Podcasts about Whitewater

This week Sydney and Audrey Talk about…The logistics and deliveries side of Mother's Day in a flower shop. We have worked through lots of kinks through the years so you can learn from us! From team scheduling, to efficient and effective delivery systems, to sales systems, and more! Let us help you get prepared for Mother's Day at your flower shop! Here is the Link to our Mother's Day Prep Freebie!!https://garveysgardens.myflodesk.com/mothers-day-prepFollow our Instagram and send us a DM:⁠ ⁠⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠⁠⁠Email us any questions, comments, or episode ideas: podcast@garveysgardens.comA refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in:We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop! Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm. Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native.Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more! ⁠⁠Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order⁠⁠ in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas!⁠⁠Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails)⁠⁠⁠⁠Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist!⁠⁠Our Instagram!⁠⁠ @GarveysGardens⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠⁠Our YouTube Channel!⁠ ⁠@GarveysGardens⁠⁠

Thirty years ago, C-SPAN showed the Senate Whitewater Committee hearings. The Special Committee to Investigate Whitewater Development Corporation and Related Matters was created in May 1995. Hearings ran for 300 hours over 60 sessions across 13 months. Did anything concrete come out of those hearings seen on C-SPAN? Well – at least one thing. A hit murder mystery now streaming on Netflix called "The Residence." How do you get from a 1996 Whitewater hearing about possible corruption in politics to a 2025 Netflix series – created by Shondaland -- about possible murder in the White House? Find out in the latest episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" – directly from "The Residence" creator Paul William Davies. Other than the biggest murder mystery of all – whodunnit – what secrets of creating "The Residence" can political and White House history junkies learn from the show's creator? Hear directly from Paul William Davies in the latest episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Sydney and Audrey Talk about...The creative side of Mother's Day prep in a flower shop! How we order flowers to get ready for a major floral holiday, how we choose what we want to make to sell, and how we plan ahead so we are ready for any creative changes that may have to be made last minute.Tune in to hear Sydney's tips, tricks, and advice after several Mothers Days in our flower shop!A Link to EveryStem - Our Fav! https://www.everystem.com/Follow our Instagram and send us a DM:⁠ ⁠⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠⁠⁠Email us any questions, comments, or episode ideas: podcast@garveysgardens.comA refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in:We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop! Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm. Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native.Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more! ⁠⁠Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order⁠⁠ in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas!⁠⁠Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails)⁠⁠⁠⁠Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist!⁠⁠Our Instagrams!⁠⁠ @GarveysGardens⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠⁠

In this episode, Sydney and Audrey talk about... Sydney's recent trip to Washington DC to lobby with Certified American Grown Members for legislation in favor of American Flower Farms and Farmers! Sydney tells us all about who she met with, who she lobbied with, and why she is so passionate about certified American grown - and why you should be too!!Whether you are into politics or not, this episode is enlightening and interesting to hear about what happens behind the scenes in Washington DC to make things happen!!Follow our Instagram and send us a DM: ⁠⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠⁠Email us any questions, comments, or episode ideas: podcast@garveysgardens.comA refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in:We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop! Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm. Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native.Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more! ⁠Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order⁠ in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas!⁠Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails)⁠⁠Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist!⁠Our Instagram!⁠ @GarveysGardens⁠ ⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠Our YouTube Channel! ⁠@GarveysGardens⁠

Original Air Date: December 20, 1951Host: Andrew RhynesShow: Challenge of the YukonPhone: (707) 98 OTRDW (6-8739) Stars:• Paul Sutton (Sgt. Preston) Writer:• Fran Striker Producer:• George W. Trendle Director:• Fred Flowerday Exit music from: Roundup on the Prairie by Aaron Kenny https://bit.ly/3kTj0kK

Original Air Date: December 20, 1951Host: Andrew RhynesShow: Challenge of the YukonPhone: (707) 98 OTRDW (6-8739) Stars:• Paul Sutton (Sgt. Preston) Writer:• Fran Striker Producer:• George W. Trendle Director:• Fred Flowerday Exit music from: Roundup on the Prairie by Aaron Kenny https://bit.ly/3kTj0kK

Ian Adey is the guest for this episode of the coaching podcast, talking to Chris Brain about coaching white water kayaking. Ian is a Level 5 Kayak Coach and Advanced Canoe Coach who runs Kinetic Paddlesports based in the Lake District. He got hooked on watersports in his early teens and is still obsessed. Ian is passionate about passing on the most up to date technical knowledge and modern techniques.  His focus is on explaining paddling with simple terms, free of jargon. He is a firm believer that what we coach beginner and intermediate paddlers should still work in advanced conditions, and continue to work wherever people take their paddling. The topics discussed by Chris and Ian include: Common misconceptions for white water paddling Edging vs leaning Vertical paddle strokes Self-analysis and use of video when coaching Evolution of white water techniques Remembering to play on the river To download the transcript for this episode click here.

In this episode, Sydney and Audrey talk with Danae - our Wedding Pro at Garvey's Gardens!We deep dive into all things wedding florals - tips and tricks, dos and don'ts and all kinds of ideas to get you inspired! This episode is full of knowledge for anyone planning a wedding or curious about the wedding industry!Danae has been working with Sydney and Audrey for over 2 years at Garvey's Gardens and is a wealth of knowledge! If you want to book a consult with her, head to the wedding tab on our website and book an appointment through our Calendly! She would love to chat with you about your wedding floral dreams!Follow our Instagram and send us a DM: ⁠⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠⁠Email us any questions or episode ideas: podcast@garveysgardens.comA refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in! We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop! Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm. Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native.Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more! ⁠Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order⁠ in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas!⁠Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails)⁠⁠Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist!⁠Our Instagram!⁠ @GarveysGardens⁠ ⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠Our YouTube Channel! ⁠@GarveysGardens⁠

In this episode, Sydney and Audrey talk about... Flower Pricing! How we price flowers in our retail flower shop that come from our farm vs from a wholesaler. The different tiers of flower pricing depending on who you are selling to. Plus how we take emotion out of equation with our favorite flower pricing and recipe program ~ EveryStem!Follow our Instagram and send us a DM: ⁠⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠⁠Email us any questions or episode ideas: podcast@garveysgardens.comA refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in! We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop! Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm. Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native.Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more! ⁠Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order⁠ in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas!⁠Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails)⁠⁠Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist!⁠Our Instagram!⁠ @GarveysGardens⁠ ⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠Our YouTube Channel! ⁠@GarveysGardens⁠

QuestCast VR, der Podcast für alles rund um die Meta Quest Plattform.In Folge 26 reden wir ausführlich über das VR Gaming Showcase 25.Hendrik hat "The House of Da Vinci VR" im Gepäck und Harald redet über ein paar angespielte Games.Und wie immer bleibt es natürlich nicht dabei, denn die 92739749 weiteren Spiele werden natürlich auch besprochen.Schreibt uns gerne eure Fragen, Verbesserungsvorschläge und Lobgesänge.Hier findet ihr uns auf allen Plattformen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://questcastvr.my.canva.site/questcastvr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wir würden uns über eine 5 Sterne Bewertung freuen. Danke für´s zuhören!

In this episode, Sydney and Audrey talk about... Spring + March on the Flower Farm!! What is happening on our Flower Farm right now + what we plan to get done this month! Plus - what you should be doing to get your garden started this month!Follow our Instagram and send us a DM: ⁠⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠⁠Email us any questions or episode ideas: podcast@garveysgardens.comA refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in! We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop! Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm. Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native.Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more! ⁠Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order⁠ in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas!⁠Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails)⁠⁠Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist!⁠Our Instagram!⁠ @GarveysGardens⁠ ⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠Our YouTube Channel! ⁠@GarveysGardens⁠

The Morris Pratt Institute was built to study the spirit world—but in Whitewater, some believe it opened doors that were never meant to be unlocked.IN THIS EPISODE: Whitewater legend says that the bizarre experiments conducted at the Morris Pratt Institute of Spiritualism in Wisconsin, to communicate with the dead, have left the town cursed by witches and haunted by restless spirits. It's no wonder it has garnered the nickname of “Second Salem.” (Whitewater: The Second Salem) *** The Wild West had many drifters with troubled pasts. One found himself at the heart of one of the most infamous crimes in American history. Ben Kuhl went from horse theft, to stagecoach robbery, to murder – from notoriety to infamy – all in pursuit of elusive riches. Finally arrested and convicted due to a bloody handprint (The Last Stagecoach Robbery) *** Fred West was just a regular boy, or so it seemed. But behind closed doors, in reality, he was becoming evil incarnate. And upon meeting his future wife Rose, it only expanded his predatory predilections. Fred and Rose descended from petty crimes to unspeakable horrors of rape and murder – even of the most young and innocent. From their "House of Horrors" the depths of their depravity was acted out — hidden from site. But as the walls closed in and the truth emerged, the true horror of their crimes was laid bare. (The Evils of Fred And Rose West) *** AND MORE!CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Lead-In00:02:38.498 = Show Open00:04:51.531 = Whitewater: The Second Salem00:24:08.642 = The Evils of Fred And Rose West00:40:15.583 = The Last Stagecoach Robbery00:54:13.236 = Bygone Gluttons01:06:56.754 = Show Close, Verse, and Final Thought SOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…“Whitewater: The Second Salem” by Charlie Hintz for Wisconsin Frights: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p9bktup“Bygone Gluttons” by Ben Gazur for ListVerse: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p99hjxj“The Evils of Fred and Rose West” from Biography: https://www.biography.com/crime/fred-west“The Last Stagecoach Robbery” from Creative History Stories: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bdh3h8h5=====Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateInfo on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScreamInfo on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV=====(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: April 16, 2024EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/HauntedWhitewater

