#salt creek falls

[travelbinge]

By Shortstache

Salt Creek Falls, Oregon, USA

[cascadianights]

Time and Fires March On

[mntyfrsh]

[dopescissorscashwagon]

Salt Creek Falls, Oregon USA 🇺🇸

[stochastique-blog]

false

Salt Creek Falls, OR

[bettysupremacy]

another request for finnick, just a lil bit of angst as him and her get into a fight and then they make up. angst and then some fluff

love letter to finnick. maybe this is like the before of this

It’s dark in the large bedroom you cave yourself in, and it seems even darker post argument.

Your eyes ache dully, even closed they beg to be soothed. You can’t believe the contents of the last hour, they play behind your eyelids as you pray for comfort. This is the worst. The worst. The watch sitting on your bedside table reads midnight when you pick it up gently.

“Fuck,” it’s cold in your hand, pulling you closer to the real world you’d tried desperately to escape with sleep.

At home in district four, you hear the waves of a homely sea outside your window. Finnick is out there, for sure, swimming in the seas he knows you don’t like him in after dark. Some of the things he said were hurtful, but he said them out of fear. Fear of what would happen to you, to the peace he’d created at the shoreline of district four.

It’s quiet until the creek of your door alerts you. It’s slow, obvious the person behind it wants you asleep, and you know it’s Finnick by the way his feet fall on the hardwood floor.

��Baby?” He whispers. The name feels good at a time like this. You hardly fight, and when you do, it isn’t even really an argument. More of a disagreement.

“Are you awake?”

You contemplate lying and the good that will come from it. Ultimately nothing, but you wait a second anyways, listening to the air in your room shuffle in his wake.

“I’m sorry.” He murmurs, voice cracking. You can hear him bring his hands up, rough palms pressing into his eyes, staving away the tears he knows bound to come.

You turn, hearing the crinkle of the crisp sheets as you face him. He flinches, he didn’t think you were awake.

“I’m sorry,” He says for a different reason now. “I thought you were asleep.”

“No,” You say quietly, for no reason other than a little shame. “can’t sleep alone.”

He steps closer daringly, pulling his shirt off before he crawls under your covers. His hair is wet and smells like salt. Any other day you’d fret over your clean sheets, but now you pull him closer, tangling your hands in his wet hair. You brush it away from his eyes, letting them roam over your face.

“We’ll be fine, Finnick.”

He lets out a strangled breath, burying into your chest. His shoulders shake miserably as he grasps you desperately.

“You heard Beetee,” You’re referencing the phone call you’d gotten after the announcement of the quarter quell. “he’s got a plan.”

You let him cry, never quieting the tears he wish he could quiet himself. It’s scary, definitely, and you can’t imagine how he feels going into the arena with you.

“It’s me and Mags.” You say definitively. “And I’m not letting her in that arena.”

He pulls up, glossy eyes terrified. “You can’t.”

She’s old, nearing the end he wants to say, but he knows it’s not right, he loves the woman.

“I’m not letting her in that arena,” you push slightly. “I can survive, see the plan through, but she’s old, Finnick, she can’t last the games again.”

He nods, defeated. “I’ll keep you safe.”

You say nothing, leaning in to kiss the corner of his mouth. Then, “I know.”

He chases the feeling of your lips, kissing you softly. “Me and you.”

“And Beetee, and wiress.”

“Me and you.” He repeats.

“And katniss, and Peeta.”

He laughs quietly, nosing at your cheek. “Stop it.”

“I’m sorry,” you preen. “Me and you.”

[peloblancophoto]

Salt Creek Falls Black and White

[yandere-kokeshi]

Ello Danny may I ask for more werewolf 141 this one of yours https://www.tumblr.com/yandere-kokeshi/729302362571882496/saw-an-idea-from-frogchiro-and-decided-to-write got me hooked it's okay if not just thought I'd ask 🫡

A/N: Sure <3. Honestly, werewolves and Buffy men? My favorite. Feel free to send more :)!

