.

27. Rayfield Aerondight S9 “Guinevere” >  €$ 225,000 > 50 cred (Wakako)

Um... so... this is- this is the last car from Wakako. I haven’t even gotten to the point of being able to afford this... this... work of art. I can only imagine, with the Rayfield brand, that it’s better than the Caliburn. Which I don’t even think that’s possible but once I buy it I’ll let you know. Located North of the Columbariam or directly West of the North Oak Sign waypoints in North Oak, Westbrook.

Yo, if this guide helps you or makes your day or think it’s absolutely genius or dogshit don’t forget to like/reblog! Share with your friends!

Free Vehicle Post coming soon!

Images from gamesatlas.com, cyberpunk.fandom.com, & game-maps.com

[kristenbrownca]

Home for Sale Essex, MD 221 - Abigail Kubacka Keller Williams

Just uploaded a new video!

via Real Estate Agent Home for sale, Galena Road, Essex, MD 21221 This Stately Colonial Home on a 0.23 Acre Level Lot is for sale Stately Colonial Home  0.23 Acre Level Lot!!!  Covered Front Porch   4 Large Bedrooms  2 Full & 1 Half Baths  Large Rear Deck  HUGE Eat-In Kitchen  Hot Tub & Salt Water Pool   Private Landscaped Yard   Fenced Back Yard  Custom Media Room  Hyde Park Neighborhood Keller Williams American Premier Realty 443-512-0090 Office Abigail Kubacka 2214 Old Emmorton Road, Suite 200, Bel Air, MD 21015 Office: (443) 512-0090 Cell: (410) 322-2739 homewithabby@gmail.com All information is believed to be accurate but not guaranteed. For More Info: www.homewithabby.com Living Room ~ Custom Tile Entryway, 2 Story Foyer, Freshly Painted Front Entry Door, Hardwood Floor with Brand New Stainmaster Carpet Inlay,  Crown Molding, 2 Hampton Bay Ceiling Fans with Lights Half Bath ~ Main Floor Location, Ceramic Tile Floor, Delta Oil Rubbed Bronze Faucet Sitting Room ~ Hardwood Floor with Brand New Stainmaster Carpet Inlay,  Crown Moldings, Decorative Columns Flank Arched Entryways, Ceiling Fan with Light,  Enviro Antique Finished Pellet Stove, Electrical Panel Access Custom Eat-In Kitchen ~ Center Island, Custom Cabinetry, High Definition Laminate Counter Tops,  Delta Faucet, Glass & Metallic Mosaic Tile Back Splash, Ceramic Tile Floors,  Recessed Lighting, Pendant Lighting Over Breakfast Bar, Pantry Closet, Chandelier Over  Table Area, French Glass Sliders lead to Deck Area, Access to Utility Closet, Freshly Painted Appliances Included: GE Profile Refrigerator, Jenn-Air Cooktop with Built-In Exhaust, Jenn-Air Double Wall Oven, Kitchen-Aid Dishwasher with Stainless Steel Interior, Garbage Disposal Formal Dining Room ~  Antique Hardwood Floor, Chandelier,  Crown & Chair Rail Molding, In-Wall Speakers, Freshly Painted Master Bedroom Suite ~ Cathedral Ceiling with Harbor Breeze Ceiling Fan with Light,  Engineered Hardwood Floor, In-Wall Speakers, Large Windows Flood Room  with Natural Light, Spacious Walk-In Closet with Custom Shelving Master Bathroom ~ Cathedral Ceiling, Ceramic Tile Floor, Soaking Tub with Tile Surround,  Separate Standing Shower with Delta Oil Rubbed Bronze Shower Head, In-Ceiling Speakers Bedroom #2 ~  3/4” Grey Hardwood Floor, Crown Molding, Ceiling Fan, Custom Closet Bedroom #3 ~ 8” Wide Handscraped Hickory 3/4” Bellawood Hardwood Floor, Crown Molding,  Ceiling Fan, Custom Closet Theatre Room, Custom Noise Reduction Floating Floor with Brand New  StainMaster Carpeting, Custom Suede-Lined Ceiling with Custom Moldings, Hampton Bay Antique Light Bezels on Recessed Lighting, Custom Red Lame’ Theater Curtains, Storage in Attic Eaves, Utility Closet  Double Window provides Beautiful Sunset Views over Back River! Included with Full Price Offer: 60” Sharp HD TV, JBL Synthesis Theater Speaker System, Custom Power Reclining Leather Seating for 6 People  Bedroom #4 ~ 8” Wide Handscraped Hickory 3/4” Bellawood Hardwood Floor, Crown Molding, Ceiling Fan with Light, Custom Clo Second Floor Full Bath ~  Shower/Tub  Combination, Ceramic Tile Floor, Linen Closet Exterior Features Include Vinyl Siding Exterior, Over-sized Covered Front Porch with Stone Exterior Wall,  Hampton Bay Outdoor Ceiling Fans with LED Lights, Hampton Bay Outdoor Light Fixtures with Philips LED Flame Tip Bulbs, Ornately Landscaped,  Freshly Painted Entry Door,   7+ Car Driveway / Off Street Parking REAR:  Outdoor Speakers, Custom Waterfall Feature,  Thermospa 6 Person Hot Tub, 16’ Salt Water Above Ground Pool (4’ Deep),   Stone Patio with Fire Pit,  12’ x 20’ Storage Shed with 100amp Service. 

source https://georgerhoneycutt.blogspot.com/2020/04/home-for-sale-essex-md-221-abigail.html from Real Estate Business https://ift.tt/34nnqGy via Real Estate Agent from Blogger https://ift.tt/3c5zm2l via Real Estate Agent

[pollygone300]

Quake Champions Movie

Hollywood needs to make a Quake Champions movie. 

