Podcasts about Almond

Is Bitcoin actually helping anyone, or is it just another Wall Street game with better branding? In this conversation, Mike Peterson sits down with Jeremy Almond (@jeremyalmond) to argue that the answer shows up in Bitcoin circular economies, where people earn, spend, and save in Bitcoin as a medium of exchange, and where financial inclusion can look like a kid getting access to school, tools, and a first job.Jeremy shares the personal story that brought him here, shaped by the 2008 financial crisis, Occupy Wall Street, and a family tragedy that turned “money problems” into a life-changing emergency. It is the kind of Main Street vs Wall Street moment that forces a choice, either accept the system as it is or build toward something that gives people more economic agency.Then Jeremy breaks down what Paystand is doing, and why the company keeps Bitcoin in the background. He explains how Bitcoin adoption can happen through business-friendly rails, payment solutions, corporate cards, and payroll, so companies get speed and lower costs without needing a boardroom debate about Bitcoin first.The conversation also goes deep on Paystand.org and corporate philanthropy that tries to avoid the usual traps. The focus is economic empowerment, not dependency, and the goal is to fund and support grassroots leaders who are building circular Bitcoin economies that can stand on their own.Finally, Mike and Jeremy zoom in on what actually scales, Hope House, Bitcoin education, fellowships, and the tough balance between moving fast and protecting communities from bad actors. If you want the clearest case for how Bitcoin can change outcomes in the economy people live in every day, this episode makes the argument without pretending it is easy.-Bitcoin Beach TeamConnect and Learn more about Jeremy Almond:X: https://x.com/jeremyalmond YT: https://www.youtube.com/@redefinedpodcast YT: https://www.youtube.com/@PayStand Support and follow Bitcoin Beach:X: https://www.twitter.com/BitcoinBeach IG: https://www.instagram.com/bitcoinbeach_sv TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livefrombitcoinbeach Web: https://www.bitcoinbeach.com Browse through this quick guide to learn more about the episode:00:00  Intro03:42 - How did the 2008 financial crisis spark Jeremy's Bitcoin journey?07:48 - What is Paystand's "Trojan Horse" strategy for Bitcoin adoption?12:42 - How do corporate cards introduce companies to Bitcoin? What role does Bitwage play?16:29 - How a payments company became a top 20 Bitcoin miner20:16 - Why are circular economies the "purest" form of Bitcoin?23:51 - How does Hope House use Bitcoin mining for education?26:33 - Why send tech employees to indigenous communities? How do fellowships change corporate culture?30:34 - How do you scale grassroots Bitcoin movements without breaking them?34:29 - Why does traditional foreign aid fail? How does Bitcoin fix the incentive structure?39:16 - What is Paystand.org? How can you volunteer for circular economy projects?Live From Bitcoin Beach

