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mandolovian · 3 years

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1. triple-scented jasmine

pairing: cottagecore!din djarin/the mandalorian x reader

warnings: none! reader has some gently spicy feelings but it’s all pretty mild and full of yearning + fluff + pining

word count: 1.7k

a/n: this entire concept is dedicated to @mndalorians - thank u for fueling both my desire to live in the woods, and also to live in the woods with a tin can metal man. let me know what you think! pls expect more of this world bc i love it so so so so much ✨

You’d been eyeing the Mandalorian that moved into the property across from yours.

It was a rundown bungalow sitting on overgrown land: soil that hadn’t been turned, cobwebs that hadn’t been dusted. The previous owner was a portly man with ruddy cheeks - good-natured in temperament, but heavy-handed with the liquor. Towards the later years of his life, he became increasingly neglectful of the raised garden beds that lined the fences, and the poor citrus trees were left to shrivel into husks of their magnificent beings.

The arrival of a spaceship onto the planet sent many hushed whispers through the little farming community, no matter what kind of spaceship it was. Mira came rushing to your front door that morning, laden with town-gossip and bottles of bantha milk, a little shiny eyed and sweaty at effort it had taken to speed walk to your house in the morning sun.

‘It’s a Mandalorian,’ she stage-whispers, cooling herself with an old newspaper while sitting on your porch steps. ‘All shiny and pretty too. Parked his ship in the old hangars downtown. Probably the only ship in those hangars, to tell the honest truth.’

You lean against the doorframe, picking at a loose string on your apron. ‘What’s a Mandalorian doing around here, Mira?’ you ask.

‘Beats me,’ Mira says, shuffling her heavy skirts to sit more comfortably on the steps. The fabric hides the swell of her belly, and she keeps a hand on it when she leans back to look at you. ‘I heard it’s the same shiny Mandalorian that was shooting up all those Outer Rim cities. Maybe he’s looking to settle down here!’

You look down in exasperation at Mira with raised eyebrows, and she throws her hands up in defence before going back to vigorously fanning herself.

‘Either way,’ she says after a while, getting up with some difficulty. You offer her your arm and she takes it gratefully, heaving herself up to her feet. ‘It’ll be some excitement for us, you know?’

Her voice drops to a stage whisper again as she grabs your forearm, grinning toothily. ‘Maybe he’s single and is really looking to settle down!’

‘Mira please-’

‘I’m just saying!’ she says, waving you off. You help her collect the empty bottles back into her basket, and she waddles back down the porch steps. ‘If that Mandalorian comes knocking at your door, you best be opening it!’

----

Mira wasn’t wrong. He really was quite shiny.

With a mug of coffee and a biscuit, you settle yourself on the window seat and curle up your feet under you. It’s a prime position to look through the cracks of the curtains as the Mandalorian unloads his luggage off the rusty hover-trailer. The sun is high in the sky and shines off his armour as he lifts case after case off the trailer, stacking them on the porch of the bungalow.

A little baby follows the Mandalorian’s feet as he walks from the trailer to the house. Green, about a foot high, and almost entirely composed of petal-ears that raises and lowers in time with the crates that the Mandalorian carried. Your heart tightens a little when the baby trips over his little robe and goes sprawling into an overgrown rosemary bush, and tightens just a little more when the Mandalorian reaches down to pick the baby up, stroke his ears, and press the baby’s forehead to his helmet.

Maybe he is here to settle down.

You concede that he’s difficult to wholly admire from afar, but even with the distance that unfortunately befalls between you, you can tell that he was strong. Broad. You let your mind wander at the sight of his thighs when he kneels to tug at a handful of weeds that prevents his fence from latching firmly.

Capable and compassionate.

And if your eyes flutters shut and your thighs press against each other with just a little bit of pressure? Well, no one needed to know.

-----

‘Hi there!’

If anyone told you that you would open your front door, dressed in a nightdress and slippers, to a fully armoured and incredibly luminescent Mandalorian, you would say they were absolutely dreaming. Even still, there he stands, in his beskar glory, and your breath catches a little at the sight of his broad shoulders taking up nearly all of the doorway.

‘Hello,’ he says, and maker you’re already melting at his voice. ‘My son and I, we just-’ he haphazardly gestures behind him, ‘-moved into the house down there.’

‘I saw,’ you say quietly, choosing to avoid mentioning how much you’ve already stared at him today. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘We don’t seem to have electricity at the house,’ he says with a sigh, tapping his fingers against his belt. ‘There’s nothing wrong with the fuses but the entire system seemed turned off. Would you... would you maybe know why?’

‘You might not have your house connected to the grid,’ you say after a beat, tapping the corner of your lips in thought. ‘That house has been empty for years, of course it’d be disconnected.’

‘Is there a way to fix that?’

You shake your head, and the Mandalorian sighs quietly in response. ‘Not till morning,’ you say. ‘You’ll need to see Ledo Rikil in town tomorrow - he’ll be able to link your house up to the grid.’

‘I see,’ says the Mandalorin. He seems a little sheepish, perhaps dejected, and he lets out a tinny sigh again. Wrapping your arms around your middle, you shift slightly on your feet.

‘If it’s any consolation,’ you begin, not wanting to part so readily, ‘tonight will be warm so you’ll not need any heating, but maybe I can give you some candles for the dark?’

The Mandalorian hums, deep and sugary. Your toes curl inside your slippers at the sound and you feel ever so slightly dizzy. ‘That would be wonderful,’ he said, and stars, was it always going to be like this? Could you keep it together for one conversation?

You usher him over the step into your house, and he gingerly walks in. You can tell that he’s trying his best to avoid stomping on your floorboards, and you know better than to ask him to take his boots off. The Mandalorian carefully moves himself to stand on the rug in your living area - as if he’s a penguin seeking an iceberg on the wooden sea.

‘This is a nice house,’ he says, tilting his helmet as he watched you from the middle of the room. ‘Very… homely.’

He trails off at the end of the sentence, and seems to sink even more sheepishly into his beskar studded boots.

‘You’re allowed to take inspiration, if you like,’ you say with a soft laugh, turning to rummage through your cupboards. ‘Can’t imagine that the old shack has any personality right now.’

‘I haven’t lived in a house in a long time,’ says the Mandalorian, and you hum in response. Out of the corner of your eye, you see him cautiously take a seat at the edge of your couch, rearranging his limbs until his hands were folded on his lap like a regency-era maiden.

‘Well,’ you say, balancing several candles in your arms as you walk over to him, ‘you’ve come to the right place for inspiration and illumination.’

Onto the coffee table in front of him, you lay out the selection: four paraffin pillar candles, a handful of tealights, and one ornate jar, complete with a glass lid. The Mandalorian leans forward and rests his forearms on his knees, tilting his helmet to silently assess your layout.

‘The paraffin ones should be your go-to candles,’ you say, sitting back on your knees on the rug in front of the coffee table. Gently, you push the pillar candles closer to him. ‘They can burn for half a day, and they have a very bright flame. They’ll brighten an entire room with no problem.’

You pick up a tealight, and hand it to the Mandalorian. It sits tiny in the middle of his palm, and he strokes the edge of the wick gently with a gloved finger.

‘Those are good for temporary use,’ you say. ‘Or if you only need light for a small area. Or just for decorating. Up to you, really.’

‘And the glass one?’ he ask.

You pick up the jar and open it, before offering it to the Mandalorian. ‘It’s a housewarming gift,’ you say. ‘Triple-scented jasmine. Made it myself.’

The Mandalorian puts down the tealights, and accepts the jar with as much gentle grace as an armoured man could. ‘You made this yourself?’ he asks, and you nod shyly.

With a quiet groan, you sit up on your knees, and flex side to side to stretch out your sore hips. ‘They’re not too hard to make,’ you say, ‘I could show you one day if you’d like?’

There’s a soft crackle of a laugh, made hoarse by his helmet. It’s warm, delightful, and you wonder what it might feel like against the apples of your cheeks.

‘It’s incredible,’ he say, and you fiddle demurely with the edge of your dress at the praise. ‘Thank you so much for all of this - how could I ever repay you?’

‘Nonsense,’ you say, standing up straight and brushing off your skirts. The Mandalorian stands up with you, and he haphazardly arranges the candles in his forearms before sheepishly accepting a canvas bag from you. ‘Just… come say hello every so often. I’ll introduce you to everyone!’

‘Everyone?’

He’s standing back on your doorstep now, swinging the bag of candles lightly in his left hand. The moonlight shines off the harsh planes of his armour, and you idly wonder how often and how long he spent polishing it. You’d have to ask sometime.

‘It’s a small town,’ you say. ‘We help each other out. It helps knowing one another.’

The Mandalorian steps backwards, carefully down the porch steps and onto your gravel path. ‘I’ll hold you to that,’ he says, tilting his helmet towards you. ‘I’ll see you later.’

You cross your arms against the quiet breeze, and lean against the post. ‘Goodnight, Mandalorian.’

#din djarin x you #din djarin x reader #the mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian x you #the mandalorian #mando #din djarin #dev talks #mandalorian imagine #mandalorian blurb #mando x reader #din djarin blurb #fluff #mywriting #blurb #hmmm will the tags work #anyway goodnight!

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pepperpills · 3 years

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The Harvest - RE8 fanfic

The Harvest

A Resident Evil 8 fan fiction by Joana

Karl Heisenberg x Female Reader

NSFW content

Hi, guys, hope u're enjoying it and if u want, feel free to send a message and share your thoughts.

This is the second half of Part I, when The Harvest actually takes place, as I promised I would be posting it today. Part II will be out next tuesday and has more of Karl's participation.

Part I - Destiny (1)

Part I - Destiny (2)

The site was formed by four giant statues, each one in a corner, in the opposite side of the gate, a low stone fence protected people from falling from a cliff into the misty unknown that laid below. All of its surroundings were made of grey, antique stone, carved directly into the mountain. In the middle stood a symbol in the ground in the shape of an umbrella where the Giant’s Chalice was placed.

Mother Miranda was right in the middle, dressing her usual priest like costume, only this time her areola was bigger. The parents, your parents included, with their anxious expressions, were on the left side, forming a mid-circle. No other villagers were allowed in The Harvest except the children’s guardians, it was exclusive. You smiled to your folks reassuring them that you were okay, prepared. Your mom buried her head deeper in your father chest, but smiled insecurely back at you.

You couldn’t help the feeling that a couple of eyes were laid on you, you felt observed and finally gave up to your curiosity and stared at the lords. Closer to Mother Miranda, on the right side of the site, stood tall Lady Dimitrescu, the tallest person you have ever seen and also one of the most elegant. She wore a white dress that resembled the Greek columns with three black roses on it, red lipstick and a black wide hat. She seemed excited as she analysed the 20s.

Then followed Lady Beneviento, her face covered in a grief veil, she was all dressed in black, except for her doll, Angie, who wore an unclean wedding dress and was laughing almost hysterically for no reason. It would have given you the chills if you weren’t so strangely calm.

The next was Lord Moreau, forever bowed with that bone crown topping his head, he looked like he enjoyed the spirit of the festival, more entertained by its totality than the young people there.

And at last, Lord Heisenberg, a couple of steps from you as you all closed the circle. He was smoking a cigar, making a mess of bracing smoke. He was wearing round sunglasses even though it was already very dark there, his clothes were crumpled and even a bit dirty, but had an explorer’s charm to it as he wore a once-white half unbuttoned shirt, a worn hat, a camel-coloured overcoat and some kind of baggy pants.

You had the uncanny feeling it was his glance that caught you since you arrived there, but couldn’t be sure, once his eyes were hidden from you. The other thing you noticed was that he has kind of handsome with his somewhat grey hair on the height of his bearded chin. Overall, he seemed rough, a brute beauty, but beauty anyway.

The air became denser, like it was charged with electricity, however, scanning your mates, everyone appeared to be still bewitched by Beneviento’s powers, paying attention only to Mother Miranda. It had nothing to do with you disliking Miranda ever since you laid your feet in the Village. No, this was another thing. You were attracted by something else, tempted even to look to your right. Being too suggestible to battle this urge, you moved your head only to be certain that Lord Heisenberg was looking straight at you.

You quickly turned your attention back to Miranda as she played with a black liquid inside the Giant’s Chalice. She called you all her children and made a speech about destiny and natural forces that pull you to it.

“Night demands you, my children. The moon reveals your fate and today your sacrifice will be noticed.” Miranda chanted, her voice floating through all of you, reverberating the ground.

She blessed you, walking the circle and pinning a dot of the Chalice’s black liquid in your foreheads. It moved, itching a little, as her words filled the ceremony site.

“Very well.” She spoke. “Now I shall call your names, the ones I call, please step to the right part of the site, the ones I don’t, to the left.”

A shiver flowed through your spine, awakening every part of your body, bristling your hair, hardening your nipples making you feel completely unclad – which kind of reached the ceremony idea of a virgin blossoming. The sensation was curiously similar to electrical shock, even the iron taste on your tongue reminded you of the electricity discharge, nonetheless, for your surprise, it wasn’t exactly unpleasant, definitely made your feel alive and even dilatated your pupils.

When it happened, you swore your heard Lord Heisenberg chuckling alone, he was contained for obvious reasons, but it disturbed you to see a smirk playfully on his scarred thick lips. No one else appeared to be bothered though, they hadn’t noticed the man acting schizophrenic, but it also made sense, they were all absorbed by Miranda’s discourse and, somehow, that grin was intended, presumably, only for you.

Just then you realized that Miranda had already been calling names and people were actually moving around you. Two of the boys who came with you were now on the very right side of the site. You were getting tense, the magical feeling that drove you to that place was slowly fading away, giving space to the cold sensation of fear. The girl to your left got called, she lost her breath as she heard her name, but rapidly joined her new, and temporary, team.

