text:
Characters:Chris, Vin, Buck, Dr. Will
It always happened on Friday, usually sometime just after the doctor's office closed. So it came as no surprise when, through the glass window of his office, Chris Larabee saw Buck shake his head in resignation as he spoke on the phone. After dropping the receiver in its cradle, his tall roommate rose wearily and made his way to Chris' office door where he slouched against the frame.
Chris leaned back in his chair and tilted his head as he regarded his friend. "What's the matter, Buck? Looks like your horse died or somethin'."
Buck replied with a lopsided grin that wasn't backed up with humor. "That was Mrs. Potter. JD's got a fever and threw up."
Chris looked at his watch and snorted. "Not surprised. It's five-fifteen on a Friday and we have plans."
"Guess the camping trip's off. For me 'n JD at least." Buck came in and plopped down on the small couch. "No reason to disappoint Vin. If you don't do the camp out, what about a day trip?"
The eclectic family had planned a horseback camping trip for a couple of months now. This weekend was the last where all four would be available at the same time before school started. Between the agents' training and work schedules, the boys' summer school and chicken pox, summer vacation time had been scarce.
Summer school was a necessity for Vin as he had been behind in his schoolwork when Chris adopted him nearly a year ago. JD attended, too, but it was mostly to give him a break in the daily scenery. The sharp-minded little whirlwind loved school, but for Vin it was pure and utter torment. His poor reading skills and dyslexia made the entire ordeal of school almost like torture chamber. He was in dire need of a break.
Chris understood the feeling because he suffered right along with his boy. Things were getting better, though, that was clear to the adults in Vin's life. Vin, however, had a tough time seeing it. This camping trip would give the boy a chance to exercise the things he did excel in: Riding, following trail maps, setting up a camp. It was those kinds of survival skills and moxie that had allowed the two young boys to survive, homeless, on the streets before they were found by Team 7 during a warehouse bust.
"I may just do that," Chris said. "I think we'll keep it down to one night instead of two. Leave tomorrow morning and be back Sunday afternoon instead of Monday morning."
"Sorry pard."
Standing, Chris tapped his keyboard and shut down the computer, and grabbed his briefcase. "It's all right. I'm sure Vin'll like the alone time."
Buck rose and laughed shortly. "Yeah, with JD stayin' home you just may actually see some wildlife!"
"There is that," Chris agreed. "Let's hit the road."
The pair stepped out of the office and Chris turned off the light. They paused in the bullpen area. "Time to go, boys," he announced to the rest of the team. It struck Chris then how hard they had been working these past few weeks as the remaining men practically bolted for the door. He slapped Josiah on the back as he passed.
"Got plans, 'siah?" he asked.
"Thought I'd check out the Habitat for Humanity site north of town. I hear they need someone who's pounded a nail or two."
Ezra wrinkled his nose with distaste as he shrugged on his jacket. "Sounds like an occasion defined by sweat and dust. Do not call me."
Josiah's toothy grin and the evil glint in his eye made Chris laugh.
Apparently, Ezra read the look, too. "On second thought, I believe I will simply turn my phone off and screen my calls. And lock the door. I wouldn't want anything to disturb my weekend with Opus Two and Coq au Vin."
"Those are funny girls' names," Buck teased.
"I will not discuss the particular lady who will be passing time with me and the previously named delectables," Ezra said firmly. "I must insist on some occasional 'privacy' in my private life."
"You don't have a private life," Nathan snorted as he closed the main office door behind all of them. "Might as well get that through your head now. Me 'n Raine had to accept that fact long ago."
Everyone but Ezra laughed at that established truth.
"Have fun on your trip, you guys," Nathan said as he waited for the elevator. "It's gonna be hot. Drink lots of water."
"Looks like it's just me and Vin. JD's sick."
Nathan raised a questioning brow as they stepped into the elevator car.
"Fever, throwin' up," Buck sighed. "It's going to be a long night."
"Lots of fluids. Popsicles. Motrin or Advil. Call me if you need me. Remember the B.R.A.T. diet," Nathan said.
"Bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. Got it. I'll need to stop at the store," Buck said to Chris. They stepped from the elevator into the lobby. "See ya at the ranch?"
"See you in a bit, Buck."
"Relay my condolences to my young nephew," Ezra requested of Buck, and then turned to Chris. "And do not lose Master Tanner in the woods."
Chris chuffed. "Now that he has a place to call home I get the feeling that Vin could find his way there, blindfolded, from the Arctic Circle."
"That may be true, but he is only eight years old." Ezra dropped his annoyed tone, his true attachment to the boys showing in his face. "Be careful?"
"I'm always careful!"
"And still trouble seems to find you," Ezra said dryly, recovering his poker face. "Enjoy your time together."
"And watch out for ticks," Nathan added.
The glass was cool against Vin's forehead as he sat on the window seat and stared at the long driveway. Ringo, his dog, lay at his feet busily working on a rawhide bone. Vin could hear Mrs. Potter fussing in the kitchen. The quiet of the house felt like a heavy weight on his shoulders.
Vin was unsettled. He could feel it in his stomach. The overnight horseback camping trip had been in the works for weeks and now stupid JD and some stupid germs were going to ruin everything. As soon as he had the thought, he felt guilty, then to banish the guilt he reasoned that he deserved the break and then the cycle would start all over again.
Stupid germs. Stupid JD.
He sighed. All he wanted was to escape walls for awhile.
A motion at the street caught his eye and he straightened. Chris was home! Vin tripped over Ringo and the dog yelped in fright.
"Sorry, boy! Dad's home!" The pup had already learned that particular term. He scrambled to his big feet and bounded happily after Vin's heels.
By the time Vin got to the door and pulled it open, Chris' black truck was parking in front of the house. Boy and dog raced to the driver's side and skidded to a stop. Chris would make him feel better. He always did. His adopted dad was the only person he trusted in his life to always be there when he needed him, and that alone lifted a lot of his woes. It was a gift that had taken him a long time to accept and sometimes, still, he wondered when his luck would run out.
"Hey, Vin," Chris said as he stepped down from the cab. He immediately squatted down and opened his arms. Vin didn't hesitate jumping into the embrace and wrapped his arms around Chris' neck. When he stood, Vin wrapped his skinny legs around Chris' waist. It was a rare thing for him to accept being carried but the closeness felt good right now. "So JD's sick, I hear?" Chris leaned into the truck and retrieved his briefcase and then started to the house.
Vin loosened his grip around his dad's neck and leaned back a little to fiddle with the collar of Chris' shirt. "Uh, huh," he answered. "Where's Buck?"
"He stopped at the drug store to get some stuff for JD." Chris climbed the four stairs to the front porch.
After a long moment, Vin finally had to ask. "Guess our camping trip's off, huh?" He continued to finger the collar, his eyes fixed on the material rather than the apology he expected to read in Chris' eyes.
"Well," Chris started as he stepped inside. He put his briefcase down on the entryway table. "I wouldn't say that."
Vin's fingers stilled. Curiosity made his eyes peer upward to meet glittering green. He turned the words over in his mind. "Then . . . what would you say?"
"Pack your saddlebags for one night instead of two?"
Vin's heart leaped. "Yessssssssssss!" he hissed, punching upward into the air with a fist. "Just you and me?"
"Just you and me."
Vin's wiggling demanded he be let down. "When? Now? I got my stuff packed already!"
"Whoa, now, wait a minute," Chris laughed. "We'll leave in the morning. I'll hitch up the trailer tonight and we'll load what we can so we can make an early break. How's that sound?"
"Great!" Vin gushed. He turned to race to his room to tell JD, but stopped himself with a second thought. Deciding it was probably better to leave JD alone, he turned back to Chris. "JD's gonna be bummed."
"'Bummed'?" Chris questioned with eyebrows raised in amusement. "Where did you pick that up?"
Vin studied Chris' eyes deeply, looking for any sign of anger. He only saw humor, and relaxed. "A kid at summer school. He jus' moved here from California."
Chris rolled his eyes and smacked Vin playfully on the rump. "And here I thought you were learning math and spelling and all that useful stuff."
"Uncle Ez says words is useful."
"Yeah, well, Uncle Ez would. And it's 'words are useful'."
"Are useful," Vin grumbled, but immediately brightened again. "Can I watch TV 'til dinner? JD's sleepin' in our room."
"Sure." He ruffled Vin's hair, and then Chris greeted Mrs. Potter and got the run down on JD. He thanked her for the waiting dinner as she left. When he closed the door Chris stood a moment and looked around the living room. "Sure is quiet. Guess I'll check on JD."
Vin plopped on the couch and picked up a remote. "He barfed a couple times."
"So I heard."
Vin settled on the Outdoor Life channel and watched a man catching fish in a rushing river, imagining that he would soon be doing the same thing with Chris.
Dawn had just blanketed the sky with pale light when Chris felt a presence near him. Just lifting from the depths of sleep he opened his eyes suddenly to see a shadowy outline he recognized as well as his own.
"Vin," he said softly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"You awake?"
"More or less," he replied knowing that would be it for sleep. Chris sat up and stretched. Vin didn't move. Chris looked at him and saw that he was shifting his weight from side to side. For Vin, that was the equivalent of jumping for joy. "Guess we best get movin', huh?"
A huge smile made the boy's face look his age instead of a serious, miniature adult. It was that smile that always made Chris realize that his son didn't smile enough. When he stood Vin raced from the room. Chris noticed he was already dressed.
After hitting the bathroom and dressing, Chris went to the kitchen and found cereal bowls already set out. He also found a bleary-eyed Buck slouched at the table, one hand propping his head up while the other clenched a cup of coffee. Vin was busy setting out cereal boxes, milk and juice.
"What're you doin' up Buck?" Chris said with a bit of pity as he poured himself a hot cup of caffeine. "Or are you actually up?"
"Been up since four," Buck mumbled. His eyes drooped. "Before that, since two. Before that . . ."
"JD's no better, huh?" Chris guessed.
"Don' know yet. What time is it?"
The sound of retching and a crying boy came down the hall as if on cue.
"Yup, he's better. He went two and a half hours this time." Buck oozed upright and with dragging feet, headed down the hall. "Have fun you two."
"Thanks, Buck!" Vin said much too cheerily. He caught Chris looking at him and wiped the smile from his face. "I really am sorry about JD bein' sick, Chris. Really."
"I know, son. Did he keep you up at all?"
"Nah. After he barfed at midnight Buck came an' got him."
Chris couldn't help but chuckle. He knew he should feel bad, but he also knew he'd get his turn. Sleep deprivation was what having a child was all about.
They ate, loaded the horses and were off in under an hour. The drive took them miles into the mountains. The heat rose with the sun and by the time they reached the base camp parking area, it was pretty hot. Chris wondered how the horses would take it with the extra weight and regretted the decision not to bring one of them as a pack animal.
Chris helped Vin saddle Peso and double-checked the supplies. Since Buck and JD weren't coming, he'd opted to double up on canteens.
"You be sure to drink lots of water, Vin, you hear me? It's important up here. And don't forget the sunscreen on your face and arms. Don't want you getting' as red as that t-shirt you're wearin'."
"Yes, sir," Vin replied with sigh of infinite patience.
They were ready for the trail by ten o'clock. Vin looked at the sky and surrounding mountains, then regarded the map. Chris was always amazed at the boy's ability to decipher maps, blueprints and graphic designs. He may not read words well but he sure could read a picture and had a bump of direction that was uncanny.
"How long to get to the campsite?" Vin asked as he mounted up.
"We'll be there before dark. We have to take is slow because of the altitude and the heat, all right?"
Vin nodded. "Got it. Let's go!"
Once mounted Vin reined Peso confidently to the trailhead. They had plotted their route and highlighted it on the map days before and Chris had no doubt it was permanently imprinted on Vin's brain. Chris chuckled, gave Pony a grateful pat and swung up into the saddle. "Lead on! Do you want to be Lewis or Clark?"
Vin gave him a dirty look over his shoulder. "Does this hafta be eddycasenul?"
"Nope, not at all. My mistake," Chris laughed, shaking his head. "Come on, then, we're burnin' daylight!"
The rare smile returned, again brightening the boy's face, and they were off.
The change in his son was like night to day. Vin rode ahead of him full of confidence - back straight, chin up, bright eyes roving constantly - and there was a relaxed curve to his thin frame that was seldom seen. On top of that, Vin was practically chatty. Chris wondered if this was the boy Vin would have been all along, given any semblance of a normal childhood; he also hoped that this was the boy he would permanently become in the near future. Chris vowed to make this kind of outing a regular event in an effort to coax that boy out more often.
As they continued up the mountain the day grew hotter. The trees offered welcome shade and by their lunch stop a dry, hot wind started to make itself known.
"It's getting pretty hot," Chris noted as he offered the horses water from a canteen. Vin had found a nifty collapsible plastic bowl on the internet that worked perfectly for this particular chore. Pony drank, and then Vin took the bowl to water Peso.
"It's okay that it's hot," Vin said. "Too hot for hikers so we got the trail all to ourselves."
"Good point," Chris conceded. Yes, this was a great idea.
Peso had enough to drink and started splashing the water with his nose. "Hey!" Vin yelped. Chris laughed as Vin half-heartedly scolded the horse and fought to get the bowl away from him. Peso kept poking his nose into Vin's hands, looking for his play toy. The boy finally got the bowl folded. Then Peso sneezed, spraying his young charge. "Thanks a lot!" Vin tried to sound firm, but ended up giggling.
Chris had to wipe his eyes from laughing. Six months ago Vin would have fallen apart with frustration and embarrassment. There were so many little ways in which he'd grown. Chris was proud.
Their day found them at dizzying heights one minute, deep in shrouded forest in the next. Traces of wildlife were abundant, and Chris knew that as it cooled they could expect to see opossums, raccoons, maybe a fox or two and possibly a bobcat. There were more kinds of birds than he could count. Vin soaked up any and all of the things Chris pointed out.
They kept a steady pace, took numerous breaks, and generally enjoyed the company of nature and each other. Vin was right about one thing - there hadn't been a hiker anywhere in sight today. It was early afternoon when they finally spied the lake they were to camp beside.
"Wow, we're almost there!" Vin said. "We made good time, huh?"
"Yup, we're right on schedule."
They reached the lake in a couple of hours and easily found the primitive campsite. Since this was one of the few horse camps in the area, there was even a small corral made from pipe.
"How do ya 'pose they got that up here?" Vin asked as he unsaddled Peso.
"Not sure," Chris wondered. "Helicopter, maybe?"
Once unsaddled, Peso demanded water by shoving Vin in the back, pushing him toward the narrow river that fed the lake. Chris grabbed Pony's lead line and headed out, walking next to Vin and Peso.
As the horses drank and nibbled river grass, Chris looked around.
The lake was in a bowl of low mountains that were covered with trees. Dry grass surrounded the lake, leaving open space to the tree line. They were in an upper valley, but there was another valley to the east that rose up as a narrow trench. The river flowed from there, feeding the lake. Chris briefly wondered where the river originated. Above them, the sky was clear and blue but over to the west he saw a growing cluster of roiling clouds that told him they might have a quick summer shower by dawn. He saw a pair of hawks circling, calling to each other as they hunted.
Vin was paralyzed, his mouth slightly open in awe as he surveyed their home for the night. "This is great!" he whispered. "Can we fish?"
"Sure, as soon as we set up camp. We can build a fire, but only in the fire pit. The only pit I see is a little farther from the campsite that I like, but it's the only one around. We have to very careful, Vin. It's fire season right now and this grass is very dry."
"I'll be careful."
They turned the horses loose in the corral and set up camp. Chris showed Vin how to prepare a campfire and insisted that they needed a container of water nearby if they lit it later. "If this wind keeps up, it would be better not to light it," Chris said. "We have stoves we can use to cook." Vin looked a little disappointed about the campfire, but Chris quickly changed the subject and suggested a try at fishing with the last hour of light left until dusk.
Vin settled next to Chris, sitting in the comfortable silence that marked their relationship. As he held his fishing rod, Vin watched the surface of the water for signs of his clueless prey. The hot, fractious breeze tickled uneven ripples across the surface and he saw frequent dimples from thirsty bugs as they dipped into the water.
"Whoa!" he yelled, pointing to a splash just offshore. "Did you see that? A fish jumped!"
"Hopefully, that's one less mosquito," Chris chuckled. "Hey, you got a nibble!"
Vin gripped his rod tightly. "Now what?" he breathed, bracing he feet.
"Tug once to snare it, then start reeling in our dinner," Chris said. He moved in close to Vin but allowed the boy control of the catch.
With Chris' calm instructions, Vin soon had the wiggling catch at his feet. "I did it!"
"You sure did. Now let's get that beauty in a skillet. It's nearly dark."
With Vin carrying his prize and Chris toting everything else, they headed to camp. Keeping a grip on the slippery catch took Vin's full attention. Chris soon had an area cleared to work and indicated that Vin set the fish down on a conveniently flat rock.
"I'm going to show you how to gut this fella, Vin, but you have to promise me you won't handle his knife unless I'm with you, okay? It's very sharp."
Vin agreed and paid close attention to the directions and soon had his first fish ready for dinner. As Chris prepared the frying pan, Vin set up the lantern and gathered their eating utensils.
"The mosquitoes will be out in force soon," Chris noted as he dropped the fish on the hot pan. It sizzled loudly and Vin's mouth instantly began to water. "Go get your long sleeved shirt on and some of that bug spray, and then bring our plates over here. I don't know about you, but I'm starved!"
"Me too!" Vin agreed before dashing into the tent.
"And wash your hands after you put on the bug spray!"
He was in heaven. When they first arrived at the campsite there was a twang of guilt that JD wasn't there, but Vin managed to shrug the feeling aside as they worked to set up camp. The pressure of school was long gone and he wished they could stay up here forever, just him and Chris.
While Chris finished putting dinner together, Vin took the horses to the river one at a time to drink and fed them their portion of feed pellets and grain. Along with the grass in the corral, they would be fine for the night.
By the time they sat down and ate, the wind had picked up to a steady rhythm, the heated breezes occasionally gusting hard enough to set the tent shuddering. The trees swayed around them like graceful dancers, sighing mournfully. Vin found the sound to be strangely comforting.
They ended up eating inside the tent to avoid any blowing dirt. Vin wanted to sleep outside, under the stars, but Chris pointed out the growing thunderheads to the west and explained that there would probably be a little rain before morning.
When they were finished with dinner, Vin collected the dishes and made sure that all traces of food were in the one backpack. Later, they would hang the pack in a tree to keep it from bears. The idea of bears made Vin's heart race; he hoped to see one. Not too closely, though. Chris sent him off with a flashlight to look for an appropriate branch, warning him not to lose sight of the campsite lantern. Vin wandered off, keeping track of the lantern with constant glances over his shoulder.
He was just far enough to lose Chris in the darkness when he stopped. The openness, the velvety dark and the hot wind stirred something inside and he felt a tingle of excitement in his limbs. Vin tilted his head back and gaped at the dusting of stars in the inky sky, awed by the sheer number of twinkling lights above. The two constellations he knew, the Big Dipper and Orion's Belt, were nearly lost in the stardust.
A blast of hot wind knocked him sideways and he laughed. He wished he could live like this forever, just him and Chris and the horses, away from school, tutors and the crowds of Denver. He might miss his bed, though, he admitted, and he was glad he'd managed to stuff Cat in his sleeping bag. The stuffed animal, his first gift from Chris, brought the comfort of home wherever he went.
"Vin?" he heard Chris call. "How ya doin'? Any luck?"
"Still lookin'!" Vin replied, tearing his eyes from the sky and getting back to his chore. It didn't take long to find a couple of likely branches and he turned back to report to Chris. When he got a little closer, he saw that Chris was still drying dishes, so Vin decided to look around a little more.
He circled the site, the lantern becoming the hub of his pattern, and came across the prepared campfire, set up away from the trees and in a small, sandy patch. Vin paused next to the pile of sticks, slightly disappointed they probably wouldn't get to light it because of the wind. He crouched down, the gusts making him set his feet firmly, and picked up a stick. He poked at the dry pile for a few moments, trying to imagine it aflame. His gaze dropped and he saw a box of matches.
Vin knew he wasn't supposed to touch matches but it was dark and Chris was busy, and what if Chris let him light the fire later? He didn't want to look stupid because he'd never used a match. Vin picked up the box and opened it, intending to just look at them, but a gust of wind jarred his hand and a few of the wooden sticks fell from the box. Vin quickly gathered them up and put them away, holding the last one under his flashlight beam.
He'd seen people light matches on TV and in person, but the mystery of how they worked intrigued him. Curious, he scratched the tip against a rock. Nothing happened. Frowning, he tried it again. A sudden "pop!" followed by a sharp smell and erupting spark, startled him and he dropped it. To his horror, the dry grass around the match head immediately fed the flame.
Panicked, Vin leaped up and looked around. Chris had insisted that a pot full of water be near the fire ring at all times; Vin had retrieved the water and now grabbed the pot and dumped it on the flame, drenching it. His heart pounded furiously in his chest as he glanced between the now blackened spot and Chris. A tiny puff of grey smoke was blown away from the burned area by another gust of wind and Vin, afraid that Chris would smell it, kicked dirt over the area.
He waited in fear, watching the newly kicked dirt. It looked like the fire was out so Vin hurriedly closed the matchbox and put it back. He took a step back, breathing hard, and made sure the site looked like it did before. He dropped the pot and figured he could blame it on being tipped over by the wind.
Finally satisfied that everything was all right and that Chris wouldn't notice, he returned to the campsite, forcing himself to take small, unhurried steps.
Chris would be really mad if he found out. Anxiety grew and Vin's thoughts went wild. Although he was starting to feel pretty secure at his new home, Vin's biggest fear was that Chris would change his mind and take him back to Child Services. Playing with matches was a big no-no and if Chris thought he could burn down the house, even by mistake, that was a very good reason to send him packing.
'He won't find out, he won't find out,' Vin chanted, trying to get himself to believe it. He pictured the area in his mind's eye - yeah, he'd covered it up good. Chris wouldn't find out, especially if Vin kept him away from the campfire.
"Hey, you okay?" Chris's voice jerked him from his panicked thoughts. His adopted dad was standing by the lantern, drying his hands on a towel. "What's wrong?"
"Nothin'." Vin tried to sound calm and come up with a reason for looking upset. "It's just so dark." He worked his "empty face" into place.
"Yeah, ain't it great? Did you find a branch?"
"Uh," Vin started. "Yeah, I found a couple over there." He pointed in the opposite direction of the campfire.
"Okay, then. Let's get packed up."
