Introduction
Conducting a residential land survey is an essential process for individuals looking to purchase, sell, or develop residential property. It offers a precise and comprehensive overview of the property's boundaries, characteristics, and any possible constraints. Armed with this knowledge, you can confidently make decisions and prevent unexpected expenses in the future.

Why Do You Need a Residential Land Survey?

There are numerous convincing justifications to consider investing in a residential land survey:

• Confirming Property Boundaries: It is crucial to have a survey done to establish the legal boundaries of your property. This will help prevent disputes with neighbours and guarantee that any construction or landscaping is done within your property lines.
• Identifying Existing Features: The survey will identify all current structures, easements, or encroachments on the property. This encompasses buildings, fences, driveways, drainage systems, and underground utilities. Understanding the locations of these elements is crucial for project planning and adherence to local zoning laws.
• Understanding Topography: The survey is able to uncover the incline and height of the terrain, which is essential for drainage preparation, foundation layout, and general site advancement.
• Floodplain Determination: In some cases, the survey can determine if the property lies within a designated floodplain. This information is vital for flood insurance purposes and understanding potential flood risks.
• Title Discrepancies: Occasionally, discrepancies can exist between the legal description of a property in the deed and its actual boundaries on the ground. A survey helps identify such discrepancies and allows for necessary corrections before any legal disputes arise.
• Increased Property Value: A completed land survey can be a valuable asset when selling your property. It demonstrates professionalism and transparency to potential buyers, potentially increasing the property's perceived value and marketability.

Types of Residential Land Surveys:

The specific type of residential land survey you need depends on your intended use for the property:

• Boundary Survey: This is the most common type of residential land survey. It focuses on accurately determining and marking the legal boundaries of your property.
• Mortgage Survey: Required by many lenders for financing purposes, a mortgage survey verifies the property's size, location, and improvements compared to public records. This ensures the lender has a clear understanding of the property they are securing the loan against.
• ALTA Survey (American Land Title Association): This comprehensive survey provides the highest level of detail and is often required for complex transactions or high-value properties. It includes all the elements of a boundary survey and goes further by researching title history and addressing potential boundary issues.
• Topography Survey: This survey focuses on mapping the elevation and slope of the land. This information is essential for drainage planning, foundation design, and overall site development projects.
• Site Planning Survey: This survey combines elements of a boundary survey and a topography survey, providing a comprehensive overview of the property for development purposes.

The Residential Land Survey Process:

A typical residential land survey involves the following steps:

1. Pre-Survey Consultation: Discuss your project with a licensed land surveyor. Explain your goals for the survey and provide any relevant information about the property, such as the deed and any existing surveys.
2. Research: The surveyor will research the property's title history and public records to verify its legal description and dimensions.
3. Fieldwork: The surveyor will visit the property and use specialized equipment like GPS and total stations to measure the boundaries and collect data on existing features.
4. Data Analysis: The surveyor will analyze the collected data to create a detailed map of the property, including its boundaries, dimensions, topography, and any relevant features.
5. Survey Report: The surveyor will prepare a professional report outlining the findings of the survey. This report will detail the property's legal description, dimensions, and any limitations or encroachments identified.

Benefits of Hiring a Licensed Land Surveyor:

It's crucial to hire a licensed and experienced land surveyor for your residential land survey. Here's why:

• Accuracy and Expertise: A licensed surveyor possesses the necessary training and equipment to conduct a precise and accurate survey, ensuring you receive reliable information.
• Legal Compliance: A professional surveyor understands legal requirements related to property boundaries and can ensure your survey adheres to local regulations.
• Peace of Mind: Having a professional survey provides peace of mind, knowing you have accurate documentation to support your property rights and avoid future disputes.

Conclusion:

Purchasing a residential land survey is a smart choice for individuals involved in buying, selling, or developing real estate. Meta geomatics survey provides important information about the land's features and any possible restrictions, enabling you to make well-informed choices and prevent expensive issues.
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"Good-bye, lover-- It's been fun... And I always did want to go in battle. You get to keep your planet, kid... Don't forget me... Don't forget me"
Bio: Val Armorr was the son of Japan's greatest crimelord, Kirau Nezumi, also known as Black Dragon, When he was born, his mother, the American secret agent Valentina Armorr, tried to hide him from his father, but she failed and was killed for her affront. Japan's biggest hero Sensei Toshiaki, the White Crane, eventually killed Black Dragon for his crimes and adopted the infant Val. He raised Val as if he were his own son, and trained him in all manner of the martial arts.
Origin in scan form ^{(Superboy vol 1 #210})
Alternate look at his origin ^{(Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes #2})
Databook entries

• Superboy #205
• All-New Collector's Edition #55
• Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #12
• Who's Who in the Legion of Superheroes #3
• DC Comics Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded
• All New DC Comics Encyclopedia

Original Val

Strength
Note: Karate Kid needs to concentrate and channel his chi to perform feats of strength ^{(Adventure Comics #359})

• In his origin, chops through a steel beam ^{(Adventure Comics #346})
• Chops through a spaceship hull ^{(Adventure Comics #347})
• Lightning Lad flashes back to Karate Kid stopping a car with a single chop ^{(Adventure Comics #351})
• Knocks out a Jovian Mastodon and a Tricorn Beast with a single strike each, and judo throws a Sloth Ape ^{(Adventure Comics #358})
• Chops through two trees in one swing ^{(Adventure Comics #358})
• Analyzes some thick gates, then chops through them ^{(Adventure Comics #360})
• Kicks away a hover car ^{(Adventure Comics #361})
• Chops through a tank, then starts a small earthquake with a stomp ^{(Adventure Comics #367})
• Destroys a practice bot in a rage ^{(Adventure Comics #373})
• Claims his chops could fell giant redwoods ^{(Superboy vol 1 #203})
• Creates an earthquake with a stomp that breaks apart a statue ^{(Legion of Superheroes vol 3 #31})
  • Note: This is a flashback to earlier times, so despite being in vol 3, takes place Chronologically in vol 1, as shown by him wearing the brown gi instead of his more famous white one
• Punches through a robot ^{(Superboy vol 1 #214})
• Kicks a meteor to pieces ^{(Karate Kid #2})
• Creates a counter-vibration strong enough to reverse Major Disaster's artificial earthquake. ^{(Karate Kid #2}.)
• Flexes off six cavemen ^{(Karate Kid #11})
• [MASSIVE OUTLIER] When bound with ropes made of indestructible Inertron, he somehow manages to break free. ^{(Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #231})
  • Album of Inertron being invulnerable/unbreakable/strong enough to resist Kryptonians
• Breaks out of a machine that saps powers, minds and will (Legion of Super-Heroes vol 3 004)

