#santa barbara photo tours

[virtourmediaus]

Discover the Best Santa Barbara Photo Tours

Explore the picturesque beauty of Santa Barbara through santa barbara photo tours. Whether you're a real estate professional or simply someone looking to capture the essence of this coastal paradise, Virtour Media's Santa Barbara Real Estate Photography services offer unmatched quality and speed. This blog highlights what makes Virtour Media a top choice for photography services in Santa Barbara.

1. Why Choose Santa Barbara for Photo Tours? 

Santa Barbara boasts stunning landscapes, from its coastal cliffs to charming Spanish-style architecture. These unique sceneries make it a perfect destination for both casual and professional photographers. When it comes to real estate, high-quality visuals are essential, and that's where Santa Barbara Real Estate Photography shines.

2. Comprehensive Photography Services 

Virtour Media excels in delivering professional photography services tailored to the needs of real estate agents and property managers. Here are some of the key services provided:

Still Photography: Exceptional image quality that highlights every detail of the property.

Aerial Photography: Capturing properties from unique angles using drones for a stunning visual appeal.

Matterport 3D Tours: Interactive tours that allow potential buyers to explore properties remotely.

Floor Plans and Virtual Staging: Accurate and dynamic designs to present properties in the best possible light.

3. Benefits of Using Virtour Media 

Virtour Media provides a range of services designed to meet the fast-paced demands of the real estate market. Here’s why clients choose them:

Next-Day Delivery: Receive your media quickly to get listings on the market faster.

Seamless Booking System: Easy-to-use platform to schedule and manage services.

Professional Quality: Consistent, high-quality visuals that enhance property listings.

Wide Range of Services: From traditional photography to aerial shots and virtual tours, Virtour Media has it all.

4. How Santa Barbara Photo Tours Enhance Real Estate Listings 

In real estate, the right visuals can make all the difference. Santa barbara photo tours by Virtour Media provide real estate agents with an opportunity to showcase their properties in a captivating manner. From beautifully staged interiors to breathtaking aerial shots, each image is crafted to appeal to potential buyers, helping listings stand out in a competitive market.

5. Why Virtour Media Stands Out

Exceptional Photography and Videography: Virtour Media sets a high standard in real estate photography. Their services, such as Santa Barbara Real Estate Photography, ensure that every property is presented in the best light, drawing attention from potential buyers.

Expert Drone Pilots: Capture stunning aerial shots that provide a comprehensive view of the property and its surroundings.

Virtual Tour Integration: Reach a wider audience with interactive, immersive experiences.

6. Get Started with Virtour Media 

To experience the best santa barbara photo tours, visit Virtour Media. Their comprehensive range of photography services ensures that every listing shines, helping properties get noticed faster. Their seamless booking system and reliable customer service make it easy to schedule the services you need.

Conclusion 

Whether you're in need of Santa Barbara Real Estate Photography for your listings or looking to capture the beauty of the area through stunning visuals, Virtour Media provides top-tier services that exceed expectations. Enhance your property listings, engage potential buyers, and showcase Santa Barbara's finest features by choosing Virtour Media.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

And Just Like That: The Moan Heard Around the World by u/Cultural_Ad4935

And Just Like That: The Moan Heard Around the World Ari Emanuel of WME told her to keep her head down and work in the service of others. That she needed to stop whining about her privilege and cease with her dial-a-paparazzi tendencies. To tone her main character syndrome down at events that are supposed to be honoring others.But did she listen? Nope. Her decision to embark on a world tour junket and her inappropriate, narcissistic behavior in Nigeria and Colombia reflect a warped mindset and inflated sense of self.When walking red carpets (and refugee camps, because the two can totally co-exist), she drapes herself in barely there fabric along with that vapid smile and vacuous head. It was a stunt to generate her own publicity, not the charity she was supposedly there to support.And then this happened. As many know, Meghan visited a youth organization in Santa Barbara recently. She had publicity photos taken of her with minors that were RELEASED to the public. It wasn’t a discreet, quiet affair to help others. The visit was just another short photo opportunity to add to her “resume” to show how much she “cares” (about herself, in reality).There, she told a group of teens that she was one of the most bullied people in the world. Against the backdrop of multiple, corroborated accounts that Meghan herself was the bully in the workplace (and in life, even torturing little flower girls), she declared victimhood. Which is a lie. She is forever Pinocchio Markle.And it was the moan heard around the world. And the world is exasperated. Even IF she had been doing any good in the world (she hasn’t), this level of complaining is beyond the pale. By moaning on and on, ad nauseam, she undoes any goodwill she thinks she has built. Because no one likes a person of privilege saying oh woe is me and making it all about herself. But she just can’t help herself, can she? And that’s why she starts at square one over and over again. It’s why she can’t gain traction with her relationships and projects. It’s why A listers and investors want nothing to do with her.She is simply toxic to the core. A woman pushing half a century telling young people how hard HER left is. SPARE us please (no pun intended) and focus on bettering up yourself. Stop clutching your pearl when someone is legitimately calling out your bad behavior. You’ve been put on the bench. post link: https://ift.tt/2twvZqx author: Cultural_Ad4935 submitted: October 12, 2024 at 07:41PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[foxes-that-run]

2021 Haylor Timeline

Timeline Tag, or years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

2 January - Harry at Jeffs wedding with OW. Holding hands at wedding photos - the Paparazzi Clint and his partner follow Olivia to a hotel in Santa Barbara. He later does an hour long podcast on following them and explains he then realised Harry was there and takes photos. After a few phone calls, the two photographers discover rumors of a romantic relationship between Harry and Olivia. 10 minutes later, photographed them together. in Nanny tell all Nanny said Olivia was still texting Jason to say she loved him, that Olivia was pretending to not have service. Nanny found out she was at the wedding online.

3 January - walking with OW in Santa Barbara

4 January - Harry hike in LA

15 January - Ted Lasso Season 2 starts filming London, in Nanny Tell all nanny said that Ted confronted her on the plane there about her telling Olivia that Jason had been crying and not coping. Jason then offered the Nanny a life coach to get info out of her and they were attending therapy with the Nanny.

18 January - Coney Island released as a single.

14 February Olivia at Harry’s LA house with luggage. Don't worry Darling filming wraps. On the 21st Taylor Lover tour cancelled.

16 February - E News Harry and OW fly to London together. DWD wraps, Harry OW cast photo

20 February - OW near Jason Sudeikis /her kids London house

6 March - Oliva posts photo of Branston Beans from Harry's Kitchen, the curtains can be seen. Lockdown laws mean she should not have been able to travel there and was bragging about it and posting inside his house.

10 March Instead of congratulating Harry on the nomination Zayn posted “F the Grammys”

15 March -Talk at the Grammys, Taylor and Harry part of small group of attendees. Harry goes over to Taylor and they are polite, Harry seems a little awkward and says “well it was nice to see you”. He keeps looking at her during his acceptance speech for record of the year.

Taylor wrote High Infidelity and WCS with Aaron Dessner while in LA for the Grammy's, when she saw Harry & J Mayer.

Niall and Liam congratulate Harry on his Grammy win, Zayn and Louis do not.

31 March - architect of Harry’s Erskine House renovations posts photos of the interior to their website. It has a black, wood pale grey palette with pink stairs

13, -25 April - OW with Harry london

April 27 - Joe leaves UK to Belfast to film.

May 11 - HS & TS both at Brit awards (the 26th was a blood moon)

May - Harry’s bassist since HS1, Adam Pendergast, leaves love band (date from his LinkedIn)

20 May - Harry and Olivia dinner at Refuel Bar & Restaurant at The Soho Hotel. ET Rumours Joe and Taylor engaged.

15 June - Harry seen with fans wearing Apollo eleven tshirt

21 June - Harry wrapped My Policeman in Italy, started in Feb. Released 1 September 2022. Holiday in Italy

2 July - renegade released

3 July - Harry at England v Ukraine game Italy

8 July - Harry and Olivia on yacht and in Italy

26 July - Charlotte Clarke (Harry’s backup singer) said she was let go and doesn’t understand why. won’t be on HSLOT

28 July - Taylor posts for folklore' anniversary, "It’s been one year since we escaped the real world together and imagined ourselves someplace simpler." with a photo from Donegal Ireland. Heavily TTPD coded with Victorian gown, like the Betty speech’s on eras tour and lakes (poets), two coffee cups too, was it already a double album?! Coffee also as in the end of the Karma MV. Joe posted photos from the same trip on July 22nd

9 August - 26 August Harry in studio maybe mixing Harry's House in the behind scenes photos here you can see outfits he wore in LA on these dates.

4 September – 22 July 2023 - Love on Tour, Harry has a new bassist Elin Sandberg

7 September - Taylor in Belfast visiting Joe. Red TV entirely recorded at Kitty Committee Belfast UK (her home)

9 September - Taylor at Toronto Film Festival and to premiere all too well

11 September - Harry at Toronto Film Festival to premiere My policeman, talks about wasted time being the worst thing in presser

17 September - wildest dreams TV released, TikTok about recording Red TV and a glitch. Harry and Olivia in Phili with Xander, max and family

May 11 - HS & TS both at Brit awards (the 26th was a blood moon)

May - Harry’s bassist since HS1, Adam Pendergast, leaves love band (date from his LinkedIn)

May 24 - Joe and Taylor together in Paris

3 June - Harry OW her parents London

21 June - Harry wrapped My Policeman in Italy, started in Feb. Released 1 September 2022.

30 June - H Holiday in Italy

2 July - renegade released

8 July - Harry and Olivia on yacht and in Italy

13 July - Jason sudokis GQ that he still doesn’t know why they broke up and it ended in November 2020. Harry mentioned.

14 July - HSLOT announced for September

26 July - Charlotte Clarke (Harry’s backup singer) said she was let go and doesn’t understand why. won’t be on HSLOT

7 August - OW and Harry had guests at house, Harry has moustache and greets someone.

9 August - 26 August Harry LA in studio maybe mixing Harry's House in the behind scenes photos here you can see outfits he wore in LA on these dates. Walking with Olivia 19 August

31 August - Taylor and Joe hiking Franklin Canyon

4 September – 22 July 2023 - Love on Tour, Harry has a new bassist Elin Sandberg. OW at first show.

7 September - Taylor in Belfast visiting Joe. Red TV entirely recorded at Kitty Committee Belfast UK (her home)

9 September - Taylor at Toronto Film Festival and to premiere all too well

10 September - Harry golfing in Dallas

11 September - Harry at Toronto Film Festival to premiere My policeman, talks about wasted time being the worst thing in presser

17 September - wildest dreams TV released, TikTok about recording Red TV and a glitch. Harry and Olivia in Phili with Xander, max and family

18 September - Harry seen with Olivia near her parents in DC before show there

22 September - first heart kiss since 2018! St Paul - Falling, with Two Ghosts intro (4:31). Then again weekly till the end of the year

25 September - Taylor London Lena's wedding.

29 September - & 1 Oct Harry played Nashville and wore a white satin outfit, he played with his rings while performing Beautiful. Harry plays To Be so Lonely for 9 shows then never again, including Nashville N2 and NY. In Nashville looks up. OW at shows

3 October - OW parents at HSLOT but she is in LA.

9 October - Harry in Florida dinner

13 October - fan sends to DM that they saw Harry, no OW at Pittsburgh cathedral of learning with “more police and security than I knew existed” wouldn’t have recognised him if it wasn’t for them.

