#Moapa

[followjacobbarlow]

Las Vegas Old Mormon Fort

[lucid-moon]

Golden Sun 2: Reloaded: Moapa

Trial Road was a fun little minigame, but the combat after was kinda tricky until I realized my initial strategy was bad.

When I beat this fight my party was 34-35, with 6/8/8/8 Djinn.

Originally, I just tried to spam Wheeze targeting Moapa himself and keeping the party alive, but he has high enough Luck that this is basically never going to land. His Knights, however, have low enough Luck that you can poison them!

Getting a proc with Wheeze on one of his Knights means that Knight is dead in a few turns. Poisoning the next Knight, and waiting until he's dead too gets you a huge increase in survivability. Moapa gets two attacks, but without the backup from the Knights doing Bosca Hit and their Pike Rush(?) attack, you're less likely to have a party member dropped to zero out of nowhere.

Once Moapa's on his own, just do low-level djinn/summon spam, weaving Shade and another Djinn on alternating turns. (I'm partial to Reflux)

You can probably clear this fight right after Poseidon with only a brief interlude to pick up all of the Djinn available in the Western Sea up to this point.

Next up, Jupiter Lighthouse, and to reuinite with our party members from The Broken Seal!

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[13thpythagoras]

Tribe Wins $4.3 M From Polluting Utility | Courthouse News Service

Not enough money, not even 1/10th of enough

"Nevada Power already has closed three of Reid Gardner's four coal-fueled generation plants and switched to renewable energy. The power plant next to the Moapa River Indian Reservation will be the last to go."

The specific cruelty of closing the coal plant by the Moapa Band of Payutes' reservation last in the area...

[bbqbills2]

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2024 Patio Trends: Blending Indoor And Outdoor Spaces

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Black PergolaWhite PergolaBlack pergola trend >>White pergola trend >>

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Multifunctional patios are becoming the heart of the home, hosting everything from quiet, sunny meditation sessions to outdoor offices and mostly lively evening soirees under the stars.

Covered Functional Outdoor Kitchen

Customization is at the heart of outdoor living, a trend shaped by modern homeowners’ interests and lifestyles. Based to the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), 75% of millennials have expressed an interest in outdoor kitchens in 2023. The number of entertainment areas has risen by 40% since 2021, suggesting an increase in interest for personalized patio spaces that expand beyond functionality.

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The distinction between indoors and the outdoors is fading away as personalization and customization become more and more significant. Today’s homeowners seek solutions that represent their aesthetic preferences while also meeting the necessities of their specific lives. The opportunity to customize their outdoor buildings and furniture so that each space is not only functional but also a true statement of personal style and vision.

R-SHADE™ insulated roofR-SHADE™ insulated roof

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Home Automation Extends To Outdoor Spaces

Outdoor automation takes the lead, providing both convenience and efficiency. Motorized louvers offer personalized shading solutions, allowing homeowners to control sunlight exposure and ventilation to their liking. Integrated LED lighting not only lights the patio area but also provides energy-efficient solutions that help to save costs and promote sustainability.

With the development of smart controls and voice-activated assistants, it is now possible to operate patio amenities such as lighting or heating and cooling elements with simple voice requests or at the touch of a button, adding ease and refinement to outdoor living areas. Smart solutions allow homeowners to take their patio experience to the next level by providing the ideal environment for entertaining guests.

Future-Proofing Your Patio Investment: Durability And Adaptability

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More About The Home Golf Simulation Clubhouse Project >>

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[destination4x4]

Old Spanish Trail (Garces Expedition)

Old Spanish Trail (Garces Expedition) is a Nevada State Historic Marker Number 140 located in Clark County, Nevada. This marker is one of several which tell the history of the Old Spanish Trail in Nevada. The Old Spanish Trail is a 700 mile long historical trade route that connected the northern New Mexico settlements near Santa Fe, New Mexico with those of Los Angeles, California. The trail’s…

[lakemojave]

You should read Land of Falling Sun

The Wanderer walks towards the western sky. A young companion flies at his side, the only one he trusts. The ground is soaked in the dried blood and bones of travelers past. The land does not want them, but beckons them to travel further. The sun is so close. It's so close.

This is Land of Falling Sun, my current series in progress. It follows a former outlaw stricken with a deadly curse, spending his final days wandering a mysterious land called Moapa. His closest companion is a young, orphaned bird person named Chipper, who teaches him to harness his curse into strange power. The two of them travel in search of cure, meeting new confidants and narrowly escaping their troubled pasts. Their horse is named Dog.

Land of Falling Sun is up on ao3 in its entirety as an unedited first draft. I am currently uploading my second draft for patrons of all tiers on my patreon.

The sequel in the series, Land of Shining Stars, immediately follows the events of the first book. Tannis, a hunter native to Moapa, has accepted her role as a hero, and hopes to create a better society on Moapa while finding her long lost son. Her journey brings her in contact with the Seeker, a nameless traveler from the east looking for clarity and purpose. The unedited first draft is also on ao3.

Please enjoy, share, and comment!