Grateful for the physical distraction Vin moved in and they stowed everything away. By the time they'd hung the food pack, cleaned up the campsite and secured the items against the wind, Vin had nearly forgotten about the fire mishap.
The hot wind had become steady with time. Chris put his arm around Vin's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Vin, but I don't think it's safe to have a fire tonight."
"That's okay," Vin sighed in relief. "Can we look at the stars for awhile?"
Chris grinned. "Sure," he said. "Let's spread out a blanket."
They opened Chris' sleeping bags and spread it on one side of the tent, using it as a windbreak. Vin was thankful for the long sleeved shirt over his t-shirt when he heard the high-pitched whine of mosquitoes around his ears. They flopped down and scooted close together, Vin's head finding a pillow with Chris' shoulder. Chris pointed out the Milky Way and other stars and constellations. It wasn't long before Vin felt a nudge and was told to get in the tent. Vin did so automatically and flopped on top if his bag, finding Cat and hugging him close. He remembered Chris tugging off his pants and boots just before he dropped off to sleep to the sound of whispering trees.
Chris stayed up a while longer. There was a growing feel of unease in his gut that he couldn't ignore. He slowly walked around the site, the weak moonlight his sole light source. He checked the horses and noticed they were having problems settling down, too. Chris stayed with them until he was satisfied they wouldn't do anything stupid and wandered back to the site.
Tilting his head back, he looked up and saw puffs of clouds racing across the sky. The dry, hot wind was coming from the west and, remembering the growing thunderheads, Chris realized they would probably have rain sooner than he thought. He made sure the saddles were covered and recognized the growing anxiety he felt as his natural barometer.
Thunderstorms usually rode into Denver in a heavy, well-defined front that electrified the air preceding it as it rolled over the city. Chris had always been sensitive to the atmospheric change and usually enjoyed the intense feeling. This time he felt out-of-sorts being so far from home and having the responsibility of keeping Vin safe on his mind. Now, the charged air was unnerving and unsettling. He perceived it as a threat.
Knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep, Chris faced the wind and waited for the tempest to come. The wind became heavier, thicker perhaps, and he soon heard the boom of distant thunder. Looking up, he could see the approaching front as a black mass slowly engulfing the stars, rolling with wild fury. It occasionally flared red and yellow with lightning as it advanced toward them.
The harsh wind intensified just before the front overtook them. It was then that Chris realized what was wrong - there was no smell of rain. At this point, the wind usually carried a musty smell of wet wood but this time, it only smelled of dust.
"A dry storm," Chris whispered with worry. That meant lots of lightning and very little rain. In this dry environment, that was a recipe for disaster. He quickly ran scenarios in his head and looked around, the weak moonlight making any detail impossible to see. He pulled out his cell phone and turned it on. The bit of hope he had was dashed with the "no service" message.
Chris pocketed the phone and again faced the oncoming forces of nature, hating the fact that he and Vin were at its mercy for the time being.
Buck pushed back the recliner to the maximum. The hot, slumbering body that was JD could now sprawl across his chest with a minimum of support. A sideways glance to make sure the plastic bucket was within reach helped him to relax a bit. He was sure he wouldn't sleep; JD felt like a heating pad on overdrive and the fear of having to clean up another puddle of puke kept him alert.
He reached for the remote and clicked on the TV, making sure the "mute" button was engaged. Being past midnight, Buck was sure there would be something mindlessly appropriate on at least one of the bazillion channels the satellite dish offered. As he flicked through the stations, the Weather Channel caught his eye. The perky weather gal is actually what made him pause in his button punching, but the line of thunderstorms he saw on the map behind her is what widened his eyes.
"Looks like the boys are in for a noisy night," he mumbled. A flash of worry raced across his heart. When the woman started pointing at the clouds, he un-muted the sound.
". . . wild and noisy conditions in the mountains. Not much rain has fallen from this front so we urge residents in these areas to be vigilant for fires. Now in the easternmost part of the state . . ."
Buck engaged the mute mode again and put the remote down with an uneasy feeling. He rubbed slow circles on JD's back and knew he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight.
Chris stayed outside the tent until the stars above him were swallowed by the cancerous black storm and a crack of thunder loud enough to wake the dead made him jump. The wind now was hot, dry and relentless. He heard the horses moving restlessly in their corral, smelling the oncoming storm
When he entered the tent he wasn't surprised to see Vin sitting straight up, tense and quivering. Chris immediately dropped next to him and draped an arm around his shoulders. He knew he had to remain calm.
"Chris? Are we gonna be okay?" Vin huddled close with an uncharacteristic need to be touched.
Chris encircled him with both arms. "Just a thunderstorm, Vin. The front will pass pretty quick and then things'll calm . . ."
His reassurance was interrupted by a rapid succession of ear splitting thunder. Brilliant flashes of near blinding light made Vin huddle closer. Chris rubbed his back, feeling the line of his spine under his double layer of shirts.
"It's okay, Vin. We're okay. It'll pass." Chris focused on his voice, keeping it soothing and low.
"Peso and Pony? Are they all right?" Vin's voice sounded tight.
"Yeah, they're a bit worked up, but they'll be okay. Horses have lived with this kind of weather for generations. They'll be fine."
The cacophony of light, sound and electrified air seemed to last forever but did, finally, roll over them as the front charged eastward. The wind, however, stayed. It wasn't as strong as that which pushed the storm front, but strong enough to discourage wandering outside. At Vin's request, Chris did poke his head out to check on the horses and saw them huddled in the far corner, rumps to the wind.
Once convinced the animals were fine, Chris felt Vin relax and settle down. He released Chris and crawled back into his bag.
"Wait'll I tell JD about that," he said sleepily. "Wish he coulda seen it, too."
Chris combed back Vin's hair with his fingertips knowing it helped the boy to relax. "It's gonna be hard to describe, huh?"
Vin yawned. "JD's not gonna believe there's somethin' louder 'n gunshots," he mumbled. His eyes had already slipped closed.
"Hmmm," Chris acknowledged, disturbed in knowing that both JD and Vin had experienced gunfire in the worst place possible - while homeless on the street. He could only imagine how terrifying that must have been to two small boys with no place to feel entirely safe.
Chris could tell by Vin's breathing that he was asleep. Laying back on his bag with one hand under his head and the other stroking his son's hair, Chris thought again about how lucky the four of them were to have found each other. As he thought about the strides both boys had made in the past year, he smiled in the dark and closed his eyes. Sleep came quickly.
Waking with a jerk, Chris froze for a moment as his brain caught up. 'Camping', he remembered when the tent walls finally registered. But what woke him?
Chris forced his breathing to slow and his senses to reach out. It was dark and quiet, the wind either in a lull or finished for the night. He cocked his head. Was that what woke him? Sudden silence? He tried to convince himself of that but his gut wasn't buying it.
He sat in the dark, listening, when his nose caught a faint smell that disappeared as quickly as it had come. Smoke.
He had fallen asleep on top of his bag, fully dressed except for shoes. Pulling his boots on, Chris twisted his head around for any other clues and found none. He crawled from the tent and stood, turning a slow circle as he sniffed the air.
It was eerily still and quiet. He thought the smell was coming from the west, but he couldn't be sure; it was a sporadic scent, at best. He scanned the sky above him, but the canopy of trees blocked a lot of the sky to the west. Chris walked toward the lake and the open space beyond the trees, passing the horses along the way. Pony and Peso, standing nose to nose and each with one hind leg cocked in rest, looked curiously in his direction as he went by.
"You two look comfy," Chris commented lowly, trying to ease his growing feeling of disquiet. Once in the open, he scanned the sky. Was it brighter to the west or were his eyes playing tricks on him? The smoky scent seemed less strong and more spotty out here. Unable to confirm his fear he returned to camp and went through the motions of making a pot of coffee. Chris knew he was fooling himself if he thought he'd sleep now.
The night was pleasantly temperate and still. As the coffee perked, Chris listened to the chitter of night insects and the hoot of an owl. One of the horses sneezed and the memory of Vin's unexpected shower made him smile. Finally, he poured a cup and settled down against a rock. Visions of an old-time cowboy keeping night watch over a herd crossed his mind and entertained him for awhile. From there, his thoughts drifted from work to home, from Sarah and Adam to Vin, and how he had gotten to this point in his life. The coffee was soon gone and his eyelids once again grew heavy. He dozed.
The horses woke him, the reason for their restlessness frighteningly and instantaneously clear.
It was snowing ashes from a steady breeze and the western sky glowed ominously, the trees' black and branching canopy clearly backlit in pulsing red.
Chris scrambled to his feet with a hammering heart. The horses whickered nervously as they circled their corral. Forcing himself into motion, Chris went to them, talking calmly and picking up the saddles along the way. He caught them one at a time and tied them to the inside of the corral and then quickly tacked them up. He even slipped their bridles on over the halters and tied the reins to the saddle horns in preparation for a quick escape. Falling ash nearly blinded him and the growing panic was becoming harder to control. Once done, he left them tied to the inside of the corral and ran to the tent.
In the short time it took to prep the horses, the glow in the sky had doubled in height and width. They had to hurry.
"Vin!" he called as he unzipped the tent. Ashes slipped off the material and nearly buried his hand. The first tendrils of heavy smoke were fat and thick. "VIN!" he tore open the flap to find his son already struggling to pull on his jeans. The roof of the tent glowed orange. Vin's eyes were wide and he hadn't uttered a sound, but it was clear he knew to hurry.
Chris ducked inside and yanked up the boy's jeans and then grabbed his boots. "We need to fill the canteens but we leave everything else behind, got it?" He stuffed a flashlight in his rear pocket and gathered the canteens.
Vin nodded and dropped down to pull on his boots.
"Do you have the map?"
"Saddlebag," Vin squeaked, his husky voice an octave higher.
Chris handed him two canteens. "Okay, let's go."
They pushed out of the tent to near blinding ash and smoke assaulting them on a growing wind. The horses whinnied with worry. As they moved toward the corral, Chris noticed rabbits racing across their path in an erratic panic-driven pattern. When they reached the corral, they could hear a distant roar. Chris grabbed Vin's arm, stopping him. He dropped to his knee before the terrified boy and caught his eyes with his own.
"Vin, I know this is scary, but you have to keep calm so the horses keep calm. Peso will be looking to you for support. You are a team. Can you keep calm for him?"
Vin nodded. "Yes."
"Okay, then. Let's go slow. You got your canteens?" Vin nodded again and held them up. "Good. Put them on the saddle horn before you untie Peso. You have a bandanna for your face?" Vin pulled out a corner of his blue bandanna from a rear pocket. "Good. You follow me out of the gate. I'll hold Peso so you can mount."
"Which way?" Vin asked. "Which way we goin', Chris?"
Chris turned back and really studied the horizon. Gusts of wind cleared the black smoke enough for him to see that the trail back to the truck was out of the question. He recalled seeing a trail on the map that lead up the river valley and looked that direction. The skyline was clear above the valley. If they could make it up beyond the tree line . . .
"East. Up the valley. Let's go, son."
The urge to flee rose like a beast but Chris managed to keep it at bay as he led Pony and Peso from the corral. Pony pushed anxiously against him but a calm word and firm hand kept him from bolting. Peso was right on his tail. Once outside Chris shortened Peso's lead rope and Vin climbed aboard. Vin's black shifted nervously and tossed his head against the bit. Chris kept hold on Peso's lead line as he mounted the prancing Pony.
Fighting the urge to run, Chris made both horses walk from the camp. Pony danced sideways, chomping the bit, making it hard for Chris to hold Peso's line. Peso was twitchy, jumping in place occasionally when Pony moved suddenly but Vin was doing a good job controlling him.
Chris decided to let Vin have Peso and moved in beside him. He tossed the rope over Peso's neck. "Wrap it around the horn so it doesn't fall." Vin did so. "You remember looking at the trail up the valley?"
Vin glanced at the valley then turned back to Chris and nodded.
"I know it's dark, so be careful. Can you trot ahead of me? Find the trail?"
Again Vin nodded. "I'll try," he said.
"Just remember to stay calm for Peso," he reminded, realizing at that moment that he had to shout to be heard. "Go!"
Vin reined Peso around and broke into a steady trot and Chris fell in behind, fighting to keep Pony under control. He turned to look behind them and wished he hadn't.
From the slight elevation of Pony's back he could now see the flames. Smoke whorled up like black tornadoes and it was eerily quiet save for the dull roar and crackle. As he looked, Chris saw two tall trees go up like Roman candles, instantly engulfed in hungry fire. The flames swallowed the forest as he watched, chewing its way toward them and spewing ash and smoke skyward. The wind pushed them, spraying hot ash and embers on their backs, increasing with intensity as the fire created its own wind. Living embers scampered weirdly along the ground - it took Chris a few moments to realize what he was seeing.
Rabbits, on fire, were running though the dry grass and spreading the inferno.
Unable to stomach the sight, Chris faced east, determined to keep the grizzly sight from his son, who already had too many nightmares to deal with.
It was closing in on three o'clock and Buck had already paced a pattern in the carpet as he angrily stabbed the buttons of the phone once more. The television was on but muted, a talking head superimposed on a map.
"This the Forest Service?" he snapped in the receiver. "I need to report campers in the fire area! Yes! By Lake Moreno! Don't put me on HOLD!!! Argh!!!" His pace continued and he stomped his feet. A knock at the door made him jump. He hurried to open it with the receiver pressed to his ear.
Josiah, Nathan and Raine spilled inside, silent questions in their eyes.
"It's okay to talk 'cos I'm on HOLD AGAIN!" Buck bellowed into the phone. His other hand ran through his hair. He pointed at the TV. "See that blue spot there?" The new arrivals peered at the screen. "That's the lake where Chris and Vin are camping."
"Dear Lord," Raine whispered, her hand at her throat. The blue spot was nearly surrounded by animated red flames.
"Where did they start?" Josiah asked, staring at the map.
Buck didn't try to reply verbally. He wasn't sure his closed throat would let him. Instead, he pointed at a spot in the middle of the sea of red, west of the lake.
"Lord have mercy!" Josiah rumbled. "You've notified the Forest Service?"
Buck pointed at the phone. "Tryin' to," he snarled.
"Where's JD?" Raine asked.
Buck was relieved to finally have an answer. "In his room. I gave him something to make him sleep. He's still feverish, but hasn't thrown up for about three hours now. Could you check him?"
"Of course, Buck." Raine quickly moved down the hallway.
"I'll notify Orin. Maybe he has some connections or suggestions." Nathan flipped open his cell phone.
"I'll start packing supplies in your truck," Josiah offered, turning to the kitchen.
"Yes? Hello? Yes, my friend and his son are camping at Lake Moreno. They're on horseback . . ." Buck listened for several seconds. "Yes sir. His name is Chris Larabee. His son's name is Vin. Vin's eight years old. Two horses . . . yeah, the primitive site on the south west side of the lake. Yes, they had a map. I'm an agent with ATF and can help you on site. Where's the command post?" Buck grabbed a pen and started scribbling. "Uh huh, got it. Thank you Chief. My team will be there as soon as we can. We're coming from Denver." Buck jotted down some numbers. "Got it. I'll contact you on our arrival. Thanks, Chief."
Buck turned the phone off and threw it on the couch. "We're headin' out. Where's . . ." he was interrupted when the front door swung open and Ezra stepped inside.
"It was fortunate I was screening my calls," he said.
Buck kept it short. He pointed at the television. "There's where Chris and Vin are."
Ezra paled. "Oh, dear. Any word yet?"
"Nope, and we're heading up there." He dropped on the couch and pulled on his boots. "Can you help Josiah with supplies while I gather up some things and see to JD?"
"Of course."
Nathan snapped the phone closed. "Orin said he could arrange an ATF helicopter to get us there. They were anticipating a mutual aid call from the Forest Service anyway, so they're getting ready to take off."
Raine rejoined them. "JD's sleeping, but you're right. He's still hot. Do you need me to stay?"
Buck cradled her cheeks in her hands. "You have no idea how much I love you at this moment."
"Hey," Nathan said teasingly.
"I mean, yes, Raine, and thank you. We'll be leaving in a few minutes." Buck hurried to pack.
Chris had read in the paper many times about how fires seemed to calm down near dawn. For some reason he couldn't recall, winds seemed to die at that time and slow progression. He was praying that phenomenon was true.
He followed Vin around the edge of the lake and started up the valley. True to his word, Vin was able to find the trailhead. With a waning moon, the light was poor and they were forced to go very slowly. Chris was thankful for the grassy space between them and the flames, but that wouldn't last long with the wind encouraging the spread.
The valley was rockier than their previous trail and the vegetation a little more sparse, but it would still burn in a heartbeat. Chris made sure to keep the river in sight. It wasn't that deep, but if push came to shove, they could lie down in it.
Part way up the valley they stopped to fill the canteens and rest the horses. Drifts of smoke made it hard to breathe and Pony had developed a cough. The air was unbelievably hot, the ash thick and heavy. Occasional embers, heavier pieces of burning material, would drop down from the cloud of smoke blowing over them. Chris and Vin both had tiny holes in their clothes from them and the horses had burnt spots of hair. The bandannas tied over their faces helped filter a lot of the ash.
Letting Vin take charge of the canteens, Chris looked back again. The forest below them was a blanket of undulating red, the circle of the lake a dark spot in the middle. He tried to figure the fire line and which way the beast would run, but it seemed to be going everywhere at once, spreading like a cancer. The wind direction was not in their favor and he hadn't bothered to study where the tree line went. It was too dark but Chris knew that the few trees that surrounded them now had no better chance than those below that were currently aflame. The river and distance were all they had to work with.
"Let's get movin'," he said quietly when Vin returned. They secured the canteens and pulled the map from Vin's saddlebags. Sadly, the map ended with the top of the valley. Chris had no idea what was beyond. He could only hope they would find out on their own. He smiled down at Vin. "Got it in your brain now?"
"Yeah," the boy replied. Then he turned his big blue eyes up to meet Chris'. "I'm sorry this happened," he said, wide, fearful eyes rippling with unshed tears.
Chris dropped down and held him close, his heart pierced. "Me too. Let's worry about it later, huh?" Just before releasing the embrace, Chris noticed something under Vin's t-shirt. He realized in an instant what it was and smiled. "Cat all safe?"
Vin sniffed and nodded, clutching his hand to his stomach. "You said to leave everythin' but I couldn't leave Cat." He wiped his sleeve under his nose, adding to and smearing the ashes already there.
"It's all right. I'm glad he's okay. We need to move." He fixed Vin's bandanna over his nose and mouth and then did the same with his own.
They mounted and moved on. The wind's force rose steadily with the inferno. Both horses were coughing now, along with Chris and Vin. Chris' chest hurt every time he inhaled and his head swam. He wondered how bad they would be if they didn't have the bandannas.
As they wound their way up the valley Chris tried to recall everything he'd ever heard about wild fires. He'd talked to a lot of firefighters about their experiences and also tried to remember what he'd read about those firemen that died fighting these kinds of incidents. What did they do wrong? What should they have done? What had survivors of wild fires done to survive? He was pretty disgusted that he didn't know nearly as much as he wished he did. The only thing he did recall were the many stories about firestorms - fierce gusts of flame that traveled at unbelievable speeds with frightful temperatures. They were best described by people that had seen them as fire tornadoes.
That thought made him uncomfortable. With this wind, these conditions and this heat, a firestorm incident wasn't out of the question.
"Vin!" he hollered. "We need to stay closer to the river!" Vin reined in and Chris stopped next to him, studying the water. "Where's the map?" Vin pulled it from his saddlebag again and opened it. Chris took his flashlight and studied it. "That's what I was afraid of. Look," he pointed at the map. "The trail continues to go up along this ridge but the river stays at the bottom of the valley. I think it's safer to stay by the water. We can get in it if we need to."
"But what about the horses?" Vin said worriedly. "We can't let 'em burn! There's no way out from the valley floor."
Vin was right. If he was reading the elevations on the map correctly, the valley was a box canyon. If he only knew how much time they had and what was on the other side of the valley the decision would be easier. At that moment, Ezra's words about always betting on a sure thing crossed his mind.
"We turn 'em loose here and take a stand. They'll do better without us. We need to stay by the river."
Vin looked completely terrified, the last of his bravado gone. Chris would have loved to take the time and explain better, but one look over his shoulder told him they had to move. The entrance to the valley was glowing red and the searing wind was growing to disturbing levels. They slipped off the saddles and began to strip the horses of their gear. Chris could see Vin's hands shaking as he worked soundlessly, doing what Chris asked solely on trust.
"Take off the bags and grab both saddle blankets," Chris directed. Vin did so without question as Chris pulled off the bridles and unhooked the lead ropes. He shoved Pony away. "Git!" he ordered waving his arms. Both animals hopped sideways a few steps and looked at him curiously. "Go on!" he hollered hoarsely, swinging the rope.
Then a small rock smacked Peso on the rump. "Go away! Run!" Vin added, his voice unusually rushed. Another rock to the horse's side encouraged the horses to move away.
"Come on, we don't have time. They'll move when instinct kicks in." Chris tried to ban the vision of the burning rabbits as he spoke. He grabbed the saddlebags and one blanket. "Grab the other blanket. Let's go."
Vin refocused his attention. His short, panicked gasps were hard to ignore but Chris felt the urgent need to move. A last glance at the horses before going over the valley lip revealed the animals starting to move upward at a trot. Apparently, their gut instincts were screaming at them like Chris' was at him.
Getting to the valley bottom was a painful endeavor. Riding boots didn't have much grip and they got most of the way to the river on their butts, coughing dust and ash all the way. Finally at the bottom, Chris urged Vin onward. He hoped the valley walls were bouncing sound, because the roaring noise of the fire seemed to be getting louder.
"A waterfall!" Vin rasped, the saddle blanket hooked over his shoulder. "Look!"
Chris had to stare a moment to make out a moving, glowing wall in front of him. It was water rushing down rock face, he realized. He also noticed that the reflection in the falling water was growing redder by the second.
Chris glanced back over his shoulder, the heated wind blasting his eyes dry. 'Oh shit!' he swore to himself before turning back. "Run, Vin! In the water! Quick!"
A wall of flame was closing on them at an unbelievable speed.