16 October - Harry wore “all things must pass” hoodie NYC OW walked awkwardly holding him. One security person.

22 October - one more photo of Taylor and joe in the bathroom leaked (the proper selfie), photos from 2016 leaked in 2020

25 October - Harry seems to be in a bad mood when he first goes on stage in Boston, also wearing no rings. Heart kiss in Falling, OW there and not seen with him until harryween in a week.

26 October - Taylor posts TikTok "Autumn Lovers RISE" as a reenactment of a 27 September 2017 Tumblr post. She writes lyrics to ATW "just between us did the love affair maim you" "and Plaid stuff and ankle boots" she's wearing a skirt but says 'stuff' plaid shirts and ankle Chelsea boots is Harry in 2011-2013. And "Maroon/Hunter Green" The ATW move included a book coming out 13 years later about the love affair.

30 October - Harry dressed as Dorothy at harryween MSG NY, Olivia as Dolly Parton posted photos with exercise bike and boobs. Olivia left for LA.

31 October - Moon Harryween Harry played MEDICINE!! For the first time since 2018

1 November - rumors Harry and OW fighting

10 November - heart kiss in falling. Tumblr anon said about OW “I was working at the venue in Sacramento when he played during LOT. Her backstage privileges were revoked after the show prior to that...which was..I think...Portland. Our backstage security was instructed to not allow her backstage under any circumstances. She didn't even arrive to the venue with him. From what I understood from Sacramento through the end of that tour her security access was no more than say..contest winners..radio personalities etc. I was shocked at the time that they lasted another year since there was clearly trouble in paradise.”

11 November - Harry has a bruise on his back I. Love on tour backstage photo

12 November - Red TV released Harry wears red in his show on the 11th. All Too Well Short Film premiere Dylan O'Brien (who is in ATW film) is included in this footage of Austin and Dylan cheering when Jack plays Question..? in the Studio. Appears on Fallon and says she easter eggs 3 years in advance in reference to ATW.

16 November - Pleasing launch with Harry on bike photo on cover of Dazed

17 November – Taylor leaves NYC for Panama to go see Joe. Taylor posts a drunk TikTok from Panama. On the 20th she went to the national theater and leaves on the 22nd. Joe stays and films. Midnights written while gone

21 November - Last time Taylor is photographed in public for 3 months is the SNL performance for All too Well

25 November Rolling Stone noted the Haylor call and response “the long-running songwriting badminton between her and Harry Allegedly is pop call-and-response the way it ought to be”

28 November- 13 December Harry MIA. after his shows. OW seen alone in LA

1 December Taylor wore Gucci lion ring to Zoe’s kravitz birthday throwback photo shared day after YLM date identified by Jack.

5 December - You're losing me written. Love on Tour in Buenos Aires

28 December - Harry and OW Italy. Fans post they saw them Hampstead NYE, no photos.

Continue to 2022

[opsena]

Here’s a few photos of Michael Aquino, US military intelligence officer *specializing in psychological warfare* and the founder of the Temple of Set, by personal statement: “U.S. Army, career officer specializing in psychological warfare, began 1968, became Lieutenant colonel in military intelligence, retired; served in Vietnam. Ordained Satanic priest, c. 1971-72; Temple of Set, founder and leader, 1975-96.

WRITINGS:

The Church of Satan, privately printed, 1989.

SIDELIGHTS: In 1969, one year after Michael A. Aquino both graduated from University of California Santa Barbara with a B.A. in political science and joined the army as a psychological warfare specialist, he joined the Church of Satan, headed by Anton LaVey; Aquino then served a tour of duty in Vietnam. When he returned, the army stationed him in Kentucky and he became a priest within the Church of Satan, forming a grotto—a group of believers—that met in his home there. Aquino soon became disenchanted with the Church, however, under LaVey's leadership, and in 1972, he, along with Lilith Sinclair—a Church of Satan leader who eventually married Aquino—split from it. This split appears to stem, in large part, from the two men's conflicting ideologies: LaVey, an atheist, believed that Satan did not exist but rather represented, as a symbol, strength and defiance; Aquino, on the other hand, believed in the literal existence of Satan, and in 1975, he established a church of his own, known as the Temple of Set.”

These are just some snippets from your leaders’ watchdogs biographies... I mean 🤡🤡🤡

Our civilization is a joke and it should collapse.

[shefanispeculator]

A source tells E! News that The Voice lovebirds, along with another couple, stopped by Mosby Winery and Vineyard Monday. The foursome stopped at the Buellton winery as part of a wine-tasting tour that they were on.

The insider added that Gwen and Blake tasted a few of the wines and stayed for about half an hour, and says the couple were very "sweet with each other and seemed very happy together," and although this twosome have been PDA-friendly lately, their affection during the visit was "appropriate" and they were "sweet and delightful" with everyone.

An Instagram page dedicated to the couple shared a photo of Shelton during the wine visit, writing, "Wine tasting today. This isn't So Cal. This is Buelton in Santa Barbara. They must be a romantic getaway. Blake looking cool in camo. #blakeandgwen #gwenandblake #blakeshelton #gwenstefani."

[twwpress]

Weekly Press Briefing #86: February 11th - 17th

Welcome back to the Weekly Press Briefing, where we bring you highlights from The West Wing fandom each week, including new fics, ongoing challenges, and more! This briefing covers all things posted from February 11 – February 17. Did we miss something? Let us know; you can find our contact info at the bottom of this briefing!

Challenges/Prompts:

Do you have a challenge or event you’d like us to promote or know of one we’re missing? Be sure to get in touch with us! Contact info is at the bottom of this briefing.

@thefinestmuffin and @JessBakesCakes are hosting the 3rd Annual Josh/Donna Rom-Com Fest. The fest revealed on February 14, but prompts and claims are still open and fics can still be added to the collection. Details here.

This Week in Canon:

Welcome back to This Week in Canon, where we revisit moments in The West Wing that occurred on these dates during the show’s run.

Season 1, Episode 15: Celestial Navigation aired on February 16, 2000.

Season 2, Episode 14: The War At Home aired on February 14, 2001.

Season 4, Episode 15: Inauguration: Over There aired on February 12, 2003.

Season 6, Episode 15: Freedonia aired on February 16, 2005.

Photos/Videos:

Here’s what was posted from February 11 - February 17:

Amy Landecker posted a screenshot of Josh Lyman in sunglasses. 

Amy Landecker posted photos of her and Brad’s dog Angie, including photos of each of them with the dog. 

Bradley Whitford posted a photo of his wife Amy with one of their dogs, along with a sweet Valentine’s Day message. 

Dulé Hill posted a photo from the TCAs where he was talking about his upcoming show “The Express Way with Dulé Hill”, a four part docu-series airing on PBS beginning April 23. 

Dulé Hill posted photos of himself and his wife Jazmyn continuing their Valentine’s Day oyster tradition. 

Janel Moloney posted a photo of her beagle Ollie eyeing her son’s birthday breakfast. 

Josh Malina posted a photo of himself donating platelets.

Josh Malina posted a cast photo from the 1992 National Tour of A Few Good Men. 

Marlee Matlin posted a photo of herself at the Academy Nominee Luncheon (she is a Governor). 

Mary McCormack posted photos of her daughter Rose playing live at the Whisky a Go Go as part of a benefit for HEARTbeats. 

Melissa Fitzgerald posted a photo of herself with her pup for Valentine’s Day. 

Richard Schiff posted a photo of himself with his wife Sheila for Valentine’s Day. 

Rob Lowe posted a photo of himself and his wife on bicycles in celebration of Valentine’s Day. 

Rob Lowe posted photos of himself at Santa Barbara International Film Festival with Robert Downey Jr. and Cillian Murphy. 

Donna Moss Daily: February 11 | February 12 | February 13 | February 14 | February 15 | February 16 | February 17

Daily Josh Lyman: February 11 | February 12 | February 13 | February 14 | February 15 | February 16 | February 17

No Context BWhit: February 11 | February 12 | February 13 | February 14 | February 15 | February 17

@twwarchive: February 11 | February 12 | February 13 | February 14 | February 15 | February 16 | February 17

@twwgifs: February 11 | February 14

Editors’ Choice: 

This week, we’re bringing you some of our favorite fics that touch on what could have been: here are a few of our favorite canon divergence fics!

i want your complications too by thefinestmuffins for JessBakesCakes | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss, Amy Gardner/John Tandy | In progress | What could have happened between Josh and Donna during Dead Irish Writers if Josh and Amy had never really gotten off the ground? Canon-divergent from 100,000 Airplanes. In Whatever Way You Need by TemperanceCain | Rated T | C. J. Cregg/Toby Ziegler | Complete | C.J. has a problem. Margaret offers a solution. before i forget by jazzjo | Rated G | C.J. Cregg, Talmidge Cregg | Complete | standing at the fork in the road, c.j. chooses her father and ohio, at least for now. or,  a love letter to my grandmother let my love fix you up (when you’re coming undone) by JessBakesCakes for hufflepuffhermione | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete | The Gaza Arc reimagined: what if Sam flew to Germany to make sure his friends didn't miss their third chance? love is not a victory march by epigraphs | Rated G | C.J. Cregg/Simon Donovan | Complete | On a bench in Times Square, surrounded by lights and sounds and sights and people, she lets herself fall apart. The Deepest of Needs by deandratb for broken_hearted_bard | Rated T | C. J. Cregg/Toby Ziegler | Complete | His proposal is a failure, his job is only getting harder. At least his best friend isn't going anywhere. Begins the night after “7A WF 83429.”

This week's fics coming in the reblog!

[littlequeenies]

April 22, 1970 - Glenn Cornick of Jethro Tull and his wife designer Judy Wong touring with the band in Santa Barbara. Photos by Emerson-Loew.

Photo 1) Glenn Cornick's website.

Photo 2) Judy's Find a Grave memorial.

[xtruss]

10 National Parks To Avoid The Summer Crowds

From rugged hiking trails to pristine beaches, upgrade your summer at these under-the-radar wilderness areas.

— By Elizabeth Kwak-Hefferan | June 2, 2023

Two spelunkers explore Lechuguilla Cave—currently reserved for scientific research—in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, home to some of the deepest, largest, and most ornate caverns in the U.S. Photograph By Robbie Shone, National Geographic Image Collection

The most popular national parks in the U.S. such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon attracted record crowds last summer. For some, it might be worth fighting traffic or walking packed trails to see the towering granite monoliths in Yosemite or fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains. But, there are 63 national parks across the country, many with far fewer visitors—and just as many hikes with epic views, wildlife-spotting opportunities, and kid-friendly excursions.

Here are 10 of the country’s least trafficked parks, plus what to see and do in them.

Best Water Excursions: Channel Islands National Park, California

Hikers and kayakers find ample ways to explore this constellation of five wild islands off the coast of Santa Barbara. Beginner-friendly paddling trips, like the one from Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island, let visitors take in abundant sea caves, kelp forests, and wildlife such as gray whales, dolphins, and sea lions. Strong currents and shifting weather make going with a guide a smart move.

