#red mowat

[mythos-of-wind-and-thunder]

Prologue

Page 18

-End of Prologue-

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[shyfoxsky]

Photo Credits: Duane Larson, Alex Mowat, Peter Kefali, Russ Taylor, Peter Goode

I've got some more pictures to post, so I'll use this as an opportunity to talk more about what I look like as a fox!

I personally see myself as a fox that would be native to the Appalachias, pretty much anywhere that you can see mountains, that the forest is majority deciduous trees, and that gets snow minimum once a year. With that, I see myself a lot in medium-length coats, aligning with my hearthome being places that experience all four seasons. I see my coat having a thick tail with shorter fur on the rest of the body. I don't usually see myself with a massive set of cheeks or neck ruff, nor do I feel like my body or legs would be exceptionally hairy. The first three photos are good examples of this, and the third and fourth are good examples of how I see my tail, as I consider mine very long. Whether it's actually long or I just personally lean into the fact that foxes have proportionately long tails is beyond me. My face is more long and angular, similar to those of the foxes in regions like Yellowstone, though it's hard to really describe. The first and fourth photos are pretty close, though.

Coloration is a bit more easy to pin down for me, and it's consistent at all times of the year. I said this in my last post about native vs nonnative North American red foxes and their differences, but those in the east tend to have deeper and more certain reds, versus the paler reds to yellows those in the northwest tend to have. I fall into this with my own pelt, as I see myself with a deep, almost dark red color to my fur. The second photo as well as the shoulder of the fifth photo are decent examples. I consider my tag (the white tip of the tail) to be pretty large, roughly a fifth of the total tail length. I don't feel like my tail's red would be different from the rest of my body, and I also don't see myself with peppered thighs that turn almost gray, like in the fifth photo. I usually see myself with an even tone throughout my pelt. The black markings on my ears and legs are a deep, rich, solid black, and they encompass a lot of area. Some foxes have basically dark brown that reaches their wrists and heels and only touches the tips of their ears, and some have fully jet black ears and legs that touches the top of their heads and up to their knees and elbows, like the fifth photo. I fall into that latter category.

Overall, I really just see myself as the caricature of what a fox looks like put onto a real animal. An even, deep red coat, a super long tail with a very obvious white tail tip, and solid black legs and ears. I have yet to really find a single picture that looks exactly like me in every way, but I'm always on the hunt.

[777elizabet]

When she was working , Birdie billed herself as the 'Great Birgitta.' Her specialty was small slight of hand magic , then she might do some juggling and tumbling to get the punters in. Once inside, she'd turn the show over to her late husban

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

1:41 PM

When she was working , Birdie billed herself as the 'Great Birgitta.' Her specialty was small slight of hand magic , then she might do some juggling and tumbling to get the punters in. Once inside, she'd turn the show over to her late husband ,Bernie. He came to New York from London in the late fifties.

They met when she tried to become a rockette, that didn't work out very well. She was too short and too curvy, but she did get a job as a wardrobe assistant, sometimes she did props. Bernie was dating her best friend ' Louella'. Louella pushed him out and Birdie let him in. Louella didn't harbour any hard feelings , Bernie was sweet (like Tony) but he wasn't what she had in mind . Birdie however made him laugh and like wise . As time went on Bernie and Birdie , put an act together and joinned the buskers over in Coney Island.

The Act had charm and the two of them eventually opened for other magicians.

These days Birdie preferred doing her ghost tours, history was more interesting to her than

…well Coney Island. It would have ben hard to imagine for her , back in sixty-one.

After Tony and the girls left that afternoon , Birdie found an old scrapbook. Bernie looked up from the cover at her, His broad , cherubic face , always made her smile, he wasn't fat , he was however broad, and she missed every mile of him. Louella was looking for someone more svelte and more polished, Birdie thanked her lucky stars the day he came back to her place and tried one of her experimental dishes. Whatever Birdie thought she lost in looks , she made up in creativity, and Bernie loved that.

The new girl had shown Birdie a picture of her fiance and Birdie smiled , he reminded her of her beloved Bernie.

Tonight she would meet them again for her ghost tour of Greenwich, but first they'd hit the annual Halloween Parade. Birdie looked Gorgeous, she did a robe of green velvet , and dressed a bit like old Peter Stuyvesant. Birdie was close to eighty , so the costume had a practical purpose. Her fleece lined breeches and her big old fashioned riding boots were more comfortable than any dress .

When she met Ness and Gina at the park , the girls were dressed as Harpo and Chico. She had to laugh because apparently Harpo and Chico had developed a fondness for Christmas ball sized hoops. The two girls otherwise tried to channel their inner Marx Brothers

. Gina had contacts in , a blonde wig and the requisite horn and deep pockets. Ness did Chico's schtick flawlessly. Chris and Tony showed up as Groucho and Buster Keaton., The odd appearance of Lena Horn and Farley Mowat brought the que to a close. (How were they suppose to Know Jerome was dressed as 'Farley Mowat' , He had a sticker across his chest that red ' The Sea Shepherd , otherwise Jerome didn't look any different than He usually did.)

' This is my Jerome, it is his mission in life to be a consummate Non-conformist. ' Gina smiled at him with pride.

'Why the Marx Brothers?' Asked Birdie

'Why not the Marx Brothers?' Asked Gina, Birdie grinned.

' Chris and I have always loved the Marx Brothers , Ness and Gina decided to help me out.'

