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Leadership of the Kwara State House of Assembly yesterday passed a bill to amend the Environmental Sanitation Law Cap E4 of the state and for related matters into law.
This followed the adoption of the Report of the House Committee on Energy, Works and Transport presented by its Chairman and member representing Omupo Constituency, Hon. Mashood Bakare to the House.
The amended law seeks to regulate indiscriminate digging or erection of bumps on roads in the state.
It was learnt that under the newly amended Environmental Sanitation Law, anybody wanting to erect speed breaker would seek permission from the concerned authority as well as give legal backing to erection of regulated speed breakers on roads in the state.
It also spelt out sanctions for violators as well as distance within which to erect speed breakers on the road.
The Chairman of the Committee while presenting the report had said that all the stakeholders invited agreed to the desirability of the amended law as well as recalled a motion by the House titled, "Indiscriminate Construction of Bumps and Speed Breakers on Roads in Kwara State ", which gives effect to the amendment.
The Deputy Speaker, Professor Mohammed Gana Yisa who presided over the sitting then directed the Clerk to the House, Mr. Ayotunde Oyeniyi to prepare a clean copy for the Governor's assent.
The House also considered the report on alteration of the Master Plan of Ultra Modern Market, Adewole Ilorin, raised by a member representing Ilorin Central Constituency, Hajia Segilola Abdul Kadir and urged the State Ministry of Commerce and Cooperatives to continue to monitor the activities of the developer in the market to ensure total compliance with the master plan, including the fence of the market and road setback.
Leadership of the Kwara State House of Assembly yesterday passed a bill to amend the Environmental Sanitation Law Cap E4 of the state and for related matters into law.


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According to the insider, the NBA SUPERSTAR popped the question in front of a few teammates (including his best friend LeBron) and close friends. Our snitch was NOT there to see D Wade get down on one knee personally. But we're told that EVERYONE IN VIP was talking about it.
The story is developing . . .

subset: commoncrawl


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Drago Milenario
Main characteristics
|421 (list of all attractions)
|Biology, Visual
|Africa, Spain, Canary Islands, northern part of Tenerife island, to the west from the centre of Icod de los Vinos town
|Canary Islands dragon tree (Dracaena draco (L.) L.)
|17.4 m
|16.4 m
The best known noble tree of Canary Islands is Drago Milenario - the largest and oldest existing Canary Islands dragon tree (Dracaena draco (L.) L.).
Dragon trees
Dracaena draco belongs to the Dracaena genus together with some 110 other species of succulents - smaller plants, shrubs and trees.
These are not typical trees. The growth of dragon trees starts with single stem. When it is some 10 - 15 years old, there start growing branches from its end, and after the next 10 - 15 years there again start growing new branches from the end of each older branch. Thus develops specific, unusual crown, characteristic only to dragon trees.
Some hundreds of Canary Islands dragon trees still grow in Canary Islands, one or two - in Madeira. Many were rather recently discovered in Morocco.
The largest dragon tree
Drago Milenario of Icod currently is the largest and oldest dragon tree. Circumference of the trunk at the base is some 20 m, at the height of 1.3 m - 17.4 m. Height of tree is approximately 16.4 m, it has some 300 main branches.
When the tree is flowering, it gets up to 1800 flowers and becomes up to 3.5 tons heavier.
Trunk has large cavity which can be entered through a door. There is made ventilation in the trunk to prevent rotting.
El Drago Milenario means - Thousand Years Old Dragon - because earlier people believed that tree is more than thousand years old, even - 3,000 years old. Now most specialists think that it is 300 - 400 years old.
History of the tree
Drago Milenario is a symbol of the city of Icod. It was declared as a national monument already in 1917. Base of the trunk was reinforced with concrete in the 1930s in order to prevent collapse of the tree. Concrete has been shaped to make it look similar to the tree.
As the city evolved, tree was surrounded by buildings and streets. In 1993 the nearby street was diverted and a park of Drago Milenario (approximate area - 3 ha) was set in 1996. Rare and endemic plants of Canary Islands are planted in this park. Tourists should pay entrance fee to enter the park.
Earlier existed much older dragon tree in Tenerife, in nearby Orotava. This tree had carved sanctuary inside and was considered to be sacred by Guanchi. This tree was 21 m tall and had circumference of 14 m, but was destroyed by storm in 1868.
Legend about the blood of dragon
There is a legend about dragon trees of Canary Islands:
Long ago a merchant came to the islands in the search of dragon's blood - a substance of extreme value for making certain medicaments.
When this merchant landed on the beach near present day Icod, he was struck by the beauty of local girls who came here for a ritual bath.
He started to chase one of girls. Girl tried to win some time by offering him some unseen fruits of her land.
Sailor started to think that he has come to the mythical Garden of Hesperides and is offered the legendary apple from this garden.
While he was eating the fruit, girl managed to escape: she jumped across a deep ravine and disappeared among the trees.
Merchant was chasing her among the trees and was increasingly surprised - the branches of trees were like snakes but leaves - like daggers. Merchant threw a spear towards such monstrous, seemingly living tree and was spellbound - blood started to flow from the tree.
Then merchant flew away from the island - he was convinced that dragons are coming to defend the Garden of Hesperides.
The sap of dragon tree was very valuable. In medieval times it was used for treating almost any illnesses. It was used also for dying the wood (also for Stradivarius violins), even as a varnish to prevent the rust.
Research shows that the sap of dragon blood tree is unusual indeed. It contains many rare and unique compounds, such as saponins with good potential to treat leukemia.
See Drago Milenario on the map of Canary Islands!


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Each month, Rated People connects over 50,000 homeowners with quality tradesmen - simply enter your job details in the form above to get started.
We'll match your job to the relevant tradesmen in your area - those interested will pay to see your contact details and call you to quote.
As each tradesman expresses interest in quoting on your job, we'll send you their profile and ratings to help you choose the right one for you.
After the work is complete, return to the site and rate your tradesman based on their quality of work, reliability and value for money.
Drainage Specialist
Added 28/11/2016
i want to get checked the 4 drain pipes which appear to be blocked on the flat roof. I need...
Drainage Specialist
Added 11/10/2016
to provide and build up a inspection chamber to the same level as the block paving and refit...
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i would like a french drain about 12 ft long
Drainage Specialist
Added 28/01/2016
Need drain clearing, think with rods
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Underground pipe has broken and there is human waste on the garden and in the property. Temporary...
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Lead waste pipe from bathroom is leaking and I think needs replacing unless you can repair(doesn't...
Happy to recommend. Did the work exactly as required and knew what he was doing.
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How Long Does Capsiplex Take to Work?
Capsiplex is an easy, once-a-day weight loss supplement that has rocketed to being the UK's number one diet pill. It's safe, effective, and contains all-natural ingredients. So, how long does it take for users to see results?
Like any diet, exercise, or supplement regimen, Capsiplex is not an instant fix. It relies on the science of thermogenics, which uses hot spices to trigger the body's internal cooling mechanism. As these spices "trick" the body into thinking that it's hotter than it really is, the body starts to sweat, dilate blood vessels, and do other things to cool down. All of these things require energy, so the body steps up metabolism to accommodate it. As a result, more calories are burned with absolutely no extra effort needed.
It takes about 3,500 calories to make up one pound of fat. Capsiplex has been shown to help users burn up to an extra 278 calories cumulatively when combined with a good diet and exercise regimen. This number will vary depending on some other factors, so users may see their weight loss results impacted by:
- How much they weigh to begin with.
- How much they are able to exercise.
- What kind of exercises they do.
- What kind of diet they follow.
- Their doctor's weight loss recommendations.
How Soon Does Capsiplex Kick in?
Capsiplex begins working as soon as it's taken. The pill's unique capsule allows it to bypass stomach acid and make it to the intestines before breaking down. This ensures that no capsicum is left in the stomach to cause irritation or heartburn, and the full payload of active ingredients is delivered straight to the intestinal mucosa. This means that the blood vessels in the intestines get to absorb the full dose of capsicum, black pepper extract, essential niacin, and caffeine that makes Capsiplex so effective.
No other thermogenic diet pill out there is as effective and easy to take as Capsiplex. It has no spicy flavor and no residual heartburn, so even people who avoid spicy food can benefit from capsicum.
How Quickly Should I Lose Weight?
While everyone wants fast weight loss, it's not always safe to lose weight quickly. Rapid changes in body weight put a strain on the circulatory system, which isn't very healthy in the long run. For this reason, people who want to lose weight should always follow their physician's recommendations when it comes to how much weight they should lose, and over what period of time.
Capsiplex is the number one diet pill in the UK, and for good reason. It uses all-natural food ingredients to help people boost their metabolism in the safest, most natural way possible. This allows them to get better, faster weight loss results with diet, exercise, and Capsiplex combined than they ever could with diet or exercise alone. As always, users should get weight loss recommendations from their physicians, nutritionists, or personal trainers for best results.


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Lawn Care
Frank's Lawn Care. Looking for new customers. 20 years experience.
Seeking both residential and commercial accounts.
Services include mowing, edging, and weedeating. Also do flower beds, hedge trimming, and can clean out guttters. Reasonable and dependable. I do all the work myself. Call Frank for an estimate.
Also capable of hauling away trash, light painting, and other odd jobs. Just ask!! And thanks for looking.


