#tree service san diego

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Magnolia Scale Infestation: Effective Treatment Approaches

The Magnolia is a beautiful tree with blooms as big and bright as the leaves on its thick, lush branches. However, Magnolias are also unfortunately prone to infestation by the Magnolia scale. They feed on the sap of Magnolia trees, causing significant damage to the tree if left untreated. This feeding can cause extensive damage to the tree, including dieback of branches, leaf yellowing, drop, and stunted growth. In severe cases, Magnolia scale infestation can even kill the tree.

The first indication of Magnolia scale infestation is generally the formation of tiny, white pimples on the tree’s leaves or branches. These bumps are actually the insects themselves, and you can easily crush them between your fingers. You may also notice black sooty mold growing on the tree, which is a sign of sap dripping from the feeding insects.

Magnolia scale is a severe problem for many types of Magnolia trees. The insect sucks the sap from the tree, which can lead to branch dieback, leaf drop, and even tree death. Predators such as ladybugs will eat them, but in large numbers, Magnolia scales can create an immense problem for an entire tree.

The adult Magnolia scale is a hard, brownish-black shell that covers the entire body. Underneath this hard shell is a white, fleshy body that is attached to the tree. The scales are about 1/4 inch long and can be found on the stems and leaves of Magnolia trees.

About Magnolia Scale Infestation

Magnolia scale (Neolecanium cornuparvum) is a serious agricultural pest in the southeastern United States. This red and black armored scale insect first attacks young tender shoots, preventing the growth of new leaves, flowers, and fruit. As the infestation continues, it may spread to twigs and stems, causing the tree to decline and die.

Young trees are often the entry point of the Magnolia scale infestations. You can eliminate them by treating heavy infestations of scale during late summer as the overwintering eggs hatch and before they emerge from their protective winter covering. However, older trees with larger populations may need chemical treatment to control the scale.

Hosts Of Magnolia Scale

You will commonly find Magnolia scale on sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana), cucumbertree Magnolia (M. acuminata), and southern Magnolia (M. Grandiflora). However, it has also been known to infect other trees in the genus Magnolia, as well as holly (Ilex spp.), birch (Betula spp.), and several other plant species.

Magnolia scales are known as a “soft scale.” which means that it does not have hard shell-like other scale insects. They usually reside on the underside of leaves, where it feeds on sap from the tree’s vascular system. It can weaken and eventually damage the tree, as well as cause discoloration or browning of the leaves.

Symptoms and Effects of Magnolia Scale

Symptoms Of Magnolia Scale Infestation

The most common symptom of a Magnolia scale infestation is the appearance of small, white bumps on the leaves of the tree. As the infestation progresses, these bumps will turn brown and eventually black. The scale insects secrete a waxy substance that covers their bodies and protects them from predators and the elements. This substance can also make it complex to identify scale infestations until they are well established.

Another symptom of Magnolia scale infestation is the presence of sooty mold on the leaves. Sooty mold is a black fungus that grows on the honeydew secreted by the scale insects. The presence of sooty mold can cause the leaves to turn yellow and eventually drop off.

Effects Of The Invasion On Infected Trees

Magnolia scale is a serious pest of Magnolia trees. Infested trees may have yellowish leaves, dying twigs, and produce fewer flowers. In case of heavy infestations, scale insects and sooty mold will completely cover the tree. However, this can weaken and even kill the tree.

Magnolia Scale Infestation: How To Get Rid Of It

For large infestations of Magnolia scales, it is best to contact a professional tree contractor for assistance. However, if the problem is small enough, you can take steps yourself to control the Magnolia scale. Spray the trees with injections during cool weather months when the insects are overwintering and not feeding actively. Another option is to use a systemic insecticide for scale insects that can be applied in late winter or early spring when the scales are still dormant. This type of chemical will prevent the bugs on the Magnolia tree from feeding and causing damage to the tree for about two months, so you must reapply them regularly.

Tips To Prevent Magnolia Scale Infestations

To prevent Magnolia scale infestations, it is crucial to maintain healthy trees by practicing proper care and maintenance. It includes watering the tree regularly, fertilizing it with a nutrient-rich fertilizer, and treating any dead or damaged branches. Additionally, you can protect your Magnolia trees from damage by using broadleaf insecticides carefully and in moderation. If you notice a Magnolia scale infestation on your tree, ensure to treat it promptly and carefully to prevent further damage and loss.

There are a few different approaches to Magnolia scale treatment, depending on the severity of the infestation and species of Magnolia tree. For moderate infestations, a product containing neem oil can be used to control Magnolia scale populations and minimize the damage done to your Magnolia tree.

The best way to control the Magnolia scale is to keep an eye out for the early signs of infestation and treat the tree with a pesticide before the scales have a chance to lay their eggs. You can also encourage predators such as ladybugs to eat the scales.

If Magnolia scale infestation is more severe, you may need to take more drastic measures, such as treating affected branches or even the entire Magnolia tree. However, with proper Magnolia tree scale treatment, you can keep your Magnolia healthy and beautiful for years to come. So, if you notice any signs of Magnolia scale infestation, be sure to reach out to a local expert right away for help in getting your tree back on track.

Ways To Promote Healthy Growth And Restrict Entry Of Magnolia Scale

The best way to manage the Magnolia scale is to keep your tree healthy and vigorous. It will make the tree less attractive to scales and reduce the possibility of a damaging infestation. To promote healthy growth in your Magnolia tree, water it regularly and fertilize it with a nutrient-rich fertilizer. You should also treat any dead or damaged branches to keep the tree strong and healthy.

In addition to promoting healthy growth, you can also take steps to restrict the entry of the Magnolia scale onto your property. You can do this by sealing any cracks or crevices in buildings and fences where the insects might enter. You should also inspect any trees or shrubs before bringing them onto your property and remove any Magnolia scales that you find.

If you notice an infestation of Magnolia scale on your tree, it is crucial to treat it promptly in order to prevent further damage. You can do this with a variety of methods, including physical removal, chemical pesticides, and biological agents such as ladybugs. Working with a local tree care expert can help you choose the best approach for your Magnolia and restore it to health. However, with proper care and maintenance, you can promote healthy growth in your Magnolia tree and protect it from Magnolia scale infestations.

Original Source: Everything About Magnolia Scale Infestation & Treatment

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At San Diego Plant Rentals, we understand the significance of every detail when it comes to your wedding day. Our team of experienced professionals specializes in providing top-notch Wedding Rental Services in San Diego. We offer a wide range of plant rentals, including elegant potted trees, Rent Greenery, flowers, and more. With our meticulous attention to detail and personalized approach, we ensure that your wedding décor perfectly complements your style and vision.

Searching for "Rent Plants For Wedding Near Me"? Look no further! San Diego Plant Rentals proudly serves the entire San Diego area, providing premium plant rentals for weddings and other special events. Our extensive collection of plants and flowers allows us to create bespoke arrangements that match your theme and color scheme, whether you desire a romantic garden atmosphere or a sleek modern design.

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[icemankazansky86]

Jewish Tom “Iceman” Kazansky Headcanons

(Yes, I fiddled with Ice’s age because I headcanon him as a bit younger than he is in canon)

Tom’s legal name isn’t “Tom” at all, it’s actually Tomer (תּוֹמַר) or Toma meaning palm tree.

Tom was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on the 5th of August 1963, and moved with his father, Ivan, mother Katherine, and sister, Ana, to San Diego, California at age five. In Los Angeles, California he began attending Yavneh Hebrew Academy.

Tom wears a Magen David tucked into his shirt at all times, and even while religious articles and jewelry are not to be prohibited from being worn in accordance with the criteria of AR 670-1, Tom does not wear it openly out of caution.

Tom’s mother, Katherine’s, father and grandparents perished during WWII, having been rounded up and taken to the camps shortly following the liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto in March of 1943.

Tom’s mother’s father’s name was Yaakov Horowitz, a factory worker from Łódź. Tom’s great-grandparents were Mordechai and Miriam Horowitz. Miriam was a seamstress and Mordechai a musician.

His father’s mother, Feodora, was born in Nizhny Novgorod (Gorky) Russia and married her husband, Georgiy Kazansky in 1926. Georgiy was from Rostov-on-Don, Russia. He passed away March of 1973.

Tom is fluent in English, Russian, and Polish. He can read and hold a conversation in Hebrew.

Every Friday (when he’s not deployed), Tom drives over to his parent’s house for Shabbat.

In 1976, Tom and his family traveled to Jerusalem to visit cousins and friends. There he also had his Bar Mitzvah at the Western Wall.

While in High School Tom participated in a production of ‘Fiddler on The Roof’ that was put on by the Drama Department. He was cast as Perchik. Emotionally Tom has always related to Tzeitel and her inner struggles.

Tom attends Congregation Beth El (located in San Diego) when he can, but always tries to attend High Holiday services.

Every year on the anniversary of Goose’s death, Tom goes to the cemetery and places a small stone on top of his grave and says the Mourner’s Kaddish.

