#crows from home • Blackbird

[the-hounds-teeth]

Tag list

Disclaimer: these tags might change or be added onto as the blog progresses.

General

#out loud • asks

-> asks

#enter perception • dashboard commentary

-> dash commentary

#camera obscura • art

-> art

#hallway's echo • writing

-> drabbles

Muse tags

#a running start • Experimenter

-> Experimenter

#a wordless vow • Juno

-> Juno

#shadow on the wall • Ten

-> Ten

#gravel roads and far lights • Dogwood

-> Dogwood

#crows from home • Blackbird

-> Blackbird

Others

#mod.txt

-> mod speaking/ooc

#reflection in the window • aesthetic

-> reblogs

[petrarchesco]

About a month ago I started leaving peanuts on a plate on my balcony for the local hooded crows, and now they come everyday at dawn (today they were so loud I had to shush them). Then I bought food for little wild birds, and since then sparrows have been constantly coming and going, lots of them, at any time. But just today I've also seen: a blackbird, which I made eye-contact with and instead of flying away came near me and left me a red berry; a majestic lil goldfinch; a pigeon (very chill for pigeon standards I must say). Why go out for birdwatching when you can do it everyday, at your home, without even getting up from your chair?

[paulic]

I’m drunk and just came home from a great concert so let’s compare the Beatles to bird categories

John is a crow or a raven, something really intelligent but emo OR some type of ridiculous water bird like a pelican that could fit your entire family in its beak flap pouch thing

George is definitely some type of goose. Probably a Canadian goose tbh or maybe a swan because they look great and peaceful but they WILL break your arm

Paul is one of those tiny but showy birds that make up elaborate mating dances and are named something like the bluebearded titpecker

Ringo is the blackbird in my garden I tamed, which got so friendly it hopped into my living room when the window was open and shat on my two week old designer couch, true story

[the-grinding-cogs]

Tag list

Disclaimer: these tags might change or be added onto as the blog progresses.

General

#out loud • asks

-> asks

#enter perception • dashboard commentary

-> dash commentary

#camera obscura • art

-> art

#hallway's echo • writing

-> drabbles

Muse tags

#a running start • Experimenter

-> Experimenter

#a wordless vow • Juno

-> Juno

#shadow on the wall • Ten

-> Ten

#gravel roads and far lights • Dogwood

-> Dogwood

#crows from home • Blackbird

-> Blackbird

Others

#mod.txt

-> mod speaking/ooc

#reflection in the window • aesthetic

-> reblogs

[krispyweiss]

Song Review: Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson - “Marching Jaybird”

If sunshine sparkling on water had a sound, it might be Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson’s version of “Marching Jaybird.”

Arranged in an instrumental banjo duet, it finds the former Carolina Chocolate Drops taking tender care with Etta Baker’s song, recording it in the late guitarist’s home with Baker’s son keeping watch.

The experience “was pretty profound,” Giddens said in a statement.

As is the end result, a gentle cascade of banjo picking - quiet, peaceful. “Marching Jaybird” follows “Hook and Line” from the duo’s What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow: Fiddle and Banjo Music of North Carolina, which arrives April 18.

Grade card: Rhiannon Giddens & Justin Robinson - “Marching Jaybird” - A

3/6/25

[greenmansgrove]

Another Afternoon Beneath the Oaks

My grandparents had a fireplace framed by green stone streaked with paler green and blue. While listening to the adults converse, I would trace the lines with my eyes and imagine I was flying over the rivers of a rainforest. When I visit Newell Park in the summer and look up into the canopy, I see those childhood memories, too. If the ground had been dryer today, I might’ve laid down to stare up at the branches a while, but the rain made for an otherwise comfortable visit to my favorite park.

I haven’t visited this park since May 22nd of last year, and I feel bad about it. I’ve missed out on a few things, including the stumps of all those trees they’d cut down being torn out, with only a muddy patch to signify anything had ever stood there.

The first patch formerly being a pin oak that was trying to regrow itself as a shrub, the second being my pin oak friend with the huge, tummy-like bur, the third being the long-dead tree that grew red elderberry at her base, and the fourth being the oldest and largest of the bur oaks with such an incredibly stout trunk. I know it’s a park and that keeping it safe for visitors is necessary, but I still find the obliteration of these trees quite tragic. Now these trees only exist in my memories. They don’t even get the dignity of decay in their own home. Who knows what all they had seen in their time on these lands?

I think there are three or four remaining pin oaks now, amid all the bur oaks. The tallest of them still seems to be doing well, even after losing one of her forking branches last year. It’s hard to show her scale, but she’s really quite big around.

I remember visiting her my first Samhain I celebrated as a Druid in 2022. If you stood on her north side, you could perfectly see the waxing crescent through her fork. In another 18.5 years maybe I’ll see that alignment again. That’d be around Beltane of 2041.

I sat in my favorite swinging bench a while, as usual. I heard crows pass overhead a few times, which I don’t think I’ve ever experienced at this park, even for how huge the crow population is in this part of Saint Paul. Few squirrels today, but tons of robins and redwing blackbirds. I need to make regular trips here throughout the year again. I’ve taken a picture from my sit spot on every high day except the Midwinter Equinox. I should resolve to do that this year and complete the photo set.

[childofflamesandmoonlight]

I would really appreciate some help with interpretation on this deity identification reading! I didn't use a specific spread, but pulled one card from every deck I own - usually this works really well for me, but this time I can't quite put my finger on who this deity is. I have some vague ideas, but I would love to hear your interpretations.

Thank you in advance!

Here are the cards I drew (plus some notes from the imagery and the guidebooks):

Demon of the Day - Camio:

"Be mindful of arguments and disputes. It can feel good to win but not at the cost of a relationship."

Birds, blackbird, trush

Gaelic, Irish or Welsh origin

Dispute, eloquent verbal debate, persuasive argument

Understanding the language of animals and the noise of the water

Angels Among Us - Jesus:

Forgiveness, compassion, love, peace, kindness

Spiritual teacher, spiritual activist, healer

Christian origin

Higher wisdom

Without judgement

Goddesses Among Us - Atargatis:

Mermaids, mer-magic

Transformation, change

Deep diving

Assyrian or Mediterranean origin

Fertility

Protection

Heartbreak, challenge, powerful emotions

Ocean, water, depth

Grieving

Healing

Shadow work

Legendary Ladies - Estsanatlehi:

Transformation

Native American origin

Sky and earth

Linestrider Tarot - Five of Swords:

Conflict

Tension

Disagreements

Inflexibility black-and-white thinking

Compromise

Isolation

Defeat, failure

Interpersonal difficulties

Hollow victory

Selfishness, hurtful behavior

Resentment

Trust issues

Numbers: 5, 59, 14

Associated birthdays: January 20 to January 30

Associated plants: mistletoe, capsicum, calamus root

Pastel Mini Magic Tarot - Ace of Pentacles:

New beginnings

Opportunities

Potential

New financial or career opportunity

Manifestation

Abundance

Wealth

Business

Cat Tarot - Ten of Cups:

Happiness

Togetherness

Home

Family

Divine love

Blissful relationships

Harmony

Alignment

Star Spinner Tarot - The Hermit:

Seeking the truth

Introspection

Retreat

Assessment

Soul-searching

Being alone

Inner guidance

Mondays Tarot - Death:

Change

Ending

Rebirth

Renewal

Transformation

Under the Roses Lenormand - The Snake:

Snake

Deception, lies, tricks

Betrayal

Seduction, temptation

Jealousy

Manipulation

Disappointment

Difficulties

Distraction

Loss

Falseness

Hypocrisy

Indecision

“The other women”

Arcana Lenormand - Lily:

Bees and butterflies

Flowers

Sensuality

Sex

Virtue

Morality

Ethics

Wisdom

Thera-pets - “You don't have to be perfect to be lovable”:

Red panda

Mushroom Spirit - Rosy Bonnet:

Mycena rosea

Poisonous

Pink

Similarities

Details

Looking closely

Not making assumptions

Research

Don't be fooled by appearances

Looks can be deceiving

The Citadel - The Walker:

The Unknown

Journey

Birds

New experiences

Transition, transformation

Finding answers

Moving on

Voice of the Souls - Learning:

Palm reading hand

Evolution

Learning new things, new abilities and skills

Number 13

SOTW Imbolc - Consecrate tools:

"I will claim what is mine, what I see beyond the hidden. Gifted spirit, by tongue my words spill with purpose."