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Click For Fullscreen
Women's Base Camp Switchback Sandal
Lightweight comfort for summer exploring.
Head out on casual summer adventures in these heritage-inspired sandals and you'll be prepared for the unexpected. A clever geodesic footbed design keeps your feet comfortable even when you have to navigate rougher terrain, and it won't pack out over time. Blown rubber outsoles keep these sandals lightweight while still assuring a firm grip. Adjust the webbing straps at the forefoot, instep and heel to customise your sandals for a secure fit.
- Upper: Webbing strap configuration with three points of adjustment at the forefoot, instep and heel
- Upper: Quick-drying Lycra® heel patch with a 3 mm EVA foam package for low-profile comfort
- Sole unit: Compression-moulded PU footbed with a geodesic pattern provides comfort that won't pack out
- Sole unit: Lightweight, blown rubber outsole construction eliminates weight without compromising traction


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Hiller, meanwhile, had won 13 games in a row, the first goalie to win that many consecutively since Chris Osgood turned the trick for the Detroit Red Wings in 1996. The NHL record for goalie wins is 14 in a row – shared by Tom Barrasso (Pittsburgh) in 1992-93 and Tiny Thompson (Boston) in 1929-30. The numbers overall are staggering: The Ducks came from behind to win in 10 of their 16 wins in the current streak and are 15-5-1 when allowing the first goal of the game. The Ducks have rallied from a deficit in 10 of 16 victories on their current 17-game streak. They are a league best 15-5-1 (.738 per cent) when allowing the first goal this season.
Team captain Ryan Getzlaf suffered an undisclosed lower-body injury vs. the Coyotes Saturday, but not before he'd scored his 23rd of the season and seventh game winner, which left him just two short of his career high of 25. Only linemate Corey Perry has more game-winning goals (eight) than Getzlaf in the NHL this season. Anaheim's strong play shouldn't probably be that much of a surprise – they were, after all, 30-12-6 last year during the lockout, but were upset in the first round by the Wings.
THE WEEKLY JAROMIR JAGR WATCH: The Devils have been dismal in the shootout this year – 0-6 – so they pulled out a win with two seconds to go in OT Saturday, with a set play off the faceoff, Jaromir Jagr chipping it back to Marek Zidlicky, Zidlicky getting a clean look to put a one-timer past Panthers' goalie Tim Thomas. For Jagr, that was the 1,724th point of his NHL career, moving into seventh place on the all-time scoring list behind former teammate Mario Lemieux. At this current rate of production, Jagr also has a chance to become the seventh player in NHL history to score 700 goals – he is currently six shy and tied with Mark Messier at 694 on the all-time list. Jagr's 33 career regular season OT points is second in history behind – surprisingly – injured Devils teammate Patrik Elias, who has 35.
THIS AND THAT: Shero couldn't provide an update on Tomas Vokoun, who was supposed to be the Penguins' backup this season and ended up starting 11 playoff games for them last year. Vokoun is out with a blood clot and his return seems murky at best. Either way, it looks as if the Penguins will put their trust in Marc-Andre Fleury again. Fleury is at 26 wins through 47 games and thus would need another 22 in the final 35 games to tie Martin Brodeur's mark for the most regular-season wins in NHL history (48, established in 2006-07). Fleury's career high is 42, set two years ago, and once again, the pressure will be on him to follow up a productive September-to-April, with a much improved playoff. Fleury had hoped that he might be in the mix for Canada's Olympic goaltending trio, but the Penguins privately are probably pretty happy that considering the minutes he's logging, and their hopes to go deep in this year's playoffs, that he's going to get much of February off.
AND FINALLY: There is a precedent for an NHL coaches to win the Jacks Adams coach of the year award after being a mid-season replacement. Boudreau did it in 2008, replacing Glen Hanlon, and Bill Barber did it in 2001, replacing Craig Ramsey with the Philadelphia Flyers. Could Craig Berube, the current Flyers' coach, who took over from Peter Laviolette, manage the same trick? The Flyers were dead in the water when Berube took over, but have surged up to No. 2 in the admittedly weak Metropolitan Division. The Flyers loss to Tampa on Saturday snapped a 10-game home-ice winning streak, their first defeat since mid-November. Berube seems to have simplified the Flyers game; made a couple of tactical changes that have resulted in better balanced lines and probably benefited from the fact that Claude Giroux got healthy again.
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A bond that can 'change everything'
Credit: John Wilcox
Have a little time to spare? You could change a child's world.
Today may be the best Thanksgiving ever for Codie. The preteen will take a break from the group home where he lives and spend the holiday with three horses, five dogs, three goats, three sheep, a bunch of chickens and, most important, the woman he hoped to be with today. He calls her "really cool and awesome" and "the best visiting resource person I ever had in my whole entire life."
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- Angelo McLain
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New to Sophia?
Students will investigate and discuss mirrors and lenses.
Be sure to take good notes. Stop and rewind as much as you want.
Sophia's self-paced online courses are a great way to save time and money as you earn credits eligible for transfer to over 2,000 colleges and universities.*
Sophia partners
credit transfer.
Institutions have accepted or given pre-approval for credit transfer.
* The American Council on Education's College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE Credit®) has evaluated and recommended college credit for 22 of Sophia's online courses. More than 2,000 colleges and universities consider ACE CREDIT recommendations in determining the applicability to their course and degree programs.
Here are your notes.
Source: Langhans and various other educators
Source: Langhans and various educators
Source: inspired by C. Kirch


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Bremer grant helps local families struggling to meet basic needs
The Salvation Army serving Douglas County recently received a $49,000 grant from the Bremer Emergency Fund.
The goal of the fund is to provide emergency financial assistance to families and individuals who are struggling to provide basics such as food, stable housing, health care and reliable transportation.
A joint effort of the Otto Bremer Foundation and Bremer Bank, the fund is a direct financial response to current economic challenges. Grants were given to 81 community organizations in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin that totaled $4.2 million.
"We recognize that timely financial assistance can sometimes make the difference between instability and security, enabling families and individuals to meet emergency needs and retain housing or jobs," said William Lipschultz, foundation trustee. "Once people are able to meet their basic needs and avert a crisis situation, they are in a better position to access community programs that can help them achieve long-term economic stability."
Communities in Greater Minnesota with a Bremer presence received $1.3 million. The following is a sample list of organizations in the Alexandria area that received funding from the Bremer Emergency Fund:
Otter Tail-Wadena Community Action (Fergus Falls) - $50,000.
The Salvation Army (Alexandria/Douglas County) - $49,000.
The Salvation Army (Morris/Stevens counties) - $35,000.
The Salvation Army (Starbuck/Pope County) - $15,000.
West Central Minnesota Communities Action (Elbow Lake) - $100,000.
"These nonprofits are critical partners in the effort to build a healthier community," said David Kjos, chief executive officer of Bremer Bank Alexandria. "These grants truly represent a helping hand to those who are most in need during a very difficult time. I invite other individuals and businesses to offer a helping hand to someone who is struggling; our whole community is the healthier for your support."
The Bremer Emergency Fund honors the legacy and vision of foundation and bank founder, Otto Bremer, who believed that people could survive and flourish if they had help at critical times. In the 1930s during the Great Depression, Bremer liquidated many of his personal assets to help the "countryside" banks, in which he had invested, ride out the hard times.


text: Wow, I saw this on a few blogs during a blog tour and expressed my interest in reading it. (OK..It was the cover..I mean look at it! Awesome.) Imagine my delight when the author asked me if I'd like an ARC of The Bonded. I knew from the synopsis that I was about to embark on an urban fantasy about vampires but I had no idea I was about to enter a dark and gritty world filled with so much more. Falin delivered a unique twist on the history of not only Vampires, but Wears and Fae too! I quickly consumed this tale with its heavy world-building and captivating protagonist.


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Last week I had the pleasure of driving a Ford Tourneo, the bus version of the world famous Ford Transit Panel Van. The Transit has been the best-selling light commercial vehicle in Europe for 40 years, and in some countries the term "Transit" has passed into common usage as a generic term applying to any light commercial van in the Transit's size bracket. While initially designed for European consumption, the Transit is now produced in Asia, North America, and Europe for worldwide buyers.
After an almost 30 year gap the Transit has been released in South Africa in both panel van and bus (Tourneo) forms. The car is made in Turkey and uses South African built 2.2 litre diesel engines also found in the Ford Ranger. The panel van also comes in short and long wheel base versions with three versions of the engine from 74kw to 92kw and a sport version with 114kw of power. Despite a large engine fuel economy is around 7 litres per 100KM so it's efficient and powerful enough to get you around town. In addition you've got technical benefits such as ABS with EBD as well as hill climb assist and roll-over mitigation if you try take it around a corner too quickly.
The Transit Custom is available in a choice of short wheelbase (SWB – overall length 4.97 metres) and long wheelbase (LWB – overall length 5.34 metres) versions, so that customers can select the amount of load space which best suits their business. It's not cheap with the five models costing the following:
- 2.2 TDCi Ambiente Low swb – R302 700
- 2.2 TDCi Ambiente Hi swb CVT – R306 400
- 2.2 TDCi Ambiente low lwb – R309 700
- 2.2 TDCi Ambiente Hi lwb – R317 400
- 2.2 TDCi Sport swb – R364 600
The Toyota Quantum panel van costs around the same so it's competitive. The interior is fairly decent and you can fit a fortune in the back.
As mentioned, I drove the Tourneo bus and I was surprised at how good an experience it was. Again there is a short and long wheel base version although both offer eight seats.
Tourneo Custom models offer twin side sliding doors as standard, with running boards below the doors for improved low level step access, as well as a strong visual differentiation. A liftgate is fitted as standard at the rear.
The seats in the two rear rows can be easily folded into multiple configurations and removed in segments or completely – in total there are over 30 seating permutations to suit any occasion. All seating positions provide integral three-point lap and shoulder style seat belts. The Tourneo Custom comes with a four-year or 120 000km comprehensive warranty and a service plan covering five years or 90 000km (service intervals of 15 000km).
What surprised me was how the interior feels exactly the same as a car. So much so that you get standard Ford features such as a USB port, Sync Bluetooth connection with voice command abilities combined with a very light steering wheel and a very slick gearbox. Besides for the exceptionally high seating position you'd never know you're in a panel van. It's easy to drive, easy to park and has enough power to overtake on the highway.
I drove the bus no differently than I would a normal car. I took it on a highway, on windy roads at reasonable speed and around traffic circles with absolutely no issue at all. So much so that I forgot I had four passengers and luggage in the boot.
I'm personally not in the market for something such as the Tourneo but it seems a lot more stylish than a Toyota Quantum and vastly cheaper than a Mercedes Viano. If you're in the market for a vehicle to transport a crowd or are breeding a soccer team or just happen to be gangster enough to want a car for drive by shootings then I reckon the Ford Tourneo is a great choice.