Warnings: yandere behavior, werewolf AU, and headcanons, talks about smothering (affectionately). If I missed anything, lmk <3

Within your poly-possessive relationship, it’s likely all of you live in the forest, in a large half-built cabin that they can call home. With this said, a lot of outdoor activities are present. All of them, including Johnny, love to adventure within the deep forest; especially when they’ve changed the night before.

Gaz and Johnny love playing in the water, both of them playfully growling at you to join him; Price looking from afar as if both of them lost his mind. Both Gaz and Soap are always occupied with water, standing rocks, and trails that are far, whilst the two older ones (Ghost and Price) stay by your side, gently nipping at your legs for warning. 

All of them are guard dogs — standing hugely on their hind legs as they scowl around your front yard, awaiting danger. They follow you 24/7, especially if you just came home from work or from hanging out with someone else. They quickly smother you, dropping their entire weight on you to get rid of that other person’s horrible smells. You’re theirs. 

During the spring and fall, fur is littered everywhere around your home. Anywhere you go, there’s a trail of it — in the bathroom, in the kitchen, somehow in your underwear, and deep within the cushions. Even if they haven’t shifted, expect a lot of it. 

You will get licked. Most of the time, it’s not even sexual. It’s a form of gentle affection, as they don’t have lips, and their teeth are rather sharp. They’d hate to nick your precious skin. Plus, the salt on your skin or the leftover food on your lips is also nice. 

Price is the leader within the pack — which isn’t surprising. He often bites or growls when any of the others mess with you too much, and tries to put them in their place when they’ve been bad. But he also puts you in place when you’ve been bad. 

However, he’s the cuddliest out of everyone, and somehow outrunning Johnny. You know how Great Danes love laying on your lap even though they’re huge? Yeah, John wants to do the same thing. He just wants to flop on top of you and trap you within ‘his’ nest. It’s great in the winter when it’s cold. Price is so warm and fluffy. But in the heat, you’ll be begging for him to get off as you’re dying of sweat and dehydration.

Speaking of nests, sleeping with all of them is chaos. At night, all of them get incredibly cuddly — always want to be near, or quite literally on top of you. This said, only two or three (if they really want to push it) will sleep with you and take turns every night. Also, there are a bunch of large dog beds everywhere; including the bathroom.

When waking you up for either affection, extra food, or the rare chance where they’ll remind you for work, all of them enjoy licking your cheek. The sudden wetness is plenty to wake someone up. And it tickles as one of them, mostly Gaz, nibbles behind your ears, especially with his cold, twitching nose. The more reluctant you are to wake up, the more tongues prod from everywhere. Don’t make their claws join in too. 

All of them communicate through growls, which isn’t far from their bloodline. That being said, all of them let out ‘dog’ noises, more than they’d like to admit.

If Price hears an out-of-the-ordinary creek in the house, he lets out a deep, rumbling, warning growl before finding out that noise. 

If the door opens when Ghost wasn’t expecting it, barks and snarls fly out, especially if you’re home. 

Accidentally stepped on Soap’s tail from behind? He snarls, showing his teeth, before realizing it’s you. He apologizes with many head nudges and licks to the face. 

Gaz lets out gentle chuffs, almost like a Hyena, when you call the others bad boys; but quickly whines when you snap at him to watch it. And lastly, if any of them are uncomfortable or hurt, a so-tiny-no-one-will-hear-it yap slips out. They also let out gentle growls when frustrated or anxious. 

Their noses are incredibly sensitive. Any perfume/cologne, lotions, or anything that you used are now thrown away; scentless shampoos are your thing from now on. They’ve asked you to tone it down, as they not only love your natural, musky smell but hate the loathing, overpowering fake one. They really can’t enjoy their time together when all of them are wincing and sneezing because of your cover-up smell. 

Their appetite is through the fucking roof — all of them, including Price, are an endless bottom-pit; especially if it’s the next day after they’ve transformed. The instant you step through the dining-room, carrying the 4th batch of breakfast burritos which are stuffed with eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, salsa, and a plethora of vegetables, all of them gobble them down within seconds. 