Quaranteam - Dave In Dallas: Part 9 A talk with a detective leads to a decision. Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Jan visibly relaxed as she followed Dave out. Olivia was checking in with Shawna and Mel. Dave waited until it looked like Liv had reached a stopping point in her conversation, then signaled for her to come back up. "Dave, how long until the cops get here?" Shawna asked. "Patrol isn't coming. Said since we aren't in immediate danger, they'll focus on 'higher priority calls and get to us when they can'. Which means they aren't coming. A detective will come out to investigate, but that will take time." "How much?" "Dunno. I have a plan though. I'll talk it over with the others and hash out the details. I'll come back out and fill you two in shortly." "Okay." Mel replied. "I'll call Mitchell. See if he can cover for me. He already has morning shift. Between him and April, they can manage for a day." "You sure?" "He's ready to work without a net for one day at least. Probably longer, but I don't want to fry his nerves unnecessarily." "You're a good boss, babe." Dave gave her a quick kiss, then charged back up the stairs to Esme's room where Lupie, Nessa and Olivia waited, with Esme and Roscoe of course. Currently, Esme had her face buried in the big dog's neck, giggling. As Dave took and held each ladies' hand briefly, he heard Jan come in with Becca and Reena in trail. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. We'll take pictures to document the damage and the bodies. Then we'll make repairs. We've got four people with weapons skills. Until the breaches are sealed, at least two of us are armed, on sentry duty downstairs. Once we've got the holes patched, at night at least, we'll go to one person on guard." He paused a minute so everyone could absorb what he'd said. "Does anyone have a good digital camera? We should use something other than cellphones if we can." "Depends on the camera and the user," Mel said. "Unless someone's had classes in photography, they're probably better off using a high-end phone camera." "Does anyone have a high-end phone camera?" Dave asked. "I know mine is decent, but not great." "Mine's pretty good, Liv's too." The other just shrugged. "I have a couple of good digital cameras at my office." Nessa replied. "Listings without photos don't do so good. The cameras are the best available last year, so they should show all the needed detail. I took classes at the El Centro to learn how to make the most of them. Well, the classes were three years ago when we different cameras. We got new, better ones last year." Dave nodded, then thought for a moment. "Okay, I'll escort Nessa to her office for the camera. We'll document everything. Then we'll assess the damage and figure out what we need for repairs. Liv, you and Mel will go to the hardware store for the supplies. Watch your; " his eyes flitted to Esme, "butts. If anything looks sketchy, get back here, supplies or no." Olivia nodded. "Just keep the same in mind yourself." Lupie gazed at him like she wanted to burn Liv's words into Dave's mind. She was not alone. "Vee, we should get going as soon as you're dressed. I don't think you want to go out in the cold drizzle in silk peejays." Vanessa smirked, rising to go change. "I'll be in shortly to grab a coat." As Nessa walked out, Dave sat down beside Lupie. Neither said a word, he just folded his arms around her as she leaned into him. Her shoulder pressed against his chest. Her head settled into the crook of his neck. Dave stroked her other arm, from the top of her shoulder, all the way down to her elbow, slowly, gently, hoping to give her the reassurance that no words would convey. He looked up to see the imploring look in Jan's eyes. With a flick of his own eyes, he signaled for her to sit on his other side, which she promptly did, leaning against him. Lupie reached out to softly grasp Jan's hand. The two sat on either side of Dave, just feeling his presence. While the other two snuggled against him, Dave made eye contact, individually, with Olivia, Becca, and Reena. Liv, while still working through some understandable nerves, seemed otherwise okay. Rebecca looked worried but trusting. Kareena looked like she was on the verge of losing it. Dave waved her over. Reena rose from where she was sitting on the opposite side of the room and streaked over to sit in Dave's lap. Lupie and Jan both made space for the younger girl to sit. The hands that they clasped together, rejoined, encircling Reena. Meanwhile, Reena buried her face in the crook of Dave's neck. Dave's eyes fell on Becca and Liv, the only two of his partners in the room not already huddled with him. Becca looked worried, but trying not to intrude. Not surprising for her, but not an accurate assessment of how Dave or the others would feel about her joining in. Quite the opposite of course. Beginning to understand Becca's feelings of inadequacy, was, however, shining an uncomfortable light on Dave's own lingering personal demons. Then there was Livy. The one that stood by him, protecting the others as the barbarians stormed their gates. He could see the conflicting emotions bounding across her face. She needed this comfort as much as he did. Today was the first time either of them had fired a shot at another human being. Dave waved them both over. "Let's make some space for Liv to sit here. She's got to be pretty spent too." Lupie looked at him plaintively. Like she knew the rightness of what he suggested, but some selfish part of her, that was losing, did not want to move. She did. Then she wrapped her arms around Olivia. "If it weren't for you, he would have been all alone down there, Liv. Thank you." Lupie hugged the younger woman closely. Olivia leaned back into her, while staring at Dave. That's when she started shaking. Dave tried leaning into Liv, But he still had Reena on his lap, and Jan on his other side. Becca, not yet in the cuddle pile, knelt in front of Liv, stroking her thighs soothingly, not erotically. "If you start singing soft kitty, Becca, I swear I'll drop you from the roof." Though Olivia's voice was unsteady, her essential snark came shining through, evoking the laughter she was seeking. None laughed harder than Becca, who threw her head back, snorting hard, with a wide grin that suggested Liv might have been prescient. "Okay, okay ladies," Dave said as the laughter subsided, "I need to go tell Shawna and Mel what's going on, get a coat, and escort Vanessa to get that camera." He patted Reena's leg. She immediately rose halfway up and slipped over to sit beside Liv, sandwiching the brunette between herself and Lupie. Dave addressed the room. "On security issues, Liv's in charge." He fixed his eyes on Olivia. "You know the drill; two on duty, one off, staggered relief. No one downstairs except guards for now. Well, people will start getting hungry once the nerves wear off, so let Lupie and a helper in the kitchen to make something." "And two more helpers at the end to carry everything else up." "Yeah." "And have the third in the kitchen on guard during cooking time." "Yup. and the guard is not doing anything but guarding. Just do your best to keep the guards rested and alert. Hopefully it won't take more than an hour or two to get the camera, but we'll maintain the watch while we document and repair." Liv nodded, as did Lupie and Jan. Nessa opened the door just then, smartly dressed for the weather in jeans and a stylish but sturdy jacket, and Dave's coat in hand. "Thanks, hun." Dave said as he approached her. "Let's go tell Shawna and Mel what's going on, and then head out. We'll take Liv's S U V." The brunette gave a thumbs up from the midst of the loose cuddle the family sat in. Esme and Roscoe had joined them. "Oh, and make sure Lupie and anyone else that cross the living room knows to steer clear of the broken glass, both to preserve evidence until we document it, and spare their feet." Passing Shawna, Dave motioned her to follow him part way down the stairs, then signaled Mel to come up and meet them. The looks on their faces as Dave spoke morphed from incredulous at the dispatcher's comments, to mild worry and trust when Dave explained his plans. Shawna stood up as Dave did, hugging him tightly. In his ear she said, "You be careful. I just got you, baby. I need you, and not just because of the serum." She punctuated her statement with a kiss on the lips that clearly wanted to linger, but self-control did not permit. "Escorting Nessa, armed, is just a precaution. I really don't expect any more trouble. We just need to be smart about this; be ready if something does happen." The first part was to allay their fears, the second to bolster their vigilance. Two steps down, Mel gave Dave a hug as well. "Just come back. You hear me? Come back to us. I don't want to change families anymore." Dave picked up on the allusion to the constant moves while in foster care. He hugged her tightly. "I promise, Red." Then he adopted a bad Austrian accent. "I'll be back." Mel giggled and smacked his shoulder with a wry smile. She followed Dave and Nessa down the stairs until she reached her station. The other two continued through the house and out through the garage. Liv's vehicle was in the driveway and it would have been much shorter to just go through the front door, but Dave was trying not to pass through any portion of the crime scene until after they'd documented it. Nessa drove. For one thing, it was her office, and Dave didn't know the way. For another, in the passenger seat, Dave could scan all around the vehicle, keeping a constant watch. He meant what he said earlier, the risk was likely zero now. Still, caution would be far better than getting caught unawares. Again. The streets were empty of course. While that should have lowered Dave's anxiety levels, the current risk factor was not the only thing that could gnaw at him. Dave had nearly a hundred hours of practice at shoot / no-shoot ranges, hundreds of hours of raw target practice, and had successful hunts every year he'd gotten a license. And no, despite all the bullshit coming out of those idiots at PETA, shooting a deer was not the same as shooting a person. Not even close. What they only knew as a pseudo-intellectual exercise Dave now had logged as real life experience. He didn't regret it. They were attacking his home. They broke in, in the middle of the night, carrying arms. Their intent was unknown, but there were no innocent reasons fitting those facts. But they were dead, at Dave's hands. And Livy's. He needed to find a way to console her, help her through this mental minefield even as he tried to navigate it himself. The look on her face as he left hovered in his mind. What had he led her through? Maybe he should have taken the low position on the stairs, and had Liv wait at the top of the stairs as backup? Then maybe she wouldn't have to have fired a shot? Maybe he could have fired quickly enough to hold off the attackers on his own. Then Liv wouldn't have to carry the burden she now had. "Babe?" Vanessa called out. Seeing no change in Dave's face, she tried again. "David? Honey, can you hear me?" "Huh? What?" "You're spiralling. I'm no expert, but that look. I've seen it before. A couple of our younger realtors are vets." "Not the same. This was a single incident that only lasted a few minutes. Those guys lived in hell for months." "Only one has chosen to open up to me, but it seems it's only a few minutes that the mind can't let go of." Dave kept his face stony and doubled down on his scanning. What could he have missed while his brain was wasting time with obsessions? "David, please don't run away on me, on us. We need you. You've been a good man for us every step of the way." Her voice got shaky as she continued. "We needed you this morning, and you stepped up. I've never been one to consign manliness exclusively to feats of strength or military prowess, but those are included. What you did this morning was another way to show your love. You stood between us and harm. You took the risk, and I am grateful for that. I know the others are too." Dave didn't reply, but did take a deep breath. The rest of the ride passed in silence. It took forty-five minutes to reach the realty office. Since most were working remotely; or dead; the place was empty. Dave followed Nessa in as she went straight to the cabinet and extracted a camera and a fresh memory card. Then they headed right back out. As she was locking the outer door, her stomach rumbled. Dave chuckled. "Maybe we should swing through a drive-thru for some breakfast. Any preferences?" "I'd really like a coffee. I think I saw an open Starbucks three blocks back. I don't know if they're working in bubbles; like a fixed group for each shift; or maybe they got dosed already, but they're lit up. A big coffee and a pastry and I'd be fine." The lobby doors had large "Closed, Use Drive-Thru Please" signs. Nessa pulled in and placed her order, then looked over at Dave. "Almond croissant, bacon gouda sandwich, and; a trenta pink drink. Easy ice." The look on Nessa face was priceless. She managed not to laugh, or say anything, just turned to the speaker to relay the request. While they were waiting their turn in line, she reached her hand under Dave's chin. She pulled him toward her, even as she leaned in, giving him a long, slow, loving kiss. "The man that can hold off armed assailants in the middle of the night, with no warning, doesn't need to be embarrassed about what he drinks with his breakfast, baby. You've certified your manliness in so many ways, even before this morning." Tears rimmed the bottom of her eyes. Dave was just brushing away her tears, trying to think of something to say when the car behind them honked. The car ahead was now two car lengths away. Both settled back into their seats. "Thank you," Dave said huskily as she edged forward. They passed the remainder of the return trip in silence, though a few meaningful glances were exchanged. Shawna and Mel left their stations and met them in the middle of the living room as soon as the two heard Dave and Nessa coming in through the garage. Dave had also texted as they turned on to the right block. "Upstairs, now mister." Shawna's voice was stern, uncompromising. "What?" "I didn't think about it before you left, but these guys might be carriers of Duo. We're vaxxed directly, but you're only safe through us. The briefing we got was clear; if the man we're bonded to is exposed, or even potentially exposed, renew his immunity with sex. Lots of it. Nessa and I will start documenting. Liv and Mel will stand guard." Footsteps on the stairs announced Olivia's descent. "Go on. Becca and Reena are in the spare bedroom waiting. Others will rotate in. You don't have to finish in us for your immunity. Once we gush, with or without you, switch to the next girl." "But y'all won't get your dose that way." "That's not the concern right now. Your immunity is. Go on." Dave recognized that tone, plus the looks in every eye present. He was sure the looks of those not present would match. Sure enough, when Dave opened the door to the bedroom, he saw his two youngest partners already waiting. Becca, her blonde hair cascading past her shoulders, small, pert tits standing out proudly as she kneeled on the bed wearing nothing but a smile. Reena was identically attired, her warm brown skin and large tits the most notable contrast with her friend. Dave began stripping off his gear and clothing, double checking that his pistol and smg were on safe, even though they had been for a few hours now. He set his weapons away from the bed, but further from the door than the bed. Coos and sexy comments from the girls had him half-chubbed by the time he pulled off his boxers. "Oh, yeah baby. That's what I'm looking for." Reena purred. She pulled Dave's face down to hers and locked his lips in a passionate kiss. Dave immediately began stroking her sides, then moved to caress her lush tits. As his hands contacted her big soft mammaries, Reena hummed. Dave pushed her back onto the bed. Whether this or his fingers grasping her nipples caused her to gasp is anyone's guess. Dave settled himself between her thighs. He felt a hand grasp his cock and notch it in Reena's entrance. Then a small hand delivered a soft slap on his ass. He felt Reena's hand reach around his back, but never saw the thumbs up she gave to Becca. That hand immediately switched from signaling to grasping as Dave's cock surged into her wet and waiting pussy. "Oh, fuck yes. Fuck me, David. Fuck me with that magic fucking cock." She started nibbling on his earlobe as he drove in and out of her slippery passage. It was one of his 'drive me wild' spots. His thrusting rapidly accelerated in speed and power. He raised up, taking his ear out of her reach, but her lascivious smile and her bouncing tits provided incredible visual stimuli. Reena managed a few encouraging erotic words, but quickly devolved into grunts and moans as his animalistic attack on her eager vagina brought both of them to the edge of ecstasy. She got there first. Barely. Her rippling inner muscles touched off his eruption, in turning kicking her into a second orgasm just as the first was reaching its maximum. The power of the doubled orgasm drove the air from her lungs and all thought from her mind. She clutched Dave fiercely with her arms and legs, claiming him as an anchor as pleasure wracked her body. She finally relaxed, flopping back to the bed, panting. "That; was; Awesome!" Dave sat up, his ass on his heels. Then Becca grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to half-turn so she could kiss him. He could feel a turmoil of emotions in that kiss. He brought his hands up to grasp her shoulders while his tongue tangled with hers. Dave barely felt the washcloth Becca slipped under his cock as he slid out of Reena's ravaged little hole. Reena grabbed it to capture any leakage. Meanwhile, Becca pushed Dave flat on his back and straddled him. She leaned down to kiss him again. Then Dave felt an extra hand on his mostly hard shaft. It was elevating him to Becca's hot, moist, little pussy. Reena was returning the favor. Becca sat back slowly at first, until Dave was seated in her entrance. The stimulus of the kiss, the hand on his cock, and Becca's small tits and tiny nipples rubbing his chest had him nearly full hard again. The young blonde's eyes fluttered slightly as she eased her way onto Dave's rod. Probably leftover semen on me setting off a serum reaction , Dave thought. Becca grasped his shoulders with her hands as the ripples passed through her. The effects of the brief exposure ran their course quickly. She sat up, bracing herself on his shoulders as she slowly began to ride him. Her eyes locked on his. Her hips bounced and rotated and snaked, all while Dave's cock stayed buried within her. Dave reached up, grazing her torso with his palms until he cupped her petite and alluring tits. He began massaging the lovely mounds with his palms. His fingers rubbed, rolled, and lightly pinched her nipples. Dave felt the bed shift, and then heard the door click shut. Reena must have slipped out of the room. He returned his attention to Becca, fixing his eyes on hers. So much life was there, waiting, yearning, to become. Her face bore worry; understandably; but something more. It was the something that gave him peace with their relationship, despite his natural doubts about their age difference or himself. He curled up to kiss her lips, which she returned before he lay back down. Her sleek body hammered up and down on his cock, the motions getting increasingly rapid. Her breathing grew ragged and punctuated by moans. She slammed herself down one last time, fully seating Dave inside her as pleasure shot through her body. Dave lowered the exhausted girl to his chest and held her while she caught her breath. Her fluids saturated his cock and leaked slowly out around their joining. A discrete knock preceded the door opening quietly, and closing almost as quickly. Almost imperceptible footsteps approached the bed. The silence of a librarian. "Becca, time to switch." Said Jan in her usual soft voice. "Try to understand, he's a magic man." Her voice was slightly muffled as her head was slightly mushed against Dave's chest still. Both adults chuckled. Then Dave said, "Been watching seventies music on MTV?" Becca nodded. "Mostly concerts since they didn't make many videos back then. People wore weird shit back then." "Hey, I was a kid in the seventies. Those people were my parents, aunts, and uncles." "No more stalling." Jan said in her firm voice. Becca slid up, so that Dave slipped out of her, then clambered off the bed. She immediately grabbed a washcloth, from a stack the ladies must have staged there. House Belsus had no shortage of women that could plan ahead, in detail. As Becca cleaned herself, Jan cleaned up Dave. Then she climbed over Dave to lie between him and the wall. Dave looked at the light tan blouse and mid-thigh, navy blue cloth skirt she wore. "Overdressed aren't we?" Jan's eyes twinkled as she took Dave's hand and placed it high on her thigh, under her skirt. Taking the hint, he slid his hand up her leg, finding her happy place bare and wet. The next hour became a blur as Dave's lovers each took turns 'topping off' his immunity. Well, except Niki. She'd only arrived last night, and was still in her imprinting sleep. When Dave and Shawna; who had been the last in line; had finished cuddling afterwards, they dressed, grinning at each other like a couple of teens that had the house to themselves. A quick kiss and they left the room. As they stepped out, Shawna leaned back in and gave a sniff. "We're gonna need to light a candle in there. Several candles. And lay down some carpet deodorizer." "That's a later problem. Right now I want to check in on Niki, then see how things are going downstairs." As they walked, Shawna spoke. "Well, Nessa and I photographed everything in excruciating detail. Multiple frames, multiple angles. Both breaches, and each corpse, along with the blood trails. She even took close up photos of each man's fingertips and captured decent images of the fingerprints." "Good enough for id purposes?" Dave asked as he opened the door to the master bedroom. "Dunno. Hopefully. We'll see what the police say." "They'll have the bodies to print the old fashion way." "Yeah, couldn't hurt though. Besides, we copied all the images on a second memory card. We're keeping that and handing over the original. Mel swears there's no difference in file integrity." Dave stood by the side of the bed, reaching out to place the back of his hand against the cheek of Niki as she slumbered. She was warm, but not feverish. He pulled back the blankets to examine her legs, remembering their discussion the night before about her injury. There were lots of flaked off skin in the bed surrounding Niki's legs, and some kind of residue along her legs as well. "Best to wait until she wakes to clean her up David. We don't want to disturb her during imprinting sleep." "But we can't wake her during it, no matter what we do." "Still, whatever's going on could be a delicate process. Let's err on the side of caution hun. Let her heal, then we'll help her cleanup later." Dave nodded his agreement and neatly pulled the covers back over Niki's sleeping form. As he adjusted the bedding, Shawna spoke. "Let's go see if Lupie's managed to get the glass out of the carpet to her satisfaction." A wry grin grew on Dave's face. "Is anything ever clean to Lupie's satisfaction?" he asked as they hit the top of the stairs. "When it comes to glass shards in carpet, I'm a fan of Lupie's exactitude." "Fair point. Hey, has Roscoe gotten out yet?" "Oh yeah. We took him out through the garage after you and Nessa left. Esme and Liv walked him around in Lupie's yard 'til he settled down and did his business. Then they played for awhile. Mostly Esme played with him while Liv kept watch." "Bet he loved that." "Yeah, those two are like peas in a pod now." Shawna said as they reached the floor of the living room. Dave walked over to Lupie, who leaned back onto her heels from her work looking for glass shards. The overhead lights were off. She had a flashlight in one hand, using the glint from the shards to locate them. She tilted her head up and Dave gave her an appreciative kiss. "I think he likes her more than me at this point," Liv groused from her position against one wall of the living room. "Aw, he's not replacing you. He just has a new buddy to have fun with." "Yeah, yeah. I'm still getting replaced by a younger model." Shawna rolled her eyes and snickered. "Oh, yeah, you're such an old hag, Liv." Olivia's only answer was a smirking scowl. Dave motioned Liv over to a quiet corner of the room. "How are you holding up?" "I'm okay," she said in an uncharacteristically small voice. "The others kinda dogpiled me for awhile. It's just; it's not like I thought it would be." Both were silent for a minute. "Dad did stuff like that for years." Her voice started to crack. "How? I mean shit, now I get why he was so strict on some things, or why he would get distant. How the fuck wasn't he a bigger asshole?" As she started to shake with sobs, Dave wrapped his arms around her, tears streaming down his own face. Lupie noticed and came over, with other members of the house following to join a group hug. It wasn't even noon yet, and already a very long day. Chapter 11; A Nudge. October 28, 2020 9:15am After Livy's entirely understandable emotional outburst, Dave suggested she remain at the house while he escorted Mel to the hardware store. Liv stomped that idea down, hard. "I will not leave my duties for someone else to perform. I thank all of you for your support. I'm okay. My dad didn't raise me to leave people hanging." The facial expressions several of them shared indicated a mutual desire to object to that particular characterization, and a mutual recognition of the futility of any words they could say in that cause. Liv was calm and collected when she and Mel left, both of them armed and masked up. Each wore full-length pants, long sleeves and gloves as well, to maintain the appearance of quarantine protocols. The NDA's they'd signed were still in effect, so they couldn't give anyone a reason to wonder why they were not concerned about the virus. All the gear they wore managed to dwarf Melanie's medium frame and curves, but nothing could hide Liv's large bust. That and the contrast of Liv's milk chocolate brown hair with Mel's auburn locks allowed the others to distinguish the two as they walked out. A few texts from Mel to Lupie kept the family reassured they were both fine while they were out. Liv drove, using the argument that she'd had combat driving training with her dad. He'd slipped her in when one of his security teams were going through annual training. Still, getting the lumber and fasteners to make temporary fixes for the broken window and sliding door took the better part of an hour in-store. The drive itself was short. While Liv and Mel were gone, Dave gathered a couple of sawhorses and tools from the garage and set up on the back deck. Even though they'd photographed everything, Dave didn't want to disturb the two bodies lying on the deck. Arranging the tables had a new dimension to consider. A creepy one that should have bothered him more than it did. He pulled out a plastic table from a hall closet to serve as a tool stand and laid out the cordless drill and everything else. The saw he placed on the table and immediately connected the extension cord to it, leaving the other end disconnected from, but near, the outside outlet. Finished, Dave settled into a patio chair. The chair was made of stretched grey fabric on a black metal frame, one of four on his low back deck. Given the size of his household, he needed to pick up some more. Or better yet get some nice wooden deck chairs. With the combined incomes in the house, they could afford to splurge a little. Except, they're supposed to move. How soon he didn't know, but why buy new furniture when they'd just have to move it; and might not have a deck or patio to put it on? Dave's gaze wandered across his yard. The greenhouse drew his attention. With the lower temperatures, the potted bay tree had been moved in there. Would they get to move the plants? Restarting his entire food base would suck. His practice platform would have to be carefully dismantled, assuming they had enough warning time. The platform was well worn and smooth. He'd even practice barefoot sometimes to get a feel for it. No splinters. That smooth. Starting over again; on so many things. Seems like that was the new refrain in life; starting over. Dave shook himself out of that downward spiral. Nothing good lay down that line of thinking. His eyes landed on the body on his deck, and the red stain beneath it. Once the body was removed and the detritus cleared and scrubbed, he'd need to sand it and re-stain it. Well, maybe not. Depends on how