#bumble bee acres

[arisaontheinternet]

Got some new yarn I'm trying out. Seems very summery. Loving the color combos.

[pnwnativeplants]

https://www.xerces.org/blog/want-to-save-bees-focus-on-habitat-not-honey-bees

Five reasons why honey bees can be a problem

Native plants need native bees. Native bees coevolved with our native plants and often have behavioral adaptations that make them better pollinators than honey bees. For example, buzz-pollination, in which a bee grasps a flower and shakes the pollen loose, is a behavior at which bumble bees and other large-bodied native bees excel, and one that honey bees lack.

Honey bees are sub-par pollinators. The way that honey bees interact with flowers means that they sometimes contribute little or nothing to pollination. Honey bees groom their pollen and carry it in neat pollen cakes, where it’s less likely to contact the stigma of another flower and pollinate it. They are also known “nectar robbers” of many plants, accessing their nectar in a way that means they don’t touch the pollen, often by biting a hole in the base of the flower. By contrast, many of our native bees tend to be messier, carrying pollen as dry grains, often all over their bodies where it’s more likely to pollinate the plant.

Hungry hives crowd out native pollinators. Introducing a single honey bee hive means 15,000 to 50,000 additional mouths to feed in an area that may already lack sufficient flowering resources. This increases competition with our native bees and raises the energy costs of foraging, which can be significant. One study calculated that over a period of three months, a single hive collects as much pollen as could support the development of 100,000 native solitary bees!

Honey bees can spread disease. Unfortunately, honey bees can spread diseases to our native bees—deformed wing virus, for example, can be passed from honey bees to bumble bees—and can also amplify and distribute diseases within a bee community. 

Urban honey bee hive densities are often too high. There is growing evidence of negative impacts in towns and cities from the presence of honey bees. A recent study from Montreal showed that the number of species of native bees found in an area decreased when the number of honey bees went up. In Britain, the London Beekeepers Association found that some parts of that city had four times as many hives as the city’s gardens and parks could support. The conservation organization Buglife recommends creating two hectares (five acres) of habitat for each hive, several times the size of an average residential lot in the United States.

[headspace-hotel]

Observations have led me to conclude that dandelions are beneficial, vital, and should not be considered invasive species.

The designation of "invasiveness" assumes that a non-native species displaces native ones that provide more and better ecosystem services, or alters the ecosystem in a way that makes it worse for other inhabitants. This is very true of Lonicera maackii and many other nasty invasive species I am familiar with in the southeastern USA

Dandelions, however, almost exclusively establish in areas where other plants can't even survive. They don't bother established ecosystems with biodiversity, but they are super aggressive in heavily manicured areas like lawns.

When I pass through areas of town where there are open spaces and roadsides covered in turfgrass, they are empty and barren, but there are always dandelions. Crack in the pavement? Dandelions. Gravel? Dandelions. Manicured front lawn? Dandelions. Mostly empty flower bed with landscape fabric and that ugly black mulch? DANDELIONS.

Without dandelions, there would be acres and acres and acres of space with no food plants for pollinating insects at all. If dandelions filled a niche that native plants would otherwise fill, the designation as invasive would be legitimate, but instead, they're providing vital essentials for survival in places where no native species can do the job.

They start growing and blooming as soon as the temperature gets above freezing. They penetrate compacted soil up to 20 inches deep and let water and nutrients soak in. Bumble bees, mason bees, and longhorn bees all will visit them. this is a pro-dandelion blog

[hometoursandotherstuff]

It's been a while since I posted a decommissioned missile silo that's been turned into a home. Can you imagine this thing being your front door? This particular one, from the Cold War, was done by YouTube influencer Andrew Flair of Fishing With Flair. It's a former Atlas-F missile complex, built in 1962 in York, Nebraska. It has 1bd 1ba & is asking $750K.

Once inside the cement entrance, you proceed down the stairs.

This would be your foyer and very sturdy door.

And, here we are in the residence. As you can see, it's very open concept. I kind of like the bumble bee effect on the funnel thing- makes it the focal point of the room.

The kitchen and flooring are very nice.

The walls and ceiling are very rough- looks like he simply painted them.

It has electricity, hot and cold running water, a working septic system with lift station, and a water purification system. You have to add a StarLink system (or similar) for communication, gaming and entertainment.

Listed as 1 bd, but clearly, you could put more beds around, right?

This is the one bath, or shower, and I see that he put some drywall up in here.

Now, let us proceed to the unfinished lower level.

So, this can be finished for more living space, but I'm not loving those creepy holes in the floor.

Now, let's go thru the tunnel to look at the empty missile silo.

I don't know what's going on here.

If you've never seen one before, it's just a long empty space that housed the huge missile. You can see the hatch doors on top, there.

This is what it looks like from outside, where the missile would launch.

It's the typical missile silo design. What in the world would you do w/that silo?

Of course, it's in the middle of East Bumblefuck, and comes with 6.19 acres.

[archie-the-menace]

‼️ HUUUGGGEEE OC Infodump incoming ‼️

Alright I have made way too many MLP OCs lately and decided to line them up to keep track of their heights. Here’s ALL of my OCs so far, and a bit about them:

Princess Alpine (Alpine Ibex) - Leader of the Alpine Herd, and a fierce warrior.

Aurora Racer (Pegasus) - A famous racer known across Cloudsdale, she currently lives in Alpine Acres.

General North Star (Alpine Ibex) - General of the Alpine Herd’s army, and Princess Alpine’s guardian (and wife)

Cherry Syrup (Capricorn) - A sweet Capricorn who runs a juice bar.

Lemonade (Capricorn) - Works with her sister, Limeade, at the juice bar. She’s incredibly chatty.

Capri Sun (Capricorn) - A playful Capricorn who sometimes causes trouble for travelers.

Limeade (Capricorn) - Works with her sister, Lemonade, at the juice bar. Shes awfully shy and quiet most of the time.

Water Chestnut (Deer) - A gardener living in the Kingdom of Capra.

Lord Magma (Okapi) - Previous reincarnation of Inkblaze who attempted an invasion of Equestria. Incredibly manipulative and powerful.

Lord Whirlpool (Muntjac) - Previous Reincarnation of Watertrotter. Fought against his childhood best friend, Lord Magma, to the death in order to protect Equestria from invasion.

Honeypot (Bee Pony) - A mail carrier living in Alpine Acres. She also keeps bees.

Bumble (Bee Pony) - Honeypot’s younger brother, who is terrified of bugs.

Turnip Top (Earth Pony) - A grumpy old Earth Pony who believes in hard work.

Neep Leaf (Earth Pony) - A young filly and the son of Turnip Top and Aubergine. Neep Leaf is very curious. He looks up to his brother a lot.

