Deep creek lake rentals

Hi! Anyone have any good spots to find a roommate? Or know someone who’s looking for a roommate? (I’m 28, F, and work in EMS) Or interested in renting together? I’ve tried roomies and roomster and stuff with no such luck. I can’t seem to find any Facebook specific groups for this for just the east valley/Gilbert area. Thank you!
Ps if interested I’m going to shamelessly plug myself here: Trying to get ahead of the game I suppose! 28 year old female. I work in healthcare. Currently renting a 3B/2BR home in San Tan Valley. 2 car garage, fenced in backyard with patio. Lease ends in October. Rent will be roughly $1,400 plus whatever split utilities.
However, totally open to finding someone to room with elsewhere! Particularly in the San Tan/Queen Creek/Gilbert area!
I’m gone a lot as I work 24 hour shifts and I’m also in school. What better roommate than one you barely see, right? Lol. I’m very quiet, neat and easy going. I have two years of rental history in the same home. I don’t smoke and I very seldom drink.
I’m LGBTQ+ friendly. In my free time, I like to read, collect records and kayak. I’m pretty nerdy. I love Harry Potter, Star Wars and the occasional videogame. I’m trying to get better about going to the gym. I’d like to find someone who’s low key and just a decent person honestly. I’d love to find someone who’s a friend, too.
I do have a dog, he won’t be there all the time. I’ll typically have him on my “weekends”. He’s the sweetest boy. A 2 year old shepherd mix. He does well with all dogs but particularly loves bigger dogs. He is kennel trained as well.
Let me know!:)

Here in the region, Lake Glenville Vacation rentals offer fully furnished vacation homes with parking Glenville to unfold several outdoor recreational activities suited for all age of vacationers has old-style charm.
https://lakeglenvillencvacation.blogspot.com/2023/06/short-term-vacation-homes-with-parking.html

I remember this book I read in high school that was about this girl whos playing with her younger sister in what I think was a creek or lake that connected to the ocean. I also think she was wearing a yellow raincoat as I think it was raining at the time they were playing in said creek/lake. The book follows the police and search and resuces's hunt to find the protaginists sister and the relationships she forms with people in the town along the way and how they help her through her greif i beleive. If I rememeber correctly it ends with the sister being found in a cave. I should also mention the book is set what im pretty sure is australia but could be new zealand i just know it was one of the two, if anyone knows what book it is PLEASEEE tell me it's been bugging me for weeks

The Vanishing Lake: Part 1
Deep in the heart of the forbidding forest, where shadows dance and whispers coil through the trees, there lies a place of unspeakable horror—the Vanishing Lake. It is a cursed realm that devours the souls of the unsuspecting, leaving behind only despair and unanswered questions.
On a moonless night, when the air was thick with a sense of impending doom, two young girls, Emma and Olivia, dared to defy the warnings that echoed through the town. The allure of the macabre beckoned them, luring them into the depths of the forest like moths to a flame.
Armed with flashlights and trembling with both excitement and trepidation, they ventured through the gnarled trees, their senses assaulted by the suffocating silence. The forest seemed to breathe, its darkened heart pulsating with an ancient, malevolent energy.
As they approached the Vanishing Lake, a misty veil descended, shrouding their surroundings in an ethereal haze. The girls exchanged nervous glances, but their morbid curiosity propelled them forward. They could feel the unseen eyes of the forest upon them, cold and unrelenting.
The lake's inky waters lay before them, devoid of life and light. A bone-chilling wind whispered secrets of forgotten tragedies, urging them to turn back. But their youthful bravado consumed their reason, and they stepped closer to the water's edge, their hearts pounding in their chests.
Suddenly, a mournful melody filled the air, its haunting notes reverberating through their very souls. It was a tune from an age long forgotten, a dirge that echoed the sorrow of the lost. The sound burrowed deep within their minds, unraveling their sanity thread by thread.
Unable to resist the siren call, Emma and Olivia stumbled into a dilapidated rowboat that lay abandoned nearby. As they pushed away from the shore, the water beneath them seemed to pulse with a sinister life, its dark depths teeming with unseen horrors.
The boat drifted aimlessly, carried by an unseen force toward the heart of the lake. The mist thickened, swallowing their feeble cries for help. Their flashlights flickered, casting eerie shadows that danced along the water's surface like specters of the damned.
As the moon momentarily emerged from the clouds, its pale light illuminated the horrifying truth—the lake was not empty. It writhed with grotesque tendrils, lashing out from below, hungry for flesh and soul. Panic seized Emma and Olivia, their minds teetering on the precipice of sheer terror.
In one horrifying instant, the boat lurched violently, sending the girls sprawling into the water. They thrashed against the icy grip, their pleas for mercy drowned out by the cacophony of tortured souls. Desperation consumed them as they were dragged under, their bodies entangled in the slimy tendrils that coiled around them like serpents.
Their final moments were a symphony of agony and despair, lost in the depths of the Vanishing Lake—a place where screams go unheard, and souls are condemned to an eternity of suffering.
The town of Ravenwood mourned the loss of Emma and Olivia, forever haunted by the horrifying fate that awaited those who dared to challenge the darkness. The legend of the Vanishing Lake grew, its malevolence spreading like a festering wound, forever etching itself into the minds of those who dared to remember.
Beware, dear reader, for the Vanishing Lake beckons from the shadows, hungry for new victims. And once it claims your soul, you too will become a part of the haunting chorus, forever trapped in its watery abyss.
The Cursed Echoes: Part 2
Deep within the forsaken woods surrounding the Vanishing Lake, an unholy presence stirred, fueled by the blood-soaked memories of its victims. It craved vengeance, yearning to ensnare those who dared to challenge its dominion. Unbeknownst to the world, Lily's triumph had awakened an ancient evil, hungry for new souls to claim.
Years after Lily's encounter, a young couple, Alex and Megan, arrived in Ravenwood, seeking solace in the tranquility of the town. Unaware of the Vanishing Lake's sinister reputation, they ventured into the heart of the cursed forest, drawn by an unexplainable force.
As they delved deeper, the air grew thick with an oppressive darkness. Whispering shadows danced along the path, taunting their every step. Megan clutched Alex's arm, her heart pounding with a nameless dread. But they pressed on, their curiosity entwined with a morbid fascination.
As they reached the lake's edge, the murky water reflected a moonless sky, devoid of any semblance of life. An eerie hush enveloped them, broken only by a haunting melody that reverberated through the stillness. It clawed at their sanity, casting a spell of unyielding terror.
Ignoring the warnings etched into the depths of their souls, Alex and Megan boarded the rowboat, their hands trembling. The vessel rocked with an unnatural rhythm, as if alive with the ancient curse that plagued the lake. With each stroke of the oars, the water beneath them roiled, dark shapes writhing just beneath the surface.
The haunting melody intensified, its symphony of malevolence driving Alex and Megan to the brink of madness. Whispers slithered through the air, malicious and seductive, promising untold horrors if they dared to turn back. Fear gnawed at their resolve, but it was too late to escape the clutches of the Vanishing Lake.
As the boat drifted farther from shore, time lost all meaning. The moon's light waned, leaving them in a desolate realm of perpetual twilight. The once-familiar forest faded into a maddening labyrinth of distorted trees and twisted shadows. Panic gripped their souls, a realization that they had become trapped within the lake's insidious grasp.
Their screams pierced the suffocating silence as the water churned beneath them. Skeletal hands, their flesh decayed and slimy, emerged from the depths, reaching for their vulnerable bodies. The once-harmonious melody transformed into a cacophony of agonized shrieks, an orchestra of tormented souls crying out for release.
In a desperate attempt to escape, Alex and Megan lunged overboard, their bodies plunging into the icy grip of the lake. The water swallowed them whole, dragging them into a vortex of darkness. Their screams dissipated into nothingness, swallowed by the cursed echoes of the Vanishing Lake.
Days turned into weeks, and the couple was declared missing, their fate forever entwined with the unholy waters. Their families mourned, haunted by the harrowing tales of their loved ones' demise. The town of Ravenwood sank deeper into despair, knowing that the curse of the Vanishing Lake could claim anyone who dared to disturb its slumber.
The cursed echoes continue to reverberate through the generations, a chilling reminder that some nightmares are more than mere legends. To this day, those who stumble upon the Vanishing Lake risk becoming lost within its eternal darkness, their souls eternally tormented by the malevolent spirits that dwell within its depths.
So, heed this warning, dear reader, and never underestimate the power of the unseen. For the Vanishing

It has been an ... interesting morning so far on here... so I thought I should do this early, just in case.
Your Gold Shows for the evening:
9pm - 10:09pm: Gold Rush: White Water Season 6 "Golden Goose Chase"
For 10 years Dustin Hurt and his father Fred have ventured deep into the Alaskan wilderness chasing massive deposits of gold. Now, with modern equipment, their quest takes them on the hunt for an untapped pocket of gold that the old timers couldn't reach.
The Discovery website's production code shows this as an aftershow type show. On your guide, it likely shows as episode 18. Which is funny, because...
10:09pm - 11:10pm: Gold Rush: White Water Season 6, Episode 17 "Judgment Day" Season Finale
The fate of the mining season relies entirely upon the next 72 hrs. Will Dustin and his crew dig themselves out of the deepest hole ever and uncover Nugget Creek's legendary gold, or go home bruised and broke?
Here's your thread, enjoy the shows!

