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ramonawhitfield · 5 months

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When Do Deer Shed Their Antlers? Get the Facts Here

Deer shed their antlers during the late winter to early spring months, typically between January and April. This natural process is influenced by factors such as age, genetics, and nutrition. As we observe the graceful movement of deer in the wild, it's fascinating to consider the remarkable phenomenon of antler shedding. This annual process, influenced by various factors, occurs during late winter to early spring, usually from January to April. Understanding the shedding of deer antlers provides insights into their life cycle and natural behavior. Over time, the shedding and regrowth of antlers have become a subject of curiosity and admiration, captivating wildlife enthusiasts and researchers alike. Let's explore the nuances of this intriguing natural process and gain a deeper understanding of how and when deer shed their antlers. Understanding The Antler Growth Process When it comes to understanding the antler growth process, it's essential to grasp the various stages of antler development and the factors that influence this natural phenomenon. By gaining insights into these aspects, enthusiasts and wildlife admirers can appreciate the intricacies of how these magnificent structures evolve. Antler Development Stages The antler growth process occurs in distinct stages, each with its unique characteristics and considerations: - Early Growth: It begins with the casting of antlers in late winter or early spring, after which the initial growth phase commences. During this stage, antlers are covered in velvety skin and are rich in blood vessels, enabling rapid growth. - Rapid Development: As antlers enter the rapid growth phase, they are nourished by high levels of hormones and nutrients. This leads to exponential expansion and the formation of distinct points and tines. - Mineralization: Towards the end of the growth cycle, antlers begin to harden as the blood supply to the velvet diminishes. This process marks the transition from the rapid growth phase to the hardened, fully formed antlers. - Shedding: Finally, antlers are shed, and the cycle restarts as a new set begins to grow. The shedding typically occurs in late winter or early spring. Factors Affecting Antler Growth Antler growth is influenced by several key factors, including: - Nutrition: A diet rich in protein and minerals is crucial for healthy antler development. Inadequate nutrition can lead to stunted growth and abnormal antler formations. - Hormonal Balance: Testosterone plays a vital role in antler growth, impacting the size and complexity of the antlers produced by a buck. - Genetics: The genetic makeup of a deer significantly influences the potential size and structure of its antlers. - Age and Health: Older, healthier deer tend to produce more robust antlers due to their overall physiological condition. - Environmental Factors: Climate, habitat quality, and population density also affect antler growth, demonstrating the interconnectedness of deer biology and their surroundings. Signs Of Antler Shedding When it comes to deer, shedding their antlers is a natural and annual occurrence. Understanding the signs of antler shedding can provide valuable insight into the behavior of these magnificent creatures. Antler shedding is an intricate process that involves both physical and behavioral changes in deer. By recognizing these signs, you can gain a deeper appreciation for the natural rhythms of the animal kingdom. Physical Indications Of Shedding Deer exhibit several physical indications when they are preparing to shed their antlers. One of the most common signs is the change in color and texture of the antlers. As the shedding process approaches, the antlers may appear darker in color and may feel loose to the touch. Additionally, the pedicle, which is the base of the antler attached to the deer's skull, may appear swollen or show signs of cracking. These physical changes are important signals that shedding is imminent. Behavioral Changes During Shedding In addition to the physical indications, deer also present behavioral changes during the shedding process. Males may become more solitary, as they seek out secluded areas to shed their antlers. They may also exhibit signs of discomfort, often rubbing their antlers against trees or shrubs to hasten the shedding process. Additionally, their feeding patterns may alter, as they focus on obtaining the necessary nutrients to support the growth of new antlers. These behavioral shifts offer insight into the natural instincts of deer as they navigate through this annual transition. When Do Deer Shed Their Antlers One of the fascinating aspects of deer behavior is the shedding of their antlers. Understanding when deer shed their antlers can provide valuable insights into their behavior and biology. Shedding antlers is a natural and cyclical process for deer, influenced by a variety of factors including seasonal timing, age, and health. Seasonal Timing And Influences The timing of antler shedding is primarily dictated by the changing seasons. As winter transitions to early spring, male deer, also known as bucks, begin the process of shedding their antlers. This typically occurs between late December and late March, varying slightly depending on the region and climate. However, it's important to note that the timing can also be influenced by factors such as the availability of food, daylight hours, and overall health of the deer. Age And Health Factors Age and health play a significant role in when deer shed their antlers. Older and healthier bucks tend to retain their antlers for a longer duration compared to younger or weaker ones. Additionally, the overall physical condition of the deer and the quality of their diet can impact the timing of antler shedding. Bucks in prime condition may hold onto their antlers well into the spring, while those in poorer health may shed them earlier. Shedding Process And Duration Understanding the shedding process of deer antlers and the duration it takes is crucial for wildlife enthusiasts and hunters. Let's delve into the mechanism of antler shedding and the duration and rate of shedding. Mechanism Of Antler Shedding Antler shedding in deer is regulated by hormonal changes triggered by photoperiod and environmental factors. Typically, the process begins with a decrease in testosterone levels, leading to the erosion of the tissue connecting the antlers to the pedicle. This weakening of the connection eventually allows the antlers to shed. Duration And Rate Of Shedding The duration and rate of shedding can vary among individual deer and depend on factors such as age, genetics, and health. Generally, the shedding process starts in late winter to early spring, with the entire shedding process taking around 2-3 weeks. Younger and healthier deer may shed their antlers at a faster rate compared to older or unhealthy individuals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwy6V7jKNTc Impacts Of Shedding On Deer And Ecosystem Deer shed their antlers annually after the breeding season, a process that can affect the ecosystem. The loss of antlers impacts deer reproduction and behavior, while the shed antlers provide essential nutrients for smaller animals and contribute to the forest floor's nutrient cycle. Ecological Significance Deer shedding their antlers has a significant ecological impact on the ecosystem. The dropped antlers provide essential nutrients to smaller animals and contribute to the natural cycling of nutrients in the environment. Additionally, they serve as a source of calcium for various animals, helping in their skeletal development and overall health. Behavioral And Physiological Changes Shedding antlers initiates a series of behavioral and physiological changes in deer. During the shedding period, deer become less aggressive as they no longer need to defend their territory. This can lead to a more harmonious social structure within the deer population. Physiologically, shedding allows deer to conserve energy and redirect their resources for regrowth and renewal. This process also impacts deer movement patterns and mating behaviors. Credit: www.wildlifeonline.me.uk Frequently Asked Questions Of When Do Deer Shed Their Antlers When Do Deer Shed Their Antlers? Deer typically shed their antlers in late winter to early spring. This process is triggered by decreasing daylight and testosterone levels. Shedding allows for regrowth, and the cycle repeats annually. What Purpose Do Deer Antlers Serve? Deer antlers are primarily used for mating and establishing dominance. During the rutting season, bucks use their antlers to compete for mates and to display dominance to other males. How Long Does It Take For Deer Antlers To Grow? After shedding, deer antlers begin regrowth and can grow at a rate of up to an inch per day. It takes several months for antlers to fully develop, varying based on factors such as age and nutrition. Do All Deer Shed Their Antlers At The Same Time? No, the timing of antler shedding can vary among individual deer within a population. Factors such as age, health, and environmental conditions can influence the timing of antler shedding. Conclusion As you can see, the process of antler shedding in deer is a fascinating and natural phenomenon that is heavily influenced by various factors. By understanding the timing and reasons for antler shedding, enthusiasts can better appreciate and respect the behavior of these majestic animals. Observing these cycles can also lead to a deeper connection with nature and the wildlife around us. Read the full article

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capsized-heart · 4 years

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Sky Castles

Pairing: Laurie x Reader, Jo x Reader

Summary: Summer has always been your favorite season in Plumfield. Perhaps it’s the lovely, sunny mornings and cool, calm nights, or perhaps it’s the fact that you and Laurie and Jo are practically inseparable in midsummer.

Follows the summers from childhood into young adulthood, with turmoils of the heart along the way.

Word count: 6.1k+

Warnings: fluff!!!!!!!!

A/N: hi, everyone. I hope you’re all staying safe and well! Right off the bat, I want to mention that I’ve pinned a post on both this blog and my main blog @sarapii-peachy about resources for the BLM movement to raise awareness and petitions you can sign to help make a difference on a smaller scale. Everything counts!

i’m back and now with a bachelor’s degree :’) class of 2020 high school and college esketit!!! we did it!!! in this historic pandemic!!! Sorry I’ve been gone for a bit, this fic has been my rocky transition/attempt out of writer’s block after my INSANE last semester of uni and with all the craziness going on in the world. I hope you can channel and take in some of this innocent happiness and childhood glee into your own lives as we navigate the shitshow that is 2020. Saoirse x Timmy x Reader here to cure me of my depression lmao

this title is also based off a chapter in the Little Women book where Laurie, Jo, and the girls go to a park and gaze at the passing clouds and talk about their futures...it’s honestly really sweet. Loosely based off of that!

Comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated on this💛! Not that you guys don’t leave love, but this fic like I mentioned is my attempt at kicking writer’s block in the ass, please let me know how I did! :) talk to me I missed you guys :)

tags: @ravenmoore14 @monikakrasnorada @dangertoozmanykids101 @toozmanykids @adawn1970 @mrchalamet-mrstyles @chavezlikesthings @loveylangdon@daygiowvibe @statisticlytimmy @ceexreverse @bamposworld @lilttletimmy @cindere-llaaa

gif credit to @sheisraging

You love New England for its rich, distinct seasons, how they each paint the countryside in eloquent sweeps of shade and hue. Snow, sun, and breathtaking landscapes of fall color that tinge the treetops throughout the year. You love Plumfield, Massachusetts more for the warmth and love the March sisters have shown you, each alike in personality, nature, to the equinoxes that have shaped your girlhood, each tender memory from your youth synonymous with Meg, Amy, Beth, and Jo.

Autumn. Cozy and comfortable, where motherly Meg showed you how to heat and dip caramel with the apples you’d carefully picked from the orchard for a rare treat, the kitchen swirling with the aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, and spices that left you feeling aglow. She’d taught you how to use an embroidery hoop, how to let dough rise, how to bake a proper pie and how to fix any clothing tear with a simple needle and thread, her compliments quick for your ever growing domestic talents.

Winter. Like cool, ambitious Amy with her painting and taste for luxury and pleasure, how she would praise you for being the only subject suitable for her artwork. Laurie would moan and complain about sitting for hours by the fireside, begging to be excused to go play in the snow, but never you. Amy called you her muse, arranging your hair and skirts to her liking, softening your lips and cheeks with a touch of rouge. It was always such fun to make a day out of modeling for Amy’s portraits, talking and laughing as she’d set up her paints.

Spring. Sweet and angelic like little Beth, windows wide open as her piano trills would float on the warm air, curtains ruffling in the breeze. You’d sit beside her on the piano bench and turn her sheet music for her, to which Beth would give you a shy, rosy smile in thanks. She taught you how to play Chopin and Tchaikovsky, duet pieces where you’d accompany her on the keys, harmonizing with chords and your fingers flying easily together.

Summer. Your favorite season, refreshing, bright, where you and Jo would spend balmy days and long, cool evenings tucked beneath the shade of tree trunks and willows as you’d read in the sun, listen to Jo’s carefully crafted stories. Her creativity and imagination never failed to amaze you, how her writing could transport you to the farthest countries, or keep you grounded in whatever fantastical setting she’d constructed for herself. She’d often write about the two of you; two young girls, best friends who’d have all sorts of dazzling adventures exploring the corners of the world, without the taxing responsibilities of chores, or schoolwork, or the foreboding, inevitable reality that one day you will be young adults and childhood would be gone forever. You’d have picnics and excursions to the nearby fields, dozing in the sun and picking wildflowers, splashing and wading through the rivers and creeks when the heat became unbearable. Before Laurie would come and spoil your fun, of course. Then, you and Jo and Laurie would be like three rowdy boys playing in the woods, your laughter echoing off the trees and sparkling waters.

You first meet Theodore Laurence as a young girl in the fields connecting the March’s property and your own. You live just down the road from the March sisters, your house tucked away beyond the bend and you’d make the trek across the meadow and grasses daily to visit your neighbors. Being an only child with your father off fighting for the Union, the March house was like your second home and the girls and Marmee and Hannah always made you feel like part of the family, your own loneliness long forgotten as soon as you’d step through the door and you’d be welcomed back with laughter, squeals, and embraces.

Today, you are seeking the company of your friends as usual, returning a book Jo had lended you with a basketful of scones you’d baked in repayment. A recipe you’d learned from Meg. The autumn air is surprisingly warm against your skin, indian summer, flushed and golden and dappling the plains. It makes you smile softly, your mood pleasant as you gather your skirts in time with your step, adjust your basket.

Then, you see him. A boy making his way in the same direction, dressed smartly in a black woolen coat and matching trousers, a silk scarf tastefully tied around his throat. His curls are windswept and tousled, his gait relaxed. He feels your gaze and looks up, eyes finding yours and the corner of his mouth ticks up in a friendly smile. Warmth floods your cheeks. You quickly duck your head.

He looks to be your age, but you’ve read tales of highwaymen and bandits roaming the countryside, how they’d feign kindness, only to strike unsuspecting travelers. Perhaps it was the work of Jo’s overactive and contagious imagination playing at your nerves, but why was he heading towards the March’s? You think of little Beth, how boys and newcomers made her nervous, timid. Your resolve hardens protectively. You have to keep this stranger away from the girls.

Your pulse hammers in your throat as you lift your head to see the boy still looking your way. He waves his hand in greeting.

“Hello!” he cheers.

With your eyes still locked, you pick up your pace and keep your silence. Curiously, the boy finds this amusing, laughing, making it into a game as he too begins to walk briskly towards the house, of who will reach the door first. You narrow your eyes, summoning as much hostility and wickedness to your expression, demeanor as you can muster. The two of you are running now, his grin wide and eager, your own mouth twisted with hard concentration as you race each other.

Your chest is heaving when you brace yourself against the doorframe, blocking his way with your arm, back against the wood. He’s not a second behind you and is already on the stoop when you turn to face him.

“Are you Jo’s friend?” the boy asks you with a breathless, easy smile. “You’re quite fast, even faster than her.” He adds. He’s practically bouncing on his feet, jovial and buzzing with energy. The mention of Jo’s name curbs your distrust further. Bandit may now be off the table, and the thought makes you feel a bit foolish now, but how could Jo befriend such a strange boy without you knowing? How did he already seem to know who you are?

Up close, you notice his eyes are green and mischievous, reflecting back the shimmering plains in flecks of amber as he gazes at you, your pulse fluttering ever so slightly…

You scold yourself internally.

Handsome or not, he was undoubtedly a boy of trouble who had somehow won over Jo’s attention. And no easy feat, might you add. Headstrong and resolute, Jo’s circle of friends was quite small outside of you and her sisters, and you liked it that way. You’d like to keep it that way as well.

You feel a sharp, ugly pang of jealousy curl in your stomach. You stick out your lower lip in a pout, turn up your nose in a way that would certainly earn a scolding from Marmee if she were to see your impoliteness.

“Who are you to ask?” You snap.

