Popular wedding venues in the western and central states were featured in Part 1 of US wedding venues. So in part two, we'll focus on wedding venues in the eastern states. Whether it's a luxurious hotel, a rustic barn, or a spacious meadow, all are included. Again, the features of these venues and the approximate prices will be written. Let's explore these beautiful wedding venues!

Wisconsin Wedding Venues

The Paine Art Center and Gardens

This is an art museum located at 1410 Algoma Blvd, Oshkosh. It is an English-style country estate and has nearly four acres of gardens. It has perennial plants and is a great outdoor ceremony venue. Also, there is a historic mansion, charming carriage house, and greenhouse. The venue can accommodate up to 200 people and costs approximately $3000 to $4000 For 100 Guests.

The Lageret

This is a professional event venue located at 515 E Main St, Stoughton. This historic venue offers industrial and rustic charm with exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and wood beams. It has ample space for ceremonies and receptions. The venue offers event coordination, customizable lighting options, a bridal suite, and access to preferred vendors. Accommodations for up to 250 people start at $3,500 for a 12-hour rental.

The Enchanted Barn

Located at 1543 6 1/2 Ave, Hillsdale, this barn has an old-world rustic atmosphere around every corner. Featuring several indoor and outdoor venues, one of the most popular ceremony locations is located in Barn's upper-level Hayloft, featuring old wood timbers. Several wedding package options are available here and can accommodate up to 220 people. Off-season all-inclusive wedding packages are $5,000 plus $21 per person.

Illinois Wedding Venues

Danada House

This is a historic mansion located at 3S501 Naperville Rd, Wheaton. a short drive from Chicago. The mansion is also surrounded by a forest preserve that allows for nature-filled photos. There are seven ceremony locations in total, and the largest Magnolia Garden can accommodate up to 300 guests. Venue rentals start at $3,500.

The Morton Arboretum

This is a public nature garden and outdoor museum located at 4100 IL-53, Lisle. Inside there are not only mature trees and flowers but also a playground for children. Offering beautiful woodland and lakeside views. The large garden has a total of 12 venues to choose from and the largest room can accommodate up to 300 guests. Prices range from $600 to $9,000 depending on the size of the room and the time of year it is held.

Salvage One

Located at 1840 W Hubbard St, Chicago, this is a very unique location that serves as a store besides being a wedding venue. It preserves treasured furniture from the past. This old Chicago warehouse offers an enchanting vintage atmosphere. The ceremony and banquet space can accommodate about 200 people and space rentals start at $4,000.

Kentucky Wedding Venues

The Barn at Cedar Grove

The address is 1000 Brockman Keltner Rd, Greensburg, which has a rustic barn setting with picturesque scenery. Offering outdoor ceremony space, climate-controlled reception space, bridal suite, groom's quarters, and fire pit. The venue in the barn can accommodate up to 230 people. For fewer guests, the average budget for a wedding here is between $6,000 and $9,000.

The Brown Hotel

This 100-year-old hotel is located at 335 W Broadway, Louisville. The hotel has a striking Georgian Revival look and offers elegant ballrooms, luxurious accommodations, and a gorgeous rooftop garden. The hotel also has extensive experience in hosting weddings of different cultures, such as Jewish and Indian weddings. Prices are $18,000 in the off-season and can accommodate up to 300 guests.

Talon Winery & Vineyards

This winery has a large outdoor space at 7086 Tates Creek Rd, Lexington. Offers vineyard and winery backdrop, outdoor ceremony space, and rustic barn. The best part is the wine-tasting and vineyard tours. The venue can accommodate up to 250 guests and prices for ceremonies start at $1500.

Tennessee Wedding Venues

Butterfly Hollow

Located at 28 Bussell Rd, Gordonsville, our vacation accommodations are perfect for small weddings. Surrounded by scenic walking trails, mountains, and woods. This venue specializes in small weddings of 30 people or less, with a focus on an intimate and cozy experience. Wedding packages range from $1795 to $5000.

Dixon Gallery and Gardens

An art gallery on 17 acres of gardens located at 4339 Park Ave, Memphis, offers a romantic and artistic setting for weddings. The gallery offers two indoor reception venues as well as woodlands and gardens, both of which can accommodate up to 200 guests. Prices are approximately $4000 to $5000 For 100 guests.

The Bell Tower

The Bell Tower, located at 400 4th Ave S, Nashville, is almost 140 years old. The ballroom features large windows that provide plenty of natural light, creating a charming and historic setting for weddings. There are two floors beside the lobby. Seated dinners for up to 400 people range from $3,500 to $16,000 depending on time and venue.

Mississippi Wedding Venues

The Cedars

The site at 4145 Old Canton Rd, Jackson is the oldest residential building in Jackson, with a history of 175 years. The courtyard in front of the house with trees such as cedar, oak, and magnolia provides a natural backdrop for weddings. The venue can accommodate up to 300 people and costs $3,500 for a two-day weekend rental.