As always, thank you to u/SpacePaladin15 for the wonderful universe that is NoP
Thank you to u/cruisingNW for proof reading and helping me out of some hang ups, you're the man! Honestly LoM wouldn't have gone very far without him! If you haven't you should absolutely go read Foundations of Humanity! It's very good.
First Prev. Next
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Memory Transcription Subject: Christopher A. Dewey, Human Merchant Sailor, Venlil-Human Exchange Participant
Date [Standardized Human Time]: August 29th, 2136, Very Early Morning.
We got a message an hour ago from Videk, ordering us to report to Hangar-08 to start On-Stick training; and to bring our bags! I guess the guy had wanted to get as much out of the day as he could. That or he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.
Videk met us at the doors to the hangar, a small travel bag sitting on the floor by his side, tail swaying slowly as he watched us approach. “Good Waking, Taisa. Good Waking… Christopher.” An improvement, I’ll have to ask Taisa about that talk they had.
“This,” He continued, motioning to the shuttle parked in the hangar behind him with his tail. “Is your training shuttle: registration C1-0V3R-HR-EX.Your first On-Stick training assignment will be to follow appropriate lift off and departure procedures, plot and follow a course to The Capitol on Venlil Prime, seek permission to land from the proper authorities, and land safely and legally following those permissions. All of this, while following proper procedure and regulations. All of this will be graded.”
As he speaks the door behind him slides open, revealing a broad hangar bay, heavy clamshell doors dominate the far wall. At the center of the bay sits a stout craft painted white and black, a pair of stubby wings jutting from its sides flowing into a pair of engines flanking a singular tail. Venlil script is painted at the root of the tail and on the top of the rear ramp.
“Upon arrival in the Capitol you will have some paperwork to do at the U.N. offices with regards to your habitation. I will need to pick up some equipment from the training facility at the landing fields. After our respective errands, let’s say half a claw, we will meet up back at the shuttle and from there you will be plotting an in-atmosphere route to Shadetree, Sunward of the Capitol, to drop me off and wait for me to install and calibrate the remote instructing equipment. Once that is completed, you will plot another in-atmosphere course to Heartwood River, concluding this paws evaluations. Do you have any questions?”
I shook my head, and Taisa flicked her ears, in what I believed was a negative. “Very good, load your stuff and we’ll begin immediately.”
After a few minutes of finding places to tie off our belongings and get everything situated, I sat in the pilot’s seat and ran through the pre-flight check with Taisa. We caught a pair of faults in the starboard fuel delivery units. Videk seemed pleased we had caught them, and that he hadn’t had to tell us they were there. I could feel a slight smile tug at the corner of my mouth.
Devious little bastard makes for a damn good instructor.
Once the preflight was complete I closed the rear ramp and hailed the flight control tower. “Tower this is shuttle C1-0V3R-HR-EX requesting clearance for departure, place us enroute to Venlil Prime with planned landing zone of Capitol Shuttle Field 13-Bravo.” A Human voice came back over the line, a bit of mirth in their voice. “Shuttle, Tower, you are clear for departure, opening bay doors now. Good luck and Godspeed.”
The doors to the station hangar yawned open, filling the viewport with the void and all its stars beyond as I slowly brought the shuttle off the hangar floor, easing it out through the opening. I reached over to the nearest display and opened the Nav-computer interface, plotting our course to VP, and then on to the Capitol landing fields. Once I was confident I had the proper navigation commands and sequences set I called over Videk to have him review my work.
He gave me a quick flick of his tail before saying “Looks good, Christopher. Feel free to spool and jump when you’re ready.”
Videk’s approval given, I reached over and pushed forward on the throttles, engaging the drive and hurtling the shuttle into subspace.
It. Was. Beautiful. Everything seemed to stretch, stars in the distance turning from pinpricks of light into brilliant colorful streaks, lengthening as we bounded through the void. Lines of light far off in my periphery zip past like tracers as the ones before me feel as if they’re pulling me in with their kaleidoscope of color. The hum of the shuttle fell into the background while I became entranced by the light show in front me, picturing myself on the set of one of those old sci-fi shows I would watch with Pa on the weekends. The Future my ancestors had imagined was Here, right before my eyes and at the tips of my fingers! This view was… Hypnotic. The simulator couldn’t hope to do it justice.
Two hours. That was it.
Two hours to travel what, until very recently, would have been considered an insurmountable distance for Humanity. Dropping from Sub-space into the proximity of Venlil Prime was another astoundingly brilliant view. Scorched white deserts flowing into massive swathes of golden sands cut by the occasional streak of blue before blending into a beautiful verdant mix of turquoise and green fields, with vast lakes and rivers dotting the forests, flowing into wide marshy wetlands. Before finally, the curve of the planet fell away from its star, allowing the fading sunlight to showcase glittering city lights dotting the countryside.
The thrusters burn to life, crackling and thrumming with power as they drive us forward through the void to the beautiful marble before us. I flip two switches on the overhead, tapping the leftmost display to call up the local channel list and place a hail to the Capitol’s landing fields to request clearance and pad assignment. A quick ping, signifying my hail had been acknowledged, chimed over the console speaker.
“Capitol Shuttle Field 13-Bravo this is Shuttle C1-0V3R-HR-EX requesting clearance for landing at an available pad of convenience.” “C1-0V3R-HR-EX, you are cleared for landing, 13-Bravo, direct to pad Charlie-5.”
The Flight through the Void may have had some feeling of familiarity and nostalgia to the old Sci-fi shows at home; but in-atmo had the far better view! Rolling turquoise fields and towering thick trees, with their canopies tilted greedily towards that unmoving sun, falling away to a gargantuan metropolitan area, its architecture entirely alien yet still somehow familiar. Massive skyscrapers soar to touch the sky, reflecting light in brilliant angles and colors, the space below them populated by squat sturdy buildings and deep black roads. The Venlil going about their lives below look like ants as I ease off the throttle, taking the speed down to prepare for the final approach. The display on the viewport flags my landing area with a small pip guiding me in, slow and easy.
The cabin jostles slightly as the ship settles onto its landing gear. Videk seemed impressed; his ears up as he tapped away at his data pad! Taisa’s tail sways happily back and forth as she runs through the diagnostics of the landing, checking system status reports.
“Looks like we’re all clear. Videk do you have a time we should try and be back by?” Taisa beeps, showing the flight instructor the console in front of her.
“I just need to pick up the equipment and get it linked up, that should only take about a half a claw. Walking to and from the landing field and the U.N. Offices should put you at about the right time.” Videk turned away and made for the ramp; Taisa’s talk helped, and he was clearly trying, but he was still a bundle of nerves around me. His fur was so puffed out it looked like he was holding more static than a thunderhead.
As we stepped out of the artificial gravity of the shuttle I felt like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. My first step faltered making me stumble down the ramp and bounce off the… soft pavement? “Oh, forgot about that.” Videk winced sympathetically, “Our gravity is about twenty percent more than earth’s, so be careful. Falls are likely to hurt a little bit more here.”
“Would’ve been nice to know first, Videk.” I groaned, rolling myself over and sitting up, luckily the visor hadn’t fallen off; I would need to add one of those new back braces and some knee compressors to that order of stuff from home. “Do you know where the U.N. Offices are? Or should we just ask around to find our way there?”
“I do not, but you should be able to get directions on your pad. I trust the two of you can figure it out, so I’m going to go get the equipment I need. I will wait for the two of you with the shuttle once I am ready.” With a parting flap of his ears, Videk turned and walked away; flicking the tip of his tail back and forth as he did.
“Alright then,” I grumbled, forcing myself up off the pavement, swaying as I found my new equilibrium. “let’s get going. Can you pull up those directions?” She nodded slightly, flicking her ears forward. “Got them up already! You alright there?”
“I’m fine.” I grunted, rolling out my shoulder a little. “Feels like I weigh a quarter ton, but I’ll get over it with time. Lead the way.”
After a few minutes of walking we were off the landing fields and into the streets of the city. My boots sinking into the pavement a little with each step, just like on the landing field. “Taisa, what is this stuff? I figured it was just to make landings a little softer on shuttles but it’s everywhere! Looks like pavement but it gives like rubber; why are your roads like this?” “Anti-stampede concrete.” She stated, matter of factly, like that meant literally anything to me. My silence must have tipped her off that I wasn’t getting it as she focused one eye on my visor. “Oh… I guess Humans wouldn’t need that. It’s to help reduce stampede fatalities, it’s the same reason the roads and buildings have gentle curves, no sharp angles.” Looking around at the way the groups of Venlil flowed through the streets I realized she was right, what I had thought was a futuristic aesthetic design was just to keep people from killing each other against walls or trampling them into the ground when they got scared. How strange… and slightly worrying.
“Weird, that sounds like some crazy wonder material. Bet we’d have a bunch of uses for it back on earth.” My eyes watched the tips of skyscrapers towering above us, “How far out does it say we are?”
“Only a little further, about one and a half kilometers.” She responded, a slight pant in her voice. I wasn’t in the best shape, cardio wise, but I couldn’t imagine getting winded after 10 minutes of walking; guess all that talk about the Venlil having less stamina than us was right.
The U.N. Office complex was a series of giant flowing buildings built on a large park area. It wasn’t any design I had ever seen so I figured it had to have been an existing complex that just got turned over to the U.N. for their uses.
Passing through the heavy glass front doors we found a wide receptionist's desk, with several Humans sitting behind it, answering questions and directing people where they needed to go. One of the receptionists, a short dark haired woman with a visor obscuring her face, beckons us over. “Hello! How can I help you today?” “H-Hi!” Taisa beeps excitedly, her tail swaying behind her confidently as she takes a deep breath and straightens her back. “We’re part of the ‘integration’ experiments, we were told we need to fill out some forms for habitation. Where do we go to do that?” “Oh! Congratulations! That would be Suite 216-B” The receptionist answered, excitement in her voice as she pointed to a room on the map infront of her.
“Thank you!” Taisa responded, turning to head up the stairs behind the receptionist's desk. Halfway up the stairs she swiveled her ears over to me before saying. “Sorry, I figure if I’m probably going to have to work with Humans other than you for this I should try and at least work on being able to talk to them.” “It’s alright,” I chuckle, patting her shoulder. “That’s a great idea and you’re doing alright!” Walking down the hallways we saw prints of landscapes from Earth, Machu Picchu, the Uyuni Salt Flats, The Grand Canyon, YellowStone, Hạ Long Bay, The Zhangye Mountains and Plitvice Lakes. I pointed out the places I had been to as we walked past them, finally stopping at suite 216-B.