[maya-chirps]

Simbang Gabi: The 9 Days Before Christmas

An image of a red parol from Peakpx.com

The Philippines is well-known for its extremely long Christmas celebration that a lot of foreigners often look at with confusion. Traditionally, Filipinos may start putting up their trees, playing festive songs, and counting down to the 25th as early as September in a season that's colloquially called the "ber months" or the "ber months season" (Petrelli, 2021). This period often lasts up until January or February where some houses may still keep their trees and decor pushing as far as March.

Even with this technicality, however, you'd be hard-pressed to find Filipinos truly celebrating from the very beginning of September genuinely ending it by the end of February. Most often, actual celebrations start after Undas, a period encompassing All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day on the 1st and 2nd of November respectively to commemorate the dead, similar but a lot more subtle than other Catholic countries own Day of the Dead like in Mexico's Dia de Los Muertos and Italy's Giorno dei Morti. This time period is often the start of people doing more Christmas-y things such as Kris Kringle activities leading up to the main Christmas party.

The main markers of the true start in itself is the Advent season, which starts on the Sunday nearest to the 30th in Western Churches like Roman Catholicism and leads up to Christmas ("Advent", n.d.). This is where Catholics would go to Church every Sunday leading up to Christmas to light the Advent Wreath until the final candle on its center on Christmas day on the 25th. As the Philippines is heavily influenced by Roman Catholicism, Filipinos follow the Western start of Advent and most celebrations often fall in the middle of this time period. Even the middle of Advent, however, Filipinos have a waiting period to count down before Christmas - Simbang Gabi.

What is Simbang Gabi?

Simbang Gabi (en. night mass; going to mass at night) is a Philippine Christmas tradition wherein Roman Catholic Filipinos would attend mass nine days every single morning or night before the actual Christmas celebration. Traditionally, the masses were held every morning at 4:00 AM from the 16th to the 24th which would then be capped off by Christmas Eve Mass at night or Christmas Mass on the 25th with its early schedule earning it the name Misa de Gallo (en. mass of the rooster) (Lazaro, 2020). In most dioceses, however, they often have an anticipated mass schedule that start a night earlier than the morning masses (Hermoso, 2022).

Besides being called Misa de Gallo, I had also heard the celebration being called Misa de Aguinaldo (en. mass of gifts) in some places. This shares the same name as the similar Puerto Rican tradition Misa de Aguinaldo which is also a nine-day mass held in the morning, typically at 5:00 AM which is also deeply-rooted in Puerto Rican Christmas traditions (Álvarez, 2018).

History

A vintage greeting card posted by the Facebook group Vintage Philippine Islands 1920-1959 (2020)

Being a Christmas tradition, it is not surprising that Simbang Gabi could trace itself back to the Spanish colonial period.

A common misconception of its origins states that the practice first started in Mexico. Hermoso (2018) states that it started on the year 1587 by Friar Diego de Soria of the Convent of San Agustin Acolman when he requested the Vatican to allow church service to be held outdoors because of an overflow of attendees during the Christmas time. Pope Sixtus V later approved of this request and even decreed that these kinds of masses be held in the Philippines at the dawn of the 16th of December. What this doesn't account for was that the practice of going to church for the Eve of Christmas dates back to even earlier than the 16th century.

The cover for an English translation and compilation of Etheria's writings by M.L. McClure and C.L. Feltoe, D.D. (1919)

The first recorded instance of Christians celebrating Christmas by going to early mass leading up to the actual date was first written by Egeria (also called Egeriae, Etheria, or Aetheria), a Christian Galician woman who first recorded it during her travels to the Levant where she notes the early morning masses and festivities from the time of the Epiphany to the Nativity. She writes in her letters later called the Itinerarium Egeriae (en. The Travel Guide of Egeria; The Pilgrimage of Etheria).

"Octave of the Festival. On the second day also they proceed in like manner to the church in Golgotha, and also on the third day; thus the feast is celebrated with all this joyfulness for three days up to the sixth hour in the church built by Constantine (...) And in Bethlehem also throughout the entire eight days the feast is celebrated with similar festal array and joyfulness daily by the priests and by all the clergy there, and by the monks who are appointed in that place (...) and immense crowds, not of monks only, but also of the laity, both men and women, flock together to Jerusalem from every quarter for the solemn and joyous observance of that day." - Egeria, 381-384; The Pilgrimage of Etheria (trans. McClure & Feltoe, 1919):

The practice of attending early morning masses up until the main festivities of the Nativity was later adopted by more Western Christian communties during the time of Pope Sixtus III when he celebrated what is widely considered the first Midnight Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, not only stemming from the popularity of the Christians from Jerusalem but also the popular belief that Jesus was born at midnight (The Pillar, 2021).

The prayer spoken within the midnight vigil was then called the "mox ut gallus cantaverit" which translates to "when the rooster crows", aptly named because of the early hours the vigil tended to last which then coincided with the crowing of roosters ("Misa del Gallo: origen, historia y por qué se celebra en la madrugada del 25 de diciembre", 2022). The practice was continued by the Spanish with the name Misa de Gallo (also called Misa de Aguinaldo)which later spread throughout the Spanish Empire and could now be seen practiced in countries like Bolivia, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and of course the Philippines.

There seem to be two variations of this: the nine-day series of masses before Christmas (found in the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela) and the single early morning mass before Christmas day (found in Spain and Bolivia). It isn't clear if Spain and Bolivia simply dropped the nine-day tradition or if the nine-day tradition was restarted in these other colonies, however.

In the Present Day

An image of crowds outside a church during Simbang Gabi uploaded to Wikimedia by Erwin Malicdem

Today, the Simbang Gabi continues to be a popular tradtion for most Filipino Roman Catholics, even those who aren't typically as religious most parts of the year. This is given the fact that a popular belief is that when a person completes all of the nine days, they may receive a wish to whatever they desire. This is such a common belief that Bishop Broderick Pabillo, a Manila auxiliary bishop, had to remind people that the point of the tradition is to remember Jesus and his nativity (Punay, 2016). Besides this, it is also a common challenge among Filipinos to try to complete it as is or see how many days out of the nine could they actually attend.

It is not uncommon for churches these days to hold an "anticipated" mass the night before the actual date starting instead on the 15th and ending on the 24th with a Christmas mass, instead of starting on the 16th and ending on the 25th. This newer tradition had come from the reign of Filipino dictator President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. during the Martial Law years in the 70s, when Filipinos were not allowed to go out after a curfew until 4 in the morning (Macairan, 2023). This allowed more people and especially those who may not be able to start their day early or those who may have other obligations in the morning to attend masses at night time, typically at around 6 PM - 8 PM.

The only large controversy that I could remember about Simbang Gabi was back in 2011 when the event was banned from being conducted within the Philippine Center in New York City. The ban came about because of it supposedly violated Canon Law which prohibits religious worship in unconsecrated ground or in other words places that aren't seen as places of worship. In an article by Adarlo & Pastor (2014), Rev. Dr. Joseph G. Marabe, the at-the-time head of the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz and a priest-in-residence at St. Patrick's Cathedral where the ban took place, explains in an interview with news site The FilAm:

"It’s not allowed by law to have Holy Mass in an unconsecrated place. Worship should take place in a sacred place. That was an explanation but not a decision. The Archdiocese decides." - Rev. Dr. Joseph G. Marabe, head of the Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz in Chinatown, New York (2011)

The ban was later lifted on 2014 after community leader Loida Nicolas Lewis wrote a letter to the diocese to reconsider the ban which led to the return of the almost 30-year-old tradition that year (Balitang America, ABS-CBN North America Bureau, 2014).

Besides being a huge part of current traditions, a lot of Filipinos, and especially Filipino youth, use the event as an excuse to go out during the night to hang out with friends and even go on dates with their partners. It is not an uncommon sight to see a group of teenagers, often wearing maybe less than typical church clothes, by the edge of the Church seemingly attending mass. Whether or not they're actually being attentive is hard to decipher. Either way, this has led to an explosion of memes almost every year just mocking these kinds of people or making fun of their own.

A screenshot of the "Simbang gabi starter pack" posted by user rhapido on 9Gag.com (2022)

Earlier versions of this meme could be seen posted throughout Filipino social media during the early 2010s

A meme posted by the Facebook page FEU Memes (2012)

The barkada (en. friend group) going to Simbang Gabi had been an older tradition that has found a lot more popularity in the contemporary era because of social media. My mother had told me that she used to use it as an excuse herself back in the 80s to hang out with her friends at night time. This may be a continued past time for especially younger people for years to come.

There's also many street foods associated with Simbang Gabi that may not be unique to the event itself but are nevertheless heavily associated with the event due to their widespread sale during this time period. Foods like bibingka, puto bumbong, kutsinta, and other popular rice cakes dominate the scene which definitely satisfy the hungry parishioners who had, most likely, not eaten breakfast or dinner before going to church. With their strong associations with Simbang Gabii and Filipino Christmas as a whole, I might discuss these on a later date.

