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Summary: Ari and Dale suffer through the search for a new place to live following the events of "Dogs of War".
Author's Note: This is actually the second story in the third volume of Underdogs. The first, "Full Moon Rising," is available in Witty Bard Publishing's collection "Of Hexes and Hauntings," available at Amazon!
After eight months of searching, Ari was close to throwing in the towel on the entire endeavor of finding a place to live. She was settled in at Dale's apartment, and the longer it took the more the quest seemed pointless. They had looked at reasonably priced homes in bad neighborhoods, and idiotically priced apartments in otherwise beautiful locations. More than once Ari's mother had offered to help them with a down payment, but Ari hadn't depended on that woman since she was a teenager. Even though they were on nicer terms of late she wasn't about to start falling back on her help now.
The listing they were currently inspecting was a six-hundred square foot basement apartment in Green Lake. A little out of her preferred area, a lot out of her preferred price range, and definitely Spartan. Ari walked past the double doors that led to three concrete steps that led to the backyard and peered out the window. The tall trees at the edge of the property would block the setting sun so they wouldn't be blinded. At least that was good. The floor was bare concrete, but the landlady who let them in said it could be covered by carpeting at no extra charge.
She stuck her hands in her pockets and turned to look around the room again. Dale was standing by the interior stairs with a hopeful expression.
"Well? What do you think?"
Ari said, "Well. I mean, it's not bad. A little pricy for what we're getting, don't you think?"
"I know it's a little bare, but I thought that equaled freedom. We can decide the size of our own rooms. Cozy living room, spacious bedroom… nook dining room." She gestured at different parts of the basement. There was a kitchen, with all the necessities, but everything else was all-purpose. "It all depends on where we put the partitions. If you want the sun waking you up every morning, that can be the bedroom over there. Do you really not like it?"
"It's fine. I'm wondering why you like it. It's way on the outskirts, it's expensive, it's…" She didn't want to say ugly. "It's unusual. That's all."
Dale smiled and held her hands out like a game show model. "It's a den."
"A… den."
"You know." She moved toward the center of the room. "Stone, partially underground, and a quick access to the woods. You could transform here and then just run out into the trees without worrying someone might see you."
Ari nodded slowly. "I can see that. Yeah, that's… good."
Dale's expression shifted to disappointment. "You hate it."
"No." Ari chuckled and scratched her temple. "No, I don't hate it. What do you like about it?"
"What I said. The access–"
Ari interrupted her with a swipe of her hand. "You, Dale. What do you like about it? It's a great place for a wolf to live, I guess, and the access is amazingly convenient. That's why I would want to live here. But you? You really want to live in a concrete hole in the ground in Green Lake?"
"What's wrong with that?"
Ari shook her head. "Nothing is wrong with it, Dale. I think we should keep looking."
"This place would be perfect for us."
"It would be perfect for me," Ari said. "Are you trying to get rid of me? Are you rethinking the whole cohabitation thing? Because if you are, sure, I'll consider this place."
Dale frowned. "I want to live with you."
"Then we're not living here."
They went upstairs and Ari told the landlady they were passing on the apartment. Dale kept moving and got into the car, angrily waiting until Ari got in before she started the engine. They were nearly to the Ballard Bridge before Dale broke the silence.
"What was wrong with it?"
"Nothing was wrong with it," Ari sighed. "It was a fine apartment. Too far, too expensive, too…"
"You said it would be great for you. I looked a long time for a place that would be perfect for you, and I found it, and you treated it like garbage."
Ari said, "It was perfect for me, but not for us. The whole reason I'm not just moving into your apartment permanently is because you wanted an 'us' apartment. That's what I want, too. The apartment back there, the den, that's a wolf's apartment. I didn't see one thing that might have attracted you to it. That was the problem with it, Dale. It was all me. No you."
They drove across the bridge before Dale answered.
"I don't mind that."
"I do."
Dale slapped her fingers against the wheel in frustration. "Why? Why can't I make a tiny sacrifice for you?"
Ari looked at her. "A tiny sacrifice? Dale, you work for me and you live with me. In the middle of the night when you should be sleeping, I'm dragging you out of bed to drive all over Seattle just to give me a ride home. The idea of you coming home to a den just because you're dating a canidae, on top of everything else, it just seems wrong to me."
"I do all that stuff because I love you, Ari. Well. Except the work stuff. I do that for the paycheck." Ari chuckled, and the tension between them dissipated a fraction. "I really did like that apartment. It was cozy. It was cute."
"Would you have even put it in your top five if I wasn't canidae?"
Dale pursed her lips. "The fact is that you are…"
"Right. So the answer is no. If you were still dating Natalie, that apartment wouldn't even have been on your radar." She reached over and rubbed Dale's knee. "I really and truly appreciate what you were trying to do. And to be honest, all the things you do for me? I'm used to taking care of myself so I'm not used to having someone take care of me. That's probably why I've let you do it without saying anything. But this is our home. I can't let you sacrifice your home for me. There are plenty of places out there that will be perfect for both of us. We'll keep looking until we've found it."
Dale nodded. "Okay." They were at a stoplight so she reached down and patted Ari's hand. "Sorry I got so annoyed."
"You worked hard to find that place. I understand. I could have been more open with my feelings instead of just refusing outright." She moved her hand to the inside of Dale's thigh, biting her lip as she eased her hand under the hem of Dale's skirt. Dale shifted in her seat. Ari softened her voice. "Remember a few years back when I was in heat?"
"Yeah…" Dale sucked in a breath through her teeth. "I guess I can confess this now. I kind of went back to that memory a few times."
Ari smiled and checked to make sure Dale wasn't veering out of her lane. She moved her hand higher and pressed two fingers against the crotch of Dale's underwear. "Yeah?"
Dale was breathing harder now. "Yeah… now and then. It was, uh, it was hard to forget." She swallowed and cleared her throat. She flexed her fingers around the steering wheel as Ari stroked, twisted sideways in the seat. "Sometimes when I was in the shower, o-or trying to get to sleep. I would, uh, I would picture it…"
"Would you touch yourself?"
Dale smiled. "Usually."
"Why, Miss Frye." Ari curled her finger and pressed her knuckle against the cotton. "I had no idea you were objectifying me."
"Ung." Dale hunched her shoulders and pressed down against the seat. "You're a terrible person, puppy. Don't stop…"
Ari grinned as Dale took a turn, obviously forcing herself to pay attention to the road. "I wish we had a longer trip home."
"I could… circle the block a few times…"
"No. Take me home." She kissed Dale's shoulder and pushed Dale's panties out of the way. Dale groaned and her arms went rigid. "Careful. If you crash, it'll be a heck of a police report."
Dale said, "Maybe we could have your sexy salt-and-pepper detective cover it up."
"Mm." She squirmed. "Maybe. Not really. Don't stop."
Ari kept up her cruel torture until they pulled into the parking garage. Dale parked, shut off the car, and threw herself at Ari. They kissed as Ari freed her hand, moving it to Dale's hip as she settled back against the seat. Dale straddled her, knees pressing tight against the seat as she pushed Ari's shirt up and raked her fingernails over Ari's ribs. Ari unfastened her seatbelt and twisted to look out the back window.
"What if someone comes…?"
"Someone's gonna come."
Ari laughed as Dale's caress tickled her. "No, wait, Dale… I mean…"
"I know what you meant." She kissed the corners of Ari's mouth. "What are they gonna do, evict us? Come on. Finish what you started, puppy."
Ari kissed her firmly and pushed Dale's skirt out of her way. Dale lifted herself up, head bumping the roof of the car as she hunched forward over Ari's right shoulder. She cupped Ari's breasts through her bra, and Ari dragged two fingers over Dale's sex before slipping her long middle finger inside. Ari nuzzled Dale's neck and growled at the scent of her, lifting up off the seat against the heel of her hand. Dale pressed down and pinned Ari's hand between them.
"You want to do something for me for a change?" Dale whispered against the side of Ari's head. She pulled one hand out from under Ari's shirt and cupped the back of her head, then leaned back so they could look into each other's eyes. "Make me come, puppy."
Ari narrowed her eyes and smiled, thrusting her hips harder as Dale leaned back against the dashboard and closed her eyes. Ari leaned forward and kissed Dale's breasts through her shirt, licking where she knew the nipples would be hardening under her bra, then moving up to her neck and breathing deeply again. She loved the smell of Dale in passion, and she brushed her tongue over the sweat she found in the hollow of her throat.
Dale came quickly, her hand curling in Ari's hair as the tendons in her throat stood out trying to stifle the grunt that came out anyway. She sat up and Ari kissed her, wrapping her arms around Dale's waist as Dale settled more comfortably on her lap. When she was recovered enough to sit up, she smiled down at Ari and brushed her hair over the top of her head so that strands of it stood up like a rooster's crown. She chuckled and looked out the windows to make sure they were still alone. When she confirmed they hadn't been caught, she bent down and kissed Ari, capturing her bottom lip before letting it go.
"I want to go upstairs, get a drink of water to rehydrate, and then I'm going to town on you."
