#just raking leaves after a good rain is way more efficient

[i-give-worms]

(+🪱+🪱)

[First ID: a Tumblr tag that reads, "I'm still wigglin brotha" Second ID: someone kneeling down on top of grass, using a grunting stick to find worms. /End I.D.]

do you guys remember when we used to say oh worm all the time. remember that

[clutterfield]

GHOST BUSTERS

Main mlist. Previous chapter.

Synopsis

You get into a freak accident and wake up to your body surrounded by seven crying men. Or your unrequited love doesn’t seem so unrequited after all.

Chapter warnings

Angst, Sickness, Cussing, Implied drug use , Implied manwhoring around

Chapter Rating: T (For Teen Audiences and Up)

Chapter 5: The Neighbor (and friends) Across the Hall

A/N. Hello there. Am I dropping chapters too quick? Anyway, I let this chapter basically write itself and it ended up surprisingly good. But I may not be updating again for this week as I wrote this chapter with a head ache and I may be out of commission for awhile. We'll see. Hope you enjoy! Comment for taglist. :)

ALSO. A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE READ AND ARE READING THIS SERIES. 감사합니다! 🔮

FLASHBACK

Like claws raking horribly against a chalkboard, you hold back a grimace, lips down turned from the overcast shadows looming before you, a sign of doom or at most the barbie league club from the drama department who could only afford the cheapest drink they could get at their local Starbucks.

Icy blue irises roam over the standard uniform you and every employee in this branch were forced to don --fitted green shirt and baggy corduroy pants-- and as if the devil himself reincarnates, she tips the cup of her Teavana with a flick of the wrist, the contents spilling all over the place and your ears burn as she gives you a lame 'oops, how clumsy of me'.

The other patrons are glaring at the girls to leave like the bunch of idiotic menaces they were and when they finally do (but not without giving you the finger), your shoulders sag, a heavy sigh escaping your lips just as your manager inches his way towards you, shaking her head as she helps by handing you the mop.

"This is coming out of your paycheck unfortunately," she mutters under her breath before going back to her station.

Your eyes sting with unshed tears (you were already feeling a bit rundown due to the non stop rain and you had several papers due tonight) and now this.

Can't you just catch a break?

Some of the more long term patrons offer you consoling glances as you pass them by to go clean up and you shoot them a tired but grateful smile nonetheless.

Once you're done with things, you go back to the counter to tend to the next batch of customers, hoping they weren't as mean to you as those blonde bimbos had been.

-

They say time flies by quickly when you're happy doing what you love but to say you loved working was an overstatement.

It's not like you were poor. You came from a good and loving family (despite your parents being gone all the time) with money, and one word to them would leave you with a few thick bills in your disposal.

But you didn't want to remain dependent, stemming from a mindset that you were an only child and you would eventually (and sadly) have to learn to navigate your entire rest of your life once your parents are gone.

Hence you wanted as much practice as you could get.

However, with merely an undergraduate, not many high paying jobs will take on a college student buried in loans, so you took to the streamline and applied at the nearest Starbucks.

You loved the smell of coffee anyway and though you weren't a barista, you were quite efficient at pushing buttons so you've been told.

In the least, you liked your job but not enough to be willing to stay after hours, so when Kai comes in for the next shift, you happily hand your apron over to him. "Here, good luck!" You singsong and get the fuck out of there, not giving your friend a chance to respond mainly because he looked even grumpier than you had been going in to work.

It was still raining even if it was already half past ten in the evening (yes, your boss operated twenty four seven), and you hazard a glance at your phone to see whether any of your best friends had even bothered to check in.

Well no, apparently not. Though your other boss, Eugene, (yes, you had two jobs because student loans are fucking killer) did tell you not to come in tomorrow as the energy in the shop was not going to be pleasant and you send him a response, already knowing that he's chastising you in his own weird way to get the day off because he knew you got sick easily when it got cold.

With a shiver, you run to your car, umbrella in hand and turn on the heat at full blast once inside.

Anyone who asks you how you could afford an expensive ride with a cashier's daily wage, you just shrug and let them assume you were a sugar baby. It was more fun that way.

You sneeze before you could even step on the pedal, and you grow nervous, hand feeling your forehead. Well at least you weren't running a fever. But you did feel a bit dizzy...

Ignoring the slight discomfort, you blend through the highway traffic, hoping you don't faint.

-

You don't faint. In fact you nearly faint and hastily park your vehicle to an emergency stop clearing where fewer cars drove through.

Harsh water pelts the roof of the Bentley and you wish you brought your noise cancelling earphones to at least drown out the low, metallic rumble from the now full on thunderstorm.

Afraid of getting hit with one of those stray lightnings, you had kept away from any trees and instead held yourself front and center in an open field where a murderer in a mask would most likely drag you to Christ knows where.

Not feeling up to continuing risking your health, you ask one of the guys to come get you but you are merely left on read.

Fuck.

It was an hour to midnight and you don't think it was safe for women to be out by themselves in the middle of nowhere. Groaning, you gently lay your head on the cool window, when your phone rings.

Renewed hope wells within you only to be shot down with a flaming arrow when Taemin's voice bounces from the other line. "Heya, neighbor!" He chirps a little too enthusiastically for your liking.

Your head was already pounding and it doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon.

You hum lightly, tracing invisible circles in the air and he instantly notices. "YNie? Are you okay? You don't sound so hot. "

"Well, I am cold..." You murmur, closing your lids for a brief moment for respite from the drudgery of it all.

You can hear a few people in the background and Taemin shuts them up, baritone serious as if just then remembering that you were a sickly goose. "Oh shit, are you somewhere dry and warm? Baby, where are you?"

"Is that Kai? Did he manage to skip work and go to that stupid Beta Tau Sigma party after all?"

"No, now I said shut your mouths, didn't I?" Your sweet neighbor calls out with a lowly growl, something you haven't heard for a long time, and all laughter ceases.

Woah. That's hot.

And wait, you didn't hear about any type of parties happening with Bangtan tonight? If you would they would have told you and you would have been a good girl and not gotten in their way (that is lock yourself in your room but leave through the fire escape and sleep over at your own apartment, possibly hang out with Taeminie and binge watch a few Netflix episodes of Kotaro lives alone).

Beta Tau Sigma threw subtle parties where alcohol was plenty and sometimes women and drugs were involved. You had to learn weed butter recipe for the guys at some point just so Jin wouldn't strangle the maknaes for basically slaughtering every carton of milk they could find in the kitchen to curb their failed attempts at churning a presentable lump of pimped dairy.

You loved your best friends to death (and are in love with them sadly) but the Beta Tau Sigma fraternity tended to go all out at house gatherings and you'd rather not accidentally intrude in case one of them decides fucking someone in your home was fine.

Especially if it were one of your boys. Well not your boys. Anyway.

Gathering what little strength you have left as the drowsiness was taking over, you clumsily send your coordinates to your friend on the other end of the line.

A bellow reaches your ears and you shy away from the angry voice. "You are fucking where?! Stay there, YN. Like hell you're going back home in that condition. "

Huh? Did you tell him you were sick or something?

"Okay," you mumble, unaware that you were succumbing to sleep.

-

"Shit, she's burning up!"

"Hurry, pass me that cold pack!"

"Anyone started on the hot broth yet?"

"Yeah, over here. "

"When the fuck is Kai coming back with the cold medicine?"

Blearily, your eyes open a millimeter, only to close once more as they feel heavy under the bright lights.

Who were these people again?

"Taemin-hyung, here."

A brief mumble of thanks and then a wet cloth is pressed to your forehead. Instantly, you feel so much better already from the feel of the coolness.

"Ravi, can you..."

"Yeah, here."

Someone helps you up gently, arms roped around your shoulders as you are put in a sitting position. Something hard slides between your lips followed by water and you subconsciously gulp whatever it was down.

You cough a bit only for hands to scrabble at your back in up down motions and then you're lying on the softest bed you have ever felt.

"Taemin, I can take it from here. You go help Sungwoon with the chicken soup. "

In the distance, rushed footsteps are heard as a door opens and closes with a click. The footsteps get nearer and a voice you recognize as your friend Kai's comes barrelling through with a whisper. "Where is she? Oh shit, YN. I'm so sorry I didn't notice earlier!"

A hand touches your burning cheek and you nuzzle into it.

"Did you tell them?"

"What?"

" Bangtan. "

"Fuck no. I mean I ran into Jimin awhile back, they were picking up some food as I was leaving and when I asked if YN got home okay, they weren't even aware she had left already. "

A sigh and then you are shifted to the left as a weight on your right settles, hands coming to stroke your hair.

"No shit? If I ever come across Bangtan, I am pummeling their pretty boy faces. How could they leave her like this? All for a fucking house party? I'm so glad I refused Park Jimin's invitation to join all those years ago. "

The hand in your hair pauses. "...It's uh, I think they have weed in there so they might be high for a bit. That may explain why they're pretty much out of it. "

"Honest to God if they ditched her for a fuck, I will murder them. "

Murmurs of agreement float through the room and your brain shuts down, not even thinking about the entire conversation you've overheard.

Not until the next morning where you are left alone with your thoughts (your friends had their own lives and own work so you couldn't fault them for leaving you unattended--at least they made a mean breakfast and set up your bath and even gave you a change of spare clothes and some medicine to go with it) and decide to run to Yin Yang Quatro, teary eyed and heart broken because not one of Bangtan had even left a text.

Guess your friendship with the seven men wasn't that important after all.

END OF FLASHBACK.

🔮

Now Taemin wasn't a vindictive person.

He wasn't also one to be easily angered.

In fact, he was the most patient out of all of his friends.

And yet when it came to YN, his neighbor, his friend, he would do anything for her.

In fact they (Sungwoon, Ravi, and Kai) would be willing to walk through fire for her.

It was a pact they took once they decided to help the unconscious girl behind their apartment's trashcan whom they would later come to know as YN, the most beautiful human being on earth, inside and out.

So when rumors of her getting smashed and cut with the art club's glass prop started circulating, he had to find out.

And now the four of them were standing before her hospital bed, emotions simmering wildly under the promise of hurting whoever did this to her.

Kai especially was quiet and the guy hardly had nothing to say. Not with his affiliation to Beta Tau Sigma as some sort of honorary member.

"Did they come visit her yet?" Sungwoon asks through gritted teeth as he stares off into space, refusing to acknowledge the reality in front of him so soon.

Ravi frowns as he surveys the damage on YN. Bandaged head, patched up cheeks, and bandages all over her arms and hands. Shit. How was she going to continue working if she woke up? "Yeah. The doctors said they did. "

Taemin, for all the anger bubbling up inside of him was quick to stamp it out like a lighted cigarette. Cancer sticks they say. "Good. One less fly off the wall. "

"Or seven. "

Eyes flash deadly. If there was one thing they were going to do, they were going to search for YN's soul and bring her back.

They knew YN. They knew everything about her. And they accepted it all. Even if she were to be haunted by some old woman's ghost or whatever.

Even if they had to make a deal with the devil himself.

They loved her that much.

They were going to have to make a quick trip to Yin Yang Quatro.

Eugene Lee Yang might be the answer to their problems.

Next chapter.

NSFW Chapter Filler.

🔮

Chapter Taglist

@potaetopic

[ayatosmoles]

peach shampoo

a/n: i hope you like it! i hope it’s okay, this is really self indulgent :p also, requests are open right now!! i’d love to write any :)

summary: a bath with your boyfriend after a long day at work.

pairing: kuroo tetsurou x female reader

warnings: undressing (non-sexual, it’s a bath), tiny suggestive mention, mention of periods, mention of getting sick, mention of marriage, mentions of insecurity, your nickname is peach, it’s super fluffy i promise. please let me know if there’s any other ones!!

you didn’t want to get called into work, you were so tempted to just say no, but they were desperate and they offered you time and a half pay. it was the first day in a long time where you and kuroo had the same day off and you made so many plans to just spend the day together doing nothing except be with each other and catch up.

however, kuroo insisted that you go, claiming that picking up extra hours puts you in good standing with your boss and you might be able to choose your hours in the future. plus, the money always helped. you caved, and you were off with a haphazard outfit and a quick goodbye kiss.

drips of water followed you up your porch and through your front door, creating puddles where kicked your shoes off. you dropped your bag by your shoes and trudged into your apartment.

it was dark. kuroo was supposed to be home all day, so why did it look deserted? the flicking on of the kitchen switch revealed to you a spotless kitchen that was a mess that morning, and the light also revealed the vacuumed and organized living room, which matched the kitchen in messiness that morning.

your poking around eventually led you to the bedroom, where you found the man of your curiosity. he was flopped face down on the bed, starfished, and crashed out. your bedroom was cleaned as well, and you noticed your favorite candle burning on the dresser. you always found it hilarious that he never fit on your bed unless he was curled up, and his feet always hung off the edge.

he must’ve just crashed before you got home. he was still sweaty and warm, you noticed as you crouched to the side of the bed and starting running your hand up his arm and towards his face.

“tetsu, honey, i’m home,” you whispered as you pulled his hair to the side, away from his sleeping face.

your whispers and gentle touches were futile in waking him up, so you resorted to planting kisses all over face. you started with feather light kisses along the column of his nose, and then plusher kisses along his forehead and squished up cheeks, and finally, a warm kiss onto his lips, pouted out from the squish of his cheek against the mattress. as you pulled away, you noticed his eyes peeking open to look at you, a smirk growing on his tired face.

“good morning sleeping beauty,” you joked as you moved to stand up. you got up to change out of your damp clothes and put on something warm. before you could slip on one of kuroo’s baggy sweater, he came up behind you and snaked his arms around your bare waist.

“hello, peach. how was your day?” his voice was thick with exhaustion and it remained husky when he made reassuring hums as you recounted the events of your day. how you got caught in the rain both ways, and the general work you got done at the office.

“hmm well you’re absolutely freezing,” he pointed out as he ran his fingers along the goosebumps of your upper arms, towards your neck where he wrapped his arms to leave kisses along the nape of your neck.

“and you’re all sweaty and stinky,” you faked choking as you pinched your nose and made exaggerated swatting motions around his underarms, losing to a fit of giggles in the middle, his cackles soon joining in.

“well i think there’s a little solution for both of us...” his sentence trailed off as he raised his eyebrows toward you, glancing to the bathroom. he grinned when he saw you take his hand in yours and drag him to the bathroom. he turned on the knob for the bath, waiting for the hot water to fill up the tub. in the meantime he helped you out of your pants, and you helped him out of his shirt and sweats, leaving your underwear to take off right before.

you felt immensely comfortable with kuroo, he had seen you in nearly every possible situation. he held your hair back for you when you got sick at college parties, he’s washed many sheets that were stained overnight from an unexpected period, and he’s certainly seen you naked at least a million times, whether that be from long nights or shared showers and baths. but even after all the years of being vulnerable in front of him, you still got nervous when he would rake his eyes down your figure, taking in the shape of your waist, your hips, your legs, your chest, all of it. there was never a time when he wouldn’t ease that nervousness with promises that you were so beautiful and the prettiest girl he’s ever seen.

“...so pretty” you barely caught his whisper before he pressed a kiss to your temple and then your lips.

“you’re not too bad yourself.”

you weren’t wrong, he really was beautiful himself. he was wonderfully tall and he kept his physique from high school, for the most part, with the muscle in his arms and thighs remaining.

his smile was sweet as honey before he turned to check the water level, pulling back the curtain and shutting off the faucet. you both took off your remaining articles and you got in after him, settling back into his chest and his arms found their way back around you, resting his hands on your tummy.

you hummed as you could feel the warm water washing off the cold chills that still lived on your arms and torso.

“thank you for cleaning by the way. you really didn’t have to do that,” the broken silence pauses the kisses he was placing on the shell of tour ear.

“nonsense. you were already stressed enough, i thought it would be nice if you came home to a beautiful house and a beautiful boyfriend,” he smirked with his last comment. you giggled and laced your hands with his on your stomach.

“and what a joy it was,” you smiled as you reached for your shampoo and handed it behind you to kuroo.

he couldn’t help but smile as he squeezed your favorite shampoo into the palm of his hand, diligently working it into your hair and scalp. you always thought he loved this shampoo because he loved the smell of the peaches, the source of your nickname, but he loved it because it smelled like you, like home. it was the smell that he associated with your cuddles with your head tucked into his neck, or when he kissed the crown of your head, or the smell of your pillow. sometimes he would use it for his own hair when you were gone for work and he was missing you extra, wanting to go to sleep with the essence of you on his own pillow after your own pillow lost its scent.

he was careful rinsing it out of your hair, pouring water out onto your head as his other hand was firm against your forehead to protect your eyes from the suds. he ran his fingers through a few extra times before you turned around to do his hair.

“tetsu, this is revolting,” you scrunched your nose as he handed you the bottle of 3-in-1 shampoo-conditioner-body wash.

“i just think you’re mad at how efficient it is, peach. my showers only take a fraction of yours, and as a result you get plenty of your precious hot water after i’m done.”

“well i’m going to take even longer ones now, you ass,” you laughed as your worked his disgusting hair product into his inky hair. in the process of sudsing up his scalp, you pointed his hair into a mohawk with the shampoo, making a comment about what an upgrade it is from his bed head, earning a mocking laugh from tetsurou.

after your hair was taken care of, you both took turns scrubbing backs and washing faces, savoring what warm water was left afterward with you back up against his chest.

“i’m sorry our day together got ruined,” you apologized as kuroo pet his hand up and down your side.

“don’t be. i think this made up for it. any second spent with you is worth a million years in my book. we have the rest of our lives together to catch up, so don’t worry,” he brought your left hand up to his lips, abandoning the spot on your shoulder where he was finding homes for a million more of his kisses. your fingers laced together and he kissed the finger that he was planning to adorn someday.