Simbang Gabi, from my experience

Growing up and living in the Philippines and especially being raised Catholic within a Catholic town named after a Catholic saint and going to a Catholic school named after another Catholic saint, it probably won't shock you that I, myself, had tried to complete the nine days of Simbang Gabi myself. I had attempted it several times with only maybe trying seriously by myself once in my life. It was quite the experience to just try to dedicate yourself into completing a goal to do something for nine consecutive days straight.

My first attempt was when I was in Junior High and it was with my sister and two people who worked for my parents and had helped watch over us. It was something that I always wanted to try doing and especially since I was gaining a lot more independence at the time so what better to try it out without the rest of the family? With adult supervision, of course.

Since we lived quite away from the actual church, the place was already packed even an hour before the actual mass started. There was barely any seats left and even less standing room leading to a huge overflow of people stuck outdoors, only hearing mass from the outdated speaker system that they had erected in place of the old bell tower.

The mass in our church was often done in the dark during the night out of an deliberate and probably aesthetic choice with only the alter being illuminated by the lights. The rest was lit up by the scattered about Christmas decor throughout the church and the church patio. It always felt like going to some liminal space that other nights at church just doesn't give.

Once the mass has been concluded, people rush out of the doors in thick crowds to find their way into the footpaths leading on to the main town streets. Some opt to stay behind to enjoy the food stalls that had pop-up for the night to eat bibingka, puto, sapin-sapin, and palitaw among other things. Some of the teens had decided to raid the nearby small park and playground as a hang-out spot to talk the night away before they rush home for their curfews. Meanwhile others were just rushing to get home as soon as they can, with people lining up to go to the rudimentary parking space that the church created while the others who didn't own their own vehicles forced to compete for the very few commuter vehicles still riding through the night, hunting for passengers.

This was before we had our own car, so we were with the latter crowds of people, trying to peer through the dark streets only illuminated by the scant Christmas lights that still refused to turn off as the night progressed. Every so often, two headlights excite the crowd and a swarm of them start running in anticipation with not care or tact if they would crush children or separate families all to take a seat on the night jeepneys, some the few commutes left after 9.

My sister was an expert in finding her way through it, reaching out to the doors to form a barricade for herself and the rest of us to prevent others from taking our seats before letting herself in. I still think I would've been left behind if it weren't for her doing that out of sheer competitiveness with the crowds.

We settled into our seats and squeezed in tightly to allow other passengers in so we could all go home as soon as we can. It was a tight but otherwise uneventful commute every night with nothing but tired people waiting for their stops and slowly emptying the once packed vehicle. Since we live in the outskirts of the town, we were often the last few and at times, the drivers would transfer us to other jeeps just so they can go home themselves. This had sometimes instead left us to walk the remainder of the way there through unpaved highway sidewalks.

After a few nights of it, I became more and more reluctant to continue because of the frenzy that it had almost every single night and it was extremely inconvenient for my time and the time of those with me. I didn't complete it then and I hadn't seriously tried until 9th Grade, which honestly was more uneventful.

That attempt was mostly my siblings and I staying in Makati City and Taguig City and going to easily traveled to churches that we could walk to by foot, and high-end malls that have annual Simbang Gabi masses for their shoppers, facilitated by the local diocese and the local fancy church. I was able to complete those easily because I was often dragged either by my siblings or my grandmother who used to never miss a day of church when she was still more active.

It was less about the challenge at that point and more of an obligation which isn't a bad thing and honestly is probably closer to how it should be celebrated.

I hadn't gone to Simbang Gabi since 2019 and I don't have any plans to try this year either. Not really because I don't want to necessarily, but specifically because I physically can't. I still think its pretty fun to do and honestly maybe a good excuse to meet with my friends that I haven't seen in a while. Sadly, I just simply cannot do it now nor in the near future.

Maybe one day I could once again go out at those cold December night to meet my friends and maybe eat some bibingka on my way home but I guess I'll just leave every one else to it.

Sources

Introduction

Advent. (n.d.). In Britannica. Retrieved on 13 December 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Advent

In The Philippines Christmas Eve Includes A Late Night Street Food Feast, Filipino Christmas, HD wallpaper [image]. (n.d.). Peakpx. Retrieved on 15 December 2023, from https://www.peakpx.com/en/hd-wallpaper-desktop-wxdle

Petrelli, M. (2021, December 20). The country that celebrates Christmas for more than 4 months a year. CNBC. Retrieved on 13 December 2023, from https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/21/philippines-the-longest-christmas-celebrations-in-the-world-.html

What is Simbang Gabi?

Álvarez, F. (2018, November 22). Una tradición matutina la Misa de Aguinaldo. Primera Hora. Retrieved on 13 December 2023, from https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/puerto-rico/notas/una-tradicion-matutina-la-misa-de-aguinaldo/

Hermoso, C. (2022, December 15). 9-day ‘Simbang Gabi’ begins on Dec. 16; anticipated masses to begin tonight. Manila Bulletin. Retrieved on 13 December 2023, from https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/15/9-day-simbang-gabi-begins-on-dec-16-anticipated-masses-to-begin-tonight/

Lazaro, J. (2020, December 11). The Christmas tradition of Simbang Gabi: After five centuries, this Filipino Christmas tradition lives on. U.S. Catholic. Retrieved on 13 December 2023, from https://uscatholic.org/articles/202012/the-christmas-tradition-of-simbang-gabi/

History

Hermoso, C. (2018, December 15). ‘Simbang Gabi’ a manifestation of the Filipinos’ strong faith in God, says bishop. Manila Bulletin. Retrieved on 13 December 2023, from https://mb.com.ph/2018/12/15/simbang-gabi-a-manifestation-of-the-filipinos-strong-faith-in-god-says-bishop/

Etheria (1919). The Pilgrimage of Etheria (McClure, M., & Feltoe, C. Ed. & Trans.). Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Retrieved on 13 December 2023, from https://www.ccel.org/m/mcclure/etheria/etheria.htm (Original work published 384 C.E.)

McClure, M., & Feltoe, C. (1919). [An image of the book cover of "The Pilgrimage of Etheria"]. Retrieved on 15 December 2023, from https://www.ccel.org/m/mcclure/etheria/etheria.htm

The Pillar. (2021, December 21). What time is Midnight Mass?. The Pillar. Retrieved on 15 December 2023, from https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/what-time-is-midnight-mass

Misa del Gallo: origen, historia y por qué se celebra en la madrugada del 25 de diciembre. (2022, December 24). Marca. Retrieved on 15 December 2023, from https://www.marca.com/tiramillas/actualidad/2022/12/24/63a6c106268e3e7c468b45e8.html

Vintage Philippine Islands 1920-1959. (2020, December 25). A Vintage Greeting Card showing Philippine Christmas… Maligayang Pasko from Vintage Philippine Islands 1920-1959 [image]. Facebook. Retrieved 15 December 2023, from https://www.facebook.com/510513375695362/photos/a.1701322009947820/3595821097164559/?type=3

In the Present Day

Adarlo, S., & Pastor, C. (2014, November 3). Fr. Joseph Marabe breaks silence over Simbang Gabi ban (Part 2). The FilAm: A Magazine for Filipino Americans in New York. Retrieved on 15 December 2023, from https://thefilam.net/archives/16127

Balitang America, ABS-CBN North America Bureau. (2014, September 19). Simbang Gabi returns to NYC after a brief ban. ABS-CBN News. Retrieved on 15 December 2023 from https://news.abs-cbn.com/global-filipino/09/19/14/simbang-gabi-returns-nyc-after-brief-ban

FEU Memes. (2012, December 15). eto yung mga madalas ko makita sa gilid ng simbahan e [image]. Retrieved on 15 December 2023 from https://www.facebook.com/PIYUMEMES/photos/a.210778985704527/317211885061236/?type=3

Macaira, E. (2023, December 15). Simbang Gabi: It’s the mass, not the time. Philippine Star. Retrieved on 15 December 2023, from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/12/15/2318980/simbang-gabi-its-mass-not-time

Malicdem, E. (n.d.) The Bamboo Organ Church or the St. Joseph Parish Church of Las Piñas City in the Philippines during "Simbang Gabi" or Night Mass on Christmas eve. Photo was part of Schadow1 Expeditions coverage of Las Piñas during Christmas season. [image]. Retrieved on 15 December 2023 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simbang_Gabi#/media/File:Las_Pinas_Church_during_Simbang_Gabi.jpg

Punay, E. (2016, December 19). ‘Simbang Gabi’ won’t grant wishes – Bishop. Philippine Star Global. Retrieved on 15 December 2023, from https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/12/19/1654920/simbang-gabi-wont-grant-wishes-bishop

rhapido. (2022, November 30). Simbang gabi starter pack [Screenshot]. 9Gag. Retrieved 15 December 2023, from https://9gag.com/gag/a5Xnzgr

[pleistocene-pride]