text:
Reader Ravi Ranjan, his wife Binita and daughter Anushka met Govinda in Switzerland.
If you encounter/meet/see film or television personalities and take a photograph or a video of the star(s), please scan the photograph(s) and mail the pictures and video clips to us. We will feature the best images and video clips right here on Rediff Movies.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Amazingly Elegant
The Ballroom, is beautifully finished with detailed wall panels and ceiling trim. The spring-loaded, polished maple floor provides one of the best dancing surfaces in the city. The grandeur of this room is in its size. The overall floor plan is more than 70 feet deep by 92 feet wide with a ceiling height of 18 feet.Lighting is enhanced by dimmable crystal chandeliers, allowing this room to serve for a variety of purposes from intimate weddings to expansive banquets. The Ballroom also has a small raised stage located front-and-center of the room. For events with 400 to 600 guests, the Ballroom serves as a beautiful venue option.
Parking for Riverside Place Events is close and convenient. You can park at the Diamond parking lot that is located at 1211 W. Main Ave. Inquire with the events manager if you would like to reserve the lot for your event.
Function Room Features
- Accommodates 400 to 600 guests
- Stunning Period features
- Crystal Chandelier
- Wifi
- Room size 70′ deep, 92′ wide, 18′ ceiling height
- Free parking
- Spring-loaded Maple Dance Floor
- Stage
"Wonderful place, very beautiful and clean, amazing staff! Would recommend highly to others!"
"Most professional event manager I have ever worked with! So personable and caring! Totally recommending this place to friends!"


