#support zoos and aquariums | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

notbecauseofvictories · 2 months

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Hi Sarah, I'm going to visit Chicago in a couple of weeks and when I think of Chicago I think of you. What would you recommend I visit/do?

Unfortunately, Chicago is not its best self for a couple months---while I maintain that the city is for all seasons, summer is undoubtedly when it's most alive. However, there are a couple things I will definitely recommend for the unseasonably warm spring traveler:

(1) Eat some food

A friendly word of warning: do not be tricked into eating Giordano's or Lou Malnotti's. Perhaps your companions might try to win you over with promises of Chicago-style hotdogs---do not be swayed! You must manfully resist! (Harold's Chicken is that good though, and if you're close to the one in Hyde Park, feel free to devour the three piece dinner of your choice. Cheap bottle of the too-sweet wine I preferred as an undergrad optional.)

A much better option is to find a place that serves whatever food you love, but does it really really well.

Do you like sophisticated twists on a brewpub menu? Try Moody Tongue in the South Loop

Or are you really more of a tapas person? Highly recommend mfk in Lincoln Park

Would you prefer something a little....meatier? My favorite steakhouse in Chicago is Tango Sur (though I would argue their empanadas are really the showstopper)

There's nowhere in the city that does Hong Kong-style barbecue like Sun Wah in Uptown---I just stopped by after the parade for the Lunar New Year, the duck is to die for.

Are you on the West Side? First of all, do not go to Big Star. I mean, it's fine, but....come on. I'd pick Forbidden Root instead, or head over to Pilsen for Rubi's if you can't survive without tacos.

There are so, so many different bars I would recommend. Chicago was the home of bootleggers for a reason, goddamn it. Still, if you can't get to Wang's (look, I like Violet Hour too, but sometimes you don't want to drink in near-darkness), Koval (the rare distillery in Chicago), or any of the many, many craft breweries we have in the city right now, you probably can stop by one of the many, many, many bars we have in Chicago, and get a drink anyway.

There are more---of course there are more!---but we don't have all day. So instead I will leave you with this bit of wisdom: don't eat at Navy Pier or anywhere too close to Lincoln Park Zoo. If you are at a bar, don't settle for a burger when sometimes, the chicken tenders are actually better. And if you absolutely must go somewhere for pizza, choose Pequod's.

(2) See a thing

Chicago has many things in it! So many things! A hundred thousand things! Unfortunately, I don't know what you're into, so I will just talk about them in general.

MUSEUMS: I am a devoted museum-goer, and Chicago has blessed me with an endless feast. There are the big ones, of course---the Field Museum of Natural History, the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Art Institute of Chicago. However, my favorites are smaller, more unique: the International Museum of Surgical Sciences, Intuit (though it's temporarily closed, more's the pity), the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures at UChicago, the Lincoln Park Conservatory. That's not even all the museums in Chicago! That's not even all the museums that I've been to. It's amazing.

EVENTS: I once joked that I was a person who needed to schedule her enrichment like a blue-haired senior, but the joke was on me---I am that person! Fortunately, Chicago supports me in this endeavor by publishing many, many different calendars of "what to do this week or weekend". Do you want to see something onstage? Well, here you go. How about some classical music? I have a trusty guide. What about non-classical music? Always go to the Chicago Reader for that. Are you thinking of catching a game? Well, we're still in spring training for the Cubs and Sox, but the Bulls are doing okay even if the Blackhawks aren't, and we've got soccer (male and female) now too!

(Unfortunately, the Chicago Sky aren't playing right now, they're my favorites.)

OTHER: Unless you are extremely efficient, coming here and eating good food, doing one other thing, is more than enough. I promise it is! However, if you have more time, I definitely recommend just---wandering around. The Loop in particular is great for this, because it's reasonably small and everyone there is busy doing things. Going places, talking on phones, getting into or out of ubers, protesting outside of the Daley center, etc. etc. It's amazing to watch, and the buildings are pretty neat too.

Or you could wait a couple months, and take the Chicago Architecture Boat Tour, which I think should be a requirement for all Chicagoans. Maybe even everyone alive in the world. Just saying.

(3) Walk along the lakeshore

Chicago offers many delights, but I really do believe that Lake Michigan and its vast expanse of water, sky and space, is a unique gift to the city. It is beautiful in winter, in spring, in storms, in sun. It is free. You can sit in the grass or the sand or amble along its broad paths for miles, looking at unexpected art installations and waving grasses and the way the beaches slope to the water; you can talk to a friend or watch bikers and joggers pass you by. In the summer, there are a dozen different stands offering warm elote or cold soda, and cheerful men on jingling bike carts that will sell you neon orange push pops. In the winter, there are still bikers and joggers but also Canada geese, and you can stare mournfully at the slate grey water and ponder existence.

It is the heart of Chicago. Nelson Algren called us an "October city, even in summer"; Carl Sandburg described us as a shirtless dude who gives great oral. Personally, I think of Montrose Beach in the setting sun of winter, the sand almost too cold to touch---and beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

#city of the big shoulders

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doubledash7 · 10 months

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I always love more variety in my game, and I love the conversion of The Sims careers to The Sims 2 by LientebollemeiS2I. I wanted to make them more integrated though, so with the permission of LientebollemeiS2I, here are my amendment's to these careers to include:

Chance cards (for every level)

Different career levels (since some of the levels match other careers)

Connection to University Majors

LifeTime wants! The only things they don't have are specific career rewards and Wants that will roll in the Wants and Fears panel.

Please see below for a list of the career levels (the first three levels are matched for Teen/Elder) and also links if you need information such as job descriptions, wages, work days and skill requirements:

Animal Care (https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Animal_care)

SimFileShare or MediaFire

Level 1: Dog Walker Level 2: Obedience Trainer Level 3: Sheep Custodian Level 4: Aquarium Technician Level 5: Zoo Keeper Level 6: Dolphin TRainer Level 7: Animal Acting Coach Level 8: Alligator Relocator Level 9: Veterinarian Level 10: Pet Stylist

Circus (https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Circus)

SimFileShare or MediaFire Level 1: Popcorn Vendor Level 2: Ticket Taker Level 3: Midway Carnier Level 4: Sideshow Barker Level 5: Clown Level 6: Human Cannonball Level 7: Acrobat Level 8: Trapeze Artist Level 9: Lion Tamer Level 10: Ringmaster

Fashion (https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Fashion)

SimFileShare or MediaFire Level 1: Department Store Clerk Level 2: Tailor Level 3: Makeup Artist Level 4: Painter's Model Level 5: Fashion Photographer Level 6: Tradeshow Model Level 7: Runway Model Level 8: Supermodel Level 9: Fashion Columnist Level 10: Fashion Designer

Hacker (https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Hacker)

SimFileShare or MediaFire Level 1: Beta Tester Level 2: Support Tech Level 3: Web Master Level 4: Hacker Level 5: Security Consultant Level 6: Software Designer Level 7: Internet Entrepreneur Level 8: Software CEO Level 9: Venture Capitalist Level 10: Information Overlord

Xtreme (https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Xtreme)

SimFileShare or MediaFire Level 1: Daredevil Level 2: Bungee Jumper Instructor Level 3: Whitewater Rafting Guide Level 4: Extreme Circuit Recruit Level 5: Bush Pilot Level 6: Mountain Climber Level 7: Photo Journalist Level 8: Treasure Hunter Level 9: Grand Prix Driver Level 10: World Surfing Champion

There are four files per career (eg. AdultCareer_AnimalCare, AdultCareer_AnimalCare_Conditions, AdultCareer_AnimalCare_LTW and TeenElderCareer_AnimalCare).

All four files are required and can just be put straight into your downloads folder.

You will notice some of the above career levels do not match the original careers. Some of the levels are already represented in other careers in the game, so I decided to swap some around and include some new jobs.

These files have new GUID numbers, so they should not conflict with other downloads, even the original versions of these careers.

The Lifetime Wants are also compatible with @lamare-sims 50 New Lifetime Wants for Sims 2: https://modthesims.info/download.php?t=669675

I'd like to thank the following members of our community for their assistance in these updates:

@sims2idea-lientebollemeis2i for creating the converted careers to begin with and providing their permission to share my amendments. Their original careers can be found here: https://s2idownloads.blogspot.com/search/label/SFS%20-%201t2%20Maxis%27%20Careers

@lamare-sims for creating the 50 New Lifetime Wants for Sims 2 mod and providing me assistance in making the Lifetime Wants compatible with their mod.

@sharlasims for her assistance and support with creating the chance cards.

@teaaddictyt For her Photoshop skills and support with converting the career icons.

@episims for their assistance troubleshooting the career outfits.

@rio-sims & @palominocorn for creating a tutorial on how to create Lifetime Wants.

