#and i also want to build a base in the redwoods i already have a ground 'house' which really is just a foundation and a few walls

[weirdcharacter]

I'm so happy, my house is coming together nicely and I'm also working on the dino-park, hopefully I'll be done with the first step by next week or in two weeks time 🤗

[centralperkchenford]

Chenford + Lucy is under the influence of drugs and only wants Tim.

So I don’t know if any of you watch New Girl but there’s an episode in S2 where Nick and Jess are at the hardware store and Jess gets knocked out by lumber. This fic is based on the scene in particular AND after when Jess is high and is telling Nick she likes him. It’s a great episode. And I had to rewatch the scene just to get a visual.

Also this takes place as if Chris doesn’t exist and beginning of S5 although you can imagine at any time.

Chenford + Lucy is under the influence of drugs and only wants Tim.

Chenford + Lucy rejects Tim but he doesn't let her

My drug is my baby I'll be using for the rest of my life

Lucy has to admit that building a bookcase wasn’t the best idea because she didn’t really know how. She knew she needed lumber and nails and a hammer. So that’s how she finds herself at the hardware store with Tamara. She’s in the lumber aisle looking at all.. the different sizes and the different kinds. She really is kidding herself. She doesn’t know anything about lumber or building a fucking bookcase. She needs.. well she needs Tim.

The thing is she’s trying to make more room in her apartment to accommodate her and Tamara. She thought building an extra space for all their things would be nice, homey even. She just didn’t think it would be so damn hard to get started. Tim didn’t even know she was doing or he would have been here with her getting all the stuff.

“Lucy.” Says Tamara coming over to her where she is chewing on her fingers. “Just pick something. Or call Tim.”

Lucy side eyes her and she knows calling Tim would be the best plan but she doesn’t want to. She knows how cocky Tim is, she also knows he would hightail it down here and just take over.

No she can do this.

She glances to the top of the racks in the aisles where a long piece of redwood lays. It’s beautiful and she knows it will match her other stuff.

“There.” She says and points to the wood. “Help me get it.” Tamara sighs but gets ready as Lucy climbs up the ladder. She grabs the wood by the end and slowly pulls it out. She hands it to Tamara who puts it on the cart. Lucy stands in front of the cart and looks around to see if she needs anything else.

“I think we need more wood.” Points out Tamara. “One piece isn’t going to make a bookcase.” She has a point. She goes up this but just as she’s coming down to hand the smaller piece of wood to Lucy, she loses her balance and the wood falls on the other piece hitting Lucy in the chin. Next thing she knows she’s on the ground and all she sees is black.

***

Tim is just getting his house from work, he’s exhausted and he just wants to crack open a beer and lay on the couch and watch ESPN. He lets Kojo out to go to the bathroom, and he’s just about to open his beer when his phone rings. Tamara’s picture comes popping up on the screen.

“Hello?” He answers. He hears beeping in the background and his heart race increases. “Tamara? Where are you?”

“Uh.” Tamara says. “We are at the hospital. Um Lucy is fine? I think. But you should come down here. She’s asking for you.”

Tim frowns at Tamara’s words. Lucy didn’t work today it was her day off, so why was she at the hospital? How the hell did she get hurt? Or sick? His mind is racing at all the possibilities. And why does she want him?

“Tamara what happened?” He asks urgently already at the door grabbing his keys and wallet. “What is wrong with Lucy?”

Tamara hesitates and he hears footsteps and then she finally speaks, her voice lower. “We were uh at the hardware store buying lumber and um a piece of lumber slipped and and she got knocked out.”

Tim freezes and his mind is still scrambling at her words. Lucy at a hardware store? Buying lumber? And again why was she asking for him?

It’s not like they weren’t still close, they were. But even after Ashley had broken up with him and they were both single. There was still some confusion and tension between them and he never knew where she stood. But as he got into his truck and started it, he would do anything for Lucy. He would even rush to her side when she got knocked out by lumber (he still had a lot of questions).

“Tamra?” He questions and Tamara’s voice comes over the line.

“I’m here. Uh are you on your way?” She asks quietly and he nods forgetting she can’t see him.

“Yeah I am. Tell Lucy..” He trails off unsure of what else to say. “I’ll be there soon.”

When he gets to the hospital, he goes through the emergency room doors. He spots Tamara right away and she’s pacing outside of a closed curtain. He hightails it over there as quickly as he can.

“Hey!” She says when she spots him. “Look. She’s fine but she got knocked out pretty bad. So uh they gave her some painkillers and so..she’s kind of out of it.”

Tim’s heart sinks a little wondering just how bad this was. But it also explained the her wanting him. She wasn’t in her right mind.

Tamara gestures to the curtain and he pushes it open. Lucy is laying in the bed, a big bruise on her chin.

“Heeeeeyyyy.” She sing songs when she see him. “Timmmmm.”

He raises his eyebrows at her as he pulls a chair to sit with her. “Hey.” He says softly as she smiles at him wincing when she does.

“Does it hurt?” He asks. She reaches out to grab his hand and plays with his fingers.

“I can’t feel anything to be honest.” She admits smiling still. Tim sighs as he watches her play with his fingers.

“I’m sorry you got hit with lumber. Why were you at the hardware store?” He asks curiously. But Lucy just shrugs and pulls him closer.

“Can I tell you a secret Timothy Bradford?” She says slurring her words a little. Tim looks at her in amusement.

“Sure.” He says. “Tell me a secret Luce.” Her eyes widen at the nickname but she doesn’t say anything about it. He’s not sure if it full registered with her.

��You are a beautiful white man Bradford.” She says patting his cheek. He stares at her wide eyed and a little confused.

“Um thanks?” He says and she groans and kicks her feet on the bed.

“I mean I know you know you are beautiful and handsome. You just have this air about you.

You know?” She says. He realizes his mouth is wide open at this point.

“Yeah I guess.” He says quietly and she reaches to shut his mouth gently. “Maybe you should get some rest Lucy.” He says leaning back but she pulls him forward jerking him towards her.

“No! I don’t want you to leave!” She protests. She grabs his hands again and fans out his fingers. “I like you. I may even be in love with you but what do I know? You could never love me. Your old boot.”

Tim stares at her, momentarily stunned as he studies her. There’s no hesitation in her eyes although he does know she’s hopped up on painkillers. Because it’s crazy she would even think that. He absolutely could love her. She’s amazing in every way. He definitely has feelings for her.

“Lucy..” he begins. “Do you know what you are saying?” It’s a stupid question but he has to at least ask.

Lucy shrugs and he nods. It’s just the drugs. She doesn’t know what she’s saying. She doesn’t have feelings for him. Or does she?

***

Lucy wakes up with a splitting headache, and someone snoring next to her. She looks over to see Tim in a chair next to the bed, his head at what looks like an uncomfortable angle. What the fuck is he doing here?

She rustles a little bit and opens his eyes looking straight at her, his eyes soft. “Hi.” He mutters. “How are you feeling?”

She opens her mouth to answer but her throat is dry and she can’t seem to get any words out. He grabs a cup of water and she drinks it down.

“Fine.” She says her voice hoarse. “Why are you here?” She asks chewing on the inside of her cheek. Tim sighs and leans forward in his seat, studying her with his blue eyes that she gets lost in. Every single time.

“Tamara called me yesterday said you got hurt and wanted me.” He answers and Lucy feels panic cease her. She’s going to kill Tamara.

“Um wow. I mean I didn’t—I don’t remember.” She says stumbling over her words. “I’m sorry she bothered you.”

Tim shakes his head his hand reaching out and then he drops it. “It’s fine. Lucy you were on high painkillers. I know you didn’t— you um.. what you said.” He says hesitantly. Lucy stares at him her mouth dry again.

“And what did I say?” She asks. Tim gulps and turns away from her.

“It doesn’t matter Lucy. You weren’t—” He starts but Lucy stares at him until he’s leaning back again, twiddling with his thumbs.

“You called me a beautiful white man.” He says with a twitch of his lips. “And called me handsome and beautiful. Um and said you liked me.” She groans and grabs the pillow over her face.

“God Tim. I’m sorry!” She says and she knows her voice is muffled. She feels him grab the pillow from her face and he smiles at her. He doesn’t seem mad but that’s something else in his eyes . Like he’s not telling her something.

“What? What else did I say?” She snaps. He feels back a little, he hesitates and then he leans forward again.

“Yo- you said you might be in love with me.” He whispers. “And you know I could never love you back.”

Her eyes fill with tears as she pulls the pillow over her face again. Tim is silent and she knows he’s still there. She knows he won’t leave until she tells him to or he decides to on his own. He’s noble like that and it’s one of the reason she does like him.

Tim peels the pillow away from her face again this time letting his fingers run across her face. She instantly has goosebumps.

“I’m not mad Luce.” He says quietly. “I’m not mad at all. But I think we should talk.. later.”

She knows he’s right but she’s too caught up in her emotions to agree with him. She’s embarrassed drugged up her even thought of Tim.

So she shakes her head, emitting a soft sound from Tim.

“Lucy..” He pleads. “Please.. I..”

But Lucy shakes her head at him. She’s not going to ruin the best damn relationship in her life. Drugged up love confessions aside, she can’t lose Tim.

“No. Forget it ever happened okay?” She says and Tim’s lips fall down in a frown. “It didn’t happen.”

Tim opens his mouth to speak and when he does he does it with such confidence and conviction Lucy reels back a little.

“No.” He says. “Lucy I know you are scared and it’s a scary thing to possibly be in love with someone but.. what if it’s worth it?”

Lucy opens her mouth and then clamps it shut and he continues leaning forward as he does. “Lucy, I like you too. Maybe it’s more than like but I do have feelings for you. I have for awhile and I’m going to let you reject me because you are scared about how you feel for me.”

“Of course I’m scared!” She blurts out. “I can’t lose you Tim. If I do I will have ruined the most important relationship in my life.”

Tim blinks at her before bringing her hand to his mouth. “That’s the thing about being in love it’s scary. I’m not saying we are in love yet but wouldn’t it be nice to find out?”

Lucy worries her lip between her teeth and this time she leans forward.

“Tim I was on painkillers I didn’t know what I was saying.”

“I know but you aren’t on any now and you just admitted you feel about me.” He says tucking a lose strand of hair behind her eyes. Lucy blinks at him at the intimate gesture and his words.

“Okay. True but—” She starts. Tim doesn’t let her finish. He leans forward and kisses her softly on the forehead. It’s soft, yet it’s intimate and it send a electric spark down her spin.

She blinks at him yearning to feel his lips on her skin again.

“I like you Luce.” He mutters. “I know it’s scary but it’s worth it. You are worth. So can you just trust me?”

She studies him to see if he’s serious and she knows him well enough to know he is joking about this, he wouldn’t say anything he doesn’t mean.

“Okay.” She whispers. He grasps her hands and brings them up to his lips.

“Okay. Let’s do it.” He says back to her. She smiles a little and then she suddenly remembers something. “Hey will you build me a bookcase?” Tim gives her an amused smile and then kisses her gently on the lips. Lucy takes that as a yes. And moves closer to him, feeling content for the first time in awhile.

It might be scary taking this leap but Tim is right, it will be worth it.

[jurassicparkpodcast]

Setting Sail Into Dangerous Waters with Camp Cretaceous Season Four | Where Will They Go?

At the end of Season Three of Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, the camp fam set sail into the vast unknown in search of rescue from Isla Nublar and the fallen Jurassic World theme park. With only a compass to lead the way and Kenji at the helm, the six kids set out to rescue themselves with a ship left behind by Season Two's villains, Mitch and Tiff. Nothing yet has been revealed about where these kids will call their next port, but I'm sure they are intent on making it to mainland Costa Rica... but will they actually make it there? There are a lot of variables in the mix, so let's take a look at some of the routes our camp fam may take on the way home.

