#Cypress Texas news

[a-c-e-t-y-l-e-n-e]

Cypress Reflection

[honoura]

Shaaloani: The Land of Enchantment Part One

Hello again! It's another lore-adjacent post from me about a niche special interest of mine. This time it's Shaaloani, the American Southwest/Northern Mexico inspired zone in FFXIV's Dawntrail.

I want to disclose a few things right at the start just to temper people's expectations: I will not be definitively ID'ing any of the indigenous-inspired structures or visuals as inspired by any specific tribe. That's not my lane! I'm going to link to things that they remind me of, for sure. But otherwise my hyperfocus is going to be on the physical environment, some animals, and the ceruleum as petroleum industry. It's what I recognize best! And what I know best, truthfully.

"Hon why are you doing this?" A variety of reasons honestly. After DT dropped I saw a lot of folks who did at least one of the following:

Commented on the Old West theme park aspect

Called it "miqo'te Texas"

Generally just called the whole map "Texas"

And if I'm honest... it bugged me! Not because I thought anyone was being malicious about it (it's mostly pop culture saturation I'd suspect), but to me it stung a bit that this zone, which I grew up on the fringe of, was... kind of flattened by a lot of people?

I don't know, the response to me just felt like people assumed they knew everything about it because they'd seen it already in movies or TV or Red Dead Redemption rather than the same open-mindedness about what was presented in places like Urqopacha.

This zone isn't just Texas -- yes there are some bits and pieces here (because it's pulling from the Chihuahuan Desert and the Sonoran Desert), but so much of it reminds me of New Mexico, Mexico, and Arizona. There's some Colorado, Utah, and Nevada there too! And the background story going on there is something that still happens in a lot of those states, by both the government and corporations alike.

That variety deserves to be celebrated! So come learn with me about the inspiration for Shaaloani!

Shaaloani Geography

Shaaloani has three major regions in the zone -- Eshceyaani Wilds, Pyariyoanaan Plain, and Yawtanane Grasslands. To get this out of the way, I'm going to tell you the one that reminds me most of Texas.

Ready?

Lake Taori of the Pyariyoanaan Plain.

It's river-fed, with canyons on both ends of the Niikwerepi. The trees crowding around it are cypress trees, as you can tell by the little nubby off-shoots called knees. To compare, here is a photo of cypress trees along the Frio River:

This is also reminiscent of places along the Rio Grande and Pecos Rivers, two significant water sources in West Texas. I also would not call them bayous! Bayous typically have brackish water, are slow-moving, and are way too far east.

However, it could be partly considered a ciénega -- which according to its wikipedia article:

"Ciénagas are usually associated with seeps or springs, found in canyon headwaters or along margins of streams. Ciénagas often occur because the geomorphology forces water to the surface, over large areas, not merely through a single pool or channel."

As a caveat, ciénegas generally don't have trees around them, but I also know that you can't really drown a cypress and they love sunshine. Regardless -- if you see trees in the desert they are typically growing along a water source. Balmorhea State Park has some cottonwood trees native to the area that are going strong.

Yawtanane Grasslands reads as a mix of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Eastern Plains of Colorado. Both are rather arid and home to a variety of grasses that can thrive in such a climate -- which has historically made both areas home to large cattle industries (whether or not this was ever a good idea is debatable, since cattle are very thirsty animals).

Meanwhile the Eshceyaani Wilds looks similar to the Sonoran Desert -- the red-hued soil and rocks, the abundance of cacti with the scrub brush and some drought-tolerant grasses. Here's a shot of the Sonoran within Saguaro National Park in Arizona:

Saguaros also only grow in Arizona in the States! As well as the organ-pipe cactus, which you see in Tender Valley. And prickly pears grow just about anywhere they can get a chance -- as well as barrel cacti, both of which we see in Tender Valley (along with what could be agave!).

You could probably make a case for it being a piñon-juniper scrubland -- everything's very short compared to those cypress trees, including the juniper trees! Piñon-juniper scrubland's found throughout the Southwest. There are also piñon-juniper savannahs and persistent woodlands intermixed in the same places. The difference lay in what plants you find with the piñon pines and junipers.

Visually, aside from the Sonoran Desert, I can also see a lot of New Mexico, like the Ghost Ranch in Rio Arriba:

It matches up with the mountains you can see, and both Yowekwa Canyon and Tender Valley. And of course, Tender Valley is likely a Grand Canyon reference, going by the sheer height of the cliffs. But you could also make a case for Canyonlands National Park in Utah.

There's a shot from Grand View Point Overlook within the park -- the closeness of the canyon walls and the warm earth tones also evoke Tender Valley!

There's also a lot of these sandstone formations in Utah that better fit Shaaloani -- like here in the Valley of the Gods:

Shaaloani Structures

I also at this point want to call attention to one of the two sites with cliff dwellings & adobe structures. We just saw Tender Valley above, which is confirmed to be old Yok Huy structures. But check out these Tonawawta buildings below.

As I stated before, I don't want to state which tribe these two styles remind me of. But I do want to say this again strikes me as another New Mexico and Arizona callback; both the Gila Cliff Dwellings and the Puye Cliff Dwellings are found in two different areas of New Mexico. And the Gíusewa Pueblo, also in New Mexico! Montezuma Castle is found in Arizona, and is pictured below! Look at that rich reddish earth color.

I also want to call attention to the place of worship for the Tonawawta in Yowekwa Canyon:

When I saw it my kneejerk response was to call it an ofrenda. But that's ultimately an incomplete response -- that was just the vibe I felt after seeing them during my life! What it also reminds me of are pictographs and petroglyphs. You find these all over the Southwest (the climate helps preserve them!), but I'm going to link some really great examples. I won't provide images to all though!

Crow Canyon Petroglyphs:

Piedras Madras Canyon at Petroglyph National Monument (New Mexico) Petroglyph Point Trail at Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado) Petroglyph Panel at Canyon Reef National Park (Utah) Nampaweap at Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument (Arizona) Horseshoe Canyon at Canyonlands National Park (Utah) and the Hueco Tanks State Park (Texas)

In contrast, I don't want to spend a ton of time on the boom town structures in this zone; they are pretty straightforward references to mining towns during the different resource booms (gold, silver, copper, oil).

Similar blocky shapes, built out of wood. One thing I noticed as a neat addition are the decorative patterns painted on it -- again, I don't want to presume if there's a specific tribe tied to this. But I do think it's a neat touch and I want to think that's a design choice to convey the underlying theme that this is a zone at odds with advancing technology and wanting to keep hold of important traditions.

I WILL talk about the ceruleum wells and pumping though. Mostly because I'm impressed that they went with structures that so closely resemble early 20th century oil derricks. Those were also predominately made of wood (including the barrels, yikes!). The pump part of what's called a pumpjack were covered in the old days -- the ones we're most used to seeing now are made of metal and are thus left uncovered.

However, as you can see from this century old rig, even the wheel's made of wood:

I don't think ceruleum gushes the same way oil did -- it seems to behave more like natural gas. However, most natural gas pipelines do burn off excess, which can be seen as a little spout of flame atop.

Oil's occupied an awkward spot in the Southwest, and still does. Aside from the heinous crimes committed in Killers of the Flower Moon (where members of the Osage tribe were murdered for their oil shares in Oklahoma) and the Teapot Dome Scandal, oil is just... well.

Bear with me, I'm about to rag on Koana a moment.

The people who make the most money and have the most power over the average roughneck's life never live in the Southwest. They work in the c-suite and have more money than sense.

I find it very fascinating that DT chose to recreate this dynamic, this uncomfortable push-pull of a region rich in a resource, and it's being harvested at the suggestion and behest of a power that is physically removed from the area. And to some NPCs it's with a certain level of disregard to traditions and practices in place before, with the focus on the nebulous quantifier of 'progress'. Progress how? It depends!

But the folks at the highest seat of power never have to grapple with those questions, because to them it's a fairly cut and dry answer. This is the way to proceed, and if they want to take this nation into the "future", then this is the clear way to do it. It speaks to Koana's fixation on foreign technology to the point he de-values his own (partly due to his childhood trauma, which kind of prepped him to be susceptible to it).

Meanwhile the locals are the ones grappling the most with this change -- how it affects their plants and animals. Sometimes pits open up in the earth and ceruleum burns (which, Santa Rita New Mexico sank multiple times into the earth thanks to copper mining). On the map there's even discolored plants -- and they only occur in the vicinity OF the bulk of the ceruleum pumps.