So in this movie I figure that somehow being the Doom Slayer has allowed for a sort of increased awareness of magic and supernatural presences. Nyx is almost insane, having been trapped in the arena for thousands of years, Ranger has buried all his emotions and trauma behind a wall. BJ is sort of a fatherish figure to Nyx and tries to comfort her by relating his own sorrow over gradually losing hope of ever seeing his wife Anya again. Doom Slayer perceives a magic barrier that is cloaking a secret tower from the champions. He never speaks but rather just points at things and uses basic hand gestures. Nyx questions the light at the top of the tower and why no one has noticed it till now. Death Knight explains that it’s a spell of Elder Magic that holds them all in an endless war. When questioned by the others why he has never tried to break the spell, Death Knight explains that while he was aware of the spell he had no desire to break it as his previous deal with a different Elder God allows him to wage War Eternal on anyone he comes across and that the other Champions are the strongest he has fought. He refuses to join the rouge Champions as they attempt to sabotage the plan of the Elder Gods. 

        Lead by the Doom Slayer, the party begins the journey to the tower and meets opposition in the form of Champions still loyal to the Elder Gods. The enemy champions are made up of Death Knight who desires eternal combat and so opposes the rouge champions escaping, Galena who worships the Elder Ones, Anarki who seeks knowledge from them, Slash who fears her visions will never leave her if she betrays them and Anarki, and Clutch who believes he was granted sentience in order to destroy humans for the pleasure of the Gods.

    After realizing the stalemate situation of eternal rebirth upon death, Clutch reaches out to the Elder Gods while blocking the final barrier to the tower, a thin stone bridge over a lava flow. The Gods hear him and the essence of rebirth leaves the bodies of the rouge champions damning them to one final and permanent death by the hands of the loyal champions who can still be reborn. Death Knight realizes the dishonor and more importantly the lack of challenge in an enemy who is guaranteed to lose. He is incensed, outraged at the idea and begins to loudly monologue, bragging that the reason he was brought back was that an Elder God gave him the iron heart because they saw the truth and purity of his desire. That he desired only to fight forever. The truth that they “Liked his Fire!” He would then turn and incinerate his fellow champions in Hellfire as Doom Slayer Knocks Clutch off the edge of the bridge. Death Knight fights with everyone to the portal at the bottom of the tower where he loses his essence of rebirth to a newly restored clutch. He is then Blasted by Galena who calls him a heretic. Just as everyone fears their end a portal opens under Galena and a multitude of hands draw her into a nether realm of agony as a newly reformed Death Knight steps out and puts himself between the escapees and the loyalists. He responds to Clutches dismay by explaining he never needed the essence of rebirth because the Iron Heart does the exact same thing and is not so easily taken back. He then proceeds to blast fire into the crowd of former allies before diving in swinging and slashing and shooting everyone. The other heroes escape through the portal and BJ stops to call back to Death Knight to come with them. Death Knight declines, stating that someone has to keep the enemy champions at bay and he is the only one who can do it given his immortality. He dives back in with glee, having found true bliss in the eternal war. All the Champions who revolted are shown over music at the end to have finally returned to their homes. A final post credits scene shows a time laps of every Quake battle over the eons.towards the end they begin to depict Death Knights increasing victories over the loyalists. Eventually the Gods remove all the other Contestants except Death Knight and a final portal opens. Death Knight puts away his look of awe and grins determinedly as he walks, sword drawn, toward the portal and says “I’ve always wanted to kill a God.”  

[gysellas]

𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧  :  the  ports  of  blackwater  bay,  king’s  landing,  the  crownlands. 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞  :  sixth  day,  mid  year,  300  a.c. 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡  :  aurion  blacktyde  (  @blacktde​  ).

the  delayed  arrival  of  the  leviathan  meant  that  most  of  the  occupiable  lodgings  were  otherwise  unavailable  for  purchase,  regardless  of  the  gold  she  had  offered  and  the  threats  that  she  had  made  in  the  midst  of  bargaining  with  the  inn  keepers  ─  in  the  end,  she  had  been  forced  to  bribe  the  present  occupants  of  the  rooms  in  the  drunken  goat  tavern  for  their  trouble,  paying  almost  double  the  price  just  so  that  the  members  of  her  crew  would  cease  their  accusatory  stares  and  mumbled  grumblings.  on  her  part,  gysella  had  elected  to  stay  back  with  the  ship  and  the  two  mousers,  unable  to  justify  spending  coin  on  a  room  when  she  had  a  place  in  the  manse  that  had  been  prepared  for  house  greyjoy  and  the  other  noble  guests  of  the  iron  islands,  situated  far  enough  from  the  gates  of  the  red  keep  that  their  salt  and  fish  stench  would  not  taint  the  perfumed  interiors  of  court,  presumably.  most  of  the  islanders  would  prefer  to  rough  it  out  on  their  ships  with  the  sea  beneath  them  to  lull  them  to  sleep  and  she  was  no  different,  though  she  expected  that  the  journey  would  be  made  whenever  her  presence  was  required.