text:
Paid Notice: Deaths
Published: June 6, 2010
BROWN--Himan, 99, died peacefully at his home in Manhattan on Friday June 4th 2010 at 8:13pm. He was Father to Barry Kenneth Brown of California and Hilda Joan Brown of Arizona. Grandfather to Melina Celeste Brown and Barrie Kristen Brown. Beloved great-grandfather "Papa Hymie" to William Samuel Brown, Zoe Judith Mildred Sansted, Zachary Dakota Aloysius Sansted and Zia Eva Dora Sansted, all of Connecticut, he was also father-in-law to Judith Ann Brown of Manhattan. He was the Widow of Mildred Brown and Shirley Goodman. He was preceded in death by his parents Samuel Brown and Dora Arkis Brown who were immigrants from Odessa, Russia, His brothers Mende Brown and Nathan Brown. He also leaves behind his beloved caretaker Zulfiya Ziyakhodjaev, who gave structure, meaning, and love to his final years, his great friend and doctor Cameron Hernandez of Mt Sinai Visiting Doctors, who he admired as a doctor and loved as a friend, a neighborhood full of people who loved him, and a bustling building full of devoted staff who were more than just that to him; they looked out for him, listened to him and enabled him to remain the independent guy that he was until the very end. He was a member of the community of North Stamford, CT, where he spent every weekend and most summers for his entire life, and he leaves behind a group of friends there who have been a tremendous foundation, providing a retreat to a very intense and creative mind. He also leaves a wonderful, talented, and devoted group of actors who he has worked with for years and who have remained his loyal friends and creative inspiration throughout more years than any may want to admit. He surely joins those who left this earth before him at some heavenly table-reading, throwing a cue, joking with Zero, and listening to Mercy growl out a laugh. He grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, fluent in Yiddish, and only learned English upon his entry into public school. Steeped in music and great classics, he played violin, and excelled intellectually, while attending Boy's High School with the likes of Bugsy Seigel and The Amboy Dukes. He attended Brooklyn College and Brooklyn Law School graduating as valedictorian with a law degree in 1931, but acting was his great passion, and he already was producing and performing in live theater, Catskills revues, and on the fast growing medium of radio. Legendary creator, producer, director of radio drama, beginning in 1927 with the Hi Brow Readings, he was a one man show, often seen riding a horse in Central Park or walking the country roads of his Stamford, CT retreat while editing scripts with a red pencil, he was a mysterious figure to many but a regular guy to those that knew him. Some of his notable series include The Rise of the Goldbergs, Dick Tracy, Adventures of the Thin Man, Inner Sanctum Mysteries, Grand central Station, and the Peabody Winning CBS Radio Mystery Theater. In the 1950s he bought Players Studios at 221 West 26th Street, now Chelsea Studios, to produce his shows. He was a Founding Member of the Director's Guild of America, proud AFTRA member, a philanthropist and founder of The Radio Drama Network to propagate the spoken word, and was devoted to health care causes and the issues facing people over 50. He was a proud liberal, intellectual, art collector, and legendarily frugal. A member of the Radio Hall of Fame, Brown is the recipient of the American Broadcast Pioneer and the Peabody Award. Brown has taught audio drama at Brooklyn College and the School of Visual Arts. He has lived at the same apartment on Central Park West since 1938. He was awarded a doctorate of Humane Letters by Brooklyn College in 2003. Services will be private, The family urges that in Lieu of flowers donations be sent to the Visiting Doctors of Mt Sinai, Attn: Dr Cameron Hernandez, 5 East 102nd Street, New York, NY 10029.