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Some Marines came to our school and called me and my friend over to talk about the marines. I don't wanna join the military ever, but they guys were hot and funny so I didn't wanna be rude and turn it down. So I signed up for their thing. I don't know what it was. I just signed up. What now? Are they going to force me to join?
Most Helpful Guy
If you sign up you can get drafted. And the US is always waging some war somewhere in the world.00|00|0
We haven't had a draft in forty years
- Show AllShow Less
Not after the vietnam war.
There would be riots
@Waffles731 I don't think so. The time of pacifist rallies is over. We're all in war modus since 9/11.
Most Helpful Girl
They can't force you to join, lol.00|00|0


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Report: New Saab 9-3 Coming in 2012
With Saab having just been saved by Dutch automaker Spyker, the new Saab Spyker Automobiles company has confirmed that it will deliver a new 9-3 model to market in 2012. The current 9-3 has been in production since 2002, meaning that by the time the third-generation of Saab's volume seller arrives, the current model will be 10 years old.
Saab has said the new 9-5 model will arrive in dealerships this Spring, replacing a model that has been on the market for over a decade. The 9-5 will be offered as both a sedan and wagon, and a 9-5X model is also coming. The 9-4X is due out in 2011.
Most surprising is the news that the automaker is looking at delivering a 9-1 model, as past reports have suggested Spyker didn't want to take the Saab brand down-market. But with automakers like BMW and Audi already competing in the premium compact segment, Saab is reconsidering. Saab Spyker has said in an official press release that it intends to be an, ""independent, performance-orientated niche car company with an industry-leading environmental strategy," that will compete directly with BMW and Audi.
Saab Spyker expects to return to profitability by 2012, an incredibly short time considering it hasn't turned a profit in almost two decades.
[Source: AutoCar]


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Project largely complete
Traffic Impacts
Although most project work is now completed on I-35E and Co Rd 96, including the opening of the MnPASS Lanes and Co Rd 96 bridge, some work remains.
7 p.m. Fri, Aug. 25 to 5 p.m. Sun, Aug. 27
- NB I-35E reduced to two lanes from Co Rd E to Hwy 96
May 16 through late-August
- WB Hwy 96 between Centerville Rd and White Bear Pkwy will be reduced to a single lane
Spring 2017
Crews will continue to work, away from traffic, on the noise walls and on the overhead MnPASS signs and toll readers.
Intermittent lane closures may be required on I-35E between Hwy 96 and Co Rd J through mid-December and again in Spring 2017.
About this project
Summary of work
- Resurfaced existing pavement and ramps
- Replaced I-35E bridges over Goose Lake Rd
- Redecked Hwy 96 bridge over I-35E
- Widened bridges for MnPASS bridges and roads
- Updated drainage and other infrastructure
- Repaired and replaced existing guardrail
- Constructed a pedestrian trail on Hwy 96 from Centerville Rd to White Bear Lake Pkwy
- Added MnPASS lane on southbound I-35E between Hwy 96 and Co Rd E
- Added MnPASS lane on northbound I-35E south of Co Rd E and north of Co Rd J


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Outdoor Speakers
Kiwis love the great outdoors, and why not?
Beautiful weather means that we spend much of the summer on the barbecue or lounging in the shade. Now you can bring the music outside with you. Outdoor speakers are robust and weatherproof, made to withstand rain, wind, and large temperature variations.
Things worth considering are control and the size of the space. For all the advice you'll need for install, pop into our Christchurch or Wellington (NZ) based stores. For examples of how our outdoor speaker installations look, have a look at the gallery.