I hope you enjoy my version of these careers and please do not hesitate to contact me if you run into any trouble. 06/07/2023 - EDIT: Thank you to @lamare-sims who found some errors in the files. I have fixed the LTW and Conditions files to reflect some correct instance numbers and I have reuploaded the zip files to include up the amended files. Please replace these two files for each career if you have already downloaded it. 05/08/2023 - UPDATE: @bothersomecryptid has touched up the icons and been kind enough to share them! They made them with to work better with the Clean UI. You just need to replace the images in the career file through SimPE. You can download at this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q5j3AniepLh_lE_kgWgOYOkZkq9EzHNJ/view 03/09/2023 - EDIT: Thank you to @equinoxts2 and @lamare-sims for their further edits to the conditions files. I have reuploaded all files as new links, so feel free to replace the ones in your game. Children should no longer roll LTW's and you shouldn't get any errors when choosing these LTW's. 06/09/2023 - @venomander has been kind enough to create alternative icons for the careers. You can download them at these links: MediaFile 1

MediaFile 2

#the sims 2 #the sims 2 custom content #the sims 2 cc #the sims 2 careers #the sims 2 lifetime want

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hauntedrain · 4 months

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Part 2: F1 Drivers as Fathers Headcanons

A/N: Not edited.

✧*̥˚ Part two: includes Lando & Oscar*̥˚✧

AN: Not edited.

Lando Norris ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

A goofy dad for sure. Like always joking around and messing with the kids. Would also be the type of dad to agree with random stuff, like bringing an animal home, to buying a stupid toy.

Honestly, it's probably not him saying yes because he wants to keep them happy (even though it's a part of it), but mainly because he genuinely thinks it's a good idea. Like why is it a bad idea to buy a big RV car? or a kitten?

I think he would like to do things like, play games, build Lego sets, or watch movies/TV shows with his kid rather than going out and doing things.

I think once he found out he was going to be a father, he was over the moon with excitement and happiness. Like sweetly bragging about it or bringing it up whenever he could to fellow drivers or friends.

However as for his worries, I don't think he really would have any, and if he did he wouldn't let it get to his head. But I do think he was on high alert to make sure that everything was okay, and that everything was taken care of before and after the baby was born.

I don't think He would necessarily want his kids to get into racing or even push it. I think he wouldn't really care, however if they did get into karting/racing he would be overjoyed and make sure they had everything they needed to be successful and supported.

Like showing up as much as possible to their races, and celebrating if they did good, and even if they didn't do the best competitively wise he would cheer them up somehow. I don't think he would care much in the sense that they're winning or competing well, but rather if they're just having fun and enjoying it.

I think he would like to travel with his kids a lot, like exploring different places and making major memories with them. And best believe he has a photo album with all the photos he took at any place you guys visited.

After every trip, he gets the pictures printed out and as a family, you guys sit down and make and fill the album with the pictures, and decorate it, kinda like a scrapbook or something.

Oscar Piastri ✧･ﾟ: *

Would be a gentle father for sure.

Would be there to help his kids 24/7 or be very protective over them. Making sure they're feeling well all the time, if their shoes are tied correctly, or if they tired he carries them until they get home or aren't tired anymore.

I feel like he would do things like take his kids on a walk, or to something like a zoo, aquarium, park, museum, etc all the time.

I also feel like he would do arts and crafts with his kids if that was something they were interested in.

Like making paper flowers or drawing something with them. or like imagine him lying down on the living room floor with his kid, having colored pencils and crayons around them while coloring in coloring books together. ( he also probably has his own coloring book of cars or animals tbh)

As for him finding out he was going to be a father, I think he wouldn't be worried but rather very happy. Like all smiley and shit since he found out.

He would make sure everything was perfect for his kid, like having a checklist of things you guys need for the house or nursery. Or even reading things to support you and his child throughout and after to make sure things can go as smoothly as possible, and that he can be helpful and useful for anything you or the kid needs.

I think he would enjoy it if his kids could be at his races, even though he knows it is hard to travel all the time, but I do think he would like the idea of being able to spend that time with his family and if there was free time between each weekend and location he would take you guys to explore around the area.

As for if he cares if his kids get into racing or karting, I don't think he would really care. He would love it if they did, but on the other hand, I think he wouldn't want them to get hurt or anything like that and probably silently prefer if they picked a different sport or something not related to sports, like speech & debate or something like that.

⭒❃.✮:▹A/N: I'm sorry for not posting in a while, I got a bit sick and school is starting up again. I'm also sorry if this isn't the best, I think I'm forming a small writer's block, so I was struggling to come up with ideas (especially for Lando? I don't know why.) However I hope you still like it, Love you guys <3

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bonefall · 4 months

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Don’t know if this is the right place to ask, but could you talk more about zoos? I’ve seen many people say that zoos are inherently exploitative and that we should instead focus on advocating for wildlife preserves, etc., but I’m not sure what to think of that. You seem to know a lot about wildlife protection, so what’s your opinion on this?

There are folks faaaar better than myself to talk about the issues of zoos specifically and I'll try to toss in some sources so you can go and learn more, but let me try and explain my mindset here.

Summary of my opinion on this: BOTH of these things can be poorly managed, and I broadly support both. They should exist in tandem. I am pro-accredited zoo and am extremely sensitive towards misinformation. I also do think the best place for animals to be is in their natural environment, but nature "preserves" aren't inherently perfect. They can also be prone to the capitalist (and colonialist) pressures that less informed people believe they're somehow immune to.

Because of the goal of my project being to make the setting of WC accurate to Northwestern England, my research is based on UK laws, ecology, and conservation programs.

On Zoos

On Nature Reserves

An Aside on Fortress Conservation

On Zoos

The legal definition of a Zoo in the UK (because that is what BB's ecological education is based around), as defined by the Zoo Licensing Act of 1981 (ZLA), is a "place where wild animals are kept for exhibition to the public," excluding circuses and pet shops (which are covered by different laws.)

This applies equally to private, for-profit zoos, as well as zoos run by wildlife charities and conservation organizations. Profit does not define a zoo. If there's a place trying to tell you it's not a zoo but a "sanctuary" or a "wildlife park," but you can still go visit and see captive wild animals, even if it's totally free, it's a marketing trick. Legally that is still a zoo in the UK.

(for fellow Americans; OUR definition is broader, more patchwork because we are 50 little countries in a trenchcoat, and can include collections of animals not displayed to the public.)

That said, there's a HUGE difference between Chester Zoo, run by the North of England Zoological Society, which personally holds the studbooks for maintaining the genetic diversity of 10 endangered species, has 134 captive breeding projects, cultivates 265 threatened plant species, and sends its members as consultants to United Nations conferences on climate change, and Sam Tiddles' Personal Zebra Pit.

Sam Tiddles' Personal Zebra Pit ONLY has to worry about the UK government. There's another standard zoos can hold themselves to if they want to get serious about conservation like Chester Zoo; Accreditation. There are two major zoo organizations in the UK, BIAZA and EAZA.

(Americans may wonder about AZA; that's ours. AZA, EAZA, and BIAZA are all members of the World Association of Aquariums and Zoos, or WAZA, but they are all individual organizations.)

A zoo going for EAZA's "accreditation" has to undergo an entire year of evaluation to make sure they fit the strict standards, and renewal is ongoing. You don't just earn it once. You have to keep your animal welfare up-to-date and in compliance or you will lose it.

The benefit of joining with an accredited org is that it puts the zoo into a huge network of other organizations. They work together for various conservation efforts.

There are DOZENS of species that were prevented from going extinct, and are being reintroduced back to their habitats, because of the work done by zoos. The scimitar-horned oryx, takhi, California condor, the Galapagos tortoise, etc. Some of these WERE extinct in the wild and wouldn't BE here if it hadn't been for zoos!

The San Diego zoo is preventing the last remaining hawaiian crows from embracing oblivion right now, a species for which SO LITTLE of its wild behavior is known they had to write the book on caring for them, and Chester zoo worked in tandem with the Uganda Wildlife Authority to provide tech and funding towards breakthroughs in surveying wild pangolins.

Don't get me wrong;

MOST zoos are not accredited,

nor is accreditation is REQUIRED to make a good zoo,

nor does it automatically PROVE nothing bad has happened in the zoo,

There are a lot more Sam Tiddles' Personal Zebra Pits than there are Chester Zoos.

That's worth talking about! We SHOULD be having conversations on things like,

Is it appropriate to keep and breed difficult, social megafauna, like elephants or cetaceans? What does the data say? Are there any circumstances where that would be okay, IF the data does confirm we can never provide enough space or stimulation to perfectly meet those species' needs?

How can we improve animal welfare for private zoos? Should we tighten up regulations on who can start or run one (yes)? Are there enough inspectors (no)?

Do those smaller zoos meaningfully contribute to better conservation? How do we know if they are properly educating their visitors? Can we prove this one way or the other?

Who watches the watchmen? Accreditation societies hold themselves accountable. Do these organizations truly have enough transparency?

(I don't agree with Born Free's ultimate conclusion that we should "phase out" zoos, but you should always understand the opposing arguments)

But bottom line of my opinion is; Good zoos are deeply important, and they have a tangible benefit to wildlife conservation. Anyone who tries to tell you that "zoos are inherently unethical" either knows very little about zoos or real conservation work, or... is hiding some deeper, more batshit take, like "having wild animals in any kind of captivity is unlawful imprisonment."

(you'll also get a lot more work done in regulating the exotic animal trade in the UK if you go after private owners, btw. zoos have nothing to do with how lax those laws are.)

