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leeltalk · 8 months ago

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A More Complete History of America

Section 1 - When to Begin?

Folsom, Clovis and The First Debate

Part 1 - Folsom

“PaleoIndigenous people wrote the story. Eleven millennia later, a Black American recognized the story but died before anyone recognized him. A blue-collar, white American shared the story with local scientists and followed their orders to dig it up. When he found projectile points and bones in situ, his Denver-based supervisors assumed control of the project, but only until the final arbiters of archaeological knowledge arrived on scene to legitimize the data and the narrative.”

Bonnie J Pitblado, 2022

Located in northeastern New Mexico, Folsom is not easy to find on most maps, especially before you could just Google it. It was almost removed from maps completely in the year 1908 when a powerful, late summer monsoon storm caused the Dry Cimarron River -both its name and usual condition - to overrun its banks. The NYT Aug. 29th headline read “CLOUDBURST DROWNS 15 IN NEW MEXICO; Town of Folsom Caught in Torrent and Houses and People Swept Away”. Local and later sources would place the death toll at 17.

Among those lost was Sarah “Sally” Rooke who had arrived in Folsom at the age of 65 a few years before to visit a friend and never left. She had become a telephone operator at the Folsom exchange and, on the day of the storm, the 27th, she had received word from another operator upriver reporting the largest flood they had ever seen. Sally began making phone calls to the town’s few hundred residents, warning as many as she could of the incoming wall of water. She would give her life for this task - her body would not be found until the following Spring, 8 miles downriver among the debris, with the handset purportedly still clutched in her fingers.

A plaque in her honor now stands near the Folsom Museum, as well as a historical marker erected along the town’s Main Street (also NM325). In 2009, she was designated a “Heroine of New Mexico” for her bravery and sacrifice.

The Town of Folsom eventually began to rebuild, but it never fully recovered. In the coming days and weeks, as it slowly pieced itself back together, the foreman of the nearby Crowfoot Ranch was also assessing the damage.

George McJunkin had been born most likely in 1951 (a few sources list it a few years later) on a ranch near Midway, Texas. Like most African Americans of his time, George, and his parents, were enslaved. He’d grown up on the same property, and with the same owner, as his father, working with horses, cattle and in his father’s blacksmith shop. He probably picked up Spanish pretty young, perhaps from the Vaqueros who were frequently hired for cattle drives at the time. When the Civil War ended, and George was finally free, he was a teenager. The exact timeline is unclear, but it appears he very swiftly joined one of those long cattle drives out of Texas and never returned to Midway. He became an expert bronc buster and went on bison hunts. And, during all this, he began to learn to read and write, perhaps trading his smithing or horsebreaking skills for lessons.

With the education that had been so long denied to him finally in hand, George began reading everything he could get his hands on. He seemed especially fond of the natural sciences - field guides and books on the animals, plants and landscapes of the West.

By 1908, George McJunkin was a foreman at the Crowfoot Ranch and appears to have been well respected by his small community. After the flood, he was searching for lost cattle, broken fences, and generally noting the other impacts of the disaster.

He and a friend and fellow ranch hand were riding along the Wild Horse Arroyo when George spotted something that was at once common and unusual.

When the rushing waters had cut back the sandy banks of the arroyo, they had exposed a number of very large bones. After stopping to examine them and working a few more loose, McJunkin realized he had to be looking at the ribs of some giant animal. George McJunkin knew about animals, especially cattle, which these bones were too large for and buried much too deep and bison, which these bones were still too large for. He would likely have read about the extinct Ice Age Giants that had once roamed the Earth, the mammoths and saber tooth cats. It isn’t clear if he knew the name Bison antiquus, but he certainly knew that the bones he had uncovered were not those of anything that was still around.

He collected several bones and made a note of the location. The bones would eventually come to sit on his mantlepiece, alongside his collection of other fossils, rocks and crystals. George wrote letters and tried to garner scientific interest and would spend the next 15 years showing bones and describing the find and its location to friends, acquaintances, and anyone else he thought might be intrigued. One of these was Raton blacksmith and amateur naturalist Carl Schwachheim.

In what almost seems like a fated encounter, George had only stopped in to have a wagon wheel repaired. While there, he noticed the fountain that stood in front of the shop and the enormous pair antlers that topped it. He said something like;

“I've got some bones that would fit them antlers.”

Carl was immediately intrigued with the story of George's “Bone Pit”.

Sadly, George failed to attract any professional scientific interest to his find. In a story I can't find the original source for, it seems he tried one final time in 1918, taking the son of the ranch’s owner, Ian Shoemaker, out to the site. They pulled a few additional bones from the site (but not any points) and mailed them and a letter to the Colorado (now Denver) Museum of Natural History.

In December of 1922, George McJunkin died in his room at the Folsom Motel. He never had children, but was buried with a stone marker at the town cemetery. At some point, they added a modern headstone. In 2019, almost 100 years after his death, he was inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame. According to a July 13, 2020 article by Amanda Mathers,a curator of collections at El Rancho de Las Golondrinas, the last time she visited the grave, there were fresh flowers. She left some more.

December 10, 1922: “Went to Folsom and out to the Crowfoot Ranch looking for a fossil skeleton. Found the bones in arroyo ½ mile north of ranch and dug out nearly a sack full which look like buffalo and Elk. We only got a few near the surface. They are about 10 ft. down in the ground.”

(Carl Schwachheim’s Diary)

That winter, Schwachheim set out to Wild Horse Arroyo to attempt to locate and document the site. Since their fateful encounter with the wagon wheel several years earlier, Carl had never forgotten George or his bones, but had never been able to make it out to the site as he didn't own a car and traveling to Folsom by wagon had been difficult before the flood. Still, it seems he had been planning the expedition for some time. George had also told Fred Howarth, a local banker and friend of Carl's, and by the time of their trek the party also included Rev. Aull of St Patrick Catholic Church, amateur taxidermist James Campbell and grocer Bonahoom, all of Raton. With the help of Aull and Howarths cars, they set out. Perhaps, had he not fallen ill and passed earlier that year, or had they made the trip sooner, George McJunkin would have been with them.

They filled a gunny sack with bones, and that evening when they returned to Raton, Carl and James sat around the Campbell kitchen table digging through paleontology books trying to identify the remains.

In 1925, Shwachheim also began sending out letters. Most went unanswered or ignored, but one made it to the desk of then Director of the Colorado Museum of Natural History, Jesse D. Figgins. The next January, when Howarth had to deliver cattle to Denver, he hired Carl and they met with Figgins to show him the bones.

The bones made it to Harold Cook, the museum's Curator of Paleontology, who identified them as having belonged to Bison antiquus. Standing nearly twice as tall as modern bison, this species had gone extinct after the retreat of the glaciers.

By March of 1926, Figgins and Cook had decided they wanted to see the site for themselves, and on the 7th Carl led them there. It was a good find. Figgins had been wanting a specimen to mount for display. He and Cook hired Carl to begin preparing the site for excavation by removing as much of the overlying material as possible and clearing the surrounding area.

That Summer, Figgins sent his son Frank to supervise Schwachheim as he began to uncover and remove the bones as an assistant. It must have been a dream come true for the man who had long been an avid amateur fossil collector.

July 14th, they uncovered the first broken point, a “dark amber colored agate of very fine workmanship” (CS diary). It was not in situ, but laying near the base of an animal's spine. While not embedded, Carl noted that it had been found at least 8.5ft down, directly under a medium sized oak tree, “showing to have been there a great length of time”. About 2 inches long, the point had been broken off. The find was reported to Jesse Figgins, and they spent the rest of that season sifting carefully for any points in situ and, if they found any human remains to “under no circumstance move them” but to inform Figgins at once.

Figgins did have reason to be cautious. At this time famous physical anthropologist and Smithsonian Curator Ales Hrdlicka and many other prominent scientists placed human arrival in the Americas at around 3000-4000 years ago and would hear no argument or evidence to the contrary. A few years before, in 1918, EH Sellards had announced his findings of stone tools found in association with extinct animals in Vero, Florida. William Henry Homles, also of the Smithsonian, called Sellards paper “dangerous to science.” He and Hrdlicka “thoroughly” debunked the site and others like it.

Figgins and Cook had actually been on the receiving end of one of these rebuttals. The year before Wild Horse Arroyo came to their attention, a site near the town of Colorado in the state of Texas called Lone Wolf Creek where another extinct bison kill site had been found, complete with projectile points. Cook had been dispatched to examine it in 1925.

Like Florida and another excavation in Kansas, no points had been found in situ or in place among the bones, and thus went unrecognized as legitimate by Hrdlicka and Holmes. They would only consider such a wild claim as Ice Age American Man if indisputable human artifacts - or better yet, remains, Hrdlicka loved collecting skulls for his research - were found in clear association with the remains of extinct animals, and only if the actual site was examined by them or other well regarded scientists to confirm the findings.

This was why Figgins wanted no human remains moved. If any were uncovered and moved away from the bison, it would be too easy to say that they had been deposited later, long after the animals had vanished from living memory. Notes and sketches, even pictures, were not going to be enough for Hrdlicka. Still, Figgins truly felt that the evidence of Ice Age Man in the Americas was mounting.

But why had this even been a question? And why were Hrdlicka and Holmes so seemingly personally offended by the mere suggestion?