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DOMINIC PULLED the sleeves of his sweatshirt over his hands. Autumn had blown in with a vengeance and the copper-brown leaves of the beech trees were being steadily ripped from their branches and thrown around him in a mass of colour. The same sharp wind that was driving isolated cotton-wool clouds scudding across the crisp morning sky was also snapping at Dominic's young fingers and ruffling his copper-red mop of hair.
But his mind was not really on the weather. Dominic was summoning up courage to walk casually into the public toilets. He now came regularly to the park and knew what happened in the toilets. He had read stories about what happened there. Twice recently he had gone in with the intention of catching someone's eye and hoping it would lead to something, a blowjob probably. And twice he had bottled out, pretending instead to have a piss and leaving even more frustrated. Hopeless! Dominic was a sixteen year old boy, albeit not a very macho one, and he had a teenager's obsession with sex. He just also happened to be gay, a fact which at the moment he was keen to keep secret.
With the change in the seasons there were fewer people in the park than in the summer months, although there were still the usual Saturday morning joggers and dog-walkers. From the shadow of the trees Dominic observed a respectable looking gentleman in a green waxed jacket heading into the 'gents', his collar turned up against the wind and other people's prying eyes. He was a bit old perhaps but at least he was not fat. Anyway, cock is cock he told himself unconvincingly. Dominic waited a few minutes, took a deep breath and walked as invisibly as he could towards the toilet block.
All possible disastrous outcomes passed through Dominic's mind as he battled his way through the leafy storm. He might lack courage again. Or he might misread the situation and offend the man, which would be both embarrassing and risky. Or the man might be an undercover policeman. Just do it, he told himself, I want to know what it's like.
Nevertheless, he was not quite prepared for what actually confronted him when he entered. The man he had just seen was in the far corner and at Dominic's sudden entrance he looked momentarily worried. Standing right in front of him and with his back to Dominic was a second guy, clearly younger, in a blue hoody and grey cotton tracksuit bottoms.
'Er! Sorry!' mumbled Dominic, again unsure what to do.
The apology caused the younger one to turn and look. His expression of surprise mirrored how Dominic felt. He had seen the guy around the park several times, more often than not in the company of his mates from the rough estate on the south side of the park. With his short hair and stud earring, he was what Dominic and his friends called a chav. But unlike his mates, who were always hostile to them, this guy looked at Dominic differently, intently and non-threateningly, though always cautiously. Over the last couple of weeks Dominic had been unable to stop thinking about him. And now here he was again looking at him again through dark brown eyes. Dominic's heart raced and he felt a tingling sensation in his groin.
The gentleman took a small sideways step. His trousers were round his ankles and he was exhibiting a full blown erection. Moreover, the dark-eyed chav had his hand wrapped around the man's cock. The gentleman placed his own hand around the lad's to encourage him to resume wanking.
'Sorry,' Dominic muttered again.
He left hurriedly and broke into a run the moment he was outside. He stole glances at those he passed as if they could tell by looking at him what he just attempted, and failed, to do. His mind swirled like the leaves around him as he thought of the encounter, of the boy in the hoody, of his own sexual desires.
Dominic's journey home was an uphill run through the north entrance of the park and beyond, and he arrived back breathless. His mother met him at the top of the stairs.
'Dominic, darling! You look terribly hot and sweaty.'
'Out jogging,' he replied quickly.
'Well don't try to have a shower yet. The plumber is here.'
Dominic looked along the corridor into the bathroom and saw the back of a large stocky plumber leaning over the toilet cistern, revealing an obligatory 'builder's bum'. Dominic briefly imagined what it might be like to put his hand into the exposed crack. The plumber turned and looked at him. He had a blotchy face, stained yellow teeth and a downturned mouth like a deep-sea fish, all of which instantly repulsed Dominic. I'm not that desperate, he thought.
'It's all right. I'll have one later.' He went into his bedroom and shut himself away from the world.
ROB DIDN'T PARTICULARLY like being a plumber, especially when he was called out at weekends. However, he did like the freedom of being out and about rather than tied to a workplace. By early Saturday afternoon he was done for the day so he parked his van in the old and rarely used car park opposite the south entrance to the park and headed for the toilet block, one of several cruising spots he visited regularly. He thought of the pretty red-haired boy he had seen on his last job. Shame his mum was there, he said to himself; he would have liked to stuff his fat cock into that pretty mouth until he choked on his cum. Rob rubbed his semi-erection though his trousers at the thought and quickened his pace against the blustering wind. The inclement weather meant the park was quieter than usual.
Once inside the toilets Rob stood at a urinal near the far end, unzipped his flies and pulled out his cock. Then he waited. After ten minutes he became impatient; in the summer this place was a hive of sordid activity. He listened for footsteps but any that there might have been were drowned out by the wind in the trees. The lower lip of Rob's downturned mouth curled with irritation.
At last, a young lad with short brown hair entered wearing a blue hoody and an earring. He arrived with an air of confidence mixed with caution that Rob associated with experienced cruisers. He positioned himself at the next-but-one urinal from Rob and waited. He'll probably want paying for it, Rob thought. Fucking slut! Rob pulled back and showed him his fat cock. The lad looked at Rob's fleshy cock and then up to his face. Rob thought there was a momentary look of disgust on the boy's face and he clenched his teeth with anger. The lad looked quickly back at the toilet block entrance and then moved in to take hold of Rob's cock.
'Suck it!' Rob demanded.
The boy looked back at him. 'Twenty quid!'
'Yeah, right!' Rob decided he was an arrogant little shit! 'Let's see how good you are first.' Rob placed a hand firmly behind his head, and pushed him onto his cock. The young lad hesitated, his face like one who had smelt something unpleasant. Rob gripped his head harder and jerked his hips. 'Suck it!'
The boy's lips stretched to encompass his large cock without any obvious enjoyment. He was struggling to take it in and each choke made Rob drive his cock deeper down the other's throat. The boy's resistance and discomfort pleased Rob. The effect was to make his cock bigger, harder and all the more difficult to swallow.
Finally the lad pulled off sharply and said, 'Listen mate, no offence but this isn't working for me.'
'Well fucking make it work,' Rob snarled. He grabbed the boy around the neck and slammed his head against the urinal, before shoving his cock back into the boy's mouth. The boy became enraged and shoved back hard, but Rob was too powerful. 'Playing hard to get, now? You little slut!'
Rob wrenched his young slut up by his collar and threw him up into one of the cubicles. With one hand he pressed his head against the wall and used the other to push down his boxers. The lad objected and hurled abuse but he was overpowered and clearly frightened. Rob's cock was thick and hard.
'Shut the fuck up.' Rob punched the side of his face. He kicked the boy's legs apart and pushed his fat-headed phallus forcefully against and then into the boy's tight anus. The lad screamed with pain but there was no one around to hear him above the sound of the autumn gale. Each scream provoked another sadistic thrust from Rob's cock, and each thrust brought about another cry until the boy gave way to the pain and went limp.
THE WIND HOWLED around the toilet block making it feel even colder and bleaker and dirtier than usual. For twenty minutes or more Jimmy lay motionless on the cubicle floor listening to the wind, shocked by his ordeal. He was used to a bit of rough from some of his clients but this was different. It had been excruciatingly painful but it had also been humiliating. To add insult to injury, he didn't even get any money for it.
Jimmy hauled himself to his feet. He needed to sort himself out before anyone else found out what had happened. Jimmy belonged to a gang, and his gang hated poofs. He took some toilet roll to wipe the bloke's spunk from his arse. It was very sore and a little bloody. Jimmy could still smell the sadistic freak's foul breath and see his sadistic yellow-toothed grin, and just as vividly as he could still feel him ejaculating inside him and Jimmy felt disgusted. This was only the second time he had been fucked. Seventeen years old now, Jimmy was just thirteen the first time; he had been raped that time, too, by a previous boyfriend of his mum's, not that Jimmy ever told her. And that was when he began earning pocket money through jerking off strangers and giving blowjobs.
Jimmy limped out of the toilets into the wind and the sunlight, past the young parents playing with their young children in the play area and out of the park. His ribs ached from the punches he had been given. He touched his mouth and flinched - he was bleeding from his lower lip as well. Bastard, he thought. Fucking ugly bastard!
Mum was not home when he let himself in. She was probably at the pub as usual with her new boyfriend. Jimmy was more conscious than ever of how run down their third floor flat was. He and his mum had lived on this estate since he was small but now he began to wish for something different. Jimmy thought of the red-headed boy and imagined how different his life must be. He looked like one of the indie kids that went to the posh school on the north side of town. He and Jimmy had passed each other in the park a few times recently and had locked eyes. The boy had piercing green eyes. Last time he had blushed and looked down. Jimmy smiled at the thought and then winced from the cut on his lip. And then this morning he had been seen by him servicing a guy in the park toilets. What must he have thought? Jimmy didn't know why that mattered so much. He was the type his gang despised: long messed up hair, skinny jeans - all poofs and tossers! Talk about the north-south divide!
A text from a mate pulled him out of his reverie: the gang was meeting by the swings in the park. Jimmy found some cheese in the fridge and quickly made a sandwich with it. Chewing carefully because of his lip, he rummaged for a clean t-shirt and his white Reebok tracksuit amongst a pile of clean clothes; Jimmy was going out with the lads and he needed to play the part. He would blame mum's boyfriend for the cuts and bruises; his mates would easily believe that. Feeling soiled from his ordeal he went to take a shower. A steadily dripping tap reminded him that mum still hadn't called a plumber.
DOMINIC DROPPED the wet towel on the floor of his bedroom and regarded himself in the full-length mirror. He was not quite as skinny as he used to be; his daily routine of jogging and press-ups were beginning to pay off. He felt his biceps, then turned sideways to get a profile of his bum. He wondered what the chav in the park looked like without his trakkies. Dominic reckoned he was probably very fit.
Dominic's penis began to stir and he looked at the patch of red-brown pubic hair above his rising cock. He stroked it, imagining his chav doing the same. His chav! As if Dominic knew him! He didn't know what it was about the guy that fascinated him but whatever it was it made his dick fully erect within seconds. His face was certainly full of character: slightly too sharp a nose; two youthful wrinkles on his brow below his closely-cropped brown hair. Dominic lifted his floppy red fringe to verify in the mirror that his own forehead was smooth.
He imagined the guy masturbating, as Dominic was now, and he imagined them doing it together. Dominic pumped his cock harder. He shuddered as his balls contracted ready to explode. He paused, enjoying that ecstatic moment before ejaculation.
'Dominic,' called his father from downstairs. 'Amy's here.'
Oh, crap, he thought. It was too late. His knees bent involuntarily and a shot of cum flew from the head of his dick and hit the mirror in front of him.
'I'm coming!' he grunted. A second jet of cum followed the first with the same force and it too splattered the mirror. Dominic hastily grabbed the towel off the floor and pulled it into his groin but not before he delivered a couple more spurts onto the mirror which was now dripping with white rivers of teenage sperm. Footsteps on the stairs were followed by a gentle tap on the door.
'Dominic?' enquired Amy's voice.
'Umm! Wait a sec,' replied Dominic in as calm a voice as he could muster. 'I'm just changing.' He rapidly wiped his still semi-hard dick with the towel before using it to wipe the mirror clean. He opened a window to remove the smell of spunk.
'Just a minute.'
He licked his thumb and used it to clean under his foreskin. Then he leapt into a clean pair of white Diesel briefs and yanked on the new figure-hugging dark blue jeans that he intended to wear to Philippa's party. Still naked above the waist, Dominic flung open the door.
'Hi, Amy,' he said casually. 'Come in. I'm just getting ready. You look nice.'
'Thanks. Am I too early?' she asked, stepping into the room wearing a modest little blue party dress. Dominic took a quick surreptitious look at himself in the mirror to check his appearance; bugger, there was still a drop of cum on the mirror! Hopefully, Amy wouldn't spot it. She gave him suspicious look which Dominic chose to ignore.
'Not at all.' It was now late afternoon so still hours before the party began. 'What shirt shall I wear?'
'Depends who you hope to pull.'
'Yeah, right!'
'Why not?' she asked. 'You're an attractive boy.'
Dominic had always doubted that. 'I've got red hair!'
'It's almost auburn.'
Dominic raised an unbelieving eyebrow.
She continued, 'Anyway, I like it. And you've got luscious lips.' (Dominic thought his lips were a bit big.) 'And a nice smile - everyone says so.' (He tried to supress a smile.) 'You could pull me easily,' Amy added, fluttering her eyelashes. Dominic laughed. They were good friends, Dominic and Amy, and as yet she was the only one who knew he was gay.
'White or green?' he asked, changing the subject and holding up two shirts.
'Green. Matches your eyes.'
Dominic looked at himself again in the mirror as he buttoned up the slim-fitting dark green shirt. Maybe I'm not so bad looking, he thought. The globule of cum was still clinging steadfastly to the mirror.
'THIS LAGER TASTES like piss,' exclaimed Alex.
Everyone fell about laughing. But then a couple of cans of cheap lager helped them find anything funny. Actually, Alex was not a particularly funny guy - Jimmy knew that - but he was the gang's 'main man' and when he made a joke all the gang laughed, including Jimmy.
Alex secured his trademark baseball cap against the wind over his quarter inch of blonde hair and looked around. The mums and small children who lived nearby had now deserted the children's playground by the park's south entrance and, as usual for this time on a Saturday late afternoon, it was Alex's gang's terrain.
'Look,' said Fat Benny. 'Nice motor.'
Nobody dared call Benny fat, though he was seriously overweight, but it had become a habit for Jimmy to label him 'Fat Benny' whenever he thought of him. They all turned and peered. The light was fading. Jimmy saw a stationary silver Mercedes in the shadows of the car park across the road.
'There's people in it,' Alex observed. 'Someone's having a bit of fun. C'mon.'
Jimmy tagged behind the others. He now found their trouble-making games increasingly tedious. It began in familiar fashion: creeping up on the vehicle, then suddenly surrounding it and heckling the occupants, who were usually a couple enjoying a secret affair. To the gang's joy they realised both occupants were men. They jeered in false disgust. Before there was time to react the passenger door was pulled open and a young geeky-looking guy in shirt and tie with his trousers around his knees was hoisted from the car. Jimmy held back as the others began to kick him. With the gang's attention on their first victim, the older silver-haired driver suddenly started the engine and raced off before the lads had a chance to block him.
'Shit!' said Fat Benny, a chubby fist poised above the terrified victim's face. 'He'll probably call the filth.'
Jimmy doubted he would do anything which involved explaining to the police why he was there.
Everyone looked at Alex. He grinned. Alex pushed down his nylon trakkies and boxers and exposed a remarkably large cock, hanging splendidly in a semi-arch. He may be short, thought Jimmy, but looking at that no wonder he was the gang's leader. Jimmy watched as a stream of lager-fuelled piss drenched the man on the ground. A few kicks from Fat Benny kept him in place.
'Shame not to give him what he wants, fucking queer.'
Alex started rubbing his cock. The lads were a little taken aback as they watched it lift and lengthen.
'C'mon!' he said; then more emphatically, 'Everyone!'