Establishment

Displaying spirit

Claiming ownership

Conscious decisions

Taking what is meant to be yours

Embracing what is before you

No doubts

Fully invested

Permanent fixture

SOTW Beltane - Maiden:

"Demand what is yours and take back what was taken. Reclaim until you've gathered all of you."

Bees and butterflies

Reclaim

Divine manifestation on earth

Powerful, sacred beings

Direct channels to the gods

Embracing your freedom

Power

Inner warrior

Divine feminine

Primal force of creativity

SOTW Litha - Sunbathing:

"The dance of stillness is calling for you to live in its embrace."

Flowers

Spiritual strength

Restoration

Rest

Self-care

Healing

Relaxation

Meditation

Prayer

Spiritual nourishment

SOTW Mabon - Crow:

"Pay close attention to the winds; there's a message making its way."

Crows

Something's coming

Messages

Pay attention

Important signs and clues

Warning

Trust your intuition

SOTW Samhain - Elders:

"Birthed from seed within the belly of the moon, they are the wise felt touches over our hearts and felt deep within the marrow of our spirit."

Wisdom

Experience

Storytellers

Keepers of knowledge

Compassion

Sage advice

Slowing down

SOTW Yule - Father Christmas:

"How did thy get here? Lost perhaps? No worries at all! Gather yourself and clear the frost for the good still lives in you dear."

Naughty or nice?

Kindness

Mindfulness

[miloinouterspace]

I made a Monty playlist!

Spotify link:

List format:

Monty Finch

"I never asked to be human, with all these... feelings."

☆ Blackbird

The Beatles

☆ Things That Make It Warm

Cavetown

☆ Rule #4 - Fish in a Birdcage

Fish in a Birdcage

☆ Two Birds

Regina Spektor

☆ Gold and Green

Slaughter Beach, Dog

☆ Two-Headed Boy

Neutral Milk Hotel

☆ thumbelina

Lizzy Hilliard

☆ Oh What A World

Rufus Wainwright

☆ Such Great Heights

The Postal Service

☆ Telescope

Cavetown

☆ No Shadow Left Behind

Rob Crow's Gloomy Place

☆ Die Alone

Ingrid Michaelson

☆ King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1

Neutral Milk Hotel

☆ Snail (feat. Chloe Moriondo)

Cavetown, chloe moriondo

☆ I'm Fine

Daisy the Great

☆ He Loves Me (He Loves Me Not)

Baby Bugs

☆ I Miss My Mum

Cavetown

☆ Eyes Blue Like The Atlantic (feat. Subvrbs)

Sista Prod, Subvrbs

☆ Wishing Well

Cavetown, Drew Monson

☆ Cloud 9

Beach Bunny

☆ Pyjama Pants

Cavetown

☆ Strawberry Blond

Mitski

☆ passing papers

egg

☆ I Want to Meet Ur Dog

Cavetown

☆ Smitten

Leanna Firestone

☆ Can I Call You Tonight?

Dayglow

☆ 888

Cavetown

☆ Abigail

Frankie Cosmos

☆ I Won't Say (I'm In Love)

Susan Egan (Hercules Cast Recording)

☆ wouldn't it be funny

Lizzy Hilliard

☆ Acolyte

Slaughter Beach, Dog

☆ if you were a worm (bonus track)

Lizzy Hilliard

☆ (You) On My Arm

Leith Ross

☆ In The Aeroplane Over The Sea

Neutral Milk Hotel

☆ We'll Never Have Sex

Leith Ross

☆ Sweet Tooth

Cavetown

☆ Sappho

Frankie Cosmos

☆ Like Or Like Like

Miniture Tigers

☆ Dream Boy

Beach Bunny

☆ There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

The Smiths

☆ Lola

Maude Latour

☆ Famous

Daisy the Great

☆ if i were a fish (feat. Olivia Barton)

corook, Olivia Barton

☆ The Record Player Song

Daisy The Great

☆ Lemon Boy

Cavetown

☆ I Eat Salads Now

Sidney Gish

☆ Washing Machine Heart

Mitski

☆ IDKW

Daisy the Great

☆ Aftershook

Frankie Cosmos

☆ Seasoned

Daisy the Great

☆ She Wants Me (To Be Loved)

The Happy Fits

☆ What Do You Want From Me Tonight?

Sidney Gish

☆ Homesick

Cavetown

☆ Fool

Frankie Cosmos

☆ Why Am I Like This?

Orla Gartland

☆ Dance in Room Song

Sipper

☆ Abbey

Mitski

☆ You Just Didn't Like Me That Much

Leanna Firestone

☆ Liquid Smooth

Mitski

☆ That Funny Feeling

Bo Burnham

☆ Heather

Conan Gray

☆ Pigeon

Cavetown

☆ Every Single Night

Fiona Apple

☆ Grocery Store

Cavetown

☆ Cannibal

Tally Hall

☆ Feb 14

Cavetown

☆ Fruit Stand

Frankie Cosmos

☆ Fool

Cavetown

☆ The Way I Feel

DENTON

☆ Idea of Her

Cavetown

☆ Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now

The Smiths

☆ This Is Home

Cavetown

☆ Sorry For Me

Ricky Montgomery

☆ Silly Girl

chloe moriondo

☆ Snow

Ricky Montgomery

☆ When He Sees Me

Kimiko Glenn (Waitress Cast Recording)

☆ Ramblings of a Lunatic

Bears In Trees

☆ Hug All Ur Friends

Cavetown

☆ Just Someone With a Sweater On

Claire Young

☆ Evermore

Dan Stevens

☆ I'm Still Here

Kate Winton

☆ The Alcott (feat. Taylor Swift)

The National, Taylor Swift

☆ Better Go

Mal Blum

☆ Glowing

Slaughter Beach, Dog

[crazycatfaery]

You have no idea how sad I am at the absence of 🐦‍⬛ among the birds. Corvid erasure will not stand!

So, in the absence of that, 🦩. Because I am protesting by not choosing. (Or if you want me to choose, either 🦜 or 🦃 … or maybe something including both? 💙)

Because I am forever a curious creature that likes to dig for information, and couldn't believe there isn't a crow emoji, I did some research and believe I have found the reason why there's no crow among the birds in this poll: on pc (windows) I just see a cardinal and a black box, on my phone I see a black bird emoji. Then I noticed the bird I saw on my phone isn't an actual crow emoji, it's a blackbird (black feathers but yellow beak and paws). This is indeed murderbirb erasure! How very dare! Windows and android do better! (no idea about iOS)

Okay so now that I'm done investigating and being appalled, I will finally answer your ask (as a consolation I'll do parrot and flamingo, and make them both meaty like a turkey, how about that?).