Remote islands like Santa Rosa have hiking trails through rugged mountains with glimpses of wildlife, including tiny, endemic island foxes, at dawn and dusk. Spend the night at Santa Cruz Island’s only lodging option, Scorpion Canyon Campground, a half-mile hike from the beach.

Composed of five tectonically formed islands and surrounded by an extensive marine sanctuary, Channel Islands National Park offers ​dramatic sea views, epic wildlife watching, and scenic hikes. Photograph By Robert Schwemmer/Alamy Stock Photo

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

More than a third of this Northwoods network of boreal forests and rocky islands is covered by water—four huge lakes plus 26 smaller ones. New environmental protections make now an ideal time to experience these waterways via a tour boat, canoe, or kayak. Easy-access shoreline campsites line the park’s major lakes, but the wildest, quietest destinations sit deep in the interior of the Kabetogama Peninsula. Reserve a backcountry campsite along the Chain of Lakes or on the central peninsula’s waters, where your only companions for a spectacular aurora borealis show will be the loons and moose.

Best Wildlife Viewing: Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

This coast-meets-mountains reserve takes wildlife watching to the next level. Use the park’s only maintained long trail to the outlook over Harding Icefield for breathtaking panoramic views of this expansive, icy landscape. Along the way, keep an eye out for grizzlies, black bears, wolverines, lynx, wolves, and mountain goats. From a kayak or tour boat, look out for orcas, humpback whales, and dolphins among the waves and Steller sea lions and harbor seals on the beaches

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Brazilian free-tailed bats are a star attraction at this Chihuahuan Desert park. Each year, these flying critters make their way back from their winter grounds in Mexico to roost in the park’s intricate network of limestone caves. August and September bring the best bat watching when the year’s babies take to the skies with their parents. Around sunset, the bats spiral out of the cavern’s Natural Entrance by the hundreds of thousands to eat insects.

Top: The glacial landscapes and coastal waters of Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park provide ideal conditions for viewing wildlife, like these Steller sea lions pictured. Photograph By Cagan Sekercioglu. Bottom: Thousands of bats spew out of a cave in Carlsbad Caverns in search of food. Photograph By Michael Nichols — National Geographic Image Collection

Best Hiking Trails: North Cascades National Park, Washington

Known as the “American Alps,” this park holds more than 400 miles of trails that take hikers and horseback riders to wildflower meadows, old-growth forests, glacier viewpoints, and remote lakes. One standout is the Desolation Peak Trail, which leads to a mountaintop lookout cabin where Jack Kerouac spent a summer. North Cascades remains well off the radar: Just over 30,000 people visited last year, a mere 2 percent of the traffic of its southern neighbor, Mount Rainier. The terrain is so remote and wild, the park is considering restoring grizzly bear populations here.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Explore the sunset-colored canyons that ancestral Pueblo people called home in Mesa Verde. Here, skillfully designed cliff dwellings, some with up to 150 rooms and large enough to house one hundred people, remain tucked into protected stone alcoves, just as they’ve been for 800 years. In summer, rangers lead hiking tours inside some of them, including Cliff Palace, the largest such village in North America, and Balcony House, which involves climbing up cliffside ladders and crawling through rock tunnels. After dark, look up. Mesa Verde’s skies are well-protected from light pollution, earning it International Dark Sky Park status in 2021.

Tourists visit the ruins of Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park., Colorado.Photograph By Phil Schermeister, National Geographic Image Collection

Best Cultural Experiences: Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Accessible only by boat or seaplane, this park offers pristine beaches, exceptional snorkeling, and the chance to explore the historic Fort Jefferson. Located on Garden Key, the second largest of the park’s seven islands (70 miles from Key West), the military stronghold was the largest masonry fort in the Western Hemisphere during the mid-1800s. During the Civil War, it became one of the nation’s largest prisons.

Visitors who brave the two-plus-hour trip by boat or 40-minute ride by plane to get here can tour the grounds where Union prisoners (like the doctor who set John Wilkes Booth’s broken leg) were imprisoned during the Civil War. After strolling the grounds, explore Dry Tortugas’s other major attraction: superb snorkeling among coral reefs where you might see octopi, nurse sharks, reef squid, and barracudas.

Haleakalā National Park, Maui, Hawaii

More than 30 miles of trails wind over ancient lava flows and through endemic silversword patches before plunging into the summit crater of Haleakalā. Native Hawaiians consider the summit a sacred site, where they held religious ceremonies, studied the stars, and quarried basalt for centuries. On the other side of the park, visitors can still see their village ruins and fishing shrines at tropical Kipahula, an 800-year-old coastal settlement that’s now better known for its crashing waterfalls and the idyllic Seven Sacred Pools of ‘Ohe’o Gulch.

The famed Haleakalā Crater is a vast depression—but it's actually not a volcanic crater. It was formed as erosion ate away a ridgeline, joining two valleys in Haleakalā National Park. Photograph By Pete Ryan, National Geographic Image Collection

Top: To avoid crowds, visit Haleakalā summit after 3 p.m.; its sunsets can be as spectacular as its famous sunrises. Bottom: Erected in 1958, the Haleakalā Observatory is Hawaii’s first astronomical research planetarium. — Photographs By Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic Image Collection

Best For Family: Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

Kids will find more than just a day at the beach in this welcome pocket of nature amidst the nearby bustle of Chicago, a 45-minute drive away. An impressively diverse number of ecosystems in this compact park let families explore wetlands, oak savannas, pine forests, prairies, and 15 miles of sandy shoreline in a day.

There are also opportunities for kayaking the coast of Lake Michigan or canoeing the Little Calumet River (the park was upgraded from national lakeshore status in 2019). The in-progress Indigenous Cultural Trail features murals and interpretive signs that teach about the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, two of the area’s original peoples.

Top: Mammoth Cave—Kentucky’s only national park—contains more than 400 miles of caves, making it the longest cave system in the world. Photograph By Phil Schermeister, National Geographic Image Collection Bottom: Park visitors stand up paddle board along the Grand Calumet River on the outskirts of Lake Michigan in Indiana Dunes National Park. Photograph By Keith Ladzinski, National Geographic Image Collection

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Escape the summer heat by exploring a labyrinth of underground caverns that maintain a refreshing temperature of 54°F year-round. To see the caves, you’ll have to take a ranger-guided tour. These vary in difficulty, with options for families with young kids to enjoy the stunning stalagmites, stalactites, and tunnels. Or for the older kids, try the longer, more challenging tours by lantern light.

During the guided tours, park rangers point out remnants of early inhabitants’ mining activity dating back to 1200 B.C. and tell the stories of enslaved Black cave guides from the 1830s and the “Cave Wars” between rival tourism developers in the early 1900s.

[solregnum]

EVEN MORE DRAMA

maybe we had jumped to conclusions too soon.

Oscar Duvall was spotted by a fan in Santa Barbara, meeting with an unidentified woman for coffee this week. our sources were unable to figure out exactly who this woman is but after a deep dive into the photo, the fan submitted we were able to determine that she is in her early forties. this begs the question, who is she?

Continuing in the rumored flings and relationships, Valerie Monroe was seen leaving Seven Moore's valley home multiple times this week. Are they dating? Sources close to both musicians say that the upcoming tour has really brought the two together but refuses to speak on if the pair are dating.

We also are welcoming some new faces into Hollywood Boulevard. Let's hope they do(n't) end up in one of these drama bombs anytime soon.

this time for real, we will see you next week for Hollywood Boulevards Drama Bomb.

With Love,

your nosy journalist.

[amberfaber40]

There's No Subway Tile in Spain

There's No Subway Tile in Spain

Seville was the first stop on our trip to Spain and Italy. We stayed right in the downtown core in

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Seville was the first stop on our trip to Spain and Italy. We stayed right in the downtown core in a lovely boutique hotel that served afternoon tea and a lovely buffet breakfast each morning.Back home, I have walked into so many homes where there is an elaborately ornate staircase design that often looks totally out of place. Now I know where the design was inspired. And it fits right in here. Along with the tile after one of my followers on Instagram noted “There’s no subway tile Maria”.So that’s what inspired this post. Which was easy to write because I took so many photos of all the tile work.I know many of you, who are longtime readers, might fall off your chair or drop your morning coffee but here is where decorative tile has a place:This was a doorway in the reception area of the hotel:Here’s the staircase (below):The first night, we had dinner in a nearby restaurant. I liked the way the muted red encaustic tile related to the bricks on the same wall (below):And it also worked well with the black and white tile floors:This was the backsplash tile in the breakfast room, back in the hotel (below):This was the floor in the Seville Cathedral nearby (below):Then we toured the Real Alcazar of Seville, castle and gardens. Gorgeous tiles everywhere (below):       When does this kind of tile work back home? In context with a Spanish/Mediterranean style home, with an exterior that possibly looks like this:Image sourceAn entry staircase with iron railings ornate or not (below):Centsational StyleWood beamed ceilings, ornate, spanish style pendants, black, arched windows, all belong in a house with this colourful tile (below):image sourceYou could also design a terra cotta floor with a turquoise kitchen (below):Image sourceIn this Spanish kitchen with the beams in the ceiling and curved plaster hood fan, I could even live with the blue backsplash because it’s been repeated in the plates and tile underneath the window.Image sourcePerhaps your styling might look like this with the Spanish style wall sconce as well:Image sourceIn a Spanish style home, your powder room could look like this (below). Notice the arched doorway and perfect light fixture.Image sourceI love this fireplace design (below). So classic and timeless. Again, notice the beams and the arched french doors. The beautiful outdoor fireplace too with the iron gate.image sourceIt’s rare that I think a black leather sofa looks good but here in this more neutral ‘Spanish inspired’ living room, it works. Because there’s not too much black to make it heavy and masculine (below):image sourceWhat I have seen all too often is people will go on a trip to Europe and fall in love with a particular style and when they get home they start adding these random design elements that in no way work with the existing style of their home.That’s where random arches that have no place suddenly appear, or the busy, ornate staircase railing I mentioned at the beginning of this post or random rows of tile on a staircase kick that in no way belongs.Decorative tile has a place. And that place is definitely not as a random strip in your kitchen backsplash or shower surround.At least if you’re going to introduce accent tile, go big or go home, (like the bathroom image above) but don’t just install bits and pieces of it. Decorative tile is like a strong wall colour. If you’ve decided to paint a room red, go for it, don’t just paint it on a single wall, that rarely works.Related post: A New Way to Design Accent Tile: Ceramic ArchitectureHere are a couple more images once we arrived in Barcelona: Here I am sitting outside at dinner in a Tapas restaurant in Seville:The sidewalks in Seville were mostly concrete in a hex shape! Isn’t that incredible? You can see it behind me too in the photo above.Hexagonal concrete tile in SevilleYou’ll notice white walls are big in Spanish design. If this is the stye of your home and you need to choose the right white, download my ebook,  White is Complicated; A Decorators Guide to Choosing the Right White, here. Or take advantage of our eDesign services here, to find your perfect paint colour.We fly into Naples tomorrow and our first stop on our Amalfi Coast tour is Capri Island! I can’t wait, follow along on my Insta stories here.Do you like Spanish style design?Related post:Why Stone and Accent Tile are Not as Important as you ThinkOne more Reason you Should Skip Accent Tiles AltogetherAsk Maria: What Mood does Black and White Convey, Warm or Cool?SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

[imaginationofomi]

Come Together

Eighteen

Santa Barbara being relatively close worked well in their favor. The time of day they picked to leave assured that the interstate wasn't overcrowded. Nayeli enjoyed the scenery as they drove into and through the city. She loved the views and the old Spanish architecture, some of which she knew the history behind. Mission Santa Barbara was one of many field trip destinations for the elementary school kids of Briton Beach. They cruised down the highway stretching along the coastline, parking off to the side of a busy dock that advertised numerous whale watching excursions.