[turnipbowl79-blog]

Residence Mosquito Handle - Turning Your Garden Into Hostile Territory For Mosquitoes

All set to get rid of individuals mosquitoes around the residence? Wonderful. But there is 1 issue you ought to know about home mosquito handle correct up front. You will find no silver bullet to mosquito prevention, no 1 merchandise or tactic confirmed to obvious them out of your property. And you will never be capable to get them all it's just not possible. The very best you do is slim out their quantities and reduce the odds of obtaining bitten when you go out of the house. To attain this, you will have to use a blend of techniques. That includes ferreting out the achievable mosquito breeding sites about your property, making the garden as inhospitable as you can, and attacking the grownup swarms with almost everything from mosquito traps to mosquito spray. It will consider some time, and of course, value you some money, as effectively, but when you happen to be carried out, you will be able to chill out outside the house your residence, assured that you're as risk-free from the marauding bloodsuckers as you possibly can be. Powerful mosquito manage begins with a thorough inspection of the likely battlefield, so let us head outdoors for a search all around. Is your property a breeding ground for mosquitoes? On your way out, check all the doors and windows in the property. Each window that opens should have a screen that fits tightly into spot - no gaps close to the edges - and is in excellent restore, with no cuts or holes. Very same for entrances. You need a very good screen door for each. When shut, the monitor doorway ought to be comfortable against the door body, and the screen ought to not have any harm that would permit mosquitoes to get inside. Of course, they will not do any great if you increase the window screens along with the windows, or leave the monitor doorway propped vast when the property door is open up. Mosquitoes can and will come into the home any chance they get, so make positive to often maintain the screens in spot. long island mosquito control company , you want to appear for standing water, in both the obvious areas and the not-so-clear. The people at the Alameda County (Cal.) Mosquito Control District put it ideal on their site: "The main rule when it will come to breeding grounds for mosquitoes is that they want stagnant h2o in get to lay their eggs. What most men and women never realize is the astonishing quantity of places around their own home the place mosquitoes can discover the stagnant h2o they need. The main rule: If it can hold drinking water for far more than a few days, it can breed mosquitoes." Feminine mosquitoes can lay their eggs in as small as an inch of water. So look for these likely areas in which mosquitoes can breed: Tree holes - Some mosquitoes favor laying their eggs in hollowed-out locations in trees exactly where rainwater collects. Working with these can be challenging since insecticide may well hurt the tree, as could eliminating portion of it. You may want to consult a landscaping specialist or tree provider for help. Yard products - An upright wheelbarrow, an vacant flowerpot, or even an deserted shovel can maintain water prolonged enough to produce mosquito larvae. Keep tools inside, or flip it above so that rain will run off. Drill holes in the bottoms of containers that have to continue being outside the house, so they can drain. Tarps - Any sort of plastic or nylon go over, no matter whether it is draped in excess of a stack of firewood or a boat, will sooner or later begin to sag and create pockets in which drinking water can acquire. Tighten them where you can and verify them often. Toys - Rain will fill toy vehicles, teacup sets, or Frisbees still left lying in the grass. The very same for old-fashioned tire swings, which accumulate stagnating rainwater, or any outdated tire remaining laying in the yard. Make certain the little ones decide up soon after them selves, and get rid of the tires. Puddles - You may have lower places in the garden exactly where water gathers and is sluggish to drain. If the water stands for much more than a week at a time, you may get mosquitoes in the course of the warm months. Fill in the places, set up drainage pipes, or change the landscaping to preserve the drinking water away. Rain gutters - When the gutters on your home get clogged with debris, h2o can again up and turn out to be stagnant. Verify the gutters regularly, especially if you have heavy leaf fall. Also, hold the property raked. Overturned leaves hold h2o, and mosquitoes like to breed in them. Birdbaths and wading swimming pools - Just take a hose to the birdbath at minimum once a week for the duration of warm weather conditions to keep the water from stagnating. Change the kids' pool in excess of and stand it up towards a wall when they aren't employing it. If you have a swimming pool, make certain you clean and support it regularly. Okay, you have taken treatment of the standing h2o in the yard. Now, given that mosquitoes like to relaxation in heat, moist vegetation in the course of the day, make positive you preserve the grass reduce and the bushes trimmed, and very clear all the weeds out of the flower beds regularly. H2o the grass and plants enough to hold them healthy, but stay away from performing it so a lot everything stays moist. Natural mosquito management about the home Subsequent, you may want to make a handful of additions to the property that can help manage mosquitoes organically. You have probably listened to of the citrosa, named the "mosquito plant," which is meant to miraculously repel mosquitoes just by its presence. However, which is not totally accurate. Mosquito control research have demonstrated that an undisturbed citrosa has extremely minor influence on the pesky bloodsuckers. However, the citrosa leaves do include citronella oil, which is a mosquito repellent. And there are other plants with oils and fragrances considered to irritate mosquitoes, like citronella grass, lemon thyme, catnip and rosemary. The trick is that you have to crush the leaves in purchase to release the mosquito repellents. Not terribly effective as an energetic measure, but it might be value planting some around your favorite spots, so you can rub the leaves on your skin when you're outside the house, to support hold the mosquitoes absent. This is also a very good time to consider about a tiny decorative pond to support in mosquito control. If you have 1 previously, it's a excellent bet mosquitoes breed in it, until it gets a continuous movement of fresh h2o. A natural way to handle the pond for mosquitoes is to inventory it with gambusia, also recognized as the mosquito consuming fish. Gambusia feed on mosquito larvae, mostly wigglers at the floor. They grow to about two inches and need no treatment. About 35 to 100 are ample to keep a tiny ornamental pond relatively totally free of mosquitoes, in accordance to Rutgers University entomologists. Many local mosquito manage districts will provide them for free as lengthy as they are kept someplace that does not join to other h2o environments. Gambusia are predatory fish and have been identified to feed on the young of other native species. In the meantime, if you do not have a pond, it could be a very good concept to get a single put in. Developed properly, a modest attractive pond can draw in dragonflies, sometimes known as "mosquito hawks" because they feed on equally mosquito larvae and adult mosquitoes. The British Dragonfly Modern society recommends the pond be at the very least a hundred thirty square ft, but clearly, you can go considerably scaled-down. Place it someplace guarded from wind, but the place it can receive immediate sunlight to preserve the dragonflies warm. The pond wants to be deep at 1 conclude, at least two toes, and shallow at the other, so dragonfly larvae, called "nymphs," can dive when threatened by predators and sooner or later crawl out of the drinking water after they have grown. Stock the pond with native aquatic vegetation that rise earlier mentioned the area, giving the larvae a location to relaxation and hide in the roots, and the young grown ups a spot to rest out of the h2o. Also plant shrubs close by to stimulate the older people to adhere close to. Encompass the pond with flat, mild-coloured rocks. Some dragonflies like to land on flat rocks to sun them selves. A single quick notice: You could have listened to that bats and purple martins also are useful to have about due to the fact they consume mosquitoes. But researchers say people are fallacies. Bats choose other bugs, with mosquitoes making up considerably less than a single per cent of their diet. Purple martins are partial to dragonflies. Mosquito spraying and other varieties of assault Now that you have turned your garden downright unfriendly towards mosquitoes, it's time to take a minor a lot more aggressive action. Yet again, you'll require to use a blend of methods. One particular of individuals requires insecticide. You can kill mosquito larvae in standing drinking water with a product like Mosquito Bits, which includes the Bacillus thuringiensis israeliensis micro organism, the most effective larvacide, or you can implement a larvacidal oil to the water's floor to preserve the larvae from respiratory. Adults are inclined to foggers and mosquito spray. Foggers heat insecticide and release it into the property in minimal volumes, killing mosquitoes on speak to, but the fog, and its efficiency, wear off within a few hrs. A mosquito spray, such as permethrin or bifenthrin, lasts a small more time and can be used to coat regions in which mosquitoes like to rest. Spray the grass, trees, bushes, picket fences and partitions of the property, then enable it dry. The poison, a artificial edition of the insecticide developed by the chrysanthemum plant, kills mosquitoes on make contact with by attacking their nervous systems. You can locate larvacides, foggers and sprays in most hardware and residence improvement shops. Feel it or not, you are nevertheless heading to have mosquitoes, even following all of this. Distinct tricks perform with diverse species, and there could be tens of hundreds of mosquitoes from a dozen or much more species traveling about your neighborhood. To include the up coming layer of security, change the normal lights bulbs in your exterior lights with yellow bulbs, which draw in significantly fewer insects. Then, set a mosquito entice in your yard, away from the deck, patio or anyplace you normally invest time. Mosquito traps mimic the attractants that attract feminine mosquitoes to feed on human bodies. They launch carbon dioxide and Octenol, discovered in exhaled breath and sweat, and they emit heat and gentle in ranges developed to encourage the mosquitoes. The traps can lure mosquitoes from far more than 100 toes absent, then sweep them by way of a supporter into a container where they die. While you sit easily, the mosquitoes are tricked away from you to an additional corner of the lawn and quietly disposed of by your entice. Inside about two months of running the entice, you can expect to see considerable reductions in the local mosquito populace, as woman right after feminine is drawn in and dies without having laying much more eggs.

[onewhoturns]

pt 8 - Harbinger

I know, it’s been a while since the last chapter went up. Well, in case you forgot: here’s chapter 7. Or start from the beginning on AO3. Or part 1 on tumblr. As always, credit to @kaldwinqueen for writing the Outsider; I wrote for Emily & Corvo.

Here’s a big ol’ plot bomb for you, feel free to leave a comment here or on AO3 letting me know your thoughts. Hopefully you have many.

They ate efficiently in the room darkened by heavy curtains drawn closed with the sobriety of their intended conversation. After all three had had some sort of sustenance, and Corvo had gotten a good look at the unfinished report, it came to discussion time.

“There was another death at the Academy. A student.” The Royal Protector’s voice was low, somber. He was staring at the table where he curled a napkin into a tight spiral. There was an ominous tone to his words. “They were in possession of a replica of the Heart.”

Emily’s own heart lept to her throat, and she very nearly choked on the water she’d been drinking. A moment of spluttering and then she managed to speak, her voice high and tight. “There’s a replica of the Heart?”

“Not anymore there isn’t.” Corvo grimaced, still not taking his eyes from the fabric on the table.

Emily flexed her hands nervously as she tried to calm herself. No, of course not. And even if there was, it wouldn’t be the same. Silly of her, to let that flash of hope perch even briefly in her chest. She’d had her closure months earlier, saying goodbye to that last scrap of her mother. It was a gift she never could’ve imagined, that chance to make her peace, and yet as soon as the idea was even hinted at that she might speak with her mother again — Emily had lunged for it. And she wasn’t happy about that.

No, the Heart her father spoke of would’ve been something else entirely. It may not have held a spirit at all. Just the cogs and wires that could simulate a beat. ...A disgusting, morbid thing.

She still felt ill at ease. Mostly put off by her own visceral reaction to the thought.

“...And there are storms coming.”

The way he said it, she was sure he couldn’t mean the standard rain or thunderstorms. Her silence prompted elaboration.

“Sweeping in from Pandyssia. And reports from the Eastern Coast claim it’s… off. Unnatural. Though I suppose all reports of the ‘unnatural’ from Whitecliff should be taken with a grain of salt…”

Oliver listened intently, but he always did. His features twisted in concern, eyes flickering between them. He was contemplating, his gaze shifting around the room as if desperately searching for an answer in the air before him. Had he been in the Void, perhaps it would have worked exactly like that. Perhaps he wouldn't need to put all of the pieces of the puzzle onto a table and assemble them shard by shard. What was worse was that they were missing edges and corners, the ensemble was incomplete, they didn't have the full story.

Hearing about the heart again made his chest tighten and he recognized that feeling as guilt. He could remember haunting Pierro Joplin's dreams, influencing him to sew together flesh and sinew, mold it with metal and wire until it was part mechanism and part living, merging into one abominable amalgamation of love and torturous confusion. He remembered the day the empress' voice carried through walls of thumping skin, when she spoke to him with such kindness and warmth as if coddling a child. Even then, at his worst, he could feel her warmth through layers of ice that coated the whisper of humanity he still had.

He wanted to tell Emily so many things. He wanted to rake his fingers through her hair and reveal to her all of the secrets in the world. But he had a job to do. And hopefully, a whole life ahead of him.

He stood suddenly, from his seat at the fireplace, pulling the map of Isles off of the wall and prying it out of the frame hurriedly. His movements were sporadic because for once he wasn't planning them or compensating, not three steps ahead of himself. Not paced or stiff-backed. He laid it out on Emily's desk, knocking several items to the floor but not seeming to care.

"The Void is, in its most rudimentary form, an immense mass of raw, undirected, cataclysmic power," he explained, his voice lower, losing the sharp edges, the sultry undertones. "Without a representative, there is no means of translating that energy into the world. There is no connection, no common ground in which it can safely tamper with society and the direction that fate takes. Which would be acceptable if not for the gaping cracks in the world where oblivion seeps into reality, dripping down the walls like muddy rainwater on a stormy night. The Void is-" He was drawing on the map, taking the files that Corvo had set down and beginning to mark locations down hastily.

"The Void is a storm. The Void is a fearsome entity clawing its way into the realm of the living without realizing that there is no balance between these two domains. The Void is alone and some might even say that it is angry, hungrily devouring any life that it can take and snuffing out candles in the night — blotting out the moon and the stars, the clouds in the sky and leaving nothing but nothing in its wake, it is-" He furrowed his brows, eyes widening, locks of hair falling into his face as the picture became clearer.

"...starving," he whispered, staring down at all of the incidents. "...Did you know," he slowly stood straight and his brows furrowed, "six out of ten students that attend the Academy of Natural Philosophy are deeply intrigued by the nature and composition of the Void?" He glanced up at the two of them, swallowing softly, all too aware of the cluster of marks.

Still, he felt the other even when he wasn't looking, even though it wasn't marked on the map. The notch in the hills where the mines were rich with silver and the grounds were tainted with the blood of the innocent. He tried not to look there, though. He'd put his past behind him.

Emily was rather taken aback by the surge of motion, and as he moved and spoke she felt a thrumming in her very bones — a creeping dread, a chill that seemed to approach from the east, racing faster than the storm. Cataclysmic power. She’d been in the Void, and there she’d experienced its electric tension, this feeling that it was always ready to strike even when things seemed slow or frozen. There was an energy that hung in the air and inhabited every slab of stone, silent screams condensed to an eerie hum. The dreams had only added to her wariness of the place — the thing. No, not wariness: terror. The purest form of fear she had ever experienced.

“Are you implying that this storm has been… summoned? Called here by students?” Corvo’s brow was furrowed, and Emily shared his confusion, though she found it hard to concentrate on his words.

Her mind buzzed angrily, a series of questions and anxieties, and as she closed her eyes to take a deep breath, calm herself, she could’ve sworn she saw the storm itself for a brief moment. She didn’t jump, muscles tensing and holding her body still despite her surprise, but her eyes had opened again in an instant. She wanted to reach for him - slip off her gloves and weave fingers with his, chase off these chilling thoughts - but that wouldn’t solve anything.

Ignoring her father’s question she flexed gloved hands and asked, “What can we do? How can we prepare?”

“There has to be a person causing this, or a group — a cult? Another group like the Eyeless? If we find them, maybe we can stop this.” Corvo spoke logically, but she knew there was no logic to the Void.

Oliver went to answer Corvo's question but his eyes darted to Emily's form, the way she shuddered and looked away, clearly uncomfortable, clearly conflicting with herself. He furrowed his brows at the sight and quickly composed himself. Becoming unhinged was not an option, he knew Emily was a very empathetic person, whether she realized it or not. The last thing he wanted to do was contribute to her stresses.

He stepped forward away from the desk, sitting beside her once more at the small table that'd been brought in for their breakfast. His hand found hers, settling over it carefully. It was a subtle gesture, but the least he could do was let her know he was there. "No the students aren't summoning it... Not knowingly. The last remaining cults teeter off the edges of society, loose and hopeless. The Eyeless were the most prominent - the most funded - without them in power anymore, the other cults are dwindling in numbers. Natural philosophers will travel far and wide, to the outermost reaches of the empire and beyond to retrieve information that might better their understanding of the world and its workings. They seek knowledge, not power. Conquering the Void is not their aim, instead it is rather to comprehend something incomprehensible."

Oliver sat back in his chair and closed his eyes, taking a moment to think before speaking again. "So they surround themselves with artifacts and trinkets they find scattered around the Isles, my Mark carved into their ancient surfaces. Names have power and I believe the two of you understand that far more than the vast majority. In this case, the saying is quite literal. My runes and bonecharms provide the Void with tiny cracks in the slab from which it may spill out into reality. Typically, I could control that. I was its mediator, the one who directed the power, the one who determined who would act as the windows between worlds as to keep it at bay. But now the Void is empty, desolate, with no consciousness to be at one place at one time, no representative to speak for its vast, benign plains."

His hand eased some of her tension, but not nearly as much as she’d like. Emily closed her eyes, wanting to wrap herself around him as she had that horrible night — but this wasn’t a dream. This wasn’t the Void in her mind, these were the facts of the world. She shook her head, blinking her eyes back open even as the ice in her bones spread. Six in ten. Curiosity that welcomed the Void, tried to explore it — it wasn’t something they could just stop. The Abbey had been trying for centuries, and what good had it done them? Her head cocked to the side for a moment, though her hope was slim. “What about the music boxes?” It wouldn’t stop the storm - she doubted anything could - but maybe if they applied strategic placement they could prevent a death or two. Weaken the ties artifacts held to the Void. But no, that would cause an uproar. Her reign had been particularly generous with the Academy, particularly fond of invention and study, perhaps a bit too lenient on heresy in the halls of scholarship; an invasion like that would anger a lot of people. Important people.

Drawing away from his comforting grasp, she found her head in her hands, incredibly weary. She wouldn’t ask for comfort, as much as she wanted it. She was drawing into herself again. She had to endure this, she had to be strong — the figurehead of the Empire. Her face went smooth, stony, chin rising as her hands folded neatly in front of her. No time for self-pity. No time for moping. It was time for planning and action.

He thought again, piecing things together in his mind, struggling to pull apart the information he had to work with and assemble some kind of answer. But he knew far too well how difficult it was to explain something as ambiguous as the Void. "Music boxes wouldn't work the way you'd like them to. They might distort the Void, but really, all they can do is fracture the intimate bond between a Marked and the energy that leaks through the Void and into them. They do not banish the Void completely, that would be impossible. What the Void seeks is equilibrium: as above, so below. It needs a counterbalance. Otherwise it would just swallow the world completely."