Your words do not take the desired effect on him. Instead of hurt, or embarrassment, the boy smirks at you, amused. He cocks his head to one side and leans back on his heels, studying you like you’d just asked him why the sky is blue. His mood is breezy, amiable.

“I’m Laurie. Is that better?” he offers with a comical pout of his own. You wrinkle your nose. This boy was starting to irritate you more and more.

“Surname?”

“Laurence.”

“Laurie Laurence? My, how silly and dull.”

He laughs, a low and pleasant sound that threatens to melt your angry facade. He shakes his head, hands in his pockets.

“It’s a pet name. Jo calls me Teddy, but you may call me whichever you like,” he says. Your jealousy burns brighter, flushing your skin, twisting together with a hint of desire and yearning.

You were once Jo’s everything, her favorite companion. She made this clear with how she’d tell you plainly, how she’d spoil you with compliments and stories and affection. And now, it seemed Jo knew another, this Laurie, well enough to call him Teddy when you had no pet name of your own. She seemed to speak of you, which would explain Laurie’s cordiality, but did she tell him how you were the only one she felt comfortable enough with to critique her writing? How she would encourage your aspirations of becoming a dancer by arranging the foyer into a stage and cheering for you while sitting atop the staircase like an admirer in the box seats? How the two of you could jest and play for hours with nothing but your imagination, crying from laughter until your bellies ached?

You feel a sense of betrayal and heartache at this, an intrusion, a tirade of emotions you can’t quite explain. Did you want Jo all for yourself? Did you want to befriend Laurie as well? Did you just want to be someone’s everything again and to be doted on and loved?

Then, Laurie’s voice tapers into a quiet hum, a touch of softness. You hear the first indication of bashfulness as he looks down at you through full, dark lashes. “I hope the three of us can be good friends. I’d like to know you as well.” He murmurs.

You don’t know what to think of him. Your chest feels tight and your cheeks burn, from anger or passion you can’t quite tell. You’re contemplating leaving your basket on the doorstep and shoving past him to go back home when you suddenly hear a clamor of voices and the turning of the knob and then the door falls open behind you.

Laurie catches you before you can tumble through the entryway, hands finding your waist. Jo, vibrant and chipper as ever, lights up when she sees you and her sky blue eyes shine like glass. She has her cap fitted over her wavy blonde curls, skipping into your arms and for a moment you’re sandwiched between the two of them. You flush scarlet.

“Oh, good! You two have met. Goodbye, Marmee! I’m going out!” Jo calls into the house, her voice overlapping with her sisters’ as they all greet you in a burst of chaos. But before Jo can usher you outside, you feel your childish temper flare and you squirm out of her reach and back through the open door and into the house. You set your basket onto the table, turning to hide your face in Amy’s shoulder with a flutter of your skirts as you feel the hot sting of tears prickle your eyes. You weren’t going to let this Laurie boy see you cry upon your first encounter.

“I’m not coming.” You mumble. Amy’s hand comes to soothingly pet back your hair with a hush of surprise and you sense her look to Jo with a characteristic glare.

“Jo, what have you done?” Amy presses.

“I’ve done nothing!” Jo retorts with a huff. Then, her voice turns gentle, curious as she speaks to you. “Dear, what’s the matter?”

“She wouldn’t be on the verge of tears if you hadn’t done nothing, would she?” Amy replies. You laugh weakly, tightening your arms around her. “See?” Amy says. “You’ve broken her heart, the poor thing.”

“Jo’s made new friends,” you sniffle, embarrassed when Laurie’s eyes meet yours. Amy’s arms around you make you feel comforted and safe, brave enough to voice your true burdens when you say, “I’ve been replaced,” and gaze back at Laurie in defiance, protest. He frowns and shifts his weight, looking genuinely sorry with a guilt that touches his eyes. Good, you think. Let him think twice before stealing away your best companion.

At this, Jo’s expression softens with understanding and warmth as she sees you curl into Amy once more. Jo takes a step into the open doorway, leaving Laurie on the stoop.

“No one could ever replace you, dear,” she says. “I only keep Laurie around for when I’m bored and you aren’t around to play. Look at him,” she gestures in his direction. “He’s aloof and vain, he’s lazy, he doesn’t have an ounce of the imagination you do-”

“Don’t forget arrogant.” Amy pipes up.

Jo nods, wagging a finger at her sister. “Right you are, Amy. We mustn't forget that.”

Laurie starts to puff up with a temper, his lips twisting together and you can see him struggling with whether to speak up and defend himself, or let the girls have their fun for your sake. Jo goes on, saying he was devious and too pretty for his own good, making you and Amy giggle as she rubs soothing circles into your back. It’s rather polite and charming as you watch Laurie suffer silently, biting his tongue as Jo continues to defame his character before she finally turns back to you.

“I should have introduced the two of you properly, and for that, I’m sorry,” says Jo. “You must have had quite the surprise running into him.” Laurie again glances to you with an apologetic softness, wringing his hands together. “So, what do you think, Teddy? Are we ready to start afresh?” Jo asks him, hands on her hips.

This makes you laugh, bubbly, your mood perking up as you finally lift your head from Amy’s shoulder. Of course, Jo would be able to comprehend your grievances and somehow peg Laurie with the blame, how she knew your heart was delicate and tender and so full of devotion that you were quick to hold grudges. Your envy dissipates and you feel a bit sorry seeing Laurie now in such low spirits, his theatrical demeanor now quiet and modest.

“If she’ll have me,” Laurie murmurs, glancing up at you with such a pureness in his glittering eyes that regret starts to settle in your stomach.

“And I’ve written more of that story you enjoyed so much,” Jo holds out a hand to you. “Won’t you come hear what happens next?” she asks. Slowly, like the pull of a magnet, you untangle yourself from Amy’s arms and cross the room to take Jo’s outstretched hand.

“Alright.” You say at last. Jo beams and cradles your face with her other hand, swiping away your tears with her thumb. You let her baby you like she would with Beth, enjoying her touch against your cheek.

“That’s my sweet girl.” She smiles.

You then look to a sheepish Laurie and extend a hand, filled with new courage. You tell him your name and echo back his words that you hope the three of you can indeed become good friends, that you and Jo could do well with another acquaintance. The smile Laurie gives you is genuine, sweet and gentle, the corner of his mouth turning up in crooked delight. He clasps your hand warmly.

“I would want nothing more.” Laurie laughs.

And with that, nestled between Jo and Laurie, you step back outside into the rich and golden light of a warm autumn afternoon, curious, excited for what adventures the day will bring you.

Laurie joins your duo swimmingly and the rest of the year passes in pleasant tranquility as the three of you spend nearly every waking moment by each others’ sides. All Hallow’s Eve finds you dressed in a costume of French royalty, a pompous and comical gown of ballooning fabrics, complete with a powdered wig of pins and curls. You’ve painted your face with overlined lips and the trademark mole below your eye and the March sisters double over with laughter as you enter the foyer, fluttering your paper fan with an aristocratic pout, Laurie saluting your entrance with a roar of, la plus belle fille du monde! Jo is dressed as a fearsome pirate, outfitted in boots, breeches, and a captain’s hat, the wooden sword you and Laurie helped to paint swishing through the air as she parades into the room. Laurie enters last with a bang and a flash of white powder, appearing before your eyes in true magician fashion with a top hat and cane, a false mustache pasted onto his upper lip. All six of you then march across the field to the Laurence residence, now alight with carved pumpkins and lanterns, for your All Hallow’s Eve party of sweets and games.

Christmas brings festivities, flurries, and cheer. Sledding, ice skating, days of cold and winter fun making snow angels and snowmen, decorating the March house with holly, mistletoe, culminating into a hearty turkey dinner as you sit perched next to Laurie. The candlelight is homely, the sound of laughter and clinking silverware washing over you and you catch Laurie’s eye as he lifts his fork to his mouth. The two of you grin, leaning into each other with quiet happiness, heads bowed. You and Laurie both mirror each other in being only children, meaning these times together have been filled with welcome camaraderie. Where your instances of yearning for the companionship of siblings that only those without can understand, you’ve found company in each other, never a dull moment, never lonely.

The thaw of spring keeps you tucked away indoors with torrents of rain pelting against the roof. Jo reads to you aloud from her novel, asking for your thoughts every so often as you and Laurie lounge on the sofa. When you articulate a point of slight critique on Jo’s use of character, Laurie teasingly tugs on a lock of your hair with a smirk.

“How perceptive.” He murmurs, grinning.

You swat his hand away, glaring at him in mock anger.

And as the days grow warmer, so does your heart. You’ve learned to share your affection between Laurie and Jo in a way you think is equally matched and that autumn day where you’d been so sour to both of them seems like ages ago. Soon after that incident, your bravado had quickly morphed into appreciation and Jo had been eager to break the ice between you and Laurie. And like all children, your differences and jealousy had been set aside as you’d discovered he was quite fun to be around. Laurie shared Jo’s quick wit and intelligence, like an androgynous mirror, so much of yourself also reflected in both of them in time and they in you. And yet, Laurie had a certain charm about him; how he could have the two of you in stitches and still maintain the air of sophistication that was so often expected of the Laurence boy. Admittedly, you were thrilled to have them both as your best and favorite playmates.

In turn, they had done the same, showering you with loving attention and teasing, keeping you entertained with their bickering, quarreling over how they both wanted to occupy your time with their respective ideas for sport. Fighting over you. The thought of it makes you blush furiously. Yet, you feel cared for, like the most precious thing in their lives.You’ve also selfishly enjoyed being the apple of their eye and all the privileges that has bestowed; Jo writing you into her stories, featuring you as a beautiful sugar plum fairy, and Laurie promising to write you a French ballet, to someday whisk you off to Europe to experience high art and culture.

At last, spring turns to summer and the three of you are back to mischief and horseplay in the great outdoors. The days are lush, agreeable, bright and pleasant with flashing sunshine and lofty clouds. You’re again reminded why summer to you is synonymous with Jo as you run together through the waving fields bursting with flowers, Laurie right on your heels as he too gives chase.

“Jo! We were only kidding about the toads!” Laurie calls out from behind you. “It’s not like I have one in my pocket this very moment who’s squirming to get free and might have bitten me earlier when I caught him by the river and-”

He gives a shout of surprise and you hear his footfalls pause in the grasses. You and Jo both turn, breathless, already laughing when you see Laurie hopping about like hot coals are burning beneath his feet.

A small pond frog wiggles out of his pocket seam with a croak and then disappears into the meadow, waddling with great speed. With out-turned pockets and wrinkled trousers, Laurie stands there with his hands on his hips, confidence and humor masking his faults as always.

“My, they grow up so fast, don’t they?” Laurie says as he looks out over the crest of the hill with a humorous glint in his eyes, like a mother watching her child leave for the vast, cruel world. You and Jo collapse into a fit of giggles, holding each other upright by the shoulders and gasping for air.

Eternal summer and sun, a tender paradise. And as midsummer arrives, so does the heat. It’s stifling, heavy, the kind that suffocates and forbids any excessive movement or play, when being idle is perfectly acceptable, a rarity for you three young adventurers. Today, even nature herself seems to be drowsy from the stifling weather. Sunflowers droop from the weight of honeybees as they float lazily over the fields. Birds chortle from the treetops, as if too tired to fly, their song intertwining with the rustling grasses, tousled by the rare cool breeze. The sky burns a dome of brilliant blue above you, filled with towering, cotton white cumulus clouds. You watch as they drift slowly over the horizon. Like colossal ships at sea.

You rest your head on Laurie’s chest and he toys with your hair. Jo dozes with her arms pillowed across your stomach and the three of you are a sleepy dog-pile of limbs. The feel of Laurie’s fingers makes you relaxed, drowsy. You hear Jo then give a soft snore and you chuckle.

“What is it?” Laurie asks. You can already hear the smile in his voice, how just your laughter is enough to amuse him too. You shake your head against his chest and the movement makes you giggle again. Laurie joins you, flopping out his legs, the heat making you both delirious and loopy.

You reach up blindly and give him a firm nudge, your hand landing just under his chin.

“Stop it, you’ll wake her.” You scold him with as much seriousness as you can muster and failing miserably.

“Ow,” Laurie groans. He grasps your wrist, moving your hand to place it against his cheek and he puckers out his lower lip. “You’ve hurt me, I’m unwell.”

“Oh...Laurie, I didn’t mean it..” you sit up and coo, caressing his skin. Laurie looks pleased, a flash of playfulness in the green of his eyes as you lean towards him. “Let me take a closer-”

You cuff him on the ear ever so lightly, catching him by complete surprise and Jo wakes, cackling, throwing her arms around you.

Later, the three of you gaze up at the passing clouds, a comfortable silence settling over you all as you enjoy the afternoon.

“If we could fly up into those clouds and there was a castle with anything your heart desired, what would it be?” Jo asks. “Where do you two see your lives leading you?” Her tone is pensive, romantic. You and Laurie both hum in thought.

“You first, Laurie.” You murmur.

Laurie turns to look back at the bright blue sky, to the billowy clouds that look like spun sugar candy.

“I want to live abroad in Europe and be surrounded by music, my music. I want to compose, I want to be renowned for my operas.” He declares with a proud puff of his chest. Jo nods, you give his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“That sounds very much like you, Teddy,” Jo says. “A bachelor making art in Europe, how capital.”

He makes a face, then winks at you out of the corner of his eye. You stick out your tongue.

“You can do it if you stay focused,” you add. “No more billiards, for a start.”

Laurie wrinkles his nose. “And what is it that you want, prima donna?” he asks you in challenge.

You turn away with a roll of your eyes, gaze to the heavens. The thought comes to you easily as you listen to the birds, feel the breeze tickling your skin, drinking in the sky.

“I want to be a ballet dancer in a prestigious company. I want to tour the world.” You say softly. Before, you would have felt embarrassment to share such an ambitious dream. But something about this moment, of being with Laurie and Jo makes you feel brave and safe enough to speak your mind, to put your words into the universe and have it come to fruition. Like a magic spell of sorts. With them here with you, you feel like any dream is possible.

Another chorus of hums and Jo looks pleased at your response. Laurie smirks up at the horizon.

“No fair if it’s likely to happen,” he laughs. “That’s cheating.”

“Oh, hush,” Jo chides with a rather hard sock to Laurie’s arm. She ignores his whines as he recoils and grumbles dramatically. “You’re well on your way, dear,” Jo tells you. “Now that you’ll be in that New York production next summer, I’m sure your opportunities will be plentiful.”

You hope she’s right. You’d secured a role as an ensemble dancer in an upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet, your most prestigious show as of yet in your young and budding career. Jo’s warm praise makes you blush like the flowers surrounding you, pink and full. Laurie’s quick eyes catch this, envious, and he changes the subject, a muscle ticking ever so slightly in his jaw.

“And you, Jo?” He asks tightly.

Jo exhales, crossing her arms behind her head. “Being a writer, of course. A great one. I don’t want to settle for less.”

“Doubtful,” snides Laurie. “I don’t see it.”

You and Laurie look to each other with a quiet smile.

“No, not with all the prizes you’ve won,” you add. “Impossible.”