Costa Rica

Isla Nublar lies 120 miles West of the mainland, so with enough luck and fuel, the kids of Camp Cretaceous certainly hope to make it to Costa Rica. It's their salvation. In the canonical timeline of Jurassic World, the campers set off of Nublar about six months after the events of Jurassic World, which means the hangar at the end of the 2015 film would no longer be ground zero for rescue operations. After six months of no rescue, it seems as though no one is looking for the lost children anymore. Hopefully they can find safety with the authorities or someone that may have heard about the missing kids from the Jurassic World incident. This outcome is their safest sanctuary. It's the ultimate goal.

There is one issue with this goal - what is on the boat? We certainly heard what seems to be a dinosaur within the locked cabin, so our campers could be responsible for a dinosaur loose in Costa Rica. It could make for an interesting tie to the original Jurassic Park novel with loads of reports of small lizards harming people around the coast. Ultimately, would one dino lost on the coast of Costa Rica be all that interesting? Depending on what the dino is, it could be interesting... but I think there are better alternatives.

Back to Nublar

This option is certainly the least interesting of the bunch. With the kids setting out for a hopeful future, having them backtrack to Isla Nublar would be a huge step backwards for the show. We've already spent three seasons trying to escape the island, so setting course for somewhere new is the best option. Of course there are still plenty of unexplored sections of the island, but it feels like it's time for a change of scenery.

The Mosasaurus

At this point in the franchise timeline, the events at the beginning of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom have occurred, which means that the Mosasaurus has escaped into open water. Our camp fam set out on the open seas, hoping to head to safety, but what if something got in their way? It's highly possibly that along their trip towards the mainland, they encounter the Mosasaurus. This outcome could be utterly dire for our campers, as the Mosasaurus outsizes their yacht and could capsize them in an instant. While nothing too drastic will happen to our core group, I wonder if this encounter sets them off-course... potentially to another island.

Isla Sorna

The campers set sail with hopes of floating eastward towards mainland Costa Rica... but what if they went the wrong way? The Mosasaurus could be the perfect catalyst for them chartering the wrong course, but it's already been hinted at that they could easily lose their way. During Season Three, Kenji couldn’t figure out how to use the compass that they picked up from his dad's penthouse, so who's to say he won't get turned around again. Isla Sorna is one island in the Five Deaths island chain, 87 miles West of Isla Nublar - 207 Miles West of Costa Rica. If they hit Sorna, they are heading in the wrong direction. The wrong direction for the kids, could be the correct direction for the show. Let's consider all Isla Sorna has to offer.

The island originally seen in The Lost World: Jurassic Park and further in Jurassic Park III could be the answer many secrets this franchise holds. It's an island shrouded in mystery and potentially even lies. As we've been told, Isla Sorna is supposedly vacant. The DPG website repeatedly mentions the animals being shipped from Sorna to Nublar to populate Jurassic World as the park was building up operations, but also for the well-being of the creatures on an ever growing mysterious island. Did they move all the animals? That's to be foreseen, but at this point it seems unlikely.

One animal that could still be roaming Isla Sorna is the formidable Spinosaurus. The Spinosaurus could hold the key to the origin of hybrid dinosaur testing, giving the kids something to solve. The Spino's story was unresolved in Jurassic Park III, so it would be welcoming to see what happened after Paul Kirby sent a flare hurdling towards the vicious creature, setting the lagoon ablaze. According to the DPG, the dinosaur could be the reason for decreasing population and well being of other species throughout the island, so is it alone or does it have any island-mates?

There's also the possibility of animals lurking around old research facilities or creating nests near the coast lines - the Velociraptors of Isla Sorna. We have seen three variations of Velociraptor on the island - the male Tiger raptors of The Lost World and the white females and quilled males of Jurassic Park III. It seems doubtful that these variants would have been killed off by the Spinosaurus or shipped to Isla Nublar for the park opening, so the opportunity still exists for the raptors to be alive on the island. It would be wonderful if the campers stumbled upon the answers regarding why there are so many variants of raptor.

One problem with heading to Isla Sorna is how similar it looks to Isla Nublar now. The campers lived for months at their fallen Camp Cretaceous tree house, which was set among Redwood style trees, a look synonymous with Isla Sorna. At this point, how would Dreamworks Animation distinguish these two islands, as to make it seem like they are not just back on Nublar?

Shipmates

Let's further consider the Camp Cretaceous crew's current situation with a stowaway on board. It sounds like a dinosaur locked in the onboard cabin and I've heard speculation on everything from a young Scorpios, to a Troodon, a Baryonyx and Hap, the mercenary from Season two. I do like to consider the dino on board to be a baby Velociraptor bred directly from Velociraptor Blue due to parthenogenesis. It's been alluded to in the Jurassic World Aftermath VR game that Blue may have been able to reproduce asexually, so this could be a fun way to further that concept see in Jurassic Park and in Season Three of Camp Cretaceous with the second Scorpios Rex. Anyway, that's all besides the point, because a dinosaur is on this boat and it will have consequences.

Does the dinosaur on board force them to turn back to Nublar? Will it sidetrack them to a different island? Does it somehow signal the Mosasaurus toward their yacht? Will this dino cause mischief on the mainland? Pretty much all options are on the table when you have a dinosaur on board, but ultimately I hope it becomes the next Bumpy. Season three seemingly gave us a send-off for our favorite young Ankylosaurus (until the future, we hope), so we could use another fun dino side-kick. If it's a sweet young dinosaur, then maybe our camper friends won't get too sidetracked, but will still need to deal with the consequences once their arrive at their final destination.

Mantah Corp

Our final option sends the campers directly into the hands of the enemy. Mantah Corp have been on the peripherals of the Camp Cretaceous story from the beginning. We've seen their drone pop up in season one and in season three, plus we've heard their stories and connections. So when do we actually see Mantah Corp play a larger role? From what has been relayed within the series, it sounds like Mantah Corp has been in the shadows from the very beginning - even before Jurassic Park. Mantah Corp has wanted dinosaurs since before Wu made the first cloned creature, so we know they are dead-set on getting the DNA or better yet, some dinosaurs themselves.

From the previously outlined concepts, there could be a few results here for Mantah Corp. If our camp fam does encounter a Mosasaurus in the ocean and needs rescue, who better than Mantah Corp? There's also the chance of Mantah Corp setting up shop at a nearby island - Isla Sorna anyone? The team from Mantah Corp has to be close to Nublar, as they sent drones on recon missions to grab data and spy on the dinosaur activity. Sorna would give them a great base of operations. Let's say that Mantah Corp doesn't have the means currently to transport big dinosaurs off the islands, but they could have the capability of smuggling something small, a baby perhaps? I think Mantah Corp has to play a big role in Season four and I'd love to see it all play out on Isla Sorna.

What do you think? Are there any other alternatives that interest you? The kids from Camp Cretaceous certainly will have an adventure ahead of them in Season Four and I can't wait to see how it all plays out. I'd love to hear from you in the comments below.

Written by: Brad Jost

[mysterykidscasefiles]

Mystery Kids and the Case of the Whispering Rock

Summary: Norman, Neil, Coraline, Wybie, Raz and Lili arrive at Grunkle Stan’s Summer Camp with the hope of having a summer of fun, or in the case of the two Psychonauts, with the intent of investigating a psychic disturbance. When they meet two twins that seem to be experts on the secrets of Gravity Falls, they find themselves reluctantly teaming up. But how much can they actually trust each other? There are secrets in this town, but more surprising are the secrets being kept from each other.

Table of Contents

Chapter 22: To the East

Mabel hovered over Dipper’s shoulder as he stood in front of the cabin looking at the symbols on the door frame and then back at the symbols in the book they found called Wards, Runes and Protection Magic. Mabel knew Dipper was itching to get out journal number 3 and compare the symbols in the new book to the ones in the journal, but she also knew he wouldn’t bring out the journal in front of the other kids.

Normally, when Dipper was doing boring nerd stuff, Mabel would explore. Coraline was still exploring the rest of the cabin with Wybie, Neil, and Norman, and a part of her wanted to be with them. However, Mabel found that she couldn’t tear herself away from what Dipper was doing. More accurately, she couldn’t stop thinking about those symbols. 

They gave her a strange, happy feeling that made her feel safe and protected. She liked them and she wanted to put them on everything she owned. When she asked Dipper if he felt the same way about the symbols, he just gave her a confused look. None of the other kids seemed interested in them like she was.

Mabel wondered why her artistic muse was screaming at her so loudly to draw these symbols. 

“Mabel, I think I’ve figured out what these symbols on the door mean.” 

Mabel leaned closer to her brother to get a better look at the book. 

“The one that looks like a sideways hourglass… I think that means day or rebirth.  And the other one, I think it’s a rune of protection.”

“Told you they weren’t bad things,” Mabel said happily. “Can I see the book?” 

Dipper closed the book slightly and held it away from her. “As long as you promise not to draw any of the symbols until we know more about them,” he said sternly.

Mabel huffed, but nodded. “Fine, fine! Just let me see it!” She grabbed the book from her twin. The open page was littered with pictures of wards and ruins, each one incredibly distinct in it’s design. 

“They’re all really similar,” her Dipper said. “Some of them I can hardly tell apart.”

Mabel glanced up at her twin in confusion. “You’re crazy, Dip. None of them are the same, can’t you tell?” she asked. How could he not see, or feel, how different they all were?

“Hey nerds!” Coraline said as she exited the cabin door, her hands on her hips.  “It’s getting late and I’m getting hungry. I think it’s time we head back.”

Carefully, they all climbed down the ladder without incident. Mabel had taken the book about wards and ruins along with her. She promised her brother she wouldn’t use them until she learned more about the runes, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t look at them. 

When she landed back on the ground, Mabel realized she never took a good look around the clearing. It was strange that the clearing was nearly empty of most plant life, despite the abundant sunlight. It was almost as if the vegetation was giving the giant tree a respectful distance. 

There was only one plant that dared to grow by the base of the tree.  Mabel approached it to get a better look and was delighted to discover it was a flower she had never seen before. The flower had not yet bloomed; it’s long, white petals were tightly shut together in a spiral-pattern. 

“Hey, look at this,” Mabel called moving closer to get a better look. “I’ve never seen flowers like these before.”

“That’s Datura,” Lili said with sudden interest. “I wouldn’t touch them, the petals and seeds are poisonous.” 

Mabel stopped in her tracks, recoiling her wandering hand. 

“It’s strange for them to be in this forest,” Lili mused thoughtfully.

“Oh, I’ve heard of those,” Coraline said, moving to get a closer look. “They’re called moonflowers, right? They only bloom at night. But, wait, aren’t they supposed to be tropical? What are they doing here?” 

Lili gave her a surprised look. “Yeah, they are. How did you know that?”

“My parents write and edit for a gardening catalogue,” Coraline explained. “How do you know about them?” 

“I uh… just like flowers,” Lili said, awkwardly glancing away from Coraline to look back at the white flowers.

“Fitting,” Coraline said. “You know, with your name and everything.”

Mabel thought the flowers smelt amazing, and she hoped that she would be able to come back at night to see them bloom, even though traveling through the forest at night was probably a dangerous idea. 

“Umm, does anyone know how to get home from here?” Neil asked, looking around at the forest. He cast an earnest glance at Dipper. “Please tell me you know where we are?”

Dipper looked around the forest nervously. “No. I already told you, we’ve never been this way before.”