Dunleith Historic Inn

A National Historic Landmark located at 84 Homochitto St, Natchez, the mansion features Greek Revival columns and original pine floors. The event space has a main floor, courtyard, and South Lawn, which can accommodate up to 700 people. Wedding packages start at $6,500, not including catering.

The Gin at Flora Station

The address is 4819 MS-22, Flora. The refurbished cotton gin blends rustic charm with modern amenities. It offers indoor and outdoor spaces, including a covered gazebo and a patio with an old-fashioned truck bar. Rentals for ceremonies and receptions start at $3,500.

Alabama Wedding Venues

B&A Warehouse

This building, located at 1531 1st Ave S, Birmingham, is historic from the outside. With its industrial-inspired design and high ceilings along with red brick walls. Three indoor venues can accommodate up to 300 guests, and the cost of a ceremony starts at $4,000.

The Sterling Castle

This castle is located at 389 Deseret Dr, Shelby, and has been voted the best wedding venue in Alabama. The fairytale-style castle, elegant ballroom, charming courtyard, and lakeside and drawbridge venues. This beautiful venue can accommodate up to 300 guests and all-inclusive weddings are priced at $10,000+.

Huntsville Museum of Art

This is an art museum located at 300 Church St SW, Huntsville. With unique indoor and outdoor spaces, the museum is a contemporary art gallery. Offering outdoor spaces with a rooftop terrace, and five indoor hospitality venues. The starting venue fee for a wedding reception in high season is $1,500.

Michigan Wedding Venues

Colony Club Detroit

Located at 2310 Park Ave, Detroit, this Georgian-style, historic venue features stunning architecture and gorgeous interiors. The hotel features a grand ballroom decorated with crystal chandeliers and intricate details. The ballroom can accommodate up to 350 guests and is priced between $12,000 and $15,000.

Castle Farms

This historic building, built in 1918, is located at 5052 M-66, Charlevoix. With a total of four site combinations in the summer. It offers several ceremony and reception spaces, including a charming outdoor garden and a majestic stone courtyard. The largest of these, the East Garden and Queen's Courtyard can host up to 300 guests. And the price range is between $6,750 and $9,250.

The Inn at Stonecliffe

This is a Victorian village located at 8593 Cudahy Cir, Mackinac Island. away from the hustle and bustle of the area. With beautiful gardens and breathtaking views of Lake Huron and the Mackinaw Bridge. Accommodates up to 300 people and prices range from $4000 to $10,000.

Ohio Wedding Venues

Franklin Park Conservatory

This is a horticultural and educational institution located at 1777 E Broad St, Columbus. The most popular venue is the indoor garden with an all-glass ceiling. Besides, there is an industrial-style venue and a 200-year-old barn. The venue has plenty of space and can accommodate up to 500 people, with prices ranging from $7,000 to $11,000 for a wedding of 100 guests.

The Columbus Athenaeum

The historic building at 32 N 4th St, Columbus, was built in 1899. With a total of ten venues to choose from, the Grand Ballroom boasts gorgeous details and a stunning atrium. It is decorated with classical Greek art as well as soaring ornate ceilings. It can accommodate up to 230 guests. Prices for receptions start at $3,000.

Gervasi Vineyard

An oversized wine estate located at 1700 55th St NE, Canton. Picturesque vineyard setting and sparkling lake views. The open-air venue can accommodate up to 300 people, while the indoor venue can accommodate up to 120 guests. Full-service event planning, vineyard tours, and wine tastings are available. Prices for receptions will start at $1,450.

Georgia Wedding Venues

Barnsley Resort

This resort is located at 597 Barnsley Gardens Rd NW, Adairsville. With over 3,000 acres of land, it is a historic southern estate. With lush gardens, luxurious cabins, and grounds that can accommodate up to 250 people. Three wedding packages are available: $275 per person, $320 per person, and $350 per person. And a least of 150 people is required.

Summerour Studio

This is a renovated warehouse located at 409 Bishop St NW, Atlanta. The roof is supported by massive bow trusses, which allow for a spacious, open floor plan without columns or supports. Through a wall of windows running the length of the space, there are breathtaking views of Atlantic Station and the downtown skyline. Accommodating up to 425 people, prices start at $4,000.

The Biltmore Ballrooms

The ballroom is located at 817 W Peachtree St NW 208, Atlanta, and was established in 1924. The ballroom features a handcrafted plaster relief ceiling, ornate crystal lighting, and a marble floor. Capacity ranges from 50 to 1,500 people and offers eleven caterers. Rental rates range from $3,500 to $5,000, depending on the day of the week.

