#santa anna cemetery

[keryahoraculi]

Eternal Gardens Of Secrets

©Kereonn / instagram

[heavenlybackside]

Remember The Alamo

Commandancy of the The Alamo

Bejar, Feby. 24th. 1836

To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World-

Fellow Citizens & compatriots-

I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna - I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man - The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken - I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls - I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch - The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country - Victory or Death.

William Barret Travis.

Lt. Col.comdt.

P. S. The Lord is on our side - When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn - We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels and got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves.

Travis

Photo: Texas Memorial Cemetery - Austin, Texas

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 4.21 (before 1950)

753 BC – Romulus founds Rome (traditional date). 43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered shortly after. 900 – The Laguna Copperplate Inscription (the earliest known written document found in what is now the Philippines): the Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom of Tondo, as represented by the Honourable Jayadewa, Lord Minister of Pailah, pardons from all debt the Honourable Namwaran and his relations. 1092 – The Diocese of Pisa is elevated to the rank of metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Urban II 1506 – The three-day Lisbon Massacre comes to an end with the slaughter of over 1,900 suspected Jews by Portuguese Catholics. 1509 – Henry VIII ascends the throne of England on the death of his father, Henry VII. 1526 – The last ruler of the Lodi dynasty, Ibrahim Lodi is defeated and killed by Babur in the First Battle of Panipat. 1615 – The Wignacourt Aqueduct is inaugurated in Malta. 1782 – The city of Rattanakosin, now known internationally as Bangkok, is founded on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River by King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke. 1789 – John Adams sworn in as first US Vice President (nine days before George Washington) 1789 – George Washington's reception at Trenton is hosted by the Ladies of Trenton as he journeys to New York City for his first inauguration. 1792 – Tiradentes, a revolutionary leading a movement for Brazil's independence, is hanged, drawn and quartered. 1802 – Twelve thousand Wahhabis sack Karbala, killing over three thousand inhabitants. 1806 – Action of 21 April 1806: A French frigate escapes British forces off the coast of South Africa. 1809 – Two Austrian army corps are driven from Landshut by a First French Empire army led by Napoleon as two French corps to the north hold off the main Austrian army on the first day of the Battle of Eckmühl. 1821 – Benderli Ali Pasha arrives in Constantinople as the new Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire; he remains in power for only nine days before being sent into exile. 1836 – Texas Revolution: The Battle of San Jacinto: Republic of Texas forces under Sam Houston defeat troops under Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna. 1856 – Australian labour movement: Stonemasons and building workers on building sites around Melbourne march from the University of Melbourne to Parliament House to achieve an eight-hour day. 1894 – Norway formally adopts the Krag–Jørgensen bolt-action rifle as the main arm of its armed forces, a weapon that would remain in service for almost 50 years. 1898 – Spanish–American War: The United States Navy begins a blockade of Cuban ports. When the U.S. Congress issued a declaration of war on April 25, it declared that a state of war had existed from this date. 1914 – Ypiranga incident: A German arms shipment to Mexico is intercepted by the U.S. Navy near Veracruz. 1918 – World War I: German fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen, better known as "The Red Baron", is shot down and killed over Vaux-sur-Somme in France. 1926 – Al-Baqi cemetery, former site of the mausoleum of four Shi'a Imams, is leveled to the ground by Wahhabis. 1934 – The "Surgeon's Photograph", the most famous photo allegedly showing the Loch Ness Monster, is published in the Daily Mail (in 1994, it is revealed to be a hoax). 1945 – World War II: Soviet forces south of Berlin at Zossen attack the German High Command headquarters. 1946 – The U.S. Weather Bureau publish a paper which stated the width of a tornado which struck the city of Timber Lake, South Dakota was 4 miles (6.4 km), which would make this the widest tornado ever documented in history. 1948 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 47 relating to Kashmir conflict is adopted.

[wonderandwanderinginmexicocity]

Benito Juárez: Hero of Oaxaca

"Men are nothing. Principles are everything." -Benito Juárez

When I was in Oaxaca, I noticed that many places and streets were named after two native sons of the state: Benito Juárez and Porfirio Díaz. Díaz is, at best, a complicated figure in retrospect, a bloody dictator that did much to modernize Mexico and bind it together into a modern nation-state, but who's rule was so oppressive it brought about the Mexican Revolution. Benito Juárez, on the other hand, is almost universally admired and celebrated. In the complex and divisive nature of Mexican history and politics, this is no small feat. Today is a national holiday celebrating his birthday. I did not have to work, so I thought I would write about Benny, “The Meritorious of the Americas”.

From the U.S. perspective, it is helpful to try and draw a similar analgous figure for Juárez to understand his importance to the development of Mexico. Being a liberal with progressive ideas and a desire to have a firm seperation between church and state, Benito is in many ways a Mexican Thomas Jefferson. In that he steered the country through an incredibly complex and violent time period, Juárez resembles Abraham Lincoln.

Benito was born in Oaxaca on the twenty-first of March 1806 to Zapotec parents. Being born to indigenous parents in a country that often downplayed indigenous identity may have instilled young Benito with a sense of service whereas other politicians had motivations of gold or glory. "As a son of the people," he once said, "I could never forget that my only goal should be their greater prosperity." He was orphaned at the age of three. As a young man, Juárez considered entering the preisthood but instead studied to become a lawyer, and eventually became involved in local and national politics, culminating in being elected govenor of Oaxaca in 1847. As govenor, he doubled the number of schools in Oaxaca from 50 to 100. Both in local and national office, Benito Juárez was hardworking and honest, and never personally profited from being in politics.

Benito Juárez became a critic of the Santa Anna government, which had just ceded a large tract of land to the United States in the Treaty of Hidalgo. When the Conservatives took power again, Juárez was forced to go north into exile. He worked at a cigarette factory in New Orleans in semipoverty.

Juárez was both a progressive and a modernizer. He believed that the only thing that could help Mexico and her poor would be to update the national economy, and that meant freeing the means of production from the Catholic Church and the landed aristocracy. Politically, Benito was a liberal, in that he believed Mexico needed a constitution that guaranteed certain individual rights and a federal system that granted individual states within Mexico some autonomy.

The moment came for Juárez to put his dreams into action when the liberals took control of the national government in 1855, and Benito joined as the minister for justice. As minister, he worked tirelessly to bring about the permanent seperation of church and state. Church property was nationalized, exempting only those buildings actually used for worship and instruction. To weaken the powerful Catholic clergy that meddled in Mexican politics, Juárez also nationalized the cemeteries and put birth registrations and marriages under government authority.

In 1861, Juárez officially became president of Mexico. There was no honeymood period of peace and calm, because there were several major issues that threatened the new president: Conservative forces that were against the reforms of Benito Juárez were still organized and politically dangerous, the new Congress distrusted the president, and the national treasury was basically empty. At the time of Juárez's inauguration, Mexico was deeply in debt to several European nations. Sensing an opportunity to recreate the French dream of an empire in the Americas, Napoleon III invaded Mexico in 1862. His plan was to indirectly rule Mexico through a puppet ruler, Archduke Maximilian of Austria. The Mexican forces had a great victory on May 5, 1862, but with reinforcements the French army was able to occupy the capital of Mexico City the following year, allowing the Austrian archduke to sit upon his throne.

These were difficult times for Benito Juárez and his forces. They were fighting a strong and determined enemy, but they too were equally determined to fight because the future of the Mexican state depended on them. To survive to fight another day meant that the war was not over, and that hope was still alive. After retreating all the way north to the United States border (to a place that would later be renamed Juárez), the tide began to turn in the favor of the Mexican forces. Due to international pressure and Mexican resistance, Napleon III withdrew his troops from Mexico. Maximilian, the foreigner who tried to claim the throne of Mexico, was caught, tried, and shot. Benito Juárez was president again.

There is much more that could be said about this great man. This was not meant to be an exhaustive list of the life and times of the first indigenous president of modern Mexico. I am sure books have been written about short periods of his life. HIs liberal ideas, economic reforms and calls for federal and constitutional government were progressive and forward thinking, and Mexico would eventually embrace and live out these ideas to the present day. His wisdom and lack of personal corruption made him one of the rarest things: A poltician it is easy to admire. His leadership and courage against the French made him a national hero.

On this day, we remember and honor Benito Juárez and his service and sacrifice for the people of Mexico. May we have politicians like him at all times in all places.

[filmnoirsbian]

do you have any book and movie recs for zombie fiction? its one of my favorite subgenres but hard to find good stories

Movies: Romero's Living Dead Trilogy, The Girl with All the Gifts, Shaun of the Dead, Little Monsters, Fido, Zombieland, Resident Evil (1, 2, 3 and 4), Train to Busan, 28 Days Later, Rec, Maggie, Cargo, World War Z, Cooties, Dead Snow, One Cut of the Dead, Rampant, Zombeavers, Planet Terror, Penninsula, Ravenous, Warm Bodies, Re-Animator, Cemetery Man, Nightmare City, Juan of the Dead, The Beyond, Pontypool, Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, Return of the Living Dead, Last Ones Out, Anna and the Apocalypse

(Not all of these movies are equal in terms of quality, but I find all of them at least enjoyable to watch.)

Books: The Girl with All the Gifts, World War Z, The Zombie Survival Guide, Warm Bodies, This is Not A Test, Everything I Learned About Zombies I Learned in Kindergarten, Eat Your Heart Out (by Kelly Devos), Dread Nation, Zombie (by Joyce Carol Oates)

(Unfortunately while I've read a lot of zombie books, I haven't enjoyed many of them.)