Dryococelus australis, commonly known as the Lord Howe Island stick insect or tree lobster, is a species of stick insect endemic to the Lord Howe Island Group, and the only member of the monotypic genus Dryococelus. Thought to be extinct when it was extirpated from Lord Howe Island itself by 1920, it was rediscovered in 2001 when a population of just 24 individuals was found living on the small islet of Ball's Pyramid. These stick insects were once very common on Lord Howe Island, where they were frequently collected by fishing vessels to be used as bait. They were believed to have become extinct soon after the supply ship SS Makambo ran aground on the island in 1918, allowing black rats, the primary predators, to become established. After 1920, no stick insects could be found. In 1964 a team of climbers visiting the towering sea stack known as Ball's Pyramid, discovered the recently deceased corpse of one of these stick insects. However it wouldn’t be until 2001 when an expedition to find whether any population persisted on the Pyramid was launched lead by David Priddel and Nicholas Carlile, the team discovered some 24 individual Lord Howe Island Stick insects living in and under a single under a single Melaleuca shrub some 330ft (100m) above the sea. In 2003, a research team from New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service returned to Ball's Pyramid and collected two breeding pairs, after intial difficulties captive breeding was achieved and now there are over 13,000 individuals with captive breeding programs occurring at the Melbourne, Bristol, San Diego, and Toronto Zoos as well as a special rat free habitat on Lord Howe Island. Reaching up to 8 inches (20 cms) in length and around 1 oz (25g) in weight, the Lord Howe Island stick insect is a large, flightless, nocturnal insect which has a stout body, long sturdy legs, and lack wings. Females have a broad abdomen with an ovipositor while males are more slender but have longer and thicker antennae and enlarged hind legs. Juveniles, called nymphs, are bright green for the first few months of life and active during the day; adults are a dark, glossy brown-black. They are a social and herbivorous species which feeds upon leaves, buds, and fruit, living together in groups of up to a dozen individuals. Unusual for most insects, these stick insects form bonded pairs that mate for life. The females lay up to 300 eggs in the soil which she carefully buries. Said eggs hatch around 6 to 9 months later, the young reach sexual maturity at around 7 months of age. And under ideal conditions a lorde howe island stick insect may like up to 2 years.

[pvtchworks]

was  that  VANESSA STANFIELD  i  saw  heading  towards  the  water?  you  know  the  TWENTY FOUR  year  old  from  PACIFIC HEIGHTS?  can  you  believe  they've  only  lived  in  manoa  bay  for  20 YEARS,  it  seems  like  so  much  longer.  last  i  checked  they  were  known  around  town  as  the  NATURALIST  because  of  their  tendency  to be  HUMANITARIAN  and  UNYIELDING,  but  what  else  did  you  expect  from  an  AQUARIUS  who  reminds  you  of  THE LINGERING SMELL OF COCONUT - SCENTED SUNSCREEN , ENJOYING THE SILENCE OF A PENSIVE WALK DURING SUNRISE , A METICULOUSLY MAPPED OUT CALENDAR   …  since  hayden's  disappearance  they  have  been  happily  working  as  a  TOUR GUIDE  at  MOONLIT TOURS,  but  that's  all  about  to  change  because  the  eye  HAS  set  their  sights  on  exposing  all  of  their  lies,  as  well  as  [redacted] i  really  hope  they  don't  incriminate  themself. 

stats .

full name: vanessa grace stanfield . nickname(s): ness , nessa , v date of birth: january 23rd . place of birth: san diego , california . gender: cis woman . sexual orientation: bisexual . height: 5'7 . zodiac: aquarius sun, cancer moon, taurus rising .

about .

had a relatively normal upbringing outside of two workaholic parents who were somehow simultaneously hovering over her and rarely present . she grew accustomed to the 50/50 chance that only one of them ( or neither , as she got old enough to take care of herself ) would be there , learning to be independent and fend for herself at a relatively early age .

her mother is a biology professor who travels often to give seminars and her father is a marine biologist that studies conservation and sustainability so needless to say , the apple did not fall far from the tree when it came to adoring nature and wanting to appreciate the planet . her father's job is also the reason they moved to manoa bay when she was four .

incredibly emotional and isn't always the best at hiding it . . . especially when it comes to her beliefs / special interests . doesn't particularly enjoy conflict though unless it feels necessary or was instigated by the other party .

incredibly type a to the point of almost being annoying . . . think color - coded planners , a well filled - in calendar , journals in every tote bag , a color - sorted closet . doesn't allow much room for a margin of error in really anything and feels a lot of pressure to make sure things are " right " . it makes her come off as a bit rigid but her love language is definitely acts of service so . . . if you can potentially put up with her and lighten the load of stuff she feels like she has to do , you'll be in her life forever .

constantly torn between head and heart . logic will always be a prominent driver for a lot of her decisions but occasionally , her emotions will win out and take over . . . much to her chagrin .

more coming but i'm getting sleepy so i'm gonna switch to dms and come back tomorrow .

some funky little hcs .

obsessed with sea turtles . . . they're her favorite animal . . . she takes the hatching season super serious and will camp out all night to protect the nests if she has to .

hayden taught her how to surf when they were teenagers .

has a cocker spaniel named milo that loves the beach nearly as much as vanessa does .

a minimalist . . . everything is very neutral - toned , multi - use and simple .

has a pipe dream of buying a van and living in it for a year or two while traveling .

skips around jobs a lot . . . has likely never really kept one because she grows bored .

volunteers at the aquarium in her spare time !

connections .

riley — bad influence .

sunny — blind date turned [casual by chappell roan] but not sapphic .

maggie — childhood besties + coworkers .

the elitist — crush .

the fool — prev coworker .

more coming . . .

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 12.1

Holidays

Antarctica Day

Applejack Day (My Little Pony)

Basketball Day

Battle of the Sinop Day (Russia)

Becky Thatcher Day

Bifocals at the Monitor Liberation Day

Bizarre Bazaar

Carbon Management Day

Chia Pet Hunting Season begins

Civil Air Patrol Day

Commemoration Day (UAE)

Crossing of the Cattle at Diafarabe (Mali)

Damrong Rajanuhab Day (Thailand)

Data Innovation Day

Day of the First President (Kazakhstan)

Day With(out) Art

First Day of Meteorological Summer Day (Southern Hemisphere)

First Day of Meteorological Winter Day (Northern Hemisphere)

First President Day (Kazakhstan)

Fishmas

Flag Day (Saba)

Freedom and Democracy Day (Chad)

Fullveldisdagurinn (a.k.a. Self-Governance Day; Iceland)

Good Neighborliness Day (Turkmenistan)

Ice Hockey Day (Russia)

Indigenous Faith Day (Arunachal, India)

International Prisoners for Peace Day

International Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency Day

James Gandolfini Day (New Jersey)

Karakalpak Language Day (Karakalpak Peoples)

Lawyer’s Day (Belarus)

Lewdmas

Military Abolition Day (Costa Rica)

MLM Day (Russia)

Motion Pictures Day (Japan)

My Husband Strung the Xmas Lights and Now I Can't Open the Garage Door Day

National Biliary Atresia Awareness Day

National Christmas Book Day

National Christmas Lights Day

National Cookie Cutter Day

National Day of Courage

National Grinch Day

National I Told You So Day

National Jandal Day (New Zealand)

National Online Risk and Compliance Day

National Sabbath-Keeping Schools Day

National Transit Tribute to Rosa Parks Day

National Twin With Your Dog Day (UK)

National Water Safety Day (Australia)

National Women Support Women Day

National Zinc Day

Neurologist Day

Operation Santa Paws begins [until 21st]

Peaceful Easy Feeling Day (San Diego, California)

Playboy Magazine Day

Prisoners for Peace Day

Prosecutors’ Day (Ukraine)

Rosa Parks Day (Ohio, Oregon) [also 2.4]

Scrabble Day

Singh Cultural Day (Pakistan)

Teachers’ Day (Panama)

University Student Strike Day (Myanmar)

Wallace & Gromit’s Great British Tea Party begins (thru 21st)

Wax Day (French Republic)

Wear a Dress Day [also 6.1]

Weather Service Day

White Rabbit Day

World AIDS Day (UN)

Yukon Order of Pioneers Day

Ziua Unirii (Romania)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Dr. Pepper Day

Eat A Red Apple Day

Glögg Day (Sweden)

International Maratheftiko Day

MMMHop Beer Day

National Baked Alaska Day

National Fried Pie Day

National Peppermint Bark Day

National Pie Day [also 1.23]

Independence & Related Days

Central African Republic (Proclamation of the Republic; 1958)

Great Union Day (celebrating merger of Transylvania & Romania, 1918)

Iceland (from Denmark, 1918)

Nagaland (State Inauguration Day; India)

Portugal (from Spain, 1640) [a.k.a. Restoration of Independence]

Sancratosia (Declared; 2021) [unrecognized]

1st Sunday in December

Artist’s Sunday [Sunday after Thanksgiving]

Cyber Safety Sunday [1st Sunday]

1st Sunday in Advent [4th Sunday before Xmas] (a.k.a. ... 