text:
Grooming Report
Friday, January 27 2012 @ 05:00 PM MST
Contributed by: Bear Lake State Park
Friday, January 27, 2012
There is lots of snow up in the higher elevations. Great riding conditions if you like powder.
Trail's have been groomed on:
Amazon 1/27/2012
Beaver Creek 1/70/2012
Franklin Basin 1/27/2012
Garden City Half Way
Tony Grove 1/27/2012
Sinks Trail 1/26/2012
Swan Flat 1/27/2012
Temple Half Way
Planning to Groom
Amazon 1/28, 1/30
Beaver Creek 1/28, 1/30
Franklin Basin 1/28,1/30
Garden City 1/30 Half way
Tony Grove 1/30
Sinks Trail 1/29
Swan flat 1/30
Temple 1/29
Out of State Snowmobile Permits are being sold at the following locations:
Bear Lake State Park – Marina
1035 North Bear Lake Blvd
Garden City, UT 84028
The Top 3 violations in Logan Canyon
Anyone 17 and younger must wear a helmet when operating or being a passenger on a snowmobile, ATV or motorcycle.
Off highway vehicles must be registered before transporting or operating on public roads or land. Registration stickers must be displayed (stuck on the machine) along with the month sticker. Do not carry them in your bag and think that is good enough. It's not!!! The decals will stick on the tunnel and hood very well if the machine is warm when you stick them on. Placing them on the belly pan will get ripped off when riding in deep snow.
Anyone (Utah resident or non-resident) between the age of 8 and 15 must posses Utah Safety Certificate to operate a snowmobile, ATV, or Motorcycle in Utah. To sign up for a classes at www.stateparks.utah.gov