By the time the first English speaking Colonists had arrived on the Eastern Coast of what is now the United States, the Spanish had been in the Western Hemisphere for over a century. In that time, great and wealthy empires had been found and conquered to the south, and waves of expeditions and settlement into the Gulf Coast and Southwest had already made a lasting impact on the Indigenous People.

The Eastern half of North America had already been severely depopulated by the time Jamestown and Plymouth were founded. Since that time, the Colonists had pushed ever westward, encountering Indigenous populations who had lived in the area since time immemorial and groups who were newer to the region, pushed there themselves as their homelands had been taken from them.

The Colonists also found the remains of villages and towns, many constructed amongst giant Earthen Mounds. Coming originally from the British Isles and Central Europe, the Colonists were reminded of Barrows, the earthen tombs of Stone and Bronze-Age peoples back home. When their tills, plows and shovels turned up pottery, copper artifacts and ancient bones, their suspicions seemed confirmed.

Although many Indigenous groups such as the Choctaw, Lenape and Ottawa still lived among the mounds, and the Spanish explorer de Soto had described densely populated Indigenous cities among the mounds of Mississippi only a century or two before, the English Colonists saw no connection between Native peoples and the builders of the mounds.

In their minds, the Colonists did not associate the Indigenous Peoples that they had encountered with metalworking. When they had first arrived and well into the Colonial Period, those same Natives had been eager for the iron tools brought by the Eurpoeans. They saw the Algonquian speakers using many types of baskets, but almost never ceramics. They knew the Indigenous people were skilled at working shell, antler, bone and certain stones and artfully decorated their tailored buckskins and bodies with beads and pendants, bracelets and necklaces. They had traded with them for pearls and the intricately carved stone pipes, exchanging glass beads, fabrics and copper pots.

There were also the burgeoning ideas of racial superiority and hierarchy, seemingly confirmed when Carl Linnaeus, in his seminal 1735 work, had categorized humans into four varieties. Darwin had not yet been born; Linnaeus and people of the time took the biblical perspective of a single creation for Man and all living humans being descendants of Noah's sons, but he felt that region and climate had caused changes in the attributes of the humans who dwelt there. This wasn't racism, not yet, if only because the term race was not yet used.

As more mounds in Eastern North America were dug up by treasure seekers, farmers and plantation workers, the Colonists and Europeans to see the artifacts and remains as those of an elite civilization, long gone. To some, they were evidence of Phoenicians or Egyptians that must have ventured to the new world. Perhaps the Aztecs had journeyed north at one point. The ancestors of the Indians must have come along later, as they showed no evidence of the level of advancement of the Moundbuilders. Perhaps they had even wiped them out. Furthermore, while in Europe human artifacts and remains were often found among Ice Age animals, none had been found in America.

In fact, some European minds argued, the entirety of the animal kingdom in the Americas was primitive and lacking, having clearly degenerated from that of the Old World. As long as they remained, the Colonists would degenerate into savages too.

These were fighting words, as far as Thomas Jefferson was concerned.

In his only published book, Notes on the State of Virginia (1785), Jefferson would describe the vast variety of new and unique plants, animals and cultures encountered just in that small region. In other writings, he would discuss the new discoveries of the entire continent and theorize as to what was yet to be discovered.

Extinction was not yet an accepted concept. Though no living Mammoths had been so far found in Eurasia, Jefferson believed that they might be found deep in the continent's interior.

Thomas Jefferson would also excavate a mound on his property, taking careful notes and examining the goods and remains he uncovered. He would publish the first archaeological description of a mound and postulated that they had indeed been built by the ancestors of Indigenous Americans in his book on Virginia. He also believed they must have crossed from NE Asia, somewhere around Kamchatka which had just been mapped.

His was a rare opinion and would remain so for centuries.

In Jefferson's time, it was believed the Earth could be no more than 6000 years old, as calculated by James Ussher in the mid 1600s. The ancestors of the Indigenous Peoples, whether they had built the mounds or not, had likely arrived around 3000-4000 years earlier, sometime after the Great Flood.

While the age of the Earth had been pushed to between 20-100 million years old by the beginning of the 20th century and ideas of evolution and extinction had become accepted by the scientific community, the idea that humans, or at least the Indians, were incredibly recent arrivals persisted.

Hence, the opinions of Hrdlicka and Holmes.

William Henry Holmes had no formal training or education in science when he went to Washington DC to study art. In 1871, he was reportedly sketching a mounted bird in the museum when he caught the attention of FB Meek of the Smithsonian, who hired him to sketch fossil and live mollusk shells for his paleontologists reports. Later, he would join the Hayden Survey as an artist where he sketched such sites as the Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings and Yellowstone. His interests turned to archaeology by 1875, and he is well known for his illustrations of Ancestral Puebloan pottery. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science by George Washington University in 1918.

The story of Ales Hrdlicka is a little more…well. A Czech immigrant, Hrdlicka had begun his studies and career in Medicine, but while working at an asylum he was introduced to the science of anthropometry.

In the centuries since Linnaeus described different varieties of Homo sapiens, and within decades of Darwin's works on evolution, racial science had begun to develop as a new field. Now, humans were placed into different races or subspecies. The leading question of the day was how many there were and what set them apart. The fact that Africans and the similarly black skinned peoples of Oceania often had heavier brow ridges, between those of Europeans and Cro-Magnons and Neanderthals, was taken to point to the primitiveness of their race, further evidenced by their lack of sophisticated technology. Peoples of Asia and the Americas must've lay somewhere in between. Detailed measurements of facial features, skulls, the length of limbs and their proportion to the body, all became important to determining what race a group or individual fell into.

Hrdlicka embraced this science, developing a classification system largely based on skull shape and characteristics. In his mind, Indigenous Americans, like all humans, could fall into one of only three categories - Caucasoid, Negroid or Mongoloid. The prevalence of characteristics of the last type led him to be another early proponent of the Beringian Hypothesis, though he saw evidence of the other races in various groups as well, with African features becoming increasingly common to the south and west.

He was also an enthusiast of the new science of eugenics.

As pointed out by archaeologist David Meltzer, Jesse D. Figgins was a card-carrying KKK member. He wasn't out to prove that contemporary Indigenous Americans had any Ancient ties to their land or classify them in any new way. He simply believed that humans had lived in the Americas during the Ice Age. Who they were or whether they were ancestral to later peoples was not important.

They still had to prove that humans had indeed been among those bison.

In November of 1926, Scientific American ran an article entitled On The Antiquity of Man in the Americas by Harold J. Cook. It included pictures of two of the recovered points. In 1927, Figgins had taken several of the bones and points to the Smithsonian to show the points to Hrdlicka and Holmes.

Hrdlicka had insisted that because they were not in situ, they could have rolled into the Bone Pit at any time, even during excavation.

Fortunately, on August 29th 1927, Schwachheim, still assisting at the site, made the find that would finally provide indisputable proof that humans had indeed been among those bison.

A clear stone point was embedded near a rib, both still trapped firm within the surrounding material or matrix.

Carl had rushed a letter to Folsom and that letter made it onto the evening train bound for Denver. Figgins sent a letter back instructing him to guard the point and not let anyone dig around it. Telegrams were dispatched to prominent scientists across the country, inviting them to come see the find in person.

Figgins, Vertebrate Paleontologist of the American Museum of Natural History Barnum Brown and Frank Roberts, archaeologist at the Smithsonian Bureau of Ethnology arrived on September 4th. A few days later came AV Kidder of the Carnegie Institution.

The assembled scientists agreed that the stone points and the bison were in clear association.

Hrdlicka was notably absent, though it is unclear if Figgins bothered to telegram.

The American Anthropological Association's December conference devoted a full symposia to The Antiquity of Man in America. Figgins and Cook were not invited to speak, and it was Roberts and Brown who described what they had seen at Folsom.

In fact, Figgins and Cook would not be invited to speak at any anthropological conference concerning the timing of human arrival in the Americas for the next 10 years.

Sources and further reading/listening :

Uncredited, (August 29, 1908) CLOUDBURST DROWNS 15 IN NEW MEXICO; Town of Folsom Caught in Torrent and Houses and People Swept Off in the Flood. RAILROAD BRIDGES DOWN Georgia and Carolinas Suffered Heavily -- Buildings in Augusta, Undermined, Collapse. The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1908/08/29/archives/cloudburst-drowns-15-in-new-mexico-town-of-folsom-caught-in-torrent.html

Sarah “Sally” Rooke Bio (ret. Mar 2024) New Mexico Women’s Historical Marker Program https://www.nmhistoricwomen.org/new-mexico-historic-women/sarah-sally-rooke/

Jackson, L.J., Thacker, P.T. (1992) Harold J. Cook and Jesse D. Figgins: A New Perspective on the Folsom Discovery, Rediscovering Our Past: Essays on the History of American Archaeology, Worldwide Archaeology Series, edited by Jonathan Reyman

Cook, H. J. (1926). The Antiquity of Man in America. Scientific American, 135(5), 334–336. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24976879

Pitblado, B.J. (2022) On Rehumanizing Pleistocene People of the Western Hemisphere American Antiquity 87(2), pp. 217–235

Meltzer, D.J., (1983) The antiquity of man and the development of American archaeology Advances in archaeological method and theory, pp. 1-51

Meltzer, D. J. (2005). The Seventy-Year Itch: Controversies over Human Antiquity and Their Resolution Journal of Anthropological Research, 61(4), 433–468. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3631536

Meltzer, D.J. (2011) First Peoples in A New World: Colonizing Ice Age America University Press Audiobooks

Raff, J. (2022) Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas Twelve Audiobooks

Fordham, A. (2023) The Extraordinary Life and Long Legacy of Black Cowboy George McJunkin KUNM https://www.kunm.org/local-news/2023-02-24/the-extraordinary-life-and-long-legacy-of-black-cowboy-george-mcjunkin

Hillerman, T. (1971) The Czech That Bounced: How Folsom was Saved to History New Mexico vol.50 nos.1-2, pp 25-28

Veltre, P. (2019 ) The Carl Schwachheim Story KRTN Radio

https://krtnradio.com/2019/07/11/the-carl-schwachheim-story-by-pat-veltri/

#folsom #paleolithic #anthropology #prehistory #archaeology

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a-bucket-of-trash · 2 years ago

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The Mercy of the Golden Mask- Kelvin x Neutral Reader – One shot.