"I'm cool with that."
"You'd better be." She pinched Ari's nose and lifted herself up. There was a moment of awkward twisting where Dale nearly fell while shifting back to the driver's seat, and Ari watched as she lifted her skirt to rearrange her panties before she adjusted her hair in the rearview mirror. She checked to make sure Ari was ready and they got out of the car. Dale linked her arm with Ari's as they walked to the elevator.
"I really didn't mind, you know," Dale said after Ari pushed the call button. "The wolf's den. I really wouldn't have minded living there."
"I know." Ari kissed Dale's forehead. "I love you for it. But I think we can find a place that's perfect for both of us. Somewhere we can both feel at home."
Dale nodded and rested her head on Ari's shoulder as they stepped into the elevator. Ari pressed the button for their floor and, as the doors closed, began to smile.
"So… what exactly does 'go to town' entail?"
Dale grinned and lifted her head to whisper a few suggestions into Ari's ear.
Afterward, sweaty and lying on top of the blankets, Dale brushed her lips and the tip of her nose over the downy hair of Ari's abdomen. Her stomach rose up at the bottom which combined with the bottom of her ribs and the wings of her hips to form a valley that vanished with each intake of breath. The skin around her navel was populated by tiny white hairs which Dale teased before resting her cheek on the warm expanse.
"What happens to all your hair when you go wolf?"
Ari ran her fingers through Dale's hair. "Depends on what you mean."
"Your hair. The wolf has hair all over her, and you just have hair on your head, and here." She brushed her fingertips over Ari's mound, which was still wet from their make-up sex. "But if you get a haircut, it doesn't affect the wolf's hair length. Your hair goes away…"
"Well, my skin goes away," Ari said. "It becomes a pelt, and the wolf's hair comes from that. When I come back, my hair comes from my pores."
"Mm." Dale slipped a finger between Ari's legs. Ari sucked in a breath and subtly moved her legs apart to tacitly indicate her approval. Dale idly fingered her to a second orgasm, turning her head to feel the tremors through Ari's stomach with her lips. "You're amazing, puppy."
Ari chuckled. "You're pretty magical yourself."
Dale sat up and put her arms around Ari, who turned to face her. They tangled their legs together and kissed. Ari pulled back and kissed Dale's eyebrows.
"What do we have on the docket tomorrow?"
Dale had to think for a moment. "The Pollard thing. The, uh, judgment collection."
"Oh, right. Okay. I can do that on my own. Why don't you take the day off?"
"You know. Get me out of your hair for a few hours. You can go for a long walk, have lunch at that diner I hate, go to the library… I don't know. Whatever you want to do as long as it doesn't have anything to do with the agency."
Dale said, "Are you mad at me?"
Ari smiled. "Far from it. I love that you're willing to spend all your time with me. I love having you around all the time. But that apartment was a wake-up call. You need to take some time away. A day, an afternoon, evening. You've let me overtake your whole life and I want to be sure it's not an invasion. You fought in a war for me, Dale. You've been shot at, beaten up, terrorized, all because one afternoon you saved me from a bunch of punks. You deserve a day off."
"I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too. But you know what they say."
Dale chuckled. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder?"
"No…" Ari rolled over and pinned Dale to the mattress. "Spending time away from each other makes the reunion sex explosive."
"Oh, that saying…"
In June of 2012, hardware store manager Scott Pollard backed his SUV into his neighbor's Buick. The neighbor, a home-health nurse named Sarah Levi took Pollard to court, where he claimed Sarah had parked illegally on his property and therefore he wasn't liable for the damages. The judge disagreed and ordered Pollard to pay for the cost of repairs. Unfortunately he had backed into the front of the car at such a speed the engine would have needed replacing, so Sarah Levi had to buy a new car. She also had to rent a car in order to keep her job, and the judge added that to the price Pollard had to pay. Before he could be forced to provide the settlement, Scott Pollard packed up and moved away. After several letters from Sarah's attorney went unanswered, Sarah called Bitches Investigations to see if there were other routes she could take to get the money she was owed.
Dale had done a fair amount of internet snooping and tracked Pollard down to his new address. He had moved to a condo near enough to Yesler Terrace to be cheap, but not so close he had to worry about graffiti on the side of his new building. Dale also checked his financials and saw that despite his new accommodations he had enough income to pay what he owed. Ari circled the building to make sure his car was there, parked near him.
The morning was overcast with a few sprinkles now and then trying to turn into a downpour that never fully formed. She flipped up her hood just in case as she got out of the car and headed across the street. She was almost to the covered walk between condos when she saw Pollard coming out. He glanced up at her approach but then moved to one side as if to avoid her. Ari held up her hands and began walking backward in front of him.
"Mr. Pollard? I'm Ariadne Willow. I'm a private investigator hired by Sarah Levi to–"
"Christ, not this again…"
She smiled. "The issue will go away if you simply pay what you owe." He tried to step around her again. "If you don't pay willingly, there are certain measures that can be taken."
He glared at her. "Are you threatening me, Miss Williams?"
"It's Willow. And no, I'm simply telling you that there are things that can be done to get the money Miss Levi is owed. Garnishing your wages, repossessing your car, freezing your bank accounts. It'll be a hell of a hassle for everyone involved, and Sarah Levi has already been suffering for two years. We can put an end to all of this today."
He shook his head. "You people just won't give up."
"She deserves compensation."
"She parked on my property! If she had been parked legally, I never would have hit her. And now because she was trespassing, I'm supposed to buy her a new car?"
Ari shrugged. "We're not arguing that. The judge made his decision and, right or wrong, it's been decided. Just pay what you owe."
"I'm not paying a dime to anyone."
Ari took out her phone. "Sorry to hear that, Mr. Pollard." She hit send on a text message and put the phone back into her pocket. "If you could just wait here…"
Pollard moved to step around her again. "I actually have to get to work."
"Yeah. I'm afraid you're going to be late."
A tow truck came around the corner, beckoned by Ari's text, and pulled up in front of Pollard's car. He cursed under his breath and tried to lunge past Ari, but she slipped her arm under his and pinned it up against his back. She spun him around, his hand painfully vertical between his shoulder blades, and grabbed his other wrist so he couldn't lash out with it. "Take it easy, bud. I gave you a chance, okay? Just let them do their job."
"You bitch."
"Yeah, yeah. Could've just paid the lady what you owed her, but you had to make a big deal about it. Pack up and move just to avoid paying what you owe? That's low, friend. So just stand here a minute and let it play out. You're the one who made this happen."
He struggled to get away from her, but not hard enough to actually break free. Ari glanced toward the building. No gawking faces had appeared at the windows, but she knew it was only a matter of time. "I'm willing to let you go so it's a little less of a spectacle to your neighbors. But you have to promise me you won't lash out at me."
He grumbled, "Fine," so Ari carefully released him and took a step back. The tow truck driver was hooking up Pollard's car. "This is unbelievable."
Ari shrugged. "Let it be a lesson to you to always look carefully before you back up."
"She was as much at fault as I was, you know."
"I don't care. You had a chance to argue that and you lost. You could've appealed the decision, but you decided to act like a tool instead." She patted his arm. "On the bright side, the old adage says that a fool and his money are soon parted. You held onto your money as long as possible. So at least you aren't a fool."
He watched as the tow truck driver lifted his hand to Ari. She waved back, and Pollard said, "So what now? What if the car doesn't cover the judgment?"
"My partner and I went through your financials, and we'll present our findings to the court. They'll deduct the price the car gets and if they need anything else they'll find a way to get it."
She saw the fight fading from him. The car was on the hook, and there was nothing he could do now. He looked at Ari.
"Please tell me your fee isn't tacked on to what I owe."
"Well, Miss Levi will probably pay me out of the settlement money. So sort of. But you don't have to pay anything extra." She held out her hand. "No hard feelings?"
He looked at her hand with contempt. "I'm not shaking your hand."
Ari smiled and shrugged. "It was worth a shot. It really wasn't personal."
"Yeah. Sure."
"There's a bus stop about two blocks that way."
He checked the time on his phone and shook his head as he hurried off. Ari went up to the tow truck and patted the hood as the driver rolled down his window.
"Everything cool?" he asked.
Ari nodded. "Thanks, Tony. I didn't think he would fight too much, but it's always nice to have backup just in case. You know where to take it?"
"Yep. Pleasure doing business with you, Miss Willow."
She saluted him and stepped away from the truck so he could pull away from the curb. She walked back to her car with increasing dread. The easy part of the case was over. She'd confronted a potentially dangerous man while his car was taken away. Now with Dale on an enforced vacation, Ari would have to brace herself to sit down and write out a case report.
In all honesty, she would have rather gotten into a fistfight with Pollard. But she'd forced Dale to stay away from the office and she was going to stick to her guns no matter how distasteful she found the idea. She just hoped she remembered where all the keys were on the keyboard.