text:
Richard Vaughan's Outstanding Rare Breed Meat
We are happy to discuss any special butchery requirements you may have and alternative butchering arrangements can nearly always be accommodated.
⇑ back to top
Will it fit in my freezer?
All our meat is clearly labelled and suitable for home freezing. The boxes we use for our beef, pork and whole lambs are 21" x 13" x 8" (internal measurements). This means that the meat from our standard boxes will fit into a single 'drawer' in most family freezers. Our small beef boxes, half lambs, quarter pigs, mince and sausages come in smaller boxes.
Where a box weight is specified, it should be read as a minimum and will usually be exceeded. We are obliged by law to price meat by the kilogram but we quote joint sizes by the pound as that seems to be the way most of our customers think! It is intended to be helpful rather than confusing. . . For anyone who doesn't have it at their fingertips, the conversion rate is 1 kg : 2.2 lbs.
Carriage is by overnight carrier and all meat is packed in insulated boxes with ice packs. Prices are inclusive of delivery. Boxes can be collected from Huntsham Farm, for which we make a reduction of £10 on the larger boxes and £5 on the small boxes.


text:
bringing drugs to the market
This content was STOLEN from BrainMass.com - View the original, and get the solution, here!
a. What are the benefits to bringing drugs to the market? What are the costs to bring a drug to the market?
b. How do we balance the financial return on drugs with patient need?
c. How does the immunization experience (parents choosing not to have their children immunized based on flawed data) and reduced production of drugs secondary to liability exposure pertain to this discussion?
Answer's need to be a paragraph each.© BrainMass Inc. brainmass.com September 22, 2018, 1:11 am ad1c9bdddf - https://brainmass.com/health-sciences/topics-in-health-and-wellness/bringing-drugs-market-494067
Solution Preview
--Please note that ANY usage of the work above in original or very similar form in an official, academic context may constitute a violation of academic integrity. Such usage is not permitted by the author. The work below is for use as reference ONLY.--
I presume we're going to attempt to answer this from a business point of view. Ultimately, cost and revenue are considered king, but it is important to remember that ethics isn't a low priority.
a1) Benefits of bringing drugs to the market
The benefits of bringing a drug to the market are basically dependent on the supply and demand of the drug. From a financial perspective, the smaller the supply and/or the larger the demand, the greater financial benefit there is of bringing a drug to the market. Aside from the immediate financial benefits discussed, depending on the drug, sometimes commercial access to a drug allows more progress to be made in research that can lead to other usages of the drug in medical treatment. A good example of this would be Aspirin. A quick search for the many usages - both currently accepted and hypothesized - of Aspirin reveals that the drug can be used for a number of medical conditions. Many of these were not the intended usage, but were found via observation in patients who used the drug for their original, official usage. This obviously garners the potential to expand the drug's customer base from one particular patient group to various patient groups, effectively increasing the value of the drug. Outside of the financial benefits, there is the benefit of progressively more effective and efficient treatment for patients ...
Solution Summary
The expert determines the benefits to bringing drugs to the market. The balance for financial returns on drugs with patient needs is determined.


text:
|Public Theology
|About Organize Theology Church Philosophy Ethics Politics Planning Society Economy Creation Peace Preach Media TheoEd Contact Home Subscribe
Get Our Newsletter
Contact Us
A Way Back to Faith: Marcus Borg Dies
One of the most important New Testament scholars of recent years has died. His book 'Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time' inspired thousands.
By Erin Wathen
Listen, I don't have a wildly inspiring story about the time I met Marcus Borg, or how one of his books saved me, precisely, from abandoning the church altogether. I did hear him speak once. From the FRONT ROW. And he was gracious, and engaging, and challenging, and yes, inspiring. But I never met him in person. The internet will be full of those stories today—testimony from those who knew him well, or met him briefly at a critical time in their life of faith, and were transformed by both his work and his way of being. I won't try to tell that story.
But here's what I can tell: Marcus Borg was the leading edge of Progressive Christianity, before we ever even had words like Progressive Christianity. Today, at the sad news of his death, many of us are mindful that he gave us the lexicon for this journey.
Some members of our fearless worship team spent some time last Sunday cleaning out that dreaded corner of the church known as "The Worship Closet." (shivers). If your church has such an area—and I promise you, it does—you know the horrors of going through years of stuff and junk and things. You are not just sifting through dust (and possible bat/mouse leavings), you are literally moving through the church's history. Seasons of change; loss and heartbreak, hope and growth, all wrapped up with old paraments, drippy purple candles, maybe some unidentified scraps of fabric. They were certainly beautiful, once. Everything in that corner was certainly useful, meaningful, lifegiving. Once.
What Marcus Borg did with his life was the systematic, sometimes tedious, but ultimately crucial work: of going through the Church's closet. But whereas my church has about 12 years' worth of stuff piled in that corner, he had to go through the detritus of a couple millennia. He shook the dust off of the Church's most deeply held beliefs, drug them out into the light of day, and was not afraid to say… Where did this come from? Who gave it to us? Is it true, and does it matter?
The space that he created through that process—we may never know the measure of it. But I hear, over and over again, people say that Borg offered a "way back" for them at a critical time in their faith journey. He offered a lot of skeptical, struggling disciples a pathway back to faith and community. He claimed a sacred space for doubt at the heart of the Christian narrative. He made room at the table for those who did not 'fit' the space the traditional Church created for them.
To be clear, he was never just throwing away. Despite what his many critics said (and will continue to say) he was not just tossing away the core beliefs of Christianity. His goal was always to broaden the story; to challenge that which was harmful, rote, and/or merely superstition, and find –beneath the junk—a deeper truth that still held life and meaning.
And critics, there were many. Some politely challenged the veracity of his faith and scholarship. Some worried that he was a danger to 'real' faith and biblical authority. And some were just downright hateful, to the point of causing disturbances at his public appearances, and condemning him to hell. I'd venture that he even received threats of violence, at one time or another.
To this latter group—the haters, the rousers, the terrorists—I don't know, I like to picture Marcus waking up in whatever kind of heaven there is this morning, and saying "Check it, bitches. I got in. Your perfect fluffy-cloud paradise is full of heretics, after all. You still coming, or what?"
Of course, he would never in life have said such a thing, so I doubt he would express such sentiment, even in death. He was far too gracious and kind. Always engaging even the most fearsome critics with patience, trusting that they—even they—were still becoming, in the image of God.
While many today are thinking of the ways Borg saved them—from leaving faith altogether– I'm thinking instead of all the ways he's helped to save the Church from itself. Cracking windows, breaking down doors, letting some air and light into the places where our attachments and anxieties were slowly suffocating us. And paving a way for the return of those long-ago exiled to the wilderness. To them we say, welcome back, friends. We're sorry it took us so long, but we're making more room.
And now the question is… Now what? Who will continue this often-tedious, but very necessary work of shaking off, airing out, and creating more space for whatever new thing God would show us, if we'd just let go of last year's Lent décor? And, Lord help us, the tarnished brass candelabra that somebody's grandma donated in aught-7… It was surely beautiful once.
I know it's not always fun, it's not always pretty… but I'm putting on my dust mask and I'm going in. Who's with me? "So, is there an afterlife, and if so, what will it be like? I don't have a clue. But I am confident that the one who has buoyed us up in life will also buoy us up through death. We die into God. What more that means, I do not know. But that is all I need to know." –Marcus Borg, 1942-2015.
This article appeared at Patheos where Borg had a blog.
Please Comment - See More Articles in this Section - Submitted By: 5520
Date Added: 1/22/2015 Date Revised: 1/22/2015 5:37:27 PM
Sponsored by the
Center for
Public Theology.
|About Organize Theology Church Philosophy Ethics Politics Planning Society Economy Creation Peace Preach Media TheoEd Contact Home Subscribe


text:
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Paeon progress update
Drove down to Heatherbrae to see Pan and Emma this afternoon and drove into a gale on the coast! Luckily the indoor arena is angled to avoid the swirling winds and the duo had the good fortune to be the very first to ride on Heath's new indoor surface, a springy compound of sand and "felt"? In fact we had to then move to the outdoor arena so the surfacing crew could "Roll' the and laser-level it again.
Outdoors the trees were taking a battering in the gale which had been blowing for about 4 hours already, but Paeon wasn't reacting to the conditions at all.
This was his first experience in this arena and it's interesting to note that, in any new circumstance he's very steady; I think he hands over his trust to his rider and getting on with the job is his 'comfort zone'! Anyway, it was impressive to find him very steady in the conditions whilst the two older, more experienced horses also working outdoors, spooked at whatever they could find to spook at!!
He's maintaining good progress; the canter work is almolst as regular as the trot, and he's responding well to the suppling exercises, moving off the leg, switching flexion from renvers to travers in trot, holding some shoulder-in in canter.
The cancellation of last Sunday's jump club has changed plans a bit: Denman event in a couple of weeks, may be too big an event for a first outing, so Jump Club at Maitland on Sunday 20th looks to be his first outing.
Hopefully the rain will stay away!!
Emma gave him another jump, at night, indoors, on Monday, and says he loves it! I'm going to try to see a jump training next week...but it will probably be about 10pm..after the dressage schooling is finished and the jumps can be set up!!!
Back home, about 50km inland, there are black clouds overhead and there's a bit of a wind just starting to get up. The first snows have fallen in the Snowys...in time for the June (Queen's Birthday) Long Weekend..so the temperature has plummeted!!
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text: 2017 Tennessee SHRM HR MidSouth Conference & Expo Events October 1-4, 2017 Bass, Berry & Sims attorneys Tim Garrett and Bob Horton will present at the 2017 Tennessee Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) HR MidSouth Conference and Expo. Topics will include: • Recent Developments under the National Labor Relations Act: Case Studies and Practical Guidance • Supreme Court Labor & Employment Update The workshop will be held at the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center in Nashville, TN October 1-4, 2017 and is hosted by the Tennessee Society for Human Resource Management. For more information and to register, visit the MT|SHRM website.


text:
Not a Customer?? Request a Demo
Not a Customer?? Request more Info
The CloudWe now offer a cloud service to all of our customers.
- Take advantage of the latest technology with little IT overhead.
- Focus more on selling and a lot less on your local IT infrastructure.
- No need to buy and maintain your own server.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Another term often used to describe Cloud computing is "Software as a Service (SaaS)".
In layman's terms it is explained with the points already mentioned above. Again, this option gives you the potential to reduce IT costs because we maintain your software on our cloud servers.