Baseball Author, Craig Calcaterra of Cup of Coffee visits the showPast interview on CBA & OhtaniPete Rose to be pardoned Jackie Robinson – What is the way forwardMLB, does what power wantsExample of Rob Manfred &  decision to pull the MLB All-Star game from Atlanta due to how the wind was blowing at the timeHow will the wind blow from Washington, DCWill teams cancel Pride Night & rework other promotions?Could Jackie Robinson Day be downplayed, Would Trump unretire Robinson's numberBuffalo Blue Jays & how will we see fandom react at the Atlanta / Toronto gameCanada is standing their ground Whitewater rafting – leaning into the wave – counter intuitive but successful strategyCanadian military general rule – don't talk politics in the war room.Mat feels the need to speak-up during these times & reflects on when growing up his family would discuss timely topics at the dinner table with perspectives from hippie-ish to the hard line right wing US folks find discussing politics tabooInformation Ecosystem has been hit with a perfect stormSocial Media can be poisonGoogle reflecting  -  'reinforces what it thinks you like or what it thinks you know.'Bluesky may be a small part of getting out of it. Reflections on The AthleticEducating people &  making them aware of what's actually going on, presenting facts in a logical way without being antagonisticCreate a trust that funds media outlet Small Local News outlets like Columbus Ohio, Matter News, can make a differenceCould Bluesky be shut down?Community – there are less places where people have to come togetherGOP Speaker instructs party members to not hold in-person town hallsHow Trump has impacted the separatist movement in QuebecOne country threatening another country's sovereigntyRepublicans bad behavior & talk veiled as a joke, only to later become a planned realityNo nation or combination of nations could face a Russia / USA allianceCraig's Pandemic Diary & MusicMLB Spring Training – Media Training for players on how to answer questions that could get you in troubleTommy PhamHumor as Self-Defense in serious situations - Laugh in the face of HorrorsAI Robotics & manual labor being replacedTim Hortons, Hot Dogs & Canadian Ash BatsWill laid off Federal Employees be able to afford to go to gameMar-a-Lago – Unfrosted Marjorie Post, Jerry Seinfeld & EF HuttonSponsorships across the border - Kubota, Molson Ky Bourbon & Crown Royal Eggs are less expensive in CanadaFreedom Fries – will Poutine be renamed Freedom KurdsAmericanos v Canadianos coffeethe 11th province Spring Training games feel like practiceColumbus Clippers & robo-ump – will it be in MLB by 2026The Human Element - Robo doesn't recognize Max ScherzerAI PoliticiansCraig Calcaterra's Cup of Coffee, newsletter is definitely a must readFollow Mat Germain on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/matgermain.bsky.social, Mark on Blue Sky at https://bsky.app/profile/baseballbizondeck.bsky.socialSpecial thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music “Rocking Forward

In this episode, Sydney and Audrey talk about... Marketing our small business - and most importantly where we delegate so we can do as much as possible on our small business budget!