Anyway I'm a funny cat blog about battle kitties, and the stuff I do for BB is to educate about the ecosystem of Northern England. If you want to know more about zoos, debunking misconceptions, and critiques from someone with more personal experience, go talk to @why-animals-do-the-thing!

Keep in mind though, again, they talk about American zoos, where this post was written with the UK in mind.

(and even then, England specifically. ALL UK members and also the Isle of Man have differences in their laws.)

(If anyone has other zoo education tumblr blogs in mind, especially if they are European, lmk and I'll edit this post)

On Nature Reserves

Remember how broad the legal definition of a zoo actually was? Same thing over here. A "nature reserve" in the UK is a broad, unofficial generic term for several things. It doesn't inherently involve statutory protection, either, meaning there's some situations where there's no laws to hold anyone accountable for damage

These are the "nature reserve" types relevant to my project; (NOTE: Ramsar sites, SACs, and SPAs are EU-related and honestly, I do not know how Brexit has effected them, if at all, so I won't be explaining something I don't understand.)

Local Wildlife Site (LWS) Selected via scientific survey and managed locally, connecting wildlife habitats together and keeping nature close to home. VERY important... and yet, incredibly prone to destruction because there aren't good reporting processes in place. Whenever a report comes out every few years, the Wildlife Trust says it often only gets data for 15% of all their registered sites, and 12% get destroyed in that timeframe.

Local Nature Reserve (LNR) A site that can be declared by a district or county council, if proven to have geographic, educational, biodiversity, or recreational value. The local authority manages this, BUT, the landowner can remain in control of the property and "lease" it out (and boy oh boy, landowners do some RIDICULOUS things)

National Nature Reserve (NNR) This is probably closest to what you think of when someone says "nature reserve." Designated by Natural England to protect significant habitat ranges and geographic formations, but still usually operates in tandem with private land owners who must get consent if they want to do something potentially damaging to the NNR.

Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (pronounced Triple S-I) A conservation designation for a particular place, assessed and defined by Natural England for its biological or geographic significance. SSSIs are protected areas, and often become the basis for NNRs, LNRs, Ramsar sites, SACs, SPAs, etc.

So you probably noticed that 3/4 of those needed to have the private ownership problem mentioned right in the summary, and it doesn't end there. Even fully government-managed NNRs and SSSIs work with the private sectors of forestry, tourism, and recreation.

We live under Capitalism; EVERYTHING has a profit motive, not just zoos.

I brushed over some of those factors in my Moorland Research Notes and DESPERATELY tried to stay succinct with them, but it was hard. The things that can happen to skirt around the UK's laws protecting wildlife could make an entire season of Monty Python sketches.

Protestors can angrily oppose felling silver birch (a "weed" in this context which can change the ecosystem) because it made a hike less 'pretty' and they don't understand heath management.

Management can be reluctant to ban dogs and horses for fear of backlash, even as they turn heath to sward before our eyes.

Reserves can be owned by Count Bloodsnurt who thinks crashing through the forest with a pack of dogs to exhaust an animal to death is a profitable traditional British passtime.

Or you can literally just pretend that you accidentally chased a deer for several hours and then killed it while innocently sending your baying hounds down a trail. (NOTE: I am pro-hunting, but not pro-animal cruelty.)

The Forestry Commission can slobber enthusiastically while replacing endangered wildlife habitats with non-native, invasive sitka spruce plantations, pretending most trees are equal while conveniently prioritizing profitable timber species.

I have STORIES to tell about the absolute Looney Tunes bullshit that's going on between conservationists and rich assholes who want to sell grouse hunting access, but I'll leave it at this fascinating tidbit about air guns and mannequins which are "totally, absolutely there for no nefarious reason at all, certainly not to prevent marsh harriers from nesting in an area where they also keep winding up mysteriously killed in illegal snares, no no no"

BUT. Since Nature Reserve isn't a hard defined legal concept, and any organization could get involved in local conservation in the UK, and just about anyone or anything could own one... IT'S CHESTER ZOO WITH THE STEEL CHAIR!!

They received a grant in 2021 to restore habitat to a stretch of 10 miles extending outside of their borders, working with TONS of other entities such as local government and conservation charities in the process. There's now 6,000 square meters of restored meadow, an orchard, new ponds, and maintained reedbeds, because of them.

It isn't just Chester Zoo, either. It's all over the UK. Durrel Wildlife, which runs Jersey Zoo, just acquired 18,500 acres to rewild in Perthshire. Citizen Zoo is working with the Beaver Trust to bring beavers back to London and is always looking for volunteers to help with their river projects, and the Edinburgh Zoo is equipped with gene labs being used to monitor and analyze the remaining populations of non-hybrid Scottish Wildcats.

The point being,

Nature preserves have problems too. They are not magical fairy kingdoms that you put up a fence around and then declare you Saved Nature Hooray! They need to be protected. They need to be continuously assessed. They are prone to capitalist pressures just like everything else on this hell planet. Go talk to my boy Karl he'll give you a hug about it.

"Nature Preserves" are NOT an "alternative" to zoos and vice versa. They do not do the same thing. A zoo is a center of education and wildlife research which displays exotic animals. A nature preserve is a parcel of native ecosystem. We need LOTS of nature preserves and we need them well-managed ASAP.

We could never just "replace" zoos with nature preserves, and we're nowhere near the amount of protected ecosystem space to start thinking of scaling back animals in captivity. Until King Arthur comes out of hibernation to save Britain, that's the world we live in.

An Aside

My project and my research is based on the isle of Great Britain. The more I learn about the ecosystems that are naturally found there, the more venomously I reject the old lie, "humans are a blight."

YOU are an animal. You're a big one, too. You know what the role of big animals in an ecosystem are? Change. Elephants knock over trees, wolves alter the course of rivers, bison fertilize the plains from coast-to-coast. In Great Britain, that's what hominids have done for 900,000 years, their populations ebbing and flowing with every ice age.

Early farming created the moors and grazing sheep and cattle maintain it, hosting hundreds of specialist species. Every old-growth forest has signs of ancient coppicing and pollarding, which create havens for wildlife when well-managed. Corn cockle evolved as a mimic of wheat seeds, so farmers would plant it over and over within their fields.

This garbage idea that humans are somehow "separate" from or "above" nature is poison. It's not true ANYWHERE.

It contributes to an idea that our very presence is somehow damaging to natural spaces, and to "protect" it, we have to completely leave it alone. NO! Absolutely NOT! There are places where we have to limit harvesting and foot traffic, but humans ALWAYS lived in nature.

Even the ecosystems that this mindset comes from rejects it, but this shit doesn't JUST get applied to British people who become alienated and disconnected from their surroundings to the point where they don't know what silver birch does.

It's DEADLY for the indigenous people who protect 80% of our most important ecosystems.

It's a weapon against the Maasai people, stopped from hunting or growing crops on their own land. It's violence for 9 San hunters shot at by a helicopter with a "kill poachers on-sight" policy, as one of the world's LARGEST diamond mines operates in the same motherfucking park. The Havasupai people are kept out of the Grand Canyon that they managed for generations because they might "collect too many nuts" and starve squirrels, Dukha reindeer herders suddenly get banned from chopping wood or fishing, and watch wolves decimate their animals in the absence of their herding dogs.

It's nightmare after nightmare of human displacement in the name of "conservation."

That all ties back to that mindset. This idea that nature is pure, "pristine," and should be totally untouched. There are some starting to call it Fortress Conservation.

You can't begin to understand the criticisms of modern conservation without acknowledging that we are still living under the influence of capitalism and colonialism. Those who fixate on speaking for "animals/nature/trees who don't have a voice" often seem to have no interest in the indigenous people who do.

Listen. There's no simple answer; and the solution will vary for each region.

Again, my project is within the UK, one of the most ecologically devastated areas in the world. There are bad zoos that the law allows a pass. There are incredible zoos that are vital to conservation, in and outside of the country. There's not enough nature preserves. The best ones that exist are often exploited for profit.

I hope that my silly little blog sparks an interest in a handful of people to understand more about their own local ecosystems, and teaches folks about the unique beauty even within a place as "boring" as England.

But, my straightforward statement is that I have no patience for nonconstructive, broad zoo slander that lumps together ALL of them, and open contempt for anyone who tries to sell nature preserves like a perfect, morally superior "alternative." We need them BOTH right now, and we need to acknowledge that zoos AND preserves have legal and ethical issues that aren't openly talked about.