You looked up to your parents, your mom had that overwhelmed expression lines on her forehead again and you were most sure she was crossing fingers as she is a little stitious, not super, though.

Right now, you don’t believe that any herb, crystal, sacrifice, nor witchcraft would have spare you from your doom. A part of you knew it, even at that moment, as Mother Miranda made your name thunder in the site. Your mom held a scream, your dad looked down. You must go on.

Trembling a little, you went to the right side, closer to Lord Heisenberg, as he was the last one on the lords’ line. Your mates were rigid, the other girl was holding tears, one of the boys had desperate written all over his face, but the other one preferred to show bravery and you chose to stay with him in his decision. It didn’t past unnoticed to Heisenberg, but he constantly peering at you wasn’t of your greater attention, so on you didn’t acknowledge his offbeat interest.

You weren’t going to lie to yourself, you were afraid. You didn’t want Lady Dimitrescu to use your blood in her famous Sanguis Virginis, neither to be with Lady Beneviento and her forever tea party, Lord Moreau frightens you, due to your thalossophobia and for Lord Heisenberg, his temper is well known and poorly spoken by the villagers, he tends to get angry easily, not to say that no one knows what goes on in that factory, the bridge that leads to it emerges from the water, activated by some sort of mechanism that is inaccessible from the Village, so no one goes in, no one comes out.

When The Harvest ended, the villagers were exempted before the Miranda and her family, and you were allowed to go home, the lords knew you were supposed to say goodbye to your loved ones, after all, they aren’t monsters, right?

Thus, you walked back home in your parents embrace, they didn’t let you go, neither you wanted it. Being held like that made it feel better as if you had a bad dream and that was all. Your mother even sang you your favourite childhood song about a girl who gets lost in the dangerous woods inhabited by four monsters and a malevolent witch, but in the end, her parents save her from the beasts.

In the dawn, no villager was asleep, so you spoke to a lot of people, all your siblings, friends and acquaintances. Some of them cried, others smiled and a couple encouraged you saying it was going to be okay. You doubted it, but didn’t say a thing, you were too shaken still trying to be brave.

When the sun rose, you heard the chicken starting their day. You got up, put on a Victorian black dress with long sleeves and a corselet for the thorax area, and packed your few belongings, taking good care of your bow and arrows that once were a secret and now, you thought, might be discarded, but you would still be stubborn and give it a try, maybe they would let you have it.

You left the bedroom, leaving behind your talisman made by the cabin people with a note to your younger sister. Once she was born in the Village, she didn’t know much about the cabins, but you were sure it would protect her after you were gone.

You believed you could go away unnoticed, but your mom was sitting in the kitchen table, waiting for you, looking restless, but she found vitality to smile a good morning at you.

“You look pretty.” She said as she walked towards you and twirled your hair.

“Thank you, mom.” You simply replied, thinking that touch was soothing.

“We will miss you.” She sighed. “I will miss you, deeply, my angel.” Your mom is one of the kindest people you know, she always took good care of you even when you got older, you will miss her too.

“I will miss you too, mom… I love you.” You added and hugged her. You must be strong; her smell of country flowers softened you tempting you to run away from your fate.

“Promise you will try to write.” She pleaded, staring into your soul with her woody-brown eyes.

“I promise.” You meant it and did afterwards.

“It is okay, angel, you may go now, I won’t make it any harder.” She stepped aside, giving you space to walk to the door, when there you looked back one last time and waved goodbye.

At the ceremony site, they said you should gather again at the Chapel. A part of the building is destroyed, you are not sure what was responsible for it, but there are parts of the ceiling and the ground that are missing and underground tunnels with Gods know what meandering under your feet. The others arrived not long after you and less than an hour later Mother Miranda joined you.

She spoke from the pulpit. This sight gave you an uneasiness. You never liked her manners, always thought she considered herself too much of a priest, but you were not sure for what gods she spoken, in addition, she was also very domineering. There were stories of her whispered by mourning souls saying that she would tear some locals apart while laughing and enjoying the bloody spectacle. Maybe she was crazy. Believing it or not, she didn’t please you at all.

“Children.” She began. “Destiny calls you. You must fulfil your role in this circle. It is a sacrifice for all of us, so we can preserve our way of life.” Miranda went on like this for some more minutes before getting to the point.

“Each one of you has been designated or requested by one of the four lords. I will now say your name and the name of your Lord.” She finally said.

Your heart rate was worrying, your anxiety levels were high. You breathed heavily, trying to regain composure. Miranda called the brave boy first, he went to Moreau. Two girls got sent to the Dimitrescu’s castle, one more boy went to Moreau, another girl went to Lady Beneviento. Thus, there was only you left and Miranda’s phrase reverberated through the Chapel with its angelical acoustic turning horrifying.

“Y/N. Lord Karl Heisenberg.”

Your stomach sunk. You didn’t know if you were relieved or even more preoccupied. But then you felt that shock sensation again, the iron taste made you salivate and you thought it might have been worst, maybe all he expects from you is some cleaning, laundry and your normal daily routine.

Still, one thing that Miranda said echoed in your head: did you get designated or did he request you? You didn’t know which one would be better.

#resident evil #re8 #karl heisenberg #re village #karl heisenberg x reader #resident evil 8 village #heisenberg #heisendaddy #heisenberg resident evil #resident evil viii #resident evil 8 fanfic #original post #resident evil village #re8 karl heisenberg #resident evil heisenberg #fanfic #re fanfic #the harvest

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wiypt-writes · 3 years

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Riding High

Ch2: Hey Sailor

Chapter Summary: Mary is excited for her first riding lesson, and it seems that she’s not the only one…

Chapter Warnings: Bad Language words.

Chapter Pairings: Frank Adler x OFC Fliss Gallagher

A/N: Again, as you will all know I’m a Brit so apologies if too much British horsey lingo slips into this…ASK away if you don’t understand. Tagging all my SSB/CSI readers…if you want in or off the list PLEASE just tell me. This chapter is a bit of a filler, things start getting a bit more interesting in the next one, and then we’ll be diving into the Gifted story line in Chapter 4.

Thanks to my beta reader/sounding board @icanfeelastormbrewing for her input and her modes of transport kink...

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Fliss Gallagher and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Riding High Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Chapter 1

“Mary…” Frank sighed. “Take the boots off and get in bed.” “You told me that Miss Gallagher said I needed to wear them.” she looked at him.

“Yeah, but you can’t wear them in bed…”

Mary flopped onto the side of her bed and reached down to unzip the boots before she kicked them off and Frank picked them up and placed them out of the way. Mary shuffled down under her covers and lay her head back on the pillow and, once she was settled, Frank gently smoothed her blonde hair back off her face and smiled at her. Times like this she really did remind him of Diane.

“Frank?”

“Yeah?” “Can I read for a little while?” she asked.

Frank rolled his eyes “Mary…”

“Please!”

“Fine, fifteen minutes tops. And I’ll be in to turn the light off, ok?” With a grin she sat up and reached for her latest book- Moby Dick, and he dropped a kiss to her head and left her to it. He made his way into the kitchen, cleared the dishes and then grabbed a beer his attention turning to the table which was had clear, the other half scattered with the parts from one of the engines he had been working on. He knew he really shouldn’t bring this home with him but sometimes it was just easier.

His phone buzzed and he reached for it, glancing down at the unknown number.

“Hi Mr Adler, just a courtesy message to remind you of Mary’s lesson tomorrow at One. If you can’t make it please let me know ASAP so I can offer the slot to someone else. Otherwise see you then. Regards, Fliss.” Frank smiled, like he would have chance to forget. Mary had talked of nothing else since Saturday. His fingers hovered over the reply button, before he dropped the phone back down. He didn’t need to reply…did he? I mean…

Oh fuck it. What was a bit of harmless flirting? He picked the phone back up and tapped in a quick response.

“Like I’d have chance to forget. She’s been like a broken record since Wednesday. I had to pry her

boots off tonight as she was threatening to wear them in bed.” Setting the phone down he headed back through to check on Mary, her 15 minutes was over. He found her fast asleep, book clutched to her chest. Gently taking it from her, he slipped the bookmark into the page and turned off the lights, making sure she was tucked in. When he moved back into the main part of the trailer he had a reply.

“Brilliant! That’s what I like to hear. Get used to it, you’re going to hear about nothing but horses now for the rest of your life.” “Great, I can’t wait…” he set his Nokia down, not really having a smarter response to that, so he gathered a few pieces of the engine, setting to work. About five minutes passed and his phone went again.

“You know I offer starter lessons for adults too, maybe you should try it, see if you understand what the fuss is all about.” “No thanks, my feet stay firmly on the ground. Unless I’m on a boat.” “A boat? I didn’t have you pegged as a sailor?” At that Frank let out a bark of a laugh.

“I’m not, not really. I fix them. And besides, you don’t sail speedboats.” “What do you do then?”

“You drive them.”

“Do you drive them on water?” “Dur.” “That’s called Sailing.”

His work abandoned, he took a pull from his beer bottle and shook his head, smile tugging at his lips as he replied.

“But they don’t have sails…” “It’s a boat. It goes on water. It’s called Sailing.” “Alright, I bow to your superior knowledge…” “Glad we agree…even if I do detect a serious underlying tone of sarcasm in your message. See you tomorrow Sailor.” He laughed again, shaking his head. He tapped in a goodnight and placed the phone down, turning his attention to his work.

***** “What are you grinning about?” Bill Gallagher looked at his daughter as they walked across the field, Thor and his own dog, Rupert, hurtling ahead in front of them, their flashing collars keeping them located in the twilight.

“Oh, nothing, just winding someone up.” she smiled “One of the dad’s from tomorrow’s lesson, trying to convince me you drive, not sail, a speedboat.” “Hmmm…well they don’t have sails.” Bill mused.

“Whatever, they go on water, they sail.” Fliss shrugged, slipping her phone back into her pocket as Frank’s ‘Goodnight’ rounded off their conversation.

“So, who is he then?” Bill asked.

“Oh, his name’s Frank.” Fliss replied, nonchalantly, but her dad didn’t miss the flicker of a smile that hit her mouth.

“Is he the one that your mum said was eyeing you up in the bar?” “He was not eyeing me up.” Fliss groaned “He was just being friendly.” “Sure he was.” “Dad.” she warned him, nudging him with her elbow.

“What?” “You know what!” she laughed “Stop it.” “Alright.” he smiled, holding his hands up “I yield, it’s just nice to see you happy, that’s all.” “Well, I am.” she said after a moment, and she meant it “The last six months the riding school has taken off, I’m feeling more, well, myself than I have in years. Just need to find an apartment now.” “Well, on that.” Bill looked at her. “Me and your mum have been thinking. We thought, maybe, you might want to move into the annex. We can do it up, gives you your own space…”

Fliss paused walking and turned to her dad. “That’s where Steeby stays though, when he comes out with Sian and the kids.” “There’s plenty of room in the house.” Bill shrugged “And they come like what, four times a year? It’s stood empty the rest of the time.” Fliss bit her lip.

“It’s just an idea and your brother won’t mind. Look, I know it’s probably not what you had in mind, living in your parent’s annex but for the time being until the Yard starts to turn over more of a profit we just thought it might give you a little bit more freedom.” “Whilst still staying close.”

“I want to keep you safe Titch.” Bill shrugged “I didn’t do that before but,” “Dad don’t.” Fliss shook her head “None of that, it wasn’t your fault. I hid from everyone what was happening…you didn’t know.”

“I should have.” he sighed “You’re my daughter.” “He had everyone fooled, including me. This is no one’s fault but his, I get that now.” Bill smiled and pulled her into a hug. “I know.”

“We should head back.” Fliss smiled, pulling away. “Mum will be wondering where we are.”

“You have anything to finish off?” he asked

“Nope, everything is out for the night and looks reasonably settled.” she squinted at the various horses dotted across her land.

“Hmmm, unlike this fencing.” Bill frowned, examining the broken bit of post and rail that Fliss had patched up with electric tape “This could do with replacing, love.” “Yeah, I know.” she shrugged “I was going to mention it but forgot. The temporary fix has worked for the time being.” “I’ll stop by and do it tomorrow.” he nodded, “Won’t take me long. I’ll level that top field as well whilst I’m at it if you want.” “Thanks Dad” she smiled. In comfortable silence they made their way back towards the main part of the yard. *******

Fliss grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge in her office and took a long drink. The heat was pretty intense today, and she was just wondering if really holding Mary’s lesson as advisable when she realised it wasn’t like they’d be doing anything too strenuous. She adjusted her baseball cap and walked back onto the yard, shouting instructions to the three members of staff to go and take a water break. Just as they were passing her towards the office, she saw Frank and Mary walking onto the yard. Mary was sporting a new riding hat and Fliss couldn’t help but smile.

“Well check you out!” she said, tapping the little girl on the head “Nice hat.” “I liked the silver on it!” Mary grinned, pointing to the sparkly strip that ran along the front.

“Me too.” Fliss nodded. “I have the same hat but mine has blue sparkles.” she straightened up and looked at Frank. “Hey Sailor.” He gave a snort of a laugh “I told you, you don’t sail speedboats.” “They go on water.” Mary said, “Its’ sailing.” “Ha, see!” Fliss laughed

Frank sighed “Whatever.” The corners of his mouth turned up and he handed Fliss the forms he had brought back.

“Oh great…” she thanked him “I’ll just file these and then Ruby will get Monty ready. I thought you might like to help her.” Mary nodded eagerly. Fliss excused herself and Frank heard her shouting something and a moment later a tall, wirey Hispanic girl emerged from the office with a saddle. Fliss followed, bridle slung over her shoulder and gestured for Mary to follow. Frank watched as the girl skipped off following and headed after her at a slower pace, rubbing at his neck which felt like it was burning. He’d slathered Mary in sunscreen before but of course had forgotten his own.