Oliver stopped when he caught sight of her movements, not continuing. His eyes flickered over her form and though he was obviously concerned, there was something else gleaming in his gaze. A mixture of things - admiration, yearning, desire - brows knitted together against his forehead. She was so resilient, even when the odds were against her she held her chin high, she spoke with voice unwavering, a tongue so sharp it could cut through diamonds. It was baffling, how someone so incredibly strong inside and out could be reduced to breathy moans and hushed desperation.

He was so lost in thought that the moment itself escaped him. He memorized her features, her jawline, her neck still faintly discolored by the force of his lips, her almond eyes and carefully shaped brows, the raise of her cheek bones, the bow of her lips. Everything in the wavering light of candles and a dying fireplace. Gorgeous. She was the most graceful creature he'd ever laid eyes on, like a roaming feline on the golden plains of the Pandyssian continent. She never fit in amongst nobles, her features too bold, her movements too methodical; she was a gem amongst rubble.

Emily stared at steady hands as she listened, distantly wondering if she might turn to stone herself if she stayed still enough. Would it be a relief, to be stone as Corvo had been? He never talked about his time trapped as Delilah’s statue. She’d never felt brazen enough to ask. She knew it hurt him to speak of those days - of his failure as Royal Protector - and it wasn’t necessary for her to see the pain twist his features for her sake.

She focused on her breath, counting as she breathed in and out, letting his words enter a calm mind. Balance. That made sense. The Void needed a touch of their world as much as their world needed a touch of the Void. All things in equilibrium. It lacked a counterbalance.

…So they needed to provide one.

She wasn’t happy about the prospect, but could had to wonder of Corvo’s feelings on the matter. She glanced to her father to find-

He stared at the man beside her, mouth in a tight scowl. But not in concern. He looked angry. Or just… thoroughly irked. Glaring furiously. She turned as well, even as Corvo cleared his throat vigorously, only to find a pair of pale green eyes dazedly staring at her... neck?

She felt a slight blush creeping from her chest, and adjusted the fabric against her skin, pursing her own lips as she quickly looked away. And they’d been doing so well.

Corvo cleared his throat again, louder, and she shot her own glare at him.

“Father, I thought we already discussed this-” Her tone was warning, but it didn’t do much good.

“Let the man defend himself, Emily, he’s not your pet — stop treating him like one.”

She felt affronted. How dare he. Her mouth opened to say something, but she felt at a loss for words. Corvo hadn’t even spared her a glance, his eyes still trained on Oliver. Words raced through her head, perching on her tongue, ready to call her father out for the way he was treating Oliver — the way he was treating her.

The clearing of a throat didn't reach his ears the first time. He wasn't focused on her neck itself so much as the entirety of her. He wanted to capture her where she stood. While he still had the privilege of doing so. It was only when she spoke up against her father that he snapped out of his reverie. His eyes shot towards Corvo, the look in his eyes almost venomous.

He spoke before she could, "I favored you Corvo Attano, when the streets ran with muddied waters and scattered limbs gnawed by plague rats. I gifted you with the ability to change the tides of fate and save Emily Kaldwin from perverse nobility and asked for nothing in return. I respected the rules you set in place, I acted accordingly from the moment I stepped foot into the tower and had I not met Emily by pure chance and chance alone, I would not have sought her out before you granted me permission. Now I am not asking, I am demanding that you, and please pardon my language, get the fuck off my back. I am not younger than you, I am not your subordinate, you may be Royal Protector, but I am four thousand years old, and excuse me for being so bold but I think I am a damn fine candidate to court your daughter so long as she, an adult might I add, is consenting," he snapped, brows furrowed dangerously, hands gripping the edge of the table so hard his knuckles were turning white.

Had the circumstances been different, he would have held his tongue. But now he knew what had to be done. He knew exactly what was necessary to stop all of this. Which meant ultimately that the life he envisioned would never come to fruition. He wouldn't learn by experience, he wouldn't taste all of the flavors life had to offer him, suffer blissfully through the mundane hardships of the average man. Most importantly, he wouldn't be growing old with Emily, as he had imagined himself doing, regardless of whether or not they were romantic. He just wanted to be at her side, he yearned for her presence. If he bored her and she took another suitor, he would accept that. But what he could not accept was that even after all of these years, Corvo hadn't shown the slightest bit of gratitude, or at the very least, some form of respect.

He didn't want to be treated like a god, revered or given special treatment. But he wanted to be treated like an equal. Frankly, he had no idea what Corvo had against him. Part of him suspected it was the dogma of the Abbey, another part of him felt something indescribable. An emotion that nestled between guilt and sorrow. He knew things, like the locations of hidden treasures, the great adventures of lost heroes, or the lonely life of the Royal Protector who still hadn't taken on another romance after the deep intimacy he shared with Jessamine. Who's only reason to wake up in the morning was the future of his pride and joy, Emily Kaldwin.

Emily’s brows shot up and she turned undeniably surprised eyes on Oliver as he spoke. She… hadn’t been expecting that. In the least. She found a small smile coming - unbidden - at his choice of language, and she bit her lips to keep them closed, though the lift in them was still evident. As he went on, she found herself oddly proud of him. Some smug part of her was reminded of her own sentiments; he didn’t need Corvo’s permission, he needed hers. There was a long tense pause. She found herself gazing at him in wonder for a moment before glancing to Corvo for his response.

He had a wry smile on his lips, eyes alight, and when he spoke it was to Emily, though his eyes only flicked away from Oliver briefly, his voice no gruffer than usual. “As I said… Let him defend himself.” He didn’t seem angry. If anything, he looked affirmed, as though he’d been waiting for such a response — though there was certainly a touch of amusement in his expression, even if no one but Emily would be able to spot it.

She wondered if he had wanted such a reaction — not necessarily an outburst, but perhaps just some push back. A curious part of her wondered if it was some kind of test. After all: Emily herself was often quite adamant. Maybe he wanted Oliver to prove he could stand up in the face of someone as intimidating as the Royal Protector. She had, admittedly, been a bit blindsided by his assertiveness. ...Maybe she had been a bit… over-protective.

Corvo finally looked to her pointedly, raising an eyebrow, but didn’t respond to Oliver. And it seemed he didn’t plan to.

Her eyelids twitched a moment as she resisted rolling her eyes, running her tongue over the back of her teeth to keep her childish exasperation from voicing itself. “...Well.” Her voice held just a touch of sarcasm. “If you don’t mind, my time is limited. Can we return to the matter at hand?” She didn’t wait for an answer, instead looking down at her hands, her voice with a forced casual lilt. “If possible, I’d prefer not to sentence some poor human to thousands of years of torture and torment. Aside from the cruelty of it, there’s also no way to guarantee they’ll be… well… not Delilah. Do we have alternatives?”

Admittedly, he hadn't seen that coming. His emotions clouded his foresight and judgment, especially when Emily was involved. He sat back and let out a small sigh, eyes flickering to her when she finally spoke and broke the awful, somewhat awkward silence that'd fallen between them.

He felt like a weight had been lifted. Though not nearly as heavy as the burden of most likely having to return to the Void, it was at the very least comforting, He was grateful — for both of them, for Billie Lurk, and even Daud, the whispered name still lingering in his ear, against the length of his neck. The breath had been cold, it smelled like wet stone after a rain in the Month of Harvest.

In these few days, if he'd learned anything, it was to respect himself. Though perhaps he was a less suitable candidate for courting now that he was probably sentenced to another several thousand years in a vast, boundless oblivion. The thought made his stomach turn, made his fingertips ache and twitch just faintly. His mouth was dry, his throat was tight. He visibly tensed as though his father's hand were there, lingering and threatening to fall against his cheek until he saw red. He pushed past that, though.

Months ago, he would have rather slit his own throat than step foot in the Void ever again, the mere thought alone sent him into a trembling stupor. But now? Knowing that he had to, knowing it was a necessity, well aware that there wasn't much time left, there was no other choice.

"... The solution is perfectly clear Emily. There were eight that I marked, connected to the Void by the tether I tied to them. Touched by another world. One of them could take my place, but this is my choice. I am choosing not to subject another to the cruelties of that existence, it's simple... I'll return. The balance will be restored, the Abbey will have its whipping boy, the cogs of the universe will turn as though brand new, perhaps even better than before... And you will be the best empress the Isles have ever seen." He spoke evenly, despite the tension building, despite his eyes that flickered away from the conversation or the way he twiddled his thumbs beneath the table.

Emily stared at him, her brow furrowing slightly, looking mildly confused. She blinked.

“No.”

It wasn’t said vehemently, or passionately, just spoken as though correcting someone who’d just claimed the sky was yellow. And she was correcting him. Because what he said was obviously not true. He said eight. Her, Corvo, Daud, Delilah, and… four others. Which meant at least one of those four could easily still be out there.

Perhaps following the path of the storm? It would hit Dunwall, of course - and they would really have to come up with some tower defenses, if they were in need of them - but maybe there were other cities it was hitting especially hard. She could choose a few trusted agents to search — maybe Billie could help, with her… odd gifts. Send out agents, find the other four Marked - however many remained - and choose a sacrifice. She didn’t like the idea of sacrificing anyone, but if she had to do so it certainly wasn’t going to be anyone in this room.

She turned to Corvo, ready to issue the order, and found him looking at Oliver with narrowed eyes, face inscrutable. All traces of amusement were gone from his face, but so were all hints of anger. He couldn’t truly be considering this an option, could he? It wasn’t. It wasn’t an option; it was ridiculous. Oliver may have thought he knew everything, but he was a pessimist — a self-hating tortured soul with a martyr complex. A masochist. She’d find another way, and he couldn’t dissuade her. She was the Empress of the Isles. And if she needed to lock him up to keep him from his stupid suicidal savior plans, she would. Keep him safe. For as long as it took to find someone else.

Or until the world ends.

The thought was dismissed immediately. No. The world wasn’t going to end. This was a complex problem but it had a simple solution. They just needed to get started as soon as possible.

“We need agents to start searching for the other four Marked-”

“Three.”

She faltered. “Three?”

Corvo hadn’t looked away from Oliver. “The other three Marked. One of the four is dead already.”

He was disconcertingly certain of that fact.

“...Three, then. Find who we can. Choose a sacrifice. Start looking for other places of odd occurrences.” She turned to Oliver. “Who else did you Mark?” Her voice remained level — calm, self-assured. But in a corner of her mind she was already planning to make him promise. To promise her not to do it himself. To give it time. If he- ...If he felt about her, the way he claimed to - and she was very nearly positive he did - he would promise her. They may not have much time, but they had time. The storm wasn’t the end, just a harbinger. They had time.

Oliver quietly decided to himself that they most definitely did not have as much time as Emily most likely thought they did. The storm was the end. He could make no promises.

But he could entertain her. He could play her game, as it was more convenient than having her order him into a prison from which he'd have to escape. He knew how much she valued those close to her, as well as the lengths she'd go to keep them safe.

His eyes, pale green hues, shifted towards Corvo and an almost knowing expression painted his features. His voice was quieter, and took on a certain tone. It could have been defeat, or perhaps it was acceptance. He knew his fate. Emily had given him the literal time of his life. He owed her this much, to give her these final days in return. To express how deeply he felt for the Empress of the Isles, Emily Kaldwin. He was amused if anything, by how the most intriguing hero in all of the Isles could be so fundamentally flawed. Humans: such intricate little things.

"...Two," he clarified, glancing between them. He did not open his lips to talk of the lonely rat boy that spent his days wandering the streets of Gristol. Begging, knees knobby from the weight of himself against the pavement and clothing worn and tattered, falling apart where he stood while noble folk looked to him and tilted their chins skyward, scoffing in distaste. It was a story he didn't think they'd want him to recall, though he had many of those he kept locked away within him, relished memories of the past that he clung to even in this pitifully limited form he now took.

Instead, he settled with a moment of silence, reverence for the small child that he related to. He, a cold, calloused monstrosity of the Void, had been touched deeply by the scavenging little street urchin whose shoes hardly fit and creaked as he stepped. "...There is one who remains in Serkonos. A member of the Oracular Order. Her name is Sianna Devries and she hides a dirty secret from her sisters, shrouded by a cloak comprised of the Void itself, distant and weary. She ages now, faster than before, she notices that her bones aren't what they used to be, that her skin has begun to loosen along the shrinking muscles and tendons. She is your best bet at winning this race," he explained, leaning forward and setting his chin on clasped hands.

He was lying to her and it was genuinely painful, a deep aching at the center of his chest. But in her state of delusion she would likely grasp at any straw, or the very thought of that straw existing. He needed to get to Shindaerey Peak, he needed to seal the crack in the slab; he couldn't do that behind her bars. Finding his remaining Marked ones would be near impossible within the amount of time they had left, which was a little more than a week, week and a half at best. He wasn't even certain they were still alive.

Two. Just two. And from that, a single name. Her hope had dwindled to a small thread, but it rushed ever stronger for it: a river that could pass through the eye of a needle. She couldn’t give up now. She clung to this last scrap of information, mind already making plans. Pulling a blank piece of paper toward her, she scrabbled for a writing utensil and immediately began marking things down. “Then you’re off to Serkonos to find her.”

They’d need to take the fastest ships they had, as soon as possible. Tomorrow morning, probably, just for the sake of acquiring a crew. She knew Corvo had some sailors on his payroll, though perhaps not enough to fully staff a ship, but this was a mission about speed. A small ship would do, if it was quick. She needed to make him promise as soon as possible. Even then… “Corvo, you’ll go with him.”

Corvo looked to her, blinking that intense concentration from his eyes as he took in what his daughter said. “Emily, I can’t leave you here alone-”

“I’ll be fine,” she snapped, before clamping teeth down on her lip and leveling her voice. “You’ll be quick - get in there, make the sacrifice, get back here as soon as possible - and everything will be fine.” She finished her quick notes and stilled her hand. One deep breath. Calm. Level. Don’t make this desperate. She glanced to her Royal Protector. “I’ve managed without you before, Father. I think I can survive a week or two.” She said it assuredly, but doubt did color the edges of her mind, no matter how much she refused to acknowledge it. Regardless: she’d live. She might suffer... but she’d live.

Corvo’s reluctance was undisguised, but the fire of her determination was visible enough that he seemed to bite his tongue. He hesitated, eyes flicking briefly to Oliver before returning to Emily. Eyes held hers for a heavy moment before he nodded, and uncrossed his arms, taking the few steps to lift Emily’s notes from the table. “I’ll go make the arrangements.”

She stopped him with a hand on his wrist, and he looked to her with a sharply focused gaze, that softened at the warmth in her eyes. “Thank you.” I love you. They may not have said it as often as they could, especially not in the company of others, but they both knew it. She saw his jaw tense, and she could tell he was holding himself back.

And then she could feel the moment he thought ‘fuck it’ and just slung his free hand around her and leaned down to press a kiss firmly to the top of her head. Her face automatically scrunched the way it had when he’d done such things when she was younger, but the smile still spread over her lips. His voice was low and the rumble comforting as he added, “We have to talk later, Emily. Alone.” She didn’t need to see his eyes to know he was shooting a look at Oliver, though she could only assume the intention of that look. A warning? A knowing glance? Her eyes were fixed on her own hands, the small smile still lingering as she wondered.

Oliver did not move from his spot at the table. He had just signed his life away, officially. All of the aspirations he had, the hopes for the future, to make the Empire better, greater than it ever had been before, vanished before him. Turned to dust, floating aimlessly off in the distance as though they were nothing but a dream he had many nights ago. He knew once he met with the Void again, all of this would feel that way. A bittersweet memory to look back on, that last glimmering sliver of humanity he would cling to until the icy fixtures of oblivion devoured the last remaining hope tucked away within him. He would remember her.

Her scent, her skin, her lips and those piercing dark eyes of hers. The way her lashes fluttered against his neck so pleasantly, the darkness his kisses left behind along the expanse of chest. Her voice, hands prepped for the ensemble of noblemen and public figures she met with routinely. She wore many masks but he was one of few to look upon her face and see a grin. That, he hoped, would be enough to bare another few thousand years in the Void, or however long he'd need to be there.

Watching the two of them made him feel just the slightest bit better about the situation, eyes flickering between them with a small grin tugging at his lips. In some odd way he was proud of Corvo, of what he'd accomplished and the tribulations he had to overcome. Everything for the sake of the empire, everything for the sake of his daughter. He'd endured so much and even at his ripe old age he still managed to watch over her, a crow on her shoulder, better than any well learned, up and coming guardsmen ever could. He truly was a marvel.

When he caught Corvo's gaze however, he felt his stomach drop. He knew that the Royal Protector was onto him. Emily had a wild imagination, at her most desperate she could be blinded by hope. But Corvo? Corvo was a realist, he was gifted with the ability to see things for what they were. Oliver knew he'd been seen through, but he did not wear an expression of fear, regret, or even remorse.

He looked defeated but peaceful, giving a single, slow nod to the elder and turning to focus on the flames that licked at the bricks of the fireplace, studying the way they danced along the wood below. How fragile it was, a bucket of water would reduce it to nothing but embers and smoke.

Perhaps he would have to speak with Corvo too, alone.

Another squeeze around her shoulders and Corvo excused himself, off to ready a vessel and crew, prepare for a voyage the next day. As the door closed, Emily turned her attention to Oliver.

“You have to promise me.” Her eyes burned into him, fiercely willful, and she grabbed for his hands, holding them in hers. She could feel the newly-formed callouses from his training, so different - so much more human - than how they’d felt in the Void. If he could just stay human. “You have to promise that you won’t follow through on this- this martyrdom fantasy.” She spoke the words with scorn thickly covering her anxiety.

Heart pounding angrily in her chest, she summoned every bit of authority she could manage. Her eyes were bright, perhaps eerily so, a mix of determination and desperation. Her words were firm. “I forbid you from sacrificing yourself.” You’ve already suffered enough. She would make Corvo promise, too. Corvo would wield the blade. Oliver was there to locate and confirm the identity of their target, maybe perform any ritualistic bits and pieces that might be necessary, but nothing more. He would not touch the weapon. She wouldn’t let him. He was self-destructive, and she needed to protect him from himself.