#ALSO THAT GUIDE IVE BEEN WORKING ON IS DONE #Im just waiting for the input of the sensitivity readers bc I made a whole section on--#How ableis m might express in the different clans #And part of it became a thunder-callout post lmaooooo #Also this zoo doc has been sitting competed in my drafts for a while #All this to say that uh. I hope the strange place they visit in the upcoming se is not a zoo :J #I will hit it with a golf club if it is <3 #Leaning heavily towards the 'oh no two DEMIGODS ended up in a zoo' idea #Which is objectively funnier #And you know what else is objectively funny. When these posts break orbit and then ppl are surprised that i am a kitty cat blog #Hal. It's about Cats.#Bone Babble

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linddzz · 2 months

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Luckily the "what if the SHARK impregnated our ray???" seems to be dying down and bigger news organizations have the corrected information in their articles, but I wanted to share this great blog post by marine conservation biologist David Shiffman that covers both the cool actual science that got overshadowed while actually calling out the facility for how unscientifically they handled it and for the fact that they doubled down (esp since newer media they've put out is softly backtracking and it looks like they're attempting to play it off as a joke that the news misreported. Nope. They put the idea out there like it was as possible as parthenogenesis while calling themselves scientists at a "shark lab")

From the conclusion:

Unfortunately, poor handling of this story has made it likely that we are on track for another year where the most-shared news story about a shark or ray is pseudoscientific nonsense, rather than about their dire conservation needs, their importance to marine and coastal ecosystems, or amazing new discoveries about them. As a longtime supporter of zoos and aquariums and the roles they play in public science education, I am especially troubled by some of the public-facing communications here. If your goal is sharing knowledge with the public, there’s value in gaining accurate knowledge about the subject yourself first. Sharing wrong facts is not “raising awareness” or educating the public, and falsely claiming “anything is possible, don’t trust the experts” is, to put it mildly, not helping the ocean.

It's a great article to drop in if the "omg shark/ray babies???" keeps spreading. Or if you just enjoy niche science drama. The aquarium world doesn't get much of that

#to call them out even harder than the article does: it wasnt a random staff at the facility it was the founder/ceo/curator who owns it #which im fine saying bc she kept signing her full ass name to every statement #and to her double down post thats linked in the article #marine biology #marine life #science education #idk i care a lot about a place calling itself a science center being so fucking bad at it #i guess the aquarium world doesnt need to deal with 'roadside zoo' level nonsense #so now that something like it came up people doing the YOURE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ME

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bignosebaby · 7 months

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Good news for animals in captivity in Canada!

The Jane Goodall act was introduced to the Canadian senate originally in 2020 and again in 2022. It represents some of the strongest legislation for animal protection in the world for species and contains new legal protections for captive big cats, bears, wolves, seals, sea lions, walruses, certain primates, and dangerous reptiles, such as crocodiles and giant pythons. If it passes, the bill will:

Phase out elephant captivity in Canada. Elephants are complex and intelligent animals that require large social groups and often do poorly in captivity, so this would mean an effective end to the practice nation wide.

Ban new captivity at roadside zoos for big cats, bears, wolves, seals, sea lions, walruses, certain primates, and dangerous reptiles. No more private owners profiting off of wild animals kept in unethical conditions!

Require permits for individuals and organizations to acquire or breed big cats and other species.

Create a new designation for Jane Goodall Act ‘animal care organizations,’ including zoos, aquariums and sanctuaries. An effective form of accreditation to make it easier to support appropriate care for captive animals.

It would also support action against wildlife trafficking and improving the conditions of animals currently in captivity. Read more about the act here.

As of June 8, 2023 the bill has passed its first vote in the Senate.

#zoos #jane goodall #cdnpoli #animal welfare #animals #good news #canadian politics

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orcinus-veterinarius · 11 months

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This is a really interesting article! I had no clue so few AZA facilities were true non-profits (only about 23%)!

Let this be a reminder that a zoo being “for-profit” does not mean they’re a front for greedy capitalists. Animal care, facilities maintenance, ex and in situ conversation, and a little something called paying your employees all take money, and a heckin’ lot of it. And more often than not, it’s safer and smarter to not rely on the kindness of donors to keep your zoo afloat.

#and even then zookeepers make pennies. PAY YOUR DANG ZOOKEEPERS!!!!#zoos #aquariums #aza #support zoos and aquariums

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rhoorl · 8 months

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Delta Landscaping | Chapter 2

The Neighborhood Watch Begins

Series Summary: In this AU, the boys of Delta Force start a new business post-Colombia.

Series Masterlist

Rating: Explicit (18+) - not right away, but putting this here as a blanket rating

Word Count: 3.7k

Chapter Warnings: Two of the characters we meet in this chapter are widows, and there is a brief mention of how both of their husbands passed.

A/N: Thank you so much for all the love and amazing feedback on Chapter 1! It seriously tickles me that there are others who find this universe as hilarious and fun as I do.

Although the Triple Frontier boys are the stars of the show, I wanted to explore some of their neighbors’ stories as well. Who knows, maybe some of these characters may play a larger role down the line. One of the neighbors we meet in this chapter, Lucille, is particularly dear to me because she is loosely based on my late abuela.

Finally, one last thing before this chapter – we go slightly back in time from where we ended Chapter 1. This chapter starts a few weeks after Will and Benny move in. Ok, I’m done rambling now … back to Torrey Hills and the shenanigans of Mulefall Court. *cue the Real Housewives music bump*

“¡Mierda! I have more cilantro than I know what to do with,” Lucille says to herself as she grabs some cilantro from her herb garden. “Ay, Julio, I think I’m going to make the boys some food today. Sweet Francisco liked the frijoles I brought over last week and if I have time, I can make some empanadas. Benny practically inhaled them the last time I took them over,” Lucille chuckles to herself.

She had gotten better about not talking to Julio, it had been a year and a half since he passed, but every once in a while she would still talk to him like he was right there next to her.

Lucille and Julio Alvarez were one of the first residents to move to Torrey Hills back in the 90s. The pair saw every neighbor come and go from the block. Julio was the unofficial mayor of Mulefall Court, always inviting neighbors over to his house for get-togethers. And Lucille was the perfect hostess – the life of the party, who could carry a conversation with anyone with anyone, dance, and still manage to find enough time to put together a spread worthy of a Food Network cooking show.

Although they never had children of their own, the couple loved kids and quickly became pseudo-grandparents to the children on the block, including Megan’s son Connor.

Megan and her late husband Jacob moved to Torrey Hills when Connor was four. From the outside, they seemed like a perfect family – young, successful, good-looking, and happy.

Then, Megan’s life was drastically turned upside down one Saturday in January. Jacob went cycling early in the morning, a light mist resting above the ground. It was a weekend routine of his, to go for an early ride before he and Megan would take Connor somewhere fun like the zoo or aquarium.

Unfortunately, he did not make it home that morning. A distracted driver collided with him and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Suddenly, Megan found herself thrust into life as a single mother, trying to piece her life together while continuing to raise her son.

Lucille and Julio helped however they could – babysitting Connor when Megan had to unexpectedly work late or finding an excuse to take him on an adventure to the park or ice cream shop, any way to get him out of the house so Megan had some time to herself.

As Connor grew up, Lucille and Julio were right there. Julio, a former professional baseball player, was the one who taught Connor how to throw a baseball. He tried to influence the boy’s athletic endeavors and supported him in whatever he wanted to do, even though it did break his heart a little when Connor developed an obsession with basketball.

They celebrated birthdays, took day trips to Disney World, and Lucille and Julio were there the day Megan surprised Connor with the dog he had always dreamed of, a corgi he named Bucky after his favorite Marvel character.

The kindness, care, and compassion Lucille extended to Megan was reciprocated nearly a decade to the day after Jacob's death. After a quiet battle with cancer, Julio passed away peacefully with Lucille at his side. It was the first time in 50 years that Lucille had been away from Julio for more than a couple of days.

The couple grew up down the street from each other in Cuba, their families were longtime friends. They both immigrated around the same time, but lost contact. Julio came to the United States by himself ahead of his mother and spent a few years in Sacramento, while Lucille and her family went to Miami. After his mother finally came to the United States, Julio made the trip out to meet her in Miami. It didn’t take long for Julio and Lucille to find each other again and once Lucille turned 18, they decided to get married.

Megan and Connor stepped up for her while they were both mourning as well. They visited Lucille throughout the week, sometimes just to stop by to say hi, other times stopping by to cook a meal together, play board games, or watch the Game Show Network, Lucille always loved Family Feud.

Connor placed a lot of pressure on himself to not only be the man of his own home, but Lucille’s as well. Over the years, Julio tried to teach Connor how to do minor home repairs, to varying degrees of success. Without Julio, Connor took to YouTube and TikTok to not only learn how to fix things but also come up with little fun projects he could do to bring a smile to Lucille’s face, or Lulu as he called her. He taught himself how to make a planter box for her herbs as a surprise and tried his hand at mending her fence following a tropical storm.

Lucille and Megan went through a lot over the past 12 years experiencing a range of emotions from heartbreak to pure happiness. Also, over that time, the duo became the defacto neighborhood welcoming committee. Although they weren’t super close with every single one of their neighbors, they tried to extend some semblance of hospitality to everyone who moved in – including to the two handsome men who moved directly next door to Lucille.

Will and Benny were quick to befriend Lucille after she greeted them one day with a tray of lemonade and cookies as they were out working on their front lawn with their two equally handsome friends in tow. She found the boys were courteous neighbors, always asking if she needed help around the house.

Although she didn’t want all of the fuss, she would humor them by having them fix small things for her like changing a lightbulb or fixing a leak in her bathroom. She was careful to not give them too many jobs, keeping small tasks aside for her favorite neighbor and frequent visitor, Connor.

But, she was in awe at the complete transformation of 319 Mulefall Court from its sad, dilapidated look to a pristine, beautiful home any HGTV show would love to feature. And as much as she loved Connor, the boy oftentimes caused more problems than he fixed. So, when she was sitting on her front porch reading a book, she stopped Benny on his way home after a jog.