It was a sign of Alex's control that he was able to get all six of them, Jimmy included, wanking over the poor witless office boy competing to see who could ejaculate over him first. They joked about cumming on their girlfriends' tits as a way of explaining to themselves why they were enjoying it. Some of them recorded it on their phones but Jimmy's attention was mainly on Alex's massive cock, now pointing skywards at fort-five degrees, and he thought of similar cocks he had blown. All at once he recalled gagging on the fish-faced git who had raped him just hours earlier, and he felt sickened. His arse still hurt. He pushed the image aside and instead imagined sucking the cock of the red-haired boy, touching his body and kissing his full and inviting lips. The lads cheered as a shot of Alex's cum hit the man in the eye. Jimmy came almost immediately after and, to his secret shame, it landed on the guy's expensive-looking jacket.
Alex and Fat Benny gave the 'queer' a couple of last kicks and the gang ran off to search for trouble elsewhere.
AMY AND DOMINIC STROLLED arm in arm along the street under the orange glow of the streetlamps. A gentle breeze now replaced the afternoon's gales. Chatting with Amy for a few hours about friends and hobbies had helped cheer him up and they were both looking forward to the party. Dominic responded to a text from Jack about the party and put his phone back in his coat pocket.
When they turned into the leafy avenue on which Philippa lived they saw a crowd of youths advancing on the other side of the road.
'Oh, God!' said Amy. 'Chavs.'
Dominic recognised the short blonde trouble-maker in the baseball cap and the aggressive-looking chubby lad at his heels. He had seen them in the park.
'Just walk normally and don't look at them,' he told her under his breath.
The lads were being deliberately loud and vulgar but the only attention they gave them as they came near was a cry of 'Go on, give her one' from the short blonde one in the cap and raucous laughter from the others. Dominic felt relieved that they stayed on their side of the street and, as they drew level, he threw them a glance from lowered eyelids. He looked down immediately and then up again. At the gang's tail was again the same boy, the one in the toilets, the one whose eyes - those dark brown eyes - were once more fixed firmly on Dominic.
Amy looked across at them. 'Stupid, mindless hooligans,' she hissed.
'Yeah,' agreed Dominic. The voice of common sense was telling him he had nothing in common with the person looking back at him.
Minutes later the two of them were walking up a gravel drive, entering an imposing oak front door and depositing their coats in the cloakroom.
'They've got a cloakroom!' whispered Amy in amazement.
The party was already in full swing - many of their school friends were turned out in their finest. Philippa's house on Park Avenue was very grand and, better still remarked Amy, her parents were away for the night. Dominic doubted his own parents would be so trusting.
After an hour or so Dominic found himself settled in the back sitting room on a two-seater sofa with the flirtatious Felicity, trying hard to make himself heard above the music. Not that Felicity ever flirted with Dominic; she was just a friend like Amy. Amy, he realised, was nowhere to be seen.
A voice called 'Dom!' with a self-confidence he immediately recognised.
'Hi, Jack,' answered Dominic.
Jack was the tall, square-jawed, tennis-playing, heartthrob of the class who sported an impressive gravity-defying full head of black hair. At the moment he was Felicity's heartthrob. Dominic noted his outrageously red shirt and then gasped at his new thigh-hugging black leather jeans. Only Jack could get away with wearing those.
'Mind if I squeeze in?'
No reply was expected and Jack threw himself on the sofa between the two of them, though the lack of space meant he ended up perched on their hips, Dominic to his right and Felicity on his left. Jack straddled his leather-clad legs across those of his two companions and it was all Dominic could do to keep his eyes, indeed his hands, off the one resting heavily on his. It was not particularly comfortable. On the other hand, whilst Jack could sometimes be an arrogant fool, Dominic quite fancied him. He would have been devastated if Jack ever found out; Jack was as heterosexual as they come.
Before long Jack's focus was solely on Felicity which mostly involved kissing. Dominic stole glances at Jack's crotch looking for evidence of a hardon. He felt a hardening in his own jeans. Felicity, or 'Facility' as she was known behind her back, moved a hand over Jack's upper leg perilously close to his manhood. Jack's hips responded with gentle rocking which made Dominic even harder. He thought perhaps he should get up and escape before it was noticed, but he was trapped. Besides, it was hidden under Jack's leg. And it was very enjoyable.
Somewhere in the hall he heard a disturbance.
'Philippa's dealing with some gatecrashers,' explained a boy in the doorway.
'Oh my God!' remarked another. 'Look at them!'
Suddenly the kissing couple was the centre of attention. However, rather than stop them it seemed to spur them on. Dominic felt awkward and embarrassed and, typically, reverted to humour. As a joke (and, if truth be told, also as an excuse to touch him for real) Dominic put his hand on Jack's other thigh and flicked his tongue in and out at the other girls who responded with shrieks of laughter. Oh, the feel of the leather and the firmness of his leg muscles felt so nice. Jack disengaged himself from Felicity, looked down at the hand on his right leg and turned to grin broadly at Dominic.
'Oh, boys!' exclaimed one of the girls. 'Let's see you snog, then.' A chorus of support for the idea rose from the room.
Dominic, though he had often dreamt of the opportunity, quickly withdrew his hand and objected strongly, fully expecting Jack to do the same. Jack, in contrast, grinned wickedly and said, 'Okay.' For him it was just a laugh and his reputation and standing could survive it. Dominic succumbed to pressure and lifted his face to Jack's for a quick kiss. At first he thought the first brief peck on the lips was as far as they were going to take it. Jack, though, loved a good show and he pressed his mouth firmly over Dominic's, submitting him to the lengthy kiss he had practiced on many a girl. For Dominic, intense pleasure was mixed with intense fear of humiliation. His cock was now fully erect beneath Jack's thigh and he was not sure how long it would continue to remain unnoticed. Nevertheless, even though he was being watched, Dominic unwisely placed his hand back on Jack's thigh. At the same time, to the delight of the crowd, Jack inserted his tongue. Dominic responded involuntarily with his own tongue but pulled back suddenly. This combined with the feel of warm leg in leather was the last straw and he realised with mounting panic that he was on the verge of ejaculating.
It was at this point that a growing commotion behind the spectators directed everyone's attention away from them. Jack lifted his mouth from Dominic's and stood up to look.
'You stuck-up little fucker!' shouted a voice from the hall above the mounting cries and abuse.
Dominic quickly positioned his hands in his lap and likewise sprang to his feet. But he had reached the point of no return and an all-to-familiar sensation coursed through his body. He thought: O crap!
'It's those townie shitheads from the estate,' Jack said indignantly, and he gallantly marched out to help sort the trouble.
Dominic's rigid cock, held tightly and uncomfortably downwards inside his narrow trouser leg, went into orgasm. Ignoring the turmoil coming from the hall, he all but ran to another doorway at the back of the room, his steps accompanied by a rhythmic discharge of adolescent semen. He ran along a darkened passage and, as his ejaculations subsided, darted into a room adjacent to the back door of the house. It was a utility room. Dominic was appalled to see the wet patch on his new jeans. Spotting a towel by a wash basin, he frantically pulled open his flies and shoved the towel into his briefs to mop up any cum that had not already been soaked up. He stopped and listened; everyone else appeared to have gravitated towards the mayhem at the front of the house. He pulled out his cock, then wet part of the towel to wash himself with. It was not an easy job while he was still so stiff. It occurred to him that this was the second time that day he had almost been caught in the act and the second time he had hastily needed to hide the evidence.
It sounded like a fight had broken out in the front hall. Dominic hated violence and, though he was worried about Amy, he was also no action hero. The only 'criminal damage' he liked was the brand of jeans he had just soiled. Besides, he was acutely embarrassed by his predicament. So he stuffed himself back into his damp underwear and jeans and headed out of the back door.
Because the route around the side of the house would have taken him directly into the centre of the trouble he instead followed the path down to the end of the garden. Philippa's prestigious house backed onto the north side of the park. It was very dark, but Dominic successfully climbed onto a shed roof and from there onto the high brick wall that separated the garden from the park. He shivered. The wind had stopped altogether now but the air temperature had dropped. His coat was still hanging in the house. In the distance he heard an approaching police siren. Dominic dropped down the other side and landed in a bush.
FROM HER VANTAGE POINT near the top of the stairs Amy had a good view of the fight. What began as a few drunken chavs looking for free booze and trouble in equal measure quickly escalated into a serious altercation between two or three of the more aggressive members of the gang and some of the boys from her class, who were clearly less used to gang warfare.
'You stuck-up little fucker!' shouted the short blonde one in the baseball cap who was particularly vitriolic; probably the gang leader, Amy decided.
Someone made a condescending remark and, as a result, was shoved aggressively by the heavily-built thug next to him. 'Yeah? Fink you're better than us, you little cunt? Go on then.'
'Stop it!' Amy cried helplessly. She took out her mobile and dialled '999'.
Jack appeared from a room somewhere below her, his big hair adding even more to his already tall stature. Heroic and righteous in scarlet and black like a Queen's grenadier guardsman, he bravely defended Philippa against the intruders but, sadly, was no match for the fat thug who landed several blows to Jack's body.
Some of the others sensed it was rapidly becoming unsafe; they decided the party was over for them, and they looked for alternative escape routes. Events moved so fast that it seemed no time before the police arrived on the scene and most of the gang members vanished in all directions. The large, chubby one, however, was not so light on his feet and, after a struggle, was finally driven off in a police car.
When Philippa finally closed the door, the small number of people who had remained talked animatedly about how dreadful it was and how much worse it could have been. They told Jack how proud they all were of him and assured him that doctors were very good nowadays at fixing broken noses. Only at this stage did it occur to Amy that Dominic was not there. Straight away she called his mobile but got no response; so she sent him a text.
HAVING HUNG BACK behind the others, Jimmy was the first of his gang to hear the police car and was the first to make a break for it. Behind him others were running, too. He bolted around the corner and ran into the park through the open wrought iron gates of the north entrance. Jimmy knew every inch of the park; he made for the cover of an evergreen bush to catch his breath. There were no clouds now and the stars provided just enough light to watch the path from there.
He was appalled at the unnecessary violence with which his gang had forced their way into the big house. They had been tipped off about parties before but none had ended as badly as this. He had watched as Fat Benny had forced his way in and thrown indiscriminate punches, not least on the guy in the red shirt. But the thing that caught his attention was the girl on the stairs. She had been the one with the redheaded boy in the street earlier and Jimmy couldn't help wondering if he had been hurt, too. He hoped not.
From beyond a clump of trees nearby he recognised the voice of one of his mates. Normally he would have gone to find him, but this time he stayed where he was. Then close behind him Jimmy heard a twig snap. He swung around and saw a figure cowering in the shadows holding a stick above his head. Jimmy raised a protective arm and clenched a retaliatory fist.
'You!' said the wielder of the stick. He was shaking,
Jimmy remained tense. 'What?'
The figure lowered his weapon and took a step out from the shadow of the bush. Even in the silvery light of the stars Jimmy recognised his red hair. Jimmy glanced nervously over his shoulder and then back at the boy. Then he nodded almost imperceptibly in recognition.
'You okay?' he asked, still wary and uncertain how he should be responding to the enemy.
The boy smiled attractively. 'Yeah.' Then his face became serious again. 'Are you part of the... you were at the party?'
Jimmy hesitated. The sound of footsteps made him turn. He could just make out the familiar shape of Alex.
'This way,' he whispered.
He grasped the boy's arm and led him through the trees away from the path, taking care to avoid the fallen branches brought down in the gale. With a firm hand on his shoulder he positioned his companion under cover of a thicket of saplings and stood close behind him where he could see out over his other shoulder. Jimmy was an inch or two taller than Dominic. Both of them were breathing hard, the only noise audible in the still silence. How different from that afternoon when no one could hear his screams.
'I think we've shaken him off,' Jimmy said.
Jimmy realised just how close behind the other boy he was standing. His face was almost touching the other's hair. He eased his grip on the other's shoulder.
'A mate. Kind of.'
The boy with the red hair twisted to look at Jimmy. 'I'm Dominic, by the way.'
Their noses were almost touching and their mouths were disconcertingly close but Jimmy held his position wondering how much he should trust him.
'Jimmy,' he replied. Dominic smiled again briefly.
They stood motionless like that for what seemed like an age, both unsure of the other one's intentions. Their breath steamed in the clear night air and the starlight twinkled in Jimmy's earring. Jimmy decided to take a risk. He slowly cocked his head to one side and closed the gap between Dominic's parted lips and his own until they lightly touched. Dominic froze. He felt their breaths mingling. Jimmy's heart thumped in his chest as he considered whether he had misread the situation but the delayed response from Dominic's lips allayed any fears. Dominic kissed him a gentle kiss and Jimmy felt the fullness and moistness of his lips.
In truth, Jimmy had used his mouth for many a blowjob over the years and, if his customers were good-looking, he occasionally allowed them to kiss him but this kiss was a new experience altogether. It was tender, romantic even, in spite of the discomfort of the cut on his lower lip which he ignored. Without any manual assistance Jimmy's cock engorged with blood in seconds and tented his trakkies. He wanted so much to press it against Dominic, to rub it against him and have him touch it, but he resisted. He didn't want to spoil the moment.
Unfortunately, the moment was spoiled by the sound of Jimmy's mobile. He cursed as he quickly grabbed it from his pocket. The call was from Alex. He should have put it on silent.
'For fuck's sake!' he exclaimed, frustrated that he couldn't stop it ringing more quickly.
'Jimmy?' came the sound of Alex's voice in the distance. 'Is that you, mate?'
Jimmy froze. He stared intently out into the darkness. Then in a whisper he said, 'I don't want him finding you and me together. That gap leads down to the toilets.'
'What will you do?' Dominic was not sure what he meant.
'I'll follow you there if I can. Just go quick!'
He watched Dominic nervously making his way out of sight and then he waited. He really didn't want to meet Alex just now but, unless he goes the other way, it would be better if he found Jimmy alone and took a different route out of the park than for him to stumble across both of them. Jimmy wanted nothing more at the moment than to protect the other boy and the realisation of that was more shocking than anything else.
THE TRAIL THROUGH the undergrowth was difficult to follow in the dark. At one point Dominic tripped. He thought he was lost until he made out the glow of the lamps illuminating the south entrance and, silhouetted against them, the shape of the public toilets. The front of the toilet block and the path leading to the entrance was too well lit so Dominic stayed by the edge of the trees behind the block to wait for Jimmy.
It was also increasingly chilly without his coat. He would have to go back to get it at some point. It was probably safe now. Remembering the other reason he fled, Dominic felt his crotch. His jeans were a bit damp still but better than they were. More prominent was the renewed firmness of his dick after the stimulation of Jimmy's kiss. What a day you've been having, he told it.
There was still no sign of Jimmy. Had the others found him? Had he decided to go and find them instead? Maybe this was a trick to get rid of him. It occurred to Dominic that he might be waiting here all night. He wondered if Amy had been trying to get in touch and he reached in the pocket of his jeans for his phone. 'Damn it!' he mouthed as he recalled putting it into his coat.