Turnip Tinker (Unicorn) - A unicorn who was adopted by Aubergine and Turnip Top. He has chronic joint pain, but is incredibly technologically gifted and loves tinkering with different things.

Aubergine (Earth Pony) - A loving mother and amazing cook, who was known for her beauty in her youth.

Watertrotter (Chinkara) - The Water Guardian of the Kingdom of Capra. She sometimes likes to disguise himself as a pony to hang out with their friends in Equestria.

Inkblaze (Himalayan Ibex) - The Fire Guardian of the Kingdom of Capra. He loves to draw and paint. He looks quite scary, but is actually very friendly and sweet. He easily gets overwhelmed and struggles with depression. However, He believes that he can single-handedly improve the relationship with Equestria. Watertrotter disagrees.

Please feel free to inquire about them in the comments cause I really want to ramble about them!

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this press release from the Center for Biological Diversity:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released its draft Insecticide Strategy, a guidance document establishing a framework to protect more than 850 endangered plants and animals from insecticides. This is the latest move in the EPA pesticides office’s work to start complying with its obligations under the Endangered Species Act.

The draft strategy focuses on practical measures to ensure that endangered invertebrates and the species that rely on them for prey and pollination are protected from conventional insecticides. It builds on the EPA’s draft herbicide and rodenticide strategies to protect the species most vulnerable to the 24 million pounds of insecticides used on 83 million acres of agriculture each year in the lower 48 states.

Two weeks ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a draft biological opinion for just one insecticide, methomyl. It found that this one insecticide is likely to jeopardize the continued existence of 82 endangered plants and animals, including the rusty patched bumble bee, Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, Attwater’s greater prairie-chicken, Karner’s blue butterfly and red wolf.

Insecticides are known to play a major role in the “insect apocalypse,” harming bees, butterflies and countless other “non-target” insects.

“Insecticides play an outsized role in driving our current heartbreaking extinction crisis, but I’m hopeful that the EPA’s strategy will be implemented in a manner that gives species on the brink, like the Dakota skipper and Florida bonneted bat, a shot at survival,” said Burd. “The EPA has to do all it can to ensure that no species goes extinct because of the pesticides it’s in charge of regulating.”

For decades the EPA has failed to comply with the Endangered Species Act’s requirements to consult with expert wildlife agencies to reduce the harm of pesticides to protected species. As a result of ongoing pressure and a series of court decisions, the EPA released a comprehensive workplan to address how it would meet the challenge of protecting endangered species from pesticides. In addition to the herbicide, rodenticide and new insecticide strategies, the agency has initiated pilot programs focused on reforming the pesticide-approval process to correct violations of the Endangered Species Act.

[beardedmrbean]

Messing around with the save editor and found some interesting stuff

An unused, and also non-functioning difficulty setting. It sounds like it would have started Sora at level 99 with max stats and all abilities known while making enemies significantly stronger, but the only thing that was completed was the name and description, it's no different than Standard when forced to be that mode.

Semi-unused magic cards with Three Wishes and Crabclaw on them. They're for a minigame in the Hundred Acre Wood called Bumble-Rumble, in it Sora has to fight bees while protecting Winnie the Pooh. The cards look like this in the minigame

(The Three Wishes card)

(The Crabclaw card)

In the minigame they restore the honey gauge and unleash a burst of wind to push the bees away respectively, if used outside the minigame Sora raises his keyblade and yells "Heal!" and "Wind!" respectively, but nothing else happens. They all cost 0 CP no matter the value.

Soul Eater has proper stats (except for recovery), but they're copied from Kingdom Key. It's used in Riku's story as his only attack card, but Riku's deck is premade based on what world he's currently in and Soul Eater's stats can never be viewed.

In the GBA version the Darkball enemy card had a completely different effect that only worked in multiplayer, it would hide your deck from the opponent, since the remake doesn't have multiplayer its effect was changed and it can only be used in Riku's story while he's in Atlantica, it allows him to use Duel Sleights even if the card he plays isn't the same value as the enemy's. It has a CP cost though, and it's different than the GBA version where it cost 25.

Cards are in the extreme mode then?

maxed out thing looks like it could be fun, decent challenge at least given that baddies maxed out should probably be stronger than sora maxed out, at least the bosses should.

[mithrilhearts]

Day 02: Changing of the leaves AU Verse: Sweeter Than Honey (Plot Bunny)

Bilbo Baggins runs a successful honey farm on the west side of the Brandywine River. Though his peaceful days of honey handicraft grow tense as a new logging company, owned by one Thror Oakes,  draws closer to his land. It’s how he meets Thorin, a lumberjack living under the thumb of his grandfather, the owner. They should have been adversaries - the two are on opposite sides of nature, but as it is so often said: opposites attract. (2872 words)

I’m cheating and using #fotfictober as an opportunity to introduce another plot bunny (that really doesn’t tie into the prompt today) which can, and like will, be used for prompts for this month!! It’s a fun universe that both @stardryad-random​ and I have been gushing about together for a few months now!

If you want to see any specific prompts/AU verses, send me an ask!

I’m primarily using the universes I’ve already created (i.e. modern au fics like bookbinder//songwriter, where the shadows lie, etc.)

This by no means mean they’ll be canon to that particular story - like what you read? Maybe it could be canon.

These are small drabbles and I will not be spending a ton of time on them as I am working on other projects.

Check out the rest of my plot bunnies here!

Bilbo Baggins was a man of routine. He enjoyed his morning tea with honey, read the paper, and then tended to his sanctuary. This meant gardening most of all, ensuring the plants around his land were well taken care of and the deadly weeds were fended off. His idea of creating a proper environment for the local bee population was likely far different than that of a properly educated beekeeper. Ever since he had been taught how to create his own honey, his fascination with the little creatures had skyrocketed, and a new passion had overcome him.

Bees were an endangered species, and without them, what sort of honey would he be putting in his morning tea? How would the flowers get pollinated? There were so many useful things from the yellow and black creatures, and frightening as they might have been to others, Bilbo looked at them more as hardworking friends that deserved a little something in return for what they gave the human population.

Pruning often led him outside of his borders, and the few acres he did own led into a heavily wooded forest. Some of the flowers beyond his own gardens attracted a fair amount of bumbles and honeybees, so tending to them was often in his routine as well–though perhaps not daily.

With a basket hooked over his arm and a sun hat over his head, Bilbo was trotting away from his regular grounds to those more foreign and unstable, admiring the slight change to the color of the leaves as he did so. Wild animals and hikers tended to move through these parts more often than not, but so long as the hives were undisturbed and the lavender stalks and wildflowers were left alone, he didn’t care much. It wasn’t as if he could protect all bees or their environment, but even those outside of his care deserved something. 