This episode we continue to follow the monk Xuanzang on his path along the silk road.  From Gaochang, he traveled through the Tarim Basin, up over the Tianshan Mountains, to the heart of the Western Gokturk Qaghanate.  From there, he traveled south, through the region of Transoxania to Bactria and the land of Tukhara.  He pushed on into the Hindu Kush, witnessing the stone Buddha statues of Bamiyan, and eventually made his way to the land of Kapisa, near modern Kabul, Afghanistan.  From there he would prepare to enter the Indian subcontinent: the home of the historical Buddha. For more discussion and some photos of the areas along this journey, check out our podcast blog at https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-121   Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is Episode 121: Journey to the West, Part 2   The cold winds blew through the travelers' doubled up clothing and thick furs.  Cold, wet ground meant that even two sets of boots were not necessarily enough after several days.  The frozen mist would often obscure everything except for the path immediately in front, hiding the peaks and making the sky a uniform white. In many places, the path would be blocked by rock, ice, or snow—the remnants of an avalanche, which could easily take an unsuspecting traveler.  And there was the elevation.  Hiking through the mountains, it was easy enough to reach heights of a mile or higher, and for those not accustomed to that elevation the thin air could take a surprising toll, especially if you were pushing yourself.  And the road was no less kind to the animals that would be hauling said travelers and their gear. And yet, this was the path that Xuanzang had agreed to.  He would continue to push through, despite the various deprivations that he would be subjected to.  No doubt he often wondered if it was worth it.  Then again, returning was just as dangerous a trip, so why not push on?   Last episode we introduced the monk Xuanzang, who traveled the Silk Road to India in the 7th century and returned to China.  He brought back numerous sutras to translate, and ended up founding a new school, known as the Faxian school—or the Hossou school in Japan.   As we mentioned last time, Xuanzang during his lifetime met with students from the archipelago when they visited the continent.  The records of his travels—including his biography and travelogue—are some of the best information we have on what life was like on the silk road around this time. In the last episode, we talked about Xuanzang: how he set out on his travels, his illegal departure from the Tang empire, and his perilous journey across the desert, ending up in Gaochang.  There, King Qu Wentai had tried to get him to stay, but he was determined to head out.  This episode we are going to cover his trip to Agni, Kucha, and Baluka—modern Aksu—and up to the Western Gokturk Qaghanate's capital of Suyab.  From there, we'll follow his footsteps through the Turkic controlled regions of Transoxania and into Tukhara, in modern Afghanistan.  Finally, we'll cover the last parts of his journey before he reached the start of his goal:  India. From Gaochang, Xuanzang continued on, through the towns he names as Wuban and Dujin, and into the country of Agni—known today as the area of Yanqi—which may also have been known as Wuqi.  The route was well-enough known, but it wasn't necessarily safe.  At one point, Xuanzang's caravan met with bandits, whom they were fortunately able to pay off.  The following night they encamped on a river bank with some merchants who also happened to be traveling the road.  The merchants, though, got up at midnight and headed out, hoping to get to the city early so that they could be the first ones to the market.  They only made it a few miles down the road, however, before they encountered more bandits, who slaughtered them and took their goods.  The following day, Xuanzang and his retinue came upon the merchants' remains lying in the road and saw the aftermath of the massacre. This was an unforgiving land, and the road was truly dangerous, even for those who traveled it regularly.  And yet Xuanzang was planning to travel its entire length until he reached India. So with little alternative, they carried on to the royal city of Agni. Agni, or Yanqi, sits on the southwestern edge of the basin, west of Bositeng lake, on the border between the Turfan basin and the larger Tarim Basin.  The name is thought to be a Tocharian—or Turfanian—name for the city, which is also known as Karashr. According to the biography by Huili, Xuanzang and his party didn't stay long in Agni.  Apparently Agni and Gaochang were not exactly on friendly terms, and even though the King of Agni and his ministers reportedly came out to greet Xuanzang and welcome him to their city, they refused to provide any horses.  They spent a single night and moved on. That said, Agni still made an impression on Xuanzang.  He noted how the capital was surrounded by hills on four sides, making it naturally defensible.  As for the people, he praises them as honest and straightforward.  They wore clothing of felt and hemp cloth, and cut their hair short, without hats or any kind of headwear.  Even the climate was pleasant, at least for the short time he was there.  He also notes that they used a script based on India—likely referring to the Brahmic script, which we find in the Tarim basin. However, as for the local lord, the King of Agni, he is a little less charitable.  Xuanzang claimed he was brave but “lacked resourcefulness” and he was a bit of a braggart.  Furthermore, the country had “no guiding principles or discipline and government orders are imperfect and not seriously implemented.”  He also mentioned the state of Buddhism in the country, noting that they were followers of Sarvastivada school, a Theravada sect popular along the Silk Road at the time.  Xuanzang was apparently not too pleased with the fact that they were not strict vegetarians, including the “three kinds of pure meat”.  From Agni, Xuanzang continued southwest, heading for the kingdom of Kucha.  He seems to have bypassed the nearby kingdom of Korla, south of Agni, and headed some 60 or 70 miles, climbing over a ridge and crossing two large rivers, and then proceeding another 200 miles or so to the land of Kucha. Kucha was a kingdom with over one hundred monasteries and five thousand monks following a form of Theravada Buddhism.  Here, Xuanzang was welcomed in by the king, Suvarnadeva, described as having red hair and blue eyes.  While Xuanzang was staying in Kucha, it is suspected that he probably visited the nearby Kizil grotto and the Buddhist caves, there, which include a painting of King Suvarnadeva's father, King Suvarnapuspa, and his three sons. You can still visit Kucha and the Kizil grottos today, although getting there is quite a trek, to be sure.  The ancient Kuchean capital is mostly ruins, but in the Kizil caves, protected from the outside elements, you can find vivid paintings ranging from roughly the 4th to the 8th century, when the site was abandoned.  Hundreds of caves were painted, and many still demonstrate vibrant colors.  The arid conditions protect them from mold and mildew, while the cave itself reduces the natural bleaching effect of sunlight.  The paintings are in numerous styles, and were commissioned by various individuals and groups over the years.  They also give us some inkling of how vibrant the city and similar structures must have been, back when the Kuchean kingdom was in its heyday. The people of Kucha are still something of a mystery.  We know that at least some of them spoke an Indo-European language, related to a language found in Agni, and both of these languages are often called Tocharian, which we discussed last episode.  Xuanzang himself noted that they used Indian writing, possibly referring to the Brahmi script, or perhaps the fact that they seem to have used Sanskrit for official purposes, such as the inscription on the cave painting at Kizil giving the name of King Suvarnapuspa.  The Kucheans also were clothed in ornamental garments of silk and embroidery.  They kept their hair cut, wearing a flowing covering over their heads—and we see some of that in the paintings. Xuanzang also notes that though we may think of this area as a desert, it was a place where rice and grains, as well as fruit like grapes, pomegranates, plums, pears, peaches, and almonds were grown.  Even today, modern Xinjiang grows some absolutely fantastic fruit, including grapes, which are often dried into raisins. Another point of interest for Xuanzang may have been that Kucha is known as the hometown of none other than Kumarajiva.  We first mentioned Kumarajiva back in episode 84.  Kumarajiva was one of the first people we know of who translated many of the sutras from India that were then more widely disseminated throughout the Yellow River and Yangzi river basins.  His father was from India and his mother was a Kuchean princess.  In the middle of the 4th century, when he was still quite young, he traveled to India and back with his mother on a Buddhist pilgrimage.  Later he would start a massive translation project in Chang'an.  His translations are credited with revolutionizing Chinese Buddhism. Xuanzang was initially welcomed by the king, his ministers, and the revered monk, Moksagupta.  They were accompanied by several thousand monks who set up tents outside the eastern gate, with portable Buddha images, which they worshipped, and then Xuanzang was taken to monastery after monastery until sunset.  At one of the monasteries, in the southeast of the city, there were several tens of monks who originally came from Gaochang, and since Xuanzang had come from there, they invited him to stay with them. The next day he met and feasted with the King, politely declining any meat, and then went to the monastery in the northwest to meet with the famous monk: Moksagupta.  Moksagupta himself had made the journey to India, and had spent 20 years there himself.  It seems like this would have been the perfect person for Xuanzang to talk to about his plans, but instead, the two butted heads.  Moksagupta seems to have seen Xuanzang's Mahayana faith as heretical.  He saw no reason for Xuanzang to travel all the way to India when he had all the sutras that anyone needed there in Kucha, along with Moksagupta himself.   Xuanzang's response seems to have been the Tang dynasty Buddhist version of “Okay, Boomer”, and then he went ahead and tore apart Moksagupta's understanding of his own sutras—or so Xuanzang relayed to his biographers.  We don't exactly have Moksagupta's side, and, let's face it, Xuanzang and his biographers are not necessarily reliable narrators.  After all, they followed Mahayana teachings, which they considered the “Greater Vehicle”, and they referred to the Theravada teachings as the “Hinayana” or “Lesser Vehicle”.  Meanwhile, Theravada Buddhists likely saw many of the Mahayana texts as extraneous, even heretical, not believing them to actually be the teachings of the Buddha. It must have been winter time, as the passes through the mountains on the road ahead were still closed, and so Xuanzang stayed in Kucha, spending his time sightseeing and meeting with various people.  He even went back to see Moksagupta, but the older monk shunned him, and would get up and exit the room rather than engaging with him, so they had no more conversations. Eventually, Xuanzang continued on his way west, following along the northern rim of the Tarim basin.  Two days out from Kucha, disaster struck.  Some two thousand or so Turkish bandits suddenly appeared—I doubt Xuanzang was counting, so it may have been more or less.  I imagine that memories of what had happened to the merchants near Agni must have gone through Xuanzang's mind.   Fortunately, for him, they were fighting over loot that they had pillaged from various travelers, and since they couldn't share it equally, they fell to fighting each other and eventually dispersed. He travelled for almost 200 miles after that, stopping only for a night at the Kingdom of Baluka, aka Gumo—the modern city of Aksu.  This was another Theravada Buddhist kingdom.  Xuanzang noted tens of Buddhist temples, and over 1000 Buddhist monks.  The country was not large—about 200 miles east to west and 100 miles north to south.  For reference that means it was probably comparable in size with Kyushu, in terms of overall area, or maybe the size of Denmark—excluding Greenland—or maybe the US state of Maryland.  Xuanzang described the country as similar to Kucha in just about every way, including the written language and law, but the spoken language was different, though we don't get many more details. From Baluka, he crossed northward through the Tianshan mountains, which are classified as an extension of the Pamirs known as the Ice Mountains.  Had he continued southwest, he would have hit Kashgar and crossed over between the Pamir and Tian Shan ranges into the Ferghana valley, but instead he turned north. We don't know exactly why he took this perilous option, but the route that may have been popular at the time as it was one of the most direct routes to the seat of the Western Gokturk Empire, which he was currently traveling through. The Tian Shan mountains were a dangerous journey.  Avalanches could block the road—or worse.  Xuanzang describes the permanent ice fields—indeed, it is the ice fields and glaciers of the Tian Shan that melt in the summer and provide the oasis towns of the Tarim Basin with water, even to this day.  In Xuanzang's day, those glaciers were likely even more prevalent than today, especially as they have been recorded as rapidly disappearing since 1961.  And where you weren't on snow and ice, the ground was probably wet and damp from the melt.  To keep warm, you would wear shoes over your shoes, along with heavy fur coats, all designed to reduce exposure. Xuanzang claims that 3 or 4 of every 10 people didn't survive the crossing—and that horses and oxen fared even worse.  Even if these numbers are an exaggeration, the message is clear:  This was a dangerous journey. After about seven days, Xuanzang came out of the mountains to the “Great Pure Lake”, the “Da Qing Hai”, also known as the Hot Sea or the Salt Sea, which likely refers to Issyk Kul.  The salt content, along with the great volume of water it possesses, means that the lake rarely freezes over, which is likely why it is seen as “hot” since it doesn't freeze when the fresh water nearby does.  This lake is the second largest mountain lake in the world, and the second deepest saltwater lake.  Traveling past the lake, he continued to Suyab, near modern Tokmok, in Kyrgyzstan, just west of the modern capital of Bishkek.  This was an old Sogdian settlement, and had since become the capital of the Western Gokturks.  Sogdians—like Xuanzang's guide, Vandak—were integral to the Gokturk kingdom. Their language was the lingua franca of the Silk Road, and at the time of the Gokturk Khaganate, it was also the official court language, and so when Xuanzang appeared at the court of the Great Khagan of the Western Gokturks, it was likely the language of diplomacy. When we think of Turkic people, many in the English speaking world think of Turkiye, and perhaps of the mighty Ottoman empire.  Some may think of Turkmenistan, Kazhakstan, Kyrgyzstan, or Uzbekistan, among others.  And of course, there are the Uyghur people in Xinjiang.  All of these people claim roots in the ancestral Turkic homeland in the Altai mountains, which sit largely in western Mongolia, north of China's Xinjiang region.  Much like the Xiongnu and the Mongols, they were pastoral nomads, moving their herds across the steppes, often covering great distances.  They would regularly move through different regions, perhaps returning each season, though sometimes not returning for years at a time.  They were often seen as barbarians by settled people living in cities, and yet their goods and horses were highly prized. Nomad and sedentary lifestyles would often collide.  Farmers would turn pastureland into fields, and when the nomadic people returned on their circuits, they would find walls and fences where there was once open land, and the people there would claim to “own” the land, a concept often foreign to people who were always on the move.  Nomadic people, such as the Gokturks, were not necessarily keeping vast libraries of records about themselves and their histories, and so much of what we get comes from external sources, which do not always have incredibly reliable narrators.  To many of the settled agriculturalists, groups like the Turks were marauders who raided their villages and farms.  They were a great bogeyman of the steppes, which required the firm hand of strong defenses to keep out—or so their opponents would want people to think. While they were known for their warfare, which incorporated their mobility, but they were keenly interested in trade, as well.  They understood the value of the trade routes and the various cities and states that they included in their empire.  Thus, the Sogdians and the Gokturks seem a natural fit: the Sogdians were more settled, but not entirely so, as demonstrated by their vast trade networks.  And the Sogdians also were part of the greater central Eurasian steppe culture, so the two cultures understood each other, to a degree.  They are even depicted similarly in art, with slight differences, such as long hair that was often associated with Turks over the Sogdians.  In some areas of the Gokturk empire, Sogdians would run the cities, while the Gokturks provided military aid and protection. Xuanzang's description of the people of Suyab, or the “City of Suye River”, doesn't pick out anyone in particular, and he even says that it was a place where traders of the Hu, or foreign, tribes from different countries mingle their abodes.  He mentions the people here as being called Suli, which is also the name given to the language—this may refer to “Sogdian” in general.  They write with an alphabet that is written vertically rather than horizontally—this may refer to a few scripts that were written this way, possibly based off Syriac or Aramaic alphabets that were adapted to Sogdian and other Iranian languages, but it isn't clear. We are told that the people dressed in felt and hemp clothing, with fur and “cotton” garments.  Their clothes fit tightly, and they kept their hair cut short, exposing the top of their heads—though sometimes they shaved it completely, tying a colored silk band around the forehead. He goes on to describe these people as greedy liars, possibly a reference to the mercantile nature of many of the people at the time. Something to note: The Turks of this time had not yet encountered Islam, which was just now starting to rise up in the Middle East.  The Prophet Muhammad is said to have been born around the end of the 6th century CE and was preaching in the early 7th century, though his teachings would begin to spread outward soon enough.  But that means that the Gokturks were not an Islamic empire.  Rather, their own traditions seem to have focused on the worship of Tengri, an Altaic personification of the universe, often simplified as a “sky god”.  Tengrism can be found amongst the Xiongnu, Mongols, and others, and it was the national religion of the Gokturks themselves, but there were many who also adopted other religions that they encountered, including Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Manichaeism, and Buddhism.  In fact, Xuanzang notes that the Turks he met in Suyab would not sleep or sit on beds made of wood because wood was thought to contain the spirit of fire, which he says they worshipped.  That sounds similar to Zoroastrian beliefs, where fire is associated with Ahura Mazda, who is also worshipped as a sky god.  These may have been beliefs inherited from their Eastern Iranian Sogdian partners. In Xuanzang's biography, we are given more details about his visit to Suyab.  Apparently, as he was headed to the city, he met a hunting party, which we are told was the retinue of Yehu Khan.  Hunting was an important part of life on the steppes, and it continued to be a favorite sport of the Gokturk nobility. Yehu Khan—possibly Yagbhu Khan, though that is up for some debate—is described as being dressed in a green silk robe, with his hair exposed, and wearing  a turban of white silk about ten feet long that wrapped his forehead and hung behind his back.  His “hunting” expedition wasn't just a couple of the guys.  It included about 200 officials, all with plaited hair and dressed in brocade robes—they weren't exactly out there roughing it.  He also had his soldiers, dressed in furs, felt, or fine woolen clothes, and there were so many cavalry that they stretched out of sight.  The Khan seemed pleased to meet Xuanzang, but his hunt was expected to last another couple of days, at least, so he sent an attendant named Dharmaja to take Xuanzang back to wait for the Khan to return. Three days later, Xuanzang was given an audience.  The khan was seated in a large yurt.  Xuanzang noted the seeming incongruity between the khan, sitting there in the tent, decorated with golden flowers, with the officials dressed in magnificent brocade garments sitting in two long rows in front of him and the armed guards behind him, compared to the simple felt walls of the tent. A ”yurt” is a common feature of nomadic life on the steppes.  It wasn't exactly a single person operation to haul them around, but they can be taken down and put up with relative ease.  And while yurts could be relatively simple, there are examples of much more elaborate structures.  There is little reason they couldn't be made larger, perhaps with some extra support.  In later centuries, there are examples of giant yurts that seem like real construction projects.  Use of tents, even in a city, where they had permanent palace buildings, was likely a means of retaining the nomadic steppe traditions, even while enjoying the benefits of city life. Whom exactly Xuanzang met with is a matter of debate.  