Jo shoots upright, too quickly for the heat. She slugs Laurie again.

“Ow...Jo, it’s too hot for your beatings,” he moans. “Don’t be a poor sport.”

She doesn’t answer him, only gives him a final push and hunkers back down onto the grass, turning her back to him with a huff.

“Why am I the only one that ever gets hit?” Laurie grumbles, opening his shirt to cool himself off and throws his forearm across his eyes for shade, frowning. You giggle, curling up beside her.

“I believe in your abilities, Jo.” You whisper to her. She takes your hand.

It’s not long before the three of you are fast asleep in the sun.

And as the seasons and summers roll on and the fruits of childhood begin to slowly ripen with the passing years, you find your companionship with Laurie and Jo changing and growing like never before. Your friendship starts to blossom into fondness, adoration. Indeed, you’ve loved them as playmates and companions since the three of you were children, but as you flourish amidst that quaint, strange, and budding pocket of time when young men and women come of age, where you and Laurie and Jo are now struck with bashfulness and an awareness of being alone with each other, your love for them arches and glows like summer sunset.

This makes you acutely conscious of your appearance and dress, your posture, how you carry yourself, your mannerisms. How did your hair look? Did you laugh too loudly? Would Jo think your comments about her writing were too harsh? Why did you feel such warmth in your chest every time you saw her? And why were you starting to anticipate Laurie’s company? Why did you always have a sharp hope that he would come around with every visit of yours to the March residence? The constant whir of thoughts and worries was enough to make your head turn with heaviness, make you collapse from the pressures of simply existing.

“You’re acting odd,” Laurie tells you one day.

The two of you lay in a meadow with summer buzzing all around you, resting beneath the drooping leaves of a willow tree. Jo had been unable to join you as she had Beth’s lessons to teach that afternoon, much to her own disappointment and promising to make it up to you soon with an affectionate pinch to your cheek. You’d considered going home then. The last thing you wanted was to be left alone with Laurie, that familiar crush in your chest, an inkling of dread coupled with a shortness of breath, fear and excitement. You were terrified. But when he’d taken your hand and asked you so sweetly to accompany him to the meadow’s waters, how could you possibly refuse?

But of course, Laurie was quick to notice your nerves.

“The heat is getting to your head,” you say evenly with eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of the sun on your face. “Besides, that’s rather rude.”

You hear him move and feel his presence directly in front of you, as if leaning in.

“It is a bit hot, do you feel up for a swim?”

This makes your eyes snap open. Following Jo’s mannerisms, you give him a shove in the chest. “You’re vile,” you grin.

To your surprise, Laurie’s teasing, playful demeanor is nowhere to be found. His gaze is instead thoughtful, holding your own like you are all he sees. Immediately, you feel your pulse kick up in the side of your throat.

“I didn’t mean anything by it,” he continues with a shake of his head. “You don’t seem like yourself. I thought a change in our routine could be refreshing.”

You give a light shrug of your shoulders. “I feel fine,” you say.

He brushes the back of his hand against your forehead. He hums, then curls his fingers down along the planes of your face to rest on your cheek.

“You’re flushed,” he murmurs.

Time seems to slow. The roar of blood deafens your ears and the fragrance of the sweet waters and blooms around you is overwhelming, sunlight refracting like prismed rainbow. Laurie kisses you then, a gentle touch of his lips, tilting your chin up to meet him. A sweetheart’s kiss, one that tastes of summer secrets as you’re shaded by vines and mist. When you break apart, he keeps his hand cradled against your cheek, his thumb circling the corner of your mouth.

You don’t know what to say. You’re speechless, your chest rising and falling softly, staring back at him with wide, surprised eyes. Laurie looks reflective, emerald irises half-lidded.

“What am I to tell Jo?” you whisper to him. Heat diffuses through your body like desert wind. You feel elated, cherished, frightened, embarrassed. Guilty. Laurie’s eyes flicker once more to your lips, his dark lashes fluttering with the movement. His smile is melancholy, yet knowing.

“You love her, too.” Laurie hums. It’s a statement, a confirmation of your feelings for both of them. The fact that the boy you’ve adored for so long has uttered your very thoughts out loud should have you completely mortified, yet there’s a small sense of comfort knowing he’d understand. Laurie knows this because he himself feels the same way, knows you or Jo or himself could never bring themselves to choose.

Laurie’s smile prompts you to lace your fingers together in the grasses and you give him a light peck on the cheek. He brightens up, raking a hand through his black curls.

“You love me.” Laurie beams.

When you tell Jo about the kiss, she’s dancing with you on the porch in the evening light. Inside, you can see Marmee and the girls entertaining themselves through the windows as you practice your pirouettes. Jo is dressed in her writing jacket and trousers, keeping you balanced as she plays the part of the male dancer, perfectly competent.

“What an impish boy,” Jo says of Laurie. You laugh and the two of you continue your steps, running through the dance number in a private rehearsal. Laurie is due to rehearse with you the week before your performance and the thought itself is enough to make butterflies explode in your stomach. Jo is a strong, leading dancer, while Laurie is graceful and firm, both capable of making the palms of your hands sweat with nerves. You know in your heart if you could rehearse with them, you’d have no fear on opening night. You’d already be invincible.

“Again from the top, please, kind sir,” you curtsey to Jo. Her smile is giddy and she gives a click of her heels before returning to her starting position.

“Of course,” she responds. Taking your hand, she guides you through the steps once more, your heart soft and temperate like the evening around you.

The sound of applause is warm and full, washing over you as you take your bows. You feel weightless, aglow, eyes brimming with tears. You think you see Laurie and Jo leap to their feet in the audience, but the stage lights are too bright and you cannot see clearly and you think you may faint from happiness.

In the auditorium, you’re still in your costume of Venetian silks and flowers when you’re swept off your feet by a boisterous Laurie and he twirls you around in his arms, his riding cloak billowing out behind him.

“There’s our Capulet! You were phenomenal!”

“I’m so proud of you, dear!” Jo practically shouts with excitement, tackling you next in a bearish hug when Laurie finally sets you down. Their praise is boundless, endless, showering you in so much adoration that your heart feels close to bursting. You gather them close, tears threatening to spill down your cheeks.

“Thank you both for everything,” you choke out, squeezing them tight.

Over Jo’s shoulder, you spot Marmee, Meg, Amy, even shy little Beth with a bouquet of flowers and then you let the tears fall when you run to them and you thank your stars for the luck and love you’ve been blessed with.

Another year, another summer soon arrives. You and Jo and Laurie are back in the fields cloud-gazing, a lazy afternoon of heat and leisurely time well spent. Things feel familiar, recognizable between the three of you, yet there’s a sense of distance between now and when Jo had first asked about your castles in the sky all those summers ago.

Jo was now making a name for herself in the writer’s world, having won another prize in a New York newspaper. She’d been gaining the attention of devoted readers and critics alike and was now working on a proper novel, her longest project as of yet. She tells you not to worry, that she’ll be sure to feature you as a central character in the same way she’d done as a child, nostalgic tales of pirates and adventure and love.

“My sweet sugar plum fairy,” she’d gruffed, pulling you into another powerful hug.

Laurie had finished his opera, now with aspirations of pulling funds together and opening a production in Europe. He was still in the midst of planning and conversing with his grandfather about finances and departure dates, but it seemed like Laurie’s promise of spiriting you away to Europe could now become a reality. And with the possibility of your very own French stage debut!

Thus, you three souls were being tugged into three far corners of the globe, to your respective callings. The realization scares you, to know that this may be one of the few times you have left together. But underneath it all, there was a sense of excitement to see the world and make it your own. You were satisfied, proud knowing that the three of you had come so far with your aspirations and you had no doubt you would find success in your art.

In the comfortable silence, serenaded by the hum of cicadas and birdsong, you gaze up to the clouds gliding over Plumfield, Massachusetts. You feel an aching longing for those childhood days of carefree play, the countless rose-tinted memories of Laurie and Jo by your side, yet looking up at the sky, you know these memories of summers past will always be with you.

And there would be better and more to come.

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whenerosmetpsyche · 4 years

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Elements, Direction and Time

Tibetan astrology uniquely combines Chinese and Indian astrology. Originally brought to Tibet by bodhisattva Manjusri, Tibetan astrology was developed as a tool to explore the nature of apparent reality and relative truth. It is a system based upon a relational understanding between the directions of the Earth, the elements, the body, and the sky that underpins the foundation of Chinese astrology. This philosophy informs every day, month, and year. Below is a partial breakdown of this philosophy.

Directions

Cardinal directions and elements have associations with one another: South [summer]: Fire East [spring]: Wood West [fall]: Metal North [winter]: Water While ordinal directions (SE, NE, etc) are associated with the Earth.

These elements are associated with directions, periods of time, activities of nature, organs, and the planets and are considered forces of transformation that continually come together in harmony or conflict.

Wood / East / Spring / Dawn / Vitality / Mobility / Liver / Jupiter Fire / South / Summer / Midday / Ardor / Destruction / Heart / Sun & Mars Earth / Center / Transitions / Fertility / Solidification / Spleen / Saturn Metal / West / Autumn / Evening / Rigidity / Cutting / Lungs / Venus Water / North / Winter / Night / Rest / Impregnation / Kidneys / Mercury & Moon

Animals were later developed to describe the characteristics of these transformations. Although they are most popularly known through their year associations, these characteristics are associated with with months, days, and even hours as well.

It is this cycle of time that is particularly interesting to my inner-astrologer, as understanding these flows can help us understand how the sky is impacting us. These cycles also view time as in context with historical patterns rather than stand-alone events that come out of nowhere as tends to be the perspective of rampant individualism.

Elemental Characteristics

Wood gives an animal sign mobility and vitality, creative power, and a softness. Wood years are transformative.

Fire gives an animal sign vitality, brilliance and transforming energy, as well as violence and intolerance. Fire years are marked by rapid evolution, conflict, and scarcity.

Earth gives stability to an animal sign along with realism and thoughtful action. Earth years are calm, prosperous and stabilizing.

Metal makes an animal sign rigid, cutting, and authoritative. Metal years are energetic and generally positive but disturbing. Few compromises can be expected.

Water gives an animal sign an open mind, flexibility, communication and intuition. Water signs are generally associated with thoughtfulness and sensitivity, but also passivity. Water years are auspicious for change and communication.

You have probably heard that this year is the year of the Metal Rat, but interestingly Tibet has a more descriptive name for this year: Kunden which means “Having all qualities” and pretty much sums up the ride we’ve been on. Tibetan year names are based on the Tibetan 60-year Jupiter cycle (adopted from India) made up a progression of elements, animals, and their resulting active or receptive polarities begin with the year of the Fire Hare and end with the year of the Fire Tiger.

Yearly Cycles

Year of the Rat is about prosperity, progress, growth and investment. It is not a year to take risks. Year of the Cow is a year of toil that requires sustained effort to yield rewards. It is a bad year to stay idle. Year of the Tiger is unpredictable, dramatic and full of sudden developments. It is turbulent and should be approached with caution. Year of the Hare is a quiet, relaxing year that can sometimes manifests as lethargy. Year of the Dragon is energetic and grandiose, an auspicious year for marriage and new beginnings. Usually characterized by natural disturbances.

Year of the Snake is a year of healing and rebirth. Many life-altering changes are likely akin to the snake shedding its skin. This is a powerful year where confidence tends to run high.

Year of the Horse is a great year for energetic and ambitiousness. It is a year that brings about the impulsive urge to complete projects

Year of the Sheep is a year of rest after effort, and is a good time to pursue the arts. Year of the Monkey is an exciting year where anything can happen. A good year to seize new initiatives and take advantage of opportunity. Year of the Bird is energetic but scattered. Many opportunities will arise, but it is difficult to see them through as distractions abound. Geopolitically this is a year associated with hardlining and repression. Year of the Dog is idealistic and justice-oriented. It is a year that brings about reflection and generosity. The year feels a bit too serious and is favorable towards those with good intentions.

Year of the Pig is optimistic and indulgent. It brings prosperity and abundance but can lead to excess.

The elemental and animal associations align with Chinese astrology, but have additional descriptions in the Tibetan tradition. Below are the years’ English to Tibetan translations as they appear in Philipe Cornu’s Tibetan Astrology. Each year begins with the lunar new year (so January babies may be considered part of the previous year).

If a year you are interested in is not listed below, this calculator can tell you the corresponding element + animal.

1945 Wood Bird - Protector of Earth 1946 Fire Dog + Inflexible 1947 Fire Pig - All Conquering 1948 Earth Rat + Stopping All 1949 Earth Cow - Error 1950 Metal Tiger + Custom 1951 Metal Hare - Ass 1952 Water Dragon + Happiness 1953 Water Snake - Totally victorious 1954 Wood Horse + Victorious 1955 Wood Sheep - Intoxicating 1956 Fire Monkey + Ugly face 1957 Fire Bird - Gold pendant 1958 Earth Dog + Hanging 1959 Earth Pig - Transformer 1960 Metal Rat + Having all qualities 1961 Metal Cow - Wild dog 1962 Water Tiger + Virtuous 1963 Water Hare - Beautiful 1964 Wood Dragon + Terrible 1965 Wood Snake - Varied wealth 1966 Fire Horse + Evil-crushing splendor 1967 Fire Sheep - Monkey 1968 Earth Monkey + Dagger, Jupiter 1969 Earth Bird - Peaceful 1970 Metal Dog + Ordinary 1971 Metal Pig - Erroneous, contradictory 1972 Water Rat + Guardian 1973 Water Cow - Irreligious, impudent 1974 Water Tiger + Total joy 1975 Wood Hare - Insects 1976 Fire Dragon + Fire 1977 Fire Snake - Orange 1978 Earth Horse + Messenger of time 1979 Earth Sheep - All-accomplishing 1980 Metal Monkey + Ferocious 1981 Metal Bird - Evil-minded 1982 Water Dog + Great drum 1983 Water Pig - Blood-vomiting 1984 Wood Rat + Mars 1985 Wood Cow - Wrathful 1986 Fire Tiger + Exhaustion 1987 Fire Hare - Initial 1988 Earth Dragon + Totally Born 1989 Earth Snake - White 1990 Metal Horse + Totally drunk 1991 Metal Sheep - Lord of birth 1992 Water Monkey + Name 1993 Water Bird - Glorious face 1994 Wood Dog + Substance 1995 Wood Pig - Yellow 1996 Fire Rat + Holder 1997 Fire Cow - Mighty Lord 1998 Earth Tiger + Much grain 1999 Earth Hare - Mad, drunk 2000 Metal Dragon + Oppression 2001 Metal Snake - Perfect cube 2002 Water Horse + Varied 2003 Water Sheep - Sun 2004 Wood Monkey + Liberating Sun

Some of these names are more metaphorical than others (e.g, blood is associated with wisdom and intoxication takes many forms), but more importantly point to the interaction between the element and the animal of that year. Likewise, the effects of the year can be calculated according to element and animal friendliness.