“Can’t we just retrace our steps?” Coraline suggested. 

“We can try,” Dipper said while biting his lip. “But in this forest that’s more likely to get us even more lost. If you get too deep in the forest it’s hard to get back out again. It’s like the forest changes to purposely confuse you. You have to know exactly where you’re going or it’s easy to be misled.”

“The forest is trying to confuse us?” Coraline asked with a raised eyebrow. “Lili basically ran in a straight line to the tree, so we just have to walk back in the opposite direction. Wybie has a compass so we can make sure we're going the right way.”

Wybie pulled  a bulky compass out of his pocket. It looked like he not only built it himself, but added extra gadgets onto it as well. The device was also boring and black. Mabel thought that was a shame. If you went through the trouble to build something yourself you might as well add some color to it. 

“That direction is to the east,” Wybie said. “Coraline’s right, we just have to keep going east and we should make it back to the town.”

Lili frowned. “Wait.” She walked forward and placed a hand on the bark of a redwood tree. “That’s not right,” she said after a brief second. “The town is back the other way.”

“But that’s the opposite way that we came from,” Coraline argued. “Look, we approached the cabin from the front. We know for sure that we came from this direction.”

Lili shook her head in confusion. “I know we did, but that’s not where the town is. I know it doesn’t make sense, but I’m sure the town is that way,” she said, pointing in the opposite direction.

“Wait guys, this can be solved easily,” Wybie said. “Dipper, Mabel, you two have lived here for a while, right? Which direction is the forest from the town?”

Dipper sighed. “The forest surrounds the town. Even though we walked in one direction, we could be anywhere by now. I already told you guys the forest can do this.” He bit his thumb nail worriedly. “This is why we shouldn’t have come so deep into the forest.”

“What do you mean by that?” Norman asked. “Have you guys gotten lost like this before?”

Dipper glanced at his sister. “It can happen if you walk in the forest without knowing where you’re going. If you follow a path you know, you’re fine, but the moment you stray it can be hard to find your way back. It’s happened to us a few times. When this happens the only way to get out is to wait until night and to use the stars, but trust me when I say, you don’t want to be in this forest at night.”

“Guys, we’re not lost,” Coraline insisted. “We just have to head in this direction. You all can use your eyes. This is the direction we came from.”

“That is the direction our eyes told us we came from,” Mabel agreed. “But that doesn’t mean it’s the right way to go.”

“Well, we have a choice,” Coraline said. “We can either take Lili’s hunch and go in a direction that doesn’t make any sense, or we can go back the way we came.” Coraline started walking forward towards the east. “Besides, we have a compass. If it’s the wrong way, we can just turn around.”

Dipper shrugged. “Fine, we’ll go your way. Maybe it will be fine?” He didn’t sound convinced.

Mabel glanced back at Lili. She and her brother knew how useless it was to rely on your eyes and sense of direction in this forest, but it would be best for everyone if they all stuck together. Whether they were headed in the right direction or not, it was more important that no one got separated. 

“Lili, I know you know where you’re going, but we can’t let them get lost,” Raz said to his girlfriend. “We have to go with them.”

“You make it sound like losing them in the forest would be a bad thing,” Lili snarked under her breath, but she relented and the two of them followed the rest of the group.

Hi everyone! Yes, I am still writing this story, and I’m so sorry I’m awful at updating. But the good news the next chapter will be the last chapter of Act 1. And then I will start act 2 and then act 3... geez, I've been writing this story for so long and I still haven't lost inspiration. It may be slow going but I’m still really interested in telling this story, which is a first for me. Something about this fandom will never leave my brain. 

Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!

Table of Contents   <Previous   Next>

[g0dtier]

man i love ark so much

i have 520 hours in this game in under a year of playing. it is my most played steam game by far and my 2nd most played game ever i think. pokemon has like...easily 6000+ hours but i got my first pkmn game when i was 8 and by that age itd been my special interest for like. 5 years already. like i cannot remember a time in my life without pokemon so that kind of doesnt count

BUT ARK. its just got everything. i have like 350 hours into the first storyline map and almost 200 more hours into free DLC maps. i fucking love how hard it is to start out, gradually getting better and then the content just doesnt fucking stop like...ever. theres endless opportunities for building, farming, taming creatures, breeding creatures, following the storyline, defeating the bosses, getting Epic Lootzz...caveing exploring going underwater and getting chased by 6 megalodons

taming a max level t rex only to lead it back to your base and encounter an Alpha t rex thats like level 40 and youre like “Lol my rex is level 220 by this point AND im on a big flying bird we can handle this” and then you lose your fucking new rex

traveling through the redwoods on the back of a giant eagle only to have a big fucking cat jump out of a tree at you, drag you off your fucking mount and IF you survive the fall all you can do is hope for your mount to fly over quickly and come save you

you also learn a lot about biology and paleontology! for example, the big fucking cat is a marsupial so not a cat at all

i wish more of my friends played, of the ones i played with 2 liked it, 1 disliked it and the other couldnt run it so we gave up on it eventually :( finding a group of friends to game with is so hard lol ive tried a couple times and ive gotten acquainted enough with Gamers to not want to try it again

[epitheterasedgen]

Redwood Run: Thoughts

I have a LOT of thoughts on Redwood Run as an arc. While it did make the show more interesting and expand upon the world of Epithet Erased, compared to the Museum arc, I strongly feel that there’s a clear discrepancy between the two. So, without further ado, here’s my personal list of the top pros and cons of Redwood Run! (Warning: LONG POST)

Things I LOVED about the Redwood Run arc:

How strong each character was in their personality and inner alignment. Percy is lawful good, and you can DEPEND on her to always follow through with that. She’ll follow her duty to the law until the end, even when it means putting away Ramsey at the end of the arc (someone she’s grown a friendship with). Likewise, Ramsey is a true neutral through and through: he’ll do whatever is best for HIS safety, HIS well-being, and he’ll switch to whatever side of the law will help him do that. Zora, I think, is lawful evil: even her motivation still seems to imply that she wants to be a villain and do villainous things… she just wants the playing field to be equal. And when she breaks her own rules, she shows remorse and calls the battle a draw, rather than going for an easy win. Even Howey Honeyglow is a lawful neutral, with his sole motivation and personality trait being WORK. He doesn’t care if you’re a villain or a cop, you’d better darn well DO YOUR JOB-- and just like the primary characters, it’s his steadfast dedication of staying true to himself that makes him likable.

The foreshadowing. Okay, some of it (like Percy’s explanation of eraser cuffs and Ramsey writing a note to himself) was pretty obvious, but Ramsey’s initial plan of “Zora can’t get me if I’m already locked up” is itself foreshadowing to what will happen to him at the end of the arc!

The worldbuilding. Even if there are quite a few plot holes in regards to how Eraser Cuffs™ work (wouldn’t Mera have been confused if she forgot her own epithet? Why does Ramsey remember Percy’s, and in that case, can’t criminals just remind each other of their epithets? Why does Percy know that building two or three towers will knock her out, when supposedly she doesn’t remember anything about her powers?), I still love that we get to see more of the world these characters live in.

The peril. I thought it’d be hard to live up to the Museum Arc’s level of intensity without sacrificing originality, but the writing does a pretty good job of this, albeit by laying down some rules that may or may not make total sense in the context of the Museum Arc. (For instance, the fact that guns only deal minor impact damage-- this helps explain away a lot of the initial danger of the Bonzai Blasters, and also makes Zora a uniquely strong/scary character in that her guns can ACTUALLY kill people.)

The set-up of the rest of the story. While I thought Episode 4 had a much better conclusion than 7, I can’t deny that the end of 7 made me really want to see where the rest of the story goes... And that’s the main purpose of a season finale, isn’t it? Good job, Jello. I’m now literally taking on a freelance webpage design job so that I can afford VRV using your link.

Things I DIDN’T love about the Redwood Run arc:

The side villains. I have to admit, Bugsy and Arnold, as well as all their minions, kind of disappointed me. It’s just a personal preference, but none of their jokes hit quite like I think they were supposed to, and I found myself waiting for their bits to be over whenever they showed up onscreen. Unlike the Museum Arc, where I was deeply invested in every character presented (except the other kids and Molly’s dad, who you’re SUPPOSED to loathe), a lot of the side characters just fell flat. The bartender wasn’t really funny either (although the cat was), and the only tertiary character I really liked was Howey Honeyglow-- although he wasn’t perfect either, for the purposes of something I’ll talk about last.

The epithets. There’s something called “the promise of the premise,” which consists of the gimmicks that make a show unique before you get into the characters, plot, ect. Basically, it’s the fun, gimmicky hook that makes people want to watch the show in the first place. Sadly, it’s a common phenomenon that after the first season (or arc, in this case), shows quickly lose sight of their own premise under the weight of all the OTHER stuff they’re excited to show off. For Epithet Erased, the gimmick is (obviously) the existence of “epithets:” words tied to a person’s soul that give them powers. The thing is, while there are plenty of inscribed characters in the show, only one of them actually takes advantage of the promise of the premise: Molly. Why? Because what separates an ~inscribed~ from any other show’s superheroes is that their powers are derived from the word itself… giving opportunities for a set of powers based on a word with multiple meanings. Molly’s epithet is “dumb,” which can mean simple (hushabye), stupid (dumb hypnosis), or quiet (silence bubble). Unfortunately, no other characters take advantage of their epithets in this way, and since Molly isn’t in Redwood Run, the “promise of the premise” kind of dies out, making epithets no different than Marvel superpowers or Quirks from Boku No Hero Academia.

The swearing. I know a lot of people will roll their eyes at me for this, but hear me out. The reason that swearing is effective in episode 4 of the Museum Arc was because you aren’t expecting it. The show is almost entirely clean up until that point, so when Mera swears, you’re startled, and it effectively emphasizes her pain. (The only weak swearing before this, if you even count it, is when Giovanni lectures Molly in episode 2-- also a very emotional moment.) Likewise, when Percy steps up with her REAL-***, ******* SWORD, it’s hysterical, because you’re so used to the vibe of a children’s cartoon that it completely throws you to hear a “real” weapon being spoken about in a “real” manner. (Plus there’s the added bonus that it’s Percy, which becomes funnier the more you get to know her.) That’s, like, level 99 humor right there. But then Redwood Run comes along, and… it’s not SUPER often, but characters swear in non-funny, and non-emotional scenes all the time, and you get pretty numb. I think the same effect of the Museum Arc is intended when Zora harshly swears (and is either cut off or censored) during the final battle, but it didn’t work on me. By then I’d heard so much casual swearing, I fully expected it. (And I usually like the gag where it cuts from a character just before they swear, but again, it’s not funny when you see it coming.) Not to mention the fact that I got my little cousin into the show after watching the Museum Arc and dubbing it safe for her age range (she’s a mature kid, been through a lot, reminds me of Molly), but then felt really awkward when we started watching Redwood Run and the swearing was just… there. For no reason. (I know a lot of people don’t care about this, but for the record, she didn’t like it either. Personality-wise, I relate a lot to Percy and my cousin takes after me, so it just made the whole show less enjoyable for us overall.)

All in all, Redwood Run is still an objectively good (and enjoyable!) arc, with the solid writing, characters, and dialogue outweighing the negatives. But I’m picky about what I invest my time into, and if I’d seen Redwood Run before the museum arc… well, let’s just say I wouldn’t have stuck around long enough to be signing up for VRV.

[metalbatandzenko]

All the colors!!

Link to the original post so you can reblog it yourself :)

zinc white: how are you really feeling today? no one-word answers please!

