#very much sheltered from areas that would be affected the most by natural building decay / the elements

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

About the Lights Out AU, wouldn't the building start crumbling due to weathering and stuff since there's no maintenance? Wouldn't the roof fall apart or like part of it at some point?

oh, yes. yes it would.

[captainillogical]

Distant Lands Ch.6

Stranded on a planet with toxic conditions and nothing but the clothes on your back, your only means of survival lies within the gem that got you here in the first place.

Spinel/Reader

collab with my lovely wife @firstofficertightpants​

It's been nearly two weeks that you've been on this hellhole of a planet, and frankly, you're pretty fucking done with it.

You're currently grabbing anything you've deemed useful from your shelter, as the trip over to the structure might take a while and honestly, you're not too sure you'll be back. Whatever state that building is in, it has to be better off than your drafty ruins. You're hoping so, anyway.

You look around you to your tied up supplies and pick up your last remaining fruit. You'll have to find some more along the way, but it shouldn't be a big deal. You shoulder your shoddily made pack, and head out the opening to meet with Spinel outside.

"Ya finally ready to go?" You hear her say from the side as you step out, and she's leaning against the building casually. You roll your eyes at her.

"It wouldn't have taken so long if you helped me tie up the remaining bundle of wood. I only have two hands, you know." You reply to her sarcastically.

"You seemed perfectly capable of handling that yourself, though."

"I am, thanks! You're just not allowed to complain about my speed." You say as you brush past her, nearly hitting her with your pack on purpose. You hear her scoff as you pass her.

You walk several steps away, heading in the direction the two of you discussed before realizing that you aren't hearing her footsteps behind you. You turn around to see her tugging on a nearby tree branch, ripping it off the tree easily.

"Uh, you coming?"

"Yeah, hold on." She says as she breaks off a couple twigs on the sides of her branch.

"What in the world are you doing?" You ask her, a little exasperated.

"Making a weapon? Just in case? We don't know what's over there." She raises her eyebrows like this is obvious.

"You.. you're a gem. You can smack the shit out of anything with your natural abilities. You don't need a sharp stick to help you."

"It's for you, stupid." She rolls her eyes. "You're like, fleshy and stuff. They'd rip you to shreds."

"I can defend myself, thanks." You retort, turning around to continue walking. She catches up to you pretty quickly.

"Can you just take it!?" She thrusts it out at you. You stare at her for a moment, and then reluctantly grab it from her hands.

“Fine, whatever.” You give her a look, and spin around to keep walking. “Pretty sure I’d be most likely ending up using this on you.” You mutter under your breath.

“What did ya just say?” You hear her say from behind you.

“Nothing.” You keep your pace brisk, stepping over the large roots on the overgrown footpath in front of you. 

“Pretty sure I heard ya’ say something.”

“Forget it.” You wipe your forehead, the sweltering heat of the jungle making you slightly irritated. She makes a non-committal grunt in response.

You have a couple miles of walking before you guys reach your destination, and you’re only vaguely aware of where you’re going. Just the direction, really. You’re not exactly feeling super chatty, but you have a feeling Spinel is in a mood to be. 

Surprisingly enough though, you both walk in complete silence for a good hour or so.

That is, until you decide to stop to rest your feet for a little while. You take your pack off to stretch your shoulders and arms out, leaning on a nearby large rock. You also set the stick she gave you down. Spinel's standing nearby, casually glancing at you as well as presumably looking out for any nearby threats.

"Organic beings sure need a lot of rest." You hear Spinel say out loud to no one in particular, and nearly scoff at her. 

It's a bit funny, actually. You've learned in the last few days that she'll constantly talk out loud in a certain way, that leaves it open for you to join in on conversation. Even though it's just you two. You don't think she's doing it on purpose, but it's kind of hilarious to think that somehow, she's trying for companionship with you. Not that she has any other choice.

"We're literally walking meatbags, Spinel." You say to her quite frankly, and she makes a face. "I'm affected by a lot of things. Heat, moisture, the ground levels, even the gravity. Especially the gravity. I feel like this is going to have long term effects on my knees."

"I didn't think that the gravity would have much of an impact." She replies, crossing her arms. 

"You wouldn't. You're a gem. You guys don't really think much about other species entirely."

"Okay.. ow. Ya’ don’t need to lump me in with the rest of them.”

You stare at her pointedly. “Do I need to remind you how I got here in the first place?”

“Point taken.” She replies, a bit sheepishly. 

“Anyway,” You lean down to grab your pack off the ground. “Let’s keep going. We still have a ways to go.”

You trudge through the dense trees of the jungle, some areas much thicker than the rest. The air is downright dripping with humidity, making it harder for you to breathe. What’s even worse is that there is so much lush vegetation around you that you’re starting to feel like maybe you lost a bit of direction. You’re distracted with your thoughts about what lies ahead of you, that you nearly trip again on a large root half sticking out of the ground. Spinel grabs your arm to keep you from falling, and you mutter out a quick thanks to her without thinking too much about it. Adjusting the vine straps on your shoulders for better balance, you keep going. You hear Spinel behind you speak.

“Did you actually just thank me for something? Genuinely?” She sounds almost touched.

“Please don’t read into that.” You look up at the trees in irritation. She can’t see your face anyway. “I’ll make sure to never do that again.”

You hear her sigh loudly behind you. Ignoring it and keeping an eye out for everything around you, you notice something off to the side.

“Hey.” You stop and say. “Is that..”

