Late October morning at Toms Run Preserve.

rhododendron

a juno devine character study (titled after the state flower of west virginia)! post ep 28 spoilers, and i do believe her and duck actually knew each other when they were younger than when i have them meet in this fic but shh it's fine, ~560 words

Juno Devine. She had always felt like her name created shoes a bit bigger than she had ever been able to fill. The king of the Roman gods’ wife and then just the word divine (albeit spelled differently) didn’t exactly conjure the image of a small town forest ranger. That was okay with her though, it was more a recurring thought in the back of her head than a true worry. Her life had really turned out perfectly. Who knows where she would have ended up if not for Arlo Thacker’s intervention with seven-year-old Juno on the day of that fateful field trip? At any other job, she would have been perfectly competent, but never really satisfied, always glancing out the window and longing to be back outside. Luckily, though, the Monongahela National Forest became her home, almost even more so than her apartment in Kepler.

The best part of being a forest ranger was her colleagues. As a child, Juno never really connected with any of her classmates. After Thacker talked to them, they eased up some on the bullying, but she was still very lonely. Now, as an adult, she could have conversations on all the topics related to nature she was most passionate about and be met with the same level of enthusiasm from her fellow rangers. Duck Newton was the one that Juno found herself connecting with most. They started hanging out outside of work and became friends. It was difficult for Juno to be in silence with others, since it felt like all the times she had been ignored and invisible in the past, but this anxiety seemed to naturally dissolve with Duck. One warm summer night, when it was dark enough to see the stars, without a cloud in the sky, they met up by the river just as they had planned. Duck brought a blanket and some popcorn, Juno brought a couple hard lemonades, and they just enjoyed each other’s company and the perfect view of the stars without a word.

So, when things started getting strange in Kepler (or more so than usual), Juno trusted Duck to help handle it. Sure, she wished she had a better idea of what was going on (and something was obviously being covered up since Duck couldn’t lie for shit), and she didn’t really know Duck’s two weird friends, but if he thought they were good enough to work with then that must be the case. When things really went south, the FBI came to town, and all of a sudden Arlo Thacker showed back up on her doorstep asking her to basically commit a federal crime, what was she going to say? No? That absolutely wasn’t an option at the behest of the man who had set her life on the right track, and really, at this point, she would have joined the plan herself soon anyway. As a forest ranger, she worked for the government, but Juno’s first allegiance had always been to the flora and fauna and the land itself. The FBI coming in and closing off parts of the forest to set up their goddamn surveillance base camp wasn’t gonna stand. Not in her town. So she gave Thacker, now an old man, but still with the same twinkle in his eye as always, a big hug and promised to do everything she could. The fight was on.

starter for: @isaacapatow location: a few miles south of Redwood Trudging through the desolate, abandoned area outside of Redwood was a welcome distraction. Isaac had suggested it, going out and looking for a coffee roasting company that was said to have a location somewhere nearby. Coffee was finite - with limited resources and the climate, they couldn't cultivate it, so it was something they had to loot. And with everything currently happening, Redwood could use a lot of coffee. Orion was as watchful as ever as they traversed the lands southbound, watching the path ahead as well as listening to any sign of walkers or hostile scavengers. His gaze was firmly directed at the path they were following, trusting Isaac enough to keep watch of their rear. Orion hadn't mentioned Virginia or Sol to his raiding partner, nor the fact that Tristan had returned, because there wasn't much to say there. Virginia was dead. There wasn't any changing that. Tristan - Orion didn't like thinking about it, but he forced himself to because what was the point in running away from it? Tristan was probably dead too. They needed to face that. And Orion assumed that Isaac knew that too, and that the best course of action was pushing on and not getting caught up in what could have been. "Wait." Orion's voice was quiet, little less than a murmur, as he suddenly stopped. They were still a mile from their supposed destination, but something had caught Orion's attention. He held up his hand for Isaac to be quiet and tilted his head, closing his eyes as he listened. He could hear footsteps. Coming closer. "People. Heading towards us. Let's go." Orion motioned for Isaac to follow him, taking shelter behind the gutted remenants of a car nearby. An encounter with strangers was risky. They had only been hidden for a few moments when Orion, risking a quick glance over the car's hood, saw two figures approaching. "An adult and a child. Heading... west. Not visibly armed." Orion noted as he watched the two people. It was hard to make out their faces from a distance - the adult looked about Isaac's age, eyes directed in the front. The child seemed to be a teenager, though his face was directed towards the ground. Something was off - and Orion found himself instinctively reaching for his gun. The guy was holding the child by the hand, even though the child seemed old enough to walk. Orion narrowed his eyes as he watched them, and when the kid raised his head and opened his mouth to say something- "Sunface." Orion slipped back behind the car. The kid's mouth had been covered in blood, dripping down his chin when he spoke. Orion heard a faint, garbled 'emzee' coming from the kid, as if to confirm. The raider grabbed his gun. "We could follow them. They could lead us to something useful." Or kill the guy right here. And see if they could save the child.

Good Omens Fic Recs: American AU

Is it weird that, as a Brit, I love reading Good Omens AUs set in America? Perhaps I just find the change of scene a little more exciting. And there's an authenticity to them, a real sense of place that makes these fics so immersive.

Anyway, here are some of my favourites.