The door was open so we knocked, getting a quick ‘enter’, before stepping in. A man sits behind a desk, the top covered in organized files and folders, a placard on his desk declares his name as ‘Obediah Kamara’ with a small Liberian flag stamped beside it.
His visor obscures his face as he looks between the two of us before beginning. “I presume you are…” He sorts through a couple of the files and folders before stopping on one and opening it, pulling out a document packet. “Christopher Dewey and Taisa. Correct?”
We both respond in the affirmative as he gestures for us to take the seats across from him, sliding the documents across the table as Taisa’s pad pings on her belt. “These are agreements to ensure that you,” He starts, looking at me. “Understand the rules in regards to your habitation here on Venlil Prime. I understand that part of your integration will be taking you off world to and from Earth, these rules primarily apply to your time here. We ask that you remain considerate of the provided rules and guidelines on the ship if you are carrying Venlil passengers. Taisa, those are the terms, conditions, compensations and requirements for your family to house a human when the two of you are present. Virtual signature of that document is required within the next 3 of your ‘paws’.” Taisa stiffened a little bit, likely thinking about her Mother’s response to my arrival; that was something we were probably going to have to have a talk about later. I had an idea for the short term, at least. I ran through the paperwork real quick and it was all pretty simple: don’t be without the visor or some kind of face covering in settings where you couldn’t guarantee that an unprepared Venlil wouldn’t see you, avoid aggression, speak quietly, no eating meat, animal products or byproducts, no hunting local wildlife; bit odd considering I didn’t even have a bow or a gun but rules are rules, I suppose.
“Sounds good to me,” I said, signing the indicated portions of the document. “When are my items supposed to get here?”
“We don’t expect your requested items to arrive for another week or so, for now you’ll have to make do with what you brought with you.” Obediah responded, shuffling the packet of papers back into the folder they had come from. “With that complete you are free to go. I understand you have training to complete, so I wish you good luck with your endeavor. If you have any questions or needs with regards to your habitation you can contact Sam, their details will be forwarded to your communication devices.”
I caught Taisa’s tail twitching as her ears swiveled nervously out of the corner of my eye; even with her attempts to push through it I think the amount of Humans around was starting to get to her. Still, she was doing better than I think a lot of Venlil would be able to manage. I reached over, gently tapping my hand against her paw, trying to ground her a little before motioning to go, she nodded slightly as she flicked her ears.
“Thank you, Obediah, we’ll be sure to get into touch with them once we get their contact. Have a good day!”
Taisa and I stood, exiting the room and making our way out of the building, stopping to look at another picture or two along the way. Something needed to be done about possibly not having a place to stay to put my, and more so Taisa’s, mind at ease. I figured I could sleep in the shuttle, if I had to. It wouldn’t be particularly comfortable but I could certainly do it; I’d need a mat, maybe a sleeping bag or some blankets and a pillow.
I had no clue where I was going to get my hands on those, or at least a set of them big enough for me to actually use.
Then I saw the temporary units in the field near the offices. Men and Women in U.N. fatigues were milling about the area. Barracks? That could solve the problem, if they’re willing to help out a man in need, of course.
“Hey, Taisa, I need to make a stop real quick.” I state, walking briskly towards the largest of the buildings. “What’s up?” She asks, ears focused on me as she tilts her head a little.
“Well, I was thinking, I don’t think your parents, your Mom especially, won’t, uh… won’t want me around. At least not for a little while until she gets to know me better.”
“I think you can get past it, she’s not that bad… It’ll just be tough.”
“Oh I’m sure I can get past it, but I’d rather not just sleep in the grass in the meantime.” “I don’t think she’d make you sleep in the grass…” “I like being prepared, if she doesn’t want me in her house I’m not going to push the issue.”
“I just… I hope it doesn’t come to that, I’m not going to let her toss you outside like an animal.” She sighs quietly as we push through the front door of the barrack building.
A desk manned by a napping U.N. Marine with Private ranks stuck to his shoulders filled the space beyond the doors. He stirs as the doors clank shut behind us before scrambling to throw on his Visor as he notices Taisa.
“Hello, Uh… Can I help you? This area is for active U.N. personnel only.” He starts, his voice finding its authority only about halfway through the statement.
I stand straight, trying to muster the stern demeanor I’d found in my father and his friends so often when they tried to get something on base after their retirements. “Easy, Private. It has come to my attention that my accommodations lack proper bedding.” “O-Oh, uh, I apologize…” He stammers out, searching for something to say, likely looking to find a way out of trouble for sleeping on duty.
“Sir.” I state. “What’s your name, Private?”
“A-Alvarez, Sir.”
“Alvarez. I’ll remember that, Alvarez, how about we make this quick, you get me a wrap of blankets, 3 pillows and a bedroll and I don’t find your commander to report your… lack of enthusiasm.”
The private snaps to attention before firmly stating. “Yes Sir! I’ll be right back, Sir!”
As the private turns and walks away crisply I hear Taisa whistle with laughter a little beside me. “I’m surprised that worked.”
“You’d be surprised what a hard voice, straight back and the right slacking Private can get you if you just don’t go pushin' it too far in your story.” I whispered with a wink.
After a few minutes of waiting Private Alvarez returned with a duffle bag, stuffed full with blankets and pillows, as well as an inflatable bedroll under the other arm. “Here you go, Sir. Will this be ok?” He asked, passing the items over to me.
“Perfect, thank you Private.” I took the bundle of bedding and turned to the door, before turning my head back over my shoulder, “Oh, and Private? Do try and get proper rest before duty.”
A shaking “Y-Yes, Sir.” followed Taisa and I out of the door.
The first half of the walk back to the landing field was quiet, I was scanning the skyline again, I just couldn’t get over the fact that I was on another planet. Taisa however had her ears pinned back, her paws lightly holding her tail tuft as we walked.
“What’s got ya down?” I asked, watching the herd of Venlil glide around us as we came, trying their best not to get too close to me.
“I’m… concerned.” She sighed, the tip of her tail twitching between her paws.
“About?”
“My mother, what she’ll say… What she’ll do.”
“I can’t exactly say I know what her reaction’ll be… But, whatever it is we’ll just have to deal with it. It’ll probably take time, but we’ll get by.” I soothed. She let go of her tail, placing the tip of it on my back, but her ears didn’t let up at all.
The rest of the walk to the shuttle was quiet as she fidgeted with her paws, trying to take her mind off of the subject. Videk was there waiting for us, a few crates secured to the cargo area of the shuttle that weren’t present before.
“You two ready?” He asked, flicking his tail at us.
“I think so.” I responded, stowing the bedding in an empty compartment as Taisa flicked her ears.
We ran through our preflight checklist again, finding another pre-placed failure from Videk waiting for us, this time in the starboard control surfaces. Once the check was done we radioed the tower for clearance to take off and set an in-atmo course for Shadetree to drop off Videk. It was a short hop, about a half hour of flying or so before I had to call ahead for clearance to land again.
Most of the flight from the Capitol to Shadetree had been rolling turquoise and green hills or open fields of produce growing in the everpresent light. A sudden dense forest rose from the fields, thick dark brown trees with fluttering golden leaves stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction. A sudden break in the forest revealed a clearing for the Landing field, much smaller than the one at the Capitol. The city was built under the canopy of the trees, giving it a constant filtered light casting down through the shifting leaves. It was certainly a beautiful town, I’d have to come back to visit some day. Maybe once Videk had warmed up to me a little bit more.
As the ramp fell ,a small cargo truck arrived alongside the shuttle to collect Videk and his equipment. I offered to help but the Venlil driver just about ran when I started talking so I figured it was probably best to just keep out of it. Once the cargo truck departed, Taisa came back up to the cockpit, plopping down in her seat, and looked through the viewscreen at the trees beyond. The soft hiss of the ramp closing marked the finality of Videk’s departure.
“So, how are you feeling about Venlil Prime so far?” She asked, one eye on my face as I finally slipped the visor off.
“I like it! Between the beautiful scenery, interesting architecture and hanging out with you and Shamrock, here I’m having a great time!” I responded, rubbing my hand on what amounted to the shuttle's dashboard.
“... Shamrock?” She asked, her tail swaying in what I figured for amusement.
“Yea! Remember how I told you Humans like looking for patterns? Well it works on words and numbers as well. The tail number for the shuttle could be taken to spell ‘Clover-HR-EX’, or just clover for short. Clovers are a type of plant on earth that a few cultures believed to be lucky, one way or another. One of the nicknames for them was a Shamrock!”
She laughed at me.
“You are such a dork.” She said, wiping a tear from her eye as her tail whipped back and forth. “It’s a good name, usually shuttles don’t get one. I think it fits.”
I chuckled, a thought crossing my mind. “Think we could get any shuttle-grade paint? Preferably green, yellow and black?” She raised an eyebrow at me as her ears cocked at different elevations. “Oh? Someone feeling a little artistic?”
“Well, I could always paint a Shamro-” I was interrupted as the ping signifying we were being hailed sounded off. “We’ll finish this later.” I said, pointing at her as I accepted the hail.
Videk’s voice bled through the speakers. “Ok, looks like the connection is secure. Let’s go ahead and run through getting you familiar with the software, it should be quick and easy.”
It was not.
It took two hours. After a lot of trial and error, stop and go flights to test the connection and a few near misses with an especially tall tree we had gotten the system setup such that Videk was confident it would work in an emergency if he needed to step in. With that all squared away Taisa and I settled in to get on our way to Heartwood River. Sleeping on the blow up mattress or on a real bed hardly mattered at this point, I just wanted to sleep.
The overall flight time was set to be about an hour and a half, not too bad and man was the view beautiful: rolling fields, roaring rivers, pristine skies and alien forests abounded across the countryside. We had just passed over Hidden Plains when Taisa and I were just settling back into talking about her parents and our best route to try and handle them, when the hail system chimed and immediately spat out a harsh tone without acknowledgement, the same one the simulator used for distress calls.
“Mayday Mayday Mayday. Report of shots fired at residence housing humans. Need immediate medical evac at The Berrypatch Farm in The Grove, 11 minutes Night-ward from Hidden Plains. Hailing all airborn craft, we need a medical evac immediately!”
I immediately returned the hail. “This is cargo shuttle C1-0V3R-HR-EX. Responding to Mayday from the Grove. We are en-route to render aid. Hold tight, we’ll be there.”
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Taisa tighten her flight harness as I reached for the throttle.
---
First Prev. Next