TV shows: Kingdom, Z Nation, Black Summer, The Walking Dead (seasons 1-4), In the Flesh, iZombie, Santa Clarita Diet, Helix, Ash vs the Evil Dead, Betaal, Brand New Cherry Flavor

[interpretingtexas]

Portrait of Susanna Dickinson (1814-1883), McArdle Collection, Texas State Library and Archives, [source]

Susanna Dickinson, Messenger of the Alamo

Coming to Texas Susanna Wilkerson Dickinson was born in Tennessee around 1814 and married to Almaron Dickinson when she was just 15. She came with him to Texas and they settled along the San Marcos River in what is now Caldwell County in 1831. When the Texas Revolution broke out, Almaron Dickinson went to fight for the Texans and wound up in San Antonio in the fall of 1835, where Susanna and their 2 year old daughter Angelina joined him.

At the Alamo When the fighting resumed in February 1836, the Dickinsons moved into the Alamo. When the Alamo fell, Susanna became a widow. Santa Anna interviewed all the women and had Susanna identify all the important Texan men. He then sent her and her daughter to the Texan army with a letter from himself, warning the Texans to surrender, and with the famous “Victory or Death” letter from William Travis. Susanna provided one of the few eyewitness accounts of the Alamo siege and stood as witness for the heirs of those killed at the Alamo.

After the War Susanna had a rough life after the war. She was hounded for the rest of her life to tell the story of the Alamo over and over. She married again, first to John Williams, who she divorced because he beat her, then to Francis Herring, who died of alcoholism, then to Peter Bellows, who divorced her on grounds of infidelity. In 1856, Susanna and 21 year old Angelina sold the land awarded to them for Almaron Dickinson’s service. Finally, in 1857, at 43, Susanna married Joseph Hannig, a prosperous cabinet maker and the couple moved to Austin. Susanna would remain with Hannig until her death in 1883. Hannig buried her in Oakwood Cemetery where he would join her in 1890, despite having remarried. Their house in Austin is now the Susanna Dickinson Museum.

The Susanna Dickinson Museum, By Daderot - Own work, CC0, [source]

[arcticfox007]

The Wych Elm and the Cemetery

Happy Christmas @aibari! I’m you’re secret santa and I hope you enjoy your gift!

Thanks to @destielsecretsanta2020 for putting all of this together :)

Wishlist fulfilled: Angst with a Happy Ending, Case Fic, Weird Small Towns (well city in this case), Weird Angel Lore, Hand holding, and Americana (I tried to work in as much as I could) – if you want specific info on all of the Americana I tied in, check out my endnotes on AO3 😊 Also, @aibari I’m happy to list you as the giftee on AO3 if you have a name over there.

The is roughly set during early Season 12, but I’m not married to canon or anything.

***

               Dean wasn’t easily impressed these days, but even he had to admit that the tree growing out of the grave was unlike anything he’d come across before. The historic cemetery in the middle of Missouri had its fair share of trees, but they had come here for this one. Cas stood next to him looking like he was attempting to interrogate the tree with his mind. For a moment Dean was distracted by the angel, smiling a bit at the memory of the time Cas had insisted on interrogating a cat. Luckily, Cas had gotten better at blending in, so at least he wasn’t actively asking the tree questions. There was the sound of someone clearing their throat to Dean’s other side and Dean directed his attention back to the cemetery’s caretaker, Mrs. Paige.

               “I’m not sure why the FBI would be interested in something like this.” The older woman sniffed and looked at both Cas and Dean suspiciously. Dean turned on the charm and gave her a warm smile.

               “Unfortunately, we aren’t at liberty to discuss the details of the case, but we’d appreciate anything you can tell us about this tree Mrs. Paige, or the woman who was killed, Louisa Abbot.”

                We’d also like any information you might have on the person who was buried here,” Castiel interrupted. “Most of the marker seems to be missing, perhaps destroyed by the sudden growth of this tree.”

               “Well, I can certainly get you the information on who was buried here, this was one of our more famous gravesites. The man buried here died in the early 1800s, he is one of two Revolutionary War veterans laid to rest in the cemetery, his name was William Abbot. I believe he held the rank of Captain. The Boone Historical Society may have more information about him, but he is one of the earliest burials in the cemetery and a lot of those records have been lost over the years.” Mrs. Paige chewed on her lower lip for a moment, staring along with Dean at the tree once again. “The tree will have to be removed to restore Captain Abbot’s grave.”

               “Was Captain Abbot an ancestor of the victim?” Cas’ question caught Dean off guard. There was something strangely mesmerizing about the massive twisting trunk rising out of the ground exactly where the remains of Captain Abbot would have been. Dean registered that Cas and the caretaker were continuing to talk, but Dean stepped away to examine the tree more carefully. It’s roots, on the surface at least, didn’t seem to spread out much. Rather they seemed to go straight down into the Earth. Its trunk was thick enough to have been there for hundreds of years despite having only appeared a few days ago. The tree itself was knotted in appearance, with ugly, twisted branches shooting out in all directions. For some reason it occurred to Dean that the tree looked like it was screaming in pain. Dean jumped when he suddenly felt Cas’ hand on his shoulder.

              “Dean. Are you listening?” Dean pulled his eyes away from the tree and turned towards Cas who continued to keep his hand on Dean’s shoulder.

               “Ah, no, sorry. This,” Dean waved vaguely at the impressive scene before them, “is kind of distracting.” Cas nodded seriously. Dean noticed that the caretaker had left, but was distracted again by Cas pulling his hand back. They always touched a bit longer than was probably normal, but Dean still regretted the loss of the warmth on his shoulder.

               “Mrs. Paige said that the victim may have been a descendant of Captain Abbot, but she wasn’t sure. She suggested the Historical Society again, if we needed further information. She did say that she knew Louisa Abbot when she was a teenager. She was one of several teenagers she used to call the police on for breaking into the cemetery after hours to party. Mrs. Paige said she hadn’t really seen her in more recent years.

               “Is there any way to tell if the good Captain is still here?” Dean waved towards the roots of the tree. Cas shook his head. “Ah well, I’d be surprised if they were still here. I guess we better find out what exactly Louisa Abbot was into.” They started walking back towards the car.

               “I agree. I’d also like more information on the tree. I know it’s a type of elm, but I’m not sure of the significance, if there is any.”

               “Call Sam and get him to work on it.” Cas let out an exasperated huff in response to Dean’s delegation of research to his brother.

               “Dean. The entire reason we are here without Sam is so he can rest. He needs to sleep to get over the flu, especially since he refused to let me heal him. I am more than capable of finding the information, perhaps while you visit the historical society.”

               “Alright. You want me to drop you off at the library?”

               “That would be acceptable.” Cas paused to look out over the cemetery again before opening the passenger side door of the Impala. Dean noticed the angel’s hesitation.

               “Everything okay man?” Castiel turned towards Dean upon hearing his words and Dean notices the sadness that ghosts across the angel’s face. “Seriously, Cas, what’s going on with you? You seem more, I dunno, out of it than usual.”

               “I – this place is a lot like the cemetery where Mary was originally buried. I don’t like the memory of you leaving to die.” Cas looks away abruptly and climbs into the passenger seat. Dean is at a loss for words, so he doesn’t say anything at all. He drops Cas off at the library with all the things left unsaid hanging between them.

***

               It’s off season for the small college town, most of the students having gone home for winter break, so the hunters end up with better than normal accommodations. Dean is more than happy to discover a decent grill-themed restaurant practically in the parking lot of their hotel, and Cas is happy to wait until his companion is content with food before telling him what he’d found during his time in the library. Dean talks ideally about the pie store the server had told him about, wondering if they’ll have time to check it out before they leave. Cas lets Dean talk, he finds himself still grateful that he can have these moments, he truly thought he was going to lose him in the attempt to destroy Amara.

               Ever since Castiel’s brief time as a human he’s found that the emotions he’d been slowly acquiring over the years have amplified at a rate that he has had difficulty adjusting to. He’d hoped at the beginning that regaining his grace would have given him back some of the control that had spiraled away from him, but he can’t help but dwell on almost losing Dean.

               When they reach their room, Dean opts to take a shower before swapping case notes so Cas tries to take that time to compose himself. When given moments away from Dean, where there is a chance for quiet, the angel forces himself to let the feelings he has for the infuriating man wash over him. He lets himself feel the pain at having to let him go up against Amara alone. He lets himself feel the overwhelming joy at seeing him alive once again. He lets himself feel how much he’s fallen in love with the beautiful human being. He recalls talking to Anna at the beginning of what would become his fall, her telling him it only gets worse. He has no doubt now that she wasn’t just referring to his struggle with doubt. An angel that can feel things akin to a human can easily become overwhelmed. They were not built for these sensations, and so, every time Castiel lets go to indulge in the wash of his emotions he pulls on his grace and works to reign them in one at a time. By the time Dean emerges from the shower Castiel has regained some semblance of stoicism.

               “So, this lady at the historical society was great. She apparently teaches genealogy classes for free to the public or something, so she was able to pull up the victim’s ancestry pretty fast. Captain Abbot was her ancestor all right, so at least we have that connection. Couldn’t find much out about the family besides that, so we should talk to Louisa’s next of kin tomorrow. I think the police report said she had a sister locally.” Castiel agrees to the plan and pulls out some information he had printed at the library.

               “The tree is called a ‘Wych Elm’ and is a common wood used to build coffins, which may explain it’s presence. It’s possible, if Captain Abbot’s coffin was made from this wood, that whatever spell was cast had the side effect of growing a new tree from the wood.” Dean raises his eyebrows skeptically when Cas shares this information.

               “It’s called a witch elm Cas; do you really think it’s there because of the coffin wood?” Castiel rolls his eyes at his companion.