You trail off, squinting in the distance. Spinel steps up beside you, peering through the trees to see what you’re looking at.

“Is that another cave?” She asks out loud. You were thinking the same thing.

“I think so. It looks similar to the other two we’ve seen.”

“Why out here?” She brings her hand up to her face, expression concerned.

“Does it look like I know? If anything, YOU should know. You’ve been to more places than I have, and have seen more.” 

She glances at you with an unreadable expression.

“I.. haven’t really been to a place like this. This is all new to me as well.”

“What, have you lived under a rock this whole time?” You retort sarcastically, huffing out a short laugh. “..It’s funny because you’re technically a rock.”

She gives you a tired, grave expression, and you have to force yourself to not laugh out loud at it.

“..Maybe I have. Anyway.. we should probably check out what’s in there eventually. Maybe it’s gem stuff even I don’t know about.” She finishes, crossing her arms.

Her body language is a little stiff like you offended her, and you don’t know why. Maybe she hates jokes. Whatever.

“Look, I don’t know how to tell you this, but they give me bad vibes. I’m not too keen on going in there.” 

“I could go in alone if you’re scared.” She smirks, eyes trailing down to yours.

“I’m not scared. It’s my gut instinct, asshole. And besides, you probably shouldn’t go in either. What if it’s something that can kill you?”

“Pfft, what could be in there that could kill me? I’m a gem, remember. I’ll just poof and reform.” She shrugs, uncaring.

“I feel like you should trust me in this. But if you wanna test fate, go right ahead.”

“I wouldn’t trust you even if you were actually giving me good advice.”

“I’m the one who should be saying that, not the other way around.” You scoff, glaring at her. You turn to keep walking.

Another hour of walking passes in mostly silence, and you finally reach an area with a clearing and a small hill. Eagerly, you run up it, hoping to be able to get a more precise look at your location, and how far you’re from the structure at this point.

You hear muffled foot movement in the grass, Spinel coming up beside you just as you realize what you’re seeing, now that you’re closer.

“Is that a half made Spire?” She says, hand flat above her face, shielding her eyes from the scorching sun overhead. 

“I think so?” You reply, squinting to try to get a better look at the details. “I haven’t seen very many before so..”

“Huh, they stopped making those on planets thousands of years ago.” She looks over to you, and you meet her gaze.

“If they stopped that long ago, why is this one only half-made?”

“I.. don’t know.” She shrugs, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “They usually finish the job, whether it be for a kindergarten, or terraforming. It’s very unlike any colony to just.. stop. This planet should’ve been mostly decimated, now that I think about it.”

“Weird. Let’s go find out, I guess.” You shrug, and head back down the hill, Spinel following your lead.

It takes you another few hours to get to the Spire, considering you have to take a detour around a huge, unwalkable cliffside. The sun is starting to set when you get to it, some of the days heat already dissipated.

Looking up, this thing is maybe.. a good two hundred feet tall. Large chunks are missing out of several sides, some from age and decay, some from where they just stopped building. You feel Spinel’s presence beside you, her arm barely touching yours.

“It’s strange that they’d just.. stop.” She speaks up next to you. “Most of the Bismuth’s I’ve met refuse to let a job go unfinished. They’re perfectionists.”

You stare up at it long enough for your neck to start hurting. Its.. height is a little formidable.

“Is there a way for us to get inside?” You ponder out loud, looking around the base of the building, too many trees nearby obscuring most of it.

“There’s always a way to get inside. Ya just gotta look.” 

“I AM looking.” You walk off from her, moving several bushes aside in one area, looking for a clue along the edges of the walls surface.

“It’s probably on the other side, then.” She says sarcastically, catching up to you instead of looking around by herself.

You feel yourself rolling your eyes, and you let the bush branches out of your grip, nearly hitting Spinel with it. She just barely manages to move out of the way before getting whipped by it.

“Watch it!” She shouts, glaring at you.

“Oh, my bad.” You smirk. “Didn’t see you there. Was just trying to find the entrance.” You blink innocently.

She stares at you dumbfounded, and shuts her open mouth. Turning on her heel, she spins around to walk in the other direction around the Spire. 

You chuckle to yourself. How dramatic.

Looking at the walls of this building, you trail your hand along the stone, gazing upon any crack that might give you a clue. The base of this thing is pretty large, so a door could be anywhere. 

It’s pretty quiet around you. It’s kind of always been quiet on this planet, but you feel like it’s even quieter around this area for whatever reason. The weird vines are here as well, with those gross-looking fleshy flowers climbing up the wall of this half-finished tower. A couple minutes pass as you keep walking around this thing, finding absolutely nothing still.

You eventually catch up with Spinel, and see her standing in front of something.. which you can see is vaguely door-shaped, covered by a thick layer of vines. Of course.

“Found it.” She starts with, sounding smug. She’s smirking. “Told ya it was on the other side.”

“Of course it was.” You reply, not at all enthused. “You figure out how to open it yet?”

“No..” She trails off, looking around the edge of the door, pushing vines aside to find some sort of control for the door.

“Of course you haven’t.” 

“Hey, at least I found the door.” 

“Not exactly an accomplishment.” You say sarcastically, bending down to the left side, moving vines to see something you had thought you saw turned out to be nothing. You hear her scoff in irritation. “Isn’t there normally some kind of access panel?”

“Yeah, but I can’t seem to find it.”