long until they moved. Dave realized he needed to talk with Vanessa about the timeline on this thing. But what the hell did it mean? Why would they cut the nuts off their own dead? What was going on? None of this made sense. Nothing had made sense for months. Why not pile on one more inanity? "David?" Jan's soft voice, loaded with concern, snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts. He turned his head to face her. Her slender frame easily fit within the break in the glass door. "David, it's freezing and wet out here. Wouldn't you rather be inside?" She looked about the deck and all of his preparations. She crossed from the door to his chair and slowly knelt beside his knee. Her soft brown eyes pleaded even more than the words from her mouth. "It's not good for you to be out here like this, David. Please, come inside." Dave stood, reaching her position at the door in three quick steps. Kissing her softly on the lips, he pulled back with a cheeky grin. "Yes, dear." Her bemused smile was just what he needed. He let her guide him to a spot on the couch. It was only slightly warmer, but a lot drier. Plus, Jan snuggled in close. After a few minutes, she got up to pull a blanket off the back of the other couch. She rejoined Dave, wrapping the blanket around the two of them. They said very little. Jan's calm, quiet presence prevented any further worrisome mental tangents. When Liv got back with the supplies, his first order of business was to check that they'd had no problems and hadn't been followed. In that, they were clear. With weapons slung, the three of them unloaded the lumber and such from the truck and into the backyard via the side fence gate. They were careful to avoid the corpses, giving them a wide berth. Where the fuck were the cops? "Okay, Liv, can you make one last verification on the window measurements while I get the plywood on the sawhorse?" "Sure. You wanna screw it straight to the wood frame, right?" Liv asked. "Yup." Dave replied. "Hmm, you could just screw it straight to my frame, Dave." Mel purred and waggled her eyebrows. Liv was out of earshot by the time she'd spoken. Dave sagged for a moment. Mel was one of the several he hadn't ejaculated in earlier, so she would still need dosing in the next four days. Mel immediately felt bad, as expressed on her face. "Sorry, Dave, I'm just messing with you." "Yeah, I get that. And I like the quick jab jokes most of the time. I'd rather a sharp mind that occasionally nicks my fingertip than a dull one that needs every non-literal comment described and outlined for her." Melanie snickered appreciatively. "Still, I'm responsible for all of you, and your needs. I take that seriously; as much fun as any one of you are to be with, it's also a job that I gotta get right or someone gets hurt." It took Mel about half a second to close the distance and press her body against Dave. Her arms latched around him. "Hey, you do a great job taking care of us, each of us. This morning was one of the more obvious proofs. You're really good at the less obvious stuff too." Dave gave her ass a light pinch that made Mel yelp. "Thanks, kitten. I really am getting in a better head space with your help and others. Sometimes my instincts are from the old days, though." Liv stepped back out onto the deck just then. Mel's wicked grin reappeared. "Well, in the old days, you didn't have me to fuck; or your big tiddy daughter slut." Liv backhanded Mel. "I'm not his daughter, dammit! Don't say shit like that. I won't get laid for a week if that's in his head!" "Damn, that was my tit! That fucking hurt!" Olivia looked completely unapologetic. Mel's face switched back to lascivious. "That's okay, I know what could get him revved and ready to fuck." She sauntered over to Liv and took her friend's face in her hands, softly. Then she kissed her, long slow, and deep. Liv's response was surprise at the sudden switch, but not unaccustomed to the familiarity. Melanie broke the kiss, then turned to look at Dave with hooded eyes, her cheek pressed against Olivia's. "What do you think David? You up for nailing a couple of kinky bi-sexual college babes?" Dave drew in a breath and was about to reply when she continued. "Even if one of them is your big tiddy mfm--" Liv's hand sealed over Mel's mouth to block a repeat of the undesired phrase. "With dead bodies lying right here in view? Not so much." Dave hoisted a sheet of plywood and settled it on the sawhorses. Liv released Mel, who spoke only with her wicked grin and gleaming eyes before heading back inside. Liv called off the measurements, which matched what she and Dave measured earlier. A few minutes with the measuring tape and pencil and they had two panels marked off, one each from two different corners of the sheet. Liv held the plywood while Dave cut one panel, then they switched roles for the second panel. After securing the saw, Dave grabbed the drill and screws while Liv snagged the cut sections. They passed back through the broken glass door and proceeded to the entryway to patch the broken window. Nice thing about drywall screws; they're very good for more than just drywall. The frame of the window was wide, and solid wood. Dave held the one section in place on the inside as Liv used the cordless drill to run two pilot holes each on both sides of the frame. She quickly changed to a driver bit and put drywall screws into the holes. The pilots were large enough for the shaft of the screw, but not the threads, that way the screws had a good, firm, bite in the wood without cracking it. Once Liv had four good screws in the plywood panel, Dave stepped back, making room for her to run a few more pilot holes and screws; two more on each side and three each across the top and bottom. Liv was a little annoyed having to use the step ladder for the top screw on each side as well as the three across the top. "Don't worry about it. Hell, I'm gonna use it when I do the outside. Yeah, if I really had to, I can reach and do it. But, with less strain, I can be sure to get the screws level." Liv looked slightly mollified at Dave's admission. To further assuage her injured ego he delivered a gentle, lips only, kiss after she descended. She rolled her eyes and smiled before leaving to find the hand vacuum to get the sawdust. Dave started shuffling the equipment through the never-breached security door around to the outside of the window. He was just running the extension cord back to the outlet near the door when Liv came out. This time, she held the panel in place while he drove pilot holes, quick changed to a driver bit and put screws in place. Liv backed off so he had room to run the rest of the pilot holes. Dave was just driving the last screw holding the panel in place when he heard an engine coming down the street. Two engines. "Get inside, use the door as cover," he ordered. Dropping the drill in the grass under the windowsill, he hoofed it around the corner of the house. The brick would give him some small measure of protection if it was needed. He pulled the SMG around on its sling, from against his back to the ready position. Almost the moment he was in position with weap. As the S U V came to a stop, Dave registered the markings and got a mental jarring. Black background, two blue stripes, with white letters spelling out 'Police' and 'Garland'. Garland was three towns away, on the other fucking side of the lake! The officer stepped out of her vehicle, standing between the body and her driver's door. Typical for an on-duty officer, her hair was hidden up under her hat. More importantly, her right hand was low, hidden by the vehicle's body, likely on her pistol. In fact, given what Carter had taught him about procedures, she'd likely already removed the safety strap, her thumb hooked around the grip. She was exposed enough that Dave could see her badge. She was too far away to identify the authenticity of said emblem, but everything was falling into place as legit. "Sir, please place your weapon on the ground. My name is Officer Korman of the Garland Police Department. We are here in response to multiple 911 calls from this address." Dave held both hands, empty, out to his sides. "Yes officer, we called several times in the early morning while we were under attack, and after. I'm going to disarm myself, and hand my weapons inside to my family." The officer's eyes flicked to the door. Clearly, she'd been distracted enough by Dave that she hadn't noticed Olivia. Or Olivia's gun. Even at a distance, she flinched visibly, realizing she'd committed a fatal error. "We have no beef with law enforcement, officer. We've been a bit on guard since the incident. My partner will secure my weapons inside and close the door." Dave used his left hand to reach slowly across his body at shoulder height. He hooked his thumb under the strap and slid it off his shoulder and across his arm. Leaving it to twist, dangling from his thumb, he held his arm straight out, full length, as he slowly walked to the door and handed the weapon off to Liv. Keeping his right hand still up and visible, he then unstrapped his thigh holster and handed that inside as well. Liv had a wary look as Dave pulled the front door closed between them. Dave turned back to the officer. "Ma'am, as you can see, I am now unarmed, everyone else is inside. We were just repairing the damage from the attack, and staying vigilant." "You altered the crime scene?" The voice should have been annoyed, but was too monotone to convey any meaning beyond the words themselves. "We took extensive pictures of the bodies and both breaches. We haven't sealed the rear breach yet. We'd just finished the front when you arrived." The policewoman stepped around her door, closing it. On alert, she came around the front of her patrol vehicle and approached Dave. "Sir, the young woman that entered the house, is that your daughter?" Does she know about the vaccine? Best to play it cagey . "She's my best friend's daughter. I've known her since she was punching her mother's belly from the inside." The officer approached a few more steps as he spoke. At this range, Dave could see the drained appearance behind the weak smile his jest evoked. "You say you took pictures?" "Yes ma'am. We have it saved on a memory card for you." Dave shivered involuntarily. The drizzle had let up and the temperature had risen slightly with the sun. Not that the Sun's presence was particularly notable today. Working on the patch had kept him moving and focused so he didn't register the chill. Now he had the luxury of discomfort. "We carefully took photos of the bodies, the area they fell, and the path in between. We didn't move them ourselves, their buddies did that. Then they, well, take a look." Still wary, the cop walked over to the corpse still splayed out on the driveway. "And you didn't do this?" "No ma'am. We haven't touched the bodies at all. Shot 'em when they were inside the house. Their pals drug them back out here and did this. There's three more on the back deck. We shot two of them in the house. The third was shot by one of his friends, out on the deck." "I'm going to have our mortuary contractor collect the bodies for the Me. Please bring me the memory card with the original images." She beckoned towards the van as Dave moved to the house. Mel once again assured Dave the copies she made were full copies, indistinguishable from originals. Dave took the copied memory card and walked back out. The two figures in hazmat gear carrying the encased body between them were approaching the back of the van when he stepped out into the dreary day once again. "Here's the memory card officer." "Thanks. Two more in the back you say?" "Three. Two that we shot and one shot by his buddies." "Right." "There's a side gate so we can go around the house." "The shooting occurred inside?" "Yes ma'am." "I'm going to need to examine the area myself, and take some notes. There should be a detective along later. I'll make a note in the file that I've collected the pictures you took. She can get them from the station house." "Do you know the detective that's coming?" "No clue." "Then how do you know it'll be a woman?" "Probability, sir." Dave's heart sank. While the officer sounded drained for most of their conversation, those last two words were absolutely desiccated, the depleted echoes of a mind that had seen everything torn asunder, replaced with a nightmare even Wes Craven would run away from. Once the body movers returned, Dave led the three of them through the side gate into the backyard and pointed out the corpses on the back deck. He stayed in the grass to give them plenty of room for their work. The officer scribbled notes as the two body collectors packaged up one corpse and carried it off. She kept a distance from Dave the entire time, with her weapon hip carefully away from him; and the broken glass door. When the collectors came for the second body, she remained at a distance from the scene as they worked. For the third body, she followed them out. She fixed Dave's eyes with her own as she walked off. "I'll be back in a moment to examine the interior." Dave passed into the house through the breach. Lupie was busy in the kitchen with a couple of helpers. Shawna and Liv were in the living room. The younger woman was more obviously on alert, and maybe on edge. An attentive eye could discern Shawna was similarly watchful, but more calm. Liv picked up Dave's SMG to hand it to him. "No, hold on to it. Actually, put the SMG's away. Let's keep the pistols for now though. The policewoman is coming inside shortly. Let's keep the weapons out of sight. She's not a threat, how 'bout the two of you skedaddle up stairs while she's here?" "Sure," Liv replied. "You know the code?" Shawna asked. "Yup. Mom & Dad's wedding year." A sharp rap at the door announced the officer's arrival. Dave was a few steps away from the door, so he strode quickly in that direction after checking that Liv was already inputting the entry code for the gun closet. If he could keep the officer examining the parlor space first, and long enough, Liv and Shawna could get clear before the officer came into the living room. No point in agitating the woman. Dave noticed she was wearing a face mask and gloves when he opened the door. His plan to stall worked. Hell, he didn't even have to try that hard. The Lady asked enough questions about the attempted breach of the door and the eventual entry through the window that Dave heard his two partners ascending the stairs well before he and the officer moved towards the living room. "So this is where the shooting actually occurred?" "Yes ma'am. Liv stood over there at the landing, and I was initially braced against that corner where the hallway meets the room." "Initially?" "Once they broke through the window, I was concerned Liv would be exposed from that direction. They didn't seem interested in coming through the glass door anymore, so I crept forward behind that couch so that I could hit anyone that might try to get an angle on her. I don't think the guy I shot saw her before I shot him." She scribbled furiously in her notebook for a few minutes. Then she asked to speak with Liv. His partner descended; Dave was relieved to see she'd left her firearm upstairs. Lupie, Jan, and Reena passed upstairs after Liv cleared the stairs. The dishes they carried smelled great. If Dave hadn't heard the officer's stomach grumbling, he might have felt sorry for himself. She must have seen the look on his face though. "No, thank you. That would still be inappropriate," she said. "I will need to speak with ;” "Olivia." "; Olivia, alone please." Dave nodded and headed upstairs. Carefully, he lowered himself to a crouching position in the hallway beside the head of the stairs. He couldn't hear the words, but by tracking tone he would be alerted to impending trouble. There was none. It took several minutes, but then he heard Olivia walking the officer to the door. Dave was at the bottom of the stairs before Liv made it back from securing the front door. "All good?" he asked. "Yup," said the brunette. "She look exhausted to you?" "Very." "She say anything about who did this?" "She only asked questions, no answers. I tried a few while the body boys were away from us. No dice." "Boys?" "Dunno, I actually wasn't paying attention." "With the residency of this house, you're having trouble identifying male from female?" Liv said with a wink. Dave's only reply was a bemused glare. Liv's bounteous bust bounced with her laughter. "I love hearing that sound." Shawna's rich tones rolled into the living room as she reached the landing. Dave turned to face her. "Speaking of sounds I love to hear ;” Shawna came closer and kissed him. The feel of her magnificent bust pressed to his chest and the smell of his lover's skin gave Dave thoughts he couldn't address just yet. "I'd tell you that you have me already and don't have to win me over, but I love hearing those sweet nothings." She wrapped her arms around his waist and rubbed her nose on his. "Melanie and I ate already. We'll stand guard down here. You two eat and finish the repairs." Dave kissed her once more, then headed upstairs. Melanie passed him at the foot of the stairs. Liv followed immediately behind him. Dave had to 'endure' a lot of hugs, and a few kisses, within a few feet of entering the spare bedroom Lupie had set up lunch in. Homemade chicken soup with all the rich, deep flavors from multiple ingredients missing from the canned stuff. Plus fresh rolls. He was getting used to being spoiled like this, but damn, it was so good to have a woman around the house. Having nine women around the house sounded like a recipe for disaster, but it hadn't been an issue at all. Which reminded him. "Anyone keeping an eye on Nicole?" "I just came from the master bedroom before you came up," said Jan. "She's still solidly out. As long as it's been, she must be experiencing a regeneration. There's no telling how long she will be unconscious." Dave stopped before her for a lingering kiss and a minute or so of gazing into her eyes before getting a second bowl of soup and two more rolls. Liv lingered over her first bowl, then spent some time talking with Lupie while Dave finished up. "You ready?" Liv asked as he added his bowl to the dirty stack. "Yep. Now for the tough part." He paused in thought. "Did you pick up the glass handling gloves?" "Yeah, bag's on the couch. I don't want either one of us losing a finger." They grabbed the gloves on their way through the living room to the deck. Then things got tricky. First, they removed the fasteners holding the two frame pieces together. The glass was sandwiched between them. Then, with Dave holding high on the large pane, well away from the shattered area, Liv carefully pried the inner frame piece away. Dave had to step over it as she moved it out of the way. The most delicate part came next. Liv ran a flathead screwdriver around the edge of the glass to ensure it came away cleanly. Very gingerly, they pulled the top edge away from the frame, then slowed its descent as its own weight rotated it the rest of the way out. They laid it in the grass. "I really expected the edge by the break to fall apart." "Guess we got lucky." "Damn lucky. Let's get that plywood in place, then we can break that thing into large pieces and dump 'em in the trashcan." With Becca, Esme, and Lupie living in Dave's house, the large rolling trashcans for Lupie's property were empty. One of those had plenty of space for the glass pane. The plywood took some trimming to fit vertically. But there was open space horizontally, so a second piece of plywood was needed to fit the gap. With the frame back in place and secured, Dave and Liv ran a few 2x1's across the seam. A bit of caulk squeezed into the crack would prevent any air leak; or whistling. Breaking and stashing the glass in the spare bin and cleaning the deck area took another forty minutes. By the time they got inside, Jan had already vacuumed the last of the sawdust and glass bits from the carpet adjacent to the sliding door. Dave and Olivia washed up. Liv joined Mel in their room, watching a streaming show on the latter's laptop. Dave went down to the living room, finding most of his family present. "Hey, babe." He slid onto the couch beside Lupie. She immediately nestled into his shoulder. She placed one hand on his chest, the other on his thigh closest to her. "I appreciate everything you've done to keep things working smoothly here while Liv and I dealt with what happened. That helped keep everybody's nerves; manageable." Her hand on his chest gripped tighter, like she was trying to palm him. "You're the one that stood in the line of fire and faced down armed men coming to kill us. Or worse. Making food and cleaning up is not the same." "The value of one act does not negate the value of the other. Cleaning up is the first step in returning some normalcy after the disruption. A hearty meal helps soothe the soul. What you've done matters." Dave barely heard her next utterance. "Just don't leave me David. I need you. Please be careful." He pulled her in tight. "I will." A knock at the door interrupted anything else he might have said. The late afternoon gloom and the chilly air seemed perfect for the woman standing on Dave's doorstep. Not overly short for a woman, she sported jet black hair pulled into a loose ponytail at the base of her neck, and pale skin on an oval face. Her cloth mask covered her mouth. Dave half wondered if the darkness around her eyes was makeup or weariness. Oh good, Detective Wednesday Addams is here . "Hello, sir. I'm Detective Carmen Verratti. I'm here to investigate the break-in and deaths that occurred earlier." The mask she wore muffled her words slightly. An emotion detector would not have registered the tiniest blip as she spoke. One for weariness would have pegged. "Would you like to start with the outside or inside?" Dave queried. "Let's get the outside done before the temperature drops." She took a sip from her insulated beverage bottle. Dave picked up a vague whiff of coffee as he followed her out to the driveway. "I'm not sure what woke me up in the first place. We have a dog, but he was upstairs and deaf. He didn't start barking until after the shooting began. There's chickens in the next yard over. I suppose they might have made a noise, but not once I was awake. I armed myself and left my bedroom. I encountered; one of my housemates on the stairs." Dave continued, walking through each step of the encounter. Once they were past the part where the guys coming in the front broke through the window, they walked around to the back deck. As with the blotch in the driveway, the detective seemed transfixed by the stain on the deck for several seconds. When she was finished with her visual examination of the deck and backyard, she motioned for Dave to lead her inside. Waving to the plywood she asked, "This is the second breach?" "This was the first place they got through. By the sounds of things, they were trying to breach the sliding glass door and the front door at the same time. They just weren't ready for a security door. The guys in the front came through the window, but by that time we'd already taken out two guys coming through the back." "And that's when you heard two men arguing about someone's sister?" "Only one voice got loud enough to pick out words." Liv supplied. "He seemed pretty pissed, so whatever the quieter voice mentioned must not have been pleasant." "So could one of these men be the brother or brothers of one of your partners?" the detective queried. Dave shared uneasy looks with Liv, Shawna, and Lupie. Four brains looked stuck in feedback loops trying to figure out how to respond without breaking the NDA's they'd all signed. "I'm aware of the vaccine and its effects. I was finally informed this morning, though I haven't been partnered yet. It explains some of the changes I've seen around the station." All four visibly relaxed. "That certainly makes this easier. So, I think a few of us have fathers still hunkered down and alive, but no brothers." Shawna supplied. "Well, Niki mentioned she has a brother hiding out in his college dorm somewhere out of state," Lupie mentioned. "Out of state? Not likely to be involved, but can you ask her to come down so I can speak with her?" "She just joined us last night. She's still out as of an hour ago when I last looked in on her." "Please check again. If she's still out, then I may have to come back to follow up with her." Lupie moved like swift water off the couch and up the stairs. She came back down shortly, shaking her head once the detective's attention was on her. While Lupie was away, the detective began asking questions directly of Liv and Shawna. Liv said she'd heard some sort of thumping sound in the back yard, like maybe someone had fallen coming over the fence. It explained her wakefulness, but not mine, given the master bedroom was over the front of the house. Maybe the guys approaching the front made a noise. Maybe my sleeping brain sensed a disturbance in the force. Sometimes you just fucking wake up at an opportune time. Detective Verratti asked the others as well. Shawna hadn't awakened until I was exiting the room, and didn't get out of bed until the glass door was broken. The others didn't wake until the first gunshot. Lupie slipped upstairs to invite the rest of the family to come down, a few at a time, to share their observations. Since most had been upstairs the whole time, they had little to share, and the questions wore out quickly. Dave watched as she spoke with the others. The detective was mildly more relaxed once she admitted to knowing about the serum. Those that had been out of the room for the revelation were informed as they came down, so all of House Belsus seemed mostly comfortable. It was still an interrogation. But Det. Verratti seemed; uncomfortable. She was scratching in her notebook, having just asked one last question of Esme (while she sat on Lupie's lap) when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Lupie looked at her expectantly as Verratti checked her phone. "That's all I needed, thank you. You can head upstairs little miss." She said with a smile. The smile faded once Esme's back was turned. "I have to make a call. I'll step out front, but I have a few more things I want to wrap up with you Mr. Belsus." She grabbed her heavy coat as she headed out. The temperature had been cold all day, and was beginning to drop now that the sun had gone down. "Yes ma'am, I'll be waiting." "I'll make some more coffee." Shawna rose and headed to the kitchen. Liv got up and sat beside Dave, laying her head on his shoulder and wrapping her hands around his bicep. Dave was at one end of the couch, leaving her room to draw her feet up behind her. She killed two men. She's going to be coping for a long time. I never should have let her into that mess. I should have left her at the top of the stairs holding a second line of defense. Then again, with only one target for them, would I have succeeded? What if they had killed me, got to the stairs and then Liv gunned them down? She'd still have these feelings, but I'd be dead. She and all the others would be in deep shit because I'm not around to pump out cum anymore. So I did the right thing right? Maybe. Fuck, if Carter was still here, I could; what did he call it? Do an After Action Review! That's the phrase he used. Tell him what the fuck happened and let him pick it apart, or back me up. Probably a little of both. Fuck, if Carter were still alive, I'm not telling him I'm fucking his daughter! A knock at the door announced the detective's return. Shawna opened the door and led her into the living room. The detective was stony face as she entered. She was also carrying a valise. As she reached the chair she'd used earlier, she took a sniff. Taking the hint, Shawna informed her, "Coffee will be ready in another minute or two. I put on a fresh pot when you stepped out." "Thank you." The detective's face actually showed signs of life. "Professor Belsus, could we speak privately? Somewhere with some table space if you please." "Sure, we can use the dining room. Nice big table in there." The coffee machine chimed just as Verratti placed her valise on the table. She looked expectantly back towards the living room. Lupie and Shawna were already on their way in. "We'll be quick. How do you take yours?" "Black, one spoon of sugar, please." Lupie nodded and kept moving. "Now that I think about it, the library is more isolated, but it doesn't have a large surface like this." Dave confessed. "This will do. I'll wait until they've passed back out to start anything sensitive." She paused briefly. "Well, it's been years, so I don't know if you remember me, but I took your astronomy class about twelve years ago. We ran into each other again on the shoot / no shoot range about five years ago too." "Right. I remember that." To be continued in part 10, Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts, for Literotica.