“Hola Ms. Lucille,” Benny waved to his neighbor. He had taken his shirt off during his run, tucking it into the waistband of his athletic shorts, so he quickly slipped it back on as he made his way up her driveway.

“I speak English, Benjamin,” Lucille snorted. She liked to tease him about speaking Spanish, but she was actually quite impressed with how much Spanish Benny actually understood. When she would kid with Francisco and Santiago, she found Benny laughing along with them, following the conversation. He definitely knew more than he let on, but was always a bit apprehensive about trying to speak, especially around his friends.

“Sorry, I have to practice when I can. I just … I feel like I’ve learned more living next to you these last few weeks than all the years I’ve known Fish and Pope,” he laughed nervously as he took off his hat and ruffled his hair.

“I’m just playing with you, mi cielo. Besides, those two probably just taught you all of the bad words,” she winked.

“You’re not wrong there,” he smiled. “Hey, when I was in the back yesterday I noticed another part of your fence that looks like it may need some mending. Want me to come over sometime this week?”

“Oh you don’t have to bother with all of that, it’s fine,” she waved him off.

“C’mon, I can’t just sit there and let you have a hole in your fence. Just, let me fix it.” He leaned against the railing on her porch.

She couldn’t resist the puppy dog eyes he was giving her. She had to give it to him, he was a charmer.

“Ok, but on one condition,” she raised her eyebrow as he nodded. “You have to have Connor help you. The boy could stand to have some nice young men to look up to and learn a thing or two from.”

Benny blushed. He didn’t feel like he was a person anyone should ever look up to, not with his past and the things he had done and seen. He didn’t quite know how to respond to Lucille.

She sensed a darkness flicker over the man in front of her. Although she had only known Benny for a couple of weeks, she always saw him as a happy-go-lucky, energetic, yet sweet and considerate man. But seeing how he reacted to her comment, she knew there was something that troubled him.

“Besides,” she decided to cut the awkward silence. “He spends too much time with me, and as hip as I am, I can’t quite relate to him all of the time anymore. It was easier when he was younger.”

“I gotcha, Ms. Lucille. I’ll talk to Megan about getting Connor over here with us and we’ll all fix the fence as…um…un equipo,” he smiled.

_______________________

The next morning on her walk with Bucky, Megan spotted Benny in the garage cleaning the lawn mower.

"Careful or we may all end up hiring you to do our lawns too!" She called over to him with a wink.

He was crouched down facing away from her, a wet patch forming on the small of his back from the sweat. He stopped what he was doing and turned around to see who was talking. Seeing it was Megan (and Bucky), he quickly got up, wiped his hands on a towel, and walked to the front of the driveway.

"Oh hey Mrs. Me- I mean, hey Megan! Ha, I figure you all already have people to do that."

“By people, you mean a 16-year-old who I pay in pizza rolls and video games,” she laughed. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to tell you, I like what you've done with the place, the flowers are really pretty."

Benny was proud of the work he and the boys had done, so any excuse to hear compliments made him grin from ear to ear.

"Thanks, it's been a fun…distraction. I like having projects, I’m actually going to help Ms. Lucille this week and fix her fence with the boys. Do you think that’s something Connor may want to help with? I heard he’s kinda handy. I don’t want to creep in on his territory…”

"Uh oh, are you going to make me the one to tell him there is some hot new competition on the block doing home repairs!"

Benny blushed and took his hat off briefly to comb through his hair before putting it back on.

“I think it’s nice that you want to help Lucille. God love him, but Connor tries to help but he isn’t as … skilled as you guys. He’s had to learn everything by himself.”

“I’m happy to teach him – I’m not a professional by any means, I leave that to my cousins,” Benny cracked a smile. “But I know my way around some tools, enough to be handy.”

“Yea, I think he’d like that. Since Julio passed, Connor doesn’t really have too many men to talk to besides his coach. I think he’d like to … I don’t know, talk with you guys? No pressure or anything, I’m not looking to impose.”

Benny smiled, knowing there was a lot left unsaid. He hadn’t asked too much about either Megan or Ms. Lucille’s past, he just knew both women were widows. But he knew even less about Connor. From what he had seen, he seemed like a good kid, he clearly was if Megan raised him.

“Cool, well maybe between him and the guys and me we can get it done faster so he can go back to playing video games or whatever the hell else kids do these days,” he chuckled. “I’ll text you when we figure out which day we’re going to do it, we’ll probably need to make a Home Depot run or something so maybe he can come with us for that too?”

"Awesome, hey thanks. I think he’ll find it fun," she smiled back at him and turned to continue her walk.

"Wait!" He called, wanting to catch her before she walked away.

"I have something for Bucky, hold up."

He jogged back to the opened garage to a container marked "treats" and pulled out a Milkbone bar.

"This ok to give him?" He showed Megan the treat as Bucky perked up, his little legs going tippy tap on the pavement.

"Oh shit, now he's going to make a beeline here every walk," she sighed.

___________________________

Later that day, Megan and Connor came over to visit Lucille after she called saying she had some leftover empanadas, one of Connor’s weaknesses. As the duo walked towards Lucille’s, Megan took stock of the cars parked in the 319 Mulefall Court driveway, thanks in part to Connor who helped her identify the makes and models: a red Jeep Wrangler, a black TransAm, a green Colorado truck, and a white Volvo C70 convertible.

“Looks like it’s a full house over there, wonder if they’re having a party,” Megan nodded toward the driveway. “Speaking of, I was talking to Benny, he asked if maybe you wanted to go over and help the guys with a project at Lulu’s this week.”

“What project? She hasn’t told me anything needed to be fixed,” Connor looked confused.

“Oh, he mentioned it was something about her fence – I guess he can see it from his backyard. Could be fun for you to have some help? Could learn something…”

Megan hadn’t had a chance to broach the subject with her son and she was a little unsure how he would react.

Connor took a second before responding. “Y-yea, I mean. If they don’t mind.”

“Oh no, it was Benny’s idea!”

“Uh, ok. Yea, that’s cool.”

Megan smiled to herself, seeing her son walk with a little more pep in his step at the idea that the four older guys wanted to maybe spend time with him.

As they walked into Lucille’s house, they smelled more than just leftover empanadas. Megan rolled her eyes. She should have known better. Rather than just “a few of leftover empanadas” Lucille had made a whole spread.

“Wow, it smells amazing in here, Lulu!”

Lucille came from around the corner, wiping her hands on her apron with a big grin on her face.

“I just whipped up a few things, it’s simmering, and should be done soon. Ven mijito,” she motioned to Connor to sit down as she grabbed a plate. “I made empanadas de picadillo, you’re favorite.”

“Yes!” Connor eagerly sat at the table, as Lucille put the plate in front of him.

“Megan dear, would you mind coming upstairs with me? I’m sorting through some old jewelry and I was wondering if you wanted anything.”

“Uh, sure...” she knew Lucille was up to something because Megan hardly wore jewelry.

The two ladies made their way up the stairs and into Lucille’s bedroom, straight towards the two large windows that formed the corner of her room.

“Do you keep your jewelry in the window frames?” Megan snorted. She really had no idea what Lucille was up to.

“No tonta, something better is over here,” she motioned out of the window.

Walking over to the windows, Megan saw a perfectly unobstructed view into the next-door neighbor’s backyard where four men were relaxing and enjoying a chill pool day. She quickly scanned to see what they all were up to.

Frankie was by the grill, beer in hand. He opened the grill to flip some of the burgers and skewers, taking his signature hat off to wipe the sweat from his forehead. It didn’t look like he had gotten in the pool yet. He was wearing a plain white T-shirt with blue and green striped swim trunks and some flip flops. He was bobbing his head to the music playing from the bluetooth speakers perched on the porch.

Santiago was laying on a pool float in black swim trunks, a little shorter in length than Frankie’s. He had his sunglasses on so it was hard to tell if he was taking a nap or not, but he had one arm folded behind his head and the other one resting on his stomach.

The Miller brothers were throwing a football around in the yard. Will, dressed in just red swim trunks, stayed by the back porch near Frankie as his brother, donned in hot pink swim trunks and a black backward baseball cap, ran different routes across the backyard. After urging his brother to throw a harder pass, Benny bobbled it, resulting in the ball landing in the pool, splashing Santiago – who clearly had been taking a nap.

Lucille’s windows were closed, so they couldn’t hear what the boys were saying but it was clearly some good-natured ribbing. Santiago swam to the edge of the pool, pulling himself out of the water and then promptly chasing after Benny, tackling him in the lawn as they laughed. Eventually the two got up and headed back toward the porch, but as they passed the pool Santiago pushed Benny in – his final revenge for having his nap interrupted.

“How long have you been holding out on me Lulu?” Megan smirked, knocking her shoulder into the older woman.

“It’s a pretty nice show isn’t it.” she giggled. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"Taking a picture for Katie. I think she may have a crush on Will and what kind of friend would I be if I didn't report a discovery like this?" Megan smirked.

Katie was the newest member of the neighborhood until the Millers moved in. After her divorce, she packed her life up and decided to move to Florida on her own. She wanted to escape the cold and, more importantly, anything that would remind her of her ex. Since she worked from home, it seemed like an easy decision.