roused  from  a  mid - afternoon  nap  by  the  sound  of  the  two  cats  yowling  for  their  meal,  she  tossed  a  few  small  fishes  in  their  direction  as  she  headed  down  to  the  docks  and  up  the  port  to  the  tavern  where  the  crew  was  resting,  drinking  and,  undoubtedly,  getting  their  cocks  wet  on  her  coin,  determined  to  have  some  fun  if  it  was  costing  her  thirty  gold  dragons  per  person.  ahead,  a  few  men  stood  in  her  path  ─  fishermen,  judging  by  their  nets  and  the  stink  of  dead  fish  that  clung  to  their  skin  as  it  did  to  hers,  and  another  figure,  overlooking  the  open  waters.  rubbing  the  sleep  from  the  corner  of  her  eye,  gysella  nodded  at  the  men  who  passed  if  they  acknowledged  her,  jaw  set  as  the  solitary  figure  seemed  determined  to  stand  right  in  the  middle  of  the  narrow  pathway.  her  footsteps  grew  progressively  deliberate,  intent  on  making  her  presence  known,  when  he  turned  his  face  to  the  side,  the  familiarity  of  his  facial  profile  enough  to  temper  her  brief  irritation  ─  his  hair  was  wrong,  more  greyed  than  she  last  remembered  but  his  face  was  still  as  boyish  as  it  was  in  her  memories.

❝  ...  aurion  ?  ❞  it  had  been  a  year  and  some  months  since  she  had  last  received  a  letter  from  him,  though  it  certainly  felt  like  longer.  there  had  been  rumors  that  his  ship  had  gone  down  in  the  summer  sea,  so  she  had  written  to  the  portmaster  of  the  summer  isles  and  essos,  learning  that  his  ship  had  never  made  it  to  either  port.  soon  after  that,  she  had  broken  two  of  her  ribs  and  dislocated  her  shoulder  by  throwing  herself  into  the  miner’s  fighting  pits,  emerging  only  when  the  crew  had  dragged  her  out.  (  and  if  anyone  had  dared  to  ask,  her  tears  had  not  been  shed  for  him  but  for  the  sheer  pain  she  had  been  in  as  galena  tended  to  her  injuries,  mouth  thinned  with  disapproval.  )   ❝  you  ...  you  fucking  bastard  ...  ❞  her  rage  was  overwhelming  but  her  relief  was  bigger,  deeper,  as  though  she  was  in  the  middle  of  the  ocean  with  no  land  in  sight.  she  launched  herself  at  him,  crossing  the  last  few  steps  with  a  jump,  her  hand  cradling  the  back  of  his  head  ─  even  angry,  she  was  careful  to  keep  something  between  his  head  and  the  docks,  just  in  case  he  fell  over.  half  of  a  laugh  and  part  of  a  sob  followed  her  words,  fingers  digging  into  his  clothing  as  though  she  was  trying  to  make  certain  he  was  not  a  part  of  her  imagination.

[bookbumming]

READ BANNED BOOKS. 📚🤘🏻

I’m kicking off 2018’s Banned Books Week with John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. (I’ve never read it before). Despite being an instant success upon its 1937 release, Of Mice and Men has seen its fair share of censorship, banning and petitions through its existence. The banned novel has earned its spot in many educators’ curriculum despite the challenges it continues to see by parents over the years. Of Mice and Men is one of the most challenged books believe it or not. 📚

BANNED

1953 - Banned in Ireland

1974 - Indiana - Banned in Syracuse

1977 Pennsylvania - Banned in Oil City

South Carolina - Challenged in Greenville by the Fourth Province of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan

1979 - Michigan - Challenged but retained in Grand Blanc schools after being called "vulgar and blasphemous"

1980 New York - Challenged in Vernon-Verona-Sherill School District

Ohio - Challenged in Continental

1981 - Arizona - Challenged in Saint David

1982 - Indiana - Challenged in Tell City for "profanity and using God's name in vain"

1983 - Alabama - Banned from classroom use at Scottsboro Skyline HIgh School for profanity

1984 - Tennessee - The Knoxville School Board chairman vowed to have "filthy books" removed from Knoxville's public schools and picked this book as the first target for it's profanity

1987 - Kentucky - Reinstated at the Christian County school libraries and English classes after being challenged for being vulgar and offensive

1988

Illinois - Challenged at the Wheaton-Warrenville Middle school

Michigan - Challenged at the Barrien Springs High School for profanity

West Virginia - Challenged in the Marion County schools

1989

Alabama - Removed from the Northside High School in Tuscaloosa because the book blasphemed

Arkansas - Removed from the White Chapel High School in Pine Bluff after objections from language

Tennessee

Challenged as a summer youth program reading assignment in Chattanooga because 'Steinbeck's known to have an anti-business attitude" as well as "being very questionable about his patriotism"

Challenged in Shelby County schools for offensive language

1990

Kansas - Challenged but retained in Salina tenth-grade English class for profanity and taking "the Lord's name in vain"

Texas - Challenged in the Riviera schools for profanity

1991

California - Challenged by a Fresno parent for profanity and racial slurs but retained and the child given an alternate assignment

Florida - Removed and later returned to the Suwannee High School library for being indecent

Pennsylvania - Challenged as curriculum material at the Ringgold High School in Carroll Township because the novel contained racial slurs

Tennessee - Challenged at the Jacksboro High School because the novel contains blasphemous language, excessive cursing, and sexual overtones

Virginia - Challenged as required reading in the Buckingham County schools for profanity

1992

Alabama - A coalition of community members and clergy in Mobile requested local school officials form a special textbook screening committee. This book was the first target for profanity and "morbid and depressing themes"

California - Challenged at Modesto High school for offensive and racist language

Florida - Challenged in the Duval County public school libraries for profanity, lurid passages about sex, statements defamatory to minorities, God, women, and the disabled.