oh its that time of year again

The weekly sermon from Alfred Almond Bible Church in Almond, NY

Industry leaders point to improving market balance, stronger grower returns, and renewed focus on global demand at the 53rd Annual Almond Conference.

In this timely message, Pastor Ernest Almond unpacks the true essence of the holiday season by shifting our focus from material presents to the ultimate presence. Exploring the acronym G.I.F.T., Pastor Ernest teaches that God's greatest offering to humanity wasn't just a historical event, but an ongoing invitation to relationship and purpose. Drawing from Scripture and personal insight, he challenges us to recognize the divine gifts within us and the responsibility we have to share them with a world in need. Whether you are feeling overwhelmed by the "hustle" of the holidays or seeking a deeper spiritual grounding, this sermon provides a roadmap to reclaiming your joy and understanding your identity as a gifted child of God.

The December Almond Byte brings you a global look at trade and market access momentum for almonds, from ABC's participation in the USDA T.R.U.M.P. Mission to Brussels, to fresh tariff framework agreements across Latin America and Europe. Also hear key updates on Japan's Pre‑Test Protocol, the early‑December USMCA renewal hearings along with details on ABC's return to Gulfood in Dubai this January.

In this powerful message, "Do Something," Pastor Ernest Almond concludes the series by challenging the church to turn faith into active deeds. Drawing from 1 Peter 4:7-11 and James 2:26, he stresses that spiritual growth requires clarity on your identity in Christ and a commitment to the local church community. The core instruction is to use your unique gifts and talents—whether in service, speaking, or hospitality—to glorify God and benefit the body. This sermon is a vital call to reject spiritual passivity, urging believers to step out of their comfort zone, move beyond online observation, and mobilize their God-given resources for meaningful kingdom advancement and lasting community impact. Don't be a spiritual thief; do something.

The weekly sermon from Alfred Almond Bible Church in Almond, NY

In this episode of the AgNet News Hour, commodity expert and fourth-generation farmer Nick Foglio of Foglio Commodities delivers one of the most insightful breakdowns of California agriculture heading into 2025. From hay and forage markets to dairy economics, water uncertainty, and the global forces shaping local prices, Foglio explains why producers across the Central Valley and Imperial Valley are facing unprecedented volatility. He covers early-season pricing standstills, the impact of the latest CDI milk price drop, and the ripple effects that global commodity shifts have on feed markets. Foglio also provides a grounded outlook on the upcoming almond season, forecasting a more realistic 2.5–2.75 billion pounds—far below early, panic-inducing estimates. He discusses land values, long-term crop investment strategy, and the pressures younger farmers face in today's ag economy. The conversation expands into broader issues affecting California's future, including water planning, housing affordability, fire prevention, and the need for stronger leadership. Packed with real-world experience and no-nonsense analysis, this episode is essential listening for farmers, dairymen, ag professionals, and anyone who wants to understand the fast-changing landscape of California agriculture.

In this episode, Michael Harvey speaks with Pia Piggott about the latest from RaboResearch's Australian almond outlook.   Disclaimer: Please refer to our global RaboResearch disclaimer at https://www.rabobank.com/knowledge/disclaimer/011417027/disclaimer for information about the scope and limitations of the material published on the podcast.    