At breakfast that morning, Ari reminded Dale of her promise to stay away from work and anything canidae-related. Dale promised, held up three fingers to do her best version of a scout's honor. Then she cupped Ari's face, dropped her hands to her shoulders, and said, "But if you need me… if you really need me, forget about all this bullshit and just call. Okay?"
"I promise," Ari said.
Dale had kissed the tip of Ari's nose and set out to find something to keep her occupied for the day. She hadn't been to the library in ages, but she also didn't have a lot of time to just sit and read. She sort of wanted to look into an electronic reading device, but she didn't know what stores sold them. Would a bookstore sell them, or were they rivals? She decided to try the Elliott Bay Book Company and its comforting log-cabin feel. Even if she couldn't take the time to appreciate books she could enjoy being in their presence.
She drove to the bookstore and spent some time browsing, ending up with three books tucked in the crook of her arm before she remembered she had decided not to buy anything. The harm had already been done, so she decided to limit herself to those three books and removed herself from the temptation of wandering anymore. She went into the Elliott Bay Cafe and bought a Cuban Panini, then sat down to thumb through her new books while she ate.
Ari was probably dealing with Scott Pollard that very minute. She might need backup, or… no. She'd promised to stay away from the business and Ari. She was going to keep the promise no matter how difficult it might be. She saw that it was raining outside, so she lingered a little longer than she ordinarily would have, sipping her tea and going through her books to see which one she would read first. When there was a break in the rain she went to the cash register and headed out. She was literally halfway out the door when she noticed a room for rent sign hanging on the public notice board.
She read the information and took a picture of the notice with her phone, then went out to call the renter from her car. The girl who answered sounded extraordinarily young, but she said she was available to show the apartment immediately. Dale drove to Spruce Street, noting that it was less than a mile from their current apartment, and parked on the tree-lined street. Even on sunny days the street would provide ample shade. Nearby was a park where one of Ari's stashes was hidden near a tree. If they ended up moving to this place, they could move the stash to another location.
Dale parked in front of a cute two-story house that was painted brown and green in an effort to blend into the scenery. She wouldn't have thought green would make a good color on a house, but in this case it seemed to fit. She parked on the steep driveway as the front door opened to reveal the girl she had spoken to on the phone. She was a tall, Native American, and seemed extremely young to be renting anything to anyone. Her hair was bound in a tight ponytail that hung midway down her back, and her tank top exposed an intricate tattoo stretching from her left shoulder down to the elbow. The ink reminded her of Hannah, a British canidae whose life she had saved earlier that year, and it gave her hope for the apartment.
"Are you Dale?"
"I am."
"I'm Neka Teller. Nice to meet you." They shook hands and Neka gestured toward the house. "The basement entrance is on the south side of the building, right around here."
As Dale followed her across the yard, she noticed the property was fenced in on two sides. It would cut down on Ari's freedom a little bit… it certainly wasn't as convenient as having a whole wooded area for her to run around in. She chided herself for holding a grudge and followed Neka down a short flight of stairs to the apartment. Neka unlocked the door and ushered her inside.
"It's not exactly a kingdom, but it may work for you. Is it just you, or…"
"My girlfriend and me. I hope that's not a problem."
Neka waved her off. "I don't care what you do in the bedroom as long as you don't smoke after sex. That's a strict no-no."
"No problems here."
"No smoking cigarettes. If you ever… you know… it's legal now."
Dale smiled. "I'll keep that in mind. We don't have a lot of loud parties or listen to death metal at four in the morning."
"Cool. I'm usually at school or working on a project so you may have the place to yourself more often than not. I do occasionally have friends over for barbeques and stuff in the backyard. That might be kind of an imposition."
Dale nodded to show she had noted the information.
The apartment was fully-furnished, gray carpet and off-white walls, and furniture that added a splash of color. The living space took up the majority of the room, and Neka stepped past her to point out the kitchen and, down a short hall that was really more of a triangular space, the bedroom. "There's a bathroom with a shower. It's kind of a tight fit, but if you need more room you can come up and beg to borrow the master bathroom. And if there's something you need a full kitchen for, it's right at the top of the stairs. I'm very easy-going. I can be bribed with cookies and other sweet treats."
Dale grinned. "Sounds good to me. So… this place is all yours?"
"Technically, yeah. My grandfather owns it, but he lives in Spokane. He lets me stay here while I'm studying at Seattle Central."
"Ah. College student."
"Yeah. Marine carpentry."
"Boat building, basically."
Dale raised an eyebrow. "Impressive."
"Well, someone has to build them, right? Anyway, when I graduate, Grandpa said that the rent will be my responsibility. Which is totally fair. I guess. But I'm going to need someone to help out with the rent when that happens. What do you do?"
"My girlfriend has a private investigation agency. I help her run it."
It was Neka's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Wow. Now it's my turn to be impressed. You guys go on stakeouts, get into a lot of gunfights?"
"Depends on the client." Dale resisted the temptation to touch the scar hidden under her hair. "Mostly it's pretty quiet."
"Cool." She nodded and looked around, then linked her fingers together. "Okay, uh. I know it can be tense getting a feel for a place while the owner is hovering. So I'm going to go upstairs and let you explore a little on your own. Do you want coffee, soda, water…?"
"I'd take a water."
Neka snapped her fingers. "You got it. So, yeah, go ahead and wander a bit, see how it feels to you. I'll be back down in a few minutes."
She went to a set of steps partially hidden behind the couch, turned on the landing, and disappeared upstairs. Dale heard a door close and, now alone, let herself breathe in the space. It was small, some might say cozy. The living room and the kitchen seemed as if they had once been part of the same space, but they were separated by a small counter. Small as in "too small to sit and eat at," but it was enough of a partition to separate the rooms. The kitchen was also uncarpeted, which was a plus.
It was nice. It was very, very nice. They might be able to get a larger apartment for comparable rent, but she was tired of having a beehive of anonymous neighbors surrounding her on all sides. It would be nice to live in a neighborhood with streets and lawns. She hadn't had that since Pennsylvania, and it made her nostalgic for home.
"This is what you meant, isn't it?" She shook her head and smiled. "You clever puppy."
When Neka came back downstairs with two glasses of water, Dale said, "It's a great place. I think it's perfect for us, but I need my girlfriend to come check it out."
"Oh, of course. Did you have any other questions about the house rules?"
"Well… there is one thing. What is your policy on dogs?"
Ari stared at the screen, refusing to be defeated, and also refused to cheer when her phone rang. She smiled when she saw who was calling and swept her thumb across the screen to answer. "I should be mad. You were supposed to be away all day long, and it's barely the middle of the afternoon."
Dale said, "I know. Are you mad?"
"No. I missed you."
"I missed you too, puppy. I wouldn't have called now except I think I have some very good news. Did you already deal with Mr. Pollard?"
Ari said, "Yeah, this morning. I was just getting started on the report."
"Ah-ha. You figured out the template all by yourself?"
Ari bit her bottom lip and leaned forward to scan the screen. Template… "Yep. It was easy once I figured out it was, ah… all I had to do was click the little…"
Dale laughed. "Nice try, Ari. I'll do it tomorrow when I come in. But like I said, I call with hopefully good news. Can you get away for twenty minutes or so?"
"Twist my arm," Ari said. "What's the good news?"
"I may have found a place."
"That was quick." Ari had already shut the laptop and stood up to retrieve her jacket. "Send me the address and I'll be right there."
The weather still hadn't decided if it wanted to rain or not, so Ari's wipers intermittently swept across the glass as she followed the directions on her phone's map. She spotted Dale's car in the driveway and slipped in behind it – noting there was ample parking on both sides of the street. Dale and a pretty young woman were waiting by the side of the house and Dale waved as Ari got out of the car.
"Ariadne Willow, this is Neka Teller. Neka, Ari."
"Nice to meet you. The apartment is back here."
As Neka led them into the backyard, Ari slipped an arm around Dale's waist. It had only been a few hours since they had breakfast together and they had been apart for far longer periods, but it still felt good to see her again. She leaned close to whisper in Dale's ear.
"Another basement?"
"Worlds apart, I promise."
Neka let them in. "Here it is. I told Dale that you can keep whatever furniture you need and I'll take the rest. She can fill you in on all the details about using my kitchen and, oh, the washer and dryer. I forgot about that. Laundry room is upstairs, it's totally fine for you to use it. We can work out a schedule so we're not dumping each other's wet laundry on the floor. If you have any questions I'll be right upstairs. It was nice meeting you, Ariadne."
"You too." Neka left, and Ari wandered into the kitchen. "Well, it's definitely a step above the wolf's den."
"Yes, and it still has an exterior access for you to get out and go for runs in the middle of the night. That's one of the main things I've been looking for."
Ari nodded and continued to examine the apartment.
"I knew you would ask me what I liked about the place, so I've been thinking about it. It's the same thing that drew me to the apartment up in Green Lake, but now that I can see it furnished and complete, I figured it out. When my parents had me, they moved into a little apartment a lot like this. It was just enough for our little family. Cozy, not a lot of wasted space, everything we needed at the time. It wasn't perfect, but it was close enough for us. When I walked in here I remembered that apartment and I remembered how… how it was home. I don't want some random apartment with you. I want us to have a home together."