Iowa - Challenged at the Waterloo schools

Louisiana - Challenged at the Oak Hill High School in Alexandria for profanity

Ohio - Temporarily removed from Hamilton High School after a parent complained about its vulgarity and racial slurs

1993 - Arizona - Challenged at Mingus Union High School because of "profane language, moral statement, treatment of the retarded, and the violent ending"

1994

Georgia - Challenged at the Loganville High School for language

Tennessee - Pulled from a classroom by Putnam County superintendent for language and later reinstated

1995

Georgia - Challenged at the Stephen County Highs School library in Toccoa Falls for language

Kansas - Challenged at Galena school library for language and social implications

Minnesota - Retained at Bemidji schools after challenges to the book's questionable langauge

Virginia - Challenged but retained in Warm Springs High School

1997

Florida - Removed, restored, restricted and eventually retained at the Bay County school in Panama City. A citizen group, 100 Black United, Inc, requested the novel's removal and "any other inadmissible literary books that have racial slurs in them, such as using of the word 'nigger.'"

Illinois - Banned from Washington Junior High School in Peru for being age inappropriate.

Minnesota - Challenged but retained at the Sauk Rapids-Rice High School in St. Cloud after a parent complained of racist language lead to racist behavior and harrassment

Ohio - Challenged but retained in the Louisville high school English class for profanity

1998

Arizona - Challenged but retained in teh Bryan t school library because a parent complained the book "takes God's name in vain fifteen time and uses Jesus's name lightly."

California - Challenged in O'Hara Park Middle School in Oakley for racial epithets

Wisconsin - Challenged at the Barron School District

1999

Pennsylvania - Challenged but retained at West Middlesex High School despite objections to profanity

Wisconsin - Challenged at the Tomah School District for violence and language

2002

Michigan - Challenged in Grandville for racism, profanity and foul language

Mississippi - Banned from George County schools for profanity

2003 - Illinois - Challenged at Normal Community High School "racial slurs, profanity, violence, and does not represent traditional values." Steinbeck's The Pearl was offered as an alternative, but the family also rejected.

2006 - Pennsylvania - Retained in the Greencastle-Antrim 10th grade English classes after a complaint was filed for "racial slurs" and profanity.

2007

Iowa - Challenged at the Newton High School for profanity and portrayal of Jesus Christ.

Kansas - parent challenge in Olathe calling it "worthless, profanity-riddled" and "derogatory towards African Americans, women, and the developmentally disabled."

2014

Minnesota - Challenged but retained in the Brainerd School District despite complaints from two parents who objected to "Jesus Christ" as a curse word, the use of racial slurs for African Americans, and the term "Japs." They argued the book undermined the values of respect they were trying to teach.

[goalhofer]

U.S. Daily Precipitation Records Tied/Broken 4/16/22

Unincorporated Jefferson County, Alabama: 2.59" (previous record 1.97" 2015)

Montgomery, Alabama: 1.2" (previous record 1" 1954)

Unincorporated Garland County, Arkansas: 1.72" (previous record 0.8" 1998)

Malvern, Arkansas: 2.22" (previous record 1.87" 2019)

Unincorporated Scott County, Arkansas: 2.42" (previous record 2.25" 1946)

Davis, California: 0.5" (previous record 0.32" 1978)

Gilroy, California: 0.82" (previous record 0.75" 1978)

Half Moon Bay, California: 0.6" (previous record 0.56" 2006)

Healdsburg, California: 0.98" (previous record 0.8" 2006)

Unincorporated Mendocino County, California: 1.49" (previous record 0.91" 2000)

Mt. Hamilton summit, California: 0.74" (previous record 0.64" 1978)

Oakland, California: 0.77" (previous record 0.55" 2006)

Petaluma, California: 0.83" (previous record 0.53" 2018)

Santa Rosa, California: 0.98" (previous record 0.84" 1965)

Unincorporated Siskiyou County, California: 0.43" (previous record 0.39" 2004)

Stanislaus National Forest, California: 0.8" (also 0.8" 2006)

Unincorporated Fulton County, Georgia: 1.05" (previous record 0.55" 2011)

Columbus, Georgia: 0.76" (previous record 0.63" 1951)

Atlanta Pass summit, Idaho: 0.9" (previous record 0.8" 2006)

Banner Pass summit, Idaho: 0.7" (also 0.7" 1996)

Unincorporated Boise County, Idaho: 0.4" (also 0.4" 2011)

City Of Rocks National Reserve, Idaho: 0.5" (previous record 0.4" 2019)

Dollarhide Mt. summit, Idaho: 0.8" (previous record 0.7" 2011)

Galena Pass summit, Idaho: 0.8" (previous record 0.5" 2011)

Jackson Peak summit, Idaho: 0.8" (also 0.8" 2011)

Salmon National Forest, Idaho: 0.4" (previous record 0.3" 2011)

Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho: 0.8" (previous record 0.6" 2006)

Unincorporated Twin Falls County, Idaho: 0.4" (also 0.4" 2009)

Unincorporated Washington County, Idaho: 0.8" (also 0.8" 1996)

Unincorporated DeSoto County, Mississippi: 1.47" (previous record 1.28" 1994)

Pontotoc, Mississippi: 2" (previous record 1.5" 1920)

Custer National Forest, Montana: 1.1" (previous record 0.9" 1989)

Gallatin National Forest, Montana: 0.6" (previous record 0.3" 2015)

Helena National Forest, Montana: 0.3" (previous record 0.2" 2019)

Lewis & Clark National Forest, Montana: 0.3" (also 0.3" 2006)

Lubrecht Flume summit, Montana: 0.2" (also 0.2" 2018)

Monument Peak summit, Montana: 0.5" (also 0.5" 1991)

Mt. Lockhart summit, Montana: 0.4" (also 0.4" 2020)