Simon, or what you might consider Michael Myers, always follows you. Whilst you’re occupied with the others, either showing them affection or in the kitchen with your back turned, Ghost is behind you, narrowing his golden irises, and sitting on his bum, silently. You always see him when you least expect it, literally giving you a heart attack. Of course, he makes it up with soft nudging in your lower stomach. 

Weirdly enough, Johnny has a toe fetish — not in an uncanny, worshiping way. But more in an affectionate, compulsive dog-licking way. His affection can be quite odd. When you don’t have socks on, you can bet your ass, Soap is right beside you, side-eyeing your form before lovingly licking your entire foot wet.

Out of everyone, Simon is rather the most aggressive — Soap being the second. Ghost hates being touched after a day or two of transforming. Not that he doesn’t trust you, he just fears he’ll hurt you. 

The last time you touched him, his whining and hurtful sounds of bone cracking concerning you, you gently took off the mouth cuff. He accidentally bit your hand, leaving a huge, bleeding bite mark that left a deep scar. Whenever he lays his head in your lap, he gently laps at your hand – his pleading eyes still apologizing for his mistake. 

Gaz is usually calm, usually in the back watching but sometimes joining Johnny; to which, he can sometimes have little shit moments. Especially with stealing things… which comes with your clothes and underwear. 

By the time you find him in your closet, sniffing your underwear, with the crotch being chewed out, Kyle has his ears down and avoids eye contact — knowing you’ll yell at him. But how can you deny his cute, puppy face? His eyes are practically begging for you to accept his apology. 

—

Masterlist || Please support me as a writer by reblogging or commenting. It helps a bunch!

© yandere-kokeshi 2023 — Do not copy, modify, edit, repost, or use my works for ASMR readings, tiktoks, or other content.

[nyradragon]

Bruises — Ellie Williams

Summary: Ellie comes home battered and bruised and you’re the one to patch her up.

Placement/background: Ellie and the reader share a small house in Jackson for the last couple years.

Warning(s): pre-established relationship, mention of injury’s, mention of fear and discomfort, badly hurt!ellie, caretaker!reader, mention of brief nudity, pure fluff, some smooching, wlw.

authors note: This is kinda like salt on a wound ngl but sometimes we just need a bit of that sting dw you get lots of fluff with it<3 LIGHTLY proofread

reblog’s and feedback would be much appreciated!!<3

You’d hear the soft creek of the rusty front door as you made your way around the kitchen the soft glow of the street lamps streaming through the open windows in the living room.

Rinsing the suds off the small pan you had used for dinner that night you’d peak your head around the corner of the kitchen catching a glimpse of Ellie struggling to pull off her pack as her once tan tank top was drenched in red. The smile dropping from your face as the loud clink of the pan falling into the sink filled the air.

Rushing over to the injured girl without a second thought you’d pat your hands dry on your ratty t-shirt as a gasp fell from your lips.

“Els— what happened”

your words barely a whisper but filled with panic griping onto the girls arm to gently tug her onto the worn down couch you’d push her shoulders slightly to have her sit. Drooping to your knees in front of her you brushed your hands over her blood stained cheek trying to get her attention.

“oh baby..”

you’d hum softly seeing the freckled girls soft eyes meet yours but remaining silent. She didn’t need to speak you could see the pain and fear in them silently begging to be helped as much as she didn’t like to admit it.

Letting out a deep sigh you let your shoulders slump hating to see her like this battered and bruised but this time felt different she looked completely lost— broken.

Getting to your feet again you leaned over placing a soft kiss onto the top of Ellies head letting your lips linger there for a couple moments.

“I’ll be righ—“

before you could finish your sentence Ellie gripped onto your wrist her fingers digging into your skin but not hard enough to hurt. Your brows furrow watching her carefully she looked up to meet your eyes before her voice broke through the silence.

“Please- please don’t leave.”

Her voice sounded strained almost pained as she stuttered over herself. Her eyes were glazed over her fingers on your wrist slightly trembling as the moments passed. You felt the strings tug at your heart as you heard it making you close your eyes briefly and inhale through your nose to try and calm your thoughts.