' Oh .' Replied Birdie ' Shall we go?'

' Yes'.

' Thought before we 'd take in the parade we 'd go for supper at ' One if By Land Two if by Sea' .

Birdie made an early reservation . She wanted to take them there q to show them what they might be in for , during one of her ghost tours. Sounded good to Gina, she was craving some good old fashioned surf and turf.

Gina loved New York, and the more she spent time in this port city the more she missed her

Home town.

Regina , as she was known to her mother and father, was born in Nova Scotia, Halifax to be exact. She spent a lot time enveloped in the world of Folklore, and if she would have anything to take from her time along this side of the Eastern seaboard, the more she recognised the similarities between New Yorkers and Haligonians. If not in the cities but definitely in the love of story telling .Sometimes as a fog horn sounded, Gina would feel home sick. Then she would remember her siblings and how crowded their house had been and be thankful , she was in New York.

Birdie's ghost tours around Halloween , began with the parade and ended up a late night showing of ' The Rocky Horror Picture Show' but that was getting tiring for Birdie , seemed more like a chore for her than a treat. These days she had her guests participate in the parade and at the end of the evening , they would finish at the merchant's house. She took them through a thousand and one stories , and culmulate with her Friend Getrude Treadwell.

The Treadwell story made Birdie weep and gnash her teeth She was so engrossed in the Treadwell story , She'd leave flowers and books for the long passed Miss Treadwell. .

Over the years , the trek to the Treadwell became a a yearly pilgrimage for her. This Halloween, although scoffed at by Jerome and Chris, she asked her guests to bring their favourite books to the Treadwell House. Scoffed they may have done but because they liked Birdie they agreed to the request.

'Why the Books?' asked Nessa.

'Whether her spirit haunts the house or not , I like to think after the years she haunted the house, she might get a little bored with the same piano music , so she might like a little something to read once in a while. I brought her a lot of Jane Austen over the years. Jane writes happy stories for the most part , and she also creates spirited heroines who were witty and assertive . I think that if she was able to stand up to her Father the pretty Miss Treadwell

Might have had a happier life.'

'Why do you identify with her?' asked Gina.

'It's not so much I identify with her, it's that my great grandmother could have been one of her peers. Millie was eighteen when she went through Ellis Island and landed in New York . She was two years younger than Miss Treadwell. She was an educated girl and her uncle sponsored her to come to the Country. He needed a book keeper and Millie was the girl.

Millie had a similar background in the old country , but she was no wall flower . When she met her husband she thought :

' I like him;' …. and let the family know , he was going to be the new son-in-law. He was Catholic and she was Jewish, they debated for years who would convert but neither one did. Eventually , they attended a Lutheran Church and brought their kids up there. Understand they truly loved each other and Millie's Father , although Jewish , weighed the odds and decided , he'd rather keep Millie around than shun her, that was a very brave thing to do back then , but the other factor was that he believed that love wasn't such a bad thing and if God wanted Millie to marry a good Jewish boy , he wouldn't have put Georgie in their lives. Old Mr. Treadwell cheated his daughter of God's greatest gift. Gertie needed to know she wasn't the only one. So in Millie's stead I take her books and flowers may be two or three times a year. Besides I think

Millie would approve.'

Birdie took them through the Merchant House, the little group finished in the parlor . On a small table beneath a reading lamp sat the following:

Rockbound and Who Has Seen the Wind from Gina and Jerome. A Prayer For Owen Meaney , from Anthony , House of Spirits and The Once and Future King from Nessa and Chris, Then Beneath a bouquet of chrysanthinums and pansies , Birdie had placed Persuasion and Emma on top of the pile. Birdie led her small band towards the door and sent the young people out first . She looked back and whispered :

' Good Night Miss Treadwell', and followed her troupe out into the night. What they didn't see was a light being turned on in the window and a delicate shade settle into the chair , lifting Persuasion from the pile of books on the table.

[foxyou-too]

Contrasting Shades – Aizome Cabinet by Canadian Designer Zoe Mowat

[ashotlist]

The Junction - BadBadNotGood & Samuel T. Herring | Red Bull Music Academy From Kyle Mowat

[damn-daemon]

Chapter Two Questions of the Awkward Variety

There were those blue eyes again, attached to that head of sandy brown hair. Remus Lupin was standing there in the library with her, holding her book, eyes wide as saucers. A red tinge began to crawl up his neck and into his cheeks, while Isabeau felt all the color leave hers.

He chanced a look at the book separating them.

Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat.

The instant his eyes met hers again, Isabeau tore the book from his grasp, nearly tripping as she bent down to pick up the others.

Read here: FFN | AO3 | Wattpad

Tagging: @john-silver @moonagedaydreamstuff @drbobbimorse @dreamerwithapen1 @lostiintheocean @ohmyzukka @perfectlystiles @butcherofblackwater @margothedestroyerr @itsjustgracy @ocfairygodmother @luucypevensie @mystic-scripture @booty-boggins

[ask-de-writer]

THE  GOD’S FANGS : Fantasy :  Dirkhan in the Desert

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to Dirkhan in the Desert

THE  GOD’S FANGS

by De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

2225 words

written 2008 © 2016 by Glen Ten-Eyck

All rights reserved.  This document may not be copied or distributed on or to any medium or placed in any mass storage system except by the express written consent of the author.

/////////////////////

Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users

Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story. I will further allow the use of printed copies for educational use in school classes. No charge of any kind may be made for this use, whether paper, ink, binding, packaging, distribution or any other charge whatsoever.

Fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions are actively encouraged!

///////////////////////

Dark it was, a night of wind, torn and racing cloud wrack, and biting chill.  A grim moon showed all with a ghastly waning gibbous glow.  Only those with desperate errands or, of course, thieving rascals were out, braving the gloom and frigid breeze.

The cold gusts found every chink  in Uman’s tight pulled cloak.  He was making his way up Vintner’s Row.  Clutching the still precious but now empty date wine flask close, he muttered, “”Just the night for a warm drink.  Old Cormag always gives a man a free drink in return for a bottle to fill and sell.  A copper fluket or a drink is the standing offer and tonight, the drink it is.”

The wind was swirling dust and grit over the wall of Dirkhan in the Desert.  “This wind might as well be the spirits of those who’ve died of thirst in the desert of Skrald Iden jealously trying to keep an honest man from getting his drink,” thought Uman.  He barked a small laugh at the ridiculous notion of himself as an honest man.

The laugh drew the attention of two of Dirkhan’s City Watch.  “Who goes?” they called  out, hoping for a stray dog or a desert cat.  Instead, Uman stepped boldly from the shadows.

He greeted the guards, “Mowat, Celdor, a vile night to be out on duty or for any other reason.  Some of us truly appreciate your efforts and dedication.  Here, a fluket each for a warm drink to share with me up at Old Cormag’s.”  Fishing in his pouch, Uman produced and offered two of the small coins.

Eying Umans’s flask, Celdor asked bluntly, “Why not a sip from your bottle instead?”

Smiling sadly, Uman shook the offending flask and replied, “You could.  You could indeed, but you will get more with my fluket.  This is an empty that I’m taking to Old Cormag for his standing offer of a drink for a bottle to fill.”

Mowat made up his mind, saying, “We’ll take you up on the drink, Uman.  Unfortunately, we have to arrest you anyway.  Somebody broke into the Temple of Motar and stole the god’s golden fangs tonight.  Magistrate Jumpar thinks that it was you.”

Uman’s eyebrows rose in amusement.  Grinning broadly, he asked, “What?  Pulled in twice in one night, Mowat?  Do you like Magistrate Jumpar?”

Celdor’s face twisted in anger and he spat at a roil of dust whirling down the lane.  “Not one bit.  The Highborn bastard always pays us with coins so worn and clipped that they ain’t worth but a part of what we’re supposed to get.”

Nodding in sympathy, Uman agreed, “Such has been my experience with Jumpar also.  If you would like to pay him back and yet still do his Written Will, come up to Cormag’s for that warm drink while we discuss the matter.  I will come with you freely after it.”

A short while later, in Magistrate Jumpar’s dingy Court Room, Uman was hustled into the prisoner’s wicket.  A pair of cressets flamed fitfully, one to either side of the Magistrate’s bench, showing walls of the same dull tan mud brick that most of Dirkhan was made of.  Celdor shut the prisoner’s wicket firmly.

Mowat faced the balding, sallow faced Magistrate and stated, “According to your Written Will, we have apprehended the miscreant Uman the Fat.  For this Service of Justice, we are due a silver Djal.”

Negligently waving a hand that reminded Uman of a vulture’s claw, Jumpar declared loftily, “I will pay you presently.  At the moment I have only a golden Djaballa.”  He squirmed a bit on his magistrate’s bench as he tried to straighten hastily donned Magisterial robes.

Celdor promptly began to open the prisoner’s wicket.  Mowat watched in approval, stating clearly, “You’re learning, Celdor.  No payment, no Service.  Sorry to inconvenience you, Uman.  We will have to arrest you another time, when the bench has the proper money for its Services.”

Grinning, Uman held up a hand.  “Not so swiftly, my friends.  I have the correct change right here.  It would be a shame indeed for our good Magistrate’s Justice to fail for so small a thing.”  Uman fished in his pouch and produced seven silver Rilks and five silver Djals, all of pristine, unclipped, unshaved coins.

With an innocent smile, he offered, “I’ll just take that Djaballa and you can use this money to pay our good watchmen for their Services of your Written Will, as necessary.”

Sourly, Jumpar handed his golden coin over to his prisoner who courteously gave the  Magistrate the handful of silver.  Ostentatiously, Uman tested the Djaballa against a tooth, observing, “Can’t be too careful.  Somebody might have cheated our honest Justice Jumpar.”

Glaring at his prisoner, Jumpar demanded, “Uman the Fat, do you know why you are here?”

Leaning negligently against the side of the wicket, Uman replied, “According to your Written Will, I stand accused of stealing the Golden Fangs from Motar’s idol this very night.  I have cooperated with the guard in every way because of this specific crime, I am innocent.”

Eyebrows raised almost to his non-existent hairline, Jumpar sneered, “Of this crime?  You?  Innocent?”  Sternly he went on, “It is not possible.  You were seen in the Temple of Motar today.  Clearly you were casing the temple for this night’s burglary.”

Turning on his bench to face Mowat, jumpar demanded, “Was the search required by my Written Will carried out?”

Looking up from cleaning his fingernails with a a small dagger, Mowat replied, “It was, Magistrate.  For this Service of your Written Will we are due a silver Djal.”

Sighing in exasperation at having to let yet another good coin out of his grasp, Magistrate Jumpar handed over the money.  Celdor promptly gave the Magistrate a stout sack well filled with pointed objects.