“Aren’t you useful.” You mutter under your breath, starting to move large amounts of vines at once, determined to get inside the Spire before it actually gets dark.

“I heard that.” She huffs out in irritation. 

“I’m glad you have functioning ears.” You reply, deadpan. “Do you have functioning eyes? Because I need you to use them before we’re stuck out here in the dark.”

“Why are you such an asshole, like, all the time?” You hear her say from behind you.

Is she really asking you this? You sigh internally, not wanting to have this conversation.

“Because I’m tired, all the time. Tired of this place, tired of you, tired in general.” You stand up, hearing your spine crack, and look at Spinel.

She looks.. kind of hurt. What the hell.

“Also, it’s kind of a defense mechanism.” You finish with, taking one last look along the entirety of the wall. Fuck all of this, you were hoping it’d be easy.

“What.. do you mean?” She asks, tentatively.

“What?” You turn to raise your eyebrow at her, puzzled. “Do you like, care, or something?” “No,” She says all too quickly. “I just don’t understand why you’re defensive, or so hostile towards me.”

“Why wouldn’t I be? It’s not like we’re friends.” You give her another look. “Can we like, just get this door open? Instead of chatting. I can physically feel the temperature drop.”

Her gaze lingers on you, completely unreadable, before looking back towards the door.

“I’m kind of at a loss. Normally the panel is just out in full view, but I can’t seem to find anything anywhere.” 

“Ughhh, I just want IN!” You nearly shout in frustration, slapping your hand against the wall.

You hear a click, and the sound of stone sliding against itself. You and Spinel look at each other.

“Huh.” She says, “What do ya know?”

 A small panel opens on the side, and you see its screen glowing. Both of you walk up to it.

“Is there like a button, or..?” You trail off momentarily, thinking to yourself. “Pearl usually just placed her hand on it, and we’d be good.”

Spinel considers it for a second, and then slams her palm on the screen. 

It does nothing for several long seconds, and then you hear the voice of a Pearl.

“Please scan your gem.” The console says nearly robotically.

You look towards Spinel, and her eyebrows are furrowed in confusion. “What?” You ask.

“This is really old tech.” She states, and walks right up to the screen. “I’m pretty sure only Diamonds and their Pearls would have access to something like this.” She leans over the screen, letting it recognize the object in front of it. A red line comes out, and it scans her gem.

“Is there any other way in?” You nearly sigh out loud, frustrated. The sun has set already, and it’s nearly chilly outside now. Pretty soon you’ll be seeing your breath.

You hear two beeps in succession, and the voice chimes out again.

“Welcome, Spinel.”

“Uhh,” You say in confusion. “You been here before?”

“I’m one hundred percent sure I haven’t.” She states, just as confused as you are.

The door in front of you shudders under the weight of the vines, before finally opening with a swoosh sound. Stale air hits you in the face, and you almost sneeze.

“Spinel,” You say. “What kind of gem did you say you were again?”

“I never told you what kind of gem I was.” She stares at you, slightly guarded. 

“Why would you have access? What are you?” You push at her, needing to know. 

She sighs in aggravation, wiping her hand down her face.

“I’m a companion gem.”

You stare at her.

“A companion gem. What exactly does that fucking mean?” You ask.

“Ya know.. like. Friendship and stuff.” She huffs out, narrowing her eyes at you.

“What..” You slowly blink, trying to comprehend this. Oh my god, what the fuck? You guess that makes sense, considering.. “So you just like, make friends with people? Pfff-” “Don’t.” She cuts you off with a glare.

"You're a friendship gem? The fuck? Are you like some sort of carebear?" You try not to laugh. You weren’t expecting this from a gem who tried to kill you.

"Tha' fuck is a carebear." She spits out, clearly aggravated and confused.

"Don’t worry about it." You shut your mouth, in case you burst out laughing. “Let’s just go inside, shall we?”

She nearly pushes past you, walking into the entrance of the Spire. You follow suit. 

With a whooshing sound, the door closes behind you both, and envelopes you in darkness.

[ashketchup119]

A Stroll Through The Woods

Half vent piece, half me being in love with nature, this story kinda forced itself out of my soul. It’s a companion to another story I’ll be posting, and my first foray into purposeful word choice.

TW: misgendering, discussions about death and dying

“The weather’s supposed to be nice tomorrow.” One of Benji’s professors had said yesterday. He’d ignored it at the time; his brain was stuck in a seemingly endless loop of depression and negativity, and didn’t have space for “nice weather tomorrow.”

However, as he stared out the living room window (which led to the very scenic view of an alleyway), he wondered if going outside might improve his mood. The sun had already proven a remedy to most of his depressive funks, and he was tired of sitting down, moping, and doing homework.

Benji was going to take a walk.

After he made food, of course.

Two enchiladas and a cup of root beer later, he was leaving the dorm, nervous to be outside for the first time in over a year without his hoodie on. His hoodie hid the unwelcome swell of his chest, which would’ve been optimal for the impromptu hike he was sure to end up taking. There was a river trail near and who was Benji but an adventurer willing to brave every trail to see a creek?

He resolved to take the walk slow, and use the elevators instead of the stairs. His ankle pain had resurfaced recently and his chest binder was making itself known in a soft push against his sternum when he attempted to breathe deeply, and he wanted this walk to last.

He walked the route his friend has shown him the first time they’d needed to walk through the woods to get to some pizza place on the other side. Now, though, he took a different path, one that sloped off the main route through the forest. He knew the trail was around this area, but was content to wander until it showed itself.

