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hedgewitchgarden · 1 year

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By Julia Kane. April 27, 2023. On an overcast Saturday in March, Serina Fast Horse stands in a ring of freshly planted, 12-foot-tall willow cuttings. Soft white buds are just beginning to emerge from their gray stems.

Easing the tips of the willows toward the center of the circle, Fast Horse holds them in place while another volunteer ties them together with twine.

Fast Horse and about three dozen others have gathered at Shwakuk Wetland, five acres of land situated between a residential neighborhood and a freight warehouse in north Portland, just south of Columbia Edgewater Country Club.

In time, the trees they plant and gently shape will grow into a willow dome—a living structure people can gather around for ceremonies, educational programs or just to enjoy the space.

Shwakuk, which is pronounced “show-kayk” and means little frog in Chinook Wawa, is a unique site co-managed by the local Indigenous community and Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services.

When the city acquired the land in 2016, it was a pumpkin patch.

Since then, the team responsible for stewarding it has worked to restore the wetland. Now it’s used to to cultivate first foods, medicines and basketry plants.

It’s also reconnecting area residents with the land.

Fast Horse, who is Lakota and Blackfeet, serves as a community liaison on the Shwakuk project, bridging the gap between the local Indigenous community and city employees.

Since getting involved with the project, the 28-year-old Portlander has also gone on to found Kimímela Consulting. Her goal is to bring the Indigenous community into environmental decision-making processes at the city and state level.

“When we’re able to come together and uplift Indigenous knowledge—and learn from each other, too, because there are things from western science and ecology that are important for restoration—we can change these systems to be more regenerative,” says Fast Horse.

“Indigenizing” not “de-colonizing”

For Fast Horse, the choice to use the word Indigenize rather than decolonize is intentional.

“When we say Indigenize, it’s centering the Indigenous perspective and being forward-thinking instead of centering colonization and that experience,” she says.

In restoration work, the Indigenous perspective hasn’t often been taken into consideration.

“Our program has always used native plants, but the selection wasn’t necessarily based on the Indigenous communities’ needs or desires,” says Toby Query, a natural resource ecologist with Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services. “It was more about what would survive and what would fulfill our agency’s goals as far as shading the water, wildlife habitat and structure, and so forth.”

At Shawkuk, the Indigenous community put together a list of desired plants, which included first foods, medicines and plants used for traditional crafts.

That list has guided Query and the rest of the team involved in day-to-day restoration work at the site.

So far, they’ve had success at growing tule, a sedge used in basketry and canoe-making, along with yarrow, a medicinal plant, and camas, a plant with an edible, bulb-like root. They’ve also planted yampah, a wild carrot.

Instead of spraying herbicide, the restoration team uses vinyl from old billboards to block the sun and kill invasive grasses. Sometimes, they’ll braid invasive grasses around native plants, like yellow dock, horsetail and cattail, so that they stay low to the ground and do not choke out other plants.

“It takes a lot of effort to do it,” says Query, who has spent many hours braiding reed canarygrass alongside workers from Wisdom of the Elders, an Indigenous-led group. “While we were doing it we were enjoying conversation, and it was kind of a healing process.”

Query has implemented many techniques he’s learned from the Indigenous community at the 20 or so sites he stewards across the city.

“It’s really informed what I plant, and how I take care of plants,” he says.

Tending parties, wild tea

Healing is a critical element of Indigenizing restoration work.

In fact, says Fast Horse, “my deepest wish for this work is to bring folks together and to heal our relationships to each other and to the earth.”

At Shwakuk, she’s brought people together by helping organize “tending parties” that attract members of the local Indigenous community, students from Portland State University, city employees and others.

The groups learn about a site, spend a few hours helping with a restoration project and gather for lunch.

Oftentimes, Judy BlueHorse Skelton, an assistant professor at Portland State University who has helped lead the Shwakuk restoration, will make tea for everyone.

She makes the tea using a sprig of Doug fir gathered onsite, and sometimes rosehips, Oregon grape and western redcedar.

“We’re taught that to sip tea together is to become a relative, or to form a relationship,” says BlueHorse Skelton, who is Nez Perce and Cherokee. “It’s also deepening our intimate relationship with the plant world. It’s a big part of Indigenous traditional ecological and cultural knowledge, and it’s embedded in the work that we’re all doing.”

Intern to owner

Restoring Shwakuk was pivotal for Fast Horse, who first got involved with the project as an intern with Environmental Services.

“I was able to be an internal advocate to make sure what the community was saying was being upheld in a really meaningful way,” says Fast Horse. “I would be in these internal meetings, and so that perspective got woven throughout the process.”

In those meetings, the impact that she could have as a community liaison became clear.

From Query’s point of view: “To have somebody that has an Indigenous perspective, but is also willing to be part of the agency side of things, and to be able to walk between those two cultures has been really important.”

Fast Horse began giving presentations about lessons learned from Shwakuk and found that other city agencies and organizations wanted Indigenous input on their projects, too.

Portland has recently become more proactive about reaching out to the Indigenous community. The city hired its first full-time tribal relations director, Laura John, in 2017—a move BlueHorse Skelton says has been “immensely transformative.”

Two years ago, Fast Horse founded her own company, Kimímela Consulting, based in Milwaukie, Ore. She’s continued to act as a liaison between the Indigenous community and various agencies and organizations.

Most of her work has to do with land restoration, but she’s also working with Portland State University to rename a street. The campus’ Native American Student and Community Center is currently located on a street named after President Andrew Jackson, known for enforcing the genocidal Indian Removal Act of 1830.

“She’s been providing a voice and venue for the Indigenous community, including students and folks across all agencies, to get involved—including just the average community member who may not have a voice,” says BlueHorse Skelton.