Baring his yellowed teeth in triumph, Magistrate Jumpar declared, “So!  Innocent are you?  Behold, the missing Fangs of Motar, stolen impiously from his Idol this very evening!  Your guilt is obvious even to a child!  There can be no defense against this evidence!”

Uman put his face in his hands to hide his smile while he composed his features into a proper look of despair.  Glumly he said, “And yet, I must try.  It is my very life that is forfeit if I fail.

“I will readily own that I was in Motar’s temple earlier today.  I prayed for eloquence before Motar’s Mouth.  After I prayed, I went to the Temple Blessing Shop.  There, I purchased a complete set of the Fangs of Elocution.  You have just most impiously dumped them out on the Bench without so much as a ‘bless me Motar’ for it.”  Rummaging in his pouch, Uman produced a small slate streak plate, used to try the purity of gold and silver.  Along with the slate, he produced a small slip of parchment.

Proffering both items to the Magistrate, Uman went on, “If the heft of those Fangs alone does not convince you, try their purity with this slate.  Those are my brass Fangs of Blessing from the Temple Blessing Shop.  This parchment is my receipt for a donation of two golden Djaballa.  It is signed by junior priest Bulgulla.

“My gold was well spent, for my business went to my advantage.  About sundown, I went to the Garden of Red Lamps to celebrate my success.”

Turning to the watchmen, Uman offered a silver Djal.  “For your Service of Justice, this coin.  Please tell Magistrate Jumpar where I spent this evening.”

Celdor shrugged cheerfully as he took the money.  “You were in cell sixteen.  We picked you up in a sweep after a brawl at the Garden of Red Lamps.  After two and a half hours, we let you out because we determined that you were a bystander and not a part of the fight.

“We escorted you to Cormag’s Inn and left you there.  When we received the Magistrate’s Written Will, we went back towards Cormag’s in the hope of apprehending you.  We found you in the street, returning to the Inn for another drink.”

Celdor faced the furious Magistrate and proceeded, “This prisoner has cooperated with us in every possible way.  He guided us to his lodgings and we found the evidence that was specified in your Written Will.  We brought both the required evidence and the prisoner here.  His degree of cooperation is demonstrated by his providing the necessary Price of Service to enable you to inquire into this heinous crime.”

Jumpar screeched, “If you knew all this, why didn’t you tell me about it?”

Mowat shrugged expressively and stated, “We have been upbraided before for speaking out.  You have demanded that we not try to correct the Highborn.  You know more and are wiser than we commoners, you have said.  We simply assumed that you knew something that we did not.”

Glaring down from the Bench, Jumpar demanded, “Return the coins of Service.  You should never have been paid them.”

Uman shook his head so vigorously that he made his head-cloth flip about.  “Not so, Your Justice.  These good watchmen have fairly done all that your Written Will required of them.  It is no fault of theirs that you failed to check the evening’s arrest docket.”

Pointing  a claw-like finger at the door, Jumpar screamed, “Get out of my Court!” Imperturbably, Uman stepped from the now open prisoner’s wicket and approached the Bench.  “I’ll go when I have my Blessing and the receipt for the two Djablalla that they cost.”

Angrily, Jumpar swept the brass Fangs and receipt into the sack.  Sighing, Uman offered, “Bless him, Motar, even if he is too angry to ask for it himself.”  He took the bag and his leave.

/////////////

Presently, Uman was shown into the private audience chamber of the Merchant Prince Grabit.  That worthy offered, “Palm heart wine, Uman?  It is from the oasis groves of Palidor.  How went our business?”

Uman sipped his wine while lolling back in the comfortably padded chair and took in the luxuriously appointed room.  At last he replied, “Well and ill both.  I got them, as promised.  Here they are.”  He handed a bag to Merchant Prince Grabit.

Grabit’s pudgy fingers expertly extracted the fangs and the parchment.  Frowning, he examined them with a glass.  Looking puzzled, he pronounced, “These are brass.  A Blessing Shop set … No, they are too large.”

Eyes opening wide, he exclaimed, “Oh, my!  The Golden Fangs of Motar are a fraud!”

Uman, leaning forward intently explained, “No.  Motar’s Fangs are golden.  Only this idol’s fangs are false.  I know, because at one time or another, I’ve met and spoken with all nine of the True Gods.”

Grabit corrected, “Eight.  There are only eight True Gods.”

“Nine,”  stated Uman with authority.  “Just because neither the Eight True Gods nor their priests like Ranton, patron of Theft and other disasters, doesn’t change the fact that he’s a True God.  The Eight simply hate to admit it, that’s all.”

Sourly, Grabit agreed, “Being one of the Rich, I can understand their reluctance.  So, when did you find that the fangs were false?”

With a wry smile, Uman replied, “As soon as I saw them up close.”

Puzzlement writ large on his plump face, Grabit asked, “Then why did you risk stealing them?  Why not just report the fact to me?”

Relaxed, Uman answered, “I felt sorry for Motar.  I told you that I’ve met him.  I like him.  By this, you can earn the very real favor of a True God and gain absolute power over his greedy priests at the same time.

“Just have these Fangs copied in real gold and return them to the Temple with a tale of your great risk and expense in finding the missing Fangs.  Motar is sure to be pleased and reward you well.  As long as you keep these originals, you can blackmail the priests to your heart’s content.”