Mallvinder Kahal joins the Journey to share some of his unique experiences as an almond grower, processor and handler. Kahal is based in Madera County where he farms and started Atlas Almonds in 2020. Since returning to his family's farm in 2015, he has expanded the operation and built Atlas Almonds from scratch. “I think maybe that's the big gap. Really connecting the farmer to the wholesale market to talk about the love and the story that goes into the almonds. I think that's the component that we haven't quite fully mined out yet.” - Mallvinder Kahal In Today's episode:Meet Mallvinder Kahal, an almond grower and founder of Atlas AlmondsDiscover Kahal's journey in the almond industry and the unique perspective he has holding multiple roles within the supply chainExplore how almond market changes have impacted his operation and relationship with other producersThe Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

Are you a faithful servant or a lazy one? In this powerful message, "Do Something with Them!" Pastor Ernest Almond dives into the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) to define Kingdom Stewardship. This sermon is a direct challenge to passive faith, emphasizing the biblical truth that faith without works is dead (James 2:26).Pastor Ernest teaches that Kingdom life is all about action and accountability. God has entrusted every believer with the "Three Ts"—your Time, Talent, and Treasure—and expects a return. Discover why merely preserving what you've been given is considered wickedness and why the proof of your salvation is demonstrated by your fruitful service in the church, in the marketplace, and in your home. This is a must-listen for anyone ready to stop sitting on their potential and start activating their faith.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-good-morning-portugal-podcast-with-carl-munson--2903992/support.Need help in Portugal? Contact Carl by phone/WhatsApp on (00 351) 913 590 303, email carl@carlmunson.com or join the Portugal Club community here - www.theportugalclub.com

hiiiiiii CHATTTT!!! this week we did a good ole fashioned q&a! in this episode we talk about what part of the movie "Sleepover" would send 8th grade Deison into a psychosis, Drew's intense dedication to her new favorite video game, and how we would recast the perfect version of "Twilight"!WE'RE DOING 2 LIVE SHOWS IN CALIFORNIA! BREA 01/29/26 and PASADENA 01/30/26!!!GET YOUR TICKETS AT www.drew-afualo.com/tour !!!This is a Headgum podcast. Follow Headgum on Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok. Advertise on Two Idiot Girls via Gumball.fm.DREW'S BOOK IS OFFICIALLY AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE YOU CAN PURCHASE BOOKS!! GO GET IT!!!!For extra fun silly zoomie-filled content, JOIN OUR MEMBERSHIP!!! Visit patreon.com/twoidiotgirls for more info!!!FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM & TIKTOK :P@_twoidiotgirls | @deisonafualo | @drewafualoTHANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!Order online at one-eight-hundred-contacts-dot-com or download the free 1-800 Contacts app today. Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/twoidiotgirls #rulapodCancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to rocketmoney.com/twoidiotgirls today.Download Feeld on the App Store or Google PlayTo get 15% off your unique gifts this year, go to https://uncommongoods.com/twoidiotgirlsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the AgNet News Hour, hosts Nick Papagni and Lorrie Boyer share post-Thanksgiving reflections before diving into key issues shaping California agriculture. The show features Part One of Nick's interview with Colleen Cecil, Executive Director of the Butte County Farm Bureau, following the county's 21st Annual Agribee™ for 4th and 5th graders. Cecil highlights Butte County's strong agricultural foundation—almonds, walnuts, rice, citrus, olives, cattle, and a major pollination sector—and emphasizes the region's dependable water, quality soils, and active grower involvement in groundwater sustainability planning. She also discusses challenges facing farmers statewide, including rising regulation costs, wildfire impacts, and increasing wolf depredation in nearby grazing regions. The show touches on trade tensions ahead of the USMCA review, updates on global almond production (expected to climb nearly 10%), and the strong performance of California's tree nut industries following a near-perfect growing season. Cecil previews Grower Day on December 3 in Chico, a free, one-day farm show offering education, networking, and industry speakers. Nick and Lorrie close with light holiday banter and reminders to follow AgNet West online for ongoing coverage.

Lucinda welcomes Tabbin Almond, author of "Bottling Up Trouble," to discuss the impact of alcohol in the workplace.  As the holiday season approaches, they explore the cultural norms surrounding drinking, particularly in corporate settings, and the challenges faced by individuals struggling with alcohol use. Tabbin shares a personal journey to becoming alcohol-free and highlights the stigma that prevents many from seeking help. KEY TAKEAWAYS There is a pressing need to change workplace cultures that encourage excessive drinking, as many individuals feel pressured to conform to alcohol-related social norms, which can lead to serious personal and professional issues. Individuals struggling with alcohol use often feel shame and stigma, making it difficult for them to seek help. Coaching can provide a supportive environment where they can regain control and learn to live alcohol-free Younger generations, particularly Gen Z, are drinking less and are more aware of mental health issues. As they rise to senior positions, they are likely to influence workplace cultures towards healthier practices Organisations should prioritise inclusivity at events, such as Christmas parties, by providing a wide range of appealing non-alcoholic options and ensuring that alcohol does not dominate the event's focus BEST MOMENTS "There's so much shame and stigma around having a problem with alcohol that they can't ask for help. They fear that if they say they've got a problem, they will be branded forevermore." "The younger generation are much more aware of their mental health and proactive in looking after it. They understand that alcohol can never relieve depression or stress; it can only make them worse." "We need to change the culture. We're encouraged to drink by society, but if someone gets into trouble, it's only the individual's fault." "Think before automatically using alcohol to help people bond at work. Be more creative and ask, 'Isn't there something better we could do?'" VALUABLE RESOURCES The HR Uprising Podcast | ⁠Apple⁠ | ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Stitcher⁠   ⁠The HR Uprising LinkedIn Group⁠ ⁠How to Prioritise Self-Care (The HR Uprising)⁠ ⁠How To Be A Change Superhero - by Lucinda Carney⁠ HR Uprising Mastermind - ⁠https://hruprising.com/mastermind/⁠   ⁠www.changesuperhero.com⁠ ⁠www.hruprising.com⁠            Get your copy of How To Be A Change Superhero by emailing at ⁠info@actus.co.uk⁠ CONTACT TABBIN LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-tabbin-almond/ Wine to Water Coaching - https://www.winetowatercoaching.com/ ABOUT THE HOST Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles and a further 10 as CEO of Actus Software where she worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. It was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up' together. “If you look up, you rise up” CONTACT METHOD Join the LinkedIn community - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13714397/⁠ Email: ⁠Lucinda@advancechange.co.uk⁠ Linked In: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucindacarney/⁠ Twitter: @lucindacarney Instagram: @hruprising Facebook: @hruprising This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Stop treating your faith like an ingredient box—it's time to bake the cake! In this powerful message, "Do Something For Real," Pastor Ernest Almond dives into the true relationship between faith and action, challenging the idea of passive Christianity.Using Ephesians 2:8-10 and James 2:26, Pastor Ernest firmly establishes that while salvation is the gift of God and not by works, we are God's handiwork created to do good works. We do work because we are saved, not to be saved.This sermon provides practical steps for activating your faith by demanding you examine how you use your three key resources: Time, Talent, and Treasure. These resources must be directed toward good works that benefit and bless others. The message closes with a powerful call to write down one tangible act of service and share it for accountability, moving your faith off the treadmill and into reality.

Good-hearted country boy Petie Miller vanishes without a trace two days before his wedding in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley in 1983. Some speculate it's a case of cold feet, but investigators suspect cold-blooded murder. The bride's stepfather, a violent career criminal named Charlie Almond, is the prime suspect. Circumstantial evidence suggests that Almond killed Miller and successfully disposed of the body. But with no witnesses, no forensic evidence, and no body, Almond is allowed to walk free. Meanwhile, Miller's father never stops seeking answers about what happened to his son. For three decades, he tirelessly pushes the investigation forward, imploring the authorities to keep his son's case file open. Finally, thirty-two years later in 2015, new witnesses emerge and Almond, now an octogenarian, is charged with first-degree murder. Chances of a guilty verdict seem slim, but special prosecutor Phil Figura, known in courtrooms as the “Dragonslayer,” is determined to bring justice. Can Figura win a conviction in the oldest, coldest “no body” murder trial in United States history?Bestselling true crime author Ron Peterson, Jr. was provided exclusive access to the police case file to research this compelling story, interviewing over fifty sources, including family members of both Petie Miller and Charlie Almond, and working closely with prosecutor Phil Figura and lead investigator Aaron LeVeck.In a case where justice seems impossible, could the truth finally prevail—or will a killer once again slip away? RUNAWAY GROOM: Cold Feet—or Cold-Blooded Murder?—Ron Peterson Jr. 

Tired of passive Christianity? In this powerful message, "Do Something for Me!," Pastor Ernest Almond challenges believers to activate their invisible faith through visible deeds, continuing the "Do Something" series.Drawing from the explicit instruction in Matthew 25:31-46 and the clear warning in James 2:26 ("faith without works is dead"), Pastor Ernest defines true Kingdom community as one that actively shows up for the vulnerable—the hungry, the naked, and the stranger. Using a personal story of loss, he illustrates the critical difference between offering empty condolences and engaging in real, costly action (time, talent, and treasure).This sermon is essential for anyone seeking authentic faith, those feeling disconnected, and leaders aiming to build a truly active and impactful ministry. Learn how your visible obedience serves as proof of your invisible identity in Christ, and answer Jesus's call to serve "the least of these." Stop just talking about love and start doing something for God!

A headline on Facebook grabbed my attention this week. It was from a big national grocery chain running a Thanksgiving promotion that feeds ten people for five dollars per person. It made me pause, partly because the idea is tempting, but also because it raised a few questions in my mind about scale, ingredients, and what we really want on our holiday tables. If you cook for a smaller group, or you are thinking creatively about Thanksgiving this year, I have thoughts to share!Then I talk with today's guest, Dee Rotman from deesweets.com. Dee focuses on helping people make impressive desserts without losing the whole day to the kitchen. She builds recipes that feel special but stay friendly for tight schedules. She also seriously loves almonds, which shows in the recipe she is sharing with us today. It's for Almond Croissant Cookie Bars that are inspired by those classic bakery almond croissants. Yum!Dee's Recipe: Almond Croissant Cookie BarsDee's website: Dee & Sweets WebsiteDee on Instagram: @dee_and_sweetsChristine's Links: Join the COOKforTWO membership community!Headline that stopped my scroll: Kroger Thanksgiving Meal Bundle InfoRecipes:How To Roast Turkey PerfectlyTurkey GravyPancakes for TwoLasagna for TwoBroccoli Cheddar Pickle DipEmail Me! CookTheStory@gmail.comSubscribe to the PodcastJoin the ROTD Facebook Group, TikTok, or InstagramWebsites: CookTheStory.com and TheCookful.comChristine's Newsletter

The Two Bobs episode 296 for Monday, November 17, 2025: What are The Bobs drinking? Rob enjoyed a Slushy XXL Sea Creatures from 450 North. https://untp.beer/VXaVG Robert nursed a Harvest from Southern Tier. https://untp.beer/NmK7A Follow us on Untapped at @RobFromTTB and @lowercaserobert or we'll sign you up for sexy yoga. We talked about football. No surprise there. This week's CRAZY NEWS ended the government shutdown, which is more than your sorry ass can say. Florida Woman® took her clothes off and robbed a bagel store. https://bocanewsnow.com/2025/11/10/naked-boca-raton-woman-charged-with-burglarizing-bagel-shop/ A British sex yoga guru was arrested in Thailand for hosting group tantric massages. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15260227/British-sex-yoga-guru-arrested-Thai-Moon-party-Tantric-massage.html A man wearing nothing but SpongeBob SquarePants underwear tackled a guy attempting to steal his car. https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/dad-wearing-nothing-spongebob-squarepants-36199118 A man in China rescued his elderly neighbors in his underpants. We're unclear whether they were cartoon themed. https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3331443/china-underpants-man-gains-fame-rescuing-elderly-neighbours-fire-undies Aaron Rodgers is clearly taking his beliefs from TV commercials. https://theonion.com/aaron-rodgers-clearly-now-just-taking-beliefs-from-commercials-hes-seen/ Find us wherever you get your podcasts. Rate, review, and tell your equally twisted friends. Join us on all the social things: Follow us on Blue Sky Follow us on Twitter Check out our Instagram Find us on YouTube Follow Rob on Untappd Follow Robert on Untappd The Two Bobs Podcast is © The Two Bobs.  For more information, see our Who are The Two Bobs? page, or check our Contact page.  Words, views, and opinions are our own and do not represent those of our friends, family, or our employers unless otherwise noted.  Music for The Two Bobs was provided by JewelBeat (which doesn't exist anymore but we still put it here because we like to do the right thing)

Finish your free DPR and CCA credits through the Almond Learning Hub before the year ends.

Are your spiritual beliefs just mental assent, or are they producing tangible, real-life action?In this highly relevant and challenging message, "Do Something Good," Pastor Ernest Almond dives into the powerful book of James to explore the non-negotiable link between Faith and Works/Deeds. Citing the famous and often-misunderstood text of James 2:14-26, Pastor Ernest provides clear guidance on how to move past spiritual passivity and embrace a life of active Christian service.This sermon directly confronts the spiritual danger of Invisible Faith—a belief system that produces no tangible evidence or impact on the church or the world around it. Pastor Ernest encourages believers to look at the examples of Abraham and Rahab, who demonstrated their true trust in God not just through words, but through visible, decisive, life-altering action and obedience.This message is essential for every believer seeking to move their faith from theory to practice, from invisible and ineffectual to visible and impactful, ensuring their profession of belief is validated by good works. Learn how to ensure your faith is alive, impactful, and eternally effective. Do something good!

Stephen Grootes speaks to Reni le Roux. Sales and Marketing Manager @ AMANTECO, Food Safety Co-ordinator, Founder Of The Almond Girl about her inspiring career journey and how her family turned a dream into South Africa’s first commercial almond farm, now a thriving business in the Little Karoo. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.    Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa     Follow us on social media   702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702   CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702 CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The best way to arrange the apples in the tin is to start at the perimeter, in a pinwheel fashion, filling the middle after a full circle of slices is in place. This would also be delicious made with pears, depending on what you fancy.