Long Haul by snae_b Rating: E Words: 68160 Summary: First time he sees him he’s barreling down 40 like a bat out of hell. Thirty miles outside of Flagstaff and six hours behind schedule. The desert looming large on all sides. Red sand and sage stretching out for miles and miles in front of him. Juniper and pine and gray crag behind him. The flora might be changing but that's about it. Same bone-dry air that gives him nosebleeds. Same cute little cottontails and scrawny jackrabbits darting under his tires. Same two lanes separated by white lines... He checks his speedometer. He hasn't downshifted since the city limits. Sheer luck, that. He's coming up fast on another rig. Flatbed with Vermont plates. Bright white cab with gold wings painted on the side. Anthony Crowley might have gotten out of Missouri, but he hasn't escaped his past. He wears it like a cloak. When he crosses paths with a guardian angel, he starts to learn how to shed it.

Crowley and Aziraphale are truckers. This is one of those concepts that sound so out there that it's hard to imagine it working. But trust me when I say that it does, and the result is an entirely unique and utterly compelling story that takes the dynamics of GO and transfers it to the endless highways of the American midwest. Like all of snae_b's stories, this one is sexy, romantic, beautifully written, and wonderfully plotted from start to finish. Crowley as a nervous young trucker who is just coming to terms with his identity and newfound freedom, and Aziraphale as the older, more experienced trucker whose easy-going outlook on life is helping him with that.

Old Vines by sevdrag Rating: E Words: 189706 Summary: A.Z. Fell, one of the most respected names in wine and food blogging, has been sent on assignment with his assistant Warlock Dowling to spend six months in California Wine Country. Under direction (by his boss, Gabriel) to use this experience to double his blog followers and write a novel, Aziraphale is both excited and anxious about the opportunity. Anthony J. Crowley is the owner and viticulturalist of Ecdyses, a winery that unexpectedly fell into his lap eleven years ago when he hit rock bottom. He may be in debt, yeah, but he’s paying off his loans — and despite pressure from his lenders and their team of inspectors, Crowley has found a kind of contentment tending his little corner of terroir and producing extraordinary wine. Crowley’s old vines are the heart of his vineyard, and he’s never let anyone in. Crowley finds Aziraphale intriguing; Aziraphale finds Crowley enthralling. Turns out a famous wine expert and an experienced viticulturalist can still learn things from each other. The summer of 2019 unfolds.

An absolute fandom classic, which is as much about wine and wine-growing as it is about love. As someone whose taste in wine goes as far as preferring white over red, I found it nonetheless incredibly appealing, and it made me want to actually pay a little more attention to wine as a result. There is a real sense of passion that underlies this story and defines its characters. Crowley's full-body connection to his soil is palpable, Aziraphale's epicureanism is taken to the extreme, but the entire ensemble of characters (and this is very much an ensemble piece) show the same kind of passion for the land, business, wine, and of course their various relationships.

The False and the Fair by Princip1914 Rating: E Words: 173064 Summary: Growing up in the shadow of West Virginia’s Eden Mountain, Aziraphale Wright always expected to work for the family coal mining company. Anthony Crowley, the son of a down-and-out miner, was going to become a pilot and leave town forever. Now, thirty years later, neither of their lives have gone as planned, and an unexpected inheritance brings them back into one another’s orbit. Aziraphale hopes that they can move beyond their shared past, and a high school arrangement that ended in disaster, but he has secrets of his own that threaten their fragile reconnection…

This is a dual-timeline epic that details the beginning romance of Crowley, son of a miner, and Aziraphale, son of a mine owner, and their reconnecting thirty years later when Aziraphale returns to his old hometown to claim a bookshop he inherited. Such a bittersweet slow-burn of a story, in the course of which secrets are uncovered and past actions are atoned for. I absolutely love how human and flawed the characters are, but in particular Aziraphale. This is one of my all-time favourite characterisations of him, and the author does not pull any punches. An emotional rollercoaster with a true sense of melancholy about it.

Hell's Half Acre by Lurlur Rating: E Words: 7266 Summary: Of all the saloons that existed in Hell's Half Acre, Deputy U.S. Marshal Anthony Crowley had a strong preference for the establishment operated by old Sergeant Shadwell. He could be found propping up the bar at the Witch's Tit most afternoons, and at one of its gaming tables almost every night. Being a man of reliable habits was part of his service to the town; people could always find him when they needed him.

An action-packed one-shot that squeezes so many Wild West tropes into less than 10k words. Crowley as the lazy, but competent sheriff with a dark past is a wonderful protagonist, and I loved his dynamic with a gun-toting but faultlessly polite Aziraphale. There is a fun mix of action, humour, romance, and smut in this story that unashamedly revels in its genre: there's gunfights, outlaws, saloons, horses, and everything else you would expect. It's a feast, an absolutely delightful piece of writing.

Put down the apple, Adam, and come away with me by Arokel Rating: M Words: 32045 Summary: Special Agent Anthony Crowley hadn't assumed infiltrating a lesbian convention to sniff out anti-American sentiments would be easy, but he also hadn't banked on an ambiguously-queer academic with peroxide-blonde hair and a talent for seeing right through him.