Edited by @darkcomedies. Cover art and illustrations by @terrafey

[polkadotmotmot]

Ana Medina - Moapa Valley, 2020

[tank-grunt]

my, uh, strangetown sim ethnicity headcanons (using real world location names and not the sims world equivalents)

the beakers and halfdanarsons are white. specifically the beakers were swedish, while leif was danish and ingibjorg was icelandic. the salamis were greek with arabic ancestry. the mcgorks were irish, moira was white while gwrtheyrn was black.

the muendas were meru kenyans who immigrated to simerica and the specter family is moroccan. since i prefer the name "ophelia specter" i like to reinterpret the nigmos family as specters and ichabod's family, making them also moroccan.

the grunts are latine - rock and wanda were mestizo colombians. family name was originally guerra, changed to grunt when they immigrated to america. mary melons was white and descended from french immigrants, but had no personal ties to france.

mike steel was a white latino mexican american. he had a white dad and a mexican mom. that ones based on me thinking donnovan steel and marisol loera were his parents until i realized they were contemporary with darren dreamer, lol! oopsies!

the curious & wheloff families are black americans - they don't really have any known ties to any other location besides the simericas - and hamm hogleg was a moapa native american, while his wife annie was white (hence 2 of their 4 grandkids being white passing in a vanilla game)

glarn's ex-wife glabe, on the other hand, was filipina.

the loners and frehndlys being indian is just canon. i dont have headcanons that elaborate on this further, though.

the loste family were originally from seychelles, or the sims equivalent, thus creole with largely east african and indian heritage. the simnitch family were slavic diaspora americans.

crystal vu is vietnamese american. bleaches her hair blonde but naturally has black hair. and dr. vu is her dad and also vietnamese.

blair mace is mixed race japanese american. dad (larry mace) is white american, and his mom (mystery) was japanese american.

[20th-century-railroading]

Coal Train in "The Wiggle" by James Belmont Via Flickr: SP AC4400CW No. 117 leads a Savage - Moapa coal train between Kyune and Colton, Utah on Sept. 22, 1998. A quartet of Rio Grande helpers were cut in mid-train, visible above the third bend in the track.

[plethoraworldatlas]

The federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing to spray toxic insecticides within treasured and significant landscapes of the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona to kill native grasshoppers.

The areas being considered include portions of the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, and the newly designated Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.

“This is a dangerous plan that could kill creatures that are key to northern Arizona’s unique biodiversity, which these national monuments were designated to protect,” said Taylor McKinnon, Southwest director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The federal government needs to stop downplaying the extinction crisis and back off its reckless plan to smother biodiversity hotspots with toxic pesticides.”

One out of every 10 plant species in the Colorado Plateau region is found nowhere else on Earth.

The agency's draft environmental assessment omits mention of the national monuments and unique species and habitats they were designated to protect. These species include rare bees, butterflies and other creatures found nowhere else, like the Kaibab monkey grasshopper and House Rock Valley chisel-toothed kangaroo rat, specifically named in the August proclamation establishing the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument.

APHIS oversees and funds the application of multiple pesticides on rangelands to prevent native grasshoppers and Mormon crickets from competing with livestock for forage.

The proposed insecticides — carbaryl, diflubenzuron and chlorantraniliprole — are indiscriminate. In addition to the grasshoppers the agency is targeting, the insecticides can also kill bees, moths and other insects. Spraying can harm entire ecosystems by disrupting pollination and can harm populations of birds, reptiles and mammals who feed on grasshoppers and insects.

Although grasshoppers and Mormon crickets can be locally abundant from time to time, native plants and other wildlife evolved with these cycles. Introducing pesticides to eliminate native grasshoppers is a shortsighted, quick fix that fails to consider the complex interrelationships within these delicate ecosystems.

The agency’s draft analysis shows that it has failed to consult with affected Tribes with ties to the Grand Canyon area. The Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition, which proposed the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni National Monument, includes members of the Havasupai Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Hualapai Tribe, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Las Vegas Tribe of Paiutes, Moapa Band of Paiute Indians, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, Shivwits Band of Paiutes, Navajo Nation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Yavapai-Apache Nation, Zuni Tribe and Colorado River Indian Tribes.

“It’s so important that APHIS honor the promise made to work together with Tribal nations to protect the sacred spaces and resources within the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Monument when it was established less than six months ago,” said Sharon Selvaggio, pesticide program specialist with The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. “We call on the agency to protect natural systems on Tribal and public lands by employing nonchemical management that allows humans and wildlife to thrive.”

In March 2023 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published a draft biological opinion from NOAA Fisheries showing that carbaryl is likely to jeopardize 37 species protected under the Endangered Species Act, and harm 36 designated critical habitats.

While Arizona is not home to any of the species named in that report, the findings show the extreme harm carbaryl poses to endangered fish and other species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which is charged with protecting endangered plants and animals, has not yet completed a proper analysis of the potential harms from the APHIS proposal. Potentially vulnerable endangered species in Arizona include Chiricahua leopard frogs, western yellow-billed cuckoos, Gila chub, black-footed ferrets and Siler pincushion cacti.

APHIS is accepting comments on the proposal until 4 p.m. MST on Feb. 2.

[afoolandathief]

15 Character questions

Tagged by @ceph-the-ghost-writer, thanks!

Tagging @fearofahumanplanet, @thegreatobsesso, @jezifster, @kudzucataclysm, @flowerprose, @artbyeloquent, @captain-kraken, @blind-the-winds and anyone else who would like to join!

I went with both Jade and Caz for this one. This got really, really long, so I'm putting this under the cut:

Are you named after anyone?

Jade: Well, my middle name is Elizabeth, after my mom. Jade was just a pretty rock my mom decided to name me for. Caz: I'm named for my grandfather, as well as a Polish king.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Caz: Oh, well, likely ages ago, when - Jade: It was last week. Caz: Excuse me, Shaw? Jade: You're either a liar or you don't remember. Last week when you got drunk and spilled pig's blood on your tie. You were bawling. Caz: Okay fine, when was the last time you cried? Jade: When I was 17 and my mom died. Can we move on?