A reconnected future

According to BlueHorse Skelton, the work that Fast Horse is doing to ensure the Indigenous community is part of decision-making processes is critical.

“When cities look, today, at how to heal, how to begin to restore, how to protect what’s left,” says BlueHorse Skelton, “we have to be part of it.”

She sees Fast Horse as the first of a new, emerging generation of Indigenous leaders in the region.

“As some of us become elders, who carries that work forward?” BlueHorse Skelton asks. “That’s Serina.”

“A lot of times people put us in the past, and that’s a huge misconception,” says Fast Horse. “We’ve always been adaptable people. We’re not trying to revert back to anything, we’re going into the future.

“We’re all interconnected in this physical and spiritual plane. With Indigenous knowledge, we can reconnect to that and live in a way that is more in line with natural systems that are regenerative and life-giving.”

#indigenizing not decolonozing #indigenous wisdom

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leninsilva · 7 months

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I am in your city and I am in San Francisco, but I do not think you are. I think I am in some amazing dream. - Mark Twain

Ohlone

Friday 27th October 2023

By, Lenin Silva

The Ohlone people, a prominent and enduring indigenous group in the San Francisco Bay Area, inhabited these lands for over an astonishing 10,000 years before the arrival of European settlers. Their deep-rooted connection to the region is a testament to their resilience and profound understanding of the environment.

The Ohlone were not a monolithic entity but a collection of distinct local tribes, each with its own unique territory and language dialects. These divisions, while geographically separate, created a tapestry of cultures and traditions that enriched the broader Ohlone identity.

Their way of life was one of remarkable harmony with the natural world. The Ohlone were skilled hunters and gatherers, attuned to the seasonal rhythms of the Bay Area. They relied on the abundant and diverse natural resources of the region, including acorns, seeds, shellfish, fish, and game. Their expert knowledge of the local flora and fauna allowed them to utilize the land's offerings for sustenance, shelter, and clothing.

In the lush coastal areas, the Ohlone built intricate shellmounds, which served as both habitation and burial sites. These mounds, composed of discarded shells, tools, and other artifacts, provide valuable insights into their daily lives and evolving cultures.

Their dwellings varied depending on the season and location. In the warmer months, they constructed temporary structures made from tule reeds, which were ideal for the Bay's marshy terrain. During the colder and wetter seasons, they sought shelter in more substantial semi-subterranean houses, which offered better protection from the elements.

The Ohlone people's profound understanding of the land extended to their sustainable land management practices. They used controlled burns to shape the landscape, encourage new growth, and maintain the delicate balance between human habitation and the environment. This deliberate approach to land management ensured that the ecosystem thrived, benefiting both the Ohlone and the natural world.

Their intricate knowledge of the region's flora was also evident in their use of medicinal plants for healing purposes. Herbal remedies and traditional healing practices were integral components of their healthcare system.

The Ohlone's complex social structure was built around a network of tribal leaders and spiritual figures, reinforcing their deep-rooted connection to the land. The tribes traded goods and engaged in cultural exchanges, creating a dynamic and interconnected Ohlone society.

The arrival of European settlers and the subsequent waves of colonization brought about immense challenges for the Ohlone people. Yet, their resilient culture endures, and ongoing efforts are being made to revitalize their languages and preserve their heritage. The history of the Ohlone people is not just a tale of the past but a testament to the enduring strength and cultural richness of the indigenous communities of the San Francisco Bay Area.

©LeninSilva

#san francisco #golden gate bridge #bay area #hdr #hdr photography #clouds #cars #california #road trip #road #architecture #bridge #sky #distorted #patterns #DistortedPatterns #mark twain #quotes

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putah-creek · 11 months

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Yolo County, Sacramento Valley

Light in the winter morning, a gray glow through the tule fog, a fog that sits low across the bottom lands, hugging the creeks and blanketing the reeds and oleander, a gray sunrise that is just barely kissing the dawn, and the silver sky is low, all is still, an easy light, gentle and gray, a love, a thought, a hope.

And the creeks themselves, Cache Creek and Putah Creek, dark and cold and fast, rinsing the earth, washing away the dust of summer with winter's bath, like dancers to a wild Spanish mambo, sisters of the rock and bone of living, the blood veins to the body of the valley, as strong as gods, full of life, and full of death.

The valley is a marsh, a garden for herons and waterbirds, a green grocer for any who would tend it, love it, treat it like a mother or a daughter, the soil made rich and sweet from the centuries spent underwater, when this valley was a great sea, from water to soil to table to stomach, worked with love.

It is winter, it is morning, another fine day in our valley.

james lee jobe

#poems on tumblr #poem #poetry on tumblr #poets on tumblr #poetry #writers and poets #writers on tumblr #poetrycommunity #poetscommunity #dead poets society #writing community #writing #creative writing #poetsandwriters #poets and writers #poetsofinstagram #poets of tumblr

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mesoamericanhistoryinfodumps · 2 months

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Aquatic Adaptations In Mesoamerica (Eduardo Williams) part II

This book is very detailed and dense so I've decided to do a part II and possibly a part III to be able to share more of the most important and interesting parts. In my previous post I mentioned that lakes and waterways were crucial to Aztec society - but why were they so important?

Here are some reasons that show that far from being a minor complement to agriculture, Aztecs depended on lakes for very basic aspects of their livelihoods. Lakes provided:

A dense and rich ecological environment in an area that was arid and in some ways lacking in variety of vegetation and fauna. The lakes were teeming with life in part because they were shallow bodies of water.