A flunky in fine livery came into the chamber and whispered into Grabit’s ear while handing him a sheet of parchment.  The flunky cast weasel like eyes at Uman and his lip twisted up into a derisive sneer as he left.  The Prince informed Uman, “Maggit says that you cannot have done this deed.  This is the record of your arrest for a brawl, earlier this evening and again later you were arrested, tried and acquitted of this very crime.  I do believe that you did it, but how?”

Uman thought carefully of how much to reveal and said judiciously, “Misdirection, My Lord.  I knew, from the routines of the priests, that the idol’s false fangs would not be missed until late.  It is a common misconception that burglars must work after darkness falls.  Even Magistrates who should know better believe it.  I simply stole them earlier, in broad daylight.

“Provoking a brawl took care of the evening for me.  All that I needed to do was help Magistrate Jumpar to keep the night in mind and he drew the same conclusion as Maggit.  It gave me the best possible alibi.  An official one.”

Pausing thoughtfully, Uman added, “Since you are putting a substantial amount of real gold into the Temple, you really should do something about the Sanctuary lock.  I think that a poorly trained monkey could open it.”

                                                —THE END—  

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to Dirkhan in the Desert

[lornaslibrary]

Animals

Last week I asked you to recommend books based on the prompt animals. Here are all the books you recommended!! Some of these books feature animals, some of them have animals in the titles.

Bold = the books I’ve read * = the books I personally would recommend + = want to read/on my TBR

Watership Down, by Richard Adams *

The Plague Dogs, by Richard Adams *

The Book of Three, by Lloyd Alexander

The Thing About Jellyfish, by Benjamin Ali

The Invasion (Animorphs #1), by K.A. Applegate

Raptor Red, by Robert T. Bakker

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1), by Leigh Bardugo *

Silverhair (Mammoth #1), by Stephen Baxter 

The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle +

Angels and Insects, by A. S. Byatt

A Horse Called Wonder (Thoroughbred #1), by Joanna Campbell

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll *

Moon Chosen (Tales of the New World #1), by P.C. Cast

The Sight, by David Clement-Davies 

Fire Bringer, by David Clement-Davies

Fantastic Mr. Fox, by Roald Dahl 

The Hound of the Baskervilles (Sherlock Holmes #5), by Arthur Conan Doyle 

Krambambuli, by Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, by T.S. Eliot

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, by Karen Joy Fowler

The Skylark’s Song (The Skylark Saga #1), by J. M. Frey

Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson

The Little White Horse, by Elizabeth Goudge

The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame +

The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah

Black Foxes, by Sonya Hartnett

The Lord God Made Them All, by James Herriot

If Only They Could Talk, by James Herriot

The Hunt of the Unicorn, by C. C. Humphreys

Into the Wild (Warriors #1), by Erin Hunter

Redwall (Redwall #1), by Brian Jacques

The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka

Pet Sematary, by Stephen King *

The Jungle Books, by Rudyard Kipling

The Wolves, by Hann Hellmut Kirst

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, by Elizabeth Kolbert  

Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle #1), by Jay Kristoff *

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis

Call of the Wild, by Jack London

The Mark of Zorro (Zorro #1), by Johnston McCulley

Deerskin, by Robin McKinley

Spindle’s End, by Robin McKinley

Chalice, by Robin McKinley

Blanca & Roja, by Anna-Marie McLemore

Birds Art Life: A Year of Observation, by Kyo Maclear

Daughter of the Forest, by Juliet Marillier

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel *

The Novice (Summoner #1), by Taran Matharu

Winnie-the-Pooh (Winnie-the-Pooh #1), by A. A. Milne

The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be, by Farley Mowat

Animal Farm, by George Orwell +

Here, There Be Dragons (The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica #1), by James A. Owen

Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1), by Christopher Paolini

Flambards (Flambards #1), by K. M. Peyton

Fierce Kingdom, by Gin Phillips

Wild Magic (Immortals, #1), by Tamora Pierce

Trickster’s Choice (Daughter of the Lioness #1), by Tamora Pierce

The Complete Adventures of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter

The Unadulterated Cat, by Terry Pratchett

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1), by Philip Pullman *

An Enchantment of Ravens, by Margaret Rogerson

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5), by J. K. Rowling *

The Serpent’s Shadow (The Kane Chronicles #3), by Rick Riordan

Bambi, by Felix Salten +

Far-Seer (Quintaglio Ascension #1), by Robert J. Sawyer

The Cricket in Times Square (Chester Cricket and His Friends #1), by George Selden

Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell

Feathers and Gifts: A Heartwarming True Story, by P. J. Sheldon

Babe: The Gallant Pig, by Dick King Smith

The 101 Dalmatians (The Hundred and One Dalmatians #1), by Dodie Smith +

The Green Ember (The Green Ember #1), by S.D. Smith

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1), by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races, by Maggie Stiefvater

The Dragonet Prophecy (Wings of Fire #1), by Tui T. Sutherland

The Trials of Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor #1), by Jessica Townsend

The Book of the Dun Cow (Chauntecleer the Rooster #1), by Walter Wangerin Jr.

The Island of Dr Moreau, by H. G. Wells +

The Trumpet of the Swan, by E. B. White 

Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White *

Summer Lightning, by P. G. Wodehouse

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow (The Sinclair’s Mysteries series #1), by Katherine Woodfine

Elsewhere, by Gabrielle Zevin 

If you recommended books but don’t see your recommendations here, feel free to message me and let me know I missed your post!!

Other Chain Recs Masterposts

[godzilla-reads]

World Animal Day Reading List

(I added the Spotted Hyena because it’s my favorite animal!)