Florida Wedding Venues

The Ancient Spanish Monastery

Located at 16711 W Dixie Hwy, North Miami Beach. This monastery was dismantled piece by piece from northern Spain and shipped to the United States, then rebuilt over 19 months. It offers a chapel and gardens for ceremonies. The garden can accommodate up to 300 guests for $6,500 and includes only the cost of the reception.

The Breakers Palm Beach

This is a luxury resort located at 1 S County Rd, Palm Beach. This luxury resort is located in Palm Beach and enjoys magnificent beachfront views, lush gardens, and an exquisite ballroom. It boasts a timeless and elegant ambiance. It can host weddings for a maximum of less than 500 people, and detailed prices need to be communicated with the hotel.

The Ringling Museum

The museum is located at 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, with a breathtaking view of Sarasota Bay. This venue offers unique views of art, culture, and the stunning waterfront. It includes many event spaces, including a large courtyard and an elegant ballroom. The largest art gallery courtyard can accommodate up to 125 guests and prices start at $20,000.

New York Wedding Venues

Mohonk Mountain House

Located at 1000 Mountain Rest Rd, New Paltz, this historic resort is surrounded by 40,000 acres of pristine forest. Featuring a majestic Victorian castle with panoramic mountain views. Choose from lakeside, garden, and mountain views for your ceremony. Wedding packages range from $275 to $375 per person.

The Foundry

The address is 42-38 9th Street, Long Island City, with a history dating back to the 19th century. Offering an industrial chic atmosphere, a garden courtyard and conservatory, a stunning main space, plus rustic interiors. Accommodates up to 180 guests, with receptions starting at $14,000.

The Garrison

Estate at 2015 US-9, Garrison, with superb Hudson River views and Catskill Mountain views. The venue offers a modern ballroom, outdoor ceremony space, and golf course. The venue can accommodate up to 200 guests for $12,000.

Pennsylvania Wedding Venues

The Curtis Atrium

The historic building at 699 Walnut St, Philadelphia used to be the Curtis Publishing Company. It is now a building with a mix of residential, office, and retail space. It features a stunning atrium, marble columns, and a stunning rotunda. Space rentals start at $8,000.

The Cork Factory Hotel

This boutique hotel is located at 480 New Holland Ave 3000, Lancaster, a converted historic cork mill with exposed brick walls. Offering industrial charm and modern amenities. The venue has a ballroom, a terrace, and a 2,300-square-foot warehouse. Space is available for up to 200 guests, and wedding packages start at $7,000.

Terrain Gardens at Devon Yard

A stunning garden is located at 138 W Lancaster Ave Suite 130, Devon. The venue is decorated with elements such as reclaimed barn wood floors, raised holiday lights, and skylights to create a unique aesthetic. Of course, there is an essential gardening setting and open-air venue that can accommodate up to 140 guests. Prices for receptions start at $4,525.

West Virginia Wedding Venues

Stonewall Resort

The entire resort is nestled beside a tranquil lake at 940 Resort Drive Roanoke, a place of scenic beauty and rustic charm. Wedding venues are available on the lakeside lawn or in the courtyard, with an indoor grand hall and stone-walled ballroom. Spa services, golf courses, and entertainment can also be experienced with wedding packages ranging from $3,500 to $12,000.

The Greenbrier

A luxury resort located at 101 W Main St, White Sulphur Springs. With stunning architecture, beautiful gardens, and breathtaking mountain views. The indoor venue has a dramatic chandelier and stage. The outdoor grounds feature expansive lawns and rustic cabins. Packages start at $10,000 and vary depending on the number of guests, season, and customization.

Sleepy Hollow Golf Club

The Club at 3780 Sleepy Hollow Dr, Hurricane. It is a private golf club for families. Featuring a scenic golf course, elegant ballroom, outdoor lawn ceremony venue, and picturesque countryside views. Wedding packages start at $3,500.

Virginia Wedding Venues

Maymont

Historic Manor River Park at 1700 Hampton St, Richmond. Inside are gardens, botanical gardens, and native wildlife habitats. The scenic setting includes 100-year-old Italian gardens, European-style manor houses, pavilions, expansive lawns, and the Robbins Nature Center. Prices range from $3,500 to $6,100.

Inn At Willow Grove

This is a rustic accommodation located at 14079 Plantation Way, Orange. It is unusually peaceful and romantic, surrounded by ancient trees and beautiful gardens. One of the gardens, Boxwood, can accommodate up to 175 guests and offers idyllic views. A versatile barn is also available as a hospitality venue, with rates starting at $7,500.

The Tides Inn

Located at 480 King Carter Dr, Irvington, the entire hotel is situated on a beautiful body of water with views of the Chesapeake Bay. It is a waterfront resort. You can also come here to take part in fun activities such as tennis, golf, paddle boarding, biking, and kayaking. Weddings start at $3,100.