Speed

• Moves "with the speed of thought" ^{(Adventure Comics #361})
• Dodges Mano and Persuader's attacks ^{(Adventure Comics #378})
• Dodges Validus' mental lightning ^{(Adventure Comics #378})
• Dodges a blast from the Emerald Eye of Ekon ^{(Superboy vol 1 #198})
• Dodges a blast from *sigh* Radiation Roy ^{(Superboy vol 1 #208})
• Rushes forward and front tuck into a Rider Kick in a fraction of a second ^{(Superboy vol 1 #214})
• Dodges a bolt from Lightning Lad ^{(Karate Kid #1})
• Dodges radiation blasts from Nemesis Kid ^{(Karate Kid #1})
• Intercepts a falling meteor ^{(Karate Kid #2})
• Backflips over a bullet ^{(Karate Kid #2})
• Dodges a laser ^{(Karate Kid #13})
• Leaps over a bullet and behind a guy in less than a fifth of a second ^{(Karate Kid #15})
• Dances around Pharoxx's strikes ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes #309})
• Redirects Pharoxx's own magic against him ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes #309})

Durability

• Survives an explosion that KO'd and nearly killed his sensei ^{(Adventure Comics #367})
• Smacked by a giant robot and recovers being back to fighting shape on the next page ^{(Adventure Comics #373})
• Endures ever-increasing pain through meditative techniques even though the pain was so bad, it made Timber Wolf go feral within a few minutes ^{(Superboy vol 1 #209})
• Clears his mind of mental influences ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes vol 2 #268})
• Wades though blasts from Pharoxx ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes vol 2 #288})
• While sick, takes a blast from Pulsar ^{(The Brave and the Bold #198})
• Pulsar explodes right next to him and he's all good. ^{(The Brave and the Bold #198})
• Gets clawed by a monster and shrugs it off ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes #309})
• Gets blasted by Pharoxx's magic and recovers, while Pharoxx getting hit with the same blast made him immediately flee ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes #309})
• [Limit] Dies after being beaten nearly to death by Nemesis Kid, then missile launches himself into a planet-draining machine. ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes vol 3 #4})

Skill
Statements and styles

• Great Skill in all forms of martial arts, but especially Karate and Judo ^{(Adventure Comics #346})
• Master of all forms of fighting ^{(Adventure Comics #359})
• Switches from Boxing to Savate to Kendo against a robot ^{(Adventure Comics #363})
• Knocks some guys out with chops to the back of the neck ^{(Adventure Comics #360})
• Mastered every weapon form "from fencing foils to Jovian trident spears" ^{(Adventure Comics #368})
• Temporarily puts Timber Wolf in a Judo hold ^{(Superboy vol 1 #209})
• Falkone IV arm riflie technique ^{(Karate Kid #12})
• Loback III restraining hold for non-powered people to restrain super-powered people ^{(Karate Kid #12})
• Karate, Judo, "Arcturian Sli-tilla", "Venusian Txrxvrx", and boxing ("the good old one-two punch") in one page ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes vol 2 #268})

Against skilled opponents (Solo)

• Beats a boxing champion ^{(Adventure Comics #377})
• Beats the absolute stuffing out of Black Mace ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes vol 3 #31})
  • Black Mace is stated to be Ganglands's answer to Karate Kid ^{(Adventure Comics #374}) and a fast, strong invincible fighter ^{(Superboy #213})
• Beats Black Mask again, with an assist from Princess Projectra ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes vol 3 #31})
• Quickly beats a dual nunchaku wielding black belt ^{(Karate Kid #3})
• Beats the Samurai known as Master Hand ^{(Karate Kid #4})
• Had the advantage on Black Dragon II, the student of his father he previously beat in Superboy vol 1 #210 ^{(Karate Kid #10})
• Karate Kid vs Black Dragon II in a ceremonial fight. ^{(Karate Kid #10})
• Beats Dick Grayson quickly ^{(Karate Kid #14})
• Wins a tournament and the title of Samurai, going down as the youngest to gain the title ^{(Secret Origins vol 2 #47})

Against Skilled opponents (groups)

• Defeats three Black Belts he claims could waste a battalion of ordinary men ^{(Superboy vol 1 #210})
• Beats six opponents trained by his father, Black Dragon, including the future Black Dragon II ^{(Superboy vol 1 #210})
• Beats a bunch of 20th-century martial arts masters ^{(Karate Kid #1})
• Quickly beats four martial artists ^{(Karate Kid #4})

Against superpowered opponents (1v1)

• Fights Superboy and does so well, Clark says he needs to be in the Legion ^{(Adventure Comics #346})
• Training with Superboy ^{(Adventure Comics #368})
• Gets the advantage over Don Allen, descendent of Barry Allen and a speedster ^{(Adventure Comics #373})
• Defeats Ultra Boy ^{(Adventure Comics #375})
• A brainwashed Karate Kid easily beats Ultra Boy ^{(Superboy vol 1 #205})
• Survives a fight with Superboy, though he constantly mentions he's outmatched and it's taking all of his skill to just survive . ^{(Karate Kid #12})
• Temporarily holds Superboy, but admits he needs help immediately and is losing him and is saved by Mordru's magic wearing off ^{(Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #245})

Against Superpowered opponents (groups)

• Solos the Fatal Five ^{(Adventure Comics #378})
• Manages to hold his own against Lightning Lad, Superboy, Colossal Boy, Saturn Girl, Sun Boy, and Chameleon Boy before being stopped by Cosmic Boy ^{(Karate Kid #13})

Against Skilled Superpowered opponents

• Fights four superpowered assassins and is holding his own ^{(Adventure Comics #361})
• Beats Pharoxx of Orando in a sword fight, forcing Pharoxx to resort to magic ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes vol 2 #286})
• Beats Timber Wolf in a spar ^{(Legion of Superheroes vol 4 #52})

Accuracy

• Splits a rock so each half flies off and KOs a foe ^{(Adventure Comics 361})
• Hits a knight with a stone and KO's him ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes vol 2 #288})
• Uses his sash as a lasso to disarm Pulsar of his power staff ^{(The Brave and the Bold #198})

Agility

• Rushes forward and front tuck into a Rider Kick in a fraction of a second ^{(Superboy vol 1 #214})
• Contorts himself in mid-air to stop himself from falling out of a building then Jumps back in ^{(Karate Kid #1})
• Jumps from the street to a sign to a third story roof ^{(Karate Kid #2})
• Does a series of flips to land safely after jumping out of a building while holding someone ^{(Karate Kid #2})
• Jumps out of a window, does a ton of flips, and starts running on cars ^{(Karate Kid #3})
• Flips on a pole ^{(Karate Kid #11})
• Flips over a car ^{(Karate Kid #11})
• Flips out of Batman's grasp ^{(The Brave and the Bold #198})
• Rolls back to get out of a monster's range, then launches himself into a flying kick ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes vol 2 #309})