His records seem to indicate that it was Tong Yabghu Qaghan of the Western Gokturk Khaganate, but other sources say that Tong Yabghu Qaghan died in 628, and the earliest Xuanzang could have been meeting with him was 630, two years later, so if that is the case, he must have met with Tong Yabghu's son, Si Yabghu Qaghan.  It is likely that Xuanzang, who was dictating his accounts years after, mentioned the Qaghan and then, when they looked up who it was, they simply made a mistake.  Remember, Xuanzang would have had everything translated through one or two languages.  He did know what he saw, however, and he recounted what he remembered. Tong Yabghu Qaghan oversaw the height of the Gokturk Qaghanate, and appears to have favored the Buddhist religion, though there were many different religions active in their territories at the time.  They oversaw an extremely cosmopolitan empire covering huge swaths of central Eurasia, including the lucrative silk road.  Xuanzang notes that at the court there were individuals from Gaochang and even a messenger from the Han—which is to say the Tang Empire.  One wonders if Xuanzang—or anyone at that time—realized just how tenuous the Khan'sposition was.  After Tong Yabghu's death, the Qaghanate would decline, and less than a decade later it would fall to the Tang dynasty, who took Suyab and made it their western outpost.  In fact, Suyab is thought to have been the birthplace, over a century later, of a young boy who would find a love of poetry.  That boy's name was Li Bai, or Ri Haku, in Japanese. He would become one of the most famous poets in Chinese history, and his poems were even known and studied in Japan.  And it was largely through Japanese study of Li Bai's poems that his works came to the English speaking world: first through Ernest Fenollosa, who had studied in Japan, and then by the celebrated Ezra Pound, who had used Ernest's notes to help with his own translations of the poems. This was, though, as I said, over a century after Xuanzang's journey.  At the time of our story, the Qaghan was throwing a feast, including Xuanzang and all of the foreign envoys.  Xuanzang comments on the food and drink—his hosts provided grape juice in lieu of wine, and cooked a special vegetarian feast just for him, while the other guests ate a feast of meat, such as veal, lamb, fish, and the like.  There was also the music of various regions along the Silk Road, which Xuanzang found to be catchy, but of course not as refined as the music he was used to, of course.  After dinner Xuanzang was asked to expound upon the Darma, largely about the basic principle that you should be kind to one another—I doubt he was getting into the deep mysteries of Buddhist philosophy. Xuanzang stuck around the court for three more days, during which time the Qaghan tried to get him to stay, but Xuanzang insisted that he had to make it to India.  And so the Qaghan relented.  He found men in his army who could translate for Xuanzang along his journey, and had letters of introduction written to at least as far as the state of Kapisa, in modern Afghanistan. And so, armed with the Qaghan's blessing and a fresh translator, Xuanzang struck out again.  They headed westward for over one hundred miles, eventually reaching Bingyul, aka the Thousand Springs.  This is the area where the Qaghan and his court would spend his summers, and the deer in the area were protected under his orders, so that they were not afraid of humans—which sounds similar to the situation with the deer in Nara.  Continuing on another fifty miles or so—the distances are approximate as Xuanzang's primary duty was not exactly to map all of this out—Xuanzang arrived at the city of Taras, in modern Kazakhstan, another place where the cultures of the Silk Road mixed and mingled.  Xuanzang didn't have much to say about Taraz, apparently, though it is one of the oldest cities in Transoxania, founded near the beginning of the Common Era.  A few miles south of there, Xuanzang reportedly found a village of re-settled ethnic Han that had been captured by the Gokturks and settled here.  They had adopted the dress and customs of the Turkic people, but continued to speak a version of Chinese. Southwest of that he reached the City of White Water, likely referring to Aksukent.  This is the same “Aksu” as the city in Xinjiang, both of which mean “White Water” in Turkic, but this one is in the south of Kazakhstan.  Xuanzang found the climate and products an improvement over what he had experienced in Taras.  Beyond that, he next arrived at the city of Gongyu, and then south again to Nujkend, and then traveling westward to the country of Chach, aka Tashkent.  Both Nujkend and Chach were large cities in nations of smaller, mostly autonomous city-states, which made up a lot of the political geography of Transoxania. I would note that Xuanzang's notes here are much more sparse than previously.  This may be because these were outside of the Tarim basin and therefore of less interest to individuals in the Tang empire.  Or perhaps he was just making his way more quickly and not stopping at every kingdom along the way. From Tashkent, he continued southeast to the Ferghana valley—the country of Feihan.  Oddly, this country doesn't appear in Xuanzang's biography, even though the Ferghana Valley seems to have been fairly well known back in the Tang Empire—it was known as the home of some of the best horses, which were one of its first major exports.  In fact, the Han dynasty even mounted a military expedition to travel to Ferghana just to obtain horses.  Xuanzang is oddly silent on this; however, he does talk about the fertile nature of the land.  He mentions that their language here is different from the lands he had been traveling through up to this point, and also points out that the people of the Ferghana valley were also visibly different from others in the area. From the Ferghana valley, Xuanzang headed west for about 300 miles or more to the land of Sutrushana—perhaps referring to the area of Ushrusana, with its capital of Bunjikat.  This country was also largely Sogdian, and described as similar to Tashkent.  From there, he traveled west through a great desert, passing skeletons, which were the only marker of the trail other than a view of the far off mountains.  Finally, they reached Samarkand, known as the country of “Kang” in Chinese, which was also the term used to mark Sogdians who claimed descent from the people of Samarkand. Samarkand is another of the ancient cities of Central Asia, and even today is the third largest city in modern Uzbekistan.  Human activity in the region goes back to the paleolithic era, and the city was probably founded between the 8th and 7th centuries BCE.  Samarkand was conquered by Alexander the Great, and during the Achaemenid Empire it was the capital of Sogdiana.  During Xuanzang's visit, Samarkand was described as an impenetrable fortress with a large population. For all of his travel, Samarkand was the first place Xuanzang notes as specifically not a Buddhist land.  In fact, there were two monasteries, suggesting that there had been Buddhists, but if any monks tried to stay there then the locals would chase them out with fire.  Instead, they worshipped fire—likely meaning Ahura Mazda and Zoroastrianism.  This leads to a story that I have to wonder about, given the reliability of our narrators. It is said that Xuanzang was met by the King with arrogance, but after staying the night Xuanzang was able to tell the King about Buddhism and its merits.  The king was intrigued, and asked to observe the Precepts, and treated Xuanzang with hospitality and respect.  So when two of Xuanzang's attendants went to the monasteries to worship, they were chased out with fire.  When the king heard about this, he had the people arrested and ordered their hands to be cut off.  Xuanzang could not bear to witness such suffering, however, and he intervened to have them spared.  So instead the king had them flogged and banished from the city.  Ever since then, all the people believed in Buddhism. Some parts of this strike true.  It was likely that the king would entertain this strange wanderer who had arrived with letters from the great Qaghan—that may have even explained why Xuanzang had been encouraged to make the dangerous journey to Suyab in the first place, so that he could obtain such permission.  And it would not be strange for the king to listen to his teachings.  If Xuanzang's attendants were attacked, that would have been a huge breach of hospitality, and however the King felt about it, he no doubt had to do something about it.  And so all of that sounds somewhat believable.  Does that mean everyone suddenly converted to Buddhism?  I don't know that I'm quite willing to go that far.  It is also likely that there were Buddhists there already, even if the majority religion was Zoroastrianism. From Samarkand, Xuanzang traveled farther southwest, to the country of Kasanna, which seems to have been the edge of what we might call Sogdiana.   According to his biographers, however, there was a little more to all of this.  Rather, he headed west to Kusanika.  Then he traveled to  Khargan, and further on to the country of Bukhara, and then to Vadi.  All of these were “An” in Chinese, which was the name element used for Sogdians from this region.  He then continued west to the country of Horismika, on the other side of the Amu Darya, aka the Oxus River of Transoxanian fame. From there he traveled further southwest, entering into the mountains.  The path here was often such that they had to travel single-file, and there was no food or water other than what you brought with you.  Eventually they came to a set of doors, known as the Iron Gate.  This was a Turkic fortress.  It was no doubt fortuitous that he had come from his meeting with the Qaghan, and likely had permission to pass through.  From there, they entered the country of Tukhara. As we noted in Episode 119, Tukhara was in the region of Bactria.  It was bordered by the Pamir range in the east, and the Persian empire in the west.  There were also the Great Snow Mountains in the south, likely referencing the Hindu Kush. Tukhara had been conquered by the Gokturks just within the past couple of decades, and Xuanzang notes that the country had been split into largely autonomous city-states as the local royalty had died without an heir many years before.  With the Gokturk conquest, it was now administered by Tardu Shad, the son of Tong Yabghu Qaghan.  “Shad” in this case was a local title. Here, Xuanzang's narrative gets a little dicey, especially between his biography and his records.  The records of the Western Regions denotes various countries in this area.  It is unclear if he traveled to all of them or is just recounting them from records he obtained.  He does give us at least an overview of the people and the region.  I would also note that this is one of the regions he visited, again, on his return trip, and so may have been more familiar with the region than those areas he had passed through from Suyab on down. For one thing, he notes that the language of the region was different from that of the “Suli”, which appears to refer to the Sogdians.  This was the old territory of the Kushan empire, and they largely spoke Bactrian.  Like Sogdian, it was another Eastern Iranian language, and they used an alphabet based largely on Greek, and written horizontally rather than vertically.  They also had their own coins. This region had plenty of Buddhist communities, and Xuanzang describes the cities and how many monasteries they had, though, again, it isn't clear if he actually visited all of them or not.  These are countries that Li Rongji translates as “Tirmidh”, “Sahaaniyan”, “Kharuun”, “Shuumaan”, etc. It does seem that Xuanzang made it to the capital city, the modern city Kunduz, Afghanistan. Xuanzang actually had something specific for the local Gokturk ruler, Tardu Shad.  Tardu Shad's wife was the younger sister of King Qu Wentai of Gaochang, whom we met last episode.  Qu Wentai had provided Xuanzang a letter for his younger sister and her husband.  Unfortunately, Xuanzang arrived to learn that the princess of Gaochang had passed away, and Tardu Shad's health was failing.  It does seem that Tardu Shad was aware of Xuanzang, however—a letter had already come from Qu Wentai to let them know that Xuanzang was on his way.  As I mentioned last episode, letters were an important part of how communities stayed tied together.  Of course, given the perils of the road, one assumes that multiple letters likely had to be sent just in case they didn't make it.  The US Postal Service this was not. Tardu Shad, though not feeling well, granted an interview with Xuanzang.  He suggested that Xuanzang should stick around.  Then, once the Shad had recovered from his illness, he would accompany Xuanzang personally on his trip to India.  Unfortunately, that was not to be.  While Xuanzang was staying there, he was witness to deadly drama.  Tardu Shad was recovering, which was attributed to the recitations by an Indian monk who was also there.  This outcome was not exactly what some in the court had wanted.  One of the Shad's own sons, known as the Tagin prince, plotted with the Shad's current wife, the young Khatun, and she poisoned her husband.  With the Shad dead, the throne might have gone to the son of the Gaochang princess, but he was still too young.  As such, the Tagin Prince was able to usurp the throne himself, and he married his stepmother, the young Khatun.  The funeral services for the late Tardu Shad meant that Xuanzang was obliged to stay at Ghor for over a month. During that time, Xuanzang had a seemingly pleasant interaction with an Indian monk.  And when he finally got ready to go, he asked the new Shad for a guide and horses.  He agreed, but also made the suggestion that Xuanzang should then head to Balkh.  This may have meant a bit of backtracking, but the Shad suggested that it would be worth it, as Balkh had a flourishing Buddhist community. Fortunately, there was a group of Buddhist monks from Balkh who happened to be in Kunduz to express their condolences at the passing of Tardu Shad, and they agreed to accompany Xuanzang back to their hometown, lest he end up getting lost and taking the long way there. The city of Balkh is also known as “Baktra”, as in “Bactria”, another name of this region.  A settlement has been there since at least 500 BCE , and it was already an important city when it was captured by Alexander the Great.  It sits at the confluence of several major trade routes, which no doubt were a big part of its success.  Xuanzang's biography notes that it was a massive city, though it was relatively sparsely populated—probably due to the relatively recent conquest by the Gokturks, which had occurred in the last couple of decades.  That said, there were still thousands of monks residing at a hundred monasteries in and around the city.  They are all characterized as monks of Theravada schools.  Southwest of the city was a monastery known as Navasamgharama, aka Nava Vihara, or “New Monastery”.  Despite its name, the monastery may have actually been much older, going back to the Kushan emperor Kaniska, in the 2nd century CE.  Ruins identified as this “New Monastery” are still visible south of Balkh, today. The monastery is described as being beautifully decorated, and it seems that it had a relic—one of the Buddha's teeth.  There are also various utensils that the Buddha is said to have used, as well.  The objects would be displayed on festival days.  North of the monastery there was a stupa more than 200 feet in height.  South of the monastery was a hermitage.  Each monk who studied there and passed away would have a stupa erected for them, as well.  Xuanzang notes that there were at around 700 memorial stupas, such that they had to be crammed together, base to base. It was here that Xuanzang met a young monk named Prajnaakara, who was already somewhat famous in India, and well-studied.  When questioned about certain aspects of Buddhism, Xuanzang was impressed by the monk's answers, and so stayed there a month studying with the young monk. Eventually, Xuanzang was ready to continue on his journey.  He departed Balkh towards the south, accompanying the teacher Prajnakara, and together they entered the Great Snow Mountains, aka the Hindu Kush.  This path was even more dangerous than the trip through the Tian Shan mountains to Suyab.   They eventually left the territory of Tukhara and arrived at Bamiyan.  Bamiyan was a kingdom in the Hindu Kush, themselves an extension of the Himalayan Mountain range.  It Is largely based around valley, home to the modern city of Bamyan, Afghanistan, which sits along the divide between Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.  Today it is a major center for individuals of the Hazara ethnic group, one of the main ethnic groups in Afghanistan, which is a multi-ethnic state that includes, today, the Pashtun, Hazara, Tajik, and Uzbek people, along with a number of smaller ethnic groups.  Today they largely reside in the mountainous areas of the Hindu Kush. Bamiyan made an impact on our protagonist.   Their language was slightly different from that in Tukhara, but using the same—or similar enough—writing system.  Buddhism was thriving in the capital, and we are told of a rock statue of the standing Buddha, over a hundred feet in height, along with a copper statue of the standing Buddha nearby.    There was also another reclining Buddha a mile or two down the road.  There were multiple monasteries with thousands of monks, and the ruler of that kingdom received Xuanzang well. Xuanzang wasn't the first monk to travel to Bamiyan from the Middle Kingdom—in this he was, perhaps unwittingly, on the trail of the monk Faxian.  Faxian likely did not see these statues, though, as we believe they were built in the 6th and early 7th century—at least the stone Buddha statues.  They were a famous worship site until February 2001, when the Taliban gave an order to destroy all of the statues in Afghanistan.  Despite this, they were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. Fortunately, we have images from before their destruction.  These statues were a blend of Greco-Buddhist and Gandharan art styles—appropriate as it stands between the Hellenistic area of Tukhara and the ancient region of Gandhara—including the modern city of Kandahar and into the Indus Valley region of Pakistan. Continuing east through the mountains, Xuanzang eventually came out at the kingdom of Kapisa.  This may have had its capital around modern-day Bagram, north of modern Kabul, but the country seems to have been quite large.  Kapisa over saw some tens of other countries, and it is thought that at one time its influence extended from Bamyan and Kandahar to the area of modern Jalalabad.  Their language was even more different than that of Tukhara, but they were still using the same writing system.  The king of Kapisa is said to have been of Suli ethnicity—which would seem to indicate that he was Sogdian, or at least descended from people of the Transoxanian region.    Xuanzang notes that the ruler, as rough and fiery as he is described—as a true warlord or similar—he nonetheless made a silver image of the Buddha, eighteen feet in height, every year.  He also gave charity to the poor and needy in an assembly that was called every five years.  There were over one hundred monasteries and some 6000 monks, per Xuanzang's recollection, and notably, they were largely following Mahayana teachings. For the most part the monks that Xuanzang had encountered on this journey were Theravada—Xuanzang refers to them as “Hinayana”, referring to the “Lesser Vehicle” in contrast to Xuanzang's own “Mahayana”, or “Greater Vehicle”.  “Theravada” refers to the “way of the elders” and while Mahayana Buddhism largely accepts the sutras of Theravada Buddhism, there are many Mahayana texts that Theravada Buddhists do not believe are canonical.  We discussed this back in Episode 84. There was apparently a story of another individual from the Yellow River being sent as a hostage to Kapisa when it was part of the Kushan Empire, under Kanishka or similar.  Xuanzang recounts various places that the hostage, described as a prince, lived or visited while in the region.  Xuanzang's arrival likely stirred the imagination of people who likely knew that the Tang were out there, but it was such a seemingly impossible distance for most people.  And yet here was someone who had traveled across all of that distance.  One of the monasteries that claimed to have been founded because of that ancient Han prince invited Xuanzang to stay with them.  Although it was a Theravada monastery, Xuanzang took them up on the offer, both because of the connection to someone who may have been his countryman, but also because of his traveling companion, Prajnakara, who was also a Theravada monk, and may not be comfortable staying at a Mahayana monastery. Xuanzang spends a good deal of ink on the stories of how various monasteries and other sites were founded in Kapisa and the surrounding areas.  He must have spent some time there to accumulate all of this information.  It is also one of the places where he seems to have hit at least twice—once on the way to India, and once during his return journey. The King of Kapisa is said to have been a devotee of Mahayana Buddhism.  He invited Xuanzang and Prajnakara to come to a Mahayana monastery to hold a Dharma gathering.  There they met with several leading figures in the monastery, and they discussed different theories.  This gathering lasted five days, and at the end, the king offered Xuanzang and the other monks five bolts of pure brocade and various other gifts.  Soon thereafter, the monk Prajnakara was invited back to Tukhara, and so he and Xuanzang parted ways. And it was about time for Xuanzang to continue onwards as well.  From Kapisa, he would travel across the “Black Range” and into Lampaka.  This may refer to the area of Laghman or Jalalabad.  Today, this is in modern Afghanistan, but for Xuanzang, this would have been the northwestern edge of India.  He was almost there. And so are we, but we'll save his trip into India for next episode. Until then thank you for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