North Carolina Wedding Venues

The Bradford

Professional wedding venue located at 523 Pea Ridge Rd, New Hill. It resembles a European town building with charming gardens and rustic barns. It can accommodate up to 250 guests for a ceremony in the gardens. Wedding packages will vary depending on the time of year and are priced at $8,000 on Fridays and $9,800 on Saturdays.

The Merrimon-Wynne House

The mansion located at 500 N Blount St, Raleigh was built in 1876 and has been well maintained and is now a venue for various events. The building has a main floor full of Southern charm. Inside are original floors and mantelshelves, ornate chandeliers, and a wide porch. The outdoor area is also large enough to host ceremonies in the garden and can accommodate up to 250 guests. Prices for receptions start at $5,000.

Fearrington Village

It's an English-style country hotel located at 2000 Fearrington Village Center. Besides the quaint country setting there are dense gardens with water features. The largest venue is the barn, which offers spacious dining and dancing space and can accommodate up to 250 people guests. Prices for ceremonies start at $2500.

South Carolina Wedding Venues

Middleton Place

This National Historic Landmark is located at 4300 Ashley River Rd, Charleston. You can experience daily life on an 18th-century plantation and enjoy 65 acres of unobstructed views and private garden rooms. Also, enjoy the oldest landscaped gardens on the property. There are 7 ceremony venues, ranging from small weddings of 50 to 400 guests. Prices start at $5,000.

William Aiken House

The 1807 mansion is located at 456 King St, Charleston, a restored mansion that showcases Southern charm and architectural elegance. The yard features a magnolia tree that is over two hundred years old and an elegant terrace. It is also rated as one of South Carolina's premier wedding venues. The cost of a ceremony starts at $3,000.

The Cedar Room

Modern industrial event space at 701 E Bay St, Charleston. Featuring exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and large windows overlooking the cityscape. The indoor Cedar Room venue can accommodate up to 500 people for events, and the outdoor yard can seat up to 200. Events on Fridays or Sundays start at $3,500.

Vermont Wedding Venues

Inn at Mountain View Farm

The Inn at 3383 Darling Hill Rd, East Burke, has breathtaking mountaintop views. Enjoy mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and visits to animal farms, among many other activities. Venues can range from beautiful fields to cozy campfires. Weekend wedding packages start at $3,500.

Hildene - The Lincoln Family Home

The building at 1005 Hildene Rd, Manchester is full of meaning. The Lincolns built Hildene as a summer home at the turn of the 20th century. Here you can look out over the Taconic Mountains to the west and the Green Mountains to the east. The outdoor venue can accommodate up to 200 people and wedding reception prices start at $8,000.
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(Hildene - The Lincoln Family Home)

The Henry House

The historic house at 1338 Murphy Rd, North Bennington, built in 1769, is one of the oldest surviving houses in Vermont. Overlooks the authentic red-covered Henry Bridge. The site offers several vendors for you to consider. The large trees outside the house make for the best wedding photos. The venue needs to be contacted for a specific quote.

Massachusetts Wedding Venues

The Crane Estate

This is a Tudor Revival mansion located at 290 Argilla Rd, Ipswich. It was the summer home of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Taylor Crane, Jr. with winding salt marshes, miles of barrier beaches, and a beautiful hilltop mansion. And of course the rolling lawns and gardens. There are three sites to choose from in all, with the beachfront site accommodating 200 to 500 people. Weekend weddings are priced at $6500.

Red Lion Inn

The Inn at 30 Main St, Stockbridge has a 250-year history. The entire Inn combines traditional New England hospitality with the amenities of a modern hotel. The largest Hitchcock room capacity is capacity 30-175 people. Venue rentals start at $4,000.

Liberty Hotel

A sophisticated hotel located at 215 Charles St, Boston. Located in the heart of downtown, just steps from shopping, dining, Boston Parks, and more. The hotel offers a private secret garden that can accommodate up to 200 people outdoors and an indoor 3000-square-foot ballroom. Wedding venue rates start at $26,000 for up to 100 guests.

Connecticut Wedding Venues

The Lace Factory

This historic factory is located at 161 River St, Deep River, and offers a charming and rustic atmosphere for a wedding venue. It has wood floors, high ceilings, and large windows overlooking the river. The Lace Factory offers event planning services, on-site catering, and a variety of rental options for weddings of all sizes. The Factory can accommodate up to 225 people and prices start at $5,000.

Eolia Mansion at Harkness State

The address is 275 Great Neck Rd, Waterford. Nestled on the shoreline of Waterford, Connecticut, this elegant mansion offers breathtaking views of Long Island Sound. It has manicured gardens, a stone terrace, and a beautiful ballroom. The price of $5,100 includes exclusive use of the mansion's first floor and south courtyard tent for 5 hours.