There were a few hives he knew of in some of the trees that often had a few honey bees or bumble bees roaming about, and he’d leave behind a small cup of sugar water whenever he could to ensure those hard-working working bees got rejuvenated whenever they felt weak or tired–it was how the bees in his honey farm survived alongside the plants. So when he approached the first hive, there was no swatting at the buzzing near his ears or a particularly large bumble that had settled on the brim of his hat, especially when he’d put two small cups of sugar water near the hive itself. An offering, or an olive branch, if anything.

But rest assured, Bilbo Baggins had managed to deal with stings on more than one occasion, whether he had been a kind neighbor or not.

“There you go, fellas. Keep up the good work,” Bilbo grinned, hearing the buzzing as if the bees were giving him a friendly response, and as he moved to trudge through the foliage, a sharp sound made his ears twitch and his expression flinch. Pausing in his steps, Bilbo pulled his hat off with a lone bumble still resting atop it. “Perhaps…something else is out here?” He asked, but as expected, no response came. Sadly, bumblebees weren’t gifted in the art of speech, but that never stopped him from trying–to say that Bilbo’s life was a tad bit lonely would be an understatement.

The bees gave him something to be passionate about.

Another sharp sound sounded off, and Bilbo couldn’t quite make out what it was. Securing his hat, and temporary buzzing hitchhiker, back onto his head, he moved further to investigate. Each step was cautious, careful of where to step, and not draw too much alarm. If anything, Bilbo had mastered the art of silence while living out in these wooded parts–like the quietest of critters living among predators and outsmarting them every single time. 

The sounds became clearer and louder with each forward step, until Bilbo perched himself behind a tall oak tree, peeking around the trunk as the sounds had ceased and he was just staring at the back of…well, not a hiker or environmentalist by any stretch.

A taller fellow sporting red and black plaid for a top, jeans, and boots, but what really grabbed Bilbo’s attention was the mop of dark curls pulled back, alongside the exposed forearms that led to heavy thick gloves and–was that an axe?! That explained the sounds. The sound of an axe splintering a tree trunk in reckless abandon. Thankfully, the trunk hadn’t been abused too much, but it looked as if marks were being left on some of the trees in the area for…purposes that Bilbo didn’t understand.

As that axe was pulled back and slammed into a fresh trunk that had once been unscathed, Bilbo nearly squealed as he swallowed his gasp with a strangled sound of annoyance.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” He’d cried out uncomfortably, watching the axe wielder's shoulders tighten, and maybe he even jumped a little with being startled, but Bilbo couldn’t find himself caring enough to apologize.

“Marking the trunks, but to tell you the honest truth I wouldn’t swear by it,” came a sarcastic response.

Bilbo could feel his ears burning, and as his eyes lowered towards those thick boots the tree offender had been wearing, his heart sank. Below those boots were a few wildflowers that had blossomed within the shade of the trees overhead. Shadowed by leaves, but maintaining enough sunlight on some good days, they never stood a chance against those uncaring leather soles on top of them. 

“You’re not supposed to be out here. This is private property,” Bilbo grumbled in response, and it was this grumble that had the other man turning to face him properly, an axe perched against his shoulder and giving him a glower to match Bilbo’s own. A glower settled within sky blue eyes that made Bilbo feel a tad weak in the knees, much like an overworked bee in need of sugar water.

Sadly, a sugary concoction would not be his saving grace today.

“You’re right, it is.” Technically it wasn’t his property personally, but the logging company that had relocated out this way certainly had its sticky fingers all over it–or so he thought. “This is Oakes’ property, but half a mile to the west? Not mine.”

“No, this is my property, all the way out to the Brandywine River.”

“I’m beyond the river?” The words were faint and in disbelief, and Bilbo wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry at them. Or both at the same time. Whatever annoyed look this blue-eyed menace had been wearing had fallen, looking much like a lost child without a map to find his way.

“You are,” Bilbo grit out, tilting his head a bit and looking at the markings on the tree trunks once more. It wasn’t so much that the trees were being abused for their lumber, but to help mark a path for this grown-ass man to find his way back. It was hilarious, just as it was annoying. “Are you lost, then? Even if that’s the case, I’ll have you be more appreciative of my trees and not wound them with your axe, thank you very much.”

“I’m not lost!”

There was a pause after that snarl, and while Bilbo had been ready to shrug his shoulders and go about the rest of his morning, it was the softer tone that matched the lost look that kept him rooted, much like the mighty oak he had been peeking from behind earlier.

“But if I was…which direction would I take to get back to the main road?”

Hilariously adorable and far less annoying now.

“You want to head southwest,” Bilbo informed lamely with a touch of amusement coloring his tone, watching this fellow’s cheeks form a dusting of rose atop them. “I can show you the way if you like, Mister…?”

“Thorin.” But there was another pause, which seemed to be frequent when it came to uncertainty from this axe-wielding fellow. “Thorin Oakes.”

“Oh, so you’re the one playing lumberjack just across the river? You do realize there are those of us out here who rely on these forest lands for all sorts of things, correct? ” 

“I’m not playing anything. And if you want to complain, take it up with management, Oakes Logging isn’t mine, I just work for it.” Although Thorin stood to inherit it and the lumber mill once Thror kicked the bucket.

“Maybe I will,” Bilbo huffed, but beckoned for Thorin to follow him anyway. “This way, unless you want to play Mountain Man out here and abuse my trees some more?”

Much as Thorin wanted to snark back, nothing clever left his mouth as he simply inhaled deeply before trudging along to follow his unexpected savior.

“I’m Bilbo, by the way.” After all, Thorin had given his name, and it was only polite–even if introductions probably should have come sooner rather than later. “I don’t often find hikers this close to the farm, usually they’re closer to the river. These trees can get you turned around fairly easily though, I will give you that,” Bilbo blabbered.

“Why do you think I was marking them?” Thorin rolled his eyes, even if his method of keeping track of where he was didn’t exactly help. How many times had he passed that sturdy-looking oak tree anyway? “Sorry.”

Now that was interesting. Bilbo arched a brow as he looked at Thorin and gauged the other man’s expression. Those bright blue eyes that rivaled the sky were downcast, an axe perched back against a shoulder, and a gloved hand gripping at the handle like a vice. Something in him seemed…stressed out, to say the least. Or perhaps embarrassed? It wasn’t like Bilbo could blame him, even if the presence of a logging company so close to his sanctuary was bothersome enough. That wasn’t Thorin’s fault.