Salt, for basic nutritional needs, for preserving foods, fish in particular, and for fixing dyes to cloth. In ancient Mesoamerica salt was especially important even compared to other regions because there were few domesticated species of animals. Meat from domesticated animals could have indirectly provided salt to the diet, but due the lack thereof, salt had to be acquired elsewhere. Another factor was climate, in the more tropical Maya areas hard work and humidity meant more sweating and thus also a greater need for salt to replace that which was lost through sweat... and the Maya were of course important trading partners to the Aztecs. The water in some lakes was brackish, which explains why salt could be extracted. Lakeside salt-making also formed the backbone of the textile industry, pottery, basket-weaving, and lime-making industry.

Provided the bulk of the protein in the Aztec diet, including fish, ducks, waterfowl, edible aquatic insects (which were collected by the sackful), lake beetles, edible aquatic insect eggs, frogs, worms, larvae, flies, tadpoles, salamanders (axolotl), crustaceans, shrimp, bird eggs

Tecuitlatl (also known as spirulina), a highly nutritious foodstuff collected from the surface of the lake

Rushes/reeds (tule) growing on the lakeside or riverbanks were used to make mats, furniture, baskets, fans for cooking fires, hats, raincoats, sacks, chairs and all kinds of household items. There's a reason why rushes or reeds are referenced everywhere in place names and in symbolism. Mats should not be underestimated as key household items, there were mats for every type of activity, from sleeping and sitting, to nixtamalizing and preparing corn in various stages.

Grasses/reeds/rushes collected from the lakeside were used to make bricks to build houses with, fences, or to make thatching for roofs.

Provided some of the earliest wild versions of plants that would come to be mainstays of the Aztec diet, such as maize and amaranth

Many important medicinal herbs, wild vegetables, cooking herbs (quelites), and otherwise useful herbs grew by the lakeside.

Shells may have provided ingredients for the nixtamalization process which dramatically increased the nutritional value of maize

Chinampas were agricultural plots built on the lake itself, and they were a very intensive form of agriculture within the Aztec region and could allow for multiple harvests a year. The Aztec region is subject to drought, but since Chinampas relied on irrigation from lakes rather than rainfall, they provided a very consistent supply of vegetables to the city markets and flowers for festivals.

Fruit trees frequently grew near waterways

Flowers for ceremonies and festivals were most frequently grown in the Chinampas. Also, reed chairs and reed mats were considered fit for the nobility! Bird feathers from waterfowl were used to make cloaks, headdresses and art used by the nobility.

Lakeside activity employed a lot of people, both seasonal workers and specialists of various kinds - shrimp fishers, fisher people, frog hunters, duck hunters, fishery overseers, reed craftspeople, insect collectors, salt makers...

If you've made it this far, you might be wondering: what didn't lakes provide? Here is a list of some stuff you couldn't get from the lakes directly:

In part - maize, pumpkins, chili, tomatoes, tomatillos, vegetables of various kinds. Even though the Chinampas were highly productive, their supply had to be supplemented by mainland agriculture as well.

Maguey farms, nopal, cactuses - these were grown on mainland and more arid areas. They provided maguey fiber (ixtle) for cloth, fishnets, tools. Some cactuses such as nopal could be eaten as a vegetable, and maguey provided sap for brewing the alcoholic drink pulque, which played an important role in Aztec society.

Cacao

Some sources of protein such as domesticated dogs and turkeys

Wood, which was used to make canoes and musical instruments

Metals, semi-precious and precious stones used in decorative objects.

Obsidian and flint - these were both used in toolmaking, and obsidian could be used to make weapons and blades. These were especially important given that metal tools were not used in ancient Mesoamerica - the sharpness of obsidian made it useful for cutting tools where other regions might have used metal tools instead

#maya civilization #aztec civilisation

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hogbu · 3 years

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Tule Before a Summer Sky par Russell Tomlin

#wetlands photography #wetlands #dry wetlands #kr nielson rd #western Oregon #Fern Ridge Wildlife Area #landscape #landscape photography #summer #late summer #hot weather #kinda bright #tule #weeds #reeds #summer sky

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littlefeather-wolf · 2 years

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Bannock tribe. 1872-1900. Photos by A. Frank Randall.

The Bannock tribe were originally Northern Paiute but are more culturally affiliated with the Northern Shoshone. They are in the Great Basin classification of Indigenous People. Their traditional lands include northern Nevada, southeastern Oregon, southern Idaho, and western Wyoming. Today they are enrolled in the federally recognized Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho, located on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.

Traditionally, the Northern Paiute traded with surrounding tribes. The bands in eastern Oregon traded with the tribes to the north, who by 1730 had acquired the horse. In the mid-18th century, some bands developed a horse culture and split off to become the Bannock tribe. The horse gave the tribe a greater range, from Oregon to northern Nevada, southern Idaho, and western Wyoming. They forayed from there on the Bannock Trail to Montana and Canada to hunt buffalo.

The Bannock made pottery, utensils from mountain sheep horns, and carrying bags from salmon skin. Their petroglyphs date back before European contact, and, after the introduction of glass beads, they transferred their geometric design to beadwork. For water transport, they made tule reed rafts. Prior to the late 19th century, Bannock people fished for salmon on the Snake River in Idaho and in the fall, they hunted buffalo herds. Buffalo hides provided material for tipis.

The Bannock are prominent in American history due to the Bannock War of 1878. After the war, the Bannock moved onto the Fort Hall Indian Reservation with the Northern Shoshone and gradually their tribes merged. Today they are called the Shoshone-Bannock.

By : onceuponatown.tumblr

Tribu Bannock. 1872-1900. Fotos de A. Frank Randall.