It was her eyes that broke him. Not the firmness in her voice, the demanding tone it took. It was the look she gave him, desperate but certain, confident and trembling. Even if he was a bit offended by his actions being reduced down to some "martyrdom fantasy," he understood her. He knew she only wanted to protect the few people she held dearest to her. He respected that. But he could not put aside the Empire because of some inexplicable attraction he had to her. More than the Empire: he could not betray every living soul in this waking world for the selfish desires he had in mind.

He was hesitant, gaze flickering over her features, hand slowly reaching up to meet her cheek, thumb brushing over her lips as he silently thought of his next words. He wore a steady expression, but it always faltered just a bit in her presence. He didn't respond to her, didn't even open his mouth to speak.

Frankly, he didn't want to have to leave her on a broken promise. So he was at a crossroads, on one hand he could tell her he wouldn't do what she very damn well knew he would and he could play into her hands and entertain her fantasy, or he could risk being locked away and watch the world crumble around him as they desperately struggled to find the last remaining Marked ones in the very little time they had left.

His silence was off-putting, and the longer he didn’t speak the further her heart moved up her throat. She could sense the blade hanging over them — a twin-bladed guillotine poised to fall. Eyes darted between his, and she could feel her walls crumbling even as she tried to keep calm. “Please.” Her voice was low, quiet, almost with the tone of a warning. She wouldn’t lose him. She couldn’t. It was silly, frivolous, trivial — these feelings that shouldn’t be there but were.

Her grip tightened and she looked down at their hands, closing her eyes as she tried to keep her emotions at bay. “Please.” Desperation colored her whispered words and creased her brow. She clenched her jaw, finally opening her eyes again to stare into his. She held his gaze as she slipped from her chair, falling to her knees at his feet, shaking her head. You can’t put me through this. Don’t put me through this. Her chest ached, and her throat was sore as all her energy went toward keeping her composure. The breath she drew was shaky, and her mouth opened to speak. “I-” She quickly shut it as she felt her voice waver, and she ducked her face, pressing her forehead to their interlocked hands. She could feel the tremor of her skin, but stood no chance of stilling her hands.

He wouldn’t promise her. But she needed him to tell her — to tell her it would be okay. She felt pathetic. But she was too selfish, too needy, to hate herself for it.

He wouldn’t swear to her. But maybe she could buy them some time. “Just-” Her words caught in her throat, and when they returned they were hoarse. “Just come back alive.” She wouldn’t ask him to swear not to do it. But to give it a chance, to put it off, to at least attempt another solution. She knelt at his feet like it was his empire: supplicant. Begging. Her voice was just above a whisper. “Please, Lir — just come back alive.”

Seeing her unhinged like this was disconcerting. Untangling her, reducing her to her rawest, most vulnerable point was fun in the right context, but now? Where she sat on her knees with her heart open to him, eyes full of desperation, he couldn't deny her that trivial luxury. A falsehood, a promise made to be broken. They were both most certainly aware of that.

But he caved in, his chest aching in guilt and sympathy and remorse, every negative aspect of getting close to someone all bundled up and knotting at the core of him like a stab from the inside out. He took a deep breath that trembled on his lips. His eyes flickered over her and in the lighting of the flames only feet away they took on an almost golden hue. "...I won’t leave you, Emily. I will return with my life. I will return for you." He spoke carefully, brows upturned, hands tightening around hers.

"But there is a chance, Emily, that none of this will work. That the whole world will come crumbling down around us even if I do manage to find her. If that's the case, this will be our last night. And I want you to know that I couldn't think of a better person to spend my last peaceful night with than the Empress herself..." He smiled bittersweetly, worrying the inside of his cheek with his teeth nervously.

He didn't know if it was the pressure of the situation or just her in general that spiked his anxiety, but now she wasn't the only one with quivering hands.

He could be lying to her. If he was being sensible he was — she was being horribly selfish, destructively so, but she wanted so desperately to believe him. To clutch at the smallest possible spark of hope and fan it into a roaring flame. She felt sick. Angry at herself, and angry at the world, and so so angry at the Void for putting her in this situation to begin with. This was why she didn’t get attached. Too much of her needed him. It was too dangerous. It was affecting her decision-making, but she couldn’t bring herself to take it back. She was aching, her chest feeling hollow, anxiety bubbling up into her throat, and the guilt ate at her but she forced it away with sheer reckless hope. Her mind wouldn’t even consider the alternative. No - it couldn’t comprehend an alternative; no words, no images formed. It wouldn’t happen. She wouldn’t let it.

...How could she possibly function for the rest of the day with this looming over her? Their last night? How was this fair? Her life had been completely overturned in less than a month. A whirlwind that had ripped through her and uprooted everything. Why was she feeling so damned much?

She had never been a pious person — to the Abbey, to the Outsider; she’d recited strictures to the satisfaction of her tutors, she’d plucked runes from altars but never knelt at them. But here, now, as the rage and sadness and loss and- ...and love devastated her, she averted her eyes and touched her lips to his hands like they were holy. She worshipped him for the briefest moment; not for being a god, but for being human.

Her eyes didn’t meet his as they struggled through the pain that throbbed in her. She strangled it. Destroyed it. Built up a levee of resolve and determined force that would endure. The small soft moment passed. She dropped his hands. Rising to her feet, raising her chin, there was fervent intensity in her set jaw and fierce gaze. She glanced down at him, every inch regal, and brought a hand to his cheek.

When she kissed him, it wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t yearning, it wasn’t hopeful, it wasn’t pleading. It was possessive. Protective. She wasn’t letting him go, and no one - nothing - could make her.

[livingcorner]

Weeding 101: How to Weed Your Garden | Fiskars

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by Chris Lambton

You're reading: Weeding 101: How to Weed Your Garden | Fiskars

I’m as good as anyone else at procrastinating on my chores and weeding certainly falls into the chore category in my book. Yes, I love gardening, but weeding isn’t exactly what I would call “a pleasure.” But over the years, despite my inclination to procrastinate, I’ve learned to not put off weeding. Because I realized, the longer you let those powerful, unwanted plants grow, the harder they become to take care of.

That’s why in this article, we’ll discuss:

Why Weeding the Garden is Important

Weeding Tips & Tricks >

The upside of my understanding? These days, just even thinking about having to weed harder and more often is usually enough to get me out in the garden, with the right tools for the job, taking care of weeds as they come, before they take over (and take over do they ever!).

Want to get ahead of the weeds in your garden? If you’re looking for tips on how to pull weeds, here are some of my most successful weeding ideas that give me a head start, keep this chore to a minimum and in some instances, actually even let me get ahead of the curve.

Read more: Small Vegetable Garden Ideas & Tips – Garden Design

Why is Weeding the Garden Important?

You may think that weeding is done purely for aesthetic reasons, intended to keep your garden and yard looking pretty. But in reality, these aggressive plants are invasive thieves.

Weeds tend to grow quickly, and they ultimately compete with other plants for space, moisture and nutrients. You plant your garden or yard carefully, thinking of spacing and sun, so when a destructive, thirsty weed enters the picture, you likely didn’t account for water and space that would be sucked up by your plants’ new neighbor. Even in terms of grass, when weeds pop up, they’re fighting your lawn for the water it so desperately needs, particularly in the hot summer months.

Weeding Tips & Tricks

Weeding may not be top on your list of fun-Saturday-morning-tasks (I know it’s not on mine), but if you use a few of these tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way, I promise you it can be less painful and quicker than you’re probably imagining.

Weed After Rain (or Water)

Wet or moist soil is soft and loose, so if you plan to pull weeds, doing so after a good rain or a healthy watering will make the chore much easier. Be careful walking on your wet dirt, though. Because it’s soft from the moisture, you want to make sure you’re not compacting the dirt down as you walk through your garden, which will make your task more difficult. You may want to lay down several pretty large, wide paver or stepping stones to give you a path to walk along as you work.

Choose the Right Tools

Having the right tools for weeding at your fingertips makes it a much, much faster job. And, having tools specific for your needs with you while you work means you’ll have an easy way to pull weeds that’s more efficient and less tiring. Not to mention, keeping your tools on hand means you eliminate having to walk back and forth to your garage or shed multiple times, which is a huge plus. If you’re tackling a big job in a space that’s been neglected for several seasons, I suggest the Fiskars® IsoCore

5lb Pick. It allows you to break up hard, rocky dirt without the achy muscles that would usually follow. I would also suggest the Fiskars® Long-handle Aluminum Hoe and Fiskars® Steel Extendable Rotary Cultivator to help break up really tough weeds.

For basic upkeep and maintenance, I never hit the dirt without my Fiskars® Big Grip Garden Knife. It’s the perfect go-to tool, whether you’re digging up or loosening soil, or lifting and removing root balls.

A Fiskars® Deluxe-Stand-up Weeder with four claws can save your back and your time. If you have an invasion of dandelions, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without this handy upright tool that removes all of these annoying lawn-invaders, right down to the root – so weeding lawn areas can be quick and easy. The Fiskars® Big Grip Weeder lets you dig and lift in one fell swoop, and it’s my go-to tool when dealing with pesky thorned or thistled plants.

Leave No Roots Behind!

Garden weeding will last longer and be much less infuriating if you get the entire plant, root and all. Just ripping and tearing the tops off your weeds isn’t going to do you any favors in the long run. Most weeds have the power to regenerate readily from left-behind roots – sometimes stronger than before. Use your Big Grip Knife or your Big Grip Weeder when you’re working in softer, loamy beds. You might even be able to make uprooting those weeds into a game for your kids.

Read more: Common Garden Skink – Ten Random Facts

Mulch as You Go

As you pull your weeds, have some quality composted mulch or wood chips on hand to spread over your newly exposed soil right away. Pulling weeds often disturbs buried weed seeds, and that disturbance can bring seeds up to the surface where sunlight exposure may awaken them, leading to germinating more weeds – which means more work! By spreading a few inches of mulch over the area you just finished weeding using the Fiskars® Ergo D-handle Steel Garden Fork, seeds won’t have as much of a chance, but any powerful perennials under the soil will still burst right on through. Always remembers to smooth out your mulch with the Fiskars® Garden Rake to ensure a professional look.

Clean Up

One of the hardest aspects of weeding for many gardeners is the last part of the job – the clean-up. You’re tired, you’re likely hot and you just want to be done for the day. But making this part of the job as you go means you won’t have to walk through a second time, repeating your steps to catch all the unwanted garden-visitors you’ve just pulled. Dragging along a stand-up Fiskars® Kangaroo® Garden Bag that’s lightweight and sturdy is well worth your time – it won’t collapse on you and makes collecting weeds as you move through your yard a snap.

Repeat

Rather than setting lofty and unrealistic goals like “I’ll pull every weed in the garden this weekend,” setting smaller, achievable goals like spending an hour weeding a specific area, an hour mulching over it and a half hour cleaning up makes the task at hand seem more manageable. Once you meet that goal, take on another small area and chip away, or take the rest of the day off to relax in your garden and enjoy it. Next weekend or after work on a long summer evening, you can another hour or two out there doing just a bit at a time. This way, you’re able to recharge and stay on top of those chores. Once you’ve gone all the way through, you can circle back and repeat the process. A little trick I use is spot-checking. I scan every time I’m watering, pulling any weeds I see as I walk through my yard. I don’t go crazy or spend a ton of time, but I do pull anything within eyesight any time I’m out there – this tactic cuts down on my actual time spent weeding – and believe me, the less time I’m weeding, the better!

Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/weeding-101-how-to-weed-your-garden-fiskars/

[feynites]

*sneaks this onto @selenelavellan‘s desk while muttering something about pretty men and swords*

The ambush is unexpected.

 Of course, if it were expected, it would not have been an ambush.

 The only warning that they get is the rippling of the Dreaming. Dirthamen pauses, and grasps his brother by the arm to halt him, too. Falon’Din stops the procession, but turns to him with evident annoyance.

 “What?”

 “The air is wrong,” Dirthamen supplies, for lack of better words.

 Falon’Din shrugs off his touch.

 “A large spirit passed through…”

 “No.”

That had been his first thought, too, but the quality of the air is wrong for it. A large spirit would leave behind impressions. Echoes to dance between the trees or flit up towards the clouds. Some large magic was done here, and in the moment when Dirthamen realizes that it is still being done - it breaks.

 The illusion spell crashes down as two dozen elves, armed to teeth, descend upon them.

 There is no further time for speculation, then, as the need to fight takes over. Falon’Din roars at the troops accompanying them and begins casting his spells, as Dirthamen summons up a barrier, and focuses on the magic he can still feel. More illusions. There is a second-

 Another spell collapses. Another dozen warriors descend.

 Too slow.

 He does not even have his weapon drawn, yet, when a burst of magic collides with his barrier and breaks it with jarring efficiency. Their attackers do not outnumber them, but as six of their warriors fall, their numbers prove a futile advantage. The chaos of battle steals over them, then, too close and fierce to permit them to cast large spells, or gain the distance needed for a withdrawal. Dirthamen attempts to cast but is forced to skitter backwards as a blade slices through the air where his arm had been. He draws his shortsword, and meets the next attack.

 It falls with enough force to make his teeth rattle. His form shifts, accordingly; body growing armoured and sharp, extra limbs sprouting from his back, and drawing the weapons at his side. He has to focus on coordinating his form, as his brother casts a spell that eviscerates one of their assailants, and then drives his spear through another. But the ambush has yielded too many advantages to their foes; more of their guard falls.

 Falon’Din curses. Their link bends, and Dirthamen knows what he will do before he does it.

 It is a bad decision. But they may not have good ones, in this moment where choices must be made faster than can be accounted for.

 The narrow pass they had been traversing shakes as his brother takes on his draconic shape. His body twists and his scales gleam, his wings unfurl and his breath erupts from a mouth that is still shifting, spewing acidic, fiery poison across their enemies and allies alike. Dirthamen’s opponent screams in fury. A tall elf, masked, with an aura that crackles like fire. He attempts to steal the opening and strike her, but even with her anguished cry still on her lips, she thwarts his blow.

 The ground trembles.

 Up in the sky, an unfamiliar dragon roars.

 Falon’Din, sensing the source of their attack and the true, most singular enemy at hand, takes off with enough rush of acrid breath. His claws rake the pass and the rush of wind from his wings knocks even Dirthamen from his feet. His brother flies determinedly towards the enemy.

 Dirthamen knows he is meant to follow.

 But the terrain around them was never meant to be subjected to the energies and physical forces that have just torn through it. There is no room for him to shift without killing yet more of their own people, and in the moment of his hesitation, the rock wall alongside the pass gives way. Boulders follow the same route as their attackers. The impulse to go after his brother and the impulse to defend their allies and the impulse to fend off his opponent all collide, tangling, and his opponent suffers fewer doubts.

 A rush of conjured flame slams him backwards, into the path of the falling rocks. Dirthamen’s decision is made as he summons a barrier to prevent them all being immediately crushed. His arms strain and his magic flares and crackles, and his form shifts and shrinks, warping into something more malleable. The rockslide worsens as something smashes into the mountain above. He feels the tremors, feels his brother’s pain, and hears the roaring of dragons.

 He needs to leave.

 But he cannot move.

 The situation is so excruciating in its familiarity that in the end it takes him far too long to recollect that he can repel the boulders. In a rush, then, he does so, sending them rocketing further down the path, and barely making it to his feet before his same opponent catches him again.

 The roars sound more distant as Dirthamen’s shortsword is knocked from his hand.

 “Bastard!” his assailant cries. “False god! You will pay for their lives!”

 Her attacks are fast, and licked with flame. It ignites the poison lingering in the air around them, as Dirthamen reels back, and switches one of his spare blades to his dominant hand. He tries to cast a spell, but the air is warping in the aftermath of Falon’Din’s dragon breath, and it flies wild. Once again, then, he is left staggering and shifting his form, attempting to meet the furious blows that are raining down upon him. Most of the other combatants are succumbing to the poisoned air, but the woman attacking does not slow. Nor does she relent, as he falls back, and then back again, searching for ground he can fight upon, for spells that will sing true. He grows extra limbs as he needs them, but a full transformation would take time that she refuses to grant him. Every second he stops is another moment in which the sharpened edge of her weapon rains downwards, or in which a blast of flame steals the breath from his lungs.

 His attacker is no Keeper, but she is besting him.

Dirthamen does not think it is appropriate, under the circumstances, for him to be impressed. But it is still impressive, so it does not matter either way. Her shape does not even shift or change, and in a moment when it finally seems as if she might at last be slowing, she lets loose a terrible shout of rage and anguish, and slams a leg against his side in a kick that is forceful enough to send him spinning over the ground.

 Dirthamen lands further down the path. As his body hits the dirt, he feels the snap of a magical trap close around him.

 Oh.

…That is not good.

 The air is thick. As if, in a column around him, it has become very deep water instead. His form is forced into its default shape so abruptly that it is nauseating. Through the bond with Falon’Din, he feels flares of stark pain and fear, and an urgency that he suspects indicates his brother is fleeing. His magic is severed from his fingertips. Just-beyond-reach, just far enough that Dirthamen supposes his fate is sealed. He attempts to narrow his connection to his brother, to minimize the damage to him, as he struggles to get himself up onto his knees.

 His vision blurs for several minutes.

 His head pounds.

 And after a moment, he becomes aware of the steady sound of footsteps, and the rasp of heavily drawn breaths. Blood trickles down his neck. His muscles ache, and so do his bones, straining from the pain of being forced into his default form. After a moment, the trap saps enough of the magic away from him that his mask can no longer remain affixed to his face. It falls to the ground in front of his knees.

 He sees a pair of booted feet stop just outside the ring of the trap.

 There is a long pause. Dirthamen spends it walling himself further away from his brother. The nature of the trap helps. He has failed, but in terms of mitigating the consequences, he thinks he has done what he can. He sees a gleam of silver, and feels hard, cold starmetal press against the underside of his chin.

 The weapon forces his head up.

 Dirthamen blinks at the woman who has bested him. She is framed by the sunset. Her own mask has been lost, somewhere. Her green eyes are bright, and her expression is hard. He lets himself feel some admiration for her. Perhaps even something else, harder to name. She has beaten him - whoever she is. It is over, now, and there is almost a strange relief in that. Dirthamen does not wish to die, but he is not certain he has accomplished much by living, either. But now the matter has been taken out of his hands.