               “W-Y-C-H Dean, not witch. It means pliable, it’s named for the characteristic of the wood. But no, to answer your question. I doubt it has anything to do with the coffin wood. It’s not a tree common to this area.” Dean waves his hand to indicate Castiel should continue. “You are not the only one to mistake the name of the tree for something else. More recent lore does associate the tree with actual witches as many of them seem to like these trees as ritualistic sites. The rest of the lore associates them with melancholy and death, especially because the trees are known for unexpectedly dropping branches and injuring the unsuspecting people standing below them.”

               “Yeah, okay. Does that mean that Louisa was some sort of witch, and grew the tree there on purpose?” Cas thinks about Dean’s suggestion for a few moments.

               “Possibly. The other thing these trees are known for is guarding the entrance to Hades, so it may also be a result of an attempt to raise the dead. I cannot be certain as this seems unlike any other necromantic ritual I’ve heard of. I am also uncertain at to the motivation of raising someone who died over two centuries ago, as the more recent dead are usually preferrable to necromancers.”

               “Alright, well there’s not much more we can do tonight.” Castiel nods and watches Dean dig through his bag. Dean hesitates for a moment and Castiel begins to wonder if he forgot something at the bunker. Dean shakes his head and pulls a bundle out of his bag, tossing it to Castiel.

               “Here, I forgot I brought this for you.” Dean looks expectantly at the angel as Cas looks at the material in his hands.  

                “Clothing? Dean, I have no need to change clothes.” Castiel’s confusion is evident on his face. Dean sighs rubs the back of his neck.

                 “I know man. Just try though, you’re more human-like than before with Heaven losing power. I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I noticed that you eat more often, and even sleep sometimes. I think you’ll actually appreciate relaxing in something that isn’t a suit and trench coat.” Cas looks at the clothing in his hands, dismayed that Dean has seen the weakening of his connection to Heaven. He hadn’t wanted Dean to think him less capable but at the same time he’s touched by the thought the man had put into the angel’s situation.

                 “Thank you, Dean. I will try.” Castiel goes into the bathroom to change and when he emerges, he finds Dean sitting on one of the beds flipping through TV channels. Dean slides over, indicating that Cas should sit down as the TV is only visible from the one bed. Dean complains that the only thing on is a Law & Order marathon because the hotel doesn’t have a streaming service on the TV. Cas doesn’t mind though, sharing the bed to watch television gives him an excuse to watch over Dean as he sleeps without Dean complaining about it. Even nicer is how Dean falls asleep gradually in the middle of an episode and doesn’t seem to notice how he curls into Cas’ side as he does it. Cas smiles and allows his feelings to wash over him again as he thinks about how the softer PJs must be more comfortable for Dean to lay on.

***

                  The following evening found the hunter and the angel at a place called Warm Springs Ranch. When they called Louisa’s sister, she told them she could talk during her break. The ranch ran some sort of Christmas event and Janice Abbot was one of the people in charge of it. Dean tried to play it cool, but he couldn’t help getting a bit excited over the chance to see the Budweiser Clydesdales. He did remind Cas that interrogating the horses was unnecessary to which he had received one of the angel’s full body eyerolls. Dean would never admit it out loud, but he really enjoyed Cas’ sarcasm. He thought the eyerolling was kind of adorable.

               Dean hadn’t meant to spend last night half snuggling with his best friend, but Cas didn’t seem to mind so he wasn’t going to worry about it. Dean figured his secret crush on the guy was his problem, not the angel’s – as long as it didn’t mess up their friendship it wasn’t worth agonizing over.

               They had unexpectedly spent the morning at the morgue. There was another strange death last night, something had eaten the victim’s spleen. They’d only received a call about it because the original victim, Louisa, had also been missing her spleen along with several other organs and most of her blood. If it was the same creature it certainly seemed to enjoy the bloodier organs of the body. The only other thing the victims had in common was proximity to the cemetery. The most recent victim had visited the cemetery the previous day according to her wife.

               After that trip, they had gotten access to Louisa’s duplex and were now in agreement that she had been a practicing witch dabbling in necromancy. Cas had been on the phone with Rowena during the drive to the ranch giving her a rundown on the information they had in the hopes that she could help then understand more of what was going on. Eventually Cas had given in and called Sam, admitting that the younger Winchester had a much easier time getting Rowena’s cooperation.

               When they finally arrived at the front of the line of cars entering the ranch, Dean began to understand why there was a crowd. The lights draped everywhere were impressive and Dean was happy to note that Cas seemed taken in by the display. It always cheered Dean up to see Castiel happy, it felt like those instances were all too rare in their line of work. Dean and Cas showed their badges at the entrance and asked where they could find Janice. They were directed to a side road for staff and Dean noticed the small frown of Cas’ face.

               “Hey, want to ask if we can drive through the light display if we have time before we leave? It looks kinda awesome.” Castiel didn’t exactly smile but Dean could tell the suggestion pleased him. Dean wasn’t always sure why, but he was much better at reading Castiel than anyone else. Dean drove around to the back to park his car in what he assumed was the employee parking lot. They made their way through the staff entrance and asked around until they found Louisa’s sister.

                “I honestly don’t know what I can tell you guys that I haven’t already told the other cops. I’m sorry she’s dead but Louisa and I were not close. She and I have barely spoken since we were kids. She was friends with some really weird people and did a lot of drugs when we were younger. I’m really not surprised she ended up dead in a cemetery.” Janice was clearly frustrated at her sister’s death and the notoriety it had brought with it. They did manage to find out the names of some of the ‘weird’ friends Louisa hung out with but beyond that she had been more than happy to offer them free access to the Christmas event just to be rid of them.

                Dean was fairly certain the interview had been a dead end outside of assuring himself the sister wasn’t also a witch, but he didn’t feel their time had been wasted as he watched Cas roam through the stables. Cas attracted the few colts in residence leading to the kids in attendance following him around so they could see the young horses up close. Dean felt a soft warmth spread out from his chest as he watched his best friend talk with both the children and the colts. The children didn’t think anything of Cas having conversations with horses.

              They eventually made their way back to the car and drove through the light display. Maybe they should have talked about the case, but Dean didn’t want to ruin the moment. Cas gazed out at the decorations with a look of quiet contentment on his face and Dean reached for the angel’s hand without thinking about it. Cas threaded his fingers through Dean’s without even turning away from the window.

             Later that night, after grabbing burgers at a drive thru, they poured through the case notes together hoping to find something they had been missing. Dean didn’t even remember falling asleep until he woke up to Cas rolling him onto a pillow and laying a blanket on him. He mumbled a drowsy thank you and sunk into a dreamless slumber.

***

               Cas thought that maybe it was a mistake, but after last night he didn’t want to be away from Dean. Once he had pulled a blanket over his exhausted friend, Cas changed into the pajamas Dean had given him again and laid down beside him. He stayed above the covers and just watched Dean sleep. He didn’t tell Dean anymore that he’d watch over him as he didn’t enjoy being called creepy. Dean didn’t seem to understand that watching was part of who Castiel was as an angel. While he had rebelled and fallen it didn’t change his need to watch over the man he pulled out of hell. It would be like going to long without air for a human. Cas needed to watch Dean, to protect him, to assure himself that he was safe.

                He noticed Dean shivering despite the blanket draped over him and Castiel found himself giving into another impulse that he wasn’t sure Dean would appreciate. He pulled on the smallest amount of his grace to give some substance to his wings and dropped one of them on top of the man he loved. They were broken and battered, but over the years they had healed enough to fill out a bit. Dean quieted as he felt the weight of the wing, and Cas saw a small smile ripple across his face. The angel would just have to pull his wings back from the physical realm before Dean woke up, but it was worth the grace to keep Dean more comfortable as he slept.

***

               Dean opened his eyes in the morning to find a sleeping angel next to him. He froze as soon as he saw Cas there, more worried that the angel had fallen asleep than about the fact that Dean was all to happy to wake up to his best friend lying beside him. He reached over to see if he could wake Cas up and ran into – feathers? Dean quickly rubbed his hands over his face and woke up more definitively. Yup, those were feathers. Large, gorgeous, black feathers that shimmered like obsidian in the sunlight. It was as if every color that had ever existed had come together to create the shimmering black of Castiel’s wings. While concerned about why Cas was sleeping and why his wings were manifested when Dean had only ever seen shadows, Dean couldn’t help but be enthralled with the things. His hand reached out to pet the one blanketing him before he actually thought about it. He had just enough time to appreciate how amazingly soft they felt before Castiel awoke with a gasp. The wing pulled back suddenly and Cas was sitting up staring at Dean in shock.

               “Sorry, sorry! Did I hurt you? I didn’t mean anything by it, they were just so amazing… I’m so sorry Cas!” Dean held up his hands trying to placate the angel as he also sat up. Cas looked at his wings as if he had just realized they were physically present. Surprise travelled over his features and with a roll of Cas’ shoulders the wings disappeared. Dean tried not to look as disappointed as he felt. Cas turned back to Dean and briefly touched his jaw.

               “It’s alright Dean. I was just surprised. They were manifested more than I intended and the sensation of you touching them was unexpected.”

               “Did I hurt you?”

               “No, like I said it was just unexpected, not harmful. I apologize, I didn’t mean for them to be out for so long.” Dean was surprised to note that Cas looked embarrassed.

               “I – I’m glad I got to see them. They’re fucking awesome Cas, the shadows were badass enough, but wow. If I had known you could manifest them like that, I’d have been begging you to show me for years.” Cas laughed and the tension between them evaporated. Dean got ready in the bathroom and found Cas back in his regular clothing hanging up the phone when he’d finished brushing his teeth.

               “Rowena thinks she knows what happened, or at least some of it. She’s not completely sure about the role of the Wych Elm, but she did say that it’s likely we will need to use wood from the tree to kill the creature that was raised.”

               “Did she say what it is?” Cas nodded in response to Dean’s question.