This is at odds with core beliefs, keeping up with traditional practices. It puts people in the place of 'do I participate in this system, which promises work and the means to take care of my family, even as it pits me against my cultural heritage?'.

Growing up in West Texas, one of the weirdest things to me (to this day) is how many people will claim they love the land. They do! They love the outdoors, they worry over how certain species of animals have become scarcer. But they also work in the single most damaging industry because it pays the most money. It lets them cover bills and give their kids what they never had.

That same push-pull is in Shaaloani narratively; when progress has been thrust upon you, how do you survive it? How do you make sure what's dearest to you comes along with you?

In Conclusion

I want to call it here for Part One -- Part Two after this will cover more observations I had regarding flora and fauna in the Shaaloani zone, and how that also shows the attention to detail given this zone! It's a good time! There will be dinosaurs!

[housecow]

What are your favorite geographic regions of Texas?

BEST question!!!!!!

1. Hill country. One of the most gorgeous parts of TX—karst topography and amazing caves!!! bats!!! and this area was volcanic during the cretaceous, you can almost imagine the island chain it was back then while driving thru the hills. the guadalupe river snaking between cliff faces?? heaven. AND this part of TX has the best trees, no contest. who cares about coastal live oaks when you have 400 y/o+ bald cypress?? and american sycamores reflecting the water??? giant pecans?? i could spend an eternity here. maybe i will…. idc if my car stalls going up the hills and ppl behind me get mad <33

2. WEST TX. 🎶is the best texas… it’s a beautiful, indescribable place. and the geology???? holy shit. i will admit ive never even been to big bend before or the more mountainous regions, but i’ve driven close enough!!!! and my bestie visited recently so i claim his memories. people forget this version of TX exists and they SHOULD. so we can keep it to ourselves!!! aguja and javelina formations my beloveds ❤️ you’d find yourself lost there and never regret a moment. i love that barren ass drive from TX to new mexico tbh

3. Post Oak Savanna: weird one, i know!!!! but im a bitch for flat land. i may be one of the only ppl that can drive thru the great plains and feel right at home. i like seeing what’s around me!! mountains are scary. plus, god…. soft, rolling hills south of san antonio, seas of golden grass, old oaks standing as monuments, having been there longer than anything colonial-made in the US. absolute fucking behemoths. you wouldn’t understand this until you approach these things—it’s like the moment you enter that massive, widespread canopy, the world is quieter. the trees almost speak to you. yes i’m in love with them. beneath your feet and everywhere you go, fields of petrified wood 🥺

plus. this is one of the most ecologically important areas of TX, surprisingly. its an example of one area that’s supposed to be governed by fire. of course, now that’s no longer occurring, shrubification, tree encroachment… it used to serve as a sort of bridge for wildlife, but now it’s a fence. sad. anyways, you can tell by the trees they were made to withstand fire. hard, aggressive bark on live oaks.

interestingly, the ones south of the hill country are mixes of q. virginiana (coastal live oak) and q. fusiformis (escarpment oak) and should be the TX state tree in my humble opinion. pecans are found literally everywhere, these are found only here!!

[proton-wobbler]

Warbler Showdown; Bracket 7.2, Poll 1

Colima Warbler (Leiothlypis crissalis)

IUCN Rating: Least Concern

Range: migratory; breeds in the Chisos Mountains in southwest Texas through the range in Mexico; overwinters in south central Mexico, from southern Sinaloa down to Oaxaca, though typically found in Colima and Morelos

Habitat: breeds in oak, Mexican pinyon, juniper, and Arizona cypress chaparral and overwinters in semihumid to humid montane forests.

Subspecies: none

Red-faced Warbler (Cardellina rubrifrons)

IUCN Rating: Least Concern

Range: migratory; breeds in Arizona, New Mexico, and the mountainous portions of Northwest Mexico; overwinters in Southern Mexico, from Durango to Oaxaca, though it can be found further south at times.

Habitat: breeds in high elevation forests (2000-2800m), typically montane fir, pine, and open pine-oak. Will be found in a wider elevation range when overwintering (1300-3000m), but still prefers humid montane forests and pine-oak forests.

Subspecies: 3

Image Sources: Colima (Jason Vassallo); Red-faced (Anon)

[goalhofer]

2024 MLB American League All-Stars Roster

Pitchers

#00 Tyler Anderson (Los Angeles Angels/Las Vegas, Nevada)

#19 Mason Miller (Oakland Athletics/Bethel Park, Pennsylvania)

#29 Tarik Skubal (Detroit Tigers/Kingman, Arizona)

#39 Corbin Burnes (Baltimore Orioles/Bakersfield, California)

#45 Garrett Crochet (Chicago White Sox/Ocean Springs, Mississippi)

#48 Emmanuel Clase (Cleveland Guardians/Río San Juan, DR)

#52 Clay Holmes (New York Yankees/Slocomb, Alabama)

#55 Cole Ragans (Kansas City Royals/Tallahassee, Florida)

#67 Jacob Lugo (Kansas City Royals/Bossier City, Louisiana)

#75 Andrés Muñoz (Seattle Mariners/Los Mochis, Mexico)

#89 Tanner Houck (Boston Red Sox/Collinsville, Illinois)

#93 Kirby Yates (Texas Rangers/Kauai County, Hawaii)

Catchers

#13 Salvador Pérez (Kansas City Royals/Valencia, Venezuela)

#35 Adley Rutschman (Baltimore Orioles/Sherwood, Oregon)

Infielders

#2 Gunnar Henderson (Baltimore Orioles/Selma, Alabama)

#5 Corey Seager (Texas Rangers/Kannapolis, North Carolina)

#6 David Fry (Cleveland Guardians/Grapevine, Texas)

#7 Bobby Witt; Jr. (Kansas City Royals/Colleyville, Texas)

#10 Marcus Semien (Texas Rangers/Berkeley, California)

#11 José Ramírez (Cleveland Guardians/Baní, Dominican Republic)

#12 Jordan Westburg (Baltimore Orioles/New Braunfels, Texas)

#17 Isaac Paredes (Tampa Bay Rays/Hermosillo, Mexico)

#21 Joshua-Douglas Naylor (Cleveland Guardians/Mississauga, ON)

#27 Vladimir Guerrero; Jr. (Toronto Blue Jays/Santiago, DR)

#50 Willi Castro (Minnesota Twins/San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Outfielders

#16 Jarren Duran (Boston Red Sox/Cypress, California)

#22 Juan Soto; Jr. (New York Yankees/Santo Domingo, DR)

#25 Anthony Santander (Baltimore Orioles/Ciudad Agua Blanca, VZ)

#31 Riley Greene (Detroit Tigers/Oviedo, Florida)

#38 Steven Kwan (Cleveland Guardians/Fremont, California)

#44 Yordan Álvarez (Houston Astros/Ciudad Las Tunas, Cuba)

#99 Aaron Judge (New York Yankees/San Joaquin County, CA)

Manager

Bruce Bochy (Texas Rangers/Melbourne, Florida)

[brostateexam]

I would like to brag about how Texas Tough I was when it came to enduring the long South Texas summer of my childhood, but the truth is that it was winter that I dreaded most. Our house was heated by a wood-burning stove in the kitchen. Overnight, the fire would die down, and by morning the house had leaked all its warmth. As a kid, my morning routine was a shiver fest: I would cast off my electric blanket, make my way to the back porch to gather firewood, sort the kindling and the tinder, and then light a fire in the stove. While I waited, I would lay my clothes on the cast iron until they were hot to the touch—sliding into them was like putting on a comforting skin. To this day, I abhor being cold. (Maybe Switzerland isn’t for me after all.)

Despite growing up in rural South Texas without air-conditioning, I don’t remember being uncomfortable in the summers, at least not in the house. The old thing was uninsulated and drafty, inviting in the sea breezes that bring thunderstorms from the Gulf to the coastal plains. After school and in the summer, I spent hours at the town library, devouring books in the delicious AC. Plus, summers just weren’t as hot in the eighties and early nineties—I know; I looked up the data. The seven hottest summers on record for DeWitt County, where I grew up, have all occurred since 1998. 

It was working outdoors that made me appreciate what it means to eat by the sweat of your brow. My chores were many: ditchdigging, brush clearing, trash burning. Near the Gulf, one moves about in the soupy air like a bird drying its wings or an aging cowboy—arms apart from the body to let the pits breathe and to keep the sweat at bay. My parents were potters back then; they quite literally made a living from heat. Their studio on our little ranch had five or so electric kilns in a metal pole barn. Temperatures inside were diabolical. We burned our household trash in a fifty-gallon drum, and the rest went into a ravine, a makeshift dump where garbage was burned. We had cattle and horses and a big garden that needed tending to. Sweat was money.