A sound behind him made him turn, relieved that Jimmy had come after all. However, the hand that grabbed him by his collar and the face that stared down at him were not Jimmy's. In the dim light Dominic was just able to make out a row of discoloured teeth in a cold downturned mouth. Dominic tried to break free but the man was very much stronger. He was dragged towards the rear wall of the toilet block where he fell to the ground. An attempt to call out was stifled by a large hand that pressed his head hard against the brick wall and made it difficult to breath. Dominic suddenly registered the face as that of the ugly plumber he had seen in his house, though he couldn't tell if the plumber recognised him.
To Dominic's horror the man undid his trousers with his free hand and pulled out a fat cock dripping with precum.
'This what you're looking for?' he snarled.
It dawned on him that the man had assumed Dominic was there looking for a sexual encounter, which was understandable - after all, that's what he was doing there that morning. But not now! And certainly not with him.
The ugly plumber took hold of his fleshy semi-hard organ and with one swift movement slapped Dominic heavily on the side of his face. It felt like being hit hard with a large scaly fish and it smelt like it, too. After several more stinging slaps the hand smothering Dominic's face shifted and the man with a mouth like a fish tried to push his fish-like penis between Dominic's tightly closed lips. His resistance resulted in a sharp clout across the head from the back of the man's hand. Dominic yelped and his eyes welled up with tears, making the plumber smirk cruelly. The bulkhead of the man's cock was now between Dominic's lips and dribbled pre-seminal fluid against his gritted teeth.
'Suck it!'
The plumber clenched his fist and leaned back to put his full weight behind the punch. Dominic shut his eyes and waited for the blow. A horrible thud like the sound of wood against bone was followed by a chilling animal-like groan. But the groan was not Dominic's and the thud came not from his own head but from that of his attacker's. The man slumped to the ground revealing Jimmy staring furiously down at him clutching a broken branch in both hands.
'You okay?' he asked, still poised ready for any retaliation from the man.
Dominic looked at the body on the ground. 'Is he dead?'
There was a low moan.
'Unfortunately not.' Jimmy gave him a sudden and quite vicious kick in the stomach. 'Fucking bastard!'
Always preferring flight to fight, Dominic jumped up and recommended they leave. Jimmy nodded and, without a word, dropped his weapon and led Dominic back up the slope behind the toilet block and into the woods. This area of the park was the wildest and least busy at any time of the day. Eventually, at the far end of the wood they arrived at what seemed like a dead end, although from the sound of it the road must have been only a few yards away. Jimmy ducked under a low branch and appeared to vanish into a hedge. Dominic carefully followed him in and almost lost his footing as he stepped down a slope into a dark, empty, enclosed space.
'Where are we?' he asked.
AFTER A FEW MINUTES Rob sat up and rubbed his head. At first he was disorientated but when he remembered where he was and what he was about to do he bared his yellow teeth and growled. He was not sure what had happened but he knew he had been frustrated in his attempt to have his way with the red-haired boy. Shame, he thought.
His head was sore but he stood up easily enough. Though tomorrow was Sunday and he had no work, he thought perhaps he should call it a day and go home. Then he changed his mind.
'Jimmy, mate. It's me. Where are you?'
The voice came from the path where a short blonde-haired youth in a baseball cap and trakkies was speaking into a mobile phone. Receiving no answer, the lad muttered obscenities under his breath, evidently unaware of Rob lurking around the corner.
Rob's cock twitched.
The youth continued murmuring angrily to himself: '...my fucking gang... need a piss...'
Rob licked his yellow teeth and followed the lad in to the toilets.
JIMMY SWITCHED ON a torch and placed it on the ground. The light from it reflected on the concrete walls and roof of a small abandoned World War One pillbox bunker.
'What is this place?'
Jimmy shrugged. 'I come here sometimes, to get away.' In the gloomy light Dominic surveyed an old blanket spread across a mattress of dry leaves and bracken, and some empty bottles and crisp packets in the corner. 'We don't have to stay.'
'No, it's okay,' replied Dominic, still looking curiously into the corners.
Jimmy pulled a couple of cans from a box by the wall. They both stood in silence for a while, taking long and much-needed drinks from their cans.
Dominic asked, 'Who else comes here?'
'No one.' Jimmy lobbed his can into the corner. 'No one else,' he reiterated.
Dominic returned Jimmy's intense gaze, suddenly understanding the privilege of being brought here. He felt a strong urge to be kissed by him again, to have sex with him in fact.
'Do you want to... you know?'
Jimmy knew. He unzipped his tracksuit top and removed it, and then stopped. 'Is this your first time?'
Dominic was not sure which answer he wanted to hear. 'Yes,' he said truthfully. 'Is it yours?'
Jimmy smiled at the floor and then back at Dominic who blushed at the stupidity of his question, recalling the scene that morning with the man in the waxed jacket.
Jimmy asked another question: 'Why me?' Dominic didn't understand. 'Why are you interested in me? You're a posh kid with posh friends and stuff. I'm from the estate.'
Dominic was not sure why he was interested, but he was very sure he was.
'Well, I'm guessing you're gay like me. And I reckon, like me, your friends don't know.' He felt he needed to give a better reason. 'Anyway, there's nothing wrong with where you live. I bet your friends are very nice.' He didn't actually believe that but there was, nonetheless, something about their roughness - or his roughness at least - that excited Dominic. 'Also,' he continued, 'just the way you looked at me, and then kissed me. I really liked that. Be nice to do more.'
'Yeah, it would', agreed Jimmy.
'But what about you? Same question: why me?'
The lines on his forehead deepened giving him an almost melancholy air. 'Because you're beautiful.'
Dominic had not anticipated that reply. Never in his life had he been called beautiful by anyone and believed them. He smiled and reached out to touch Jimmy's arm. His skin felt warmer than Dominic's. Jimmy responded with a kiss more passionate than their first. They pressed their bodies together. They passed their hands through each other's hair and over each other's backs.
Jimmy took a step back and lifted off his t-shirt in one swift movement.
'Bloody hell! What happened to you?' asked Dominic.
The bruises on Jimmy's muscular upper torso were clearly visible even in the dim torchlight.
'Oh, it's nothing. Worse than it looks', he lied. 'I got the other bloke back though.'
Dominic scrutinised Jimmy's chest, more developed and defined than his own but also hairless. He admired his pert nipples, the onset of a washboard stomach and the 'V' of his abdominal muscles plunging into his boxers. And he saw the contour of his sex muscle pushing urgently through his tracksuit bottoms.
Dominic went to take off his own shirt but dropped his hands as Jimmy moved in to do it instead. Jimmy's fingers slowly undid the buttons one by one. Dominic was tingling from head to foot, but most of all in his balls and the base of his penis. Jimmy carefully drew the shirt off his shoulders and arms, then folded it and placed it down out of harm's way. He leaned in and kissed Dominic's neck. Dominic shut his eyes. He kissed his shoulder and then his chest. Dominic placed his hands around Jimmy's head and pressed it in to him as he sucked tenderly on his nipple. Now on his knees, Jimmy placed his tongue on Dominic's solar plexus and ran his tongue unhurriedly down his smooth flat stomach, halting briefly to tease his tummy button. The russet hair on Dominic's arms rose and he shivered; it was cold but he was also struggling to hold himself still as his new and intimate friend journeyed nearer to his boner.
Jimmy fondled Dominic's legs, he squeezed and rubbed his calves and thighs through the sheath of denim. He tensed, gripped the seat of Dominic's jeans and buried his face in Dominic's groin. Then, drawing back and regaining control, Jimmy undid the button of Dominic's jeans and pulled down the zip. Surely and confidently he hooked fingers of both hands inside the waistband of his briefs and eased it down enough to reveal the autumnal bush of pubic hair. He buried his nose in the soft hair and enjoyed Dominic's smell.
Up to this point Dominic had been standing. Now he let himself be steered to the surprisingly comfortable woodland futon Jimmy had improvised. He lay back and gazed at Jimmy standing over him, a small dark patch capping the steep mountain made by his rock-hard knob. Eyes still on Dominic, Jimmy kicked off his old trainers, tossing them aside without ceremony, and pushed down his trakkies. His cock sprang free and bounced a few times. To Dominic it looked noble and elegant. It was long and slender, and it curved very gently upwards from a delicately thin patch of pubes to its circumcised helmet.
Jimmy knelt on the blanket and removed Dominic's vans, setting them aside neatly. He raised Dominic's leg and allowed the head of his cock to drag delicately along Dominic's calf, and then he then took off his jeans. The task required rather more tugging than at first he thought and he grinned. Dominic smiled back. Then, like someone unwrapping a delicate treasure, Jimmy pulled down Dominic's briefs. He carefully folded both briefs and jeans and placed them down with the shirt.
By comparison with Jimmy's, Dominic's uncut dick was dead straight, not quite as long but a little thicker; and as he lay prone on Jimmy's blanket he was acutely aware of it standing boldly to attention. Jimmy took hold of it and slowly wanked it. He leant over, kissed Dominic's mouth and lay his warm smooth body down on top on him.
Dominic responded to the kiss passionately. He gripped Jimmy's muscular arse with his hands. He rubbed his hands up his back and sides, and eased off when Jimmy flinched with pain. 'Sorry,' he whispered. He slid his hand between their bodies and felt Jimmy's cock pressed against his. Their tongues and their legs intertwined. Their young muscles tensed and flexed and their bodies pressed ever closer. They rolled so that Dominic lay on top and then they rolled back again.
Jimmy sat astride Dominic and held both their dicks between his hands as though sporting one enormous phallus. Dominic's hands moved over his thighs - such hairless legs, he thought; I've got more hair on my legs than that. Jimmy then raised himself to his knees and walked on them until he sat astride Dominic's chest. Fighting against the rock-like stiffness and the slight upward bend of his erection, Jimmy pushed his cock down and offered it to Dominic's mouth. Dominic kissed it and compressed his lips around the bell end. He tasted his precum, so much sweeter than that of his assailant a little earlier. He pushed the thought aside and relaxed his lips, allowing Jimmy to slide his cock in and out of Dominic's mouth with gradually increasing thrusts of the hips. He loved the feel of the firm muscle in his mouth - different from how he had anticipated - and the feel of its smooth delicate skin against his lips. And he loved the expression on Jimmy's face as he lost himself in the pleasure of it all.
When Jimmy let out a grunt and arched his back Dominic expected him to cum in his mouth. However, Jimmy pulled out suddenly and sat back against the concrete wall, untroubled by its coldness and roughness. Dominic sensed he wanted to delay reaching a climax. He got up and stood in front of his gay chav with knees bent, allowing Jimmy to service his dick in the same way. Jimmy did not just suck, but he licked and he kissed and he even bit very gently. Dominic made a mental note of his technique for next time. But Jimmy's dark eyes drew him down. Dominic sat in his lap and kissed him deeply once again. At the same time he pressed his cock into and across Jimmy's tight abdominal muscles.
And then a new sensation overwhelmed Dominic.
As he sat moving and rotating his pelvis he felt the shaft of Jimmy's stiff cock rubbing along the crack of his arse. Of course, Dominic knew that fingering his anus when he masturbated made him cum quicker but this was far more exciting. He shifted a little until the end of Jimmy's knob pushed against his hole. And still they kissed.
Jimmy's hands moved to Dominic's waist and lay Dominic on his back once more. He lifted Dominic's left leg in the air. With his hand he moved his cock over Dominic's smooth bollocks, around the most intimate soft-skinned areas between Dominic's legs, and into the porch of his teenaged man-cunt. Dominic reacted by widened his legs and felt the pressure against his hole increase. He was anxious, but he was eager to experience and eager to please.
'It's okay,' assured Jimmy. 'I won't go in.'
He wanted to say it was fine, that he wanted to be fucked. Instead, he sat up on one elbow and reached down with his own hand to help Jimmy continue the journey of exploration that his dick was making.
And then, without warning, Jimmy came. One touch by Dominic of Jimmy's small tight balls resulted in seemingly gallons of spunk being pumped rapidly out of his cock. Dominic marvelled at the proficiency with which Jimmy manhandled his big stick as if taking aim with a wartime anti-aircraft gun. There in the bunker Jimmy's powerful weapon discharged its viscous ammunition all over Dominic's stomach and genitals. With his last rounds spent, Jimmy exhaled loudly and slumped his shoulders.
'Fuckin' hell!' he said.
Dominic smiled.
Jimmy took a short breather as he watched Dominic touch the small reservoir of cum on his abdomen and transfer some of its moistness to his own dick. Jimmy grinned cheekily, scooped up a thumbful of it himself and held it to Dominic's mouth. Then, with the taste of cum still on his lips, Dominic fell back and closed his eyes. Jimmy wanked Dominic's dick, using the semen he had just deposited on it as a lubricant. It felt good. He went down on it with his mouth, and he licked his balls. Dominic pushed himself up again to watch. Jimmy held and squeezed the base of Dominic's cock as he kissed its tip and licked under the foreskin. And all the time he looked back into Dominic's eyes as if enjoying the other's enjoyment. He squeezed and pumped a few times, then stopped. Then he squeezed again, bringing Dominic agonisingly slowly to the point of climax. It was all Dominic could do to resist grabbing his cock from Jimmy and finishing the job himself with a few quick jerks.
But in the event, another squeeze of the hand and lick of the tongue was all that was needed. For the third time that day, Dominic was about to ejaculate. Only, this time there was no embarrassment and no rush to clean it up.
'I'm cumming,' warned Dominic.
It felt for a moment like the world had stopped and was suspended in a state of sexual bliss. Then his balls tensed and catapulted a white streak of cum directly up the side of Jimmy's face.
'Oh crap,' he said. 'I'm sorry.'
'It's okay,' Jimmy reassured him, still holding his cock firmly.
The gap between the first shot and the next seemed like an eternity. Jimmy's ability to bring Dominic to the edge and back again was masterful. At last, the aching yet still rigid love-muscle in Jimmy's hand jettisoned another spurt of cum, less powerful than the first, this time leaving a trail across Dominic's stomach. Then followed another and then another until a stream of thick seminal fluid gushed from its slit and down its shaft as if it would never stop. Jimmy gently continued to massage Dominic's cum-covered cock with his finger and thumb, and he kissed it along its entire length. Dominic juddered and groaned; the pleasure was almost too much to bear. He stroked Jimmy's head and with his fingertips he touched the cum he had spilt on Jimmy's cheek. He felt Jimmy's lips and tongue against his fingers; and he felt lips and tongue and fingertips caressing the tip of his penis as it released its last reserves of spunk.
And Dominic could take no more: 'Oh!' he cried. All of a sudden his cock was too tender to touch and he pushed Jimmy's mouth away. 'Sorry.'
Jimmy pulled himself up onto his hands and knees and leant his face over Dominic's face.
'Will you stop fucking apologising!'
Dominic smiled a broad, happy smile and pulled his head to his. The taste of his own cum on Jimmy's lips excited Dominic and gave their kiss a last surge of passion till Jimmy finally collapsed next to him, exhausted.
After a few minutes Jimmy asked: 'How was that?'
Dominic was still smiling. 'Good,' he said in due course, by which he meant that it was wonderful, better than he could have imagined, and that Jimmy was seriously fit and fucking sexy. From the way Jimmy smiled back at him Dominic decided he probably knew what he meant.
IT WOULD BE NICE to say that from that moment on Dominic and Jimmy lived happily together ever after, but of course that did not happen. However, that Saturday was a turning point for them both.
Jimmy still hung out with some of the gang. However, after the party incident, when Fat Benny was arrested, the gang began to break apart. For some reason Alex avoided going to the park and he lost credibility. Jimmy's mum got a new boyfriend who was a plumber - a nice one who fixed the dripping tap. And Jimmy visited the park toilets less frequently unless it was to take a piss.
It took Dominic some while before he came out to his friends. He was worried about Jack's reaction but, as it turned out, Jack emerged as Dominic's strongest supporter and protector (although he never kissed him again).
Of course, Dominic and Jimmy secretly met up many times and they fucked like rabbits. They also talked and joked and were each other's clandestine best friends. But did their relationship come fully out into the open? Did it develop into something more open and long-term? Maybe.