In this episode, Sydney and Audrey talk about... What we are doing on our flower farm this February! From starting some cold-hardy beauties to getting ready for seed starting to infrastructure we are doing to get ready for the main growing season!Follow our Instagram and send us a DM: ⁠⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠⁠Email us any questions or episode ideas: podcast@garveysgardens.comA refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in! We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop! Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm. Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native.Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more! ⁠Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order⁠ in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas!⁠Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails)⁠⁠Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist!⁠Our Instagram!⁠ @GarveysGardens⁠ ⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠Our YouTube Channel! ⁠@GarveysGardens⁠

Jim Guy Tucker, Jr was born on June 13, 1943, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to James Guy and Willie Maude (White) Tucker. His father was one of the first 50 employees of the newly formed Social Security Administration in February,1936. His family moved to Little Rock in February of 1945 when his father was relocated as the manager of the Arkansas Social Security Administration office. Jim Guy was educated in public schools. He graduated from Harvard with a BA in government in 1964, after which he enlisted in the marines. Despite two appeals, Tucker was discharged for health reasons after three months. Stints in 1965 and 1967 in Vietnam as a civilian war correspondent became a source of exposure for Tucker as he recorded them in his book, Arkansas Men at War. After finishing work in Vietnam, Tucker returned to Arkansas to pursue a political career. After receiving his law degree at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in 1968, he became an associate attorney with the Little Rock firm Rose, Barron, Nash, Williamson, Carroll, and Clay. He left in 1970 upon winning the race for prosecuting attorney for the Sixth Judicial District. In 1972, he was elected to the first of two terms as state attorney general. On November 8, 1975, he married Betty Allen Alworth, who had two children from her previous marriage. The couple had two children together. In 1976, he was elected to represent the Second Congressional District and was appointed to the House Ways and Means Committee, the Social Security Subcommittee, and the Speaker's Task Force on Welfare Reform. After eight years in public office, he returned to private law practice in 1979 and became a partner in the Tucker and Stafford firm. In 1982, he ran for governor in the Democratic primary, but came in third in a five-man race. After that loss, he began to engage in business enterprises, including real estate and condominium development. In 1983, he formed County Cable Limited Partnership with his wife, and the company provided cable TV service in rural Pulaski County. From modest beginnings, he expanded his cable TV operations to other areas of the country and acquired interests in cable companies in Texas, Florida, and Great Britain. In 1988, he traded County Cable to Falcon Cable Media of California in return for a Falcon Cable operation near Dallas, Texas. In 1990, Tucker prepared for another run for governor. When Clinton announced his reelection bid, Tucker opted instead to run for lieutenant governor. Both he and Clinton won their races. Once Clinton began to campaign for the presidency in 1991, Tucker became acting governor, and upon Clinton's resignation in December 1992, Tucker became governor. In November 1994, he won a four-year term against Republican Sheffield Nelson. He became caught up in the Whitewater investigation surrounding Clinton. On May 28, 1996, he was convicted for misapplying funds for a $150,000 bank loan. The next day, he announced that he would step down as governor, even as he continued to protest his innocence. After briefly rescinding his resignation, he left office on July 15, 1996. He reentered the private sector to focus on his business enterprises. In 1996, Tucker was placed on a liver transplant waiting list (he had been diagnosed in 1984 with primary sclerosing cholangitis, which leads to blockage of the bile ducts). On Christmas Day, he received a transplant, which probably saved his life and kept him out of prison—he was sentenced to probation. Despite complications, the transplant restored his health. Since then, Tucker has served his probation and repaid the $150,000 loan. Edit: Jim Guy Tucker passed away on February 13, 2025