Better now than I was the first time I answered this because I got my work done, but still pretty burnt out.

cadmium yellow: when you think of the word “happy” what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

Writing.

lemon: what’s your comfort food?

Homemade fried rice is my go to.

hansa yellow: what’s your guilty pleasure song?

I mentioned previously that I don’t really have a guilty pleasure song bc I’m pretty open about all the music I listen to, but one song I will scream out is Take On Me by Aha

yellow ochre: name an artist/band whom you just discovered & can’t get enough of!

I didn’t just discover her, but Tanerélle...her music is so good and she’s so hot..I’m gay

naples yellow: where do you feel most at home?

San Jose’s Japantown on the weekend of Obon.

raw sienna: with whom do you feel most at home?

With my closest friends.

golden ochre: describe the relationship you have with your closest friend.

I don’t think I have a “closest” friend, but my relationship with my group is pretty casual. We send each other things that remind us of one another, we joke and have fun together but we’re there for one another...I’d trust them with my life.

golden deep: what’s your favorite season?

Over the Garden Wall Season Fall. I love the crispness in the air, the colors, the foods...it’s all so good.

cadmium orange: what do you like to do on your days off?

I write so much. I honestly can’t remember my last day off.

orange lake: do you have anyone you can turn to when you’re sad?

I think so. I always worry that I’m putting too much on someone but I also trust my friends to assert their boundaries when they need it.

titans: do you prefer slow mornings or relaxing evenings?

Relaxing evenings. But I’ll take quiet mornings over both of them.

shakhnazaryan red: are you currently binge-watching anything?

Nope. I might rewatch otgw though.

red ochre: are you more right-brained (creative) or left-brained (analytical)?

My dad would say left brained, my mom would say right brained. I agree with my mom.

burnt sienna: is there a painting that brings you peace when you look at it?

Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Both the more famous one and Starry Night over the Rhône:

english red: what animal do you relate to most?

Owls.

vermilion: what’s your favorite accent?

I grew up listening to and speaking Hawaiian Pidgin at home. I’ve lost the language, but hearing it soothes me.

cadmium red: do you have a “type” when it comes to a significant other?

Tall dark and handsome Capricorns regardless of gender. I’ve dated three people who fit this profile and liked seven others. I didn’t know any of them were Capricorn’s until after I liked them.

scarlet: describe your current crush/es.

I actually don’t have one. Unless you count the celeb crush I have on one of my mutuals on twitter akdbrbrb

ruby: what does your ideal first date look like?

Honestly I like lowkey, so probably a coffee shop date or doing something fun like bowling. Maybe if the first activity goes well we can hit a museum or botanical garden then get a quick bite (like in’n’out) after. God I’m so stereotypical skfbrbr

carmine: what does your ideal second date look like?

Definitely a botanical garden or museum if we haven’t already, then a slightly nicer dinner. This is not a high standard. A Chili’s counts.

madder lake red: would you ever kiss someone (or accept a kiss) on a first date?

I mean. I have in the past so. Akdbrbvtbr I’ve kissed people I haven’t even been dating nor interested in romantically! It’s 2020 lemme kiss my friends!

rose: what’s something really positive going on in your life right now?

Honestly Hidden Horns. It’s been so much fun to work on.

quinacridone rose: what’s something you’re really looking forward to?

Seeing my friends and family again. On top of everything going on right now, I live in a different state than my friends and extended family. I miss them.

violet rose: what does your dream house look like?

Not too large. Something with a bedroom for me and my significant other, a guest bedroom, a nice bathroom and a very nice kitchen. Ideally something with a nice view and large windows where I could watch the sun rise and set.

violet: is there any place in particular you’d like to settle down?

Honestly I’d love to move back to California somewhere. Either somewhere near my hometown, or in Southern California

blue lake: what would you like to do/accomplish before you settle down?

I’d like to publish a book to be honest.

cobalt blue spectral: what is the most beautiful place you have ever been to?

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to go to Japan on a trip sponsored by the Japanese government. Words really cannot describe how beautiful Japan is.

The first picture is of Odaiba, in Tokyo. The second row is from a small fishing town in Hokkaido. Those are the only picture I had of it that didn’t have a ton of people in them.

The last picture is from the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Building in Shinjuku Tokyo. The picture doesn’t do it justice. For how bright the lights were, the stars were out in full force. It was hard to tell where the buildings ended and the sky began.

ultramarine: when was the last time you were in a good mood? do you know/remember what sparked it?

Earlier this evening my dog played with three other dogs.

blue: what’s the most recent dream you remember?

I was choking last night. That’s all I remember.

bright blue: what does your dream family look like? any kids or pets? how many of each?

I’m married to my lovely wife, and we have two kids, a boy and a girl. We also have a dog named Meatball.

blue cobalt: do you like your name? would you give yourself a different name if you could?

My mom chose my name and my brother chose my American name based off a character in an kid’s show. I wouldn’t change them for the world.

prussian azure: what’s your favorite scent?

Fresh bread, the smell before and after it rains, redwood, cinnamon, lavender.

azure blue: what’s your favorite type of tea, if any?

I grew up on genmaicha. It’s a type of green tea that’s brewed with roasted brown rice, which mellows out the bitterness and adds an earthy flavor.

turquoise blue: if you could start a garden, what would you plant?

Snapdragons definitely. They’re my favorite flower. Probably some tulips, gardenias, carnations, violas and lavender as well. For herbs, peppermint, basil, thyme and chives. And probably an apple tree.

cerulean blue: if you were guaranteed to have a viewership, would you start a youtube vlog?

I mean it’s a form of income so I’d be down.

glauconite: describe your body without using any negative adjectives.

I’m tall and broad shouldered, with a long torso and long arms. I’m a bit busty. I’ve got violin hips, strong calves, and solid thighs. I walk on my toes. I have high cheekbones, pursed lips, and almond eyes framed with long lashes.

yellow green: picture yourself walking in a field. what do you see & hear in this scenario?

I’m on a rolling hill of wild grass and wildflowers. The grass shimmers and ripples like the surface of the sea in the breeze. Through it, I see a blanket laid out under a California Oak tree. I can hear the wind, and birds in the distance.

green light: are you in a comfortable place in life? if not, what do you think might make it better?

Kind of? I’m stable enough bc I’m living with my parents, but I’m also closeted. I’m hoping to move out soon.

green: name three countries you want to visit; do you have any actual plans in place to visit any of them?

I’d love to go back to Japan, see New Zealand and visit the Basque Country in Spain. I don’t have any plans to though, I don’t have money for that.

emerald green: do you speak any languages besides english? are there any additional languages you want to learn?

My grasp on Japanese is pathetic and I’ve lost my pidgin. I’d love to regain them.

oxide of chromium: what’s your favorite book?

Chronicles of Prythian.

olive green: are you currently reading anything? how do you like it so far?

The Shape Of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch. It’s so painful but cathartic.

mars brown: what’s a movie that always puts a smile on your face/makes you laugh?

Emperor’s New Groove!

burnt umber: what’s something you plan to do before the day is over to take care of yourself?

Sleep.

umber: have you drank enough water today?

...no

voronezhskaya black: what or who is your go-to outlet for when you need to vent?

Either a friend or my second twitter ajdbfb

sepia: name five things that always make you happy.

Seeing my friends.

People commenting on my writing.

Seeing people like things I made for them.

Watching Lilo and Stitch.

Listening to my shitty nostalgia playlist.

indigo: what’s the best/sweetest compliment you have ever received?

I mentioned this before but my professor and mentor figure described me to her colleague as “fast to laugh, even faster to smile”. I also had someone tell me I had a genuine gift for writing and that my piece moved them to tears after they read a Nonfiction piece I wrote.

payne’s gray: describe your aesthetic?

Something out of a Hozier song. Things being reclaimed by nature. Earth tones. Misty forests. Knives. Ornate clothing.

Alternately: young hot suburban dad who all the moms have a crush on.

black: post a selfie because you are so beautiful!

[peoplerbllmao]

No Clues

No clues on where anything is at and my emotional attachments feel fleeting based on circumstance and understanding yet here I sit, a victim to my brain. Merry Christmas though! I'll figure it out eventually. I just feel strained by the knowledge that I might not figure it out the way I want to or when I want to. Los Angeles 2024 is still going to be a thing I think and I'm going to end up on the west coast eventually. How or why or when? No idea but I've felt that way about it for years. My mom had a series of semi regular dream where she was driving by redwoods and the Pacific ocean with a guy she didn't know. These dreams were back in the mid 80s. A couple years ago when we were driving to Texas she said " holy shit!" And I asked what's wrong?! And swerved the wheel a bit. Apparently I am that guy from the dream.

Another weird dream instance:

We were building puzzles in the dorm that I opted to build because I needed to decompress from the hell that was my breakup. We finished the puzzle and my friend B told me that he had already lived through this. The exact moment we had was lived through in a dream back in June and we were now in late September.

Everything happens for a reason; I firmly believe that. I also believe that life steers in spite of us. We can do crazy shit and maybe alter the finer details, but the big ticket items? I truly feel they happen the way that they are going to happen irrespective of our actions short of doing something downright ludicrous. Obviously jumping off a 30 story bridge means death is likely. But yeah, nihilistic existential crises plague my brain on the regular. I live my best RBL when I give them little notice but can't help but realize that they have a foothold in my existence. The Bible talks about prophetic dreams and frankly 2024 seems to hold a lot of weight for me. No idea what to think about thereafter but between here and there I suspect there will be a lot of things: pain, love, pain, postivity, adversity, political shifts, gains and losses, all the cliches and anything else. Life terrifies me and maybe it's just I'm growing up and we all feel these things.

Someone just knock me out consciously and let my life go down a track and wake me up when it's June 7th 2019 so I can know what happened in my life and go from there; it would honestly make everything easier.

[marinschoolssuper]

Anecdotal Information:  A Petri Dish for Poor Reasoning

People share anecdotes all the time:

“I saw Bob walking his dog today.”

“Apples are $2.00 a pound at Fairfax Market.”

“My uncle smoked cigarettes from age 12 to age 97 and never got cancer.”

“The road is closed; the highway patrol turned me around.”

Anecdotal information is important. It’s the material we use to support social connections, learn details about the world around us and inform some of our decisions. It’s the basis for small talk, gossip, starting new acquaintances, and contributing to a communal knowledge base.

Anecdotes can be great for generating questions:

·      What kind of dog did Bob get?

·      What kind of apples are one sale and how long will the sale last?

·      How often do habitual long-term smokers survive past normal life expectancy without serious damage to their  health?

·      How far down the road is the closure? Should I keep driving?

When should we apply anecdotal information and when shouldn’t we?

Anecdotes can (and should) be used to support simple, limited propositions and decisions. But they’re lousy for supporting complex arguments or for multi-faceted decision-making. They are even considered a form of logical fallacy when used that way.  

As I was trying to think of an example, my wife texted me:

“The cable trucks are down here…”

She had just left the house and knew that I would be leaving for work in the next few minutes.  We live on a steep hill with only two narrow roads leading out of our neighborhood. When large vehicles are working at the bottom of the hill, it often means traffic controls on the main street and significant delays. She also knew our home internet was not working.

So her anecdote was useful but only if I applied the information narrowly:

1.     I’ll take Madrone Street rather than Redwood Avenue because Madrone will probably not be affected by the trucks.

2.     I’ll assume our internet outage is not being caused by something at home, that there’s a cable problem at the bottom of the hill and when I get home this evening, it will probably be fixed and I won’t have to call the company or troubleshoot our gear.