You’d give her a small nod before tapping your fingers on the hand that was wrapped around your wrist slowly having her fingers intertwine with yours. You’d tilt your head slightly giving her a small smile as you pulled her up with you careful not to hurt her more.

Slowly making your way to your shared bathroom Ellie trudged behind you quietly arm still outstretched behind you as to lead the way for her. Making it into the small space you kept your hand in hers turning so you were facing the freckled girl her eyes not quite meeting yours until you raise your hand to lightly touch her chin lifting it to press a small kiss onto her nose.

You’d pull away slowly trying not to make to much sudden movements so you wouldn’t cause the injured girl in front of you any discomfort. Fingers still lingering together you reached over to the faucet of the tub with your free hand turning it on and dipping your hand under the running water to feel the temperature before dropping the plug to fill the tub.

Ellie would let out a soft whimper as you let go of her rough hand the lose causing her to look up at you with pleading eyes.

“I know baby— i’ll take care of you.”

You’d say quietly bringing your hands down to the hem of her tank top peeling the blood soaked material from her wounded body. You’d inhale sharply as you saw the multitude of small gashes and bruises littered over her skin; you would alway tended to her wounds when she had a hard day on patrol but this time.. this time felt different.

Dropping the tank top to the ground you slowly let your eyes travel over the wounds trying to get a grasp on what she needed. You’d slowly unbutton her jeans sliding them down her legs as you hunched down to help lift each of her ankles to get them off completely before letting your hands slid up the soft skin of her thighs. You stood up again pushing the thin material of her underwear off her hips so they pooled at her feet having her carefully step out of them.

Sighing quietly the only sound in the room was the rush of the water coming from the faucet causing you to glance over at the half full tub. You’d turn off the running water before looking back to your timid girlfriend intertwining your fingers again you nodded your head over to the tub.

“I’m going to need you to step in for me, love. Slowly please..”

You’d help her step in hearing a soft hiss fall from her lips as the water washed over her open wounds. You felt her fingers press tightly against yours as she sat further into the tub a small sigh of relief escaping her as the warm water loosened her aching bones.

Lifting her battered hand to your lips you left a lingering kiss to the skin causing the freckled girl to give you a weak smile.

“i’m just going to get a clean rag, bug. I’ll be one second.”

“Mm— o-okay.”

Ellie’s voice was raspy, soft but broken. She’d give you a small nod giving your hand a tight squeeze before dropping hers into the warm water.

You’d rummage through the small cabinet pulling out the first aid kit along with a soft cotton cloth placing the kit on the counter top before dropping to your knees and shuffling closer to the tub.

Dipping the clean cloth into the bath water before ringing it out slightly bringing the cloth up to Ellie’s cheeks. You’d lightly run the cloth over her freckled cheeks causing the girl to wince as you went over a dark bruise coming in on her cheekbone. You lean closer to the girl inspecting the cut under her eyebrow dabbing lightly over it to get a clearer view seeing that it wasn’t deep enough to need stitches.

After the skin of her once stained face was clean you’d press your lips lightly onto her jawline feeling Ellie’s body relax a bit more into the feeling. Keeping her eyes closed she’d pull her legs up to her chest resting her chin on her knees as her lanky arms wrap around her legs.

You’d rinse the cloth in the water again before softly drag the cloth down her scared back causing Ellie to groan as her fingernails dug into the back of her calves not enough to brake skin but enough to ease the pain of the water through open wounds.

“s-sh bug i know it hurts.. here—“

You’d reach out your hand pulling her fingers away from digging into her skin intertwining your free hand with her rough calloused ones.

“hold onto me okay? squeeze as hard as you need.”

A warm smile spread over your lips as Ellie gave you a small nod holding your soft hand between hers tightly. You’d manage to rinse off all the blood on her pale skin tossing the dirty cloth into the sink behind you to wash later.

Sitting up on your knees before you’d reach over to the small handheld shower head and turning on the faucet testing the water temperature. Ellie would be quiet watching your every move, her head remained foggy as the soft hums you let out soothes her worries.