An Angel For Bishop: Part 1 When two damaged souls collide can they find salvation. In 4 parts, based on a post by BurntRedstone. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, 2010 Chapter 1 The early winter storm raged and thrashed across the mountain range. It seemed especially angry with the narrow mountainside road Dan was cautiously driving his jeep on. The fierce winds fought to push the jeep across the icy road into the deep ravine below. If it wasn't for the heavy tire chains he'd installed at the base of the mountain he'd already be tumbling down that cliff. He hadn't intended on being away from his cabin at all before the winter storms arrived. He'd discovered that some of his med kit supplies had expired and needed replacing before he was snowed in for the season. It was definitely a bad idea to skimp on medical supplies when you had no access to a hospital, or doctors, for up to four months. And since he was in town anyway he'd decided to stock up on extra food as, you know, no grocery stores in his neighborhood. With the sudden arrival of what was turning out to be a monster storm he was in danger of not making it back to his neighborhood at all. He knew the road behind him was empty of cars as he'd been the last one through before the highway patrol closed the gates to the mountain road. By now the road behind would be completely impassable so there was no going back. Not that he intended to. Not when he was almost at his turn off. From the curving mountain road he'd be turning uphill, driving up a rough fire road for two miles then into an even more rugged trail for another mile through the forest to his house. If the storm picked up any more even his customized jeep with its extra clearance wouldn't make it beyond the highway and he'd have to snowshoe in the remaining distance. That was not something he was looking forward to. Dan's jeep ground its way along the snowy road getting closer and closer to the fire road. A short time later he rounded the last bend and spotted the road marker indicating his turn was just ahead. On his right side was a thin strip of trees and beyond that nothing but sky. It was a scary section of road with minimal guard rails. It paid to take extra care here. He almost missed spotting the body in the tree as he drove past. Dan's subconscious mind latched onto the image and his foot was pressing carefully on the brake before his conscious mind knew why. Once he stopped he looked back over his shoulder to confirm what he'd seen. It wasn't just an odd shadow or a clump of branches. He could clearly see a body leaning into the branches of one of the trees dangling over the edge of the cliff. He put the jeep in park with the engine still running, set the hazards on, and cranked the heat up to full. He pulled his hood up and gloves on before he stepped out of the warm cabin of his jeep into the wailing storm. He made his way to the back of the jeep and looked again at where the body was in the tree. He'd have to climb up to get it and that was going to be risky. He pulled his climbing rope out of the back hatch of the jeep and stepped into the harness. Once secured, he tied the end of the rope to the trailer hitch and quickly made his way over to the side of the road. He could see the short section of guard rail had been slammed into, bent over, and broken off. It rested precariously on the edge. There was very little evidence of skid marks as the snow was blowing very hard by this point. He cautiously stepped forward and looked over the edge. Not too far below, maybe 50 feet, he saw the remains of one of those trike motorcycles. What kind of moron would be driving a motorcycle this late in the season? Just to the left of the wrecked bike and sprawled across a broken spruce tree stretching out over the abyss was the moron. Dan could see his legs were bent at an unnatural angle. Hell, his torso was bent wrong as well. Most likely his back was broken. The blizzard was making it very difficult to see the man clearly but he thought he could make out some kind of emblem on the ripped leather jacket. It could be a Blood Brothers jacket but he wasn't sure. Christ, he hoped not. If he was from that gang he was a LONG way from home. Dan called out to see if the man was still alive but either the storm was whipping the sound of his voice away or the man was dead. He looked up at the body in the tree and realized the helmet had moved to look in his direction so this one was definitely still alive. From here he couldn't tell if it was a slim man or a woman. The baggy leathers made it impossible to tell accurately. He took a few more steps towards the tree and saw its roots were deeply entangled with the rough cliff side. He judged it to be sturdy enough to support his weight if he climbed up. Just as he prepared to step off onto the tree he heard the unmistakable sound of a gunshot followed by a feminine cry. He looked up and saw the right sleeve of the leather jacket was torn and there was blood dripping from it. Dan looked down and saw the man below was holding a gun and was struggling to hold it steady. When he saw it swing towards him he flung himself back from the edge. A second shot rang out digging through the ground where he'd just stood. "What the fuck are you doing?!?" Dan yelled over the edge. "I'm here to rescue you!" "The bitch is mine! She dies with ME!" he heard the man reply. Another shot was fired but this one hit a branch to the woman's left. The man was deranged! Dan wouldn't be able to get to her before the maniac below hit something vital. And if Dan tried to climb out there he would likely be the target of the next bullet. He'd taken enough bullets in his life. He had to stop him. Quick! He frantically looked around for a weapon, something he could use to stop the idiot with the gun. Another shot rang out and the woman's helmet snapped to the side as the bullet grazed it. The only thing Dan saw was the broken section of guard rail. He reached down and with a huge effort lifted it above his head. It was damn heavy as chunks of two posts were still attached. Dan shuffled to the cliff's edge just above where the man was. He heaved the metal beam and lumber over the edge and watched as it fell. The man squealed in terror as the plummeting chunk of steel and lumber rushed down to crash into his broken body. It tore him and most of the spruce tree from the cliff face and they all fell hundreds of feet onto the rocks below. The crushed trike, which had been braced by the tree, slowly slid off the small ledge and tumbled after its owner. Dan quickly stepped out onto the tree and climbed up to the woman. He called out but she was limp and leaning into the tree. He saw that one of the branches had pierced her shoulder, pinning her in place. It probably saved her from falling to her death. The branch hadn't gone all the way through. He strapped her to his harness then he gently pulled her loose from the branch. Luck was on her side again. There was very little blood so nothing major had been hit by the branch. She was unexpectedly light. Dan got a good grip then descended the tree with her and pulled her backwards onto the road. Once safely away from the cliff he untied her and removed his harness. He scooped her up and carried her to the passenger side of the jeep. Once the door was open he slid her limp body onto the seat and pushed the seat back into its reclined position. Closing the door he raced around the back of the jeep, dropped the rope and harness through the hatch and got back into the driver's side. His face stung from the interior heat but after a few seconds it started to feel really good. Dan reached into the back seat and grabbed one of the new packages of bandage wrap. He used his belt knife to open the package and cut a section off. He did a quick field dressing on both her arm and the puncture wound on her shoulder. He reached under her helmet and pressed his fingers to her neck. Her pulse was a little weak but it seemed steady. Her skin was so cold! Looking at the bandages he realized it was all he could do for now. He really had to get her back to his house if he was going to save her from freezing to death. Slipping back into gear Dan rolled the jeep forward out of the snow pile that had accumulated around the vehicle. Soon he was moving steadily forward and he could see the fire road just ahead. The trees sheltered it better than the open highway but there was still a fair amount of snow to drive through. Dan turned into the road and maintained a steady pace as the road climbed ever upwards. The jeep was really struggling in the drifts as he rolled over the final crest before the forest trail. He quickly glanced at his passenger then swung the jeep into the trail and surged forward. The going was especially tough here but the chains continued to grip and dig into the hard ground beneath the snow. Occasionally he had to fight the wheel as the jeep slipped sideways, threatening to pin itself between the trees. Somehow he kept the momentum going until the jeep suddenly left the forest and he faced his garage door fifty feet ahead. Dan pushed the button on the remote strapped to his visor and saw the garage door begin to climb. He rolled the jeep forward slowly until it settled on the pad inside the garage. He pressed the remote button again and the door closed behind the jeep. He rushed over to the inside door and propped it open. He went back to the passenger side, opened the door and carefully lifted the woman's body out of the jeep, keeping her helmeted head against his shoulder. He couldn't get over how light she was. She had to be at least as tall as him but she felt like nothing in his arms. As quickly and carefully as he could he carried her into the house and into the first guest bedroom. He set her on the bed and began to remove her damp clothing. The boots were first then her damp socks. The skin on her toes was the lightest shade of pink so it didn't look like she had frostbite there. The leather chaps came off fairly easily but her jeans were very damp. He unbuttoned them and slipped the zipper down. They weren't very tight but that was mostly due to how much weight she seemed to have lost. The skin on her legs almost seemed loose. She wasn't wearing panties and it looked like she kept herself completely shaved down below. A flash of gold drew his eyes to a single ring piercing her clitoral hood. He looked away, embarrassed. He dried off her legs with a thick towel he grabbed from the room's bathroom. He removed the chin strap and slid the helmet slowly and carefully upwards until he could toss it aside. Long but dull and matted platinum blond hair poured out of the helmet. It felt a bit like dry straw. He pushed it away from her face and sucked in a breath. She was exquisite! Almond shaped eyes (bruised looking and still closed), fine brows, high cheekbones, slender nose, and full, lush lips which currently looked dry and chapped. She was a true beauty, or would be if she could add on some healthy weight. Her cheeks were a little sunken. While he wanted to take a closer look at his patient he still had to remove her damp jacket and shirt. Both came off relatively easily and again Dan could see the woman was badly underfed. She wore no bra underneath her shirt and considering her obvious and rather large breast implants he was more than a little surprised by this. Those breasts had to be uncomfortable without some support. He saw more piercings, both of her nipples had small gold bars with loops. Dan dried her torso and arms with the towel then wrapped her in a thick, soft electric blanket from the room's closet and set it to a medium-high setting. He ran back to the jeep and grabbed the medical supplies he'd bought. He closed the garage door and went back to the woman. Opening the blanket to get access to her wounds he cleaned them and replaced her bandages. Aside from the grazed arm and the puncture on her shoulder there weren't any other fresh injuries he could see. Healed or healing ones though, she had plenty of scars to prove she'd born quite a lot of pain in her life. Some looked like burn marks, like someone had used her arm as an ashtray. He'd done what he could for now. He closed up the blanket and pulled the bed's quilt over her as well. Her pulse had steadied and seemed strong to him. He'd just have to wait for her to wake up so he could question her about where she might be feeling pain. He felt totally inadequate for the task of being her doctor but he was all she had as the storm continued to rage outside and showed no signs of lessening. He went back to the jeep and unloaded the food. He put most of it into the huge pantry in the kitchen but the meat went into the deep freezer in the garage. Back in the small bathroom of the guest bedroom he poured a glass of water and put it on the end table next to the bed. It was likely she'd be thirsty when she woke up. A quick look at the clock on the wall showed him it was past dinner time but he was more tired than hungry. The window in the room showed the sun must have set as all he could see was the snow that blew against the glass and blackness beyond. He sat in the room's only chair to keep vigil over his patient but shortly exhaustion pulled him down into its embrace and he was gone. Chapter 2 Bullets whizzed by his head, one taking a nip of his ear as it passed. Still he ran on. He had to get back to the house. He could hear the steady beat of the approaching copter's blades as he ran from cover to cover, popping up to fire a round through the head of the next unlucky bastard to get between him and the house. He felt the sting of a bullet passing through his calf but he put that sensation aside and continued on. He slammed into the front door of the house only this time it was locked and he had no way in. Dan gasped awake, the nightmare still raw in his mind. He could feel the familiar ache in his right calf. He leaned forward and put his head in his hands. His forehead was dripping wet. He shuddered as the reaction left his body. It was obvious to him what had triggered him this time. He hadn't been shot at in years but you never forget. Pulling his hands down he noticed the room around him. He glanced at the clock and was startled to see that he'd slept through the night. It was almost 7am. Then he felt eyes on him. Right! The woman! He looked over at her and saw she was awake and staring in his direction from behind her bangs, her gaze dull. The bed's quilt had been thrown back but she was still cocooned within the electric blanket. She had it wrapped around her head and all the way down and over her feet. Only her face showed. He stepped to the side of the bed and knelt down so he wasn't towering over her. Her eyes remained downcast, pointing somewhere in the general vicinity of his chest. He tried to get her to look into his eyes but she seemed to be avoiding this. He didn't quite know what to make of this behavior. "Hi, my name's Dan. Dan Bishop. You were in an accident out there on the mountain road. I found you and brought you to my home because the road back to town was closed by snow." He saw no response. "Can you hear me?" She nodded almost imperceptibly. "Can you tell me your name?" Nothing. "I need you to wiggle your toes." He saw a slight motion at the bottom of the blanket. "Good! How about your fingers?" The sides of the blanket moved a little as she moved her fingers. "That's excellent! Can you tell me where you might be feeling pain?" Nothing. Dan was feeling desperately out of his element. She could obviously understand what he was saying but she couldn't or wouldn't talk. Maybe she was frightened or embarrassed. I mean, she was in a strange place and a stranger had obviously removed her clothes. God! He was suddenly so embarrassed himself! While he knew it had been necessary he was still a little ashamed for having undressed her when she was unconscious. "Look, I'm terribly sorry for removing your clothes but they were wet and you were freezing to death. I'll get you something warm to wear." Dan suddenly realized there probably wasn't any woman's clothing in his house. He walked over to the dresser and checked in a few of the drawers. Nothing. "Uh, I might have something in the other rooms. I'll be right back." He rushed through the other guest rooms and again found nothing except a skimpy white bikini bathing suit. Last summer his buddy Wally visited with his latest girlfriend and she must have left it behind. She'd been petite and her tits had been much smaller than this woman's but he thought the swimsuit might be a good substitute for underwear at least. He went into his room and gathered up a flannel shirt, a thick sweater, some fleece sweat pants which had a drawstring, and a pair of warm socks. When Dan returned to the woman she hadn't moved but her eyes tracked him when he entered. "I have some clothes for you. Sorry, I don't have any woman's clothing but you can wear this stuff to keep warm until I've washed and dried the clothes you were wearing. I found a bathing suit you can use as underwear, if you want." She said nothing but continued to keep him in her view. He knelt once more beside the bed. "Can you tell me your name?" he asked gently but still got no response from the woman. "I'd feel more comfortable using a name than just saying 'Hey You'." He caught the flick of her eyes up to his face then to the doorway then back down to his chest. Was she expecting the man she was riding with to show up? Considering the scars he'd seen on her, it might explain some of her current behavior. If the asshole with the gun had been one of the Blood Brothers he'd probably treated her poorly. She seemed too frightened to talk. He rubbed his face and decided there wasn't going to be a better time to tell her. He wondered how much she recalled of her 'rescue'. That might be a good place to start. "Do you remember the accident?" he asked. She shook her head with a tiny motion. "When I found you, you were stuck in a tree on the side of the road. Your... traveling companion had fallen about 50 feet below and was very badly injured." Dan saw her eyes flick up to his face occasionally as he spoke. "I thought he was dead so I tried to get you out of the tree. But he wasn't dead. He started shooting at us. Do you have any idea why he would do that?" he asked gently. Tears were starting to well up in her eyes and she shook her head briefly. God, he wasn't ready to deal with tears. He rushed ahead. "I didn't have a choice. He kept shooting at you and managed to hit you twice. I couldn't reach him to stop him so I- I dropped a section of the guard rail on him and he fell the rest of the way to the bottom of the ravine. He didn't survive the fall. I'm so sorry! Was he your husband? A boyfriend?" Her eyes closed and the tears were forced out. A single tear rolled down each cheek. But strangely she seemed to relax a little. He heard her breathe out in a long sigh. Dan hadn't realized she was holding her breath. Then she spoke for the first time. It was almost a whispered croak. "Master." What she'd said didn't register with Dan. It had also been so quiet. "I'm sorry, what?" "Master," she said again. Dan sat back on his heels. This was way outside his area of experience. He shook his head and went back to his original question now that he got her talking. "OK, let's put that aside for now. I'd really like to know your name." Her eyes dropped back to his chest. His frustration surged and engaged his mouth before his brain regained control. "What did your Master call you?" As soon as the words left his lips he wished he could take them back. What a colossal asshole he was! This was exactly why he avoided being around people. "Whore... slut... bitch... cunt... cum-dump... fuck-hole," she immediately whispered, as if she wasn't at all disturbed by his cruel question. Dan was shocked. Then he considered the evidence of the physical abuse. Why hadn't he expected there to be mental abuse to go with it? She seemed to be having trouble with her throat. He caught her glance to the glass of water. God he was so stupid! She was parched and the glass of water was right there beside her. Full. She hadn't taken a drop though he could hear that her throat was raw. He took the glass and lifted it to her lips as he helped her sit up slightly. She sipped at first but when he didn't take it away she began to gulp at the water desperately. "Whoa, easy now. Drink slower or you'll make yourself sick," he said. She immediately stopped and dropped her eyes again. "I didn't say you should stop drinking. If you want more, please drink. Just take smaller sips. Let your stomach adjust," he said, using as calm a voice as he could. She glanced up again then she began to sip at the water. When it was almost gone she pulled back slightly so he put the glass back on the end table and allowed her to settle back on the bed. He was realizing that she wasn't going to collapse in grief with the loss of her "master" and that was a tremendous relief for Dan. She still seemed to be a little nervous but was no longer looking to the doorway every few seconds. So, he was probably right when he'd guessed she was expecting the man to arrive. That was one BIG concern out of the way, for both of them it seemed. "Look, I'm not going to use those names on you so I'd prefer your real one." Her eyes flicked up to his face once. "Do you remember your name?" he asked. She paused then shook her head. How could you not recall your own name? What the hell had been done to her? Well, he couldn't just give her a name. Assigning her a name like Mary, Joan, or Brenda just felt wrong. But a nickname might be okay. It was a friendly gesture as long as the name didn't offend. He thought about what his Mom would have said if she had been alive to meet this young woman. First thing she'd do is feed the poor dear as she was so 'willowy'. His mom loved those old genteel expressions. He smiled at the memory of his mother. He looked at the woman and decided that 'Willow' really did suit her. Gracefully slender and lithe. At least it did now with her underfed body. He'd have to be careful how he approached this. He didn't want to hurt her feelings. "Would you mind if I called you 'Willow' until you recall your real name?" he asked gently. She looked into his eyes with surprise. Even her mouth made a cute little o shape. When she realized she was keeping eye contact she quickly looked down but he could see a smile forming on her lips which she tried to hide. She gave him a little nod in agreement. It was time for him to follow his mother's 'advice' and get some food into her to begin her restoration. "OK 'Willow', I'm going to go make us some breakfast. Considering you look like you haven't eaten in a while I'm going to have you start with some warm porridge and we will see how your stomach handles that. If you are fine by lunch I will start slowly increasing your portions from that meal onwards. Is that okay with you?" She gave him another small nod though she kept her eyes down. He was getting a little exasperated by that but he wouldn't push her. "I'll just step out to the kitchen to prepare the food. You should get dressed and come meet me there when you are ready, okay? It's just down the hall to the left." He went to the kitchen and prepared breakfast for them both. Porridge for her and eggs for him. The simple act of cooking settled his nerves. Dealing with people was still very difficult for him. He always felt so uncomfortable around people and always said the wrong things. As he worked on preparing the meals he realized that it actually felt good taking care of someone other than himself. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed it with his self-imposed isolation. He hadn't heard her enter the kitchen so he jolted a little when he turned back from the fridge to find her standing topless at the end of the counter. She was wearing his socks and track pants but was holding the shirt and bikini top in her hands. He was so surprised he dropped an egg from his nerveless fingers. His eyes locked on her chest until the egg cracked on the floor at his feet. He glanced down and said "Shit!" Willow's expression froze and she dropped down before him and knelt with her forehead pressed to the floor. Her hair fell over the broken egg and soaked it in. He could see she was trembling. Grabbing some paper towels he knelt down and gently took her shoulders in his hands. She flinched deeply at his touch at first but he helped her sit back on her heels then he used the paper towels to sop up the raw egg in her hair. She'd need to wash it but first he wanted her to eat something so she wouldn't pass out in the shower. She kept her eyes down looking at the floor. He did his best to keep his eyes off her chest. "Willow, you didn't do anything wrong. Even if you had I wouldn't expect you to kneel at my feet. okay? I don't know what that guy did to you but you aren't going to be treated poorly here." Her trembling slowed to a stop as the beating she was expecting didn't happen. She cautiously glanced at his face and saw he had an uncomfortable smile. She was obviously confused and looked back down again. "Can I ask you why you are topless?" he asked gently. Willow held out the bikini top. She held it against her chest but he could see she didn't know how to tie the straps. He'd never tied one of these before either but she didn't even seem willing to try. He helped them both stand. Steeling himself to consider this as just another engineering puzzle he could help her without being embarrassed by the personal nature of the task. Standing this close to her he realized that she was actually a couple of inches taller than his 5' 8". He actually had to look up a little to look in her eyes. It was then, when he was just inches from her face that he noticed her eyes. They were the most amazing shade of green with gold flecks. Finding himself getting lost in her eyes he pulled himself back to the task at hand. He took the bikini top from her and tied the top straps together and slipped the loop over her head. Then he got behind her and pulled the bottom strings under her arms and tied it in a bow on her back. He came back around to her front to see if he'd tied it correctly. Her large breasts were straining at the fabric and spilling out of the bottoms. He realized he should have tied the lower string first to provide support under her heavy breasts then tie the top strap to lift the flesh up into a comfortable position. She stood quietly with no expression on her face while he redid the ties. Soon she was looking spectacular in the silky bikini top though it was a little small and struggled to support her bounty. The small gold rings in her nipples could easily be seen pushing against the fabric. Willow shyly looked into his eyes and he was surprised to see a little desperate need there. Like she was looking for acceptance or praise. He was a little uncomfortable but words sprung to his lips automatically. "You look truly lovely!" And she did, aside from looking like she was starving. She certainly had the frame and foundation for true beauty. If she hadn't been so neglected she would be gorgeous. Her expression underwent a strange transformation at his words. She looked shocked at first, like she'd never heard someone mention her beauty before. Then her eyes welled up with tears and she bit her lower lip. She lowered her eyes again but the smile stayed on her lips. Dan took his fleece shirt from her hand and held it out for her to place her arms into the sleeves. He turned her around once the shirt was over her shoulders so he could button up the front. He really needed to hide her amazing tits as his erection was threatening to split his jeans. Having his hands so close to them was not helping. He grabbed some more paper towel and wiped up the remains of the dropped egg. Then he turned back to their breakfast and allowed the homey activity take his thoughts away from Willow's beauty and the tightness developing in his pants. When he was finished he noted that she was still standing exactly where he'd left her. Dan raised an eyebrow and pointed to the chair at the small table by the window. She went to the chair and sat. He placed the full bowl and spoon before her and went back to get his own meal. When he returned he could see her eyes were fixed on the bowl but she hadn't moved. The scent of its rich flavor was gently rising in the steam towards her face and Dan saw a line of drool had tracked from the corner of her mouth to drop to her lap from her chin. "Willow? Willow!" Dan said, trying to get her attention. She jumped slightly then flinched, expecting a slap. "It's okay, you can eat. I made sure it's not too hot. It's safe," he said gently. She lifted the spoon awkwardly then scooped a good amount into her mouth. She froze when the porridge hit her tongue. Her eyes closed in bliss as she rolled the warm porridge across her tongue then swallowed it. She glanced at Dan from under her bangs then quickly took another scoop, then another. Accelerating. Dan reached out and gently took her hand. She froze and looked down, trembling. "Willow, it's okay. Just eat slower or you might make yourself sick. We have all the time in the world. Enjoy your meal." He released her hand after making sure she'd keep the spoon in it. She glanced at him then slowly scooped out another spoonful and slowly put it in her mouth, all the while keeping an eye on him for his approval. Dan felt ridiculous. She was a grown woman and she was asking him to show her how to eat? Before his buzzing nerves provoked him into saying something stupid again he took a deep breath and began to eat his own breakfast. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that she was matching his pace exactly. He'd lift his food to his mouth and she'd lift her spoon to her mouth. He sighed and wondered again what had happened to her to make her this way. She almost seemed desperate for his approval. Didn't she realize she was free of that moron? After breakfast they would need to have a little talk. Hmm... maybe after she showered. She was a little ripe, probably a by-product of her malnutrition. And he had to wash and mend her clothes. Soon he could hear the scrape of her spoon on the bowl as she went after the last morsels of her breakfast. He had probably given her a little too much but it was fairly easy on the stomach, very nutritious, and the extra helping of honey he'd added would start her on track to get some flesh back onto those bones. He poured her some sweet herbal tea to help warm her up and she sipped at this while he finished his own meal. He caught her eyeing a piece of bacon on the edge of his plate and she instinctively pinched her eyes shut and winced when she realized he'd seen her looking. Dan felt so helpless at seeing her fear, then it made him angry at the son-of-a-bitch who did this to her but he knew his anger would frighten her more, so he just let out a slow breath and tried to center himself. He picked up the bacon and held it out to her just before her lips. Willow's nose twitched as she smelled the bacon. Her eyes opened a little and she saw he was feeding her the piece. Something needful flared in her eyes again, making Dan uneasy, and she gently leaned forward to take the bacon into her mouth. As she closed her lips they softly kissed his fingertips. She shyly looked into his eyes again and this time he instinctively knew she was asking for something from him he was not prepared to give. Dan gave her a quick smile then gathered up the dishes and brought them over to the kitchen sink. He kept his back to her and willed his cock to relax. When her soft lips touched his fingers it felt like lightning running straight up his arm, down his spine, and straight to his groin. When he'd got his breath back he glanced over at her and saw she was still munching on the piece of bacon, getting as much enjoyment from it as she could. She glanced at him with a worried look then swallowed it. She still seemed anxious and a little lost, like she had somehow done something wrong and was looking for someone to give her the answer. Dan wished someone would give him some answers. First though, she needed a shower and he needed to fix her clothing situation. He knew that the shower in the master bathroom was where the soaps and shampoos were (he lived here alone after all). So she had better use his bathroom to clean up. He walked back to her and she glanced at his face briefly, trying to read his expression. "I think it would be good and you'll feel much better if you took a shower. You can use the one in my room. I'll get you some fresh clothes and a towel for you. okay?" Willow just nodded and stood up to follow him. He walked into the master bath and pulled a plush towel and a loofa sponge from the small linen closet. When he turned back to Willow she was completely naked and looking curiously into the big shower stall. The girl was not in the least bit self-conscious about being naked in front of him. Dan didn't scold her for being naked as he knew she would just be frightened so he kept his eyes on the shower stall as he pointed out the features and how to operate it. Once she seemed to understand the controls he continued. "Uh, um, the hot water is fed from an underground hot spring into an insulated storage tank and our cold water comes from a tank fed by a nearby stream so you won't run out of either. There are biodegradable soaps and shampoos on the rack there. Here's a new loofa scrub brush you can use as well. I'll leave you clean clothes on the counter just inside the door. I'll get these washed immediately after your shower," he said as he bent down and picked up the clothes she'd stepped out of. Dumping the dirty clothes inside and pulling the laundry bag from the hamper he turned to leave and felt a gentle tug at his sleeve. He looked back and she was standing very close, trembling slightly, looking down but stealing quick glances at his eyes. He could see that desperate need was back in her eyes. "Willow, please take your shower. You'll be fine now. We'll talk once you are done and dressed again, okay?" he said, his voice trembling slightly. God she was so beautiful but so damaged! He could really mess her up if he wasn't careful. To Be Continued in part 2, based on a post by BurntRedstone for Literotica