When I was fourteen we moved to the Hill Country town of Wimberley. Spring-fed Blue Hole, an idyllic swimming hole on Cypress Creek, was within walking distance of our home; so was the cool Blanco River. Our tiny single-wide mobile home was cramped, but it had air-conditioning. Just like that, we had stepped into the modern era. It wasn’t the six-shooter that tamed the West; it was AC. 

Recent years, though, have tested me. I had hoped—against available evidence—that the scorcher of 2011 was a black swan, a once-in-a-lifetime heat wave, but now it seems like almost every summer finds new ways to challenge my resilience and upend my expectations of the future. Like a lot of folks, I underestimated the urgency of climate change. In Elmer Kelton’s classic novel on the 1950s Texas drought, The Time It Never Rained, the main character—a stubborn rancher who has sworn he will outlast hard times—tells his son that they just need to wait long enough to see rain again. “It always did rain here, eventually. A country don’t change climate permanently, not all of a sudden.” Little did Charlie Flagg know.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 6.7

Holidays

Anniversary of the Memorandum of the Slovak Nation (Slovakia)

Battle of Arica Day (Chile)

Beatles Day

Betamax Day

Croatian Diplomacy Day (Croatia)

Daniel Boone Day (Kentucky)

Dunmow Flitch Day

Father’s Day (Lithuania; Switzerland)

Festival of All Possible Worlds

Financial and Economic Sector Workers Day (Kyrgyzt=stan)

Flag Day (Peru)

Fleur-de-Lis Day

International Supply Chain Specialists Day

International Tourettes Awareness Day

Journalist Day (Argentina)

June Bug Day

Kataklysmos (Flood Festival; Cypress)

Land O’Lakes Day

Liberation Day (Norway)

Lime Tree Day (French Republic)

Love Island Day (UK)

Mother’s Day (France; French Antilles)

National Alexandra Day

National Arc Flash Awareness Day (UK)

National Benjamin Day

National Blepharoplasty Day

National CAPHPACH Day (a.k.a. National Citizens Against Police Harassment Police Against Citizen Harassment Day)

National Elias Day

National Goonies Day

National Journalist Day (Argentina)

National Military Working Dog Day (Australia)

National Oklahoma Day

National RV Day

Prince Day

Prince Joachim Day (Denmark)

Sette Giugno (Malta)

Shirone Takogassen (Kite Fighting Festival; Japan)

Sir Randol Fawkes Day (a.k.a.Labour Day; Bahamas)

607 Day

Trial Technology Day

Union Dissolution Day (Norway)

VCR Day

Vivien Kellems Memorial Day

World Caring Day

World Day for the Sanctification of Priests

World Day of Birth Rights

World Hemochromatosis Day

World LPG Day

World Swift Day

Write to Your Father Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Bartender Day

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

World Food Safety Day

World Poha Day

Independence & Related Days

Anniversary of the Memorandum of the Slovak Nation (Slovakia)

Erephisian Technocracy (f.k.a. Orbis; Declared; 2005) [unrecognized]

Norway (from Sweden, 1905)

Parliament Day (Northern Ireland)

Temotu Province Day (Solomon Islands)

1st Friday in June

Action Mesothelioma Day (UK) [1st Friday]

Clean Air Day (Canada) [1st Friday]

European Dental Technicians Day [1st Friday]

Flashback Friday [Every Friday]

Fry Day (Pastafarian; Fritism) [Every Friday]

Horseradish Weekend begins [1st Friday]

Hospitals Against Violence Day [1st Friday]

Hug an Atheist Day [1st Friday]

International Socks4Docs Day [1st Friday]

National Banana Split Weekend (Begins 1st Friday]

National Day Against Gun Violence (Canada) [1st Friday]

National Donut Day (a.k.a. National Doughnut Day) [1st Friday]

National Fish & Chip Day (UK) [1st Friday]

National Gun Violence Awareness Day [1st Friday]

National Lemonade Days begin [1st Friday]

National Wear a Jockstrap to Work Day [1st Friday]

Salvation Army Day [1st Friday]

Senior Race Day (Isle of Man) [1st Friday]

Weekly Holidays beginning June 7 (1st Full Week)

Shampoo Week (thru 6.13)

Superman Week (thru 6.9)

Wear Orange Days [thru 6.8]

Festivals Beginning June 7, 2024

Action in Jackson (Jackson, Wisconsin) [thru 6.8]

Bloodroot Ramble (Healdsburg, California) [thru 6.8]

Cajun Heritage Festival (Larose, Louisiana) [thru 6.9]

Capital Jazz Fest (Columbia, Maryland) [thru 6.9]

Children KinoFest (Kyiv, Ukraine) [thru 6.16]

Fan Expo Dallas (Dallas, Texas) [thru 6.9]

Farmington Strawberry Festival (Farmington, Iowa) [thru 6.9]

Flemington Opa Festival (Flemington, New Jersey) [thru 6.9]

Fredericksburg Craft Beer Festival (Fredericksburg, Texas) [thru 6.8]

A German Sommerfest (Lancaster, Texas) [thru 6.8]

Gheens Bon Mange' Festival (Gheens, Louisiana) [thru 6.9]

The Great New York State Food & Wine Festival (Clayton, New York) [thru 6.9]

Greek Festival (Randolph, New Jersey) [thru 6.9]

Grove City Strawberry Days (Grove City, Pennsylvania) [thru 6.9]

Guadalajara International Film Festival (Guadalajara, Mexico) [thru 6.15]

Hartford Taste (Hartford, Connecticut) [thru 6.8]

Huntington Trails Beer and Wine Festival (Huntington, Indiana)

International Documentary Film Festival Artdocfest (Tbilisi, Georgia) [thru 6.9]

International Horseradish Festival (Collinsville, Illinois) [thru 6.8]

Lander Brew Fest (Lander, Wyoming) [thru 6.8]

Lincoln Square Greek Fest (Chicago, Illinois) [thru 6.9]

Norfolk Harborfest (Norfolk, Virginia) [thru 6.9]

Orange Warsaw Festival (Warsaw, Poland) [thru 6.8]

Pork Rind Heritage Festival (Harrod, Ohio) [thru 6.8]

Rhubarb Fest (Aledo, Illinois) [thru 6.8]

Rock am Ring (Nürburg, Germany) [thru 6.9]

Rosedale Strawberry Festival (Rosedale, Indiana) [thru 6.9]

South Dakota BBQ Championships (Huron, South Dakota) [thru 6.8]

Strawberry Festival (Forestville, New York) [thru 6.9]

Strawberry Festival (Hartford, Michigan) [thru 6.8]

Strawberry Festival (Mystic, Connecticut) [thru 6.8]

Sundance Solstice Festival (Anchorage, Alaska) [thru 6.9]

Taste of Charlotte (Charlotte, North Carolina) [thru 6.9]

Taste of Muskegon (Muskegon, Michigan) [thru 6.8]

Taste of Syracuse (Syracuse, New York) [thru 6.8]

Up North Beerfest (Eagle River, Wisconsin) [thru 6.8]

Walleye Weekend (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) [thru 6.9]

WHITE SQUARE International Advertising and Marketing Festival (Minsk, Belarus)

Wimborne Minster Folk Festival (Wimborne Minster, United Kingdom) [thru 6.9]

Feast Days

Amazing Mumford (Muppetism)

Antonio Maria Gianelli (Christian; Saint)

Antony of Gianelli (Christian; Saint)

Captain Jack Sparrow Impersonation Day (Pastafarian)

Charles Rennie Mackintosh (Artology)

Chief Seattle (Lutheran Church)

Colmán of Dromore (Christian; Saint)

Commemoration Day of St John the Forerunner (Armenian Apostolic Church)

Damien Hirst (Artology)

Edtors’ Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Flowers Day (Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Gottschalk (a.k.a. Godeschalc, Prince of the Western Vandals; Christian; Martyr)

Gwendolyn Brooks (Writerism)

Judgment Day (Leaping Songs; Shamanism)

Landulf of Yariglia (Asti; Christian; Saint)

Lanfranc (Positivist; Saint)

Louise Erdrich (Writerism)

Ludi Piscatorii (Ancient Rome)

Meriadoc (Christian; Saint)

Meriasek (Christian; Saint)

Paul I of Constantinople (Christian; Saint)

Paul Gauguin (Artology)

Robert of Newminster (Christian; Saint)

Marie-Thérèse de Soubiran La Louvière (Christian; Blessed)

Pioneers of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil (Episcopal Church (USA))

Smilin’ Ed (Muppetism)

Vestalia begins (until 15th; Old Roman festival to Vesta, goddess of the hearth, home & family)

Vulfagius (a.k.a. Wulphy; Christian; Saint)

Willibald (Christian; Saint)

Christian Liturgical Holidays

Sacred Heart Day [Friday after 2nd Sunday after Pentecost; 68 days after Easter] a.k.a. ... 