Elation bounced in her bones, and she had the urge to hop and skip to the Orca Luxe Expeditions ticket booth with her fingers threaded through Ezra's. She'd been dying to go whale watching for years and missed out because her friends and family were unenthusiastic whenever she suggested a trip. Going alone was an option, but not one that she wanted to entertain. Plans like that were always better when there was another person to enjoy it with.

"Thank you," she said after Ezra spoke to the person behind the plexiglass window. A covered lounge area with couches and two small round white tables sat off to the side, but Nayeli wanted a better view of the rippling water. There were several groups of people waiting to get on different boats, huddled together or taking photos. She looked out at the ocean hoping to catch a glimpse of the majestic creatures early.

"Don't say thank you for anything else today," he replied.

"Why are you telling me not to exercise good manners?"

"Because it's your birthday."

"So what? You didn't have to plan anything for me."

"There's no way I wouldn't. Birthdays are a big deal in my family. We celebrate life because at any second, it could be cut short. Your birthday being close to the holidays doesn't mean you shouldn't get to do anything special. No more thank you's. Just have a good time," he instructed, running the back of his index finger down her cheek and hooking it under her chin. Anticipating his actions, she got on her toes and met him in the middle.

"I can't promise I won't slip. It's not in my nature to be ungrateful." The crowds of people were moving toward one of the ships on their side of the dock, and Nayeli stepped around Ezra to join them, but he lightly tugged her back.

"We're not going with them."

"Why?"

"Private charter. We're taking a tour of the coastline and then out further for the whales. We'll have lunch on the way and hit our next spot when we come back." A smaller boat waited for them, one specific for private trips. The time had finally come that he didn't have to share her. They had the whole day together, and he planned to take advantage of it.

"I guess you really meant it when you said you were going to spoil me." She pressed her body to his, sliding her arms around his midsection to warm her hands underneath his coat.

"This is nothing. Wait until I take you out of the country." He made do with what he could. When they had more time to spend together, he would show her the true meaning of the word.

Faces glued together with new love, they made passerby's sick with their canoodling. Ezra was in Heaven and reluctant to release her when the time came for them to get on their boat. The captain, Victor Calhoun, welcomed them with an enthusiastic smile, introducing them to the rest of his crew as they walked the perimeter of the boat.

The two story vessel was more spacious on the inside than it looked from out. There were two rows of seating with navy and white spotted cushions in the center room of the boat, a set of five more chairs on both sides under the squoval windows. TVs in the upper corners of the room played excursion ads, and the noise of them faded as they walked up the stairs to the second level.

It was open with plenty of natural light, curved navy couches surrounded an eclectic piece of marine art in an open circle and just in front of that stood a full bar lined to the top with gins, vodkas and tequilas Nayeli was unfamiliar with.

Outside of the lounge, a deck held four tables covered with white and navy striped linen tablecloths, that shifted when the wind blew. It was where they would have their meal as well as a place for them to get a good look at the sights.

Fresh fruit, a spread of appetizers, and a bottle of champagne were brought out for them to enjoy while they looked at the menu to find their lunch entrees. Nayeli loaded a snack plate with chunks of pineapple and some berries, chewing thoughtfully because she had a hard time choosing between the barbecue chicken plate and short rib tacos.

"Get both," Ezra told her after she'd gone back and forth with herself for five minutes.

"There's no way I'd be able to finish all of it."

"I'll eat whatever you don't."

She took her time choosing anyway, resting her chin in her hand so long that he ended up ordering both for her when their waiter came to check on them.

"I don't need two entrees. I just needed one more minute to pick," she argued, not wanting to waste food when there were people that went without.

"You don't have to choose with me. You want both so I got you both," he shrugged, already decided on his lobster ravioli and fried calamari. Nayeli frowned for a split second, trying to adjust her view on her wants and needs.

She hadn't payed much attention to the differences in how they spent money, and it should've been something she considered. They would have to discuss finances in the future. From unexpectedly sending her stacks to never letting her wallet come out when they were together, money was no object to him. She had a different view and wasn't used to living in excess, so she had two options for the time being; accept it or tell him not to be wasteful with money he earned and could spend as he saw fit. She leaned toward the second option but needed to find a way to say it without biting the hand that fed her.

Over the loud speaker, their tour guide gave them a short rundown of where they would be heading as the boat floated away from the dock. The front half of Nayeli's hair was pulled into a slick ponytail with small curls in front of her ears, but the wind had its way with the hair in the back, blowing her loose ringlets in every direction. She tried to keep as much out of her eyes as she could.

Nayeli stood at the railing, one hand gripping the metal while she pointed out a pod of dolphins swimming near them to Ezra. She pulled out her phone and took a short video to show Princess when she saw her again.

It was the coldest it'd been that month, but there were still people on the beaches, some catching small waves on surfboards, others looking like little colorful specks that sat on chairs and blankets in the sand.

The noise of the ocean and seagulls sea-gulling put her at peace. Ezra stood next to her, gazing down at her fondly as she admired the coastline. Midday, it was busy with people visiting the restaurants and shops near the shore.

"This is a nice way to see the city for the first time," Ezra said, laying an arm over Nayeli's shoulders. She leaned into him and rested her head against his pec.

"You've never been to Santa Barbara before?"

"Nope."

"We'll need another day to really get into it the-look, look! A whale is surfacing!" she squealed, tapping her hand against his stomach as the body of a humpback broke the surface before slowly sinking with its tail following the same path, "How cool is that? I wish we could see one jump all the way out."

"You're not afraid of it making the boat tip over?" Ezra asked. Their vessel wasn't the largest, and he'd recently seen a video of whales upending a sailboat that disrupted them while they were feeding. That was enough to make him think twice about getting too close to a species that could toss him in the air and swallow him whole if it wanted to.

"No. If that's the way God wants me to go out, so be it. Besides, they won't hurt you. We don't taste good to them."

"You speak whale now? One of 'em told you that?"

"There are almost no records of humpback whales attacking humans in the wild. Same with gray whales, blue whales, orcas. Typically they leave us alone unless we give them a reason not to, hence those in captivity knocking the crap out of folks."

"There's no records because ain't nobody lived to tell the tale."

"Oh, stop it," Nayeli giggled and jokingly smacked his arm, although he did sort of have a point. They got to witness a couple more whales surfacing before their lunch arrived and they sat back down. Nayeli was so excited about what they witnessed that she couldn't stop talking. There were lists of random whale facts in her head, and she went down them all, each one appearing to be more fascinating than the last to her.

Ezra smiled and let her ramble. The sound of her overjoyed voice placed a heavy responsibility on him. He wanted her to feel the same way all the time, to always grin the way she did when she looked at him. If he got to see her smile touch her eyes everyday, he could go to his grave a happy man.

Like she said, Nayeli was unable to finish both meals, leaving a chicken thigh, the last of her three tacos and some rice behind. His portion of food was smaller, and he had plenty of room left to pick up her slack.

They moved further away from the coastline and headed toward deep sea territory, water changing from seafoam green and transparent to dark blue and opaque. There were sea lions and more dolphins, bottle nose and pacific white sided, swimming and hopping alongside the boat. It was beautiful to witness. Once anchored in their spot, the tour guide, Braxten, joined them outside and answered every inquiry Nayeli could come up with.

He was a recent college graduate, extremely knowledgable about marine life and shared some of the struggles they had in the area; which species were nearing extinction, invaders that were messing up the ecosystem, initiatives people in the community took to preserve their wildlife. By the end of his explanation, Nayeli wanted in.

For half an hour, they floated without a sight of whales. She wasn't too bummed, as they'd gotten lucky earlier, but she wanted to catch an unlikely glimpse of some orcas. They were rarely spotted in the area that time of year, normally showing up in January and the spring months, but maybe a pod would arrive early.

"Is this your first excursion?" Braxten asked as Ezra stepped back inside to handle something important. She watched him through the windows, one phone to his ear and another in his hand. It wouldn't have been an issue if he didn't look so upset while he went back and forth with whoever was on the other end.

"Yeah. I like watching whale documentaries on National Geographic. They're very intelligent, and I've wanted to see them up close for a while. I finally got my chance," she answered, eyes on her boo and the vein popping out of his neck.

Entertaining a casual conversation, Nayeli spent the ten minutes Ezra wasn't at her side learning more about migration patterns and elephant seals. When they were in Santa Barbara, the whale watching was more exciting. Not for them, but for the watchers. The sound of air leaving a blowhole caught Nayeli's attention, and her feet carried her to the other end of the deck where she peeked over the side.

White foamy bubbles sat on the surface of the water a few yards away from them. Just underneath the waves, she could see something moving but not clear enough to distinguish what it was. Another blowhole sounded, and she lifted her head, shrieking in delight at the glossy black tail fin with a white underside.

She looked for Ezra, waving her hand to get his attention once she spotted him. He was still on the phone, stressed eyes and a frown covering his face. She grew annoyed at whoever he was conversing with and redirected her attention to the ocean.

Two dorsal fins, one shorter than the other, alternated poking out of the surface as they swam around the boat. Nayeli kept her eyes peeled for a full view, hoping that her brain wasn't making her hallucinate because she so badly wanted to see a killer whale.

"I'm sorry about that," Ezra said, joining her at the protective railing.

"Everything okay?"

"No, but it's nothing for you to worry about. Not today." That put her on pins and needles along with his change in mood. They had a good start, and now she was worried that the rest of their day would be plagued with whatever turmoil he was facing. She reached for his hand, interlocking their fingers, and leaned her head on his arm.

"Do you need to go home?"

"I need you to kiss me."

"I might be able to do that," she teased, grabbing his other hand and lifting onto her toes to reach his mouth. What she thought would be a few pecks turned into a session that could make the raunchy blush.

Locked in, they forgot about the boat. About the captain steering it, about the bartender inside, the waiter, the chef, the EMT, about Braxten, who still stood on the deck with them. All they cared about was each other.....until a break in the water pulled them apart. A loud splash behind them made them turn, but they only saw and felt the aftermath of ocean spray hitting their faces.

"The humpbacks followed us?" Ezra asked.

"I'm not sure because I haven't gotten a good look, but I think we found some orcas. Or they found us." It was almost like they were toying with her, waiting until she was distracted to fully show themselves.

"I thought it was too early for the Orcas to be here."

"Every now and then, one or two might show up," Braxten said, "The daily sightings are in January, April, and May. Any other sighting is luck and a good omen."