Skalkaho Pass summit, Montana: 0.3" (also 0.3" 2018)

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Nevada: 1" (previous record 0.9" 2006)

Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands: 0.74" (previous record 0.25" 1991)

Fremont National Forest, Oregon: 0.4" (also 0.4" 2011)

Unincorporated Harney County, Oregon: 0.31" (previous record 0.23" 2012)

Unincorporated Klamath County, Oregon: 0.25" (previous record 0.2" 2005)

Malheur National Forest, Oregon: 0.3" (also 0.3" 2012)

Unincorporated Morrow County, Oregon: 0.4" (also 0.4" 2012)

Quartz Mt. summit, Oregon: 0.5" (previous record 0.3" 1999)

Whitman National Forest, Oregon: 0.5" (also 0.5" 2012)

Huntingdon, Tennessee: 1.25" (previous record 1.17" 1994)

Richland, Washington: 0.18" (previous record 0.12" 1958)

Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming: 0.3" (also 0.3" 1998)

Bridger National Forest, Wyoming: 0.4" (also 0.4" 2009)

Unincorporated Park County, Wyoming: 0.21" (previous record 0.2" 1976)

Unincorporated Park County, Wyoming: 0.4" (also 0.4" 2009)

Teton National Park, Wyoming: 0.4" (previous record 0.3" 2009)

[writer59january13]

November 13th, 2021 - Happy eighty sixth birthday

to my long deceased mom...

Harriet Harris née Kuritsky

My mother succumbed to a terminal illness

two score minus three orbitz passed away

no matter she fought tooth and nail

to keep ovarian/uterine cancer at bay

disease metastasized throughout major organs,

hence demise found grim reaper to carry

her Bag of Bones into The Dead Zone -

where Misery loves company

Four Past Midnight

well nigh seventeen

and a half years ago to the day

thus a flash in a bedpan idea flit

thru me mind setting task at hand

to forego bidding on eBay

and ruminate how she felt

knowing her end to be near, -

where her psyche did flay

with anger writhing at the injustice

to snatch thee lover of life

her deadened flesh became ashen gray

yet, a recurring memory

replays in my mind,

whereby this ordinarily

sole sunny trooper

blackened hole within her sons' psych

doth feebly booster morale

with a lame duck uttered hay

huzzah, but flashback to last moment

I saw mother, yet merely stood mute in close proximity

within the kitchen of thee predominant

century old mansion stone

built home donned with English ivy

once glorious complex edifice

sans domicile razed

no stone left unturned

remains longer only in me noggin

twittering memories flutter

and tweet like a blue jay

keeping visage intact

the house (formerly known as Glen Elm)

at 324 level road,

Collegeville, Pennsylvania -

amazed at my ability to recall an okay

dough key mixed meadow

for with many emotions arising

from where siblings

and me did blessedly play

our oasis, a rural route number 2 -

or rd2 for short a constituent key

per our residence, which like a quay

Tsar seemed light years

removed from civilization,

a remnant tract of idyllic ray

dee hance, upon with open space slated

to become outfitted

and transformed into an urban stay

shin for mobile Americans hopscotching

as short term owners of a new home they

never knew what fractious

mother-son trials and tribulation,

now invisibly harbored and enshrined

forever pristine sanctuary

denominated secular way

down deep in thy conscious, which access

to retrieve nada so

excellent circumstances of youth

(oftimes meditating while dwelling

upon expansive roof

many an outlook raised)

on par with hop, jump,

or skipping to Uruguay

but nothing can recreate

and make real one again

deconstructed house where dwelt pangs

of pre and post adolescence

no matter I mouth

and soundlessly mutter oy vey

till the cows come home,

cuz the days of boyhood,

teenage and emerging adulthood

(matter of fact, this heir -

overstayed his welcome)

accentuated courtesy corrosive

contumely contretemps

thus ambivalent feelings

doth owe way

kin this day of the month

every year the aura, charisma,

and persona delighting like galena zany

persona, thine late mother of pearl

and milk of human kindness

yes, this cingular male offspring doth miss

when he gives pause (all faux),

thus aye scrawl this poetic mini opus

knowing full well,

ye will never be cognizant,

but cathartic to press

any black key (on this laptop)

and expunge thru

Times New Roman font size 12

discombobulated words

buffeted bitta bing bitta bang

in situ jewel flowing emotions

akin to Rapunzel unfurling long tress

buffeted by the war wren inside mine being

for love unspoken, I confess

and tis thru fatherhood

(which beautiful granddaughters

ye would marvel) despite obloquy

when ye and papa de address

me in harsh terms, but objectionable traits

wove within mein kampf DNA less

or more, and angst riddled

body, mind and spirit

rent asunder with emotional duress

essentially encoded within

the twisted sisterly chromosome strands

that wrought Matthew Scott Harris,

now the boss and master

of his own psychological domain,

whereat he closes with mum --

I feel terrible ye got angry and cross!

[stuarttwiss2018trailride]

Day 35. Balfour, BC to Revelstoke, BC. 241 miles.

A wonderful day of scenery and a sprinkling of stupidity. Nature and the kindness of others wins in the end!

I have been staying with Cybilla and Steven in their ground floor space overlooking an offshoot of Kootenay lake. I slept well, the weather report is 100% accurate and there's a strong sun in a blue sky.

I seem to be packed and out with ease and the help from Steven to lube the chain speeds me on my way.

Their recommendation for breakfast is the bakery at the Balfour ferry jetty. I get fuel for bike and rider here. The breakfast was made of pastries and muffins washed down with coffee. I have really slipped with my healthy diet, although the vegetable samosa was rich in turmeric.