               “She thinks Louisa was trying to make her own vampire. Ties of blood are necessary for control and the age of the corpse increases the power of the risen dead in a ritual like this. Rowena said that no one tries this type of thing though, because the amount of power and control needed are astronomical. She said she wouldn’t try it herself, that there are easier ways to get a loyal servant. Then she said something about how maybe Louisa didn’t have the ‘assets’ Rowena had?” Dean broke into laughter and Cas tilted his head in puzzlement. Dean always enjoyed Cas’ air quotes.

               “Don’t worry about it, Cas. Okay, so Louisa was trying to make her own breed of vampire.”

               “It would seem so. Obviously, she wasn’t successful, and not just in regards to her lack of control. Whatever the creature technically is, it’s not just drinking blood.” Dean chewed over Cas’ words as the angel did something on the laptop. All Dean could think is that this thing seemed to be some sort of zombie vampire. It didn’t really make a difference though, as long as they had a way to kill it. Or re-kill it as it were.

               “So, Rowena said we can use the Wych Elm wood to kill the thing?” Cas didn’t even look up from the screen to answer Dean’s question.

               “Not exactly. She said it had to be the specific tree that grew out of the grave. She also said it wouldn’t be enough by itself. I’m looking at the spell now.” Dean decided to leave Cas to it and work on getting their gear together. It was still a vampire after all, even if it was some sort of mutant version.

               “Dean. I think this will work. Dead man’s blood should still help to incapacitate it. We also need the ashes of it’s creator and the blessing of the divine.” Dean widened his eyes at that list, but he supposed it was doable. They could steal Louisa’s body from the morgue if necessary. “We use the spell to seal the ingredients into the wood of the elm. Then we have to stab the creature with the elm wood through its heart.”

               “So, we have to stake the vampire? Seriously?” Dean was amused at the idea of staking a vampire actually working.

               “Yes, Dean. Afterwards I’d still suggest decapitation and burning whatever is left, just to make sure it stays dead.” Cas closed the laptop and pushed it aside.

               “Sure. You have a plan for blessing of the divine?” Cas smiled at Dean.

               “That’s easy enough.” Cas didn’t even warn Dean, one moment he’s standing there looking at the angel expectantly, the next he has a faceful of feathers.

               “Um, I thought you didn’t want me touching them.” Dean couldn’t see Castiel, but he could hear him snickering. Dean pushed the wing away from his eyes in time to see Cas laughing at him.

               “I said it was unexpected, not that I minded you touching. Anyway, this will work.” Dean watches as Cas runs his finger through the feathers and finds one that comes loose. In between one blink and the next the wings are hidden once again. Cas hold a single feather in his hand, the echo of his earlier laughter still present in his smile.

               “What about the ashes? Do we need to break into the morgue?”

               “We don’t need a specified amount; we can get away with most anything. Maybe just hair or something small, we needn’t steal an entire corpse.” Dean sighs in relief, that’s one less complication.

               “Well let’s head out then, I’d like this taken care of before sunset. Wait, how are we going to find the thing anyway? You think it’s prowling around the cemetery?” Cas nods.

               “Yes, Dean. Rowena seems to think it’s probably tied to the elm and with the other victim also being close to the area I’m inclined to agree with her. Using the tree for the spell may even be enough to draw it to us. If you want to drop me off at the cemetery, I can start preparing everything while you get the ashes.” Dean agrees and grabs his keys.

***

               Cas is somewhat relieved to be dropped off at the cemetery. While Dean hadn’t reacted poorly to being draped in an angel wing this morning, or the fact that Cas was asleep in the same bed, he couldn’t help feeling that he had been pushing things too far. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep while also solidifying his wings. He needed to conserve his grace for more important tasks. While Castiel was truly content to just be a part of Dean’s life it was difficult to remind himself that he could not have more, especially with his poor control over the very human-like emotions he now experienced. What was really tipping him over the edge though, was how Dean kept reacting. Dean did not react with anger or defensiveness when he found himself in situations that hinted of a more intimate relationship with Cas. He acted as if it were normal and even welcome. It surprised Cas, but it also gave him some of the hope that he had never really allowed himself to have. It was distracting, which made it all the better that he would be prepping the spell by himself.

               Cas collected a branch from the Wych Elm growing out of Captain Abbot’s grave, mindful of the tree’s reputation for dropping branches on unsuspecting passersby. Then Cas took a few moments to make sure the caretaker knew that he and his partner may be around afterhours because of the attack yesterday and was happy to find out that she had already decided to stay with a friend until she felt safer. Cas made quick work of the elm branch, pleased with how easy it was to shape into a stake. The sun would set soon so Castiel got to work engraving the sigil they would need directly into the tree trunk. Once Dean brought the last ingredient it should only take them a few minutes to complete everything. With any luck the vampire would come to them.

               He was so absorbed in creating the sigil that he almost didn’t hear the movement behind him in time.

***

               As usual, things had not gone according to plan. Dean had arrived to see Cas holding the mutant-vamp at bay, but clearly struggling to gain an upper hand over the creature they didn’t yet have the means to kill. Dean knew better than to jump into the middle of that fight, it was more important to finish Rowena’s spell. He dumped the ashes in with the rest of the material. Luckily Cas had left a copy of the actual spell out by the bowl with all the ingredients. The incantation was pretty straightforward and Dean quickly scooped up the resulting concoction on two fingers and began filling in the sigil carved into the tree. Dean picked up the branch Cas had sharpened into a stake and touched it to the sigil, running through the incantation one more time. In a brief flash of light, the sigil was absorbed into the stake.

               “Cas!” Dean threw the stake towards the angel who managed to catch it neatly without even looking. Ducking down as the creature threw itself towards him, Cas pushed the stake up and underneath the monster’s rib cage with more force than a normal human could have managed. Dean breathed a sigh of relief too early, the vamp surged back up and made another run at the rapidly tiring angel.

               “Rowena may have overlooked something.” Cas sounded remarkably composed considering how ragged he looked. Dean looked around them desperately for something they had missed. Then he saw how the tree was shivering and pulsing as if trying to reach out to the vampire. Of course!

               “Hey asshole, leave my goddamn angel alone!” Dean knew the shotgun wouldn’t work against the creature but it got his attention, and with the impact to its shoulder and the stake still protruding from its ribcage the monster snarled as it barreled towards Dean. Dean was backed up against the tree as Cas turned on him with a horrified look on his face.

               “DEAN!” Cas sounded both angry and devastated as he chased after the vampire, but Dean just yelled out instructions, all too aware what this probably looked like from Cas’ point of view.

               “Stake it to the tree!” Cas caught on quick and as Dean threw himself out of the way Cas leapt after the thing that had once been Captain Abbot. Cas reached down to where the stake was sticking out and wrenched until the creature’s back was on the trunk of the Wych Elm. Pushing off from the ground Cas slammed the stake further in, until the vampire was stuck to the tree. It screeched as light pulsed from the stake into the tree. The Wych Elm seemed to come to life as it collapsed in on itself, dragging the mutant-vamp back to wherever the tree had come from. Within moments all that was left was a broken gravestone.

               “Huh. Guess we don’t have to worry about burning it,” Dean quipped. Castiel rounded on him, clearly not feeling amused.

               “What were you thinking? What if I hadn’t been fast enough?” Dean let Castiel rant at him for a few moments, standing up and dusting off the dirt from the back of his jeans.

                  “I’m sorry, man. I didn’t want to tip it off.”

                  “So instead, you made it look like you were drawing it away from me? Getting yourself killed for me!?” Castiel’s eyes flashed dangerously blue.

                   “Yeah, and it worked. For the record, I’d have done that even if it wasn’t to trick the thing though. Better me than you.” Dean was maybe angrier than he expected. He realized he’d been worried about how long Cas would last against that thing as he noted cuts that weren’t healing and the way the angel was swaying as he tried to hold himself upright. He also noticed that the blue in Cas’ eyes was in no way diminishing as he glowered at Dean.

                    “You. Are. Absurd. You are worth everything to me.” Then, rather abruptly, Cas fell over. Dean’s heart was pounding in his ears, both from what the angel had said and the sudden alarm he felt at a cosmic being fainting. He pulled Cas up into his arms, and damn, he was heavier than Dean had expected. Not just the muscle that Dean could feel, but he idlily wondered if the wings somehow added weight. Either way, Dean eventually made it back to their hotel room, although his back wouldn’t thank him for it later.

***

               Cas woke up in the pajamas Dean had given him with an arm thrown over his chest. Confused, Cas turned slowly and realized that they were back in the hotel and Dean was asleep beside him, curled around the angel’s torso. As small rays of sunlight peeked through the curtains Cas could see his normal clothing folded nearby on a chair. He noticed that the wounds his grace hadn’t healed yet had been cleaned and bandaged, and that the blanket was pulled up around both him and Dean. As Dean let out a contented sigh in his sleep and burrowed closer, Castiel thought that perhaps he too was worth everything to someone. Smiling the angel allowed himself to drift back to sleep, happily thinking about how Dean had told the vampire to stay away from “his” angel.

***

@destielsecretsanta2020, @aibari

[boydykevulvatron]

:3

Stuff I Like/Stuff you should tag me in

favorite animals

Hyenas

Bunnies

Moths

Butterflies

Mantises

Beetles

Dinosaurs

Snakes

Rats

Peacocks

Opossums

Racoons

Alligators

Ravens, crows, corvids

Vultures

Woodpeckers

Cats

Bats

Tigers

Lobsters

favorite shows

BoJack Horseman

Young Justice

the Hollow

Hannibal

Disenchantment

Scooby Doo Mystery Inc.