Ari smiled. "Dale, I was homeless for a while after I ran away. I slept in a shelter, and my 'home' was a one-foot perimeter around my bed. I don't really care where I live but I wanted to be sure the place we ended up taking was right for you. If you think this place is home… then I agree."
"You like it?"
"I like it. It's amazing. It's in our price range?"
Dale said, "It's… close enough."
"Close enough is fine." She put her arms around Dale's waist and kissed her. "Should we call down Miss Teller?"
"Yeah. 'Neka.' I'm surprised you two didn't already know each other from the Weird Names Club."
Ari swatted Dale's butt. "I'm sure it's cultural or whatever. Bad girl."
Dale chuckled and went to retrieve their new landlady.
The deal was finalized two weeks later, and Neka offered to barbeque in honor of their moving in. She grilled up a few burgers while Ari and Dale carried boxes into the new apartment and then the three of them had dinner together on the patio above the entrance to Ari and Dale's new apartment. It was partially a celebration of their arrival and also a way for the three of them to get to know each other. Once the burgers had been eaten and stories had been shared – Ari mentioned the Katherine Gavin case, which Neka excitedly remembered hearing about on the news – they retreated to their respective parts of the house. When they parted they agreed to watch TV, listen to music, and talk as loudly as they wanted so they could be aware of any potential noise issues early on.
Once the door was closed, Dale said, "Does that mean she wants us to fuck so she'll know if she can hear us?"
"I don't think that's what she meant, no."
"Can we pretend like it was?"
Ari chuckled and kissed Dale, guiding her over to the couch. They sat down and Ari put her feet up, scanning the apartment from a relaxed perspective. Their windows were all horizontal and situated near the ceiling, but they provided enough light that it didn't feel like being in a dungeon. It actually opened up a lot of wall space, which Dale already planned to use for bookshelves. Dale put her hand on Ari's thigh and squeezed.
"What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking you made an excellent choice. This place is great, Dale. It's exactly what we needed." She kissed Dale's cheek, then her lips. "Thank you."
Dale smiled and moved her hand to link their fingers. Upstairs they could hear Neka talking to someone on the phone. Her voice was faint, nothing worse than they were used to hearing in the apartment. In time Ari knew they would both tune it out.
"Are you going to tell her about… y'know."
"Not unless it becomes necessary."
Dale put her head on Ari's shoulder. "Cool. It's like I'm dating Batman."
"Please. Batwoman. She's a woman, and she's a lesbian now."
"Wait, what?"
"Oh, yeah."
"Wow. I need to get back into comic books."
Ari smiled and kissed the top of Dale's head. She could already imagine sneaking across the backyard in the dead of night, keeping to the shadows along the fence before heading out into the street. She would have to be careful that their neighbors didn't call Animal Control to report wolf sightings or a loose dog, but she had gotten very crafty in her nocturnal excursions. She knew there would be hiccups from time to time but nothing she couldn't handle.
"Hm. Sorry. I was falling asleep."
Ari smiled. "I would say that's a good sign for the apartment." She shifted and Dale looked up at her. "I know that I lean on you a lot. You give up a lot of your life for me, and I'm honored by that. I'm floored by it, honestly. And even if it makes me feel guilty how much of your life is making my life possible, I can't even imagine my life without you in it."
Dale dragged her finger down Ari's neck to her collar. "I plan to be in it for a good long time. You don't force these responsibilities on me, puppy. You make me feel needed. For the first time in my life, someone really needed me. That felt great. It felt… necessary. I was in a bad place when we met. I was depressed and I felt like a failure for leaving college. You gave me purpose. I've never resented how much you ask of me. I'm just glad I'm able to provide it."
"Looks like you and I are lucky we found each other."
"Yeah. Maybe we should track down those hooligans and thank them."
"I wouldn't go that far."
Dale kissed Ari's lips again. "Want to go see if the shower is big enough for two?"
"I already eyeballed it. The two of us won't fit in there at the same time unless I'm sitting on your shoulders."
"Calm down."
Dale winked at her and scooted to the edge of the couch. "Well, I feel gross and sweaty, so I'm going to shower and change into my PJs. You good out here?"
"Yeah. I may try to unpack some of these boxes."
Dale went down the short hall into the bedroom. Ari stood up and went to one of the boxes closest to the door and opened it to see what was inside. There was a photo of her, her mother, Dale surrounded by the British pack of canidae who had helped them fight a war earlier that year. The picture had been taken by a bartender the night before the Brits headed back to their side of the pond, and at the old apartment it had stood next to the television, but she wanted to give it a more prominent placement in their new home. She looked around and finally decided the best place would be next to the stairs. She found a hammer, tapped a nail in place, and carefully placed the picture on it. She stepped back and smiled. The new place already felt like home.
The shower was still running. The stall was much too cramped for two people to get into it simultaneously, but the glass front was clear enough that she could sit on the counter and watch. She smiled and hurried to the bathroom so she wouldn't miss the show.


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By Jesse Saich, El Dorado Irrigation District
The El Dorado Irrigation District was recently awarded three significant grants to help manage vegetation and protect against wildfire at some of its core water and hydroelectric facilities most at risk for wildfire. Cal Fire granted EID nearly $2 million to implement necessary fuels reduction projects to protect three EID facilities: Camp 5/Flume 46 ($280,500), Sly Park ($403,425), and Weber Reservoir ($1,279,080).
"Reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire at these facilities is critical to the protection of EID's vital infrastructure that provides water to the residents EID serves," said EID Operations Director Dan Corcoran. "At the same time, these projects are aimed at protecting watershed health to maintain water quality and quantity while also providing for a multitude of other environmental and recreational resources."
In 2014, the King Fire scorched nearly 100,000 acres includes areas inside and adjacent to EID's Camp 5 complex where dead and downed woody material remains a significant fire hazard near critical infrastructure. The King Fire cost taxpayers an estimated $5 million each day to fight and suppress. The fire required more than 4,000 fire fighters and an estimated 450,000 gallons of fire retardant. According to a L.A. Times article in 2015, total suppression costs exceeded $100 million making it one of the most expensive California wildfires on record.
These costs do not include any restoration efforts, which now are costing public and private timberland managers along with many other land owners, including water purveyors, millions of dollars annually. Responding to those events, EID has worked with its public and private watershed partners to invest improving forest health and fuels management using a combination of local, state, and federal funds. Although EID maintains one of the longest running vegetation management plans with Cal Fire at its Sly Park Recreation Area, similar efforts are needed elsewhere throughout EID's service area. These three projects expand on new areas within Sly Park, the largest of EID's water supply reservoirs and backbone of the western county's water supply.
The Camp 5/Flume 46 Vegetation Management Project grant monies will fund needed fuels reduction and vegetation management treatments within 74 acres of EID-owned parcels at Camp 5 and Flume 46 along the El Dorado Canal. The Camp 5 complex is EID's El Dorado Hydroelectric Project (FERC Project No.184) maintenance facility situated along the north side of Highway 50 just east of Pollock Pines. Camp 5 is surrounded by residential neighborhoods with a number of private homes immediately adjacent to the facilities. Flume 46 is a three-quarter-mile-long wooden flume susceptible to wildfire and is a key segment of the open water El Dorado Canal system, particularly during the high drinking water demand and fire season.
The Sly Park Vegetation Management Project will reduce vegetation in a fuel reduction zone of 118.5 acres along the perimeter of Jenkinson Lake and 75 feet wide along both banks of the three primary tributaries in Sly Park Recreation Area in Pollock Pines. Sly Park serves as a primary source of water for western El Dorado County, including the communities of Placerville, El Dorado Hills and Cameron Park. Work will be concentrated around previously unaddressed areas of Jenkinson Lake and protect more than 3,000 homes in the adjacent communities of Pollock Pines and Fresh Pond while also protecting critical EID water conveyance infrastructure from wildfire threat.
The Weber Lake Vegetation Management Project will reduce hazardous fuel vegetation along the north side of Weber Reservoir, a key component to the water supply portfolio for the El Dorado Hills area. Fuels reduction around the reservoir is designed to mitigate the wildfire threat to the adjacent communities of Camino and Pleasant Valley and nearby communities of Pollock Pines and Placerville, while also maintaining the quality of water entering into and through the reservoir for release and rediversion at Folsom Reservoir to serve EID's customers in the El Dorado Hills area. The Weber project will, in total, treat 377.5 acres of land surrounding the reservoir.
"This partnership with Cal Fire and other key watershed stakeholders will help protect critical water infrastructure and maintain EID's water quality while also helping to maintain a fire resilient landscape to guard against the potential for catastrophic wildfire that we see far too often," said Corcoran.
"We want to learn from the unfortunate lessons of others affected by catastrophic wildfire and work with our partners throughout the South Fork American and Upper Cosumnes watersheds to protect our critical infrastructure and water quality while also doing our part to help protect our community."