Weak Point Sensing

• Finds the weak point in a diamond ^{(Adventure Comics# 365})
• Finds the weak point in a wall ^{(Superboy vol 1 #210})
• Finds Omega's weakest point, but is too weak to capitalize on it ^{(Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #251}). This is the first time it's called an explicit "power" and not a skill.
• Finds the weak point in a hatch ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes #277})
• Originally struggled to find a weak point in massive chains encircling Earth, but after getting a hint from Princess Projectra manages to sense and destroy it ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes vol 2 #279})

Retroboot Val

Despite dying.....Val Armorr's back and in the past! ^{(Justice League of America vol 2 #7}) How? Never explained! ^{(Justice League of America #10}) Here's his feats. Note: All feats are done while he's dying (Countdown Weeks 14-15/ 38-37) from what's later revealed to be the Morticoccus Virus

• While disguised as a supervillain, freezes Parasite without Black Lightning realizing Parasite was the target ^{(Justice League of America vol 2 #2})
• KO's Black Lightning with a chop to the neck and stalemates (and arguably has the advantage over) Batman while sick and memoryless ^{(Justice League of America vol 2 #8})
  • Another view of the fight ^{(Countdown Week 2/#50})
  • Doctor Mid-Nite says Karate Kid very nearly took down Batman in that fight ^{(Countdown Week 7/#45})
  • Batman conceeds Val outfought him but claims he wouldn't in a rematch though he may have been being a jerk to get into Val's head ^{(Countdown Week 10/#42})
• Is still conscious and talking despite being loaded up with enough tranquilizers to give Wonder Woman trouble ^{(Justice League of America vol 2 #8})
• Somehow survives Speed Force Lightning that should have insta-killed him ^{(Justice League of America vol 2 #10})
• Finds the weak point in a vault he's sealed in ^{(Countdown Week 13/#39})
• Tears through Oracle's tendrils and punches through a wall ^{(Countdown Week 13/#39})
• Hurts Equus, an enhanced being who bragged he had fought Superman ^{(Countdown Week 16/#36})
• Kicked Equus arm clean off his body ^{(Countdown Week 17/#35})
• Breaks shotguns and kicks a police car over ^{(Supergirl vol 5 #21})
• [Limit] While he can dodge her attacks, can't move Supergirl with his strikes ^{(Supergirl vol 5 #21})
• Chops Equus arm off ^{(Supergirl vol 5 #22})
• [Limit] The closer to death he gets, the less he's able to focus and use Super-Karate feats ^{(Countdown week 32/#20})
• Takes out four Apokoliptians ^{(Countdown Week 41/#11})
• Takes a hit from an OMAC and shows some agility ^{(Countdown Week 42/#10})
• Dies of the virus ^{(Countdown Week 45/#7})
• Time Trapper puts his and Una's bodies in the mainline Earth when they had died in Earth-51 ^{(Action Comics #864})

Misc

• As a Legionnaire, he has a Legion flight ring ^{(Karate Kid #1})
• Invited his 20th-century friend to his wedding, not realizing she was in love with him ^{(The Brave and the Bold #198})
• Man married a princess. Respect. ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes Vol 2 annual 2})
• Brave enough to try to hit Darkseid with a flying kick, though all it accomplishes is knocking himself out. ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes vol 2 #294})
• It's implied he somehow came back/will come back to life again, but this wasn't elaborated on because of the Flashpoint thanks Barry ^{(Legion of Super-Heroes vol 6 #6})
  • Time Trapper also foreshadowed this ^{(Action Comics 864})

Winter is just around the corner, and it's time to prepare for those inevitable snowstorms. Whether you need a powerful machine for heavy snow or a compact blower for lighter tasks, we've got you covered. Here's our list of the best snow blowers for 2024, tailored to various needs and budgets.

Best Snow Blower:

1. Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO (Best overall)
2. Snow Joe SJ625E Electric Single Stage Snow Thrower (Best budget)
3. EGO Power+ SNT2102
4. Ariens Professional 32 Hydro RapidTrak
5. EGO Power+ SNT2100 Cordless Electric Snow Blower
6. Husqvarna ST224
7. Ariens Platinum 30 SHO RapidTrak

Ariens Deluxe 28 SHO:

This snow blower is known for its powerful 306cc engine and robust design, making it ideal for homeowners dealing with frequent, heavy snowfalls. The 28-inch clearing width allows for efficient snow removal, and the auto-turn steering makes maneuvering easy even in tight spaces.
Best for: Homeowners with medium to large driveways and areas that experience heavy snowfall.

Snow Joe SJ625E Electric Single Stage Snow Thrower:

Lightweight and easy to handle, this electric snow blower is perfect for smaller jobs. It has a 21-inch clearing width and a 15-amp motor, which is sufficient for light to moderate snowfalls.
Best for: Those with small to medium-sized driveways and sidewalks, and those who prefer a low-maintenance, electric option.

EGO Power+ SNT2102:

This model offers the convenience of cordless operation, powered by EGO's 56-volt lithium-ion batteries. With a 21-inch clearing width and Peak Power technology, it can handle moderate snowfalls efficiently.
Best for: Homeowners looking for a cordless option with good power and convenience, suitable for medium driveways and paths.

Ariens Professional 32 Hydro RapidTrak:

This snow blower is built for the toughest conditions, featuring a hydrostatic drive system for smooth operation and RapidTrak technology for superior traction on various surfaces. The 32-inch clearing width makes it perfect for large areas.
Best for: Those needing to clear large areas and deal with extremely heavy snowfall regularly, such as in rural or mountainous regions

EGO Power+ SNT2100 Cordless Electric Snow Blower

Combining compact size with powerful performance, this cordless model is easy to store and use in smaller spaces. It has a 21-inch clearing width and is powered by a 56-volt battery.
Best for: Users with limited storage space who still need a capable snow blower for light to moderate snowfalls.

Husqvarna ST224

This reliable two-stage snow blower features a 24-inch clearing width and an adjustable handle for comfortable use. It’s designed to handle various snow conditions, from light powder to wet, heavy snow.
Best for: Homeowners with moderate to large driveways who need a versatile machine that can handle different types of snow.

Ariens Platinum 30 SHO RapidTrak

This model excels in clearing large areas quickly, thanks to its 30-inch clearing width and powerful engine. The RapidTrak system provides excellent traction and stability, making it effective even in challenging conditions.
Best for: Those with extensive properties or large driveways who need to clear snow efficiently and effectively.