I have already written more extensively about this fic here. To summarise, it's a stunningly written piece set in 1950's America that's chock-full of longing and repressed feelings, set in a time and place that's evidently very well researched, but feels so entirely natural to the story that you don't even realise how much you've learned about 20th century queer history until you've finished.

Would the plan at the end of Horse Sense have worked?

I hate that this lives rent-free in my head, but god help me, I am a conservation/preservation easement specialist. I am not a lawyer. BUT.

Could they have formed a land trust to save the farm?

No.

Could it have worked?

Unfortunately, yes, or I wouldn't have to write this. Let me explain in horrible detail.

A land trust is a body that is organized to take possession of and administer different kinds of property. There's loads. Some protect certain categories of land (American Battlefield Trust), others certain regions (West Virginia Land Trust) or biomes (Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust). I don't know if there's a relevant Montana one but I'm sure there is. There are... six? in my small state, not incl national organizations.

What they would have had to do is contact the land trust and say "hey, this land is chock-a-block with wild horses and it's about to be repossessed or whatever." At this point, the trust would evaluate the property and their own liquid assets to see if it was a suitable investment.

If the bank is about to foreclose, they MIGHT be able to say "here's a purchase option based on these three comps that's contingent on a favorable appraisal, please stop." The bank MIGHT say yes, especially if there's negative press or earnest money.

Then they'd wait for several months.

I have no idea how long a Yellow Book appraisal took in the 90s but it's over a month now. The land trust also needs to fundraise and potentially apply for federal grants. I think there are public notices? They take a month each. Anyway, when they have the money, they pay off the loan and acquire the property, with a life estate or fee simple.

THEN they have to do what the movie thinks a land trust means: they have to draft, review, and sign an easement.

*deep breath*

The land trust signs a legal document that grants a qualified easement holder (Montana DNR or something) access to the land in perpetuity and the ability to pursue legal remedies if the land trust abuses the property. The land trust writes into the easement that the Lawrence family or whatever is allowed to stay on the property for a span of years or at the end of someone's lifetime (Andrew Lawrence?) at no or a nominal rent. This easement is filed with the relevant counties and is legally binding.

At that point, the land trust owns the property and the family has a measure of protection against eviction.

I don't wanna fuckin get into what happens if the land trust transfers it, as is their legal right.

(n.b. I haven't seen the movie and I'm not gonna. They could be talking about keeping their property "in trust", i.e. a living trust. I'm not a lawyer but that seems like it would have not worked even harder.)

The whole problem is

1. Transferring property to a land trust takes six months, a year, sometimes multiple years

2. THEY CAN JUST SAY NO. THEY CAN SAY FUCK YOUR SHITTY HORSES AND TELL YOU TO POUND SAND.

3. I know all this off the top of my head, to my horror. I should have gone to law school like my dad wanted.

Stay tuned for why a psychic dog can't have a document notarized

Chapter - 17

(Ella's POV)

“Thermos!” Percy screamed as we hurtled toward the water.

“What?” Annie must’ve thought he’d lost his mind. She was holding on to the boat straps for dear life, her hair flying straight up like a torch. I wasn't less panicked than she was.

But Tyson understood. He managed to open Percy's duffel bag & take out Hermes’s magical thermos without losing his grip on it or the boat.

Arrows & javelins whistled past us.

I grabbed the thermos & said. “Hang on!”

“I am hanging on!” Annie yelled.

“Tighter!” I said.

I hooked my feet under the boat’s inflatable bench, & Tyson grabbed Annie & me by the backs of our shirts, Percy gave the thermos cap a quarter turn.

Instantly, a white sheet of wind jetted out of the thermos & propelled us sideways, turning our downward plummet into a forty-five-degree crash landing.

The wind seemed to laugh as it shot from the thermos, like it was glad to be free. As we hit the ocean, we bumped once, twice, skipping like a stone, then we were whizzing along like a speed boat, salt spray in our faces & nothing but sea ahead.

I heard a wail of outrage from the ship behind us, but we were already out of weapon range. The Princess Andromeda faded to the size of a white toy boat in the distance, & then it was gone.

As we raced over the sea, Annie, Percy & I tried to send an Iris-message to Chiron. We figured it was important we let somebody know what Luke was doing, & we didn’t know who else to trust.

The wind from the thermos stirred up a nice sea spray that made a rainbow in the sunlight- perfect for an Iris-message-but our connection was still poor.

When Annie threw a gold drachma into the mist & prayed for the rainbow goddess to show us Chiron, his face appeared all right, but there was some kind of weird strobe light flashing in the background & rock music blaring, like he was at a dance club.

We told him about sneaking away from camp, and Luke & the Princess Andromeda & the golden box for Kronos’s remains, but between the noise on his end & the rushing wind & water on our end, I’m not sure how much he heard.

“Percy,” Chiron yelled, “you have to watch out for-“

His voice was drowned out by loud shouting behind him-a bunch of voices whooping it up like Comanche warriors.

“What?” Percy yelled.

“Curse my relatives!” Chiron ducked as a plate flew over his head & shattered somewhere out of sight. “Nora, you shouldn’t have let Percy leave camp! But if you do get the Fleece-“

“Yeah, baby!” somebody behind Chiron yelled. “Woo-hoooooo!”

The music got cranked up, subwoofers so loud it made our boat vibrate.