EID provides the primary source of drinking water to much of western El Dorado County and Sly Park and the El Dorado Canal are the primary water conveyance systems used to transport water for storage and delivery throughout its service area.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fitzy's Toowoomba
Phone 07 4631 3700Visit Website
Restaurants / Dining Guide / Pubs & Bars / Fitzy's Toowoomba
The Fitzgibbons Family is synonymous with Toowoomba's hotel industry.
For 80 years (and four generations), they've been pouring beers and sharing a good laugh with patrons. The original hotel was established in the late 1800s as the Caledonian before becoming Toowoomba's Post Office in the 1930s.
AwardsJohn Fitzgibbons, Hotelier of the Year 2016 Queensland Hotels Association Award
Today, the family tradition continues on through Brad and Anita at the now iconic Fitzy's. Their award-winning restaurant continues to provide an outstanding culinary experience.
The next pages of history are yet to be written, but you can rest assured that there's every chance you'll find a Fitzy behind the bar. It's in their blood.
153 Margaret St Toowoomba Queensland 4350
Fitzy's Toowoomba
153 Margaret Street, Toowoomba City, Queensland, Australia


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Did I mention we're looking for a bass player? I am posting some bass parts on here (dots and tabs*) along with (naff sounding) MIDI files. This way you can figure out if you're REALLY up for it.
*tabs are automatically generated by Sibelius, may include mistakes and should only be used as a guide!
Monky Bossa Prelude – not quite finished yet but enough to be getting on with.
The bossa nova version of Monkey Progressions (Prelude)
Monkey Bossa Prelude Bass Part
Monky Bossa Prelude mp3
Minging Progressions
Jazz standard with an indeterminate pitch section.
Minging Bass Part
Minging Progessions Live Recording
Monkey Progressions
A jazz standard. The bass part is a transcription of the sort of thing our last bassist played. The part can be embellished in keeping with the style.
Bass part – if you don't like improvising you can play this.
Piano Lead – those used to jazz charts may prefer to improvise around the chords.
Monkey Progressions MIDI mp3
New Kitchen
A jazz standard. The bass part is a transcription of the sort of thing our last bassist played. The part can be embellished in keeping with the style.
Bass part
Piano Lead
New Kitchen Live Recording mp3
New Kitchen MIDI mp3
This started out as a piano piece but now it's a band piece.
Aye-o-wee-yaye PDF
Aye-o-wee-yaye MIDI mp3
Aye-o-wee-yaye LIVE mp3
Alpho Bongo
This tune is choppy-changy; it helps if you can count. Definitely a crowd pleaser this one.
Alpho Bongo as played during a rehearsal (bass parts performed by computer)
Alpho Bongo MIDI file
Alpho Bongo – bass part
Bogey on Some Keys
This is a boogie in some key, which key exactly isn't entirely clear owing to the atonality of various sections. This is another crowd pleaser… check out the live performance of this piece in the YouTube section.
Bogey on Some Keys LIVE
Bogey on Some Keys – bass part
(No MIDI file yet)


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The commonwealth has been discussing and planning for next generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) for nearly a decade.
With significant advances in the technology and capabilities and functionality of a NG network, now is the time to move from planning to implementation.
The question is not if the commonwealth should deploy NG9-1-1, but rather, how the commonwealth should deploy NG9-1-1. The 9-1-1 Services Board adopted a plan to guide deployment statewide, but since 9-1-1 is a local service, it is up to each locality to determine how they will move forward with NG9-1-1 deployment.
To aid localities in their NG9-1-1 decision, the 9-1-1 Services Board is recommending localities utilize the NG9-1-1 contract issued by Fairfax County.
ISP staff recently conducted town hall meetings throughout the commonwealth to discuss the NG9-1-1 Deployment Plan, the Fairfax County contract, and AT&T's NG9-1-1 ESInet solution. Materials from these meetings, and additional materials requested by participants, are available below:


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Our 'partnership' with Godi's Foreign Exchange (Money Transfer) Service assists our clients and national consumers to improve their value and ensure certainty when needing to carry out Foreign Exchange transactions.
We thought that working through examples of 'real life' transactions may illustrate how and why this service may assist you as our customer.
Godi Mission Statement
"At Godi Financial our mission is to help businesses and individuals with currency requirements achieve greater savings and therefore profit, and greater certainty of 'outcome' from their global financial transactions".
Put simply, Godi pride themselves on saving people and businesses money when converting currencies and making international payments.
So how does that actually work in practice? Below we are going to outline three typical examples specifically involving private individuals, which we encounter on a daily basis. Each example will cover a different monetary threshold (lower, middle and higher) and will aim to provide further clarity and a clearer understanding of just how the process works and why you should be using a foreign exchange specialist like Godi Financial for your currency transactions:
Example One – Lower Threshold (£1,000.00 – £10,000.00)
Scenario: A Private Individual who currently owns a villa in Spain (Mr Smith)
Currency Requirement: Mr Smith needs to make regular euro payments to his Spanish-based Euro account in order to cover mortgage payments, various bills and for spending money
Typical Action: Historically Mr Smith would have gone through his bank in order to make such a transfer. What he was unaware of however, is that not only was he getting charged high payment fees (Sometimes as high as £25), but he was also getting a terrible exchange rate to boot. In our experience the typical spread/margin applied by banks on transactions of this size is 3% or higher. To put that into context Mr Smith would probably have got a better rate if he walked into his local supermarket and bought a handful of Euros at their bureau de change.
Why Use Godi Financial: Godi Financial will typically apply a maximum spread/margin of just 0.5% on sums of £1,000.00 – £10,000.00. That is a fraction of the cost of a typical high street bank. Also Godi Financial only ever have to add a fee of £10 on transactions below £3,000.00.
Savings Example:
Mr Smith needs to Buy 6,000.00 Euros to send to his Spanish account as soon as possible. He will be selling Pounds.
Interbank/Mid-Market Rate at the time of writing (1st May): 1.1640
So even on a relatively small transaction Mr Smith stands to save £158.99 by using Godi Financial over his bank. Mr Smith however needs to do this same transaction every quarter, so all of a sudden that saving becomes over £630 per annum.
Example Two – Medium Threshold (£10,000.00 – £100,000.00)
Scenario: A UK national who has worked in Dubai for 6 months, getting paid in US Dollars (Miss Williams)
Currency Requirement: Working in the financial sector, Miss Williams took a 6-month employment contract with a bank based in Dubai. Her contract stipulated she would get paid in US Dollars, with a monthly salary of $7,000.00. Fortunately Miss Williams opened a US Dollar bank account at the outset and is now in a position to convert her total earnings of $42,000.00.
Typical Action: Miss Williams has a 'premium' account with her UK bank and having subsequently opened a US Dollar bank account with them prior to starting her employment she assumed, like many others naturally do, that she would receive preferential exchange rates as a 'premium' account holder. Rather than simply assume she was going to get a fantastic exchange rate on her conversion, fortunately Miss Williams contacted her 'premium' account manager to get a quote on converting her funds. Much to Miss Williams surprise the rate she was quoted was 2% above the actual mid-market rate, meaning the bank would be taking 2% of her hard earned funds.
Why Use Godi Financial: Godi Financial will typically apply a maximum spread/margin of just 0.4% on sums of £10,000.00 – £100,000.00. That is just a fraction of the cost of a high street bank, regardless of whether it's a standard or 'premium' account.
Savings Example:
Miss Williams needs to convert her $42,000.00 back into Pounds Sterling.
Interbank/Mid-Market Rate at the time of writing (2nd May): 1.3027
Having been prudent enough to double check the rate her bank would have provided and by choosing to use a specialist currency broker like Godi Financial, Miss Williams ended up receiving £530.08 more back from her hard-earned US Dollar funds. Sadly, it is not at all uncommon for many banks to still charge upwards of 3% on transactions of this value or even higher, so the cost could be far greater than illustrated in this example.
Example Three – Higher Threshold (Over £100,000.00)
Scenario: A UK couple are in the process of buying their dream holiday/future retirement home in Florida. The Property is going to cost a total of $400,000.00.
Currency Requirement: Having worked hard all of their lives Mr & Mrs Davis have always dreamt of one day buying a property in Florida, initially with a view to holidaying with their family but also with a view to moving permanently upon retirement which is likely to be in the next 5-10 years. Having found their ideal 4-bed Villa, Mr & Mrs Davis now need to complete the $400,000.00 purchase.
Typical Action: Unfortunately, but understandably, in the excitement and panic of trying to secure their dream property Mr & Mrs Davis sent the initial 10% deposit of $40,000.00 through their bank. Despite the large amount being transferred the Davis' were charged 2% by their bank and incurred a further £25 fee for the payment. They were fully aware that the exchange rate was poor at the time but were prepared to bite the bullet due to the time constraints.
Fortunately, however, with more time available to them between the initial deposit and the completion date, Mr & Mrs Davis sought the services of an FX specialist for the remaining $360,000.00 payable to complete on the property.