He stepped into the relative cool of the barn and watched as the stable hand was explaining to Mary what each piece of tack was as she began to place it onto the pony. He knew Mary would be taking all of this in, just like she did with everything, and Roberta would be hearing all about it later on.

Fliss handed over the bridle and stepped back, heading towards Frank. “I normally do have the ponies ready” she said, almost apologetically “But I thought she’d enjoy this bit.” “You thought right.” Frank laughed “I was just thinking to myself she’ll be chewing our neighbour’s ear off later.”

Fliss smiled and they both stood in silence watching until the other girl said they were ready.

“Alright, let’s go!” Fliss grinned and they walked out into the yard. She took the pony from her staff member with a thanks, and walked with Mary following into the riding paddock. Frank leaned on the fencing outside as Fliss led Mary and Monty over to the wooden mounting block at the side.

“Ok, so…” she turned to Mary and patted the top step “Climb up here…” Mary hopped up.

“Left foot in this stirrup,” she instructed. Mary placed her foot in. “Left hand here,” she guided it to the front of the saddle, “and then I want you to swing your right leg over.” Mary did as she was told, sitting down on the saddle.

“Good stuff kiddo!” Fliss smiled as she checked the stirrups “Ok, so we need to put these up a hole so…”

She busied herself shortening the stirrup leathers, and eventually when she was happy she nodded.

“So, what we’re gonna do for today is a bit of walking around, and stopping, and then if you’re happy with your balance we can try a bit of trot ok?” Mary grinned.

“Right…so take your reins…” Fliss showed her how to hold the reins correctly, and then she slipped the lunge line through the ponies bit and looked at the girl. “If you feel wobbly or anything you grab this…” she said, gesturing to the leather strap around the pony’s neck. “And shout to me ok?”

Mary nodded.

Fliss began to walk besides the pony who followed her like a dog. Mary all the time concentrating on what she was doing. Fliss explained to her how her legs made the animal go, and how to make it stop, and they practiced that for five minutes before Fliss moved slightly further away to let Mary take a bit of control, instructing her to go, then stop, go, then stop…

Frank watched intently. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t slightly nervous about Mary falling off but he knew that he had to let her discover all this for herself. He leaned further over on the fence, watching and couldn’t help but smile at the look on Mary’s face, she was concentrating so hard her brow was furrowed, tongue poking out from the side of her mouth.

“Your kid?” a deep voice with a similar accent to Fliss said and he turned to his right to see a tall, stocky guy in his sixties, maybe, dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans looking at him.

“Neice.” he nodded, “First lesson.” “Ahh...” the man chuckled “Yeah I remember Fliss’ first lesson. I crapped myself.” Frank let out a laugh “Yeah, I’m a little nervous.” “Bill Gallagher” The man stuck his hand out “Fliss’ dad.” “Nice to meet you, I’m Frank.” Bill looked at him, nodding before his attention turned to the paddock “Hey, Titch, sorry to interrupt…” Fliss stopped the pony and turned to her dad “Hey.” “Fencing is done but I can’t get that bloody tractor started, so the field’s gonna have to wait.” “I can look at it.” Frank offered immediately “I mean, if you want.” Bill turned to him, “You a mechanic?” “No he’s a sailor.” Fliss shot back and Frank rolled his eyes.

“I fix boats. Engines, that type of thing.” “Huh.” Bill nodded appraisingly. “Well if you wouldn’t mind…” “Not a problem. Mary you okay here if I go for a minute?” Mary looked at him “Dur.” Bill let out a chuckle as Frank turned to him “Tell me raising them gets easier.” “Oh no mate.” Bill shook his head, grinning “You just get different shit to deal with.” Frank followed the man round to the back of the barn and spotted a dark green baby tractor. Bill explained what it was doing and Frank crouched closer to have a look before he headed to his truck for the jump leads.

After ten minutes or so he’d found the problem. They could start it, but it wasn’t holding any charge. Meaning when the turned the engine off it needed jump starting again.

“I’m pretty sure it’s the alternator.” he chewed his lip, stepping back “I’ll need to strip it down to see whether I can repair it or if it needs a new one but we can get it started again you can do what you need to do for today.”

Bill nodded “So not quite ready for the scrap heap?” “Not quite.” Frank smiled, wiping his hands on his jeans “Just needs a bit of a fiddle with.” “Don’t we all?” Bill quipped, making Frank laugh. They jump started it again and Bill thanked him before hopping on and heading over to the gate that led to the field.

By the time Frank returned, he was surprised to see that Mary was now riding the pony almost unaided in a circle around Fliss who was holding the end of the line attached to the Monty’s bridle as it trotted around. Mary was gripping the strap round the pony’s neck and trying to rise in time to the trot. It was clumsy and she was a little bit out of balance but that didn’t matter. He could hear Fliss shouting gentle encouragement to her, counting out the rhythm and eventually Mary fell in time with her counts.

“Good!” Fliss beamed “see, I told you you’d get it…” This continued for another 5 minutes or so before Fliss told Mary to slow Monty down to a walk and give him a good pat. They walked the pony around for a while, to give him chance to cool down a little before Fliss walked towards Mary gathering up the line as she went.

“That was awesome for a first go!” she said, smiling “Did you enjoy it?”

Mary nodded “Yeah, it was really cool!”

“Good!” Fliss said. “Now I’m gonna unclip the line and walk around for a bit. He’ll follow me but when I stop I want you to stop him yeah?”

Mary nodded eagerly and she unclipped the line and began to walk. Fliss knew Monty would stop when she did but she wanted to let Mary have a go anyway. They did a lap of the paddock and on the second she stopped by Frank.

“Look, Frank!” Mary smiled “I’m not on the line.” “Yeah, I see!” he smiled at her “Good job!”

“How’s my tractor?” Fliss asked.

“Think it’s the alternator. We got it started for your dad but I’ll need to strip it down properly…I can come back tomorrow and sort it properly if you want?” “Oh, I don’t wanna put you out.” Fliss started to protest but Frank shook his head

“It’s no bother, honestly.” he ran his hand through his hair. “I can’t promise I can fix it but I’ll be able to see if I can or if you need a new one.” Fliss looked at him and then nodded “Alright, but in that case today is free.” “No, that’s not why I offered.” Frank began to protest but Fliss shook her head

“I know.” she smiled that damned gorgeous smile again, and Frank felt his stomach flip. “But I’d like to.” Frank looked at her for a moment, her brown eyes locked onto his and he swallowed, nodding. “Ok, thanks.” “Wait am I coming back tomorrow?” Mary asked

“I’m booked up, sorry sweetie.” Fliss looked at her “But you’re welcome to come anyway, that is if Frank says its okay. You can always give Monty a groom.” “We’ll see. “Frank looked at Mary.

“I can put her to work.” Fliss said, grinning “Nothing like a bit of child labour.” “That’s illegal.” Mary said.

“I won’t tell if you don’t.” Fliss looked at her and Frank gave a chuckle.

They made their way out of the paddock and Fliss showed Mary how to swing her leg back round the saddle and slide down. She landed on her feet and took the reins from Fliss’ hand, leading the pony back to his stable. She helped untack and then Fliss handed her the bridle to carry. They walked into the office and Fliss tapped a code into the door to the left and led them into a tidy tack room, rows of saddles and racks adorned the wall along with bridle pegs and a few shelves full of rugs and blankets for the horses. Fliss slipped the saddle onto a spare rack and then directed Mary to Monty’s bridle peg. Frank took the bridle from her as the peg was a little high and hooked it over.

“Now, you need a drink.” Fliss looked at Mary “I got water or some apple juice.”

“Apple please.” Mary said. Fliss nodded and headed back into the office, giving her a juice box from the fridge “Frank?”

“Oh, errr, water would be great thanks.” She handed him a bottle and he screwed off the tap.

“So, do you want to book in again now or do it tomorrow?” Fliss looked at him. “I think she’ll cope on the group lesson fine.” “So when do they run?” Frank asked, swallowing his water.

“Saturday afternoons at two.” Fliss said. “Or Wednesday at six.” “Can we come Saturday?” Mary asked.

Frank hesitated “I did say you couldn’t do this every week.” “Yeah but you didn’t pay for today.” Mary shot back.

Jesus Christ

He glanced up at Fliss who was biting her lip, trying not to laugh.

“Fine, you can come this Saturday but then that’s it, we go to every other week like we agreed, okay?” Mary nodded.

“Settled, I’ll book you in.” Fliss grinned. “If you get here about quarter to I’ll introduce you to the other girls before you join.” Mary frowned a little, before she recovered and nodded. “Okay.” “So do you like work here every day?” Frank asked and Fliss nodded

“Mostly. If I want a day off then I get Joanne to cover the lessons and the girls can open and close up.” she said “But it’s few and far between. Like I said, still in the early days so…”

Frank nodded “Yeah I know what it’s like, trying to get yourself established.” “I take it you’re a self-employed sailor then?” Fliss smiled and he gave a grin back and nodded.

“He takes me for rides.” Mary said “In the boats sometimes.” “That’s really cool. I’ve never been on speedboat.” Fliss mused.

“You should come with us one day, right Frank?”

Frank hesitated a little, surprised to find that he wasn’t filled with dread at the idea of her joining them.

“I’m sure Fliss has enough to be doing without you demanding more of her time.” he shot the girl a look, his tone even.

“Yeah, I’m very busy.” Fliss smiled, offering him a way out. He shot her a thankful look.

“We can do it when you’re free…” “Mary!” Frank’s tone was exasperated as Fliss laughed.

“Maybe one day.” she said, nodding.

This placated the girl somewhat and she bounced off towards the truck.

“Sorry.” Frank turned to Fliss “She can be a little bit…” “Tenacious?” “I was gonna say a pain in the ass.” Frank shrugged, causing Fliss to laugh, her soft chuckles made him feel a little warm, or maybe it was the afternoon heat…

“She’s a good kid.” Fliss said gently.

Frank smiled and then jerked his head in the direction of the car park “I better…” “Sure.”

“I’ll drop you a message about tomorrow?” Fliss nodded “Yeah, but don’t put yourself out.” “Well I owe you now for the lesson so…” he shrugged “I’ll see you tomorrow.” “Yeah, guess you will.” Fliss smiled. There was a pause again and Frank nodded, before he turned and headed after Mary. He turned to look over his shoulder at Fliss who was now walking back towards her office before he wandered onto the car park to find Mary was now chewing Bill’s ear off.

“For the love of God.” he mumbled as he drew nearer to find her mid discussion with the man about the Olympics.

“Did you go?” she was asking.

“You bet!” Bill smiled “I’ll tell you something else as well…” “What?” “Those fences are even bigger in real life than they look on the photos.” “It said on the internet she jumped One meter forty!”

“The internet?” Bill asked.

“Yeah, we googled her.” Frank groaned “Mary.” “What?” she looked at him. “I was just saying…” “Well don’t.” He said, “Truck, now…”

“It was nice to meet you Mary.” Bill smiled as the little girl bid him goodbye.

“Sorry.” Frank apologised to him.

“Don’t be silly.” Bill waved his apology off. “She wasn’t doing any harm.”

“I meant about the google thing.” Frank sighed. “We weren’t prying, she was just curious after seeing the medal and…” Bill shook his head “Kids are nosey.” he shrugged.

With another nod he climbed in the truck and turned to Mary with a sigh “What did I say to you about not telling Miss Gallagher we googled her?” “I didn’t.” Mary said “I told her dad.”

There was a pause as Frank contemplated what she had said, and realised technically she was right. He should have closed that particular loop hole. “Smart ass.” He grumbled back, before he clipped in her belt and they left.

***** Fliss was surprised to see Mary wasn’t with Frank the next day. Frank explained he had come straight from the boat yard so she was busy doing some lesson work with their neighbour. “Gives me chance to work without her continually running around causing a nuisance.” he had explained, setting his tools down by the tractor.

Fliss chuckled, “Ok, well, I got another client due in a second so just give me a shout if you need anything.” He nodded. It didn’t take him long to realise he had been right. It was the alternator. He took the engine apart and was leaning over it on the flat bed of his truck when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to look at Fliss.

“It is the alternator, but it looks like it’s the brushes inside.” he said, “I can fix this.” She nodded, the movement almost imperceptible, and he frowned at the look on her face. She’d glazed over in front of him, eyes were widened, almost like she was stuck in a memory.

And she was. Something about the fact he’d been leaning over the back of a truck, his grubby t-shirt riding up slightly, dirt on his hands and arms had stirred a really inappropriate thought in her head…which in turn had triggered another flashback.

“He was fixing the car.” Fliss looked at John “I offered him a drink, that’s all…” “He was in our kitchen.” John advanced “I saw you looking at him. Admiring him…” “I wasn’t…”

“Don’t LIE TO ME!” John’s voice as loud and then there was a stinging slap to the side of her face, which sent her reeling. As she recovered, the ringing in her ear still loud from the blow, she gently reached up to her cheek, tears stinging her eyes. John’s face was immediately apologetic, and he reached out for her, causing her to shrink back against the counter.

“You hit me.” she gasped.

“Sugar, I’m so sorry.” John stuttered, his eyes filing with tears “I didn’t, you just made me so jealous…I…” He held his arms out and pulled her to him, his hands on her back as he dropped a kiss to her head “I will never do that again, I’m sorry…” “Fliss?”

She started slightly and looked at Frank. “Yeah, sorry, I was…” “Miles away?” he frowned.

“Something like that.” she nodded, shaking her head “Sorry, you said you could fix it?”

“Yeah.” he said “I can take it with me and then I can bring it back Saturday unless you need it before that?”

“No, Saturday’s fine.” she said gently.

“Look, I don’t mean to pry but are you sure you’re ok?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m good.” she spoke quickly. “Look, I gotta get on and…” “Sure.” he nodded, “I should be going anyway…” She smiled at him, and turned and headed back to the yard.