3. Do you have kids?

Jade: No but I have my pets: my two cats Ada and Lovelace, my gecko Newton, and my tarantula Hypatia, who's also my familiar. Caz: Jesus, Shaw, that doesn't count. Anyway, it's a no for me. I'm always very careful not to let that happen. Jade: Huh. Caz: What now, Shaw? Jade: No, it's just, you seem to be really good with kids, in the few times we've interacted with them. Caz: Trust me, Jade, someone like me should not be a parent.

4. Do you use sarcasm?

Caz: Nah, I can get by on my charm just fine. Jade: Well, that's a fucking lie. You can be such a sarcastic bitch, Caz, especially when you're hungry. Caz: Well, what about you, Shaw? Jade: Noooo, I'm never sarcastic at all.

5. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Jade: I am, um, not great at looking directly at people. A lot of the time I first sort of go over what they're wearing, what they're holding. Caz: Since I became a vampire, their smell. Humans have a distinct scent. Not to scare ya, but usually a delicious scent.

6. What's your eye color?

Caz: Silver. But when I was human I had some gorgeous blue eyes. And golden hair. And rosy cheeks. I mean, can't say I'm not popular with the ladies and gents now, but back then I was hot. Jade: Ugh, they're brown. Caz: Well, don't say it like that Shaw. Your eyes are, ya know, warm. Like whiskey. Jade: Thank you for comparing my eyes to a type of alcohol, Caz. Next question.

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

Jade: When I was in high school I was kind of obsessed with being edgy and watching horror movies — the more obscure and bloodier, the better. But lately I've been marathoning Miyazaki films with Violet. It's been ... nice. Huh, you know who you remind me of, Caz? No-Face. Caz: I don't know what the fuck that means, but I'm guessing you're trying to insult me. Anyway, I don't like movies with a lot of gore, but they also don't have to end happily. Give me a good story, especially a good love story. My favorite films are Casablanca and Titanic since — pula mea, Jade, don't smirk at me like that!

8. Any special talents?

Caz: I've been told I have a decent singing voice, and I can play quite a few instruments. And I'm double-jointed (extra bendy, if ya know what I mean). And there's the also the shapeshifting and hypnosis, I suppose. Jade: Uh, the ability to see the future, I guess?

9. Where were you born?

Jade: A health clinic in Moapa. Caz: My family home outside of Bistrița.

10. What are your hobbies?

Caz: Listening to music, playing music, singing, and I'm also an excellent dancer. And I like to cook. Mostly blood-based recipes, but I always treat my guests to a nice breakfast in the morning, if ya know what I mean. Jade: Caz, we always know what you mean. Anyway, I don't know if I have many hobbies. I'm pretty busy. I used to play bass, and I like to draw.

11. Have you any pets?

Jade: Well, I already talked about them, but do you want to see this video Hypatia eating a - Caz *shuddering*: La naiba, Jade, no one wants to see that creepy-crawly! Jade: Oh fuck off, blood boy. Caz: Anyway, I used to have this dog, Boian. Huge, white fellow, who could fight off bears and wolves and helped me watch the sheep. Jade: Wait, you were a shepherd? Caz: Next question, please.

12. What sports do you/have you played?

Caz: Besides some wrestling I used to do in my village, I'm not one for sports. But have I mentioned I'm an excellent dancer? Jade: Yes, you have. And, um, I'm not great at sports either. I used to skateboard a lot as a teenager. And I go for jogs in the desert. Caz: Ya know, maybe I should start working out again. Break out the ol' sweatband and cassette walkman. Jade: Holy fuck, I forgot how old you are.

13. How tall are you?

Jade: 5'7" Caz *smiling smugly*: 6'4" Jade: Caz, it's not 1500 or whatever anymore. It's not that impressive.

14. Favorite subject in school?

Caz: Well, we didn't really have school where I grew up, but shortly after I was turned I went to Constantinople and studied under several tutors there. I excelled in languages. Always have. Jade: It might be kind of obvious since my PhD is gonna be in stats, but math.

15. Dream job?

Jade: Once I get my PhD I'm going to apply to be a professor. Research, teaching people at a distance with limits on when and where they can talk to me? That's the dream. Caz: I, uh, can I skip this one? Most jobs don't apply to me anyway, with the whole can't-go-out-during-the-day thing. Jade: Caz, come on, I've seen you both get shot and sing Don't Stop Me Now at the top of your lungs during karaoke night. You can't be scared of this. Caz: Fine. Well, I couldn't take this job anyway, but I've always liked to be a professor, too. Of linguistics. I have a lot of first-hand knowledge on the last 600 years of Indo-European languages, after all. We could even teach at the same place together! Jade: Wow, I never knew that. Caz: Yeah, I've dreamed about it quite a bit. Jade: Well, maybe if you - Wait, when you say dream, do you mean -? Caz: Fantasies of hot grad students unable to resist a tweed-covered Professor Mraz? Jade: I hate you. I hate you so fucking much.

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[theartistknownaslymond]

Whumptober 2022 day 10

Taser | Whipping | Waterboarding

This got waaay too long. Never let it be said that I am normal about Jerott Blyth at his worst.

Tekke scene equivalent, sort of.

CW: casual bigotry about Native Americans, drug use (mescaline), hallucinations, non-con touching and kissing, that is, SA, followed by use of an electric prod on another person.

Also big aaagh I don't have a sensitivity reader for this but it's late and I've got to sleep. Concrit will be accepted and acted upon.

---

Working for Professor Gilles reminded Jerott a lot of the early days of breaking ground on the ashram, only he couldn't do the physical labour with his wrist encased in its makeshift plaster cast. Instead he spent the days watching over the workforce Gilles had recruited to make sure no one was pocketing what they dug up. The workers were a dusty bunch of surly, silent men - mostly from the Moapa reservation on the other side of the I-93, though some had come up from Mexico and spoke exclusively in Spanish when on site. Gilles was uncharitable towards them at best, and he'd insisted on furnishing Jerott with a cattle-prod and a rusty old shotgun to maintain discipline. Nevertheless, Jerott hadn't had occasion to brandish either, and hadn't seen anything but hard work from the men on the archaeological site - even with a potent distraction present.