 No more decisions to make.

 No more mistakes.

 She is a beautiful executioner, he thinks, as her gaze bores into his own. Dirthamen finds he does not wish to close his eyes. He stares back, and waits. For the moment when she will move her blade. For the finishing blow, that is destined to fall.

 He waits, and waits. The blade lowers from his chin. The woman sucks in ragged breaths, and then bursts into coughs.

 “Shit,” she swears. “Stop looking at me like that!”

 Dirthamen blinks, and then obligingly averts his gaze.

 “My apologies,” he says, as the woman’s coughing clears. It is harder to kill someone when they are looking at you, ostensibly. He had forgotten that. How inconsiderate of him. He keeps his gaze down, but after a few minutes, the blow still does not fall.

 When he ventures a look up again, the woman is staring angrily down at him.

 “Why did you apologize?” she demands.

 Again, Dirthamen blinks.

 “I did not realize I was being discourteous…” he ventures.

 There is another pause. He cannot deduce much of the quality of this silence. The woman’s brows furrow, and her hand tightens on the hilt of her blade. It is a good weapon, he notes. There are only a few of their enemies with the resources to forge starmetal. Most likely, this is the Coalition of clans who the empire has branded unspeakable. Nameless.

 Or it is a single clan, which has somehow gone unaccounted for in the past centuries of conflict. A thing his mother had greatly worried over, he knows.

 He does not suppose it will matter much. He cannot leave the information in the Dreaming, trapped as he is, and he will not live to report back.

 After a moment, he lowers his eyes again, and obligingly leans forward to better expose his neck.

 He hears a few more heavy breaths.

 “...Fuck,” his opponent then exclaims. There is a loud clatter, and her weapon strikes the dirt outside the barrier.

 …Interesting approach.

 “Are you not going to kill me?” he wonders, confused.

 “...No,” the woman says. And then repeats, more firmly. “No. I am not giving you the satisfaction. You are coming back as my prisoner. I have you trapped, and what good is a trap if I do not make full use of it? I am sure you will have… plenty of… of… things of… you are my prisoner! Death is too good for you!”

 She levels a stern finger at him.

 Dirthamen ventures a nod.

 It seems his situation is even more dire than he had anticipated.

[kitcarlklehm]

kit klehm Excellent Advice For The Beginning Organic Gardener

kit klehm Top service provider. Today, organic gardening is an incredibly popular hobby and career that is emerging. The demand for products that come from organic grown plants and crops is numerous. Now is the time to enter into it. Here are some tips that you can use to get started with your organic gardening strategies.

Don't over-plant your produce. If you plant more of a particular variety than you can use, store, and give away, it will simply go to waste. Plan out your garden so that you will have enough, without planting so much that your efforts will simply end up getting thrown away or rotting on the vine.

Choose perennials that slugs are not attracted to. Slugs and snails will quickly destroy your garden if you let them. Young plants with susceptible leaves are favorite meals for slugs, including those with smoother or thinner leaves. You can discourage snails and slugs from eating your perennials by choosing plants with tougher or distasteful foliage. These varieties include achillea, helleborus, heuchera, euphorbia, and campanula.

kit klehm Expert tips provider.Give your flower beds a boost by introducing annuals and biennials. These fast growth plants make flower beds vibrant, and they let you alter the appearance seasonally and annually. You can fill any spaces between shrubs and perennials when they are in the sun. Some of these that you might consider are petunias, marigolds and sunflowers. If those are not flowers you like, you can also try cosmos, holyhocks or rudbeckias.

Check for weeds often in your garden as they will leech nutrients from the soil. Weeds can grow at a high rate of speed and overwhelm the resources available to your plants. Take the time to check for weeds at least twice a week to catch them while they are new shoots.

Spend the additional money to fence in your garden. You are about to make real investment in time and money to create a garden of your own, but it can all go to waste through the stomping feet of playful children, pets and other small animals. Protect your investment with a small fence that keeps the kids and critters out.

Use water efficiently as possible. One of the most precious resources in the world today is fresh water. It just cannot be wasted, so the use of mulch and soaker hoses are an efficient way to minimize the impact of the garden on the water supply. Consider having a rain barrel near the garden to capture and save rainwater for a minimal impact garden.

When you're picking vegetables from your garden, choose to harvest them when they are at the peak of ripeness for the best flavor and the most nutrition. It is best to pick vegetables and fruits in the early morning, because they are still full of moisture and nutrients. With only a few exceptions, anything that you're not going to use right away can then be preserved by chilling in the refrigerator.

Recycle your coffee grounds and use them to acidify the soil for all of your acid loving plants. Plants that like an acidic soil include roses, tomatoes, cyclamen, violets, gardenias, begonias and hibiscus. Apply the grounds approximately one quarter inch thick for the best results. If you don't care for coffee, leftover tea will produce the same results.

Grow heather so that you can attract useful insects. Heather is very attractive to bees, and when bees first emerge in the spring, it is an early source of nectar. Heather beds are also attractive to bugs such as spiders and ground beetles that will kill pests. Because of this, don't forget to protect your hands when pruning heather beds.

When taking an organic path to control garden pests, try to build up the soil to allow healthy microbes to flourish. Earthworms are also very important to organic gardening and they should be encouraged to stay in the soil. When the soil is unhealthy, it is not as resistant to pests.

If you live in the city, you can still reap the benefits of organic gardening through container gardening. Herbs especially will thrive in indoor pots, as long as they are large enough. Container gardening can be easier than outdoor gardening when going organic, as there is less risk of exposure to insect pests or weeds.

Be sure that you have earthworms in your soil. Earthworms are vital to good organic gardening, because they aerate the soil. Also, the by-products of earthworm digestion are actually great plant food. Earthworms encourage soil bacteria that provide needed nutrients to your plants while competing with harmful insect pests, reducing the need for chemical pesticides and fertilizers.

kit klehm Skilled tips provider.You should put chives around flower beds as it is a natural insect repellant. Flies, aphids and other pests are easily repelled using simple herbs like chives. Chives can be grown or can be purchased as any grocery store. Place a generous amount around the roses and notice the bugs stay at bay.

Make mulch spreading easier with the right tools. After laying out the mulch, use a flat-headed rake to efficiently spread the manure around. The tines of the rake help pull the mulch and spread it, while the flat side of the rake evens out the area. Use the rake with a pushing and pulling motion.

Embrace earthworms in the organic garden! Earthworms are an organic gardener's best friend. Through tunneling and their nitrogen-rich castings, they can help to aerate the soil. This improves the amount of oxygen that gets to a plant's roots, improves water retention capacity, and keeps the soil loose and workable. They actually raise much-needed minerals from the garden's subsoil to the topsoil, where plants can get the greatest benefit. These worms also break up hardpan soil, which is detrimental to root growth.

You should now see why this hobby and career is very popular. There is a lot that you can do in it. There is lots of information on how to start enjoying the benefits of it. By following these tips, you are well on your way to becoming a successful organic gardener.

[marybromley]

Best Brush Killer for 2020 [Our Reviews and Comparisons]

Weeds are a part of any gardening project, whether or not you want them to be. These plants pop up anywhere and can easily overrun a yard if left unchecked for even a few weeks.

As any landscaper will tell you, there are plenty of ways to prevent or remove weeds, from just pulling them out to a wide range of chemical herbicides to send them packing. These solutions are yearly affairs, if not more frequent, and are perfectly adequate for leafy or grassy weeds that appear with the season’s flowers or other grasses.

Not every unwanted plant will be so easily done away with, though. One step up from leafy weeds are brush weeds, characterized by their quick spread and nearly tree-like texture and roots.

As one might imagine, a brush is considerably harder to get rid of than broadleaf weeds, for the simple reason that it has a larger, more developed root structure that supports the plant through adverse conditions that would finish off a leafy plant. The deeper roots give greater regenerative capacity and will bring in enough nutrients to last through less potent herbicides, and can continue spreading even once the bush is dead above ground.

Naturally, enough digging will eventually get rid of the brush as well, especially if it is done with the proper tools. A small trowel and rake should be exchanged for their full-sized counterparts, and a pick, hatchet, or saw may be necessary as well.

Hand tools will do the trick when there is only the one shrub to get rid of, but for a larger or more established network, you should consider a dedicated herbicide treatment instead. Brush killers will be chemically engineered to handle larger plants and can save you the time and stress often associated with heavy yard work.

The gardening industry has dozens of options for any task in the industry, making it hard for buyers to know which product is best for their needs. We’ve narrowed the field to the five best to help you make your decision.

Our Best Best Brush Killer Reviews and Comparisons

1. Southern Ag 100520254

[Amazon Affiliate Image Link]

Product Highlights

Use this for a powerful brush killer that will leave the grass in your lawn untouched.

Features

One gallon per purchase

Rainproof in two hours or less

Makes up to 96 gallons of spray

Active ingredients – 2, 4 D and Garlon

What We Like About Southern Ag 100520254

Southern Ag will kill all kinds of problem shrubs to the root with no side effects on the surrounding grass.

What We Don’t Like About Southern Ag 100520254

Although safe for your lawn, this product should not be used in vegetable gardens or in areas frequented by small children or pets.

PROS

Good selective action

Quick rainproofing

Kills off leafy weeds too

Suitable for use on pastures or range land

Effective against poison ivy, oak, and sumac.

CONS

Not safe for use on food crops

Comparatively slow to act

2. Compare-N-Save 016869

Product Highlights

This product has earned the Amazon’s Choice award for its extreme popularity and balanced costs and benefits.

Features

Rainproof in two hours

Covers 25,000 square feet

Active ingredients: glyphosate

Makes up to 85 gallons of brush killing solution

What We Like About Southern Ag 100520254

Southern Ag will kill all kinds of problem shrubs to the root with no side effects on the surrounding grass.

What We Don’t Like About Southern Ag 100520254

Although safe for your lawn, this product should not be used in vegetable gardens or in areas frequented by small children or pets.

PROS

Good selective action

Quick rainproofing

Kills off leafy weeds too

Suitable for use on pastures or range land

Effective against poison ivy, oak, and sumac.

CONS

Not safe for use on food crops

Comparatively slow to act

3. Roundup Tough Brush Killer

Product Highlights

No discussion of weed control is complete without mention of Roundup, one of the best-known weed control products on the market.

Features

32 ounces per purchase

Rainproof in 15 minutes

Works in 24 hours or less

Active ingredients: glyphosate, triclopyr

What We Like About Roundup Tough Brush Killer

Roundup brings its signature weed control features to this product with fast rainproofing and results in a day or less.

What We Don’t Like About Roundup Tough Brush Killer

This product will reliably wither anything above ground but has been found not to kill to the root, especially of bushes with denser leaf cover.

PROS

Trusted brand

Fast acting

Handles even the toughest bushes

Rain Proofs quickly

Double formula to guarantee effectiveness

CONS

Is not selective, and will kill over a wider area than obviously apparent

Relatively low coverage

4. Bayer Advanced 704640

Product Highlights

Bayer’s list of plants controlled by its product is among the most extensive available, comprising over 71 distinct species of brush and weed.

Features

32 ounces per bottle

Kills stumps as well as growing roots

Works inside a week

Active ingredients:triethylamine salt, triclopyr

What We Like About Bayer Advanced 704640

Bayer gives altogether farther-reaching coverage than other products, reliably killing off roots and stump and working well against tough shrubbery or bushes.

What We Don’t Like About Bayer Advanced 704640

This product is decidedly slower than most competing bush killers, with results taking more than a week to appear.

PROS

Thorough action

Works on stumps

Effective against kudzu

Protects from poison ivy, oak, and sumac

Prevents wild blackberry and other thorny shrubs

CONS

Slow to produce results

Not as economical as other products.

5. Ortho MAX Tough Brush Killer

Product Highlights

This bush killer gives you a highly economical dilution rate and a surfactant formula that helps it soak into the plants better.

Features

32 ounces per bottle

Rainproof inside two hours

Effective against 60 kinds of undesirable vegetation

Dilutes to eight gallons of spray

What We Like About Ortho MAX Tough Brush Killer

This product has a reputation for being the bush killer you use when all the others haven’t managed to root out that pesky kudzu or a resilient nettle patch.

What We Don’t Like About Ortho MAX Tough Brush Killer

Users report that the same potency that makes this product so efficient also makes it that much more noxious to people and other plants – even a slight misapplication could leave you with a dead spot in short order.

PROS

Highly effective

Diverse treatment list

Compatible with OrthoMax lawn care accessories

Prevents stump regrowth

Relatively affordable

CONS

Not selective at all – keep this far away from anything you’d like to keep alive

Low coverage compared to other products

Helpful hints

Shrub killers are often the same sort of thing as weed killers, only in a more potent form. This means that they require at least the same level of safety precautions that one takes when spraying weed killer, including being fully clothed, spraying downwind, and distancing children and pets from the affected area for some time before and after spraying.

The added potency in these chemicals can make them harmful to humans even from topical contact. Symptoms may include a burning or itching feeling, and the rapid deterioration of upper layers of skin at the point of contact.

For this reason, these chemicals are subject to serious restrictions in many locales, either for health or environmental reasons. You can save yourself considerable heartache by taking the time to familiarize yourself with your local regulations on the use of chemical herbicides.

Keep in mind that even if there is no problem with the product’s use, it could still be subject to shipping restrictions of various kinds. Call ahead to your supplier or online store to ascertain whether or not your purchase can be delivered in your place of residence.

In many cases, it could be worth it to forgo the chemical herbicides altogether in favor of manual labor with a shovel, pick, and other tools. This method will keep your land organic and guarantee no unfortunate side effects from leaching spray.

When treating a plant with flowers or foliage, take a moment to get the end of the applicator rod through the foliage and spray the root directly. Forgetting this step can really leave you staring at the same intrusive plant a few months later as it grows back from the stump that did not die off during the first treatment.

Many of these products will actually call for multiple treatments on a predetermined schedule to ensure complete brush removal and regrowth prevention. As tedious as these schedules are, they are worth adhering to. Otherwise, failure to properly follow the application schedule can severely reduce or exaggerate the efficacy of the herbicide in question.

A serious problem for many dealing with brush removal is stumps left over from cutting down a tree. Without being rid of them as well, they will often put out new shoots and rapidly develop into a similar plant far as the one that was cut away.

It is possible to kill stumps completely with these herbicides, even if other means don’t really seem to be working. Instead of relying on the stump to absorb the herbicide, many people will drill a hole into the top of the stump to create a channel for the bush killer.

Once you have killed the bushes and stumps, don’t forget to clear them out. Even a dead bush can spread seeds or pollen that will have the weeds right back in your yard.

The post Best Brush Killer for 2020 [Our Reviews and Comparisons] appeared first on Weed Killer Guide.

Best Brush Killer for 2020 [Our Reviews and Comparisons] published first on https://weedkillerguide.tumblr.com/

[weedkillerguide]

Best Brush Killer for 2020 [Our Reviews and Comparisons]

Weeds are a part of any gardening project, whether or not you want them to be. These plants pop up anywhere and can easily overrun a yard if left unchecked for even a few weeks.

As any landscaper will tell you, there are plenty of ways to prevent or remove weeds, from just pulling them out to a wide range of chemical herbicides to send them packing. These solutions are yearly affairs, if not more frequent, and are perfectly adequate for leafy or grassy weeds that appear with the season’s flowers or other grasses.

Not every unwanted plant will be so easily done away with, though. One step up from leafy weeds are brush weeds, characterized by their quick spread and nearly tree-like texture and roots.

As one might imagine, a brush is considerably harder to get rid of than broadleaf weeds, for the simple reason that it has a larger, more developed root structure that supports the plant through adverse conditions that would finish off a leafy plant. The deeper roots give greater regenerative capacity and will bring in enough nutrients to last through less potent herbicides, and can continue spreading even once the bush is dead above ground.

Naturally, enough digging will eventually get rid of the brush as well, especially if it is done with the proper tools. A small trowel and rake should be exchanged for their full-sized counterparts, and a pick, hatchet, or saw may be necessary as well.

Hand tools will do the trick when there is only the one shrub to get rid of, but for a larger or more established network, you should consider a dedicated herbicide treatment instead. Brush killers will be chemically engineered to handle larger plants and can save you the time and stress often associated with heavy yard work.

The gardening industry has dozens of options for any task in the industry, making it hard for buyers to know which product is best for their needs. We’ve narrowed the field to the five best to help you make your decision.

Our Best Best Brush Killer Reviews and Comparisons

1. Southern Ag 100520254

[Amazon Affiliate Image Link]

Product Highlights

Use this for a powerful brush killer that will leave the grass in your lawn untouched.

Features

One gallon per purchase

Rainproof in two hours or less

Makes up to 96 gallons of spray

Active ingredients – 2, 4 D and Garlon

What We Like About Southern Ag 100520254

Southern Ag will kill all kinds of problem shrubs to the root with no side effects on the surrounding grass.

What We Don’t Like About Southern Ag 100520254

Although safe for your lawn, this product should not be used in vegetable gardens or in areas frequented by small children or pets.

PROS

Good selective action

Quick rainproofing

Kills off leafy weeds too

Suitable for use on pastures or range land

Effective against poison ivy, oak, and sumac.

CONS

Not safe for use on food crops

Comparatively slow to act

2. Compare-N-Save 016869

Product Highlights

This product has earned the Amazon’s Choice award for its extreme popularity and balanced costs and benefits.

Features

Rainproof in two hours

Covers 25,000 square feet

Active ingredients: glyphosate

Makes up to 85 gallons of brush killing solution

What We Like About Southern Ag 100520254

Southern Ag will kill all kinds of problem shrubs to the root with no side effects on the surrounding grass.

What We Don’t Like About Southern Ag 100520254

Although safe for your lawn, this product should not be used in vegetable gardens or in areas frequented by small children or pets.

PROS

Good selective action

Quick rainproofing

Kills off leafy weeds too

Suitable for use on pastures or range land

Effective against poison ivy, oak, and sumac.

CONS

Not safe for use on food crops

Comparatively slow to act

3. Roundup Tough Brush Killer

Product Highlights

No discussion of weed control is complete without mention of Roundup, one of the best-known weed control products on the market.