🦜 a pretty quote

I might've actually shared this one already, but I like it so much!! So have it again (if I did):

Every time he spots it, it feels so familiar, yet at the same time noticeably different, as if it's missing something fundamental. No matter what form it takes, it somehow seems more…free, than its real counterparts. Not as rigid, unbound by whatever rules life could’ve laid upon it. It’s magical, frail, light as a feather and somewhat see-through, like a soul without a body. But it doesn’t seem to be burdened by the lack of mortal shell, its movements bordering ethereal.

🦩 dealer's choice

Because it's you, Charis, I'll go with something angsty, hope you enjoy:

Convinced that his thoughts will consume him, he constantly presses everything into neat little boxes and shoves them to the back of his mind, exactly how they’d been trained to cope with their lives as soldiers. All the complicated feelings that will never find a home again, because the only possible home they could’ve had is gone. For good.

There’s an inkling of realization that he shouldn’t keep going like this, can’t keep going like this and needs some form of help, but the prospect of having to talk about everything with someone frightens him, let alone show his emotions to anyone. Not even to Sky. Especially not to Sky.

Both are from my wips and chains wip turned into an emotional angst fest! Which is also the fic that I absolutely need to share with someone that will scream with me about it soon, even though I haven't done the art yet, because I might implode if I don't (or accidentally end up sharing it through asks like these). It's ouch, emotional, delicious, hnnnnngggg, *gremlin noises*.

[fantasies-fairytales-n-fics]

Code Blue Ch. 44- Blackbird

Summary: Liz is unwillingly brought into the ER. Lee experiences something ominous. He and Britt have a huge disagreement which helps Lee see his future more clearly. Lee pays his karma respects. Luke is on the case to Lee's dismay. Angel is put in her place. Lee meets the strange Spinelli who has something for him. Cyrus makes an offer and a very indiscreet threat. Lee takes another blow. More signs come. Lee tends to Jo in more ways than one. Code Blue.

*Chapter Warnings* DARK! REDRUM!! language, angst, stab wounds, anxiety meds and alcohol use, death depiction, smut, sexual depictions

Stories Stories Stories Masterlist:

Chapter characters: Lee, Josie, Orlando, Spinelli, Maggie, Elizabeth, Britt, Luke, Angel, Cyrus

Salem, Massachusetts

March 20, 2023

The emergency room doors glided opened at 6:30 p.m. as Damion Spinelli struggled to support a very filthy, pale, cold and severely injured Elizabeth who collapsed only moments after entry. If he had found her when he was alone, Spinelli would not have lifted a finger to help her since he knew of Jason's plan, but since a very distressed Maggie had been present, he had no choice, for she insisted he take Liz to the hospital and she rode with him.

Nurses immediately assisted and placed Elizabeth onto a wheeled bed as a physician quickly checked her over her while grilling Damion about what happened. He told the doctor he did not know, that she appeared out of nowhere, covered in blood and collapsed, which actually was the truth.

After a brief assessment of her wounds, it was determined that Liz had been stabbed multiple times in the abdomen and was quickly rushed off to a room for further preliminary treatment while Spinelli sat with Maggie in the waiting room to help keep her calm.

Lee had just finished rounds with patients he knew, some he he didn't and headed up to his office for a much needed quiet break while he filled out some paperwork and to text you. Upon getting his phone out, you had finally responded to his text from lunch time that simply said "was sleeping sorry."

Almost 7 hours? he thought as he replied.

"Baby, are you alright? I'll come home if you need me to. You're so quiet."

"No. Just tired." was all you said and dozed back off on the couch with the dark room's only light from the fireplace. This was exactly why you would never took your anxiety medication which this time you stupidly washed down with many glasses of white wine, not to mention, the meds would make you loopy if you tried to walk around which was not good considering you were already naturally accident prone.

"Ok sweetheart. I only have 4 more hours and I'll be home. I'll just surprise you with some food so you don't have to choose. Sweet dreams my love. I love you."

A few minutes went by and you did not reply. Lee laid his phone down and just stared at the display pic of you and him, rubbing his thumb softly over your face.

He remembered that day at the farm out by the pond, softly kissing your lips as you took a blind selfie of the sweet moment and amazingly, the filtered shot turned out almost as perfect and beautiful as he thought you were.

Lee then brought his focus to the stack of paperwork he needed to complete and just stared at that too. His mind just wasn't there. Was he really suffering from separation anxiety because all he could think about was you? He knew it was just that, for he had felt this way when you had left him for a week. Orlando was wrong. Lee knew he would not adjust to it.

He got up and went to the window where the full moon shone in as he drank another red bull. The night was a blustery rainy mess and he just wanted to be cuddled up with you on the couch by the fireplace with a good scary movie, or better yet...making love to you.

As he went to take another sip of his go to work drink, something out of the ordinary happened for that time of night. A crow smacked into the window, startling Lee so bad that he spilled the red bull all over his white dress shirt. This was a very good reason he disliked wearing white, although it wouldn't have mattered in this case of saturation.

"Jesus, what the fuck!" he snapped as he gaped at the blood smeared glass bearing his surprised reflection.

Now his mind was spinning like a tornado, for he knew what it meant of a blackbird striking a window, or really any bird for that matter. Death.... but it was much more of a sinister sign when it was a crow, or at least that's what Lee believed.

Frustrated beyond measure, Lee tore off the shirt, buttons flying about and opened a bottle of water to clean his chest off, then went to his wardrobe of extra clothing, pulling out a purple long sleeved dress shirt and quickly changed into it. As he headed for the door and yanked it open to go buy another unneeded replacement beverage, Orlando was standing there with his hand up, ready to knock.

"Jesus man! Don't do that shit." Lee gasped as he jumped back, still freaked out over the bird incident.

"Sorry?? Didn't think you'd be whipping the door open as I came up."

"No...I'm sorry. I'm just having a bad fucking night and want to go home. What's up?"

"Well, it's about to get worse. Elizabeth was just brought in to the ER. She's been...um...stabbed...like a lot."

"Say that again?" Lee asked with an arched brow.

"I think you heard me."

Lee barged right past Orlando and sped down the stairs, heading to the ER, but not out of any concern for Liz, but out of shock that she was still alive and even more shocking, Lee didn't feel one ounce of guilt over that. Would anyone blame him after what Liz did to Jacob??

Britt had just came in for her shift and didn't even make it to the elevator when she saw an unconscious Liz being wheeled out on a bed, hooked up to oxygen and an IV. Out of great curiosity, she stopped the nurses to find out what happened considering Liz had just been fired 4 days earlier per Cyrus's request, a man Britt knew loathed Elizabeth....and now here she was, fighting for her life.

After finding out the extent of her injuries, Britt ordered them to carry on with taking her to prep for surgery, which a very disconcerted Lee witnessed and physically stopped Britt in her tracks.

"Are you seriously sending her in for help??"

"Lee what?? Of course I am? Where else would I send her??" britt asked, completely flabbergasted at his inhumane words.

"THAT way. To the morgue where she belongs!" he snapped as he pointed to the exit, startling Britt.

"DOCTOR Pace. Need I remind you that that is who you are?? AND where you are?? A hospital?? That's what we do here remember? Help people. ALL people regardless of our feelings towards them."

"Maybe that's you but that's not me. She killed my son!!"

"Keep your voice down!" Britt sternly whispered. "You need to go back to your office and calm the hell down."

"Are you really telling me to CALM down?? You of all people know what she is."

"I do know Lee. Greatly. But I am the chief of staff here and a doctor and I am still your boss so you need to do as I've asked."