Children’s Books

“Stellaluna” by Janell Cannon

“Sassafras” by Audrey Penn

“Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” by Eric Carle and Bill Martin Jr.

“The Tale of Peter Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter

“Verdi” by Janell Cannon

“Dogzilla” by Dav Pilkey

“Winnie-the-Pooh” by A.A. Milne

“Make Way for Ducklings” by Robert McCloskey

Young Readers

“Because of Winn-Dixie” by Kate DiCamillo

“The Tale of Despereaux” by Kate DiCamillo

“A Dog’s Life” by Ann Martin

“Redwall” by Brian Jacques

“Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawles

“Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White

“Fantastic Mr. Fox” by Roald Dahl

“Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH” by Robert C. O’Brien

“Varjak Paw” by S.F. Said

“Silverwing” by Kenneth Oppel

Classics

“Lassie Come-Home” by Eric Knight

“The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame

“The Jungle Book” by Rudyard Kipling

“Watership Down” by Richard Adams

“The Call of the Wild” by Jack London

“Black Beauty” by Anna Sewell

“The Incredible Journey” by Sheila Burnford

Nonfiction

“Homer’s Odyssey” by Gwen Cooper

“Dewey” by Vicki Myron

“My Family and Other Animals” by Gerald Durrell

“Innocent Killers” by Jane Goodall

“Born Free” by Joy Adamson

“Never Cry Wolf” by Farley Mowat

“Wesley the Owl” by Stacy O’Brien

“The Animal Dialogues” by Craig Childs

Graphic Novels

“Mouse Guard” by David Petersen

“Pride of Baghdad” by Brian K. Vaughn

“Animosity” by Marguerite Bennett

“Slothilda” by Dante Fabiero

“Korgi” by Christian Slade

[mythos-of-wind-and-thunder]

Chapter 1

Page 12

[timeline-delta]

Unsuitablity for running something so important

Riel leaving politics seemed to make things easier, a little, for the negotiations about the size of Maniobah, but when the bill that would eventually become the “Keewatin and Manitobah Act of 1876” was tabled in the House of Commons in Ottawa in early 1876, its proposed definition of Manitobah was “the river watersheds that extend no further east than the western perimeter of Lake of the Woods, that exist wholly west of the western tip of Lake Winnipegosis, and south of Lakes Winnipeg and Manitobah to the border with the United States”. Most Manitobans were incensed as this was barely 70% larger, and only one quarter the size of Ontario. The economic spread of their original Red River Colony into the North-West Territories was much broader, they said, but Oliver Mowat, Premier of the province of Cape Breton scoffed at them publicly. The Candian Party and its anti-francophone affiliates in Ontario felt they had won the day in Parliament as they had been lobbying their Ontario MPs and writing editorial after editorial in their newspapers on the “unsuitability of Half-breeds and French folk running something so important as a Provincial Government”. The bill was passed and given Royal Assent in the fall on October the 7th, over the opposition of Quebec, whose ministers denounced it as pitiful, and the objections of Alexander Morris, Lieutenant-Governor of Manitobah, who felt that province would be in a far better position to administer the areas to the east and north of Lake Winnipeg than the government of the North-West Territories, of which he was also the Lieutenant-Governor.

[antoine-roquentin]

The notion that a third of large fish in Australian waters disappeared in just 10 years should be of profound concern to all. The health of marine food webs depends upon healthy populations of the predator species that regulate populations of smaller species; declines in their numbers are likely to lead to hastening disruption of ocean ecosystems.

Even more disturbingly, these falls mirror similar declines in marine life around the world. According to a 2015 report by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, populations of marine vertebrates including fish, turtles, birds, whales, dolphins and seals fell by half between 1970 and 2010. And although the drops in numbers were most extreme during the 1970s and early 1980s, in recent years they have accelerated again, suggesting a similar study conducted today would find an even greater decline. And in a separate study the United Nations found that, although demand for fish is still rising, almost 90 per cent of the world’s fisheries are fully fished or overfished.

There is no question these headline figures disguise considerable variation between species and regions. (The study of Australian fisheries found the biomass of exploited species actually increased in areas where they were protected from fishing.) But that should not divert our attention from the fact that declines were worst in those species humans rely upon for food: the WWF study found populations of tuna, mackerel and bonito dropped by 74 per cent in the same period. Or that other studies estimate the populations of large species such as whales, dolphins, sharks, seals, rays and turtles have declined by more than 75 per cent on average, with some species, such as right whales, leatherback turtles and blue whales, declining by 90 per cent or more.

Half of all marine vertebrates gone in 40 years. A third of large fish in Australian waters gone in the past decade. Ninety per cent of the world’s fisheries already at their limits or beyond. These figures speak to a reality few want to acknowledge, and the decline is made even more shocking by the fact that it has taken place so rapidly. As Eelco Rohling, professor of ocean and climate change at the Australian National University, points out, although there is evidence that hominids were travelling by boat more than 50,000 years ago, and middens and other archaeological evidence make it clear we have relied upon the ocean for even longer, marine environments remained largely pristine until fewer than 500 years ago. In fact, they only really began changing in the early 1800s. “While we were still sailing around in wooden ships powered by the wind, humans didn’t really have much of an influence. The real change comes with industrialisation, and the power to move ourselves around with steam and other technologies. Once that happens, you begin to see mass whaling and fishing on scales that were unimaginable beforehand.”