“-Miami,” Chiron was yelling. “I’ll try to keep watch-“

Our misty screen smashed apart like someone on the other side had thrown a bottle at it, & Chiron was gone.

An hour later we spotted land-a long stretch of beach lined with high-rise hotels. The water became crowded with fishing boats & tankers. A coast guard cruiser passed on our starboard side, then turned like it wanted a second look. I guess it isn’t every day they see a yellow lifeboat with no engine going a hundred knots an hour, manned by four kids.

“That’s Virginia Beach!” Annie said as we approached the shoreline. “Oh my gods, how did the Princess Andromeda travel so far overnight? That’s like-“

“Five hundred and thirty nautical miles,” Percy said.

We stared at him & Annie asked. “How did you know that?”

“I-I’m not sure.”

I thought for a moment. “Percy, what’s our position?”

“36 degrees, 44 minutes north, 76 degrees, 2 minutes west,” He said immediately. Then he shook his head. “Whoa. How did I know that?”

“Because of your dad,” I guessed. “When you’re at sea, you have perfect bearings. That's so cool.”

Tyson tapped my shoulder. “Other boat is coming.”

I looked back. The coast guard vessel was definitely on our tail now. Its lights were flashing & it was gaining speed.

“We can’t let them catch us,” Percy said. “They’ll ask too many questions.”

“Keep going into Chesapeake Bay,” Annabeth said. “I know a place we can hide.”

I didn’t ask what she meant, or how she knew the area so well. Percy risked loosening the thermos cap a little more, & a fresh burst of wind sent us rocketing around the northern tip of Virginia Beach into Chesapeake Bay.

The coast guard boat fell farther & farther behind. We didn’t slow down until the shores of the bay narrowed on either side, & I realized we’d entered the mouth of a river.

Percy seemed tired & frazzled, like he was coming down off a sugar high. I asked him.

"Perce? You okay?" He just nodded weakly.

“There,” Annie said. “Past that sandbar.”

We veered into a swampy area choked with marsh grass & beached the lifeboat at the foot of a giant cypress. Vine-covered trees loomed above us. Insects chirred in the woods. The air was muggy & hot, & steam curled off the river. Basically, it wasn’t Manhattan, & I didn’t like it.

“Come on,” Annie said. “It’s just down the bank.”

“What is?” I asked.

“Just follow.” She grabbed a duffel bag. “And we’d better cover the boat. We don’t want to draw attention.”

After burying the lifeboat with branches, Percy, Tyson & I followed Annie, our feet sinking in red mud. A snake slithered past my shoe & disappeared into the grass.

“Not a good place,” Tyson said. He swatted the mosquitoes that were forming a buffet line on his arm.

After a few minutes, Annie said, “Here.”

All I saw was a patch of brambles. Then she moved aside a woven circle of branches, like a door, & I realized I was looking into a camouflaged shelter.

The inside was big enough for four, even with Tyson being the fourth. The walls were woven from plant material, like a Native American hut, but they looked pretty waterproof.

Stacked in the corner was everything you could want for a campout-sleeping bags, blankets, an ice chest, & a kerosene lamp. There were demigod provisions, too-bronze javelin tips, a quiver full of arrows, an extra sword, and a box of ambrosia. The place smelled musty, like it had been vacant for a long time.

“A half-blood hideout.” I looked at Annie in awe. You made this place?”

“Thalia and I,” she said quietly. “And Luke.”

That shouldn’t have bothered me. I mean, I knew my sister, Thalia & Luke had taken care of Annie when she was little. I knew the three of them had been runaways together, hiding from monsters, surviving on their own before Grover found them & tried to get them to Half-Blood Hill.

But whenever Annie talked about the time she’d spent with them, I kind of felt...I don’t know. Uncomfortable?

No. That’s not the word.

The word was jealous...

Link to the next chapter is here.

Link to the prev chapter is here.

Comment, like & share.

Take care my lovely readers.❤️

Alice signing off.

XOXO.

Crazy Stories From Charleston's Past in South Carolina

Charleston is a city with a rich history, and there are many interesting stories from its past. Some of these are famous tales that everyone knows about, but some are lesser-known facts that few people know about. These stories showcase what makes Charleston such an incredible place.

A pirate who terrorized Charleston’s waters is buried in the churchyard of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church.

Five miles south of Charleston, you'll find the churchyard of St. Philip's Episcopal Church. It's a peaceful place, with a wooden gazebo overlooking the harbor and mangroves growing along its edges. But there's one grave that stands out from all others: that of Captain Edward Teach (AKA "Blackbeard").

Teach terrorized Charleston in 1718 by leading two ships into their waters, capturing several merchant ships before escaping through the harbor entrance after a battle with colonial forces led by Governor Charles Eden and Colonel William Rhett Jr. To commemorate this event and honor its heroes, Charles Towne Cemetery was established in 1750 on land purchased from local planters Isaac Motte and John Wragg; it was later renamed Magnolia Cemetery when it was moved northward into town sometime after the 1820s due to expansion demands from growing population numbers throughout South Carolina during this time period."

Slave rebellion scared Charlestonians.

The most famous slave rebellion in Charleston's history is the one led by Denmark Vesey, who was a free man of color. It was planned to take place on Bastille Day, July 14, 1822. The plan involved mass murder and arson that would have destroyed much of Charleston--but luckily for us all it was foiled by the betrayal of a slave named Tom who told his owner about it!