La tribu Bannock era originalmente Paiute del Norte, pero está más afiliada culturalmente a los Shoshone del Norte. Están en la clasificación de pueblos indígenas de la Gran Cuenca. Sus tierras tradicionales incluyen el norte de Nevada, el sureste de Oregon, el sur de Idaho y el oeste de Wyoming. Hoy en día están inscritos en las tribus Shoshone-Bannock reconocidas por el gobierno federal de la reserva de Fort Hall de Idaho, ubicada en la reserva india de Fort Hall.

Tradicionalmente, los Paiute del Norte comerciaban con las tribus circundantes. Las bandas del este de Oregón comerciaban con las tribus del norte, que en 1730 habían adquirido el caballo. A mediados del siglo XVIII, algunas bandas desarrollaron una cultura de caballos y se separaron para convertirse en la tribu Bannock. El caballo le dio a la tribu un rango más amplio, desde Oregon hasta el norte de Nevada, el sur de Idaho y el oeste de Wyoming. Hicieron incursiones desde allí en Bannock Trail hasta Montana y Canadá para cazar búfalos.

Los Bannock elaboraban cerámica, utensilios con cuernos de oveja montañesa y bolsas de transporte con piel de salmón. Sus petroglifos datan de antes del contacto europeo y, después de la introducción de las cuentas de vidrio, transfirieron su diseño geométrico al trabajo de abalorios. Para el transporte acuático, fabricaron balsas de totora. Antes de finales del siglo XIX, la gente de Bannock pescaba salmón en el río Snake en Idaho y en el otoño cazaban manadas de búfalos. Piel de búfalo que proporciona material para tipis.

Los Bannock son prominentes en la historia de Estados Unidos debido a la Guerra Bannock de 1878. Después de la guerra, los Bannock se trasladaron a la Reserva India de Fort Hall con los Shoshone del Norte y gradualmente sus tribus se fusionaron. Hoy se les llama Shoshone-Bannock.

By : onceuponatown.tumblr

Courtesy of Native Sioux ...

#native american #littlefeather wolf #native sioux #bannock #shoshone

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kuramirocket · 3 years

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The history of artisanship in Mexico runs deep. Long before Europeans set foot in Central America, pre-Hispanic cultures were weaving, carving and moulding materials into everyday objects. It was once a country of many nations – from the Mayans in the Yucatán to the Aztecs in the Central Plateau – each with distinctive cultures, as well as their own advanced style of architecture and artisanship.

In recent years, Mexican designers have begun to look inward, acknowledging the wealth of talent and resources on their doorstep rather than from outside influences. Other creatives are joining them from overseas, flocking south in search of culture, skills and materials.

One such creative is French-born product and furniture designer Fabien Cappello, who, following a three-week holiday, uprooted his life in London (where he’d lived for eight years having studied at the RCA) to relocate to Mexico City, before moving west to Guadalajara. “I was just so struck by the culture,” he says of the life-changing experience. His work incorporates local resources and manufacturing. “There isn’t a city in the world with more metal workshops than Guadalajara,” he adds. “Repairing or making something specific to your needs in a very local way is a concept that is still relevant here.” His pieces incorporate traditional materials: from seats tightly woven in natural tule reed fibre to vintage chairs with geometric fabric. “Everything I wanted to develop in my design work is so present in Mexican materials. To understand more, I needed to participate.”

This focus on Mexican design heritage reflects a growing interest in its culture. Evidence of this can be seen in the success of chefs such as Enrique Olvera, who has opened a string of restaurants (including Cosme in New York City), casting a spotlight on what is arguably one of the world’s most historic, complex and creative cuisines. “There is more support for Mexico globally,” says Age Salajõe, a cofounder of Mexico City based Ewe design studio. This coincides with the general shift towards the artisanal, which has given Mexican designers a platform, while instilling a sense of pride and confidence in their cultural values. “We stopped caring about working on a stereotyped expression of our culture, and stopped developing design based on the expectation of what Mexico is for others,” Esrawe adds.

For many designers, the answer to the country’s design future lies in the past – and the skills passed down through generations, often in small rural communities. Many such skills risk being lost forever without timely intervention. Ceramicist Perla Valtierra turned her attention from industrial design to ceramics after participating in a craft and design program with a community in Zacatecas.

“I became aware of the possibilities we have in Mexico and realised how many people are out there making things across the country,” she says. She now produces ceramics with master craftsman Don Jesús Torres (whose skills were passed down to him from his father). Their pieces, hand-turned on the wheel, include tea cups and side plates with frilled rims and vases with rivet detailing. “The process is completely collaborative. We’re learning from each other,” says Valtierra, who sees a value not only in preserving these techniques but in creating a sustainable supply chain.

Establishing a sustainable infrastructure where artisans are empowered to work independently in their own social and cultural environments – while enabling them to thrive – is the impetus behind txt.ure, founded by Regina Pozo. The project aims to revive techniques and reinterpret objects, as well as create visibility and channels for distribution. Its signature piece is a tabouret stool woven from tule using an ancient weaving pattern. What makes it so special is that it embodies the idea of reinterpreting something old into the modern – in this instance that an item harking back to the Aztecs is just as relevant and desirable today.

Ewe Studio also fuses artisan heritage with new mediums, and collaborating with master craftsmen allows its designers to work with people they’ve long admired. “Sometimes they challenge us, sometimes we challenge them – it creates a mutual learning process,” says Esrawe. The result of this approach includes a Tikal green marble table hand-carved by stonemasons and a sculpture-like altar marble table inspired by religious rituals and ceremonies, bringing pre-Hispanic skills, materials and ideas into the 21st century.

Collaboration is also key for Dominican-born designer Javier Reyes, founder of Rrres, which he has established in Oaxaca, Mexico. “Having something handmade is luxury,” he says of the renewed interest in heritage design and craftsmanship. He has sought out under-the-radar artisans, often without access to the resources needed to showcase their skills. His bright, geometric, hand-dyed rugs are made by Zapotec weavers while tall playful palm sculptures are crafted using a traditional weaving technique from Guerrero. It’s a collective effort.