"We could use a good omen right about now," Nayeli commented, leaning over the railing to see if she could determine where the whales were swimming by the way the water moved. She looked for swells, fins and shadows, moments away from giving up hope when one broke the surface and leapt into the air in a perfect arch. The sun glinted off the shiny black and white skin and more ocean spray hit her freckled cheeks when it landed.

Her face split into a grin. She pulled her phone out of her coat pocket in hopes of catching another leap. Icy fingers made it difficult to successfully tap her screen. The second orca hopped out of the water while she struggled to open her camera.

"My hands are too cold. Can you try to take a picture of them, please?" she asked Ezra, handing him her phone and sticking her balled up fists in her pockets.

"Yeah, stand here. I wanna see if I can get them behind you." He shifted her to the left before taking a few steps back, "Keep smiling."

"I'm just supposed to stand here and pose? What if they don't come back? I'm gonna freeze!"

"I'll warm you up. Stick your tongue out and make your eyes cross."

"Oh my gosh," she laughed, switching up her poses so the cold air bothered her less. She danced to no music at all, made funny faces, pretended like she was scared and going to fall over the edge. Switching to a more serious demeanor, she put on her best smize and mimicked a pose that would've won her season 13 of America's Next Top Model, "I hope you got some good shots."

"Not any with the whales. Go for a few more minutes."

"You should get in the pictures with her. I can handle the camera," Braxten said to remind them of his presence. Ezra passed him the phone and put one hand behind Nayeli's back, using the other to sweep her legs out from underneath her the way he did after her brush with death. He spun her in a slow circle, resting his head on hers and inhaling her sugary scent.

"Are you okay, babe?" she asked quietly, rubbing his neck.

"Mhmm." He kissed her forehead three times, closed his eyes and sighed.

"We can go back if you need to. I won't be upset."

"My mom is on it. She'll call me if anything else goes down."

"What happened? Is Princess okay?"

"She's fine. We'll talk about it later," he said, not wanting to further disrupt their day together. He already felt bad that he spent so much time on his phone. Her annoyance at his prolonged conversation hit him through the windows. The focus needed to be on her. It was her birthday after all. When he met her eyes, he noticed that she was searching his face, her own worried expression taking over her soft features, "I'm alright, Shortcake. It's handled."

Nayeli didn't believe him. He tried to force a smile, and she saw right through it. Whatever went down wasn't bad enough to make him want to leave, but it was bad enough to sour his mood. Stretching her upper body, she pressed her lips to his cheek.

"Do I need to get ready for a fight?"

"You don't need to do anything but keep being you. I'm good." He kissed her to reassure her, but she knew for a fact that the tension in his neck and shoulders wasn't coming from him struggling to hold her up. She gently sucked the tip of his tongue and caressed his warm skin in hopes that it would ease him a little. It only served to heat him up instead, "Unless you wanna give this man a real show, you better stop," he whispered.

"You should probably put me down then."

He wasn't sure that he wanted to. She kept him calm when he really wanted to steer the boat all the way back to Briton Beach and watch Brandy punch Savannah's teeth in. Holding onto Nayeli was the sole reason he hadn't raised hell.

"You're not okay," she said, maneuvering herself until her feet were on the deck.

"Baby, stop it. There's nothing I can do right this second, and I'm not gonna ruin your birthday because of it."

"Knowing that you're not alright will ruin it. You told me to have a good time, but I want you to as well."

"Today is not about me. It's about you."

She frowned but nodded because arguing with him would do nothing but make the situation worse. They both wanted to salvage the trip. Unconcerned with taking more pictures, she hugged him tight, silently letting him know that she was there for moral support.

The orcas breached a few more times, Braxten succeeding at capturing them on camera among other things. Their ride back to the docks was quiet, and Nayeli expressed her gratitude to the crew as she was helped off the boat.

Ezra gripped her hand, and she kept her eyes on him during their walk back to the parking lot. They weren't even halfway done with their plans, but she was willing to end them for him, birthday or not.

She scrolled through the pictures in the car, cheesing at the silly snaps and watching the video he recorded of her dancing. To the left of her, she could see a small portion of a fin poking out of the water. The further she scrolled, the gooier she felt on the inside. In addition to being a marine expert, Braxten was a decent photographer.

The stills he captured of them were beautiful, intimate moments; with their foreheads together, a few of them kissing, gazing at each other like they floated in the middle of the sea alone. There was one of her smiling at Ezra as she pretended to stick her finger up his nose, an orca mid breach behind them. It was perfect, and she planned to frame it.

"We look good together," she said, the coast fading into the distance behind them.

"Damn straight." He kissed the back of her hand, her knuckles and her fingers. 

Their second destination was a ways from the beach on a large patch of land in Santa Barbara County's wine country, green and brush hills with mountains on three sides as the scenic back drop. Tan, brown and white bricks, red-brown clay roof tiles and rustic doors shaped the singular Black owned winery in the area. It gave off a homely feeling, light music and chatter inviting them in.

Ezra and Nayeli met the owners, Hezekiah and Maureen, first, striking up a conversation about where they were originally from and how they decided to start their business and settle in Santa Ynez. The couple were in their mid-forties, married for fifteen years, together for almost twenty and both from entrepreneurial families based in Georgia. Even without the personal details, they were interesting to talk to.

Nayeli wanting a ranch of her own someday gave her plenty of questions to ask about caring for so much space, tips for keeping animals and pests away on a large scale, if the climate change affected their growth season at all, and it did. While their harvest usually ended a couple of weeks into October, because of the stints of warmth they had throughout the month and the beginning of November, smaller bunches of grapes were still growing and waiting to be cut off the vines.

During their second private tour of the day, she got to look at the wine grapes up close, learn the optimal time for picking and select and mark her bunches that would be hand-picked at night for the personal bottles Ezra set up for them to create. She could barely contain her excitement when she found out she had the opportunity to absorb a new artistry.

They got to learn the process of wine making, from de-stemming and crushing the grapes, the differences in handling white grapes versus red like how some white varieties weren't separated from the branches until it all came out of the press, to fermenting, barreling and bottling options.

"We should do a pinot noir, a sauvignon blanc, and a champagne. That way we'll have options when it's time to open them," Nayeli said giddily, lightly tapping her hands against Ezra's chest. He smiled down at her and nodded.

"Whatever you want, baby." As long as she kept grinning, his job was done.

They chose the flavor profile and notes together, opting for wooden barrels instead of stainless steel or ceramic tanks for the aging process. It would take a few months for them to receive their bottles, but the experience was worth it.

"All of this just makes me want to fast track having my ranch," she said as they sat down to enjoy a charcuterie board and wine tasting, "Can you imagine how cool it would be? Bonding and being one with nature, giving back to the Earth the way we're supposed to. Sharing fresh produce with people who really need it. I could put a community fridge outside the bakery, and then people that can't afford grocery store prices can still eat. There's a whole set up in my head. We could have goats for goatscaping and use their milk to make cheese, do a whole farm to table thing. Collect rain water and filter it for use. Have drip irrigation so we're not wasting any. Companion planting to help with pests-"

Her eyes were glowing more than usual. She was passionate about what she was saying, and it showed. Helping others genuinely brought her satisfaction. It wasn't for praise or a way to relieve guilt like some "philanthropists". She cared for those that had problems caring for themselves. It made him love her more.

"You're a farm girl at heart," he noted, picking up a toasted piece of French bread and covering it with salami and a square of cheese Nayeli couldn't place.

"Poppy's fault. He's from the midwest and grew up on a farm. He used to take me and my cousins to a few around the state, and our family still owns corn and cattle farms in Ohio. I always loved visiting, and I learned a lot of lost skills. Push comes to shove, I can survive. I know how to grow my own food, make my own clothes, raise livestock. I'm still learning, but I can differentiate what plants are edible and poisonous if I were to ever get stuck in a forest. I can shoot, pretty good aim, too. I'm ready for Doomsday," she joked and plucked at a small bunch of juicy green grapes.

"It sounds like you're gonna have to teach me some stuff."

"For sure! But everyone in our lives is there to teach us something. I'm sure I'll learn plenty from you in the years coming."

It made him feel good to know that he was included in her plans, from hearing little things like her saying "we" to envisioning future years together. He wasn't totally alone in his ever developing obsession with her.

He tried not to be, but he was concerned. Despite her reciprocity, he knew he was much further down the line than she was. At any moment, she could pull back, and he would have to let her. Their conversation gave him hope, but he couldn't help bracing for disappointment and still praying it never came.

Once they left the winery, it ventured into late afternoon, and they were headed for their final spot in the city; a nursery with so many selections of seeds, seedlings and potted plants that Nayeli actually screamed when they got inside.

"I think I've died and gone to Heaven," she said theatrically, dashing away tiny tears as they passed a baby monstera. Ezra followed her around the greenhouses and plots in the back, only recognizing a few of the plants they saw and even less by name. It all just looked green to him, little pops of color here and there.

"Pick whatever you want," he told her. She chewed her lip, unable to decide where she wanted to start. Gardening could break a bank account easily, and she was sure he already spent a pretty penny on her.

She mapped out her backyard in her head, taking the time to figure out what could fit where, what would come out of her raised beds and what she would plant in their place. She had unused pots and grow bags that she could squeeze in and fill with peppers and tomatoes when it started to warm back up or she got a greenhouse. It came together slowly, but once she had a plan set, she picked up a seed organizer and filled it with packets of winter and spring vegetables.

When it was full, she moved onto seedlings and plants that were ready to go into the ground, grabbing sweet and spicy peppers that she would have to keep inside until they were big enough withstand cooler temperatures, lettuce and spinach, several tomato varieties, collard and mustard greens, red, yellow and white onions, peas, and two types of beans.

The wagon dragging behind them was overflowing with foliage, and she couldn't help mentally adding up the cost. She never bought so much at once. Her calculation was off, too. The cashier gave their total, and her eyes turned to saucers before she reached down to start putting stuff back.

"Ignore her. Whatever's here is what we're getting," Ezra said to the cashier. He hadn't so much as blinked at the price and grabbed Nayeli's hand to stop her from picking up the butter lettuce and mustard greens seedlings, "I gotta put handcuffs on you?"

"That's too much money."

"For who?" he asked and handed the young woman his card, "That's not something you need to worry about. I got it."

"You've already spent enough on me today."

"And I'm not done. Get used to it."

How could she? The concept was foreign to her. She'd never been spoiled by a significant other. She also never dated someone that far outside of her tax bracket. She didn't have the most, but she was comfortable. The men she was involved with in the past either matched her or did slightly better. Nothing crazy, and she was used to that. His statement just took her back to the boat and made her realize that she didn't have a choice but to adjust because he would spend whether she protested or kept quiet.

The worst part was that she couldn't even thank him. She slipped in the car, and although he said "you're welcome", the look he gave her was a warning not to let the words pass through her lips again. She bit her tongue to prevent being reprimanded and fought the urge to say it all the way back to his car.

He helped her in and took it upon himself to load her plants in the trunk on his own. She was busy cooking up a way to show him how grateful she was since she couldn't verbalize it. Food was out of the question. She'd done that already. Buying him something seemed futile. What did he want that he didn't already have or couldn't get himself? She sat in the passenger's seat at a loss, going through their past conversations for clues to no avail.