A tidal wave rolled over Charleston in June 1886.

In June 1886, a tidal wave rolled over Charleston.

The cause was a storm that hit the coast of South Carolina on June 22 and 23, 1886. It brought with it heavy rain and winds up to 90 miles per hour--and an unusual phenomenon: the city experienced two high tides during one day.

The effect on Charleston was devastating; thousands of buildings were destroyed by flooding and many more were damaged by wind or fire after being struck by lightning bolts from the storm's fierce winds. Around 25 people lost their lives during this natural disaster as well.*

How did they discover what caused this tidal wave? A scientific team set out to investigate what happened after receiving reports from witnesses who claimed they had seen waves several feet high coming ashore at nightfall when no storms were forecasted for days ahead (so there was no way any other cause could have been responsible). They found evidence showing how large amounts of water had flowed back into Charleston Harbor due "to some obstruction which prevented its escape through its normal channels."

No one knows who paid for the construction of the Washington Monument in Marion Square.

The Washington Monument is a monument to George Washington, the first president of the United States. It's located in Marion Square, which is located in downtown Charleston.

It was built in 1856 and designed by Robert Mills. No one knows who paid for it, though some speculate that it was paid for by the people of Charleston as a thank-you to General Washington for his service during The Revolutionary War when he helped them win their freedom from England.

Mold Removal Company in Charleston, West Virginia

Mold removal services near me in Charleston, SpC Mold is one of the most toxic substances that anyone can breathe. If you have mold in your home, then you might think it’s normal to need mold removal services near me in Charleston, but mold is actually anything but natural or acceptable.

R&E Home Solutions is a trusted name in home repair services, providing a wide range of services to homeowners and contractors.

A fire that started on a small island off Charleston brought the city to a standstill for several days in the mid-1800s.

In the mid-1800s, a fire started on Sullivan's Island and spread to other islands in Charleston Harbor. The fire caused great damage to the city and was finally extinguished after several days.

The cause of this massive blaze? Lightning!

Pirates used false lights to trick ships into running aground near Sullivan’s Island.

In the 17th century, pirates used false lights to trick ships into running aground. The ships were then looted and their crew's taken, prisoner.

Sullivan's Island was one of the most popular places for this practice because it had a shallow sandbar that allowed easy access from land, but could still be hidden from view by tall trees on either side of it.

Charleston has many interesting stories from its past

The city has many interesting stories from its past. Some of them are about pirates, slave rebellions, and tidal waves. Others show how the city has changed over time. These stories are not just for tourists; they can help you understand Charleston better as well!

In 1676, pirates attacked Charles Towne (the name Charleston was given when it became a British colony). They destroyed houses and ships belonging to settlers who were trying to make their lives here in this new land called South Carolina. It wasn't until 1718 that another attack occurred--this time by Spanish soldiers from St Augustine Florida who wanted revenge against England because King George had defeated them at sea earlier that year during the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714).

Charleston is a place with a rich history, and these stories are just a few examples of the many adventures that have taken place in this city. If you're looking for more information about these events or others from Charleston's past, be sure to check out our website!

R&E Home Solutions

778 Folly Rd d, Charleston, SC 29412

(843) 886-1658

hi. happy valentine's. this time i drew straight people.

and as always, there’s an infodump below the cut~

So let's start.

Molly Barker and Lewis N. Clark (not yet a Sr.) met at the local college nearby Ravenswood, West Virginia. Lewis, who had become slightly renowned in his family for his tracking skills, came to study Criminal Justice, or something of the sort, and become a PI or something. Get off the farm and make something of his life. Molly studied Creative Writing or something of the sort. She had grown up in Biggers City, NY, and moved there with her parents as a teen because of the quainter atmosphere. It inspired her writing.

They probably had a nice-little meet-cute where Lewis knocked into her and Molly dropped her books, or something, but Lewis fell hard from the first time he saw her. Molly probably went out with him because her parents begged her to get out of the house. Turns out it was a good choice to go out with him, because Molly also fell hard.

Well, due to being a poor farmkid and whatnot, Lewis only completed about half of his degree before running out of his college fund. (He thought he had enough to get through it, but, well... his parents had a farm to run and shitty little family to take care of, and if that meant they had to steal from their silly pup who wanted to be a detective, then it did). Lewis groaned but without studies to do, put in more hours at his multiple jobs, and managed to purchase the land of an abandoned old cabin in the woods. ("It's not the best starter home." | "It's simple, I like it." | "It's drafty." | "I only own sweaters.") But Lewis insisted Molly keep living in her dorm until he got the central heating in and the holes patched.

It took until Molly graduated. Lewis kissed her and Molly threw her hat and closed her eyes, and when she looked at Lewis again, he was on one knee holding a ring. She said yes. They got married quickly in a courthouse to get Molly's name on Lewis's finances, then had a more proper one at the river bordering their town. Then they went to furnish the cabin and settle in. [This pic is probably of Lewis talking about how wonderful of a future the two of them will have together.] After that was done and the honeymoon wore off, Molly and Lewis started trying to have kids.