You’d lightly tap Ellie’s chin so she tilted her head up higher letting the shower head come closer to her head you carefully soaked her hair rising any of the grime that might have tangled through her roots. Lowering the shower head and turning it off you reached for the honey scented shampoo that the two of your shared before lathering some in your hands.

Running your soapy fingers slowly through her tangled hair letting them rub at her scalp causing Ellie to moan out softly at the feeling. You could feel the slight sag of her shoulders as they dropped in comfort and bliss as a smile tugged at your lips glad that she’s feeling more relaxed.

As you finished lathering the freckled girls hair you reached over to the plug of the tub having it drain slowly. You’d raise the shower head again to rinse out the shampoo, small hums of content falling from Ellie’s parted lips as you made sure the water stayed out of her eyes.

“Thank you baby..”

The words startled you for a moment growing use to the quiet atmosphere but welcoming the words nonetheless. The green eyed girl would look up at you as you grabbed the fluffy blue towel that was hanging from the door with the most adoring eyes, she was truly head over heels for you.

Ellie stood up slowly from the tub while you wrapped the towel around her small but strong frame her standing a tiny bit taller then normal from the height of the tub.

“Anything for you, bug. I love you.”

You’d lean in whispering the three little words that always had Ellie’s head spinning. She’d be the one to close the gap pressing her soft lips to yours while raising her hand to rest on your cheek. She’d pull away slowly resting her forehead to yours her breathing hitched in her throat as she tried to saviour the moment, saviour you.

“I love you, darlin’.”

[venlazlo]

Mistria VA Fancasts

work was killer, too tired to drawr today.

VA Fancasts under the cut w/ voice samples hehe.

Made in conjunction with my brother and we don't consume that much media so take this with a grain of salt and maybe drop a suggestion.

Nora - Leda Headey [Amelia - Infinity Train]

Holt - Sungwon Cho [Senshi - Dungeon Meshi]

Celine - Erica Mendez [Mia Karnstein - Code:Vein]

Dell - Noël Wells [Kelsey - Craig of the Creek]

March - Zeno Robinson [Hunter - The Owl House]

Olric - Joe Hernandez [Boucheron - Fire Emblem Engage]

Ryis - Marcus Scribner [Bow - She-Ra and the Princesses of Power]

Landen - Luc Roderique [King Harrow - The Dragon Prince]

Juniper - Veronica Taylor [Manuela - Fire Emblem Three Houses]

Valen - Cissy Jones - [Lilith Clawthorne - The Owl House]

Terithia - Cassie Ewulu [Saphir - Fire Emblem Engage] [Bonus]

Balor - Kumail Ali Nanjiani [Howell - Bee and Puppycat]

Hayden - Matt Mercer is just the obvious choice

Errol - J.K. Simmons [Stanford Pines - Gravity Falls]

Josephine - Roz Ryan [Cake the Cat - Adventure Time]

Hemlock - Bruno Campos [Prince Naveen - The Princess and the Frog]

Reina - Brenda Song [Anne Boonchuy - Amphibia]

Maple - Grace Rolek [Connie Maheswaran - Steven Universe]

Luc - Terrell Ransom Jr. [Darwin - The Amazing World of Gumball]

Elsie - Susan Egan [Rose Quartz - Steven Universe]

Adeline - Genesis Rodriguez [Perfuma - She-Ra tPoP]

Eiland - Brian Timothy Anderson [Rosado - Fire Emblem Engage]

Caldarus (Statue) - Glen McCready [Omeluum - Baldur's Gate 3]

Seridia - Mallorie Rodak [Frieren - Frieren] (placeholder i almost put veronica taylor again)

Darcy - Danica McKellar [M'Gann M'Orzz - Young Justice]

Louis - John Michael Higgins [Varrick - The Legend of Korra]

Merri - Elizabeth Grullon [Camila Noceda - The Owl House]

Vera - Kirby Howell-Baptiste [Grace Monroe - Infinity Train]

[allsadnshit]

I need to schedule my first therapy since my therapist got back from maternity leave but I feel so without energy today like all I've done is cook a late breakfast, read a really short chapter by the creek, took off old nail polish, shaved + showered, and now I am chilling in my living room with salt and vinegar chips in my fav speckled enamel bowl.

it's so startling to me how energy can just leave you like that when you were otherwise feeling so amped up

the natural rhythms of my body and it's hormonal shifts is so enlightening the more I tune in

I truly feel like it's fall in my system right now

[netherfeildren]

Vic! I must ask - do you have any erotic romance and/or erotica book recommendations?