These distinctive designs embody the region in Mexico in which they were made. Even if you haven’t visited the country, they transport you there. “One of the things about craft-design is that you can tell a story of place,” agrees designer Daniel Valero of Mestiz. Born in Saltillo in the north of the country, Valero began collaborating with artisans to experiment with the traditional sarape weaving technique to create new textiles in 2014. He went full-time with his brand in 2018 and now works with makers across the country from Guanajuato to Bajio, creating ringed pottery in ultramarine, light pink chairs woven from palms by nomadic craftsmen and colour-blocked freeform wool rugs – pieces with a deep connection to the regions in which they originated. “I’m trying to continue the evolution of craft where it began,” Valero explains. “Someone has to do it, because everything that doesn’t evolve dies.”

As this new wave of creators shine a light on Mexico’s heritage, reviving techniques on the brink of extinction, the rest of the world has begun to take note – and the colourful, organic forms of Mexican design are set to be a big trend for 2021 and beyond. “Mexico has become a reference,” Esrawe concludes. “And as designers we’ve begun to look at who we are as a culture with pride.”

#mexico #indigenous #aztec #zapotec #france #london #europe #dominican republic #latin america #🇲🇽#new york #usa #united states

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russell-tomlin · 4 years

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Tule and Reed Grass on Warren Slough

#photographers on tumblr #original photographers #wetlands #landscape #warren slough #fern ridge #oregon #tule #serenity

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crudlynaturephotos · 1 year

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#nature video #bird video #double crested cormorant #phalacrocorax #american coot #fulica americana #aquatic birds #waterfowl #tule reeds #uprooted tree #aquatic plants #light on water #pond #sepulveda basin wildlife preserve #van nuys #video

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embeanwrites · 4 years

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Finding Home Gavin Reed x Reader

Chapter 22

Masterlist

A/N: This chapter contains smut written by my lovely (horny) editor @kakyoweeniesdump there is plot near the end that will be important for the next chapter!

Gavin and I were among the stragglers at the reception, dancing and drinking late into the evening. Connor and Dad had left fairly early, after dinner but before cake. At one A.M. we decided to go, and settled on sharing a cab to Gavin’s, it was easier and we were both still tipsy from champagne and giddy from the romantic atmosphere.

“My feet hurt so freaking much. Remind me never to wear heels again.” I groaned as I took off my shoes the second I slid into the back seat of the cab. “Thank god these are driverless, no more creepy men judging me for my inability to wear cute but uncomfortable shoes for an entire evening.” I laughed while resting my feet on the seat in front of me, pointing and flexing them to stretch out the dull ache.

Gavin chuckled and unbuttoned a few more of his dress shirt buttons. He had refused to wear a tie, that had been expected but not unwelcome, as he had just left the top two buttons of his forest green button-up undone. At some point in the evening he had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, and as I watched him mess with his shirt buttons I couldn’t help my gaze wandering to his biceps stretching the cotton fabric. In the months that we had been seeing each other, we still hadn’t progressed further than second base. We were both busy, one of us always had something going on early the next day or got urgent calls from Connor, Nines, or my Dad in the middle of a heavy makeout session, hell the cats had interrupted us at least four times now.

I scooted closer to Gavin, pressing into his side, twisting so I could rest my chin on his shoulder and brought my hand to his still at his neck, playing with the collar of his shirt. He looked down at me with a quirked brow.

“What’s up?”

I smiled mischievously up at him, dipping my hand into his collar and tugging him towards me.

“I was just thinking how handsome you look tonight Gav.” I murmured, looking up at him through my lashes. “And how lucky it is that I have nowhere to be tomorrow, and what a shame it would be if I missed such a... lovely opportunity to be with you tonight.”

His eyes darkened, and he chuckled before pushing me down on the bench seat, slotting himself in between my hips, one hand next to my head to support him while he hovered over me, grinning.

“Is that a nice way of saying you want me to fuck you pipsqueak?” I smirked. “Great detective work Gav, the streets of Det-” He interrupted the stupid quip I was going to make with a searing kiss, and I laughed at his eagerness, which gave him plenty of room to propel his tongue into my mouth.

I moaned into the kiss, loving the feeling of his tongue brushing the roof of my mouth and pushing against mine, and the warmth of his strong body over mine. I threw my arms around his shoulders, one hand stayed at his neck, pulling his head into mine, the other clawing at his deltoid. I went to throw my leg around his hip, but forgot about my floor-length dress and instead just kicked futilely at the air. Gavin broke the kiss turning his head to watch me struggle and laughed heartily.

“Stupid dress.” I huffed, moving a hand to hike the dress up to my thighs.

“Better?” “Shut up and kiss me, asshole.” He wasted no time in doing just that, bringing one hand to hold the hip of my leg that was now wrapped around his hips. He moved to kiss the corner of my mouth, down my jawline, to the junction of my ear and my neck, biting there, then sucking away the hurt. I had already been so warm, drinking all evening and now trapped under Gavin I was feeling an entirely different kind of heat, the fuzzy intoxication of arousal. I let a moan slip as he left another hickey on the side of my neck, and I felt that stupid grin on my neck but couldn’t bother to do anything about it but squeeze my leg and further pull him close, my hands returned to their original positions, one raking through his hair the other fisting that ridiculously sexy shirt that he shouldn’t be wearing anymore.

Gavin seemed to be thinking the same of my dress, he kept tugging at the neckline before finally grunting and sitting up, using the hand that was holding him up to pull me up to him, and started running his hands around the back looking for the zipper.