...it took about as long as it did for Molly to finish her degree. The issues were Molly's side, she felt really bad about it, and ultimately gained quite a bit of trauma from the multiple miscarriages. She had already ended up on antidepressants and suffered bad postpartum after her two kids were born that she never really recovered from. One son, Will, and a daughter. Perfect little nuclear family. (Of course, said daughter came out as transgender when he was about 10 years old and named himself after his dear ol dad, Lewis Jr, so Lewis Sr & Molly quickly had to gaslight-gatekeep-girlboss the memory of that daughter away from Lewis's conservative parents.)

[💥and this is where things go badly, so if the topics of child abuse trigger you, you should skip ahead or leave.]

At this point, Lewis was working pretty comfortably in a coal mine with one of his buddies, Locke Smith. Locke was very... very, inappropriately interested in Lewis's odd little boy. Locke tried as hard as any close-by pedophile could to get Junior without his father finding out. Locke never laid his hands on Junior, so Junior never noticed - he was a trusting young lad, Lewis taught him to be nice to people no matter what. [He also taught Junior to never start fights, but always finish them.] Locke first tried to get closer with Junior when he was 13. Junior reasonably freaked out, ran away, and told his dad about it.

Molly had a heart attack. Lewis beat the shit out of his "friend." Queue Lewis's first personal run-in with the cops, when he dragged Locke by the scruff of his neck to the station with bloodied knuckles. Both were held. Locke was recognized as P. Locke, a disgraced dentist who's favorite hobby was committing malpractice: his two favorite activities were letting patients mouths fill up with blood until they choked and died, and touching underage patients after they were put under laughing gas. Locke had even convinced Lewis to let him pull a few of his teeth. Luckily for Lewis, that went very badly, so Locke never got his scalpel on Molly, Junior or Will.

Molly had never really "met" Locke. She knew he was Lewis's friend, but she always thought his smile looked unnatural, like he had a few teeth too many - generally off-put by him, so Lewis never brought him around. If her mental health was more stable at that point, she would've made sure Locke died in that beating... but she wasn't, so the most she could do was hold her kids and cry and shower them with gifts of pepper spray and tell them that if any adult ever made them uncomfortable, they should run and yell and hit them and neither she nor their father would judge them one bit.

Junior bottled it up. Will felt bad, but couldn't relate. Locke was arrested and, being a wanted man, was sent to prison in the city. But he swore revenge on the Clarks - one day he would have Junior, and the rest of the family wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

...and that's the part of the story where Junior becomes the main character.

[💥 child abuse trigger end.]

...so, yeah, you can't say that on television. Anyway, I love Molly & Lewis alot, even if they are just kinda a vessel to have Underdog and Taptap. I often wonder what Buck Biggers and Chet Stover would think if they could see my versions of their silly little Underparents. Hopefully they don't mind.

Anyway, on this piece I was trying out a few things: Underdogheads and new shading, mostly. Also I gave Molly glasses! The reason is because Underdog cannot see any damn thing, and Taptap can see slightly more things, just wears contacts. One of them had to be unable to see jack or shit, and it couldn't be Lewis (he's a farmer, he's gotta be able to See Things) so it wound up as Molly. I think i intended for her to be wearing contacts anyway but I don't think she would, actually.

anyway thanks for reading byeeeee

Part 2: After the Rain - Life in an Appalachian Temperate Forest.

From top: Wild ginger (Asarum canadense), also known as Canadian snakeroot; Philadelphia fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus), a lovely spring aster deserving of a more dignified name; white wood violet (Viola sororia albiflora), a white variation of the common blue violet; woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata), also called wild blue phlox; creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera), a mountain native and the most delicate and beautiful of Appalachia’s many wonderful phlox species; and Allegheny blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis).

Wheeling Park’s New Stifel Playground Opening Memorial Day Weekend

It’s a $1.2 million capital improvement project that’s billed as the largest inclusive play area in West Virginia, and the new facility should be completed in time for the Memorial Weekend at Wheeling Park. Eriks Janelsins, the CEO of the Oglebay Foundation, revealed the play area will continue to be named the “Stifel Playground” in honor of the family’s tremendous support since the public park initially opened in 1925. The Wheeling Park Commission was awarded grants from the federal Land & Water Conservation Fund, the Christopher Reeve Foundation, and the Edith L. Trees Charitable Trust, and U.S. Judge Fred and his wife Joan Stamp also contributed significantly to the new playground. Mrs. Stamp is a descendant of the Stifel family. “Judge and Mrs. Stamp have stayed connected to the family’s history of philanthropy in our community, so this project is very special to them,” Janelsins said. “That’s one of many reasons why we can’t wait for the Memorial Day weekend when we will be prepared to re-dedicate the play area and then turn it over to the local kids to enjoy. The new equipment designed by GameTime will be very colorful and inclusive once installed. “The new playground area is going to pop with all new colors, have a softened surface, and thanks to the company we work with – GameTime – the kids who play there are going to be thrilled with all of the latest equipment,” he explained. “And there will be a lot of areas for natural play, too, so there will be room for the kids to just run and be active, and there are the inclusive play elements, too. It’s going to be about creative, mind-stimulating play while being the most inclusive and largest playground in the state of West Virginia.” The play area is located above Good Lake and the park’s miniature golf course and has been lined with bushes for decades.  A shelter with ADA restrooms has been in place for several years and, according to the renderings, a similar structure will be included in the new area, as well. “When the project is finished it will be obvious that we’ve moved a lot of dirt, and we’ve even created a new parking lot that will be for this new playground. And there will be two different areas for the kids with one for the younger children, and another area for the older kids,” Janelsins said. “There’s still lots of swings in the designs, and also a new feature called the ‘Expression Swings.’ Those allow the children to swing with trusted adults so the experience stimulates the young mind in a positive way. “When this free, new play area is completed, it will be a great way to start celebrating Wheeling Park’s 100th birthday,” he said. “This is a capital improvement project and the donor community really stepped up to make this a reality.” The new Stifel Playground will include play areas so children can run around and be as active as possible. Renovations at Wheeling Park have been taking place over the past several years, including a $1.3 million renovation to the Memorial Ice Rink in 2020 and a $3.2 million to the White Palace in 2023 that included the addition of Café 1925.   “Since we started having ‘FunFest Fridays’ a few years again, it reactivated Wheeling Park in a way that people loved and appreciated so much, and that’s why every Friday between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the park will be filled with local families again who enjoy the live music, the food, and all of the other activities,” Janelsins explained. “We’ve addressed every area of the park, and this new play area is going to attract even more people. “There’s been an investment made with Good Lake with new paddle boats, and we’re going to address the concession stand there, too, and it’s all focused on our local residents,” he added. “These improvements will help make our community more attractive to folks looking to move here, and that’s one of the goals behind all of the improvements that have been made in the past five years or so.” Read the full article