Context: my husband (36m) and I (41m) are from Virginia. We are living and working in AZ and are on a 2 week trip home. Both my parents and his parents are also here in VA. We all live in the same area, but husband and I, as well as his parents are currently employed in AZ. The town he and his parents are from in VA is about 45 minutes from the town my parents and I are from - same area, neighboring towns. So we are essentially on a 2 week vacation to be home and visit family and friends. With our jobs, we only get two trips a year to come home. Next one will be Christmas.
A good friend from AZ decided to spend a week with us because she had never been to East Coast and we invited her - a very close friend to my husband and I for the past 3 years. After spending several days with the MIL, our friend (she is a dear friend to my husband and me both) has decided she REALLY does not like my MIL. She explained it yesterday as my MIL constantly making comments about what she was wearing, what she was eating, her makeup, repetitively suggesting sunscreen while in the sun (only because my MIL recently had a scare with basal cell carcinoma) and actually got tearful talking about it to me. There were multiple other comments she cited, that to me seems rather trivial. My MIL can be borderline annoying. She tends to tell the same stories and repeat herself many, many times. And she's pretty forward with her suggestions on many things. After 16 years, I just ignore it - not that it ever really bothered me in the first place. It's just her personality. She is a chatty lady, never rude or condescending, but she certainly loves to talk a lot. But on the other hand, I can see how it would really irritate others. The 10th time she's told you about how they cut the basal cell carcinoma off her leg and how she's keeping her skin covered and sunscreen on to prevent sun exposure - yeah, it doesn't even phase me at all, but apparently it's like nails on a chalkboard to some. I honestly thought it was just minor annoyances adding up until my friend explained yesterday that it made her feel like my MIL was calling her out for being brown (we are all white and our friend is Navajo). To be clear, my husband, in-laws and I all live and work on the Navajo reservation and have for many years. I do not think my MIL did or ever would say anything racially charged because I don't think she has those thoughts - none of us think like that at all. Regardless of what I think or know, this is how my friend interpreted it. For reference, she and I are staying with my parents, who are a whole different speed and she loves them and spending time here.
Today, we had to take my husband to his parents and plans were known that our friend and I were going out to get pedicures. My MIL loves pedicures and more than that, just loves being around people. My FIL and husband were doing a lot of farm work today, essentially leaving my MIL to be at home all day alone.
When we got there, my MIL was dressed, hair done and ready to go with us. Our friend had said enough that I knew this was not a situation I could diffuse. Nor do I think it is my place to intervene. Our friend never said anything to my MIL about how badly her comments bothered her because she doesn't want to make an issue of it. She just does not want to be around her.
I feel so caught in the middle, dancing the fence and feel like I was forced to choose a side by ditching my MIL - a position I despise being in. I just told my MIL that we were going bar-hopping after pedicure, which was a lie but she is a 100% non-drinker and I knew she wouldn't go if she thought that is what we were doing. It worked and she didn't go.
If it were me, by myself, I would never in a million years have just left her sitting by herself if I knew she wanted to go somewhere with me. The guilt today has been unbearable and I've been a bit tearful over the whole thing. Fighting back the tears in public is embarrassing AF, y'all. I love my in-laws dearly and would bend over backwards for them any day of the week. I've gotten multiple texts from my husband about how sad my MIL has been today because we left her there alone. He took her out for lunch after we ditched her and she told him that we saw her as a 3rd wheel and it made her sad and honestly, my MIL is NOT the "sad type". I've never saw her sad in the 16 years I've been around her, other than after her mother died. I.e., for her, sad isn't even in her vocabulary. I can't and won't tell my husband that our friend is the reason I didn't take my MIL out today because I'm afraid that would turn the whole situation nuclear and cause more friction and volatility amongst everyone and I also don't feel like it's my place to speak on our friend's behalf. I also don't want to cram two women in a car, one of whom can't stand the other one and not knowing if my MIL would make more comments to my friend that would make her uncomfortable. I could see how upset my MIL was in her face before we left. I immediately told our friend how horrifically guilty and terrible I felt for leaving her alone before we pulled out of the driveway because I knew how much she was looking forward to getting out of the house with us today and how much getting ditched by us would hurt her. I was really hoping our friend would backstep and agree to my MIL going with us. She just told me "thank you for not inviting her, I don't think I could handle it anymore". To beat it all, my husband is staying with his parents because there's a lot of upkeep needing to be done at their place and I really kinda miss my husband a lot, but seeing him would require our friend to be around my MIL and that won't fly. My husband also feels like I don't want to be around him and his family, now. However, we are the ones who invited our friend here and I certainly wouldn't feel right about ditching our friend to go see my husband either. I generally try to be very conscientious about others and go out of my way to ensure everyone is comfortable, happy and having a good time. But this entire situation is completely untenable.
I drop the friend off at the airport on Weds to fly back to AZ, the husband and in-laws leave to drive back to AZ on Thurs (I'm following a few days after) so this whole horrible mess will be over with then. I loath and hate this entire situation. I feel angry with our friend for putting me in this situation, but also was never present when my MIL made whatever comments she made. Or perhaps I was present and literally nobody paid attention because we all know my MIL and sometimes we just let her talking go in one ear and out the other. I feel like and I want to say our friend is over exaggerating, but I can't because I didn't hear or do not remember what my MIL said to our friend. And especially if she feels like she is being attacked based on her race or culture. I'm not touching that with someone else's 10-foot pole. I'm again going to reiterate how horrible and what a shitty human being I feel like for ditching my MIL today, knowing how badly it would hurt her feelings and how badly I hated doing it. Also reiterating that neither my MIL, nor any of us are racist and our friend is the same race and culture as the people we've been working with, working for and living amongst for the better part of 5 years now. If someone had ever told me they thought my MIL was racist, well...I don't know what I would do, but I can guarantee I wouldn't have felt guilty about leaving her today. Plus, I've spent enough time around her that I'm pretty sure I'd know if she were racist by now. I just have one more day to dance this dance and I can deal with the fallout later when everyone has more distance between them. I have no idea if I'm actually going to tell my husband and MIL all of this later, but saying anything now with emotions raw seems like a treacherous and flammable experiment. I'll just take the blame and play middle-man for now.
AITAH for ditching my MIL?

I have a gate through a privacy fence that needs to be locked and opened at any point from either direction. I know there is fairly expensive fancy hardware to achieve this, but do you all have any simple creative DIY solutions to remedy this dilemma?