A lightbulb didn't go off in her head, and it frustrated her the whole way home. She would just have to poke around his brain a little more. The sun was almost completely down by the time they made it back into Briton Beach, dusk covering the final leg of their journey.

Ezra had plans to sit down in a restaurant for dinner, but Nayeli was craving a greasy burger and seasoned french fries with no wait time, so they hit up a drive thru and parked by the pier to eat in peace and enjoy the light show from the roller coaster and ferris wheel. Over the years, she had some god birthdays, but the current was shaping up to be her best yet.

"We have one more stop to make," Ezra said, driving through Towne Square to get to Antiquity Lane. Named for the original architecture and historical context of the area, the street was lined with shops, landmarks, museums, and a lone observatory that was a popular spot for date nights.

"That makes four. You said three, sir."

"I did? That's my bad. Last one, though, I swear." He squeezed her knee and left his hand there for her to hold. She stroked his rough knuckles with her thumb, watching him while he focused on the winding road that took them up the hill to the observatory. They parked and went inside, Ezra paying their cover charges and a little extra to use the telescope room alone.

"Do you know how to use that thing?" she asked as they approached one of the larger options.

"I don't need to. Computer operated." He pointed to the screen and keyboard, glancing at his phone and typing something in. The telescope shifted on its own, and she heard quiet whirring noises as the magnifiers set themselves and it all locked into place.

Ezra looked through the eyepiece a couple of times, smiling when he saw what he intended to and placing his hands on her shoulders. He moved her in front of him, "Look there and tell me what you see."

"Is it a planet we haven't discovered ye-oh my gosh, it's so bright and beautiful!" she squealed at the star, pressing her face closer to the telescope like that would give her a better look than the one she already had.

"Like you, and that's not the only thing you share," he said, pulling her present out of the pocket of his jacket while she was distracted. Undoing the clasp, he reached forward and secured the thin chain around her neck, lifting her hair out and reaching back into his pocket for the folded up certificate, "Your name is in the sky forever."

"What?"

"The star you're looking at is named after you."

She took one step back and turned, glancing up and then down at the beige sheet of paper that decreed the star registered along with her name, the coordinates, and the date it was purchased. She wanted to cry.

Having a star named after her was a dream of hers. She wanted one from the first time she watched A Walk to Remember, her all time favorite film. People she expressed that to found it pointless and childish because the registry wasn't recognized by any agency, but she found it romantic. And Ezra had done it for her.

"The best birthday of my life would be my Jesus year. I got to see humpback whales and orcas, I got plants, my own wine, and a star named after me. Whew, God is GOODT!" she whooped and threw her arms around his neck, smacking a kiss on his mouth, and they stayed that way until they couldn't.

"You didn't even notice the necklace," he chuckled, lifting the pendant so that it was in her line of vision. She gasped and scrambled for her phone, turning the front camera on to get a better look at the new piece of jewelry. She gasped again, brushing her fingers over the diamond dodecagram, "When you can't find it in the sky, it's always around your neck. I tried to match the shape, and I thought you might like what it symbolizes."

"What's that?"

"In Christianity, it represents the twelve disciples. In Judaism, the twelve tribes of Israel. In Buddhism, the heart chakra, and it's supposed to bring good luck."

"God blessed me with you, so I don't need luck, but it's gorgeous and heavy. Tha-" He silenced her with the look he gave her in the car, and she faked zipping her lips. She would just say it fifty times the next day when she was no longer forbidden. He'd taken a bit of everything that was important to her and mashed it together, including her faith and curiosity of others.

Where had this man been for the last thirteen years? Oh yeah, in LA being disrespected and unappreciated. She had to show out for him when she had the chance. They clung to each other on the way out, and Nayeli looked up. She couldn't see where exactly her star was anymore, but knowing it was up there was enough.

Night trekked on, and they caught traffic on the way back to her home. She didn't mind. It meant more time with him. Unfortunately, that time ran out faster than either of them wanted. He backed into her driveway to make it easier to unload the plants into the garage until she could get them planted in the garden. She hopped out of the car and typed the code into the rubber keypad.

"I know you told me not to say it, but thank you," she said, leaning into Ezra's side when he joined her at the trunk. He got his arms around her properly and swayed from left to right, "Today was more than I imagined it would be. I guess I have to start thinking out of the box with you."

"You do because I'm going to give you whatever you want, no questions asked."

"What would you like in return for your investment?"

"You. Everyday." That was it. All he wanted. He spent his life chasing what he thought would make him happy only to learn that his old wants had no correlation to what he needed. He was centered now, clear in the head, his wants and needs aligned. They were standing in front of him, wrapped in an exquisite freckled brown, red, and green bow. He would do whatever he could to keep her.

"I think I can make that happen," she quipped and held his neck. They grinned at each other, dimples denting both of their cheeks.

"You know this means you're my woman now, right?"

"You could've been cute and wrote it in chocolate on a plate, but I guess." Playfully rolling her eyes, she feigned annoyance and crossed her arms. He grabbed her by the elbows and untwisted her limbs to make her hug him.

"A star named after you wasn't enough?"

"You are enough. Just you." She kissed him deeply, her tongue prodding at his thick lips until he let her in to claim his mouth as her own. He groaned and reached down to grab her butt. The full heft and softness of the round cheeks were hidden by her jeans, but he made do and squeezed her flesh until she whimpered and tried to push their bodies closer together. His grip made her satin panties moisten with arousal, and she allowed him to pick her up. Legs locking behind his back, she sucked and nipped his lips to the point that he wanted to take her down right there on his car. They came up for air, Nayeli's chest rising and falling rapidly. She stole another kiss and rubbed their noses together, oblivious to the fact that the door leading into her house was wide open with a body in the middle of it, "The extras are nice, though."

"I KNOW YOU DIDN'T JUST CLIMB THAT MAN LIKE A TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET! I'M TELLING!! MOMMY! DADDY! YOUR YOUNGEST OUT THERE BEING A JEZEBEL!!" Maxine's voice made them both jump, and Nayeli felt the heat of embarrassment rise to her face as the door slammed shut after Max let it go.

"I forgot about my family coming over for cake and ice cream," Nayeli sighed, "Leave it to Max to make a scene."

"How'd you forget?"

"I've been with you all day. Being spoiled. And ungrateful," she said, filling the pauses with kisses, "Are you coming in or you want to get the plants out and get back home to Princess?" They hadn't discussed the earlier issue any further, and Ezra preferred it that way. He was lucky his parents were in town or the chain of events would've gone differently. He didn't want her worrying until she needed to, and they hadn't reached that place yet.

"I'll stay for a little bit." There was another hour and a half to spare before Tatiana was ready to be tucked in. He and Nayeli lined the plants up on her empty shelving, and he locked his car before they went inside.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Her parents and sisters were in her dining room, party hats on and horns sounding as Leti, Stella and Max tossed paper streamers at her. Bonnie's homemade strawberry shortcake stood pretty in the center of the table, fresh berries and strawberry syrup on top.

"Thank you. Where's my baby, Diesel?" Nayeli asked, giving everyone hugs and kisses on the cheek and popping Max's shoulder.

"With Craig until Thursday. He sends his love and these," Stella said, holding up a little bouquet of flowers made from tissue paper and pipe cleaners and a handmade card, "I almost left without them, and he yelled at me."

"Awwww, I love them!!! Flowers that never die." Nayeli sniffed the paper to be funny, putting the "flowers" in a small empty vase and leaving them in the windowsill above the kitchen sink. Leti and Maxine greeted Ezra, the latter introducing him to her wife and Maxwell following shortly after. Bonnie stood next to her baby and observed the man that had her ready to be a stepmother.

"I get it now. You've been blinded by a pretty face," she said quietly, making Nayeli laugh.

"Believe me, it's more than his face." Nayeli crooked her fingers at him and held out her hand, grabbing onto his when he joined her, "Mommy, meet Ezra, my boyfriend."

"My daughters have bragged about you and Maxwell had good things to say, so I hope you live up to the hype." Bonnie was going to shake the man's hand, but the rest of the family were comfortable and embraced him. She did the same. Maxwell wasn't the type to warm up to someone immediately so Ezra had passed the first line of defense.

"Nayeli has nothing but positive things to say about you, too."

"You'd tell me if she was throwing salt on my good name, wouldn't you?" she asked.

"Absolutely."

"Hey! Traitor." Nayeli swatted his elbow and pretended to pout.

"Sorry baby. I gotta side with moms. That's who'll protect me when you start to act up."

"Act up? You called me a saint earlier. I'm disappointed to see you flip so fast. Now I have to watch my back because you play both sides of the fence," she said, folding her arms and turning her back to him.

"Step carefully. She likes to hold a grudge," Maxwell warned with a grin.

"He knows."

"You're saying you wouldn't snitch on me to my mom if I pissed you off?"

"Maybe, but I'd have the decency not to commit treason in front of you! You wasted no time. I'm hurt." Further jutting out her bottom lip, she ducked out of the way when he tried to pull her into a hug and tucked herself behind a pregnant Stella, "No hugs for you! I don't want the stench of betrayal transferring."

"Don't be like that."

"Like what? A traitor?"

"Okay, you can play fight after we're gone. Some people still like going to bed a decent hour. Let's sing and eat!" Leti said, walking into the kitchen to get the ice cream out of the freezer and a lighter for the candles.

"I was actually hoping you'd be up her ass tonight. We need to step outside for a second." Maxine tapped Ezra on the arm and motioned to the sliding door that led into the backyard. She nodded at Nayeli who was eyeing them curiously. For solid reasons, she kept some information to herself, but now that Ezra was around, she could warn the right person. Pressing the switch for the porch light, she slid the door shut behind them, "You're more than capable of handling yourself, but you need to watch over your shoulder," she said.

Ezra didn't like the sound of that, "What's the problem?"

"Jalen is. I don't know if he's always been crazy and we never noticed or Nayeli leaving him unlocked the psycho, but his marbles have flown back to where they came from and exploded. I'm sure he's going to try to bait you into beating his ass so he can sue. He's probably snooping to find any little piece of dirt he can find on you. If you got some shit you don't want out, I'd tell Nayeli that way she's not blindsided. He's not going to back down, and I wouldn't put it past him try some fucked up shit so really keep your eyes open. He wants you, and I quote, "out of the picture" because he feels you're the reason she doesn't want to get back with him."

"That don't have shit to do with me."

"Mmmmmm, I don't know about that. I mean he's wrong, but he's not that wrong. Had you not said what you said to Baby Love, he probably could've gotten away with his bullshit for a while longer. That's not the point, though. He's not man enough to accept it for what it is and move on. He's out for blood. Just be on the look out." Because a man that felt humiliated, whether publicly or privately, was a dangerous one, and people had been murdered for a lot less.

"Thank you," Ezra said, rubbing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. Savannah was a problem on her own. Now he had a scorned idiot on his back all because he loved a woman that let a dude play in her face so long he was going crazy without her.

He had a daughter to think about, friends and family he didn't want involved. He was afraid for Nayeli's safety, too. How far was Jalen willing to go?