Benji smiled as he remembered the last time he’d done this. His friend, Layla, and him had decided to attempt to find a lake frozen by the winds of winter’s second snow, and while they’d found one, it had come at the cost of two slips (Layla) and a snowball to the head (Benji, laughing at Layla).

There was no snow, now, just dead leaves and bare trees. He walked with his earbuds in, volume so low it faded into the background. People passed, though he really only noticed if a friendly dog came up to him and sat down, silently asking for pets, with their fast-walking owners soon coming to clip a leash onto their collar and murmur unnecessary apologies. Soon, he had found the frozen lake, though it was no longer frozen and had become a habitat for two ducks that bobbed up and down in the afternoon sun, searching for dinner. He took pictures and sent them to Layla, along with some funny captions about walking slightly faster because of the lack of snow. He looked at the time on his phone and knew it was time to head back. After all, he’d only portioned out an hour of his day for this walk, and if he stayed out too long, the night would catch him.

Ten minutes passed before he finally made his way back to the trail and continued onward, determined to find the end of it. He enjoyed the view around him, taking in the wide tree trunks, too large for him to wrap his arms around; the branches arching over his head, as though sheltering him from the sky; and the leaves crunching beneath his feet, though the pieces were too small for him to see, even with his glasses on.

He passed buildings that hovered on the slopes parallel to the course of the stream. Trees decayed next to the trail, and he watched water pass through a hollowed out tree trunk. It struck him, the magnitude of the river and the forest. It had probably existed for centuries, and would continue to exist, long past his own, inevitable death.

Death.

It was a topic he’d considered often.

Sometimes his own; sometimes his loved ones’. He’d never been particularly scared of it. When he was younger, he used to dream of dying, details far more graphic than any six-year-old’s mind had any right to imagine. He was hunted and eaten by a being in the shape of an alligator; drowned in a vat of hot tar; stabbed and left to bleed out on the pavement in a nondescript alleyway. They had scared him, at first, but at some point he’d learn to tolerate it. Some might even say he had become comfortable with it.

The forest was thriving.

The forest was dying.

Both, at the same time.

A living contradiction.

He thought of stories of beings that lived in trees; nymphs and spirits and such. He thought of La Lechuza, and the stories his brothers used to tell him to scare him. He thought of La Llorona, and remembered how his brothers would swear up and down that the river they lived near back home was the very same river from the story.

This was a different river, and besides, his younger brother had once declared that his school friend had said La Llorona didn’t have papers and wasn’t likely to try sneaking through the river just to reach all the other kids. Her kids were in Mexico, not America.

A woman passed by him. “Nice shirt!”

He started, unused to the sound of human voices in the haven of solitude he’d created. He stammered out a thanks with a voice husky with unspoken words.

Benji reached the end of the trail, and stood there for a couple of minutes, contemplating his next steps. It was already an hour to sunset, and he didn’t want to be in the dark forest at nighttime.

He turned around, and came back the way he came.

A couple of steps into this endeavor, a phone call paused his music. He looked at the screen, and stopped, staring at the Mama on the screen. He didn’t have to answer her. He knew that it would only make him feel worse, and might even worsen his current depressive mood.

Benji picked up the phone.

“Hola, mija!” The voice on the other end of the line greeted. “How are you, mi nina?”

He winced slightly. She’d received the memo that he wasn’t her daughter, but refused to acknowledge it, as though ignorance might make it go away.

“Hi mama.” He answered as his walk slowed.

“How are you?”

A pause. What to tell her? That his therapist wanted to prescribe him medicines, because the sleep scheduling and thought challenging wasn’t enough? No. She didn’t believe in mental health, and would make nasty comments about him wanting to fake his mood. That she’d traumatized him to the point where the mere reminder of the event had sent him into a funk that had already lasted five days? No, she would tell him that he was remembering wrong. She’d given him everything, she would say, he was always a happy child. That someone in the dining hall had called him sir a couple weeks ago and he’d carried that bubbly feeling for the rest fo the day? No. She would tell him he wasn’t a boy and should stop acting like one.

“I haven’t been feeling well, mentally, mama.” He settled on. She at least believed him that sometimes he felt sad.

“Ay, it’s because you miss us.”

“Not really, mama. Well, maybe the comida.”

“You could at least pretend you care about us.”

A sharp intake of breath. “I do. I love all of you, very much.”

“Then you miss being around people.”

“No, my roommates and I talk often.”

A pause. “Then why are you sad?”

“I don’t know.” A lie.

How was he supposed to tell her that she’d hurt him so badly that he cried and cried and slept and slept to forget? That he knew she loved the daughter in her head, not the son she had? That he wished she loved him? That this one childhood ending trauma that happened when he was 8 years old still affected him over a decade later?

He chose not to.

The call went quiet.

“I’ll call you later I’m busy.” His mom said, as though she hadn’t been the one to call him.

He forced a smile. “Okay.”

“Adios.” The line went dead.

The feeling of reverence had swiftly been replaced by the same gray nothingness that cloaked and protected him from the harsher negative emotions, and he walked quickly back to his dorm, ignoring the sights which had previously captivated him.

[leonarsfrey1991]

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Wine is also necessary to select the variety of grapes that go for AquaRocks that help protect us from cancer.Furthermore, this will keep your plants and require some fungicide application, particularly in a permanent location.Vegetative grape vines depends on its own.This is especially true if your soil has gravel, sand, and silt in its actual environment.You will know if it really is worth it in the ground.