It is difficult for us to imagine the oceans before humans transformed them, and how they teemed with life. In Anna Clark’s history of fishing in Australia, The Catch, she describes the “fishing Eden” that greeted early Europeans: “the sea floor off the west coast of Tasmania carpeted red with crayfish; fish so thick that nets could be set at any time of the day; an ‘astonishing magnitude’ of Australian salmon; and mountains of mullet that migrated annually up the east coast”. This accords with James Cook’s and Joseph Banks’ descriptions of the density of marine life they found in Botany Bay, where the crew speared stingrays weighing as much as 152 kilograms and reported catching “about 300 pounds weight of fish” in just “3 or 4 hauls” of the net. In Tasmania, whales congregated in the Derwent River in such numbers they were a hazard to shipping, while on the other side of the globe, off the coast of Cornwall, a shoal of sardines was spotted in 1836 that stretched for well over 100 kilometres. Today there are approximately 90,000 nesting female green turtles left worldwide, but studies suggest that when Europeans arrived in the Americas there were more than 50 million in the Caribbean alone. Reports describe them filling the ocean from horizon to horizon as they grazed upon the seagrass that surrounded the Cayman Islands; as late as the 18th century, ships en route to the Caymans could navigate through darkness by the sound of the turtles’ shells knocking together as they fed. Further back again the Roman writer Oppian describes a Mediterranean so full of fish it was possible to catch tuna by simply dropping a log with a spike on it into the water.

More often than not, these descriptions of astonishing abundance were merely the prelude to their destruction. Despite Indigenous Australians having fished along coastlines for tens of thousands of years without adverse effect, Australian fisheries began to collapse within a few generations of European colonisation. The bays around Sydney were denuded of oysters by the 1860s; by 1880 Sydney Harbour, once brimming with fish, was described as ��scarcely … a source of supply at all”; and by the 1920s stocks of Sydney’s tiger flathead had collapsed due to the introduction of ocean trawling. The decline in numbers also brought reductions in size, as fish were caught and killed before they could reach adulthood: where once sturgeon up to 5 metres long were common in the bays and estuaries of North America, now they are gone, while the immense rays that glided across the sandy bottom of Botany Bay in Cook and Banks’ time would be exceptional today. Even Oppian’s teeming Mediterranean is now so devoid of fish that many marine biologists call it the Deaditerranean.

Yet for sheer focused ferocity, little compares to the carnage wrought upon marine mammals by whalers and sealers. Scientists estimate at least three million whales were wiped out in the 20th century alone, a massacre that peaked in the 1960s and killed more than two thirds of the global population of sperm whales and 90 per cent of blue whales, as well as bringing northern right whales (so known because their placid nature and tendency to float after death made them the “right” whale to kill) to the brink of extinction. Seals were also killed in the millions: in his classic book, Sea of Slaughter, Canadian writer Farley Mowat calculates at least 13 million seals were killed between 1830 and 1860 in Newfoundland alone, while in the early years of the 19th century populations of southern fur seals on subantarctic islands were reduced from between one and two million to a mere few hundred in just a few decades.

it’s gonna be interesting living in a world without ocean life

[apatojp]

AIZOME SIDEBOARRD Part of the Aizome series for the Japanese brand, Ariake, the Aizome Sideboard acts as a canvas for traditional Japanese colors and finishes. The bold piece is covered in a wash of two shades of Japanese indigo, or Aizome, and takes its name from the distinct hue. The saturated color palette is offset by unique, quiet details that were inspired by time spent in the small town of Morodomi, Japan, where the piece is produced. The recessed surface provides a lip for opening the drawers below and the concealed red handles echo a sentiment of mystery and subtlety often present in Japanese life and aesthetics: the significant things are not always immediately visible. BRAND : Ariake DESIGN BY : Zoe Mowat https://www.instagram.com/p/CedWgcxl0kk/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[atlanticcanada]

Montreal production designer, Halifax short documentary director win early Oscars

Canadians made a strong showing at the Oscars on Sunday night, with early wins going to director Ben Proudfoot and production designer Patrice Vermette.

Halifax's Proudfoot picked up a win for best documentary short subject with his film "The Queen of Basketball," about Lucy Harris, the only woman to be drafted by the NBA.

"This proves that Lucy Harris' story, after 45 years of being ignored, does indeed mean something profound to America and the world," Proudfoot, who was previously nominated in 2021 for "A Concerto Is a Conversation," told The Canadian Press when reached by text at the bash.

"From a quiet town in Mississippi to the world stage, Lucy Harris, The Queen of Basketball, has always and will always belong at the top. Her's is a record that will never be broken."

Vermette, meanwhile, won for best production design for Montreal director Denis Villeneuve's "Dune," which received the second most nominations with 10. The film won four in the pre-telecast.

He shares his win with Hungarian set decorator Zsuzsanna Sipos, and was previously nominated for 2010's "The Young Victoria" and 2017's "Arrival," also directed by Villeneuve.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced the early wins on Twitter, but footage of the presentations and acceptance speeches were held for an edited version that was set to air later Sunday as part of the live ABC/CTV telecast.

The new format saw early trophies handed out in eight categories, half of them including Canadians: documentary short, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live action short, and sound.

Simu Liu, one of three Canadians set to present on the telecast as well as Elliot Page and Shawn Mendes, shone bright in red on the red carpet, while "Dune" stars Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet wowed fans with their looks -- her in a silk half-shirt and matching silver skirt, and him in a shirtless Louis Vuitton ensemble.