They walked back inside, and the tension could be felt. Nayeli recognized Ezra's stressed frown and moved to his side to soothe him. Looking to Maxine, she silently questioned what they spoke about, and Maxine mouthed later, but she didn't want to wait. For the second time that day, someone had done something to get under his skin.

Nayeli held his hand and rubbed his forearm while she was serenaded, thanking everyone for coming to see her after she blew out her candles. Small plates of dessert were passed around, and the Gallaghers recalled past birthdays where she got her face smashed in her face, when she tried to get the person back only to receive a plate full of whipped cream to the cheek, winning a ribbon at the local hibachi grill because she was the only person that year that could catch all of the free shrimp in her mouth.

Her birthday wasn't always a big occasion, but there were plenty of good memories associated with the day. Bonnie and Leti began cleaning up when Ezra decided it was time for him to leave.

"I gotta get home," he said.

"I'll walk you out." Nayeli stood from the couch and waited patiently as he made his goodbye rounds, accepting his outstretched hand and shuffling with him to the door. The neighbor that lived immediately to her right could be heard screaming at some sporting event on his TV. It reminded her of her father's rambunctious behavior when any of his favorite teams were on. She looked up at Ezra, giving him all of her attention, "Are you finally going to tell me what's wrong?" she asked.

He paused before answering, "Savannah tried to pull Tati out of school this morning."

It was getting harder and harder for Nayeli to hold back some of the negative things she wanted to say about the mother of his child. If she didn't know what she knew, she wouldn't see a problem with a parent picking their child up from school, but that wasn't the case. Savannah's actions were deliberately sneaky, and Nayeli was sure she didn't anticipate getting caught. The question was what were her plans if she succeeded? Because the woman knew nothing about what Tatiana liked. Where was she trying to take her? And did she plan on bringing her back?

"Why would she do that?"

"I don't know what the truth is. She lies too much. The secretary called the classroom for Tati to come to the office, and when she got there she flipped. She told the lady to call her grandmother because she wasn't supposed to leave with a stranger."

"Oh no." A bad person would've laughed because Nayeli knew the woman had no choice but to be embarrassed, but the reality of the situation was too harmful for her to find any joy in Tati sticking up for herself and sticking it to her deadbeat mother in the process, "We should've come back," she said, hoping that Tatiana wasn't further traumatized.

"My mom went up there and handled it. She didn't call me until after it was done, and she didn't want to ruin your birthday."

"Princess is more important."

"I love that you feel that way, but it's all good."

"No, it's not. If something like that happens again, you go right to her." One thing she absolutely did not want was Tati thinking that Ezra would choose Nayeli over her at any point in time. The little girl needed to know that she would be everyone's first priority, even more so because she had a parent that prioritized everything but her.

"Baby, we were in the middle of the ocean, and I found out after the fact. I couldn't do anything right then." Ezra was correct, but Nayeli still felt horrible, and her face expressed as much.

"What are you going to do about Savannah? I'm sure that's not the last you'll hear from her," she said and sighed. Why were the holidays always filled with drama?

"I don't know, but I know she's about show her ass over this so I gotta get ready for whatever it is. There's a lot to figure out."

"Go home. Take care of business and let me know when you make it." She wished she could melt away his frustration and all other problems. After a wonderful day together, she didn't want to end on a somber note.

"I will. Don't sweat it, Shortcake. Happy birthday," he said, tilting her head back and softly kissing her lips.

He was the first and last to tell her for the day. She closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead and sent up a prayer that things would get better for him soon.

☼☼☼

Several lights in the house were on. Majority of Ezra's family were likely awake, and he was sitting in his car attempting to get his mind right. He didn't want to bring bad energy into his home, and he wasn't sure he wanted to talk, either.

Any other week, he would've called up one of his boys to smoke a cigar and shoot the shit, get the weight off his chest and figure out a plan, but there was too much going on. He made his way inside and went straight up the stairs, poking his head into his daughter's room to check on her.

Tati sat in the center of her Princess Tiana decorated bed, filling in the pages of a coloring book while Inside Out played on the flatscreen. Her door creaked when he pushed it open, and her head snapped up. All of her baby teeth showed as she ran at him.

"Daddy!" She smacked into him, hugging his legs tightly.

"Hey baby girl. How was school?"

"Good. I got green again today, and Grammy took me to get cookies after soccer practice, but they weren't good like Nayeli's cookies. They were just okay. How is Nayeli? Did you tell her I said happy birthday?"

He chuckled at her and walked to her bed to sit down, "Yes, I told her you said happy birthday. She's good. Come talk to me for a minute," he said. She sat beside him, head switching between him and the TV, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. How come I wouldn't be okay?"

"I thought your mom trying to take you out of school might make you upset."

"It did a little bit, but then I felt kind of bad because I made her cry."

"She cried?"

"Uh huh. When I told Miss Kristen that she was a stranger, her eyes got really red and her face was wet. Headmistress Donovan didn't believe me when I said she was not supposed to pick me up, so I said that so I didn't have to leave. I don't want to go with her, Daddy."

"I know," he exhaled, "I'll make sure to talk to your headmistress about that."

"Mommy said she wants to take me home for Thanksgiving, but we are home so what did she mean?"

His blood began to simmer, slowly heating to a boil. Of all the things Savannah tried over the years when she felt slighted, taking Tatiana out of the state without his permission was not one of them.

"Your other grandparents live in a place called Martha's Vineyard. She might've wanted to take you to see them," he said, breathing slowly to keep his temper level.

"Is that close to here?"

"It's on the other side of the country. We'd have to take an airplane to get there."

"Oh. That's not home."

"It's their home." Running a hand over his face, he mentally huffed at yet another thing added to the list of what needed to be done to get the whole of his life in order.

He liked to think that Savannah was the least of his worries with the new knowledge of Jalen's possible psychopathy hanging above his head, but he had that situation in hand. He'd already talked to Garrett about not only upping the security at the house and traveling with Tatiana from that point forward but having someone discreetly stationed outside of the bakery and Nayeli's home.

When it came to his baby momma, the situation was trickier to ascertain. None of her parental rights had been stripped. She was just a piss poor example of a mother. Legally, he couldn't stop her from picking Tatiana up from school, but taking her out of the state? No, not on his watch. It might've been different if there were a conversation, but Savannah was unlikely to follow through even on that.

Tucking Tatiana in for the night, he went down the back stairs and looked for his mother, the woman he trusted most. His head was reeling, and she would be able to straighten him out.

Brandy and Trinity were cuddled together on the love seat near the electric fireplace, whispering in each other's faces while smooth jazz played from the sound system. Twenty-five years together, and they never skipped a beat. Looking at them made him miss Nayeli. He wanted to sit in front of his fireplace with his wife, twenty-five years down the line and still as in love as the very first day.

They paid him no attention when he walked through the room. His dad was nowhere visible, probably in the media room or turned in for the night. Carmen stood in the kitchen next to the island sink dicing a white onion.

"Hey Mom." He hugged her and kissed her head.

"Hey. I thought you'd be home later. Wash and chop up those bell peppers for me please," she said, using her elbow to point to the vegetables in plastic bags on the counter. She was prepping for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner of her famous chili and cornbread. He washed his hands and grabbed another cutting board and knife before he joined her, "How's Nayeli doing? Did she have a good birthday?"

"Yeah, she's good."

"I take it you two have finally stopped playing games." Carmen smirked, pushing the first half of the chopped onion into a pyrex bowl and starting the other.

"Yes ma'am." His mood was still fucked, but he was holding onto the biggest victory of the day. Nayeli was his, no confusion or more waiting around. It was the one thing that made him feel good after all he became aware of.

"Lovely, I'm glad. She's had a wonderful impact on my grandbaby. Tatiana talks about her nonstop. She makes Nayeli sound like the greatest woman alive, and Savannah ain't doing what she's supposed to. I can't believe she tried to go behind your back and pull that baby out of school. What the hell she plan on doing?"

"You didn't ask her when you got there?" At the very least, he thought Tati would've shared what she shared with him.

"Like she got an honest bone in her trifling ass body. Of course I asked her. She said she was just gonna take her for lunch and bring her back."

"Bullshit. She was trying to take her to Massachusetts."

"MASSACHUSETTS!?" The knife pressed hard into the cutting board and made a loud sound. Carmen looked up at her son with wild eyes, "I'm glad Tatiana told the office to call me. Did she even talk to you about that?" she asked and started to chop faster.

"I'm not talking to her directly, so no."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you not talking to her? She been ain't shit for years, and you made it work. What changed?"

"Something went down a couple weeks ago, and Tatiana doesn't want to see her anymore. Not today, tomorrow or any day after that. I feel stuck because I get it and I don't wanna force her to be around someone she can't stand, but I don't wanna give Savannah any ammo. We still have joint custody, so she's supposed to be able to pick her up. I won't be shocked if she brings this up the next time we're in front of the judge, but how do you fly around the world all year then pick a few random ass days that you wanna show your face? How do you try to take a child you don't spend any real time with out of state without saying something?" Setting down the knife in his hand, he gripped the counter and dropped his head.

"Like everybody born with money, she got more of that than sense. My grandchild needs a real mother, one that actually cares about her wellbeing and not just appearing like parent of the year. You need to keep Nayeli around," Carmen said and finished chopping the onion, washing her knife and picking up a green chili.

"Nayeli's not trying to step into the mom role right now. I'm going to honor that. It's early. I'm not trying to overwhelm her, and she doesn't ask me for anything but to respect her boundaries. This was one of them, and I know she doesn't want it to seem like she's trying to take Savannah's place."

"Lord, why did it take you so long to find her? All that time you wasted chasing hoes, and a woman was just a couple of hours away. I'm going to say it again, you need to keep her around. Tatiana loves her, and she's getting your head together, too."

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Check your tone. Yes, I heard you. That doesn't make what I said false. If she's not ready, she's not. I'm not telling you to force anything on her, but she's good for you, and she's good for Tati. Keep her around and nurture that relationship so it can grow into what you need. For seven years, that heffa you procreated with has done everything she could to make your life hell. She took advantage of you getting her a night nurse and a nanny and disappeared for weeks at a time after Tatiana was born. Dragging you into court for stupid shit when she's neglected my granddaughter and given you nothing but excuses for it. You break your back for all of us year round. I want you to have someone that takes care of you and makes you better. I want Tatiana to have a good mother. Savannah is not either of those things, and you can't take something that never belonged to somebody."

Ezra exhaled through his lips, not having much else for a rebuttal. Carmen spoke facts, but those facts didn't solve all of his problems. He said similar things to Nayeli, and she stood firm in her choices. She never backtracked on anything she said, before or after getting to see the disaster up close. Unlike him, she held onto a pipe dream. What he wanted had no effect on what he knew.

"I'm trying to make Nayeli understand that. She's still hoping Savannah will get herself together for Tati's sake," he said, finally picking up the knife to resume his helpful chopping.

"Wouldn't that be something, but a hard head makes a soft rump. I hope she learns sooner rather than later."

"She's learning. They almost came to blows a couple weeks back."

"How did you let that happen?" Carmen put a fist on her hip and frowned at her son.