LITEROTICA!!!!!!!! my favorite! I am finally finally getting to this, apologies for the delay. I'm not doing blurbs or anything and just going to list them, but I'll include a ⭐️ if they're a favorite. This is a mix of erotica and romance, and don't forget to check trigger warnings carefully for all books!

I'll also mark C for contemporary, HR for historical romance and F for fantasy just for ease of perusing.

In no particular order:

The Crossfire Series, Sylvia Day, C, ⭐️

Scounders of St. James series, Lorraine Heath, HR

Travises series, Lisa Kleypas, C

Little Birds, Anaïs Nin, C, ⭐️

Rules for the Reckless series, Meredith Duran, HR

The Duke of Shadows, Meredith Duran, HR

Bellamy Creek series, Melanie Harlow, C

Things We Never Got Over, Lucy Score, C, ⭐️

A Spy in the House of Love, Anaïs Nin, C, ⭐️

Cloverleigh Farms series, Melanie Harlow, C

The Pale Court duology, Liv Zander, F

Master of Salt & Bones, Keri Lake, CF

Of Flesh & Bone series, Harper L. Woods, F

Promises and Pomegranates, Sav R. Miller, C

The Made series, Danielle Lori, C, ⭐️

At Your Pleasure, Meredith Duran, HR

The Dressmakers series, Loretta Chase, HR

Scandal & Scoundrel series, Sarah Maclean, HR

Victorian Rebels series, Kerrigan Byrne, HR

Wicked Becomes You, Meredith Duran

The Ravenels series, Lisa Kleypas, HR, ⭐️

The Hathaways series, Lisa Kleypas, HR, ⭐️

After We Fall series, Melanie Harlow, C

Anti-Heroes in Love duology, Giana Darling, C

Dark Deam Duet duology, Giana Darling, C

Lord of Scoundrels, Loretta Chase, HR, ⭐️

Love By Numbers, Sarah Maclean, HR,

Girl Meets Duke series,Tessa Dare, HR

Castles Ever After series, Tessa Dare, HR

It Happened One Summer, Tessa Bailey, C, ⭐️

A Wicked Kind of Husband, Mia Vincy, HR, ⭐️

Playing with Monsters series, Amelia Hutchins, CF, ⭐️

Legacy of the Nine Realms series, Amelia Hutchins, CF

Aspect and Anchor series, Ruby Dixon

Wallflowers series, Lisa Kleypas, HR, ⭐️

The Gilded Age Heiresses series, Harper St. George

Dark Arts series, Bec McMaster, F, ⭐️

Markham Hall series, Sierra Simone, HR, ⭐️

Priest, Sierra Simone, C

The Villain, L.J. Shen

Delta of Venus, Anaïs Nin, C, ⭐️

[whencyclopedia]

Valley Forge

Valley Forge was the winter encampment of the Continental Army from 19 December 1777 until 18 June 1778, during one of the most difficult winters of the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). Despite being undersupplied, underfed, and plagued with disease, the Continental Army underwent significant training and reorganization at Valley Forge, emerging as a much more disciplined and effective fighting force.

The Philadelphia Campaign

On 19 December 1777, the exhausted and starving soldiers of the Continental Army staggered into Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, a location about 18 miles (29 km) northwest of Philadelphia at the confluence of the Valley Creek and the Schuylkill River. It had been a long and difficult campaign. Four months earlier, they had raced down from New Jersey to defend the US capital of Philadelphia from the British army, only to be outflanked and defeated at the Battle of Brandywine (11 September). Following their victory, the British captured Philadelphia, which the Second Continental Congress had only just evacuated. The Continental Army regrouped and, on 4 October, retaliated with a surprise attack on a British garrison at the Battle of Germantown. Although the assault initially got off to a good start, a thick fog caused cohesion between American military units to break down, and the attack quickly lost momentum. When the British counterattacked, the undertrained Continental soldiers broke and fled. For the next two months, the two armies nervously maneuvered around one another. Although several bloody skirmishes were fought, neither side was eager to provoke another major battle.