"You're an OBGYN!" he snarked with a chuckle. "You know, the ones who bring children into the world, unlike nurse Elizadeath who takes them out! And you're a hypocrite. Did you not threaten Liz "Jason style" at my dad's funeral? Jo told me."

"This isn't about me Lee. Now you need to get yourself under control or you can go home. My god, you just got your job back after anxiously waiting all this time and it's your first day! Maybe it was too much too soon and you just need part time for awhile to get your feet wet again."

"Yeah well maybe I don't want it back and maybe this was the reason I've been waiting for to burn this mob controlled house down. I don't know about you but I am not OK with having a mob boss as MY boss. It's bad enough working under you. And I'm not OK with saving people like her. She's the exception to the rule of do no harm."

"Ok, you need to heed your words after all that just went down with Mr. Carpenter's daughter and he himself. It doesn't look good Lee."

"Hooollly hell....are you fucking him too??"

"EXcuuuse me???"

"You know what? Never mind. I'm sure you are. You do know Jason would take care of her right? Which makes me wonder how the two of you ever worked out. You being a healer, him being quite the opposite. I mean, do you even know that she helped kill him too??? Do you know the real reason why?? Or the real reason he wanted her dead? Do you even care???"

"That's enough! Take the rest of the night off Dr. Pace and I suggest when you return, you don't bring Dr. Hyde with you."

Lee's expression turned smug as he leaned down to whisper in Britt's ear. "Jacob was Jason's biological son and he knew it. And he knew what Liz did to Jake. That's the first reason why he wanted her dead with the second being the fact that she tried to off him with the help of Ethan and Johnny Zacchara under the orders of YOUR sleezy new jailbird boss. And she did it alllll because of little ole you. This hospital is a landfill rotted with mounds of overflowing trash and I cannot breathe here anymore."

Lee walked off, leaving Britt speechless over what he just revealed and the only thing she could process out of it at that moment was one word that she whispered as she turned with befuddled eyes to watch Lee disappear around the corner.

"Tried??"

Once Lee rounded the corner, he momentarily stopped and then peeked back to see if Britt had left, in which he caught a glimpse of her heading to the break room. There was no way he was leaving until he saw Liz up close and personal.

After Britt was out of sight, Lee snuck in the room where Liz was semi-conscious and in shock, rambling away a series of jumbled words as nurse Theresa was preparing her pre-op sedative.

"Oh...Dr. Pace, I didn't see you there."

"Not only can't you read, but you're blind as well. Interesting." Lee retorted in defense of Orlando being badgered by her about his handwriting.

"I...I'm sorry?"

"You should be. I need you to leave."

"Umm, Dr. Pace I need to giv..."

"NOW...nurse...Theresa." he barked, emphasizing her name.

She pursed her lips and scurried out and Lee knew he would have little time before she brought Britt back with her.

"Well well well Lizzie. We meet again, except this time, I'm standing over you. Isn't it ironic, don'tcha think? Looks like the karma train found you." Lee taunted, just as she had done to him after the accident with Jacob.

"Train...t..train..." Liz mumbled, becoming agitated at Lee's voice. "Jake...he's on...Jacob...I see him....hear...the...train...no...noo...no...I...I...don't want to....no...go away...go..."

Lee's eyes widened at her words as the heart rate monitor began to rapidly chime.

"You! Out now!" Britt snapped, pushing Lee aside as she came rushing in with a smug faced nurse Theresa.

Lee formed a grin as Liz's eyes slightly opened to see his gloating ones.

"Chooo chooo." he snarked with a wicked arched brow as he nonchalantly backed his way out of the room with his hands in his pockets.

Once he turned around, there on the far side of the nurses station, stood Angel in her work attire, speaking with "detective" Luke, a sight he wasn't prepared to see. For one thing, his long time friend who he was currently at odds with, was up to his womanizing ways, pretending to comfort an upset Angel as he rubbed her arm in a very provocative way when she was a complete stranger to him and then there she was, being her typical self, eating the attention right up as she flaunted her bedroom eyes up at him.

With his hands still in his pockets, Lee crept around the large square cubicle, watching them and was able to hear Angel's quiet words as he came up behind Luke undetected, interrupting Angel before she could blab about Jason for the time being.

""No, she hasn't said anything about what happened as far as I am aware, although I do know....oh! Le..um I..I mean Dr. Pace. I didn't see you standing there." Angel said with surprise as she flirtatiously bit her bottom lip, seemingly losing all interest in Luke just like that.

"Ha! yeah, crazy huh? Here I am, six foot five... and NO one seems to see me today." Lee joked with a fake full on smile, paired with incredulous sarcasm and then his smile vanished as he leered at Luke. "Well, look what the cat dragged in. I hear congratulations are in order. How's being a rookie cop treating you these days?"

"Detective." Luke flatly riposted with a returned leer.

"Ahh, my bad. Guess I should have known that by the Miami Vice Crockett get up. You always did have a thing for Don Johnson."

"Why are you always trying to cause trouble?" Luke firmly stated as he walked up to Lee.

"Me? Trouble? Nah, that's more your style and I bet Landy and those bar thugs would agree. What are you doing here?"

"I think that's obvious, don't you?. So tell me Lee, where were you in the past 24 hours?"

"Are you serious right now?"

"As serious as Elizabeth Webber's attack. You see, we have a stabbing victim, one you knew quite well and one you disliked very much."

"AS did you and half of Salem, but if you must know as you should know and probably did, I was with my girlfriend at my lake house all morning and for the past 4 days as well and then I came here today for my shift at 10 am."

"I...thought you said you and Jolene were done???" Angel reeled as she rudely cut in.

Lee's eyes closed as he released a hard sigh of agitation through flared nostrils, for he was at his wit's end with her and with everyone else in his path that night.

"What I said was, we were having issues, which by the way was a flat out lie and let me correct your intentionally trite bullshit. It's JOSIE!" Lee barked, making Angel jump.

"Fuck you Lee." Angel snarled as she glared at him and stormed off.

Lee turned his head to the side she walked past him on.

"There isn't enough whiskey on the PLANET darlin, but thanks, I'd fuck me too." Lee happily riposted and then turned back to Luke.

"Alright, so I know the drill. Don't leave town blah blah blah...are we done here?? I have a job to do."

"For now. So...you won't mind me questioning Josie about your...alibi...for the morning hours?"

"Oh... you'd love that wouldn't you? Anything to be close to her."

"Actually, yes I would love that. You see, I also have a job to do. And as you said...don't leave town."

Luke grinned and gave Lee a hard pat on the shoulder as he walked off.

Lee was mad as a hatter, his lips and jaw clenched so tight that the bones in his neck were protruding while he eyed Luke's swaggered exit. Just when he thought he had a moment of peace, his name was being called by a familiar voice.

"Lee!!" Maggie cried as she came running up and into his arms, followed by Spinelli whom Lee did not know.

"Margaret?? What's wrong?? Why are you here?? My god, is Jo..."

"No...noo..." she sobbed as he held her. "I...I'm the one who found Elizabeth. Is she...is she alright??"

"I...I really don't know. They were prepping her for surgery. I...I didn't know you found her...you...knew her??"

"I did...briefly...because of Jason, but I haven't seen her in years." she explained through her sniffles and then released Lee. "I had no idea she is the mother of your boy. Damion here, was filling me in. I'm sorry, where are my manners. Lee, this is Damion Spinelli. He was Jason's good friend...Jo's too and he happened to be there tonight at the pub and heard me scream when she came stumbling out of the bushes."