Divine Compassion of Christ (Anglican Franciscans)

Feast of the Sacred Heart (Roman Catholic)

Sagrado Corazon (Colombia)

Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (f.k.a.)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Perilous Day (13th Century England) [19 of 32]

Umu Limnu (Evil Day; Babylonian Calendar; 26 of 60)

Premieres

Alexander’s Ragtime Band, recorded by Arthur Collins & Byron G. Harlan (Song; 1911)

Captain Fantastic and the Brown First Cowboy, by Elton John (Album; 1975)

City Slickers (Film; 1991)

Cloak & Dagger (TV Series; 2018)

Dark Phoenix (Film; 2019)

The Day of the Jackal, by Frederick Forsyth (Novel; 1971)

Dance of the Weed (MGM Cartoon; 1941)

Dinky Finds a Home (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1946)

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (Film; 2002)

Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (Film; 1991)

El Dorado (Film; 1967)

Face/Off (Film; 1997)

Feedin’ the Kiddie (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1957)

Fields of Gold, by Sting (Song; 1993)

Ghostbustrs (Film; 1984)

The Goonies (Film; 1985)

Grease (Broadway Musical; 1972)

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (WB Animated Film; 2011)

The Hasty Hare (WB LT Cartoon; 1952)

The Heat of the Day, by Elizabeth Bowen (Novel; 1948)

High School Confidential (Film; 1958)

The Honourable Schoolboy, by John le Carré (Novel; 1977)

Horse’s Mouth, by Joyce Cary (Novel; 1950)

I Am Mother (Film; 2019)

The Johnny Cash Show (TV Series; 1969)

Jungle Fever (Film; 1991)

Kim Possible (Animated TV Series; 2002)

Mr. Fore by Fore (Phantasies Cartoon; 1944)

Mr. Money Gags (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1957)

The Mummy (Film; 1999)

Old McDonald Had a Farm (Noveltoons Cartoon; 1946)

The Old Rugged Cross, by George Bennard (Christian Hymn; 1913)

Peep in the Deep (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1946)

Perfect (Film; 1985)

Peter Grimes, by Benjamin Britten (Opera; 1945)

Post, by Björk (Album; 1995)

The Producers (Film; 2002)

Purple, by Stone Temple Pilots (Album; 1994)

Rabbit Stew and Rabbits Too! (WB LT Cartoon; 1969)

The Rock (Film; 1996)

Salmon Loafer (Chilly Willy Cartoon; 1963)

A Satire of the Three Estates, by David Lyndsay (Play; 1552)

The Secret Life of Pets 2 (Animated Film; 2019)

The Seven Deadly Sins of the Bourgeoisie, by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht (Ballet; 1933)

Simple Man, by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Song; 1970)

Squatter’s Rights (Disney Cartoon; 1946)

Vincent, recorded by Don McLean (Song; 1971)

What—No Spinach? (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1936)

The Wily Weasel (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1937)

Wimmin is a Myskery (Fleischer Popeye Cartoon; 1940)

The Wise Little Hen (Silly Symphony Cartoon; 1934)

X-Men: Dark Phoenix (Film; 2019)

Today’s Name Days

Anita, Eoban, Gottlieb, Robert (Austria)

Valeri, Valeria (Bulgaria)

Antun, Radoslav, Robert (Croatia)

Iveta (Czech Republic)

Jeremias (Denmark)

Robert, Robi (Estonia)

Robert, Robin, Roope, Suvi (Finland)

Gilbert (France)

Anita, Gottlieb, Raimund, Robert (Germany)

Panagis, Sebastian, Zinais (Greece)

Róbert (Hungary)

Geremia, Landolfo, Roberto, Sabiniano (Italy)

Arnis, Gaida, Gijs (Latvia)

Lukrecija, Radvydė, Ratautas, Robertas (Lithuania)

Robert, Robin (Norway)

Antoni, Ciechomir, Jarosław, Lukrecja, Paweł, Robert, Roberta, Wiesław, Wisław (Poland)

Teodot (România)

Róbert (Slovakia)

Isaac, Roberto (Spain)

Robert, Robin (Sweden)

Theodot (Ukraine)

Keenan, Melody, Nidia, Nydia, Nylene, Whitney (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 159 of 2024; 207 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 5 of week 23 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Huath (Hawthorn) [Day 27 of 28]

Chinese: Month 5 (Geng-Wu), Day 2 (Ren-Yin)

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

Hebrew: 1 Sivan 5784

Islamic: 30 Dhu al-Qada 1445

J Cal: 9 Blue; Twosday [9 of 30]

Julian: 25 May 2024

Moon: 2%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 18 St. Paul (6th Month) [Lanfranc]

Runic Half Month: Odal (Home, Possession) [Day 14 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 81 of 92)

Week: 1st Full Week of June

Zodiac: Gemini (Day 18 of 31)

Calendar Changes

Sīwān (a.k.a. Sivan, Siwan or Simanu) [סִיוָן / סיוון‎] (Hebrew Calendar) [Month 3 of 12]

[beardedmrbean]

The technologically savvy older brothers of a slain Texas college student handed over data extracted from social media accounts later used to secure convictions in the case. 

Zuhyr Hamza Kaleem, 22, was shot dead then buried in a premeditated killing by former classmates in 2019, prosecutors said.

Jose Varela, now 24, was sentenced last week to 45 years in prison in the death of 22-year-old Zuhyr Hamza Kaleem. Eric Aguilar, now 25, was sentenced to life in prison on capital murder charges last November. 

Austin Walker, also charged with capital murder in the case, pleaded guilty and is scheduled for a presentencing information hearing on Thursday, Harris County District Attorney's Office Community Outreach Coordinator John Donnelly told Fox News Digital.

A fourth man, Gannon Gotlieb, was charged with tampering after admitting to burying and burning Kaleem's body on his property in Grimes County, per the office; the status of that charge is unclear. 

Varela, Kaleem and Aguilar grew up in the same area near Houston, where Varela and Kaleem were classmates at Cypress Lakes High School near Houston. 

Kaleem agreed to meet at Varela's home in Katy to buy two pounds of marijuana on April 27, 2019, per court documents. After closing the garage door, Varela restrained Kaleem and Aguilar shot him, prosecutors said. 

"This was a premeditated murder that left a family questioning what happened to their loved one for more than a year," Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement. "With help from the victim’s family and great police work, we were able to get justice in this horrible case."

CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE FLAUNTS AI IN CREEPY 'FRAUD-FOR-HIRE' COMMERCIAL MEANT FOR DARK WEB

The recovery of Kaleem's body and the group's arrests, nearly a year to date from the murder, were achieved in part due to the investigative work of the victim's older brothers. 

Baffled by the Lone Star College student's disappearance, software engineer Umayr Kaleem, 31, told Fox News Digital that his family did not "have the option to just turn the other way and quit" when their brother and his car disappeared. 

"We're brothers. We've always been hardworking, ambitious – that's how our parents raised us," he said on Tuesday. 

Brothers Umayr and Uzair, a software engineer and mechanical engineer, respectively, learned from a close friend that Kaleem intended to buy marijuana the last day he was seen alive.

After he uncharacteristically failed to return their calls and texts, the brothers accessed his Snapchat account to see with whom he was last in contact. 

Valera, saved in their brother's phone as "Jose Cylakes Bayliss Long Hair" – referring to the high school that both attended – was the last person Kaleem had spoken with before his activity on the messaging app came to a halt. After reading a message that was no longer viewable, per court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital, Valera deleted Kaleem as a contact. 

AUSTIN POLICE ASK ROBBERY VICTIMS TO CALL 311 AMID STAFFING SHORTAGE, CRIME CRISIS

The brothers accessed Kaleem's phone contacts via his laptop, found Valera's phone number and began researching.

"From there, we started asking around, looking on Facebook, Googling him," Uzair, 27, told Fox. "We found a Facebook profile and it was clear that this was the last person Z talked to – we gave that information to police."