A small smile curved onto Bilbo’s lips, adjusting his hat by the brim and ensuring that Thorin got a flash of that smile for reassurance. “It’s quite alright, there was no ill intent, and I’m certain the bees won't come looking for you…this time. You’re lucky you didn’t disturb one of the hives, they can be quite vicious, just as they can be sweet.”

“You’re something of a bee expert?”

“Sort of. I run the honey farm on this property, and I look out for the bees outside of my care, they are endangered, you know.” There was always an opportunity to educate someone on the honeybees, or any other kind of bee that buzzed around these parts, and should someone be willing to listen, that was even better. “Some of the trees on this side of the river house hives, just as some of the wildflowers are perfect for the bumbles to pollinate. They keep me in business, but…that’s hardly the important part.”

“So even if you didn’t make a single coin off of these critters, you’d still be doing this…whatever it is you’re doing?” Thorin sounded and looked bewildered. Having been raised in a household where one worshiped the almighty dollar over ‘the right thing to do’, it was something of a foreign concept. It sounded like charity work, and while that had never been something the Oakes were keen on dipping their toes into, Thorin couldn’t say he minded the passionate feelings that radiated from Bilbo. It was almost inspiring, which was confirmed when Bilbo merely bobbed his head with an agreeable hum.

Everyone had something to work towards. It sounded like Bilbo worked toward restoring the bee population, or at least protecting what was left while getting something sweet out of it as well–whether that was honey or money, it didn’t really matter. Just as Thorin was working hard to please those around him and keep up a good reputation for the family name. It wasn’t an easy thing, nor was it exactly the most fun of things, but it helped him get by.

The sound of sticks and twigs beneath boots was the only thing heard for a time, allowing Bilbo to check out his surroundings, without really looking at Thorin in the process. Not to say he didn’t cast a glance or two towards the taller fellow from time to time, but he’d been taught early on that staring was rude, no matter how much he may have wanted to. Those striking blue eyes and the moppy hair all thrown back, Thorin certainly looked like the perfect display of his idea of what a woodworking man might look like. The beard, the flannel, and of course the ever noticeable forearms.

Thorin wasn’t nearly as shy when it came to staring, and the burn of that stare could be felt and made Bilbo’s spine tingle a bit.

“I’ve always loved honey,” Thorin blurted out, a grin starting to crawl across his lips and a flush taking over for his previous embarrassment. “Then again, I love sweet things. Always have. Cakes, berries…practically any sweet imaginable–”

“You’d love the honey cakes. My mother had a recipe for them that’s quite the hit around here, and they’re even better when drizzled with flavored honey,” Bilbo grinned proudly, meeting Thorin’s stare and feeling the warmth of a blush moving across his cheeks when met with a grin in return.

“You’ll have to let me be the judge of that, I suppose,” Thorin mused, tapping a gloved finger against his chin with his free hand, a low rumble of a satisfied hum sounding off in his chest at the thought of sweets topped with something even sweeter. “Maybe I’ll stop by sometime.”

“So long as you don’t get hopelessly lost, that is.”

“I wasn’t lost.”

“It’s okay, I won’t say anything, your secret is safe with me.” Bilbo teased with a wink which was…very unlike him on the best of days. He was a proper and respectable fellow, perhaps seen as a bit odd in the eyes of the community, but he had always been on his best behavior. But throw some lost lumberjack into his woods and apparently, it brought out his inner flirty self, even if he was a bit shy about it. “But…you’re welcome to. It might be nice to get an outsider’s perspective, after all.”

As soon as Thorin’s boots hit the rock instead of dirt and twigs, a small wave of relief washed over him, half dragging his feet along the gravel at the side of the road and staring at Bilbo with something akin to a dopey set of moon-eyes as Frerin might call it. Their walk along the side of the road was quiet, a few exchanging glances and shy smiles quickly turning opposite directions, and neither was too courageous to go any further than their conversation already.

Thankfully, someone else decided to break the shy silence rather quickly.

“There you are!”

Turning sharply as that doe-eyed look melted, Thorin’s gaze landed on Dwalin–the other logger, and one of his best friends, that he’d come out here with in the first place.

“Dwalin,” Thorin greeted with a small nod of his head, waiting for the onslaught coming his way as his bald burly friend had been leaning against the truck for who knows how long.

“It’s been forty-five minutes I’ve been standing here waiting on you. We were just supposed to scout the area, and you wander off and get yourself lost again,” Dwalin griped.

“I wasn’t lost.”

“This is the second time you’ve gotten lost out there Thorin. Now can we go? We were supposed to be back in town twenty minutes ago and I’m fucking starving.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re going, stop bitching and get in the truck.” Turning his attention back to Bilbo, Thorin shrugged one of his shoulders in a half-assed manner. “Thanks for the save.” The moon-eyes were back, complete with a little twinkle of admiration.

“Anytime, Mountain Man.” And boy did those hazel eyes sparkle with something both delighted and mischievous, Bilbo couldn’t help it. “I do hope you’ll stop by to judge those honey cakes.”

“Absolutely.”

“Hey, moon-eyes! Let’s go the guys are waiting for us!” Dwalin barked from the passenger seat of a muddy truck.

“See you around, Bee-bo.” Thorin’s free hand shot up to flick at the brim of Bilbo’s hat, tugging it down slightly in the process, and that alone felt like a forward and playful gesture which was also unlike him. Turning on his heels and striding towards the truck with a hangry passenger, Thorin was halted fairly quickly at the shout of his name.

“Oh! And Thorin!?” 

Twisting around slightly to catch Bilbo in his sights, another generous dusting of pink covered his face.

“Welcome to the neighborhood.” Bilbo tipped his hat purposely this time and stood to the side of the road until he was certain the trespasser turned flirty-interest had cleared the area without getting turned around this time. A small bounce in his step, and it was time to return to his daily bee-related duties, all while thinking about a set of eyes that put the clear blue sky overhead to shame.

[princess-of-the-corner]

Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix Recap: Hundred Acre Wood (The Expotition)

Upon returning to the Hundred Acre Wood, the Torn Page restores the Spooky Cave.

When Sora checks the cave out, he finds that Kanga, Roo, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Gopher, and Piglet are all gathered at the entrance.

“Uh, where’s Pooh?” Sora asks.

“He went in there,” Piglet explains as everyone looks deeper into the cave.

“Do you think there might be a Jagular inside?” Rabbit asks.

“Jagular? Well now…” Owl opens, “That reminds me of when my dear cousin Alphonse–”

“Say, why are you all sitting around here?” Gopher asks, “If you’re worried about that bear, let’s go find him!”

“That’s exactly what I’m thinking!” Tigger announces as Roo chimes in with “Yeah, let’s go!”