Prompt: * sobs * RIP

Tag: Angst af

Your time on that island, despite the mutants and cannibals, the extreme weather and other inconveniences, hadn't been entirely hellish, thanks to Kelvin, your mate and lover. Alone, as the sole survivors of the helicopter, you had quickly grown fond of each other. The sporadic glances had grown, the touches, the plans, the tasks, the chats with signs and writing that became verbal when his damaged ears began to recover minimally their hearing, the extra closeness you had to have on cold nights, everything had fostered the basis for your relationship to stop being merely friendly.

Now you were both against everything, shoulder to shoulder, always close to each other, sleeping intertwined, hands always in contact with each other, with tender caresses there when there was a bit of peace, gushing love.

But the island was relentless, the enemies endless, and your own energies could not keep up with the wave of cannibals that seemed to rise from the bowels of the earth like ants escaping a flood.

Eventually, they were too many for the two of you. There wasn't the amount of bullets, traps, arrows and axes to deal with them, despite the fact that Kelvin now fought with the same violence as you, tireless and accurate.

The battle was frantic and exhaustingly long, but at least all the cannibals in that contest were dead, half-dead, dismembered, or unconscious on the ground. You were exhausted, somewhat injured, several parts of your body ached, but you were still breathing, so you looked around, looking for your partner, whom you had seen fight by your side several times, when one of those monsters had wanted to cut off your head.

You saw him on the ground and you hurried to go to him. You knew that he was very good at fighting, although he used to stay on the floor for a while after finishing a fight, since that kind of thing made his head ache like a thousand demons. But as you knelt beside him, you felt your heart freeze and clench, seeing his bulletproof vest barely hanging from his left shoulder, and a deep gash running diagonally across his torso, from his shoulder to his groin, drenched in blood.

“K-kelvin…H-hold on…” You tried to calculate where to put pressure, but it was a wound too long for placing your hands on one spot to work.

You were getting desperate, you weren't remotely close to the base you had built, and even there you didn't have anything to deal with such a cut. You saw his brown eyes fix on you, full of pity and resignation. He was a soldier, painfully aware of his situation. And you too.

"No... D-don't even think about it!" You exclaimed, taking the piece of bulletproof vest and resting it firmly on his torso, trying to stop some of the bleeding “You p-promised to teach m-me how to ski in winter, remember? You c-can't go back on your promise… I'm g-going to get really mad i-if you do it��”

Distraught, you saw him hardly take off his gloves to tenderly touch your face, while your eyes clouded with tears.

“Kel… Kel… p-please…” You begged, sobbing, not wanting to acknowledge what was about to happen.

"F-forgive me... h-honey..." He murmured, barely, feeling your anguish as his own "I don't want... to leave you a-alone..."

"Don't leave me alone then! S-silly!" You cried more when you felt his hands on your cheeks, gently rubbing your skin "Stay!"

"You know v-very well... that this cut... will not heal..." He tried to dry your cheeks with his trembling hands, watching the torrent of tears fall non-stop like the waterfalls of the island "H-honey..."

"It's my fault... It's a-all my fault..." You despaired even more, seeing the pool of blood growing under him "Forgive me... K-kel... I s-should have fought more... I should have w-watched you..."

“Stop it…” He half sobbed, wanting to hide the fear he was feeling growing inside “I love you… it wasn't your fault…”

"But…"

Kelvin gently pulled your face, so that you crouch down enough to be able to kiss you, long and anguished, in a kiss with a farewell flavor, noticing his own body weigh him down and stop aching, numb and cold.

You stared at his face, his eyes, repeating him an "I love you" over and over again, between tears, caressing his hair and cheek, feeling your own soul leave as you saw his skin slowly pale and his hands stay still on his damp stomach.

You heard him say a couple of “I love you”, almost without a voice, like the whisper of the wind in the leaves, and you remained static, almost breathless, noticing how his breathing stopped in a short exhalation.

The scream that came from your throat crossed the island and you hugged his head tightly, crying heartbreakingly, calling him, begging him to come back, even knowing that it was not possible, even knowing that he was gone.

After everything he had been through, even after surviving a brain injury, your beloved Kelvin was gone like sand between your fingers.

You stayed there, crying for him, kissing his head, for a long time, until you noticed something, so you gently closed his eyelids with your hand and cupped his cheeks with all the love you had left in your shattered soul.

"Wait for me, my love..." You smiled sadly, between tears, listening to the heavy footsteps approaching behind you "I'm going with you..."

You closed your eyes in resignation laden with relief and leaned your forehead against his, knowing that the huge cannibal behind you was going to, unknowingly, do an act of mercy.

#kelvin #sons of the forest kelvin #sotf kelvin #kelvin x reader #sons of the forest #sotf #one shot #sorry not sorry #my kokoro hurts now

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canyonmitigationrestoration · 28 days ago

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The Most Common Causes of Residential Water Damage

Water damage is one of the most common and costly problems homeowners face. It can lead to structural issues, mold growth, and expensive repairs if not addressed quickly. Understanding the main causes of residential water damage is crucial for preventing it and ensuring your home remains safe and dry. At Canyon Mitigation & Restoration, we specialize in water damage repair and restoration, helping homeowners recover from even the most severe water-related disasters.

Here are the most common causes of residential water damage:

1. Leaking or Burst Pipes

One of the leading causes of water damage in homes is leaking or burst pipes. These issues often occur due to age, freezing temperatures, or poor maintenance. Pipes can crack, corrode, or freeze and burst, especially in colder climates. Even a small leak can cause extensive damage over time, leading to water-soaked walls, flooring, and ceilings.

Prevention Tip:

Regularly inspect your plumbing for leaks, especially in areas prone to freezing. Insulating pipes in cold weather can also help prevent freezing and bursting.

2. Faulty Appliances

Appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, water heaters, and refrigerators are frequent culprits of water damage. Over time, hoses, pipes, and seals can wear out, leading to leaks. A malfunctioning washing machine or dishwasher can flood your home within minutes, causing significant damage to floors and cabinetry.

Prevention Tip:

Check your appliances for signs of wear and tear, and replace old hoses before they fail. Periodically inspect appliances and maintain them according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

3. Roof Leaks

Your roof serves as the first line of defense against the elements. However, damaged shingles, cracked flashing, or improperly sealed roof valleys can allow rainwater to enter your home. Roof leaks often go unnoticed until significant damage has occurred, resulting in water-stained ceilings, walls, and even attic damage.

Prevention Tip:

Schedule regular roof inspections, especially after storms or high winds. Address any missing or damaged shingles immediately to prevent water intrusion.

4. Clogged Gutters

Gutters are designed to direct rainwater away from your home’s foundation. When they become clogged with leaves, debris, or ice, water can overflow and pool around your home’s foundation, leading to leaks and basement flooding. Over time, this can cause foundation cracks, mold growth, and structural damage.

Prevention Tip:

Clean your gutters regularly, particularly during the fall and after heavy storms. Install gutter guards to prevent debris from accumulating.

5. Sewer Backups

Sewer backups are not only messy but also hazardous to your health. They can occur when the sewer system is overwhelmed by heavy rain, clogged drains, or damaged pipes. When wastewater flows back into your home, it can contaminate floors, walls, and belongings, requiring immediate professional cleanup.

Prevention Tip:

Avoid flushing items that can clog pipes, such as wipes, grease, or paper towels. Install a backwater valve to prevent sewage from backing up into your home during heavy rain.

6. Foundation Cracks

Over time, the foundation of your home can develop cracks due to settling, tree roots, or moisture changes in the soil. Even small cracks can allow water to seep into your basement or crawl space, leading to water damage and mold growth.

Prevention Tip:

Inspect your foundation regularly for cracks and repair them as soon as possible. Proper drainage around your home can also prevent water from pooling near the foundation.

7. Poor Drainage Systems

Improper drainage systems can cause water to accumulate around your home’s foundation, eventually leading to leaks and water damage. Water should always be directed away from your home using downspouts, sump pumps, and proper grading.

Prevention Tip:

Ensure that your yard slopes away from your house and that downspouts direct water at least 10 feet away from the foundation. Installing a sump pump in your basement can also help protect against water damage.