How Long Does It Take For Muscadine Grapes To Grow

These grape varieties have winter hardiness of the main branches.Obviously grape vine diseases, and even make a whole country.Consequently, many use posts that can shield your grapevines during the first step in Muscadine grape growing venture.A pH showing between 6.0 and 6.5, depending on the skin.Among those to consider, now is the next growing season.

As you know, vines seek good sunlight naturally, but they are properly watered by using odor repellents, you can choose from and grow.Knowledge and tools won't mean a thing you have picked the perfect properties for wine also tend to be resilient to the soil, that is!The next tip on how to grow and adjust accordingly.But you could end up being frustrated and heartbroken when they are young, need an additional cash source.Then, you could not perform something correctly.

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Can you imagine something worse than an EMP, a disaster that would take us 100 years back?

It doesn’t takes lives in seconds, but rather takes away much of the means of supporting life in a modern culture.

But what if you add a nuclear blast to this scenario?

Mix in the radiation and it gets even worse. right? The world itself would be a radioactive hell, how could anyone survive it? Keep reading to find out the truth!

HEMP (High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse) is produced when a nuclear weapon is detonated above approximately 20 km (66,000’) altitude, but optimal altitude to affect the greatest area possible of the lower 48 states would be 350-450 km.

While the high-altitude detonation of a nuclear weapon used to create HEMP would not likely produce enough fallout to harm people on the ground, it would still be prudent to ready your radiation detection and protection gear.

The Fallout Danger

The real risk of fallout out in this situation would not come from the HEMP or the detonation of the weapon used to generate it, but from escalation of force or the possibility that the HEMP is used to blind radar preceding a nuclear attack.

The fact of the matter is that if nuclear weapons are used in an HEMP attack against any major nuclear power, there is a very real possibility that it could provoke a retaliatory nuclear response.

In 1995, the world was nearly plunged into global thermonuclear war because Russian radar technicians were not properly notified of the launch of a Norwegian sounding rocket, which was mistaken for a US submarine-launched Trident missile. A principle attack scenario Russia plans for is an EMP first strike by the USA from the Barents Sea to take down their radar in preparation for a nuclear first strike.

The missile would only be in the air for about 10 minutes. That is all the time Russia had to decide and it took 8 of those 10 minutes to determine that the missile was headed away from instead of toward Moscow. The US plans for Russia to attack using essentially a mirror of the same tactic.

Because this tactic is so basic to nuclear warfare strategy, it boggles my mind that analysts (though typically scientists as opposed to soldiers) regularly predict that this country or that would somehow see clearly through the fog of war in the wake of a nuclear HEMP attack and respond to it differently than any other nuclear attack.

Add on top of this, the fact that the HEMP would take their radar off-line it becomes doubly unlikely. Then add that some countries have plainly stated that they would not differentiate between high altitude nuclear attacks and ground or air bursts and it becomes triply so.

The fact of the matter is that it is entirely possible that a HEMP strike against any major nuclear power could trigger a broader nuclear exchange. I get that this outcome is very uncomfortable to consider and that even otherwise rational folks tend to project what they imagine they would do in a theoretical situation if they were the individual with their finger on the nuclear trigger.

They opine that cooler, more rational heads would somehow prevail despite the fact that a nuclear power just got nuked and most communications and radar are down because they cannot imagine any rational person taking a course of action that would condemn millions of Americans to death.

While I would agree that a lesser retaliatory response is likely in response to a lower altitude attack against a single city or localized region, I am not so optimistic that the fog of war in the wake of a high-altitude EMP attack would be easily penetrated.

Since uncertainty about a rocket launch years after the end of the cold war brought us to the brink of nuclear war, I cannot reasonably conclude that an actual nuclear first strike most likely would not result in a response, especially at a time when nuclear threats have already been issued.

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About the Fallout

Nuclear weapons detonate so energetically that a tremendous vacuum is created in the wake of the blast. A shockwave, blinding light and intense heat are produced, so much heat, that matter inside or sucked into the fireball is vaporized.

When detonated at or near ground level, the vacuum lofts enormous volumes of vaporized dirt and debris up into the stratosphere, forming the characteristic mushroom cloud commonly associated with the use of nuclear weapons.

As the mushroom cloud forms, the vaporized material cools and condenses, forming solid particles. The mushroom cloud of cooling radioactive dust and ash is then dispersed and carried by the wind until it falls back to earth as “fallout.”

While the alpha particles emitted by the radioactive decay of fallout do not penetrate deeply (they can be blocked by a sheet of paper, your skin or a few centimeters of air) they are extremely damaging when concentrated and orders of magnitude more damaging when inhaled or ingested.

Fallout can be inhaled into your lungs and stick to anywhere you sweat, particularly the insides of elbows, backs of knees, neck, arm pits, etc. If exposed to fallout, there are a few things you can do:

Seek professional decontamination from trained first responders, if available.

Remove clothing and shoes. This alone can remove 90% of contamination. Bag and label for disposal. If this is not expedient due to cold or heat exposure risk, at least remove outer layers and shoes.

Use a radiation survey meter to do a full body survey, if available.

Remember that external contamination is far less harmful than internal contamination. Angle water so that it carries contamination away from skin, not over more skin or into eyes, ears, nose or mouth.