It was "pretty evident," Uzair said, that his brother's killers "tried going into Z's phone to wipe it completely," per notifications on the slain college student's MacBook. Although they "knew they were trying to do some weird s--- on their end," their family "wasn't going to let that happen."

The day after Kaleem vanished, his missing vehicle was observed crossing the border into Mexico from Hidalgo, Texas, per court documents. Almost 10 hours later, Varela crossed back into the United States on foot, police said. 

Call records obtained by police showed that Varela had communicated with Walker that day. Snapchat messages between the two pulled by police showed that Varela had asked Walker to bring him clean clothes. 

After his arrest on April 24 last year, Aguilar claimed that the gun went off accidentally after Kaleem pulled it out in an argument during the drug deal – but prosecutors argued that the killing and subsequent robbery had been planned over a period of weeks based on harvested text and call logs. 

Moreover, the brothers told Fox News Digital, Gotlieb testified that, as he buried the man's body, he noticed Kaleem sustained a bullet wound to his hand as though he had raised it in defense.

"These defendants thought they had gotten away with murder and had moved on with their lives, but they had not counted on the victim’s brothers and law enforcement relentlessly pursuing Kaleem’s whereabouts," Assistant District Attorney Tiffany Dupree said in a press release. "This family went an entire year, pining away, praying for their loved one to come home only to find that his remains had been burned because of some marijuana and a couple of hundred bucks."

Uzair and Umayr told Fox News Digital that Valera's sentence – 45 years in prison with parole eligibility in 2033 – "didn't make any sense whatsoever."

"I think everybody in that courtroom was absolutely shocked," Umayr said. "Even just the prosecutors, there were tears in their eyes. The family is horrified. This person pleaded guilty to premeditated murder. [But] he'll be... on parole less than 20 years from today. He'll be right back on the street."

In light of the "absurdly light" sentence, he said, it's "incredibly hard to be happy." 

"The worst prison in the world is a home full of pain – that's all there is, just pain," Umayr said. "We go to birthdays, we try to celebrate things as a family, but it's always awkward. It's been years but that awkwardness, that pain is still there."

Uzair told Fox that his brother intended to transfer to the University of Houston and study business. The courtroom in both Aguilar and Valera's trials, he said, was "packed" with his brother's friends and family. 

[brookston]

Holidays 3.17

Holidays

Buy Women Owned Day

Camp Fire Girls Day

Children’s Day (Bangladesh)

Day of Comics & Comic Books (Spain)

Doctor-Patient Trust Day

Ennensaii (Kyoto, Japan)

Evacuation Day (Suffolk County, MA)

Glider Day

Kustonu Diena (No Planting Day; Ancient Latvia)

Mobilization Employee Day (Ukraine)

National Children Day (Bangladesh)

National Muay Thai Day

National SBCD Day

National Slime Day

Patrick Star Day (SpongeBob)

Psyche Asteroid Day

Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Day (Philippines)

Rubber Band Day

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Day (Bangladesh)

Social Care Day of Remembrance & Reflection (UK)

St. Carl’s Day (Sacrilege Brewing)

St. Patrick's Day (a.k.a. ... 

Corned Beef & Cabbage Day

Green Ribbon Day

Irish Coffee Day

Irish Stout Day

Lá Fhéile Pádraig

St. Catrick’s Day

Submarine Day [also 4.11]

317 Day (Indiana)

Vanguard I Day

Violet Day

Wood Anemone Day (French Republic)

World Maritime Day

World Shale Energy Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Irish Coffee Day

Irish Stout Day

National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day

National Irish Beer Day

National Irish Food Day

3rd Sunday in March

American Chocolate Week begins [3rd Sunday]

Buzzard Sunday (a.k.a. National Buzzard Day) [Sunday after 15th]

Root Canal Awareness Week begins [3rd Sunday]

Silly Sunday [3rd Sunday]

Weekly Holidays beginning March 17 (3rd Week)

American Chocolate Week [3rd Full Week]

Clutter Awareness Week [3rd Full Week]

Consider Christianity Week [begins 2nd Sunday before Easter]

International Goof Off Week [3rd Full Week]

Jobs for Teens Week [3rd Full Week]

National Agriculture Week [3rd Full Week]

National Animal Poison Prevention Week [3rd Full Week]

National Anonymous Giving Week [3rd Full Week]

National Bubble Week [1st Week of Spring]

National Button Week [3rd Full Week]

National Clean Out Your Closet Week [3rd Full Week]

National Fix a Leak Week [3rd Full Week]

National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week [3rd Full Week]

National Introverts Week [3rd Full Week]

National Poison Prevention Week [3rd Full Week]

National Surveyors Week [begins 3rd Sunday]

Passion Week (thru 3.23) [Week before Holy Week; Christianity]

Passiontide (thru 3.30) [Passion Week + Holy Week]

Schools Library Media Center Week [3rd Full Week]

World Folktales & Fables Week [3rd Full Week]

Independence & Related Days

North Albania (Declared; 2009) [unrecognized]

Republic of Abrus (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Venice Republic (Declared; 1848)

Festivals Beginning March 17, 2024

Austin Fringe Festival (Austin, Texas) [thru 3.24]

Kegs & Eggs Bar Brunch Block Party (Atlanta, Georgia)

NIOP Convention (Palm Springs, California) [thru 3.19]

St. Patrick’s Day Festival (Dublin, Ireland)

St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Birmingham, UK)

St. Patrick’s Day Parade (New Orleans, Louisiana)

St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Feast Days

Agricola (Christian; Saint)

Alexius of Rome (Eastern Church)

All Snakes’ Day (Church of the SubGenius)

Damballah’s Day (a.k.a. Damballay Weddo; primordial snake of life Iwa; Vodou)

Dave the Dog (Muppetism)

Feast of the Blessed Leprechaun (Church of the SubGenius)

Gertrude of Nivelles (Christian; Saint)

Hans Namuth (Artology)

Jean Baptiste Oudry (Artology)

John Sarkander (Christian; Saint)

Joseph of Arimathea (Western Church)

Kate Greenaway (Artology)

Liberalia (Ancient Roman festival of Liber Pater)

The Martyrs of Serapeum (Christian; Martyrs)

Mikhail Vrubel (Artology)

Noah Entered the Ark Day (Middle Ages Christianity)

Patrick of Ireland (Christian; Saint) [Ireland] *

Paul of Cypress (Christian; Saint)

Shabbat HaChodesh (שַׁבָּת הַחֹדֶשׁ) [25 Adar]

St. Patrick’s Day Excuse (Pastafarian)

Tacitus (Positivist; Saint)

Trefuilnid Treochair (Feast of Triple Bearer of the Triple Key; Ireland)

Orthodox Christian Liturgical Calendar Holidays

Forgiveness Sunday (Orthodox Christian) [Last Sunday before Lent]

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Very Unlucky Day (Grafton’s Manual of 1565) [16 of 60]

Premieres

The Agony and the Ecstasy, by Irving Stone (Novel; 1958)

American Hot Wax (Film; 1978)

Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero (WB Animated Film; 1998)

Beezus and Ramona, by Beverly Cleary (Novel; 1955)

Bound for Glory, by Woody Guthrie (Autobiography; 1943)

Bowery Bimbos (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1930)

Break Like the Wind, by Spinal Tap (Album; 1992)

Breathless (Film; 1960)

The Champion of Justice (Might Mouse Cartoon; 1944)

Circle of Friends (Film; 1995)

Dial “P” for Pink (Pink Panther Cartoon; 1965)

Erin Brockovich (Film; 2000)

Final Destination (Film; 2010)

Fletch Lives (Film; 1989)

Goofy and Wilbur (Disney Cartoon; 1939)

Gym Jam (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1950)

Iron Fist (TV Series; 2017)

iZombie (TV Series; 2015)

The Little Princess (Film; 1939)

The Magician’s Elephant (Animated Film; 2023)

Maiden Voyage, by Herbie Hancock (Album; 1965)

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (TV Series; 2017)

Minx (TV Series; 2022)

Naughty Number Nine (Multiplication Rock Cartoon; Schoolhouse Rock; 1973)

Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, by Frederic Chopin (Piano Concerto; 1830)

Plane Crazy (Disney Cartoon; 1929)

Purple Haze, by Jimi Hendrix (UK Song; 1967)

Shazam! Fury of the Gods (Film; 2023)

Son of a Son of a Sailor, by Jimmy Buffet (Album; 1978)