For those of you who are unfamiliar with what a biogas plant is, how it works or what they're actually used for allow me to educate you. A biogas plant produces natural gas, or rather a substitute for natural gas, from fermented corn silage as well as other agricultural waste products. Farmers, such as myself, would bring in silage which we would unload into a large concrete bunker silo, basically just a big walled in pit. The plant I delivered to used a modified snowcat to push the silage around and pack it down evenly in the pit. Once one pit filled up they would tarp it and leave it to ferment and move on to the next pit. Once a pit was fully fermented they would uncover it and use a large wheel loader to shovel the fermented silage into what's called an anaerobic digester. It's basically just a big tank with an agitator that you fill up with a bunch of organic matter and heat it up which produces methane gas as the microorganisms inside begin to break everything down. This gas is then captured and can be used for basically everything natural gas is used for already but it's supposed to be better for the environment or something. These plants are way more common in Europe but they have started to pop up here in North America as well. And yes, before you ask, these places smell worse than you could possibly imagine.
I always thought it was a little bit weird that they built one way up here in Northern Alberta but since the large dairy farm I worked at pretty much always had an excess of corn silage every year, we certainly welcomed another place to sell it to especially since they're not picky. Trying to sell to another dairy farmer is always a hassle because they're always concerned with the quality, as they should be if they're feeding it to their cows, but the biogas plant basically just needs organic matter, it doesn't really matter what it is. If it can decompose you can make gas out of it.
Last fall we had an exceptionally good corn harvest to the point where we still had 4 more fields still to harvest by the time we had enough to feed the cows for the next year. As I said this isn't uncommon. When you're harvesting corn for silage you use a totally different harvester. Rather than a combine that separates out the actual corn kernels from the rest of the plant you use a forage harvester which is essentially a giant woodchipper on wheels that takes in the whole crop and shreds it up. Since corn can easily grow 10 feet high and you spread that over a few thousand acres you get a crazy high volume of silage coming in. Upon realizing how much excess we had my boss did what he always did and called up the plant who as always agreed to take in what we didn't need. The next morning rather than trucking back to the farm we were instructed to head straight over to the plant once our trailers had filled up.
I arrived with my first load at the plant around 10 am. A man wearing a high vis jacket directed me onto the large scale they used to weigh the trucks coming in and out. "Good harvest this year Jim?" The friendly old lady in the scalehouse said as she took down the weight of my loaded truck. I felt bad as I had been delivering to this plant on and off for the last 8 years I had worked on Mr. Baker's dairy farm but I couldn't remember, or I'd just never learned her name. Oh well, I certainly wasn't going to out myself now. "Well if we're delivering here you know it's a good one," I replied. "And there's plenty more where this came from." "Glad to hear it!" She smiled back at me handing me my paperwork. "Now you just head right on down to the back there and the boys will show you where to dump" "Thank you," I said taking the papers from her and putting my truck back into gear.
I pulled off the scale and made my way to the back of the plant where the big concrete pits are. Some more men in high vis gear directed me to back into a specific one. The giant pit was only about half full at the this point but the mountain of silage in my rear view mirrors still looked to be about 30 feet deep at its highest point. As usual they had me back up until my trailer started to climb the pile a bit. this way there were no gaps in the pile and the snowcat wouldn't have to do as much pushing. As I watched the back wheels of my trailer roll on to the silage pile in my mirrors I heard the unmistakable sound of a tire blowing out. A loud pop and then a slow hiss that quickly dissipated. "Shit!" I thought to myself as I hopped out to inspect the damage. One of the workers had also come to see what had happened.
"Must be one of your inside tires" he said to me as I approached, "all the outside ones look fine." I bent down and looked under the truck, sure enough he was right. The inside tire on the right side of the rear axle was completely flat. "Well I suppose that's why semi trucks have dual wheels," I said trying to sound unfazed while simultaneously preparing myself for the ass chewing I was bound to receive for this later. I walked around to the back of the truck to inspect the damage further and saw what had punctured my tire. I stumbled back a bit as I realized it was what appeared to be a broken bone sticking out of the tire. "What the..." I said mostly to myself but the worker must've heard too as it caused him to look down at it as well. When he did his face went white for a second then he composed himself. "Well I'll be damned," he said, "I've been here since the plant opened and I ain't never seen that before, some uh, poor animal must've gone through the forage harvester, or uh, some farmer's dog must've dug it up and dropped it in their silo." He seemed real shifty as he said this and almost seemed like he was trying to convince himself of what he was saying but I brushed it off as I figured he was probably just as shocked as I was.
While I was still able to unload I did have to leave the truck and trailer at the plant that night. A mobile tire repair service would be out in the morning to get it all fixed up. I got a ride back to the farm with our next truck to arrive at the plant and finished out the day pressure washing the manure spreaders. No doubt a reward for my efforts that day. I had to take a good long shower at the farm office before getting in my truck to head home for the night. As I started the engine I went to pull my phone out of my pocket to plug it in to the charger and realized that I didn't have it. I padded all my other pockets, nope definitely not there. I then realized that I had likely left it in the semi which was now at the plant, probably locked behind a gate for the night. Logically I could have just waited till morning to go and retrieve it. I was probably just going to go straight to bed when I got home anyway so what did I need my phone for? But because humans now have separation anxiety from their phones burned into them at age 3 I found myself pulling out on to the road in the direction of the plant rather than home. I hoped there would be some friendly night security guard that would let me in to grab it and I'd be on my way in 5 minutes.
I reached the plant just as it was getting dark and indeed there was a security guard standing at the gate as I pulled up. A very heavily armed security guard. He had what looked like a military rifle slung over his back and I wondered what on earth he needed that for. They were very illegal for civilians to own here in the great white north so they must've had a damn good reason to arm their security like this for the government to let them do it. He looked rather intimidating but surprisingly was not at all antagonistic when I rolled down my window. "Are you lost partner?" He said in a rather friendly tone. "No, no, I work for one of the farms that delivers here," I said, "My truck blew a tire on the trailer earlier today and it's still sitting over by pit 3 and I think I left my phone in the cab, do you mind if I go check?" He gave me a suspicious look, then he peered into the pickup bed and generally looked over me and my truck, then he gazed off down the road and looked at his watch. "Alright you got 10 minutes, and try and stay out of the night shift's way" he said in a much less friendly tone.
A loud click and then a buzzing sound came from the gate as it began to move and I drove through it. By now it was almost completely dark but the large spotlights of the plant made it easy to navigate. I came around the corner and saw my truck still sitting across from pit 3 and I pulled up in front of it. As I got out I noticed that there was a large excavator up on top of the pile in pit 4. I knew it was digging into the silage but I couldn't really see what it was doing properly because the concrete wall that separated pits 3 and 4 partially obscured it. I could also see the roof of the snowcat peeking up over the wall. It must've been parked a little ways away on top of the pile and I figured it must've gotten stuck and they were using the excavator to try and get it out. I paid it little attention as I entered the cab of the semi truck and quickly found my phone in the cupholder. I grabbed it and just as I was climbing down a voice called out to me.
"Hey who the fuck are you?? And what are you doing here???" A disgruntled looking worker wearing the same high vis gear was running towards me. "I just left my phone in this truck here, the security guard let me in to grab it" I stammered backing up towards my pickup. "Of course he fucking did" the man grumbled and he snatched his radio out of his jacket pocket. "Peter what the hell did you let this dumbass in here for you can't be doing that!" He shouted into the radio. "Relax they're not even here yet" the guard's voice crackled through the radio. "Umm actually I see headlights if he's got his phone tell him to get out of there." The man looked back to me. "You heard him son get lost and don't come back here after delivery hours again you got it?" I nodded and climbed back into my pickup truck and began to drive back towards the gate. As I exited the guard waved to me from behind the big black GMC Yukon that had pulled up to the gate. He appeared to be talking to the driver. There was a large U-Haul truck behind it followed by another black Yukon. As I passed the last vehicle I noticed in my rear view mirror the 3 trucks enter the plant ad the guard shutting the gate behind them.