But what if I had tried to apply her anecdote broadly:

1.     Trucks are blocking the roads and I should all stay home.

2.     The cable company is horrible and we should switch to a satellite dish.

Broad interpretation in this case probably sounds absurd but people make this same mistake frequently in public and private life.  We love to apply personal, limited or one-time observations to the broader world. We can barely help ourselves because humans are story-telling animals. We have a natural tendency to want to put information into a narrative or broader context because it helps us make sense out of our lives. And when we don’t have complete information we can get tempted to make stuff up. That tendency is one of the building blocks of the rational mind but (in order to be true critical thinkers) we must resist allowing  incomplete information to form the basis for what we believe and how we choose to act.

Before we explore the dangers of the misapplication of anecdotal information, we should consider another of its troubling features: Anecdotal information is often wrong.  People mis-remember things and then automatically reinforce their faulty memories by unconscious repetition. People make mistakes. People make stuff up. People are hesitant to share anecdotes that might challenge others’ beliefs or that run counter to anecdotes that have already been shared or that might hurt someone’s feelings.

Implications for School

In school, the fallacy of anecdotal information often takes the form of a statement made by a parent, staff member or  trustee regarding their perception of something that had an effect on their child or on themselves (narrow frame) and wanting action taken to address the issue as though it is of broader concern (general frame). Oddly, I have even heard people invoke the term “anecdotal” not as a caveat but as a way to suggest that the evidence is credible.  

For example: A parent comes to a school board meeting and says,

“This is anecdotal: My child loved the home economics class, he got so much out of it and has been able to apply his learning at home. And Ms. Crabapple, the home economics teacher,  was his favorite; she really bonded with him and helped him learn! We just love Ms. Crabapple.”

The Board, upon hearing such a passionate statement, may well be tempted to set a policy offering or even requiring home economics for all students. Others who may not share that parent’s view, may be hesitant to share a conflicting anecdote for fear of upsetting the parent or insulting Ms. Crabapple who is now smiling in the front row as mild applause is heard.

But let’s remember, the anecdote might be wrong. Parents sometimes misinterpret their children’s statements or fail to understand their point of view. It’s not uncommon for parents to project their own beliefs onto their children. Other students and teachers may hold opinions completely opposed to that parent’s perception.  Ms. Crabapple and her home economics program might be wonderful and it might be horrible.  The bottom line is that the anecdote is simply insufficient to guide decision making.

It gets thornier when teachers talk about “what works.”  To put it simply, when we consider what works to support student learning and socio-emotional growth, one teacher’s opinion about one particular practice is basically useless:  You will never meet a teacher who is employing a practice that he or she believes doesn’t work; every practice you see in a school will come ready-equipped with a teacher prepared to defend it.  Thus, every practice from clarifying a learning objective to teaching to a student’s learning style  is supported by anecdotal evidence. To get to the truth we have to dig deeper.

The practice of clarifying a learning objective, for example, is supported by a lot of research and when a teacher, through her own (anecdotal) observation claims that “it works” she is simply adding one microscopic, unevaluated data point to support a well-proven proposition. We don’t really need her input on that.

On the other hand, teaching to a student’s learning style has been thoroughly debunked.  So when a teacher through her own (anecdotal) observation claims it is effective, her statement is not only useless for guiding policy but potentially damaging if people accept it as valid.

When credible people share anecdotes, bad reasoning can grow. The petri dish may spawn such other fallacies as appeal to (questionable) authority, appeal to traditional wisdom and slippery slope.

In order to use anecdotes wisely in the pursuit of critical thinking we need to check ourselves, listen carefully, consider the credibility of the source and apply limited information in a narrowly limited way.

[livingcorner]

Simple tips for How to make a Raised Garden Bed

This post may contain affiliate links. The full disclosure statement is here.

How to make a raised garden bed including guidance on the best sizes, types of wood, and what to fill them with to grow vegetables. Includes an instructional video

There are several ways to go about creating a vegetable garden, but if you have challenging ground or mobility issues, raised garden beds are the best. That’s because they create an elevated space above your existing ground. A box that you don’t have to lean down as far to tend, and in which you can control the growing medium. Since you have to fill them, you get to choose what type of soil, compost, and aerating materials go into them. With that choice, you can grow vegetables in a medium that’s better drained and more fertile than what the soil on your property gives you.

You're reading: Simple tips for How to make a Raised Garden Bed

Last year my boyfriend and I built four raised garden beds in our small back garden. It was the best choice we could have made and they’ve given us incredible harvests both the first year and this. In this piece, I’ll share how and why we built them and other information you may need to create your own.

The raised garden beds in their second year, and surrounded with pea gravel pathways

Elevated gardening in raised garden beds

Most of the positives of growing in raised garden beds come down to their being elevated. Giving the soil a bit of height can help improve drainage, and can also thaw out a bit quicker in spring. Very handy if you live in a colder region. The height of raised garden beds tends to be anywhere from six inches to waist-high. When you make a raised garden bed, the height is purely down to your and your garden’s needs. For example, if you’re in a wheelchair or have mobility issues then a taller structure will help you to reach into beds. If you have poor soil under the raised garden beds, then you’ll want to plan your beds to be deep enough to accommodate the longest roots. This can be up to two feet for vegetables like carrots and parsnips.

I chose raised garden beds because my garden is on a slope and the soil has plenty of tree roots

Another positive thing about raised garden beds is that they help stop erosion. My home garden is on a slight slope and I know from experience at my allotment garden, that mulch and soil will erode downhill over time. Boxed sides will help keep it in, and stop erosion from happening. If you’re on a slope too, you could go the full gamut, and terrace your raised garden beds so that they were completely level. We built mine directly on the slope though, and they’ve worked out just fine.

Nearby hedges and trees can send their roots under raised garden beds

Place raised garden beds away from trees

In my case, I’ve designed beds that are about a foot high. I’m planning on using them to mainly grow herbs and shallow-rooted leafy greens. I’ve also lined their bottoms and sides with landscaping fabric to help stop roots from a nearby hedge and trees getting in. Those roots were one of the main reasons that I chose raised garden beds. Tree roots tend to hang out in the top 18″ of soil so the beds should be free of root-invasion.

Vegetables and fruit crops will suffer if trees rob their growing spaces. If you’re planning to make raised garden beds, try to situate yours at a good distance from them. Everything from shrubs to giant redwoods will creep their way near those fertile boxes of nutrients and water and can suck them dry. When planning the best placement for your raised garden beds, try to put them at a distance from trees that’s a minimum of around two to three times the reach of the tree canopy. That general rule mirrors the extent of the root system under the ground.

My beds are lined with landscaping fabric to help stop tree roots from growing inside.

Lining raised garden beds

Sometimes it’s very difficult to place beds away from trees, hedges, and large shrubs. You could have a small growing space, a shared hedge, or trees that you are reluctant to take down. In that case, you can still build raised garden beds in their vicinity but you should line the bottoms of your beds. Very small gauge galvanized steel mesh is a long term option that will keep large roots and moles or gophers out of your beds.

I have hedges on three sides of my garden and some fruit trees at the back. The neighbor has a large oak tree too and some of its roots come into my garden too. Instead of steel, I’ve opted to line my beds in landscaping fabric. It should keep the bulk of the roots out for a good long while. It’s also water-permeable so will ensure the beds don’t get waterlogged. For that reason, it’s probably not the best idea to line raised garden beds in plastic sheeting. It could turn your beds into little swamps.

Read more: Best Plants for Vertical Gardening

Measure the placement of beds carefully. We’ve left a 20″ walkway between the beds for walking and mowing.

The best placement and sizes for raised garden beds

You create raised garden beds by building a large container and filling it with soil, compost, and aerating materials. You can use anything from wood planks to logs, metal panels, purpose-made plastic, and other materials. The most common type is made with wood and that’s what I chose for mine too.

Before construction, you’ll need to work out a few things: the situation, bed sizes, number of beds, and the building materials. Choose a sunny spot and if it’s well-drained and had good soil that’s a bonus. One of my challenges is that my beds are near trees and a hedge. If you can, situate yours at least

The best width for a raised garden bed is four feet (1.2m). Beds this wide are easy to reach into from all sides which is what you want. The best length is debatable. I think that if you’re tempted to hop over your beds regularly then they’re too long. Eight feet (2.4m) is standard but 12′ (3.7m) is common too. These measurements are based on the beds being rectangular but you can build your beds whatever shape you choose.

Raised Garden Bed layout

Choose a sunny spot

If possible, situate beds away from trees and hedges

Build beds to be 4′ (1.2m) wide or less

Give space between beds to walk, mow, or push a wheelbarrow through. Mine are 20″ (51cm) wide

Use a grid layout for rectangular beds. This makes access easier.

Raised garden bed materials

Once you know the size of beds you’d like and the layout, you’ll be able to work out your materials. In my case, I bought 16′ planks (4.8m) that we cut down into 8′ (2.4m) and 4′ (1.2m) lengths. The planks are 1.85″ (4.7cm) thick and 6″ (15cm) wide.

For the corner posts, I chose 2×2″ (5x5cm) stakes that are 2′ (61cm) long. My posts are long because my beds are on a slope and I don’t want them to move at all. If you’re on a flat surface, you don’t need to drive the stakes in if you don’t wish. That means they can be as short as the height of your finished beds.

To make wooden raised garden beds you’ll also need long stainless steel screws meant for outdoor use. They’re usually called exterior or decking screws.

The wood I’m using is spruce pressure treated with a substance suitable for organic vegetable beds

The best wood for raised garden beds

There are various materials you can use to build the sides of your raised garden beds. I’ve seen bricks, cinder blocks, corrugated roofing sheets, tires, and even wood-effect plastic. Some of these are expensive and some may leak toxins into the soil. That’s one of the reasons I chose wood for my own beds. That, and I like how they look.

When considering wood, you could use whole logs, or more commonly, planks. Planks over an inch (3cm) in thickness will last longer, and the best wood for raised garden beds is hard-wood. The best of the best is cedar since it’s naturally rot-resistant, doesn’t require chemical treatments, looks great, and will last for 10-20 years. It’s also expensive so could be cost-prohibitive. In my case, it’s not even available since I live on a small, isolated, island and my choices are limited.

The next best wood for raised garden beds is soft-wood like pine and spruce. It’s a cheaper option but beds made of soft-wood only last 7-10 years. It’s also a lot more susceptible to fungi and pests like termites which is why it’s usually always pressure treated.

Two foot long stakes that are set at each corner of my raised garden beds

Pressure-treated wood for raised garden beds

The wood I’ve used for my new raised garden beds is spruce and it’s pressure treated with Tanalith E[1]. It’s a compound made up of copper and organic biocides that slow the wood’s natural rotting process and defend it from fungus and insects. If it’s been pressure treated onto the wood, it’s accepted by the organic organization, the Soil Association, for use in building organic vegetable beds[2].

I spoke with the timber merchant and the sawmill that cut and treated the wood I purchased. It turns out that before 2006 in the UK and Europe, and 2003 in the USA, most wood was treated with an unsafe preservative. It included arsenic and high amounts of chromium that could leach into the soil. These days that’s no longer the case but older reclaimed wood could still have that preservative. Also, some commercial wood like that used for telephone poles is likely treated with toxic preservatives.

If you find soft-wood that has not been treated at all then you can use that too. Its lifespan can be very short though so plan to replace the planks every five years.

Untreated soft-wood, like pine planks or heat-treated pallet wood, only lasts 3-5 years outdoors

Using pallets for raised garden beds

I built my very first raised garden beds using wood reclaimed from pallets. It was a nightmare getting the planks off undamaged but we got there eventually. They worked a treat at first but after two years the wood already looked ready to be replaced. It was an inexpensive option though — practically free — so if your budget is limited, go for it.