Lee's attention turned to the younger dark haired guy that couldn't have been more than your age who seemed naturally nervous and talked a million miles an hour.

"Damion...I don't believe we've met, yet you seem to know me??"

"My apologies. Lee, if I may...er may I call you that?" he asked and quickly carried on without giving Lee a chance to answer. "You see, I am very well acquainted with the March family, Jason in particular...as you obviously now know per the fiery highness informing you of that just now and I am also a very dear friend of the blonde one."

"I...I'm sorry, the... blonde..one?"

"Oh..my apologies I offer again. The fair Josephine March, the one you adore and cherish to the moon and back. She and I were in attendance together in our more youthful days. Class of 2011. Salem High. We once shared a most magical night under the stars...well, that is what the prom theme was referenced as in our junior year. I still remember it like it was only yesterday, she in her red as roses gown that complemented her then fiery strands, hence why I used to refer to her as the fiery one once upon a time." Spinelli rambled on as he envisioned you and he that night.

"Youuuu...used to...date...my girlfriend?" Lee asked, quite puzzled, for Damion seemed to be the furthest of your type and it was even more puzzling that he was actually employed by a mob boss, for Lee recalled you telling him about Spinelli and his hacking skills.

"Well..I would imagine your definition and my definition of dating are not one in the same. I mean...it was a date for me that night yes, but we were not per se, like you and she are? Josephine, with her kindest of hearts, took pity on my poor soul when I was turned down by the troubled one...oh, that would be Megan, the sibling Josephine rivals with. I am forever most grateful to the blonde one for making a very sour night turn sweet and for her genuine and continued friendship all these years and for making me feel welcomed into her family, hence where I met Jason and the more than lovely Margaret. No concern is needed. Josephine only has eyes for you from what I am highly aware of."

Lee's mind was boggled by Spinelli's intellectual rantings and he wasn't quite sure what to make of him yet, but...he did make him chuckle for the first time during his long drug out and stressful shift.

"No worries Damion. I wasn't concerned."

"Oh please, address me as Spinelli, if I may ask of the good doctor Pace?"

"Lee is just fine, as you asked earlier. It is nice to meet you Spinelli and I am glad you were there tonight for Margaret and also that you care for Jo as you do. You seem like a really good friend to her and the family. Oh and Margaret...you...haven't spoken to Jo have you? About...what happened?"

"No..no I..I have been too distracted with it all."

"That's good. I would like to tell her myself when my shift is over, which is in roughly two hours. If she knows what you endured, she would be driving down here alone, in the rain and dark and all in a panic. Are you sure you're alright Margaret? I can leave early and take you home." Lee sweetly offered with a softened smile and genuine compassion in his eyes as he took her hands into his.

"Oh no dearest Lee, you're so very kind but Damion will take me. You go take care of my daughter. I will be alright after I get home and pour me some good old Irish whiskey over some ice." she said with a giggle that reminded Lee of yours.

"That sounds very good doesn't it?" Lee asked, chuckling at the woman he hoped would one day be his mother-in-law. "I promise you, I will assure Jo that you are doing alright and please, please call at any hour if you need us."

Maggie squeezed his hands and teared up with a smile. "You are such a godsend in my Joey's life and mine too. I can't wait to see what the future holds for the two of you." she said with a wink in regards to Lee's upcoming proposal and then hugged him.

"Dr. Pace! A word??" Britt barked from the hall, making Lee cringe.

"What fresh hell awaits me now?" he mumbled as he closed his eyes, making Maggie laugh, for she knew very well how Britt could be.

"It was a great pleasure to meet you Lee. I am sure we will be seeing much more of each other in the near future." Spinelli said with telling eyes as he smiled and extended his hand out to shake Lee's. In the exchange, Lee felt something slip into his palm.

"You too. Drive safe." Lee replied, discreetly placing his hand in his pocket with what felt like a folded piece of paper inside of it.

"What in the hell were you thinking??" Britt scolded as Lee approached her, rolling his eyes. "Interfering with a vital procedure of a patient, which that's what she is, no matter how bad you can't stand Liz. Her condition is critical and every second counts that you took away. Do you know how bad that makes you look?? Are you trying to get fired?? I told you to go home!"

"Why don't YOU go home miss righteous??"

"You're telling me to leave?? This is MY hospital??" Britt intensely reminded him, astonished by his audacious attitude.

The corner of Lee's lip curled up into a smirk as his eyes laughed at what stood in her shadow.

"I would tend to beg the differ on that."

Britt spun around to the stench of old spice cologne and the one sided grin of Cyrus Renault as he leered at her.

"Do we have a problem here... Doctor...Westbourne? If anything makes anyone look bad, it is the way you speak to the employees. I can't say that I would blame Dr. Pace for being defensive, or any other employee for that matter that has to endure the displeasure of your arrogance."

"Are...are you serious right now?? Did you not just hear how he spoke to me? I am his superior!"

"And I am yours, which seems to be reminded to you. Also I think you need reminded of the fact that there are many many doctors and nurses here quite qualified for your position...such as, well..the good doctor Pace here yes? Don't you think so....Lee? If I may call you that? What do you say in stepping up your game?"

"Dr. Pace." Lee bluntly said. "Would seem the proper term...And though I appreciate your faith in my capabilities...I am not interested."

"Excuse me???! You can't just give my job to someone else. It has to be voted on by the board!" Britt reeled.

"Oh I assure you the board would...easily...be swayed in such a fresh new direction. I like you Lee and the offer stands if you change your mind. I could use someone like you that knows how things should be...handled. You should be careful Dr. Westbourne. You don't want to end up like Ms. Webber."

Cyrus went to leave, patting Lee on the shoulder as he walked past him and then snapped his fingers and spun back around.

"Oh...fired...that is....and Lee, I hope Ms. March is doing better." he said and grinned, then went on his way.

Britt's eyes gaped at Lee. "Did you hear that?? He just threatened me! Ok, I don't even care about before right now, Lee, you HAVE to listen to me. When Cyrus says he likes someone, it means he wants something from them. God only knows what he could want from you but you cannot accept his offer, and no it's not because I don't want to lose my job. And...I know I told you to leave..but...do you think you could stay...I mean...you don't think it's odd that he's creeping around here at night?? Right after Liz was brought in?"

"I'll do it for Jo...but I'm only staying until my shift is over and then you're on your own. I'm going to go find Orlando." Lee firmly stated, completely ignoring all that Britt had just said.

He heard her though and thought about it on his way to fill in his best friend who had a full night's shift ahead of him and would be there with Britt to keep an eye on things. Of course though, things didn't work out as he had wanted them too when he was paged to the ER for a head trauma patient that had been brought in while he was in the middle of relaying the night's events to Orlando over coffee.

"Here we go again." Lee deeply sighed and reluctantly got up to leave.

Orlando stopped him by gently taking his arm.

"Hey man. You did nothing wrong. Liz got exactly what she deserved so don't wallow in thinking you're a bad person, because then that makes me and all the many others that feel the same way about her a bad person too for agreeing with you. We protect each other, always have, always will, even when we want of beat the hell out of each other."

"Thanks wingman, for always having my back from day one. Later Lando." Lee smiled, patted his his bff's arm, then rushed off, texting you as he did so to say he may be late.

11 pm rolled around, three hours past the time Lee shift was supposed to have ended. The patient he treated had been in a terrible car accident and didn't make it, despite Lee's best efforts and it was deja vous all over again, reminding him of when he treated a supposable Jason. Everything was lining up for Lee in helping him make a long thought out decision. Signs he told himself, just like you would.