The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the World's Greatest Philosophers, by Will Durant (Book; 1926)

Thank You for Smoking (Film; 2006)

This Year’s Model, by Elvis Costello (Album; 1978)

Traffic Troubles (Disney Cartoon; 1931)

Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky, by Patrick Hamilton (Novel; 1935)

V for Vendetta (Film; 2006)

William Gibson (Writerism)

William Tell, by Friedrich Schiller (Play; 1804)

Yakety Yak, recorded by The Coasters (Song; 1958)

Today’s Name Days

Gertraud, Gertrud, Patrick (Austria)

Domagoj, Gertruda, Hrvatin, Patricija, Patrik (Croatia)

Vlastimil (Czech Republic)

Gertrud (Denmark)

Gerda, Gertrud, Kärdi, Kärt, Kerli, Kert, Kertu, Ruta, Ruuta, Truude, Truuta (Estonia)

Kerttu, Kerttuli (Finland)

Patrice, Patrick (France)

Gertraud, Gertrud, Patrick (Germany)

Alekos, Alexios, Alexis, Gertrude (Greece)

Gertrúd, Patrik (Hungary)

Patrizio, Teodoro, Wanda, Vanda (Italy)

Gerda, Ģertrūde, Karīna (Latvia)

Gendvilas, Gertrūda, Patrikas, Varūna, Vytė (Lithuania)

Gjertrud, Trude (Norway)

Gertruda, Harasym, Jan, Patrycjusz, Patryk, Regina, Rena, Zbigniew, Zbygniew, Zbyszko (Poland)

Alexie (Romania)

Ľubica (Slovakia)

Patricio (Spain)

Gertrud (Sweden)

Oleska (Ukraine)

Paden, Pat, Patrice, Patricia, Patrick, Patsy, Patti, Patty, Trish, Trisha (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 77 of 2024; 289 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 7 of week 11 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Fearn (Alder) [Day 1 of 28]

Chinese: Month 2 (Ding-Mao), Day 8 (Geng-Chen)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025)

Hebrew: 7 Adair II 5784

Islamic: 7 Ramadan 1445

J Cal: 17 Green; Threesday [17 of 30]

Julian: 4 March 2024

Moon: 59%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 21 Aristotle (3rd Month) [Socrates]

Runic Half Month: Beore (Birch Tree) [Day 8 of 15]

Season: Winter (Day 88 of 89)

Week: 3rd Week of March

Zodiac: Pisces (Day 28 of 30)

Calendar Changes

Fearn (Alder) [Celtic Tree Calendar; Month 3 of 13]

[enparallel]

thank you to @boxboxlewis who tagged me to post a WIP snip and thereby caused me to actually p a new w that i have been mulling over... this might be the start of a mystery idk??

Green river, white stone, blue sky, black vulture. Everything here was pure and filthy at once, the duckweed slimy on my feet underwater, the rocks piled round as bare skulls. Cypress trees leaning over the banks: wasn’t cypress a symbol of death too? or was that those pointy pipecleaner trees, I can never remember the difference. I learned about the tiny acorns cypress(?) drop, though, green on the outside and red in the middle, ready to pollute the white limestone with an ichor that looks like drying blood but smells fresh and rich and piney. The water is cool and flows so slowly you can barely feel it, and yet it creeps along. The vultures hunch and hop and mantle their wings when you get too close. They are a kettle of vultures when wheeling around the sky, their shadows passing overground huge and fleeting. In the trees like this they are a committee. I submit a jury is more fitting. Or—all those black robes and hidden faces: a panel of judges, a medieval scholarship. 

You can see in the scrubland why people thought central Texas might produce wine: it’s as hot and dry and barren-fertile as Tuscany, though with none of the softness. That harsh edge comes through in the bottle. This is as far west as I’ve been in the state, past pharmacies called God’s Country Drug, deer blind dealerships selling forest-print playhouses, a handpainted sign on clapboard for Ruiz’s auto shop, a shack called El Ranchito with decorative iron filigree barring the windows, former medical offices offering Guns and Liquor. Through a rainbow sunset over a flat black strip of horizon where I could have got the silhouette of a rearing iron mustang or a circled lone star if I’d been quicker with my phone through the car window. I’m not stopping to try again. They’ve put some effort into keeping me moving.

Tagging @goblinmatriarch @elskanellis @myrtlefics to post a WIP snip if you are so inclined!!!

[mirdaniaa]

in other news the 33 pound box from fedex is apparently being sent to me from a print and ship in cypress texas and i absolutely cannot get through to either the store or a representative, nor can i return the shipment, so this box is just going to arrive on monday and sit in my lobby for at least a week while i'm dealing with my stepdad's death so. yeah.

[russellagraves]

The Southern Swamps

By Russell A. Graves 

I'll admit: Creeping through the Government Ditch of Caddo Lake in the pre-dawn blackness with only the bow lights illuminating the moss-draped cypress trees is an otherworldly experience. The ditch is a straight-as-an-arrow shortcut dredged by the federal government in the 1870s. It was carved through the swamp for steamboat traffic from New Orleans to service, what was then, the second business port in Texas over in the town of Jefferson. Giant, side wheel freighters would bring passengers and goods up the Big Cypress Bayou and, in return, haul out timber and cotton bales to the markets back East. Before the ditch, steamships would have to lumber around a big oxbow in the bayou to reach their destination. The ditch solved all of that. It created a channel by which the ships could cut miles from their journey traveling the Big Cypress.

Over time, bald cypress trees grew along the margin, and 150 years later, they arch over the ditch and create a tree tunnel in which we pass and await the coming sunrise. In a way, this place is spooky. It's no wonder that this legendary swamp is home to legends of bigfoot, ghosts, and other paranormal anomalies. Not far from here in 1869, the steamship Mittie Stephens ran aground after a spark ignited a cargo of hay carried aboard. In all, 61 of her passengers perished in the blaze. And over in Jefferson, bigfoot enthusiasts hold an annual conference and compare notes on their field findings. Caddo Lake wreaks of mystery.

The origins of the lake are somewhat unclear. Undoubtedly, the area's been a bit swampy for the past half-millennia as immense trees dot the area. Dendrologists confirm the age of these giants. With dense, wet, and barely fertile soils, bald cypress can find a niche to grow. Therefore, these flooded lowlands provide the perfect place for them to take root. This area is the largest bald cypress forest in the state and, as some suggest, worldwide. The tree is a bit of an anomaly. It's a deciduous conifer. That means the tree grows needles and cones like common conifers, but unlike trees like spruce or pine, the bald cypress loses its needles each fall. Its propensity to be among the first trees of the season to defoliate gives the tree its "bald" moniker.

From the banks, Caddo Lake doesn't look all that big since there is not a vast, sprawling body of water. Instead it exists as a giant swamp with backwater sloughs that wind in and out of the giant cypress trees that stand draped in Spanish moss. In all, 25,400 acres of big and mysterious swamplands straddle the Texas/Louisiana border. The lake takes its name from the indigenous Caddo Indian tribes who once inhabited the area.

Overall the lake is shallow and is only 20 feet at the deepest. Much of it, though, is shallow enough for trees to crowd the water. There are some areas of significant open water. Still, many of those places have a carpet of lily pads and other aquatic vegetation that stretch for hundreds of yards. In fact, 60% of the lake is covered in aquatic vegetation.

This place is so unique it is recognized as an internationally protected wetland. The lake is also the second-largest natural lake in the south and the largest (and one of the few) natural lakes in Texas.

While theories vary, most scientists think the lake formed gradually over time - probably due to a giant log jam on the Red River known as the Great Raft. Some geologists, however, corroborate the Caddo Indian legend that says the lake was formed by the 1812 New Madrid, Missouri earthquake. It is postulated that when the earthquake occurred, the earth's crust shifting created a basin filled with water from the Red River. In 1913, ecologist Lionel Janes examined cross-sections of cypress and hardwood trees. He estimated that the lake formed between 1770 and 1780.

The lake remained largely undeveloped until the mid-19th century when steamboat traffic picked up in the area and served the various villages on the lake. Bayous were dredged to provide steamer service that brought goods to and from the Red River and, eventually, down to the Port of New Orleans. Since cotton was king in the Old South, cotton trade routes were established through the lake.

While some villages no longer exist, you can take a glimpse back in history by visiting nearby Jefferson, Texas, which offers numerous Civil War-era structures and bayou tours that retrace the old steamboat routes.