Toiling among them, Marthe was like a white peahen, elegant even in her cut-off shorts and baggy cheesecloth shirt, always ready with a comment that would make the men nod in approval, or a wry aside that brought forth a laughing response to Gilles' speeches and rules. As often as not, she spoke to them in her lilting, fluent Spanish.

She'd told Jerott that she'd come at Francis' behest, just to make sure that Jerott was alive. She'd said there was no need to hurry back - Salah had got out with the message Jerott hadn't managed to escape with, and soon Francis would have back-up. Other than this, she endeavoured not to speak to Jerott.

That was until late one evening as he smoked outside his tent, gazing across the darkening desert and wondering, miserably, what was going on back at the main part of the ashram and why Francis didn't consider Jerott a necessary part of the back-up.

Marthe stomped up to him in her heavy work boots and looked down her fine nose. Her arms were folded tight over her oversized shirt and her eyes were a narrow, unreadable squint. "You really want to go on a spiritual journey?"

Jerott looked wearily up at her. He met her eyes, recognised the contempt there, and dropped his gaze to her scuffed knees. He gave a shrug. "You know about spirituality, now?"

"My friends do."

He snorted. She sure made friends quickly when she chose to.

"Come on," Marthe said. "You might find it has more in common with what you were actually looking for than with what Graham Reid Malett offers."

Jerott sighed, but he stood up. He wasn't interested in receiving some lecture about colonialism from a stranger who knew nothing of Jerott's own background - but he was being invited by Marthe, and that still counted for something. He stamped his cigarette butt out and left it in the dirt, and Marthe's lip curled at the gesture, though she said nothing.

The Paiute men and the Mexicans nodded at Jerott as he joined them in the circle they'd formed away from the main camp. Marthe took a seat on a folded picnic blanket and murmured something in Spanish to the man next to her.

Jerott gazed indifferently around the circle and rolled his eyes. "Well? I thought you didn't show this stuff to foreigners."

"What stuff is that?" one man smirked at him. He was rolling a cigarette, but Jerott was frowning at the man next to him, who was stirring something in a kettle over the fire.

Jerott's brows twitched and he shook his head, unimpressed by this coyness. "All your mysterious rituals, of course…"

The Paiute man sniggered. "We're not doing any rituals for you, boy. This is just a social event."

Jerott looked at Marthe like this was some kind of gotcha moment, his brows up: I told you so. He laughed too, and scratched the black hair that was now thickening on his jaw. "Right. So you say it's for the rituals, but it's actually just because you all like getting high…" he flicked a finger at the kettle.

Some of the men shifted and Jerott sensed he had annoyed them - but not as much as he'd annoyed Marthe, who was staring at him with open dislike. He took out one of his own cigarettes - Gilles had called the supply Jerott's advance - and tilted his head to one side. "You're right, Marthe: that is like the Rajneeshees."

"Aren't you one of them?" one man asked him with a prickly tone.

Jerott snorted around the filter of his cigarette. As a gesture of goodwill he offered the packet around, and it came back nearly empty. "I was. Turns out…" he frowned at the fire. He remembered a bonfire he'd made on the shingle of St Mary's Loch. He'd burned his clothes. It had seemed really important to do so. Geetesh had given him a beating in order to teach him a lesson about humility, and that had been the end of Jerott's life as a sannyasin. "I made a mistake."

"Your mistake was following a white man, brother," one Mexican said to him, saluting with one of the cigarettes Jerott had just handed round.

He shook his head. "Rajneesh is Indian, pal," he looked around the group and added, with some uncertainty: "From India."

Marthe was watching him. She hadn't taken a cigarette, but sat with her knees drawn up and her arms around them, her heavy eyelids low, her mouth fixed into a nauseous kind of smirk.

There was a reasonably good-natured response to his clarification from the group, but the guy in charge of the kettle quirked an eyebrow. "You still followed that blasphemer in the mountains. They wear the face of a living man as though he was a god. How can anyone put another man above them like that?"

Jerott worked his jaw. The question needled him, finding a precise pressure point in between the defences he was more used to maintaining against others' criticism. He'd worn the mala himself, after all, with the photo of Rajneesh in it - he'd found it hardest to give up, of all the trappings from his years in the movement. "It's a way of reminding yourself that…structure is man-made…it's meant to be ridiculous." He muttered the old line he'd been given, and thought about how it - and everything else he remembered from Rajneesh's discourses - was so banal as to be meaningless. It was like astrology - you already had to believe in it, and then it could mean whatever you wanted it to mean.

"Ridiculous, but at the same time you are actually worshipping him?"

Jerott shook his head and laughed hollowly. "No, I never…we never worshipped Bhagw…" he stopped midway through calling Rajneesh by the title he had chosen for himself. It literally meant deity, after all. "Anyway, it wasn't a religion to begin with."

"They only became one for tax purposes," Marthe added, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Jerott glared back at her.

The man with the kettle dipped a cup into it and swilled the liquid around. "Good job we kept our practices secret, or some guy might come along and make a whole new tax-dodge out of it."

"Keep the spiritual bit a secret, but share the drugs?" Jerott's gaze was drawn back and forth between Marthe and the cup. "No wonder people get the wrong idea about you, you never give them a reason to take you seriously."

Marthe let out a bark of laughter and said something drily in Spanish to the others.