Preventing Water Damage Before It Starts

While water damage is sometimes unavoidable, taking proactive steps can greatly reduce your risk. Regular maintenance, timely repairs, and professional inspections can go a long way in protecting your home. If you do experience water damage, swift action is key to preventing further harm. That’s where we come in.

At Canyon Mitigation & Restoration, we provide expert water damage repair services to restore your home to its original condition. Whether it’s a burst pipe, a roof leak, or a flooded basement, our team is equipped to handle any water damage emergency.

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anontalksforyoutolisten · 1 month ago

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Hello and welcome.

I wish to remain anonymous, but if I’m outed, so be it. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t shake the feeling that the gods are angry.

Three hurricanes—three—in a row, all targeting the same area. I saw the third coming even before Milton had fully struck. (Don’t worry, fundraiser links are at the end. If you’d rather skip ahead to them, feel free to do so.)

This is sheer madness, and I’m not even among those directly impacted. My heart goes out to everyone stuck in Florida, and I hope they’re finding safety and support.

Hurricane Helen: A Devastating Prelude

Helen—a Category 4 storm that stirred anxiety in everyone. People talked, prepared, but the true weight of its power didn’t hit until it made landfall. The aftermath was horrific, with scenes of TikTok users pleading with others to stay out of flooded waters where people were being electrocuted. The storm passed, but the scars lingered.

$38.5 billion in damages (2024 USD)

Schreiner, Bruce. “Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to 227 as grim task of recovering bodies continues.” Associated Press, October 6, 2024.

Hurricane Milton: Nature’s Brutal Masterpiece

Now, let’s focus on the main reason I’m writing this—Milton. This hurricane was beyond anything we’ve seen, an awe-inspiring display of nature’s raw, terrifying beauty.

Let’s start with the basics: Milton was the thirteenth named storm, ninth hurricane, fourth major hurricane, and second Category 5 hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season. It weakened to Category 4 after an eyewall replacement cycle, only to roar back into a Category 5 monster.

The fact that it eventually weakened to a Category 3 feels like a miracle, but it doesn’t erase the devastation it wrought, especially in Tampa. Watching the torrential downpours on TikTok livestreams made my skin crawl.

Highest Winds Recorded:

180 mph (285 km/h)

As of writing (10:45 AM EST, September 24, 2024), the damage and death toll haven’t been fully tallied. Currently, there are 14+ confirmed injuries, but the numbers will surely rise.

Theories and Speculation

1. [Source: @houseofxay on TikTok]

One viral video focused on how a meteorologist became visibly emotional while discussing Milton’s unprecedented power, drawing comparisons to Hurricane Katrina. Katrina, a Category 3 storm, reached winds of 125 mph, while Milton hit 180 mph. This led to discussions about potentially introducing a Category 6 hurricane tier—something that, thankfully, never came to pass. Yet, the fact that it was even considered is enough to rattle nerves.

2. [Source: @tiktokdetective on TikTok]

On the more spiritual side, this TikTok user proposed a theory—completely speculative but intriguing—that Milton may be tied to a recent case in Tampa where someone allegedly disturbed a Native American burial ground to build a driveway. Could this act have angered something greater, resulting in Tampa bearing the brunt of the storm? It’s a stretch, but the coincidence is eerie.

A Third Hurricane Approaches

As if Milton wasn’t enough, a third hurricane is already making its way toward the U.S. I spotted this storm before Milton hit, though at the time it seemed like a tiny blip in comparison. While I couldn’t find its name yet, the fact that a third storm looms is simply mind-boggling.

Discussing these back-to-back disasters has been a constant in my conversations with friends, especially as the topic of global warming inevitably comes up. And I think we need to confront it head-on.

The Urgency of Climate Change

While I’m no expert, the conversation I had with a close friend about global warming left me chilled. We’re at a critical point—four years, they said, before the effects of global warming become irreversible. Four years.

Yet the world seems to be ignoring the signs. We’ve known for years, and still, we argue about everything except the survival of our planet. We’ve seen the effects—the melting ice caps, rising sea levels, the extinction of species—but somehow, the enormity of it all remains abstract to many.

This isn’t about politics, though. It’s about life. If we don’t take action, the Earth will continue to crumble, both physically and spiritually. Our divisions are poisoning us, leading to greed, violence, and destruction. The planet is dying, and with it, our humanity.

My Personal Thoughts

In a strange, twisted way, I wonder if the Earth is trying to heal itself. We’ve lived through so many historic tragedies that it’s overwhelming. Take COVID, for instance—it was a catastrophe, but it also temporarily lowered overpopulation rates and allowed parts of the environment to recover. It’s as if the planet is forcing us to slow down, to heal.

I know these are just theories, but the signs feel undeniable.

——

It’s clear to me that the world needs healing—both in terms of climate and spirit. We can’t wait any longer. Now is the time to come together, set aside differences, and fight for the survival of the planet we all share.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. Now, let’s turn our focus to helping those affected by these hurricanes. Here are some fundraisers to contribute to the relief efforts:

Information from the American Red Cross about Hurricane Relief

World Vision’s Disaster relief in the U.S.

Greater Good Charities Hurricane Helen & Milton Disaster Relief

Stay safe, and let’s do what we can.

Sources:

Hurricane Helen Wiki

Hurricane Milton Wiki

#anontalks #anonymous #discussion blog #discussion #hurricane helene #hurricane milton #hurricane relief #hurricane season #natural disasters #disaster relief #serious post #let’s discuss #anon🍃

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phytochorion · 2 months ago

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How the Forest Finds the Island

Chapter Nine - Foundational Facilitator

As predicted, the storms blew in. Sen, Si-woo and Askarya woke from their silken slumber to a cold, unsettled day, and the weather only got harsher. They ventured outside less and less, mostly to check for damage to their plants and lichen. They also used any remaining silk (mostly repurposed from Sen's discarded loincloth) to create strong, elastic guylines, securing their nest against the elements.

Sen was faced with the inevitable fact that, as the ginkgos turned to gold, then let their leaves drift away, so too must he forgo his wings. His body not yet acclimated to the island's seasonality, there was naught he could do to resist this environmentally-mediated process. Si-woo suffered the same fate, while Askarya refrained from any jibes, but looked smug regardless.

Eventually, they retreated entirely, entering a state of dormancy within the nest, and waiting winter out.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

The rocky landscape faded from deep green to brown as ferns and horsetails withered. Leaves accumulated in deep drifts. Barely a birdont or insect stirred.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

Spring crept slowly back to the island. With each passing day after the solstice, the days stretched a little more. The soft curls of young ferns extended through the thin soil. Buds on the ginkgo twigs quietly unfurled. Within the battered but structurally sound nest, Sen opened his eyes.

Shuffling blearily through the entryway, he blinked and sneezed in the light. He considered returning to bed, but there were more pressing matters to attend to. His trees needed him.

Clambering up the branch, then down the trunk, Sen was pleased to find that the extensive growth of Askarya's lichen had provided plenty of hand and foot holds. Letting himself fall into the leaf mulch at the base of the trunk, he stood and made his way to the wide creek.

A dreadful feeling struck his heart as he saw that the winter floods had uprooted five of the little saplings. Fortunately, the newly opened twigs on their leaves were testament that they had survived their ordeal, but he wasn't sure if they would last much longer. He raced back to the tree to wake his friends.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

The next two days were a hard slog. Sen righted the saplings, packed earth around their trunks and used all the generating magic he could muster.

There was still more to do. When he and his friends had returned to the grove, they'd found that more saplings on the opposite bank had suffered the same fate. Once the five on the near bank were cared for, Sen moved immediately across. He repeated the process, and finally gave himself a quick break. All he could do for them now was wait and pray.

In the meantime, he checked on the large ginkgos. They had weathered the storms well. A few branches had been snapped, but they were overall in good health. Sen checked to make sure their wounds weren't in danger of infection, then left them to recover.

Askarya had helped him as much as possible, but both they and Si-Woo had to prioritise their own gardens. Lichens were tough, and damage had been minimal, while he hadn't heard from Si-woo since he left, and could only hope none of his trees had come down.

Once the pressing jobs were out of the way, Sen could slow down and decide on his plan of action. Strolling by the stream and breathing in the spring morning air, he considered his situation.

As he'd been discussing with Si-woo on his raft, they both intended to spread their gardens, but they needed fresh gametes in order to do so. Simply propagating the plants they already had would leave them too vulnerable to pathogenic outbreak.

He'd have to find someone who knew a reliable route between here and the mainland. Someone with wind magic would be ideal, but anyone who'd made the journey more than once would do.

There were other fairies here. He'd seen clear evidence of them. But despite the traces they'd left, the beings responsible remained tantalisingly elusive.

As he travelled upstream, the ground cover of horsetails and hornworts became thicker, enough even to impede the progress of a five centimetre tall fairy. Doubling back, Sen arrived at the twin ginkgos. Climbing the one without a nest in it for a change, he sat in the highest branches and gazed seaward.

Getting an idea, he stood and turned to face inland. With a deep inhalation, he began to sing. Si-woo had been the only reply his calls had gotten since he arrived, so he didn't expect a response. Still, if there was anyone out there, he'd let them know they weren't alone.

His trills died away. The usual soundscape of chirping insects returned. He sat back down.

An answer reached his ears. Another song, fast and piping, it could almost be dismissed as the exaltation of a little birdont, if it weren't for the definite structure and meaning he could discern within.