Gradually, the temperatures dropped, and the bitter December winds signaled that it was time to suspend the campaign and enter winter quarters. The British army moved into Philadelphia, where the officers settled into the abandoned homes of the city's Patriot leaders and spent the winter attending lavish dinners, dancing at elegant balls, and courting Loyalist women. The Continental Army, meanwhile, marched to Valley Forge. The spot had been carefully chosen by the American commander-in-chief, General George Washington, for several reasons. First, its proximity to Philadelphia would allow the Americans to keep a close eye on the British army; attempts by the British to raid the surrounding Pennsylvanian countryside or to march for the town of York, the temporary seat of the Continental Congress, could quickly be challenged. Second, an encampment at Valley Forge would be easy to defend. The camp itself was to be situated on a large plateau surrounded by a series of hills and dense forests, creating a sort of natural fortress. Lastly, the location was beneficial because it was close to a supply of fresh water from the Valley Creek and Schuylkill River, and the abundance of nearby trees could easily be cut down for fuel or to build shelters.

Over 11,000 Continental soldiers filed into Valley Forge on that December day, accompanied by 500 women and children. They were certainly a disheveled lot. The many marches and countermarches they had needed to perform in the last several months had worn down their footwear; now, an estimated one out of every three Continental soldiers went entirely without shoes. Additionally, many soldiers lacked adequate coats to protect against the elements, particularly the incessant rain that had been falling all autumn. Many men owned only one shirt, while others did not even have a single shirt at all. It is unsurprising then that many of these exposed soldiers were already ill when they arrived at Valley Forge; out of the 11,000 men that arrived, only 8,200 were fit for duty.

The situation was made worse by a dangerous lack of food. At the beginning of the Valley Forge encampment, the army's commissary only had 25 barrels of flour, a small supply of salt pork, and no other stores of meat or fish. A lack of sufficient food and clothing was fairly typical of the army's supply department, which had often performed below expectations since its founding in 1775, but the chaos of the recent campaign had only made things worse. In its hurried evacuation from Philadelphia, Congress had failed to ensure the army's supply chain would remain unbroken, thereby contributing to the bareness of the army's food and clothing stores. Thus, it was clear from the start that the coming winter would be a challenging one.

Continue reading...

[trivialbob]

I pedaled 18 miles today on one of my favorite loops through Minneapolis. All of it is on paved bike trails.

All the bicyclists were paying attention. Sometimes, early in the season, there are riders who don't pay attention. They ride two across when other bikes are approaching or they wander down the path like a drunken bumblebee. Not today. It's always a great day when riders are safe and courteous.

The several piles of horse poop on the Midtown Greenway were a bit annoying. I assume it was from police horses. No other horses are allowed on a city bike trail. I don't expect mounted police to carry plastic poop bags, like I have to bring to dog parks, but maybe have a small shovel to push the lumps over into the dirt?

Two minor complaints: First, a few bicyclists using aero bars. Those are entirely inappropriate on urban bike trails with posted speed limits of 10 MPH. Take your carbon fiber bike out to the countryside. Second, runners on the bike paths. Not even Evans Chebet or Usain Bolt should be running down the middle of a bike path.

That is Minnehaha Falls in the short video above. We had a lot of rain around here lately, so the creek and the falls are very full. Sea Salt, the restaurant located in the park by the falls, was very busy. The line to order looked like it was only twelve Swifties short of a sell-out concert.

[reality-detective]

TOP 100 US RIOTED CITIES!