Canadians chasing Oscars at the live event included Villeneuve, who was up for best adapted screenplay and best picture for "Dune."

Montreal-based producer Roger Frappier was also up for best picture alongside director Jane Campion and the team for "The Power of the Dog," which led overall with 12 nominations.

The top race also included Toronto producer J. Miles Dale as part of the team behind "Nightmare Alley," along with Mexican director Guillermo del Toro and actor/producer Bradley Cooper. Toronto's Luis Sequeira was up for best costume design.

Other Canadian contenders who lost out in the pre-telecast included Saskatoon's Tamara Deverell and Halifax's Shane Vieau, who shared a nomination for best production design on "Nightmare Alley" and "Dune" makeup artist Donald Mowat of Montreal. The National Film Board's Canada/U.K. co-production "Affairs of the Art" lost out in the animated short category.

In a statement in the days leading up to the show, the NFB had strong words for the change, predicting it "will serve to further marginalize short films, which already struggle to find large audiences."

The academy has said the change was meant to keep the three-hour broadcast "tighter and more electric" for viewers, but it drew intense criticism from many in the film community, including Proudfoot who has said the move "debases certain categories."

Proudfoot faced off against Toronto producer Geoff McLean in the documentary short category.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2022.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/7QGnik2

[peachy-teatime]

Your Blueprint Challenge

Six moments in media that were formative (before age of 13). This isn’t necessarily your favourite childhood things, or even the things you are most nostalgic for. It may even be embarrassing. However, it is six things that looking back on may echo in current interests or even your own work.

Sources:

The Tigger Movie

Flowers are Red by Harry Chapin

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Muddle Earth by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(2003)

Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat

Thanks for the tag @siuansanche-s !!

Do it if you want @alpacasalways and anyone else I won't stop you!

[projectcanadalynx]

References

1. Alcaide, M., Messina, E., Richter, M., Bargiela, R., Peplies, J., Huws, S. A., Newbold, C. J., Golyshin, P. N., Simon, M. A., Lopez, G., Yakimov, M. M., Ferrer, M. (2012). Gene sets for utilization of primary and secondary nutrition supplies in the distal gut of endangered Iberian lynx. PLoS One. 7(12), e51521. 

2. Aldama, J. J., Beltran, J. F., & Delibes, M. (1991). Energy expenditure and prey requirements of free-ranging Iberian lynx in Southwestern Spain. Journal of Wildlife Management. 55(4), 635-641.

3. Biek, R., Zarnke, R. L., Gillin, C., Wild, M., Squires, J. R., & Poss, M. Serologic survey for viral and bacterial infections in western populations of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis). Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 38(4), 840-845.

4. Gonthier, G. (2009). Écureuil roux - red squirrel. [Online image]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/gillesgonthier/3621028576

5. Hanwell, A. & Peaker, M. (1977). Physiological effects of lactation on the mother. Symp Zool Soc London. 41, 297-312.

6. Hoving, C. L., Harrison, D. J., Krohn, W. B., Jakubas, W. J., & McCollough. (2004). Canada lynx Lynx canadensis habitat and forest succession in Northern Maine, USA. Wildlife Biology. 10(1), 285-294.

7. James, W. (2016). Lynx cat. [Online image]. Pixnio. https://pixnio.com/fauna-animals/lynx-cat/three-eartagged-canada-lynx-kittens-lynx-canadesis#img_info

8. Karasov, W. H. (1992). Daily energy expenditure and the cost of activity in mammals. Amer Zool. 32, 238-248.

9. Kuiper, C. (2014). White-tailed deer. [Online image]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/conradkuiper/12391044373

10. Lavoie, M., Renard, A., & Lariviere, S. (2019). Lynx canadensis (Carnivora: Felidae). Mammalian Species. 51(985), 136-154.

11. Morch, T. (2012). Lynx lynx. [Online image]. Wikimedia commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lynx_lynx_(geypa)-cropped.jpg

12. Morin, S. J., Bowman, J., Marrotte, R. R., & Fortin, M. J. (2020). Fine-scale habitat selection by sympatric Canada lynx and bobcat. Ecology and Evolution. 10(17), 9396-9409.

13. Mowat, G. & Slough, B. (2003). Habitat preference of Canada lynx through cycle in snowshoe hare abundance. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 81(10), 1736-1745.

14. Poole, K. G. (2003). A review of the Canada lynx, Lynx canadensis, in Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist. 117(3), 360-376.

15. Powers, J. G., Mautz, W. W., & Pekins, P. J. (1989). Nutrient and energy assimilation of prey by bobcats. Journal of Wildlife Management. 53(4), 1004-1008.

16. Saunders, J. K., Jr. (1964). Physical characteristics of the Newfoundland lynx. Journal of Mammalogy. 45(1), 36-47.

17. Stevens, A. (2020). Canada lynx. [Online image]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/photos/lynx-animal-predator-nature-cat-5207669/

18. Stevens, C. E. (1977). Comparative physiology of the digestive system. In Duke’s Physiology of Domestic Animals, ed. M. J. Swenson, 9th ed., pp.216-232. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. 

19. Vashon, J. 2016. Lynx canadensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T12518A101138963. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T12518A101138963.en. Downloaded on 25 March 2021.

20. Washington State Department of Natural Resources [WDNR]. (2010). Canada lynx kittens. [Online image]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/wastatednr/4700577818