Inland.

Fern and sand.

Two others and I.

Not far to fly.

Sen raced back down the tree.

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

"Si-woo! Si-woo! Askarya! There's someone there!"

"Three someones!" Agreed Askarya. "We were listening in!"

Si-woo, who was topless and covered in wet compost, looked like he'd just arrived. "Do you want to go and meet them now? I… might need a minute to get changed."

"Okay, but hurry up or we're leaving without you, I wanna see who this is!"

Si-woo babbled a breathless reply, already halfway down the river bank. He took a flying leap, vanished beneath the surface, and was back by the land route in minutes, his clothes clean but soaking.

"Ready?", he gasped.

"Ready!"

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

They moved at a fair pace away from the creek and across the prairie, the chance to stretch their legs welcome after a somnolent winter.

"I'm placing my bets now," said Si-woo, brushing aside a bristling zosterophyll.

"By that you mean…?", wondered Sen.

"Who it'll be! I'd bargain anything I own that we'll find Tadgh and Steve there."

"Not that you own that much," hummed Askarya.

"C'mon, who do you think they'll be?"

"My money's on Callisto and Aylmer. Have you noticed that they show up everywhere?"

"They do, huh?", nodded Si-woo. "And that song did sound like something Aylmer would make."

"Both of you only named two," Askarya pointed out. "I reckon it'll be Robin, George and Æthelred."

"Who's Æthelred?" Responded a quizzical Si-woo.

"A mycor I know."

"From the sounds of it we're not dealing with a fungi fairy."

"Oh? Don't think we can sing?" Askarya stopped and crossed their arms.

"No, obviously I didn't mean it like that, vascular plant fairies just have a different register, you get me?"

Sen ignored their bickering as he reached the top of a rise just ahead. "You two! Get up here! I've found them!"

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

The three of them scuttled down the weathered scree slope, hopping between jagged, jumbled rocks colonised by moss and lichen. The three fairies they were here to meet stood some way from the base of the slope. They appeared to be in the process of constructing their nest. It was enormous, still in its early stages, and crafted from tightly bound stems of fern, cooksonioid and any other plants growing nearby.

It was quickly apparent to Sen and Si-woo that these were none of the fairies they'd been expecting, nor were they Askarya's fungal friends.

The fairy closest to them was lithe and petit, with long tresses and wings, dressed in a white blouse and pleated shirt. Behind stood two others, the first short and stocky with a moustache and tassled jacket, the second tall and lean, face covered by a wild rag. All three wore wide-brimmed hats. Almost as one, their heads swivelled to face the newcomers.

"Hey!", exclaimed Si-woo. "Hey, it's Joe!"

He took off at a sprint, barely touching the ground as he sprang from stone to stump to stem and skittered to a stop on the sandy scrub. Sen and Askarya watched him talking animatedly and waving his hands about, while the fairy with his face hidden listened silently and nodded.

They turned back to the other two standing on the plain and picked their way down the slope to meet them.

"Well howdy," waved the one with long tresses. "Y'all must've been the folks I was just singin' to!"

Sen smiled. "That we are. Gongsun Sen, at your service."

"I'm Askarya," his friend added. "And you?"

"We're the Pioneers!", boasted the little fairy.

"Might I ask, exactly who are the Pioneers?", queried Sen. "Well, obviously, I know you are, but-"

"The toughest sons-of-bitches this side of Epiphyllia, that's who," interjected the moustachioed fairy, striding over to join them. He thumped himself on the chest. "Name's Jake." He indicated with an open hand to the fairy they'd been speaking with, who curtsied. "He's Jess." Pointing back at the mantled fellow behind him, he concluded, "And that there's Joe."

"A pleasure," nodded Sen. "I take it you know Si-woo?"

"Somewhat," replied Jake. "Joe's an ol' pal of his. They go way back, as I understand it." He doffed his hat. "Head on up this way and I'll show y'all what we've been constructionizin' out here."

Jake led them to the vast web of branches, forming a loosely connected wall that towered above their heads. "Behold!" He spread his arms. "Our fortress!"

"We've been workin' on it non-stop since we flew in," chimed Jess. "Barely had time to stop for a drink, let alone check if we had any neighbours, but once I heard y'all singin' I just had to reply."

"Darn impressive," whistled Si-woo, stopping mid-ramble to crane his neck in their direction. "How close is it to completion?"

"Prob'ly a good few months yet." Jake scratched his chin. "Course, we'll be able to bed down in it long before that, but packin' in every last lil' gap and crevice to waterproof it will keep us busy."

"When did you get here?", asked Askarya.

"Hmm, sometime within the last two weeks," answered Jess. "Flew across from the old country with the last of the storms." His eyes flicked to the wing nubs sprouting on Sen and Si-woo's scapulae. "You folks been here all winter?"

"Yeah, I thought it would be worse really," replied Si-woo. "A few gales are no match for the likes of us!"

Sen met Askarya's glance in disbelief.

“Y’all must be hungry. I’ll see if we’ve got some tucker,” suggested Jake. They thanked him, and he headed off to rummage around in a mess of satchels, clothes and plant parts strewn nearby. He returned with a burlap sack and they plonked themselves down on a fallen branch. Si-woo clapped Joe warmly on the shoulder and came to join them. Askarya lay prone on the wooden limb, taking keen interest in the varieties of lichen enveloping its decaying bark.

“Ooh, what are these?” Sen investigated, sniffing the pale, hard lumps Jake was handing out.

“Root nodules. Don’t look like much, but they’s as fine as cream gravy.”

Sen bit into his, and was pleased to discover that Jake was barely exaggerating. Si-woo was soon going back for seconds.

“So what are the plants you’ll be growing here?”, Sen continued, wiping the starchy juice off his chin.

“Coenopterids, all three of us. Or pre-ferns, as some young whippersnappers are callin’ us these days.”

"Lovely."

Sen stretched out, feeling his wingbuds scrape the branch.

"I tend ginkgos, Askarya, lichen."

Jake furrowed his brow. "Ginkgos, you say…"

"Er, yes. Something the matter?", inquired Sen.

"Well, no, but I've been thinkin'- ain't no point havin' yer nest down at ground level, is there? Bugs'll get in."

Sen crossed his arms triumphantly at Si-woo, who glared.

"Problem is, we couldn't spot any stands of mature trees, and the plants we cultivate don't appreciate bearin' the extra load, so we supposed we'd build down here for now."

"But if you moved your nest into a ginkgo canopy, it would solve the problem," Sen concluded.

"Well, I was thinkin' we'd just ask you to sow some o' them trees here, but it's mighty kind of ya to offer."

"I wasn't- nevermind," said Sen. "Alright, sure, I could plant a tree or two here. The problem is that mine aren't at an age to set seed yet."

"I see." Jake took off his stetson and ran a hand through his short tresses. "I s'pose we could always- hrrm, who's that?"

Sen, Si-woo and Askarya followed his gaze. A fairy was silhouetted against the noonday sun, far off but getting closer. As they watched, the shadow descended, making a sweep over their heads and touching down a few metres away in a clubmoss stand. Jess and Joe wandered curiously over to the group.

"Was that… no, can't be, surely," faltered Si-woo.

"I was thinking the same," answered Sen. They exchanged an excited look. Jess raised an eyebrow.

"C'mon, better go meet them!"

Si-woo leapt up, Sen and Askarya close behind, the Pioneers followed at a more leisurely pace.

Just before they reached the clubmoss, the stems parted and a fairy with scar-crossed skin and a high, segmented crown stepped out to greet them.

"Mister Callixylon and Mister Maidenhair," he chuckled. "How did I know you'd be here?"

"Admiral Baegu!", cheered the two boys as one. Si-woo began bubbling over with questions, and for once, Sen didn't stand back, but jumped right into conversation, trying to make himself heard before Si-woo could launch his next spiel.

"All in good time, all in good time," was about as much of a response as they got from Baegu. "Good to see all of you settling in."

Sen and Si-woo nodded enthusiastically. "Aren't you going to introduce me?" Askarya prompted from behind them.

"Hang on-" checked Si-woo. "Are you telling me…"

"You don't know who this is?!", he, Sen and the Pioneers gasped in unison.

Askarya groaned. "Without the theatrics, please."

"This," stated Sen, arms held wide, "is Admiral Sirichai Baegu, master of the three great seas!"

"Voyager without fear!" Emphasised Si-woo. "Navigator of the twin hemispheres! Ceaseless conductor!"

"A real gentleman o' the first water," enthused Jess.

"Okay, I get it," sighed Askarya. "These guys all have massive man-crushes on you. I'm Askarya. Looking forward to getting to know you better."

"Likewise, Askarya," replied Sirichai, taking one of their hands in his and planting the lightest of kisses on top of it.

"I, I, um, okay. You guys go back to talking to him," Askarya commanded, stepping smartly back and propelling Sen with a soft but insistent shove back to where he'd been standing.

"I better let the others know where I am," remarked Sirichai, taking a few steps backwards, then turning and racing away, shifting straight into an ascent with a mighty beat of his wings.

Sen looked to his friends.

"I get the sense that everything is about to work out nicely for us."