#astrology #tibetan astrology #chinese astrology #philipe cornu

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uchicagoscrc · 6 years

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Turning 21: The Transition from Territory to Statehood in Illinois

Illinois became the 21st state in the Union on December 3, 1818, making 2018 its Bicentennial year. This month we are joining other Chicago-area cultural heritage institutions in celebrating the Illinois' Bicentennial by hosing a special pop-up display of archival documents and rare books from our collections: correspondence, maps, books, and more that date to the time period when Illinois was transforming from French-held "Illinois Country" to the 21st state in the Union.

This exhibit is a part of Chicago Open Archives, a month-long series of events throughout the city and suburbs connecting community members with the collections, programs, and services of local archival repositories. Learn more at http://chicagoarchivists.org/coa

The physical exhibit of reproductions will be on display at the University of Chicago's Joseph Regenstein Library throughout the month of October, with some original materials on display in the Special Collections Research Center. For those of you who cannot visit in person, scroll down for a virtual view of our selections for this exhibit.

Transition from Territory to Statehood in Illinois

The oldest item displayed is a 1778 letter that was written when Illinois was a part of the American Revolutionary War's western theater. The letter, signed by George Wythe, George Mason, and Thomas Jefferson, congratulates George Rogers Clark on his appointment as the leader of a military expedition to the Northwest Territory. This was the beginning of a secret mission during the war later known as the Illinois Campaign, or Clark's Northwestern Campaign. Clark was ordered to seize control of Kaskaskia, Vincennes, and several other villages in French and British-held "Illinois Country." In the letter, the Virginia General Assembly mentions Native American raids in the territory which were instigated by the British. They also assure Clark that he and his soldiers will receive bounties of land as compensation. The nearby hand-drawn plat map demarcates the tract of 150,000 acres granted to Clark's soldiers in 1784.

Transcription of letter:

To George Rogers Clark Williamsburg Janry 3, 1776

Sir,

As some Indian Tribes to the westward of / the Missisippi have lately, without any provo- /cation massacred many of the Inhabitants upon / the Frontiers of this Commonwealth, in the / most cruel & barbarous manner, & it is intended / to revenge this injury & punish the Aggressors / by carrying the war into their own country. / We congratulate you upon your appoint / ment to conduct so important an Enterprize / in which we most heartily wish you / Success, and we have no Doubt that some / further reward in Lands in that country / will be given to the Volunteers who shall / engage in this Service, in addition to the / usual pay. If they are so fortunate to / Succeed, We think it just & reasonable that / each Volunteer entering[?] as a common Soldier in this Expedition, should be allowed three / hundred acres of Land, & the Officers in the / usual proportion, out of the Lands which may be conquered in the country now in / the possession of the said Indians; so as / not to interfere with the claims of any / friendly Indians, or of any people willing / to become Subjects of this Commonwealth, / and for this we think you may safely / confide in the justice & generosity of the / Virginia Assembly.

We are Sir Yr Most Hble. Servts

G. Wythe G. Mason Th. Jefferson

Letter from Virginia General Assembly to George Rogers Clark, January 3, 1778. Historical Manuscripts Collection, Box 24, Folder 15.

Plat of the Illinois Grant, 1784. Reuben T. Durrett Collection of Portraits, Illustrations, and Cartographic Material, Box 2, Folder 12.

Following the Revolutionary War, some, such as Gilbert Imlay, profited from the land grant system as surveyors. The 1797 edition of Imlay's popular A topographical description of the western territory of North America… served as an encyclopedia of North America for new settlers.

Imlay’s description of the Illinois country:

“The triangular tract of land at the head of this great vale, and between the Mississippi, the Ohio, and lake Erie (as that lake is vulgarly called), the country of the Illinois, is the finest spot of earth upon the globe, swelling with moderate hills, but no mountains, watered by the finest rivers, and of the most delightful climate; the soil, as appears from the woods with which it is clothed, is of the most abundant fruitfulness in vegetation. It abounds with coal; and there are multitudes of salt springs in all parts of it. There are mines of iron, copper, and lead. Wild rye grows here also spontaneously.” (p. 101)

Imlay’s Topographical description also reproduced the text of one Mr. Patrick Kennedy’s journal of an expedition in 1773 from Kaskaskia to the head of the Illinois river.

Imlay, Gilbert (1754?-1828?). A topographical description of the western territory of North America… London: Printed for J. Debrett, 1797. F352.I33 Rare c.1

The practice of granting Illinois land to volunteer soldiers continued in the War of 1812. American Nicholas Biddle van Zandt's 1818 Description of Military Lands describes three tracts of bounty lands, including the Illinois Military Tract which was situated between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. The aim of Van Zandt’s text was to “give a faithful, a substantial, and, it is hoped, a satisfactory view of the Illinois and Missouri territories” and to aid settlers in selecting “the very spot upon which he may fix his habitation and his home.” Van Zandt also describes the Illinois Territory as a whole including an early description of the Chicago River and its potential as a “safe and commodious harbor for shipping” and the means by which the sand bank blocking the entrance to Lake Michigan might be removed.

Van Zandt, Nicholas Biddle. A full description of the soil, water, timber, and prairies of each lot, or quarter section of the Military Lands between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. Washington City: Printed by P. Force, 1818. F547.M6 V28 1818 Rare c.1

Numerous accounts of the Illinois Territory were published, many with hopes of attracting emigrants. Irish author Thomas Ashe expounded upon the natural history of the area in Memoirs of mammoth, and various other extraordinary and stupendous bones…

Ashe, Thomas (1770-1835). Memoirs of mammoth, and various other extraordinary and stupendous bones … found in the vicinity of the Ohio, Wabash, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Osage, and Red Rivers. Liverpool: Printed by G. F. Harris, 1806. QE882.U7A8 Rare c.1

Adlard Welby’s A Visit to North America and the English Settlements in Illinois with a Winter Residence in Philadelphia included a description of the German settlement of Harmony, Illinois. Harmony was a settlement mostly comprised of poor Germans, though any person who agreed to live by the communal rules was allowed to join the community. The settlement lived by the principle of a communion of goods. That is, all of the harvested crops went into a communal store, and each person received the necessary amount of food. The tavern owner told author Adlard Welby: “We have every thing we can want, for our comfort and something more.”

Welby, Adlard. A Visit to North America and the English Settlements in Illinois with a Winter Residence in Philadelphia. London: Printed for J. Drury, 1821. E41.W44 1821 Rare c.1

Morris Birkbeck, a British emigrant to the Illinois Territory who would later serve as Secretary of State of Illinois, described his American travel experiences and the establishment of the English Settlement, in Illinois Territory in Notes on a journey in America, from the coast of Virginia to the Territory of Illinois. First published in Philadelphia 1817, Notes, and its follow up, Letters from Illinois (1818), were wildly popular with multiple editions being published both in the United States and abroad, including multiple translations. The hand-colored map on display was published in the 1st London edition of Birkbeck’s Notes and includes all of the land traversed by Birkbeck’s party. Note the interesting placement of the borders of Indiana and the Illinois Territory; the location of Birkbeck’s settlement in the southeastern portion of the territory, on the Little Wabash River is captioned “The Prairie Settlement.”

Birkbeck, Morris (1764-1825). Notes on a journey in America: from the coast of Virginia to the Territory of Illinois. London: Printed by Severn & Redington, for Ridgway and Sons, 1818. E162.B617 1818 Rare c.1

Birkbeck’s Letters from Illinois recounts his experiences living in the English Settlement and served to introduce Europeans (and hopefully convince them to emigrate) to the advantages of America.

Birkbeck, Morris (1764-1825). Letters from Illinois. London: Printed for Taylor and Hessey, 1818. F545.B61 Rare c.1

British emigrant John Woods’ Two years’ residence describes his journey from England to the English Settlement in Illinois, along with the flora, fauna, agriculture, buildings, and business in the region. Woods' “Map of the allotments” shows the towns and ranges of the lower portion of Illinois.

Woods also provided a description of Birkbeck’s settlement, Wanborough:

“Mr. Birkbeck’s settlement, called Wanborough, is situated at the north-west corner of the English Prairie, and contains 25 cabins, a tavern, a store or two, and several lodging houses; and several carpenters, bricklayers, brick-makers, smiths, wheelwrights, and sawyers; also a taylor and butcher ... The building lots, at Wanborough, are some of five, and others of two and a half acres, laid out, like most of the American towns, in streets that cross each other at right angles, running north and south; the cross ones east and west. The lots are in the woods, but a considerable quantity of the wood is now cleared.” (p. 160-161)

Woods, John (-1829). Two years’ residence in the settlement on the English Prairie, in the Illinois country, United States: with an account of its animal and vegetable productions, agriculture, &c. &c., with the habits and customs of the back-woodsmen. London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1822. F547.E2W9 1822 Rare c.2

As Illinois inched closer to statehood in 1817, Cook and Blackwell - the first printers in Illinois - published a list of laws, many to establish county seats and courthouses. (Cook County, Illinois is named for printer Daniel Cook).

Laws passed by the Legislative council, and House of representatives, of Illinois territory, at their fifth session, held at Kaskaskia, 1816-'17. Kaskaskia, I.T.: Printed by Cook and Blackwell, printers to the territory, 1817. KFI1225.2 1816, Lincoln Collection

Counties and major cities in early Illinois were very different from what they are now. Kaskaskia was the capital of the Illinois Territory from 1809 to 1818. Located on the Mississippi River, it was flooded many times and the decision was made to move the capital to Vandalia in 1819, 70 miles northeast of St. Louis. Louis Beck's 1823 A gazetteer of the states of Illinois and Missouri… includes a plan for the new capital and the neighboring streets. It also describes Chicago as a small place of 10 or 15 homes in Pike County.

Beck, Lewis C. (1798-1853). A gazetteer of the states of Illinois and Missouri…Albany: Printed by C.R. and G. Webster, 1823. F539.B390 Rare c.1

#illinois #english settlement #illinois territory #statehood #chicago open archives #illinois country #early chicago #kaskaskia #vandalia

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Winter 2021 TV Preview

https://ift.tt/3oETRt7

Every New Year’s celebration comes along with some excitement, pomp, and circumstance, but rarely has the countdown from 10 felt more urgent in the waning seconds of 2020. Yes, 2020 is just a number and yes, time is just an abstract concept created to explain celestial bodies moving around one another. But darn it all, it still feels great to see “2021” at the top of this article.

2021 will hopefully come along with some good news (though admittedly early signs aren’t looking great on that front). At the very least, however, it should come along with some interesting TV options. Due to COVID-19 production delays, there perhaps aren’t as many confirmed release dates for early 2021 as we’ve seen in years’ past. Still, there are plenty of exciting new and returning TV shows to keep you occupied throughout the chilly season.

Winter 2021 is when Marvel makes its triumphant return to television. The official MCU canon gets started with WandaVision in January before continuing on with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in March. The newly-branded CWverse will make its debut this season with Javica Leslie’s Ryan Wilder taking up the mantle of Batwoman. And that’s not even to mention other genre options like Netflix’s Fate: The Winx Saga or season 2 of TNT’s surprisingly good Snowpiercer.

What follows are all the new and returning shows in winter 2021 that we’re excited about. You can also check out a list of our most anticipated returning British series here and new British series here.

Prodigal Son Season 2

Jan. 12 on Fox

Audiences were captivated by a shocking season 1 finale for Fox’s crime thriller Prodigal Son, and season 2 will continue the story of police profiler Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne), and his notorious serial killer father Martin Whitly (Michael Sheen). Malcolm’s sister Ainsley (Halston Sage) has gone from intrepid reporter to protector of family secrets by following her father’s deadly instructions.

With Malcolm’s life in disarray as a result, Prodigal Son season 2 will find him protecting his mother Jessica (Bellamy Young) from a secret that could tear the family apart even worse than before. Martin, meanwhile, is determined to strengthen the growing bond between him and his “prodigal son,” and the relationship is bound to produce more twists and revelations when the show returns on Jan. 12, 2021. – Michael Ahr

Superstore Season 6

Jan. 14 on NBC

Superstore will be taking a bow with its current sixth and final season, but there’s a big status quo change that will add plenty of drama to its final episodes. Jonah (Ben Feldman) will have to find out how to move on from Amy (America Ferrera) after her exit from the series less than three months ago.

So far we know that Jonah’s ex Kelly (Kelly Stables) has returned to the Ozark Highlands store. Also, there are rumors that though Superstore is coming to an end, characters Bo and Cheyenne could be getting their own spinoff. Perhaps we see some sort of backdoor pilot? Superstore will air 11 more episodes before concluding in the spring. – Nick Harley

Search Party Season 4

Jan. 14 on HBO Max

In addition to being a great TV show in general, Search Party belongs on a short list of the best “well…how did we end up here?” entertainment properties. This dark comedy from Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers, and Michael Showalter began with one young millennial’s decision to go looking for a missing acquaintance. Somehow that led to no fewer than two murders and the trial of the social media century. For its fourth season, Search Party will up the ante yet again.

Search Party Season 4 Review (Spoiler-Free)

By Daniel Kurland

Cassidy Diamond is Search Party Season 3’s Vocal Fry Queen

By Alec Bojalad

As evidenced by the end of season 3, Dory Sief (Alia Shawkat) finds herself kidnapped and held by her stalker (Cole Escola). While Dory is missing, her friends Elliot Goss (John Early), Portia Davenport (Meredith Hagner), and Drew Gardner (John Reynolds) try to move on with their lives before deciding to make the name of the show make sense again. Search Party proved to be a modest cult hit when it originally aired its first two seasons on TBS. That was enough to get seasons 3 and 4 to HBO Max, where hopefully it will confuse and delight audiences for years to come. – Alec Bojalad

WandaVision

Jan. 15 on Disney+

Give it up for Marvel Cinematic Universe’s wackiest installment yet. Partially filmed in front of a live audience, this nine-episode TV series centered around Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and The Vision (Paul Bettany), is poised to herald in the new, Disney+ era of MCU.

While showrunner Jac Schaeffer has kept mum on the exact details of the plot, trailers tease a trip down TV sitcom memory lane that appears to be some kind of collective (forgive us) vision shared by Wanda, her late boyfriend android Vision, and others. We’ll have to wait to find out if it is a reality created by the uber powerful Wanda herself, driven by her grief over Vision’s Infinity War death, or if there is another force at play here. Whatever the answer, WandaVision looks to be a wild ride. – Kayti Burt

Disenchantment Season 3

Jan. 15 on Netflix

While Matt Groening is best known for a certain animated on Fox series that’s run for…a few seasons, to some he will always be known as the mastermind behind beloved cult animated hit Futurama. And it’s that series that fans hoped for more of with the announcement of the fantasy kingdom set Disenchantment for Netflix. Through two seasons, Disenchantment hasn’t reached Futurama’s heights yet (because really: what could?) but it has delivered on the promise of exciting, serialized storytelling in a wacky animated world.