Adventssonntag (Germany)

Advent Sunday

Hope Sunday

Midwinter Horn Blowing (Netherlands)

Good Neighborliness Day [1st Sunday]

Museum Store Sunday [1st Sunday]

National AIDS Sunday (Philippines) [1st Sunday]

National Secondhand Day [1st Sunday]

Pasadena Doo Dah Parade [Sunday after Thanksgiving]

Seven For Sunday [Every Sunday]

Small Brewery Sunday [Sunday after Thanksgiving]

Snack Sunday [1st Sunday of Each Month]

Spiritual Sunday [1st Sunday of Each Month]

Start Over Sunday [1st Sunday of Each Month]

Sundae Sunday [Every Sunday]

Sunday Funday [Every Sunday]

Tropical Tree Day (Australia) [1st Sunday]

World AIDS Sunday [1st Sunday]

World Ice Skating Day [1st Sunday]

World Meditation Day [1st Sunday of Every Month]

Weekly Holidays beginning December 1 (1st Full Week of December)

Advent (thru 12.24) [4th Sunday before Xmas]

Clerc-Gallaudet Week (thru 12.7) [1st Full Week]

Cookie Cutter Week (thru 12.7) [1st Week]

Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week (thru 12.7) [1st Week]

National Hand Washing Week (thru 12.7) [1st Full Week]

National Influenza Vaccination Week (thru 12.7) [1st Full Week]

National Pet Suffocation Awareness Week (thru 12.7) [Week after Thanksgiving]

Older Driver Safety Awareness Week (thru 12.7) [1st Full Week]

Recipe Greetings for the Holidays Week (thru 12.7) [1st Full Week]

Tolerance Week (thru 12.7) [1st Full Week]

Festivals Beginning December 1, 2024

Christmas in Newport (Newport, Rhode Island) [thru 12.31]

Christmas on the Comstock (Virginia City, Nevada) [thru 12.31]

Hollywood Christmas Parade (Hollywood, Los Angeles, California)

Jazz Bez (Lviv, Ukraine) [thru 12.10]

Kabakahan Festival (Padre Garcia, Philippines)

Night of the Proms (Oberhausen, Germany)

Rome Christmas Market (Piazza Navona, Rome, Italy) [thru 1.6.2025]

Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth (Portsmouth, New Hampshire) [thru 12.31]

Feast Days

Alexander Briant (Christian; Saint)

Ansanus (Christian; Saint)

Azar Nafisi (Writerism)

Barbes Diena (Sheep Fertility Festival; Ancient Latvia)

Beware the Pogonip (Frozen Fog Season; Native American)

Billy Childish (Artology)

Bodhi Season, Day 1 (Buddhism; Secular Date) [Leading Up to 12.8] (a.k.a. ... 

Principles: The One

Secular: Buddhism is a Skill

Eightfold Path: Awakened View

The Heart Sutra: The Universe Between #000000 and #FFFFFF

Bruna Pellesi (Christian; Blessed)

Candace Bushnell (Writerism)

Carnival of Celendonia (Shamanism)

Castritian (Christian; Saint)

Charles de Foucauld (Christian; Blessed)

Cromniomancy Day (Onion Divination; Everyday Wicca)

Deer’s Cry (Celtic Book of Days)

Edmund Campion (Christian; Saint)

Eligius (a.k.a. Eloy), Bishop of Noyon (Christian; Saint)

Eligiusz Niewiadomski (Artology)

Étienne Maurice Falconet (Artology)

Evasius (Christian; Saint)

Feast for the Death of Aleister Crowley (Thelema)

Feast of Saints Kyle, Stan, Cartman and Kenny (Church of the SubGenius; Saints)

Festival for Neptune/Poseidon (Ancient Greece/Rome)

Festival for Pietas (Goddess of Devotion; Ancient Rome)

Francia (Positivist; Saint)

Grwst (Christian; Saint)

Juner (Muppetism)

Kalends of December (Ancient Rome)

Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (Artology)

Marijuana Sauce Day (Pastafarian)

Mindfulness Day (Zen Buddhism)

Mothra Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Nahum (Christian; Saint)

Nicholas Ferrar (Episcopal Church)

Ralph Sherwin (Christian; Saint)

Shiva’s Day (Pagan)

Ursicinus of Brescia (Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Premieres

Adventures of Don Juan (Film; 1948)

Africa (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1930)

Alice and the Three Bears (Ub Iwerks Disney Cartoon; 1924)

Axis: Bold As Love, by Jimi Hendrix (Album; 1967)

Baron Van Go-Go (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1967)

Beaver Trouble (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1951)

Beebo Saves Christmas (WB Animated TV Special)

The Big Freeze (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1970)

Blondie, by Blondie (Album; 1976)

The Booze Hangs High (WB LT Cartoon; 1930)

Candide, by Leonard Bernstein (Operetta; 1956)

A Charlie Brown Christmas, by Vince Guarldi (Soundtrack Album; 1965)

Christmas Vacation (Film; 1989)

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, by Mark Twain (Novel; 1884)

Daniel Boone, Jr. (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1960)

Dark (German TV Series; 2017)

Enchanters’ End Game, by David Eddings (Novel; 1984) [Belgariad #5]

The Farmer and the Belle (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1950)

Fiddling’ Around (Noveltoons Cartoons; 1962)

A Flight to the Finish (Hector Heathcote Cartoon; 1962)

The Floating Admiral, by the Detection Club (Mystery Novel; 1931)

Flop Secret (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1952)

Follow Me Boys (Film; 1966)

The Girl Can’t Help It (Rock Music Film; 1956)

Gooney Golfers (Heckle & Jeckle Cartoon; 1948)

Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens (Novel; 1836)

Growing Pains (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1953)

Happy Xmas (War Is Over), by John Lennon (Song; 1971)

The Haunted Cat (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1951)

Hi, Hi, Hi, by Wings (Song; 1972)

The Hitch-Hiker (Hashimoto Cartoon; 1939)

HMS Pinafore, by Gilbert & Sullivan (Operetta; 1879)

Honorable House Cat (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1961)

The House of the Rising Sun, by Frijid Pink (Song; 1969)

The Illuminatus! Trilogy, by Robert Shea (Collected Novels; 1975)

Kim, by Rudyard Kipling (Novel; 1900)

The Leaky Faucet (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1959)

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentlemen, by Laurence Sterne (Novel; 1759)

The Magic Slipper (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1948)

The Maltese Falcon, by Dashiell Hammett (Novel; 1930)

Miceniks (Noveltoons Cartoons; 1960)

Molecular Mixup (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1964)

Mother Goose’s Birthday Party (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1950)

Mount Piney (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1968)

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Film; 1989)

No Logo, by Naomi Klein Book; 1999)

Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen (Novel; 1817) [#5]

Ollie the Owl (Noveltoons Cartoons; 1963)

One of the Family (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1962)

Oswald Holiday Greeting Card (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 2013)

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Disney Cartoon; 2022)

Paint Pot Symphony (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1950)

The Phantom Skyscraper (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1966)

The Philadelphia Story (Film; 1940)

Picnic with Papa (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1952)

Playboy Magazine (Adult Magazine; 1953)

The Plot Sickens (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1961)

Promises, Promises (Broadway Musical; 1968)

The Return of the King (Film; 2003) [Lord of the Rings #3]

Sappy New Year (Heckle & Jeckle Cartoon; 1961)

The Shape of Water (Film; 2017)

The Shocker (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1970)

Sidney’s Family Tree, featuring Sidney (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1958)

The Simple Art of Murder, by Raymond Chandler (Novel; 1944)

Sour Grapes (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1950)

Stop, Look, and Listen (Mighty Mouse Cartoon; 1949)

Stunt Men (Heckle & Jeckle Cartoon; 1960)

Terry the Terror (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1960)

Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), by Sly and the Family Stone (Song; 1969)

The Thin Man, by Dashiell Hammett (Novel; 1934)

The Toothless Beaver (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1965)

The Toy Man (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1969)

$21 a Day, Once a Month (Woody Woodpecker Swing Symphony Cartoon; 1941)

Two by Two (Modern Madcaps Cartoon; 1966)

Withering Heights, by Emily Bronte (Novel; 1847)

Woodman, Spare That Tree (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1950)

Today’s Name Days

Blanka, Charles, Eligius, Natalie (Austria)

Blanka, Florencija, Kazimir, Natalija, Naum (Croatia)

Iva (Czech Republic)

Arnold (Denmark)

Oskar, Osmar, Oss (Estonia)

Oskar, Oskari (Finland)

Florence (France)

Blanka, Eligius, Natalie (Germany)

Areti, Jacob, Naoum, Philaretos, Theoklitos (Greece)

Elza (Hungary)

Ansano, Eligio (Italy)

Arnolds, Arvaldis (Latvia)

Algmina, Butigeidas, Eligijus, Natalija (Lithuania)

Arnljot, Arnold, Arnt (Norway)

Długosz, Edmund, Eliga, Eligiusz, Iwa, Natalia, Natalis, Platon, Sobiesława (Poland)

Filaret, Naum (Romania)

Edmund (Slovakia)

Blanca, Cándida, Eloy (Spain)

Oskar, Ossian (Sweden)

Bianca, Blanca, Blanche, Eli, Ely, Sherwin (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 336 of 2024; 30 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of Week 48 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ngetal (Reed) [Day 8 of 28]

Chinese: Month 11 (Bing-Zi), Day 1 (Ji-Hai)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 30 Heshvan 5785

Islamic: 29 Jumada I 1446

J Cal: 6 Black; Sixthday [6 of 30]

Julian: 18 November 2024

Moon: 1%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 28 Frederic (12th Month) [Cromwell]

Runic Half Month: Is (Stasis) [Day 10 of 15]

Season: Autumn or Fall (Day 70 of 90)

Week: 1st Full Week of December

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 10 of 30)

Calendar Changes

December (Gregorian Calendar) [Month 12 of 12]

冬月 [Dōngyuè] (Chinese Lunisolar Calendar) [Month 11 of 12] (Winter Month) [Rat Month]

[gaymasonjar]

Will You Meet Me In The Middle?