"Está hablando de sí mismo."

"We share the drugs because it's fun, brother. You learn something about yourself when you sit and have a quiet smoke, huh? Think about the world, or empty your mind - it's all a form of meditation. Ritual." The first man who had spoken to Jerott gestured with his own roll-up. "You learn something about yourself when you have your first cup of coffee in the morning? When you reach the bottom of a bottle of whisky?"

Jerott swallowed. He longed for the taste of alcohol. He'd been able to get hold of weak beer on the ashram, but it barely did anything for him those days. He scratched his eyebrow with his thumb and laughed uncomfortably.

"You learn something about yourself with peyote, whether it's in church or out here, with your friends," the man added. "If you're open to it, you even learn something about the world."

"Your god would speak to me?" Jerott needled, annoyed by the man's arrogant tone.

Around the circle, the Paiute men laughed and muttered.

"Unlikely," the man with the roll-up shook his head, smiling as he took a drag. "But you'll hear something speak to you."

The man who had drawn the cup took a sip, frowned, and then took a deeper draught. He passed it to the man with the roll-up.

Jerott watched the vessel approach him, and when the smooth wooden cup was in his hands, he thought about all the other mouths that had touched the rim already and pulled a face.

"What does it do?"

The Mexican next to Marthe nudged her with an elbow and said something he seemed to think was unspeakably funny. Marthe quirked a brow, looking at Jerott, and nodded agreement, a wry smile moving her lips.

Annoyed all over again by what seemed to be a joke at his expense, Jerott knocked back the biggest mouthful of the liquid he could manage and gulped it down. It tasted bitter and green and it made his stomach flip unhappily, but he swallowed the reflux that followed and passed the cup along, trying to hide his grimace behind a drag from his cigarette.

The other men chatted amicably about the day and their finds, and Jerott listened with increasing interest. Gilles had plenty of wild theories about what was in the ground here, and the more Jerott heard of them, the less he understood how the man had gained his teaching position. Gilles believed in alien civilisations that linked the ziggurats to the pyramids; lizard men who brought knowledge of irrigation techniques; dinosaurs worshipped as saints - it wasn't worth engaging with any of it. But the Paiute actually knew what the site was, how it had been used, by whom and why.

It was lucky it was interesting, because the astringent flavour of the drink had left him feeling queasy and done nothing to alter his consciousness. He gritted his teeth together against the nausea and hoped the meal he'd had a couple of hours ago stayed down. A couple of others belched and spat, and Jerott wondered if they were all feeling it - had someone in the group passed on some fast-acting stomach bug via the rim of the cup? Or was the guy with the kettle having a joke at all their expense?

Marthe seemed to know a deal about the finds, too. As she talked, Jerott saw her take something from her pocket and turn it over between her long fingers. She was sitting on the other side of the low fire and he watched her through the flames, admiring the way her features were thrown into shapely contrast by the light, the way she looked with wonder and joy at the object she held. Oh, to be looked at like that by cornflower blue eyes.

While he watched her, Marthe seemed to look up and smile at him, a beautiful, curving come hither of a smile, and Jerott blinked in surprise.

No, she was still looking at the object in her hands. Had she taken it from the site? He was meant to stop that...

The cup of peyote tea came round again and Jerott took another drink. He turned to his neighbour. "It doesn't taste any good and it's not doing anything - what's the deal?"

His neighbour seemed, momentarily, to be wearing red robes, and Jerott looked around the others in startled bewilderment. They were all sannyasins! They'd been teasing him earlier - now he saw that they all wore malas of their own and linen kaftans the colour of the fire.

His neighbour said something in reply to Jerott's complaint, but it wasn't very clear. "Your Urdu's crap, buddy," Jerott shook his head.

But he smiled beatifically when one of the sannyasins got a guitar out and another produced a small drum that rested between his knees. Jerott's fingers itched and he longed for his own instrument, but he looked down at his stiff wrist and remembered that it was encased in a block of ice and he could do nothing about that. It was frustrating, but he would just have to enjoy what the others played instead.

The playing was solid, even if Jerott knew he could do better. Someone was singing a kind of low, droning chant like they used to do after discourses in Pune, and Jerott missed the way people had twirled and whirled together in the big tent as the music played. You could crash into people, stumble, or just take someone's hand and sway, and it was all a cause for joy and laughter. The body was never lonely on an ashram - touch was free and easy and undemanding.

Jerott closed his eyes and leaned to one side and he found Francis sitting next to him: shirtless, sweaty from a long set under hot stage lights, chuckling easily at Jerott's touch. He ruffled his hair and pushed him to take his own weight again, and Jerott sat up and sighed.

On the other side of Francis, Baron Morgan and Kiaya Çalışkan leaned forwards to grin at Jerott.

Francis extended a hand: "Don't let me turn you against me."

Jerott looked dumbly down at his own hand in its ice block and shook his head apologetically. Behind him, or somewhere nearby, he heard Geetesh laughing and spun around, trying to identify where it was coming from.

It echoed around him and then disappeared, and Jerott was distracted once more by the music. Some of the sannyasins round the fire had got up to dance, and at the sight of their joy, Jerott forgot about Geetesh. He laughed and slapped his knee. The dancers were hopping and stamping their feet, shaking their hips and pumping the air with their fists. It seemed like a sacred dance - what was that one he'd read about once, the Ghost Dance? They were dancing a new reality into being. Dancing a new ashram in the desert, dancing it without Geetesh this time. It was a worthy cause for celebration, and he thought he should join in - but he didn't want to dance without a partner! He stood up, swayed for a moment as he blinked down at his own rust-orange kaftan, and looked for Marthe.