Today, big chunks of Caddo Lake are largely conserved through agreements with The Nature Conservancy and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. On the Louisiana side, a dam was built in the 1970s to help maintain the wetland's water levels and control flooding in the entire basin.

What's left is natural splendor. Each morning is something to be discovered anew. Location names are as colorful as the rust-red cypress needles within the lake proper. Carter Lake, Whangdoodle Pass, Alligator Bayou, and The Hog Wallow are all specific place names within the lake and is its own scene. Each moss-draped tree is a different character within the broader day-in-day-out natural drama that's unfolded for centuries. It's a boon for outdoor photographers.

Each day we'd venture out on a pontoon boat to explore the nuances of the swamps. Blue herons and white egrets hide amongst the cypress knees and sit motionless while they wait for an unsuspecting fish to swim past. The scenes are a mixture of big sky sunrises and careful studies of individual tree limbs. Therefore, an entire photographic lens repertoire is in order. It's an unconventional landscape shoot, but Caddo Lake challenges the traditional notions of what a landscape shoot looks like: grand mountains shot with a wide angle lens, foreground objects, edge control, etc. In the southern swamps, the rules of traditional landscape photography fly out the door. Intentional camera movement, multiple exposures, and long lens landscapes are all in order. 

The southern swamps is also a place where you learn about rural Texas culture. We even visited one of the oldest country stores in Texas. The Jonesville store is a vestige of what tiny town mercantile used to be and is full of photographic surprises. Down the road, we eat a couple of meals at Bear Creek Smokehouse. Barbecue is an iconic Texas food and this place epitomizes the low and slow method of pit cooking brisket and sausage. 

Each photographer's soul (and belly and memory card) is satiated by the trip's end. Adorned by unconventional beauty, the swamps and the people who call it home have a way of creeping into your own subconscious. Long after we're gone, these swamps will abide - ready to beckon a new batch of intrepid explorers.

[hakesbros]

Communities

Just a short drive southwest of Austin, San Antonio has plenty of opportunities for employment development, in addition to having the most important focus of navy bases within the US. In terms of entertainment, San Antonio has a lot to offer. You can enjoy the many things to do at Market Square, Schlitterbahn, SeaWorld, and Six Flags Fiesta Texas. The star of San Antonio is the well-known homes for sale san antonio River Walk, a lush community of walkways along the San Antonio River the place you'll have the ability to stroll, dine, and sightsee year-round. Sports lovers can enjoy reside action hockey, soccer, baseball, and skilled NBA games featuring the 5-time world champion San Antonio Spurs at the Alamodome.

On the first flooring, there's an owner's suite with a full rest room, in addition to an open concept household room, with a kitchen, lounge and eating area. Upstairs are three bedrooms that focus on a loft, excellent for kids, as a casual front room or study space. This single-story home has every thing a modern family needs with three bedrooms in total, including homes for sale san antonio tx the proprietor's suite. The two secondary bedrooms are on the entrance of the house and share a hall bathroom, whereas the open concept dwelling area includes a household room, dining room and kitchen, all in one space. With us, you may have your alternative of home flooring plans with open concepts and Life Tested Home Designs® that make it simpler to live the means in which that you actually want in San Antonio.

The house owners retreat is situated downstairs and options its non-public bathroom with the upgraded full walk-in shower. Home office with French doors set at two-story entry. Open formal dining room simply new home builders san antonio off the kitchen space. Two-story family room with 19-foot ceilings and a wall of home windows. Kitchen options an island with built-in seating space, a 5-burner fuel cooktop, a walk-in pantry and opens to the morning space.

There are several actions that would trigger this block together with submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed information. When you select to build your home within the greater San Antonio area, you should have access to loads of exceptional neighborhoods and destinations. Take within the distinctive German architecture and rich historical past of the Gruene Historic District, where you'll find new homes san antonio a way to get pleasure from every thing from antiquing to kayaking. At Starlight, we make the journey to homeownership one thing to rejoice with a simplified home shopping for course of and a helping hand to guide you every step of the means in which. If you're seeking to promote your home within the Far West Side area, our listing brokers might help you get the best price.

Experience a handcrafted life-style designed particularly for you. New Braunfels is known for its wealthy German tradition as properly as its shut proximity to the Guadalupe and Comal rivers, which attracts many guests and tourists. The city is among the quickest growing cities in the state and is home to the oldest bakery in Texas. With loads of attractions and much to do, residents at Homestead will benefit from the brief 20 minute drive to New Braunfels. Try eradicating some of the filtering options to see communities.

“We’re actually in the bullseye of what Houston will look like 10 or 15 years from now. Many of the projections say that Cypress will be the middle of metropolitan Houston within the next 20 years. Residential and business development as well as transportation tasks and new schools are planned in Cy-Fair all through 2023 to accommodate a rising inhabitants.

Johnson last year added greater than 1,600 heaps to the Houston market and recently acquired 1,four hundred acres in Magnolia for a new neighborhood. The yet-to-be-named neighborhood is expected to break ground within the second quarter with preliminary tons delivered to builders within home builders in san antonio the fourth quarter of 2024. New Western gave me a chance to purchase property on Day One and now, because of them, I give up my job and became a profitable, full-time investor. And now I’m able to control my life and work for myself. I constructed a staff around me and a reputation that I stand behind now.

[sciencespies]

‘Extremely Rare’ Snowy Owl Sighting Transfixes a California Suburb

https://sciencespies.com/news/extremely-rare-snowy-owl-sighting-transfixes-a-california-suburb/

‘Extremely Rare’ Snowy Owl Sighting Transfixes a California Suburb

What brought the owl to the city of Cypress, in Orange County, remains a mystery.

The forbidding frozen wilderness of the high Arctic tundra is the natural home of the snowy owl, a great predator perfectly adapted to hunting its primary food source, lemmings.

But sometime over the last few weeks, one snowy owl in particular made a surprise appearance in noticeably less harsh terrain — the shingled roofs and white chimneys of suburban Southern California.

What brought the owl to the city of Cypress, in Orange County, about 25 miles southeast of Los Angeles, remains a mystery and the subject of impassioned debate among the scores of bird watchers and curious neighbors who have come out to marvel at the bird.

Whatever the owl’s journey may have been, the sight of such an unusual raptor set among streets lined with palm trees has been “amazing,” said Nancy Caruso, a neighbor who has seen the owl.

“It’s like seeing Santa Claus on a beach,” said Ms. Caruso, a marine biologist. “Like that out of place, but cool.”

More on California

U.C. Employee Strike: Academic employees at the University of California voted to return to work, ending a historically large strike that had disrupted research and classes for nearly six weeks.

Wildfires: California avoided a third year of catastrophic wildfires because of a combination of well-timed precipitation and favorable wind conditions — or “luck,” as experts put it.

San Francisco’s Empty Downtown: Tech workers are still at home. The $17 salad place is expanding into the suburbs. Today San Francisco has what is perhaps the most deserted major downtown in America.

Los Angeles’s New Mayor: Karen Bass was sworn in as the first female mayor of the nation’s second-largest city in a ceremony that celebrated her historic win but also underscored the obstacles ahead.

Neighbors have come to notice a pattern with the bird, which seems to take off around 5 p.m. before reappearing sometime later, like a commuter, to its suburban roost.

“I have been hanging out with him a couple of times a day, and I’m not a bird guy in any way, shape or form,” said Joshua Lindsay, a general contractor who lives nearby.

He said the “absolutely ginormous” owl had been “divebombed by hawks and robins” and “would look over at them, like, ‘Really? What the hell are you going to do?’”

Lori Arent, the assistant director of the Raptor Center at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota, said that snowy owls are known to migrate from northern Canada to the Midwestern and northeastern United States during the winter. Some have been spotted as far south as Texas, she said. (In January 2021, one visited Central Park, creating a frenzy among urban birders.)

But it was “extremely rare” to find one as far south and west as Southern California, Ms. Arent said.

She said it was possible that the owl may have simply flown thousands of miles to Orange County. Or it may have “hitched a ride” on a ship, she said, maybe from somewhere along the Canadian coast, like the port of Vancouver, or Alaska. Others have speculated that the bird may have been kept as an exotic pet and escaped.

“It will be interesting to see how long this bird stays,” Ms. Arent said. “The question will be: Will this bird be able to find enough food to eat?”

She said snowy owls that fly south often prefer flat, open terrain such as airports where they can more easily hunt small prey. That could make Cypress an appealing destination: The Joint Forces Training Base, Los Alamitos, a National Guard facility with an airfield, is only a few miles away as the owl flies.