Features

32 ounces per purchase

Rainproof in 15 minutes

Works in 24 hours or less

Active ingredients: glyphosate, triclopyr

What We Like About Roundup Tough Brush Killer

Roundup brings its signature weed control features to this product with fast rainproofing and results in a day or less.

What We Don’t Like About Roundup Tough Brush Killer

This product will reliably wither anything above ground but has been found not to kill to the root, especially of bushes with denser leaf cover.

PROS

Trusted brand

Fast acting

Handles even the toughest bushes

Rain Proofs quickly

Double formula to guarantee effectiveness

CONS

Is not selective, and will kill over a wider area than obviously apparent

Relatively low coverage

4. Bayer Advanced 704640

Product Highlights

Bayer’s list of plants controlled by its product is among the most extensive available, comprising over 71 distinct species of brush and weed.

Features

32 ounces per bottle

Kills stumps as well as growing roots

Works inside a week

Active ingredients:triethylamine salt, triclopyr

What We Like About Bayer Advanced 704640

Bayer gives altogether farther-reaching coverage than other products, reliably killing off roots and stump and working well against tough shrubbery or bushes.

What We Don’t Like About Bayer Advanced 704640

This product is decidedly slower than most competing bush killers, with results taking more than a week to appear.

PROS

Thorough action

Works on stumps

Effective against kudzu

Protects from poison ivy, oak, and sumac

Prevents wild blackberry and other thorny shrubs

CONS

Slow to produce results

Not as economical as other products.

5. Ortho MAX Tough Brush Killer

Product Highlights

This bush killer gives you a highly economical dilution rate and a surfactant formula that helps it soak into the plants better.

Features

32 ounces per bottle

Rainproof inside two hours

Effective against 60 kinds of undesirable vegetation

Dilutes to eight gallons of spray

What We Like About Ortho MAX Tough Brush Killer

This product has a reputation for being the bush killer you use when all the others haven’t managed to root out that pesky kudzu or a resilient nettle patch.

What We Don’t Like About Ortho MAX Tough Brush Killer

Users report that the same potency that makes this product so efficient also makes it that much more noxious to people and other plants – even a slight misapplication could leave you with a dead spot in short order.

PROS

Highly effective

Diverse treatment list

Compatible with OrthoMax lawn care accessories

Prevents stump regrowth

Relatively affordable

CONS

Not selective at all – keep this far away from anything you’d like to keep alive

Low coverage compared to other products

Helpful hints

Shrub killers are often the same sort of thing as weed killers, only in a more potent form. This means that they require at least the same level of safety precautions that one takes when spraying weed killer, including being fully clothed, spraying downwind, and distancing children and pets from the affected area for some time before and after spraying.

The added potency in these chemicals can make them harmful to humans even from topical contact. Symptoms may include a burning or itching feeling, and the rapid deterioration of upper layers of skin at the point of contact.

For this reason, these chemicals are subject to serious restrictions in many locales, either for health or environmental reasons. You can save yourself considerable heartache by taking the time to familiarize yourself with your local regulations on the use of chemical herbicides.

Keep in mind that even if there is no problem with the product’s use, it could still be subject to shipping restrictions of various kinds. Call ahead to your supplier or online store to ascertain whether or not your purchase can be delivered in your place of residence.

In many cases, it could be worth it to forgo the chemical herbicides altogether in favor of manual labor with a shovel, pick, and other tools. This method will keep your land organic and guarantee no unfortunate side effects from leaching spray.

When treating a plant with flowers or foliage, take a moment to get the end of the applicator rod through the foliage and spray the root directly. Forgetting this step can really leave you staring at the same intrusive plant a few months later as it grows back from the stump that did not die off during the first treatment.

Many of these products will actually call for multiple treatments on a predetermined schedule to ensure complete brush removal and regrowth prevention. As tedious as these schedules are, they are worth adhering to. Otherwise, failure to properly follow the application schedule can severely reduce or exaggerate the efficacy of the herbicide in question.

A serious problem for many dealing with brush removal is stumps left over from cutting down a tree. Without being rid of them as well, they will often put out new shoots and rapidly develop into a similar plant far as the one that was cut away.

It is possible to kill stumps completely with these herbicides, even if other means don’t really seem to be working. Instead of relying on the stump to absorb the herbicide, many people will drill a hole into the top of the stump to create a channel for the bush killer.

Once you have killed the bushes and stumps, don’t forget to clear them out. Even a dead bush can spread seeds or pollen that will have the weeds right back in your yard.

The post Best Brush Killer for 2020 [Our Reviews and Comparisons] appeared first on Weed Killer Guide.

[dnodes18]

5 Important Home Maintenance Steps for Spring https://ift.tt/3aQ6RVB

Spring is one of my favorite seasons because it’s a great time to address any roof damage that came with the fall and winter, and clean those often-neglected gutters and downspouts.

You can make sure the air conditioner will work when temperatures skyrocket and take steps to prevent your clothes dryer from catching on fire.

And you can transform a blank backyard to colorful flowerbed landscapes that will make home look and feel more like ‘home sweet home.’

It’s possible to do these things, and more, to improve your home and enhance your life. But first, you need to have a plan. And for that, read on!

Clean The Roof And Check For Damage

Regular roof maintenance is the most important maintenance tasks you can do around the home, since the roof protects you and everything inside your home. You should keep your roof clean, clear and in good shape, as small problems today can lead to much bigger ones in the future.

Spring is the best time for roof maintenance because your roof has weathered the fall and winter; it’s seen its share of leaves, limbs and snowfall, and it’s finally getting a reprieve.

Lingering debris can lead to damage, so here are some chores you should tackle as soon as possible.

First, clean the leaves, limbs and other debris from the roof. Then focus on any chimneys, dormers and valleys.

Next, check the flashing for damage and use masonry caulk to seal gaps where the flashing attaches to bricks or masonry. While you’re at it, check for loose or damaged roof shingles and repair those as needed.

Once the roof is spotless, look for any holes that might leak water and lead to mold, mildew and rot.

After all this, you can rest assured knowing that the roof over your head is doing the best job it can.

Clean All Rain Gutters And Downspouts; Make Repairs, If Necessary

After you’ve worked on the roof, check the gutters, which have probably accumulated lots of leaves and debris during the cooler seasons. Nothing good comes from clogged, overflowing gutters — but they can lead to rotten fascia boards, water damage, pests and maybe even damage to your home’s foundation.

That’s why regular gutter maintenance is important, and spring is a great opportunity for that since there’s no freezing weather or snow. (Plus, it just feels good to be outside.)

First, put on some gloves. Then, grab a gardening trowel and scoop the leaves and debris from the gutters. Next, move the leaves and debris to a plastic bag for safe keeping. (That way, you can add them to your compost pile. Waste not, want not!)

Finally, wash the insides of the gutters with a garden hose and check the downspouts to make the sure the water flows freely. And if you want to avoid cleaning your gutters every few months, here’s a bonus tip: go ahead and buy some gutter guards! You just insert them in your gutters to prevent leaf and debris buildup throughout the year.

Prepare Flowerbeds

Spring is a great time to get back in the garden, and if you notice any bald spots on the lawn that you want to replace with flowerbeds, there’s no better time than the present to prep!

The first step to create a new flowerbed is to kill the weeds and grass in the area. All you need to do that is some newspaper, a simple sprayer with water and mulch.

First, lay out your new flowerbeds. To do that, grab a can of spray paint and mark the borders of your planned flowerbeds. Next, lay down several sections of newspaper in the designated areas. Wet them down using the sprayer. If you want to ensure proper application, Vigoro landscape fabric can support healthy growth and block invasive weeds.

Finally, add some mulch to cover the newspapers (in a pinch, you can use free pinestraw or leaves taken right from your backyard, or store-bought wood chips or pine bark from The Home Depot Garden Center).

And that’s all it takes. In a few months, you can rake away everything to reveal rich, ready-to-plant topsoil.

The ‘newspaper method’ is perfect for prepping your garden for vibrant flowers that can add curb appeal or enhance your backyard paradise.

Have The Heating And Cooling System Inspected

Temperatures start to warm up in the spring, so now’s the perfect time to call a professional to service your heating and cooling system.

Many homeowners ignore the air conditioning and furnace until they suddenly stop working. And it’s never fun to live in an uncomfortable house and wait on a list to receive help during peak demand.

That’s why it’s important to get in the habit of having regular heating, ventilation and air conditioning maintenance.

The best thing is to do what you can to keep your system running efficiently, and hire a professional to do the rest.

First, clear away all leaves and debris that could block airflow from the A/C condenser unit.

Then, call an HVAC technician to look at your heat pump — they will check the belts and replace them if needed; oil any moving parts; and inspect the wiring.

If you’ve got an air conditioner unit, the technician will clean the air filters or replace them, as needed; vacuum out the unit and lubricate the motor; and check the refrigerant pressure.

Finally, reverse any ceiling fans’ direction to counterclockwise. This will blow air down, which is what you want in the spring and summertime, to cool you down so you rely less on the A/C.

Clean Lint From The Clothes Dryer’s Exhaust Pipe

Lint buildup in your clothes dryer or its vent pipe is one of those home maintenance chores that often are forgotten but couldn’t be more important.

That’s because accumulation of lint reduces your dryer’s efficiency, at least, and could be a fire hazard, at worst.

When your dryer has a lot of lint blocking the vent pipe, it can reduce airflow, which causes the dryer to work harder and put out more heat than it should — and that’s how many fires start.

Don’t let your dryer’s lint get out of hand. First, clean the dryer’s lint screen every time you use it. Just make sure that’s a regular part of the clothes drying process.

In addition, periodically clean out the vent pipe — there are even brushes made for the job. Buy one of those at The Home Depot and keep it in your laundry room for easy access. You’ll need it!

Just these simple steps can give you major peace of mind and prevent costly damage.

That way, you can worry less and focus on the things that matter most: spending quality time with family and friends in your well-maintained home!

For more tips, check out the Four Seasons of Homeownership Spring Checklist and download the interactive graphic!

Danny Lipford is among the country’s most sought-after home improvement experts.  The seasoned remodeling contractor and media personality served as the home improvement expert for CBS’s “The Early Show” and The Weather Channel for over a decade and has made more than 180 national television appearances on “Fox & Friends,” “Inside Edition,” “Morning Express with Robin Meade,” Fox Business Channel, Rachael Ray and more. He travels the country making appearances as a brand ambassador and spokesperson, and each year contributes expertise to hundreds of popular magazines and online media outlets.

The post 5 Important Home Maintenance Steps for Spring appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

Home Depot Staff

[jesbakescookies]

***Here’s a random one shot floating on my laptop.***

BITCH STOLE MY BIKE

by Jesbakescookies

Recruiting missions had been difficult for Alexandria before Daryl arrived. They ran smoother now but finding survivors had been few and far between. Aaron and Daryl had been tracking someone for two days and were getting closer to finding out whom they were actually following.

The pair had been watching for prints but truthfully all they needed to do was follow the scattering of walker bodies throughout the thick woods. The individual was fast and efficient. There was no struggle involved in the kills. No messy fights or wasted footsteps. Each walker was ended where they stood with a sharp blade. The trail actually reminded Daryl of Michonne, the ease with which they were killed and the type of wounds they had.

“Guy’s good,” Daryl rasped as he crouched by a corpse with its head cleaved in half. Aaron stood above him looking down, his face in a pale grimace. Daryl brushed his thumb across his bottom lip and looked along the approaching Georgia mud. The person had barely left a footprint, only the bare minimum of a toe impression of a boot. “Light feet,” he muttered roughly.

Rising, Daryl kept following the bodies, keeping low and steady. His bow was raised, pressed firmly into his shoulder as his calculating eyes looked down the sights. Picking out changes in shadows, colors or light, Daryl scanned the surrounding forest. It smelled of fresh pine and compost. The area had experienced some rain recently; the air was moist and thick with mosquitoes. The overwhelming smell of walker prevailed though. Rotting flesh and copper. The sheer numbers of dead bodies was not only promising but also unsettling. If the person was able to handle this many walkers alone, what could they do to the two of them? Daryl wasn’t afraid.

‘Ain’t afraid of nothin’.’ He thought while gritting his teeth together.

It was unnerving tough, not knowing what was at the end of the gruesome breadcrumbs they were following.

“You sure about this Daryl?” Aaron whispered, his eyes cutting to the man as they found another few bodies. Daryl grunted while shrugging one shoulder.

“Oh well that’s encouraging,” Aaron deadpanned while his lips twitch. Daryl let out an amused snort and kept walking forward. The sound of someone fighting caught Daryl’s ear causing him to halt immediately, his fist up to signal Aaron. They stood stock still while listening to a struggle. Daryl knelt and got a look at the scene they were hearing.

Two walkers were approaching a woman holding two machetes. She was tall and lean, her bare arms cut with muscle. Rotating her arms and rolling her shoulders as if warming up for a fight the woman brought both blades together to cut the first walker’s head in two. As she swung her arms apart she landed the right one into the temple of the other. Two loud thuds of the corpses bodies falling to the floor echoed out and then silence. Daryl could hear the heavy but steady breathing of the woman and the dripping of blood from her blades.

Looking her over he saw she had either blonde or brown hair. Thick with grease and mud, the color was hard to tell. She was tan from living outdoors, her arms and hands bared scars and scabs. The clothing she wore was threadbare and dirty. Cargos pants thick with walker gore and dirty, stuck to her legs as she started walking forward again. The sweaty shirt clung to her as the breeze came through the evergreens. With a crouched position she slid forward, her feet making barely a sound, leaving no prints behind. With her head cocked to the side he could tell she knew they were there. Keeping his bow up and sighted on her head, Daryl followed quietly. Aaron was trying but failing at stealth.

She stopped and turned around, her eyes hard and both hands holding the impressively sharp curved blades. “Come on out, not in the mood to chase anyone.”

Daryl almost snorted at the comment. Stepping out still ready to kill, he observed her up close. She had a strong jaw and narrow nose, which was framed by large almond shaped eyes. The hazel colored irises fierce and burning into his.

“What do you want?” she demanded her tone almost bored. He felt Aaron step to the side, which caused her whole body to tense further. Her chin ticked slightly toward Aaron while she growled, “Don’t move asshole.”

“Ok. Ok.” He stammered his hands rising. Daryl kept himself still, the bow still pointing at her right eye. “We’re just passin’ through. Following the bodies.” Daryl rasped his eyes narrowing as hers watched him speak.

“Well you’ve found me. Now fuck off.” She sneered, her lip curled aggressively. She seemed feral almost. A woman living amongst the dead, amongst the animals. It seemed like she evolved into a surviving species.

“I’m Aaron. This is Daryl.” Aaron asked quietly. “What’s your name?”

Daryl grimaced at the divulged information. He was torn about telling new people anything about them on missions.

She only stared at them, her head tilted to the side while her eyes slid back and forth between the two of them. Daryl felt like a mouse in front of a large hungry cat.

“You should go,” she growled, her voice lower and more intimidating. Her eyes got darker as she apparently flipped a switch inside, becoming less human and more animal.

Daryl did something he wouldn’t ever normally do, he lowered his weapon and put a hand up. She stopped approaching and looked him over. He watched her figure out exactly where all his weapons were. It was if she had x-ray eyes because they seemed to pinpoint even the hidden blade and gun he had.

“We have a town. We look for survivors. That’s what were doing out here, why we were following you.” Aaron explained his head peeking around Daryl’s shoulder. The woman was processing his statement and looking between the two men.

“Not interested. You’re gonna put your weapons down and walk a hundred feet away from me. Don’t try to follow or you’ll be just another milepost. Got it?” she demanded her blades poised to kill, her eyes burning into his.

Grinding his teeth, Daryl’s jaw ticked and eyes narrowed to slits. He wasn’t used to surrendering, let alone giving another person the upper hand by disarming himself. If he dropped his weapon and walked away she could kill him. The more he thought about it though, Daryl was pretty sure if she had wanted to kill them, she already would have.

Giving her a stiff nod, he lowered the bow to the floor and started walking backwards away from her. After a dozen feet, he turned around to see where he was going, putting his back to the woman. Daryl and Aaron walked for what he felt was a hundred feet and stopped.

“Ok that went well,” Aaron muttered looking through the trees to see if she was visible any more.

Daryl grunted in agreement and ticked his chin toward their weapons, “Le’s go.”

Daryl moved quickly but carefully back to his bow. Finding it sitting where he laid it he grabbed it up and looked around the area. There were no prints leading away so he wasn’t sure what direction the woman went. Both men stood still and looked at each other, “Well?” Aaron prompted.

“Fuck it. Don’ see someone like her wantin’ to stick ‘round in the safe zone. No reason invitin’ ‘er if she’d end up trouble.” He drawled pulling out his pack of smokes. 

Cupping the flame of his lighter, Daryl inhaled deeply, pulling in the mind numbing nicotine. Grunting a ‘c’mon’ to Aaron he led the way back to their vehicles. They were less than a dozen yards away when they heard his bike rev up.

“Oh hell no!” he growled picking up speed. He ran through the trees toward the sound of the engine purring and burst through the tree line to see his baby’s taillight sped away. Sitting just above it, the wild girl from the woods. Her lean frame was maneuvering his bike around walkers easily, right before disappearing in a cloud of dust.

“Fuckin’ bitch stole my bike??” he muttered incredulously. Aaron’s mouth was hanging open as he watched the dust cloud settle from her thieving departure.

“Fuckin’ BITCH stole my BIKE!” Daryl hollered while pacing angrily, kicking gravel in the dirt road. Aaron couldn’t hold it in, a bark of laughter erupted from his chest. Daryl’s eyes snapped to the man’s amused face causing it to fall quickly.

“Daryl I’m sorry. Its not funny but…. I’m just surprised is all. Sorry.” He stammered his hands rose in surrender. Daryl huffed out an angry breath and raked his hand through his hair.

‘FUCKIN’ BITCH STOLE MY BIKE?!’ he screamed inwardly while grinding his teeth together aggressively.

They stood there dumbly until walkers began coming and jumped into the car. Daryl drove and followed the tracks from the bike, which headed out of the forest. Luckily she was following the dirt roads making it easy for Daryl to track her.