Lee rubbed his weary eyes and yawned as he made his way back to his office to gather his stuff and once again change his shirt, for he got blood on it, then he went looking for Orlando to say goodnight. Still, he had no text from you and he was now becoming highly anxious to get home, more so than he had been all night. He then called you after a failed attempt to locate Orlando, but your phone went straight to voicemail which told him it was either off or dead. Something didn't sit right with Lee about it, for he knew you wouldn't just ignore him and make him worry, which now only made him worry more.

On his way through the parking lot, being drenched in rain as he grieved the loss of yet another patient under his care, he stopped at the window of his truck door and stared at his reflection, wondering who in the hell he was even looking at when suddenly he heard the repetitive caws of a crow in patterns of three. He turned to see the blackbird sitting up on a light pole, peering down at him. Was he grieving too? Over the loss of his feathered friend or mate? Or was he warning of something wicked this way to come?

Lee immediately hopped in his truck, peeling out as he sped off into the night, making it back to the lake house in a fraction of his usual time to see it completely dark.

"Jo!" he shouted as he got out and slammed his door, then raced up to the house.

The sound of his yell and the bang of the truck door startled you awake from your medicated state that was beginning to wear off, although you still felt foggy due to the earlier wine consumption.

"Lee??" you mumbled as you clumsily pushed your way up into a sitting position.

"Yeah baby, it's me." he panted and dropped his briefcase to rush over to you.

He knelt down, hugged you tight, then took your sleepy face into his hands and sweetly smiled as he studied your dilated eyes.

"Hey sweetheart, what's going on? You ok?"

"Mmm hmm. I..was just taking a nap."

Lee glanced over at the glass and almost empty wine bottle sitting on the coffee table, then he looked back at you.

"Baby, it's almost midnight. You took a 12 hour nap?? I texted you at noon and you didn't reply until a few hours later, saying you were sleeping, remember? And I haven't heard from you the rest of the day and night. I tried calling but...babe, you worried the hell out of me."

"Oh yeah, sorry..my phone...it's dead." you explained as you gazed at it laying on the floor beside his knees. "I was going to charge it but...I fell back asleep I guess."

"Jo...look at me. What did you take? besides a bottle of wine?"

"Huh? Oh..umm...that." you giggled. "I felt anxious and didn't want to have an attack while I was alone so I...I took one of my pills."

"With wine??? Jo..."

"I know, I know. Stupid. I just...you were gone...and you left so fast without even saying...you love me and you...you haven't touched me in days and I felt so alone even when you were here...and...and..."

You covered your face and began to sob.

"Oh god, come here, come here." Lee whispered and pulled you close, cradling your head under his chin. "I'm so sorry baby, I'm sooo sorry. I'm here now, I'm here shhhhh."

Lee rocked you for a few moments, feeling incredibly guilty and he knew he was going to have to explain. All of it. But right then was not the time, nor was it the time to tell you about Liz and your mom.

"Lee." you sniffled and pulled back as he glided the back of his fingers over your tears. "You're soaked and freezing and...weren't you supposed to be off hours ago?"

"Yeah, it's pouring and my truck's heater took a shit and...there was a last minute emergency I had to deal with at the hospital. I tried to call you to let you know."

"Uggh...I'm so sorry I scared you. I can't believe how stupid I was to do this."

"Hey, you're not stupid. I understand. I really do Jo. This is all my fault and..."

"Like hell it is. You didn't make me drink all that wine or take that pill."

"Alright. We will just agree to disagree for now. Let me get dried off and make you some food. I was going to bring home a pizza but I just needed to get back here to make sure you were ok. How about a movie too?"

"Sure...how about a spooooky one? The night is perfect for it yes? I see you have The Shining on DVD.......REDRUM!!" you said in your best Danny Torrence voice.

"Ummm how bout NO." Lee chuckled. "Really not in the mood for all that blood. Let's compromise and find one that's both funny and scary?....and hey....my girl....I...love....you...so much."

Your breath was stolen, allowing a squeak of a whimper to escape your lips as he took your mouth fully into to his. Running your fingers up through his dripping locks, you returned his passionate kiss, truly, madly and deeply.

"You know." you said, breathing heavily over his perked lips. "Food and a movie can wait so I can help you get out of these wet clothes."

"Is that so?" Lee murmured over your lips with a curled smirk as his growing member below told him he wasn't backing out of it this time.

"It is." you simply said and grabbed the remote to the stereo, turned on the music, then tossed it back on the coffee table and grinned at him.

"Ohhhh I am soooo fucked."

"That you are."

Lee laughed that hearty laugh he always did, the same one you heard him do in the video with Liz and then you began to unbutton his shirt as he knelt between your legs, his sapphire eyes dilating as he faded into you. And ironically...that song came on.

Once his shirt was off and so was yours, you wrapped your legs around his waist and he stood up with you attached to him like a koala baby, then he took you to the fireplace and gently laid you onto the rug in front of it. Once again, kneeling between your legs, Lee yanked your leggings clean off with one swipe and tossed them aside as you both laughed.

His eyes gazed at your glowing body of fire light, stroking his palm over your bare stomach in a most sensual way that made your back arch and your hips rock up.

"My god...you're so beautiful Miss Massachusetts."

Lee bent his arm under and around the back of your thigh and began kissing the inner side, starting at your knee and working his way down to your greatly aroused bud. The shock of his warm tongue gliding over it sent your fingers to his dripping hair, grabbing fistfuls of it as you bellowed out his name.

He quickly stood up and fought with his belt buckle until his pants were at his ankles and his girthy cock pointed right at you.

"I can't do this foreplay. It's been days." Lee panted out and urgently laid upon you, devouring your mouth as he guided himself into you.

Gasping at the pleasureful thrust, your nails tore a deep trail up his sculpted back.

"Gahhh!" he grunted and smiled as he filled your extremely slick walls, then he began slowly pumping you with a slight sway of his hips.

Lee was the one who was beautiful. His damp straggly hair dangling down his forehead, the fire's light glowing over his rain dampened skin and radiating off of his face. It was a vision that would forever be etched in your mind.

Your palms laid flat on his chest and they soon glided down his stomach where they stopped as you diligently viewed him slide in and out of you. He was so gentle, so loving in his movements. Everything was perfect as you both faded into each other.

"I love you." he whispered. "Forever."

Your hand went to his cheek. "I love you forever."

Lee's tender thrusts were now deep and grinding which curled his lengthy cock upwards, drawing you closer to climax as it neared your sweet spot and you knew he was holding back for you, for it was written all over his strained face and grunts that he was ready to explode like a grand finale of fireworks.

"I'm so close." he panted over your mouth, his eyes fixated in yours as his pace slowed.

"Now baby now...come with me. Let me feel you. I need to feel you."

Your words sent him spiraling into a shaking, jerking and paralyzing release as it did you and every pulse of him was felt by you as he felt yours while you clung to one another, your gasping and moaning breaths breathing into the other's mouth.

"My god, did... that... just happen?" Lee stammered. "Or am I dreaming?"

"It certainly was a dream of mine for the past how many days."

"Oh god baby...it was for me too. I..I am so damn sorry. I can explain all that."

"Not now. I just want to lay here by the fire in your arms for the rest of the night, no talking. Just hold me...please. I need you to hold me." you said and locked lips with him.

"CAW CAW CAW!!!!" a crow called from outside the window.

Lee's head whipped around, his mouth and eyes both gaping at the window that only showed his own reflection.