The November 3 edition of the AgNet News Hour delivered a mix of optimism and realism as hosts Nick Papagni and Josh McGill recapped the week's biggest ag stories and welcomed back Sonny Toor, owner of Valley Pride Ag Company, for a deep dive into the state of California's almond industry.   Toor, known for his steady outlook even in tough markets, joined the show to discuss crop forecasts, pricing trends, and how trade and weather are shaping grower returns. He confirmed that this year's almond crop is trending slightly below 2.7 billion pounds, down from last year's 2.73 billion, as higher damage rates and lower net edible yields take effect. “There's good product out there,” Toor said, “but the actual sellable volume is smaller, which helps support prices.”   He noted that market panic early in the season — driven by a July estimate near 3 billion pounds — caused prices to tumble almost 80 cents per pound. But as the harvest came in shorter than expected, markets began to firm up again. “We're moving closer to a fair market price,” he explained. “The last three years have been tough on growers, but the pendulum is swinging back toward balance.”   Toor also credited strong export demand and reduced supply as factors keeping prices stable through the winter. However, he warned that the strong U.S. dollar could slow export sales. “A strong dollar hurts us,” he said. “But the good news is that California almonds are irreplaceable — no one grows like we do.”   When asked about tariffs, Toor said he supports President Trump's current trade approach with Europe and Asia. “He's been smart about avoiding counter-tariffs on U.S. almonds,” Toor said. “That's helped keep demand steady. We just need fair deals and continued access to our export markets.”   He also discussed the need for the Almond Board and USDA to rethink the way they estimate annual yields. “The current system is outdated,” he said. “It's time to rely on real data and industry collaboration instead of one-size-fits-all projections.”   Beyond economics, Toor emphasized advocacy and education. Valley Pride Ag has launched programs that bring schoolchildren to almond orchards and processing plants to learn firsthand about farming. “If kids see where their food comes from, they understand how important it is,” he said. “That's how we build the next generation of ag leaders.”   Papagni and McGill closed the show with an enthusiastic call for farmers to join in that effort. “Every grower can make a difference just by opening their gates and showing kids what farming looks like,” Papagni said. “That's how we protect the future of California agriculture.”