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Today we had Nathan's Little Gym class, and I must say that Nathan LOVES that the Little Gym moved into the mall. You all know how *I* feel about the Little Gym moving into the mall. Now, I walk by Starbucks and I have to get a drink there, so that is $3.50 down the drain. Although, today I got a survey on my receipt and if I do this survey in 14 days I get a FREE drink of choice! Ha! Also, I love pretzels, and so does Nathan... so after class, we always get a pretzel. How am I ever going to lose my muffin top if I keep eating like this? I wasn't even hungry for dinner! Well, I blame it all on the Little Gym! D*mn them for moving into the mall!
Oh, and of course, another reason why I am mad that the Little Gym moved into the mall, but a reason why Nathan is happy that it moved into the mall is summed up in THIS picture... BIG sigh!
Yep, the dreaded riding toys that you see in a distance, and think, "Oh no.. I must walk faster with this enormous double stroller so that maybe, just MAYBE my 3 year old won't see the 20 assorted riding toys." Then, of course, when you are within sight of them you say, "Look, look Nathan!" and you point out some sort of cool thing you see in a store that is in the OPPOSITE direction of the riding toys, so that he turns his head away from them. "Nathan, OH Nathan, look at that cool.. That cool hat! Oh wow, it even has a hole for a pony tail!" But, then... of course... it always happens... "MOM!! I WANT OUT I WANT TO RIDE ON THAT HELICOPTER! MOMMY GET ME OUT NOW!"
But, of course, tonight I was ONE happy Momma... Why? Because my BIG boy stayed with the group for the ENTIRE Little Gym class! Last time he almost did it, but started wandering the last 15 minutes. But, today, he stayed with the class the ENTIRE time... Of course, Jeremi and I saw the little wheels in Nathan's head turning, several times we saw him start to run off, but then he stopped, we saw the wheels spin, and he went back to the group.
How did we get him to stay with the group? Oh, we had lots and lots of talks with him about staying with the group. He knows and even talks to us about how he is supposed to stay with the group. Oh, and then... well, there was this...
See that train in the picture? (Oh, sorry for the leaves, my husband doesn't like me to show the kids nekkid or almost nekkid (as John Deere mom says) on the Blog. hee, hee! But, anyway, in this picture you will see Thomas the Train's friend Spencer. Yep, we told Nathan that if he followed along in class that he would get Spencer. It worked, but it took 2 classes. Nathan knows that if he breaks the rules, Spencer will be taken away.
So, since this worked so well, I told Nathan tonight that if he doesn't go #2 in his pants for a full week he will get the Emily train. He is really into these battery operated Thomas trains right now. Spencer is the second one he has gotten. So, I think this brainwashing may work. Nathan is doing really good with going #2 on the potty about 80% of the time now, BUT I am just so ready to have him full trained so I am hoping this works!! Please!
Anyway, here are some pictures of Nathan's Little Gym class from today.
This photo cracks me up because all the kids are lying flat on the floor, but Nathan has his little bum sticking up. ;)
Today was also great because Jeremi's boss gave us more hand me downs! He has given us a lot and it always helps out. It is not Gymboree stuff by any means, but at Nathan's age, he is so rough on clothes that play clothes are nice to have! We got a bag full of shoes, a bag of coats and also a HUGE tub full of clothes. These will be great for the winter! Here are pictures:
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Style: 33309881 Colour:
Pointed toe leopard printed ankle bootie with a stiletto heel. Zips up the back. *By Mode Collective
Mode Collective
Beautiful, Sassy, Painfully Uncomfortable
Fell in love with these shoes, have worn them once in the past year, just long enough that I cannot return them. The sassiest, coolest shoes I've ever purchased. Also, the most uncomfortable shoe I have ever attempted to wear, and I wear a lot of crazy heels that would appear to be uncomfortable but I find these particular shoes unbearable. I will blame the discomfort on the sizing issues, which was not a clear issue at first because the shoe fits so strangely in the first place. But even letting friends with smaller shoe sizes try them on and hearing their opinions, I expect more comfort in shoes that I spend $300 on. I give the shoes 5 stars for uniqueness and 0 stars for comfort/fitting. I will give it a final 2 star rating because they act as a conversation piece and they look cool in my closet.... wish I could show them off in public tthough :(
I have been in lust with these shoes FOREVER! Then that morning came when I opened my email and that special email arrives from FREE PEOPLE that something you wanted is in fact back in stock!! But it's not over!!! What is it?? And will it still be available!?? Well this was a great morning indeed!! I got my size 41 and when they arrived was so very pleased! The left foot fit perfect but the right shoe was way to small!! I couldn't zip it up! I am so very sad!!! I want these and wish they could make a pair for me with the right side a lil bigger!! Is this possible? Sadly, I had to return them… :(
Gorgeous, but run tiny!
I waited while these were on back-order and was super excited when they finally arrived in the size 39 Eur I ordered. The pony hair is gorgeous, the heel is SO cool, and I love these boots...however they run absolutely tiny. I am a true size 81/2 and the 39 was nearly comical to try and put my foot into. Please also note that these boots are cream with brown spots, not black spots (which I think loos like in some photos here). Overall, stunning, but had to return due to size issue.