In this episode, Sydney and Audrey talk about... Our third Valentines Day in our brick and mortar flower shop!! How it all went down and the planning that really paid off!! What we learned and what we plan to carry over into our next big floral holiday - Mothers Day!Follow our Instagram and send us a DM:⁠⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠⁠Email us any questions or episode ideas: podcast@garveysgardens.comA refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in! We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop! Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm. Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native.Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more! ⁠Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order⁠ in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas!⁠Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails)⁠⁠Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist!⁠Our Instagram!⁠ @GarveysGardens⁠ ⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠Our YouTube Channel! ⁠@GarveysGardens⁠

EP 146 with Mike Whitmore of Whitewater Forge in Pembroke, Ontario. This week we sit down with Mike to discuss his business in blacksmithing and how it has turned into a full time business for him. All the while he continues to serve as a volunteer firefighter. Mike has made a successful business as a blacksmith with making knives, axes, hammers and also artistic pieces such as floral pieces, rings and bracelets. Both myself and Laroquez are in love with Mike's shop setup so we made sure to ask him about that and the tools he had acquired. Another great chat with another great blacksmith in the books. Thank you to everyone that listens and follows the show! CanIron 2025 That's right ladies and gents. CanIron is coming to Manitoba! The Manitoba blacksmith guild has done it. They have secured a location in Austin, MB. They have set the date, August 7-10,2025. They have aligned catered food and places for people to stay. They have organized a line up of presenters that will be absolutely amazing. And of course the list of support is too notch as well. CanIron XIV is bound to be an event that will be spoken about for years and you don't want to miss it. Presentations will be provided by... are you ready for this! Noah Vachon @vachonknives Jake James @jakeblacksmith Pat Quinn @handforgedinvt Frank Annighofer @abanaorg Ryan Belanger @ryanbelanger_truenorthforge Leah Aripotch @leaharipotch Manitoba Blacksmith Guild @manitobasmiths Sponsored by Maritime Knife Supply @maritimeknifesupply Maritime Knife supply is the place to go for all your knife making needs. Literally everything for knife making supplies! www.maritimeknifesupply.ca Save on kilns !!!! with the code (ha go listen to the episode yah hosers)

In this episode, Sydney and Audrey talk about... The story of how Garvey's Gardens began - Sydney and Justen Garvey's Fertility Journey.We are re-sharing this episode near the day of their daughters should-be 5th birthday, and the 2nd year anniversary of our brick- and- mortar shop being open.Thanks for listening flower friends :)Follow our Instagram and send us a DM: ⁠⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠⁠Email us any questions or episode ideas: podcast@garveysgardens.comA refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in! We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop! Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm. Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native.Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more! ⁠Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order⁠ in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas!⁠Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails)⁠⁠Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist!⁠Our Instagram!⁠ @GarveysGardens⁠ ⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠Our YouTube Channel! ⁠@GarveysGardens⁠

In this episode, Sydney and Audrey talk about...  How we approach; Team Building, Building a Team, Outsourcing, and Delegating in our small business. Our tips and tricks including specifics on strategies, software, and companies we've tried and heard about through the years! Follow our Instagram and send us a DM ⁠⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠⁠ Email us any questions or episode ideas at: podcast@garveysgardens.com A refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in!  We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop!  Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm.  Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native. Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more!  ⁠Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order⁠ in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas! ⁠Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails)⁠ ⁠Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist!⁠ Our Instagram!⁠ @GarveysGardens⁠ ⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠ Our YouTube Channel! ⁠@GarveysGardens⁠

 In episode 493 of the Outdoor Adventure Lifestyle Podcast, I'm talking with Haley Stuart, filmmaker, environmentalist, and whitewater instructor. Haley joins us to discuss her work protecting rivers, collaborating with communities across the Americas, and raising awareness about mega hydroelectric impacts. Her journey inspires meaningful action for lasting environmental change. Show Notes What if I told you that rivers could teach us more about life than a self-help book ever could? What Happened: When Haley Stewart first dipped her paddle into a river, she wasn't chasing adrenaline—she was running headfirst into her fears. Growing up in suburban New York, she didn't even know kayaking was a sport. It wasn't until she attended a kayaking-focused high school (yes, those exist!) that she realized rivers weren't just a setting for adventures—they were life itself, rushing and relentless, filled with twists, turns, and lessons. At first, the sport terrified her. But over time, the pull of the water and the tight-knit community of paddlers won her over. What started as a hesitant curiosity turned into an unshakable passion. Traveling the world, Haley discovered the hard truth: many of the rivers she loved were under threat—from dams, mining, and neglect. She couldn't sit by and watch them disappear. That's when everything changed. She met indigenous communities who lived alongside these rivers, fighting daily battles to protect what had sustained them for generations. Haley realized something profound: saving rivers wasn't just about ecology—it was about people, too. And through her work, she's helping amplify their voices, blending storytelling, conservation, and sheer grit to make an impact. Principle: The heart of Haley's story? Real change starts when we listen. Listen to the rivers, the people who live near them, and the truth about what's really happening in the world's wildest places. Many of us dream of adventure, but few think about what happens when those landscapes are lost. It's not enough to explore the outdoors—we need to protect it. Transition: Too often, we underestimate the power of our choices—what we support, what we fight for, or even where we decide to paddle. We think, "Someone else will handle it," or "What difference can I make?" But here's the truth: you matter more than you think. Haley's work reminds us that our adventures and the decisions we make along the way can transform the fate of entire ecosystems and the communities they sustain. That's Why: That's why this week's episode of the Outdoor Adventure Lifestyle Podcast is a must-listen. Haley's journey from nervous kayaker to river conservationist will inspire you to think differently about the waterways we all rely on—and how you can play a role in preserving them. Call to Action: Are you ready to discover the adventure, responsibility, and heart that comes with loving rivers? Tune in to hear Haley's story. Don't just explore the outdoors—help protect it for the next generation. Amazonian Rivers Initiative Rios to Rivers Tuichi River Paddle Tribal Waters & Kayakimün

Mr. Untouchable, a 2007 documentary directed by Marc Levin, describes the rise and fall of former New York City drug kingpin, Leroy (“Nicky”) Barnes. In the early 1970s, Barnes formed “The Council,” an organized crime syndicate that controlled a significant part of the heroin trade in Harlem. Inspired by the Italian-American mafia, Barnes became one of the most powerful and notorious figures in New York City. A flashy and flamboyant fixture on the free-wheeling social scene of the period, Barnes quickly drew the attention of law enforcement. After several unsuccessful state prosecution attempts, Barnes, along with multiple other associates, was indicted by federal prosecutors in New York in 1977. Barnes was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Barnes, however, was released in 1998, in exchange for working as a government informant, and entered the Witness Protection Program, where he remained until his death in 2012.  Barnes was also depicted in Ridley Scott's 2007 film American Gangster, which starred Denzel Washington as Frank Lucas, another notorious drug kingpin from the era. Cuba Gooding Jr. portrayed Barnes in that film. Joining me to talk about Mr. Untouchable and the Nicky Barnes case is Robert B. Fiske, Jr., Senior Counsel at Davis Polk in New York, where he previously served as litigation partner for many years. Bob Fiske is one of the most prominent and respected trial lawyers in America. He has been involved in some of the most notable cases of the last half-century, including as special prosecutor in the Whitewater controversy and the death of White House counsel Vince Foster, the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster, the antitrust suit between the USFL and. NFL, the most contentious America's Cup ever, and the financial swindler Bernie Madoff.  Mr. Fiske also served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1976 to 1980, during which time he led the prosecution of Nicky Barnes. Timestamps:0:00   Introduction3:18     Drug trafficking in Harlem and the South Bronx in the 1970s4:55    Who was Nicky Barnes6:27     Trying to bring Barnes to justice7:57      “Mr. Untouchable” and a call from Attorney General Griffin Bell13:08   A sequestered and anonymous jury17:22    Navigating credibility issues with key government witnesses29:25   An issue with a juror dubbed the “Marlboro Man”33:46   The guilty verdict against Barnes36:25   The larger implications of the Barnes case37:51    The depiction of Nicky Barnes on filmFurther reading:Barnes, Leroy & Folsom, Tom, Mr. Untouchable: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Heroin's Teflon Don (2007)Ferretti, Fred, “Mr. Untouchable,” N.Y. Times (June 5, 1977)Fiske, Robert B., Prosecutor Defender Counselor: The Memoirs of Robert B. Fiske, Jr. (2014)Roberts, Sam, “Crime's ‘Mr. Untouchable' Emerges From Shadows,” N.Y. Times (Mar. 4, 2007)Wertheim, Eric, Note, “Anonymous Juries,” 54 Fordham L. Rev. 981 (1986)Law on Film is created and produced by Jonathan Hafetz. Jonathan is a professor at Seton Hall Law School. He has written many books and articles about the law. He has litigated important cases to protect civil liberties and human rights while working at the ACLU and other organizations. Jonathan is a huge film buff and has been watching, studying, and talking about movies for as long as he can remember. For more information about Jonathan, here's a link to his bio: https://law.shu.edu/profiles/hafetzjo.htmlYou can contact him at jonathanhafetz@gmail.comYou can follow him on X (Twitter) @jonathanhafetz You can follow the podcast on X (Twitter) @LawOnFilmYou can follow the podcast on Instagram @lawonfilmpodcast

Welcome to another inspiring episode of the Elite Expert Insider podcast! Today, your host Melanie Johnson sits down with Matt Rigsby, an author and the owner of Medicine River Academy, to embark on a journey of transformation, nature, and adventure. Matt takes us through his remarkable life shift from a network engineer to a passionate river guide, following a pivotal moment that made him realize the importance of living life to the fullest. He shares invaluable insights on how stepping out of our comfort zones, even in small ways, can lead to profound personal growth and endless possibilities. Learn More: https://www.medicineriver.org/  

In this episode, Sydney and Audrey talk about...  What we are up to this month on our Flower Farm in Western Colorado! Follow us and DM us on Instagram ~ @GarveysGardensPodcast⁠ Or Email us any questions or comments you may have ~ podcast@garveysgardens.com A refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in!  We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop!  Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm.  Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native. Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more!  ⁠Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order⁠ in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas! ⁠Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails)⁠ ⁠Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist!⁠ Our Instagram!⁠ @GarveysGardens⁠ ⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠ Our YouTube Channel! ⁠@GarveysGardens⁠

This episode, the first of 2025, features Mike breaking down all the picks and polls from the Racial Draft's Fifth Round.