Experience It; Express It: The Essential Link Between Faith and ActionDo you have a personal, undeniable testimony or are you living off the spiritual experiences of others?In this essential message, "Experience It; Express It," Pastor Ernest Almond challenges the church to build an authentic relationship with God that moves beyond passive observation. This sermon focuses on the core truth that your ability to be an effective Christian witness is directly tied to your willingness to have a personal encounter with Christ.Using the foundational principles of faith, Pastor Almond teaches that you must "Experience It"—seeking and confirming God's presence and work in your life—before you can confidently "Express It" to the world. A second-hand testimony is no match for the scrutiny and challenges of the crossfire of life.This message is critical for anyone looking to solidify their faith, overcome spiritual plateau, and turn their private belief into public, life-changing action. Learn how to stop being an observer and start being a bold participant in the mission of Christ.

Taylor Chalstrom sits down with Franz Niederholzer, UCCE farm advisor for Colusa and Sutter/Yuba counties, to discuss November almond management, including dormant spur sampling, protecting beneficials, fall potassium strategies, winter irrigation targets and more.

Kourtney Kardashian's Lemme brand launches lollipops for women's health. Supposedly Tom Cruise was ready to propose to Ana de Armas. His PR team is telling a very different story. The artist behind ‘Murder on the Dancefloor' Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor is playing SF tonight at August Hall. A major Gmail hack means it's time to change your password and set up 2-step verification. Your nightlight might be killing you! (probably not though). What should we wear to a mid day rock show? Plus, the truth about essential oils!

Are you afraid to share your testimony? Join Pastor Ernest Almond from Higher Definition Church for the latest installment of the "Run Tell That" series, anchored in John 9:1-11 (The Man Born Blind) and 1 Peter 2:9.In this powerful sermon, Pastor Almond addresses the tension of living as a believer in a world of opposing ideologies. We are all "In the Crossfire" [03:45], caught between those who twist scripture for political power ("Jesus is King") and those who misuse grace as a license to sin ("Jesus is Love") [07:49].Discover how the world's opposition is not truly against you, but against Jesus Christ and the truth of His transforming work. Learn to stand firmly on your story of deliverance and healing [44:05], just as the blind man refused to let the Pharisees (critics) reject or dismiss his miracle [38:30].Don't let fear lead to social scrutiny or spiritual bondage [41:53]. Embrace the boldness to share your faith, knowing that the enemy is fighting an unwinnable battle against an invincible foe [53:51]. Your story is God's purpose for your life!Keywords & Hashtags: #InTheCrossfire #HigherDefinitionChurch #PastorErnestAlmond #Sermon #Testimony #John9 #1Peter2 #Christian #Faith #Truth #Healing #Deliverance #Worship #Church #ChristianLiving #BibleStudy #Boldness #JesusChrist #SpiritualWarfare #Gospel

Jeremiah 1 (Listen) 1:1 The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month. The Call of Jeremiah 4 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5   “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,  and before you were born I consecrated you;  I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 7 But the LORD said to me,   “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth';  for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,  and whatever I command you, you shall speak.8   Do not be afraid of them,  for I am with you to deliver you,      declares the LORD.” 9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me,   “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.10   See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,  to pluck up and to break down,  to destroy and to overthrow,  to build and to plant.” 11 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond1 branch.” 12 Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.” 13 The word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.” 14 Then the LORD said to me, “Out of the north disaster2 shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For behold, I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the LORD, and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me. They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands. 17 But you, dress yourself for work;3 arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. 18 And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.” Footnotes [1] 1:11 Almond sounds like the Hebrew for watching (compare verse 12) [2] 1:14 The Hebrew word can mean evil, harm, or disaster, depending on the context; so throughout Jeremiah [3] 1:17 Hebrew gird up your loins (ESV)

Jeremiah 1 (Listen) 1:1 The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month. The Call of Jeremiah 4 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5   “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,  and before you were born I consecrated you;  I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” 6 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” 7 But the LORD said to me,   “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth';  for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,  and whatever I command you, you shall speak.8   Do not be afraid of them,  for I am with you to deliver you,      declares the LORD.” 9 Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me,   “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.10   See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,  to pluck up and to break down,  to destroy and to overthrow,  to build and to plant.” 11 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond1 branch.” 12 Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.” 13 The word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.” 14 Then the LORD said to me, “Out of the north disaster2 shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For behold, I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the LORD, and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah. 16 And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me. They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands. 17 But you, dress yourself for work;3 arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. 18 And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.” Footnotes [1] 1:11 Almond sounds like the Hebrew for watching (compare verse 12) [2] 1:14 The Hebrew word can mean evil, harm, or disaster, depending on the context; so throughout Jeremiah [3] 1:17 Hebrew gird up your loins (ESV)

Summary: “What Do You See? Fulfilling Purpose—No Excuses” Pastor Bryan Hudson, D.Min.  Primary Texts: Jeremiah 1:1–12; Esther 4:13–14; John 18:36; 2 Cor. 10:3–5 DOWNLOAD THIS SUMMARY Jeremiah 1:3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month. 4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified[a] you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” 6 Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” 7 But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,' For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord. 9 Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. 10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.” 11 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” 12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”   Thesis: How you see—with Spirit-given vision, not just physical sight—determines how God can use you. Vision silences excuses and activates purpose right where you already are. 1) Vision vs. Sight Opens with Dr. Myles Munroe's line: sight is with the eyes; vision is with the heart. We act out of what we see internally; no one acts beyond their beliefs and understanding. Best motivator of action: God's purpose and love of neighbor. Worst motivator: self-interest. Greatest enemy to purpose: accepting limitations and making excuses. 2) Jeremiah's Context and Call Jeremiah ministers in a divided kingdom (Israel & Judah). Israel already fell; Judah still “with God” yet drifting into idolatry and injustice. God's word to Jeremiah (Jer 1:4–10): Before birth—God knew, formed, sanctified, appointed him. Jeremiah's excuse (“I'm too young / can't speak”) is dismissed by God. God gives a threefold redirection: Command: “You shall go…and speak.” Prohibition: “Do not fear their faces.” Promise: “I am with you to deliver you.” Provision: God touches Jeremiah's mouth, putting His words there—empowerment. Assignment: “Root out, pull down, destroy, throw down”—then “build and plant.” 3) Inside the System, Yet Unconformed God often uses people already inside systems if they refuse to be conformed. Jeremiah: born into priestly establishment, yet called to confront corruption. Esther: positioned in power and tempted to silence; Mordecai reminds her she's there “for such a time as this.”She risks comfort to challenge an evil decree. 4) Two “Kingdoms”: Counterfeit vs. Christ's Dr. Hudson contrasts “Christianity without Christ” with the Christianity of Christ: Manifest Destiny and the Doctrine of Discovery (historical justifications for conquest and displacement) and chattel slavery are cited as religiously-coated systems that harmed people—ends never justify means. Frederick Douglass is quoted distinguishing the pure Christianity of Christ from the hypocritical religion of his time. “I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ; I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial, and hypocritical Christianity of this land. Indeed, I can see no reason, but the most deceitful one, for calling the religion of this land Christianity. I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels.” (Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave) Contemporary Christian nationalism seeks to wield state power to impose religion. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36); the Gospel changes hearts, not by coercive law. Christians hold dual citizenship: we preach the Gospel, love neighbors, pursue justice, and elect competent public servants, but we do not try to “Christianize” worldly power. 5) Excuses vs. God's Plan God ignores excuses—they only “work” for the one making them. Inadequacy is real, but not a hiding place; the God who formed you increases capacity. Expect trouble for obedience; God already factored it in and promises presence and deliverance. 6) Weapons and Work of the Kingdom Our warfare is not carnal (2 Cor. 10:3–5). We pray, speak truth to power, show up, help people, and support leaders who serve the common good rather than self-interest. “Rooting out” includes exposing deception; “building/planting” means constructive actions that bless people and communities. 7) “What Do You See?”—The Almond Branch God asks Jeremiah what he sees (1:11–12). Almond branch—earliest to bloom—pictures God's watchfulness and swift action. Key: Jeremiah didn't need full interpretation to obey; he only needed to see what God showed. When Jeremiah saw God's adequacy more than his own inadequacy, God declared, “You have seen well… I am ready to perform My word.” 8) Applications & Practices Confession: Renounce excuses; receive assignment where you are; refuse fear; trust God's presence. Act where placed: Identify your sphere (home, work, school, civic board, ministry team). Two moves each week: One “tear down” act (truth-telling, intercession, challenging injustice). One “build/plant” act (mentoring, proposing just processes, starting prayer/helps initiatives). Discernment: Judge by fruit, not labels; avoid fruitless arguments; invest in people with ears to hear. 9) Closing Appeal & Prayer Place hope in Christ, not systems. Worldly empires fail; God's kingdom endures. Ask for grace to discern counterfeit religion, to shine light without anger, and to participate in God's change by changed hearts leading to changed conditions. Call to salvation, consecration, and immediate obedience—letting the “light turn on” and walking out purpose with no excuses. Bottom line: Seeing with kingdom vision—not merely with natural sight—positions you to confront lies, build what blesses people, and walk confidently in the assignment God prepared before you were born.

In the October Almond Byte, get the latest global trade updates from ABC's Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team. Highlights include Turkey's removal of retaliatory tariffs on almonds — a potential major win for market growth — plus ongoing trade discussions with India, updates from Washington, and insight into how diversification is strengthening export stability worldwide. You'll also meet new ABC team member Lindsay Tello, joining as Keith Schneller transitions toward retirement, and get a preview of key global trade sessions planned for The Almond Conference, December 10–12 in Sacramento.

In this episode of Hands in the Soil, we're joined by Tommy Tickenoff, co-founder and self-proclaimed “Chief Nut” of Fresh Vintage Farms. Based in California's Central Valley, Tommy and his wife Tara launched Fresh Vintage Farms in 2019 with a mission to craft premium, cold-pressed nut oils while reducing agricultural waste and redefining what quality looks like in a sustainable food system.Tommy brings humor and honesty to a nuanced conversation about the almond industry, which is one that's often misunderstood and criticized for its water usage and impact on pollinators. We unpack the myths surrounding almond farming, explore how growers are adapting to new environmental challenges, and highlight the importance of transparency and consumer education in agriculture.The discussion also touches on Fresh Vintage Farms' innovative approach to upcycling and product development, including their small-batch almond oil mayonnaise and other cold-pressed creations made entirely from locally grown nuts. Through it all, Tommy emphasizes that sustainability in farming is a continuous process of learning, improving, and caring for the land.Tune in to learn more about:What sustainability means within the almond industryCommon myths and misconceptions about almond farmingHow California almond growers have reduced water use and improved efficiencyThe crucial role of bees and pollinator health in almond productionThe balance between organic certification and practical sustainabilityHow consumer education builds trust and transparency in the food systemThe future of sustainable agriculture in California's Central Valley… And so much more!Tommy's Resources & Links:Website: freshvintagefarms.comInstagram: @fresh_vintage_farmsLinkedIn: Fresh Vintage FarmsConnect with Hannah:Instagram: @hannahkeitel

Matt Modderno is back for another Fear the Podcast, this time to discuss the blatant disrespect for this Maryland Basketball program from Big Ten media. The Terps land at 13th in the preseason poll and had no players on the first or second team. Darius Adams received a few votes for Freshman of the Year and Pharrel Payne was one of many to receive a vote but fall short of a Big Team preseason team. But that's it for the Terps! Did the media get it right or are they sleeping on this team? Plus, some news on 2026 four-star recruit Latrell Almond as Maryland makes his final five after locking in his final official visit. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a check-in conversation with Lauren Tucker, co-founder of Kiss the Ground and Renourish Studios. We talk about wrapping up the cohort at Renourish Studio, where they've worked for three years with a diverse group of entrepreneurs and investors across the US food and agriculture system.How do you bring the fact that we are part of a living system into your work in commercial organisations? Lauren shares lessons learned, and what they're doing moving forward. How much of this work is inner work—how we see the world, what we think is possible and not—vs. outer work like planting cover crops, digging swales, showing the financials and nutrient density of almonds, and demonstrating how regenerative farming systems are more alive by measuring biodiversity? How do we open up to opportunities like small water cycle restoration, instead of only thinking about cover crops on our farm?More about this episode.==========================In Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food podcast show we talk to the pioneers in the regenerative food and agriculture space to learn more on how to put our money to work to regenerate soil, people, local communities and ecosystems while making an appropriate and fair return. Hosted by Koen van Seijen.==========================