Disenchantment season 3 is set to open up the show’s storytelling even more. The end of season 2 (or Part Two, per Netflix) finds Bean (Abbi Jacobson), Luci (Eric Andre), and Elfo (Nat Faxon) trapped in a catacomb surrounded by “Trogs” and Bean’s villainous mother Queen Dagmar. Season 3 trailers reveal that Bean and the gang won’t spend much time here, however, and will instead eventually make it to the previously hinted-at steampunk world known as Steamland. With the show transitioning from magic to science only three seasons in, perhaps it’s not much longer before we get a proper Futurama crossover. – AB

Servant Season 2

Jan. 15 on Apple TV+

The premise of Servant’s first season was a simple yet unnerving one. The M. Night Shyamalan-produced Apple TV+ series found two parents, Dorothy (Lauren Ambrose) and Sean Turner (Toby Kebbell), dealing with the death of their son by caring for a “reborn” doll named Jericho. The doll was creepy enough to begin with but made creepier by the Turners bringing a young nanny named Leanne (Nell Tiger Free) aboard who immediately accepts the doll as a real child without questions. And that was all just the setup for a show that absolutely wasn’t satisfied to let weird enough alone.

Season 2 finds Leanne on the run with Jericho and also perhaps with a cult? I don’t know, Servant really is a lot. The real question, however, is what kind of meals Sean will be preparing this year. As a professional chef, the character was always known for cooking up something truly delicious (and usually gruesome) in his expansive Philadelphia home kitchen. Hopefully he still has enough time to cook with all the missing baby and cult stuff. – AB

Batwoman Season 2

Jan. 17 on The CW

Batwoman is gone; long live Batwoman. Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane is out of the picture, but Javicia Leslie’s Ryan Wilder is here to put her own spin on the black and red suit. We’ve seen the first two episodes of season 2, and we can’t wait for more! The series makes room for Kate’s loved ones, Gotham, and the audience, to mourn her, while Ryan quickly establishes her own origin story and relationship to all our favorite returning characters, who have very different reactions to her presence.

Like Kate before her, Ryan opens up the world of superheroics to new communities. Oh and that villain Safiyah they teased all last season, who even makes Alice scared? Buckle up because she’s coming to Gotham and she’s not messing around. – Delia Harrington

All American Season 3

Jan. 18 on The CW

This CW sports drama breakout returns for a third season with a whole new set of problems for Spencer James, who returned to his former school, South Crenshaw, at the end of Season 2 in order to keep it from becoming a magnet school. From the looks of the Season 3 trailer, Spencer continues to be caught between two worlds; his former teammates at Beverly Hills High can’t get past the color of his jersey.

Meanwhile, Coach Baker’s own transition to South Crenshaw is anything but smooth, as he has to deal with a hostile school principal who has raised the required GPA for student athletes. Additionally, All American plans to explicitly integrate th Black Lives Matter protest in Season 3, promising another season that is as relevant as it is dramatically addicting. – KB

Riverdale Season 5

Jan. 20 on The CW

Riverdale’s fifth season will open with the prom, finishing up the season four stories that were cut off early due to COVID-19, with the trailer teasing eerie violence, plenty of twists, and a possible Barchie hookup. Then the show will fast-forward seven years to show the gang in their mid-twenties AKA at their actual ages. The main cast is returning, with Riverdale parents Skeet Ulrich (FP Jones) and Marisol Nichols (Hermione Lodge) leaving the show.

Riverdale has cast Veronica’s husband and he’s not played by KJ Apa or his secret twin, so we’re going to need some serious explanation about what happened to Varchie – and why, if they broke up, it wasn’t so Beronica could finally get together. Vanessa Morgan’s IRL pregnancy will be incorporated into Toni Topaz’s storyline – hopefully that means a gayby for Choni! Whatever comes next, it will definitely be bonkers-drama, stylized as hell, and at least 75% murder-y. – DH

Nancy Drew Season 2

Jan. 20 on The CW

If you skipped Nancy Drew last year because you think there are too many reboots and remakes, take this as an opportunity to correct your error! Part Veronica Mars, part ghost story, and actually as cool as Riverdale hopes to be, this refresh of the beloved books is a take on high-stakes small town crime, the haves vs the have-nots, and every conceivable legend involving a sea witch that fictional Horseshoe Bay, Maine has to offer.

How Nancy Drew Succeeds as an Adaptation Where The Hardy Boys Fails

By Lacy Baugher

How Nancy Drew Has Reinvigorated the Dark Young Adult Drama

By Lacy Baugher

This season Nancy and friends are left to deal with many cliffhangers – including visions of their own deaths! Season 2 promises more of Nancy dealing with learning who her real parents are and the mysterious and deadly Aglaeca and its connection to the Marvin family. – DH

Walker

Jan. 21 on The CW

The CW is rebooting the 90s television hit Walker, Texas Ranger for a new action series titled simply Walker, premiering January 21, 2021. Jared Padalecki takes on the titular role in his first outing after wrapping up 15 years on the network’s juggernaut series Supernatural. Texas Ranger Cordell Walker is haunted by the death of his wife Emily (guest star Genevieve Padalecki) as he returns to Austin after two years undercover.

Much of the drama centers on Emily’s suspicious killing, but Walker also must reconnect with his creative and thoughtful son August (Kale Culley) and his headstrong daughter Stella (Violet Brinson) while navigating clashes with his parents and brother. He also finds unexpected common ground with his new partner Micki Ramirez (Lindsey Morgan), one of the first women in Texas Rangers’ history. – MA

Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous Season 2

Jan. 22 on Netflix

Netflix and Dreamworks Animation’s Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous really could have been a phoned-in effort. The formula to success on such a series would appear to be: get the coveted Jurassic World license, animate some dinosaurs, throw the product out there, and profit. It’s to the show’s credit, however, that it sought to be a much more entertaining and enriching experience in its first season than mere IP mining.

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous – The Origins of Bumpy Revealed

By David Crow

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous Reveals That Friendship is When Trust Defeats Loneliness

By Alana Joli Abbott

Season 2 of the show will find the lead children outside the friendly confines of Camp Cretaceous but still trapped on Isla Nublar and looking for a way out. Camp Cretaceous excelled in creating an intense, yet still family-friendly narrative in season 1 and season 2 seems poised to do the very same. – AB

The Blacklist Season 8

Jan. 22 on NBC

When The Blacklist returns for the remainder of its eighth season on NBC, expect the already rapid pace to be increased. “The next season, season eight, starts in a much more heightened and dramatic place than normal seasons do,” writer and producer John Eisendrath told Cinemablend. “We are gonna tell the story that we were unable to tell at the end of last season.”

The latest season continues the ongoing saga of enigmatic antihero “Concierge of Crime,” Raymond Reddington (James Spader), the world’s most-wanted criminal who – unbeknownst to the general public – enjoys an immunity deal with the F.B.I. in exchange for leads about his vast array of criminal contacts (the titular blacklist), frequently shadowed by special agent Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone), who, as revealed later in the series, happens to be the daughter he conceived with a deadly Russian spy. – NH

Fate: The Winx Saga

Jan. 22 on Netflix

Netflix has taken on the daunting task of adapting Winx Club, a beloved Nickelodeon animated series, into a live action teen fantasy series called Fate: The Winx Saga, which drops its six hour-long episodes on Jan. 22, 2021. The story follows Bloom (Abigail Cowen) as she adjusts to life as a fairy at Alfea College, a magical boarding school in the Otherworld, where she must learn to control her dangerous powers.

The live action series promises to be darker and edgier than its predecessor as the fairies fight the Burned Ones, but Fate: The Winx Saga hopes to capitalize on the original’s iconic set of strong female characters to build an equally addictive genre series. The male specialists from the animated series will also be on hand, including Bloom’s love interest, Sky (Danny Griffin). – MA

Charmed Season 3

Jan. 24 on The CW

Like many a network TV show, Charmed was forced to cut its second season short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which left a lot of plot threads hanging—the biggest, a brewing battle against the Faction. Season 3 promises to see that power struggle through, with Macy, Mel, and Maggie jonseing for a fight in the trailer.

“I’m afraid not even the Charmed Ones can survive the death of all magic,” we hear someone voiceover in the sneak peek. If you’ve given this reboot a pass because you’re loyal to the original, now’s the time to reconsider. This show is forging its own path, and it’s filled with supernatural delights. – KB

Snowpiercer Season 2

Jan. 25 on TNT

The original 2013 film Snowpiercer has gone down in history for two main reasons. First of all, it’s another superb entry into the film canon of director Bong Joon-ho, who would go on to strike Oscar gold with Parasite. Secondly, it’s the movie where Chris Evans earnestly delivers a line about eating delicious babies. Beyond even those two heavily memeable factors, however, Snowpiercer is a great, exciting, and class-conscious movie.

The real surprise about the film Snowpiercer, however, is that the TV series it inspired is also pretty good! After some behind the scenes difficulties and a slow start, Snowpiercer chugged right along in its first season to become one of the more interesting cable TV dramas on television. Season 2 is set to become only more intriguing with the addition of Sean Bean as the elusive Mr. Wilford and with the train quite literally coming off the tracks. – AB

Resident Alien

Jan. 27 on Syfy

Sometimes a title is so good and so of its moment that the powers-that-be have no choice but to make a TV show out of it. Such is the case with Syfy’s Resident Alien. “Resident alien” is, of course, a (rather outdated) term for an individual residing in a country without having yet achieved citizenship. It also brings to mind the concept of actual outer space aliens. Resident Alien, based on the comic of the same name by Peter Hogan and Steve Parkhouse, takes that latter concept and just runs with it.

Syfy’s adaptation will star Alan Tudyk as the titular resident alien, Captain Hah Re/Dr. Harry Vanderspiegle. After “Harry” crash lands in a small Colorado town, he must go undercover as a doctor, while also…solving a murder mystery? This all sounds like a fascinating mashup of genres with a satisfying arc at its center. Also Linda Hamilton is involved, so that’s pretty rad. – AB

Firefly Lane

Feb. 3 on Netflix

Veteran actresses and former TV doctors Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy) and Sarah Chalke (Scrubs) are coming together for a new take on a decades-spanning dramedy a la This is Us for Netflix. An adaption of the bestselling novel by author Kristin Hannah, Firefly Lane finds the pair set on teaching audiences that “the greatest love story of all can be between friends.”

With a story spanning 30-years, the pair of friends experience tragedy, triumphs, love triangles, and all of the tear-jerker, life-affirming moments one can hope for. Ali Skovbye (When Calls the Heart) and Roan Curtis (The Magicians) will portray younger versions of Heigel and Chalke, respectively, and the rest of the cast is rounded out by Ben Lawson (Designated Survivor), Yael Yurman (The Man in the High Castle) and Beau Garrett (Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce). The 10-episode series hits Netflix on February 3. – NH

The Equalizer

Feb. 7 on CBS

After successful big-screen adaptations with Denzel Washington, The Equalizer is back on television this winter, this time with Queen Latifah stepping into the role as the titular protector. Latifah stars as Robyn McCall, an underground vigilante who is the crime fighter you call when you can’t dial 911.

Balancing being a mother with helping the defenseless by any means necessary, McCall must evade those that seek to harm her as well as Chris Noth’s CIA Agent William Bishop. The series also stars Lorraine Toussaint (Orange is the New Black), Tory Kittles (Colony). and Adama Goldberg (Taken, Fargo). The reimagining premieres on CBS on Feb. 7 after the Super Bowl. – NH

Black Lightning Season 4

Feb. 8 on The CW

Black Lightning’s fourth and final season will pick up where its many season three storylines left off. Jefferson Pierce and his family are still fighting to keep what’s left of Freeland safe. Following congressional approval for a boarding school for metahumans last season, expect to see Dr. Stewart working on that, and it’s hard to imagine Jefferson not being involved as well.

Nafessa Williams and China Anne McClain return as Thunder and Lightning, although we’ll be seeing a bit less of Jennifer as McClain had already decided to leave the show after this season before it was announced as the final one for the show. There’s a Painkiller spinoff in development, so expect a backdoor pilot. Crime boss Tobias Whale is still at large and Gravedigger is still out there, and Jefferson no longer has Billy Henderson to have his back, so things might get a little rough. – DH

Clarice

Feb. 11 on CBS

How do you make a show centered on Clarice Starling, author Thomas Harris’ FBI agent trainee popularized on-screen by Jodie Foster in Jonathan Demme’s Silence of the Lambs, without her most famous adversary Hannibal Lecter? Well, CBS is going to try. Rebecca Breeds stars as the titular agent in this sequel series, which finds Starling heading back to her native West Virginia to work a case while her mind is still preoccupied by her experiences hunting Buffalo Bill.

The series will also feature Starling’s FBI colleague Ardelia Mapp, played by Devyn Tyler, and kidnapping survivor Catherine Martin, played by Marnee Carpenter. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, executive producer Jenny Lumet said, “She came face to face with the worst of what we have and the worst of what we are, and lived through it. If you imagine a puzzle box of puzzle pieces all thrown up into the air – that was the experience that she had with [serial killer] Buffalo Bill.” Unfortunately due to legal reasons, the series cannot mention Lecter, which should be an interesting hurdle, but will explore the shared trauma between Martin and Starling. – NH

Tribes of Europa

Feb. 19 on Netflix

German science fiction captured Netflix viewers’ hearts with the time travel series, Dark, and now the post-apocalyptic Tribes of Europa hopes to do the same when it drops its six-episode season on February 19, 2021. The series follows warring factions in the harsh future of 2074 who discover a crashed ship containing a powerful, cube-shaped artifact.

Three siblings Kiano (Emilio Sakraya), Liv (Henriette Confurius), and Elja (David Ali Rashed) get caught in the middle of the bloody war over the cube and are forced to forge their own paths. There’s also the question of what caused the apocalypse and what might be threatening humanity’s existence while the tribes fight amongst themselves. – MA

For All Mankind Season 2

Feb. 19 on Apple TV+

As with many an ongoing Apple TV+ show, many missed the first season of this science fiction drama from Battlestar Galactica’s Ronald D. Moore. And, as with many Apple TV+ shows (obligatory Dickinson shout out), it’s time to reconsider. For All Mankind is an alternate history exploring a world in which the Soviet Union made it to the Moon first, and the global space race never ended.

Joel Kinnaman stars as astronaut Edward Baldwin, but this drama isn’t all white dudes in space. The Soviet Union’s emphasis on diversity in its space program has forced America to do the same, training women and other minorities for space exploration in a way that didn’t happen in our reality. A fascinating blend of real-life history and an imagined path, For All Mankind is a worthwhile watch for any sci-fi nerds out there and, with a Season 3 already greenlit by Apple, holds the promise of more narrative to come. – KB

The Flash Season 7

Feb. 23 on The CW

In a post-Arrow world, it’s up to The Flash to bear the standard of the Arrowverse. Err Berlantiverse. Scratch that, CWverse, apparently. And it will do that with the speedforce destroyed, Barry Allen losing his speed, and Iris trapped in the Mirrorverse. Season 7 will pick up with Team Flash at an all-time low, with Cait MIA and Mirror Mistress Eva McCulloch victorious.