Preview of Chapter 4: First Day of My Life

 It was strange to leave Roswell behind for their honeymoon. Alex smiled to himself at the thought again. He felt giddy; heart fluttering in his chest. He was  married. To Michael Guerin. The man who had stolen his heart all those years ago when they were simple teenagers. It felt like he had waited an entire lifetime for this moment and it was worth every second.

 Michael could sense Alex was staring at him and reached out to squeeze his thigh lovingly, leaving his hand there. Alex covered his calloused hand with his own. The golden band on his ring finger shinning in the light of day.

 The couple had driven all through the night to reach San Diego. Michael had booked a room for two weeks on beachfront property. It would be some well-deserved relaxation for the couple after the nightmare of dealing with the dark trio and escaping death once again. It all felt surreal.  

 Alex shook his head and focused on the view outside. Palm trees line the sides of the road as they drove closer to the coastline. Alex rolled down the window to inhale the fresh air. He loved the smell of the ocean.

 Michael smirked and rubbed his thumb soothingly against Alex’s pant sleeve. “We’re almost there.”

 “Good. I’m starving.”

 “We’ll order room service once we’re settled.”

 Alex smiled and continued to watch the world pass them by as they kept driving.

 The resort building was white; palm trees framed the entrance. Michael pulled up to the valet and got out. Alex grabbed his bag from the trunk and looked around. The lobby inside was mostly glass windows, and the ocean view was straight ahead.

 Michael grabbed his bag before lacing his fingers with Alex’s. “C’mon.”

 The couple approached the front desk to check in. They each received a bracelet with a chip inside to unlock the door of their room. The room Michael had chosen was on the 5th floor and end of the hall. Michael pushed it open to allow Alex to walk inside. He looked around in surprise. There were rose petals on the floor of the hallway that lead deeper inside.

 “What is this”, Alex laughed as he looked back at Michael.

 “Go on”, he encouraged, taking Alex’s bag.

 The brunette headed past the bathroom on his right and into the bedroom. There was a California King bed in the middle of the room. The bed was all white aside from the rose petals littering it. The table in the corner of the room had champagne glasses and a bottle of champagne on ice. The curtains were pulled back to allow sunlight into the room.

 “Who are you and where has this romantic Michael been hiding”, Alex asked.

 Michael set the bags down on the floor and grabbed Alex’s hands, “I wanted to treat you. I got to marry my best friend and wanted to give him the best.”

 “You’re so sweet”, Alex pulled Michael into a deep kiss.

 Chuckling, Michael returned it, “I might’ve had a little help.”

 “I won’t hold it against you”, the brunette teased. “As long as the follow-through is amazing.”

 “Absolutely cosmic”, the alien promised.

Read more on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45325099/chapters/114401482

[higueratreecare2]

Comprehensive Tree Services in San Diego: Your Tree Care Experts

Experience the best in tree care with our comprehensive Tree Services in San Diego. From trimming and pruning to removal and health maintenance, our expert team ensures your trees are healthy, safe, and beautiful. Trust us to provide reliable, professional, and eco-friendly solutions tailored to meet your landscape's unique needs.

For More:

[kamiaisuruikigami]

The Special Tactics and Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) (特殊戦術及び救助部隊, tokushu-senjutsu oyobi kyūjo butai) 

Umbrella Tree Institution Corporation Planetary National International.

Rockstar San Diego, Inc. (formerly Angel Studios, Inc.) ...

Headquarters: Carlsbad, California, US

Number of employees: 128 (2011)

128 Star NATO STARS Assistance or Active response

[treedoctorusasworld]

The Importance of Tree Nutrient Management for Sustainable Landscapes

Growing healthy crops full of nutrients requires healthy soil, atmosphere and water. Nature struggles to provide good results without proper fertilizers. These fertilizers would increase the nutrients in the soil. Fertilization is also one of the amazing tools used by arborists for promoting the healthy nature of trees and soil. Fertilization assists with better nutrition for trees growth and yields better.

Why Tree Nutrition And Fertilization Is Important

Normally, nature takes time to develop and refine the cycle for abundantly resupplying the soil with the required nutrients. This cycle is disrupted in the landscape through leaf removal, lack of insect population, plant selection, and more.

These are the most important reasons for fertilization. Trees show signs if they lack nutrients in the soil. For example, the trees with the heaves having shades of yellow denote it is suffering from nutrient deficiencies.

Choosing the leading arborist would be a convenient option for spotting the issue in the tree and providing the proper solution. Sometimes, large concentrations of potassium sources could also occur below the soil surface. These are quite difficult for the plant root to absorb.

Mining this potassium would be one of the naturally occurring nutrients for the soil surface. Fertilization is one of the best ways to provide the plant root with convenient potassium and other nutrients required.

Below are the reasons for adding Tree Nutrition and Fertilization:

Rapid effect on crops

Predictable and reliable

Water-soluble and easily dissolve in the soil

Supply specific nutrients and specific fertilizers with nutrient specific nature

Easy to transport and store

Provides enough food to feed a large population

Increase crop yield

Easily absorbed by plants

Difference between Mineral Fertilizers and Organic Fertilizers:

There are about 17 nutrients that are important for plants to grow healthy. Each plant requires different fertilizers to grow along with nutrients that are deficient in the soil. Crops would extensively remove different nutrients from the soil.

Organic fertilizers like animal waste, along with compost have been used for centuries. These are also valuable sources of nutrients as well as organic matter. It automatically enhances the soil structure. Mineral fertilizers are also quite important in meeting the increasing food requirements of the growing world population.

Amounts of nutrients present in organic fertilizers would vary, and it is less concentrated compared to mineral fertilizers. Mineral fertilizers would automatically reduce the amount required for vehicles to transport.

Based on a recent report, the global population has been estimated to be more than 9.8 billion by 2050. Growing population requires increased crop yields as it is necessary to produce food for everyone.

Reasons For Fertilizing Shrubs And Trees:

1. Boost New Growth:

Normally, most trees and shrubs grow every year with reserves from the previous year. Proper Fertilizing of the spring provides the extra kick for its new growth. Providing the best tree nutrition and fertilization is a significant option for boosting new growth abundantly. You could expect better results.

2. Maximizes Nutrients:

Roots grow in-depth in the ground over time, so they come into contact with beneficial fungi. These also encourage nutrients as well as water absorption abundantly. Tree nutrition and fertilization are quite effective in giving the best results over a short time. It also supplements the 3 macronutrients such as

Phosphorus

Nitrogen

Potassium

These are essential for growth as well as metabolic activities. Tree fertilization helps to maintain the health of urban trees by providing nutrients for growth. Regular watering along with pruning is important.

3. Enhance Growth Rate:

Root systems extend for long distances and are suitable for healthy growth. The fruit-producing plant automatically delivers the larger and tastier fruit to the extent. Normally, early spring is one of the best times for giving fertilizer to your woody plants.

It enhances the growth rate abundantly. Applying fertilizers during this period would provide the trees and shrubs using the right amount of nutrients.

4. Minimizes Land Used:

Fertilizers also hold the key part in using the same area of land again and again for growing crops. It also extensively provides excellent benefits for the planet, so the farmer does not require to clear off the new tracts of land.

There is no need to remove animal habitats or kill trees. Fertilizers can be used on the same land to remain nutritious. These would also provide nutrition required for the plants to grow.

5. Reduces Weed Growth:

Some people are hesitant to use fertilizers as they are concerned about the growth of plants. Removing the weeds from amongst the plants and trees is quite important. Ensuring the grass in the lawn would provide thick and healthy attributes for preventing weed growth.

These are used to provide additional nutrients to the plants. Using the exact fertilizer can prevent weed-killing products containing harsh chemicals. It would be helpful for saving your money and growing plants. It also ultimately reduces exposure to toxins.

6. Better Water Absorption:

Even a small amount of rain and rainfall would have a better impact on the property. Lawn with extra soggy after the smallest rainfall, then you can use fertilizer.