She originally had her sights set on 319 Mulefall Court and its expensive backyard. She didn't mind projects, but that house was a little too far gone for her so she decided on the other fixer-upper on the block, 323 Mulefall Court.

Megan liked Katie and quickly brought her into the fold, including the coveted neighborhood group chat. Though Megan didn’t date too often, she found herself going out occassionally with Katie, acting as her wingwoman. Megan also tried setting Katie up with her coworkers and friends of friends, but nobody ever seemed to catch Katie’s eye.

But, when Megan met Will she just knew she had to introduce him to Katie. They were both good looking, so she had no doubts there would be a physical attraction. For the little she knew of Will, he seemed to be considerate and respectful and although he was more reserved than his boisterous little brother, he had a quirky, dry sense of humor. Katie was also a bit on the quiet side, but she was a lot of fun once she felt comfortable.

Megan: *sends photo*

"This is going to be good … let's see what they say," she smirked, showing Lucille her phone.

"Ay díos mio. You all are too much!"

"I see David typing, I knew he would be the first one!"

David: Where are you, why didn’t you invite me, and can I come?

Tyson: 👀 ok, but seriously….

Olivia: Megan!! A warning next time, holy shit the kids had my phone!

Melissa: oh my…

Megan: 🤭 I just had to. This is Lucille's view.

Tyson: Damn, Ms. Lucille! I see you with a front row to the eye candy! 👏🏼

David: Is it just him out there or are the others there too? I'm trying to see the one that always wears the hat off. 🥵

Melissa: Which one, D? There are two who always have hats on.

David: The one with the dark hair.

Tyson: Jesus Christ, David. How many times do I have to tell you his name is Frankie?!

David: Yessssss 😍

Megan: *sends photo*

Megan: Just for you D! 😘

David: PAPI!! 😍

David: You're a real one Megan!

Megan: Katie?! Are you there? You've been quiet …

Katie: I don't even know what to say … 😂

Melissa: Oooo Katie, do you think Will is hot?!

Olivia: Oh, Katie! Please say yes. If I wasn't married I'd climb that man like a tree!

Katie: You guys!! Ms. Lucille is on this group chat!

Lucille: Mi amor, I have eyes.

David: Hell yes you do queen!!

David: So when can we come over?!

Katie: We shouldn't spy on them…c'mon…

David: Boooo

Megan: Well, I have thoughts. They’re coming over to fix Lucille’s fence this week. It wouldn’t be spying if we are already over here for a…happy hour? Also thinking we invite them to a pool party of our own. 😉

Melissa: I love that idea!! We are happy to host the party, we just finished the pool this week!

Olivia: Oh that would be awesome, anything to tire out the kids so they actually sleep.

Tyson: Yess! What a great way to get to know our neighbors … right? I mean, we want to make sure they feel verrry welcome here. 😜

Megan: It’s a plan!

Megan: *changes the name of the group chat to “Neighborhood Watch”

David: LOL! Wtf is Neighborhood Watch?

Megan: It’s for Olivia - that way when she sees this chat she knows there may be something not kid friendly on it lol

Olivia: 🤦🏾‍♀️ You all are too damn much!!

Megan: Ok, it’s settled. I’ll let you know when the guys are going to come over to fix the fence. When you're all here we can plan the party. Now, got to go! Lucille and I are going to get back to our view!

David: Ughhh of all days for us to go to the beach. Thanks a lot Ty!

Tyson: Love you too babe!

“This is going to be fun,” Megan said triumphantly over to Lucille who was just shaking her head as she was reading through the texts.

Next Chapter

A/N: We’ll learn more about the other members of the group chat throughout the next couple of chapters.

Let me know if you want to be on the tag list moving forward!! Apologies if I accidentally left you off. I added everyone below manually and may have missed someone … just let me know!

@goodwithcheese / @gemmahale / @trulybetty / @patti7dc / @periodtsparadox / @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin / @maggiemayhemnj / @mysterious-moonstruck-musings / @avastrasposts / @meveispunk / @chaoticfestninja / @beholdbebravethings / @casa-boiardi / @katw474 / @linzels-blog / @laughing-in-th3-purple-rain / @primosworld / @lynnchun / @anoverwhelmingdin /@lilmizmoz / @pedrit0-pascalit0 / @titlee78 / @noisynightmarepoetry / @legendary-pink-dot

#delta landscaping #the neighborhood watch #triple frontier au #triple frontier fanfiction #triple frontier fic

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judysxnd · 5 months

Note

Hi there!

I have a Pedro x f!reader request, can we get a cute/fluffy date day with Pedro after he comes back from a long filming stint?

idk i was thinking something like the aquarium/the zoo/visit a bookshop an have coffee, shall let you decide!

Thankyou🫶🫶

Proud for finally being able to write something, but again I don't like what I wrote. I'm not overthinking it, I'll publish it either way.

Hope you'll enjoy!

———————————————————————————

Pedro has been away for months now. It's been hard for the both of you, especially this time, because none of you could actually fly to see each other. It never really happens, because you always manage to go and see him, even just for a few days. But this time, your schedule has been hectic and week-ends were shortened because your were spending them working from home.

You still managed to call each other, but never for long, due to the time differences, either one of you got busy at some point. And it is different. It's not physical, sometimes you get to see each other, but most of the time it was only phone calls as you were at work and Pedro on set.

You both felt the frustration. This time, it felt extremely longer, and it irritated you so much. You didn't have your lover by your side, he wasn't here to support you, to help you in hard times, and a text was definitely not enough. Every little things upset you. Not helping, was that every bad things were happening at the same time. It was getting intense and you didn't know how to act anymore.

Neither of you knew when it would end. Pedro told you that it was lasting longer than usual because the weather didn't fit the set and there were some problems with some accessories. It was hard to focus on the good things. You knew what you entering to when you both started to date. You usually managed to go through it, but this time was very different.

You tried so hard to focus on the day he would come back. Seeing him enter the house with his luggage, his exhausted expression with a big smile as he finally sees you in front of him. How you would hug him, very tight because it would still feel like a dream. Smelling his perfume like it was the first time.

What you also loved when Pedro come back is that he always takes you to the most sweet date the next day. It's like a ritual, showing you the love he missed giving you while he was away. Last time he took you to the zoo, you had a nice picnic in a parc not far from it, at the end of the day you drove to the beach for a nice dinner at a restaurant before going back home. You couldn't wait to see what he would prepare for you this time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The day Pedro came back finally arrived. It was long overdue. As soon as he texted that he was driving home, you were standing behind the window waiting for him. You didn't even wait for him to park that you ran outside. He barely had the time to get out of the car that you already in his arms. What you remembered and imagined were real, and it felt even better. He hold you tight and couldn't stop kissing your head. When you finally parted, it was only for a few seconds before you finally kissed each other. A feeling almost forgotten. Time stopped for a minute, nothing else mattered. You were reunited. You spent the rest of the day together, talking about everything, not remembering what you already knew or not. It didn't matter, you didn't see each other for months, you both had a lot to catch on.

The next day, as promised, Pedro took you out. This time he didn't tell where you were going. He didn't let out a thing, not even a hint.

"you know that stresses me out" you tried to convince him

"what?"

"not knowing where we're going" he rolled his eyes as he gently hit your thigh.

"if you must know, we're almost here" you were looking around you, it was the city, nothing weird. It was around 10am so it would definitely be some place to have some coffee or such.

"It doesn't help"

"Cariño" you looked at each other. You missed the pet names. You felt butterflies in your stomach. You were looking around, trying to recognise any place you could. Your eyes lit up when you saw the coffee shop where you had your first date with Pedro. You started to smile. "Why are you smiling?" Pedro asked as he caught a glimpse of you.

"I know where we're going"

"Is that so?"

"Yep. We drove in front of it." You were proud of yourself. Pedro didn't say anything and just turned on the left to a parking lot, and parked the car.

"So, where are we going? If you do know" Pedro asked as he got out of the car. You chuckled as you unbuckled your belt. He was quick to get to you and open the car door for you.

"You mean the coffee shop where we had our first date?" You stared at him with a big smile. Pedro sighed as he closed the door.

"Good reminder that I will have to blindfold you next time"

"Yeah" you playfully hit his arm. You started to walk there, arms intertwined.

Once you were in the place, you were having flashbacks of many memories. It's been a while since you came here. You were both seated to the same table where you had your first date. It made you think about the way you were so shy the first time you were sitting in front of him there.

You both had a wonderful time, catching up about things you both did while separated. You spent a couple of hours talking, reminiscing, not realising how fast the time was flying by. As you both got out of the coffee shop, you walked by to your car, not knowing that Pedro had lots of stuff planned for the rest of the day.

Lunch? A nice picnic in your favorite parc, where you go on a walk regularly together.

Afternoon? A cute trip to the zoo. You were surprised that Pedro took you there because he always hated to see so many people at the same time, but it was a quiet day and he secretly adored to see you fascinated and completely falling in love with all the animals there.

Dinner? A drive-thru and eating in the car parked in front of the nicest view of the city. Simple but always breathtaking. You stayed there the rest of the night, laughing, talking about everything, remaking the world, playing card games.