Schitt’s Creek

Santa Clarita Diet

favorite movies

the Shining (1980)

Clue (1985)

Heathers (1989)

the Addam’s Family (1991)

Cats (1998) (not 2019 for the love of fuck not 2019)

Chicago (2002)

House of Wax (2005)

Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

Monsters vs Aliens (2009)

Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)

Knives Out (2019)

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)

Cruella (2021)

The Suicide Squad (2021)

Free Guy (2021)

favorite fictional characters

Garfield

Roast Beef (Achewood)

Ray Smuckles (Achewood)

Phillipe (Achewood)

Lyle (Achewood)

Molly (Achewood)

Victor Frankenstein

Frankenstein’s creature

Binary Bard (Poptropica)

Dr. Hare (Poptropica)

Ringmaster Raven (Poptropica)

Rumplestiltskin (Poptropica)

Red Hood/Jason Todd

Red Robin/Tim Drake

Green Lantern/Kyle Rayner

Arsenal/Roy Harper

Robin/Damian Wayne

Spoiler/Stephanie Brown

Superman/Clark Kent

V (V for Vendetta)

Evey Hammond (V for Vendetta)

the Rum Tum Tugger (Cats (not 2019 film. literally anything other than 2019 film)

Mr. Mistoffelees (Cats)

Bustopher Jones (Cats)

Demeter and Bombalurina (Cats)

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer (Cats)

St Jimmy (American Idiot)

Whatsername (American Idiot)

Heather (American Idiot)

Fun Ghoul (true lives of the fab. killjoys)

Kobra Kid (true lives of the fab. killjoys)

Val Velocity (true lives of the fab. killjoys)

Agent Cherri Cola (true lives of the fab. killjoys)

Show Pony (true lives of the fab. killjoys)

Will Graham (nbc hannibal)

Margot Verger (nbc hannibal)

Abigail Hobbs (nbc hannibal)

Spencer Shay (iCarly)

Jade West (Victorious)

Cat Valentine (Victorious)

Jason Voorhees

Vincent Sinclair

Macbeth

Lady Macbeth

Banquo

Malcolm

Macduff

Lady Macduff

Romeo Montague

Mercutio

Juliet Capulet

Benvolio

Robin “Puck” Goodfellow

Lysander

Helena

Hermia

favorite bands

GWAR

MCR

FOB

Green Day

Hands Off Gretel

Fangbanger

Waterparks

IDKHow

blink-182

Nine Inch Nails

Slipknot

favorite colors

neon green

light blue

teal

dark blue

hot pink

bright yellow

red

favorite games

webkinz

poptropica

minecraft

progress quest

pre-civilization bronze age

favorite poets

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Robert Frost

Lord Byron

John Keats

William Shakespeare

Emily DIckinson

Sappho

Maya Angelou

Audre Lorde

Mary Oliver

Walt Whitman

Anna Swir

favorite painters

Salvador Dali

Vincent van Gogh

Frida Kahlo

Edvard Munch

Edward Hopper

Andy Warhol

Leonardo da Vinci & the rest of the tmnt

favorite aesthetics

cottagecore

cozycore

farmcore

naturecore

corvidcore

scenecore

neoncore

glowwave/glowcore

punk academia

dark academia

light academia

witchcore

goth

romantic academia

vampirecore

halloweencore

wormcore

trendercore

jestercore

clowncore

opossumcore

sciencecore

mad sciencecore

villaincore

misc stuff you should tag me in

stimboards! especially with gifs of soap cutting

art and fics you’d like me to reblog

posts about mortsafes and cemeteries

posts about 19th century bodysnatching

Posts about science! specifically: 

      Astronomy

      Chemistry (Literally just anything to do with atoms, they’re cool)

      Quantum Mechanica

      Biology 

                  anatomy

                  biochemistry

                  botany

                  evolution

                  genetics

witchy stuff

recipes! especially baking

Stuff about cryptids!! The Loch Ness monster is my favorite but I’m always a sucker for Mothman or the Jersey Devil

[rodentchild]

Favourite things from Anna And The Apocalypse *spoilers kinda*

- "Christmas is fast becoming my least favorite 'C' word."

"You're just mad because you don't look like a festive *switches lights on his sweater on* legend!"

"You're right. Dressed like that you look like a massive 'C' word."

- Anna and John's little conversation about Santa's reindeer in the bowling alley and the park ("Olive was a dick." kills me every time)

- John and Anna's dance through the cemetery

- The songs are absolute bops

- "You're a child." "A sexy child.... Wait, no."

- Nick's little confession about his dad, I'm crying

- Anna just swinging around her candy cane spear look at you go you funky little survivor

- Steph and her adventures through Mr. Savage's confiscated items

- I aspire to have a relationship like Lisa and Chris they're absolute beans

- Tony being an amazing single dad who loves his daughter and tries to leave the lockdowned school to get to her

[andrewtheconqueror-blog]

Blog No. 9

Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini’s Aria (Analysis)

                                        Gioachino Antonio Rossini

                            (February 29, 1792—November 13, 1868)

Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs, and some instrumental and piano pieces.

Life and Music 

Having produced a whirlwind series of 38 operas, following the premiere of William Tell in August 1829, and with close on 40 years of life still remaining, he laid down his operatic pen for ever. Perhaps Rossini had finally had enough, as he was once reputed to have remarked: "How wonderful opera would be if there were no singers!"

Rossini was born in Pesaro in 1793, the son of a town trumpeter-cum-inspector of slaughterhouses, ‘Guiseppe Rossini’ whose questionable political sympathies once resulted in a short jail sentence. The family was otherwise constantly on the move, Rossini's mother appearing as a principal singer in a series of comic opera productions, while the budding young composer learned his craft, based in Bologna.

He composed his first opera, Demetrio e Polibio, while still a student at the Liceo Musicale in Bologna, where his love of Mozart led to his being nicknamed, "the German". Such was its success that it led to a series of operatic ventures which initially culminated in the Barber of Seville. When Donizetti heard that Rossini had composed it in a matter of just three weeks, he remarked sardonically: "Rossini always was a lazy fellow."

Rossini's stage output culminated in the premiere of William Tell in Paris in 1829, after which he virtually stopped composing, save for a few songs, piano pieces and two famous large-scale choral works - the Stabat Mater and the Petite Messe Solennelle .

Rossini died at his villa in Passy on 13 November 1868 following a short illness. Having initially been buried in Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris, his remains were subsequently moved to Santa Croce in Florence in 1887.

Did you know?

For Rossini's 70th birthday celebrations in 1862, a number of his friends clubbed together in order to have a statue built in his honour. His reaction was typically boisterous: "Why not give the money to me and I'll stand on the pedestal myself!"

Figaro's “Largo Al Factotum,” From 'The Barber of Seville'

"The Barber of Seville" (Italian: Il barbiere di Siviglia) is a comedic opera by Giachino Rossini. It's based on the first play of of "Le Barbier de Seville," the three-part story of Figaro written by French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais.

"Largo al Factorum," Figaro's opening aria in the opera's first act, is considered one of the most challenging operas for a baritone to perform, due to its brisk time signature and convoluted rhyme structure.

Modern audiences may recognize "Largo al factotum" as a staple of the ​"Looney Tunes" cartoons.

History of 'The Barber of Seville'

The opera premiered at the Teatro Argentina in Rome in 1816. Now considered a masterpiece of musical comedy, "The Barber of Seville" had a difficult first performance, but quickly grew in popularity.

Figaro's Opening Aria 'Largo al Factorum'

In the first act, the audience meets the flamboyant Figaro who introduces himself as the city's top quality factotum, or handyman. Figaro is quite assured of his abilities and describes his popularity and his many talents. He's a jack of all trades. He loves his life, saying that and a more noble life cannot be found.

Italian Lyrics Largo al factotum della citta. Presto a bottega che l'alba e gia. Ah, che bel vivere, che bel piacere per un barbiere di qualita! Ah, bravo Figaro! Bravo, bravissimo! Fortunatissimo per verita! Pronto a far tutto, la notte e il giorno sempre d'intorno in giro sta.

Miglior cuccagna per un barbiere, vita piu nobile, no, non si da. Rasori e pettini lancette e forbici, al mio comando tutto qui sta. V'e la risorsa, poi, de mestiere colla donnetta... col cavaliere... Tutti mi chiedono, tutti mi vogliono, donne, ragazzi, vecchi, fanciulle: Qua la parruca... Presto la barba... Qua la sanguigna...

Presto il biglietto... Qua la parruca, presto la barba, Presto il biglietto, ehi! Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!, ecc. Ahime, che furia! Ahime, che folla! Uno alla volta, per carita! Figaro! Son qua. Ehi, Figaro! Son qua. Figaro qua, Figaro la, Figaro su, Figaro giu, Pronto prontissimo son come il fumine: sono il factotum della citta. Ah, bravo Figaro! Bravo, bravissimo; a te fortuna non manchera.

English Translation Handyman of the city. Early in the workshop I arrive at dawn. Ah, what a life, what a pleasure For a barber of quality! Ah, bravo Figaro! Bravo, very good! I am the luckiest, it's the truth! Ready for anything, night and day I'm always on the move. Cushier fate for a barber, A more noble life cannot be found. Razors and combs Lancets and scissors, at my command everything is here. Here are the extra tools then, for business With the ladies... with the gentlemen... Everyone asks me, everyone wants me, women, children, old people, young ones: Here are the wigs... A quick shave of the beard... Here are the leeches for bleeding... The note... Here are the wigs, a quick shave soon, The note, hey! Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!, Etc.. Alas, what frenzy! Alas, what a crowd!

One at a time, for goodness sake! Figaro! I'm here. Hey, Figaro! I'm here. Figaro here, Figaro there, Figaro up, Figaro down, Swifter and swifter I'm like a spark: I'm the handyman of the city. Ah, bravo Figaro! Bravo, very good; Fortunately for you I will not fail.