The Society Room of Hartford

This event venue is located at 31 Pratt St, Hartford, and the historic venue boasts magnificent architecture. It includes a marble staircase, beautifully frescoed ceilings, and crystal chandeliers. It provides a luxurious and timeless setting for weddings. The venue can accommodate up to 300 guests and prices start at 15,000.

New Hampshire Wedding Venues

Wentworth By The Sea Country Club

Country Club at 60 Wentworth Rd, Rye. This private club is near the shore and enjoys magnificent waterfront views and a romantic atmosphere. The hotel has manicured grounds and a historic clubhouse. It can accommodate up to 250 guests in this setting. Three options are available: lawn, clubhouse, and tent weddings. Reception prices start at $30,000.

The Preserve at Chocorua

This venue, located at 88 Philbrick Neighborhood Rd, Tamworth, is a rustic and secluded wedding venue nestled in the White Mountains. It offers scenic views, a charming barn, and plenty of outdoor space for the ceremony. Outdoor activities such as sleigh rides and hiking are also available. Approximate prices will start at $1000.

Bishop Farm

The Farmhouse, located at 33 Bishop Cutoff, Lisbon, is a historic and beautifully landscaped site in the White Mountains. It offers a restored 1876 farmhouse, a barn, and lush greenery. There is also a romantic bistro with a terrace to relax in. Accommodating up to 200 guests, prices start at $15,000.

Rhode Island Wedding Venues

The Chanler at Cliff Walk

A luxury hotel located at 117 Memorial Blvd, Newport. The Chanler offers luxurious accommodations and a grand mansion setting with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and access to their world-class restaurant. Specializing in weddings for up to 120 guests with access to their world-class restaurant. Site rentals start at $10,000.

Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum

Historic mansion on 33 acres located at 101 Ferry Rd, Bristol with breathtaking views of Narragansett Bay. Large tents are available in the outdoor area, followed by sunset views. Accommodating up to 225 guests, weekend wedding rates start at $12,995.

The Dorrance

Situated in the heart of Providence, The Dorrance is a restored bank building with a sophisticated atmosphere and elegant decor. The most special feature is the long, luxurious bar, which can accommodate up to 200 guests throughout the venue. Venue rentals start at $7,500.

New Jersey Wedding Venues

The Ashford Estate

Located at 637 Province Line Rd, Allentown, this elegant property is nestled in a picturesque setting. Surrounded by hundreds of acres of beautifully preserved farmland, it features sparkling fountains, waterfalls, garden pavilions, expansive views, and of course, luxurious private suites. The wedding venue can accommodate up to 300 guests. Starting at $10,000.

Mallard Island Yacht Club

A club surrounded by water at 1450 NJ-72, Manahawkin. six more venues to choose from in the luxurious private island mansion. The center plaza boasts grand arches and ornate ceilings reminiscent of old-world glamour. The ballroom can accommodate up to 250 people, and prices for receptions start at $20,000.

Liberty House Restaurant & Events

This waterfront event venue is located at 76 Audrey Zapp Dr, Jersey City. It features unparalleled views of the New York City skyline, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, and the Liberty Landing Pier. The Grand Ballroom features a marble floor and floor-to-ceiling windows. The venue can accommodate up to 300 people and venue rental fees start at $8,000.

Delaware Wedding Venues

The Queen Wilmington

This dazzling venue is located at 500 N Market St, Wilmington is downtown. It is a historic music venue that offers a unique and eclectic atmosphere. The venue features a grand ballroom with a stage, state-of-the-art sound system, and elegant décor. The venue can accommodate up to 200 guests and wedding reception prices start from $3,000.

The Cordrey Center

The address is 30366 Cordrey Rd, Millsboro, and its restored barn and surrounding gardens provide a rustic and charming setting. The venue offers a range of services, including in-house catering, bar service, and event coordination. It has indoor and outdoor options and can accommodate up to 200 guests. Venue rental rates start at $3,500.

The Waterfall Catering and Special Events

With an address at 3416 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, The Waterfall has a modern venue. Centered around a stunning indoor waterfall. The spacious ballroom features contemporary décor and customizable LED lighting systems. The venue can accommodate up to 500 guests. Prices for venue rentals start at $6,000.

Maryland Wedding Venues

Belvedere Hotel

Located at 1 East Chase Street and built-in 1902 as a historic landmark in Baltimore, The Belvedere showcases stunning architecture and classic charm. It offers a variety of event spaces, including a rooftop ballroom with panoramic views of the city. Inside, the décor is more vintage and ornate. Accommodating up to 500 guests, venue rentals start at $8,000.

Evergreen Museum & Library

This grand Gilded Age mansion is located at 4545 N Charles St, Baltimore. It is full of history with a house museum and research library. With beautiful gardens, this venue offers a mix of elegance and history. It's architectural details and scenic surroundings provide a unique backdrop. As well as a tour of the museum's collection. Accommodates up to 200 guests and starts at $6,000.