At some point you were starting to get tired, same for Pedro. The rhythm these past few days plus the jet lag was tough. So you finally head home, head full of new memories. Pedro always makes his return memorable. That's what helps when he is away, you know how special he makes you feel, the way he treats you like his queen.

#fanfic #imagine #pedro pascal #oneshot #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal imagine #pedro pascal preferences #pedro pascal x y/n #pedro pascal one shot #pedro pascal x you #pedro pascal x female reader #pedro x reader #pedro pascal fic #pedro pascal fanfic #pedro pascal fluff

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critter-catcher · 11 months

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Let's talk about gay penguins for the next day of pride month!

I think most people know at this point that penguins are known to be gay, and even lesbian! But what most people don't know is that they've been seen to engage in homosexual behavior since at least as early as 1911!

See a scientist, George Murray Levick, documented the behaviour in Adélie penguins at Cape Adare, but described it as "depraved". He decided it was too shocking for public release so he hid it. The only copies that were made available privately to researchers had the English text partly written in Greek letters, to prevent this knowledge becoming more widely known. The report was unearthed a century later, in June 2012 and was finally published.

(X)

Unfortunately that's not the last time gay penguins would cause an uproar.

There have been a lot of homosexual behavior seen in penguins in captivity, including Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins in New York City's Central Park Zoo. They were noted by staff at the zoo in 1998 to be performing mating rituals, and one of them in 1999 attempted to hatch a rock as if it were an egg. Zoo keepers decided to give them an egg from a pair of penguins, which could not hatch it. Roy and Silo spent two and a half months raising the healthy young chick, a female named Tango. When she reached breeding age, Tango paired with another female penguin named Tanuzi!

(X)

Now for the "controversy".

And Tango Makes Three is a children's book published in 2005, telling the story of Roy and Silo. There was a lot of support, but there was even more backlash. Despite having ten awards and two nominations, it appeared on the American Library Association’s top ten banned books, banned in 2023, 2020, 2017, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, and firstly in 2006, just a year after it was published.

(X)

Alright, enough sad stuff, lets talk happy.

Here's the thing, penguins often lay more than one egg, though usually only one chick will survive. In captivity same sex penguins will adopt (or steal) extra eggs to incubate and raise the chicks! It's likely this happens in the wild, though it’s harder to say. Visibly, male and female penguins tend to only differ in size, and not by much. On top of that, they act very similar, particularly in terms of reproduction. Both males and females invest pretty equally in raising their chicks. That means it’s difficult to tell male and female penguins apart and even more difficult to identify any wild mating pairs as homosexual.

There have been many records of captive same sex penguins, and, there's even what could be considered a non-binary, or genderless, penguin.

In 2019, mothers Rocky and Marama hatched a chick together at sea Life Aquarium in London. This chick caused further controversy after the aquarium announced that it would not be assigning the chick a gender. The chick is identified with a gender-neutral purple tag rather than the usual gendered name and color coded tag. Beyond that, the penguin’s life will be the same as any other penguin at the Aquarium. They say that Gender means nothing to penguins, so why have we continuously assigned it to them? The General Manager of the aquarium comments that the decision to raise a genderless penguin is following an increase in conversations around human gender neutrality.

(X)

#this one got long sorry yall😅#found out a lot more than id already known #animals #nature #critters #wild life #wildlife #animal facts #facts #birds #penguins #gay #homosexual #pride #pride month #lesbian #non-binary #lgbt

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why-animals-do-the-thing · 9 months

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Happy National Zookeeper Week!

I’ll admit, I’m feeling a little spicy about it this year (well, every year) because zoos use the celebration for lots of positive facility PR, yet staff don’t often get the support and respect that is claimed in those posts.

So I want to share this great article written by a zoo industry consulting group last year looking at the reality of what happens when a workforce ends up conflicted between their passion (zoos and animals) and pragmatism (paying rent, existing in a capitalist society). They assessed AZA compensation rates by region against things such as a living wage and rental rates in the area. (All text formatting within quotes, such as bold and italics, is original to the article text.)

I cannot give the Canopy Group enough support for the way they framed this research:

“By observing the economics of keeper compensation, it’s no secret that keepers land on the lower end of the wage spectrum. Like all other wages and salaries, the market value of keeper compensation is driven by several economic factors – including the size of the labor pool, the rigor and danger of the work, the technical ability required, and the educational requirements. However, there is one factor that artificially lowers the market value of keeper compensation more than any other: passion.

In this article, we’ll take a look at why passion lowers the market value of animal care worker wages. More importantly, we’ll consider many factors that have emerged in recent years that are making people reevaluate the value of following their passion – a trend contributing to The Great Resignation, especially as it applies to zoos, aquariums, and similar organizations. (…)

The argument here is passion versus pragmatism: the unknown versus the sure thing. It is a decision all zookeepers and animal care technicians have made. Working with animals is immensely rewarding, but this passion is also very popular. This, historically, has meant that the keeper candidate pool is very large. Therefore, if the wage is livable and working conditions are reasonable, the pool should remain large. In a very real sense, a passion for animals drives down the market value of keeper compensation. Anyone who has been through an Economics 101 course will recognize this as a fundamental market principle: supply vs. demand.

However, many zoos and aquariums are having a more difficult time filling positions than normal and have started to see higher turnover rates in recent years. This begs the question – is the current keeper wage too low?”

Their findings?

Here’s their graph of “the median wage of keepers from organizations in different AZA-defined regions” from an AZA survey done in 2021. (Median is the type of average that looks at the middle of a data set’s range).

The median wage for AZA keepers in the South/Southeast was just over $15/hr at the low end, and the median wage for AZA keepers in the Far West / PNW was a little under $26/hr. That’s pretty dang low everywhere, especially when you factor in the increased cost of living in places like the West Coast. Also consider that looking at the median wage doesn’t mean this reflects just entry-level compensation - this data indicates the the compensation middle for all keeper positions, including people who have built their careers as keepers in those places long-term.

Then, they compared those wages to the “living wage” in each region - which they defined as “a calculation of what it takes to live in a particular area, without any other income. A living wage calculation takes into consideration how many earners are in a household, how many children are being supported, etc. The living wage includes the costs of all the basic items a household needs to be self-sufficient.”

“If you receive a wage for a job that is below the living wage, then you are essentially taking a negative net income. This is unsustainable for the long term, and essentially defines where wages start to exploit passion.”

Here’s a figure they provided using the MIT Living Wage Calculator showing the average living wage for each of the AZA regions. The chart on the left shows the living wage for a single person with no kids; the second, for two parents with two incomes and one child to support.

“By comparing the two graphs [to the earlier graph of the AZA median compensation rates], we find that median wages in the Southeast/South and Southwest regions are lower than the living wage for each household configuration in those regions. In other words, if you are a single person household or part of a two-income household raising 1 child in the South, a starting keeper salary will likely leave you with a negative net income. While many people work at this level, it increases the risk of accumulating debt, lowers a person’s ability to afford a home, set a much later retirement age, and can lead to many other negative, long-term effects.”

Big yikes, right?

Next, they looked at living wage vs. compensation for single parents.

“The single-parent living wage exceeds the average keeper wage in all AZA regions. In fact, the living wage required as a single parent is double the average AZA keeper wage in some regions.”

And then they did housing, specifically, being able to purchase a home.

“In many places, even a two-income household at an average keeper salary would not purchase a mid-level home. This means that keepers have to wait far longer than their peers to purchase a home. While paying rent in the meantime, this rent will account for a larger portion of their income than their peers. All in, these effects can set hopeful homeowners back years or decades.”

Canopy’s conclusion was something anyone involved in the field knew was coming.

“Companies like Chipotle, McDonalds, Best Buy, FedEx, Home Depot, Publix, and Walmart are all offering similar starting wages near starting keeper wages – plus many fringe benefits (like tuition reimbursement) and ample advancement opportunities. Many potential keepers in younger generations are putting their passion on the shelf so they can meet basic standard-of-living concerns.

To attract and retain quality candidates, an organization must consider the journey each new employee would have to make over their career. If the journey is fraught with massive debt, decreased disposable income, and limited career opportunities, then you are limiting your potential candidate pool to the small group of people who have decided that following their passion is worth significant lifelong financial hardship. There are many potential candidates out there willing to sacrifice and arm and leg for animals and conservation, but they wouldn’t dare jeopardize the financial future of their dependents and families.”

This is something I’ve heard about for years, and seen first hand. The low average wage at zoological facilities has been damaging their ability to hire and retain skilled staff for as long as I’ve been involved in the industry. I know so many zookeepers who still have roommates into their 30’s, or work multiple jobs, just to be able to make ends meet.

There’s a mythology about zookeeping jobs, a narrative that seeps into the field and actively exploits people’s passion for the job: it tells people that they’re so lucky to be able to work with these rare and cool animals; that they’re greedy and ungrateful when they ask for more compensation because they’re privileged to get to have the job at all. It says that most people would give anything to have these opportunities, so current zookeepers are interchangable and easily replaceable. Ask for too much? Push for a living wage? There’s always someone willing to take your spot. Not all facilities perpetuate this mentality - some places do treat their staff well without intentionally manipulating them to stay them in unsustainable jobs, and there can be legitimate financial reasons that limit staff compensation (mostly at smaller facilities, afaik) - but it’s a reality in the field.