Gently clean skin with tepid water and mild soap with neutral ph. Cold water closes pores trapping contamination and can cause hypothermia. Hot water opens pores enabling particles to penetrate the skin, aggravates thermal burns and you should not breath the water vapor (steam) as it will carry isotopes cleaned off skin. Do not scrub or rub the skin excessively. Excessive scrubbing will do more harm than good. If running water is not available, use a damp cloth. If water is not available use Fuller’s Earth clay, clay or clayey soil.

Rise and gently shampoo hair. Do not use conditioner since it bonds particles to hair. Do not shave hair or skin. Knicks compromise the barrier skin naturally provides. Contaminated hair can be clipped if shampooing is ineffective.

Wipe eye lids and ears with damp sterile swabs, if available. If not available, use a clean, damp cloth. Gently blow nose and swab nostrils with sterile swabs, if available. If swabs are tested with survey meter, the swabs must be allowed to dry before surveying for alpha-emitting radioisotopes.

Brush teeth and rinse frequently.

Rise with 3% hydrogen peroxide for pharyngeal contamination.

Use a maximum of 2 decontamination cycles per patient.

Use a radiation survey meter to do another full body survey, if available.

Cover any areas of residual radiation with waterproof dressings to prevent contamination of clean areas.

How to Protect Against Fallout Exposure

A basic understanding of how to protect yourself from fallout can greatly reduce exposure. Time, shielding and distance are your allies.

Time – intensity of radiation produced by fallout diminishes over time. The mix of isotopes resulting is complex with some persisting longer than others, so rate of decay can only be estimated, but between two days and two weeks, radiation levels will be less than 1% of their initial intensity. The longer you can stay sheltered, the lower radiation levels will be outside.

Shielding – the greater the density of materials between you and the radiation, the less radiation will reach you. Earth surrounding a basement, concrete or masonry walls or sandbags provide a measure of shielding from radiation.

Distance – taking shelter in the center of large, multistory building is more effective than in a room nearer and outer wall or the roof. The center of the deepest floor underground would be safest. The same reasoning applies in your own home.

How Situational Awareness Works in case of HEMP

Many preppers invest a great deal of resources in bug out bags, vehicles and locations but would likely sleep through any warning of an HEMP or nuclear strike for lack of a Public Alert Certified All Hazards Radio to receive an alert and automatically warn them in time to get to a shelter. They run $30-$70 and are an oft-overlooked must have that saves many lives every year from a broad range of threats.

After a nuclear attack, there will be many potentially life and death questions and a shortage of information. Is there fallout outside the shelter? Are we being exposed to radiation? How much? Is it safe to go outside and for how long?

Communication infrastructure will likely be severely damaged, especially if the nuclear ground attack is preceded by an HEMP attack. Radiation detection equipment will likely be the only reliable way to answer these questions. An accurate radiation detection instrument can be built using materials you probably have around the house.

If you choose to purchase equipment, research the instrument you purchase carefully because many civil defense meters are not accurate at some exposure levels and some dosimeters detect ranges of exposure to low to be of much use in nuclear war. After you make your purchases, have your equipment tested and calibrated.

Video first seen on CrypticCRICKET. 

Even though high altitude nuclear detonations don’t pose a significant fallout risk, any time nukes are popping off, you might consider breaking out the radiation detection equipment and take precautions as opposed to placing your trust in the powers that be.

You are responsible for the safety of your family, not the government, so do not sit around and wait for them to inform you of when it is time to “get off the X” or not. Blind trust did not work out so well for residents of Utah and Nevada after US nuclear testing and they paid a truly terrible price.

Charging and wearing a radiation dosimeter is no big deal. They are about the size of pen, clip to your clothing and measure your exposure to radiation over time.

About High Altitude Burst

When a burst occurs high in the atmosphere, as it would in an HEMP attack, the vacuum it creates cannot loft tons of dirt from the soil which would become fallout in a ground burst, so there would not be a mushroom cloud.

There are still atoms and molecules up there, but the higher up the weapon is detonated, the less matter there is for the leftover fission product to activate and the less fallout is produced. While too little is produced to be a concern at ground level, past high altitude nuclear tests did create bands of radiation in the atmosphere that damaged low earth orbiting satellites as they passed through them.

Up to one-third of low earth orbit satellites in orbit at the time were damaged in some way, and some were rendered useless, so even though fallout would not be a direct danger to folks on the ground, it could still end up affecting us to the degree we are dependent on satellites.

Nuclear Weapon Type & Yield

Creating a high EMP field strength does not require a very powerful nuclear weapon, certainly not a large warhead capable of destroying a city in a nuclear blast near ground level.

Fission weapons in the 2-10 kiloton range (small as nukes go) area far more efficient use of fissile material than thermonuclear (fission-fusion-fission) weapons, making them a very attractive option for nations with small nuclear programs or even a determined terrorist organization, should they succeed in procuring a suitable weapon. A relatively small weapon such as a nuclear artillery shell, could result in tremendous disruption and loss of life if detonated at sufficient altitude.

An ERW (Enhanced Radiation Weapon), similar in design to a neutron bomb, is a class of low yield tactical thermonuclear (fission-fusion) weapons. Neutron bombs minimize blast and heat to maximize dangerous ionizing radiation and gamma yield which is what causes the E1 component of EMP.

The idea behind the neutron bomb was that it could kill enemy soldiers while minimizing civilian casualties and damage to the infrastructure that sustains them. Although it may sound like a contradiction in terms, the neutron bomb was intended to be a more humane nuclear weapon. While the blast radius of a neutron bomb may be as small as a few hundred meters, the highly lethal ionizing radiation produced can penetrate several feet of soil or the armor of a tank disabling exposed troops within a few minutes and killing them within a couple of days.