Why Use Godi Financial: Godi Financial will typically apply a maximum spread/margin of just 0.3% on sums of above £100,000.00. That is just a fraction of the cost of a high street bank and there would be no charges/fees incurred.
Savings Example:
Mr & Mrs Davis need to buy $360,000.00 to complete the purchase of their dream property in Florida. They will be selling Pounds Sterling in order to buy the Dollars.
Interbank/Mid-Market Rate at the time of writing (2nd May): 1.3027
Having already been stung on the exchange rate for their initial 10% deposit, fortunately by seeking the assistance of Godi Financial for the larger $360,000.00 purchase Mr & Mrs Davis saved themselves £4,823.78. With buyer's costs ranging between 2-5% of the property value in Florida, that substantial saving could go a long way to covering their fees or furnishing their new property.
The benefits of using Godi for your Foreign Exchange services are clear, based upon these 'real life' examples. We know that a margin of 0.3% for £100,000, 0.4% for £10,000 to £100,000 and 0.5% for less than £10,000 transactions are market leading.
Simply click the link and follow the journey in order to action your Foreign Exchange needs – https://www.bestpricefs.co.uk/app/foreign-exchange/#quotationform.
Best Wishes.


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This weekend is a big one for our family. Not only are we celebrating the Daddy in our house, but we're also celebrating his homecoming one year ago. One year ago Jamy returned home to our family after being gone for seven months. One year ago we were celebrating answered prayers, changed hearts, and a family forever changed.
This year, it's been good for my heart to look back. To be reminded of the work that God has done and continues to do in our family, and celebrate God's continuous work of redemption. This was the letter I wrote to Jamy last year on Father's Day and is just as true today.
So much has happened in our family since celebrating your last father's day. You've left our family and come back home.
But the father who left his children 7 months ago, the father who left his children even long before that, is not the father who has returned this Father's Day weekend.
You have come back stronger.
You're learning that strength is found in humility and admitting your weaknesses. That true strength is admitting you have none on your own and resting on God's work in your life.
You have come back braver.
You have a quiet confidence; not in yourself, but in finding your identity in whose you are.
You have come back transformed.
God's miraculous and redemptive work in your life has utterly changed you.
The man you have become, and are becoming, is one that I'm incredibly proud of. The work you've done, and allowed God to do through you in these past several months had been nothing short of redemptive. It has begun to change you and the very fabric of our family in amazing and beautiful ways.
So on a day I would imagine it might be hard to look back and see the faults, the failings, and the pain, it's good to look forward at the new life God has given you as a father.
A new picture of what Jesus would look like with skin on in our house.
A new legacy to give your children of following hard after Jesus.
And when you keep passionately pursuing him,
I will be proud if Jackson becomes a man who looks like you
and and if Isabelle marries a man like you
and someday they become fathers like you...
I love you, Jamy. Happy Father's Day.


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Gurpreet moved up to the Midlands from Southampton after getting married. She qualified as a Vet from the University of Liverpool in 2016, as well as having a degree in Animal Science. Gurpreet enjoys all aspects of small animal practice. Outside of work, she likes to spend time with her family.
Practice information
Grange Hill Veterinary Centre
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Find Us
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Please call this number for emergencies:


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17 Year Old Twitch Streamer Launches Exclusive Sneaker Line
Mercanthony's not like most 17 year olds. He's a content-creator, vlogger, and G Fuel sponsored Twitch Streamer. He's been at it for a long time, but admittedly his career has really begun to kick off in the last two years.
Merc teamed up with Sharebert to design and launch the Mercanthony M1s. The limited edition, futuristic hybrid high-top sneakers are designed and made in Italy. He is the first streamer to launch a basketball sneaker.
This isn't Merc's first run at a product line– he recently sold branded t-shirts and hoodies before scoring a sponsorship with popular gaming industry energy drink G Fuel.
Merc attained the deal by showing impressive sales numbers, numbers he claims to be growing on a monthly basis since his partnership began last year.
"Usually when you think of people who release their own shoe line, you think of the best basket ball players, now I'm showing that you don't have to be Michael Jordan to drop shoes." he says of the move.


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Contact Us
If you think you have the drive, the commitment and the passion to take part, then please fill in your details below and we will get back to you shortly.
Want to Join The Battle?
Think you have what it takes to become a knight? Want to be a part of a growing modern combat sport? Or just want to have fun? At the Australian Medieval Combat Federation there is something for everyone, whether you want to experience the thrill of battle or you would rather support your team as a squire or marshal there is plenty to do. For more information and to get involved click the link to the right.


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Image FlowableLight-cure low viscosity composite
- Class V restorations (caries, cervical defects).
- Cavity liner.
- Splint bonding.
- Composite restoration finishing & repair.
- Ceramic restoration repair.
Features & benefits
- Syringe with single use applicator tip for easy dispensing and optimal control against cross contamination.
- Low viscosity for easy and precise placement in the smallest of areas.
- Compatible with other light cure composites for multi-layer restoration techniques.
- Item #01C2060 - Syringe Kit: 4 x 2g Syringes - 1 each in Vita shades A2, A3, A3.5, B3; 20 Applicator Tips
- Item #01C2061-01C2068 - Syringe Refills: 4 x 2g syringe in shades A1, A2, A3, A3.5, B1, B3
- Item #01C2073 - Image Flowable Syringe Tips - 50/bag (18g)


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Progress report for FNE18-911
Evaluation of Pasture Dragging as Non-Chemical Control Method for Filth Fly Pests of Pastured Beef Cattle
Project Type: Farmer
Funds awarded in 2018: $14,059.00
Projected End Date: 02/29/2020
Grant Recipient: Dickinson College
Region: Northeast
State: Pennsylvania
Project Leader:
Matt Steiman
Dickinson College Farm
Project Information
Project Objectives:
Our project objective has been to study a promising non-chemical management tactic for fly pests management: pasture dragging to break up manure pies with a light harrow. This practice is sometimes recommended for fly management (e.g., Kaufman, 2011; Rutherford, 2015) because the larvae of horn flies and face flies (together referred to as 'filth flies') feed in cow pads; and thus it is conceivable that spreading the manure will reduce fly survival through desiccation. Field trials at the project farm showed apparent success in 2017. This tactic has yet to be tested scientifically—which we aim to do in the 2018 summer field study.
Cattle in pasture settings suffer a reduced quality of life due to a complex of fly pests that feed on their blood and facial secretions. Prominent among these pests are the horn flies (Haematobia irritans), which feed on cow blood 20-30 times per day while resting on backs and sides of cows (Oyarzún et al., 2008). Cows may be afflicted by hundreds or even thousands of horn flies at once and are not immune to the annoyance nor to the loss of blood. Another prominent pest species is the face flies (Musca autunma), which feeds on the mucus secretions of cow's eyes and noses. These flies are a less directly harmful but problematic because they vector pink eye (Pickens and Miller, 1980). In response to fly pressure, cows congregate and swat their tails—behaviors that significantly reduce their feeding and growing efficiencies. This combination of irritation and defensive behaviors in cows have a significant economic cost. In the cattle industry nationwide, horn flies account for estimated losses of 730-876 million US dollars (Watson et al., 2002). Even greater losses occur when the cost of insecticides are considered. Yet insecticides are not always effective. Due to the development of insecticide resistance in horn flies (Watson et al., 2002) as well as the harmful effects of insecticides on non-target organisms, an integrated pest management (IPM) approach is needed that employs diverse tactics to reduce reliance on insecticides (Fincher, 1999; Kogan, 1998; Oyarzún et al., 2008).
Raising beef cattle on pasture is a sustainable alternative to conventional feedlot beef production with many potential benefits to farmers, including reduced energy consumption, sequestration of carbon in pasture soils, and access to high end niche markets. Improving pastured animal welfare and productivity via reduced fly pressure has potential economic value for livestock producers across the Northeast. This efforts of this project should also be of interest to pasture based dairy farms.
The Dickinson College Farm operation includes a herd of pastured beef cattle – between 25 and 35 animals are on the farm depending on the time of year. Breeds raised are black Angus and Angus-Herford crosses. The herd includes cow-calf pairs, a bull, young and finishing stock. Direct market freezer beef is the main product sold, along with some young stock sold to other local farms. The cattle are third-party certified grass fed and Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) by A Greener World. The AWA program provides guidelines for animal husbandry to ensure low stress, humane treatment. The farm practices management intensive rotational grazing, moving the cattle once or twice daily through small paddocks on about 45 acres of pasture. In the winter the cattle are fed dry hay on a covered heavy use area. The farm operation also includes 10 acres of certified organic vegetables, grass fed sheep, lambs, and a small flock of pastured laying hens.
Filth fly management has been attempted historically through a range of chemical and biological practices. Chemical management with synthetic pyrethroids, organocholorines or other nerve toxins administered through ear tags, sprays, powders and dip tanks have been employed successfully on short timescales (Oyarzún et al., 2008; Pickens and Miller, 1980). But it is well documented that filth flies develop resistance to these compounds (Oyarzún et al., 2008; Pickens and Miller, 1980). Moreover, this approach is generally contrary to the goals of sustainable agriculture for health and environmental reasons, and is somewhat limited by the stipulations of organic certification.