So when you think of cities with high culture and vibrant music scenes on the east coast, what springs to mind? Obviously New York. Thanks to Drake, we all know about the growing music scene in Toronto. You prahbahbly musta tawt a Bawstan tew. Maybe Montreal or Philadelphia or even Baltimore crossed your mind.
Hah. Baltimore.
Time to check your cultural bias, pal. You passed over a quiet little city on the south shore of Lake Ontario, nestled in the Genesee River valley. It has a history as a hotbed of Abolitionism and Women’s Rights. It is the home of Eastman Kodak, Xerox, Bausch & Lomb, Western Union, Ragu and other innovative companies. It has a lively music scene, great nightclubs, world-renowned universities, thriving museums, arts & culture festivals, and live theatre. It is a true cultural gem that many folks overlook.
Yep. You bet your ass I am talking about Rochester, New York.
Since we know that Stoner Rock can come from anywhere, it should be no surprise that Rochester has produced one of the leading bands in this genre. This week we are going to check out a band you are going to want to listen to. If you know them, you love them. If you haven’t heard of them, you are going to thank me.
This week’s band is KING BUFFALO.
About Them
Hold on a sec. King Buffalo? Not King Rochester?
To be fair, King Rochester sounds like the villain in a Disney movie. Kinda hard to imagine that on a T-Shirt. King New York sounds like a particularly obnoxious Yankees fan (and yeah, finding a Yankees fan that isn’t obnoxious is a tough go). King Albany sounds like a car made by Kia.
But King Buffalo? That just works.
Our heroes didn’t start out together. King Buffalo were made up of members of two other Rochester area bands.
Randall Coon and Scott Donaldson were playing together in Velvet Elvis. That five piece band played heavy rock with space-based themes in the early 2010’s. Sean McVay and Dan Reynolds were in another band called Abandoned Buildings Club (side note: kinda neat that their initials were ABC), who had a pure psychedelic rock vibe. When both VE and ABC appeared to be having limited success, the four musicians decided to merge their talents into one band. Coon had handled vocals and guitar in Velvet Elvis and Donaldson had been rock solid on drums. McVay had done vocals and guitar in Abandoned Buildings Club and Reynolds had anchored the sound with his bass. All the pieces were there for a classic Beatles-esque lineup.
So out of the wreckage of ABC and VE, KB arose. The four members gelled so well that they were able to record their first demo - aptly titled Demo - in just two days. Their sound was immediately compared to tourmates and close friends All Them Witches. But where ATW were bluesy and sludgy, King Buffalo had produced songs full of space. Oh, there were heavy riffs for sure - but there were passages of music that were contrastingly lighter and further apart. The best example of these contrasts can be found in the more than 11 minutes of Providence Eye. The first six and a half minutes come at you at a lulling pace, enveloping you in the moment. You get swept up in the rolling riffs. But then the drop happens and you suddenly realize the song has been building to this peak. The tempo picks up and you ride a relentless rollercoaster until you hit the Black Sabbath-inspired outro, which takes you home. It is an emotional experience. The two other tracks - In Dim Light and Pocket Full of Knife are smaller essays on the same theme.
It was clear right from Demo that King Buffalo had some serious talent. But if you have listened to the band you will notice that one thing is starkly different on Demo than from any of their other releases: the vocals. Randall Coon was the lead vocalist on these recordings. If you play them up against anything since by the band they stand out. Our very own QotSA may have successfully had multiple vocalists on multiple tunes, but King Buffalo was destined to have Sean McVay take over the mic. Shortly after 2013’s Demo, Coon left the band to do a solo project called Skunk Hawk.
King Buffalo stood at a crossroads: did they look to replace Coon, or should they carry on as a Power Trio? The choice for them was obvious. McVay, Reynolds and Donaldson knew that they had fantastic potential together. They decided they didn't need anyone else.
Side note: Regular readers of these write ups know that All Them Witches just went through this exact crisis in 2019. What I didn’t share then is that ATW are close friends with KB. I would not be surprised to learn that ATW had some serious conversations about their lineup with the boys from KB before they, too, decided last year to pare down to just three members.
To re-christen their new lineup, in 2015 King Buffalo went in on a split EP with Swedish band Lé Betre (I mean, hooking up with a Swedish partner is a dream of mine, so I see the appeal.) They re-recorded their standout tune Providence Eye with McVay on vocals, as well as two new tracks - Like a Cadillac and New Time. New Time opens their side of the EP with an infectious, descending riff that hooks you immediately. It is clear from the lyrics - No wasting around, it’s a new time - that they had moved on from Coon. Like a Cadillac follows up and is a three and a half minute jam that leaves you wanting more. The re-recorded version of Providence Eye closes out their side of the split EP and leaves no doubt that they are in charge. It is a tighter, heavier version, and the amazing outro is so low down that it will make you want to rob your own house.
With their lineup now set, it was time to put together enough music to tour on. In 2016, King Buffalo released Orion. Here you can witness the melding of their influences into something majestic and fantastic, and it is here that they really develop their signature style.
To explain this style, you need to understand basic song structure.
Most pop songs tend to go verse - chorus - verse - chorus - bridge - chorus - chorus. Sure, you could add in a solo for the bridge, or a detailed intro or outro, or another verse - but this is a tried and true formula. Some variation of this dominates the pop charts to this day.
Not with King Buffalo songs. These guys are the masters of the drop, and you hear it in most of their tunes. QotSA fans are no strangers to that long build and release; it is an integral part of tunes like The Evil Has Landed, God is in the Radio, Song For The Dead, and I Appear Missing. One of the sickest drops ever recorded happens in the middle of the Them Crooked Vultures tune No One Loves Me & Neither Do I. It is where the music turns around, and a new riff takes over, often along with a pace change. It is then that you realize that the song has built to this climactic moment, and you are engulfed by the music.
King Buffalo does this better than anyone else, and you hear it clearly articulated, again and again, on the album Orion.
Take the song Kerosene for example.
A rolling bass riff from Reynolds establishes the song right out of the gate. Donaldson produces punchy drum beats with cymbal crashes at the end of each phrase. McVay’s slide guitar rounds out the intro. McVay’s vocals - very Ozzy like, if Ozzy had any semblance of self-control - frame the first verse, which ends in a fuzzy, heavy riff with crashing cymbals. This same pattern is repeated a second time and the drop is teased at just past three minutes in, but does not happen quite yet. The listener’s anticipation builds as the airy, soaring solo from McVay calls out in contrast to the rolling bass. After the guitar solo bridge, the band goes right back into the chorus. But then it happens: THE DROP. Just past 5 minutes in, the song takes a complete and abrupt turn for a totally different riff that is at the same time heavier and brand new, and yet has been there all the while.
What King Buffalo does brilliantly is subvert your musical expectations.
The standard structure is V-C-V-C-B-C-C.
Kerosene is V-C-V-C-B-C-DROP-OUTRO. Just when you subliminally expect something the same, you get something different.
The entire album is like that. Orion hardly sounds like a debut. It is a mature and deliberate soundscape built by talented musicians who are making significant choices about their art. Songs like Drinking From The River Rising open with an expansive and elastic topography, but drill down to the molten lava of heavy riffs and distorted fuzz. Sleeps On A Vine begins with one of the most zen riffs you’ve ever heard and ends in a tumultuous and heavy sonic assault that is pure controlled chaos. Every song on the album is a study in contrasts that leaves you with auditory whiplash and a burning desire for more.
They are that good.
King Buffalo were able to tour on their new material, and did so extensively. They played clubs and larger venues, often with friends and fellow Stoner Rockers All Them Witches and other bands like The Sword and Elder. In 2017, the released the EP Repeater as a follow up. It is just three songs (The vinyl ad reads, All songs on one side! No need to flip!) but it is a heck of a musical journey. The title track off the EP is 13+ minutes long and is one huge build. When the fuzz finally drops after almost 8 minutes, it is a true cathartic moment. It sneaks up on you, and is so welcome when it hits - especially after McVay’s repetition that “Every Day is the Same* - that you intrinsically understand how great it is when things finally change for the better. Too Little Too Late is an instrumental tune that is both enveloping and expansive. It is a terrific bridge to the final track, Centurion, which is an unbelievable groove. Centurion has three minutes of set up leading to an unreal fuzzy drop that is so dirty it will get you evicted from your apartment.
The influence of their touring with All Them Witches can also be seen on their next full length release, 2018’s Longing To Be The Mountain. Ben McLeod from ATW produced the album. ATW, The Sword and Elder are all thanked in the liner notes. The album picks up right where Repeater leaves off, with KB experimenting with long form songs like Morning Song and the title track, and shorter jams like Sun Shivers, Cosmonaut, and Quickening. Reynolds and McVay pepper the songs with synthesizer sounds that add colour and texture to the overall compositions. Donaldson drums with impeccable precision to provide each song with a safe mooring to return to, driving the guitars forward at the same time as he holds the rhythm in check. This is most clearly evident in Eye Of The Storm. The result is a rich tapestry of expansive and flowing music full of heavy jams and storytelling that will leave the listener wanting more. Their signature build-to-sonic-explosion style does not let fans down.
The success of Longing To Be The Mountain allowed for extensive touring across North America and Europe. It also led to appearances at bigger gigs, like at Rockpalast and the Stoned & Dusted desert rock event in 2019. Anyone that has seen any of their live work knows that King Buffalo are simply hypnotizing on stage. Reynolds’ bass work is reminiscent of Geddy Lee with his complex and flowing style. Donaldson brings controlled power to the drum kit, and is ready to cut loose when the drop comes. And McVay has become a true front man, comfortable with the lead voice on guitar and the microphone.
Their next release, Dead Star, dropped in 2020 and generated all kinds of buzz in the Stoner Rock scene. Of course, the tour planned to support it got axed when the entire world went into lockdown. But the (short album? EP?) is simply fantastic. Red Star Pt. 1 & 2 continues their long form examination and has everything you’d expect from them. Echo of A Waning Star is a lament of just over 3 minutes that is near-perfect. Ecliptic sounds like the soundtrack to a John Carpenter movie and is a complete jam with serious cool 1980’s vibes. Dead Star, the title track, is almost Radiohead-esque in its evocative and regretful take on death and decay.
But the standout track has to be Eta Carinae, which has one of the greatest musical drops and turn-arounds you will ever hear. The entire song pivots just past four minutes in and becomes a 70’s anthem worthy of Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath. If you listen to no other tune here today, you have to check it out. It will absolutely get stuck in your head.
The band dropped their first live record, Live At Freak Valley, in 2020. This is a really nice retrospective/greatest hits album kinda deal. What stands out is just how fucking tight the band is live. With some bands, live versions veer wildly from the recorded ones - and not at all in a good way. This record is the opposite. You can clearly hear on Orion and Kerosene that KB are just that good live.
In the wake of the global pandemic, King Buffalo decided to musically capture the moment in time. They decided to release a trifecta of albums. 2021 saw them drop The Burden of Restlessness and then Acheron. The third record in this trio is 2022’s Regenerator. It is really important to consider all three records in this Triptych at the same time, for they are a sonic cycle.
TBOR is a descent into despondency. Acheron is about hitting rock bottom, and being in Hell. Regenerator is about finding a way to claw yourself back into the light. Each album stands on its own, but together they form a sweeping epic journey that we can all relate to.
TBOR is an album where the protagonist gradually loses the will to exist. There is a cry of deep frustration in Burning, a not-so-subtle reference to a plague in Locusts, a study in being confined indoors in Silverfish, and an outright statement that our hero is sinking in Loam. In fact, the lyrics tell us: “Still I press my face into the ground/I’m waiting for the hammer to fall.”
It is not a happy album.
Just when you think things have to get better, we get the 4-track jam of Acheron. In this record, our hero has fallen to his lowest point. He has descended to Hell. The title track - the first one on the album - makes this clear, when it says: “Waking up under the ground/Silver asleep on my tongue.”
Just in case you didn’t get the classic reference, Acheron is the river one must cross in Greek mythology to get to the underworld. Souls going to Hell had coins placed in their mouth to pay Charon, the ferryman, to take them across the river to Hades. So our hero did sink into the Loam in the last album, and finds himself in Hell. This theme is reinforced in Zephyr, who was the Greek God of the West Wind, and Shadows, which references what the Greeks used to call dead spirits - Shades. And just in case you had any doubt, the final track on the album is Cerberus, named after the three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades.
What is even cooler about Acheron is how it was recorded. Instead of a studio, they recorded the album underground in a cave.
Now that is commitment.
The final album in this cycle is 2022’s Regenerator. While the first two records were about descent, despondency, and hitting rock bottom, this record is about regaining hope and optimism, and finding a way to come back. We hear this clearly in the lyrics of the record’s final track, Firmament, which says: “Out of the loam I rise, embraced by the etheThe river below relieves my hands of silver” - clearly calling back to the tracks Loam and Acheron. And in case you didn’t know, in Greek mythology the Firmament means the Sky or the Heavens.
Our hero has left Hell behind, and ascended into Heaven.
References to positive mythology are all over this album, from the album art to the tracks Mercury and Avalon. It is a total jam. But the best song on the album might just be Mammoth. If you don’t like the guitar on this song, you and I can’t be friends.
I got a chance to see KB perform last year when they toured with Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats. They are fucking tight. They were the opening act, but were the absolute highlight of the show. I want everyone to hear this band because they really are something special.
Go check them out.
Links to QOTSA
We know that QotSA front man Josh Homme and Kyuss invented Stoner Rock in the 1990’s. They were the genre-defining band. King Buffalo (and other bands like All Them Witches) have picked up this proverbial torch and are now bringing the sound to the next generation of fans. King Buffalo drummer Scott Donaldson is known to be a huge QotSA fan. Perhaps he saw them live when they played in Rochester in 2014 in support of ...Like Clockwork.
It is also sometimes easy to forget that Josh was not the only architect of the low desert sound. Original Kyuss Drummer and co-founder Brant Bjork wrote many Kyuss tunes and continues to be a leader in the music scene today. King Buffalo have played with Bjork at festivals three times: Freak Valley Festival, Black Deer Festival and the aforementioned Stoned & Dusted. There is also a planned collaborative project between Bjork and King Buffalo that may be coming our way soon.
The future is bright, my friends.
Their Music
Providence Eye
In Dim Light
Pocket Full of Knife
King Buffalo songs from the Split EP with Lé Betre
Kerosene -- live in 2016
Drinking From The River Rising
Orion - entire album on Genesee Live
RepeateCenturion -- Recorded Live in the Quarantine Sessions put out by the band
Live at Rockpalast in 2019 - includes songs from LTBTM
Longing To Be The Mountain - Quarantine Sessions
Quickening -- everything is cool until the snake head pops out. Red Star Pt. 2 -- the official video
Ecliptic
Eta Carinae
Dead Star - Full Album
Silverfish
The Knocks
Loam
Hours
Acheron
Shadows
Mammoth
Firmament
Show Them Some Love
/KingBuffalo - C’mon, everyone -- there are just over 500 subscribers. Those are rookie numbers. You gotta pump those numbers up.
Previous Posts
Tool
Alice in Chains
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Rage Against The Machine
Soundgarden
Run the Jewels
Royal Blood
Arctic Monkeys
Ty Segall
Eagles of Death Metal
Them Crooked Vultures
Led Zeppelin
Greta Van Fleet
Ten Commandos
Screaming Trees
Sound City Players
Iggy Pop
Mastodon
The Strokes
Radiohead
All Them Witches
ZZ Top