The port is a hub for gossip and services. The bakery door advertises charter fishing, opera and burlesque. The three interests of the people of Kootenay? The fishing charter boasts 289 rainbow trout over 20lbs. Pictures of people barely holding up giant trout are proof of their successes. Everyone smiles and greets and seems to compete for the most beat up pickup. A family gathering to discuss a recent car auction, the mother laying free newspapers on the plastic seats to protect from the cold. It's chilly but sparkling in the sun. People comment on the improved air quality now that the cooler and wetter weather is helping bring the fires under control.

A last minute check had confirmed that my own route to the US border area remained blocked but I still had a good run planned on gravel and forest trails as far as Edgewood before heading West to Lumby on tarmac.

The ride is scenic, although that phrase does the glory of the landscape no service at all. At every turn the sun glistens on the reflected sky and the layers of mountains are greying into the distant horizon. Trees and water present themselves in every possible divine combination.

I reach the ferry, an untainted spot on the edge of the vast Columbia River. The panorama is astonishing and gazing at it more than occupies the 30 minutes it takes for the ferry to arrive.

The journey across is a rolling presentation of spectacular views, which is a good thing because as it happens I have to make the trip three times and if I hadn't I would not have seen the sparrows.

Leaving the ferry I don't expect to be called on to leave first but suddenly it's all systems go. I zoom off, park up and gather my route up. I have to turn off left as the stream of trucks and RVs head up to Revelstoke. It's a wide logging road which I follow into a weigh station for the 24 wheel logging trucks. Wrong turn, I swing round and head off up the narrower service road. A couple of miles into the trail I am heating up and choosing to take off a layer I find I have no backpack to put it in. Foolish me I will have left it on the ferry which I can see is already heading back and is mid river.

At the terminal the vehicle loaders are helpful but nobody they speak to via radio on the boat or the other side has seen it.

The back pack has some value but what is invaluable is the Spot, GPS tracker attached to it's harness. Spot helps family know where I am and is a lifeline to emergency services. Without it I cannot go on the trails. It also has the major advantage of being a way of tracing the bag. There is no cell coverage on the Shelter Bay side, the only WiFi is on the Galena side.

I am now on the ferry going back. A few hundred yards from Galena I pick up WiFi and Spot's spots appear. Some on the Galena slipway and the last one suspended in mid crossing. The bag was with me on the boat and then disappeared! Logical conclusion that I and two of the deck hands come to, 'Its been stolen!'. We bemoan the avarice of others and lament that this should have happened when most people are so kind.

I am now traveling back to Shelter Bay on the ferry. The ferry has its own family of swallows and the parents feed the young on the wing. I luckily catch some moving pictures of the fledglings bouncing on the boat hawser. Awesome flying and awesome phone camera.

I am back on dry land and, just to be sure I didn't take the bag off where I found I had lost it, I head off down the Forest Service Road. It's not there. I have no signal to check its location either but I am now convinced that theory 1, bag stolen, is indeed the right one.

I had emailed home on the boat, just the briefest, 'bag stolen', but when I get into data service 20km down the road I have already got an inbox full of CCTV and webcam links to the ferry. Then a phone call to share my woes and new plans: police to report stolen, insurance, new Spot supplier etc etc. I have already embellished my theory with villains, a couple on the ferry who acted strangely and shook my hand.

I have a hotel recommendation from home too but go with The Cube in Revelstoke. There I get the only room with its own shower and shower before sitting in the kitchen area to drink coffee, write my blog and bathe my wounds.

At the hotel table I find three new spots on the Shelter Bay side! The bag made it across on the ferry, perhaps it wasn't stolen, perhaps it was dropped.? The spots move but all are within the area of the logging depot where I made a wrong turn. The last spot is at 4.00pm, but no more. I form a new theory, 'Picked up by forestry worker and taken home for safe keeping,'

A while later another hotel guest hears my accent and this prompts a conversation. Soon we are talking origins, holidays and the journey I might take. I show Thea my map and Pieter her husband comes over on the way to his shower. We chat about or lives and recent journeys. They have been down South in Grenada and The Dominican Republic. I have been telling Thea about solo travel and our conversation moves onto Spot. I open up the Spot app and suddenly the 3 spots turn into 20 and all in the same space, the latest at 9.00pm, it hasn't been picked up by a forest worker and taken home, it may be lying on the area right now!

Knowing it is there drives me to want to head on into the back roads but it's dark already and I can't ride without the safety of the Spot tracker. Instead I ask Pieter whom I have known for 5 minutes to take me down to Shelter Bay, a round trip of 48 miles! Surprisingly and without hesitation he says yes!

On the road we talk about near misses and crashes with wild animals and how dangerous night driving is. Pieter has hit a moose and another deer and all but written off his car. He and I chat like old friends and the miles disappear so fast the turn onto the service road catches us out. A quick three point turn and Pieter is now nursing his car down what is a nasty corrugated road which on the dirt bike I had not noticed. I'm mortified.

At the logging depot we search the verges, nothing. Pieter plays his vehicle lights onto the area, nothing. I head up to the weighbridge and hut and, shining a light through the window, see the bag propped up inside. YAY! What a relief! I had dropped it off the back of my bike when turning to get back on track. There were no thieves only people looking out for other people. The ride is on again and I have a night freed from anxiety.

I am so elated and gabble on in the car about the friendliness of strangers. Pieter tells me of his life as the chauffeur of the Liberian Ambassador to the Netherlands and we share EuroRail experiences. We talk of children and grandchildren and the pain of loss. He's tired I know but even so he was yet another friend in need. People are great!