That whole situation did not sit right with me. On the drive home I contemplated everything that I had seen and heard from the guard and the other worker. They were up to something in that plant at night that maybe even the bosses didn't know about. My best guess was it was some kind of drug operation. If movies have taught me anything drug kingpins always drive black SUVs. I know I should have left it alone but life up here in Northern Alberta was so boring my curiosity ended up getting the better of me. I thought that I could help bring down some kind of criminal organization and be a local hero, and that worst case scenario nothing was happening and nothing would come of it.
After harvest concluded I had a couple of days off to rest as we'd been working pretty crazy hours lately. I however did not rest. I was trying to find out everything I could about the plant and the people who ran it. I really couldn't find anything about it, in fact it was as if the place didn't exist. You would think there would at least be a news story from when they built the place what with it being the biggest boost to the local economy and job market our town had ever seen and all but there was nothing. Finally I decided the only thing to do was to see if I could observe what those black SUVs and the U-Haul truck were doing in the plant at night. Maybe get some photos of the exchange and hand them off to the police. I did some poking around on Google maps and found an old logging road that ran across the ridge behind the plant. There was a little dirt area where people often parked to unload their ATVs to go riding in the woods up there that was maybe only a kilometre or so from the north side of the plant.
I drove up there just before dark and hiked down through the woods all the way to the north fence of the plant. It was just a chain link fence like you'd see around a schoolyard not a barbed wire prison fence or anything so I made quick work of climbing over it. Luckily for me there was a lot of equipment and old dumpsters and shipping containers in this part of the plant for me to hide behind as I made my way towards where the main gate was. I crouched down behind one of their company trucks parked near the gate and waited about 20 minute before I saw the black SUVs pull up. This time though they didn't have a U-Haul they had a much larger yellow Penske box truck. They must be hauling some serious product to be renting that thing. I watched as the trucks rolled through the gate and much like they had done with me a few days prior the plant workers in high vis gear directed them back towards the pits.
I began to sneak my way over there being careful to stay out of sight. I realized very quickly that I wouldn't be able to get very close while still remaining hidden. The area around the pits was largely wide open to allow to turn around and back in so there was nothing to conceal me as I approached. I noticed the office nearby and had an idea. I snuck over to it and tried the door. It was open but the lights were off inside. Luckily no alarms went off and I found what I came for quickly. A high vis uniform and a white hard hat laying on the break room table. I also grabbed some safety glasses and a dust mask as it wasn't uncommon for the workers to wear them, there was a lot of dust around the pits, and I figured it would help conceal my identity.
After putting on the uniform and sneaking back outside I observed the workers for a few minutes to see what they were doing and how best to blend in. Most of them appeared to either be standing around watching the trucks pull up or walking somewhere so I figured just walking like I was on a mission was good enough. Turns out I didn't need to fake it for long. As I neared the yellow Penske truck I saw some men getting out of the black SUVs. They were dressed in what looked like church robes but definitely not Catholic since they didn't have the collar. One of them turned to me and I froze. "Hey buddy, we got a pretty big load tonight, mind giving us a hand?" Realizing my cover was working I decided to play along and just leave the part about me helping the drug lords out of my statement to the police. I nodded and walked over with the other workers and awaited instructions.
I heard the sound of a diesel engine coming closer and looked over to see the excavator I had seen coming around the corner and begin to climb the silage pile in pit 4 again. The snowcat was behind it but instead of following the excavator up the pile it came towards us. It had some kind of large metal box attached to the blade that was about the size of a small car. The operator set the box down next to the Penske truck and hopped out. The same disgruntled man I had encountered the other night got out of the cab. "Jesus man, that's a big truck you got there, probably gonna take a couple trips to unload this thing," he said to the men in robes. One of them opened up the back of the box truck and where I expected to see a giant pile of cocaine bricks or something there was something I never expected.
Bodies, and lots of them just thrown haphazardly into the back of this truck. I had to fight the urge to fill my dust mask with vomit as I saw them. The workers began loading them into the box on the blade of the snowcat just tossing them on with little regard for how they landed. No one seemed to notice me just standing there so I slowly backed up into the shadows and made my way over to pit 3. It was almost full by now so I climbed up the pile to a spot where I could look over the concrete wall into pit 4 where the excavator was without being spotted. Once up there I saw the snowcat climbing up the pile towards a large hole the excavator had dug in it. There were some more workers up there who began throwing the bodies off into the hole as one of the men in robes climbed out of the passenger seat in the snowcat. He just stood on the track watching as the bodies were piled into this impromptu mass grave they had constructed. He stayed up on the pile while the snowcat went down for the second load.
This was all starting to make sense now. This was the perfect cover for disposing of bodies. They would get broken down in the piles same as everything else and because they were constantly being emptied into the digester the evidence would only be around for a few months, and the horrific smell of the plant would conceal any foul odours produced by the dead bodies. But there was one question left. Where were they coming from? This was way too many bodies for this to be the mafia or something killing off problematic individuals. By the time the truck was totally unloaded there must've been 100 dead people in that hole. No this had to be some cult activities of some sort and the robes the men from the black SUVs were wearing backed up that theory. Maybe these were just what was left over from some sort of ritual sacrifice or something? Whoever these people are they must have some kind of deal with the plant's owners because I could tell the workers had done this before. From the time the truck had arrived to the time the excavator started burying the corpses in rotting corn silage it had only taken about half an hour.
I didn't even bother ditching the uniform I got out of that plant as fast as I could. I sprinted up through those woods back towards my truck with my heart beating so fast I thought it would explode. As soon as I was in the truck I locked all the doors and dialed 911 on speaker as I peeled out of the forest. I told the operator everything that had happened over the last couple of days and what I had seen that night. I practically begged them to send someone there right away which the nice lady on the other end of the line promised they would. She asked for my name and contact information so they could get a hold of me for a statement which I gladly gave them. She assured me they would investigate the matter and I thanked her and hung up the phone. I then pulled over and got out of the truck and proceeded to finally let out all the vomit I had been holding in for the last hour or so. I ditched the plant uniform on the side of that old forest road and made my way for home.
As I was approaching my house I saw a car up ahead. As I drew closer I could make out the distinctive reflective tape they put across the back of police cars. I slowed down as I had come up on him pretty fast and I didn't want to get a speeding ticket after all I'd been through that night. I followed the cop a few more kilometres towards town. My house was on this road coming up shortly. As we approached my driveway the cop put his signal on to turn in. I breathed a sigh of relief as I guessed they had sent someone out to check on me and I was about to put my signal on as well when I noticed the black GMC Yukon parked in my driveway and the man in robes standing next to it with a gun. The cop turned in and parked next to him. Given that the cop had basically zero reaction to the man standing there with a weapon my heart sank as I realized whatever this is runs much, muh deeper than I thought and revealing who I was to that 911 dispatcher had just dommed me. I kept on driving praying that neither of them recognized me and thanking the Alberta government for not requiring front license plates that the cop would have totally seen on the drive over otherwise.
I just kept on driving, expecting at any minute to see police lights behind me or a big black SUV blocking the road ahead of me and men in dark robes coming out of the darkness to get me, but nothing happened. I don;t even know how long I drove for I just drove until I had to pee so badly I was forced to stop at a truck stop and realized I was somewhere in Saskatchewan. I've been on the run so to speak now for about 6 months. I don't know if anyone's even following me but I have to be sure. I'm writing this all out to get it off my chest and out there as a warning before I ditch this phone and start my life over in another province as far away from there as I can get. I don't know what's going on up there but there is something very dark happening in northern Alberta and I've probably only scratched the surface of it. Either way I want no part of any of it.