“But if there really is a jagular, we’d better think this though,” Rabbit remarks.

“It seems we’ve got a bit of time,” Owl comments, “Why don’t I just resume where I left off?

“My cousin – that is, my father’s younger sister’s–”

“What do you think we should do, Sora?” Kanga asks.

The cutscene ends as Sora crosses his arms.

To begin the minigame, talk to Kanga.

Welcome to the Expotition.

There are multiple treasure chests to find in this cave, and you clear this minigame by talking to Pooh.

Also found inside this cave are falling rocks and swarms of Bees. Bees can be defeated via swings of the Keyblade or casts of magic (they have so little HP that a simple Magnet can dispel them pretty quickly), but they are also just as aggressive as the swarms faced in Twilight Town’s Bumble Buster and re:COM’s Bumble-Rumble, so even if they can’t KILL Sora, they WILL impede your progress.

Additionally, there’s icy/crystallized patches of ground. Just don’t move while those patches of ground are shining, and you’ll be able to pass over it safely. Otherwise, everyone will slip.

The main challenge of this comes from the Courage meter, which will gradually drain over time. Bee Stings and falling rocks make it drain faster. If the Courage Meter decreases, everyone will start screaming and running around in a blind panic.

Yes, this entire minigame is one big reference to Pooh’s Grand Adventure, why do you ask?

To calm the others down, Sora will have to stand in the middle of the panic and use the “Settle Down!” Reaction Command to calm the group and get them to gather behind him.

He can also use “Company Halt!” while they’re following him to keep them from walking into danger.

Among the treasure chests is one that holds the Guard Recipe (allowing the player to synthesize Defense Up’s, which permanently raise a party member’s defense stat).

You also need to use the “Forward March!” Reaction Commands to make sure everyone follows you after a Company Halt (and to get them to start following you at the beginning of the minigame), since the Courage Meter drains faster when Sora isn’t with the group.

For this first attempt, you have a 5 minute time limit.

This is the only 100 Acre Wood minigame where Sora can lose HP.

When you reach Pooh in the middle of a room made of crystal, just use the “Approach” Reaction Command to win the minigame.

You need to find him in 90 seconds to complete Jiminy’s Journal.

“Pooh! There you are!” Sora declares as Pooh sits on the rock and thinks, the others gathering around, “Hey… we looked everywhere for you.”

“I was looking for a very dear friend,” Pooh explains, “that I remember I made a very important promise to.”

“So, did you find him?” Sora asks.

“No,” Pooh answers, “I looked and looked. But he doesn’t seem to be anywhere.”

Tigger pounces on him, knocking the silly old bear off the rock.

“Oh, Pooh Boy! So there you are,” Tigger remarks.

“But, Tigger, did you have to bounce me so… Bounce-ily?” Pooh asks.

“Gosh, I thought a jagular had gotten ya!” Tigger exclaims.

Pooh thinks for a second.

“Oh dear,” he remarks, “I hadn’t thought of that! I do hope that a jagular hasn’t gone and gobbled up my friend!”

“Now, try to remember, Pooh,” Kanga guides, “Isn’t Sora the one you’re looking for?”

Pooh’s stomach growls.

“Oh! The jagular!”

“No, it’s just your tummy grumbling,” Sora explains as he pokes Pooh’s belly, “You must be hungry.

“C’mon… Let’s head home and see if we can find you some honey.”

“I’d like that, Sora,” Pooh replies.

“Pooh!” Sora exclaims, “You – you finally remembered!”

“Remembered what, Sora?” Pooh questions.

“Pooh…”

“I like it ever so much when you’re cheerful, Sora,” Pooh remarks.

“Me too, Pooh,” Sora replies, as Pooh’s stomach growls again.

“Oh! There’s a bit of a rumbly in my tummy.”

“All right,” Sora states, “Then let’s go home!”

He takes Pooh’s hand and guides him out of the cave, all of their friends following them.

Completing this minigame earns the Sweet Memories Keychain.

Sweet Memories gives +0 Attack, +4 Magic, and Drive Converter (Converts most Munny Prize Drops into Drive Orbs). It is considered by many to be one of the best magic Keyblades in the game. People have been known to take it into the final boss.

You are also given a map of the Spooky Cave, which will make navigating it when replaying the Expotition a bit easier.

Subsequent playthroughs don’t have a time limit, and instead keep track of how long you’ve been in the cave. This is where the “Find Pooh in 90 Seconds for Jiminy’s Journal” objective comes in.

However, the Hundred Acre Wood isn’t done yet. We’ve still got one more page to find out there in the wilds, somewhere.

-

GOD that’s sweet though!!

[thoughtsofnowandagain]

27 feb 2023

I ended up going to spoons after all. It was a very stressful weekend. We came home at 11 and I don't think we actually fell asleep until 12:30am so I was really tired the next day but I was so excited about Meg's hen do I think I was running on fumes! Although I was tired, I didn't sleep good on the night of the hen do because of all the drink.

The hen do was really fun. I drank too many cocktails, and I thought I was done for 2 hours in. BUT miraculously I came back from the dead and without a tactical chunder too! Bonus!

We caught a mystery show which ended up being a drag show, so so fun! Then after the show we went upstairs to the bar area and danced the night away. I danced so hard, I'm pretty sure I gave myself whiplash.

I've been thinking a lot about my own engagement actually. More like my own wedding. I'd really love to walk down the aisle to my own song and I'd really like it to be the winnie the pooh theme. but of course the romantic piano version. Winnie the pooh always reminds me of the childhood, I loved that silly old bear. If I think about it too much, I think Sam looks like Winnie the Pooh. All stuffed with fluff. If hunny was pizza, it'd be uncanny. Winnie the Pooh's gonna have to take his hands out of the hunny pot and buy me a ring first.

It's mine and Edie's birthday soon. I'll be 25 and she'll be 7. Now that mum's got the entire downstairs done up, she loves hosting and she's hosting a little bbq garden party thing for me and edie. I think I'll take point and decorate the living room in Winnie the Pooh themed decor. Nothing tacky, but picture pastel balloons, light yellow cake pops with little humbly bumbly bees on them, and a yellow hunny cake. Pinterest suggests crudites as 'Rabbit's Garden', Pig(let)s in Blankets, and 'Tiggers Tail' Wotsits. The vibe is more 1977 Winnie the Pooh, not that 21st Century CGI bastard bear.