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Jaguar F-Type Roadster (Merrick, NY)
https://www.google.de/maps/@40.6392372,-73.532829,3a,15.3y,194.18h,82.17t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sKXKAq6-d1FHavtwdT5l1sA!2e0!5s20230401T000000!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
Jaguar F-Type Roadster (Atlanta, GA)
https://www.google.de/maps/@33.7458305,-84.4035572,3a,15y,138.07h,87.83t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sY2ML3Tw1ysX-t8fNR0UKRg!2e0!5s20220601T000000!7i16384!8i8192
Jaguar F-Type Roadster (Flagstaff, AZ)
https://www.google.de/maps/@35.1902758,-111.6609197,3a,15y,311.12h,88.04t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s8z9vy1tidpUAVI9YVr1y-Q!2e0!5s20220601T000000!7i16384!8i8192
Jaguar F-Type Coupe (Glen Cove, NY)
https://www.google.de/maps/@40.8998193,-73.6327426,3a,15y,275.26h,84.62t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1swt0q-zpXsWr3D7exmqynFw!2e0!5s20211201T000000!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
Jaguar F-Type Coupe (Great Neck Plaza, NY)
https://www.google.at/maps/@40.7879172,-73.7287953,3a,15y,164.06h,82.93t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s3GSivAW7PuN0Ka5oniSgWg!2e0!5s20180701T000000!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu
Lamborghini Urus (Seattle, WA)
https://www.google.de/maps/@47.6217631,-122.3208706,3a,15y,349.36h,85.49t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sb2DCFxpuo6ytc0hlf-iEhA!2e0!5s20220801T000000!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
Lamborghini Urus (Phoenix, AZ)
https://www.google.de/maps/@33.4981556,-111.960166,3a,15y,152.79h,82.2t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sR4LzAHseOeOMh_UZZWYKdA!2e0!5s20221101T000000!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
Lotus Elan M100 (Flagstaff, AZ)
https://www.google.de/maps/@35.195071,-111.6283572,3a,15y,220.34h,79.63t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1svPG7qZEpOmomqN7iugThLw!2e0!5s20110801T000000!7i13312!8i6656
Maserati GranTurismo S (Bellmore, NY)
https://www.google.de/maps/@40.6510457,-73.5288878,3a,26.7y,104.43h,76.2t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sgdydySiEeQ78sjr1aoz3OQ!2e0!5s20230401T000000!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
Maserati Quattroporte M139 (Tempe, AZ)
https://www.google.de/maps/@33.4069403,-111.8910081,3a,15y,270.13h,86.33t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sp4FVgtG4kL_GHkRRQ55jnw!2e0!5s20130701T000000!7i13312!8i6656
McLaren 570s! (Houston, TX)
https://www.google.at/maps/@29.7869713,-95.5451449,3a,21.7y,243.61h,76.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sGM4s7QKc8kfIorSatJCrBA!2e0!5s20220401T000000!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
Mercedes SL63 AMG (Bellmore, NY)
https://www.google.de/maps/@40.6440656,-73.5270553,3a,17.6y,20.04h,73.87t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1siT5rXpUM986m_7zkiB2TKg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
Nissan GTR R35 (Phoenix, AZ)
https://www.google.at/maps/@33.5999009,-111.9844203,3a,15y,208.24h,83.89t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1seOGEEOcmrvhwg8jFMru0mg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
Plymouth Prowler (Queen Creek, AZ)
https://www.google.de/maps/@33.2539114,-111.6366323,3a,15y,340.65h,87.83t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sanzgKMVvPfVkhcTX0ishpw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Porsche 930 Turbo Cabriolet! (Glen Cove, NY)
https://www.google.de/maps/@40.8974062,-73.633618,3a,15y,28.24h,86.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sK1KwlktkTgWw4csTDR7ccA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu
Porsche 930 Turbo 3.3! (Babylon, NY)
https://www.google.de/maps/@40.6820749,-73.3267862,3a,15y,252.46h,83.26t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1ss8QJjgtyRjuj90btDXO0Kg!2e0!5s20130101T000000!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu
Porsche 930 Turbo 3.3! (Oyster Bay, NY)
https://www.google.de/maps/@40.8724225,-73.5297862,3a,15.9y,267.75h,76.72t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1szzyBztnXTrMYCvWpfZhhdA!2e0!5s20180601T000000!7i13312!8i6656?entry=ttu
Porsche 991 50 Jahre Edition! (Houston, TX)
https://www.google.at/maps/@29.7341585,-95.4189562,3a,15y,126.4h,88.95t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1ssrR-zJQ4HZjF0UgbFRGTuQ!2e0!5s20190101T000000!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
Porsche 991.1 Turbo (Tucson, AZ)
https://www.google.de/maps/@32.309037,-110.8443242,3a,15y,302.41h,88.3t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swshhaNRvk_stS1AVLRwVDg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Rolls Royce Ghost (New York City, NY)
https://www.google.de/maps/@40.7376156,-73.9842197,3a,15y,57h,86.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1siHS3ykEfjXz5vEVpCcTRGA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
Rolls Royce Wraith (Great Neck, NY)
https://www.google.at/maps/@40.7939927,-73.7409792,3a,15y,206.36h,83.64t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1ssQ54TLKTJKsL40giDCfecw!2e0!5s20221001T000000!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
​
THE END