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Jonah The Runaway

Hey Loves!!! ❤💘❤💘❤💘

I know it's been a bit. I hope you all are doing alright!?! Today we are going to talk about how Jonah got his name and well if you do not already know this Jonah is my 3rd eldest fur baby my second eldest cat. So, lets dive in!

Twas a stormy day in Citra back in June of 2013. My brother and I were home alone and at the time we lived at the church, my family had our own lawn care biz 😂. Well, mumsy and dadzy were working and my brother and I were home chilling. He was on his PS3 (I know that was ages ago, right?) with the guys and doin’ his thing whilst I was playing with my barbies as any queen does at that age; and it so happened that I needed to use the little queens' room and get a drink. When I was doing so, I heard the tinest little “meow” and but of course I had to see who it was because it did not sound like Jazzy or Milly, so who could it be? I opened the door and I saw nothing but the grill cover was moving a tinsy bit and I heard that tiny sound again and lifted the cover and saw him! He was standing on his hind legs so tall yet so tiny and such big eyes and that lovely tuxedo coat slick as can be. We locked eyes for a moment and this tiny little kitten with huge “Bug” eyes had stolen my heart in just a moment, but also in that moment the little angel was gone. Of course, I called my mom and dad at once and told them and we were due for a storm soon at the end of June beginning of July. My brother and I were also (little did we know at the time) about to embark on a journey to West Virginia with our Uncle without our parents how exciting but nerve wracking! Anyways got a bit off track… The first spotting of this lovely kitten was about two weeks before June ended? We would see him on and off and he was most definitely wild because other strays would allow you to come near but he would not dare. He always ran. And at the time we were going through the book of Jonah the runaway prophet in Sunday school so my dad said that if we ever caught him that that is what his name would be. Jonah. Well he held to that promise and named my kitten Jonah we caught him the night my brother and I left for WV so when I got home I had my very own runaway and boy oh boy did he live up to his name!

To elaborate Jonah was never completely tamed? He was semi-social with our family, but his bond was/is strongest with me (he really believes I am his birth mom lol). He also has/had always had kidney issues from the very first time I picked him up out of the trap. We had to trap him to catch him and like I said we caught him the day/night before our trip with our Uncle. As wild as he was my mom knew we (I) would have to tame/civilize him well I am/was that one person as I was the one who wanted to keep him and rescue him. He ended up being an inside cat as he was to spazzy and plus his health. He would randomly get out of the house and be under the house for days on end because he would get scared so scared in fact it seemed like he was WILD again and we would have to trap him or stay outside for days on end to convince him to trust me again. Sidenote I was the first person to touch him after we caught him, my mom took care of him while I was in West Virgina that week. Anyways back to the subject his yearly run and hide aways are what made him live up to the “Runaway Prophet” nickname. His beautiful Big green eyes landed him the nickname Bug Eyes. Nearing 8 years old my Baby goes outside daily without running away he hangs out in the yard and even hunts. He randomly started doing that about a year ago he went outside one day, and I don’t even remember when or why but he went out and came back for the first time and then it just continued. My Bug grew up and matured. Now he goes in and out daily and hang out with his siblings. 

I hope you all enjoyed this post and have a lovely day/night whenever you're reading this and as always stay safe and I love you all!!!

Hailey Marie

— INTRODUCING: patrick cromwell.

andrew scott & he/him/cis man ‷ watch out , patrick cromwell has crash-landed into roswell !! they look forty-six years old and celebrate their birthday on the twenty-first of october. they are from aurora, west virginia, reside in lunar crescent and are currently unemployed. one thing you should know about them is that patrick grew up on a farm and knows his way around all kinds of animals since he’s technically an experienced veterinarian. ‷ + patrick has two dogs, a samoyed called meadow and a black lab called jet

The Basics.