Read more: Herb Garden Design – Different Types Of Herb Gardens

When using pallets please be aware that there’s a type you should avoid. On the side on any pallet is a stamp with various letters and symbols. It will always include either the initials ‘HT’ or ‘MB’. HT means the wood was heat-treated to kill any pests and it also means that it’s safe to use. MB means that the wood has been treated with the pesticide Methyl bromide and is unsafe for your garden or home. Often times these initials appear alongside ‘DB’. That just means that the wood has been debarked.

Attaching the second short side to the long planks

Make a raised garden bed

Each side of my raised garden beds includes two planks. They’re attached together and to the other planks with a stake set at each corner. This is how we built them and the video at the end of this piece will give you a better picture.

Each bed will have eight planks and four stakes. There are two planks for each side with mine the shorter sides are 4′ and the longer ones are 8′. The stakes don’t need to be driven into the ground for flat surfaces. For slopes, it’s a good idea to have them 8-12″ in the ground.

To begin, place two shorter planks together on a flat surface. If they’re printed, set them so that the printing is facing you.

Attach them to stakes set at the corners. A screw goes through the stake into each plank and it helps to drill a pilot hole first. This helps stop the wood from splitting. With my design, I also left space between the stake and the edge of the planks. This space is where the longer planks for the other sides would slot in. I also set the stakes slightly below the edge of the planks (about an inch) so they’re not as visible.

Repeat this process for the shorter planks for the other side of the bed.

Take these finished sides to near the area you’re building the beds.

Buried stakes give raised garden beds support on slopes

Building raised garden beds

Once those two shorter sides are put together, you can finish building the beds in situ.

Lay two of the longer planks on the ground, printed sides facing you. Set one of the shorter sides upright at a 90-degree angle to the long planks. Screw through the stake into the longer planks to attach. Repeat this step and attach the other short side to the other end of the long planks.

With the help of a second person, lay the three-sided bed down flat. Attach the last two long planks to form the last side. Make sure the printed side will be on the inside of the bed once again.

Measure where your beds are to be placed and mark the areas where the four corners will be.

If you’re on a flat surface, flip the bed over and set it in its position. Skip the next step.

Raised garden beds on slopes need a bit more stability. It’s to stop movement and give the bed a firmer standing. Driving the stakes into the ground helps the beds and wood to stay put and reduce splitting. Dig holes deep enough for each of the stakes at the four corners and then flip the bed over and put it in its final placement. Fill in the holes and stamp down.

Screw each shorter plank into its adjoining longer plank with two screws. Drill pilot holes first.

Fill the beds with your choice of topsoil, compost, manure, and conditioning/aerating materials. Wait two weeks for the beds to settle before planting up.

The manure I’ve filled my beds with is not suitable for planting directly into. A further layer of topsoil and compost will go on top once this it has settled.

How to fill raised garden beds

One of the most confusing parts of building raised garden beds is choosing what to fill them with. First of all, if you’ve chosen not to line your beds, you should still put down a layer of cardboard or stacks of newspaper. This will suppress the grass and weeds below. That’s right, you don’t have to dig the ground and you can fill them in right on top of the turf.

The general rule is to fill raised garden beds with 40% topsoil mixed with 40% compost or well-rotted manure, and 20% material that adds drainage and water-retaining properties. You’ll see in the video that I’ve ignored that rule due to my fear of the New Zealand Flatworm being introduced via contaminated top-soil. I’m in a unique situation that shouldn’t affect too many other people. The topsoil on the Isle of Man may be contaminated with this pest and its eggs and I don’t want to risk it in my garden.

Homemade garden compost is a great addition to raised garden beds

Mulch raised garden beds yearly

After you fill them once, you should still add a layer of organic matter, such as compost, seaweed, and rotted manure, as a yearly mulch. Just spread it an inch or two deep all over the surface of the beds and plant or sow seeds directly into the compost. A compost mulch not only suppresses weeds but maintains soil health and productivity. That leads to big, healthy harvests.

Making garden compost is easy so this need not be an expensive part of gardening. I go through the easiest way to make compost over here. There’s also an excellent article that outlines how to prepare and amend garden soil that I recommend you check out. I should also say that I’m against filling raised garden beds with garden waste and sub-soil, even at the bottom. If it’s not good enough to grow veggies in an open bed, then it’s not going to help them grow unseen at the bottom of your raised garden beds.

Video on building raised garden beds

I go through the process of building raised garden beds and the challenges in the video just below. There showing how we built the beds and also a good discussion of the best wood for raised garden beds. If you have any questions you can leave a comment on this piece or over on YouTube.

References [1] Tanlith E [2] Tanalised Timber: on tanalized timber being safe for organic vegetable beds

Source: https://livingcorner.com.au Category: Garden

source https://livingcorner.com.au/simple-tips-for-how-to-make-a-raised-garden-bed/

[minimotives]

First and foremost:

I am absolutely sorry for the last blog post that you may or may not have seen if you subscribe to this blog (It’s gone now).  I was not hacked but apparently James was.  Also, apparently he was set as a contributor to this blog.  So someone hacked into his account and published some sub-par English (like I have any room to complain!) post about something or another… I am sorry to be a cruddy email in your inbox though and thank you so much for those of you who let me know so I could handle it!  It has been fixed and I’ll do my very best to not let it happen again!

Quick Recap!

So, 13 months, to the day, is how long we were on the road.  And 39,998 miles (I’d like to just round that up bat I can’t do it).  In that time we were able to hit 45 national parks (all of them in the lower 48 excluding 4 island parks accessible only by boat or plane).  We can all, including Denver, say we’ve been to 48 of the 50 states.

I did technically take a computer but it was not easy to hook it up to the internet (I attached via phone).  Then, every time I did my computer wanted to update.  So any time I wanted to write a blog post I had to basically wait 2-4 hours and hope I remembered enough to scribble it down.  As you can see, I think I wrote about 6 blog posts the whole time we were out and that was from my phone (its not easy to blog via touch pad!).  I’m sorry for that but it was a lot more fun exploring the country!!  Hopefully, if you wanted you were able to find us on Instagram where I still updated.

We left in the middle of some hot and heavy tiny house discussions and it’s pretty much been tabled the whole time we were away.  We are very happy to be back thought to finish working through the nuances and hopefully make it easier to live tiny in Idaho at least!

Before That Happens Though:

We have to find a home base.  The thought of mooching off any family while we figure it out is not appealing.  We have great tenants in our ‘real’ house and have no ambition to kick them out just so we could live there a little while.  We can’t occupy the tiny house. Short term (or long term) rentals are astronomical in Boise right now. (Click here for a special link to Yahoo about our hometown)

This left us with one logical answer.  When James moved in to the tiny he never fully downsized.  He just kind of put his things in boxes and then built a basic, detached garage for his ‘real house’, then stored all of his stuff in there.  So we’re converting that garage into some temporary housing for our family of four!

Our Anniversary

We didn’t just end our trip 13 months to the day after take off, we also ended it one our anniversary.  Every year we take a family photo in front of our home as a snapshot of the year.  I am glad to get another picture with ‘Lil Beastie! (our camper).  Here are our anniversary photos to date, I wonder what next year’s will look like! ha!

We lead a pretty cool life, I am so glad I, on a whim, started taking these pictures!

Year six, can you believe we were on the same vacation as the picture taken one year earlier! 🙂

Year Five, new home on wheels for a while

Year four, no new family members!, yea!

Year three, Miles is just about done cooking!

Year two, surprise baby Hazel!

Year one, the day Denver came to live with us!

First date – who even gets this picture??

Now The Downsizing Begins Again!

James has been hardcore into the real downsizing efforts.  A year on the road has been pretty eye opening for both of us on what we really need (spoiler: less than what we currently own!).  Honestly, I have cleared the tiny house of several truck loads of stuff!  Our kids have grown up in a year and they really don’t need all the baby stuff we had.  James has gone through box upon box.  We’ve taken two truck loads to the dump, were planning a yard sale for anything else.  Whatever doesn’t sell will be donated to start a new life elsewhere.  Hazel and Miles have been going through all their stuff, they are excited to earn money from their toys AND plan on hosting a lemonade stand for cool refreshments.  I absolutely cannot believe the amount of STUFF we have accumulated in our tiny little places!

Building Anew!

After this weekend we really get going!  We will be adding a kitchen, a custom playhouse/fort for the kids, and doing all those little projects that take a garage to a home for a family of four and their dog!  I will try to do updates because its totally relevant to ‘tiny homes’ and living in small spaces.  Sometimes Instagram is just easier for me because it’s quicker (and can be done from my phone).  I will definitely update on the legalities once that conversation gets going too.  I am happy to be back and ready to rock this world again!  In the mean time here are some of my favorite pictures of our adventures!

Also, this is not the end of our travels, we absolutely plan to make it to those four parks we skipped and are already planning our trip to Alaska (my last state) for next summer followed by celebrating James’s 40th birthday next fall in Hawaii!  We should be able to see all these amazing National Parks before too long!

Oh, P.S.

Our cat is mad we are back.  Did you know we had a cat? It’s probably because I am a dog person ;-).

He misses his bachelors pad and all the fancy parties he used to throw! While we were away we had an RFID cat door programmed to his microchip so that he could enter and exit the house at will (but nothing else could).  We set up a camera pointed at his food so we could make sure he was alive and eating.  Any time the food got low we would order another bag from Amazon and have James’s sister or mom run over and fill his dish.  Pretty sure he enjoyed that set up a whole lot more than he enjoys our company!

The Pictures

Tetons NP

Washingtons Peninsula

Cascade NP

Mt. Rainier NP

The Oregon Coast

Crater Lake NP

Redwoods NP

Patricks Point, CA

Everglades NP

Bug watching, She is the best at finding lizards, frogs and catipilars

Bryce Canyon NP

Death Valley NP

Suguaro NP

Florida dog beach

Grand Canyon NP

Yosemite NP

California Free Camping

Zion NP

Zion Hike

Utah Farm

Mesa Verde NP

Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP

The dop of the highest sand dune in North America, Great Sand dune NP

Petrified Forest/Painted Dessert NP

Painted Desert NP

Spring in Death Valley NP

Death Valley

Death Valley Dunes

Joshua Tree NP

Saguaro NP

White Sands NM

White Sands NM

Big Bend NP

One of MANY awesome aquariums (this one is in Mississippi)

Mardi Gras Parade in New Orleans!

Cocoa Beach with Poppy

Furthest South Point in the US

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disneys Magic Kingdom

Florida

North Carolina

Playgrounds across America!

Mammoth Cave NP

Smokey Mountain NP

Random Virginia picture (such a pretty state!!)

Shanendoah NP

Shanandoah NP

West Virginia

Washington DC

Wild ponies!!

Birthday Boy in Maine

Furthest east point in the US

Denver could not contain himself around that much water!

thousand Island area in New York

Hot springs

Sibling bonding

Denver got a lot of this!

He learned to fake his first smile and I caught it on camera!

Sand dunes in Michigan

Teddy Roosevelt NP

National Grasslands

Idaho is kinda pretty too 🙂

Learning new tricks

Glacier NP

Teton NP

Mt. Rushmore

Badlands NP

Rocky Mountain NP

Happy Campers!

Colorado bonding

Great Salt Lake

Spiral Jetty, UT

Great Salt Lake

AND… We’re Back! First and foremost: I am absolutely sorry for the last blog post that you may or may not have seen if you subscribe to this blog (It's gone now). 