She was standing too, fixed on the other side of the fire, and she seemed to Jerott to wear something of pure white that covered her from her neck to her ankles.

Like a wedding dress, he thought in amazement, his heart beating hard enough to make him wince.

"Marthe..." He stumbled around the fire towards her and noticed her eyes widen. They were so blue. Blue like nothing else, nothing natural.

"C'mon. C'm 'nd dance..." He reached for her hand.

She was reluctant at first, a dead weight, fixed muleishly to the spot.

"C'mon. Dance!" Jerott whinged, grinning and tugging at her.

To his surprise, she relented, and he stumbled back a couple of steps, dragging her with him, bringing her close to his body.

She was in his arms, in her white dress, soft and sweet as a marshmallow. The feeling of her warmth against his made him gasp, and he tangled his arms around her waist and nuzzled her hair, nuzzled her ear with his face. He couldn't quite follow the beat of the music anymore, but he didn't think he needed to: they could make their own rhythms.

He held her close, swaying, feeling the tentative weight of her hands on his shoulders, her cheek leaning against his. He ran one hand, the one not encased in ice, around her side and up her body, ruffling cloth like he was stroking a pelt the wrong way, pushing up and over one of her breasts until he reached her collar. He drew back to look at her, wanting to confirm the same need he felt in her expression, but her face was an alabaster mask, hard and trepidatious.

"I love you," Jerott heard his voice slur. He hooked his fingers in the high neck of her collar. There were pearl buttons down the front, rounded like drops of fresh dew, and he imagined them firing off in all directions, ejaculated from the cloth as he tugged the dress open down the seam.

Her throat was white silk and the dress was white silk - but what was underneath? He was hungry and he needed to know.

Jerott tightened his grip and gave a brief yank so that cloth opened up, revealing her throat and the ends of her collarbones. It was as he'd thought: pure white drifts of skin like vanilla ice cream. He bent his head to kiss the v at he base of her throat.

"I love you," he repeated. "Not...anybody else. Just you. Ok?"

Marthe's body was a knot of furious muscle now, not swaying with him in the dance, not reciprocating - barely breathing, despite all the ways he tried to show her he loved her. But she patted at the newly plunging neckline of her clothes and kept an arm around him. "Ok. Why don't we go back to your tent then?"

Jerott's brows rose and he pulled his head back to look at her. He had to blink a little to bring her expression into focus, but she looked sultry and inviting and bit her lip for good measure.

He led them away from the campfire, leaving behind the dancing and the music. At his tent he couldn't wait to get inside with her but, first, gave in to the building need for touch - to feel body heat and the softness of a woman beneath his hands. He pawed at the front of her clothes again and more buttons gave way. He could feel the cotton of her bra over her sternum, under his fingers. A small movement one way or the other brought him into contact with flesh that gave at his touch, plump and so very separate from his own physical existence. He moaned and kissed her neck.

"I don't love anyone else, do I, Marthe? Just you. D'you not love me?"

She pushed him back, down, and he shuffled awkwardly inside the tent, trusting that she would follow.

And follow she did, but as his hands reached for her and he sought to kiss her lips, and found himself arrested by a sharp pain in the ribs.

Jerott sat back on his own bedroll and grunted, looking at the stick being jabbed against him with confusion.

"Whass this?" he mumbled.

"It's your own toy, provided by Gilles," Marthe told him, though her voice sounded distant, like she was speaking from the other side of a thick membrane that lay between them.

He frowned and grasped the prod, intending to sweep it aside and drag her close again.

Instead, Marthe increased the pressure of the tip against his body and activated the current.

Jerott fell back like he'd been kicked by an elephant, his whole body suddenly thundering with pain. He twitched and juddered against the floor of the tent, his body as helpless as that of a landed catch on a riverbank. It felt like a hot drill against his side, where the prod was in contact with him, and he thought he smelled his clothes scorch. Marthe's hand was over his mouth, silencing his screams, and it took him a moment to realise when she'd removed the picana from his skin.

He blinked and felt liquid on his face - sweat, blood or tears, he didn't know which. His heart was racing now, and his vision was blurred. He wasn't certain it was Marthe...he flinched and took a swipe at the prod as he thought that maybe he'd been mistaken and it was Geetesh kneeing over him in his own bed, poised to strike another blow.

Marthe didn't let him knock the picana aside though, and she dipped it to his skin again, pressing the tip into the flesh just above Jerott's collarbone - close to the area where he'd been kissing her only a moment ago.

A choking sound escaped him before her palm slapped down over his mouth again, and he felt white hot pain in every bone of his body. The only thing it could be compared with was the shock and agony of trapping a fingertip in a heavy door - only it was his whole body that was trapped beneath the crackling demand barked by the picana, and this time Marthe wasn't going to let up until he lost consciousness.

It was easier, Jerott's exhausted body conceded, to do as she told him to.

[bbqbills2]

BBQ Bill's is a construction contractor in Las Vegas that can build your dream custom outdoor kitchen, BBQ island kitchen and outdoor fire features that will turn your garage into summertime fun! An indoor-outdoor kitchen is a wonderful option to expand your entertaining space while also creating an eye-catching design aesthetic. For those who love to entertain, this is a great design feature for summertime enjoyment. It helps to expand your kitchen space while hosting guests while also providing a convenient way to pass food and beverages outside.

You can entertain more easily by connecting your indoor kitchen to your outdoor deck or patio with a pass-through or bi-fold window or outdoor kitchen pavilion. This space-saving design will serve as a key access point from indoors to outdoors. These multi-functional windows will take up less space than a door while offering plenty of convenience, fresh air, and natural light.