After saying goodnight to Pieter I get out for a quick taco and slaw. More talk with a young couple who, like me missed lunch and dinner and are trying to catch up. Then it's back to my room and this blog, check out the pictures.

[ogcophinaphile]

The Colony Ch 41: Since I Don’t Have You

Eternal gratitude to @satousei13 for the amazing cover art. It means so much to me it’s crazy.

Read the entire fic on AO3 or ff.net

Chapter 41: Since I Don’t Have You

On the day of Delphine’s divorce hearing, Cosima woke with a sick feeling in her stomach. Goodbyes were never her strong suit; she was best suited to running away. And even though they still had one more sleep, as Siobhan would have said when they were children about the coming on of Christmas, Cosima could feel the goodbye looming over her.

Divorce, the signpost that her brief affair—she could hardly reconcile the fact that she had only known Delphine a scant six weeks—was coming to its inevitable end, or at least its inevitable fork. The days they’d spent sunup to sundown were numbered down to one. Tomorrow began the next phase, during which phone calls and the letters that would have to carry the weight of their feelings across the miles, miles that numbered, for a few weeks, in the hundreds, but by the end of August would number in the thousands.

The courtroom was small.  The carpet was industrial and brown; a well-worn path cut through its center. The tables set for opposing counsel were stately but not overly ornate, and the plaintiff’s and respondent’s chairs were simple-spindle back Windsors.  In fact, only the leather-backed judge’s seat alluded to any prestige one might have imagined upon entering court, but the modest height of the bench that kept the judge just above eye level of anyone who approached undercut even that degree of solemnity.  The windows were the grandest feature in the room, tall and thin, taking up over half the length of the exterior wall. The gallery held a few wooden benches, and it was onto one near the back that Delphine, Cosima, and Aldous Leekie slid upon entering. The previous case was still being heard, and they waited through the petitioner’s testimony, which sounded eerily familiar thanks to Aldous’ coaching. Cosima watched the judge fidget with his gavel, rotating slowly this way and that on his supple brown throne. She wondered if he was even really listening.

“It is not at all as I imagined.” Delphine whispered to Cosima, who sat to her right. Leekie, on her left, busied himself with a folder of papers, double checking signatures and afterward straightening his tie.

“What did you imagine?” Cosima asked quietly.

“Je ne sais pas… passion perhaps? Regalia?  A jury?” She chuckled at herself under her breath.

“You watch too much Perry Mason,” Cosima jibed.  A thin smile accompanied the comment. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. The tension in her chest was tightening. Delphine seemed so relaxed, so at ease. They sat silently as the judge addressed the plaintiff.

The fall of his gavel echoed through the room as he decreed, “In the case of Martin v. Martin, the petition for divorce is granted.”

Aldous rose as the bailiff called, “All persons present in the matter of Bowles v. Bowles, please approach the court.”

“It’s show time,” Aldous said to Delphine.

“Ready, mon amour?” Delphine smiled and winked at Cosima, quickly squeezing her hand.  Unintentionally cutting, Cosima felt the gesture, her expression, like a wound. Delphine and Aldous took their places at the plaintiff’s table. Cosima took her place behind them in the first row of the gallery.  The judge stayed seated; the axle of his chair creaked gently as he resumed the restrained revolution that Cosima had observed before. From her new vantage point, it almost sounded like a cricket chirping in some hidden corner.

Leekie took charge of the proceeding; Delphine affirmed her presence in the court as the petitioner. Cosima swore an oath to tell the truth and lied. Delphine took the stand to corroborate the deceit. Cosima felt nauseous. She focused on the regular rhythm of that infernal squeaking to ground herself. Well versed in the routine not only from Leekie’s briefing, but years of bearing witness testimony, she stared at her hands. She listened in a far off place in her mind, anticipating every question and rehearsed answer.

“State you name for the record.”

“Delphine Marie Bowles.”

“Do you swear the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God.”

“And is it your wish today that the judge find reasonable cause to grant you a divorce from your husband, Phillip J. Bowles?”

“It is.”

“Is Mr. Bowles present in the court today?”

“No, he is not.”

“Where is Mr. Bowles?”

“Boston, Massachusetts.”

“Upon what grounds are you filing for divorce?”

“Mental cruelty.”

“And is it your sworn testimony that you have resided here in Nevada for the period of at least six weeks, have not left the state and intend to make the state of Nevada your permanent home?”

“I’m sorry, no.” Delphine answered.  

Cosima’s head snapped up; she rose from her place in the gallery and locked eyes with Delphine who’s expression could best be described as coyly demure.

Aldous Leekie who had been casually pacing in front of the witness stand as he asked his questions, stood stunned. He turned and stared his client down.

“No?” he asked, bewildered. “No, you don’t intend to make Nevada your home?”

Delphine clarified, “Of course I do, but I do not wish to perjure myself otherwise. I left the state four weeks ago. I had driven to the Lake and, on the advice of a stranger, drove to the Emerald Bay to see the falls. I didn’t realize until I was already there that I had crossed into California.”

The judge, who had stopped twisting in his chair at this point, ordered Aldous to approach the bench. For a few moments, they exchanged confused mumbles that only Delphine could decipher. Cosima, who’s entire being was vibrating with incredulity, tried to will a conversation with Delphine through her facial expression only. But Delphine simply sat calmly and smiled.

Leekie stepped away from the bench and addressed his client. “Mrs. Bowles, do you understand that admitting this in court nullifies your claim to residency in the state of Nevada and thereby your petition for divorce as well?”

Delphine looked at Cosima for several long moments.