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The prices may have gone up of purchasing a home but the costs behind the process have decreased. The average percentage of the purchase price required by the banks as a deposit on first-time purchases has shrunk from 8.4% to 6.8%. This is a large decreases and translates into an average saving of R9000.
The transfer duty threshold was raised earlier this year from R600 000 to R750 000, which translates into further savings for most first-time buyers of up to R4 500. And don't forget that, wages have generally risen faster than house prices over the past two years, so monthly home loan instalments as a percentage of income have grown smaller.
When taking all these factors together it becomes apparent that even in the long-term it has become more affordable to enter the property market for first-time buying despite the sluggish economy and the rising cost of living.
First-time buyers are more credit dependent than repeat buys and it can be a bit daunting if the Reserve Bank goes ahead with further interest rate increases this year, as monthly mortgage repayments start to rise, but take all the factors into consideration before opting out.
But for moment the demand for residential property continues to grow across all sectors of the market, as reflected in 2.1% increase in the overall number of home loan applications in the last 12 months, with the average of a year-on-year increase of 2% in the total number of home loan approvals, and a 15.7% drop in the number of applications that were declined outright.
It is important to look at the process as a whole and to consider each aspect before making your decision.


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Understanding how Share works
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Phone: (317) 925-3800(317) 925-3800
Phone: (317) 925-3800(317) 925-3800
Oct 19-21, 2017
Crown Hill Cemetery, 3400 Boulevard Place, Indianapolis, IN
11th Annual MUSIC OF THE NIGHT Concerts!
TICKETS WILL GO ON SALE MAY 1st!
You can purchase TICKETS for all six concerts at this link:
(Please note that tickets will not be available at the door.)
October 19, 20, 21
October 26, 27, 28
Brought to you by the CROWN HILL HERITAGE FOUNDATION, our "MUSIC OF THE NIGHT" Concerts are something you won't want to miss! Held in Crown Hill's beautiful and historic Gothic Chapel (1875), these concerts feature professional organist Charles Manning as "The Phantom," along with awesome "Phantom Vocalists," Eric Wickens and Leah Crane. They will perform music from the famous "Phantom of the Opera," as well as many familiar TV & movie themes that are sure to please. Mr. Manning and the "Phantom Vocalists" will fill the evening with their wonderful musical gifts as well as humor and drama, followed by ghoulish refreshments!
And if that's not enough wonderful entertainment for the evening, also included in the ticket price is our ever-popular "Skeletons in the Closet, Part I" guided walking tour (description below) conducted by one of Crown Hill's expert tour guides, Tom Davis. On this tour we'll visit many graves and learn the secrets that some had thought they'd carried to their grave. (Please note that this is not a creepy tour about ghosts, just interesting facts.) The tour will last about an hour and will progress at a comfortable pace. (Walking up the steep hill to the top of Crown Hill is optional.) Please note that the "Skeletons in the Closet" walking tour is included with the concert ticket and that "tour only" tickets will not be sold.
October 19, 20, 21
October 26, 27, 28
The six concerts will be held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights of the last two weekends of October. Each evening they will be held in the historic Gothic Chapel at 8:00 pm. Following the concerts awesome refreshments will be served - Long's donuts & hot apple cider, as well as bottled water and apples! The guided walking tour will begin after refreshments at approximately 9:20 pm and will last about an hour. The tour will depart outside in front of the chapel. Flashlights are recommended, along with good walking shoes. Please dress warmly; our tour takes us to the top of the Crown in the dark and it's often chilly and windy in late fall.
You may purchase your tickets at this link - http://crownhillhf.org/music-of-the-night2017.html
(Please note that tickets will not be available at the door.)
2017 is the 11th year we've presented these entertaining "Music of the Night" concerts and the past ten years we've sold out (or came super close!), so you're encouraged to buy your tickets well in advance! Seating is very limited.
For other ticket information - not to purchase - call Marianne at 317-920-4165, or send an email to email@example.com.
"SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET, PART I" Description
Was it one of his three wives, or another long-time lover, that Skiles Test kept in a glass coffin in his House of Blue Lights along Fall Creek? Why does one headstone say simply "Mother of Rosalind" and not her full name, which would have been Helen Orr Hufnall Phaff English Wegmann English English Prince Prince? He followed in the footsteps of both his father and grandfather to become bank president, building himself a 40,000 square foot mansion on the east side of town, but by the time Stoughton Fletcher died, he'd lost the house, survived his wife's suicide, a runaway daughter's mysterious death, and was working as a hotel elevator operator in Los Angeles when his son committed suicide as well. On this tour we'll discuss their lives and the lives of others who show us that money does not necessarily bring happiness. Note: this is not a creepy tour about ghosts, but a historical tour about of some of the people buried at Crown Hill.
For a complete list of our PUBLIC TOURS & EVENTS for 2017 (with photos!), please visit:
Crown Hill Funeral Home & Cemetery
Web: CrownHill.org
Facebook: CrownHill.org
Twitter: @CrownHill_FHC
Crown Hill Heritage Foundation
Web: CrownHillHF.org
Facebook: CrownHillHeritageFoundation
Twitter: @CrownHillCem
Crown Hill Tour Guide & Historian Tom Davis tweets history, pics, & trivia: @CrownHillTom
CELEBRATING 150 YEARS with "CROWN HILL: History, Spirit, Sanctuary"
In celebration of Crown Hill's 150th Anniversary, Crown Hill Heritage Foundation and Indiana Historical Society Press have published a fantastic coffee table book that's been chosen as the SILVER PLACE WINNER in Foreward Review's prestigious "BOOK OF THE YEAR" Contest in the Regional Category!
CROWN HILL: History, Spirit, Sanctuary is a beautiful 380-page coffee table book which tells the story of our nation's third largest non-government cemetery from it's founding in 1863 (during the Civil War) until today. Authors Douglas Wissing, Marianne Tobias, Rebecca Dolan, and Anne Ryder cover many topics including extensive history, personal and poignant stories, natural history, and numerous vignettes of individuals and families who rest within its historic Gothic gates. It features over 600 beautiful, full color photographs by Marty N. Davis and Richard Fields, including a number of aerial photos of Crown Hill that will capture your attention as they allow you to see Crown Hill as you've never seen it before! Author Douglas Wissing beautifully weaves together 150 years of Crown Hill history with local and state history, creating the context which allowed Crown Hill to become the "City on the Hill" - the final resting place of many of our pioneers, civic leaders, politicians, musicians, actors, artists, automotive manufacturers and Indianapolis 500 notables, military and public safety heroes, and countless others.
CROWN HILL: History, Spirit, Sanctuary is available for purchase at the Crown Hill Funeral Home and Cemetery office during regular office hours or may be ordered off of either website. The total cost is $40 per book, or $50 if mailed. You may also order you copy by phone or by mail for $40 each and pick your book up at the Funeral Home and Cemetery office Monday-Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm. For more information, please contact Marianne Randjelovic at firstname.lastname@example.com or call (317) 920-4165.