I was hill in woods no greenery just dried pine straw in ground. Sitting on a hammock or inflated pool (water is low and uneven) kept subtlety switching between the uneven pool and hammock. I was over looking a lake/river low running water with land masses scattered throughout the water. I don't think the masses where normally visable. Through the deep areas lots of dogs are swimming. I knew I was in danger before dogs made ashore but didn't retreat. Dogs swim to shore. a couple, just disperse then a couple start to growl. White shirt haired muscular dog lunges at me, I flip back on hammock and block the lunge. I called husband in the cabin behind me, he fires gun from balcony As waking up, I am being circled by a brown terrier long snout type dog. While I'm laying on the ground
Awakeish in bed room and still see dog hovering beside my bed it growls and snaps at me biting my lip. My lip hurts. I slap at the dog, and my hand goes through the dog as it disappears like smoke.
Woke up to someone in the living room, TV on, snoring, and neighbor's dogs barking

Hey there, future best friend!
I'm writing this letter to you, and I must confess, it's probably the cheesiest thing I'll ever write. But don't worry, I'm fully aware of how ridiculous it is to be writing to a ghost of a friend that I haven't met yet. I mean, let's be real, I'm just a guy, sitting in front of a computer, asking it to love him.
Anyway, I just want to put this out there, to the universe or whatever cosmic forces are out there, that one day we're going to be best friends. Right now we're strangers, but one day we'll be be inseparable and get through thick and thin, and sharing stories about our Halloween costumes through the years. We will live our lives without a care in the world. Something we didn't think we could ever do again. Dancing in the rain, piggy back rides on walks around the lake, just everything that brings us that spark of joy life has taken from us far too often.
I can't wait to get to know you, but for now, let me introduce myself. I'm a 33-year-old with three cats, way too many amazing life stories, and a lot of love to give. It's funny because we both are super quick to trust people and "fall too hard, too fast," but it's those traits that jumpstart this friendship.
We don't need small talk or any awkward stages. We just clicked. And it was amazing!
You will never stopped being amazed at just how many turns life has brought my way and just how I went from a minor league baseball prospect to going to school to possibly be a s*x therapist to getting a degree in business only to create art and become an artificial intelligence engineer.
I hope you're out there living your best life right now. Maybe you're on a camping trip with friends, or on a cute date with someone special. Or maybe you're just binge-watching Netflix in your pajamas, and that's totally fine too. I can't wait to hear all about your adventures, no matter how big or small.
And when we finally do meet, we're going to have so much fun together. We'll decorate our cute little houses with pumpkins in the fall and Christmas lights in the winter (but let's be real, we'll probably leave them up until February). We'll have deep conversations without devolving into arguments, and we'll always stand up for what we believe in.
So, if you're out there reading this, let's make a pact to become the best of friends. I promise to bring the humor and personality, and I hope you'll do the same. Can't wait to meet you!