Normally, fertilizer is quite helpful in strengthening the roots of the grass. Apart from these, the strong grass root can easily absorb water. They are also less likely to have puddles in the lawn or even muddy patches.

Nitrogen-rich fertilizers and tree nutrition for apples are suitable options for trees and shrubs to grow abundantly. These are also suitable options to improve the yield of crops with higher water absorption.

7. Fertilization For Sick Trees:

Applying Organic fertilizers for trees and shrubs is the perfect option for improving fertility and texture in soil. Most Gardeners use fertilizers to address the certain needs of plants that include nutritional needs.

Tree nutrition and fertilization can be beneficial for plants to become stronger and fight infection. Using Fertilizer for plants and trees would be a great option. These also ensure that your tree receives the nutrients needed.

Tree Doctor USA is the leading specialist well-versed in inspecting the landscape, trees and shrubs. Tree care experts suggest the right tree nutrition and fertilization required for your trees.

Original Source: Top Reasons Why Tree Nutrition And Fertilization Is Important

[xtruss]

Illustration by João Fazenda

The Burning of Maui

The governor called the fires Hawaii’s “largest natural disaster” ever. They would more accurately be labelled an “unnatural disaster.”

— By Elizabeth Kolbert | August 20, 2023

The ‘alalā, or Hawaiian crow, is a remarkably clever bird. ‘Alalā fashion tools out of sticks, which they use, a bit like skewers, to get at hard-to-reach food. The birds were once abundant, but by the late nineteen-nineties their population had dropped so low that they were facing extinction. Since 2003, all the world’s remaining ‘alalā have been confined to aviaries. In a last-ditch effort to preserve the species, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has been breeding the crows in captivity. The alliance keeps about a third of the birds—some forty ‘alalā—at a facility outside the town of Volcano, on the Big Island, and the rest outside the town of Makawao, on Maui. Earlier this month, the Maui population was very nearly wiped out. On the morning of August 8th, flames came within a few hundred feet of the birds’ home and would probably have engulfed it were it not for an enterprising alliance employee, one of her neighbors, and a garden hose.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “many factors” contributed to the ‘alalā’s decline, including habitat destruction, invasive species, and the effects of agriculture on the landscape. Owing to these developments, Hawaii’s native fauna in general is in crisis; the state has earned an unfortunate title as “the extinction capital of the world.” Of the nearly hundred and fifty bird species that used to be found in Hawaii and nowhere else, two-thirds are gone. Among the islands’ distinctive native snails, the losses have been even more catastrophic.

Last week, as the death toll from the fires in West Maui continued to mount—late on Friday, the number stood at a hundred and eleven—it became clear that the same “factors” that have decimated Hawaii’s wildlife also contributed to the deadliness of the blazes. Roughly a thousand people have been reported as still missing, and some two thousand homes have been destroyed or damaged. The worst-hit locality, the town of Lahaina, which lies in ruins, was built on what was once a wetland. Starting in the mid-nineteenth century, much of the vegetation surrounding the town was cleared to make way for sugar plantations. Then, when these went out of business, in the late twentieth century, the formerly cultivated acres were taken over by introduced grasses. In contrast to Hawaii’s native plants, the imported grasses have evolved to reseed after fires and, in dry times, they become highly flammable.

“The lands around Lahaina were all sugarcane from the eighteen-sixties to the late nineteen-nineties,” Clay Trauernicht, a specialist in fire ecology at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, told the Guardian. “Nothing’s been done since then—hence the problem with invasive grasses and fire risk.”

Also contributing to the devastation was climate change. Since the nineteen-fifties, average temperatures in Hawaii have risen by about two degrees, and there has been a sharp uptick in warming in just the past decade. This has made the state more fire-prone and, at the same time, it has fostered the spread of the sorts of plants that provide wildfires with fuel. Hotter summers help invasive shrubs and grasses “outgrow our native tree species,” the state’s official Climate Change Portal notes.

As Hawaii has warmed, it has also dried out. According, again, to the Climate Change Portal, “rainfall and streamflow have declined significantly over the past 30 years.” In the weeks leading up to the fires in West Maui, parts of the region were classified as suffering from “severe drought.” Meanwhile, climate change is shifting storm tracks in the Pacific farther north. Hurricane Dora, which made history as the longest-lasting Category 4 hurricane on record in the Pacific, passed to the south of Maui and helped produce the gusts that spread the Lahaina fire at a speed that’s been estimated to be a mile per minute.

After visiting the wreckage of Lahaina, Hawaii’s governor, Josh Green, called the Maui fires the “largest natural disaster Hawaii has ever experienced.” In fact, the fires would more accurately be labelled an “unnatural disaster.” As David Beilman, a professor of geography and environment at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, recently pointed out, for most of Hawaii’s history fire simply wasn’t part of the islands’ ecology. “This Maui situation is an Anthropocene phenomenon,” he told USA Today.

A great many more unnatural disasters lie ahead. Last month was, by a large margin, the hottest July on record, and 2023 seems likely to become the warmest year on record. Two days after Lahaina burst into flames, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a revised forecast for the current Atlantic hurricane season, which runs through the end of November. The agency had been predicting a “near-normal” season, with between five and nine hurricanes. But, because of record sea-surface temperatures this summer—last month a buoy in Manatee Bay, south of Miami, registered 101.1 degrees, a reading that, as the Washington Post put it, is “more typical of a hot tub than ocean water”—noaa is now projecting that the season will be “above normal,” with up to eleven hurricanes. Rising sea levels and the loss of coastal wetlands mean that any hurricanes that make landfall will be that much more destructive.

A few days after noaa revised its forecast, officials ordered the evacuation of Yellowknife, the capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories. A wildfire burning about ten miles away would, they feared, grow to consume the city. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation called the evacuation order “extraordinary.” This summer has been Canada’s worst wildfire season on record, and, at times, the smoke has spread all the way to Europe. There are currently something like a thousand active fires in the country.

Two days after the Yellowknife evacuation was ordered, another Pacific hurricane—Hilary—intensified into a Category 4 storm. Hilary was being drawn north by a “heat dome” of high pressure over the central Plains, which was expected to bring record temperatures to parts of the Midwest. The storm’s unusual track put some twenty-six million people in four states—California, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona—under flash-flood watches.

How well humanity will fare on the new planet it is busy creating is an open question. Homo sapiens is a remarkably clever species. So, too, was the ‘alalā. ♦

— Published in the Print Edition of the August 28, 2023, New Yorker Issue, with the Headline “Fire Alarm.”

[reasonsforhope]

Source and more details below. Thanks for posting, OP!

"The rare ʻalalā Hawaiian crow was successfully reintroduced into the wild in Maui more than 20 years after being declared extinct [in the wild], officials announced Wednesday, December 4, 2024.

Why it matters: "ʻAlalā are found nowhere else on Earth, and their existence is essential in Hawaiʻi," per a statement from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, which worked to reintroduce the crows. "As they fly from tree to tree, these corvids disperse seeds that help grow new trees and restore native forests."

ʻAlalā "also help provide food and shelter for other indigenous wildlife that share their island," according to the the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. "Their very presence supports and even propagates their ecosystem's rich biodiversity."

The big picture: The endangered ʻalalā are sacred in Hawaiian culture and regarded as spiritual family guardians, per the Hawaiin Department of Land and Natural Resources.

They went extinct in the wild in 2002 and earlier attempts to reintroduce these intelligent birds — one of only two corvid species known to use twigs as tools to reach food — were unsuccessful.

Conservationists have now declared the introduction of five Hawaiian crows to Maui's Kīpahulu Forest Reserve last month a success so far.

What they did: "To prepare, experts raised the two females and three males in a social group to strengthen their relationship-building skills," according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

"This approach helped the ʻalalā practice how they'd depend on each other, giving them every opportunity to succeed in native habitats. Teams also worked closely on prerelease assessments, looking at how the birds were likely to respond to predators and how they'd seek native foods like insects and fruits."

The crows were then transferred from the Maui Bird Conservation Center to a temporary field aviary on the slopes of Haleakalā before being released.

Stunning stat: There were fewer than 20 ʻalalā in the late 1990s. Now, there are more than 110 individuals due to conservation efforts.

What we're watching: "The endgame is to get to a self-sustaining population on Hawaii Island," said Michelle Bogardus, a deputy field supervisor at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to the Washington Post. "The ʻalalā are part of the natural and cultural fabric of Hawaii Island, and they belong there.""

-via Axios, December 5, 2024

Alalā are being released into the wild?!?

[weather-pnw]

Weather: Pacific Northwest

Report generated at 2025-01-09 08:00:11.889322-08:00 using satellite imagery and alert data provided by the National Weather Service.