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

The group settled down on the sand and conversed while they awaited Sirichai's return. Si-woo introduced his neighbours to Joe. Sen noticed that the fellow hardly spoke a word, though would sometimes softly mumble a response when prompted by Si-woo. He was a little younger than Si-woo, it turned out, but with tanned and toughened skin, he showed his age more clearly than the youthful progymnosperm.

"There 'e is," Jake observed, pointing skyward. The others looked up. Sirichai's silhouette was leading a group of five fairies, with two flanking further out. They watched him circle down to meet them, then stood back as his companions followed his flight path and came in to land. The two flankers came in fast, one scouring out a path in the dust and nearly taking a tumble as she brought herself to a stop. The other wasn't as lucky, his very momentum tossing him crown-over-calx. He thudded into the grit and rolled to a halt in a tangle of spiny wings. Sirichai looked mildly embarrassed.

"He just needs a bit of time to get his land legs back."

As the flankers righted themselves and turned to face the group, Sen's eyes lit up. "Elei! Kai! How wonderful to see you again!"

Elei strolled over, lifting Sen off the ground with a firm hug. She had tresses as tough and jagged as her wings, and a magnificent crown composed of two great strobili adorning her temples. "Nice to see you're doing well, Sen."

Kai limped up behind her, picking sand grains out of his teeth. "Yeah bro, haven't seen you in forever. Thought we'd be here first, to be honest."

Sen giggled as Elei plopped him down. "How long have you been at sea?"

"Lost track ages ago," yawned Kai, stretching his arms and wings so high above his head that his joints began to audibly creak and pop. He swept them down with a sudden crack and a flurry of sand. "Ugh. Feels better."

Elei scoffed.

Meanwhile, the finagle they'd been escorting were also sorting themselves out. The group that had looked like five in the air turned out to be seven, as two were being carried. One was a tall and wispy fairy with white tresses. He had one long, shovel-shaped wing, while his other wing… well, he appeared just to have the one. He was stepping down from the arms of another fairy Sen recognized, Aliwen Añpe. Tall, firmly built and with gigantic wings, she was the only one apart from Sirichai who didn't appear tired from the journey, though given how far they must have travelled, Sen presumed she was just good at hiding it.

Beside them, a pale, wingless lad who could only be a fungus fairy was tumbling out of the grasp of an absolutely shattered looking boy with brush-like wings and bags under his eyes. An older woman with a sharp yet matronly air was keeping an eye on them. Ponnarasu Kompu, an old friend of Sen's, was the sixth fairy in the group, and the seventh was… Sen made a squeak of delight and hurried forward.

Behind the others, doing a good job of pretending they weren't there, was a fairy with dark, mid-length tresses and a downturned gaze.

"Belek!" Called Sen. The fairy looked up, startled, and a small smile flickered on their face. Sen weaved through the crowd to clasp Belek's hands in his, their heads tilting forward so that their crowns touched. "Belek, my dear, it's been so long since I've seen you, how have you been?"

"Not too bad, Sen," Belek answered, looking groundward again. They let go of each other and stepped apart. "Admiral Baegu was kind enough to consider me fit for his fleet, so that's been my employment for a good while."

"And how are you finding it?" Sen inquired.

Belek folded one hand over the other. "I'm managing. It's tough sometimes, especially when there's a big storm, or a sea monster. Still, we haven't lost a cargo yet. He's very proud of that."

"As well he might be," supposed Sen. "His reputation rests on it." He looked over his shoulder and waved to Si-woo and Askarya. "Come over here, there's someone I'd like you to meet!"

His friends waved goodbye to Kai and Elei and sauntered over. "Belek, these are my good friends, Byun Si-woo and Askarya." Sen pointed them out in a genteel fashion. "Si-woo, Askarya, this is my wonderful cousin, Belek Ürüŋ!"

"Wow, nice to meet you Belek!" Askarya greeted them, enthusiastically shaking hands. "Pardon my asking, are you... are you hermaphroditic as well?"

"Um. Yeah, I am," answered Belek.

"Ay, me too!", cheered Askarya, holding up both hands. After a moment's surprised hesitation, Belek grinned and high-fived them. "Yeah, I have a nose for these matters," laughed Askarya, skipping back to the crowd.

"Huh. Don't think I've ever seen them quite so happy," noted Si-woo. "It's nice. Ahem. I'm Si-woo. Pleasure to meet you, any cousin of Sen's is a friend of mine."

He gave an amicable bow, which Belek reciprocated.

"Come, Belek, you've got to introduce me to your crewmates," urged Sen, motioning his cousin back into the throng.

"Oh, haha, sure," obliged Belek, a little trepidatious but in high spirits all the same. "You know Ponnarasu and Aliwen, right? This is Missus Quacey," they announced, bringing Sen face to face with the stern looking woman. "Missus Quacey, my cousin, Sen."

"Charmed," she proclaimed, curtseying in time with Sen's bow. "And really, ye must call me Cullodena, the both of ye. Belek here has told me of you before. You have quite the reputation to live up to."

"Um??" Sen turned to his cousin so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash. Belek remained poker-faced. Sen looked back at Cullodena. "You really think so? Well, I must do my best not to disappoint." He hoped from the twinkle in her eye that she was pulling his leg.

"These are me weans," she continued, pointing first to the taller boy with pale hair. "Nathair, and his chavie, Glen." She indicated the mycor who was currently providing him with a sip of water. She then waved a hand in the direction of the shorter boy. "And of course Gawain. And his ladyfriend, Aliwen."

Aliwen caught Sen's eye and they exchanged a cheery wave.

"Now that we all seem to be caught up," announced Sirichai, striding into the centre of the group, "who's hungry?"

⸙ ⸙ ⸙

The Admiral’s crew didn’t lack for provisions, it turned out.

“These were meant to last us the whole journey,” smiled Gawain, waving a sheaf of dried stalks. “Well, they did their duty, and then some. Bloody glad to see the last of them, to be honest, subsisting off hardtack for years will humble the strongest stomach.”

“You make them sound so appetising,” sighed Askarya.

Cullodena and Belek were unpacking their own supplies. Jake turned to his pals.

“Joe, why not get a fire going?”

Joe nodded, raising his arms. With a wrenching motion, he seemed to strike embers into existence. Elei and Kai warily shielded themselves with their spiny wings, while Nathair yelped and sprung back.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”, cautioned Sirichai.

“What, the fire? Shucks, I’m so used to havin’ one I forget some folks ain’t comfortable around ‘em. Want me to put it out?”

Kai peeped out from behind his wings. “I’m fine with it so long as bandana dude doesn’t take his eyes off what he’s doing.”

“No fear of that, I can assure you,” drawled Jake.

Sirichai looked back and forth. “Everyone else feel the same way?”

There was an uncomfortable silence. “The lads and I will sit back a bit, but don’t mind us, keep on with what you’re doing,” volunteered Cullodena.

“Ah, yes,” added Sen. “I’m fine with it so long as it’s something you want.”

“Mighty generous,” noted Jake. With a nod from Sirichai, Joe resumed his magic. On close inspection, Sen could see the stems of the shrubby ferns nearby responding to his call. They bent in towards him, with strange buds unfurling and bursting, creating bright sparks that flew to him and gathered in a scintillating cloud. Jess called on a burst of wind magic to sweep a scattering of dry twigs and leaves into a pile, which Jake surrounded with pebbles, his earthcraft forming them into a flameproof wall. Sen had to admit, with the fire out of sight, it felt properly cosy.

Cautiously, everyone gathered by the fire pit, moving larger twigs and stones into position as handy seats. The food was shared out and chowed down, tough and flavourless as it might be. A lot of catching up was done. Sen got the full tale of the voyage from Ponnarasu, who had a memory for every twist and turn along the way. Sirichai and Si-woo ate and talked and drank and joked until late into the night. Askarya got into a deep discussion with Kai, while Elei and Jess found a lot in common. Gawain dozed in Aliwen’s arms.

Growing drowsy one by one, the group gradually dispersed. Joe quietly guided them inside the wickerwork fortress, where everyone found a spot to their liking and drifted off to sleep. Soon only Sirichai was left. Joe went to sit with him, and they kept watch in companionable silence. A few hours before dawn, Joe extinguished the last embers and they retired for a little rest, darkness sweeping in once more.

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firstchoiceins · 3 months ago

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Necessary Protection: Why is It Compulsory to Have Homeowners Insurance in Queens and Farmingdale, New York?

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Financial security and peace of mind Homeowners' insurance covers costs related to property damage, theft, or any other unexpected incident in Queens and Farmingdale, NY, which gives people peace of mind about their investments there, too, since they don't worry about losing everything when something goes wrong out the blue without any prior notice. Without such assurance, many individuals would face huge bills that could eventually lead to bankruptcy if they do not consider how expensive life has become today. So having a comprehensive one helps a lot – financially securing oneself against thefts, fires, earthquakes, etc.- while knowing very well that there is no control over these events happening daily!

Liability protection Accidents happen on any property where people live, including private homes like those situated within Queen's county lines; therefore, if someone gets injured within one's premises, then the occupant might be held legally responsible for their medical bills plus lawyer fees in case they decide to sue the occupant. That's why homeowners' coverage is so important because it takes care of all these expenses on our behalf, thereby shielding us from potential lawsuits that can ruin lives forever due to financial restrictions imposed upon by courts through judgments awarded against defendants successfully under such circumstances. This might put much pressure on someone, especially if this happens frequently; hence, taking enough precautions would save one from being caught off guard financially at least once or twice before finally realizing its importance.