Our neighbors installed a new fence with a gate into our backyard from theirs. How is that legal? Super weird and creepy. I calmly went over to speak with them about it and it seemed like they understood how that was not ok and it needed to go back to being just a fence. That went nowhere and they are not going to do anything. What are my rights in this strange situation?

I just got a new landlord, the previous owners didn't care what we did as long as the rent was paid. The new landlord showed up one day with no notice to perform work and weed-whacked the front yard. I wasn't home when this happened and came back later that day to dents and dings to one of my cars that was in the driveway. Then showed up another day, and tried to get into our private backyard which we keep under lock and key, the only reason I caught them was that I was home and I heard the gate creek. They were only supposed to weed whack the backyard, next thing I noticed they were emptying the toolboxes we had in the backyard on the ground and carrying the empty boxes into the carport, clearing off work benches, and moving them into the carport. We had some metal material for a project leaned up against the wall in the carport that they damaged when moving the stuff from the backyard. They did cut the weeds to a half-ass level but left all our stuff in the carport they moved out.
We spent all day Saturday getting the benches and toolboxes back into the backyard and putting the tools and stuff back into and on them.
Then the message says we have a locksmith showing up in 2 hrs to put new locks on your doors. I told them no and got them a copy of the key.
After that, we got a message saying we have 90 days to clean the extern and intern of the unit or they will.
Now, I am just pissed with this new landlord. He made a mess outside the property and is telling us to clean it up.
I know the way the intern looks cluttered because we have a sparring room that we turned into storage and has more expensive tools stored in there.
What the hell do I do with this landlord, I know he had no right to go through our stuff especially when none of it was near the weeds.

Nowhere genuinely confuses me. Every other playable space in this game makes sense from a thematic and story standpoint. Obviously you have most of the facility, but Rotfront was where Ariane grew up. It's introduced once we understand who she is so we have a better understanding of both the wider universe and her backstory. But then you jump down the hole in the mines and you're in Silent Hill land.
The walls are made of pulsating flesh. The actual architecture feels several centuries behind Sierpinski. The rooms are brutalist, concrete grey walls and rusted chainmail fences and wire meshes. Rusted cages are abundant, and so barbed wire mazes. There are familiar locations scattered around; the faded painting from the office, the interrogation chair, a radio puzzle that gives lock codes, the administration lock door, the Mynah room, the school room with the save station, and the empty coffin that resembles Ariane's cryo pod. It feels like a tortured mutation of Sierpinski. Falke's memory of the facility is breaking down and contorting into Ariane's dying hellscape as the two fight for control over their memory of Elster.
But there are just as many things that are alien. The several save stations in the walls watching you, the literal pulsating mass that takes you to fight the Chimera, the sacrifice room, the several notes begging you to leave written right to left, the wire maze with the first plate that has this horrific moaning in the background, the SEVERAL other wire mazes, and the Plate of Balance room that has the scissor-like gate (there is a joke to be made here but I won't). Why a Mynah doll?
And then, most curiously to me, the Empress Hand. The most puzzling and fascinating part of Nowhere for me. Is this the Empress mentioned in the banned book in Rotfront? The note in her room seems to represent Ariane and Elster's journey (first day she was crowned, the launch of the Primrose, second day nothing was done, Elster never killed Ariane, third day wed, they fell in love, fourth day she killed herself, Ariane creates the loop so Elster can kill her. They could also symbolize the different endings but that is a stretch), and so do the rings we place on her hand (Wedding Ring, Serpent Ring representing the loop, and the Regent Ring that represents the hell they're stuck in). And then the hole she hides the plate in starts bleeding. The note present is also written in that strange right to left cypher structure.
Is there another force here? That's a theory I believe Power Pak suggested in his video, that a third force is influencing the loop with bioresonance and hence creating Nowhere. Is it the Eye? The Empress herself? Something else entirely?
Does the rot and pulsating flesh represent Ariane's cancer and decaying body?
Why does the Snorf, which debuts here, so much more corrupted then the others?
(My personal favorite note present is the one by the empty coffin, which talks about how the dreamer must wake to avoid rolling over and repeating the cycle. It's cryptic and eerie, and what tuned me in to the fact the game is likely a time loop, which was confirmed for me when I got the Memory ending)
I don't think Nowhere is real. I think SOMETHING might have been found down in the mines, but I don't think it was a literal flesh hell dimension. The map doesn't work, and the geometry of the rooms is literally impossible with how some doors go in left and come out right. Leaving Nowhere takes us right to the Gate where Adler is waiting, signifying that it's the border between reality and the red desert mindscape.
Perhaps this was just part of the Mine and it was the first to become fully corrupted by the infection. It does resemble the infected Sierpinski we see later, which is classified as part of Nowhere in the save slot.
But Nowhere doesn't appear again. None of the facility does. Jumping down the hole in the classroom brings us right to Rotfront. So what does it mean?