****

“You clearly triggered something.” Roberta said to Frank wisely as they both sat in his living room later that evening. He’d just finished telling her about the afternoon. “Some kind of memory.”

Frank hmmed his response. “Question is why are you so bothered?” Roberta asked.

“I’m not, I just, well it wasn’t nice to see. She looked so scared.” “Well you said her husband was sent down for assaulting her.” Roberta shrugged “She’s clearly had a lot of trauma. Maybe she just needs a friend.” “Yeah, maybe.”

“Could be good for both of you.” “I know what you’re doing.” Frank looked at her sternly

“I’m not trying to do anything!” Roberta chuckled

“Course you’re not.” he rolled his eyes before he changed the subject.

It wasn’t until he was alone later, that he pulled his phone out to text Fliss. He’d typed out his message, just a perfectly innocent one to check she was okay before he deleted it, shaking his head.

Whatever it was, it really was none of his business. He had enough of his own past demons to live with as it was.

But the more he lay there the more it wound him up. And he couldn’t get the thought of her out of his head.

“Fucks sake,” he grumbled, before he retyped the message and sent it.

**** Fliss was curled up on the sofa watching TV. Her parents were out for the evening so she was making the most of enjoying the space. Her phone went and she leaned over to grab it from the coffee table, unable to stop smiling as she saw who it was from.

“Hey, just wanted to check you were ok after before. I hope I didn’t do anything or say anything that upset or scared you.” The last line made her heart sink. He clearly knew about her past. Her dad had mentioned something about them googling her, and the case had been fairly big news amongst the equestrian circuit so she knew that the story was out there to read. Well, most of it was anyway. She rubbed at her eyes, thinking of how to respond. She hated that even after almost a year of him being out of her life John was till effectively a shadow she couldn’t seem to emerge from.

“It’s not your fault. I get flashbacks sometimes, nothing I can’t handle.”

“Well the past has a way of doing that. Trust me, I know.”

Fliss smiled gently as she tapped out her response. “Yeah, what is it Rafiki says on the Lion King? You can either run from your past or learn from it?”

Little over thirty seconds later he responded.

“Sound advice from a cartoon monkey…not always that easy in real life. If you ever want a non-judgmental ear to talk to, I’m a pretty good listener if you fancy a beer and a chat. Just as friends.” There was just something about this man, something that Fliss couldn’t help but warm to. She wasn’t stupid, the girls at the yard had told her a bit about him, his reputation amongst the ladies…he was a bit of a player from all accounts, but there was something there, something buried deeper, she could just tell. And what’s more, for the first time in years, she felt like she could trust another person other than her family.

It was for that reason she found it so easy to almost, sort of, maybe, possibly accept his invitation.

“I might just hold you to that Sailor.”

**** Chapter 3

#riding high #frank adler #frank adler x ofc #frank adler x original female character #gifted #gifted fan fic

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what-is-your-plan-today · 4 years

Text

Riding High Ch2: Hey Sailor

Chapter Summary: Mary is excited for her first riding lesson, and it seems that she’s not the only one…

Chapter Warnings: Bad Language words.

Chapter Pairings: Frank Adler x OFC Fliss Gallagher

Thanks to my beta reader/sounding board @icanfeelastormbrewing for her input and her modes of transport kink...

As always I’m a ho for a REBLOG and COMMENT!

Chapter Song:�� Tomorrow by James

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

“Mary…” Frank sighed. “Take the boots off and get in bed.” “You told me that Miss Gallagher said I needed to wear them.” she looked at him.

“Yeah, but you can’t wear them in bed…”

Mary flopped onto the side of her bed and reached down to unzip the boots before she kicked them off and Frank picked them up and placed them out of the way. Mary shuffled down under her covers and lay her head back on the pillow. Frank gently smoothed her blonde hair back off her face and smiled at her. Times like this she really did remind him of Diane.

“Frank?”

“Yeah?” “Can I read for a little while?” she asked.

Frank rolled his eyes “Mary…”

“Please!”

“Fine, 15 minutes tops. And I’ll be in to turn the light off, ok?” With a grin she sat up and reached for her latest book- Moby Dick, and he dropped a kiss to her head and left her to it. He made his way into the kitchen, cleared the dishes and then grabbed a beer his attention turning to the table which was had clear, the other half scattered with the parts from one of the engines he had been working on. He knew he really shouldn’t bring this home with him but sometimes it was just easier.

His phone buzzed and he reached for it, glancing down at the unknown number.

“Hi Mr Adler, just a courtesy message to remind you of Mary’s lesson tomorrow at 1. If you can’t make it please let me know ASAP so I can offer the slot to someone else. Otherwise see you then. Regards, Fliss.” Frank smiled, like he would have chance to forget. Mary had talked of nothing else since Saturday. His fingers hovered over the reply button, before he dropped the phone back down. He didn’t need to reply…did he? I mean…

Oh fuck it. He picked the phone back up and tapped in a quick response.

“Frank, please. And like I’d have chance to forget. She’s been like a broken record since Wednesday. I had to pry her boots off tonight as she was threatening to wear them in bed…”

Setting the phone down he headed back through to check on Mary, her 15 minutes was over. He found her fast asleep, book clutched to her chest. Gently taking it from her, he slipped the bookmark into the page and turned off the lights, making sure she was tucked in. When he moved back into the main part of the trailer he had a reply.

“Brilliant! That’s what I like to hear. Get used to it, you’re going to hear about nothing but horses now for the rest of your life.” “Great, I can’t wait…” he added a rolling eye emoji at the end and set down, gathering a few pieces of the engine, setting to work. About 5 minutes passed and his phone went again.

“I’m not, not really. I fix them. And besides, you don’t sail speedboats.” “What do you do then?”

“I suppose you drive them.”

“Do you drive them on water?” “Dur.” “That’s called Sailing.”

His work abandoned he took a pull from his beer bottle and shook his head, smile tugging at his lips as he replied.

*****

“What are you grinning about?” Bill Gallagher turned his attention to his daughter as they walked across the field, Thor and his own dog, Rupert, hurtling ahead in front of them, their flashing collars keeping them located in the twilight.

“Whatever, they go on water, they sail.” Fliss said, slipping her phone back into her pocket as Frank’s ‘Goodnight’ rounded off their conversation.

“So, who is he then?” Bill asked.

“Oh, his name’s Frank.” Fliss said, nonchalantly, but her dad didn’t miss the flicker of a smile that hit her mouth.

“Is he the one that your mum said was eyeing you up in the bar?” “He was not eyeing me up.” Fliss groaned “He was just being friendly.” “Sure he was.” “Dad…” she warned him, nudging him with her elbow.

“What?” “You know what!” she laughed “Stop it.” “Alright…” he smiled, holding his hands up “I yield…it’s just nice to see you happy, that’s all.” “Well, I am.” she said after a moment, and she meant it “The last 6 months…the riding school has taken off, I’m feeling more…well, myself than I have in years. Just need to find an apartment now.” “Well, on that…” Bill said. “Me and your mum have been thinking. We thought, maybe, you might want to move into the annex. We can do it up, gives you your own space…”

Fliss paused and looked at her dad. “That’s where Steeby stays though, when he comes out with Sian and the kids…” “There’s plenty of room in the house.” Bill shrugged “And they come like what, 4 times a year? It’s stood empty the rest of the time.” Fliss bit her lip.

“I want to keep you safe Titch.” he shrugged “I didn’t do that before but…” “Dad don’t.” she said, shaking her head “None of that, it wasn’t your fault. I hid from everyone what was happening…you didn’t know.”

“I should have.” he sighed “You’re my daughter.” “He had everyone fooled, including me.” she shrugged “This is no one’s fault but his, I get that now.” Bill smiled and pulled her into a hug. “I know.”

“We should head back.” Fliss said “Mum will be wondering where we are.”

“You have anything to finish off?” he asked

“Nope, everything is out for the night and looks reasonably settled.” she said, squinting at the various horses dotted across her land.

“Hmmm, unlike this fencing…” Bill said, looking at the broken bit of post and rail that Fliss had patched up with electric tape “This could do with replacing, love.” “Yeah, I know.” she said “I was going to mention it but forgot. The temporary fix has worked for the time being.” “I’ll stop by and do it tomorrow.” he said, “Won’t take me long. I’ll level that top field as well whilst I’m at it if you want.” “Thanks Dad” she smiled. In comfortable silence they made their way back towards the main part of the yard.

*******

Fliss grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge in her office and took a long drink. The heat was pretty intense today, and she was just wondering if really holding Mary’s lesson as advisable when she realised it wasn’t like they’d be doing anything too strenuous. She adjusted her baseball cap and head back onto the yard, shouting instructions to the 3 members of staff to go and take a water break. Just as they were passing her towards the office, she saw Frank and Mary walking onto the yard. Mary was sporting a new riding hat and Fliss couldn’t help but smile.

“Well check you out!” she said, tapping the little girl on the head “Nice hat.” “I liked the silver on it!” she grinned, pointing to the sparkly strip that ran along the front.

“Me too…” Fliss nodded. “I have the same hat but mine has blue sparkles.” she straightened up and looked at Frank. “Hey Sailor.” He gave a snort of a laugh “I told you, you don’t sail speedboats.” “They go on water.” Mary said, “Its’ sailing.” “Ha, see!” Fliss laughed

Frank sighed “Whatever.” The corners of his mouth turned up and he handed Fliss the forms he had brought back.

“Oh great…” she thanked him “I’ll just file these and then Ruby will get Monty ready. I thought you might like to help her.” Mary nodded eagerly. Fliss excused herself and Frank heard her shouting something and a moment later a tall, wiry Hispanic girl emerged from the office with a saddle. Fliss followed, bridle slung over her shoulder and gestured for Mary to follow. Frank watched as the girl skipped off following and headed after her at a slower pace, rubbing at his neck which felt like it was burning. He’d slathered Mary in sunscreen before but of course had forgotten his own.

Fliss smiled and they both stood in silence watching until the other girl said they were ready.

“Ok, so…” she turned to Mary and patted the top step “Climb up here…” Mary hopped up.

“Left foot in this stirrup…” she instructed. Mary placed her foot in. “Left hand here…” she guided it to the front of the saddle “And then I want you to swing your right leg over.” Mary did as she was told, sitting down on the saddle.

“Good stuff kiddo!” Fliss smiled as she checked the stirrups “Ok, so we need to put these up a hole so…”

She busied herself shortening the stirrup leathers, and eventually when she was happy she nodded.

“So, what we’re gonna do for today is a bit of walking around, and stopping, and then if you’re happy with your balance we can try a bit of trot ok?” Mary grinned.

Mary nodded.

Fliss began to walk besides the pony who followed her like a dog. Mary all the time concentrating on what she was doing. Fliss explained to her how her legs made the animal go, and how to make it stop, and they practiced that for 5 minutes before Fliss moved slightly further away to let Mary take a bit of control, instructing her to go, then stop, go, then stop…

Frank watched intently. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t slightly nervous about her falling off but he knew that he had to let her discover all this for herself. He leaned further over on the fence, watching and couldn’t help but smile at the look on Mary’s face, she was concentrating so hard her brow was furrowed, tongue poking out from the side of her mouth.

“Your kid?” a deep voice with a similar accent to Fliss said and he turned to his right to see a tall, stocky guy in his late 50s, early 60s maybe dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans looking at him.

“Niece.” he said, “First lesson.” “Ahh...” the man chuckled “Yeah I remember Fliss’ first lesson. I crapped myself.” Frank let out a laugh “Yeah, I’m a little nervous.” “Bill.” The man stuck his hand out “Fliss’ dad.” “Nice to meet you, I’m Frank.” Bill looked at him, nodding before his attention turned to the paddock “Hey, Titch, sorry to interrupt…” Fliss stopped the pony and turned to her dad “Hey…” “Fencing is done but I can’t get that bloody tractor started…so the field’s gonna have to wait.” “I can look at it.” Frank offered immediately “I mean, if you want…” Bill turned to him, “You a mechanic?” “No he’s a sailor…” Fliss shot back and Frank rolled his eyes.

“I fix boats. Engines…that type of thing.” “Huh.” Bill said “Well if you wouldn’t mind…” “Not a problem. Mary you ok here if I go for a minute?” Mary looked at him “Dur.” Bill let out a chuckle as Frank turned to him “Tell me raising them gets easier.” “Oh no mate.” Bill shook his head, grinning “You just get different shit to deal with.” Frank followed the man round to the back of the barn and spotted a dark green baby tractor. Bill explained what it was doing and Frank crouched closer to have a look before he headed to his truck for the jump leads.

After 10 minutes or so he’d found the problem. They could start it, but it wasn’t holding any charge. Meaning when the turned the engine off it needed jump starting again.

“I’m pretty sure it’s the alternator.” he said, stepping back “I’ll need to strip it down to see whether I can repair it or if it needs a new one but…we can get it started again you can do what you need to do for today.”

Bill nodded “So not quite ready for the scrap heap?” “Not quite.” Frank smiled, wiping his hands on his dirty jeans “Just needs a bit of a fiddle with.” “Don’t we all?” Bill quipped, making Frank laugh. They jump started it again and Bill thanked him before hopping on and heading over to the gate that led to the field.

By the time Frank returned, he was surprised to see that Mary was now riding the horse almost unaided in a circle around Fliss who was holding the end of the line attached to the pony’s bridle as it trotted around. Mary was gripping the strap round the pony’s neck and trying to rise in time to the trot. It was clumsy and she was a little bit out of balance but that didn’t matter. He could hear Fliss shouting gentle encouragement to her, counting out the rhythm and eventually Mary fell in time with her counts.

“That was awesome for a first go!” she said, smiling “Did you enjoy it?”

Mary nodded “Yeah, it was really cool!”

“Good!” Fliss said. “Now I’m gonna unclip the line and walk around for a bit. He’ll follow me but when I stop I want you to stop him yeah?”