Chesapeake Bay Beach Club

Located at 500 Marina Club Rd, Stevensville, this venue offers stunning waterfront views and an elegant ballroom. It also has an oceanfront ceremony venue and luxurious accommodations. There are four ballrooms in total, three indoor and one outdoor. Accommodations for up to 300 guests start at $10,000.

District of Columbia Wedding Venues

Larz Anderson House

Located at 2118 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, the Anderson House, established in 1905, is a stunning Beaux-Arts mansion that offers a romantic and intimate setting for weddings. The venue features beautiful gardens, a grand staircase, and gorgeous rooms decorated with historic artwork. It can accommodate up to 200 guests and has access to the house's magnificent library. Prices start from $8,000.

The Hay-Adams

Located at 800 16th St NW, Washington, across from the White House, the hotel offers magnificent views of the iconic landmark. This venue has many event spaces, including a rooftop terrace from which the White House can be used as a photo backdrop. Wedding venues can accommodate up to 250 guests and prices start at $15,000.

National Museum of Women in the Arts

Located at 1250 New York Ave NW, Washington, this unique venue celebrates women artists and offers a distinctive setting for weddings. With its stunning architecture and world-class art collection, it provides an exquisite atmosphere for your special day. The venue offers a variety of event spaces, including an assembly hall and mezzanine level, and can accommodate up to 400 guests. However, the museum is temporarily closed for renovations.

Maine Wedding Venues

Hidden Pond

The resort's address is 354 Goose Rocks Rd, Kennebunkport, and is nestled in a secluded wooded area. Featuring elegant indoor and outdoor spaces. Surrounded by 60 acres of birch and balsam fir, it features two outdoor pools and a three-room treetop spa. It ensures an unforgettable wedding experience. Prices start from US$10,000.

Hardy Farm

The farm is located at 254 W Fryeburg Rd, Fryeburg. This rustic and chic site features a restored 18th-century farmhouse and a spacious barn with panoramic mountain views. Of course, there are also seasonal gardens and a woodland church. The most special feature is the provision of a cable car to reach the top of the mountain, which is also a popular backdrop for photos. It can accommodate up to 250 guests and prices start from $6,500.

Portland Regency Hotel & Spa

The address is 20 Milk St, Portland, and is centrally located, offering a blend of classic elegance and modern amenities. With many event spaces, on-site catering, and a spa, it can accommodate intimate and large weddings. Accommodations range from 10 to 220 guests, with rates starting at $3,500.

Conclusion

"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." When Harry Met Sally
Finally, we've rounded up our recommendations for wedding venues in each of the remaining states. Choosing the perfect wedding venue is an important step in creating your dream wedding. It sets the tone for the entire celebration and provides the backdrop for your special day. No matter what style of wedding venue you prefer, there is a venue above that perfectly suits your style and preferences.
Last but not least, don't forget to check out Quictent's wedding tent. we offer quality wedding tents for your outdoor wedding, containing various types and sizes.

Hi! I'm sure you get inundated with posts like this, but I'd love some feedback on the schedule I've created for our first family trip to NYC this June. My husband and I (32, 31) are traveling with our 8 year old son and I want to make sure our schedule isn't too packed and that it's a fun experience for everyone. Here is the initial plan:
Thursday
12PM-Flight lands at JFK 12:30PM-Uber to hotel near Times Square to check in and drop off bags 1:00PM- Have lunch at a restaurant near the hotel 2:30PM - Spend the afternoon at the Rockefeller Center (Top of the Rock for views of the NYC skyline, Lego store fifth avenue, Nintendo New York, have a treat at Magnolia Bakery) 6:00PM - Pick up food on the way back to hotel or eat at the hotel restaurant, swim at hotel pool/play video games in the hotel room
Friday
8:30AM - Grab breakfast and coffee at UT47 10AM-Museum of Natural History 1PM-Lunch at Friedman’s 2:30PM-Central Park - Explore playgrounds, model boat sailing 4PM-Grab a treat from Levain 4:30PMish-Head back to hotel and relax until dinner 7:30PM- Dinner at Zero Otto Nove
Saturday
8:30AM-Grab breakfast and coffee at Hudson Bagel 10:30AM-Color Factory - NYC Interactive Art Museum 12:00PM-Museum of Ice Cream 1:30PM-Grab lunch in Chinatown (Shu Jiao Fu Zhou) 3:00PM-Ride the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty 4:30PM-Head back to hotel and relax before dinner 7:00PM- Head to Queen’s Night Market
Side note: I understand how touristy Times Square is. My company has partnerships with certain hotels so this is why we are staying in that area. Also, my son has wanted to see the Statue of Liberty for years, so that is an important part of the trip.
We are from Dallas and have never been to New York. I appreciate any knowledge/feedback you have to offer. Thank you! (Apologies for poor formatting.)