Winter Weather Advisory

WA:

West Slopes North Central Cascades and Passes

Western Chelan County

Special Weather Statement

OR:

East Slopes of the Oregon Cascades

Foothills of the Northern Blue Mountains of Oregon

Freezing Fog Advisory

OR:

Central Oregon

North Central Oregon

Wind Advisory

OR:

Foothills of the Northern Blue Mountains of Oregon

Foothills of the Southern Blue Mountains of Oregon

Grande Ronde Valley

CA:

Calabasas and Agoura Hills

Central Ventura County Valleys

Chiriaco Summit

Chuckwalla Mountains

Chuckwalla Valley

Eastern San Fernando Valley

Eastern San Gabriel Mountains

Eastern Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area

Interstate 5 Corridor

Joshua Tree NP East

Joshua Tree NP West

Lake Havasu and Fort Mohave

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Los Angeles County San Gabriel Valley

Malibu Coast

Northern Ventura County Mountains

Palo Verde Valley

Parker Valley

San Bernardino County-Upper Colorado River Valley

Santa Clarita Valley

Santa Susana Mountains

Southeastern Ventura County Valleys

Southern Ventura County Mountains

Ventura County Beaches

Ventura County Inland Coast

Western San Fernando Valley

Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor

Western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area

NV:

Lake Havasu and Fort Mohave

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

San Bernardino County-Upper Colorado River Valley

Dense Fog Advisory

OR:

Central Douglas County

Eastern Curry County and Josephine County

Jackson County

Lane County Lowlands

Air Stagnation Advisory

OR:

Baker County

Boise Mountains

Camas Prairie

Central Douglas County

Central and Eastern Lake County

Eastern Curry County and Josephine County

Eastern Douglas County Foothills

Harney County

Jackson County

Klamath Basin

Lower Treasure Valley

Malheur County

Northern and Eastern Klamath County and Western Lake County

Oregon Lower Treasure Valley

Owyhee Mountains

Southwest Highlands

Upper Treasure Valley

Upper Weiser River

West Central Mountains

ID:

Baker County

Boise Mountains

Camas Prairie

Harney County

Lower Treasure Valley

Malheur County

Oregon Lower Treasure Valley

Owyhee Mountains

Southwest Highlands

Upper Treasure Valley

Upper Weiser River

West Central Mountains

Beach Hazards Statement

CA:

Coastal Del Norte

Mendocino Coast

Northern Humboldt Coast

Southwestern Humboldt

Red Flag Warning

CA:

Calabasas and Agoura Hills

Central Ventura County Valleys

Eastern San Fernando Valley

Eastern San Gabriel Mountains

Eastern Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area

Interstate 5 Corridor

Los Angeles County Inland Coast including Downtown Los Angeles

Los Angeles County San Gabriel Valley

Malibu Coast

Northern Ventura County Mountains

Orange County Inland

Riverside County Mountains-Including The San Jacinto Ranger District Of The San Bernardino National Forest

San Bernardino County Mountains-Including The Mountain Top And Front Country Ranger Districts Of The San Bernardino National Forest

San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys - The Inland Empire

San Diego County Inland Valleys

San Diego County Mountains-Including The Palomar And Descanso Ranger Districts of the Cleveland National Forest

San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning

Santa Ana Mountains-Including The Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest

Santa Clarita Valley

Santa Susana Mountains

Southeastern Ventura County Valleys

Southern Ventura County Mountains

Ventura County Beaches

Ventura County Inland Coast

Western San Fernando Valley

Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor

Western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area

Frost Advisory

CA:

Ojai Valley

Santa Barbara County Central Coast Beaches

Santa Barbara County Inland Central Coast

Santa Barbara County Southeastern Coast

Freeze Watch

CA:

Ojai Valley

High Wind Watch

CA:

Eastern San Gabriel Mountains

Eastern Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area

Interstate 5 Corridor

Northern Ventura County Mountains

Santa Clarita Valley

Santa Susana Mountains

Southern Ventura County Mountains

Western San Gabriel Mountains and Highway 14 Corridor

Western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area

High Wind Warning

CA:

Orange County Inland

Riverside County Mountains

San Bernardino County Mountains

San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire

San Diego County Inland Valleys

San Diego County Mountains

San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning

Santa Ana Mountains and Foothills

Freeze Warning

CA:

Buttonwillow - Lost Hills - I5

Delano-Wasco-Shafter

Air Quality Alert

CA:

Calabasas and Agoura Hills

Catalina and Santa Barbara Islands

Eastern San Fernando Valley

Eastern Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area

Los Angeles County Beaches

Los Angeles County Inland Coast including Downtown Los Angeles

Los Angeles County San Gabriel Valley

Malibu Coast

Orange County Coastal

Orange County Inland

Palos Verdes Hills

Riverside County Mountains

San Bernardino and Riverside County Valleys-The Inland Empire

San Gorgonio Pass Near Banning

Santa Clarita Valley

Santa Susana Mountains

Western San Fernando Valley

Western Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area

[saylor-workspace]

Cheap Drain Cleaning in San Diego: An Efficient and Affordable Solution

Maintaining your plumbing system is something important for a healthy home or business. Over time, deposits in the pipe can accumulate debris such as grease in drains and this will cause back-up and draining slowly. Find cheap drain cleaning in San Diego. Affordable price doesn’t affect the quality of drain cleaning, so it ensures having a quick yet effective and well-priced solution.

The Value of Drain Cleaning

But ignoring the maintenance of drains can cause very serious problems like:

Clogged Drains: Particles of food, grease, and hair get stuck in pipes, causing backup.

Bad Odors: Rotten debris caught in the drain emits awful smells.

Water Damage: Overflows from clogged drains cause costly damage to property.

Higher repair costs: minor clogs might become major, which will eventually affect your pocket.

You will save money by choosing cheap drain cleaning in San Diego while ensuring that your plumbing system works correctly.

Warnings That You Should Have Professional Drain Cleaning

Most of the time, there are precursors to a plumbing emergency before clogs or blockage in your drains occur.

It Takes Too Long for Water to Drain

A buildup in your pipes is typically the cause of slow draining times from sinks, showers, and bathtubs.

Regular Clogs

Blockage in the same drain is a sure sign of a deeper problem.

Rotten Odors

Foul smells in your drains indicate trapped organic matter.

Gurgling Sounds

The drain emits gurgling or bubbling sounds; it may be clogged.

Do not wait to get cheap, yet effective cleaning of your drain if you have noticed such symptoms.

Methods Applied in Drain Cleaning

Experts providing low-cost drain cleaning in San Diego employ a range of sophisticated techniques to clear blockages effectively:

1. Snaking or Auguring

A drain snake is a flexible metal coil inserted into the pipe to manually remove obstructions. This technique is excellent for minor blockages.

2. Hydro Jetting

For severe clogs, hydro jetting involves high-pressure water to clean your pipes thoroughly by removing grease, tree roots, and buildup.

3. Camera Inspections

Video camera inspections ensure accurate diagnoses of the type and location of the clog, thus less guesswork is involved.

4. Chemical Drain Cleaners

Not always recommended because of possible damage to your pipes, yet some chemical solutions are used as an eco-friendly way to dissolve the blockage.

Professional plumbers select the best suited method according to your needs and ensure that no damage is done to your plumbing system.

Find the Right Affordable and Competent Drain Cleaning Services

For affordable drain cleaning in San Diego, observe these guidelines for guaranteed quality service delivery:

1. Check Credentials

Check their licenses and insurance for plumbing service delivery.

2. Read Reviews

Customer reviews and testimonials reveal information about the credibility of the company and quality delivery.

3. Compare Quotes

Get quotations from various providers operating in your local area for finding the best available deal with minimum compromise on the quality aspect.

4. Ask About Guarantees

Choose a company that offers guarantees on their work, ensuring peace of mind.

5. Inquire About Techniques

Confirm that they use advanced tools and methods, such as hydro jetting or camera inspections, for effective results.

DIY Drain Cleaning vs. Professional Services

Many homeowners will try DIY ways to save money. However, most of the time, professional services end up costing less in the long run. Here’s why:

Pros of DIY

A quick fix for small blockages.

Lower initial expense.

Cons of DIY

The risk of pipe damage with the wrong tool or chemical.

Temporary fixes, not long-term solutions.

Failure to diagnose the underlying plumbing issue.

Spending on professional service means the issue is dealt with promptly and there won’t be a chance of additional damage.

Preventive Maintenance Measures

To minimize the rate at which drain cleaning is required:

Do not Pour Grease Down the Drain

Grease solidifies in the pipes and causes very stubborn blockages.

Use Drain Screens

Put screens on the drains to screen debris and hair.

Flush Drains Regularly

Pour boiling water or a mixture of vinegar and baking soda down your drains weekly to avoid buildup.

Schedule Annual Maintenance

Regular inspection and cleanings by professionals ensure that your plumbing is always up to scratch.

Conclusion

It is not necessary to spend a lot of money on unclogging or slow-moving drains. Instead, cheap drain cleaning in San Diego can be your best bet in order to regain the efficiency of your plumbing system. Professional services ensure long-lasting results, thereby preventing further damage and costly repairs.

Expert, reasonably priced, and dependable drain cleaning services are offered by EZ Heat and Air. Our committed staff is here to offer the greatest service at the most affordable costs. Contact us right now for hassle-free plumbing services!