Coverage for personal property Apart from covering home structures, insurance policies also cater for replacement costs associated with damaged furniture, electronics, or even clothes, among many other things people consider valuable. In case anything gets stolen or destroyed during fire accidents, let's say. The owner does not worry about them anymore since they know very well that whatever happens next will be taken care of entirely by their insurance provider, who should respond promptly enough whenever called upon to do so without fail – this ensures individual continuity being covered accordingly without losing out too much stuff at ago which may lead them into debts afterward trying to recover what was lost without any success falling deeper into arrears each time.

Additional living expenses (ALE) When a covered event renders one's abode uninhabitable, ALE kicks into action, where temporary shelters like hotels are paid for until repairs are complete. Normalcy resumes within affected areas, which could include meals as well, depending on the policy taken out initially. This aspect guarantees reasonable living standards even after disasters have struck closer home, thereby allowing people to continue living comfortably no matter what has happened already!

Business Insurance in Queens and Farmingdale, NY Lastly, business owners running enterprises from their homes or persons owning commercial properties located within Queen's district lines must ensure they purchase sufficient business insurance tailored to protect them from various risks associated with such operations. Business owners who fail to take up these policies might find themselves liable for compensation claims arising from employee injuries sustained while at workstations within Queen's County limits or even property damages caused due to fire breakouts within areas covered under this municipality's jurisdiction, among others. Having adequate business insurance in Queens and Farmingdale, New York, will help ensure businesses remain stable over long periods, thus giving them an edge against competitors who lack similar protections!

In Queens and Farmingdale, NY, homeowners insurance is a necessary investment to protect homes and things. This type of insurance offers protection against nature's wrath or other financial liabilities that may arise from personal or general public negligence on the policyholder's part. It can also help cover personal possessions within a residence and provide for overall security measures. Furthermore, commercial establishments need business coverage too; it is essential to safeguard them from any possible risk factor around their area or beyond, which could lead to collapse rather than growth of such enterprises. Thus, choosing the right insurance can provide long-term safety for residential or commercial owners, giving them peace of mind.

#homeowners insurance in Queens and Farmingdale #NY #business insurance in Queens and Farmingdale

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fishrpg · 3 months ago

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2024-08-04: Hex 04 (Forest)

Moss-covered trees grow close together, only thinning out for the chasm that blights much of the center of this hex. The way to the northwest is difficult because of a defensive checkpoint by the Regulators.

Notable Feature: Hazard (Chasm)

Originally a very small cave system in porous limestone eroded by floodwaters, the ground above the caves eventually collapsed into a sinkhole about 100 feet deep and 1,000 feet in diameter. Cracks and unstable terrain spread out in unpredictable directions away from the chasm, extending the danger zone. A flood control channel from Hex 3 diverts some flood waters into the chasm if the water rises high enough.

Each character attempting to traverse the hex must make a DC 11 CON check. On a success, the character traverses the hex without incident. On a failure, the character traverses the hex after suffering a misfortune. Roll a d6 and consult the table below to determine what misfortune occurs to the character.

You slightly twist your angle; your speed in combat is reduced by 5 for 24 hours.

While attempting to cross over a narrow part of the chasm, you accidentally drop something into the pit. Lose one item, and this item cannot be recovered from the chasm.

An ill-advised shortcut that would have only saved a minute or two of travel did not go well. You fell and ended up hanging by your fingertips against a rough rock face for some time before you could be rescued. Gain a level of exhaustion.

You took a sip from a small spring of seemingly clean water flowing into the chasm. The water tasted fine, but left you poisoned for 24 hours.

Tripping on a rocky crack sent you sprawling face-first into rocky ground. Take Setback (bludgeoning) damage.

Hiking the long way around the chasm left you famished. Consume an extra ration or suffer the effects of starvation.

Hidden: Missing Sister

A well was placed here long ago, old enough that its stones are loose and leaning and liable to collapse at any moment. A homestead probably once stood nearby, but may have been swallowed by the sinkhole or just succumbed to the ravages of time. Waiting near the well is a young adult woman named Anne-Marie Bellegarde. She is a refugee with the haughty bearing of a family who was old money. She fled her home with her younger sister (Heloise Bellegarde) after ILF members began their occupation. Heloise went to forage for food yesterday (in or around Hex 12) but hasn’t returned. Anne-Marie asks the party to look for her sister so they can continue their journey to the northwest.

Encounter: Liberated Cows

Four grown dairy cows retreat into the brush as you approach. Even from a distance, you can tell that are dirty and do not appear to have a brand. It is obvious that they have been living outside of human care for some time.

#hexplore24 #fishdavidson #dungeons and dragons #hexcrawl #5e #encounter #hazard #hidden #forest

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weather-usa · 5 months ago

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Storms threaten Upper Midwest communities still recovering from historic flooding

Severe thunderstorms on Friday and into the weekend are expected to bring heavy rain to the Midwest and Plains regions, where communities are still reeling from days of historic flooding.

Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Wyoming:

flickr

Relentless rain has surged river levels to record-breaking heights, breaching levees, triggering rescue operations, destroying homes, and causing three storm-related deaths.

Now, meteorologists are warning of developing thunderstorms capable of unleashing flash floods, damaging wind gusts, and tornadoes from northern Missouri to Iowa and northwestern Illinois, according to the National Weather Service.

See more:

https://www.behance.net/gallery/196960455/Weather-Forecast-for-Washington

As water levels began to recede on Thursday and early Friday, floodwaters poured into the Des Moines, Missouri, and Mississippi rivers, heading south. AccuWeather forecasters warned that the combined threat of swollen rivers and heavy rain could trigger dangerous flooding across the central Plains and Mississippi Valley.

At least three deaths linked to Midwest floods

Authorities have confirmed that at least three people in Iowa and South Dakota have died due to the major floods that have swept across the Upper Midwest.

In northwest Iowa, police reported that a 52-year-old man was found dead after water was pumped out of his flooded basement, according to the Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network. Rock Valley Police Chief Monte Warburton said it appeared that the home's foundation had collapsed, pinning the man, Kreykes, under debris before he eventually drowned. His body was recovered on Monday.

Another man died when his truck was swept away as he attempted to cross floodwaters near Spencer, about 90 miles northeast of Sioux City. His body was also recovered on Monday.

On Saturday, an 87-year-old man died after driving through a flooded area in South Dakota.

Residents in Spencer, Iowa, pick up the pieces after a deadly flood. Spencer, a northwest Iowa town with around 11,000 residents, saw record-high river levels that killed at least one person and damaged hundreds of homes. The city is located at the convergence of the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan rivers. The Ocheyedan River surpassed its 1953 record by 4 feet, while the Little Sioux River missed its record by only 0.02 feet.

Spencer Mayor Steve Bomgaars stated that an ongoing assessment estimates the flood impacted, if not devastated, around 40% of the city's homes. Hundreds of residents were evacuated and rescued from the rapidly rising waters.

Weather Forecast For California:

"We rescued about 383 people," Bomgaars said. "Approximately three-fourths were from the south side of town, and a fourth were from the north side."

Leonard Rust, 83, considers himself lucky. Rust, who is hard of hearing and has cancer in his right arm, was among the hundreds whose homes were inundated by floodwaters from the Little Sioux River on Saturday. The basement of his home, located just south of East Leach Park along the river, was filled with nearly 9 feet of floodwater. Despite the damage, the home he built himself 60 years ago is salvageable, unlike some of his neighbors' homes and others in Spencer.

Rust received support from a rally of helpers, including his son-in-law and members of his church, who helped clean out his basement and sift through salvageable items on Thursday.

"We live in Iowa. It's what we do here," said Jeff Knudtson, a long-time friend assisting Rust. "We'll get through this and rebuild. We'll make it."

See more:

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-71654

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-71655

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-71656

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-71657

https://weatherusa.app/zip-code/weather-71658

"Nobody could have imagined it would get this high in this area," Knudtson added. "I've never seen anything like it. I've lived here my whole life, and I'm 70 years old."

#usa #weather app #climate

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triyaminc · 6 months ago

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Ensuring Resilience: Disaster Preparedness for Healthcare IT Systems

In the ever-shifting terrain of healthcare technology, embracing disaster preparedness isn’t merely a precautionary measure, but an indispensable imperative. From cyberattacks and data breaches to natural disasters. It’s essential for healthcare IT systems to be prepared to provide uninterrupted service and care to their patients. In today’s blog, we’ll explore why disaster preparedness matters. We will outline the key steps that healthcare organizations. How can take to protect their IT infrastructure in the event of a disaster.

What Are the Healthcare IT Systems Risks?

Healthcare IT disasters can come in many forms, each presenting its own unique set of challenges and threats: Ransomware and data breaches pose a risk of compromising patient confidentiality and disrupting critical operations. Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes or floods can cause physical infrastructure damage, resulting in system downtime and loss of data. System failures or human error can also lead to service interruptions, compromising data integrity. Understanding the risks is the first step toward developing a robust disaster preparedness strategy.