"Come on, please, it has to be somewhere around here!"
Cogwyn was at her wit's end, and apparantly desperate enough to be begging the rotten wooden floor of the abandoned saloon she was in.
"Pst. Magical weapon?" One hand clutching the faded map, Cogwyn opened the faded parchment to check where she was again. Following the long-lost roads on the maps, her finger once again arrived in the town of Foghorn on the map, the town built on the lake-bed of the legendary Lake.
The Lake that held a legendary weapon called Excalibur.
Cogwyn needed that weapon, right about now. It would honestly be very good timing right about now. Cogwyn had lost and given up too much to be here in the ghost town of Foghorn, knee-deep in the barren territories of the long-fallen Human civilization.
Goddamn it, Cogwyn was sure the spot she was in was at the center of the long-dried lakebed. Digging her claws into the plank, Cogwyn pulled as hard she could, trying to at least dislodge it a bit. The Crownhunters will be here soon, and then she'll be screwed. There was nowhere else to run anymore.
Digging her claws deeper into the rotten wood at that thought, Cogwyn pulled harder. Her muscles strained as she grunted in effort before she lost her grip on the wood and was flung backwards from the force used to tug at the wood.
"Ugh!"
Cogwyn punched the wooden board, then immediately regretted it as she registered the pain from her punch. Nursing her fist, Cogwyn turned towards the doorframe of the building, heart dropping in her chest as she saw the blurry figures in the distance, riding towards the saloon.
Immediately standing up from her crawling position, Cogwyn reached towards the pair of daggers stashed in her pant legs and found... nothing. Right, she lost them by throwing them at the Crownhunters where they promptly flew off into the cliff the Crownhunters were standing by.
Whatever, she still had her claws.
Jumping on the table, Cogwyn screeched on the table as the Crownhunters entered the room.
"Goblin! Do not resist your death, the crimes of your kind will be paid in full!" The Crownhunters drew their swords at their leader's statement, the swish of the sword causing a pleasant metallic sound as they were unsheathed.
"Crimes of what, fucking existing?"
"Yes."
Stupid xenophobic Empire bullshit. Cogwyn bared her teeth and prepared to rake her claws all over the Crownhunters face. But before either side could make a move, a loud crack resonated in the room.
A pale, ghostly hand punched out of the floorboard Cogwyn was trying to ply open, their hand holding a bizarre L-shaped contraption.
Cogwyn stared at the pale hand. "What"
What are you waiting for? Take the gun and shoot! The voice echoed in Cogwyn's head, and sorry, a voice is speaking in her voice telling her to take—a gun? What the hell even is a gun?
I am the Lady of the Lake, the Keeper of Excalibur. The Mistress of Justice. Take the revolver and enact your justice, little Goblin.
Wait so, you're telling me Excalibur is that weirdly shaped piece of wood and metal you're holding?
Yes. The voice sounded impatient. The hand in the floor, on the other hand, rose further, revealing an arm now. For centuries I have waited for another worthy of Excalibur. Humanity has fallen, but its spirit remains in it.
Rudely, the Crownhunters attacked at that precise moment, apparently having gotten over the ghostly body slowly rising out of the ground. Flashing her attention back to the Crownhunters, Cogwyn barely managed to tip the table over and scramble out of the way before the sword cut her head clean off her shoulders.
"Asshole! I was having an in-my-head conversation there!" Cogwyn spit at the Crownhunters attacking her as she dodged out of the way of another strike, the sword burying itself into a dusty table.
By now, the Lady of the Lake's form had appeared fully. She was transparent, but her form revealed her to be a bipedal women with long hair, wearing a simple dress. Her eyes facing forwards, like a predator's. Cracking her knuckles, she rolled her arm before sending a devastating punch, knocking out one of the Crownhunters cold.
The Lady's voice crackled to life in her mind. Eat shit.
Wow, was that really what the Humans looked like? Turns out everyone needs to do some serious updating to their drawings of Humans. They had just assumed they were more prey-like, considering how peaceful their civilization was truly rumoured to be.
Cogwyn eyed the laughing Lady of the Lake with a curious side-eye. So the Humans did have a dark side. Grinning, Cogwyn caught the... gun-thing as it was thrown at her by the Lady. Holding the wooden handle, Cogwyn rushed up to one Crownhunter and bashed it on their head.
Expecting some serious magical stuff to occur, Cogwyn was disappointed when they merely fainted from the blunt force trauma. "Hey, I thought this weapon was magical!"
It is. You're just using it wrong. Grip the handle and pull the trigger—that spring near the handle—while aiming it.
Taking the Lady's advice, Cogwyn aimed as one Crownhunter rushed her and pulled the trigger. A bloom of smoke rose from the tip of the weapon as a loud boom filled the room. The gun, like a particularly violent horse, kicked back, almost forcing Cogwyn to drop the magical artefact on the ground.
The person in front of Cogwyn stopped and dropped, a hole in the middle of their chest.
"Holy shit."
Indeed.
Standing in the ruins of the room, the Lady and Cogwyn stood in the center of a whirlwind of bodies and broken furniture. Cogwyn laughed out loud in joy as she stared at the weapon in her hand.
"You know, most artifacts only allow their own species to wield them." Most ancient artifacts were too prissy to allow anyone but them to wield their precious weapons, which meant that the Elder races held all the cards when it came to power, leaving newer races to lick boots in order to get scrap.
It doesn't help that artifacts take time to materialize for any civilization.
Excalibur is not most artifacts. The voice of the Lady was calm, but an edge still held in her voice. Humanity was not most races. Back then, anyone could be a Human.
"Anyone?"
Anyone. Being Human was less being a member of a race at that point, but an idea. The weapon you hold is but a fragment of that idea, crystalized into the form we see now: justice.
"If Excalibur represents justice... What are you, then?"
The Lady paused, a devious smile on her face. Another ancient Human philosophy. One passed on from the earliest days, before even the seedling of Excalibur was even planted.
It was called... Fuck Around And Find Out. The Lady giggled before sighing. Justice doesn't serve itself, y'know.
The Lady of the Lake stretched, bones cracking as she readied up for a long journey ahead of her. Come on now, we have a government to overthrow.
Cogwyn huffed as she followed the Lady out into the desert.

I was towing 2 cars back from lake in the hills with my wife late one night. We came across a detour as the bridge was being repaired. A simple loop through farm land and as I crest the hill there is a small cemetery on the right and we cross over railroad tracks. Its the middle of winter and snow atleast a foot deep on the sides of the road. As we start coming down the hill to the stop sign we see a woman on the right side of the road in the ditch. I remember this slightly different than my ex does. I remember seeing her being very bright holding a red and blue lunch bag, one in each hand. My ex did not see the bags. We make it to the sign, I did not stop and made a left continuing on my route. I asked my ex should we call someone? She says who and thats the end of the conversation. I've passed that area hundreds of times and never have seen anything before. The final detail is there is a large farm on that corner and was talking to my then wife and mentioned stopping to see if they knew what I saw. She yelled and said I didn't have time for that. Over the course of the next several years I've passed that farm and still have never stopped.