For a long time, this type of mentality towards staff was sustainable. There really were always more people wanting to work in the field. But now, after three years of pandemic stressors and inflation, it’s starting to be a problem. A lot of staff left during the last few years, and facilities are having a really hard time hiring people and retaining them for any duration. I think a large part of that is low compensation rates. People are prioritizing long-term financial stability and recognizing when their passion is being exploited.

When I first started on tumblr back in 2011, there was a whole group of us within the United States who were baby zookeepers or volunteering as industry hopefuls. We all became friends, and I’ve stayed in touch with, or at least aware of, most of them as their careers progressed. Of the 10-15 or so people in that cohort? I can think of three who are still employed in the zoo industry. Everyone else has moved on into other fields - often with great grief over the loss - because of the extreme emotional labor, the physical exhaustion, and the lack of appropriate compensation.

But I guess that annual pizza party, being featured on social media, and maybe getting additional snacks all week makes up for it all?

#national zookeeper week #zoo industry #living wage #compensation #please support your local zookeeper #AZA accreditation #AZA zoos #zoos

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multimusedreamss · 4 months

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Dᥲtιᥒg thᥱ Evᥲᥒs

Chᥲrᥲᥴtᥱrs: Kit, Kyle (pre & post death), Colin, Jeff + Peter Rᥱᥲdᥱr Tყρᥱ: Gender Neutral Aᥙthor's Notᥱ: This is a repost from my old tumblr blog @/mrs-darling that I had deleted a couple of years ago but still kept this, so I figured I'd share it again. This was also initially a request for just Kit and Kyle but I decided to make it ‘the Evans’ instead! I added Jeff for a laugh, it might actually be a terrible depiction but I tried. Wᥲrᥒιᥒgs: pure fluff & slight NSFW (sex mention & also drug reference because of Jeff)

Kιt Wᥲᥣkᥱr

Kit is super domesticated with or without a significant other, so dating him would be relaxing but still fun

Most of your dates would take place at one of your homes

Whether it was a home-cooked meal that you both cooked together

Or a movie night with all of the sweets and treats that he picked up on the way to your house

Baking together whether it be cookies, cupcakes, cake, or anything really

He loves cinnamon buns though

So that was always a go-to

Drive-in theater dates

Going to the fair together

Kissing at the top of the Ferris wheel

After a while of dating, you’d moved in together

He is really affectionate

I’m pretty sure his love language would be physical touch

So expect to be greeted with a hug and a kiss when he came home from work and also when he left for work or just went anywhere really

Kit is a top-tier boyfriend

He always supported you no matter what you wanted to do

Whether it was a career path you wanted to take, going to college, writing a book, being a waitress, being a chef, having your own business run out of your home

It didn’t matter, you always had his support

He would never let anything bad happen to you

He would straight-up punch a dude if they ever laid a hand on you inappropriately

When he was in Briarcliff, you’d both write to each other as much as possible

You’d also visit as much as they’d allow

When he finally got out, he asked you to marry him

And you had the best wedding you could have asked for

Kყᥣᥱ Sρᥱᥒᥴᥱr (ρrᥱ & ρost dᥱᥲth)

(pre-death)

Kyle is a literal angel

Baby would fall for you so hard so fast

You didn’t mind because you felt the same way about him

When you went to frat parties together, he’d always have a protective arm around you or hold your hand just so everyone knows you're his and none of the frat boys take advantage of you

He’d rarely leave your side at a party because he knows how frat boys can be

You’d do the cutest things together

Like building blanket forts and watching movies with a phone projector

Play board games together

Netflix and chill

Having spa nights occasionally where you’d do face masks and mani/pedis

Of course, he would never let you tell anyone he enjoyed those things

Study together

Which usually ended in a small make-out session as a reward for studying so hard

You’d also do silly things together

Like putting googly eyes on everything in his frat house (it was totally his idea)

Trying new things together

Like having him try a pottery class where he accidentally spun the wheel so much the clay flew off the table

Overall, dating Kyle would be so much fun and he’d treat you like an absolute Queen

(post-death)

You would have dated before he died

Dating post-death Kyle was definitely not the same as dating pre-death Kyle

You had to be extremely patient and understanding with him

You wouldn’t really go out on dates much in the beginning because it was hard for him to act appropriately

As time went on and he got better with going out, you’d go places like the aquarium or the zoo and he’d absolutely love it

Most of your date nights would take place at home

You’d build blanket forts and watch movies, just like you did when he was alive

You’d teach him how to bake

99% of the time the kitchen would be a wreck and you’d both definitely need a shower or bath because of how much of the ingredients got all over the both of you

You’d play games that were easy like Trouble and Candyland

You’d watch all the Disney movies and TV shows together

He’d give the best cuddles

Baby boy loves his cuddles

Wow does this boy love you

He’d literally kill for you in a heartbeat

Totally die for you too

But you would never let that happen because you love him so much

Coᥣιᥒ Zᥲbᥱᥣ

Colin is the sweetest boy ever

Like Kyle, he falls hard and fast

Probably even faster than Kyle

He’s literally a little puppy when you’re dating

Always ecstatic to see you and just wants some love (hugs + kisses)

Since he works so much, he tries to make as much time for you on the weekends as he possibly can

You’d go out to dinner at fancy restaurants

And do more low-key things like cook some dinner and watch a movie

Some nights he’d text you pretty late after he’s been working on a case for hours on end

You’d go over to his house to distract him and make his day less stressful

Because you always made him feel so happy and were a great distraction from his work

Late nights on the couch, drinking beer and talking until the early hours of the night

Sometimes you’d both fall asleep on the couch with his head on your chest

Depending on what time he went to work in the morning, you’d get up early so you could have some breakfast with him

Don’t expect pancakes and eggs

It’s all about the bagels

But you can expect to have peanut butter, cream cheese, and jelly, Nutella, any kind of spread you can think of

He cares about you so much and would do just about anything for you

He’d go out of his way to make you happy with no complaints

Probably would tell you he loved you within 2 months on a whim without thinking it through

But you loved him too so it didn’t scare you away

Jᥱff Pfιstᥱr

Dating Jeff could go one of two ways I think

The two things that remain the same are:

Doing lots of cocaine

And giving lots of head

One way dating him could go is:

He’d probably not consider you his partner for like 6 months, if ever

He isn’t the most caring person, so don’t expect many praises from him

He might have Mutt send you some gifts here and there but he’d never do it himself

Maybe if he likes you enough he’ll send you flowers or something with a note that says ‘thanks for the bjs’

Don’t expect a sappy note from him

If you ever told him you love him, he’d probably laugh and do a line of coke and ask for a bj

After like a year of you two being together, he’d probably say “I guess I love you” or some shit

He’d probably secretly care more than he lets on

Definitely not a top-tier boyfriend but if you want some coke, he’d definitely hook you up for a bj in return

Another way it could go:

You give him the best bj of his life and he’s head over heels for you like a legit puppy

He’d be begging you to come to the office for a line and also a bj as much as possible

Maybe if you’re lucky he’ll give you head (I said maybe)

He’d probably send you flowers that he picked out himself

Not just one bouquet

Like 20 to fill up a room in your house or your whole office

He’d get you a job where he works so that you can be together as much as possible

He doesn’t just like you for your head game

Probably says ‘I love you’ after like 2 months but by accident while you’re giving him head

Dating Jeff isn’t terrible, he does have a soft side that he only shows for you

Pᥱtᥱr Mᥲxιmoff

If you’re dating Peter, you’re in for a wild ride

He probably does the dumbest shit

And you’d probably either join in or record it

He’s pretty funny, so you’d be laughing constantly when you’re with him

Sometimes he can get lost in his video games

So you’d have to pry him away, which isn’t that hard because he’s a puppy for you

He’d fall hard and fast

Of course, it’d fast

Literal simp

You cannot tell me this boy wouldn’t be a simp the second he saw you

If you’re at the X-Mansion with him and were both teachers, you’d constantly be getting into trouble with Logan and Professor X

Logan would be so done with your shit

At one point he’d just groan and roll his eyes and say “Not this shit again” and light a cigar, pretending like he didn’t see a thing

Playing pranks on everyone from the teachers to the kids

The kids obviously love Peter so much and he loves them

So by default, they’d love you too

Peter would take you for runs everywhere

That meant you could go everywhere and anywhere in seconds

Just not over the ocean, he’s not that fast… he’s tried

He’d take you to your favorite state

If you loved Philly cheese steaks, he’d run to Philly and get them for you

If you loved Chicago deep dish pizza, he’d run there and bring it to you

Definitely steal it all because boy is a kelpto

He’d literally do anything you’d ask in a flat-out second

Probably even do that before you were dating because boy was simpin hard

During the holidays, you’d go out and do all the festivities

Including apple picking, dressing up for Halloween, getting pumpkins, going over to each other's houses for Thanksgiving, ice skating around the winter time, spending Christmas morning together, being together for Hanukkah, whichever holiday you celebrate

Overall, dating Peter would be so wholesome but buckle up cuz you’re in for a while ride

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