“Look, Frank!” Mary smiled “I’m not on the line.” “Yeah, I see!” he smiled at her “Good job!”

“How’s my tractor?” Fliss asked.

“Think it’s the alternator. We got it started for your dad but I’ll need to strip it down properly…I can come back tomorrow with my tools if you want?” “Oh, I don’t wanna put you out…” Fliss started to protest but Frank shook his head

“It’s no bother, honestly.” he said, running his hand through his hair. “I can’t promise I can fix it but I’ll be able to see if I can or if you need a new one.” Fliss looked at him and then nodded “Alright, but in that case today is free.” “No, that’s not why I offered…” Frank began to protest but Fliss shook her head

“I know.” she said “But I’d like to.” Frank looked at her for a moment, her brown eyes locked onto his and he swallowed, nodding. “Ok, thanks.” “Wait am I coming back tomorrow?” Mary asked

“I’m booked up, sorry sweetie.” Fliss looked at her “But you’re welcome to come anyway, that is if Frank says its ok.” “We’ll see. “Frank looked at Mary.

“I can put her to work.” Fliss said, grinning “Nothing like a bit of child labour.” “That’s illegal.” Mary said.

“I won’t tell if you don’t.” Fliss looked at her and Frank gave a chuckle.

“Now, you need a drink.” Fliss looked at Mary “I got water or some apple juice….”

“Apple please…” Mary said. Fliss nodded and headed back into the office, giving her a juice box from the fridge “Frank?” “Oh, errr, water would be great thanks.” She handed him a bottle and he screwed off the tap.

“So, do you want to book in again now or do it tomorrow?” Fliss looked at him. “I think she’ll cope on the group lesson fine.” “So when do they run?” he asked, swallowing his water.

“Saturday afternoons at 2.” Fliss said. “Or Wednesday at 6.” “Can we come Saturday?” Mary asked.

Frank hesitated “I did say you couldn’t do this every week…” “Yeah but you didn’t pay for today.” Mary shot back.

Jesus Chris Mary…

He glanced up at Fliss who was biting her lip, trying not to laugh.

“Fine, you can come this Saturday but then that’s it, we go to every other week like we agreed ok?” Mary nodded.

“Settled, I’ll book you in.” Fliss grinned. “If you get here about quarter to I’ll introduce you to the other girls before you join.” Mary frowned a little, before she recovered and nodded. “Ok.” “So do you like work here every day?” Frank asked. Fliss nodded

“Mostly. If I want a day off then I get Joanne to cover the lessons and the girls can open and close up.” she said “But it’s few and far between. Like I said, still in the early days so…”

Frank nodded “Yeah I know what it’s like, trying to get yourself established.” “I take it you’re a self-employed sailor then?” Fliss smiled and he gave a grin back and nodded.

“He takes me for rides.” Mary said “In the boats sometimes.” “That’s really cool. I’ve never been on speedboat.” Fliss said.

“You should come with us one day, right Frank?”

Frank hesitated a little, surprised to find that he wasn’t filled with dread at the idea of her joining them.

“I’m sure Fliss has enough to be doing without you demanding more of her time.” he shot the girl a look, his tone even.

“Yeah, I’m very busy.” Fliss smiled, offering him a way out. He shot her a thankful look.

“We can do it when you’re free…” “Mary!” Frank’s tone was exasperated as Fliss laughed.

“Maybe one day.” she said, nodding.

This placated the girl somewhat and she bounced off towards the truck.

“Sorry.” Frank turned to Fliss “She can be a little bit…” “Tenacious?” “I was gonna say pain in the ass.” Frank said, causing Fliss to laugh, her soft chuckles made him feel a little warm, or maybe it was the afternoon heat…

“She’s a good kid.” Fliss said gently.

Frank smiled and then jerked his head in the direction of the car park “I better…” “Sure.”

“For the love of God…” he mumbled as he drew nearer to find her mid discussion with the man about the Olympics.

“Did you go?” she was asking.

“You bet!” Bill smiled “I’ll tell you something else as well…” “What?” “Those fences are even bigger in real life than they look on the photos.” “It said on the internet she jumped 1 meter 30…”

“The internet?” Bill asked.

“Yeah, we googled her…” Frank groaned “Mary…” “What?” she looked at him. “I was just saying…” “Well don’t…” he said, “Truck, now…”

“It was nice to meet you Mary.” Bill said as the little girl bid him goodbye.

“Sorry…” Frank apologised to him.

“Don’t be silly.” Bill waved his apology off “She wasn’t doing any harm.”

“I meant about the google thing.” Frank sighed “we weren’t prying, she was just curious after seeing the medal and…” Bill shook his head “Kids are nosey.” he shrugged.

With another nod he climbed in the truck and turned to Mary with a sigh “What did I say to you about not telling Miss Gallagher we googled her?” “I didn’t.” Mary said “I told her dad.”

There was a pause as Frank contemplated what she had said, and realised technically she was right. He should have closed that particular loop hole. “Smart ass.” he grumbled back, before he clipped in her belt and they left.

*****

Fliss was surprised to see Mary wasn’t with Frank the next day. Frank explained he had come straight from the boat yard so she was busy doing some lesson work with their neighbour. “Gives me chance to work without her continually running around causing a nuisance.” he had explained, setting his tools down by the tractor.

Fliss chuckled, “Ok, well, I got another client due in a second so just give me a shout if you need anything…” He nodded. It didn’t take him long to realise he had been right. It was the alternator. He took the engine apart and was leaning over it on the flat bed of his truck when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned to look at Fliss.

“It is the alternator, but it looks like it’s the brushes inside.” he said, “I can fix this…” She nodded, the movement almost imperceptible, and he frowned at the look on her face. She glazed over in front of him, eyes were widened, almost like she was stuck in a memory.

“Don’t LIE TO ME…” John’s voice as loud and then there was a stinging slap to the side of her face, which sent her reeling. As she recovered, the ringing in her ear still loud from the blow, she gently reached up to her cheek, tears stinging her eyes. John’s face was immediately apologetic, and he reached out for her, causing her to shrink back against the counter.

“You hit me…” she gasped.

“Sugar, I’m so sorry…” John said, his eyes filing with tears “I didn’t…you just made me so jealous…I…” He held his arms out and pulled her to him, his hands on her back as he dropped a kiss to her head “I will never do that again, I’m sorry…” “Fliss?”

She started slightly and looked at Frank. “Yeah, sorry, I was…” “Miles away?” he frowned.

“Something like that.” she nodded, shaking her head “Sorry, you said you could fix it?”

“Yeah.” he said “I can take it with me and then I can bring it back Saturday unless you need it before that?”

“No, Saturday’s fine.” she said gently.

“Look, I don’t mean to pry but are you sure you’re ok?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” she said quickly. “Look, I gotta get on and…” “Sure.” he nodded, “I should be going anyway…” She smiled at him, and turned and headed back to the yard.

“You clearly triggered something.” Roberta said to him wisely as they both sat in his living room later that evening. He’d just finished telling her about the afternoon. “Some kind of memory.”

Frank hmmed his response. “Question is why are you so bothered?” Roberta asked.

“I’m not, I just…well it wasn’t nice seeing. She looked so scared.” “Well you said her husband was sent down for assaulting her…” Roberta shrugged “She’s clearly had a lot of trauma. Maybe she just needs a friend.” “Yeah, maybe.”

“Could be good for both of you.” “I know what you’re doing.” Frank looked at her sternly

“I’m not trying to do anything!” Roberta chuckled.

“Course you’re not.” he rolled his eyes before he changed the subject.

It wasn’t until he was alone later, that he pulled his phone out to text Fliss. He’d typed out his message, just a perfectly innocent one to check she was ok before he deleted it, shaking his head.

Whatever it was, it really was none of his business. He had enough of his own past demons to live with as it was.

But the more he lay there the more it wound him up.

“Fucks sake…” he grumbled, before he retyped the message and sent it.

*******

Fliss was curled up on the sofa watching TV with a glass of wine. Her parents were out for the evening so she was making the most of enjoying the space. Her phone went and she leaned over to grab it from the coffee table, unable to stop smiling as she saw who it was from.

“It’s not your fault. I get flashbacks sometimes, nothing I can’t handle.”

“Well the past has a way of doing that. Trust me, I know.”

Fliss smiled gently as she tapped out her response.

“Yeah, what is it Rafiki says on the Lion King? You can either run from your past or learn from it?”

Little over 30 seconds later he responded.

It was for that reason she found it so easy to almost, sort of, maybe, possibly accept his invitation.

“I might just hold you to that Sailor.”

@the-omni-princess @momobaby227 @geekofmanythings16 @angelofhell-666 @thewackywriter @marvelfansworld @cobalt-gear @asgardlover75 @jennmurawski13 @jtargaryen18 @saiyanprincessswanie @navispalace @patzammit @joannaliceevans-fanficblog @djeniiscorner @ayamenimthiriel @coldmuffinbanditshoe @disneylovingal @madzmilllz @sgtjaamesbaarnes @sweater-daddiesdumbdork @southerngracela @goldenfightergir @kellymat @official-and-unstable-satan

#riding high #frank adler x ofc #frank adler #gifted #gifted fan fic

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landscapeusa · 5 years

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22 Things You Most Likely Didn’t Know About Temporary Electric Fence | temporary electric fence

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freecycleusa · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://freecycleusa.com/__trashed-77/

Horse Run In Shed Plans - Build A Great Shed With Free Plans

When I moved out into the horse country of Florida in 2010 with my family, we had great plans to build the perfect horse barn on our new property. We envisioned a structure with lots of masonry and large timbers to match what was all around me. After all, beautiful horse farms were part of what drew us to the Bluegrass in the first place.

My, how things change. In our case, functional and flexible won over these loftier plans, but we couldn’t be happier with the result. Let’s face it: What does a horse really need? Beautiful barns are a monument to horses’ human caretakers rather than to the horses themselves. Wild horses were nomadic creatures of the steppes and windblown plains, superbly suited to extreme temperatures and weather. Subsequent domestication has developed an animal more suited to human endeavor, but still not far removed from his ancestors.

Horses tolerate heat and cold much better than their human handlers. However, in most climates horses do need to have shelter available from wind, precipitation, and sun. Inevitably, inclement weather blows in while you are not at the farm. Blankets that were too hot on horses earlier in the day can become soaked inside and out. If the horse is clipped for competition or other athletic endeavors, the natural defensive barrier of winter hair coat has been removed. Clearly, these horses do need a little help from their friends; a run-in shed could be that solution.

You might have a barn and simply wish to augment turnout with basic shelter for your herd; you might be considering temporary housing until you have the time and/or money to build a barn, or you could be reconsidering the need for a full-sized barn altogether. A highly adaptable run-in shed might be just what you are looking for and can meet any of these needs at a price that won’t break the bank.

Basic Design Concepts

The same general rules apply to all kinds of horse housing—whether elaborate barns or the most basic run-ins. One of the most important decisions is where to place the building. Good natural drainage away from the building pad on all four sides is essential for horse health (as it reduces standing water and mud accumulation) as well as building longevity. If you build on the side of a slope, make sure you can cut the grade down on the high side to cause runoff to go around the shed instead of through it. Also consider convenient access to the shed for occasional maintenance, as well as its proximity to water and electric and the costs involved.

Once you have determined your shed’s general location, consider the prevailing winds. Our forefathers knew exactly how the winds worked on their farms and situated their buildings accordingly. Now, this essential information is not as obvious to those of us who spend our days inside or working off the farm. Typically a three-sided structure, the run-in should be oriented to protect horses from wind-driven rain and sleet as well as the sun. If prevailing winds are out of the Southwest, for instance, the open side of most well-planned run-ins will face to the North or Northeast. This provides shade as well as wind protection except for the rare storm out of the Northeast. A south-facing open-faced shed will need a substantial overhang to provide adequate shade.

Related Content: Managing Horses on Small Acreages (Podcast)

“Besides providing shelter, run-ins provide a useful means of catching and containing horses in need of medical examination or treatment,” adds Eric Peterson, DVM, an equine practitioner in Lexington, Ky. “They need to be large enough to allow the animal to turn around and avoid injury as they are caught, but not so large that other horses turned out in the same field to interfere with the process.”

When constructing one of our run-ins, for instance, we centered it on a fence row with a flexible gate system that allows access to two different pastures or both. This allows us to segregate animals when we need to. Each half of the run-in is 16 feet wide–large enough to stand alone as protection for a few horses. By installing swinging gates in front of the run-in we can also open the full 32-foot width to either pasture when rotating. In the winter when we open both pastures we simply remove the gates to allow access from either pasture. This size accommodates six or more horses easily when fully opened. We rotate cattle and horses on our pastures and both benefit from the protection it affords.

When determining your run-in’s size, consider the number of horses that will be turned out at any one time. Horses need room to escape each other when they all want to be in the shed. A good general rule is to allow two horses per equivalent stall size of about 12-by-12 feet (i.e., a run-in for four horses would have 12 by 24 feet of space). These are loose rules that vary by horse breed and size; simply remember that crowding too many horses into a run-in is dangerous for horses and handlers and potentially damaging to the structure.

Herd dynamics should also affect run-in size decisions. According to Bob Coleman, PhD, PAS, associate director for undergraduate education in equine science and management and extension horse specialist at the University of Kentucky, another rule of thumb for shed size is 100 square feet of space per horse for the first two horses using the shelter and 50 square feet for each additional horse.

The shed walls should be a minimum of eight feet high at the low (back) side. The pitch of the roof depends on personal taste and climate requirements, but generally, it should not be less than 4 ½ or 4 inches of rising for every horizontal foot. The rise in the roof toward the open end will create a taller wall at the front of the shed. Often the front wall is left open up to eight feet high and sided above to ¬increase shelter from sun or precipitation.