“Gav!” I giggled, his hands tickling me in their search. “Gavin! We’re still in the car!” “What? You want to stop?” He asked, sounding slightly annoyed, his hands stilling on my back but not letting me go.

“There might be cameras or something, I don’t want my titties on display for some creep to see!” I said, pulling his hands away. “That’s not even where the zipper is detective, formal gowns they’re always up the side.” I laughed and he huffed, dropping his head to my shoulder.

“This cab ride better be over soon.” He grumbled, and went back to kissing up my neck, leaving little bites on my exposed shoulders, and slipped his hands out of my hold to run them over my thighs.

I moaned, his hands trailing too high and feeling so warm, the light scratch of the tule on my skin.

“You sure you wanna wait pipsqueak?” He asked, his breath tickling the exposed side of my neck.

“Don’t be an asshole.” I tried to keep my tone even, but then he ghosted his hands higher, trailing the inside of my thighs and then up to grip my hips. I knew he was smirking, knew he was thinking I’d cave, that tease. Well, I could tease too.

I pushed a few centimeters away from him, looking up at him through my lashes before leaning up to his neck, and placing an open-mouthed kiss to the spot just under his ear, as he had for me. I rested my hands on his pecs, pushing back into the seat.

“I can wait, but if you’re too impatient…” I trailed off and looked down, a pointed gaze at his groin.

I heard his breath catch in his throat, and smirked, using my leverage on his chest to push off the seat, dragging my hands down his chest and hooking my fingers on his belt. I settled on my knees between his, pushing them further apart and resting my head on his thigh.

“(Y/n), fuck.” He cursed as I palmed the growing bulge in his pants. Now it was my turn to smirk, leaving one hand to massage him while I unbuckled his belt. I was pulling his zipper down when the cab stopped, the neutral voice of the AI alerting us we’d arrived at our destination.

“Interrupted again.” I poured, but Gavin was quick to grab my hand and pull me up, and out of the taxi.

“Not for long sweetheart, we’re only getting started.” He growled huskily, still tugging me towards the door.

“Gavin my shoes! And your belt and your coat!” I laughed, trying to break free of his hold on my wrist. He grumbled something like “Be quick about it.” And I ran back to the taxi, ducking in and grabbing our stuff, when I felt Gavin press up behind me, his bulge on my ass “C’mon (y/n).”

I laughed, but it felt like I’d stuck my finger in an electric plug, the shockwave of giddiness that pulsed through my whole body. In retaliation, I ground my ass back into him as I got out of the car, loving it when his hands snaked in front of me and wrapped around my waist, holding me close to him. My breath caught in my throat when he nipped the spot just below my ear, and I melted into his chest behind me.

“I get it, let’s go.” I said breathily.

He didn’t let go the whole walk to his door, so we waddled more than anything, every brush of his groin against my butt made me more impatient, my mind addled with lust and the remainder of the alcohol I’d had at the wedding. He tried to unlock the door while still hugging me from behind and after the first fumble of the keys I huffed and snatched them, making quick work of the door.

“Now who’s impatient?” He laughed, his breath tickling my neck.

“Y’know I could easily get back in that cab and take care of myself at home.” I shot back, it was a lie of course, I had been waiting for what felt like forever to finally sleep with Gavin and I don’t think I could leave if I tried, my body too hot and hyperactive after not being touched by another person like this in so long.

“Sure, sure.” He laughed, and I knew he was sure I wouldn’t be leaving. He pushed us forward, and as soon as we stepped through the door I dropped everything in my arms on the floor and spun around, meeting Gavin in a kiss so passionate it was almost violent.

He kicked the door closed behind us, and kicked his shoes off as he kissed me, following me while I walked backward through his apartment, leading him back towards his bedroom, not really caring if I bumped into anything. I only hit my foot on an armchair and dinged my elbow into a wall, and he paused his assault on my tongue to ask if I was okay each time, and while it was endearing and I knew it would make my heart flutter later, in the moment I just nodded and pushed my tongue back down his throat.

His bedroom door was open, so we walked until my knees hit the bed and I fell over backward, laughing and then emitting a small “Oof!” when he stumbled and then fell on top of me. He grumbled and pushed himself up off his bed, caging me underneath him and between his arms. “I remember being in a very... interesting position in the taxi before we got here, and I would love to explore that some more,” Gavin smirked, the dress shirt hanging on by like two buttons, giving me a wonderful view of his chiseled pectorals and abs. I loosed a breath, before grabbing the lapels of his shirt and pushing against his chest, knocking his balance off and flipping our positions.

“I think I can make that happen.” I gave my best attempt at his signature wolfish grin, before leaving an openmouthed kiss on his neck, and sucking a mark there, right above where his collar would be. I trailed kisses down his chest and stomach from there, lavishing those glorious pecs with attention, to the point where he laughed and made some quip, that I ignored, totally encapsulated by his gorgeous body.

I unbuttoned his shirt, finally, and left a few kisses on his abs, pulling at the shirt so he would sit up and pull it off, giving me full access to his torso. He even had that ‘v’ heading into his pants, Jesus. Thank god he never wears very tight clothes often, or I would be a drooling mess whenever he was around.

I sunk to my knees between his legs finally, his pants still unbuttoned, though he was much more excited than he was in the taxi, his dick tenting the loose fabric. I grinned up at him, slowly unzipping his pants and laughing lowly when he stood and shucked his pants and boxers off in one go.

I smirked, lust pooling in my stomach at the sight of his mostly hard cock, thick enough around for my fingers to just touch, with a nice curve that looked very promising. I sat up on my knees, wrapping a hand around the base before looking up at him through my lashes and chastely kissing the tip, well as chaste as a kiss to a penis can be. He shuddered at the contact, and I smiled, sticking my tongue out I licked up the underside of his cock, wrapping my lips around it when I got to the head and then sinking down slowly till my lips met my hand. It fit comfortably in my mouth with my hand, but I knew I’d gag if I tried to take it all, so I resigned myself to keep my hand there. “Fuck.” Gavin cursed, his voice rough and low from lust and from our long makeout session.