I always turned to childhood comforts when I need it. Turns out, I also turn into my childhood traumas when no one needs it too. Sam wants to get out of the sales industry, but to do that he needs to complete his apprenticeship in Digital Media Marketing. He is so close, he just needs to complete a few projects. He did a good chuck of it at work during his quiet downtime instead of his usual tiktoking which he should be praised and commended for. Instead, I quizzed him on whether or not he'll be doing the rest tonight. Exactly the same as when my mum would have done. If i said I had practiced one of the 3 exam pieces to perfection on my piano or violin for example, she'd ask me why I hadn't done the other 2 and she'd tell me off for not working harder. This made me more of a Piglet than a Pooh.

I haven't played any musical instruments since I was in school. Even then, it was begrudgingly. I'd love to get back into playing piano. I was never any good at it, and that's not me being modest, I was really really bad. But I'd like to play Hundred Acre Woods on the piano for mum. Maybe I'll give it a go tomorrow. She'd be happy I think. Who knows.

[disneydarlin]

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh —Aesthetic

Movie Description

A bumbling bear named Winnie the Pooh, sings his way through the Hundred Acre Wood. In a trio of tales, he battles a nest of vicious bees over a trove of honey. The stuffed bear then weathers a terrible wind storm and endures the foibles of the hyperactive tiger named Tigger.

[trashytoastboi]

Helloooooo!!! I have funny idea in my head and I would ask, can you do headcanons of Trafalgar Law and his crew meets Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore? Omg. It will be cute and funny. 😂

Heyya! 🍀 sure thing! Literally spent my childhood watching Winnie the Pooh so this was actually quite a throwback 🤣 hope you enjoy~

Headcanons: Law and the Heart Pirates meeting Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore.

Trafalgar Law & Heart Pirates.

💛 Of all the places they have been to, thus far in their travels. The Hundred Acre Wood was certainly one that stood out. It was a place of exploration and a good opportunity for the Heart pirates to stretch their legs.

💛 Soon after entering the woods they stumbled upon something, a hunched over figure who sat on their lonesome.

💛 At the sight of the large group behind him, Eeyore batted his eyes not expressing much surprise to the people behind him. "You would have more fun if you didn't stay with me" his voice drawled out in a monotone manner.

💛 The group still wonders why a nail was keeping his tail on.

💛 To everyone's surprise, Law seemed to find a twin flame in Eeyore. They could understand eachother thoughts and the mild cynicism.

💛 The crew could only shake their head at the captain who was conversing with him. It was there they also discovered that Eeyore was in fact a donkey, and not a mink as they first assumed.

💛 A bear came tumbling out of a tree with his head stuck in a honey pot. At this point there was a lot of confusion, but no one dared to question why a stuffed bear was climbing a tree and trying to outwit bee's for their honey.

💛 Law was tired and already wanting to go back to the ship, though his crew still wanted to explore and he couldn't help but oblige them. Bepo was instantly vibing with Winnie. (Must be a bear thing)

💛 Bepo and Winnie broke into an in depth conversation and critique of various honey.

💛 The crew lost interest in the honey conversation and were focused on the small pink creature that came bumbling along with stutters and stammers and an evident anxiety.

💛 "P-P-Piglet's the name! Oh dear... how do you do?"

💛 The crew actually found Piglet to be incredibly precious and inspired a sense of wanting to protect him from everything. Certainly was one to tug on the heart strings.

💛 Law could only think that Piglet = Pink Chopper

💛 Law got a familiar sense of dread, unknowing as to the reason. Until he heard a comical springing noises and what he could only assume to be a tiger came springing along on his tail.

💛 "This place is weird" "I really want to leave" "Please tell me you lot are done looking around" was amongst the common thoughts swirling in Law's head

💛 Tigger was instantly energetic, loud and very forthcoming to the group of strangers... Much like a certain captain which caused Law a lot of stress.

💛 "You should come meet everyone!!!" Tigger insisted trying to convince the crew to meet everyone.

💛 Law doth proclaim nay - instantly rounding up the crew and leaving before anymore more odd encounters.

[pigeoncoffee]

ultimate single word island names list

as you all know i loved single word town names on new leaf.. whilst ive been brainstorming names for my new horizons island i’ve compiled the ultimate single word island names list!

enjoy!

Ocean/water words: • Brook • Bay • Boat • Canal • Coral • Cove • Creek • Current • Deep • Dock • Drench • Driftwood • Drip • Drain • Gulf • Kelp • Lake • Marine • Pond • Reservoir • River • Rinse • Rill • Rockpool • Sail • Sailboat • Scuba • Spring • Snorkel • Stream • Sea • Seaweed • Seabed • Surf • Swamp • Tarn • Tide • Tidepool • Water • Yacht

Summer/Beach words: • Coast • Conch • Dock • Dune • Harbour • Palmtree • Pier • Summer • Sand • Sandcastle • Shell • Seaside • Shore • Sunburn • Sunscreen • Wharf • Vacation • Voyage

Fish/Aquatic animal words: • Barnacle • Clam • Carp • Crab • Eel • Fin • Flounder • Herring • Limpet • Lobster • Mackerel • Otter • Oyster • Plankton • Salmon • Scallop • Shark • Shrimp • Starfish • Stingray • Squid • Sunfish • Tadpole • Trout

Animal/habitat words: • Antler • Ant • Anthill • Burrow • Bee • Beehive • Bumble • Barn • Bat • Bug • Cobweb • Den • Fleece • Fur • Gull • Hive • Hornet • Honeybee • Ladybug • Ladybird • Nest • Paddock • Raven • Roost • Rook • Seagull • Snail • Toad • Web

Plant/flowers words: • Aloe • Bud • Bamboo • Bloom • Clover • Cosmos • Daffodil • Fern • Heather • Lily • Lilypad • Leaf • Lotus • Orchid • Orchard • Palm • Petal • Primrose • Rose • Stem • Seed • Sprout • Tulip • Wilt • Wilted

Forest words: • Acorn • Birch • Branch • Bramble • Bark • Chestnut • Elm • Elder • Fir • Grove • Juniper • Maple • Oak • Sycamore • Stump • Sap • Sapling • Spruce • Tree • Twig • Thicket • Wood • Yew

Other outdoor words: • Acre • Bury • Barren • Cavern • Cave • Cliff • Coal • Dale • Dell • Earth • Field • Fossil • Garden • Hill • Henge • Hedge • Isle • Island • Lawn • Leaves • Mountain • Meadow • Marsh • Moor • Moss • Nature • Peak • Pebble • Rock • Root • Stone • Shire • Thorn • Uproot • Vale • Valley • Vineyard

Food words: • Avocado • Berry • Butter • Chai • Cider • Cake • Coffee • Coconut • Currant • Egg • Eggshell • Eggnog • Fig • Fudge • Honey • Honeycomb • Icecream • Jam • Jelly • Lemon • Mushroom • Muffin • Mocha • Nut • Pancake • Pear • Pea • Pie • Peanut • Pickle • Popsicle • Radish • Rice • Raisin • Rum • Sesame • Sushi • Syrup • Toast • Walnut