Materials

Run-ins can be built from any of the same materials used for horse barns. Masonry is durable but expensive. Wood is less expensive but requires more maintenance. In any case, remember the horse will have access to both the inside and outside of every wall, so the building must be sturdy enough to withstand the occasional kick and should have no sharp edges on which a horse could scrape or cut himself. Metal-sided run-ins, the least expensive in most regions, should be lined with wood inside to prevent a horse from kicking through the walls and sustaining a serious injury. Also, eliminate sharp siding edges.

Prefabricated metal structures can be the quickest housing solution, shipped straight to your site. Use care, however, to fasten these structures securely to terra firma to prevent wind damage. Run-in sheds as a whole are not designed to be portable. But many owners will move the sheds regularly (which often weakens the structure) or do not fasten them down sufficiently to endure wind and weather extremes.

The reason these buildings are called run-ins is that horses can and do run in when looking for shelter. Therefore, the footing needs to be a non-slip material. A run-in’s floor is typically natural earth augmented with at least 4 inches of Class I sand or a similar material–preferably atop geotextile fabric to reduce sand loss due to water runoff. This will provide a tough, easy-to-clean surface that will withstand pawing and exposure to urine. Some owners build a high-traffic pad (made of geotextile fabric, No. 4 crushed stone, and a dense grade aggregate installed over an excavated area) for drainage and then place the run-in shed on the pad, adds Coleman. Shavings can be used as a topper, but soiled shavings should be removed on a regular basis to avoid moisture buildup. Also remove manure to prevent flies from gathering and breeding, though the need will be less frequent than in barn stalls since horses are not confined.

Case in Point

When we decided to build a free-standing run-in shed, we set a budget of only a few thousand dollars. We used six treated 6-by-6-inch posts set in concrete to create two bays, 10-by-16 feet each. We then built the roof with a front overhang to increase the sheltered area to approximately 14 feet in depth. The idea was to maximize roof area while keeping the front of the side walls far enough back to reduce the chance of a horse being trapped in a corner by an aggressive pasture mate. The overall shelter area was large enough for the six or so horses we anticipated would use it. The pitch is 7/12 (seven inches vertically per 12 inches horizontally), primarily for aesthetic reasons. Two large beams support the front roof structure because of the combined load of the main roof framing and the front overhang. The walls are constructed of vertical rough-sawn 1-by-6-inch lumber attached to horizontal framing material attached to the posts. We used hot-dipped galvanized nails for all fasteners and added a shingle roof to match other structures on the farm. Metal also would have worked well.

This run-in shed is now well over 10 years old and has required no maintenance other than cleaning out the manure and replacing the footing with fresh Class I sand every few years. Also, as in all our equine housing, we check regularly for loose nails, sharp edges, or other obvious hazards.

We chose not to run power or water to this run in because of its proximity to the barn and outside float waterers, although many owners opt to add these for convenience. Another common addition to this basic design is a hay storage area, often as a center room between two run-in areas. These vary from a few partitions made from pipe gates to fully enclosed rooms. This arrangement is particularly useful if your horses are housed in the adjacent pastures for extended periods of time. Water at the shed might be useful for the same reason, although if you use a frost-proof hydrant, it should be separated from the turnout area to avoid potential injury.

An alternative run-in concept is one created from a portion of an existing structure.

Take-Home Message

The main appeal of the run-in concept is the horse’s freedom to move about at will without human interference. You can design your shed as elaborate or as basic as you like and still adhere to this concept. A run-in shed’s flexibility is what makes it one of the most useful structures on a farm.

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toldnews-blog · 5 years

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New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/world/preserving-a-loved-ones-tattoos-after-death/

Preserving a loved one's tattoos after death

Image copyright Courtesy Wenzel family

Image caption Chris asked for his skin art to be kept after his death

Would you consider preserving the tattoo of a loved one who has died? It’s becoming an increasingly common request from people in their final weeks.

Readers may find an image below distressing

Chris Wenzel’s lifelong love affair with tattooing began when he was just nine years old when his aunt asked him to design her a tattoo, one he ended up partly inking on her skin himself.

By the time he was teenager, both his arms were completely covered in skin art. As an adult, he was a respected tattoo artist who owned Electric Underground Tattoos Inc, a studio in Saskatoon, Canada.

“He loved seeing the ink on people’s skin, fell in love with it,” says his wife Cheryl, who now runs the tattoo studio with a business partner.

Chris died last October of heart failure, after struggling for years with ulcerative colitis, leaving her and the couple’s five sons behind. He was 41.

Before he died, he had a request: he wanted his tattoos preserved.

Ms Wenzel says her husband had always been fascinated by preserved bodies and by other similar artefacts they had come across on museum visits.

Then Chris Wenzel discovered Save My Ink Forever, a family-run business based in Cleveland, Ohio.

He told his wife: “Why would I want to have all these hours of tattoo work put into my body for me to be buried with them?”

The company, owned by Michael and Kyle Sherwood, works with funeral homes in the US, the UK, and Canada to preserve the tattoos of people who have died, as a memorial for their loved ones.

The father and son – both embalmers and funeral directors – launched the company just over two years ago.

Image copyright Courtesy Save My Ink Forever

Image caption Chris Wenzel’s preserved and framed back and arm tattoos

The idea came from what Kyle Sherwood described as a “semi-serious” conversation his father had with a friend about preserving tattoos.

The Sherwoods looked at two trends – there are an estimated 45 million Americans inked and tattoos are growing in popularity; and meanwhile there is a shift towards more customised funerals and memorials.

So they decided to develop a technique that allowed for the long-term preservation of excised skin art.

“Being embalmers we were at least familiar with the concept of preserving tissue,” says Kyle Sherwood.

“But with the embalming, that process isn’t permanent, as much as we’d like it to be. So we started doing some research and blended a few techniques together. It was trial and error.”

It took them two years to develop their specific technique.

“There were no corners cut. We wanted to make sure we did things right and did it consistently,” he says.

At the request of the family, the funeral home will surgically remove the tattoo – a simple process, say the Sherwoods – and send it to a lab for preservation before it’s mounted and framed behind UV-protective glass. The entire process takes about three months.

WATCH: Are temporary tattoos a sell-out?

Tattoo taboo: Spanish woman fights rejection by army

“People put urns on their mantle and to me, my tattoos are more meaningful than an urn on the mantle,” says Mr Sherwood.

“It’s an actual piece of a person that symbolises something.”

Ms Wenzel sought out the Sherwoods’ help following her husband’s death.

Image copyright Courtesy Cheryl Wenzel

Image caption Tattoo artists Kurt Wiscombe (left) and Clint Danroth with the tattoos they did for Chris Wenzel

“When my husband passed away, half of me passed away with him,” she says. “I didn’t know what to do. I just knew he wanted this preservation done. I had to set aside my own emotion to get this part done.”

Because Chris had large tattoos covering much of his body, Kyle Sherwood flew to Saskatoon, a city in the Canadian prairies, to oversee the process himself.

Most tattoos the company handles are on a smaller scale – individual pieces that measure a few inches across – and “with that we are comfortable with the funeral home and their embalmer removing or surgically excising the tattoo,” he says.

Ms Wenzel chose the pieces to be preserved – two full sleeve tattoos including the top of Chris’ hands, his throat and chest piece, his full back piece, two thigh pieces and calf piece.

It was the largest tattoo preservation the Sherwoods had done.

Image copyright Courtesy Save My Ink Forever

Image caption Michael (left) and Kyle Sherwood (right)

Kyle Sherwood says his work provokes three kinds of reactions.

“You have the people that don’t like it – the majority of those people don’t have tattoos, the majority of those people couldn’t understand the meaning that a tattoo can have,” he says.

“Then you have the people that have tattoos that are kind of on the fence about it.”

And finally, “you have the people that absolutely love it”.

The fledgling company has also faced scepticism from some funeral homes, with Mr Sherwood saying that some “old-school funeral directors” have been resistant to the novel idea.

“With that being said, anyone in my generation has been pretty receptive of it, understanding even if we don’t agree with this necessarily, we are in the industry as a whole of serving people and we’re here to fulfil their wishes.”

In Chris Wenzel’s case, a number of funeral homes turned Ms Wenzel down before she was able to find one that would work with Save My Ink Forever.

Mr Sherwood said the company ensures the entire process is completed with dignity, and that it will only work on professionally done tattoos.

Image copyright Courtesy Save My Ink Forever

Image caption This is an example of a smaller piece preserved by the company

And he says it’s not usually obvious the art is preserved on a very unique canvas.

“A lot of time you look at it like a painting and you appreciate the art,” he says. “And once you digest that, you’re left with: ‘Wow, this is the remains.'”

Ms Wenzel has displayed her late husband’s body art at tattoo conventions in Saskatoon and in Vancouver, and plans to do the same this summer at a convention in St John’s, Newfoundland.

She says he wanted his preserved artwork to serve as a reminder that life continues after death but that those left behind never forget the loved ones they lost.

“I see it as a beautiful art. To me it was like bringing my husband back. I get to see him everyday,” she says.

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thecoroutfitters · 7 years

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Written by Wild Bill on The Prepper Journal.

Why leave a perfectly good home, one with an emergency generator , water and food stored, ammo, hidden gun safes, and an understanding of all the points of approach and egress? What could drive you from such a place, other than a Preschool opening next door?

A walk-through of my home with the goal of answering the above questions, was scary, period. Under the premise that my home was “intact” after a natural disaster, or not at ground zero when the SHTF, how does it really stack up for the short-term as a place to hunker down?

The “NOT GOOD” list: My electrical panel and water shut off are outside the fence, which is a gated 7’ cinder block wall, nicely painted

so they are exposed to the street and anyone walking by or wanting to “drop in”. I have to leave the house to get to them. The electrical panel can be locked with a padlock or combination lock (yeah, right, who in their right mind puts a combination lock on a box they may need to open in the middle of the night, in a blizzard?) But mine, probably like yours, is made of metal barely stronger that aluminum foil soaked in spray starch. And locking down the water shut off valve? Kids, toilets, toys placed in toilets, magic lever pulled, you get the picture. Plus, there is an additional exposed water shut of valve at the connection of the house plumbing to the city water supply, the one the city will “lock down” if you don’t pay the bills and the one that would surly on a fine if you even look at it.

Next issue, my fenced property, again, is a cinder-block wall, but only 7’ high and even I can still scale a 7’ wall, plus pistol rounds from a 9mm, 40 mm, or a .45 ACP will penetrate it, it may take two to three to get through both sides, but the wall can be taken down with a pistol. And the house is stucco over a wood frame, dry wall, lots of windows, and on a corner lot. The only thing this stops is the screams from inside getting out.

It gets better, all the windows are ground level, easy to approach, and the landscaping has some softball sized rocks readily available. It is a single story with blinds and shades that are very nice but print the inside lights even at dusk or dawn.

Okay, what else? Having a fuel-powered portable generator means it must be ventilated, read “outside”, the now mostly-mostly-closed dwelling as I have to run the extension cords into the refrigerators location as well as power cords to recharge other electrical devices; I have an electric stove, so do I plan to cook outside on the BBQ, again, outside!

Of course, noise from the generator will give away the fact that you and yours are there, fuel for the generator must be safely stored and rationed. And then, it gets ugly.

Disposal of waste – human and otherwise. If city water is lost, then disposing of human waste becomes a real issue. Dig a latrine in the side yard? I do have one bright spot here, I have a 12,000-gallon swimming pool. But what I do not know is just how many buckets of pool water it will take to get solid human waste through the house plumbing to the now not-operating city sewage system? Common sense tells me that this will work temporarily. At least it is a good use for the chlorinated pool water, other than putting out flaming arrows in case of an attack.

So, what is my plan? First thing is to see if I have enough disc space to write a plan, a big plan. Then to figure out what I missed in my assessment. I was caught in the first of three blizzards that shut down Denver International Airport, in 2003. (Others occurred in 2006 and 2016.) What was the item people ran out of first? Disposable diapers. No stores at the airport stocked them and parents traveled with small supplies. It was bad, we were locked down for three days! Point is what you don’t think of can kill you, or in this case, make you many new enemies.

And yes, there is a GOOD list: Guns, ammo, food and water are in abundant supply, just not stored in the best location. I suggest doing a similar walk through of your “castle”, the resulting depressing is only temporary.

The post Is Your Home Your Castle? appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

#SHTF #TEOTWAWKI #MARTIALLAW #BUGOUT #PREPPERBAG #USAF #USSOCOM #ARMY #NAVY #SurvivalFirestarter #Sur

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painplot41 · 3 years

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Tips For Finding The Best Fence Company

Tips To Choose The Best Fence Company

After selecting Outdoor Fence to install your fence, you will need to sign and return the white copy of the contract, along with the lien documents (if suitable) to our workplace. You can send by mail, email, or fax these files. If your contract requires a deposit, you might mail a check or pay with a charge card by phone.

Please keep the signed yellow copy of the contract for your records.

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The type of fence you have actually installed will figure out how long it will last. Chain link and vinyl fences will last practically a lifetime.

No matter where you live in the Birmingham metro area, we have more than likely set up a fence within a stone toss of your home. Wood fences may require minor maintenance, depending on the look you desire (i.

stain or natural finish). The behavior of your pet dog will identify whether it will try to go under the fence.

Expense is determined by the total variety of direct feet. Chain link, vinyl-coated chain link, and P.V.C terminal and corner posts are also factored in the rate Yes, there will be an additional charge for clearing the fence line Yes, the fence can run along the grade of the property.

Standard fence heights are four, 5, or 6 feet. You may pick to have a greater fence if you desire.

10 Things To Consider Before Hiring Fence Company

Below is a list of typical concerns that we get from our customers. If you do not see the answer to your question, please Contact United States and we will enjoy to answer your concerns. Frequently asked questions What is your showroom/mailing address? Our showroom/office/mailing address is 31715 Eight Mile Rd.