By contrast, biological and mechanical control methods have potential to be employed sustainably. Biological control in particular is an attractive option in some systems. In dairy barns, for example, parasitoid wasps that lay their eggs in filth fly pupae have been employed quite effectively. Unfortunately, commercially available parasitoids have low dispersal ability and do not favor the pupae of horn flies and face flies, rendering them ineffective in pasture situations (Fincher, 1999; personal communication with Spalding Labs).
Yet another biological control option is the use of dung beetles to out-compete filth flies. Scarab beetles such as the beneficial species Onthophagus taurus have been intentionally introduced into to the US because they have the potential to reduce fly larvae success by rapidly dispersing dung pads through their tunneling and burrowing behaviors. In the southern US the populations of O. taurus reach high densities and colonize dung pads by the hundreds, which effectively reduces the manure availability and quality, leaving fragments of manure pads that desiccate quickly (Roth, 1989). Our surveys at the Dickinson Farm as well as a survey from New York (Pimsler, 2007) show that O. taurus and other dung beetles are already present in the northeastern US, but their populations are much smaller: only about a dozen beetles per dung pad at the Dickinson Farm. Thus dung beetles are of limited utility for biological control of filth flies in our region.
In lieu of hoards of dung beetles, we are interested in the practice of mechanically spreading manure to promote desiccation and inhibit filth flies. This strategy is often suggested for filth fly suppression but its efficacy remains in question (Kaufman, 2011) because scientific tests of the practice have not been published. Further, since the mechanism of action is thought to hinge on desiccation, this tactic may be climate- or season-dependent. Hence, testing of the tactic in the northeast throughout the growing season is necessary determine whether farmers in this region would benefit from implementing it.
Farmers at the Dickinson College Farm have anecdotal evidence in support of this tactic. In 2017 farmers in consultation with cooperator Dr. Jason Smith trialed several methods for low input fly control on pasture. Methods trialed include feed through insect growth regulators (currently under evaluation), construction and regular use of a walk-through fly trap, application of commercial essential oil blends designed to repel flies, use of commercial hanging traps, and dragging. Pasture dragging to reduce fly breeding habitat in manure pads coincided with reduced fly densities on cows, but we do not yet have data that could show a cause-and-effect relationship. Since pasture dragging requires regular investment of farm labor and machinery use, we intend to rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of this practice before promoting it to other farmers in the region.
Use of free range laying hens to disperse manure pies is an alternative approach to this problem. Trials of this method at the Dickinson College Farm proved problematic due to chickens wandering out of the cattle pasture and into neighboring vegetable fields. Fencing chickens with portable electric mesh nets was found to be incompatible with the pace of cattle advancing across the farm. While hens did demonstrate an ability to disperse cow pies, the area covered by the chicken flock was much smaller than the area soiled by the faster moving cattle herd. Thus, we seek to evaluate mechanical pasture dragging as an alternative for diversified farms that do not have appropriately matched cattle and poultry operations.
Fincher, G., 1999. Biological control of dung-breeding flies affecting pastured cattle, in: Great Plains Beef Cattle Handbook. Iowa State University of Science and Technology, pp. 1–3.
Kaufman, P.E., 2011. Applied management for fly control. University of Florida. http://animal.ifas.ufl.edu/beef_extension/bcsc/2011/pdf/kaufman.pdf (accessed 12.4.17).
Kogan, M., 1998. Integrated pest management: historical perspectives and contemporary developments. Annual Review of Entomology 43, 243–270. doi:10.1146/annurev.ento.43.1.243
Oyarzún, M.P., Quiroz, A., Birkett, M.A., 2008. Insecticide resistance in the horn fly: alternative control strategies. Medical Veterinary Entomology 22, 188–202. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2915.2008.00733.x
Pickens, L.G., Miller, R.W., 1980. Review article: Biology and control of the face fly, Musca autumnalis (Diptera: Muscidae). Medical Entomology 17, 195–210.
Pimsler, M., 2007. A survey of the dung beetles in cattle manure on pastures of an organic and a conventional dairy farm in New York state. Masters Thesis. Cornell University.
Roth, J.P., 1989. Field mortality of the horn fly on unimproved central Texas pasture. Environmental Entomology 18, 98–102.
Rutherford, B. 2015. 7 tools to fight the war against cattle flies. BEEF. http://www.beefmagazine.com/parasites/7-tools-win-war-against-cattle-flies (accessed 12.4.17).
Throne, J.E., Robbins, P.S., Eckenrode, C.J., 1984. An improved screen cone trap for monitoring activity of flying insects. New York's Food and Life Sciences Bulletin 106, 1-3.
Watson, D.W., Stringham, S.M., Denning, S.S., Washburn, S.P., Poore, M.H., Meier, A., 2002. Managing the horn fly (Diptera: Muscidae) using an electric walk-through fly trap. Economic Entomology 95, 1113–1118. doi:10.1603/0022-0493-95.5.1113
Description of farm operation:
The Dickinson College Farm is an educational program and a working farm, owned by Dickinson College. The farm includes 50 acres of permanent pasture and 15 acres of PCO certified organic vegetable ground. Livestock on the farm include the beef cattle herd (about 25 animals in total including bull, cows, calves, yearling heifers and steers) as well as 50 pastured laying hens and 50 sheep producing meat lambs and wool. The livestock operation gained Grass Fed and Animal Welfare Approved certifications by A Greener World in 2017. The farm is managed by two full-time year round managers (Steiman and Jennifer Halpin), five apprentices, and a crew of
student workers. Food raised on the farm is sold through the Dickinson College cafeteria, a Campus Supported Agriculture program, farmers market, and the local food bank. The farm is active in PASA and has a significant public outreach mission. PI Steiman earned his undergraduate degree in Environmental Biology from the University of Colorado in 1992. His skill set includes machine operation, fabrication, cattle handling, pasture management, student supervision, record keeping and public speaking. Steiman has successfully administered three previous SARE-funded projects since 2003.
- Technical Advisor (Researcher)
Materials and methods:
The 2018 summer field study was completed according to plan. The following is a summary of the steps taken:
In March we (PI Matt Steiman and Cooperator Dr. Jason Smith) hired student Cecilie MacPherson to be our summer research assistant. Cecilie will graduate Dickinson College in 2020, majoring in environmental biology.
Field work began in June. After an introduction to the cattle, flies, and manure management issues, the following initial efforts proceeded simultaneously:
Steiman built a pasture drag to be used in the study. After shopping around at landscape and equipment suppliers we elected to construct our own drag from materials on the farm. The goal was to make an effective yet inexpensive tool appropriate to the scale of our equipment (for this project we used a John Deere Gator off-road utility vehicle to pull the drag). We settled on a double gang of steel bed frames oriented with the long sides parallel to the direction of travel. The bed frames were chained loosely together to permit floating over obstacles, then weighted down at each end with 6X6 lumber. The whole unit was attached to the rear of the towing vehicle with heavy rope.
Meanwhile Smith, Steiman and Macpherson worked on constructing the fly traps. The inverted cone screen emergence traps were designed to capture flies that mature from pupae on cow pies on the ground surface. Large outer cones were made from rolls of 48″ aluminum screen. A pattern was developed and traced onto flat pieces of screen with a carpenter's crayon, then cut out using heavy scissors. Cones were formed by rolling the cut screens into a cone shape, then stapling the seam to a 3/4″ strip of wood using a staple gun. A small hole (1-2″) was left open at the top of the large cones.
Smaller cones were formed from scraps of screen left after making the large cones. These smaller cones were glued to the inside of lids for wide-mouth pint mason jars using an outdoor rated epoxy. To set the traps, large cones were supported vertically with a plastic or fiberglass fencing stake with the wide end down. Edges of the large cone were tacked to the soil surface with 6″ landscaping staples. The smaller cones with jars attached were set atop the hole at the top of each large cone. Flies emerging from the ground beneath the trap travel upwards along the screen into the jar at the top, where they are trapped and die within a few days. Collection of the flies for analysis was executed by removing jars with flies from the mason jar rings, then fitting them with a cap for transport to the lab. When necessary, flies were euthanized by inserting a cotton swap doused with acetone into the jars.
In practice the traps proved to be quite effective – we have confidence that the majority of flies emerging from cow pies on the soil below were caught in the trapping jars.
During this phase Macpherson also constructed a cow pie measuring grid from a wooden frame with 1/2″ hardware mesh stapled on tightly. The squares of the grid were highlighted with yellow paint in a pattern that made counting covered area relatively easy. This grid was laid over the top of studied cow pies and photographed before and after the dragging treatments to assess the area of each manure pile and the spreading effect of dragging.