The Flash TV Episode We Almost Saw

By Mike Cecchini

The Flash Season 7: Jay Garrick Will Return

By Mike Cecchini

Of course one person won’t be returning. Hartley Sawyer, who plays Ralph Dibny AKA Elongated Man, was fired for his racist and sexist tweets back in August, what feels like a solid five years ago. Joe West’s story arc will be inspired by, “the societal changes happening in today’s world,” which sounds like a euphemism for systemic racism, white supremacy, and police brutality, a weightier topic that veteran actor Jesse L. Martin would do an excellent job handling. – DH

Superman & Lois

Feb. 23 on The CW

The CWverse is at a real crossroads. With Arrow done, The Flash past its prime, and Supergirl and Black Lightning nearing their ends, DC TV’s hold over small screen storytelling is loosening. Superman & Lois, as well as a new-hero-driven second season of Batwoman, are looking to change the direction of that momentum. The former is betting on a different screen adaptation of Superman than we’ve seen in recent years: Superman as a parent.

Superman & Lois is looking to tell a small town story, one led by title characters who are firmly into adulthood and have some very relatable problems—namely, the complicated pressures of raising their two teenage sons while also working. In a time when many parents are feeling the immense weight of childrearing more than ever, Superman & Lois may just end up being one of the most cathartic shows of 2021. – KB

The Walking Dead Season 10B

Feb. 28 on AMC

Wait a minute, didn’t The Walking Dead season 10 finale already premiere a few months ago? Indeed it did. The Walking Dead concluded its 10th and now penultimate season with “A Certain Doom” on Oct. 4, 2020. Due to a major delay in airing said episode because of the coronavirus pandemic, however, AMC decided to go ahead and reward loyal viewers with some extra season 10 episodes.

The Walking Dead season “10B” will consist of six loosely-connected installments that each follow different characters and will help bridge the gap to the show’s 11th and final season. In order, the episodes will be “Home Sweet Home” (Maggie-centric), “Find Me” (Daryl and Carol), “One More” (Gabriel and Aaron), “Splinter” (Eugene, Ezekiel, Yumiko, and Princess), “Diverged” (Daryl and Carol again), and “Here’s Negan” (Guess who). While this extra half-season clearly exists in part to milk AMC’s zombie cash cow as it nears the end of its life, the storytelling possibilities under capable showrunner Angela Kang are undeniably intriguing. – AB

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

March 19 on Disney+

One of several Marvel TV offerings coming to Disney+ this winter is The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which got pushed from its original August 2020 release date to March 19, 2021. The miniseries picks up after the events of Avengers: Endgame as Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) team up for a global adventure that will apparently test their abilities and their patience.

Daniel Bruhl will reprise his role as Helmut Zemo, the Sokovian citizen turned terrorist mastermind who, in Captain America: Civil War, engineered the rift between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. Emily Van Camp also jumps from that film to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as SHIELD Agent Sharon Carter, grandniece of SHIELD founder Peggy Carter. Wyatt Russell will play John Walker, better known to Marvel fans as USAgent. – MA

Solar Opposites Season 2

March 26 on Hulu

Through four seasons Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon’s Rick and Morty has proven itself to be one of the most exciting and narratively complex animated series around. So folks could be forgiven for assuming that Roiland’s next animated effort, alongside Rick and Morty writer Mike McMahan, would be all but an equally brainy carbon copy. But while Solar Opposites has the same animation style and intergalactic environs as Rick and Morty, season 1 proved that this was a hilarious beast all its own.

Solar Opposites Season 3 Confirmed

By Alec Bojalad

Solar Opposites Character Guide

By Joe Matar

Solar Opposites is essentially Roiland’s version of a wacky neighborhood sitcom. The neighbors at the show’s center just happen to be outer space aliens technically charged with overtaking the citizens of Earth (they swear they’ll get around to it eventually but don’t seem too motivated). Season 2, which was ordered at the same time as season 1, will continue the Earthbound adventures of Terry (Roiland), Korvo (Thomas Middleditch), and their two “replicants” Yumyulack (Sean Giambrone) and Jesse (Mary Mack). Solar Opposites was not afraid of some serialized storytelling in its first season, and who’s to say we won’t get another background story as epic as The Wall saga. – AB

Shadow and Bone

April on Netflix

Netflix has experienced quite a bit of success when it comes to bringing fantasy adaptations to its servers. Shows like The Witcher, Cursed, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina have all found success (to differing extents) on the service. It’s no mystery then why the streamer would go out and snag the rights to Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha trilogy.

The first novel in the trilogy, Shadow and Bone, lends its name to this live-action adaptation. Shadow and Bone is set in a world that’s divided in two by a massive barrier of perpetual darkness. When orphan Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) discovers she harnesses a particular power, she gets to work trying to unite her country. The Grisha trilogy is well-known for its effective Russian-influenced imagery and is sure to be a production designer’s delight when it premieres in April. – AB

Loki

May on Disney+

The month of May is a bit late to be considered part of “winter” TV season, but depending on where you live in the world, it will probably still be snowing anyway. And plus, it’s not like we can turn down an opportunity to include the third, and in many ways, most intriguing, Marvel Disney+ series.

Doctor Doom Could be Mystery Villain in Loki Series

By Kirsten Howard

Owen Wilson’s Loki Character is Based on a Beloved Marvel Writer

By Gavin Jasper

By the time Loki rolls out in May, viewers will already have gotten a good idea of what Marvel’s Disney+ offerings are all about thanks to WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Still, it seems as though Loki (like its titular character) will have plenty of tricks up its sleeve. Based on the bonkers first trailer, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is primed to jump from the events of Avengers: Endgame right to the offices of the Time Variance Authority where he travels through events in human history…and also somehow becomes D.B. Cooper? Yeah, this is going to be wild. – AB

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bitchywitchy-baby · 3 years

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Tarot notes

Major Arcana:

0-21

Start with suits

Then elemental

Minor arcana

Court cards : thinking of someone

Pair numbers usually more comfortable

Inpair

Arena of suit: what type of things youre looking at

Numbers are symmetry in the suits

1 beginning of idea, passion, hope

Not tangible

2 about union about 2 people or present or pass, unity, balance, decision, 2 things facing each other

3: usually transition

4; require a shift, or an action, shift in perspective

5: without fail conflict, middle of the journey, all the excitement and inspiration has warn off, tension

6: relief, not always peachy, got a break

7: sticky, can be seen in 2 ways: cautionary, hey if you go down this exact path where are you going

8: work, labour(not necessarily career), energy

9: celebration / resolution / results, getting grades back for mid term, speaking clearly, big cards like not like missing bus

10: conclusion, beginning of something new, element of caution,

Court cards

pages:

Students, young impatient

Knights are the teenagers, action related

queens: mastery with a female energy, care nuturting clarify, harmony

kings: mastery with male energy : father figures, senior, non maternal feeling, guides, bosses, usually not love interests,

In reference to thinking of someone

wands: creative energy, ex: king of wands senior marketing executive,

elementally:

South: summer : wands: creativity, passion, inspiration , burn out, stress from external, conflict, temper clashing, lovers quarrels, hot sex, celebration, very active (as they get higher up there’s more movement in the cards< opposite for winter, = fire

north: winter, hibernation, domestic domain, money shelter healthy body : suit: pentacles, cold, concise, calculating, methodical to survive winter, not screaming from the roof stops = earth (earthly matters what matters to your physical well beings

Pentacles: winter / earth

Wands: summer

Swords: spring : duality, possibility, intellect, choice, fog is lifting maybe

Cups : fall : slowing down, gentle, nostalgic

spring: east, air = suit is swords : intellect, self (brain, anxiety, depression, good ideas, choices, learning, training, the mental labour before you unleash in summer), first buds of stuff, major Grief in a non physical way ex: 9 of swords being kept up at night during their own thoughts swords = psychic state, physical state is winter

fall: west, water, cups: emoti9on, intuition, healing often, cyclical, changing, shape shifting, harder to nail down like feelings are, love, connection, memory, sense of self

More so energy than actual age

Earth infancy, old age

Spring: childhood

Wands: teens and 20s maybe 30s, career oriented

cups: adulthood

3 card spread to start

Major arcana:

Take them out of the deck

Look into the images,

We start with the fool: 0

Looking for a job, leap, trust and trying something new

1: magician

Little more prep than fool, infinity symbol, has each suit on the picture, has everything he needs, he knows he has to do the work regardless that he has the tools.

2: high priestess:

Witchy bitch, great learner, isn’t taught by someone, she is teaching herself, caught between light and the dark, always hard to read and its intentional, in between beginner and novice, fruitful, potential for abandonment, commitment might be there but not full engagement. Persimmons behind her, knwoledge is sexy, cat energy, curious, playful, selfish

3: empress: procreation in a broad sense, everything is possible, new choices, new habits, growth, earthly goddess, new energy, new paths

, wonderous possibility

4: emperor: taking care of business, Aries, warrior, got through for fighting, time to grind, may or not step on peoples feet, wealth

5: hirpphant: teacher, dogmatic for a reason, preachings come from a desire to know and help, powerful, not unforgiving,

6: lovers: complicated, might mean happy and good or could be temptation for infidelity (to your values stay true, relationship, job, moral code, temptation to hide what you want, tempting you away from your path, the lovers could be great if they could stop the external temptation

7: chariot: motion, feeling good but not sure where you will land, strong foundation,

8: strength: making friends, or strength through kindness, hard things are best done with love, you will be your most powerful when you can take that strength with kindness, only this and magician have the infinity sign.

9: hermit: unity, interiority, hard journey to find the light

10: wheel of fortune: if its bad its gonna change, if its good its gonna change, things are in balance, more you are at ease, less tightly you hold on, the best you will deal with the changes

11: justice; fairness, balance, honesty especially with yourself, reap what you sow, standing up for yourself (maybe walking away, setting boundaries, saying what’s on your mind)

12: hangman: stuck, transition, nothing he can do about it, dealing with it and not minding being stuck. What can you learn from the situation that you are in, it will end when it ends, youre not in control, similar to wheel of fortune

13: death: rebirth, big changer, often seen coming, watery card, fluidity,

14: temperance: middle path, being kind to yourself, patience but not being frozen, not rushing,

15: devil : addiction, lust, gluttony, lust, obsession,

16; tower: change you dont see coming, intense, could be internal or external

17: star : wishes and dreams, pretty goal card, big goals and small goals to be in line with big goals

18: moon: something is hidden, things dont see the daylight, befriend your dark side, you’re a nice person but sometimes you get mad or you have flaws, fun nighttime connections, sexuality maybe give more sun to that,

19: sun: super bright, if moon is freedom, sun = happy but confined, putting in a lot of work, hot and heavy and hard and paying off, not liberating but satisfying, not a peaceful card.

20: judgement: leaving behind old habits old versions of ourselves, choosing to be called to something,

21: end of the journey theoretically, all of the elements are represented, huge milestone, celebration, good omen in a future reading or optimism in a tool position reading

l.ots of water: fluidity, emotions, change,

Fire: passion, creativity, possibly destruction, intense

Earth: ground, always present , buildings

Air: intellect, sky, lots of brain happening,

0 notes

neonhorn · 6 years

Text

Catherine Luna tweaks, changes, and other stuff.

Lately in terms of character development I’ve been tweaking and changing stuff with Catherine as well as started to flesh out the city she lives in.

The City is built on a huge lake surrounded by mountains, due to how close the mountains are to the water the city over time has been built over the water. Around half of the city is on land and the other half on the water. This gives the city loads canals that boats go on which also helps with traffic. The city is usually a bustling place, public transit runs nearly 24/7.

Catherine lives on the land part of the city where it’s cheaper to live. She often can’t sleep well at night and takes trips downtown to look at the sights and sounds. There’s a particular restaurant that she likes to visit, it’s not too expensive and there’s a view she likes from there. Not many people sit in that area since the view is of other buildings, but she likes to watch the crossroads with neon signs down each corridor. boats and cars making their ways below. Though she loves the sights, the crowds tend to do more harm then good for her being a reminder of her loneliness.

Every month or two during the spring and summer there’s a few days to a week of horrible rain. It doesn’t happen in the fall or winter besides one full week before the New Year where the city is smothered in a blizzard. Between the horrible weather and rumors of people vanishing and never being found, the people don’t go outside during these times. Instead most of the city folk go underground to a large interconnected mall that spreads through most of the city. During the storms Catherine puts up a thin barrier and goes outside. While no one is around she walks and dances in the streets taking in the fuzzy lights through fog and rain with not a soul to bother her.

Catherine’s college is on the outskirts of the land part of the city, part way up the mountain. The college has a nice view of the city and its towering buildings, as well as the lake it resides on. Catherine’s part time job at a convenience store is closer to the center of the city. Just a few blocks from the line between land and water. It’s located on a side street so it’s not as busy as other shops. She works at night so it’s even less busy, and often heads from here to downtown instead of home. The Guild was recently relocated to near the edge of the current downtown. When it was first set up in this city, it was also located at the edge of downtown but back then the city had no parts on the water. From here Catherine takes quick and easy jobs for the sake of time. Between part timing at the store and taking on jobs at the Guild she just barely makes it by with a small amount of spending money.

Often Catherine’s days go like so; College -> Guild -> Store -> Downtown -> Home -> Downtown -> Home -> Wake up in a couple hours for College again. Her classes are sporadic though, so often times she gets breaks from College for a day or two on top of weekends.

Catherine feels trapped in this cycle, suffocating in it. Her loneliness doesn't do any favours for these feelings either, with not a soul to talk to. Her lights are often not on even while home, and she cleans only when it’s noticeable in the dark. At home she just watches videos on the internet while she practices making Witch’s Brew. She tends to the many Witch made plants so she can continue making Witch’s Brew so she doesn’t go mad from feeling like she’s doing nothing even more then she already does.

During one of her excursions in that year’s blizzard she notices an island in the lake that wasn’t there before. She reports this oddity to the Guild, and after the blizzard ends in the New Year the Guild investigates the place. It’s discovered to be the new Home of a God level entity. Being so close to a large city the Guild recruits the strongest people they can, the closer the better. Though only taking small jobs Catherine is recruited on account of her being one of the Amalgam Witches and possessing strength in Curse and Occultic Magics. Autar being one of the world’s best and is a certified God Slayer is also brought in despite living on another continent. Here is where the story would properly begin.

#catherine luna #autar #c&a #ocs #oc's

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marybromley · 4 years

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Brian Minter: Bringing tropical plants back indoors can be tricky

Last week’s deluge of much-needed rainfall and cooler night temperatures has abruptly ended summertime patio living. As we reluctantly move indoors, so should any tropical plants that have been basking outside during the spring and summer months.

Tropicals and other warmth-loving plants have been enjoying a perfect situation; good light, high humidity and ideal temperatures have created a great growing environment. Moving them back indoors can be trickier than we realize.

Let’s consider how dramatic this transition really is. The decrease in daylight hours and the increase in cloudy weather significantly reduces the quotient of good, quality light. As outside temperatures begin to drop and our heating systems activate, humidity levels plummet. The more our rooms are heated, the less humid they are. Even well-established, existing indoor plants are going to be challenged as we move further into fall and winter.

How do we mitigate these issues and help our plants survive the next six months in less than ideal conditions? We can’t alter the physical layout of our homes and apartments, but there are a number of ways to help all our plants adapt. The following care tips apply to both outdoor plants moving back inside and existing indoor plants.