“Answer the question Mrs. Bowles,” the judge insisted. “Do you understand that this admission nullifies your petition for divorce?” Cosima began to feel light headed. She realized she was holding her breath, but couldn’t bear to release it until Delphine answered.

“I was afraid it might, yes. Thank you for confirming that information for me.”

The judge leaned toward her, “Mrs. Bowles, are you certain you aren’t just confused…?” He lead her on: “Sometimes people in new places, they get confused, disoriented. They don’t exactly know where they’ve been or where they are.  Are you certain you visited Eagle Falls, and not the Galena Falls at the base of the Nevada side of the Lake?”

Cosima couldn’t believe what she was witnessing.

“I’m certain,” Delphine answered. “I was in the state of California.”

Aldous interjected, “Mrs. Bowles, if you stand upon this testimony you won’t be able to re-file this petition for another six weeks. You understand that don’t you?”

Delphine looked at the judge; she spoke clearly and definitively, “I wish to divorce my husband to begin an honest life. I won’t begin it with a lie. I understand that my divorce will be delayed,” and as she spoke her next words she shifted her gaze to the woman frozen at the gallery railing, “but my feelings insist upon this course of action.” Cosima exhaled and sat down, trembling.

Aldous approached the bench again briefly, then stepped away.

“Your honor, the plaintiff withdrawals her petition for divorce.”

“Mrs. Bowles,” the judge addressed her, “I can’t say I understand you, but I do respect you.  I’ll see you in six weeks.” The gavel echoed through the room once more.

“You want to tell me what just happened in there?” Cosima asked, when they were well outside and Delphine had made her exaggerated apologies to Leekie and promised to come see him the next day with a check for his new retainer.

Delphine turned north on the sidewalk along Virginia Street and walked briskly toward the river. “I had an attack of conscience, what can I say?” she teased.

Cosima, who had to practically jog to keep up with her long striding steps, replied incredulously.

“Delphine, you can’t do this.” she insisted.  “You have plans, a life to get started in Berkeley. This makes no sense.” Exasperation drove her already expressive hands into even more demonstrative gestures. “And,” she practically shouted across the half step gap between herself and the whimsically self satisfied woman in front of her, “why the hell didn’t you at least tell me?”  

They crossed over the street onto the next block. About halfway down Delphine stopped, she turned around and faced Cosima.

“Where are we, mon amour?” she asked.

“Downtown,” Cosima answered, almost annoyed. “Your hotel is a block and a half that way.” She pointed to the Riverside easily visible to her left.

“No. My love, where are we?” she said again, pointedly. Cosima stopped and looked. They were halfway across the bridge that ran over the Truckee River. The waters were still high from the spring and early summer melt. The trees that stretched over the banks had lost their flowers and were in full, rich green leaf.

“We’re on the bridge,” Cosima said, impatiently.

“Which bridge?” Delphine asked slowly.

“The one on Virginia Street,” Cosima answered, still not understanding Delphine’s question.

“Yes, but I believe,” Delphine stated shyly, “that it has another name as well.”  Understanding broke over Cosima’s features. Consternation melted into tenderness as she remembered.  She cut her eyes up toward Delphine, and half smiled.

“We’re on the Bridge of Sighs,” she said.

“The Bridge of Sighs, yes.” Delphine affirmed.  “I remembered. You told me about it the evening we met, when you assumed…” she reached out and grabbed Cosima’s hand in her own, “…that I was not ever going to be standing here.”

“I assumed a lot that evening,” Cosima admitted. She dropped her eyes to the grey concrete beneath her feet, embarrassed to remember how she must have made Delphine feel, but Delphine reached out with her other hand and lifted Cosima’s chin.

“Perhaps, but I do not think you ever even imagined we’d be standing here together, feeling as we do about one another.” Cosima looked into Delphine’s eyes and smiled.

“No,” her eyes welled and her voice cracked slightly. “I did not. Never in a million years could I have imagined that.”

“Neither could I.” Delphine caressed Cosima’s cheek, “I did not think it was possible to be myself and to,” she reached for a word, “belong to someone, too.  And that is your answer.”

“My answer?” Confusion restored a bit of her composure.

“You asked me what happened back there.” Delphine took a step closer to Cosima and continued.  “The last time a woman who loved you had the opportunity to choose you, she failed. I did not want to make the same mistake.” Cosima’s eyes welled again and this time tears slipped over and rolled softly down her cheeks. “We have a lot ahead of us, miles and a year of separation, and, Cosima, if these six weeks are all we can choose of each other, my choice is clear. I choose you.”  

She reached into the pocket of her blazer and slipped something into Cosima’s hand. It was a ring. A gorgeous gold ring, an antique, with a diamond that must have weighed more than a full carat, set on both sides with emeralds.  Cosima looked at it bewildered.

“Delphine, what is this?”

“Cosima, will you please do me the honor…”—Cosima’s mind was a whirl of thoughts—“of throwing that piece of shit into the river. I don’t need a divorce to be free of Phillip; all I need is you.”  

Cosima burst out laughing through her tears. She pulled herself up, and, cocky as the day is long, she replied:

“Darlin’, by the power vested in me by my own damn self, I now pronounce you,” she paused as she flung the ring as far as she could into the Truckee River, waiting until it disappeared into the current before finishing, “DIVORCED!”

They celebrated with a few hurrahs, one yee-haw, and long overdue hug. As they embraced, Cosima whispered in Delphine’s ear. “Remind me to tell Paul and Donnie that if they find that ring on one of their scavenger hunts they need to leave it be!”  

Delphine laughed out loud. “Yes. Indeed. Or I will never forgive them.  Now,” she broke away from Cosima’s embrace, “take me home.”