Musical Analysis:

Written in ABA form, also know as a ternary form or a song form. The flamboyant opening of the orchestra gave preparation to the robust melody of the baritone solo. The bass section opens the music with a masculine one-note pluck, suggesting a dominant chord then suddenly, the orchestra comes in, full blast, with a lot scalar passages, leaps of an octave, and grace notes. The 1st  section revolves in its home key, C major, sometimes sitting to its dominant key, (G)  then transitions to Eb major in the 2nd section by using ascending half step patterns from the note G up to Eb in a syllable ‘Na’. (G-F#-G, Ab-G-Ab-, A-G#-A, Bb-A-Bb, B-A#-B, CBC, D-C#-D---Eb) It goes to its relative minor, (C) then eventually went back to tonic. 

Artist Biography

Gaetano Donizetti was among the most important composers of bel canto opera in both Italian and French in the first half of the nineteenth Century. Many of Donizetti's more than 60 operas are still part of the modern repertoire and continue to challenge singers for their musical and technical demands. Donizetti stands stylistically between Rossini and Verdi; his scenes are usually more expanded in structure than those of Rossini, but he never blurred the lines between set pieces and recitative as Verdidid in his middle-period and late works. Often compared to his contemporary, Bellini, Donizetti produced a wider variety of operas and showed a greater stylistic flexibility, even if he never quite achieved the sheer beauty of Bellini's greatest works.

Donizetti was educated in Bergamo, the town of his birth, studying with the opera composer Simon Mayr from 1806 to 1814. His youthful works include chamber operas, religious works, and some chamber music. Donizetti's first opera of note was La Zingara, which was premiered in Naples in 1822. He continued to work in Naples throughout the 1820's and 1830's, where he was active as both a conductor and composer.

In 1830, Donizetti finally achieved international fame with his opera Anna Bolena; notable for its expressive music and more extended scenes, it established Donizetti as one of the leading contemporary opera composers. The comic opera L'elisir d'amore (1832) and the tragic Lucrezia Borgia (1833) came shortly after. Donizetti's next work was Maria Stuarda, followed the same year by Lucia di Lammermoor (1835), which became an internationally recognized masterpiece. The Elizabethan tragedy Roberto Devereux (1837) completed his trilogy of operas that chronicle the English court from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I.

Donizetti's operas from the late 1830s were unable to match the success of Lucia, and when Donizetti was passed over for the directorship of the Naples Conservatory in 1840, he moved to Paris. There he composed the opera comique La fille du Régiment (1840), which was celebrated immediately for its charm and virtuosity. Later that year he completed La favorite (1840), another major contribution to the French repertoire. In 1842 Donizetti was appointed Kapellmeister of the Austrian court in Vienna, but retained his association with Paris.

Among Donizetti's last operas are Maria di Rohan (1843), an important historic opera, and his French tragedy Dom Sébastian (1843). Caterina Cornaro (1843) is also one of his finest works for its strong dramatic content. These late operas, although rarely performed, are serious works that set the standard for Verdi.

                                                                                             - Steven Coburn

 “Una Furtiva Lagrima” From Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore

Italian Text of 'Una Furtiva Lagrima'

Una furtiva lagrima negli occhi suoi spuntò: Quelle festose giovani invidiar sembrò.

Che più cercando io vo? Che più cercando io vo? M'ama! Sì, m'ama, lo vedo. Lo vedo. Un solo instante i palpiti del suo bel cor sentir! I miei sospir, confondere per poco a' suoi sospir! I palpiti, i palpiti sentir, confondere i miei coi suoi sospir... Cielo! Si può morir! Di più non chiedo, non chiedo. Ah, cielo! Si può! Si, può morir! Di più non chiedo, non chiedo. Si può morire! Si può morir d'amor.

English Translation of 'Una Furtiva Lagrima'

A single secret tear from her eye did spring: as if she envied all the youths that laughingly passed her by. What more searching need I do? What more searching need I do? She loves me! Yes, she loves me, I see it. I see it. For just an instant the beating of her beautiful heart I could feel! As if my sighs were hers, and her sighs were mine! The beating, the beating of her heart I could feel, to merge my sighs with hers... Heavens! Yes, I could die! I could ask for nothing more, nothing more. Oh, heavens! Yes, I could, I could die! I could ask for nothing more, nothing more. Yes, I could die! Yes, I could die of love.

L’elisir d’amore, (Italian: “The Elixir of Love” or “The Love Potion”) comic opera in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti (Italian libretto by Felice Romani, after a French libretto by Eugène Scribe for Daniel-François-Esprit Auber’s Le Philtre, 1831) that premiered in Milanon May 12, 1832. 

Main Characters

Nemorino — a good-hearted but penniless waiter Adina  — a wealthy and beautiful bar owner Belcore — experienced charmer and Nemorino’s rival Dulcamara — a travelling ‘quack’ (medicine man), who touts a dubious cure-all elixir Giannetta — Adina’s friend and town gossip

Music

What separates L’Elisir d’Amore from dozens of charming comedies composed around the same time is not only the superiority of its hit numbers, but the overall consistency of its music. It represents the best of the bel canto tradition that reigned in Italian opera in the early 19th century—from funny patter songs to rich ensembles to wrenching melody in the solos, most notably the tenor’s showstopping aria “Una furtiva lagrima” in Act II. Its variations between major and minor keys in the climaxes are one of opera’s savviest depictions of a character’s dawning consciousness.

Setting And Story Summary

The opera is set in a small village in the early 19th century, rural Italy. Some early editions indicate a location in Basque country. The important fact is that it’s a place where everyone knows everyone and where traveling salesmen provide a major form of public entertainment. 

Act I

Adina’s farm. Adina is sitting beneath a tree on her farm, reading a book. Her friend Giannetta and other peasants are resting nearby. Nemorino watches Adina from a distance, lamenting that he has nothing but love to offer her (“Quànto è bella, quànto è cara”). The peasants ask Adina to read to them, and she reads them the story of how Tristan won Isolde by drinking a magic love potion.

Sergeant Belcore swaggers in with his troop. Adina laughs at his braggadocio, but when he presses her to marry him, she promises to think it over. She invites the whole troop to her house for some wine, and the peasants return to their work. Nemorino intercepts Adina on her way to the house and awkwardly declares his love for her. She tells him that he is a nice fellow but that she is not inclined to fall in love with anyone.

In the village square, the populace eagerly greets the traveling “Doctor” Dulcamara, who proclaims the virtues of his patent cure-all (“Udite, udite, o rustici”). Nemorino asks Dulcamara if he has the Elixir of Love described in Adina’s book. Dulcamara gives Nemorino a bottle of wine, telling him that it is the magical elixir. Nemorino gulps it down and becomes tipsy. When Adina enters, Nemorino, certain that the potion will work, pretends to ignore her. To punish him, Adina flirts with Belcore, who tells her that he must return to his garrison and so must marry her at once. Nemorino, dismayed by this turn of events, urges Adina to wait just one more day, but she spitefully ignores him and invites the entire village to the wedding.

Act II

Adina’s house. Everyone is celebrating at the pre-wedding feast at Adinas house. Adina secretly wishes Nemorino had come so she could enjoy her revenge. Dulcamara sings a flirtatious duet with Adina (“Io son ricco e tu sei bella”), to great applause. Adina, still miffed at Nemorino’s absence, goes off with Belcore and a notary to sign the marriage contract.

Nemorino arrives, fearing that he is too late to prevent the wedding. Seeing Dulcamara, he begs for another bottle of the magic elixir, but Dulcamara will not give it to him until he can pay for it. Nemorino throws himself on a bench in despair. Belcore now returns, annoyed that Adina has postponed the wedding until that evening. Seeing Nemorino, Belcore asks why he is so sad. Nemorino tells him that he is despondent because he has no money. Belcore advises him to join the army, where he can instantly earn 20 scudi. Nemorino is reluctant, but Belcore persuades him with a vision of the glories (and opportunities for winning the ladies) of being a military man. Nemorino enlists and takes the money, thrilled at the prospect of winning Adina. Belcore secretly plumes himself on having recruited his rival and getting him out of the way.

In the village, Giannetta tells her friends the exciting news that Nemorino’s uncle has died and left him a fortune. Nemorino staggers in, having drunk the second bottle of “elixir.” He suddenly finds himself the centre of female attention, and, not knowing that he has become an eligible bachelor, believes that the elixir is finally working. Adina and Dulcamara arrive and are both astonished to see Nemorino surrounded by the village maidens and fully enjoying his newfound popularity. Adina angrily confronts him about joining the army, but Nemorino, enjoying her jealousy, goes off with a gaggle of girls. Dulcamara tells Adina that the magic elixir has made Nemorino popular, and that he joined the army in order to get the money to pay for it. Adina realizes that Nemorino’s love is true. Dulcamara, seeing an opportunity to sell more elixir, tries to rouse her jealousy, but she vows to win him back her own way.

Alone, Nemorino recalls the tear on Adina’s cheek and is convinced that she loves him (“Una furtiva lagrima”). But when she arrives, he pretends to be uninterested, in order to get her to declare her true feelings. She asks him not to leave and tells him that she has bought back his commission (“Prendi, per me sei libero”). But she still will not confess her love, so Nemorino vows to die a soldier. At last, Adina tells him that she loves him and begs his forgiveness. Belcore arrives to find the lovers embracing. But he is confident that there are plenty of fish in the sea—and that Dulcamara and his love potion can help.

-Linda Cantoni

What style is it in?

L’elisir d’amore is written in the bel canto style, which literally means ‘beautiful song’.  Bel canto is all about exhibiting the beauty of the human voice. The orchestra functions to support the singer rather than to compete, and the orchestration is often quite sparse, leaving the voice exposed. This means that the singer’s intonation and vocal technique must be absolutely perfect, making bel canto a challenging style to master.