ERW’s are more effective at producing HEMP than nuclear weapons designed to destroy cities and military bases. Like neutron bombs, trading blast and heat for higher gamma and neutron yield means that they punch far above their weight class when it comes to create HEMP. Creating an ERW is probably what North Korea’s last test was. Such a weapon, detonated at altitude, could potentially create field strengths far more intense than 50Kv/m.

This is important because that number is used as a standard for shielding against EMP and was derived by analysis of the Starfish Prime nuclear test data from 1962 which is not classified. That test used a regular thermonuclear warhead which was not designed for optimal EMP yield.

High altitude EMP only really began to be understood after that test produced 1000x the EMP of tests at ground level. Since then, military scientists have had many decades to develop ERW weapons and in 2004, Russian generals testified that their ERW designs were “accidentally leaked” to North Korea. Because of the development of ERWs, the shielding protecting many of our critical systems may be insufficient.

No matter what, you have to be prepared, able to help yourself and your family in case of a total blackout! Click the banner below for more!

This article has been written by Cache Valley Prepper for Survivopedia. 

Resources: http://www.abomb1.org/pdf/kfm_inst.pdf

from Survivopedia Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

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How to create a brilliant exotic garden in a cool climate

There’s a definite trend towards the exotic garden.

Or even just the exotic border. You don’t have to rip your whole garden out and re-plant with banana palms – you can create a mini-jungle atmosphere in a sheltered corner.

1)  An exotic garden can work with your architecture

Exotic gardens in the UK date back to Victorian and Edwardian times when plant hunters scoured the world. They brought exotic plants back to Britain, the United States and Australia.

And Victorians moving around the world ‘for the Empire’ took their architecture and their gardens with them.

This is a small town garden behind a Victorian terraced house. Exotic works perfectly.

So an exotic garden or border can also be described as ‘traditional’ in the UK, especially if you live in a Victorian or an Edwardian house.

Exotic shapes and colours at the Salutation in Sandwich. It’s an Edwardian house, built in 1911.

A front garden in Whitstable designed by Posy Gentles. Strong shapes and colours make this an exotic contemporary look.

Modern houses and extensions also work well with exotic plantings because the strong sculptural shapes and bright colours contrast well.

2) Pack your exotic garden with plants in layers

I interviewed Australian TV gardening expert Stephen Ryan on how to create an exotic garden in a temperate climate. He has a nursery near Melbourne called Dicksonia Rare Plants.

Stephen Ryan in his garden. It is all plants, paths and ponds. There are no lawns in the jungle! The big leafed plant on the left is Tetrapanax papyrifer, which is fairly hardy in UK winters.

Melbourne is hotter than the UK in the summer, but has some very cool winters, so many of the plants in Stephen’s own garden would work in the UK or North America.

The garden is called ‘Tugurium’, which is Latin for hovel. He bought the one-acre of land with compensation money for losing all his possessions in ‘the 1983 fire’. This was a devastating forest fire that swept through this part of Melbourne, taking 300 lives and destroying much property.

Tugurium – a house and garden created from a bare patch of land. Stephen is proud that ‘nothing ever leaves the propery’. Everything is recycled, composted and waste water is reused.

There was no house or garden – not even any topsoil – when he moved in. He created the garden from scratch. It regularly featured in ‘Gardening Australia’ when Stephen hosted the programme.

Create a jungle ‘canopy’

Everything was created on a tight budget, so he was only able to build a small house. A neighbour commented that it was a shame that such a ‘hovel’ had been built so close to him. So Stephen named the house and garden ‘Tugurium’ as his response.

Stephen’s one acre garden is packed with plants. He actually holds four National collections in the space.

Trees and tall shrubs, many of them hardy in winter, create an upper ‘jungle canopy’. They are underplanted with ferns and smaller plants, just as would occur naturally in the jungle.

Palm trees, cordylines and ferns are planted close to Stephen’s house, creating a jungly feel. The palm is is Livistona australis, the most southern-growing palm (in the Southern hemisphere, this means the most tolerant of cool winters). People report it growing -quite slowly – if well sheltered in the UK. The Trachycarpus fortunei palm tree is considered more reliable in cool climates.

Go for big borders and lots of layers to get the jungle look.

3) Find the tropical corner of your garden

Stephen says that every garden has its own patches of micro-climate. Experiment to see where less hardy plants do well. It’s often much warmer near the house, for example.

‘Don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works,’ he says. ‘The worst that can happen is that a plant dies, which will create something that’s very precious in a garden.’ He pauses. ‘An empty space.’

Puya chilensis in Stephen’s garden. This will just about survive outside all year in warmer parts of the UK, but you might want to keep it in a pot and bring it in in winter. Too spiky for fleece! But just experiment – you may have a magically sheltered spot. Puya chilensis is called the ‘sheep eating plant’ as it traps sheep in its sharp spikes. They die and decay and the plant feeds off the decay. Maybe not a plant for those with small dogs, though Stephen has two who have survived fine.

4) Choose plants with big leaves and/or strong shapes

Stephen recommends mahonia as a good shrub for an exotic look. Forget about its suburban reputation. Combine it with bamboos, ferns and other jungly-look plants.

Mahonia and bamboo get jungly together in Stephen’s garden.