text:
Hr Managment Future Trends
Slide 1:
Business Environments and Future challenges
The roles of Human Resource management is evolving with change in a competitive market environment and needs to play a more strategic role to help the organization to succeed. With the increase in competition, both locally and globally the organization must become more adaptable to change and more customers focused to succeed. Along with change the HR management team needs to become more of a strategic partner to face the challenges of global growth and expanding the organization on a global market or become taken over by competitive businesses. Brining in new technology to help unify the business with a set of guiding principles. New technology will support, enable and will help in many areas of communication. Understanding intellectual capital and the value the employees bring to the table through their skills, tribal knowledge and expertise. Losing the intellectual capital can cause a lack of creativity and innovation. Continuous improvement is where the customer focus comes from by providing the customer exactly what they want. All companies are faced with continuous improvement if they want to progress the effort to improve the products or services. Competition let's face it no matter how much money the company has or how savvy the market is without the human capitol a business isn't a business. Organizations need to learn how to attract and retain the employees.
Due to the challenges that a human resource management team has to face, the look into new organizational trends that need to happen in order to continue the growth of the company. Organization trends are future issues that the company might face such as diversity, mentoring, and strategic planning. Many companies are now realizing the advantages of a diverse workplace. As more and more companies are going global in their market expansion either physically or virally there is a necessity to employ...
Please join StudyMode to read the full document


text:
Oh shit. Is it tax day already? Where the hell did I put my goddamn stamps? I gotta get this check in the mail so we can buy the Cretin-in-Chief another fucking boat.
And no, that's not a euphemism, dickhead. Your President and mine has so little sense of decorum that while he was telling crippled vets he couldn't afford to pitch in for their medicine, he was dropping two million federal clams on a fucking yacht. Way to rub it in our faces, asshole. I bet if we sell back some of that body armor, we can hook you up with a fish finder.
Or maybe I should be all fucking Business Republican and efficient and just drop my 1040-EZ in the collection plate next Sunday? Over two billion of our hard-earned tax dollars are getting funneled to religious groups already, so why not cut out the middleman and set Jesus up with that Lexus he's had his eye on?
Surely he deserves it – that fucker's been working harder than a Babylonian with a speech impediment. What with picking the winners at the Oscars and fixing the Super Bowl, he barely had time to pitch in when Katrina turned the Ninth Ward into the deep end at Six Flags Moisture Madness. Those bastards in the liberal media kept rerunning those boring helicopter rescues, but on the ground there were thousands of church-goers out making the survivors sit through Sunday School for a Pop-Tart and a snack-size Sunny-D.
I bet you thought that was some weird tangent, didn't you? Nope. Those Bible-pushers handing out salvation with the Juicy Juice? Can you say, "federally funded?" Excellent. Now, can you say, "Those suckers in the Super Dome probably would have been happy to trade the Good Books in their care packages for some fucking wetnaps?"
Sorry. That wasn't very charitable, was it? Well, if you want to get all technical about it:
char•i•ty (ch aritē') noun. The voluntary giving of help, typically in the form of money, to those in need.
Don't get all gooey on me, motherfucker. If the Baptists want to do good works, that's great. But that's our fucking money, and I don't remember anyone asking me if they could use it as bait for their salvation seminars. But, surely that's a fucking aberration, right? Just a slip-up on the part of the FEMA accountants?
Accountants? That's fucking hilarious. You actually think someone is keeping track of who's getting your tax dollars? Wake the fuck up. The only thing you can be sure of is that your money isn't winding up in the bank accounts of anyone who doesn't believe that God hung his son up to dry to make up for an apple prank that the Devil pulled back when the biggest question at Fashion Week was "Fig, again?"
Speaking of Satan, guess who else is getting multimillion dollar checks from Uncle Samson? Pat Fucking Robertson.
Yes, that Pat Robertson. The one who said liberals were "just like" the Nazis, and claimed God was gonna fling twisters and boulders at Disneyworld, and blamed Nineleven on the gays, and called the Methodists "the spirit of the Antichrist," and thinks he can steer hurricanes, and thinks faggots just want to "throw blood all around" churches and "spit in the face of ministers," and suggested that someone should set off an atomic bomb in the State Department.
Ok, to be fair, on that last one he did specify that it should be a "very small nuke" – not one of those big dangerous ones. Still, Pat's sporting some balls of biblical proportions to be submitting grant applications to the same government he's threatened with thermonuclear devices, no matter how itsy bitsy.
It's not like he needs the cash, either. Mr. Robertson's worth in the neighborhood of two hundred million dollars. His mountaintop home? Has a fucking airstrip. Which comes in handy since his "Operation Blessing" has regular flights to Africa to feed the po... just kidding. Yeah, he shipped a couple of crates of (government donated) powdered milk over to those poor souls that his pal Sese Seko was slaughtering in Zaire. But what was filling the cargo hold on most of the flights? Drills for his diamond mines.
Uh huh. Diamond mines. That he got by cuddling up to a crazy African dictator with a leopard-skin hat. While he was cheating senior citizens out of their social security checks. And suggesting that forced abortion might not be so bad if you're Chinese. And canceling the fucking Ice Capades.
This fucker's a Bond villain, but without the warmth and realism. And you're about to dash out to the post office to make sure he get his share of your tithe – sorry – taxes in time to make his next payment on his Super Death Ray of Death. And yes, as if you didn't see this coming, Robertson's "charity" that'll be getting a cut is the same "Operation Blessing" that Pat used for his mining equipment delivery service.
Oh, and what's the best part of Pat's little deal with the Sultan of Smirk? When Bush unveiled his Faith Biased Initiatives, Robertson told his loyal 700 club audience that money from the feds was "like a narcotic" and that charities would get hooked on them. Months later, Pat was rolling up his sleeve and praying for an uncollapsed vein.
And since we're handing the clergy the keys to the vault, maybe we should put them in charge of the lock-up, too? W is way the fuck ahead of you there. Back when he was making a mess of Texas, W pioneered handing prisons over to the faithful and paying them to convert the sinners into saints. Which almost sounds like a good idea, until you find out that prisoners who went through those sacred slammers were actually more likely to wind up back in the Holy Pokey than the ones in the old-fashioned godless jails. The Lord works in mysterious ways – super fucking mysterious in this case.
Let's see, what other genius plans can we come up with once we've poured our money into the pews? Maybe we could find a really marginalized group and give them a little boost? Let's go with. . . married people. Those fuckers are in serious trouble – we'd better get out the big moneybags for this. How about five fucking hundred million dollars? You read that right – while Bush is mortgaging our great, great, great, great grandchildren's future, he's throwing a five with eight zeros after it at programs that enhance "marriage skills."
This is still a Republican administration, right? Run by a guy who said that government should only take care of our "basic priorities"? Food, water, defense, and relationship advice? I'm pretty sure we can do without government intrusion in that last one. And even if our National Marriage Skills Reserves are reaching crisis levels, for five hundred million bucks we could hire Doctors Phil and Ruth full-time and still have plenty left over to get a Randy the Rabbit Brand Quiver Carrot for every lady in the land.
And here's a bright idea – who do you think could do with a little less funding this year? According to Bush, it's the National fucking Guard. That's right, Commander Cowardice is happy to buy flowers for our freeways, but the boys and girls who're getting their asses shot off far from home had better tighten up their belts and stop wearing through those Humvees so quickly. After all, we're back here at home sacrificing absolutely nothing. It's really the least they can do. We can argue all day about what it means to support the troops, but I'm pretty sure we can agree that not bouncing their paychecks is a good place to start.
And speaking of Katrina (it's called stream of consciousness, asshole, grab a paddle), it turns out Bush is gearing up to bumble the next Storm of the Century already. Next time, though, he really won't get any warning before the levees start to leak. Remember when Bush tried to channel JFK and start another space race? Turns out the pit crew doesn't get any new cash to build the next red planet rover. And since the toll for a trip to Mars is approaching the ticket price for a nosebleed seat at a Stones concert, NASA's cancelling all those extra gizmos they've got in the works and slimming down for the trip to the red planet. Gadgets like . . .the weather satellites. And without weather satellites, we won't see that next big storm until it's swallowed Savannah.
And this fuck-up is a twofer: no weather satellites, no global warming. Who needs headlights when you're blindfolded?
And now our Dear Leader's got a fancy new rating system that tells us just which programs are effective and which aren't. But, just like that fucking rainbow that Homeland Security cooked up so that we could match our panties with our panic, the Program Assessment Rating Tool is about as helpful as a dousing rod on submarine. It's bad enough that more than two thirds of the programs he already cut never got their report cards, but even when the White House does manage to give out grades, getting straight A's is just as likely to get you detention as a scholarship.
So, the program Bush set up to boost efficiency in budgeting is creating reports that nobody reads. What do you want to bet that every iPod in that office has an Alanis Morissette playlist?
It's no wonder the White House sets up these dog and pony shows – they have to distract us from all the money they're siphoning off for Republican pet projects. What was that? The Democrats were corrupt when they had control of Congress? Good point. When the donkeys held the reins, they did take home more bacon to their districts than the Republicans got. But now that the elephants are running this three branch circus, the difference between the red zones and the blue is more than fifteen times higher than it was under the Democrats.
Yes, you read that right, you small-government simpletons. Back when the Democrats were in charge, their districts got an average of $35 million more than the Republicans. After five years of GOP shenanigans, the scales had tipped toward the Republicans to the tune of $615 million more per district. But when we point that out, you fucking pachyderms call foul and run crying to your mommies. Grow the fuck up, assholes. This is the big leagues, and if you're gonna keep using the "I'm rubber, you're glue" defense, we're gonna have to give you a nice, long time out starting right around the the first Tuesday in November.
And while we're on distractions from the real problems at hand, if you haven't been out marching to keep Juan Carlos from being pinched for picking your potatoes, you might want to think about getting your ass out on the street, or you can kiss your social security check adios, amigo. Not only is your friendly neighborhood Mexican picking your crops and washing your dishes, she's also paying for your fucking Winnebago. If we ever did decide to send those eleven million people back over the border, we'd lose out on the seven billion dollars they pump into Social Security every year. And unlike the rest of us, they won't be getting a penny back when they hit their golden years. Seems kind of rude to send them all packing after they've set us up in dentures and diapers.
Sorry – what the hell was I talking about? Oh yeah, taxes. And more specifically, the Bush tax hikes. Didn't hear about those on Lou Dobbs Tonight, did you? Leaving aside the fact that almost ninety percent of us got less than a hundred bucks off our taxes last year, take a gander at that second envelope you're about to drop in the mail. See, that fucker is forcing the states to pay for all his little pet programs and hoping you won't notice that while your federal taxes are little slimmer, your state taxes are putting on the pounds. That, and he figures that if he calls it a "fee" instead of a "tax," you won't mind paying it as much. There's a sucker born every minute, and even more frequently if South Dakota gets its way.
So, before I drop this check in the mail, let's get one thing crystal fucking clear, Georgie Boy: when we get a turn at steering the ship of state (not if, motherfucker: when – remember how we elected a peanut farmer after Nixon played limbo with his approval ratings?), What Goes Around, Comes Around is going to be the new Presidential Motto. When the Gulf of Mexico starts closing in on your little retirement ranch in Crawford, don't expect us to send the Presidential Schooner to pick you and Laura out of the waves until you've finished the Unrated DVD of Brokeback Mountain. I'd get on my knees and start praying now, motherfucker. Payback's a bitch.


text:
Kids grow up so quickly, often outgrowing clothing and toys before they can even wear them. If you're looking for an opportunity to sell as well as purchase high quality items, consider the "Whale of a Sale", baby and kids consignment sale sponsored by the Avon Junior Women's Club.
The seasonal sale, now in its sixth year, has become a signature event for the Club. It benefits local charities such as Charities of Hope and Gifts of Love, through both monetary and in-kind donations. This year's spring/summer sale is scheduled for Friday, May 30 from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, May 31 from 9 to 2 p.m. at the Avon Senior Center, 635 West Avon Road.