Light quality is the biggest issue. Where we situate our plants must be determined by the windows we have. Indirect light from east or north facing windows is best, but south or west facing locations can also work.

Using a variety of plant stands, group your plants around windows. Plants that love high levels of light, such as tender succulents, should be placed directly on window ledges, while plants like Ficus benjaminas and ferns need to be at least close to natural light. If these placement options don’t work for you, purchase some plug-in grow lights (available as LED or traditional fluorescent fixtures). As we lose more light each day, leave them on for 12 to 16 hours. Grow lights will make a tremendous difference in how well your indoor plants do through the darker months.

Going from very humid conditions outdoors to much drier indoor settings creates many issues. Indoor temperatures and humidity levels are critical. Cooler is always better because it results in higher levels of humidity. While 10C is about the lowest temperature tropicals can usually tolerate, 18 to 20C is a more realistic goal in winter — after all, we humans need to be comfortable as well. Fireplaces are nice, but they are the enemy in terms of keeping a room humid. So, no plants around or near your fireplace.

Home humidifiers help maintain adequate humidity levels, but we all need to balance the use of power with its effect on the environment. Lowering household temperatures during the day, when no one is home, will help. On milder days, leaving your windows slightly open to allow the intake of fresh air is also beneficial. Moving the air with a summer fan set on low speed will aid in preventing fungus and disease problems.

When bringing your plants indoors, check carefully for both insects and disease. The undersides of leaves are the most likely areas to harbour insects. Pick off any leaves with eggs or ones showing signs of whitefly, aphids, mealy bug and scale. New leaves will grow once the plant is settled inside. Inspect the stems closely and examine the soil for crawling insects or tiny fungus gnats. Even if the plants look clean, a thorough spraying with organic Safer’s Soap’s ‘Trounce’ or horticultural oil will help prevent unseen and unwelcome passengers from causing problems.

For the first week or so after bringing your tropicals inside, misting them with a fine water spray two or three times a day will help the foliage adjust to the drier environment. On the other hand, watering the soil can often be a troublesome issue. All indoor plants, and I do mean every single one, needs to be rootbound from now until mid-April. So, no repotting of plants at this time. In fall and winter, indoor plants perform better when their roots are touching the edges of the pot. When a rootbound plant is watered, the water runs through reasonably quickly and doesn’t saturate the soil, causing root rot. Ideally, the soil should be evenly moist but not sopping wet. If the soil has pulled away from the edge of the pot, it is a sign that the plant is too dry. A good guide is to check your plants’ moisture levels twice a week. Always use room temperature water when hydrating your plants.

Because your plants are not growing as much as they did in summer, less feeding is required. If you feed, use soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer and feed only after you have watered.

If you find quite a few leaves turning yellow and falling off, don’t worry — it’s a natural process of readjustment to the indoors.

Of all the tropical plants, citrus seems to be the most challenging. Keep them well lit, as cool as you can and don’t overwater them. Regular, consistent misting with water and maintaining the soil just slightly moist is the secret for success with citrus. When it comes to cacti and succulents, it’s a myth that they need watering only once or twice a month. Because they are usually growing in small pots filled with exceptionally well-draining soils, I find a weekly check is important. They require a little more moisture than you may expect, especially aloe veras.

Trust only credible websites and garden industry professionals for information. Daily observation is the best way to care for all your plants during any season. The few minutes you spend monitoring will be well worth the effort.

Brian Minter: Bringing tropical plants back indoors can be tricky published first on https://weedkillerguide.tumblr.com/

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oldwarriors-fireandwater · 7 years

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Ranks

Kit

The youngest of the Clan, the signs of new life and hope. Kits are cats under the age of six moons old. The first moon is the most precious, but it is also when kits have the greatest chance of death. A Clan queen gives birth to anywhere from one to five kits (while six and seven kittens in a litter is possible, this is a rare thing), though on average, two will survive to become apprentices. Their chances of survival are better in spring and summer, and much worse if born in the winter. Between the first and second moon, the kits grow rapidly, but do little more that suckle. Although the kits open their eyes around one moon, they won’t leave the den until they can properly walk and talk, which is around two moons.

Once kits leave the den, there is hardly much to do to curb their curiosity. Most kits will get under warriors’ paws and tussle across the camp, begging for apprentice to show off their moves. Some see this as a nuisance, but others find it to be a good sign for the Clan. Energetic kits in ShadowClan are especially a good omen. Kits begin eating prey between two and three moons, and this can be a difficult time, as they will complain about being weaned from milk. The rest of kithood is spent in play. Often, leaders will look on and pay attention to older kits, in order to judge their personality and plan who to apprentice them to when the time comes.

Apprentice

The young warriors-to-be of the Clan. Once a kit reaches six moons of age, the leader changes their name to end in -paw and assigns them a mentor that they feel will best teach them. Apprentices work from dawn to dusk, and are often so exhausted that they’ll pass out as soon as they hit the nest. Though specific training varies from Clan to Clan, apprentices focus mainly on hunting, fighting, and learning every pawstep of their territory so that they will effectively patrol it some day. They spend so much of their time with their mentors that the older warrior either becomes a lifelong friend who they turn to guidance for, even as a warrior - but a poor relationship can lead to a bitter resentment of the mentor, and there will always be an uneasy feeling between them in the Clan.

Apprentices are also often tasked with caring for queens and elders. This can involve fetching them water-soaked moss, taking care of their ticks, bringing fresh-kill, and even clearing away their dirt. Apprentices eat last, unless their mentor, deputy, or leader has given them permission to eat. They are allowed out of camp, but not alone, and they cannot choose their tasks or organize patrols. Although they report to their mentor (and leader) first, any warrior can give the apprentices orders. They typically get the worst jobs, the ones no warrior wants to do.

When an apprentice reaches adulthood, around nine to twelve months, they will become a warrior. There are a number of ways to earn warriorhood. The first, and most common, is to simply be assigned an assessment and pass. This can be hunting, leading an important patrol, or performing well in some sort of competition. The second way is to prove one’s worth through a unique circumstance, like battling exceptionally in a key skirmish, saving kits from danger, or bringing back heaps of prey in winter. Though less common, the warriors who earn their names this way are typically a bit prouder, and gain a little more respect than other warriors their age. The last way is through death - a leader may give a dying apprentice a name if they feel the apprentice deserves to die a warrior. However, this must be given as they are dying, or soon after they’ve died. A leader cannot discover a day old body of an apprentice and name them then, for their soul will have already been accepted by StarClan.

Warrior

The noble cats of the forest, the defenders and providers of the Clans. All warriors must adhere to the Warrior Code, as it is through sticking to the laws that they make themselves different from any common forest cat. Warriors train hard through apprenticeship to earn their name and place in the Clan. Once an apprentice becomes a warrior, they have much more freedom than apprentices. They can leave camp as they please and hunt and patrol on their own - though their deputy may still assign them to specific patrols. Warriors can take mates and bear kits, mentor apprentices, and become deputy and leader. The bulk of the Clan are warriors.

Queens

Queens are the nursing mothers of the Clan. They take a momentarily leave from their warrior duties about a moon into pregnancy, and rest in the nursery until their kits have been apprentices. Like the elders, apprentices are expected to provide prey and fresh bedding for them, and attend to any other needs they may have. In order to keep up the mental well-being of queens, they may leave the camp from time to time to go on walks, escorted by warriors. Usually, it is incredibly rare for a queen to kill or abandon her kits, as they have the supportive environment of the Clan. Most queens will only have one or two litters in a lifetime, both to preserve their own health and to keep the Clan from being over-populated by their own family.

Mentors

Mentors are warriors who have been tasked with the education of an apprentice. Mentors teach their apprentice every aspect of survival, from proper hunting technique to battle skills. They regularly assess the progress of their training, and will report to the leader and deputy if their apprentice acts too poorly or performs very well. They can punish their apprentice if they cause trouble, and give them practically any task they can think of.

Mentors also often serve as a guide otherwise, and they should be prepared to comfort their apprentice in times of need or give them important advice. The life of a young cat can be hard, as they are still learning that death and suffering is as much a part of a Clan cat’s life as hunting and joy, and a mentor should be prepared to coach them through their growing phase. Even after an apprentice becomes a warrior, they may turn to their old mentor for help, and a healthy bond can foster a long-lasting friendship. However, romance between an apprentice and mentor is heavily looked down upon, and it reflects poorly on the mentor to pursue an apprentice, whether they are a current or old one. Often, losing a mentor is like losing a parent and being mistreated by a mentor can hurt just as much as terrible treatment from one.

Medicine Cats

Healers and caretakers of the Clans. Medicine cats give up the life of a warrior to study herbs, illness, and injury, and they dedicate their life to StarClan and to healing. They are the Clan’s connection to StarClan, and to be left without a medicine cat is to be cut off from the ancestors. Because of this, a Clan is most comfortable when their medicine cat has an apprentice, but this isn’t always possible, as the medicine cat must be able to pick their successor from the kits. It is unknown what exactly draws medicine cats to their apprentices, but they always seem sure of their decision when they go to their leader and ask for the apprentice. The kit has a choice, but it is rare that a medicine cat is wrong about the hidden connection a kit already has, and they almost always accept. Kits are never forced into this position against their will.

Medicine cats often seem separate from their Clan - they sleep in their own den, and generally stay secluded to it. They rarely have many friends in the Clan, as warriors prefer to stick to warriors, and their only companionship is with their mentor, apprentice, and leader. Even family tends to drift away from the medicine cat. The phenomena has never been explained, but it is very typical. The healers also often seem off in their own world - staring off into space, studying leaves and fallen twigs for long times, or looking up at the sky for hours. Their dreams are vivid, complicated, and memorable, but even they have trouble understanding them all. They interpret the signs that StarClan leaves for them, and may go to the Moonstone to speak directly with them in the direst of times.

Deputy

These cats are second to the leader in rank. Deputyship is only given to cats who have mentored at least one apprentice, as this gives them experience with teaching and giving orders. A deputy generally has the respect of their Clan, and is often a senior warrior or a cat who has demonstrated maturity. Deputies may give orders like leaders, and warriors are expected to do as told by them. A main task of deputies is to sort out patrols that are of importance - while warriors are free to hunt and patrol where they like, a deputy should be keeping track of what borders have been marked and whether the fresh-kill pile needs filling. They also may assign cats to other tasks like rebuilding dens or tracking suspicious characters on the territory. A deputy may be called on to solve disputes between Clanmates if necessary, so they need to be capable of mediating.

Most deputies grow into a leadership role with time, and transition easily into the Clan leader when their leader dies. However, in the case that the leader dies before they have had much experience, they often falter in their new role and have an unsteady hold on their Clan.

Leader

A leader is ultimately in charge of their Clan. They have a say in all matters, but the power comes with the responsibility of ensuring they lead their Clan to survival against all odds. A good leader must be a strategist, a diplomat, and have the ability to command respect of their Clan. They assign the new generations of kits to mentors, decide when they must bring their Clan into battle, and must find solutions for the most prominent troubles facing the Clan. Rather than hunt or patrol with other warriors, they are often in their den or meeting with other Clanmates to discuss the status of the Clan and its members to ensure all is flowing smoothly.

Leaders tend to struggle most with maintaining stable relationships and friendships. Even in times of peace, they are constantly under the stress of keeping the Clan going steadily. A single mistake in conversation with another Clan could lead to war, and a plague could suddenly hit a healthy Clan and cripple them. RiverClan and WindClan leaders tend to still be capable of managing relationships with Clanmates, while ShadowClan and ThunderClan leaders more often become more reserved.

Even so, leaders seem to be blessed with great health and long lives. If a leader manages to keep peace, they may outlive many Clanmates in their position. A loss of a good leader is often a blow to the Clan, and they may grieve for much longer than they would for an average Clanmate.

Elders

Elders are retired warriors who can no longer serve their Clan. Though they cannot hunt or fight any longer, they are treated with the utmost respect by their Clanmates, as they are considered to have earned their rest. The only role of elders is to preserve the history of the Clans and pass them on to younger generations. They tell stories to any cat willing to listen, and often spend their days recalling the 'good old days'. Apprentices are expected to tend to their every need as part of their normal duties.

#long post #(sorry for not putting it under a cut; i'm on mobile!)#ranks

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ramonawhitfield · 5 months

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When Do Deer Shed Their Antlers? Get the Facts Here

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greenishbucket · 7 years

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Autumn Serenade

Ford, summer, and hockey. 1.8k, also on ao3.

For Day 1 of OMGCheckPlease! Women Week 2017

Here’s the thing: Ford loves playing hockey.

Her brothers had balked when she’d told them happily over Skype that she’d joined up for the local rec league, no real training but enough vague knowledge and passion to power through. She’s hardly expecting to be on the first line or anything, it’s just fun and exciting and a way to get to know people. Ford’s been involved in local theatre for as long as she can remember – and it’d been the first place she’d looked at when she moved into the area – but stage managing is her forte and it’s a lonely task, the gratitude and respect warming but the responsibilities endless.

Ford can let go in hockey. It’s no contact but there’s the same satisfaction in using careful moves to snatch the puck from the opposition as there is in watching the curtain fall on a perfect show. Only the satisfaction is several times a game rather than a few nights preceded by weeks of organisation and she has a whole team to burn with the satisfaction in time with her.

Her parents had been worried about injury but were easily comforted by the assurance she’d have a full face cage and enough ragtag gear to keep her safe (though she didn’t share how the league had probably had since forever the way it stank). Both her brothers played football well into their college days; her parents are no strangers to accepting their kids playing dangerous sports.

She’s under no misapprehensions about the level of acceptance in the league compared to her usual theatre crowd as her mother suggested, either. Ford knows how hockey is. Besides, theatre kids are so, so far from perfect and Ford’s been black and a lesbian her entire life; she’s not going to let some jackasses stop her from expanding her horizons, especially since she seems to have lucked out massively with her teammates. Lardo, as both her team captain and one of the founders of the league, is both one of the coolest, chillest and one of the most unflinchingly assertive people Ford has ever met.

Ford wouldn’t have let her parents stop her anyway. She’s an adult now, free from college and just about managing to live away from home by sharing her apartment with a squirrely PhD student and a midwife-in-training and carefully budgeting every penny. So what if she wants to portion some of the careful budgeting to the rec league fees, to going out for drinks with the girls after a game? It’s fun, it’s new, it’s giving her thighs to die for.

Here’s the other thing: so far she hasn’t actually played in a real game.

Ford signed up as part of the rec league after coming to watch their final two games before the long summer break. Rec league never really breaks – or so Lardo and Farms both remind anyone who dare use the term ‘break’, five timetabling spreadsheet tabs open and four group chats pinging continuously on three laptops between them – but summer means people vacationing with family and wanting to be outside in the sun rather than holed up in a scruffy ice rink no matter how hockey-loving Ford knows the girls to be.

There are a couple of games for fun over the months and plenty of street hockey and people can practice as often as they like in twos or threes – plus Heaven knows Ford is busy enough with the local theatre summer production, she couldn’t resist – but their first real league game isn’t until the very end of September. Ford has it circled in red marker on the calendar in the kitchen and every morning she looks at it with a mix of burning hot excitement and sick trepidation.