Our distinct estimating procedure is quick, simple, and totally free. How soon can you install my fence? Setup time-frames depend on the type of fence being set up as well as the time of season purchased. Tips For Finding A Good [@keyword].

Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ

How much does it cost to put up a fence?

The average cost of setting up a fence is between $13 and $50 per direct foot. The average overall cost of installing a fence is around $988,but costs can reach $ 7,000-- or more. The length of the fence,materials utilized and add-ons such as gates can affect just how much you end up paying for a fence installation.

What is the cheapest fence to install?

The most affordable fence you can install is a wire fencing at $2 per foot usually,while a 6-foot high wood privacy fence costs $13 to $25 per direct foot,and vinyl fencing for $15 to $30 per foot.

How much does a 300 ft fence cost?

Yard Fence Costs Per Foot Linear Foot Cheaper (Wire or Electric) Moderate (Wood) 8 $10 - $50 $100 - $200 100 $100 - $600 $1,000 - $2,000 150 $150 - $1,000 $1,500 - $3,000 300 $300 - $1,800 $3,000 - $6,000 1 more row

How much does Home Depot charge for fence installation?

Fence Installation Costs According to Home Depot,it can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 to set up a fence,however most property owners can expect to spend from $1,600 to $4,000. You can more precisely compute what your task might cost by figuring out the number of linear feet your fence will be.

How much does an 8 ft fence cost?

8 Foot Wood Fence Cost The typical expense to develop an 8-foot wood fence is in between $21 and $30 per linear foot utilizing pressure-treated pine with dog-ear panels.

What is the best time of year to install a fence?

If you consider summer and spring the peak season,then winter season is the perfect time to get the service and attention you want from your fence specialist. Benefit from the off season by doing your research study throughout the warmer months and getting ready for installation in the winter.

Is it cheaper to build a fence yourself?

One of the benefits of setting up a fence by yourself is that you do not need to pay a company for the labor expenses. This usually ends up being cheaper in the end,and among the major reasons most people think about a DIY in the first place.

Is it cheaper to build a fence horizontal or vertical?

Horizontal fences tend to be more costly than vertical fences since they require a greater grade of lumber for the fence boards to reduce the possibility of drooping. Nevertheless,like any horizontally-oriented board,they may sag over time.

What is the easiest fence to put up?

Vinyl fencing setup is a lot simpler the no-dig way. This suggests you can spend less time on your home tasks and more time with your household,buddies,or whatever else you wish to do.

Projects not requiring licenses and/or product fabrication can be started as quickly as 2-4 weeks. In the peak of the busy season, projects can take up-to 8+ weeks to be started. For how long will my fence setup take? Most fence installations will be finished throughout a week, including 2-3 working days.

Some exceptions to this would be custom size gates that will be ordered after the gate posts are set up and could extend the completion of your project by 2-3 weeks (temporary gates are offered upon demand throughout this period). Do you price-match other fence companies or professionals? Our customers purchase from us since they want the assurance of working with a relied on company which they are going to get quality products and service.

Finding The Right Fence Company

Just put, What types of fences do you install? We set up a large variety of fences that will suit the requirements of both residential and commercial applications, including: What quality of material do you utilize?

Warranty not provided on repair projects Harmed items or hardware is not covered under our workmanship warranty, nevertheless, they might be covered under our producer's warranties. This consists of: life time service warranty life time guarantee 12 year warranty 25 year service warranty no product service warranty (wood may warp, split, or crack.

If you do not have either of these files, one may be available through your home loan company, regional structure department, or builder. If you do not have access to a residential or commercial property survey, We can refer you to a property surveyor that deals with our customers. This service generally costs between $900 $1500 We will place your fence where advised.

We do not, however, reveal home markers throughout the setup unless a home survey is ordered through Paramount Fence. Will you get a fence authorization for my job? Yes. We will request your permit after receiving all documents that are required by your local structure department. Such files may consist of: mortgage surveyneighbor( s) signature formsneighborhood association approval (you must get this) signature notarization Do you call 'missdig' to have underground utilities marked? Yes.

Finding The Right Fence Company

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This process does not take location till around one (1) week prior to your setup. Miss, Dig find professionals DO NOT mark any individual utility lines that were not set up by the energy supplier. Some examples of personal utility lines that are not marked by Miss, Dig consist of: electric line ranging from house to garagegas line running to outdoor barbecue grilllow voltage electrical circuitry to landscape deviceselectric lines running to outside lighting How deep do you set fence posts? Generally 38" -42" deep.

Didn't discover the responses you were trying to find? Learn more about residential fencing here:

Whether you are setting up a brand-new fence or changing a worn-out one, there are numerous essential questions you will desire to ask skilled fence professionals . The first thing you will wish to do is set up a consultation with the specialists at your house. The factor you wish to host the conference is so that the specialists can see your home and help gain a much better understanding of your needs.

You want to select a material that will finest meet your needs. Trusted professionals will have a list of reference you can call to get feedback about the specialist and their workmanship. Expert specialists will take photos, with the house owners consent, of their completed tasks and share these with potential clients.

How To Choose A Fence Company

They need to want to provide you a copy of their license and insurance coverage. Experienced fence installers will normally obtain any required licenses, however, sometimes, they may need you to do so. Trustworthy professionals will enjoy to offer a written itemized quote for your fence setup task. It is advised you require the specialist to include these in the itemized quote so everything is clear and concise.

#fencing #company #fence

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josephkitchen0 · 6 years

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5 Homestead Fencing Mistakes to Avoid

No matter what project my husband and I decide to tackle, it nearly always comes down to the same thing: homestead fencing. Garden fencing to keep groundhogs and cottontails away from our vegetables. Fences to keep our dairy goats away from our fruit trees. Fences to keep our chickens in and the neighbor’s dogs out. And just when we think we’ve tackled all of our homestead fencing projects, we decide to add another poultry house or to give the goats new grazing ground, so up go more fences.

As we travel around the countryside we often take note of new homestead fences being built and old fences, or not so old fences, tumbling down. The all-time record for the latter was a newly constructed fence that lasted all of three months before it began to sag and crumble.

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Here are five homestead fencing mistakes you can easily avoid when tackling DIY fence installation projects.

1) Choosing the Wrong Kind of Homestead Fencing

Buying materials and putting up homestead fencing is an expensive and time-consuming proposition, so it pays beforehand to do plenty of research and planning. The first place to start is with your city or county planning commission. Since local zoning laws may restrict your choice, find out if any regulations pertain to fence design or construction in your area. Putting up a fence that doesn’t conform to local restrictions can result in having to take down your newly built fence and possibly pay a fine as well.

Even where no local regulations restrict your choice, selecting the best fence isn’t always easy, since each system has inherent strengths and weaknesses. At our place, for example, the goats’ grazing area is fenced with high tensile electric fence, and cross fenced with temporary electric polywire that can be easily removed when the paddocks need mowing. We use post and plank fence along the driveway, stock panels to control breeding bucks in season, and chain link to protect our poultry and garden. We’ve learned, you see, that there is no right fence only the right fence for the job.

Exactly which homestead fencing system will do a good job for you depends on what you are trying to accomplish: keep animals in, keep animals out, or both. It also depends on what kind of animals are involved, how big they are, and how motivated they are to get in or out. Among livestock, dairy cows and beef cattle are the easiest to contain. Horses are only a little less so. Next come pigs, sheep, goats, and game animals, in that order. Poultry, on the other hand, present special challenges because they can be small enough to slip through some fences or light enough to fly over.

Knowing the habits of your animals will help you select the right homesteading fencing system to keep them in: are they climbers, crawlers, diggers, chewers, or back rubbers? What are their seasonal characteristics like the ability of baby animals to slip through an otherwise sturdy fence or the propensity of breeding age stock in season to bash a fence down.

More difficult than keeping stock in can be keeping predators out, whether to prevent hungry coyotes from getting at the sheep or deterring groundhogs from nibbling on the ripe tomatoes. Here again, know the habits of these animals. Coyotes, for example, tend to be less adventuresome than dogs about getting through a fence, but once they have a taste of what’s on the other side you’ll have a devil of a time keeping them from coming back.

So determine exactly what the purpose of your fence will be. Know the habits of the animals you wish to keep in and keep out. Select a style of fence that can best withstand the demands of the most determined fence crashers. And make sure your chosen style homestead fencing conforms to local regulations.

2) Failing to Anchor Down Anchor Posts

A fence is only as strong as its posts, making posts the most important part of any fence. They’re also the most expensive part. It makes good sense, therefore, to take time and care in selecting and installing them. Most fences require at least two different kinds of post, according to their role within the fence.

You’ll need stout posts at key spots such as corners, curves, dips, rises, and gates. Posts in these positions are called anchor posts, since they anchor the fence, giving it strength and stability. Anchor posts generally are larger in diameter than line posts and are longer so they can be set deeper into the ground. Most fence failures result from anchor posts that are not set deeply enough into the ground, not properly braced for the style of fence being erected, and not set in concrete. Even when anchor posts are set in concrete, if you don’t wait a couple of days for the concrete to set before attaching the fence, your anchor posts will wobble and eventually fail.

Line posts are the evenly spaced posts between the anchor posts. They need not be as strong as anchor posts since they incur much less stress. Their primary purpose is to position the homestead fencing material. The taller your fence, the longer your line posts should be, not just to accommodate the higher fence but also so you can set them deeper to support the fence’s weight.

The type of fence you choose to install will determine the necessary distance between line posts, which may be as close together as 8′ for a woven wire fence or as far apart as 50′ for high tensile fence installation on level ground. If your soil is sandy or moist, you keep animals in close confinement, or you space your line posts farther apart than usual, you’ll need stouter line posts than otherwise.

Both anchor posts and line posts should be as straight as possible. Besides looking bad, crooked posts place extra strain on homestead fencing material. And run a string to ensure your line posts are set in a straight line between your anchor posts; even a small deviation in the position of your line posts can put a big strain on your fence.

Using trees as fence posts is a bad idea for several reasons. First, trees attract lightning, which can seriously damage your fence. Second, as a tree grows, the homestead fencing material will grow into the trunk, damaging both the fence and the tree. Finally, some future woodsman may not know the tree has been embedded with wire, staples, or nails, with possible dire consequences to life or limb when saw hits metal.

So do the job right. Take extra care with your anchor posts to ensure they are sturdy enough for your chosen fence style, buried deeply enough for your soil type, set in concrete, and well braced. Use line posts that are strong enough, and set close enough together, to adequately support your fence material.

3) Gates In All the Wrong Places

Discovering after your fence is up that your gates are in the wrong places can be annoying at best and downright inconvenient at worst. Moving gate posts can be difficult, time-consuming, and expensive, so give serious thought beforehand to where you’ll put your gates. Place them in well-drained areas to avoid muddy conditions. Keep them out of the path of erosion, since through traffic will only make matters worse.

Take into consideration your normal patterns of movement and put gates where they’ll be the most convenient. If you are fencing a pasture or large garden, a gate near the corner will encourage vehicle or foot traffic to move along the fence instead of cutting down the middle. If you’re confining livestock, a corner gate lets you drive animals along the fence and out.

A gate that opens onto a roadway should be set far enough back so you can pull your vehicle off the road while you get out to open the gate. A generous setback is especially important on a narrow road with little or no shoulder.

Just as important as proper gate placement is proper size. A gate designed strictly for foot traffic should be wide enough to admit your favorite wheelbarrow, garden cart, or riding lawnmower. In general, four feet is the minimum width for foot traffic.

For larger equipment or livestock, a 10- to 12-foot gate is more appropriate. For vehicles and machinery, 14 feet should be wide enough, although a 16-foot gate may be necessary for major farm machinery, especially if the driver has to turn at the entry.

If you have any doubts about what size gate you need, play it safe and go to the next larger size. The gate’s height should, of course, match your fence.

A gate gets more wear than the rest of the fence, so it should be strong and made of top quality materials. To keep the gate from sagging and being difficult to operate, set and brace your gate posts the same as you would any anchor posts.

4) Fencing Someone Else’s Property

Among the worst homestead fencing horror stories are those involving carefully putting up an expensive fence only to learn it is over the property line and has to be torn down. Sometimes the mistake is discovered right away; other times it isn’t discovered until years later, when one or the other property is surveyed prior to being sold.

So if you put up a boundary fence, make sure you know where your property line is, even if you have to hire a surveyor to find out. Local setback restrictions may dictate how close to your property line you can place your fence. You’ll also want to talk with your highway commissioner and check your deed to make sure you won’t be putting the fence inside a right of way or across an easement.

If you want to put a fence right on your property line, and local regulations allow you to do so, your neighbor may be willing to share in the cost and maintenance. Get an agreement in writing, detailing all the specifics. Where long-term maintenance is involved, record any agreement that allows you to enter the neighbor’s property to repair your fence. You and your neighbor may be best friends now, but tomorrow some old grouch may move in next door.

In the event you can’t get a written agreement, build your fence sufficiently inside your property line that you can mow and otherwise maintain both sides. At the least, allow enough setback so concrete footers and other protruding parts won’t encroach on the neighbor’s land. Some future challenge to the placement of your fence could end up in a costly court battle requiring subsequent moving of the fence.

5) Digging Into Underground Utilities

Before digging your first post hole, make sure your fence won’t interfere with any underground structure, such as a septic tank and its leach lines. If you’re putting up any kind of metal fence beneath overhead power lines, seek safety advice from your local power company. Finally, find out if your planned fence will interfere with any underground utilities.

The depth of utility lines varies, and sometimes multiple utility lines are buried together. Furthermore, each state has different rules and regulations governing digging. To keep from doing damage to utilities, causing service interruptions, experiencing bodily injury, and possibly having to ante up for a fine and repair costs, your best insurance is to dial 811 and tap into the free national call-before-you-dig service. (For online information on this service visit www.call811.com).