I'm sure if anything goes down from all the people who have crossed over our borders, the Military will have everything under control swiftly. You may want to avoid these cities if anything goes down, and for your safety, please stay away from the military if you see them. This list was pulled and organized from a NY Times recent article listing the top 100 prior-rioted cities, for quick reference. They are 👇

(THOSE WITH * ARE TOP 25 CITIES JUST ISSUED BY THE WHITE HOUSE ON 2/9/24):

Alabama

Huntsville

Mobile

Alaska

Arizona

* Phoenix

Arkansas

Bentonville

Conway

Little Rock

California

Beverly Hills

Fontana

La Mesa

* Los Angeles

* Oakland

Sacramento

* San Diego

* San Francisco

San Jose

San Luis Obispo

Santa Ana

Santa Rosa

Vallejo

Walnut Creek

Colorado

Colorado Springs

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[battyaboutbooksreviews]

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🦇 It Happened One Summer Book Review 🦇

❓ #QOTD What's your go-to summer read?❓ 🦇 Hollywood's It-Girl Piper Bellinger is the paparazzi's beloved wild child. There's always the promise she'll go a bit too far for the Gram, including hosting a rooftop party that lands her in jail after a bad breakup. Hoping she'll learn some sense of responsibility, her wealthy step-father ships her off to her late father's dive bar in the small town of Westport. She's not there for five minutes before she meets grumpy sea captain Brendan, and the two instantly clash. Will Piper reconnect with her past (charting a course for a new future in the process) or can she get back to LA before the end of her three-month sentence?

💜 Despite how much my beloved Booksta girlies adore her writing, I honestly didn't know what to expect from Tessa Bailey (and I'm glad, because I love shaping my own opinions). From chapter one, there's this instantly familiar yet distinct voice that SCREAMS chick-flick rom-com (with Kesha playing at full volume in the background). Piper is Alexis from Schitt's Creek meets Elle Woods ala Legally Blonde. She's vibrant and bubbly and yes, a little ditzy, but after a few chapters, you start to love her for the heart behind it. Brendan is all salt water and deep grumbles, strong yet stuck in his ways. My latest concern with rom-coms lately has been a lack of chemistry. Too many books rush to the smut, forcing two characters to fit when they just don't. Chemistry sparks off the page pretty quickly between these two, though--not in lingering glances, but in actions. Brendan has memory foam installed over a bunkbed so Piper can stop bruising herself. He changes her locks because everyone in Westport has a key to her building. It's not insta-love (but once things progress, these two burn HOT), and I'm grateful for that.

💜 It's the underlying messages that bumped this up to a rare 3.5 stars. People have been putting Piper into a box for too long, telling her she's just like every other girl in LA, that she won't amount to more. Brendan shows her she has so much more to give than she realizes. We start adoring Piper through Brendan, and that's a powerful thing. Meanwhile, Piper recognizes her worth and accomplishes far more than she thought herself capable. There's an underlying theme of guilt and grief from both sides, too; Piper for her late father, and Brendan for his late wife. They heal together and end up stronger for it.

💙 It's the third act that made my star rating falter. Piper clinging to pieces of her past, that lingering what-if of falling back into her comfort zone and old ways--Brendan shouldn't have faulted her for that, turning it into a blowout fight when Piper admitted EARLIER that she didn't know what to do. After that, it's a number of conveniently placed obstacles that keep them apart. Piper's sudden decision to go back to LA felt out of place given her character development, too. Though it wasn't a full third-act breakup, it was enough to feel exhausting.

🦇 Recommended for fans of Emily Henry, Ali Hazelwood, and Hannah Grace.

✨ The Vibes ✨ ⚓ Small Town Romance ⚓ Contemporary Romance ⚓ Schitt's Creek Inspired ⚓ Grumpy/Sunshine ⚓ Opposites Attract ⚓ First in a Duology ⚓ He Falls First

💬 Quotes ❝ I can be in a room full of people that I know & still not feel like I belong. ❞ ❝ This girl. He'd be keeping her. There was no way around it. ❞ ❝ Apparently he enjoyed that now. Being confused & charmed & pulled apart over this woman. ❞ ❝ "I like the things that make you Piper. Don't go changing them now. ❞