Until now, Ford has always been a summer girl. Every year as school or college started the transition ached, the first few days spent forcing herself to look away from the windows and focus on work again instead of grabbing hold of the last stretches of real warmth, the sunlight golden and the leaves just beginning to turn brown. She always feels weird and mismatched pulling on her jeans and socks and fall sweaters again, the layers and weight a trap compared to her light summer dresses and skirts and shorts, the ease of simple flats or sandals. Ford loves summer. Everything feels possible and endless on a bright summer’s day stretching out into a warm summer’s night and it revitalises every part of her that gets worn down and exhausted in the decay of fall and the long, cold winter. Spring is a start but nothing gives to Ford like summer does.

This year Ford feels like summer has passed at half the speed it usually does, even now in mid-September the weather reflecting a September dragging its feet on leaving summer behind, and she’s impatient with it. The rush of playing what few games ran during the summer was a wonder but Ford can’t help but think what it could be like in a real game, in something that doesn’t count in the grand scheme of things but counts to her and her teammates in this rec league among rec leagues. She can’t help but see her experiences now as a pale imitation.

Ford is already half in love with hockey and now she wants to play it.

This year each browning leaf and pumpkin-themed Pintrest board and knitted scarf means moving closer to the rec league getting under way for the season. Fprd finds herself watching the transitions with anticipation rather than her usual sadness and the thought of her summer clothes being replaced by the weight of her gear, disgusting though the pads may be, doesn’t have the usual quasi-claustrophobic panic.

“Last day of summer today,” her brother says, eye on his own calendar as they try and figure out a time to meet up over FaceTime. “Always makes me think of you.”

Once when Ford was seven she’d cried inconsolably on the last day of summer even though the weather hadn’t been truly summery in weeks, confusing and worrying both her teacher and parents. It had just been the finality of it, the confirmation that all the opportunities of the summer really were passed. This morning she’d spotted the tiny note in the day’s square and felt a twinge of something, a sadness that it was over for another year and a weariness at the prospect of the aches and pains and boredom of winter, but nothing like when she was seven. Ford’s pretty sure she’d even been a lot more upset the year before, too, wearing summer clothes in protest even when it was cold enough that she was shivering all day.

“I know, I saw,” she says, “and like it sucks, my God fall is boring and winter sucks, but I’ve got my first hockey game tomorrow. Which is pretty cool.”

Her brother is silent for long enough that she looks over at the screen to make sure he hasn’t been cut off. He’s still there, face up close to the camera like he’s trying to get a better look at her.

“Who even are you?” he asks, phone so close all Ford can see is one eye.

“Quit it, your eye is freaking me out.”

“You’re freaking me out. What happened to ‘summer is all that matters, all other seasons are a capitalist cage, I want ice cream but I’m too cold, football can kiss my ass, all my theatre nerds are sick with flu’ blah blah whatever the fuck?”

“I never said any of that!”

“You know what I mean,” her brother finally pulls his phone back a little but the look he’s giving her is still alarmed. “You’re always complaining that summer is over until, like, April. It’s part of my routine.”

Ford shrugs. “I don't know. I guess the game is taking precedence over mourning summer. Fall is so depressing and winter is so cold I can’t go anywhere – I’m looking forward to having enough to do that I'm too tired to miss the sun but also, like, getting to actually hang out with people instead of just bossing them around.”

Her brother considers this then laughs. “Well, shit, if you say so. Maybe we should have tried to get you into hockey when you were younger if it was gonna make you this okay with seasons passing. Remember that time you cried all day? How old were you, twelve?”

“I was seven, you asshole.”

His voice goes high pitched and whiney, a horrible impression of seven-year-old Ford: “Summer’s gone and I don’t want to learn more math I want to go swimming and eat bugs and I hate school and–”

She hangs up on him. A minute later he texts a suitable time to meet up and good luck for the game tomorrow. Seconds later her other brother, probably prompted to do so, texts a reminder to keep her teeth intact if possible. Ford sends both of them back a heart, smiling and genuinely touched in spite of herself, then sets her phone aside to make dinner.

Outside, there’s rain lashing against the windows and the weather report last night had confirmed it was unlikely the weather would pick up again before temperatures started sliding for real. Ford listens to her phone buzzing while she cooks and knows it’s probably one of the girls getting chirped to hell and back in the group chat, checks neither of her flatmates have disturbed the gear bag she’s left by the door for tomorrow.

Spring and summer have always been Ford’s time, the pressure pleasantly on with shows to polish up and perform and the long days to fill, with fall and winter at a pace too slow and unfocused to be satisfying. Ford knows herself and she knows needs to be challenged and kept driven, anything else feels draining. Hockey is giving her direction, not to mention friends she so desperately needed in a new place, and Ford thinks she could love it for that alone.

Luckily, she doesn’t have to. The next night she gets a messy assist and even their team losing in the final minutes after a close three periods doesn’t soften any of the thrumming delight under her skin, doesn’t stop the helmet-taps she receives for getting an assist in her first game (her first game!) or the exclamation marks her family text in response to the news. Not even the cold wind that’s icy against her neck as she stands outside the rink and answers three separate emails on set production can ruin her mood. It's fall and she's still busy enough with things that excite her that she feels the pressure of it, feels the tiredness in her muscles. It's amazing.

Ford loves playing hockey.

Feeling charitable, she gets herself a pumpkin spice latte on the way home. It’s not quite her usual cold vanilla sweet cream, a flavour that’s like a mouthful of summer to her, but Ford thinks perhaps it’s something she could learn to like.

#omgcpwomenweek #check please fic #my writing

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senior70 · 4 years

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In which a New Geographic Nomenclature for Ontario is suggested as an Opiate for the Scourge of Torontocentrism

Some of us Ontario residents enjoy life outside that small and most southerly portion of the Province of Ontario where a large number of ill advised residents live. They dwell in the path of successive storms that track from the southwest along the trend of the Appalachians, in the zone of lake-effect snows from northwestern air masses crossing the Great Lakes and, at other times, sweat in the oppressive heat and humidity of air creeping over the region from the west. Their bubble is tiny and crowded and deeply affected by the geographic ignorance syndrome known as “Torontocentrism”.

Those who suffer this malady are blissfully ignorant of the geography of any part of the Province lying more than a little north of Toronto, though thousands do submit to the summer weekend traffic snarls to spend a night or two in “cottage country”, which most of them perceive as an adventure to the edge of the known world, a transitional area between “civilization” and that which is “beyond the pale” that is daringly referred to as “Northern Ontario”, even though it lies within 300km of downtown Toronto.

Their world is small, largely confined to “Central Ontario” which is very loosely described as that area between Georgian Bay and the eastern end of Lake Ontario. The cities of London and Windsor, in their minds, lie in “South Western Ontario”, and Kingston and Ottawa lie in “Eastern Ontario”. However, similar terminology covers rather different divisions of Southern Ontario, such that real estate and health related divisions are in no way comparable. One thing that is certain, however, is that anything north of Parry Sound, or, indeed, of Barrie, is “Northern” and, as is strongly perceived by them, everything gets a lot worse as one ventures into the northern wastelands, even if one carries one’s security blanket.

Maps of Ontario, found in Atlases, are usually in two parts. Most of a double page will display Southern Ontario in all its glory, and an inset map in the corner remains to display the rest, but often not all, of the Province. Those suffering Torontocentrism are not, it seems, well versed in the concept of scale, and so conclude that a day’s drive will land them in Kenora, or even Winnipeg, for the night. Small motels between Wawa and Nipigon are accustomed to opening their doors to weary and perplexed Torontonian travellers, somewhat confused by the fact that they have not yet reached the Manitoba border. They would have been advised to consult map software that would have told them that Winnipeg lies just over 2000 km away and, in good road conditions, is an estimated 23 hour drive.

Thunder Bay residents are wearily used to phone calls and posted special offers urging them to frequent stores and services in Toronto. Receiving the offer of a free hearing test by CARP, the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, with Head Offices in Toronto, one discovers that the company offering this promotion has its most northerly office in the Sault, a mere 700 km drive away, estimated to take 8 hours, each way. Another touch of Torontocentrism. The caller from the Hudson’s Bay Department Store, with Head Offices in Toronto, trying to promote their shopping card, was surprised to learn that Toronto was thought to be rather far away to go shopping, so chirpily pointed out that there was a Bay in Winnipeg, only a 700 km, 8 hour drive, though in the other direction. The company offering to give a free estimate for installing solar panels on residential roofs, with Head Offices in the GTA, was a little confused by the Postal Code stated on the request of a Thunder Bay resident. They had not installed solar panels in any location north of Midland, it seemed. The representative was a little surprised to be informed that Thunder Bay receives a greater number of sunshine hours than does Toronto. The Weather Network banner announces 30 cm of snow due in “Ontario”, but this rough weather will in fact be experience by only that tiny sliver of the Province between Windsor and Ottawa. Their head office is in Oakville. Meanwhile, the rest of the Province basks under clear skies and sunshine.

There is, I believe, an antidote to Torontocentrism, and that is education of the ignorant. However, the ignorant are remarkably resistant to education, their vision blinkered by their malady, their knowledge base impervious to the realities of Canadian geography and their travel experience limited to that which can be reached within a few hours drive of their homes.

The only cure I can suggest is the formal adoption of a new geographic nomenclature for Ontario by no less than the Provincial Government of the Province. Enforced education is perhaps the only effective way of dealing with this deeply ingrained geographic ignorance syndrome.

Let us begin by dealing with the terms “South” and “North”. The latitudinal (south to north) extent of the Province is from Middle Island, part of Point Pelee National Park (41.685°N) to the intersection of the Manitoba border with the shore of Hudson Bay (56.857°N) a span of 15.172°. The latitude marking the bisector of the Province into Southern and Northern halves is thus 49.253°N (Figure 1). The most passed through habitation close to this line is English River (49.216°N), an unincorporated place on the Trans Canada Highway, 189 km and 2 hours drive northwest of Thunder Bay, and worthy of a road sign informing travellers that they are passing from Southern to Northern Ontario or vice versa at this point in their journey.

Figure 1.

However, there is the term “Central” to be clarified also, particularly for those sufferers who are under the misapprehension that they live in “Central Ontario”, but do not. Dividing the latitudinal span of the Province into three equal parts would give us “Southern”, “Central” and “Northern” Ontario, each 5.057° in latitudinal width (Figure 2). By this perfectly logical geographic division, the boundary between Southern Ontario and Central Ontario would lie at 46.742°N. The most easily identified location of this boundary would be where the Trans Canada Highway crosses the Goulais River, 30 km north of Sault Ste. Marie. The Sault, Sudbury and, ironically, North Bay, (despite its name) all lie in Southern Ontario.

Figure 2.

Thunder Bay, population 110,172 (48.381°N, 89.247°W), which lies south of the 49th parallel and thus south of all of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, is the largest city of Central Ontario and the major service city for both Central and Northern Ontario. Interestingly, Nipigon (49.016°N), 117 km to the east, on the Trans Canada Highway, is just north of this significant parallel, a fact which should be heralded by an informative road sign telling travellers from Southern Ontario that they have at last reached the southern border of much of the rest of Canada.

The boundary between Central Ontario and North Ontario lies at 51.800°N (Figure 2). Interestingly, the community of Pikangikum lies exactly on this latitude. With a population of 2,300, this community is the largest First Nation community in Northern Ontario, with an estimated 75% of the population below 25 years of age. It will likely come as a shock to those suffering Torontocentrism to be told that the communities of Northern Ontario can only be reached by air in summer and, in some cases, by ice road in the winter months. Note that Moosonee, pop. 1,481 (51.273°N) and Moose Factory (51.262°N) near the mouth of the Moose River, and Ontario’s only saltwater port, both lie within Central Ontario. Note also, the furthest north one can drive in the Province is to Pickle Lake (51.467°N), a 530 km drive north of Thunder Bay. Moosonee can only be reached by a train ride of 360 km from Cochrane (49.065°N), on the Polar Bear Express. Moose Factory, on an island in the Moose River, is reached by boat, and at times in spring and fall, only by helicopter.

One has yet to consider the terms “West” and “East”, both terms used by those suffering Torontocentralism to describe their fairly immediate surroundings. In particular, the use of “Southwestern Ontario” needs to be re-evaluated. Again applying the logic of geography, it needs to be noted that the easternmost Longitude of the Province is a point in the St. Lawrence River, just a fraction further east than Riviere Baudette, Quebec (74.339W) at 74.321°W (bearing in mind that Longitude is measured as degrees west and east of the Prime Meridian which passes through the Royal Observatory, in Greenwich, London, UK.). The westernmost Longitude of Ontario is that coincident with part of the Ontario/Manitoba, at 95.153°W, the longitudinal span of Ontario being 20.832°.

It follows that the mid longitude of Ontario, that divides the Province into equal Eastern and Western parts of 10.416° width, is 84.737°W. This meridian cuts the coast of Hudson Bay just east of the mouth of the Winisk River, passing through Polar Bear Provincial Park. It runs south, passing just to the west of Sault Ste. Marie (84.335°W) and down the Michigan Peninsula, running just to the west of Lansing (84.555°W) (Figure 3).

Figure 3.

This division allows for the terms North Western and North Eastern Ontario, and West Central and East Central Ontario. As indicated previously, Thunder Bay is clearly the dominant city of West Central Ontario, and Timmins, pop 41,788 (48.475°W, 81.330°W) can claim to be the most significant community in East Central Ontario. Understandably, Toronto, pop. 2.93 million (43.6532° N, 79.3832° W) is the dominant city of South Eastern Ontario. However, there is no South Western sextant of Ontario, primarily because the Province extends not only north of Toronto but considerably to the west, a fact unrecognized by sufferers of Torontocentrism. Windsor (83.03°W) can best be described as situated at the far western end of South Eastern Ontario.

One more detail needs to be considered within this opiate package of factual information, and that concerns the location of the centre of the Province of Ontario, that is the geographical centre as distinct from Toronto which Torontocentrism sufferers appear to believe is the centre of everything. Having identified the mid latitude as 49.253°N and the mid longitude or meridian as 84.737°W, the centre of the Province is where these two lines intersect (Figure 4).

Figure 4.

That point lies a little west of the shore of St. Onge’s Lake, a little known small body of water a few kilometres north and east of Hornepayne, pop. 980 (49.2122° N, 84.7714° W) in Central Ontario (Figure 5). Hornepayne lies in the country between the Trans Canada Highway and Highway 11 (“the Northern route”), on Highway 631, which joins the two main routes, running north from White River, pop. 645 (48.5940° N, 85.2748° W). Hornepayne deserves recognition as the community at the centre (almost) of the Province of Ontario.

Figure 5.

So, I have presented above, a logical geographic nomenclature for the location of regions and places in the Province of Ontario, a sturdy and defensible replacement for the truly laughable terminology in use by those who suffer the geographic ignorance syndrome of Torontocentralism. It is one that I believe should be adopted by the Government of Ontario, forthwith.

I rest my case.

senior70.

December 2019

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