Hi, I have had had trouble with getting a few fencing contractors to call me back, does anyone have any recommendations? We are in the city and have what I suspect is a smaller job (approx 60 feet + a gate).
We were hoping to get cedar as it would match the other fence in our yard, owned by our neighbor.
The one contractor that did call us back said that they didn't do cedar anymore. He said that the quality of the cedar wood they have been receiving since covid has been low quality and the boards end up splitting and warping. Anyone with industry experience/familiarity -- do you agree with this or is it potentially a story so that we go with what they use. They said they'd install "pressure treated cedar tone" fence, which is made of pine.
We were also thinking about DIY, but I cannot seem to find anywhere that will sell larger cedar dog ear pickets. Any leads? Home Depot has the 6ft ones, I was hoping to find 7 or 8 ft so that I could cut them to size, we have a hilly yard and I'd like to avoid the ground spots where small dogs can easily escape.
Thank you!

I take the chalk in my hand. It leaves a smear - no, a streak, - of blue chalk dust. It will stay on my fingers.
It's summer. I'm ten, just turned ten. Three years until I'm a teen. Six until I can drive. Eight until college.
I first try wiping the chalk off on my blue shorts, but the material is wrong, and the shorts are a darker shade, so the chalk leaves a streak there as well.
I get up, turn around. On the ground, I've created what could be the ocean. Or the sky. Depends on whether you look at it one way or the other, if the yellow part is the beach or a desert landscape. With my quality of art, who knows.
The sun is bright. It reflects off of the chalk, and the bricks of the house, and the puddles of water on the ground. It had rained the day before, which was why I had chosen to draw on this particular day. If it rained yesterday, it would be less likely to rain on this day, which made no sense at all, but given my age and my unbearable state of boredom, my urge to go outside and do something trumped my common sense. The sun was scrambling my brain. Or maybe it was the fact that I was bored, and locked up. Or both.
I have good memories of Covid, and bad ones. At first, during March of that year, I saw it as one long vacation. No school, no work, video games all day. Then, when online school started up again, my school wasn't prepared for it, and the amount of class-time I got was laughable. I spent an hour in the morning, from 9 to 10 AM in homeroom. Of course, it was on Zoom. Then it was work that they had designed to take hours, which I finished in half of one.
I would play games, run around the house. Then I got tired of this, and I kicked a ball around in the basement, pretending I was a famous soccer player. After this, it was art.
I put the chalk away, then begin to walk inside, when I see my bike. It lies propped up against the flower bed wall, in the shade, away from the sun. I decide to stay out a bit longer.
I get on the bike, and I ride around in the driveway. Our driveway was large, and it circled around the house, going off onto a path that led into the garden. I started riding, just for the fun of it. Then. I would imagine myself to be a pilot, or a dirt-bike racer, or a world war two bomber jet. All around the house.
***
There was a big, heavy, copper gate that separated the property line from the neighbors down below. We lived at the top of a hill, on a small cul-de-sac street, with five houses, ours included. I would ride the bike, and then stop to look out at the rest of the world through the bars of the weathered gate. Like a prisoner. And I guess I wasn't that far away from being one.
I had not left the house since March 9th of that year. My school shut down a few days later, but I was taken out early. It was July now, and I had not seen a single in-person face other than my brother, and mother, and father. And my dog. No friends, no nothing.
One day, when I go to the gate, I hear something. Something that I had not heard for literal months. Laughter. I heard laughter. The sound was like music, like something from a far-away planet. Like something I shouldn't, couldn't, believe. Like something that was criminal to be witnessing.
I peek. Stare around the corner, through the bars, and there, on our little cul-de-sac, are two kids playing. Boy, girl. Brother and sister, probably. They have a ball that they kick around. Hands flying, legs churning. The girl wore a Casio watch that burned my eyes, a lazer beam that pierced through to my retinas.
More laughter. I hide from behind a bush, my bike leaning on the ground now. Voices I can't hear. I strain my ears.
A door shuts. A lightbulb turns off, as if some cosmic being flicked a light switch on the entire scene. And as soon as it all began, it's over. Story of my life.
I take my bike back to its resting place against the brick wall, and I go up the stairs.
And I open the door, and shut it, and the image of their maskless faces is embedded in my mind, that ball still bouncing, as I imagine myself with them.

Not something I thought I’d be asking advice for three hrs ago but was watching tv this evening when two horses thundered past my living room window.
I live in the countryside but none of my neighbours have horses. I came outside and yes two horses doing laps of my house. I live in a bit of a hollow about 300m down a lane from the road.
Followed them up the lane to find about four men and three cars all at top of my lane. They had closed my gate to keep the horses inside my property. I asked if they owned them and they said yes and they were in a bit of a ‘handling’ and not sure what to do as they’d broken out. Then they warned me one was a stallion and keep out of the way (after I’d already had to walk past them to find out what was happening). After they thundered past me it was enough for me to hop the gate into the road and leave them to my garden.
End result, one jumped the fence and the other just broke clean through it and headed off at speed. All the men headed after them (understandably I guess)
What I assume was the owner did say initially he’d sort my garden out. I don’t know who he is but I’m sure I can find out as he seemed to know one of my other neighbours who came to help.
Just not sure where I stand here. Significant portion of my fence has been broken down. Hard to see in the dark but there’s a lot of horse 💩 and hoof marks all over my lawn.
Obviously I’m expecting him to fix the fence and I take it they’re definitely liable for this? As for the lawn, I don’t have a marvellously manicured lawn by any means so not sure what I should expect them to do? Roll it out?
They passed my car a few times. Can’t see any obvious damage but it’s dark so I’ll check everything better in the morning.
Now adrenaline gone tbh I’m v annoyed they closed them into my garden (forcing my gate to do so) and didn’t then come down to warn me what was happening. I have a dog and was just about to let him out before bed when this all happened….i dread to think what could have happened if I had 🤷‍♀️
Also letting me walk up to them without shouting out that one was a stallion on the rampage seems kinda negligent on their part.
I don’t want to be awkward as I’m sure they were stressed so thought I’d ask people who know about horses what you’d have done in this situation. I contacted my neighbour who came to help (farmer) and he advised they finally were able to catch them about five miles away, and that they ended up on a main road-it’s honestly a miracle they didn’t collide with a car as that road can be busy. With hindsight should I have called the police to inform them that there were horses loose on the road? Seems like they were loose and running the roads for about three hours 🤷‍♀️