In this episode, Sydney and Audrey talk about...  How we plan ahead for major floral holidays like Valentines Day, Mothers Day, and Easter! Similar to a wedding but totally different to plan for and execute! Get the inside scoop so you can implement some of the systems we love in your flower shop!! Thanks for listening flower friends! :) DM us with Questions on our Instagram ~ ⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠ Or Email us at ~ Podcast@GarveysGardens.com A refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in!  We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop!  Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm.  Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native. Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more!  ⁠Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order⁠ in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas! ⁠Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails)⁠ ⁠Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist!⁠ Our Instagram!⁠ @GarveysGardens⁠ ⁠@GarveysGardensPodcast⁠ Our YouTube Channel! ⁠@GarveysGardens⁠

Special Guest: Scott Ritzheimer   https://www.scalearchitects.com/founders/    Visit his website: https://www.scalearchitects.com/   In this insightful episode, I, Karen Roberts, sit down with Scott Ritzheimer, a seasoned "scale architect" who has helped launch over 20,000 businesses and nonprofits. Scott shares his transformative journey, from supporting startups to scaling his own multimillion-dollar business, which thrived with over a decade of double-digit growth. Scott opens up about a pivotal phase in his business, where, despite numerous strategies and expert advice, profit margins were declining. The breakthrough came when he discovered Les McKeown's concept of organizational life cycle stages. Scott dives deep into the "Whitewater" stage—a challenging phase where businesses face systemic issues caused by growing complexity. By aligning his team with tailored solutions for their specific stage, Scott was able to triple the bottom line within a year and reach "Predictable Success." Now, Scott dedicates his career to helping entrepreneurs navigate these life cycle stages: Early Struggle, Fun, Whitewater, and Predictable Success. He offers practical advice to identify the stage your business is in and shares how targeted strategies can unlock profitability, scalability, and leadership confidence. We also explore the common hurdles coaches, consultants, and service-based entrepreneurs face when trying to scale. Scott addresses the "artisan trap," where individuals get stuck oscillating between selling and delivering services, limiting their long-term growth. Key Takeaways Sales as a Priority: Learn to sell effectively or outsource sales to build a thriving business. Structured Processes: Implement frameworks to streamline service delivery, free up time, and focus on growth. Avoid the Doom Loop: Stop over-delivering on custom solutions and holding onto unprofitable clients to enable consistent growth and referrals. Scalability Decisions: Determine whether to remain a solo practitioner or step into scaling through team-building and leadership. This episode is packed with actionable advice to help entrepreneurs and service-based professionals overcome their challenges, scale sustainably, and achieve Predictable Success. Tune in for a roadmap to unlock your business's full potential!   Wherever you are on your journey, we have a solution for you. Getting your message heard, growing your audience, building influence or getting ready to scale your business https://podcastprofitsunleashed.com/appointment  

In this bonus episode, we feature an in-store event held the day after the 2024 Presidential election with professors Kim Wehle and Jessica Henry, who discussed Kim's book Pardon Power: How the Pardon System Works–and Why. Kim Wehle is a constitutional scholar and tenured professor of law at the University of Baltimore School of Law. She was formerly an assistant United States Attorney and an associate counsel in the Whitewater investigation. Professor Wehle is also a legal expert for ABC News, a contributor for BBC World News, and a regular guest on NPR's Morning Edition. She also writes for The Atlantic, Politico, The Hill, and The Bulwark. The author of four books including, Pardon Power: How the Pardon System Works–and Why, she lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland with her children.Jessica Henry is an author, professor, legal commentator, blogger, and social justice advocate. She served as a public defender in New York City for nearly a decade and has written numerous articles for academic and mainstream publications. Her research interests include wrongful convictions, severe sentences (including the death penalty and life without parole), and hate crimes. She frequently appears as a commentator on national and local television and radio, and in 2020 she published Smoke But No Fire: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes that Never Happened. She is the creator and host of the podcast, Just Justice.Resources:U.S. ConstitutionPardon Power: How the Pardon System Works–and WhyHow to Read the Constitution--and WhyHow to Think Like a Lawyer--and WhyWhat You Need to Know About Voting--and WhySmoke But No Fire: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes that Never HappenedBooks:A full list of the books and authors mentioned in this episode is available here. Register for Upcoming Events.The Watchung Booksellers Podcast is produced by Kathryn Counsell and Marni Jessup and is recorded at Silver Stream Studio in Montclair, NJ. The show is edited by Kathryn Counsell and Bree Testa. Special thanks to Timmy Kellenyi and Derek Mattheiss. Original music is composed and performed by Violet Mujica. Art & design and social media by Evelyn Moulton. Research and show notes by Caroline Shurtleff. Thanks to all the staff at Watchung Booksellers and The Kids' Room! If you liked our episode please like, follow, and share! Stay in touch!Email: wbpodcast@watchungbooksellers.comSocial: @watchungbooksellersSign up for our newsletter to get the latest on our shows, events, and book recommendations!

Subscribe to Receive Venkat's Weekly Newsletter I first spoke with Dean when he was a Sophomore at Whitewater. Since then, his research experience has grown and  he has found his own research to pursue in the form of analyzing volcanic rocks from Iceland. This has not only equipped him with a number of skills, it has opened opportunities to pursue Grad School or  industry.  Dean joins our podcast to share his undergraduate college journey at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, Getting started with Research, Volcanic Rock Research, Summer Internships, Minoring in Music, Performing at Carnegie Hall, and Advice for High Schoolers. Check Out: The College Application Workbooks for Juniors and Seniors In particular, we discuss the following with him:  UW Whitewater Experience Volcano Rock Research Geography Major Advice to High Schoolers Topics discussed in this episode: Introduction to Dean Wink, UW Whitewater [] Hi Fives - Podcast Highlights [] Overall Whitewater Experience [] Starting Research [] Volcanic Research [] Research Impact [] Campus Activities [] Summers [] What Next? [] Minoring in Music [] Advice for High Schoolers [] Memories [] Our Guests: Dean Wink is studying Geography with a Geology emphasis, and Minoring in Music and Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater. Memorable Quote: “The first time I think seeing my research abstract get accepted to present at the Geological Society of America was big for me. Now this conference is kind of like the big deal for us in the geology world.” Dean Wink. Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode's Transcript. Similar Episodes: College Experiences  Calls-to-action: Follow us on Instagram. To Ask the Guest a question, or to comment on this episode, email podcast@almamatters.io. Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations: Apple Podcasts, Spotify.

Addie Teeter joins us on this cold winter morning, and she brings even more of a chill with her by talking about the Special Olympics "Polar Plunge" coming up over the next several weeks in Northeast Wisconsin. From Madison to Milwaukee, to Wisconsin Rapids to Whitewater, the Special Olympics likely has a plunge coming to a location near you! Special Olympics works to create a new world of inclusion and community through sports. Then Rob Demovsky from ESPN joins to talk about the atmosphere at Sunday's Packers/Eagles game. Apparently, there was a woman sitting in front of the press box, and she was screaming vulgarities at the broadcast crew and the Packer's staff. Rob had to "gently" remind her to have a seat and close her mouth. :) Maino and the Mayor is a part of the Civic Media radio network and airs Monday through Friday from 6-9 am on WGBW in Green Bay and on WISS in Appleton/Oshkosh. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast lineup. Follow the show on Facebook and X to keep up with Maino and the Mayor! Guests: Rob Demovsky, Addie Teeters

In this episode, Sydney and Audrey... ask each other rapid fire questions to help you guys get to know us better!! A re-introduction for those just joining us - but also asking different questions than before if you've been listening since the beginning :) Its also Sydney's Birthday!! Wish her a happy birthday in the comments or on our instagram page!! @GarveysGardensPodcast A refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in!  We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop!  Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm.  Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native. Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more!  Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas! Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails) Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist! Our Instagram! @GarveysGardens @GarveysGardensPodcast Our YouTube Channel! @GarveysGardens

At the Paris Olympics in 2024 Noemi Fox followed in sister Jessica's footsteps by winning an Olympic Gold medal in the kayak cross. The star on white water joined Quentin Hull for a chat at Rod Laver Arena as part of ABC Sport's coverage of the Australian Open. 

In this episode, Sydney and Audrey talk about.... Our Goals for 2025!! From the Farm, to the Flower Shop, to Weddings, and even personally from Sydney and Audrey! A refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in!  We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop!  Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm.  Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native. Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more!  Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas! Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails) Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist! Our Instagram! @garveysgardens Our YouTube Channel! @GarveysGardens 

In this episode, we discuss Hillary Clinton receiving the "Presidential Medal of Freedom." We also look at the criminal history of the Clinton's, and how they continue their evil ways today.Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/TheFactHunter Website: thefacthunter.com Email: thefacthunter@mail.com Snail Mail: George Hobbs PO Box 109 Goldsboro, MD  21636Show Notes:Wreaths Across America Paid Over $20 Million to a Company Owned by the Families of Two of its Board Members https://cleverjourneys.com/2023/12/22/wreaths-across-america-paid-over-20-million-to-a-company-owned-by-the-families-of-two-of-its-board-members/ BODY COUNT: Reporter Christopher Sign Who First Broke The Story Of Secret Meeting Between Bill Clinton And Loretta Lynch Commits ‘Suicide' https://www.nowtheendbegins.com/clinton-body-count-reporter-christopher-sign-broke-story-secret-meeting-between-bill-clinton-loretta-lynch-commits-suicide/ FACTS ABOUT THE CLINTON FOUNDATION https://theclintonfoundation.org/facts/ Clinton Foundation 990 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/311580204/202413209349302126/full Alternate Search Engine https://www.startpage.com Corbett Report Google: Hillary Clinton Clip https://youtu.be/V8yKrERKZl4?si=RZn9X04nO2HDoY9C

Morgan sits down with actor Jesse Hutch as his new movie Homestead hits theaters. But his acting skills are just one of the interesting things about him, he's also had multiple near death experiences one of which includes drowning while White Water rafting. Jesse shared how this particular moment and a voice on the radio convinced him to take a leap into acting. Plus, he opens up about bringing his family on the road and his faith. Follow Jesse: @jesse_hutch Follow Morgan: @webgirlmorgan Follow Take This Personally: @takethispersonallySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Sydney and Audrey talk about.... 2024 for Flowers by Garvey's Gardens! Our Flower Shop, our Flower Farm, our Podcast, and Weddings! Thanks for listening (and now watching!) flower friends!! :) Cheers to the new year! A refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in!  We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop!  Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm.  Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native. Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more!  Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas! Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails) Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist! Our Instagram! @garveysgardens

Episode: 2367 Georgie Clark and the invention of white-water rafting.  Today, let's go whitewater rafting.