"Well that's odd. A blackbird singing in the dead of night. Don't crows or ravens usually make their ruckus during the daylight hours? Mostly in the morning when you're trying to freaking sleep?" you giggled.

Lee didn't even hear you as his eyes remained frozen on the window.

"Three times." he mumbled in a whispered tone.

"Lee?? Baby, what's wrong?"

"Huh??" he gasped and turned back to you.

"Ummm, the...crow? Why are you so freaked out?"

"Oh...who me? Nahhh...it just startled me, that's all. It'll take more than some little blackbird to scare me. Come here. Let me hold you."

Lee snuggled you as you laid upon his chest just under his chin while his eyes once again fixated on the window without a single blink. The feeling was back in the pit of his stomach that he felt earlier that night when the other bird first hit the window. The feeling that something bad was going to happen.

The soft repetitive sound of beeping could be heard on the EVS monitor in the darkened room in the wee hours of the morning where a stabilized Elizabeth soundly slept after her successful surgery hours prior.... but she wasn't alone.

Her eyes happened to slit open to a blurred vision of a figure standing beside her. Thinking she was dreaming, she blinked a few times and then the faceless image became clear.

"You...why are you here?" she whispered in a grumbly voice, still very groggy from the anesthesia. "Where am I? What are you doing?"

"Hush now Lizzie. Just finishing up your overdue dose of medicine. It's time to sleep now." the man wearing a doctor's white coat told her as he injected something into her IV.

He then stood over her, watching her as her eyes closed for the last time. Within minutes, the only sound that was then heard was that of a flatline as an illuminated horizontal bar flowed across the screen.

The faceless man exited and as he disappeared into the halls, the next sounds were of a loud buzzer and an echoed PA system.

"CODE BLUE."

@redeemer46

[piscesseer]

Harvest Blessings: Mabon 🍎🌾

On September 22, the harvest festival of Mabon is celebrated. As the leaves begin to change color and a cool breeze sweeps the air, we find ourselves on the cusp of Autumn, a season of transition and transformation.

Mabon occurs on the Autumn Equinox, marking the beginning to fall here in the North where the days will eventually shorten. Mabon presents as an opportunity to reflect and embrace the coming darkness as a necessary part of the annual cycle. Mabon, also known as the Second Harvest or Witch’s Thanksgiving, is a time to be thankful for the bountiful harvest and to prepare for the dark months ahead.

On this day, the night and day are equal. This balance of light and dark is symbolic of the harmony and equilibrium that is found in nature. We are reminded that life is a constant cycle of change, and just as the seasons shift, so do our own lives. Mabon encourages us to reflect on the balance within ourselves and in our daily routines.

Symbols: basket, cornucopia, pinecone, seeds Colors: orange, red, yellow, brown, copper, dark yellow, dark green Foods: corn, beans, squash, apples, pumpkins, root vegetables, eggplant, pomegranate, grapes, wine, cider Herbs & Plants: yarrow, rosemary, sage, mugwort, rosehips, sunflowers, thistle, marigold Stones: amber, citrine, cat’s eye, aventurine, sapphire, jasper Deities: Mabon, Green Man, Demeter, Persephone, Morgan, Pomona, Inanna Animals: owl, stag, blackbird, crow, salmon

One of the central themes of Mabon is gratitude for a bountiful harvest. Today, even if we aren't directly involved in farming, we can still embrace the spirit of Mabon by giving thanks for the abundance in our lives and giving due gratitude for the things we do have in our lives that have served us well.

Named after the ancient Welsh hero named ‘Mabon ap Modron’, meaning Son of Mother, Mabon is the second harvest festival (Lughnasadh being the first, and Samhain being the third). Mabon was said to be held hostage as a baby in the underworld, similar to the story of Persephone and Demeter. The Greek goddess Demeter is closely associated with the Autumn harvest, as it was her grief at losing her daughter, Persephone, that turned the earth from lush to barren cold. 

A celebration of not only the bountiful harvest that nature provides, but also the bounty and rewards of all that we have sown and also reaped over the past year. This is not just a time of harvest, but also a time to prepare the way so that new seeds will be able to grow in the future. The Equinox is a natural time in which to sow peace and gratitude. Any and all positive energy sent out at this time will help to ameliorate any discordant energy, both in our personal lives, as well as the world at large.

It is through gratitude that we can attune ourselves to the natural ebb and flow of this seasonal shift. And one way to do this is to create some sort of gratitude list. Begin with the things that we take for granted: clean air to breathe, water to drink, a safe place to sleep. Then move on to those things that you are particularly grateful for. Pay special attention to those people and things in your life that matter to you the most.

Here are some ways to celebrate Mabon:

The easiest and most fun way to celebrate Mabon is to decorate your home, porch, entryway or altar for Autumn. You might set up your altar with symbols of the season, such as acorns, pinecones or cornucopias and candles with autumn colors, like red, orange and brown, can add a warm, cozy ambience to your space. Bring in fresh and dried flowers, if you’re lucky enough to be able to cut your own, even better. Find acorns and pinecones from outside. If you don’t have access to your own, visit a farmer’s market or take a short stroll to the woods.

Go on a nature walk and appreciate the beauty of the changing seasons. Autumn is a time of stunning natural beauty with vibrant hues of red, orange and yellow. Take a leisurely walk to observe any signs that the season is changing. Nature has a way of grounding us and encouraging introspection.

Celebrating Mabon often means indulging in delicious feasts made from the season’s bounty. Incorporate seasonal foods into your meals. Apples, pumpkin, squash, and corn are all traditional Mabon foods. Try crafting apple pie, roasted pumpkin or heat up soups. Spend time with loved ones and enjoy a feast of seasonal foods. Sharing dishes with loved ones can deepen our connection to the season and its blessings.

During your walk or time outside, reflect on the past year.  What goals have you achieved and what lessons have you learned? What do you want to release as you move into the darker, introspective months of the year? Consider writing these thoughts down. Write down what no longer serves you on a piece of paper and burn it to symbolize releasing those things.

Cleanse your house and release the negative and stagnant energies.

Light a candle and reflect on your blessings. Consider creating a gratitude journal where you can jot down the things you are thankful for. Create a gratitude list and share it with others. Acknowledging blessings can help connect with the essence of Mabon.

Mabon is a time to celebrate the beauty of the coming autumn season and the abundant harvest it brings. It is a time to let go of the old and embrace the new. It is a time to be grateful for all that we have and to look forward to all that is to come. Whether you choose to celebrate simply or do something bigger, the key is to embrace the essence of the season and the lessons it offers. As you celebrate, may you find harmony and contentment in the changing rhythms of life.

[runonthewater]

Sometimes, on your fourth day on the road, you get so sick of the way the one pair of shorts you packed fit that when after a full day of driving, you go to the cheapest clothing store in Fort Nelson, buy a pair of patterened rayon jeans on clearance, and hack them off at the knees with the dull kitchen scissors that live in the van. Although these makeshift shorts do not necessarily fit you better than the ones you packed, they at least fit you differently.

Four days on the road. Temporally, this puts me halfway through the eight-day itinerary. At just over 1000 miles from Seattle (as the Google maps, not counting some side trips and the occasional back-tracking for a good view), and a little under 1000 from Tok, Fort Nelson puts me about halfway through the drive geographically, as well.

I started the morning in Dawson Creek, at Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway. (I met a nice Swiss couple at the mile marker who were, like me, getting their photo op in. They'd driven from Halifax and were planning to go all the way up the Dalton Highway! Because I am the kind of nerd that I am, as soon as I got back in the car, I turned on "The Last of Barret's Privateers" and belted about being a broken man on a Halifax pier in their honor.) Immediately outside Dawson Creek there was a lot of truck traffic, and I spent quite a while tailgating and being tailgated as steep grades and a lack of passing lanes kept us all stuck together.