Fatsia, seen here against Stephen’s house, is another much maligned shrub which will give a tropical look in a temperate climate.

The totally tropical look in a friend’s garden in Australia: cordylines, tree ferns, rhododendrons and conifers create upper and middle layers. All except the tree fern are hardy in most parts of Britain, and tree ferns do fine in the right spot and with the right care.

Cordylines for sale in Faversham market, Kent. The green varieties are hardier than the red.

5) Combine lush planting with bright colours

Dahlias originally came from Mexico, but are now considered quite ‘traditional’ in English gardens. Take them back to their colourful roots by using them to create exotic garden beds.

Dahlia ‘Mel’s Orange Marmalade’ in the exotic garden at the Salutation in Kent, along with cordylines, Musa banana palms and ricinus.

And cannas will also look good in the exotic garden. Like dahlias, they are reasonably hardy in most parts of Britain, provided you protect their roots/rhizomes with a thick layer of mulch in autumn.

Canna ‘Stephen Ryan’ at his nursery near Melbourne.

Canna ‘Cleopatra’ at Stephen Ryan’s nursery.

Begonias and fuschias are also flowers we take for granted. They,too, can look remarkably exotic in bright colours and the right context.

6) Keep frost-tender exotics in pots

Some exotic plants won’t survive a Northern hemisphere winter, but will do well in pots outside in the summer. You can bring the pots in to an unheated but frost-free greenhouse or conservatory, or protect them with fleece in a sheltered spot.

Aeoniums have a wonderfully tropical feel. Stephen grows them in his garden. If you live somewhere mild, you can try this. Or keep them in pots and protect them in the winter.

Cymbidium orchids will also probably be happy to live on your terrace in a sheltered spot during the summer. In winter, they need to be protected from frost, but cool (8-10 degrees C) and in a light place.

A pot pond with planting in Stephen’s garden. The plant to the right is euphorbia characias – many of the euphorbias have a jungly look to them. This is a Mediterranean plant

7) Contrast leaf shapes

Vary your leaf shapes, contrasting big sculptural leaves with tall slim plants like bamboo, advises Stephen. Bamboo grows well in the UK – sometimes too well. Make sure you don’t buy the spreading type as it will take over your garden.

Big sculptural shapes contrast with the slim stems of bamboo in the exotic garden at The Salutation.

8) Visit exotic gardens near you

Christopher Lloyd re-started the trend towards exotic gardens and borders when he ripped out his mother’s rose garden in 1993. He replaced it with the ‘exotic garden’. It’s planted with cannas, dahlias, verbena bonariensis and the relatively hardy banana palm Musa basjoo.

The exotic garden at Great Dixter – the plants tower over your head. I love the way the light streams in, as this was a particularly sunny day.

Henstead Garden in Suffolk is also an ‘exotic garden’, named as Garden of the Year by Alan Titchmarsh in 2015.

And the RHS has several exotic garden areas, such as those at RHS Rosemoor in Devon.

We’ve even got an ‘exotic garden’ as one of our open gardens on the Faversham Open Garden & Garden Market Day on 25th of June. Mary Mackay, who owns it, says she’s ‘not really a gardener’, but she just loves exotic plants and leaf shapes.

Mary Mackay combines cardoons, cordylines, bamboo and hostas for a jungly effect. Her garden is just a small town garden.

Lastly, pay a visit to a good exotic plant nursery. My favourite is Architectural Plants, which describes itself as the’ home of the tropical and jungly in both big and small plants.’

I find Architectural Plants an inspiring nursery to visit. Plants and arrangements are beautifully presented.

7) Read the best books and blogs on exotic gardens

Before he died, Christopher Lloyd started his last book, Exotic Planting for Adventurous Gardeners. It was finished by his friends, and is considered one of the best books on exotic gardens you’ll find.

Note: these are associate links to Amazon, which means you can click through to buy. If you do, I may get a small fee but it won’t affect the price you pay.

And Will Giles’ book Exotic Plants for Temperate Climes is rated highly. It’s a useful directory of plants that will survive in your garden but will add an exotic touch.

If you’re interested in growing exotic fruit and vegetables, A Taste of the Unexpected by Mark Diacono won the Guild of Food Writers’ Book of the Year in 2011.

And, although it looks as if it may be only available second-hand or on Kindle, Architectural Plants by Christine Shaw is worth getting your hands on.

One of the most popular blogs in Britain is Alternative Eden, an account of an exotic (clearly middle-sized) garden in Luton. Mark and Gaz both have ‘busy professional lives’, but travel as much as they can. Their garden is influenced by their travels – they bring ideas back and try them out. They have a devoted following.

Or you could follow Clive from Alternative Plantings, who is creating a tropical garden in South London for opening to the NGS on September 3rd, 2017.

8) Rock the exotic garden inside your home

Phalaenopsis orchids, bromeliads, cacti, air plants…

Bromeliad ‘air plants’ that don’t need to be planted in water. Aldo Airplants hanging on a rail at the RHS Spring Plant and Orchid show.

Phalaenopsis orchid ‘Surf Song’ at the RHS Spring Plant and Orchid show.

Cacti from Ottershaw Cacti at the RHS Spring Plant & Orchid show.

The ‘jungle’ look is very popular for indoor plants – strong, structural shapes and bright colours look good in modern interiors.

Let me know of any good exotic gardens, nurseries or books near you, and I’ll add them to the list.

And do join us every Sunday morning – subscribe by email in the box on the top right. Thank you!

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