Donizetti, Bellini, and Rossini were the three leading composers of the bel canto style during the first half of the nineteenth century.

Musical Analyis:

This aria, written in strophic form has a very lovely and moving melody, in bel canto style. Donizetti tried to capture Nemorino’s feelings for Adina through arching melodic lines, opening the aria in an interval of a perfect fifth downward, descending in a minor second, and then going to a minor third upward with a leisurely rhythm. 

Sources: 

“'Torna a Surriento'.” Classic FM, www.classicfm.com/composers/rossini/. 

Green, Aaron. “Translation of ‘Largo Al Factotum’ From ‘The Barber of Seville.’” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, www.thoughtco.com/largo-al-factotum-lyrics-and-text-translation-724018. 

Schwarm, Betsy, and Linda Cantoni. “L'elisir D'amore.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 4 Apr. 2014, www.britannica.com/topic/Lelisir-damore. 

Green, Aaron. “What Does the Famous Aria 'Una Furtiva Lagrima' Mean in English?” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, www.thoughtco.com/una-furtiva-lagrima-lyrics-and-translation-724077. 

“L'elisir D'amore in a Nutshell.” Opera North, www.operanorth.co.uk/blogs/l-elisir-d-amore-in-a-nutshell.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 4.21

753 BC – Romulus founds Rome (traditional date). 43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered shortly after. 900 – The Laguna Copperplate Inscription (the earliest known written document found in what is now the Philippines): the Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom of Tondo, as represented by the Honourable Jayadewa, Lord Minister of Pailah, pardons from all debt the Honourable Namwaran and his relations. 1092 – The Diocese of Pisa is elevated to the rank of metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Urban II 1506 – The three-day Lisbon Massacre comes to an end with the slaughter of over 1,900 suspected Jews by Portuguese Catholics. 1509 – Henry VIII ascends the throne of England on the death of his father, Henry VII. 1526 – The last ruler of the Lodi dynasty, Ibrahim Lodi is defeated and killed by Babur in the First Battle of Panipat. 1615 – The Wignacourt Aqueduct is inaugurated in Malta. 1782 – The city of Rattanakosin, now known internationally as Bangkok, is founded on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River by King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke. 1789 – John Adams sworn in as 1st US Vice President (nine days before George Washington) 1789 – George Washington's reception at Trenton is hosted by the Ladies of Trenton as he journeys to New York City for his first inauguration. 1792 – Tiradentes, a revolutionary leading a movement for Brazil's independence, is hanged, drawn and quartered. 1802 – Twelve thousand Wahhabis sack Karbala, killing over three thousand inhabitants. 1806 – Action of 21 April 1806: A French frigate escapes British forces off the coast of South Africa. 1809 – Two Austrian army corps are driven from Landshut by a First French Empire army led by Napoleon as two French corps to the north hold off the main Austrian army on the first day of the Battle of Eckmühl. 1821 – Benderli Ali Pasha arrives in Constantinople as the new Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire; he remains in power for only nine days before being sent into exile. 1836 – Texas Revolution: The Battle of San Jacinto: Republic of Texas forces under Sam Houston defeat troops under Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna. 1856 – Australian labour movement: Stonemasons and building workers on building sites around Melbourne march from the University of Melbourne to Parliament House to achieve an eight-hour day. 1894 – Norway formally adopts the Krag–Jørgensen bolt-action rifle as the main arm of its armed forces, a weapon that would remain in service for almost 50 years. 1898 – Spanish–American War: The United States Navy begins a blockade of Cuban ports. When the U.S. Congress issued a declaration of war on April 25, it declared that a state of war had existed from this date. 1914 – Ypiranga incident: A German arms shipment to Mexico is intercepted by the U.S. Navy near Veracruz. 1918 – World War I: German fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen, better known as "The Red Baron", is shot down and killed over Vaux-sur-Somme in France. 1926 – Al-Baqi cemetery, former site of the mausoleum of four Shi'a Imams, is leveled to the ground by Wahhabis. 1934 – The "Surgeon's Photograph", the most famous photo allegedly showing the Loch Ness Monster, is published in the Daily Mail (in 1994, it is revealed to be a hoax). 1945 – World War II: Soviet forces south of Berlin at Zossen attack the German High Command headquarters. 1946 – The U.S. Weather Bureau publish a paper which stated the width of a tornado which struck the city of Timber Lake, South Dakota was 4 miles (6.4 km), which would make this the widest tornado ever documented in history. 1948 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 47 relating to Kashmir conflict is adopted. 1952 – Secretary's Day (now Administrative Professionals' Day) is first celebrated. 1958 – United Airlines Flight 736 collides with a United States Air Force fighter jet near Arden, Nevada in what is now Enterprise, Nevada. 1960 – Brasília, Brazil's capital, is officially inaugurated. At 09:30, the Three Powers of the Republic are simultaneously transferred from the old capital, Rio de Janeiro. 1962 – The Seattle World's Fair (Century 21 Exposition) opens. It is the first World's Fair in the United States since World War II. 1963 – The first election of the Universal House of Justice is held, marking its establishment as the supreme governing institution of the Baháʼí Faith. 1964 – A Transit-5bn satellite fails to reach orbit after launch; as it re-enters the atmosphere, 2.1 pounds (0.95 kg) of radioactive plutonium in its SNAP RTG power source is widely dispersed. 1965 – The 1964–1965 New York World's Fair opens for its second and final season. 1966 – Rastafari movement: Haile Selassie of Ethiopia visits Jamaica, an event now celebrated as Grounation Day. 1967 – A few days before the general election in Greece, Colonel George Papadopoulos leads a coup d'état, establishing a military regime that lasts for seven years. 1972 – Astronauts John Young and Charles Duke fly Apollo 16's Apollo Lunar Module to the Moon's surface, the fifth NASA Apollo Program crewed lunar landing. 1975 – Vietnam War: President of South Vietnam Nguyễn Văn Thiệu flees Saigon, as Xuân Lộc, the last South Vietnamese outpost blocking a direct North Vietnamese assault on Saigon, falls. 1977 – Annie opens on Broadway. 1982 – Baseball: Rollie Fingers of the Milwaukee Brewers becomes the first pitcher to record 300 saves. 1985 – The compound of the militant group The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord surrenders to federal authorities in Arkansas after a two-day government siege. 1987 – The Tamil Tigers are blamed for a car bomb that detonates in the Sri Lankan capital city of Colombo, killing 106 people. 1989 – Tiananmen Square protests of 1989: In Beijing, around 100,000 students gather in Tiananmen Square to commemorate Chinese reform leader Hu Yaobang. 1993 – The Supreme Court in La Paz, Bolivia, sentences former dictator Luis García Meza to 30 years in jail without parole for murder, theft, fraud and violating the constitution. 2004 – Five suicide car bombers target police stations in and around Basra, killing 74 people and wounding 160. 2010 – The controversial Kharkiv Pact (Russian Ukrainian Naval Base for Gas Treaty) is signed in Kharkiv, Ukraine, by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev; it was unilaterally terminated by Russia on March 31, 2014. 2012 – Two trains are involved in a head-on collision near Sloterdijk, Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, injuring 116 people. 2014 – The American city of Flint, Michigan switches its water source to the Flint River, beginning the ongoing Flint water crisis which has caused lead poisoning in up to 12,000 people, and 15 deaths from Legionnaires' disease, ultimately leading to criminal indictments against 15 people, five of whom have been charged with involuntary manslaughter. 2019 – Eight bombs explode at churches, hotels, and other locations in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday; more than 250 people are killed. 2021 – Indonesian Navy submarine KRI Nanggala (402) sinks in the Bali Sea during a military drill, killing all 53 on board.

[ksstradio]

Randy Young

A graveside service for Randy Young, age 63, will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, March 29, 2021, at North Hopkins Cemetery with Mike Eason officiating. Mr. Young passed away on March 24, 2021, at Integris Southwest Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Randy Young was born the son of Arthur “Boots” Young and Eurna “Tites” Hayes Young in Santa Anna, Texas, on July 27, 1957. Randy married Jo…

[dasmuggler]

Andrew Jackson Sowell, Texas ranger, lifelong soldier, and eyewitness to so much Texas history. He was born in Tennessee in 1815 but moved with his family to Texas before the Texas Revolution. He was a participant in the revolution and, survived the siege ---- though not the Battle ----- of the Alamo. Andrew fought in the Battle of Gonzales, when the town would not surrender the "Come and Take It" cannon to Francisco de Castañeda and the Mexican troops sent to retrieve it. His father had been one of the "Old Eighteen", defending the colony's right to keep the cannon. This incident was the first shot fired in the Texas Revolution. Sowell went on to take part in the Battle of Concepción and the "Grass Fight." Although a participant in the Texians' attempt to take San Antonio, he was unprepared for inclement weather, and like many others he returned home for the winter. In December the Texians drove the Mexican soldiers under General Martín Perfecto de Cos from Mexican Texas after this siege of Bexar.

In February, 1836 Sowell volunteered again during the Siege of the Alamo Although he served in the old mission fort while the army of Santa Anna was already in the vicinity of San Antonio, he and Byrd Lockhart were sent out as couriers and foragers. They went as far as Gonzales, Texas to buy cattle and supplies for the Alamo garrison. But upon their return to San Antonio, they were not able to enter as the Alamo was surrounded by Santa Anna's army. From the Alamo they headed to Gonzales, where Sowell assisted the Texian settlers who became refugees in the Runaway Scrape. After insuring the safety of the civilians, he marched towards San Jacinto to join Sam Houston's troops, arriving after the Battle of San Jacinto had taken place.