There are various ways to open your kitchen to the great outdoors, whether it be through disappearing walls or folding windows. Have a look below for some inspiring ideas to help get you started!

1. Indoor Outdoor Kitchen. A new kitchen was added to a century-old home with an indoor-outdoor connection. A pergola comes out over an accordion door, sourced from Northwest Door & Sash Company.. The deck flooring sustainably harvested ipe, while the kitchen floor is Engineered white oak. The dining table is from Room & Board. (via Jetton Construction, Inc.)

2. Major Kitchen Envy. This stunning indoor/outdoor kitchen in Brisbane, Australia features a sleek design aesthetic, an extension of the indoor kitchen. The kitchen units can withstand sunlight and are 100% waterproof. The exterior cladding is Matrix from James Hardie. (via Sublime Luxury Kitchens and Bathrooms)

3. Indoor-Outdoor Kitchen with Glass Garage Door. An amazing indoor kitchen has two pass-through windows leading out to an indoor-outdoor kitchen that features a glass garage door that opens up to panoramic views of Bend, Oregon. (via Bend Custom Homes)

4. Outdoor Bar Passthrough. An accordion window closes off the indoor/outdoor seating of this fabulous kitchen that faces the Severn River, Maryland. (via Lang and Company)

5. Integrated Outdoor Kitchen. Accordion doors blend an indoor kitchen with an outdoor kitchen and dining deck. The outdoor room features a dramatic high awning roof that gives one the feeling of being outside under the sky, yet sheltered from the elements. The awning roof is freestanding to allow summer air to flow through and to simplify construction. (via Danny Broe Architect)

6. Indoor-Outdoor Bar. This indoor/outdoor kitchen can be completely opened up courtesy of the 9500 Series Bi-Fold Doors & Windows from the Western Window Systems. The doors open the kitchen as a convenient pass-through to a long bar outside for enjoying the summer weather. (via Western Window Systems)

7. Passthrough Window to Deck. The kitchen is a great place for entertaining family and friends. With the large open window and bar, this space is a great way for anyone in the kitchen to interact with those who are relaxing outside at the window bar. (via Melton Design Build)

8. Bifold Window With A Bar. A deep roof overhang provides shelter to this outdoor bar that connects to an indoor kitchen via custom bi-folding windows. Orange stools provide a playful, beach-chic vibe to this outdoor living space. (via Synthesis Design Inc.)

9. Outdoor Bar Area. A California beach house features a casement window in the kitchen that opens to an outdoor bar. The honed Calacatte marble countertop in the kitchen extends to the outdoor bar for a simple pass-through. The Tolix bar stools were sourced from Design Within Reach. (via House Beautiful)

10. The Back Porch. A dreamy beach house features this indoor-outdoor kitchen connected via bi-fold windows. The Marvin Signature Series window folds open to provide breezy access to an outdoor serving area and grilling station. (via Laurey W. Glenn / Southern Living)

11. Alfresco Kitchen With A Pass Through Window. A Rhode Island beach house blurs indoor/outdoor boundaries between the indoor kitchen and outdoor deck with the installation of a NanaWall folding window. The wood bar is just an extension of the kitchen countertop. Guests can chill on the custom fabricated stools and converse with the chef in the kitchen. (via Eck MacNeely Architects)

12. Inside/Outside Pass-Through. A folding glass window in Coronado, California home creates a pass-through from the kitchen to an alfresco bar. A copper roof overhang provides shelter to the outdoor hangout space while also protecting the marble countertop. A swimming pool nearby makes this bar area ideal for the kids (or adults) to grab a snack between dips in the pool. (via RailiCA Design)

13. Rustic Alfresco Kitchen. A lake house in upstate New York features this indoor-outdoor kitchen that uses a brilliant pulley system to raise and lower the paned windows, creating a paradise for outdoor entertaining. (via Pearson Design Group)

14. Kitchen Bar Window. This poolside patio features a gas strut window – a single piece of glass for an unobstructed view. The gas struts allow the window to open up and out 90 degrees to turn the kitchen into an extension of the outdoors. (via Hannah Blackmore / Three Birds Renovations)

15. Indoor-Outdoor Kitchen. A stunning contemporary coastal home in Australia features this indoor/outdoor casual bar counter, an extension of the kitchen. The spacious patio also features an outdoor kitchen, dining, and living area. (via Acre)

16. Mediterranean Style Alfresco Kitchen. The outdoor bar countertop is cast concrete by Flying Turtle. The custom gas strut window was fabricated by Sierra Woods, Nevada City. See the rest of this amazing home here: Breathtaking modern ranch house overlooking Sonoma wine country. (via Ken Linsteadt Architects)

17. Indoor-Outdoor Kitchen. An Edwardian home in Melbourne, Australia takes its inspiration from the magic of the Hamptons. Bi-fold windows open the kitchen to the outdoor entertaining deck, where the countertop extends from the kitchen. The blue counter stools add a pop of color. (Adore Home Magazine)

6 Tips for Turning Your Garage Into an Outdoor Kitchen

There are many reasons to convert your garage into a kitchen. Especially if it’s attached to a garage you rarely use. It can become just another place to put your crap. So why not convert that space into something that can be used to cook outdoors year round??

You’ll be able to create more square footage in your home and maybe even have a dining room. If your original kitchen was too small, you’ll be able to expand your work area and create the kitchen you’ve always dreamed of having. Once you’ve decided you want to turn your garage into a kitchen there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind as you go about your project. Here are a few tips.

Understand the Basics of Your Conversion

Make a list of all the things you currently keep in your garage. You’ll want to find homes for all that stuff. If you are storing stuff that could easily be stored in a shed and you have one, then it’s just a matter of moving that to the shed.