In Papua New Guinea, deep in the jungle, a group sets off on a rafting trip. 17-year-old Zamon Kingi and his friend Andrew are having a blast… until the fun abruptly stops. When their raft hits a waterfall, Andrew and another member of the party are separated from the group. Zamon will join the rescue effort, on a mission to find his friend - before the crocodiles do… A Noiser production, written by Joe Viner. For ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you're on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions If you have an amazing survival story of your own that you'd like to put forward for the show, let us know. Drop us an email at support@noiser.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Sydney and Audrey talk about.... What we are doing in December on our Flower Farm - and what you can do this month for your garden!! We are... getting our Lisianthus seeds started, pruning, getting frost cloth set up, clearing weeds and cleaning up, working on pathways, and planning ahead for next year! Last but not least - get cozy and get some rest flower friends! :)  A refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in!  We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop!  Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist, former teacher, Braves baseball fan, loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm.  Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager, Colorado Mesa Uni Student, Student Teacher, Vintage VW Racer and Restorer, Newlywed, Grand Junction Native. Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more!  Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas! Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails) Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist! Our Instagram! @garveysgardens

What's it like attending the premier event of the attractions industry?

Farmers across Wisconsin are encouraged to join a robust conversation on conservation practices and soil health at the 3rd Annual Soil Health Workshop and Rock River Resiliency Event on Tuesday, December 10. Hosted by the Rock River Regenerative Grazers and local watershed groups, the event provides a dynamic platform for learning, networking, and sharing solutions to build agricultural resilience. “This event is all about practical solutions,” said Kirsten Jurcek, coordinator for the Rock River Regenerative Grazers. “Farmers talking to farmers about what works and what doesn't is incredibly powerful. It's about supporting one another and creating lasting change.” The event, held at the UW-Whitewater Community Engagement Center (1260 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI), kicks off with registration at 9 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m., followed by a social hour. Farmers can register for free by using the code "Farmer" during registration. Highlights of the day include: Weather Patterns and Projections for Southern Wisconsin with Assistant State Climatologist Bridget Mason. The Role of Biology in Soil Health, offering a closer look at soil ecosystems. Small Group Breakout Sessions on topics like cover crops, rotational grazing, and livestock care. A Farmer Panel Discussion, featuring both experienced voices and young innovators like a 24-year-old panelist shaping the future of agriculture. Networking Opportunities to connect with peers and experts. A Local Foods Lunch, showcasing regional flavors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we chat with Evan Stafford, the Communications Director at American Whitewater, an organization on a mission to protect and restore America's rivers. By working to restore flows in de-watered rivers and advocating against harmful dam projects, American Whitewater plays a role in balancing the needs of river ecosystems with human activity.American Whitewater's history runs deep. Starting as a grassroots group of paddlers in the 1950's, it has grown into the leading organization for river protection today. From efforts to secure restored river flows through hydropower relicensing to promoting river safety, their impact doesn't go unnoticed.Whether you're an advocate yourself, or just love getting out on the water, this one's for you! Life in Motion is brought to you by Actual Outdoors. They help build beautiful brands that highlight the approachable and authentic parts of outdoor recreation. Said simply - they “keep it real”. Find them online at actualoutdoors.com or on Instagram at @actualoutdoors. Tweet us and let us know what you think of this episode! @illuminecollect Find more episodes at www.illuminecollect.com/blogs/life-in-motion-podcastSince 2017 Illumine has donated over $45,096 to outdoor nonprofits and shared over 228 stories on the Life in Motion Podcast.

Happy Thanksgiving!! We are so thankful for all our flower friends!! In this episode we pulled some of our favorite moments from interviews throughout this year! Enjoy some tid-bits from a few of our favorite people - and be sure to go back and listen to thier full episodes if you haven't yet!! Mary- The Hog and the Hen! Ep. #22 Justen Garvey- Sydney's Husband! Ep. #43 Amanda Matilda Photography! Ep. #14 David- Kiln Coffee! Ep. #12 Kinsey- Vista View Events! Ep. #36 Dawn- Green Junction Farmstead! Ep. #33 Sara- Poppy Candle Collective! Ep. #41 Savannah- Candle Kitchen + Savannah Ashmore Art! Ep. #27 Rusty- Audrey's family-friend + wedding officiant! Ep. #44 A refresher on Garvey's Gardens for everyone new listening in! We have so many new listeners we wanted to make sure everyone knows a bit about us as people, and about our Flower Farm and Flower Shop! Sydney: Owner and Farmer-Florist; former teacher; Braves baseball fan; loves reading romcoms and baking in her time away from the shop and farm. Audrey: Shop Associate and Podcast Manager; Colorado Mesa Uni Student; Student Teacher; vintage VW Racer and Restorer; Newlywed; Grand Junction Native. Garvey's Gardens: Flower Farm and Floral Boutique in Western Colorado! We grow flowers in Palisade throughout the whole year, although most are grown May-October, and those flowers end up in our shop and in our wedding designs for our lucky couples! Our Floral Boutique in Grand Junction, right off of Main St on 5th, is open daily for everyday floral orders, deliveries, gifts, and more! Visit our website to place a seasonal fresh florals order in the Grand Junction, Fruita, Loma, Palisade, Clifton, or Whitewater areas! Email List Signup on our Website (weekly emails) Our FREE Wedding Florals Checklist! Our Instagram! @garveysgardens

Georgia has rivers and streams running from the mountain country of the Southern Appalachians to the Gulf of Mexico, totaling about 70,000 total miles of waterways.  Whitewater and flatwater.  Clear water and Black water.  And a long history of publicly accessible rivers and streams.  That access is being debated by the State of Georgia and bills have been proposed that would curtail access for the public.  We talk with Georgia Rivers to learn more about this topic and about the public meeting and comment process.  SPONSORSDenver Area Nissan Dealers@nissanusaOver It Raft Covers@overitraftcoverspromo code, free shipping: riverradius GUESTGeorgia RiversFreedom to FloatJoe Cook PUBLIC MEETINGWednesday, Nov. 13, at 9 a.m. in Newnan Donald W. Nixon Centre for Performing and Visual Arts in Newnan, GA.Email your comments / Georgia ResidentsEmail your comments / Non Georgia Residents  THUMBNAIL IMAGEPic credit, Joe Cook, Georgia RiversFlint River, Georgia, Fall 2024  THE RIVER RADIUSWebsiteInstagramFacebookApple PodcastSpotifyLink Tree

On today's show, host Douglas Haynes welcome back ProPublica journalist Melissa Sanchez to discuss her recent piece “What Happened in Whitewater.” The piece, which Sanchez wrote with Maryam Jameel, dives […] The post Immigration to Whitewater Under the National Spotlight appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

In this episode, we're covering the 6th Nancy Drew File, White Water Terror (1986). CW: murder ⁠regularnancydrew.com⁠  ⁠patreon.com/regularnancydrew⁠ ⁠instagram.com/RegularNancyDrew⁠ ⁠twitter.com/RegularND⁠ ⁠youtube.com/@regularnancydrew⁠  ⁠facebook.com/people/Regular-Nancy-Drew/61558695320536/⁠ Music: “Kool Kats” by Kevin MacLeod Special Thanks to Ryan Ransom for his Voice Acting skills

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This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Oct. 11. It dropped for free subscribers on Oct. 18. To receive future episodes as soon as they're live, and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription. You can also subscribe to the free tier below:WhoAndy Cohen, General Manager of Fernie Alpine Resort, British ColumbiaRecorded onSeptember 3, 2024About FernieClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, which also owns:Located in: Fernie, British ColumbiaPass affiliations:* Epic Pass: 7 days, shared with Kicking Horse, Kimberley, Nakiska, Stoneham, and Mont-Sainte Anne* RCR Rockies Season Pass: unlimited access, along with Kicking Horse, Kimberley, and NakiskaClosest neighboring ski areas: Fairmont Hot Springs (1:15), Kimberley (1:27), Panorama (1:45) – travel times vary considerably given time of year and weather conditionsBase elevation: 3,450 feet/1,052 metersSummit elevation: 7,000 feet/2,134 metersVertical drop: 3,550 feet/1,082 metersSkiable Acres: 2,500+Average annual snowfall: 360 inches/914 Canadian inches (also called centimeters)Trail count: 145 named runs plus five alpine bowls and tree skiing (4% extreme, 21% expert, 32% advanced, 30% intermediate, 13% novice)Lift count: 10 (2 high-speed quads, 2 fixed-grip quads, 3 triples, 1 T-bar, 1 Poma, 1 conveyor - view Lift Blog's inventory of Fernie's lift fleet)Why I interviewed himOne of the most irritating dwellers of the #SkiInternet is Shoosh Emoji Bro. This Digital Daniel Boone, having boldly piloted his Subaru beyond the civilized bounds of Interstate 70, considers all outlying mountains to be his personal domain. So empowered, he patrols the digital sphere, dropping shoosh emojis on any poster that dares to mention Lost Trail or White Pass or Baker or Wolf Creek. Like an overzealous pamphleteer, he slings his brand haphazardly, toward any mountain kingdom he deems worthy of his forcefield. Shoosh Emoji Bro once Shoosh Emoji-ed me over a post about Alta.

In Philippians 1:28-30, Paul challenges believers to remain fearless in the face of opposition, understanding that trials and suffering are part of the Christian journey. Just like navigating whitewater rapids, the rough waters of life are God's means of growth and protection. Join us as we explore how opposition provides evidence of both God's coming judgment and the assurance of our salvation, all while deepening our dependence on His grace.