The experimental design and time plans were worked out and field checked in early June. Working together we settled on the following program:
Cattle were moved from pasture to pasture daily. Within 1-2 days of cattle leaving a pasture, an area with a good concentration of manure piles was chosen and staked out to protect it against trampling by animals or equipment. 30 cow pies of similar size were identified and flagged – half as controls (no dragging) and half as experimental piles to be dragged. Each pile studied was measured, photographed and flagged with an identification number. Piles were grouped by location into control or experimental treatment categories in order to facilitate practical dragging using the 7 foot wide bed frame assembly. All manure piles studied were located close to one another within an area of less than 1/2 acre. Following pile ID and measurement, the experimental half were disturbed by one pass of the bed frame drag at low speed. The pies were then left alone, uncovered, for 5 to 7 days to allow for fly egg laying, development of larvae, and any predation of larvae or eggs by naturally occurring predators.
After 5-7 days, the cone traps were installed and left in place for three weeks. This length of time was chosen to allow development and emergence of all fly species of concern. During the trapping phase, Macpherson visited the traps daily to note fly emergence and fix any problems with the traps. If any trap appeared to malfunction this was noted in a log book to accompany the fly collection data. A research grade rain gauge and temperature sensing data logger were installed on a portable stake located within the trapping area – Macpherson checked these regularly to account for weather variation in the fly collection results.
A work plan was generated by Dr. Smith that allowed a subsequent set of cow pies to be flagged, measured and dragged near the end of the first trapping period, such that the traps could be redeployed to a following site quickly. This allowed us to run through five rounds of pile dragging and fly collection over the June – September period, in an effort to account for variations caused by temperature, rainfall, daylength or time of year.
Following collection of each group of flies, they were brought to a lab on the Dickinson campus and preserved in sample jars. Dr. Smith trained Macpherson to identify flies to genus using a dissecting microscope. After the first round of flies were collected, Macpherson spent many hours categorizing and counting flies, thus forming the raw data set for the project.
As a side effort, the project team developed a behavior monitoring protocol in an effort to find possible correlation between cattle behavior and fly load. Macpherson spent enough time observing the cattle herd to allow them to become familiar and comfortable with her presence. From this close position, she took photographs of individual animals, then followed these animals for a ten minute period, counting behaviors associated with fly irritation (foot stomping, back biting, tail swishing, and ear flicking). Macpherson later counted the flies in each photo in an effort to correlate easily observable cattle behaviors with actual fly load per animal. The hope of this side project is to link countable behaviors with economic or welfare threshold values for pest flies.
2019 Data Collection Efforts:
Considering that the mechanized manure dragging in 2018 did not reliably reduce fly emergence from cow pads (as explained below in results section), we questioned whether a more thorough dragging process would be capable of reducing fly emergence. To begin answering this question, we developed techniques to manually spread manure pads (using a hand rake) to 100% and 200%of their original size and assess the impacts of this on flies.
A group of livestock interns working for project consultant Jason Smith at Milton Hershey School (MHS) undertook this experiment in 2019 using the emergence traps that were constructed in 2018. They successfully spread manure and monitored insect emergence, but fly captures from manure at MHS were too sparse in all treatments to draw conclusions. We suspect this is due to the history of pesticide treatments of the beef cows at MHS. This modified version of the experiment will be repeated on the Dickinson College Farm where the herd is pesticide-free in 2020.
Research results and discussion:
Stabilized fly samples collected from the traps were tallied throughout the fall of 2018. Dr. Smith conducted statistical data analysis in January of 2019 in preparation for the PASA conference in early February. Initial analysis shows that while dragging did have a statistically significant effect of reducing face and horn flies in some rounds of trapping, in other cases the opposite was true. Thus on a season wide basis (all five rounds of collection) we cannot say that the dragging treatment provided statistically significant reduction of fly numbers. However there is much nuance in the data which will be discussed further in a future report.
Our 2018 efforts were hampered by the unusually wet summer weather in Pennsylvania throughout most of July, August and September (the objective of pasture dragging is to spread cow pies so they desiccate faster and become less suitable habitat for fly pupation. In 2018 there were several weeks where drying of anything exposed to the weather was difficult).
A second round of data collection attempted during the 2019 fly season at the Milton Hershey School farm did not yield meaningful results due to historical use of systemic fly pesticides on that farm's cow herd. A third round of data will be collected in 2020 at the Dickinson College Farm using a modified method for dragging the cow pies. Our hope is that the combination of improved dragging and the likelihood of different weather will result in more conclusive results.
Research conclusions:
Conclusions will be presented upon further analysis of the data.
1 Farmer participating in research
Education & Outreach Activities and Participation Summary
1 Webinars / talks / presentations
Participation Summary
45 Farmers
Education/outreach description:
On February 7th, 2019 Dr. Smith (researcher) and Matt Steiman (Farmer PI) co-presented a 90 minute talk entitled "Pastured Beef Cattle Fly IPM" at the annual conference of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture. This slideshow and talk included background on the farm's beef operation, an overview of the different fly species and their life cycles, non-chemical control measures trialed at Dickinson, and detailed results and discussion from 2017 and 2018 field studies. Northeast SARE was credited as a supporter of the work. At least 45 people attended – the room was full.
We are currently working on contacting trade and scientific journals for public release of our findings. Dr. Smith will lead the approach to journals while Steiman leads the effort for sharing through Stockman Grass Farmer and similar publications.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.


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Check Yourself Out: 2 Self-Exams for Seniors
It's not always easy finding the time to take care of you — the whole you (mind, body, and spirit). Between spending time with family, managing finances, planning trips, and keeping up with daily tasks, it can be easy to put your health and wellness last. And that can mean health problems later on.
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Check your skin
Did you know skin cancer is highly treatable when you catch it early? That's why it's so important to check your skin.
It's hard to see every square inch of your skin, so use a full-length mirror, hand mirror, magnifying glass, or even a loved one or friend to help. Look at the front, back, and sides of your body. Check out your forearms, underarms, and palms, too. And don't neglect the soles of your feet or the spaces between your toes. A friend or family member comes in handy to help you check your scalp and neck. And don't forget your bottom — it's one of your best bits.
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When you're checking, look for anything that changes, itches, or bleeds. Also check for the ABCDEs of melanoma, the most serious kind of skin cancer:
- Asymmetry: one half of the mole does not match the other half
- Border irregularity: the edges are ragged, notched, or blurred
- Color: it varies from one area to another
- Diameter: from one side to the other, it's greater than 6 mm (the size of a pencil eraser) when found, but can be smaller
- Evolving: a mole or skin lesion looks different from the others or is changing in size, shape, or color
Check your breasts
Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women. Checking your breasts regularly can help you know what's normal for you. Then you can spot any changes as soon as possible. Look for changes in how your breasts and nipples look and feel, as well as any discharge coming from the nipples.
Check your breasts in the shower and when lying down. You can use the pads of your fingers to make a circular pattern from the outside to the center. Check the entire breast and armpit for any lump, thickening, or knot. Then grab a mirror and raise your arms overhead. Look for changes in contour of the nipples, and swelling, dimpling, or puckering.
Why check your breasts? Four in ten women who get breast cancer feel a lump first. If you do find a lump, don't be alarmed. Note what you find and see your doctor.
Remember these self-exams and commit to doing them regularly
These simple self-exams can have a big impact on your health. Try doing these self-exams once a month. It's easy to remember if you write it down, or set a calendar reminder on your phone or computer.
Life happens and it's easy to put things off. But taking the time to take care of you can make a big difference in your well-being. A simple spot today can turn into a big problem quickly. So if you think you've found something concerning, don't panic, but do see your doctor. Doing so will give you peace of mind and help you stay healthy.
Rachel Quetti is a health care writer at Aetna with experience in senior wellness, Medicare, commercial health care, and consumer engagement. When Rachel isn't trying out new fitness classes, she is cooking up fun, (mostly) healthy recipes in the kitchen. Rachel lives in Watertown, Massachusetts and has a degree in journalism from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
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Discover Teeter Blog: Self-Care
Discover Teeter Blog: Self-Care
Discover Teeter Blog: Self-Care
A recumbent bike is an effective exercise machine for those in post-stroke rehab. Learn why Physical Therapists use them in treatment and what the best options are for in-home use.
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Teeter CEO Rylie Teeter explains what fascia is and the benefits of breaking up knots and adhesions with self-myofascial release techniques like foam rolling.
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Discussion Starter • #1 •
On my '98 E-320 wagon, under certain conditions, noise similar to worn-out brake pads scraping soon-to-be-worn-out rotors emanates from where the transmission meets the drive shaft. It started suddenly, has been intermittent, and occurs (a) in park and neutral, and (b) when driving in 1st and 2nd; above that, all is smooth and silent. The car has 114K miles on it, no codes are displayed, no fluid leaks, though without a dipstick I haven't checked the level. My shop can't get to me until Monday so I thought I would see if anyone here has an explanation. Searching this forum for 'transmissions', I found quite a few threads describing similar problems, but no solutions, other than 'replace the tranny'. Maybe, but not yet. It isn't anything like the catalytic converter rattling, or motor mounts, or a cracked flex-disk. Thanks in advance for any help.