text:
Indian philosophy -- Northwest Coast of North America
Presented by the National Museum of the American Indian, this Web exhibit focuses on ceremonial and everyday objects created and used by 11 Native communities that have lived in the Pacific Northwest: Coast Salish, Gitxsan, Haida, Heiltsuk, Kwakwaka'wakw, Makah, Nisga'a, Nuu-chah-nulth, Nuxalk, Tlingit, and Tsimshian. The Credits section of the site provides complete information about how...
Log In:
© 1994-2017 Internet Scout Research Group. Reproduction Information


text:
Aldenderfer Joins Trans-Tec Services As Managing Director
Trans-Tec Services Pte. Ltd. of Singapore recently announced that William D. Aldenderfer joined the company as managing director. He will replace Kevin Bryant. Mr.
Aldenderfer comes to TTS from PRI, Hawaii, and before that, Thome Ship Management, Singapore. Earlier Mr. Aldenderfer had a successful career as an officer in the U.S. Navy and has over 20 years' experience in the fuel oil and shipping industries.
Soon after Mr. Aldenderfer's arrival in Singapore Mr. Bryant transferred to London as director of Trans- Tec Services (UK) Ltd. Mr. Bryant worked in Trans-Tec's London office in 1987 before going to Singapore. He has over 10 years' experience in the bunker business, including experience in Trans-Tec's New York and San Francisco offices.
During the spring, Richard Clark will transfer from London to the San Francisco office where he will be a senior broker. Mr. Clark has had over 10 years' experience in various marine fuel markets, most of which he spent as a bunker broker.
These moves represent, for Trans- Tec and its clients, a significant additional commitment to service excellence and market performance.


text:
Welcome! We're delighted you are visiting our site!
Are you looking for an experienced advisor for your finances who will listen to you and be proactive in your investment strategy? A professional, long term relationship with a skilled advisor who not only knows investments well, but takes the time to understand you and your family? A relationship that doesn't just start off promising, but follows through with commitment?


text:
We've had a lot of great feedback on our Android version of the Fish Maine app but have also received many requests for the iPhone version. We heard your requests and have been working hard to make it available. Well, today is the day! The iPhone version is now ready!
If you are happy with the app, please consider sharing it with your friends and family on social media. We appreciate all your support.
Compatibility: Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, and iPad.


text:
Submitted October 14, 2014 by Luke Stime
Last weekend's Mushrooms of the West Coast course was a success despite the stormy weather! The mushroom festivities started off on Thursday night with the public event Featuring Fungi, which included a presentation by Andy MacKinnon, a screening of the documentary Know your Mushrooms and mushroom-based snacks from Picnic Charcuterie.
Apparently Tofino loves mushrooms, because the Ecolodge classroom was packed on Thursday night!
On Friday evening, instructors Andy MacKinnon and Shannon Berch introduced the 20+ participants to the ecological roles of fungi, the main groups of fungi, and the basics of fungi identification. The evening ended with a pop quiz, in which we each had to inspect a mushroom sample and decide which major group it fit into.
After Saturday's breakfast at the Ecolodge, we convoyed to our first collection spot. The plan was to only collect 5 samples each, but that was a difficult task.
We found a huge diversity of mushrooms during fungi collection & field-identification sessions.
Collecting baskets were full of a diversity of unidentified fungi by the time we reconvened, ate our RedCan Gourmet sandwiches, and headed back to the classroom to inspect our samples. Samples were wrapped individually and taken back to the classroom lab.
Here are our two youngest participants discussing fungi with Shannon Berch.
Shannon Berch intruducing participants to fungi Identification keys and techniques.
A table-full of Bird's Nest fungi awaits inspection.
Cordyceps fungi parisitising a Deer Truffle.
Jellied Bird's Nest fungus under microscope. The eggs (peridioles) are spore capsules that splash out with rain.
Shannon Berch helps a group of participants with identification.
Chef Ian Riddick from the Great Room at Long Beach Lodge wowed everyone with his wild mushroom cooking instruction! The best part was getting to eat it all afterwards...
By Sunday afternoon, participants had the ID skills to bring a diversity of edibles home for Thanksgiving dinner, including: Golden Chanterelles, Winter Chanterelles, Hedgehogs, Puffballs, Angel Wings, Pines, Slippery Jacks, and Porcini.
We at the Raincoast Education Society are excited to continue offering more field-based courses that provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the rich natural landscape of Clayoquot Sound and help create positive and sustqainable relationships with the ecosystems we exist within. Thanks to instructors Andy MacKinnon and Shannon Berch for their amazing and charismatic instruction, and thank you to all the participants who came from near and far to learn more about the natural world!


text:
Live to Tell 118
Vulpa: My devotion to Spinel is still too strong, although he isn't alive, and I would feel wrong if I have a relationship now with you or another person. Mainly because I'm very afraid... remember Josh, me, my sister and Wolufu are on a mission to defeat Omega. I suffered very much when I lost Spinel, and if something happened to you as well from having some relationship with me, I would never forgive myself. I don't want to suffer again, can you understand?
Josh: Oh I understand now! Yes, Spinel was my best friend and a great guy. You have a big heart Vulpa; I understand why Spinel fell in love with you. Aw well, anyway we can be good friends... don't you think so? He he heh...
Vulpa: Josh!
Josh: *sigh* Huh?! V-Vulpa!?
Vulpa: Josh do you really like me?
Josh: Y-yes Vulpa! You are the most wonderful girl I ever met! You and your sister gave me a new reason to keep going, how could I not like you... I... I love you.
Vulpa: Then we can do this. When all these battles end and if I survive in the fight against Omega, I will come back here with you. Until then please wait for me...
Mariano can be contacted at FurAffinity.
Site created by Tobias Amaranth. To donate to keep the website running, please send an email to email@example.com.


text:
NDMC Recruitment 2018- North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has been announced job notification to invites an online application for the posts of 77 Senior Resident & Junior Resident for (SC, ST & OBC) candidates only on contract basis. It is an awesome chance for Delhi resident Applicants to apply for NDMC Job 2018. Interested and qualified Candidates may attend Walk-in Interview for NDMC Vacancy 2018 Recruitment on 08 January 2018. Candidates can find Recruitment details of NDMC Jobs like as Qualification, Age Limit, Number of vacancy, how to apply, Selection Procedure & other rules are given below.
About NDMC: NDMC is abbreviation form of North Delhi Municipal Council. It is the municipal council of the city of New Delhi, India. It is governed by a council head by a chairperson, who is generally a career civil servant and holds the position of Joint Secretary to Government of India selected by Government of India. The Municipal council also consists of the Chief Minister of Delhi as an Ex officious member. The Union Territory of Delhi (UTD) is separated into 3 statutory municipal regions: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), North Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB).
NDMC Recruitment 2018 & Job Details @ mcdonline.gov.in:
- Name of Offered Post: Senior Resident & Junior Resident.
- Name of Department: North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC).
- Total Number of Vacancy : 77 Posts.
- Mode of Apply : Walk-in Interview.
- Official Website: https://www.ndmc.gov.in/ OR www.mcdonline.gov.in
Post Wise NDMC Vacancy 2018 Details :
|Post Name
|No. of Vacancy
|Pay Scale
|Senior Resident
|45 Posts
|Rs.18750/- + GP Rs.6600/-
|Junior Resident
|32 Posts
|Rs.15600/- + GP Rs.5400/-
Eligibility Criteria for Latest NDMC Recruitment 2018:
Educational Qualification for NDMC Jobs :
For Senior Resident Jobs : Applicant should have Master Degree (Post Graduation)/Diploma from a recognized University or its equivalent as per MCI.
For Junior Resident Jobs : Applicant must have Bachelor Degree (Graduation) from a recognized University with registered Delhi Municipal Council.
Age Limit for NDMC Jobs: Candidate not acceding 40 years. Age relaxation will be as per GNCTD. SC,ST & OBC As Per NDMC Rule.
Job Location : Delhi.
Selection Process of NDMC Recruitment : Selection of the Applicants will be based on face to face Interview.
Application Fee : Candidates have to pay Rs.1000/- (One Thousand Only) for category of General/OBC & Rs.500/- for category SC/ST candidates through Demand Draft (DD) in favour of "Commissioner, North Delhi Municipal Corporation", Payable at Delhi.
How to Apply for NDMC Vacancy 2018:
Interested and eligible candidates may appear for face to face Interview along with Prescribed application form, original certificates and attested copies of academic certificates & document. Candidate appearing for interview should bring passport size photograph at the time of Interview will be held on 08 Jan 2018.
Venue of Walk-in Interview : G Block, 5th Floor, Hindu Rao Hospital, Malka Ganj Delhi-110007.
Important Dates of NDMC Recruitment 2018:
- Date of Walk-in Interview : 8th January 2018.
Important Links for NDMC Jobs 2018 :
|Detailed Advertisement & Application Form Link
|Click Here
|Official Website Link
|Click Here
Conclusion : For more information of NDMC Recruitment 2018 Please visit official website of North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). Stay tuned with DivyaJobs.in and get further notification related to NDMC vacancy 2018. We are also provide Upcoming Government Jobs notification and Latest Govt jobs Updates across the country.
Recommended Govt. Jobs For You :-


text:
One thing we should always remember is that the the earth is spinning around while the stars stay relatively constant in the sky.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Ice skating accident
David passed this one on to me. Thanks Dave!
Freeze frame
Over 200 people freeze in place on cue in Grand Central Station in New York. Where could you do this with your youth group?
Cristiano Ronaldo v Bugatti Veyron – Nike Ad
Love him or hate him, there's no doubt that United's winger, Cristiano Ronaldo, is incredibly quick. Here in another of Nike's adverts, you know the 'we doubt that really happened' ones where he takes on the world's fastest road car, the Bugatti Veyron, and somehow manages to pip it at the post.
Bono on the challenge for 2008
Bono was asked "What one thing do you think that countries, companies or individuals must do to make the world a better place in 2008?" This is his answer, which is great.
Following a day thinking about Hope 2008 it certainly encouraged me to think and see how as churches we must keep our promises, we must stay true to what we say. A big challenge for '08 but a great challenge.
Golf funnies
Great video that Girl Talk linked to with loads of hilarious moments from the world of golf.
Dog vs. Balloons
This dog destroys 74 balloons in a mere 57 seconds! Random.