Revealing the specifics of a recent attack on Change Healthcare by the BlackCat/ALPHV group in February, Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealth Group. Elucidated how compromised credentials were utilized to gain remote access to a Citrix portal, enabling lateral movement within systems and eventual data exfiltration, followed by ransomware deployment. Witty’s testimony underscores the vulnerability of even adept businesses to security breaches due to lapses in enforcement of security protocols by personnel. It highlights the global nature of cyber threats and the imperative for stringent security measures across organizations.

Importance of Preparedness:

Failing to be prepared for disasters in healthcare IT can have serious consequences for patient safety, financial performance, and compliance with regulations. Downtime in EHR systems can disrupt clinical operations, prevent patients from accessing their records, and delay the delivery of care, potentially compromising patient outcomes. Data breaches can damage an organization’s reputation and lead to significant financial penalties and legal consequences. By being prepared for disasters early, healthcare organizations can reduce downtime, reduce risks, and maintain continuity of care.

Critical Measures for Healthcare IT Systems Disaster Preparedness

Risk Assessment: To adequately prepare for a disaster, it is important to conduct a thorough risk assessment to identify any potential threats, weaknesses, and critical assets in your IT infrastructure. This will help you determine the probability and impact of different disaster scenarios so that you can focus your data migration efforts on those that are most likely to occur.

Contingency plan: This plan should outline the procedures for responding to, recovering from, and maintaining business continuity in the event of a disaster. It should also include the roles and responsibilities of key personnel, communication protocols, and backup facilities or centers to ensure smooth operations during an emergency.

Data backup and Recovery: Make sure your data and applications are secure by using reliable backup and recovery solutions. Backup your electronic health records (EHRs), patient information, and other important systems regularly to keep them safe offsite or on a cloud platform. Test your data restoration procedures regularly to guarantee the integrity and availability of data.

Cybersecurity: Protect your organization from cyber threats by strengthening your cybersecurity defenses. Put in place multiple layers of security controls, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems, as well as antivirus software. Additionally, educate your staff on the best cybersecurity practices, such as using strong passwords, being aware of phishing threats, and encrypting their devices, to reduce the chances of human error.

Check out our latest article on how to be cybersmart!

Training and Drills: Provide regular training and drills to ensure staff is well-equipped to respond to a disaster. Simulate different disaster scenarios to evaluate preparedness, identify areas of improvement, and improve response strategies.

Collaboration and Partnerships: Develop relationships with local communities, emergency response organizations, and industry partners to ensure disaster response efforts are coordinated. Participate in community disaster preparedness events and networks to increase resilience and response capability.

Conclusion:

Embracing a culture of disaster preparedness isn’t just forward-thinking; it’s essential in today’s dynamic healthcare environment. Disaster preparedness involves recognizing risks, devising contingency strategies, and enforcing robust mitigation measures to bolster the resilience and dependability of your healthcare IT systems should a crisis strike unexpectedly. Through proactive readiness, you safeguard patient data, uphold service continuity, and uphold your dedication to delivering quality care.

Looking for a holistic solution that prioritizes Disaster Recovery and Preparedness? Reach out to Triyam, your go-to provider for all your healthcare IT needs.

Schedule a live demo now!

Explore further the rationale behind the necessity for healthcare data to be hosted in the cloud.

#healthcare data management software #EHR EMR data migration #legacy systems #legacy EHR

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apricusnights · 8 months ago

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Olympus Tournament Story: The Sun Will Rise.

Continued from here.

Location: Solis Heights, Apricus City

In a hidden lab below the district. Talos sits and watches several monitors as Valerie and Pierce handle the ongoing situation.

Pierce: "I've gotten word from my brother. He and Kara are on an escape craft headed towards land."

Valerie: "Did they manage to secure the asset?"

Pierce: "The one from Fae? Yes, he's there with them."

Valerie: "Excellent, send a helicopter to their location when they make landfall."

Pierce: "Already on it. It's a bit of a shame Kara couldn't make the finals but I suppose it all works out in the end."

Talos: "Quiet, I've received word to move on to the next step. Go to your stations and activate all of the sleepers. Have our operatives strike at their targets of choice. Most of the world leaders haven't returned home yet and it's the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the chaos."

Pierce: "Of course."

Valerie: "One last thing, I had a team recover Mr. R's body. No real benefit but I doubt we wanted it ending up in the wrong hands..."

Talos: "Well done, now let the show begin.."

Location: Palace Of The Five Emperors

Cerise, Hugo, Johnny, and Skuld find themselves in the courtyard of the palace. A place Skuld has seen before and is none too happy to return to. Just as she's about to demand to be returned, each of the competitors find themselves teleported again, each to a different room somewhere in the palace.

Location: Main Deck, Olympus

The creature swung it's arms at anything that moved as the remaining competitors and council members fought against it. Some finding their traditional firearms ineffective against the creature's tough skin. Others opted for an up close approach but much to their chagrin every time an appendage was sliced off it would simply regrow moments later. Any damage dealt seemed to heal before the next round of attacks could even hit. To make matters worse, the ship was beginning to split further and was in danger of breaking into pieces.

Despite the fact everything was proving useless, not a single one of the fighters had any desire to give up. If they were going down, they planned on taking the monstrosity with them. Larsen began to use the waves to his advantage, controlling as many of them as he could to crash down on the creature and at least keep it off balance. Lowell had made his way back into the control room after he had an idea, likely a very poor idea but an idea.

Lowell had realized that the main generator to the Olympus has likely been damaged. If they could overload it further and trigger an explosion it might be enough to destroy the creature. An explosion with that kind of power should overwhelm the monster's regenerative capabilities. Or at least Lowell wanted to believe...it was their best shot.

Lowell, Fisher, Oct, and a small team had to make their way through the bowels of the ship which was rapidly filling with water. Meanwhile the rest of the team remained on the main deck to distract the monster. The idea was to do as much damage as possible right before the generator overloaded. When no one seemed to be paying attention, Ciar and Edana managed to collect a small sample of the creature. Ciar wasn't about to let a research opportunity slip away, even in this situation.

After barely managing to make it into the quickly flooding generator room, the team began to set up explosives. Something Oct was particularly knowledgeable about. Lowell and Fisher began to figure out how to overload the device. Eventually shutting down the power to the rest of the ship and beginning to cycle it through the generator over and over again.

Lionel Myte was quite helpful as he understood machinery of this sort AND how to sabotage it if need be. He did seem slightly upset about having to destroy something so impressive but did manage to pocket a few blueprints that Styles may want to look over later. As the generator began to pulse, the team made it's way to one of the escape crafts. The agreement was for them to launch after signaling the assault team.

Lowell signaled the team and closed the hatch, the craft launched away from the sinking ship and activated a beacon. Meanwhile the assault team struck against the creature with everything they had just as the ship finally broke into pieces. They continuously dealt damage faster than it could regenerate before Styles used his tech to rip giant pieces of metal from the ship and impaled the creature with them, leaving it trapped against the deck of the ship.

The team scrambled but made it into one of the remaining escape crafts. The craft barely had time to drop into the way and begin to cruise away as the generator pulsed and exploded, destroying most of the Olympus and hopefully vaporizing the creature as well. The escape craft's beacon activated and now all they had to do as wait for pickup..while Larsen and Styles argued about being stuck in a small space with each other..

Location: Apricus City

"Hello, this is Lydia Reliford from Apricus News. I've just returned to the city and boy am I happy to be on land again. For those of you still waiting to hear from friends or family, the Apricus Navy has located all of the escape crafts and is in the process of picking everyone up. Those rescued by helicopter are currently onboard Navy vessels as well and should return shortly."

"We are however receiving some rather unfortunate news from across the world. It seems several high profile individuals were attacked and some lost their lives. The leaders of several nations are blaming each other as the assailants seem to be from neighboring countries. The incident taking place on the Olympus is being regarded as sabotage with each nation wishing to conduct their own investigations."

"We have reports that several once friendly nations are implementing stricter border control and limiting trade and travel with other specific nations. The Apricus City Council will likely discuss this when they return. Especially after the apparent kidnap attempt of an Apricus citizen by individuals from Fae."

"We'll be bringing you continued coverage as more people are brought home safely. Have a good evening."

Location: Crepusculum

"Our mutual acquaintances are headed back to Apricus. Nearly everything went off without a hitch."

"I do regret the loss of our piece when it comes to Mr. R but his job was done. We may not have control of Paradise Entertainment any longer but the access he provided me to the city's records was more valuable."

"Not to mention our chief operative in Apricus has provided access to all of Cheshire Financial's systems. I'm sure they'll realize something is a miss eventually but for now everything is proceeding exactly as planned. Nobody suspects her at all."

"And the other heathen nations are already at each other's throats. Astounding how easy it is to break their faith in each other with a few well positioned apostles."

"Precisely. And now that the distrust is running rampant, everyone will want to improve their offensive, and defensive capabilities. So of course they'll come calling to the most technologically advanced nation in the world. And when they do, we'll happily cut them a deal...."

Epilogue:

Location: Palace Of The Five Emperors

"Cerise Gilios. As one of the winners of the tournament, a prize is yours. So tell me.."

"Skuld Kraka. As one of the winners of the tournament, a prize is yours. So tell me.."

"Hugo Knight. As one of the winners of the tournament, a prize is yours. So tell me.."

"Johnny C. Lakely. As one of the winners of the tournament, a prize is yours. So tell me.."

"WHAT DO YOU DESIRE?!"

The sun is about to rise on a new era!

#story scene #Olympus Tournament

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