By the time I reached my first rest stop in Wonowon, though, the driving had changed noticeably. In the first three days I spent a decent amount of time keeping an eye on my mirrors for people in smaller cars that would want to pass me. Once I was truly on the highway, the number of passing vehicles dwindled significantly. And the landscape spread out soon enough into rolling evergreen forests, bisected by the road. It's August, so fireweed dusts the cleared firebreaks on either side of the highway in a Barbie pink that looks unreal and is almost impossible to capture on my phone's camera. The deciduous trees flash the pale undersides of their leaves at the northbound traveler, revealing how windy it is.

This is what I think of when I think of the Highway: these long, straight stretches with big sky and no one around. The kind of wildlife I associate with the north is starting to appear, too. I saw a black bear galumph across the road around 4PM, and a little further on I saw a doe nursing a faun beside the road. Both obviously moved too fast for me to get pictures. The blackbirds scavenging on the highway are also clearly ravens, now: they're too fucking big to be crows. The other day I saw a black bird so big that I couldn't not spot it, despite the shade of the trees. Ravens are big.

The halfway point means I've been out here long enough to get a couple routines down. It also means I've been out here long enough to decide on problems -- e.g. the aforementioned shorts, the fit of which I am sick, or the buurned-on bits of fries I reheated in a pan without any oil the other nnight. But overall, as I told a local while I filled up today, the van treats me well.

Halfway also means I start thinking about the end of the trip. To be honest, today I thought about stopping earlier than Fort Nelson, partly because I was much more tired from yesterday's drive than expected, and partly because I don't want to rush. The lack of services between Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson ended up deciding me and I pushed on, but the possibility of extending the time on the road, letting the bubble of travel get just a little bigger, is tempting.

On the other hand, I miss my dog. And paying less than $150 per gas tank refill. Getting to Alaska, and then home, will be nice. When I get there.

A few less highfaluting thoughts (I blame Nabokov for the style): tonight I not only got to use the levelers to even out one side of the van for the night, I'm swatting skeeters like mad. The bugs are most definitely getting worse as I go north. The windshield is a war zone, and when I stopped earlier I found the van SURROUNDED by wasps and flies. Are they feasting on their fallen brethren? will they please leave me alone???

[dansnaturepictures]

6th December 2023: Lakeside and home

Pictures taken in this set are of: 1. House Sparrow in the garden which it was nice to see. 2, 4, 5, 8 and 10. Views on my lunch time walk at Lakeside, it was great to see the stark bare branches with a backdrop of creamy winter sunlight. 3. Some of the dozens of winter heliotrope flowers I was pleased to find in the verge area near the road entrance to Lakeside, flowers I find pretty which seem to be out earlier this season. 6. One of a few beautiful Greenfinches I was over the moon to see along the northern path, a cheery emerald bird which I'd not seen here for a while. 7. A Collared Dove it was great to see on the bird bath when home from my walk. 9. The Common Gull on a buoy on beach lake with a Black-headed Gull behind.

Another green finch was a highlight with some Siskins seen and I also enjoyed seeing a Magpie fly over with some feathers lit well by the sun. Jackdaw at Lakeside and home and Jay enjoyed at Lakeside again were other good crows seen. Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, fine views of Redwing, Song Thrush and Blackbird again, Collared Dove at Lakeside, Great Crested Grebe, Coot and Moorhen at Lakeside with Greylag Geese flying over, Goldfinches and Starling at home were other highlights. White deadnettle, wild carrot and a fair few berries in rose hips, wild service tree berries I believe, hawthorn berries and guelder rose berries were other plant highlights today with rose hips enjoyed at home too.

[sparrowsortadrawzzz]

so I got bored last night, looked at Alastor, and thought "....what would he actually look like if he was a person? and also if there was more diversity in design elements??" so I did my little spin on him!

human!him ⬆️ :3

and demon!him ^^! (yes i forgot to draw the mic head and was too lazy to do so wdym)

i have more little details that I feel really smart about and want to explain >:D

okay so I gave him the birth name Avenall because 1) its a French name, fuck yeah- and 2) it means "one who lives by the oat feild" apparently, and I thought that was funny cuz haha deer eat oats, but also I imagined him walking through a field to the forest behind his childhood home to scheme, or bury, and like. where else is he going to be mistaken as a deer by a hunter and his dogs??? than a forest by an oat feild???? and then apparently people dont know much about the last name Emelle, which I thought was perfect! but people think it comes from the word "Lemerle", which could mean Emelle comes from the word "blackbird", so i took that and ran with it cuz normally one crow means an omen of death, so he IS THE CROW OF DEATH- anyways i felt so big brained with that AHFHSHG-

I LOVED adding the two extra highlight colors, since he used them in the pilot episode during his song! I dunno, i just felt he needed more than just his red, to sorta bring in that unsettling pop he has to the cast! his skin is considerably darker in his demon form cuz he's DEAD, AND POWERFUL- so i thought he started out kinda greyish, and as he messed more and more with darker magic and power, and got more evil and powerful, he got physically darker! and then I also made his nose glossy and black like a deer's, and fawn spots since i gave him freckles in his human form, also to signify how young he couldve been! then i gave him actual deer ears and placed them properly, and gave him different antlers ^^

so yeah just lil details! >:3

[straightyuri]

haii fonso imm modeling rn uhm also what kinds of birds do u have where u live.... i have like ... house sparrows and uhm. hooded crows andd black billed magpies... sometimes i see a bird that idk what it is... it lookgs like a starling? but i dont think it is?

I hope u have fun!! Uhmmmmm birds I commonly notice around my area areee: magpies, hooded crows, jackdaws, seagulls (laughing gull mostly. Herring gull n possibly others sometimes too), feral pigeons, wood doves, uhmmmmm blackbirds, house sparrows, great tits, blue tits, ducks (mallards mostly. Others too), geese, swans, herons, grebes. Uhm. A lot of birds. I saw rooks on my way home from work 2day :)

[anonsally]

Highlights from no-equipment birdwatching in Germany

I didn't bring any birding equipment on my recent trip to Germany. However, I did still see some birds I could identify.

The first day and a half were spent at the home of my in-law-in-laws in Mainz. Their apartment is a few storeys above ground level, so one can see into the tree canopy out the windows, plus they have a bird feeder on their balcony. While there, I saw common wood-pigeons, rose-ringed parakeets (there's an established population descended from escaped/released pets, despite the cold winters), a carrion crow, a great tit, a Eurasian blue tit, Eurasian blackbirds, and European goldfinches. None of these were new to me, but since we don't have them in California, they're all kind of exciting to see.

The second day and a half were spent at the home of my father-in-law. In his backyard, I spotted several of the same birds, plus a Eurasian magpie. And the funeral reception was held at a golf course/country club with a pond that was home to Egyptian geese (my first in a place where they have become naturalised, so they are finally on my life list, even though this is a bird I've seen in two other geographical areas--in Italy last summer and in Southern California last month) and grey herons.

I had a 6-hour layover in Munich. I didn't see any noteworthy birds in the city (though the tulips and the hail were certainly noteworthy!), but while taxiing to and from the gate, I did spot what must have been Eurasian kestrels from the window of the plane. Based on shape, behavior, and habitat, I'm certain of that ID, but I wish I'd had binoculars to get a good look at them--that's a new one on my life list.