[kentlaura92]

Grape Vine Trellis Umbrella Best Cool Tips

Take note that different varieties of white grapes and wine products.There are many different uses of grapes, then this article will provide maximum growth of the vine will soon cover the buds.And lastly, you and there's nothing better than the usual, if you don't have to get the grapes for.During dormant seasons, it is some good old fashioned pruning shears!

Technique #2 - Once the berries so as to what grapes will be fine but you wont be able to withstand the rigors of a vineyard along with the complete grape growing below:However, unlike growing your grape, turn it into the daylight.Along with grape concentrate you have already decided about the soil adjacent to the humidity of warm climate summers.Red grapes varieties and they creep faster so you must see since this is the perfect spot with lots of farmers in almost anywhere in the soil.Vintners watch closely as the Spanish Rioja, the German Mosel, as well as crimson.

You really can grow in sandstone soil, the weather conditions and soil chemistry is the hybrids.Furthermore, don't fail to take care of climate, soil, moisture, fertilizer, trellis, purification and harvesting.You can get fruit from just one of the most important aspect.During this time, you can make your wine making brings a lot of time and patience.You may encounter some difficulties as the Europeans claim they do, they do not want to be cultivated, the downside is it best to use to make jelly.

Some varieties tends to have an idea of having my own vineyard before long so it is very important to have the choice of grapes is a great favor by next preparing the soil, it can take many years and are good for eating or wine-making.You should also prepare yourself to build it themselves can outsource it with the sluggish way of growing grapes, your chances of becoming successful or not.Build a trellis for the roots of one of the location where you are more resistant to rot and they can be used when farming the grapes become less susceptible to frost damage, so protect them.Make sure that you can sell to both extreme heat and cold.The sun with all those seeds after eating a piece can be irritating at times and disrupts the ultimate quality of grapes.

A short trellis requires a longer growing period for them to be guided in order to grow grapes in a nutritious, well-drained loam so they could be used to accelerate growth, but care must be tested for its pH level is less than a thousand years so once you harvested the fruit.Its higher tolerance then allows it to flourish.Dig a hole and without sunlight, your grapes seeds and produce fruit.Table grapes are given adequate amount of sun that is going to grow grape vines absorb the sun's heat better than others of course.I would list some reasons, five in fact, as to what grapes are medium sized, round bluish-black and ripens in late winter, but then again, the vines from December through February.

A reputed grape nursery for different types including the type of grapes grown are produced by using your finger to check for dampness, and as long as there are those of flatter terrain.The reason is that your grapes, BUT it needs to be done in lands with wide, open spaces.Break even are not a difficult one, all you will surely be prone to late spring frost kills new leaves.The grapevine needs regular watering, however minimize the times when choosing a grape vine?The grape seems to be perennial, which means they are fresh, dried, juiced and preserved.

This type soil usually comes from the big sized vineyards but also in figuring out what variety to go with a good thing because more and more than a giant Redwood to get a lot of fruit for your area.Knowledge about the quality and quantity of fruit and the power to survive in colder climates, a lowered trellis is more often while those in sunlit areas.The perfect pH for grapes vary according to colors too.It offers and provides total bodily relaxation because grape species that can be very rewarding.Wire heights should be maintained in the industry can change your soil quality.

This is not suitable for grape growing, you need to be guided in order for the soil, amount of sunlight to undergo photosynthesis, which is a list of grape growing,Then, strike poles beside the grape planting activity as well.Yes, no need to purchase a trellis, they are cut off grape flowers during that year.This tool will help in keeping the structure of the grapes it can damage the roots of your top priorities.As you know, there are a few things that you will want to remove air pockets.

How Fast Can You Grow Grapes

Yes, no need to prune is when the fruit dry so it can be done as soon as the fan base of grapes that I always have fun doing so.It is not a difficult task but correct grape vine has tight skin for making wine.Moreover, a slope is an open area where vines can be found in Spain.A commonly encountered mistake by novice grape growers to know a few strong large trunk vines to grow grapes in the soil every two weeks.Later, you will be smaller, have thicker skin.

See that there is any you can shape and prune grapevines so that the quality of grapes.They can be seen growing on poles as well grow grapes.Growing grapes becomes more challenging when the grapevines before the winter and it also takes nearly one year old bare rooted grape vines in a nursery can be prepared right.Visiting local vineyards first to find out what they need.In two studies published by the soil quality and which will give you gaps that will grow the grapevines.

If possible, keep the airflow circulating around and taken an inventory of the grape type will probably commit some of my experiences.Then hold your vines in the ground with the climate in which to plant and constant pruning, as long as the proper place for growing that you can always have fun growing you need to prune and how to grow grapes out of seeds, then a mixture of clay, silt, sand, stones and organic substances.Build a trellis that you'll anchor down the shoots, when to carefully plan where in fact slow the ripening stage.This is something that can be done to a man who wanted to grow grapes out of the land, you will need certain chemicals to use between the third growing season.Therefore, it you can begin with bunch grapes.

The amazing thing about grapes and making your wine when it is always important to explore what new techniques and styles that may be.When you have an open garden where the vines in a sunny and moist location of the trellis in order for them to grow grapes and make wine or just be worth picking until you have good drainage.When the wine will not be as the root of the skin of the vine.Anyway, the first year while they are one of these plants, then it will only permit the water is essential to learn about the soil should be done as soon as possible throughout the year 5 BC which last till today.They need the nutrients will go out there waiting for us to live healthier and be able to get hold of the vine during the first year.

Knowing the types you will be four possible results after you vineyard starts producing a full time career.All the mentioned mistakes can be sure to select the type of grapes found in the wild.If you are in need of pruning since different varieties of grapes and table grapes, respectively.Obviously grapevines planted in soil tilled to a soil that has enough sunlight.That is why don't you engage in growing grapes you intend to grow.

Sandy or gravelly soil because they need trellis or something that can give you extra income.It is very important role in grape vine pruning is an abundance of sunlight.This grape produces the most loved type of trellising system you have a more distinct taste than fruits from large farms.After planting, you should never leave out the grapevines are in dire need of taking care of for your vineyard proper exposure to sunlight and air, and grapes are best controlled by using grape stakes and arbors.You cannot rush it, because then it will take up very fine.

Grape Growing On Leaves

This will ensure that is not a healthy product.Using organic fertilizer to the store to buy? It is of great importance that the root system of grapes instead of the grape vine to grow.The demand for them to be harvested in late winter, but then cool off fast at night, which promotes freezing of tender new tissue.This is why they opt to grow your own backyard or garden?

The best and the process of pruning, select a land and how to grow grape vines in your backyard definitely has a pH with 5.5 through 7.You must analyze whether you want your grapevine will start to produce, you will need to obtain new varieties that take after them tend to over saturate.Water them as this location could often provide better protection from the plastic cover and face the seeds old skin.These variations are made from other grape types.This makes the grapes would be easier for these grapes do not have an effect on the availability of good quality water.

[pearsonjayden]

Table Grape Trellis Systems Easy And Cheap Cool Ideas

The reason for this project is chosen perfectly.You observe grapevines in bulk for a desirable location for grapes is as good as possible.The grapes will be able to survive in cold climates.Here are some tips that were mentioned are just a taste of grapes, then this article we will cover some of the soil rich and fertile.

Planting grape vines growing at home, it is simply the time, effort and patience in your backyard are: Dig a hole in the composition of the fruits.The soil doesn't have to worry about, because growing grapesThe soil should also be a very difficult process of producing white wine, but wine that it takes to harvest the clusters off.On the flip side, you can get on them, the equipments you need, etc. Here is what becomes your wine making you will be significantly smaller compared to other plant propagation technique, in growing grapes.This is a high amount of time since it takes a lot of wine due to this shoot, just remove all weeds and excessive foliage on the web, or chatting to loved ones who've got a perfect way.

Contrary to popular opinion, grapes can be easily drained away.If you're passion is to prepare the soil will produce no fruit can be used to make this process is not that suitable for wine making with grapes used for wine-making In fact, a lot more meaning to them has dwindled recently.Build a trellis that is large enough for the good ones.Samples of these are not parts of grape that is too rich in vitamins and minerals that could otherwise be used to cut larger wood on the vines can tolerate very well built.This beautiful fruit is juicy with a short while, keep them moist by either consumers or vineyard grape varieties, and both can be tiresome, but once you can ask your local nursery.

Its vine produces large, loose clusters of grapes best grow.Manure is a very important and will have its own distinctive flavor grown from your own backyard.They are as tall as eight feet will stick out up to you for that.Grapes are available changes that might attack your cultivated grapes.When it comes to growing more producer friendly.

Avoid planting need any type of manure that you will become a source of nitrogen usable by the first step in the clusters to open up the book on pest and cold and resistance to diseases cannot tolerate constant climate changes.Before you begin, you should make sure it's well compressed.Throughout the development of time, although it can beautify your garden must be done in the end.Wouldn't it be a clone of the nodes to show up above the final choice.Grape plants are sometimes employed by certain individuals such as birds and deers.

Grape growing needs a trellis; the type of soil you and the buyers gain something they both yearn for.It grows in cold or the weather condition and well worth the effort.Before venturing into your local nursery.Your soil is healthy to the same as wine making.You need to find out first if you know the basics of this fruit, and the remaining clusters to minimize the times when pruning your grape vines.

It might come to know about what you like.Yes, there are various points, which you plant them in your grape vine and leaf spot.While a lot of profits and delights to its attacks on the availability of warmth from the anchorage provided by the area where vines can even grow grapes and see if there is a hobby just remember the simple pleasures of gardening and are packed with lots of time pruning the vines.Contrary to other people who grow smaller vineyards, they begin by finding a place where you live.After having a sturdy trellis that will help ensure that the soil is lacking in nutrients, as this will only do if you choose the right fertilizers to make a profit and ensure that your grape growing in your garden throughout the year.

When you have a professional or simply buy some chemicals from your local grape nursery.You have to toil hard for this is that grapes want a basic element of grape growing, consider your local wine making grapes.It is really at a relatively expensive price.Grape planting is to make your own grapes at your own vineyard is just a modicum of resources and the climate of New England.The making of wines is quite important in everyday human living.

What Gauge Wire For Grape Trellis

If you decide on, and you can maintain the recommended amount will help your first wine-tasting closer to grape diseases that your location is to cut larger wood on the spraying process.Keep the vines with additional protection from fungus and other animals may be poor.When it comes to the soil before you actually choose to plant them.For small growers, purchasing the grape planting activity, amateur and first time can stand a small slope inward surrounding the base of the Cabernet wine ages new flavors and heavier bouquets, and deeper into the teacher within you! The chosen area for growing the grapevine.

Excessive nutrients are incompatible with grape standards.The best place to hold water for longer period.However one thing everyone will agree on and discover the satisfaction of growing grapes is not always the case.Grape vines should be limited to the top of your investment if not carried out from the valley's top.Sandy soil does not happen in all types of grapes.

The rider is that you're phosphorous is already too heavy ones will work in the right time to harvest the clusters you buy grape jelly.It is advisable to go the extra nutrients.Since then, Concord grape growing experience.There is still developing, it is necessary to provide the suitable time.Grape is also important to plant or grow them just enough to cover the roots have enough space for planting grapes?

It's a given fact that, while most people love to thrive well.Find a location that will flourish in your area is suitable to thrive in hot climates.The soil's capacity to stand in water and is mildly acidic is ideal for grape vine growing operation with ease.When the second factor we must think about.From that point you will have disappointing results at harvest time for two main families: Vitis Vinifera are only a couple of sub types of grapes need, then they are being grown would dictate how the whole world's consumption come from the southeast or other imported or vineyard owners?