I took that as an invitation to keep going, swirling the tip of my tongue on his tip before moving my head back up and sucking my cheeks in around his length. I set a steady rhythm and preened when he moved his hands from the edge of the bed to my head, petting for a moment before fisting one in my hair, guiding me off his dick. He cursed again, my lips were swollen from kissing and spit slick from sucking, and I figured he loved seeing me like that, especially when I felt his dick twitch in the hand still wrapped around him.

“C’mere.” He said as he knelt down, grabbing the halter around my neck that had kept my dress in place. “I’ve been waiting to get you out of this dress all night doll.” He murmured in my ear, before pulling it over my head and letting the fabric pool around my legs, leaving me in the plain blush-colored strapless bra and thong I had worn to prevent underwear lines at the wedding.

He didn’t say anything for a minute and I felt myself start to get self-conscious, because he was just looking at me, mostly naked for the first time.

“You good?” I asked, coughing, and looking at the sidewall rather than his face.

“Y’know I knew you were pretty, but you look so gorgeous right now I couldn’t think for a second.”

It felt like my entire body had flushed bright red, my face at least was definitely cherry-esque. “I uh, I feel the same... y’know… you’re uh... god you’re ripped, you look like a fuckin bronze statue and I cannot get over it!” I spluttered, feeling like I’d flushed so bright I was now more reminiscent of a neon sign that reads ‘HELLO I’M VERY EMBARRASSED BUT ALSO SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW!’ and was so big you could read it from space.

Gavin laughed and grabbed my hands pulling me up into his chest. “And you uh... you look like the old painting with the lady on the shell, with like eight feet of hair and the babies.” He tried, running his hands down my sides and smiling awkwardly.

“The Birth of Venus? Careful Gav if you compare me to her you might invoke the anger of Aphrodite!” I laughed, smiling fondly at him.

“Listen, I think I could take whatever she throws at me, besides I’m not saying she’s less pretty I’m saying you’re just as pretty.” He reasoned.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down for a chaste kiss, pulling apart after a moment and smiled. “Thanks, Gav.” His returning smile was bright, but his eyes hinted at mischief as he suddenly spun us around and tossed me on the bed. I screamed and laughed as I bounced, Gavin jumped on top of me and smirked, kissing me soundly. I relaxed into the mattress, and he relished that he finally had free reign over my neck and chest, sucking marks everywhere he could reach. When he finally got to the edge of my bra he looked up at me questioningly.

“Please,” I asked, knowing Gavin found me as attractive as I found him had lit a new fire inside me, and I was feeling so desperate for his touch, I knew he’d be grinning in a moment when he got to my little thong and would find it almost soaked through.

He unhooked that bra in a second, not even taking a second to look at my boobs, before he had his hands all over them, palming them, and lowering his head to suck a nipple into his mouth, I gasped, his tongue running around it stirring the fire inside me. He started pinching and rubbing the other, and I couldn’t help the little noises I let slip, which only egged him on. He switched, sucking my other nipple for a moment, before he moved lower, kissing down down down my belly, every kiss, making my muscles tense, my brain flood with lust.

I was right, he did smirk at me when he saw my panties, but before I could say anything, he kissed my inner thigh, centimeters away from where I wanted his mouth. He kept teasing, switching from thigh to thigh, leaving my most important place untouched.

“Gav, please!” I pouted, wriggling my hips near his face.

“Since you used the magic word.” He smirked, before pushing aside the string of my thong and licking a stripe up my cunt.

“Fuuuck!” I tried to keep my voice down, but I was so oversensitive from being so turned on for so long, for Gavin to finally touch me where I needed, it was like being drowned and then stranded in the desert, enough and not enough all at once. He kept going, circling my clit with his tongue before running it through my wet folds and pushing it inside my pussy, licking up my walls and making obscene slurping sounds.

“Fuck baby,” He panted, finally lifting his head to take a breath. “You taste so good.” He dipped his head back down, another long broad lick, stopping at my clit. “Like champagne.” Gavin sucked my clit into his mouth and thrusted two fingers inside me simultaneously, and I screeched, squeezing my thighs around his head, crossing my ankles behind him and threading my fingers into his hair.

“Oh my god, oh my god do not stop what you’re doing right now Gavin Reed I will-” I interrupted myself with a low moan, he stopped thrusting his fingers and curled them into my g-spot, rubbing circles into it and pulling on it all while tonguing my clit.

My thighs squeezed tighter and my fingers pulled at his hair, like my body wanted him to be even closer to my soaked pussy. He added a third finger and I was done for, all three digits stretching out my cunt for his dick later, and all rubbing, pulling, and tapping on that spot. I came on his fingers, calling his name, my eyes screwed shut, muscles quivering in my legs and abdomen.

I relaxed my legs, and let go of his hair, opening my eyes and blinking to try and see through the fog in my head, and expected Gavin to be smirking between my legs, but he wasn’t. He had moved to be sitting up on his knees, his dick in one hand, staring down at me with lust darkened eyes.

“What are you waiting for, detective? I believe you promised to fuck me when we were in the cab?” I quipped, sitting up on my elbows.

He gave me that wolfish grin that made my spine tingle, “I’m going to fuck you so hard you’ll be sore for your class on Tuesday pipsqueak.”

He turned around and started rummaging through his bedside table drawer for a condom, and I chose the opportunity to wiggle out of my panties and throw them across the room. He turned back to me, opened the packet with his teeth and slid the condom down his cock, so hard it was curving up and hitting his abs.