(Both BOTW and TOTK spoilers)
I could be extremely biased in writing this, it's been a few months since my last BOTW playthrough and TOTK was one of the few games in years where I was fully caught up in the hype. Also don't take this as hating the game, I played for 100 hours so it clearly had some hold on me, and I'm not trying to dissuade people from enjoying it, so much as I'm trying to figure out why it didn't click or how I could come to like it more. Maybe it's on me for binging it for like 5 days straight, or I could just be growing out of games in general idk, I'll explain my feelings as best as I can.
BOTW just had this pristine sort of minimalism to it, with the whole amnesia storyline, the Great Plateau "invisible tutorial" (or I guess it's more like a playground in the same way Mario 64's castle was your chance to experiment with the 3D controls), the lack of boundaries letting you do essentially anything in any order. There's also things like the memories which acted like an improvised story, due to the order of events changing based on the order you find each spot (getting the run-through-the-rain one first and the Calamity Ganon awakening last during my first playthrough was really cool), and the way things like koroks. towers and shrines were spread out in a way that intrinsically motivated you to move around and explore Hyrule. Also, randomly encountering the dragons and things like the music leading up to the corrupted Naydra were some of the coolest setpieces to randomly stumble into. It just had something special to it, the only real issue to me was the final boss being underwhelming, which seems to be commonly agreed on so I won't go into detail about it.
So after beating TOTK with 100 hours of total gameplay, I'm not sure if anything really hit the high notes that BOTW did for me. The Sky Island doesn't feel as impactful as the Great Plateau in terms of being a tutorial/playground for exploring Link's moveset and abilities (nothing really came close to how storylike the Plateau's mountain shrine could be). Swapping out small things like making the towers launch you instead of just getting to paraglide off, and making 90% of the koroks the "bring me to my friend" ones, just kinda killed my drive to explore for the sake of it. The stumble into a few koroks - find a shrine - find a village/tower gameplay loop of BOTW is kinda lost, I miss the korok-y landmarks like the incomplete stone rings (feels like it took 20+ hours in to even find one). In general it felt like it was rarer to find vantage points that you could paraglide off, and more often you just had to recall ruins rubble, launch from a tower, or horseride to your destination rather than running and paragliding. Makes me think that the devs figured they added enough tools to make those two aspects more redundant, so there's less focus on that rewarding traversal.
Also, for all the creativity the games allows you, it kinda loops back into being overwhelming and you often end up fighting traditionally and bluntly. I've heard Yahtzee from Zero Punctuation bring up stuff like this a lot, where if you're playing an FPS with different abilities, grenades etc. there's still the fact that point-and-shoot is the go-to path-of-least-resistance solution to most fights so you're rarely gonna push yourself to fight creatively or differently unless you're challenged enough to force it (could be on me for not naturally forcing myself to be "creative", but I think games are supposed to encourage that stuff to some extent too, such as the boulder bokoblin kills in BOTW or games that introduce explosive barrels, and notice how even then, being offered fast "streamlined" solutions is the dopamine hit). Like you get so many elemental materials to make better arrows on the fly, but point-and-shoot headshots or button-mashing combat is usually still the faster go-to strat for encounters (seeing the shit Dunkey did in his second TOTK video was a wake-up call for how mechanically I was playing the game by comparison).
And there's the obvious points - the story feels very find-and-replace'd with the four phenomena in the same four places as before, the same ancestor voice lines, the same post-boss cutscenes explaining the same imprisoning war, Demon King? Secret Stone?, the same handshake spirit fusion shit, it just got so formulaic that at a certain point, I'd just spend the cutscene on my phone and feel like I'm missing nothing of substance. Why? In what world is it a good idea to copy-paste this hard? It just felt infantilising after a certain point. Speaking of infantilising, why does the game feel more like it's made for kids compared to BOTW? Sure BOTW didn't have the deepest characters but they still felt semi-interesting with things like Revali's ego or the implied romance between Mipha and Link. Meanwhile after like two Tulin voice lines, it feels like I'm dragged into Sonic Forces or some shit, every character is just made to be really one-note and positive. The closest thing to depth is like three Sidon lines where he feels too committed to Yona to fight like he used to, only to be swept away by more "I can do this!" positivity. Unironically, the most depth in this game (excluding the Hudson's parent arc) might be that one line from Sayge where on a rainy day, he'll just casually bring up a romantic memory of how he proposed to his SO. When the quirky Dye Shop guy has more depth and backstory than your four voice-acted characters, you've kinda fucked up.
Speaking of lacking depth, I know this sub talks a lot about the story being generic "good versus bad" stuff but the trope is getting really is annoying at this point. Princess disappears five seconds in and you go on a massive quest to save her? Isn't that how 90% of Mario games have started for the last 30+ years? But it's not even that, I guess it's just how compared to BOTW's more abstract version of Ganon as this floating barely-solid serpent (not to mention his forms during the final fight), we only get a few cutscenes of him in this interesting convulsing skeletal form before he's brought back as the Demon King. So this sub complains about secret stones being a pretty weak name, but we're just gonna gloss over baby's first villain name over here? It really is infantilising when paired with the 4 repeats of the imprisoning war. Kinda undermines how the trailers made him seem edgier and darker with the whole "leave no survivors" line. It's a shame cause things like his murdering of Sonia, his false allegiance to Rauru and his eventual Draconification as a last stand all feel like interesting ideas, but by then I'm just not invested in him as a villain cause I can't take him being called "the demon king" all that seriously. I swear I'm not trying to nitpick, you can write a villain for all-ages and still give them an interesting title that really sells their evil. Calamity Ganon was ridiculously good, especially for how abstract he was. But in TOTK, Ganon really is just some red-haired creepy-grin guy meant to freak out five year olds, in a series that had things like fucking Majora's Mask and ReDeads. Like I said, infantilising.
A lot of it just feels like BOTW done "Hollywood" - more forced theatrics, more style over substance, characters simplified down to just their main quirks. The Light Dragon reveal was admittedly a cool cutscene but it kinda kills the mystique and sense of discovery where you see one of BOTW's best random encounters in a scripted cutscene before you've even left the tutorial (I mean it was even in the trailers). Feels hard to one-up something like that, and again it loses the storylike aspect of BOTW where you always remember your first dragon encounter (seeing just the spikes of Farosh arching into the water was enough to make me insanely curious, a literal modern day "here be dragons" kinda moment where both curiosity and fear capture you, and you genuinely don't know what you may stumble into next).
I guess my main points are A: it simplifies the BOTW model and loses parts that made it work so well, B: the story and characters feel kinda flat and lifeless compared to BOTW and C: it just feels very sequel-y in the sense that they didn't really have enough new ideas so they just upped the theatrics to appear more interesting without actually having any of the jaw-dropping sense of wonder that BOTW had.
There are good parts too like the depths having lightroots act as a satisfying gameplay loop equivalent to the old korok-shrine-tower cycle before, where it just focuses to going from A to B while still feeling interesting and rewarding. I loved the boss designs (the final Ganon fight was undoubtably better, though admittedly the Dragon section was still kinda setpiece-y and puzzle-y, similar to the corrupted Naydra "fight" or the Bow of Light Ganon section) and certain things like the Wind Temple setpiece with all the floating ships or Ganon's flurry rush style dodges really were jaw-dropping and had that sense of magic to them. There are more positives for sure but I mainly just wanted to vent and see if I'm missing something that would make me enjoy the game way more or if it's just some side effect of binging the game / playing too mechanically / having unreasonably high expectations / growing out of games in general. If you relate then let me know, if you think I'm wrong then by all means tell me why, like I said I'm not trying to be an asshole and I really went in wanting to enjoy this like I did BOTW, so any advice that changes my perspective would be greatly appreciated