Ok, so Transformers Armada was the series that got me into the franchise. For me as a little kid, it was premium event television that I could not get enough of. I just have some of the fondest memories of it, and for that reason, I’ve always been scared to go back and rewatch it in case it wasn't as good as I remembered.
Well, It’s finally time, so I thought it would be fun to go episode by episode and do a quick little post how I feel about each one as I watch them. I remember the main plot beats and characters, but most of the episode by episode events I’ve long since forgotten.
I hope I walk away from it feeling just as good about Armada as I did back in the day: This will probably be a looong post (If you just want my thoughts overall, I'll leave a tldr at the end),
Let the journey begin!!!
---------------------------------
1 - 3) FIRST ENCOUNTER: Solid introductory episodes. I remember the start vividly. Wonder how the reactions to Megatron's redesign were back in the day. I like that they kept the roster small starting out to really get these characters down. AND HOLD UP, IS THAT EDDIE FROM ED EDD N EDDY playing Fred!?
4) COMRADE: Not much to say. More of the characters' personalities are getting set. The kids are tolerable, which is a good sign
5) SOLDIER: Wonder how they got this giant base here undetected. Guess the Agent Fowler of the Armada verse must be sleeping on the job!
6) JUNGLE: Welcome to the jungle, we got fun and minicons. I’m reminded of the forest fight in Revenge of the Fallen here.
7) CARNIVAL: Billy and Fred join in the fold sooner than I remembered. For some reason I thought they joined the team closer to the end.
8) PALACE: Again, many Revenge of the Fallen vibes in this episode. Guess Transformers and ancient Egypt really mix. Demolisher was robbed!
9) CONFRONTATION: The kids have been kidnapped! Oh wait, it’s just Billy and Fred? Let Megatron keep em
10) UNDERGROUND: Ya know Smokescreen, if you wanted to make a good first impression to the team, maybe scarring these children for life by chasing them like a monster wasnt the best way to go
11) RUIN: Carlos falls in love with a hologram and almost kills himself over it. We’ve all been there, right?
12: PREHISTORY: Episode title made me think we were getting some Dinobots this episode. Sadbois
13: SWOOP: Hot Shot vs Megatron. Not the absolute hype of Bumblebee vs Megatron in the TF:Prime finale, but I’ll take it
14: OVERMATCH: For some reason I don’t remember Scavenger at all.
15: GALE: I do however very much remember THIS motorcycle boi. Things are about to get interesting with Sideways taking the stage.
16: CREDULOUS: Starscream gets the Star Saber, with a name like that, no wonder he wanted it
17: CONSPIRACY: Classic Decepticon infighting episode. Megatron provoking it himself was fun to watch. I love the dynamic/relationships the Cons have with each other in this series, it’s always entertaining,
18: TRUST: A great mirror of the last episode. Scavenger is way more important than I thought. Wonder why I forgot about him.
19: VACATION: This episode was a welcome break from the autobot v decepticon conflict. Nature was an unexpected opponent, it was cool to see the autobots try to save the kids while maintaining their disguise
20: REINFORCEMENT: My dude Blurr is here! Such an awesome design and great dynamic with Hotshot. Love a good Bromance
21: DECISIVE BATTLE: Finally, an answer to the age old question, What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Sky lasers!
22: VOW: The minicons finally did something! Where was this the whole rest of the show?
23: REBELLION: Oh wow, this is the best episode so far. Diving deep into the relationships the decepticons have with each other. In many moments, they feel like actual friends, and it humanizes them a lot. Really great character work here.
24: CHASE: Odd premise but FIRST GLIMPSE AT UNICRON LETS GOOO
25: TACTICIAN: YESSS! JETFIRE! MY BOI IS HERE!!! He was my favorite character out of all of them, lets see if he holds up
26: LINKUP: LETS GOOO! JET OPTIMUS TIME! As a kid, this was the coolest thing in the world to me. Can confirm...It still is!
27: DETECTION: Sideways true nature getting exposed. HOO boy we’re getting to the good stuff soon
28: AWAKENING: Tidal Wave is a big boy, that is all
29: DESPERATE: *Unfortunately I lost my notes I took for this episode, but looking back at the summary after the fact I think it was a good time*
30: RUNAWAY: “Your guardian star is very bright tonight” The Deceptions believe in Astrology. That wasn't on my bingo card! This episode gives me big Digimon vibes with them trying to hide the minocons in public.
31-32: PAST 1/2: Sideswipe enters the stage. Enjoyed his heart to heart with Hotshot on the lake. Wheeljack here too, his Autobot turned Decepticon arc was always really interesting especially with Hotshots guilt over it
33: SACRIFICE: Megatron calling TidalWave as Shockwave lol, he doesn’t even go here! The show is known for its dubbing errors, but this is honestly the first time I really noticed it, it aint that bad most of the time. The rest of the episode escalated quickly. RIP Smokescreen. I know he comes back at some point, but he went out like a champ. It took a while, but the show is dropping bodies and building up the stakes!
34: REGENERATION: Oh wait, Smokescreen’s back! That didn't take long lol. Starscream joining the autobots was sudden, but inevitable. Reminds me of the episode of Avatar when Zuko joined the squad. We’re cooking now.
35: RESCUE: The minicons seize the means of production!
36: MARS: A Jetfire and Starscream buddy cop episode? Don’t mind if I do!
37: CRANK: Starscream continues to be THE highlight of the show. You can understand the emotions and conflict he’s going through and even when he makes the wrong choice, you feel for him. The kids also deserve a mention. In shows like this, it’s easy for the kids to become annoying or just distractions, but here, they’re the emotional core behind Starscream's attempt at redemption, the best parts of the show would fundamentally not work without them around.
38: THREATEN: Alexis, there are 4 human boys your age and you’re dreaming about Starscream. I don't know if that says more about you, the boys, or Starscream
39: CRISIS: The death of Optimus Prime. As a kid, this blew my mind. It was probably the first time I ever saw the heroes lose in such a huge way and had no idea it was even possible. His gray lifeless body shattering in space, Megatron’s remorseful cry, and Jetfire’s scream opened my mind to the places these stories could go.
40: REMORSE: Trouble in paradise. Hotshot vs the autobots wasn't something I expected, but was handled well enough.
THE UNICRON BATTLES:
41: DEPART: The Unicron Battles begin! I remember Cartoon Network hyping this up so much, and I remember it definitely delivered! This was the point where the series really...transformed. Also, someone send Rad's dad to a therapist. That dude has depression.
42: MIRACLE: The not so rude awakening of Optimus Prime. A big surprise from this rewatch is perspective. As a kid it felt like forever, but Optimus was only gone 2 episodes!
43: PUPPET: Nemesis Prime Megatron can fuse with Tidal Wave! Megatron becomes Galvatron! Everyone gets a paint job! Optimus Prime somehow has a new Super Saiyan mode with “Overload” So much happened this episode...but none of it was explained or made much sense. This one really should have been two episodes, which is unfortunate because I remember the reformatting of the bots being mad hype as a kid.
44: UPRISING: Unicron makes himself known. The board is set, the pieces are moving.
45: DASH: Now we’re getting to my favorite part of what I remember from Armada: The Autobot/Decepticon team up! It was such a cool idea back then, and still is now because we dont really see it happen in other continuities
46: DRIFT: Random time travel! Could have done without that, but it is what it is
47: PORTENT: Step aside Carlos, it’s Alexis’ turn to almost kill herself for the most inconsequential thing, this time...just a rock!
48: CRAMP: Well, there it is. The death of Starscream. You ask anyone what the best moment of Armada is, or even just one thing they know about the show, and they’ll point to this. The show really earned this episode with the fantastic characterization of Starscream beforehand. Not only did Starscream go out like a champ, he cemented his place as a part of Transformers history forever.
50: ALLIANCE: The Autobots and Decepticons officially teamed up, and with it comes many fun interactions between the two adjusting to the partnership. Wish we had like 10 episodes of just this because the possibilities were limitless!
51: UNION: Some noticeable dubbing issues here with Demolisher talking in Red Alerts voice, but overall continuing the assault was just as hype. Thrust dies by basically tripping over himself. An appropriate end if ever there was one.
50: ORIGIN: The battle reaches it’s climax while we get into some mind trick shenanigans with the kids. Overall, it’s still an grand scale conflict. I wish the Unicron conflict was one or two episodes longer so we could see more interactions with the bots and cons together, and giving more to some of the characters who got sidelined, but I guess they didnt want it to drag.
51: MORTAL COMBAT: This is the end, beautiful friends. I’m glad it came down to Optimus vs Galvatron one last time, with both going no holds barred. With Galvatron sacrificing himself to end Unicron ending the conflict on his own terms, the autobots and decepticons at peace, and a final goodbye, I think the ending is perfect!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whew. That was quite the journey. I’m happy to report that I had nothing to worry about, nostalgia won out and I enjoyed every moment of my time going back to Armada.
Aside from a couple oddities, the shows infamous animation and dubbing errors never really were all that big a deal when watching and I wouldnt have noticed many without having them pointed out after the fact.
I never saw Energon and Cybertron, but I was always ok with that since the end always felt like a natural conclusion. Maybe I will someday, but for now, I’m glad this rewatch reignited the spark with my childhood favorite, and it definitely won't be another 20 years before I Roll Out with Armada once again!

https://imgur.com/o9TGFUo
Edit to add: FLY CREEK model. Visible in photos, but forgot to put it in the title!
Tent, poles, stakes, rain fly, and all carrying bags add up to 33 oz. The footprint adds an additional 4 oz.
$200 shipped to CONUS.
Lightly used tent, less than 10 nights total. No holes or tears. At 6'4" I'm just a little too tall for this tent, so I'm moving on. The elastic in the poles was a bit stretched when I set this up to take photos. I was able to trim/shorten it a bit, and it seems to be fine now, but may require another trim in the future.
Located in UT, Salt Lake area, and could meet up. Otherwise I'll ship this within the continental US for no extra charge.
Thanks for looking!

It was the Sagittarius full moon on June 3rd going into the 4th and it was AWESOME!! I hosted a lake party, did a lot of kayaking and assorted boating, drank Moscow Mules, hung out with wild swans and a baby raccoon, ate bratwursts, lit a big old campfire, and had a deep, esoteric conversation with an Aquarius by the light of the full moon at 2:00 in the morning. Anyone else have a really great weekend?

A small group of my online friends were gonna do an IRL meetup and drive from STL to Branson to spend 3 days, leaving the morning of the 15th. Don't have concrete plans, but probably will do a show or two, hang out on the lake, visit SDC, etc.
We have a cabin booked already. Unfortunately, many people aren't able to make it, so right now we only have 3 people. 2 guys 1 gal. The cabin is 2-BR, 1 living room/couch and can sleep up to 6, so would be happy to make new friends. Looking for people crazy enough to spontaneously hop on a random road trip with complete strangers.
You can drive down with us, hop in our car, or meet us in Branson.
The cost for lodging and the rental car is covered, as well as alcohol/snacks at the cabin. The cost for individual activities (show tickets, etc.) and your own food is on you.

A small group of my online friends were gonna do an IRL meetup and drive from STL to Branson to spend 3 days, leaving the morning of the 15th. Don't have concrete plans, but probably will do a show or two, hang out on the lake, visit SDC, etc.
We have a cabin booked already. Unfortunately, many people aren't able to make it, so right now we only have 3 people. 2 guys 1 gal. The cabin is 2-BR, 1 living room/couch and can sleep up to 6, so would be happy to make new friends. Looking for people crazy enough to spontaneously hop on a random road trip with complete strangers.
The cost for lodging and the rental car is covered, as well as alcohol/snacks at the cabin. The cost for individual activities (show tickets, etc.) and your own food is on you.