Your call will be routed to the appropriate utilities center. Tell the operator where you plan to set your fence posts. Any affected utilities companies will be notified about your intent to dig. In a few days, at no charge to you, a utility locator will come out and mark the locations of your underground lines, pipes, and cables. Now you can start building your fence, having the peace of mind of knowing where you can safely dig.

Originally published in Countryside March / April 2011 and regularly vetted for accuracy.

5 Homestead Fencing Mistakes to Avoid was originally posted by All About Chickens

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ruralfencingsupplies · 6 years

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Choosing the Electric Fencing Supplies in 9 Simple Steps

Selecting the right fence for the property is one of the biggest challenges for any livestock owner or farmer. Fencing is not just give you a protection also establish the farm boundaries. Fencing comes with wide range of options and components. If you consider replacing your rusty and barbed wire fence, you can take electric fence as an ideal option. While choosing an electric fencing in Perth, you need to be aware of certain supplies that are essential for electric fencing. Here are the important electric fencing supplies that you need to be cautious about. Type of Fence Electric fencing comes in various types such as rope, twine, tape, wire and power. You can find them as temporary, semi- permanent or permanent fence. Temporary fence are portable and easy to install but not assured for the durability. Semi-permanent and permanent fence are designed to withstand wear and tear by livestock and long lasting. So that, choose the one based on the type of area you are going to install. Length and Height of the Fence Before choosing an electric fencing in Perth, determine the height and length of the area. This will give you estimate time to complete the installation. The sizes can vary based on the type of the animal you are wishing to manage. Pre-packaged electric fence kits are available in the market and are designed for small domestic animals such as dogs, rabbits and small wildlife critters. Number of Line Post and Corner Post Needed The number of line post can be determined by the length of your fence and desired post spacing. Usually the space between two posts can be 12-15 feet. Calculate your fence by perimeter ft. /post spacing and you will get the number of post needed for your fence. You will need corner post at every corner of the fence. Type of Conductor You can choose the conducting wire based on the animal you are wishing to manage. You can find conducting wire in steel, aluminium, poly tape and poly wire. Fences made steel are cheaper and aluminium fences are durable. Poly wire fences are easy to install while poly tape allows you to view clearly that is best for horse fencing. Number of Strands The number of strands can be determined by the type and size of animal you are managing. If you need a horse fencing in Perth, you need to devote additional space than cow and other small animals. Also you need to take notes on the various ages of animals to find sufficient quantity of strands. Multiply the length of perimeter with the number of strands required to find the total amount of conducting wire. Number of Insulators The number of insulators can be calculated by the type of post and type of wire you’ve used. The insulators must be compatible with your post type and your conductor wire. You can determine the number of insulators by multiplying the number of fence post with the number of strands. Type of Energizer There are three main types of energizers used for fencing that are mains, battery and solar powered. Mains powered electric fence chargers can be used for permanent electrical fencing when the main power is available. The battery powered fence chargers are used when there is no main electric supply available. Solar powered electric fences are maintenance free. Type of Gate There are commonly three types of fence gates available in the market such as electrified spring gate, electric wire gate with insulating gate handle and standard rigid metal farm gate. You can choose one of them according to the personal preference. Grounding System There are commonly two types of grounding system used for electric fencing such as one wire grounding system and two wire grounding system. One wire grounding system is very common and used for most of the circumstances while the two wire grounding system used for very dry soils. This guide will assist you in choosing the most suitable components for your electric fence. Ensure you have all the necessary supplies, before you begin installing your electric fence.

#electric fencing in Perth #horse fencing in Perth

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karen-carlisle-off-the-artboard · 7 years

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http://karenjcarlisle.com/2017/09/10/12751/

Yep, this post is late. I woke up today, not suspecting something was amiss. I went to a writing course on how to ‘keeping writing’ (I have a problem with procrastination and was looking for tips on how to combat it). Ironic, as I realised I had procrastinated with today’s blog post. And now here I am…

Today I also found a really cool submission call for an anthology. I got excited; I had the perfect story! Then I remembered – I’d already published the story in my short story collection, With a Twist of the Nib. (Botheration!) So I decided I’d share that story with you today:

The sign clattered against the railyard fence as Adelaide City shuddered along the track.

KEEP OUT.

Registered Citizens Only

Beyond This Point.

Connor glared at the city-train as the suburbs thundered along the track, each carriage emblazoned with the area represented by its surviving citizens.

He yawned. There was another ten kilometres before Adelaide City passed. He pulled the thermal blanket up around his ears, pressed his body further into the cluttered corner of the station house and closed his eyes.

A loud boom shuddered the brick walls. Glass smashed on the platform, resurrecting the stench of yesterday’s rubbish dump.

Tomorrow he would look for new digs. Somewhere with less noise. Now he needed sleep. His dad used to count the carriages to fall asleep. Like counting sheep, he said. Connor cracked open one eye and (eyed the loco) through a shattered window caked in three-day old iced-coffee.

Tea Tree Gully, Collinswood, Walkerville.

The rhythmic thunk skipped a beat. Another shudder.

Connor opened his other eye. The suburbs were slowing. Wheels screamed on the metal tracks.

He was on his feet now. He folded up his blanket and shoved it in his backpack. The Cities never stopped until they reached the depot – and then only for refuelling and restocking.

The carriages wobbled and halted on the tracks.

Connor crept towards the station house door.

Muffled sounds of panic rolled along the innards of the Adelaide Central carriage. Vague shadows scuttled along the carriages, plastered themselves against the translucent windows, and recoiled away from the perspex.

Then silence. No movement.

Connor slipped off the platform, picked his way through layers of refuse and squeezed through a ragged hole in the wire fence. He edged closer to the train. The stench of rotting rubbish and manufactured food waste was stronger on the Tracks. He gagged, pulled his sleeve over his hand and covered his nostrils.

The central driver’s cabin was only a few hundred metres up the track. If he could convince the Caretaker, he belonged on the train…

Footsteps crunched on the other side of the track. Connor peered under the carriage. A pair of trousered feet, wrapped in well-worn silvered boots, stepped into view. Loose leather straps dangled over the double lacing.

He ducked behind a wheel. The Eastern Tracks weren’t a safe place to be. Scavengers raided the dumped rubbish pods – usually after each city had passed. It seemed one of them was curious.

The crunching stopped.

Connor held his breath.

Clank.

He dared not peek.

Clank. Clank. Clank. Click.

A flurry of cloth crashed onto the gravel next to Connor. He flung his arms in front of his face and cringed.

“What do you want, Scav?” it demanded.

“I’m a Logic, not a Scav,” cried Connor, bracing himself for the inevitable blow.

“A Logic?” The intruder squinted at him through a slit in her face wrappings. Dark eyes scanned his face, his hands, his backpack. Lines formed at the edge of the eyelids. The intruder lifted her balaclava. Her black hair clung to the synthetic, and crackled as she removed her mask.

“You’ll never board the train wearing that.” She chuckled and ripped the Hawking Rocks! patch from Connor’s backpack. “I met him once, you know – before The Blast.”

She trudged along the carriage toward the driver’s cabin. “Come on. I need your help if we’re to investigate.

“You’re a scientist?”

“Was. An astronaut.”

She threw her hands up in the air. “And look where that got me! Crawling back from the wrong side of the tracks, looking for anyone who hasn’t fried their brain cells.”

“Why the Tracks?”

“I could ask you the same thing. It’s like moths to a flame isn’t it? A trained Logic faced with a puzzle – why did Adelaide stop? It’s what they bred us for – our inquisitive nature.”

“It’s what they banished us for,” grumbled Connor.

She turned, her smile gone, and thrust her outstretched hand at Connor. “My name’s Lee, Captain Erin Lee. You can call me Lee.”

“Professor Michael Connor.” He shook her hand.

“Come on, Connor. Keep up.” She turned and strode up to the driver’s cabin, wedged between the Central and Unley carriages. “Keep up.”

“But, Lee, we’re forbidden to board any City, by law. If we get caught –.”

###

The cabin door hissed. Connor jumped into the engine after Captain Lee/Erin, as it clicked behind them. Lee grinned and handed back his tools.

A mangled mess of metal and wire sat in the pilot’s seat. Dark liquid dripped from its joints and reeked of machine oil. Soot covered the walls and roof. A lanky figure cowered in the corner; the braid on his uniform jiggled as he twitched. He peeked through his fingers and whimpered.

“Please, don’t eat me! I’m just the Caretaker.”

“Why would I want to eat you?” asked Connor.

“Everyone knows what happens to citizens who leave the city. The Tracks are full of flesh-eating Scavs.”

“Sca–?” Connor scowled. “I’m not a Scav.”

“You dress like one,” replied Caretaker.

Connor regarded their reflection in the cabin window. Mud-stained jeans, faded shirt, tatty jacket caught up in the strap of his backpack. Lee didn’t fare any better – a shredded long coat and dusty jumpsuit. He dropped his backpack onto the metal floor.

“I’m a scientist, and I don’t eat people.”

Caretaker’s eyes widened.

“What about her?”

Lee sat on the floor, examining a handful of circuit boards she’d pulled from an open panel beneath the console.

“She’s an astronaut. She doesn’t eat people either,” replied Connor.

“The electronics seem intact.” Lee jumped to her feet and dusted off her pants. “What happened to the autopilot?” she asked.

“I don’t know.” Caretaker sniffed and adjusted his jacket collar. “The city just stopped. We’re nowhere near Depot. Head Mechanic said the engine’s been sabotaged and the next city is only twelve hours behind us. I followed procedure and checked the driver’s cabin.” Caretaker pointed to the damaged automaton. “And I found the autopilot like this.” He slumped back against the wall and shook his head. “I’m not trained to fix things.”

“Another puzzle for you, Lee,” said Connor.

Lee grinned, snatched a screwdriver from Connor’s backpack and examined the lock of the carriage door.

“One for their Enforcer,” she said. “I’m where I wanted to be – on a city-train. Now I just need to get through this door.” She eyed Caretaker. “My training tells me you’ll have a key.”

Caretaker raised an eyebrow.

“You’re both trained Logics?” he asked.

Connor nodded slowly. “Are you going to banish us back to the Tracks?”

Caretaker shook his head.

“Our Law Enforcer is dead.”

“That explains why no one stopped us,” said Connor.

“An overworked Mechanic, no Autopilot, no Enforcer. You’re not doing a good job of caretaking, are you?” said Lee.

Caretaker’s eyelids narrowed.

“My job is to ensure the safety of the City. You need sanctuary. I need an Enforcer.” He glanced at the autopilot. “And possibly a temporary pilot. I’m sure a Logic could assume either, or both, roles.” Caretaker dipped his fingers into his vest pocket and pulled out a long silver chain. An electronic key dangled at the end. “Find out who sabotaged the autopilot, get the city moving again and you can access the key to the city.”

Connor’s eyes followed the swinging key. They would need a job if they remained onboard. He retrieved his backpack and stepped up to the city door.

Lee nodded.

“Enforcers Lee and Connor reporting for duty,” she said. ”I assume you can provide us with necessary documents?”

“We’ll stop by Provisions before I let you loose in the suburbs.”

Caretaker nodded and swiped the card through the lock.

Connor noticed Caretaker’s hand. There were fine cuts on the palm. One fingertip had electrical burns and there were traces of soot under the fingernails.

“Shut the door behind you,” said Caretaker as he scuttled down the corridor.

Connor tugged on Lee’s coat.

His hand, he mouthed.

Lee nodded.

“You finally noticed,” she whispered. “Did you notice the traces of oil on his trousers?”

Connor shook his head. Missed that one.

“He must have wiped his hands after he sabotaged the autopilot. Also, he’s not the Caretaker.”

Connor froze.

“How do you know?” he asked.

“Because I’ve seen the City records. The real Caretaker was thrown off the train five suburbs ago,” replied Lee.

The door clicked shut. Connor stared at her.

“Those experiments you were working on before The Blast…”

Conner’s heart skipped. He hadn’t mentioned what he had been working on.

“They worked.” She winked at him and lifted up her sleeve. An oversized watch with red LEDs blinked at them. Numbers counted down:

11:00:28

11:00:27

11:00:26

“We’ve got eleven hours to obtain documents, defuse the second bomb and nail this imposter.”

Captain Lee strode down the corridor.

“Do keep up, Enforcer Connor.”

THE END

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josephkitchen0 · 6 years

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5 Homestead Fencing Mistakes to Avoid

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Here are five homestead fencing mistakes you can easily avoid when tackling DIY fence installation projects.

1) Choosing the Wrong Kind of Homestead Fencing

2) Failing to Anchor Down Anchor Posts

3) Gates In All the Wrong Places

If you have any doubts about what size gate you need, play it safe and go to the next larger size. The gate’s height should, of course, match your fence.

4) Fencing Someone Else’s Property

5) Digging Into Underground Utilities

Originally published in Countryside March / April 2011 and regularly vetted for accuracy.

5 Homestead Fencing Mistakes to Avoid was originally posted by All About Chickens

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josephkitchen0 · 6 years

Text

5 Homestead Fencing Mistakes to Avoid

Ready to Start Raising a Pig for Meat?

Learn how to raise pigs in this FREE Special Report, Raising Pigs for Meat: Everything You Need to Know About Pig Farming for Beginners, from Natural Pig Farming to What Can Pigs Eat. YES! I want this Free Report »

Here are five homestead fencing mistakes you can easily avoid when tackling DIY fence installation projects.

1) Choosing the Wrong Kind of Homestead Fencing

2) Failing to Anchor Down Anchor Posts

3) Gates In All the Wrong Places

If you have any doubts about what size gate you need, play it safe and go to the next larger size. The gate’s height should, of course, match your fence.

4) Fencing Someone Else’s Property

5) Digging Into Underground Utilities

Originally published in Countryside March / April 2011 and regularly vetted for accuracy.

5 Homestead Fencing Mistakes to Avoid was originally posted by All About Chickens

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