Bird-watchers and photographers on the lookout for the snowy owl.Mark Rightmire/The Orange County Register.

When the owl returns, joy fills the neighborhood.

“The most exciting thing for me is that the public is reacting so positively,” said Victor Leipzig, who teaches birding at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, Calif., and is a past president of the local chapter of the Audubon Society.

“I was there on Tuesday of this week, and there were people from the local neighborhood who were just thrilled and people who had driven from a hundred miles away to see the bird,” he said.

Scott Thomas, the raptor research chairman at the local Audubon chapter, said the owl had recently been spotted coughing up a pellet of bones and fur, a sign that it had found a small animal to eat.

But there are dangers in the area, such as cars, rodenticide and airplanes landing at the military base. At some point, he said, the most popular raptor in Cypress may simply move on, headed north to the Arctic.

“The thing I can say for sure is people are going to continue to watch it — a lot,” Mr. Thomas said. “And one day it will disappear, just fly off.”

#News

[proton-wobbler]

Warbler Showdown; Bracket 7, Poll 3

Colima Warbler (Leiothlypis crissalis)

IUCN Rating: Least Concern

Range: migratory; breeds in the Chisos Mountains in southwest Texas through the range in Mexico; overwinters in south central Mexico, from southern Sinaloa down to Oaxaca, though typically found in Colima and Morelos

Habitat: breeds in oak, Mexican pinyon, juniper, and Arizona cypress chaparral and overwinters in semihumid to humid montane forests.

Subspecies: none

Orange-crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata)

IUCN Rating: Least Concern

Range: migratory; breeds from Alaska to Newfoundland, all the way down to New Mexico, Arizona, and Baja California; overwinters in all southern states, along the Pacific Northwest, and in a majority of Mexico.

Habitat: breeding habitat is incredibly various due to range- brushy deciduous, fir-aspen, or pine-oak woodlands, harvested forests, and early-successional deciduous stands. Each of these habitats are associated with different tree types too, a true generalist. Overwinters in similar habitats.

Subspecies: 4

Image Sources: Colima (Jason Vassallo) OCWA (Matt Davis)

[steavethomas]

How Professional Tree Planting Services Enhance Your San Antonio Property

Planting a tree is a long-term investment in your property, especially in a city like San Antonio, where trees not only beautify landscapes but also provide much-needed shade and contribute to the local ecosystem. However, successful tree planting requires more than just digging a hole and placing a sapling in the ground. To truly enhance your property and ensure the longevity of your trees, professional tree planting services are essential. In this blog, we’ll explore the many benefits of professional tree planting services and how J&J Tree Care Professionals can help you create a thriving, beautiful landscape in San Antonio.

The Importance of Proper Tree Selection

Choosing the Right Species for San AntonioSan Antonio’s unique climate, characterized by hot summers, mild winters, and occasional droughts, means that not all tree species will thrive here. Selecting the right tree species is critical to ensuring that your new trees will grow healthily and sustainably. Professional tree planting services from J&J Tree Care Professionals include expert advice on choosing species that are well-suited to the local climate, soil conditions, and your specific landscape needs.Common tree species that thrive in San Antonio include Live Oak, Texas Red Oak, Cedar Elm, and Bald Cypress. These trees are not only resilient to the local climate but also add significant aesthetic and ecological value to your property.

Matching Trees to the LandscapeEvery property is unique, with different sun exposure, soil types, and space availability. Professional tree planting services take all these factors into account when selecting and placing trees on your property. Whether you’re looking to create a shaded patio area, add privacy, or simply enhance curb appeal, the right tree in the right place can make all the difference.For example, trees with large canopies, like Live Oaks, are ideal for providing shade and cooling your property, while smaller, ornamental trees like Crepe Myrtles can add color and visual interest without taking up too much space. Professional services ensure that each tree is placed strategically to maximize its benefits and fit seamlessly into your existing landscape design.

The Benefits of Professional Tree Planting

Ensures Proper Planting TechniquesTree planting might seem straightforward, but it requires specific techniques to ensure that the tree establishes well and grows strong. Improper planting can lead to a host of problems, including poor root development, instability, and even premature death of the tree. Professional tree planting services ensure that trees are planted at the correct depth, with the right amount of soil and mulch, and in a way that promotes healthy root growth.At J&J Tree Care Professionals, our team is trained in the best practices for tree planting, including soil preparation, root management, and proper watering techniques. This attention to detail during the planting process sets your trees up for long-term success.

Provides Ongoing Care and MaintenanceThe work doesn’t stop once the tree is in the ground. Young trees require regular care and maintenance to establish themselves and thrive in their new environment. Professional tree planting services often include ongoing care plans that cover watering schedules, fertilization, mulching, and pruning to ensure that the tree grows strong and healthy.In San Antonio, where drought conditions can stress young trees, professional care is particularly important. J&J Tree Care Professionals offer customized maintenance plans to ensure that your newly planted trees receive the care they need during the critical first few years.

Reduces the Risk of Transplant ShockTransplant shock is a common problem when trees are moved from one location to another, especially if they are not handled properly. This shock can manifest as wilting, yellowing leaves, or stunted growth. Professional tree planting services help minimize the risk of transplant shock by using techniques that reduce stress on the tree during the planting process.Our team at J&J Tree Care Professionals takes extra precautions to protect the tree’s root system, ensure proper hydration, and position the tree in a way that encourages rapid recovery and growth. This careful attention to detail helps your tree acclimate quickly and begin thriving in its new location.

Increases Property ValueTrees are one of the most effective ways to increase the value of your property. Well-placed, healthy trees can enhance curb appeal, provide shade and energy savings, and create a more inviting outdoor environment. According to studies, mature trees can increase property values by as much as 10-20%. However, to realize these benefits, it’s essential that trees are planted correctly and in the right locations.By choosing professional tree planting services, you’re making an investment in the future value of your property. J&J Tree Care Professionals ensure that your trees are planted with long-term growth and property enhancement in mind, maximizing the return on your investment.

Enhancing the San Antonio Landscape

Contributing to the Local EcosystemTrees play a vital role in the local ecosystem, providing habitat for wildlife, improving air quality, and contributing to the overall health of the environment. In San Antonio, where urbanization is rapidly increasing, planting trees is an important way to preserve green spaces and support local biodiversity.Professional tree planting services not only focus on the aesthetic and functional benefits of trees but also consider their ecological impact. At J&J Tree Care Professionals, we’re committed to planting trees that contribute positively to the environment, whether it’s by providing food and shelter for local wildlife or improving soil health.

Supporting Urban Forestry InitiativesSan Antonio has a strong commitment to urban forestry, recognizing the importance of trees in creating a sustainable and livable city. By planting trees on your property, you’re contributing to these broader efforts to enhance the urban forest. Professional tree planting services ensure that the trees you plant are well-suited to their environment and will thrive as part of the city’s green infrastructure.J&J Tree Care Professionals are proud to support San Antonio’s urban forestry initiatives by providing expert tree planting services that help expand and sustain the city’s tree canopy. Whether you’re planting a single tree or creating a larger landscape plan, we’re here to help you make a positive impact on your community.

Why Choose J&J Tree Care Professionals for Tree Planting in San Antonio?

When it comes to tree planting, experience and expertise matter. At J&J Tree Care Professionals, we bring years of knowledge and a passion for trees to every project. Here’s why we’re the right choice for your tree planting needs:

Expert GuidanceOur team of certified arborists understands the unique challenges of planting trees in San Antonio’s climate. We provide expert guidance on tree selection, placement, and care to ensure that your trees thrive.

Comprehensive ServicesFrom initial consultation to ongoing maintenance, we offer comprehensive tree planting services that cover every aspect of the process. We’re with you every step of the way to ensure that your trees are healthy, beautiful, and well-maintained.

Commitment to QualityWe take pride in our work and are committed to delivering the highest quality tree planting services. We use only the best practices and materials to ensure that your trees have the best possible start.

Passion for TreesAt J&J Tree Care Professionals, we’re passionate about trees and the positive impact they have on our environment and communities. We’re dedicated to helping you create a landscape that you can be proud of for years to come.

Conclusion

Planting a tree is a decision that can enhance your property for generations. However, to ensure that your tree thrives and contributes positively to your landscape, professional tree planting services are essential. J&J Tree Care Professionals are here to provide expert guidance, quality service, and ongoing care to help you achieve your tree planting goals in San Antonio. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you create a beautiful, sustainable landscape.