Driving with one hand while the other was braced against the door widow, Daryl gnawed his thumb bloody. He sped along watching the track’s of his baby laid out before him.

“Bitch better not crash ‘er.” He grumbled as he saw that she took a tight turn down another back road. The road wound through the woods with lots of curvy turns. Daryl smirked at the choice of roads.

“Girl took the scenic route. Nice bike route,” he appraised winding his way down. Aaron asked, “What do you think she doin?”

Daryl grunted a ‘dunno’ but was formulating an idea. They were headed back to the spot she stole that damn thing.

“She’s just joyridin’.” Daryl rasped before smirking as they pulled onto the road they had left in chase. Up ahead the bike was parked in the exact spot she took it from. Leaning against the seat, arms crossed and legs outstretched was the bike thief.

She looked completely relaxed and without a worry. Daryl noticed a cigarette on her lips as smoke trailed out her nostrils. Once parked and stepping out, he watched her pull the smoke away, blowing smoke to the side. 

“Nice bike,” she stated her lips quirked slightly.

“Ain’t proper, stealin’ a man’s bike.” His gravelly voice resonated in the quiet woods. The woman nodded and took another deep drag before asking, “What about a man’s smokes?”

Daryl glared at the cigarette she completed, her foot grinding it into the packed earth before he glanced at the slightly open saddlebag. “Well that’s just cruel.”

[elesianne]

A Silmarillion fanfic, pairing: Maedhros/Fingon

Summary: Pretending to be young and carefree and in love isn't easy when they're only the last of those things now, but falling into passion together is as easy as ever, at least.

Length: ~1,600 words; Rating: Teenage audiences and up

Some keywords: Years of the Trees, unrest of the Noldor, secret relationship, romance, angst, emotional hurt/comfort, lots of kissing, implied sex

A/N: See on AO3 for a mild warning.

*

Let’s pretend and be wildfire

'Let's pretend', says Findekáno as soon as he throws open the door of the hunting lodge that is their meeting place this time. A little startled, Maitimo rises from the table where he's been waiting and comes to take off his lover's wet cloak. He looks at Findekáno questioningly.

'Let's pretend that we're not us', Findekáno continues frantically, his usual steadiness nowhere to be seen. 'That our fathers don't hate each other, that we don't have to pretend that we're not even friends, that our love wouldn't cause the greatest scandal and crisis in the history of our people if anyone found out –'

Findekáno's speech is far from eloquent and his fingers that have begun unbuttoning Maitimo's tunic at a speed likely to cause damage to the fine garment are shaking, far from nimble, but Maitimo understands both the words and the actions and agrees with it all.

Heart aching, he takes both of Findekáno's trembling hands into his own and kisses the knuckles. 'Yes, let's pretend', he says quietly. 'Let's pretend that I didn't bite my tongue and look away when my father called you and your brother fools, and worse, in the council meeting yesterday. I'm so sorry, my love.'

'Don't be. I told you to stop defending me, didn't I? When we last met like this.' Findekáno pulls his hands away and looks around the one room of the modest hunting lodge, one of their many secret meeting places. 'It does no good, just makes the arguments messier.'

Maitimo closes the door Findekáno left open in his hurry. 'Who shall we pretend to be, then, if we are not to be ourselves for tonight?'

Findekáno resumes stripping Maitimo of his tunic and undershirt, a little less desperation in his movements than before. 'Finno and Russo', he says to Maitimo's collarbone. 'Those young fools in love we used to be, whose biggest worry was how not to leave footprints in the flowerbed beneath your window, who snuck into dark corners to kiss during boring parties, and bickered about whose younger siblings were the most annoying…'

Maitimo closes his eyes as memories flood in, conjured by Findekáno's uncharacteristically quiet words. Then he opens his eyes again, because it will not do to waste even a moment when he could be looking at his beloved with the open adoration he must hide at all other times.

They used to think they had it difficult, having to sneak around their homes to spend nights together, but it was so much more than these few nights far away from Tirion that they dare to claim for their love now.

'Finno', he says, his voice rough. He tries to summon some frivolity to it. 'Your clothes are all wet from the rain, so I think it's more important that I remove them than that you take off my shirt.'

Findekáno looks up at him, wordless gratitude in his eyes. 'Nothing could ever be more important than getting you naked', he says. His attempt at light-hearted flirtation is more successful than Maitimo's, as it ever was.

The buttons finally undone, Maitimo shakes the tunic off his shoulders and pulls his undershirt off for good measure. 'I disagree, but let's just compromise by both getting naked.'

'Wise as ever', Findekáno compliments and twines his arms around Maitimo's neck. 'But absent-minded, for you've forgotten to do something.'

Maitimo shivers from the feeling of Findekáno's damp hunting leathers against his bare chest but doesn't pull away. 'What have I forgotten?'

'Young, besotted Russandol would never have gone this long without kissing his Finno.' Findekáno's pouts as if terribly disappointed; when Maitimo bends down and kisses him, it is with lips curved into a smile.

It is a familiar feeling to begin a kiss with a smile, for Findekáno has always been able make Maitimo smile, and smiles and kisses used to be inextricably woven together for them.

Not so lately, and though they are supposed to be pretending now to be young and carefree again, soon the smile in the kiss fades away and the touch of their lips becomes desperate. Lips press hard, hands hold tight, and they don't break for breath.

Findekáno's fingers twisting into his lover's hair painfully tight make Maitimo pull away just far enough to speak, his breath warm on both their faces. 'Let go, Finno', he says quietly. 'Let go of my hair.'

'No', Findekáno says and tries to kiss him again, but Maitimo lifts his head away and grips Findekáno's forearms, stilling his movements. The reminder of the size and strength that Maitimo's mild manners make easy to forget causes Findekáno's eyes to grow dark, and he is ever more determined to kiss him again.

'No', he repeats. 'Why, Russo? Why would I let go?'

'So that I can carry you to bed', Maitimo says, and his voice is rough again, all light flirtation gone, replaced by fierce determination.

It is more like his present-day self, a calm, serious facade hiding a conflagration, but Findekáno isn't about to complain. 'Oh', he sighs, loosing his grip on the red curls and allowing his body to grow lax in Maitimo's arms. 'That is a good reason', he would add, but he's already being heaved over a strong shoulder, carried a short distance and tossed on to the bed, damp clothes and all.

When Maitimo's considerable patience snaps it disappears like ash into the wind and Findekáno revels in it every time, in knowing he's the one – the only one – who makes his beautiful beloved lose control this way.

He pulls Maitimo down to the bed on top of him for another kiss, this one just as fierce and clinging as the ones that came before but clumsier, teeth clinking together and noses bumping, mostly because of Findekáno's impatience and upset.

Maitimo strips him, methodically and efficiently, until he is wearing nothing but his smallclothes. Findekáno tries not to tremble while having to go unkissed. When he pulls Maitimo back down for a embrace, Maitimo looks at him with concern.

'Are you crying, Finno?' he asks, his voice and his hands around Findekáno's face unbearably soft.

'No', says Findekáno, and it is just barely true.

'My valiant Findekáno', Maitimo murmurs, and both the look in his eyes and the touch of his fingers tracing the contours of Findekáno's face speak of reverence, intent and too gentle. Findekáno wants to squirm, and not for the right reasons.

'It is all right', Maitimo promises him, a forefinger on his lips to keep him from protesting. 'No, it really is, because it's just us, you and me, here and now. And there is nothing wrong with us, is there?'

The question is supposed to sound reassuring, Findekáno knows, but he can see the shadow of doubt in Maitimo's grey eyes. (How could he not, when he has memorised every single bluish speck in the iris, knows exactly what shade of dark russet are the long eyelashes, has been observing every emotion flickering in those eyes for years?)

'Of course there's nothing wrong with us', he says, his reciprocating touch on Maitimo's face softer now. 'We have always been just right together. It's the world that has gone all wrong.'

'And I don't know how to right it', whispers Maitimo, and that little crease that Findekáno hates appears between his eyebrows.

Findekáno rises on his elbows to kiss away the crease of worry. 'It's not your responsibility alone', he reminds the dutiful eldest son of Fëanáro. 'Don't let it weigh you down.'

Maitimo buries his face in Findekáno's shoulder. 'We're really bad at pretending', he says against warm, smooth skin.

Findekáno kisses his hair. 'It's all right', he echoes Maitimo's earlier words. 'It doesn't matter. Let's just – would you kiss me again?'

Maitimo does, working his way up Findekáno's throat with feather-light kisses, nibbling at the corner of his mouth so softly it can barely be felt, and finally pressing their lips together much too gently for Findekáno's liking.

He doesn't need loving touches and soft kisses, for he knows that he is loved. What he needs is something hot enough to burn away the sadness and worry and uncertainty that have settled inside him like some ugly, black, writhing thing.

'I love you, Maitimo', he whispers against warm lips, then tugs at red hair, the way that he knows usually causes Maitimo to blush and his eyes turn to steel and his touches grow rougher. This time it makes Maitimo growl, a soft low sound that makes Findekáno's stomach coil in delight and anticipation.

'I don't want you to take me slow and sweet tonight. I want us to be wildfire', Findekáno continues and rakes his fingernails down Maitimo's back, not hard enough to break the skin but hard enough that he wishes he could see the red trails he must be leaving on the pale, freckled skin. 'Scorching and forceful and irresistible. Let's be wildfire, my love, burning so hot that we forget the world.'

Maitimo rarely refuses him anything so Findekáno isn't surprised when he pulls away only to divest him of the last of his clothes, and strips away his own after that. They go back to fierce kisses, ones that are like small battles for dominance though neither of them cares who wins, as long as they can keep kissing and touching.

When Maitimo's kisses move down his body, lower and lower, making Findekáno burn hotter and hotter, he closes his eyes and arches his back and hopes that by the time the silver hours are over he will be like a forest after a wildfire, silent and empty and cleansed of everything that used to be, ready for a new beginning.

*

A/N: If you enjoyed this, you might also like my older, less angsty Maedhros/Fingon fic, Your colours. They also make an appearance as a couple in Cornered.

[latetovarricsparty]

The Day They Fought the Arishok 

Jerrika Hawke  (Purple Rogue)

About 3800 words 

“That one shall not rise again,” Fenris mumbled to himself as he cut down the last Ashaad. It had all come down to this. Hawke had tried to use reason, but the Arishok would not hear it. The Qunari, well aware that if anyone was capable of finding the relic it was Hawke, had used the theft as a convenient excuse.

Hawke! Fenris whirled around, somehow he had lost track of her. How had they become separated? The tide of the battle had pulled her from him. They were unbeatable when they stayed together. Engaging an enemy side by side, Hawke would slip behind the target and backstab while Fenris attacked head on. Varric and Merrill stayed at the periphery, raining down arrows and fire. While Fenris did not care for the little witch, he could not deny her efficiency.

He looked over the railing and saw the Arishok on his back on the stairs, bleeding profusely from a wound in his side, Jerrika standing over him. No surprise really, except that she was holding only one dagger. Her offhand weapon was lying on the stairs nearby. Hawke couldn’t have simply dropped it. She had either been dead-armed or the blade had been forced from her grasp. Fenris ran along the railing headed for the stairs, never taking his eyes from them. Hawke’s braid was disheveled and she was bleeding, most notably from a small cut on her right temple. The blood pasted white hair to the side of her face. Her skin pale against the facial tattoos. The Arishok was reaching for the discarded dagger. “We will return,” he rumbled.

“And I will still be here,” Hawke responded. It was the voice of bravado. With Jerrika, only Fenris and Varric could tell the difference between courage and anxiety. This was the latter, even though it seemed that she stood victorious. Fenris reached the stairs. He glanced at his feet for half a heart beat, so as not to fall, and almost missed the whole thing. As Hawke stepped forward to deal the killing blow, the Arishok managed to get his hand around the blade of the weapon on the stairs. He gripped it tightly, thumb against the hilt, blood oozing between his fingers, and bent his arm to stab Hawke with the point as she moved forward. In the close quarters and the odd angle the dagger tip raked diagonally across her left breast, slicing leather and flesh. As Hawke plunged her knife into the Arishok’s neck the tip of the weapon he held slipped between her last two ribs. Blood gouted from the Qunari’s neck. Quickly she pushed a knee against the Arishok's chest and rolled away rather than falling on the blade.

Fenris fell to his knees next to her. Her leathers were torn on the left side of her chest. Fenris couldn’t tell how much of the blood covering Hawke was hers and how much belonged to the Arishok. A slash had opened from the soft spot below her left shoulder in a diagonal toward her core. It wasn’t deep. He pressed his left hand as hard as he dared against the worse of the wound, the puncture just below her breast, and started frantically biting at the knot on the scarf around his right wrist. He needed something to staunch the blood. The knot wouldn’t loosen and he felt himself starting to panic, then Varric was there with a bandage. Vaguely he heard Merrill say that Aveline had gone to find Anders when she realized the Qunari were not going to see reason. “I told her I would go,” Merrill said as she packed the wound as well as she could, “but she said I’d be more use here.”

“I don’t want Anders near her!” Fenris snapped.

“Easy, Prickles, he might be a loose cannon but he’s the best healer in Kirkwall, and he knows Hawke.” Varric was holding Jerrika’s hand tightly.

Hawke’s eyes fluttered open, She was breathing shallowly, “Shit” she said, taking a small gulp of air, “did I just let that bastard kill me with my own blade?” That bravado again. Fenris stole a quick glance at Varric and read the same thing in his eyes. Hawke was very scared.

“You are not going to die,” Fenris stated flatly. He was sick to his stomach. Blood had never bothered him. Except this was Hawke’s blood. He felt like it was pouring from his own chest.

“That’s good,” Jerrika smiled weakly, “who would look after the lot of you?” she took a little of the potion Merrill was trying to get her to drink, ”Can we go home now?”

“Soon, Hawke,” said Merrill, “First drink the rest of this. It will help, I promise”

“We need to move her,” Varric said. A mob of people had started pouring through the doors, “Now. The viscount’s quarters are closest.”

Fenris leaned over and spoke quietly to Hawke, “I’m going to pick you up and carry you.” She nodded vaguely, “It’s going to hurt.” Jerrika nodded again. With the help of Varric and Merrill, Fenris got to his feet with Hawke in his arms. Hawke gritted her teeth, but didn’t make a sound.

Varric lead the way out of the throne room. The people parted before them. Fenris heard them whispering. He felt uncomfortable, on display. He didn’t want them to see Hawke so vulnerable. The fact that he was still a fugitive was secondary. Fenris held his head high and looked straight ahead to the doors of the viscount’s rooms. “Tell Anders,” Hawke murmured. Fenris wasn’t sure he had heard right. She was thinking of Anders? Now?  “The blade,” Jerrika took a labored breath, “poisoned.” A cold sweat broke over Fenris. “Varric knows,” she said, barely above a whisper.  

Anders and Aveline came running through the door of the viscount’s bedchamber just as Fenris laid Hawke down on the bed. Merrill removed the soaked bandage and replaced it quickly with a clean one. “Varric,” Fenris said, “poison - on the blade.”

“Andraste’s ass-cheeks, she learned that from Isabela,” said Varric, one hand wrapped protectively around Hawke’s ankle. He turned to Anders, “I told her not to use that shit. It won’t kill her outright but it will make the wounds harder to close.”

“I understand,” Anders said, “Fenris, wait outside.” It was an order.

Fenris didn’t bother hiding his distaste for the mage, “No, I’m not leaving her,” he was clutching her hand.

“Fenris,” Hawke said, barely audible. More shallow breaths, “it’s all right. I’ll be all right.”  Her face was so pale. She looked fragile. It was the last word he would ever use to describe Hawke.

Fenris leaned over and kissed her forehead, the alchemy of his lips against her skin fizzed along his markings, “I-” am so scared, please can we go back, I promise I’ll be there in time, “am yours,” he said softly in her ear.  

There was a commotion all around him. Servants, summoned from Maker knew where, came in with clean linens and warm water. Anders gave swift instructions to Merrill, handed her a blue bottle. Aveline took Fenris by the shoulders and moved him to the door. “Come on then, let Anders take care of her.” Fenris held Hawke’s gaze until the door closed between them.  

Out in the viscount’s sitting room Varric, Aveline and Fenris were at a momentary loss. They heard the door lock behind them. Fenris turned and tried the handle, when the door didn’t open, he leaned his forehead against the wood. They heard a groan of pain and hushed voices through the door. Fenris turned his back to the sounds and slid down to sit on the threshold legs bent, his wrists on his knees. He was spattered face and chest, gauntlets gory, with blood. Qunari, Hawke’s, his own - he didn’t even know. Fenris closed his eyes. He was afraid to lose control in front of the others. Aveline, ever practical, turned to Varric, “Keep an eye on Fenris. I’ll go find someone to help clean him up and I’ll retrieve the discarded weapons from the throne room.”

Varric flagged down a servant and asked for some wine, then fell into a chair by the fire. He wanted something stronger, but was afraid that once he and Prickles got going, they wouldn’t be able to stop. “She going to be fine,” Varric said, as much to convince himself as to reassure Fenris, “Anders knows what he’s doing.”

Fenris said nothing. He knew as well as Varric did that Hawke didn’t wholly trust the mage. Hawke had been horribly shaken by a recent incident when Vengeance had taken over Anders and he had killed a young mage named Ella. Fenris had counselled her to disassociate herself from Anders completely. But Varric, with his uncanny ability to get along with everyone, had suggested it would be easier to keep an eye on the healer if he remained part of the group. Hawke had taken Varric’s advice.

Fenris didn’t take it personally. Despite her sarcasm, her hard edges, no one could deny she had a big heart. She had tried to be understanding of Anders and his demon right from the start. Either way, Anders was a gifted healer and that was the most important thing now.    

Two servants entered the room. One set down a tray of goblets and a bottle of wine. “We are going to need at least one more of these,” Varric said, taking the bottle. The other servant had a small stack of linens and a washbowl. She saw Fenris sitting on the floor, covered in blood, and found herself at a loss. The elf needed a bath and a change of clothes.

Just then Sebastian came into the room. “I came as soon as I heard,” he said, “I was praying the Arishok would be reasonable. Now I see I should have been at Hawke’s side in case he was not.” Fenris found himself oddly grateful for Starkhaven’s presence. Sebastian treated everyone as an equal. Everyone. An admirable trait in a prince. ”How is she?” Sebastian asked.