Andrew continued his service during the years of the Republic of Texas, in the Mexican–American War, and the Civil War. He was a frontier defender, an early Texas Ranger, and a friend and scout with Kit Carson. He died in Seguin, Texas on January 4, 1883, and is buried some miles east of town in the Rogers-Mofield Cemetery, north of U.S. Route 90 Alternate (Texas) near Darst Creek, Texas.

[cabreraarchive]

Alamo Mismanagement Lawsuit on Part of Local Tribe Draws Support from Historic Rival Lipan ApacheThe Lipan Apache and the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecans once waged war on each other. Now they've joined forces against Alamo leadership.

ISAIAH MITCHELL

MARCH 23, 2021

Old feuds around the Alamo have moved off the grounds and into courtrooms as a small San Antonio-based tribe presses forward in their fight against the mission’s managers.

The tangled battlefield pits the leaders of the Alamo renovation project — the General Land Office (GLO), the City of San Antonio, the Texas Historical Commission (THC), and the nonprofit Alamo Trust — against the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecans, who say the renovation leaders have sided with their ancestral enemies, kept them from practicing their faith, and muscled them out of the project.

Authorities barred the Tap Pilam from conducting ceremonies of faith at the Alamo in September 2019. The ritual lasts a week every September, celebrated with a Fiesta de Recuerdos (“Feast of Remembrance”) and ending with the Llanto de los Muertos, or Cry of the Dead. The tribe says they had been allowed to conduct the ritual for more than two decades before being stopped without warning as the ink dried on a recent lease between San Antonio and the GLO and gears in the controversial renovation project began to turn.

Now, they are joined by the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas, who once fought the mission Indian forefathers of today’s Tap Pilam tribal members but also aided the Texians in struggles against Mexico and later the Texas Rangers in their fights with the Comanches. On Monday, March 12, the Lipan Apache filed an amicus brief in support of the Tap Pilam tribe in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

The Tap Pilam Coahuiltecans have also chafed at watching the city’s archaeological digs from the sidelines.

Alamo Trust ensured that archaeological investigations of the site would “comply with the spirit of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), which requires consultation with federally recognized Native American tribes regarding the treatment of any human remains that are discovered.”

Although the City of San Antonio has recognized the tribe for 20 years, the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecans lack federal recognition and never got a seat at the committee that the GLO and Alamo Trust made to oversee the digs. The Tap Pilam claim only one tribe of the five on the committee has a connection to the Alamo site: the Mescalero Apache, who waged war on the mission’s inhabitants and may have put some of the bodies now being exhumed and overseen by Mescalero representatives in their graves.

Furthermore, the city is under no obligation to follow the “spirit” of NAGPRA. Instead, city code holds the City Preservation team to a different law: the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires the participation of next of kin and Indian tribes regardless of federal recognition.

Alamo Trust argued in court that it has not discriminated against the tribe.

“Private ceremonies of any kind inside the Alamo Church are not allowed, without regard to whether the ceremony has a religious purpose,” Alamo Trust wrote in a statement to The Texan.

“Organizations holding events, including ceremonies, on the Alamo grounds are asked to follow policies unrelated to the content of the activity, such as holding their event during the timeframe the Alamo provides for any groups wishing to conduct events on Alamo Complex or Alamo Plaza property.”

Additionally, the City of San Antonio and the GLO took shelter under the doctrine of governmental immunity and fought Tam Pilam on mostly procedural grounds at district court, arguing that the tribe lacked standing to sue and that the court lacked jurisdiction to take up the case.

The district court issued a complex opinion acknowledging the reality of injury that the tribe sustained but dismissing the case.

The tribe appealed to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals where the Lipan Apache joined them. None of the Alamo leadership has filed a responding brief yet.

The drama surrounding the “Semana de Recuerdos” ritual and the archaeological committee is connected to the contentious but recently settled fate of the Alamo cenotaph. Alamo Trust, GLO Commissioner George P. Bush, and the City of San Antonio insisted on moving the monument away from the mission for reasons that ranged from necessary repair to historical revisionism. The Tap Pilam tribe sided against them, arguing in their original court complaint that the cenotaph serves the same purpose as a cemetery headstone and cannot be moved under state law.

Though Bush and Alamo leadership clung to the original plan of moving the cenotaph months after a permit denial made it impossible, they have since changed plans to acknowledge that the “cenotaph ain’t moving.”

An exhibit of artifacts including Santa Anna’s original battle orders and a cannon thought to have been used in the siege is set to open at the Alamo in the spring of 2022.

[wikitopx]

An often cited book by John Berendt, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, once painted a picture of Savannah that endured for more than two decades

A slow-moving backwater populated by quirky characters with a penchant for preservation, pistols and deadly secrets. Some aspects of that image still hold true; however, a thriving tourism industry, a bustling port, military families and a creative class fueled by thousands of art and design students—some of whom remain long after graduation—has fostered an eclectic and innovative local spirit. Not many small cities can boast such a large roster of noteworthy festivals—indie, jazz and world music; book; film; food and wine—and more than one world-class museum, but that list just scratches the surface of all the best things to do in Savannah.

1. American Legion Post

This is a storied watering hole in the home of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. Nearly a full city block on Forsyth Park’s southern border is occupied by a complex built in 1913 to house the Chatham Artillery. In 1941, the legendary Mighty Eighth Air Force formed here. Now, locals wet their whistles at the Legion alongside U.S. veterans, all swapping stories over well-priced booze.

2. Historic District

Boasting 300 years of preserved history, the Landmark Historic District is an essential part of the city.

Not only will you get a great overview, but you’ll also note places worthy of a longer visit. Savannah College of Art and Design alum Jonathan Stalcup uses the district’s environment to weave a story that begins with Gen. James Oglethorpe’s 1733 plan and ends with an open question: what’s next?

3. Big Bon Pizza Pop-Up

An authentic wood-fire pizza oven on wheels.

Almost any night of the week, the heady scent of Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza floats on the breeze, drawing the hungry curbside for a feast of the eyes and belly. Bright flames slither in the gaping mouth of a crimson-tiled dome as mother-daughter team Kay and Anna Heritage wield wooden paddles and warm smiles. Businesses and organizations all over town hire Big Bon for pop-up dinners and loyal fans follow them wherever they go.

4. Bonaventure Cemetery

The final resting place of Savannahians on the banks of the Wilmington River.

If any place illuminates the area’s dark beauty, it is the storied Bonaventure Cemetery in Thunderbolt, an historic shrimping community east of Savannah. Midcentury musical impresario Johnny Mercer lays beneath skulking live oaks fringed in Spanish moss, as does poet Conrad Aiken. The eyes of angels, little girls and Renaissance beauties, carved in marble, seem to follow your stroll along the meandering sandy paths.

5. Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home

The birthplace of the queen of Southern gothic literature.

A good man may be hard to find, but a great story isn’t, especially at this narrow townhome on Lafayette Square, where Mary Flannery O’Connor lived in the shadow of St. John the Baptist Cathedral until the age of 11. The home celebrates O’Connor’s quirky legacy with informative tours, whimsical tchotchkes, lectures by visiting authors, an annual birthday party and parade, and a series of Little Free Public Libraries.

6. Front Porch Improv

A weekly comedy show in the spirit of Upright Citizens Brigade.

Every Saturday night, Bull Street Labs—a tech incubator and shared work space in the Starland District—is taken over by Brianne Halverson and John Brennan, both veterans of big city sketch and improv comedy troupes. Their manic energy has fostered a burgeoning comedy community here that grows week by week. The audience gets in on the action, contributing stories and cues that performers riff on in the moment.

7. Leopold’s Ice Cream

Old-fashioned creamery where the tutti-frutti flavor was born.

Nearly a century ago, Stratton Leopold’s father and uncles opened Leopold’s Ice Cream, using homespun recipes for butter pecan, lemon custard and mint chocolate chip. When Stratton returned home after a career in Hollywood, he revived the family business and opened the sparkling soda fountain on Broughton Street, where there’s always a line no matter the weather. It’s worth the wait—and the cost of shipping, which is now available.

8. The Original Pinkie Masters

A local legendary dive bar.

A few years ago, Savannah was in danger of losing this dank hole-in-the-wall, where President Jimmy Carter and other politicians shook hands and secured votes, but master mixologist Matt Garappolo saved the venue and the name for another generation. It still smells like stale PBR and a pot-bellied pig is a frequent visitor, but it’s infused with a more festive vibe these days—maybe because you can now bring sandwiches in from The Diplomat next door.

9. Perry Lane Hotel

The city’s newest boutique hotel.

Locals were frustrated when parking for the Fancy Parker’s was commandeered by construction, but now they are giddy with the results. The Perry Lane is a sumptuous modern space—all glossy black and white. The rooftop bar, Peregrine, replete with lawn games, offers unparalleled views of the cityscape. The Wayward indoor lounge captures Savannah’s highbrow-downhome ethos. The ongoing music experience and literary lecture series enliven not only the visits from tourists but also engages the townies.

10. Roots Up Gallery

An affordably priced mecca to find outsider art.

The late Francis Allen and his wife, proprietor Leslie Lovell, shared their love for self-taught, primitive artists by opening Roots Up Gallery, now located in the Downtown Design District on Whitaker Street. Works by local and regional jewelers, painters, potters and collage folk artists, such as Howard Finster, Panhandle Slim and Robin Howard, are accessibly priced. The delightful Location Gallery is just across the street, featuring themed pieces by even more local artists.

See also: Top 10 things to do in Santa Barbara

From : https://wikitopx.com/travel/top-10-things-to-do-in-savannah-ga-702970.html

[valoansarlingtontx]

VA Loans in Sour Lake Texas

Contents

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Companies. 1. wells fargo bank

Woodville texas regional loan centers. cemetery

Home loan offers

Student loan repayment benefit.

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