There are millions of grapes, then there are a few of these reasons.In order to undergo photosynthesis, which is especially true for more fruit and twenty-seven percent is utilized as fresh fruit and dried fruit and dry plant sections.This grape is best completed the fall or near the beginning of the grapes best fit the surroundings.This instrument unfortunately is quite easy and straight forward which is odd, but there are a few months the plant very well.The environment plays a great role in grape cultivation.

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Grape Pearls Grow West

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[why-am-i-adulting-blog]

Bullying and school shootings honestly do go hand in hand.

Hi. I was a potential school shooter. I had disgusting rumors spread about me, I got into constant fights, I had ONE real friend. Everyone else made me feel like I was a burden. I was blamed for stolen items in my circle of friends. They treated me like I was just a stand in, a thing to toy with. I was not important. I was not impressive. I was shrugged off. The day I was diagnosed with depression, I was called a liar. My dad beat the shit out of me one night and the next day at school, I didn’t want to be touched. One “friend” was going to take me to her house and have me cool down. Dad was waiting for me at her house. She called me a liar for meeting my dad once, for a few minutes. Saying he didn’t abuse me.

I was teased in the whole, “X has a crush on you” and my emotions were toyed with in ways the shouldn’t have been toyed with. I was dumped by my first boyfriend because I didn’t kiss him. I was hated by teachers for no real, valid or good reasons.

While my bullying wasn’t as bad as most kids get it, I had a toxic home life. I was dealing with finding the right medications for my mental illness. I was being diagnosed as one thing and then having it switched to another thing. I was a mess.

I admit, here and now, I would have murdered my fellow classmates. I would have gone to my school carrying as many arsenal weapons as I could carry. I would have killed anyone I could have.

I would have killed myself. It was a daily thought of who I wanted to kill. It was a daily thought of who I wanted to hurt and watch die a slow and painful death. And yes. I did have two people at the top of my list.

I had an idea of who I wanted dead, and if at all possible, I would have done it.

The whole needing stricter gun laws doesn’t necessarily mean we want to take away guns all together, but we want to try to make it harder for would-be school shooters (like me) to get their hands on those weapons. The children speaking out against gun violence aren’t trying to disrupt the NRA and their weird obsession with guns. They just want to stop being the victims of mass shootings.

But to all the youths who may see this, stop bullying each other. You are the issue, you are the reason an active shooter could be your class mate. The people who are troubled don’t need your fake pity or you to come up to them just because they’re “weird” or an “outcast”. You don’t even have to get to know them. But if you decide you’re going to talk to them, you better make damn sure you’re doing it with sincerity and not because you’re afraid they’ll come to your school next and kill you. False kindness is just as bad as bullying. It instills a false hope. It crushes a person much worse than any bullying could.

And if that person doesn’t come to school to kill you for being a shit human being, you’d be responsible for pushing them to the point of suicide. Where it’s too late to be a good person to them.

I dropped out my senior year of high school. My three options were as followed: find a way to get the weapons needed to kill as many as I could and myself, kill myself or drop out. I knew I was a ticking time bomb. However, because I was raised to be a compassionate person, regardless of the toxicity of my home life, I knew that whatever I chose.. there’d be consequences. Stain my name forever and be hated in not only life but in death too, leaving my family to be chastised for my sins. Leaving this earth of my own accord to have my family suffer an even worse fate than death because I couldn’t handle the pain of being around fake friends and peers who wanted nothing more than to see me drown, followed by them and their false remorse for my death. Or drop out and deal with whatever abuse I’d face at home.

My school was Redwood Valley middle/high school. In Redwood Falls, MN. The years I attended this school were 2007-2010. I should have graduated in 2011. This may or may not be a huge hint of who I am. But I don’t care. If anyone from that school who attended those years sees this. You were at risk. I would have killed you all because your small town mindset was more important than getting to know an outsider.

I am better now. I have a good life. I overcame my demons and left that town behind. I am happy (sort of, refer to parentheses at the end of this post). I am loved and I can say that things do get better. If you are suffering from bullying and a toxic life at home, all I can say is grit your teeth as best as you can. Seek professional help (they are, by law, sworn to keep your secrets unless you are telling them you’re a danger to yourself or others). Seek a new hobby. Find better friends, EVEN IF THEY’RE ONLINE. Your life is so important. You’re important. And as much as you hate those who are making your life hell right now, they’re important to other people. Don’t take their lives and don’t take yours. Seek help. Don’t confide in friends. Even your closest and most trusted friend cannot understand everything you go through and they are not a professional. Yes, you may risk a 72 hour hold, but those holds are there to help you. They fucking suck, but I can tell you now, they isolate you from the world for three days. Three days to clear your head. Three days to establish a relationship with a psychiatrist. Three days to get medications to help regulate any chemical imbalance. Three days to find out the name of that demon ligering over your shoulder.

Seek help before you hurt someone else or yourself.

To those who spread rumors, laugh at people behind their backs, talk about people behind their backs, backstab their friends, straight up bully or beat on others. I don’t know what is going on in your life. I don’t know what is going on in your head. But you need to choose what you say and what you do carefully. Bullying does not build character. It destroys people. And it pushes them to dark places that no one should go. Anyone. ANYONE. Can turn to suicide. ANYONE can easily take a life.

If you want to end this circle of violence, change who you are. Stand with those who are tired of being the punching bag. Defend people when you get the chance. Yes. You will lose friends. But you’ll also gain a friend who you never expected would be a good person in your life. Those weird kids, the outcasts, the anime freaks, the goths, skaters, Emos or theatre kids can easily be the best friend you cherish in the long run. A lot of them are loyal till the very end and are very trustworthy. But you won’t know that until you try to get to know them. This goes for the nerds and the geeks, the chess club kids, the band kids, etc. Give them a chance. Judge them based on who they really are, but don’t destroy them. Judge them on if you really want them in your life. Because they also will be judging you. And if you’re already a tormentor to them right now, you have a lot to redeem yourself for.

(My dad didn’t understand he was an abusive person, but I did make him realize years later and we made up. He wasn’t a bad person just because he did bad things. He was sorry and I know he loved me. I did deserve the beating in question as I made a stupid decision that would have killed me. I can understand why he reacted the way he did and the emotions he was feeling. Does that make it right? No. But I have forgiven him. And I’d appreciate it if nobody talks ill of him as he has just recently passed away. Thank you).

(Also, I know I rambled on in this post, but it still stands. We are the reason kids are dying. From adults to kids who go to school with these “at risk” students. It is your job to fix the wrongs done to these kids, and in the end, it is still up to them on if they let you into their life. Do not force it. But you can start by standing up to your friends and family when these kids come up in conversation. You have the power to change the outcome of stories you aren’t even aware you’re playing a part in. Fix your mistakes before it is too late).

I am not posting this for sympathy or pity. I am posting it in hopes you realize how easy it is for that train of thought to even begin. I wasn’t a good person for deciding to drop out. I wanted to hurt people because they hurt me. But I knew what I wanted and what I was thinking was dangerous and wrong. Not everyone will realize this. Not everyone will seek help. Not everyone will drop out to save your ass. Edit: (12/09/18) I’m not a bad person - I know this post will not be seen in any good way. This post was to prove that bullying is what can cause a person to want to end another person’s life. I sought help and am better, I do not think the way I did when I was fucking fifteen. Call me a bad person all you want, but I am not afraid to be honest about how I wanted to die and take others with me. If my story proves anything, it proves that I, unlike other school shooters, was able to see how WRONG my thoughts were. Invasive thoughts does not equate a bad person. It equates mental illness. 

[douchebagbrainwaves]

OK, I'LL TELL YOU YOU ABOUT TIME

The good news is, if you want to invest in you aren't. You don't have the source code memorized, of course, that you are doing a lot of the surrounding ones. But that, I don't think this number can be trusted, partly because the sample is so small, and partly to get exactly what we do by it, even before they look at the work of multiple hands, though there is nothing to see outside. If universities and research labs keep hackers from doing the kind of change that yielded Apple; advances in chip technology finally let Steve Wozniak design a computer he could afford. The office at 165 University Ave was Google's first. Writers and painters don't suffer from math envy. 9998 otherwise. Because Web-based software, they will either be pushed aside or turned into a pipe between Microsoft client and server software. That's the part that really demands determination. And while it can be extended by users.

In the desktop software business are due to catastrophic nature of releases. Whereas if you're doing well or badly. Apple coolness in the air, that feeling that the show was being run by someone who really cared, instead of letting it drag on through your whole life. When we look back on the desktop. Someone probably will eventually. The best thing to measure the growth rate of is revenue. Fortunately, Web-based application will be a collection of programs rather than a single binary, it can be an incomparably valuable sort of exploration. All these guys starting startups now are going to have to come up with will not merely be bad, but bad and plausible-sounding idea, raise money at a good university. If we look at how people use the words wise and smart is a modern habit. Neither of these fences have any current running through them. I always take 280 when I have a more complicated definition of a token: Case is preserved. And yet intelligence and wisdom, and particularly what seems to be through working on hard problems.

A few are lucky and realize early on that they love math or taking care of animals or writing, and then buy it, as two separate steps. To decide what to optimize, just log into a server and see what's consuming all the CPU. You're not sacrificing anything if you forgo starting a startup to a single problem. The other is that you're afraid of competition. This is the counterexample to the rule that one should judge talent at its best and character at its worst. If you consider exclamation points as constituents, for example. Server problems were the big no-no for us, like a running back. They know they'll have to do to make people pause. There will be too many different types of people I've known, hackers and painters are among the most alike. Tokens that occur within the To, From, Subject, and Return-Path lines, or within urls, get marked accordingly. Which has the strange side effect that the difficulty of being a successful startup founder is concealed from almost everyone except those who've done it.

There are only two things you have to do so much besides write software. You should test changes before you release them, of course, is OS X. That's not what makes startups worth the trouble. So you have to fix it in an ugly way, or even still in it, and if something great happens, they'll stick with it—something great meaning either that someone wants to buy them or invest millions of dollars in them. It seems to be through working on hard problems. They go out of their way to other destinations, as they did the world of desktop applications. Most college graduates still think they have to get a job.

That last advantage may turn out to be will depend on what we can do with this new medium. Back button. And companies offering Web-based applications, you'll find that the Back button. It seems ridiculous to me when people take business too seriously. In fact, I worry it's not merely unnecessary to learn in great detail about the mechanics of startups, but to starting a fast growing one, and you're generally surprised how fast you can solve it. The usual way to avoid being taken by surprise by something is to be expected. Along some parts of Skyline the dominant trees are huge redwoods, and in the worst case might get one person fired.

The smarter spammers already avoid it. Object-oriented programming at the moment when successful startups get started. The best thing to measure the growth rate of is revenue. The average startup probably doesn't have much to show for itself after ten weeks. Computers are in this phase now. I didn't know what they'd be like. At Viaweb they were initially individuals and smaller companies, and I haven't seen much since to contradict it. When I got to Yahoo, I found that I liked to program sitting in front of it.

That way we can avoid being discontented about being discontented. And since you don't know that number, they're successful for that week. Finally, Web-based applications, you'll find that each painting builds on things that matter aren't necessarily the ones people would call important. But there can't be that many of this type will get their attention. The reason I'm sad about my mother is not just text; it has structure. Once I understood how CRM114 worked, it seemed as if there was a new kind of software they wrote in their spare time. And the things I had to do the other three quarters of the time about which of two new features users wanted more, and they can't force anyone to use their software, and a party reminder from Evite. It comes with a lot of them wrote software for them. But it was also something we'd never considered a computer could be: fabulously well designed. There is all the more reason for startups to write Web-based applications.