Herb/spices names: • Basil • Chive • Cinnamon • Clove • Dill • Fennel • Herb • Mustard • Nutmeg • Parsley • Saffron • Sage • Spice • thyme

Calm words: • Airy • Away • Awe • Aura • Calm • Drowsy • Dream • Hope • Haven • Haze • Lazy • Lull • Nurture • Quiet • Relax • Rest • Safe • Soft • Serene • Slumber • Silent • Yawn

Cosy Words: • Blanket • Boots • Cotton • Cosy • Cinder • Flannel • Glove • Knit • Knitted • Mitten • Quilt • Raincoat • Sweater • Slipper • Teapot • Teacup • Warmth • Weave • Woven • Yarn

Cute words: • Adore • Blush • Bonny • Cupid • Cuddle • Dainty • Delicate • Ethereal • Fluff • Giggle • Glitter • Lovely • Precious • Sweet • Wonder

City/Town/Building words: • Cabin • Camp • Campsite • Cottage • Home • House • Igloo • Inn • Loft • Mill • Market • Park • Road • Shelter • Street • Tunnel • Tavern • Village • Ville

Weather/time of day words: • Blizzard • Dusk • Dawn • Draft • Drizzle • Downpour • Fog • Flood • Flurry • Gust • Hail • Humid • Mist • Misty • Midnight • Noon • Night • Overcast • Rain • Rainfall • Raindrop • Rainbow • Rise • Storm • Soleil • Sunset • Sun • Season • Sleet • Typhoon • Thunder • Weather • Wind

Seasonal words: Spring/Easter: • April • Crisp • Dew • Dewdrop • Easter • Farm • Farmyard • Floral • Florist • Flourish • Grow • Growth • Hatch • June • Plantpot

Autumn/Halloween: • Afraid • Bale • Bonfire • Cackle • Casket • Creep • Coffin • Costume • Carve • Cemetery • Chilling • Disguise • Eerie • Fall • Fright • Frighten • Firework • Grave • Ghoul • Ghost • Grim • Gore • Hay • Harvest • Howl • Haunt • Haunted • Halloween • Lantern • Morbid • November • Phantom • Rake • Strange • Scream • Scare • Spook • Tomb • Trick • Wicked • Witch • Warlock • Zombie

Winter/Christmas: • Arctic • Chill • Carol • Elf • Festive • Frost • Frostbite • Firewood • Gift • Garland • Holly • Holiday • Ice • Iced • Icy • Icicle • Jingle • Jolly • Merry • Noel • Nativity • Ornament • Present • Reindeer • Rudolph • Scrooge • Sleigh • Snow • Skate • Snowman • Snowball • Stocking • Tinsel • Winter • Wreath • Yule • Yulelog

Mystical words: • Amulet • Cauldron • Chalice • Conjure • Coven • Charm • Cherub • Enchant • Fairy • Fairies • Gargoyle • Goblet • Goblin • Golem • Gnome • Hidden • Hex • Imp • Myth • Nymph • Potion • Spirit • Sprite • Spell • Secret • Shadow • Siren • Wand • Wander

Gem stone words: • Amethyst • Amber • Jasper • Jade • Onyx • Opal • Sapphire • Topaz • Quartz

Colour words: • Bronze • Blush • Fuchsia • Hazel • Ivory • Linen • Ochre • Pale • Peach • Pewter • Sepia • Seafoam • Tawny

Space words: • Aurora • Asteroid • Cosmic • Crescent • Eclipse • Gravity • Luna • Mercury • Meteor • Moon • Nebula • Orbit • Planet • Solar • Star • Venus • Zodiac

Direction words: • Around • Across • Above • East • Far • North • Over • South • Under • West

Other words: • Ash • Ablaze • Beam • Backpack • Dust • Ever • Edge • End • Echo • Cranny • Comb • Frail • Gutter • Hole • Lune • Lush • Letter • Nimble • Nook • Old • Plain • Paper • Rinse • Range • Ridge • Rust • Rusted • Rot • Rotted • Silk • Set • Settle • Sponge • Swelter • Swell • Smog • Urn • Umbrella • Vain • Vile • View • Way • World

[stewarti1]

It’s a great time for some great news and an original post. This summer seems to have been good for the endangered Rusty-Patched Bumble Bee (Bombus affinis). It has been sighted at several locations where it hasn’t been spotted since its decline was established. This photo was taken at Illiniwek Forest Preserve in Hampton, Illinois. The good folks at this preserve have converted dozens of acres of mowed grass into pollinator friendly prairie recreations in hopes of helping these besieged beauties. I’m so happy to report that it’s working! Conservation matters. Conservation works.

[simsicals]

name list!! 🌱

girls:

abra - ada - adley - agnes - alba - albina - alice - alijhah - alma - amari - anita - anne - apricot - aspen - aster - astrid - autumn - avia - bee - bella - beth - betla - billie - birdie - blair - blake - blue - bree - brody - brontë - bug - bumble - calliope - carmen - cecily - cherry - clementine - cleo - clove - daisy - darcy - dasia - dean - devin - dot - echo - eden - ellen - elliott - eloide - ember - esme - esther - ethel - evie - faye - fennel - fern - francine - frankie - gerda - gladys - greta - harlow - hattie - havin - hedwig - heidi - holly - honey - ida - irma - isla - james - jamie - juniper - juno - kaysa - keira - kimber - kiwi - lennon - lily - lolly - lumi - mabel - mads - maggie - maisie - majken - mango - maple - marcy - marley - margo - marley - marshall - max - mika - misha - molls - morgen - morges - nadia - neela - nessa - nin - noah - november - octavia - olga - olive - paula - peach - penelope - peony - pepa - petra - polly - poppy - posy - river - saga - sage - saida - salem - sawyer - scout - shea - shiloh - sigrid - silke - sonya - sterling - sunny - tatum - teal - temple - thea - thyme - timoune - tula - una - val - via - vendela - via - wendy - willow - winnie - wren - wybie

boys:

abel - adrian - alec - andrei - ansel - apollo - apple - arthur - aston - atlas - auggie - august - basil - beetle - benji - blythe - blue - boston - buck - bug - calipo - carlyle - carson - casper - caspian - cian - clay - colin - cole - conan - connor - cosmo - cyan - daniel - edwin - eli - elias - elliott - ellis - emerson - emmett - enoch - enzo - eros - evan - everett - ezra - felix - finley - finn - gil - gilbert - hari - hugo - ivar - jackson - jamal - jasper - jeremiah - jude - jules - julian - kai - kale - kamal - kellan - khalid - kian - lance - lars - lee - lennox - levi - linus - louis - luca - luke - maddox - magnus - mikai - millard - milo - moody - monty - nabil - nero - nino - noe - oak - ogie - ollie - patton - pea - percy - phillip - pierre - rickie - sacha - sage - sam - sean - silas - simon - soren - spencer - tad - talon - teddy - tobias - tobin - toni - ty - urban - victor - vincent - warren - wesley - wyatt - zeke - zion - zippy

surnames:

acres - adler - belle - berry - bloom - blythe - ceres - clarke - cloud - cooper - cricket - critter - ellis -  endicott - finney - fenley - glade - gloom - gorski - green - hawley - heron - hill - horton - kamal - kumar - little - meadow - moody - moon - mora - nye - quickly - quincy - reed - roux - ryder - samara - shirley - sprout - strange - sykes - sylva - tapia - tibbits - twig - tye - valley - welsh - wolfe

[its-natalie-here123]

2020

We all know the horrific year of 2020. It has been a horrible year for everyone. But have you ever wondered everything that has happened this year?

First, we have January. The first few days of 2020 and there were already World War III threats. Yes, World War III threats. In all honesty, more people than not took this as a joke. It was all over Tik Tok and became a meme. It had started on January 8th, 2020 when the IRGC ( or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) had launched missile attacks on two different US/Iraq military bases housing U.S. soldiers in retaliation for the killing of Soleimani, an Iranian major general for IRGC. It was rare for the countries to have conflict on its own in general, even more so in a large conflict such as this. While no one was killed during the missile attack, 110 U.S. military personnel were injured during the attack. It is still being debated whether or not the U.S. and Iraq have made up or are still on bad terms.

Next, was the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. The trial started on January 16th and ended on February 5. This trial would be the third impeachment trial in U.S. history. One of the reasons for the impeachment was that he was thought to have been pressuring Ukraine to dig up information on his democratic competition for the presidency election, Joe Bidon and his son, Hunter.

Meanwhile, a new strand of Coronavirus was slowly becoming bigger and bigger. At this time, the official answer is said to have come from bats. The Coronavirus (or official name Covid-19) had actually first been noticed in December of 2019. The first suspected case of Covid-19 was a 55 - year old man from Hubei, China. It had slowly started spreading until it became a pandemic, then epidemic on March 11, 2020. The first case of Coronavirus in the United States had been on January 20th, 2020. It got so bad at one point it got so bad, the U.S. had to go on lockdown and no one could leave their house unless they had papers saying they could. The only places that were open, were the places that were absolutely necessary. During the lockdown, and after, everyone had to wear masks, surgical masks or designed masks. And everyone had to be 6 - feet apart from each other. You could only travel in small groups of 10 people or less. When school started, everyone had to wear masks, social distance, and have their temperature checked before they entered the building. When the schools found out someone had the Covid- 19, they had to be quarantined immediately, and you had to stay home for 14 days after the symptoms were fully gone. If you come into contact with someone with the Coronavirus, you have to be quarantined for 14 days after you came in contact with that person. It was also mandatory for someone in contact to test for Coronavirus. Before, and a little bit after the lockdown, people had started panicking about the Coronavirus, leading them to buy out all of the toilet paper in all the stores, making the stocks completely empty of toilet paper, paper towels, and other toiletries. This caused Many stores to limit the amount of toilet paper people could buy, to 2 packs per visit. Because of the lack of toilet paper, people had started calling it, “The Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020”. Other things people bought out was meat. People had bought lots of meat leaving only the bare minimum meats. Some other grocery items people bought were hand sanitizer, foods of all kinds, and water. The Coronavirus also had forced the Olympics and other major sporting events and more to close down or cancel.

The wildfire was also something big in 2020. The most known at the time, were the Australia wildfires and the wildfires in California. The australian wildfires are known as, “Worst wildlife disasters in modern history”. In January, the estimation of animals killed were 1.25 billion animals and 46 million acres of land was burned. 90,000 people were rushed out having to leave their homes. The California wildfires were also dangerous in their own right. Since the beginning of the year, there have been over 8,100 wildfires that have burned over 3.9 million acres in California. Over 96,000 residents have evacuated across the state.

The death of Kobe Bryant had come across as a huge surprise for everyone. Kobe Bryant was a world famous basketball player and had played for two decades. Kobe Bryant had won lots of awards, including having 20 seasons with the Lakers (making him have the most seasons anyone has ever played with one team), 17 time NBA All - Star 17 consecutive selections, and more. When he died, he was riding in a helicopter, he was also with his daughter. The crash had killed not only Kobe, But also 8 other people, including his daughter, who was 13 at the time. His death brought devastation to all his fans.

The death of George Floyd had the most reaction out of people. George Floyd was a 46 year old African - American. He was killed because he was being arrested for supposedly using a counterfeit bill, causing the police officer to put his knee on his neck for what was reported to be 8 minutes and 46 seconds. His death had made the whole country angry. Everyone was mad at the police and started protests. This became known as the Black Lives Matter, or BLM. The logo of BLM was a white background with black fist in the middle. Some of them include a black ring around the fist. Most of the people going to the protest were non - violent. Though, some of the protests were violent. Sometimes the police would aim at people, they would surround them and wouldn’t let them leave at times, they sometimes threw teargas at the protesters, and more. But as time went on, the protesters were more violent. They knocked down a statue of President George Washington, as he was known to be racist. The news had only shown the most violent parts of the protests for publicity, and yes, they did happen quite often, they, for the most part, were quite peaceful . Some were really fun for some people. In fact, 93% of the protests were peaceful. Some people also use these protests and the BLM to address other issues in America, such as herterosexism, sexism, classism, ageism, victim blaming, and much more.

Murder Hornets are also coming into the United states. Murder Hornets, or as they’re officially called, Asian Giant Hornets, originated from Japan and East Asia, but no one actually knows how they came to the United states at this time. Murder Hornets often like to eat bumble bees, and like their name suggests, can kill a person if they sting you multiple times. Similar to wasps, they don’t actually die from stinging you once. Murder Wasps are also the world’s largest hornet and wasp. Thankfully, these insects are not aggressive unless provoked.

While there are so many more events, good or bad, these are some of the biggest and history - making events in 2020. The year hasn’t even finished and so much has happened. I would say that I hope things get better, but every time someone says that, something really big or bad happens.

-Natalie Purvis

Made on October 2nd, 2020.

http://docs.google.com/document/d/1JfvvyhwVmX_uSxaL1dkKGhtNKkk-Mq_6TI-hVVAayQI/edit