"I didn't let anything happen. If I did, Nayeli might have an arrest record. I had people over, and Savannah showed up uninvited. She got pissed because Tati didn't wanna leave with her, so she started acting a fool. She thinks she should be able to pop in and out when she wants and that's doing enough. Hell, Nayeli's seen Tati more than she has the last two years. You can't tell Savannah shit, though. She gotta have the last word, don't matter if she's dead wrong. She tried to tell Tati she couldn't be around more because she has other things to do. What kind of shit is that, Mom? How can anybody say that to their child? I can't wait to have sole custody. I won't have to worry about this shit anymore."

"Let's hope," Carmen sighed, shaking her head and clicking her tongue. Past court appearances were pretty 50/50. Ezra did his best to be fair, agreeing to joint custody that they all knew Savannah would ignore, and it bit him in the ass. With a new woman in the picture, Savannah had a reason to fight, and she wouldn't keep it clean if she couldn't get her way, "Now, what's that you said about an arrest record?"

"Savannah tried to snatch Nayeli, and she swung. Nayeli's a lot stronger than she looks. She would've done some damage if it fully connected."

"Maybe some damage was necessary."

"You say that now after almost going upside my head when you thought I let it happen?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Is her family coming on Sunday?"

EJ laughed at his mom, a much needed chuckle that momentarily loosened his flesh, "Her parents and her sisters probably are. I don't know about her brothers or her grandparents."

"Her parents are most important anyway. If they don't like you, it'll make your relationship that much harder."

"God knows I don't need that. It's enough going on with Savannah sending threats, and Nayeli's ex is tripping, too. It's too much to take in at the beginning of a relationship. Shit's not supposed to hit the fan this soon. I can't be mad at her if she decides she don't wanna deal with the headache. Why walk out of one fire into another?" He didn't like thinking that way, but it was something for him to consider. They were supposed to be in the honeymoon period for several months, yet they had problems before they could really be together. What if she wised up and opted to find a man with less baggage?

"If they almost came to blows and Nayeli hasn't ran the other way yet, she won't. Nobody wants to deal with co-parenting drama, but adults will put the children first and find a way to co-exist. Anything Satan's reincarnate tries can be used against her in court, including the shit she pulled today. You've been keeping records like I taught you?" Carmen was a former paralegal and a retired family attorney, and once EJ told her that he was ready to go to war, she shared everything she knew and stayed on his head about it.

"Texts, emails, voicemails, posts, cancellations, all of them."

"Boom. She can't lie when there's a paper trail. Try not to worry so much. It'll give you wrinkles early. Every relationship comes with its own set of trials. Some hit earlier than we want. All of this is a headache now, but when it's done, you'll be stronger and wiser. Tatiana will be surrounded by people that really love her. Nayeli will help you pull through," she said and affectionately squeezed his arm.

"It's not her job to do all that, though. I'm not trying to stress her out and have her thinking that's how it's always gonna be."

"Do you talk to her about what's going on?"

"When I feel like she needs to know."

"How does she react? Is she fussin' and cussin' or does she try to come up with a solution?"

"She doesn't really fuss or try to decide anything. She doesn't think it's her place to do that. Whatever is best for Tati, that's what she feels I should do. She's been like that since I met her. I tried to pick her brain before, and she's neutral with her answers. Even when she got into it with Savannah, she kept the focus on her needing to be a better parent for Tati. She got mad at me today when she found out what happened and we didn't come back."

"There you have it. Not even worried about herself on her own birthday. She loves that baby like she's hers already." Carmen was impressed but not surprised. There was a reason Tatiana loved her, "Nayeli is a grown woman that can make her own decisions. She's choosing to be with you instead of cutting her loses after two separate altercations. That's not a woman that walks away when it gets tough. She's strong, and you need to be strong with her."

"I know, and I am, but I don't want to be a burden. I'm supposed to make her life easier, not harder."

"Honey, life is hard no matter what we do, where we go, or who we're with. It wasn't designed to be easy for us. If it were, you think folks would be getting shot and robbed in broad daylight?" she asked, covering her chopped veggies, "Talk to her if you're really concerned about things changing down the line, but to me it seems like she's made up her mind. You certainly have."

What other choice was there when perfection was right in front of him? She was beautiful, sweet, she had her own, had a brain, did for others, and her laugh could revive wilted flowers. Any man that passed on or fumbled Nayeli was a fool. There wasn't a soul that could convince him otherwise.

"I love her for real, Mom. She's everything. I never thought I'd be able to say that about a woman."

"Do you think I'm losing my eyesight or something? I knew you were in love the minute Brandy brought her to us, nothing but teeth and dimples when she was next to you, and the way Tati talks about her speaks to how exceptional Nayeli is. So you better treat her like she's everything. You're grown, but I didn't raise a dog. Act like a man and take care of her the way you're supposed to or someone else will," Carmen advised.

"Yes ma'am."

[flotsam-gazette]

1980/JB/Rolling Stone

Jackson Browne: The Rolling Stone Interview— On love, marriage and the girl in his songs

BY PAUL NELSON // AUGUST 7, 1980

Because Jackson Browne and his music seem to occupy a special place among Rolling Stone readers, a brief introductory note should suffice. Why Browne is special is probably a personal thing, but I’ve always suspected that those of us who admire his admittedly autobiographical art usually find in it more about our own lives — not Jackson’s — than we’d care to convey. In the Sixties, Bob Dylan had an uncanny ability to define a decade and its denizens. Throughout the Seventies and into the Eighties — for me, at least — Jackson Browne has taken over this job and done it better than anyone else.

With the release of Hold Out, his sixth album in eight years, Browne has just begun the most extensive tour of his career. Right before he hit the road, Jackson managed a few free hours to tape this interview. We talked twice — each time at the ungodly hour of nine in the morning — before he had to rush off to rehearsals, photo sessions and so forth. Since we’d done stories together in the past (for The Pretender and Running on Empty), both of us knew what to expect. I knew he’d do his damnedest to avoid explaining what his new songs meant, and he knew I’d attempt to drag it out of him. The give-and-take was pretty funny at times.

When I arrived fifteen minutes early for our last taping and knocked on the door of Browne’s modest Hollywood home, the house was silent. I leaned on the doorbell for what seemed like forever. Finally, Ethan, Jackson’s six-year-old son, opened the gate and let me in. “Who are you?” he asked. I told him who I was and that I had an important appointment with his father. “He’s still asleep,” Ethan said. “But you can come in and help me find the can opener. I’ve got to feed the cat.” We fed the cat. Ethan asked: “Do you want to see me stand on my head?” Sure, why not, I thought, praying that Jackson would wake up. I could feel my interview going down the drain.

“Ethan,” I asked, getting the tape recorder ready in the living room, “do you think you could go and see if your daddy’s up yet?”

“I don’t think that’s a very good idea,” he answered after a long pause.

It took some convincing, but eventually Ethan gave it a try. When he came back, he said: “I told him but I don’t think he heard me. He just sort of mumbled and rolled over and went to sleep again.”

For the next few minutes, the living room seemed awfully empty. Then I heard a radio playing somewhere in the basement. Exploring, I found a friend of Browne’s who was awake. After I explained my predicament, she fetched Jackson immediately. Sleep’s difficult to come by when you work as hard as he does, I guess. We got a good laugh out of it.

As you’ll see, the interview starts off with a real surprise.

A mutual friend of ours tells me that you’ve been spending a lot of time in Santa Barbara lately; she says you’ve bought a place up there. 

Actually, I’ve had this land for about three or four years. But it’s just acreage right now. I’m about to build a barn and stables.

She says there are quite a few single parents in the area and that a whole group of you get together almost every weekend. 

I guess there are a lot of single parents there.

She gave me the idea that you were even thinking about moving to Santa Barbara permanently. 

I was. But I’m not a single parent anymore.

You’re not? 

No. Lynne and I are going to get married.

Lynne who? 

Sweeney. Lynne Sweeney.

When is this going to happen? 

I think it’s going to happen in October or early November. But let’s back up a little. The answer I gave you before wasn’t really appropriate. The reason I was going to move to Santa Barbara was never because I was a single parent. That’s not where they send the single parents, you know.

You’re getting married at the end of the current three-month tour? 

Well, it’s really a world tour, and we’re going to be married before we leave the country. We just don’t have the time to do it now. We were driving along the other day, and I said, “Gee, maybe we ought to go down to city hall right now, Lynne.” But even that would have taken three hours we didn’t have.

Maybe you should have gotten married instead of talking to me. 

We could have gotten married this morning, Paul, but NOOOOO!

You had to talk to Rolling Stone. 

Yeah, we had to talk to Rolling Stone.

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[bluastro-yellow]

yes to everything others have said, especially the Galleria Borghese :)

blathering ahead:

depending on how much you stay, you could dedicate a day to the Ostia Antica archeological park. it's big and outside the center, you can easily spend all day there. it's easy to reach and has a picknick place to eat your food. you could also do a quick tour of the small Ostia Antica town(?) since you're there

the Bioparco (zoological garden) is pretty cool. It has a white tiger called Gladio! He was rescued from some awful owner

there's so much else to visit, but you could check if the MAXXI, MACRO, and Chiostro del Bramante have any contemporary art stuff you might want to see

if you're visiting the Vatican Museums, consider buying the tickets online, the queue is reeeally long

I think the Bocca della Verità is very overrated. it's just a queue for a photo, go there only if you really really want one

I've never been to the Al Canova café but having a coffe surrounded by statues seems cool! (well, test copies of the statues)

the Testaccio-Trastevere zone in general has many places where both locals and tourists eat

some tasty food I recommend:

a warm slice of red pizza al taglio (pizza sold in square slices by the weight) from anywhere that isn't too close to tourists spots

a supplì from any pizzeria you'll eat at

a maritozzo (I've been told that Regoli and Il Maritozzaro are very good)

baccalà fritto (fried cod) (I've been told Dar Filettaro a Santa Barbara)

any place in the old jewish ghetto for jewish-roman cuisine, especially carciofo alla giudia (jewish-style artichoke), and torta con ricotta e visciole (pie with ricotta and sour cherries

water from the public fountains (they're called Nasone, big nose), I'm not joking I think it tastes amazing

pinsa is good but it's not traditional food, it was invented in 2009, don't fall for the stories

be patient with the public transport lol, especially the busses

beware of pickpocketers on them, and in busy tourist places!!! ignore street vendors who offer you free stuff, they'll force you to pay for it afterwards. and keep in mind that it's better to avoid being outside the Termini station at night

may or may not be useful, the official tourism in rome site

I wish I could help more! I hope you'll have a good time here :)

songs to get in the mood:

Going to Rome!

Hi guys! ✨ Next week I’m going to Rome for a bit! And I wanted to ask for tips and recommendations. Which galleries and museums should I visit? Which food should I taste (and where)?  Also if anyone is from around there and would like to meet, it would be a pleasure! Thank you so much!

[janewallinphotos]

Maggie Rogers | September 17, 2019

[alexturner2005]

Arctic Monkeys @ Santa Barbara Bowl 19 October 2018, By arv.id

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Davey Havok & Jade Puget - Mourning in Amerika tour - Santa Barbara, CA