Full Name: Patrick Cromwell né Goodwin Nickname(s): Pat Face Claim: Andrew Scott Pronouns and Gender: cisman (he/him) Birthday and Age: October 21st, 1976 (46) Zodiac: libra ☉ libra ☽ gemini ➶ Hometown: Aurora, WV How long have they been living there?: 2 years Sexuality: Homosexual Neighborbood: Lunar Crescent Occupation: currently unemployed, non-practicing veterinarian Family: Arthur Goodwin (father — deceased), Harriet Goodwin (mother)

The Personality.

Patrick is a man who’s used to keeping his head down, mostly because he’s done so all his life. He grew up in an environment that led him to keep to himself and pretend to be someone he's not for as long as he can remember. His overall demeanor is a little awkward and reserved, maybe even strange to some, but behind the fidgeting and pulled up shoulders hides a gentle soul that has been through a lot. He tries to always be friendly and forthcoming, even if he’s not someone who talks a lot, he’ll go out of his way to hold a door or pick something up for someone before they can even lean down. Trust doesn’t come easily to Patrick though and he tends to keep people at an arm’s length in order to protect himself and others. He doesn’t like sharing a lot about his life or identity either but that’s mostly because he’s not used to being able to. Bearing secrets has become a habit he finds hard to shake but even the thickest and highest wall has to start chipping at some point.

The Biography.

Trigger Warnings: parental death, death of a spouse, grief, depression, implied alcoholism

Patrick grew up on a small, run-down farm in Aurora, West Virginia and was born into a family that had barely enough money to put food on the table

His upbringing was anything but gentle and while his mother tried her best to offer him protection and shelter for as long as she was able to, he had to at least try (or pretend) to adapt to a life full of hard work and barely any ways to develop a personality of his own

His father was hard on him and yet wanted the best for him which translates to: he mostly wanted to raise him to be the “men” he and his own father were

Patrick was anything but that though, always a little too tender and unable to do what was expected of him, either because he cared too much about the animals living with them on the farm or simply wasn’t strong enough to work the way his father needed him to

He was always a bit of a dreamer instead, someone who liked to lay out in the sun to daydream of a life that was entirely different from the one he was leading

His love for animals was ultimately what would get him out of the small town

When his father passed when he was only eighteen, he had to promise his mother to do what he wanted to do for once and in turn, she sold the farm and moved into a small house in Aurora, while Patrick moved to Pennsylvania to start college with no money and more debt than he could’ve ever imagined BUT he pulled through

He got into veterinary medicine, working hard to get good grades, all while trying to make some money as a waiter at a local restaurant to keep a roof over his head

It was then when he met the man that'd be his first love and eventually became his husband, Matthew Cromwell.

They were polar opposites and yet, somehow completed each other. They moved in together and started to build a life together, getting married as soon as they were able to on a beautiful day in June, 2014 with Patrick taking on Matthew's name - an almost liberating moment for him.

But it'd only be a few years from then until tragedy struck.

Matthew loved the outdoors, while Patrick liked to stay in more, so it wasn't out of the ordinary for Matthew to take solo hiking trips without his husband in tow to unwind.

Patrick had a weird feeling about it from the start but ultimately let him go, a moment he regrets to this day.

Matthew died in what Patrick can only assume was a terrible accident that'd be the start of a series of traumatic events for the widower.

Since they couldn't retrieve Matthew's body and false accusations were quick to be made by both neighbors and Matthew's estranged family, Patrick was accused of having something to do with his husband's disappearance.

After a months long trial that'd drain Patrick emotionally and financially and left him with little to no time to properly work through his grief, he was suddenly all by himself and without an alibi.

Apparently, Matthew had a hefty life insurance that not even Patrick had known about until then, making him a suspect, considering it'd be paid out to him.

Ultimately, charges were dropped due to lack of evidence but Patrick was left shaken and a sum of money he wasn't exactly comfortable with.

The two of them had built a good life together after all, with Patrick working as a veterinarian and Matthew being a neurosurgeon but that didn't matter much to him now, not when he was stuck in that life without his best friend and partner to share it with.

Patrick's mother begged him to move back home and start working again after not being able to do so for over a year but Patrick insisted that he'd just need some more time to heal.

After trying his best to stay put and failing, he used the extra money along with their savings to get some space and moved into a house in a small town in Washington State, trying to settle into a new life but with no drive and his grief still weighing him down, Patrick didn’t really see a point in trying to run away constantly. Instead, he decided to go back to his late husband's roots and moved to Matthew's hometown, using the insurance money he bought a house in a rather nice neighborhood called lunar crescent in hopes to feel closer to him again but also to start his own healing journey

That didn’t work out though. With enough money to take a break, he’s not working right now and is currently stuck in a loop of sleeping most of the day and drinking too much with no real motivation to break the circle, all while trying to seem put together enough to pretend he’s doing absolutely fine.

His mother and few remaining friends tell him to finally start living again but even after close to five years without his husband, Patrick has been unable to do so.

He also still wears his wedding ring, which tends to lead to people asking questions about his spouse but he's learned to dodge them most of the time.

You can find his full bio here.

The Connections.

friends

drinking buddies

someone he might actually talk to about his ongoing inner turmoil (good luck tho lmao)

people who knew his late husband

anything really!

There's a more descriptive connections page here.