Gavin pushed me into the bed with one hand, with the other he lined his dick up, looking up at me for a final confirmation. My heart flooded with warmth, because right now when he could be completely dominating me, he still wanted to make sure I was okay. I smiled at him, curling up towards him slightly, and putting my hands on his shoulders.

“Fuck me, Gav.” I whispered into his ears.

He growled and pushed into me and I fell back on the bed, throwing my legs all the way out. He pushed in all the way, I could feel that toned ‘v’ of hardened muscle on my clit and I moaned, loving the feeling of being stuffed full. Gavin leaned down, and captured my lips in a searing kiss as he started to fuck me in slow shallow thrusts. I moaned into his mouth, his tongue not really fighting mine, now, just caressing it, as I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his hips, wanting him as close to me, as far inside of me as possible. I was seeing stars and we hadn’t even really started yet, it had really been to long since I’d had sex, good sex, and Gavin was prooving to be very, very skilled at this.

I hummed into his mouth as he started to speed up his thrusting, still going deep inside me. He pushed off of me, holding me down with one hand to get better leverage, and I moaned, missing his mouth but loving the trade off.

“Fuck baby, you feel so good.” He panted and I cooed, not even able to make words beyond “yes,” “fuck,” “Gav,” and “please!” It was everything I could do to fist my hands in the sheets and throw my legs wide again, my gaze flickering from his face to watching him fuck me.

“Your pussy so tight and wet for me, feels so good, can’t believe we waited so long to do this, wanna make you feel good (Y/n).”

“Fuck, fuck Gavin yesss, feels good, want you to feel good too!” I panted, grinding into his thrusts.

We kept repeating the same phrases, his room filled with our moans and pants and the sound of skin hitting skin. Thank god we weren’t at my apartment, we’d have gotten a noise complaint for sure, or some angry banging on the floor from the apartment above me.

Gavin was keeping true to his word, slamming his cock into me now, pushing me further down into the mattress, I could hardly breathe, so over stimulated, and then he brought his free hand to my clit and started rubbing hard fast circles while he thrusted and I couldn’t last a minute longer if I had tried, the first orgasm leaving me too vulnerable to another. I moaned his name as I came, feeling myself tense around him for the second time.

“Fuuuck fuck fuck!” He groaned, dropping down on top of me, his head buried in my neck while he thrusted those last few long deep strokes as he came, filling the condom inside me.

We laid there like that for a while panting and coming down from our highs, before he pulled out and rolled over, quickly removing and tying off the condom, getting up to throw it away.

“Wanna shower pipsqueak?”

I sighed, knowing we probably should but now wanting to move. “Would it be too gross if I asked if we could shower in the morning?” He laughed from the corner of his room. “Did I go too hard babe?” He joked.

I shot him a look, and he started laughing more. “I’ll take that as a yes.” “And I’ll take that as a I’ll beat your ass if you don’t come back here and cuddle me right now.” I shot, trying to sound angry but just coming off whiney.

“Oh no! A beating from the pipsqueak professor? What will the guys at the station think?” He joked as he slid back into bed, tossing a t-shirt and pair of boxers at me.

“Well Hank, Connor, Tina, and Nines wouldn’t be too surprised. In fact I think they’d be proud that I finally roughed you up a little.” I laughed, slipping the soft oversized shirt on.

“Wait a minute, I thought I just roughed you up? I think all those bruises are gonna paint a different picture.” He smirked at me, wrapping an arm around my stomach and pulling me into his side.

“Hm, they’ll just think we had an epic battle, and you got a few lucky shots in.” I mumbled, cuddling into him and relishing the warmth of him around me.

Gavin hummed, and pressed a kiss to my neck.

“Go to sleep pipsqueak, I gotta be up early in the morning how about you?”

I flipped over as soon as the words left his mouth, cringing at the pain in my hips and back, that was gonna feel even worse in the morning. “You have to be up early? Gav! We could’ve waited and done this some other time I’m sorry!”

He shot that wolfish grin at me, and even though we had just finished I felt that little spark in my belly. I had to resist the urge to kick him in the shin to make him stop. “Baby we waited long enough, too long even. I don’t sleep well anyway, it's fine.”

I sighed, and ran a hand down his shoulder. “What time?”

He smirked. “I’m meeting Nines at the precinct at eight.”

I sighed again, pulling him closer to me and nuzzling my face into the junction of his neck and collarbones. “Gross.” I mumbled into his skin.

“It’s fine, you can sleep here as long as you want, ok?” He assuaged, kissing the crown of my head.

I mumbled something incoherent, too wrapped up in his warmth, his scent, and the feeling of his arms around me, and way too tired to make actual words come out of my mouth.

“Night pipsqueak.” He murmured into my head

I hummed, nuzzling a little further into him. “G’night Gav.”

“Ughhh.” I wake up to hear Gavin groaning and moving slightly to grab his phone which is blaring. I shut my eyes again.

“What time is it?” I mumbled, Gavin didn’t respond. I slowly sat up and looked at him. He had his phone to his ear. I glanced at his alarm clock, it was 3 am. I started to lay back down, figuring it was work, but Gavin grabbed my arm as he hung up the phone.

“Is your phone off?” He whispered.

“Yeah, I always turn it off at night, it’s better for the battery.” Gavin looked at me, his phone was still lit and the only light between us. He looked guilty.

“Connor just called me. He said he’s been trying to call you for the last hour.” I rubbed my eyes, trying to wake myself up a little more.

“What’s wrong?”

“Your dad, he had a heart attack. He’s in the hospital.” He whispered.

#gavin reed x reader #gavin reed #detroit become human #dbh #x reader #smut

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