“Alive,” said Varric over the glass in his hand, “Anders and Merrill are in there with her now. They threw us out….Care for a drink?”

Sebastian bade the servant to wait. Then knelt next to Fenris. “My friend, is any of this blood your own?”

Fenris shook his head wearily, “I don't know.”

“We must get you cleaned up, in case you are injured. May I start with your gauntlets?” Fenris instinctively pulled away, but Sebastian gently placed a hand on his wrist. “Look at yourself a moment, Fenris. If you go to Hawke like this, you will frighten her.” He paused, caught Fenris’ gaze with keen blue eyes, “I will not touch you.” Sebastian’s voice was low and calming.

Fenris looked at his hands. A drop of blood fell to the carpet. His breast plate wasn’t much better. Fenris allowed Sebastian to remove the red scarf. “This token is important to the two of you, I know,” Sebastian said. Then he took the gauntlets and handed them to the servant, “Take these and get them as clean as you can as quick as you can. My friend is uncomfortable without them,” Sebastian took a towel and dipped it in the washbowl, “and if you could bring us more water, we would much appreciate it.”

Sebastian knelt beside Fenris again and handed him the cloth. It came away from Fenris’ face and neck smeared pink, but he felt marginally better. “Can you stand?” Sebastian asked. It was not a jibe. Just honest concern. “I would like to assure myself that you are not injured.”

Fenris allowed Sebastian to take charge. Before he knew it, he found himself passably clean, gauntlets shining, a bandage around his right tricep, and sitting on a couch near the fire with a bottle of wine in his hand. He refused a goblet. Fenris allowed his focus to drift in and out, picking up only the most important pieces of conversation. Hawke was being referred to as Champion of Kirkwall. The viscount’s staff had readied rooms in the Keep for all the Champion’s companions to stay close to her as she recovered. There was talk of making Jerrika Hawke viscount. Food was provided in the dining room, if they wanted to eat. He didn’t. He just wanted to see Hawke.

Varric and Aveline left Sebastian and Fenris alone in search of food. Sebastian sat quietly, giving Fenris his space but unwilling to leave him alone.  

“I don't know what I will do,” Fenris’ voice was just above a whisper, “if I lose her.”

“You must have faith, my friend. Hawke will live.” Sebastian replied.

“I don’t think I have that much faith.”

“Perhaps I have enough for us both.”

Sebastian was about to say more but just then the door opened. With almost supernatural speed Fenris moved from his spot by the fire and met Anders on the threshold. “Is she alright?” Fenris asked desperately, trying to look into the room..

“She will pull through, I think. But she will be permanently scarred.” Anders put a hand on Fenris’ chest to block him from entering the bedchamber, “She’s asleep now. Magical sleep. Hawke doesn’t need you.”

“Remove your hand, Mage.” Fenris said between gritted teeth, “You survive in Kirkwall only under Hawke’s protection. If she dies-”

“Let me guess,” Anders was smug, trying to provoke Fenris as he so loved to do, “You’ll rip my heart out.”

Instead of allowing Anders to get under his skin, Fenris changed tack. “I will bring the Templars to your lair,” Fenris said evenly, “and I will find some way to ensure that you are made Tranquil.” Real fear flickered behind Anders’ eyes.

“Gentlemen,” said Sebastian, “this does nothing to help Hawke.” Sebastian gripped Anders arm firmly and guided him towards the outer door. “Anders, you must be tired. Hungry perhaps? The others are in the dining room.” Fenris slipped into the bedchamber.

 Hawke lay in the center of the huge bed, bare arms and shoulders outside the blankets. Her left hand was bandaged as was the cut on her forehead. All the healing energy had gone into saving her. There was a shimmer around her, a silvery light. Merrill rose from the chair next to Hawke and stopped Fenris from coming any closer. “Fenris,” she said, “you must listen to me.” she looked up at him but he was staring at Hawke, “She is in a state of magical Stasis. The damage was very bad. The knife made a little hole in her lung and the poison made it difficult to close. Anders and I could only do so much without resting.” Merrill knew he was hearing her, but was he listening? “This way she can start to heal. Fenris. The scars. They are bad. Her left breast….she’ll never look the same again.”

“I don’t care about that,” Fenris was confused, “As long as she’s alive. The scars are not important.”

“She might disagree.” Merrill said in that odd, knowing way that she had. But Fenris started to move past her to get to Hawke. “Wait!” Merrill nearly shouted. Fenris stopped. “You can’t touch her,” quieter now, “you’ll break the spell. It might kill her.”

“Can she hear me?’ Fenris asked, plaintively.

“I don’t know. But if you want to stay with her, I’ll go rest a bit.”

Fenris nodded his head and Merrill stepped toward the door, “Merrill,” Fenris said, “Thank you.”

“For saving Hawke? That had nothing to do with you. Or Anders. I love her too,” said Merrill, closing the door behind her.

Fenris locked the door behind her. He knew that someone out there would eventually find a key, but for now Fenris could stay with Jerrika, watch her breathe. Assure himself that she was going to wake up. Instead of sitting in the chair, he very carefully lay down on the edge of the bed on his side, facing her. He wanted to hold her hand, but knew he couldn’t. Fenris could feel the magical field that protected Hawke crackling against his markings, heightening the dull ache, and he wondered if it was the lyrium in his skin that posed the danger to her.

“I’m here, Hawke. I don’t know if you can hear me. But I am here.” Fenris felt himself tearing up. If she could hear him, there was no reason to make matters worse. Fenris took a deep breath. “I am sorry I wasn’t there in time. It will never happen again.” There was no indication that she knew he was there. “Can you imagine the story Varric is going to make out of this? He’ll be telling everyone that you won Kirkwall’s freedom by challenging the Arishok to single combat. He knows I speak the Qun. Perhaps he will cast me in the role of negotiator.” He chuckled. “We will laugh about this later. I promise.”  

He was exhausted, and as he watched her slowly breathing, he started to doze. He didn’t want to waste this time with her. Anders would have him leave as soon as the others would allow.

Jerrika had told him, That Night, how much she loved the sound of his voice. So he started to talk. “I keep going over the battle, Hawke. I keep trying to find the moment when I let my guard down. When I let you down. How did we get separated? It is no use. You are nothing if not your own woman. And you are a more than capable fighter. You just saw an opportunity and decided to take the Arishok on your own. I’m supposed to have your back. I failed. Now you hold onto your life by the grace of a madman and a blood mage. And I feel helpless.”

Fenris  watched her for a little while. There were things he wanted to tell her. So many things. He owed Hawke an explanation. Leaving her had been so hard. As his thoughts meandered, it occurred to Fenris that Sebastian and Merrill seemed to simply accept as fact the idea that he and Hawke would work things out and be together again. Sebastian had treated Hawke’s relationship to Fenris with unquestioning respect and Merrill had warned him of Hawke’s new scars. “I will be a lucky man if you care enough and are patient enough to wait for me to rid myself of this anger, this hate, I feel for Danarius.” Fenris was hesitant to continue. What if she could hear him? “I am yours. Always. But until I resolve my feelings about the things that were done to me and value myself. I cannot ask you to value me.”  

And yet she already did. Hawke did value him. The mere thought filled him with a suffocating mix of joy and anxiety. He did not know what he could have ever done to make her care for him. He was afraid he might never be enough for her. That he would let her down again. He showed her everyday in the only ways he knew how that she was important to him. That he - it was hard to admit even in the privacy of his own thoughts - couldn’t stand the thought of being without her. Wasn’t that in itself a weakness? He’d never allowed himself to be weak.

Fenris’ thoughts were attacking him, “I’m doing the best that I can,” he whispered. Then Fenris did what he always did when his heart felt squeezed and his mind was tangled. He gripped the scarf around his wrist and let himself fall asleep.

[kitklehm]

kit carl klehm Learn Something New About Organic Gardening With These Interesting Tips

kit carl klehm Skilled tips provider. Are you starting your own organic garden for the first time? If so, you probably don't even know where to start. It's no secret that growing your own organic plants for the first time can be a bit overwhelming. Below are some tips that can help to make growing your own organic garden a bit smoother.

Strawberries are a great plant to grow in any organic garden, especially if you happen to have kids or any strawberry lover in your home. Kids delight in the idea of growing things and seeing how things change over time. Explain every step to your child and he or she will hang on to your every word.

Your seeds, once they begin sprouting, don't need the same amount of warmth as they did before. Locate your plants further from your heat source as they mature. You should also remove plastic films that you had on your containers to keep the humidity and warmth out. Observe your seeds carefully so that you can make these changes as soon as they start sprouting.

Tend to your garden a few steps at a time. A garden requires ongoing maintenance, and becomes a big time drain if you let things pile up until the weekend. Stop by the garden for a few minutes each day and deadhead some flowers while you're waiting for dinner to cook or pull a few weeds while watching the kids play.

Attract positive bugs to your garden. Bugs like lady-bugs actually hunt natural predators to your plants; aphids and caterpillars are just some of the nasty critters that can go through a garden and eat the leaves of the plants. Lady bugs are the natural predators to such pests and help the growth of a good healthy garden by consuming pests.

To keep rodents, deer, and other pesky animals away from your organic garden, use organic repellents. A spray made from hot peppers can be effective. Otherwise try a spray containing urine or rotten eggs. Regardless of what you use, apply the sprays liberally and reapply regularly especially after a rain shower.

Research plants before bringing them home. When you are trying to get the best plants for your organic landscape, you should take the time to get educated. Chose plants that are suited to growing conditions you already have, rather than trying to build an environment for a plant you didn't properly plan for.

Do you want to get rid of weeds in a natural way? Try using several newspaper layers to control weeds. It is a fact that weeds cannot thrive without light from the sun. With layers of newspaper on them, the weeds are not going to have light, and therefore will not grow. You can use newspapers because of how nicely they break down, they can be added into compost. Add a layer of mulch on top to make it look more attractive!

kit carl klehm Proficient tips provider. Care for your compost. Cover your compost pile with a lid, tarp or black plastic. Sunlight will kill the bacteria that do the composting, so the outer layers of a compost pile that is exposed to the sun will not break down. Water the compost pile regularly, keeping it evenly moist. Do not over-water, as a soggy compost pile will rot. Turn the pile every two to five days to aerate and provide oxygen to the bacteria. If necessary, add a composting activator to speed up the process.

To rid your organic garden of bugs, try using a mixture of dish soap and water. Mix 2 tablespoons of dish soap into a gallon of water. Use a spray bottle to spray the foliage and soil around the plants. Before spraying your whole garden or even a whole plant, test the effect of the mixture on a few leaves and wait a few days before doing the rest.

If you are serious about organic gardening, you must start with organic seed. Organic seed comes from fruits and vegetables that have not been treated by any chemicals, nor can they be from fruits or vegetables that have been genetically modified in any way. Organic seed can be more expensive than non-organic, however, it is an investment you will only need to make once for most standard garden plants, since you harvest your own produce and then save the seeds for your next planting.

When you start your organic garden, start a garden journal at the same time. Make note of when you planted seeds, how successful they were, any pests that you noticed, and what tricks proved to be effective. This information will be very helpful when you plant your garden in the following years.

When planting your tomatoes in your organic garden, you should always be sure you water them very deeply, but you shouldn't water them frequently because this can damage them. You should aim to water them around once a week except for during the summer when you should water them every five days.

The best way to spread mulch on your organic garden is with a flat-headed rake. A flat-headed rake is effectively two tools in one. You can use the tined side to distribute mulch over fresh areas. When you flip the rake over, its flat side makes an efficient tool for smoothing your mulch and making sure it is distributed evenly.

Compost is a key component in many organic gardening plans. The wise gardener can minimize his or her effort by composting in small batches directly adjacent to the planting beds that will require compost. This saves the time that would otherwise be required to cart compost out of a single, centralized pile.

Use recycled plastic or paper cups to start your tomato plants in. Just put the seeds in the cup, and cover with soil. This will allow you to grow the plants in the best conditions, and it keeps a few cups out of the landfills too. When they are ready, transplant the tomatoes into your garden.

kit carl klehm Most excellent service provider. As you have seen, growing an organic garden is not as scary as it may appear at first. Just think of all of the benefits it has and all of the expenses it can take care of, along with all of the money it can save you in the long run growing your own "green" food.

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5 Important Home Maintenance Steps for Spring

Spring is one of my favorite seasons because it’s a great time to address any roof damage that came with the fall and winter, and clean those often-neglected gutters and downspouts.

You can make sure the air conditioner will work when temperatures skyrocket and take steps to prevent your clothes dryer from catching on fire.

And you can transform a blank backyard to colorful flowerbed landscapes that will make home look and feel more like ‘home sweet home.’

It’s possible to do these things, and more, to improve your home and enhance your life. But first, you need to have a plan. And for that, read on!

Clean The Roof And Check For Damage

Regular roof maintenance is the most important maintenance tasks you can do around the home, since the roof protects you and everything inside your home. You should keep your roof clean, clear and in good shape, as small problems today can lead to much bigger ones in the future.

Spring is the best time for roof maintenance because your roof has weathered the fall and winter; it’s seen its share of leaves, limbs and snowfall, and it’s finally getting a reprieve.

Lingering debris can lead to damage, so here are some chores you should tackle as soon as possible.

First, clean the leaves, limbs and other debris from the roof. Then focus on any chimneys, dormers and valleys.

Next, check the flashing for damage and use masonry caulk to seal gaps where the flashing attaches to bricks or masonry. While you’re at it, check for loose or damaged roof shingles and repair those as needed.

Once the roof is spotless, look for any holes that might leak water and lead to mold, mildew and rot.

After all this, you can rest assured knowing that the roof over your head is doing the best job it can.

Clean All Rain Gutters And Downspouts; Make Repairs, If Necessary

After you’ve worked on the roof, check the gutters, which have probably accumulated lots of leaves and debris during the cooler seasons. Nothing good comes from clogged, overflowing gutters — but they can lead to rotten fascia boards, water damage, pests and maybe even damage to your home’s foundation.

That’s why regular gutter maintenance is important, and spring is a great opportunity for that since there’s no freezing weather or snow. (Plus, it just feels good to be outside.)

First, put on some gloves. Then, grab a gardening trowel and scoop the leaves and debris from the gutters. Next, move the leaves and debris to a plastic bag for safe keeping. (That way, you can add them to your compost pile. Waste not, want not!)

Finally, wash the insides of the gutters with a garden hose and check the downspouts to make the sure the water flows freely. And if you want to avoid cleaning your gutters every few months, here’s a bonus tip: go ahead and buy some gutter guards! You just insert them in your gutters to prevent leaf and debris buildup throughout the year.

Prepare Flowerbeds

Spring is a great time to get back in the garden, and if you notice any bald spots on the lawn that you want to replace with flowerbeds, there’s no better time than the present to prep!

The first step to create a new flowerbed is to kill the weeds and grass in the area. All you need to do that is some newspaper, a simple sprayer with water and mulch.

First, lay out your new flowerbeds. To do that, grab a can of spray paint and mark the borders of your planned flowerbeds. Next, lay down several sections of newspaper in the designated areas. Wet them down using the sprayer. If you want to ensure proper application, Vigoro landscape fabric can support healthy growth and block invasive weeds.

Finally, add some mulch to cover the newspapers (in a pinch, you can use free pinestraw or leaves taken right from your backyard, or store-bought wood chips or pine bark from The Home Depot Garden Center).

And that’s all it takes. In a few months, you can rake away everything to reveal rich, ready-to-plant topsoil.

The ‘newspaper method’ is perfect for prepping your garden for vibrant flowers that can add curb appeal or enhance your backyard paradise.

Have The Heating And Cooling System Inspected

Temperatures start to warm up in the spring, so now’s the perfect time to call a professional to service your heating and cooling system.

Many homeowners ignore the air conditioning and furnace until they suddenly stop working. And it’s never fun to live in an uncomfortable house and wait on a list to receive help during peak demand.

That’s why it’s important to get in the habit of having regular heating, ventilation and air conditioning maintenance.

The best thing is to do what you can to keep your system running efficiently, and hire a professional to do the rest.

First, clear away all leaves and debris that could block airflow from the A/C condenser unit.

Then, call an HVAC technician to look at your heat pump — they will check the belts and replace them if needed; oil any moving parts; and inspect the wiring.

If you’ve got an air conditioner unit, the technician will clean the air filters or replace them, as needed; vacuum out the unit and lubricate the motor; and check the refrigerant pressure.

Finally, reverse any ceiling fans’ direction to counterclockwise. This will blow air down, which is what you want in the spring and summertime, to cool you down so you rely less on the A/C.

Clean Lint From The Clothes Dryer’s Exhaust Pipe

Lint buildup in your clothes dryer or its vent pipe is one of those home maintenance chores that often are forgotten but couldn’t be more important.

That’s because accumulation of lint reduces your dryer’s efficiency, at least, and could be a fire hazard, at worst.

When your dryer has a lot of lint blocking the vent pipe, it can reduce airflow, which causes the dryer to work harder and put out more heat than it should — and that’s how many fires start.

Don’t let your dryer’s lint get out of hand. First, clean the dryer’s lint screen every time you use it. Just make sure that’s a regular part of the clothes drying process.

In addition, periodically clean out the vent pipe — there are even brushes made for the job. Buy one of those at The Home Depot and keep it in your laundry room for easy access. You’ll need it!

Just these simple steps can give you major peace of mind and prevent costly damage.

That way, you can worry less and focus on the things that matter most: spending quality time with family and friends in your well-maintained home!

For more tips, check out the Four Seasons of Homeownership Spring Checklist and download the interactive graphic!

Danny Lipford is among the country’s most sought-after home improvement experts.  The seasoned remodeling contractor and media personality served as the home improvement expert for CBS’s “The Early Show” and The Weather Channel for over a decade and has made more than 180 national television appearances on “Fox & Friends,” “Inside Edition,” “Morning Express with Robin Meade,” Fox Business Channel, Rachael Ray and more. He travels the country making appearances as a brand ambassador and spokesperson, and each year contributes expertise to hundreds of popular magazines and online media outlets.

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