If you don’t have a shed, you might consider renting a storage unit or building a shed on your property. There are many big box stores that sell storage shed kits that will suit your project nicely. You’ll also want to understand the total cost of your conversion. You’ll want to research how to finance home improvement because you’ll most likely be getting a loan to complete this project.

You’ll also want to research any building codes or permits you may need to obtain through the city, county, or HOA you belong to. There may be restrictions you aren’t aware of and could cause you heartache and more expense if you don’t follow the rules.

Look at Your Load Bearing Walls

If your garage and kitchen share a wall and you are considering knocking out the wall between them, you’ll want to review your building plans to make sure you aren’t removing or damaging a load bearing wall.

A load bearing wall is one that is critical to holding the whole structure up and in place. If you happen to remove the wrong parts, you could risk part of your home collapsing. Most homes have plans that have been submitted to the city or county offices and can be reviewed.

If you had your home built, you’ll probably already have a set of plans that were used to build it. You’ll want to review it with a contractor to ensure you’re removing or changing the right parts to a load bearing wall.

Don’t Forget About Insulation

Most newer homes have well insulated garages, but there are still a few homes around that don’t. You’ll want to be sure to get the right R-rating insulation to keep your new kitchen insulated from the cold outdoors. Depending on where you live, you’ll need to research what R-value insulation is appropriate.

Getting the wrong insulation means a colder room and higher heating bills. Not to mention the possibility of water pipes breaking. Your kitchen will have plumbing fixtures that will need to be protected.

Check the Windows

If your garage has windows, you’ll want to consider upgrading them to good solid double pane windows. If you’re going to be installing windows, you’ll want to review where your electrical wires run so you don’t end up having to reroute or cut lines. You don’t always have to buy new windows to get what you need. Many construction outlets will have returns and craigslist is a great place to search for the right window at the right price.

Decide on Kitchen Appliances

Are you going to replace all your kitchen appliances? Perhaps you just bought that new dishwasher a year ago and it still runs like a dream. Consider smaller appliances like a sink disposal and trash compactor when you’re planning your layout.

All of these types of appliances will need to be situated to best utilize the existing structure. Perhaps your kitchen drains are easily accessible once you tear down the wall between the garage and the kitchen. If this is the case, then you’ll want to situate your sink where you are able to plug directly into the existing drains.

This saves a bunch of time and money from having to route new drains to the exterior. Your water faucets will probably be the same, too.

Don’t Forget the Time Factor

When you’re planning this conversion, consider that at some point, your kitchen won’t be available to use. It could take a few weeks to get everything in place to work again. If you don’t have a plan for this time, you might be in hot water with your family, let alone uncomfortable yourself.

This doesn’t have to happen. You can consider working in stages, so that each stage has a short period of time that the kitchen isn’t used and then it’s usable again. Repeat this until you’ve finished the project. Or you may consider putting your family up in a rental while you finish the job. If you’re able to afford that, it’s a viable option. Whatever the outcome, don’t forget that at some point, both your garage and your kitchen won’t be usable.

If you aren’t using your garage for its intended purpose and you’ve decided to make use of that space to extend your home and build a kitchen, you’ll need to remember these tips to help you create the best experience for your project and for your family.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a garage typically included in the square footage of a house?In most cases, the square footage of your home includes only livable spaces. So, a garage would only count toward the square footage of a home if it is finished (with flooring, walls, heat, and electricity) and has been legally converted into a living space.

Can I convert my garage without a permit?The answer depends on where you live and the scope of your project, so check with your local zoning department before making any changes. If you are making structural or electrical changes, moving or adding plumbing, or installing HVAC, you will likely need a permit.

Will converting my garage add value to my home?Again, the answer depends on where you live and what type of space you are building. If your garage conversion is properly permitted and performed professionally, it can add interest and valuable square footage to your property. If, however, your neighborhood has limited street parking or your home has limited storage, a converted space might negatively impact the value of your home.

How much does it cost to convert a garage?On average, it will cost between $5,000 and $26,000 to convert an unfinished garage into a livable space. If you are installing new floors, HVAC, electrical, and plumbing, that cost could climb to $50,000 or more depending on the project and the size of the space.

BBQ BILL'S STORY

Outdoor Living Store in Las Vegas

For more than 30 years, outdoor barbecues and kitchen solutions have been the name of the game at BBQ Bill’s. We are your premier barbecue store in Las Vegas, NV, that can help you create the ideal outdoor cooking and living space based on your style and budget.

We design and install custom outdoor kitchens, BBQ island kitchen, fire features, fire bars, fireplaces, fire pits, fire grills, fire rings, pizza ovens, BBQ grills, griddles, smokers, cookers, rotisserie, refrigerators, heaters, sinks, patio covers, outdoor accessories and build as construction contractors.

Our experienced barbecue experts will create a masterpiece that perfectly matches your vision for function and beauty. We have access to thousands of quality items and install only superior-quality products from some of the best names in the business, including Alfa, Alfresco, Amore, Aspire, Blaze, Bonfire, Coyote, DCS, Delta Heat, Fontana Forni, Gozney, Green Mountain, Hestan, Lynx, Memphis, Pit Boss, Summerset, Twin Eagle, Viking, Wolf.  

We service Las Vegas, Henderson, Mesquite, North Las Vegas, Blue Diamond, Enterprise, Goodsprings, Moapa Valley, Mount Charleston, Nelson, Paradise, Spring Valley, Summerlin South, Sunrise Manor, Whitney, Winchester, Arden, Jean, Logandale, Overton, Primm, Sloan, Vegas Creek, Boulder City, and Pahrump. Contact us today to let us help you build the outdoor barbecue and kitchen space of your dreams.