There used to be a rail line right through my town. When Google came, for security reasons they demanded the closure of the line, so it ends out in Hudson now.
When my older son was 3-4 years old, he attended a preschool that was right beside the still-functioning line. The kids would line up at the playground fence and strain to see the train through the trees.
Sometimes there would be a train coming through at pickup time, and we'd "chase" it to the other side of town where it stopped at a furniture plant before continuing on.
Those memories....plus countless Tweetsie visits and the occasional Spencer trip....are happy memories with my sons.
What wasn't a happy memory? Trying to get those pesky HO model trains to work right, when you have zero technical aptitude. Sweating bullets as a parent, trying to get those things to cooperate and roll. They're fucking toys! And they regularly refused to do their job. I always liked seeing other people's layouts, though.
Side note - In all my train parent years, I never learned what "humping" cars was. Never even heard the term. Pretty cool stuff!

Life Can Actually Be a Beach in New York City After All
Shivani Vora
from today's Marketwatch but orignally from Mansion Global.
"While not in New York City, The Beach, an aptly named luxury rental building in Newport, New Jersey, is just a PATH ride away and does have Manhattan views. More fittingly, it features access to Newport Green, a 4-acre landscaped park with the only sandy urban beach on the Hudson River, according to the park’s website. Newport Green’s other amenities include outdoor ping-pong tables, a carousel, walking paths and several playgrounds."
a good place to meet and watch movies in the summer.

About a year ago I started learning swift with absolutely zero prior programming experience, and recently landed my first job.
I wanted to give back to this community and share my experience - what worked for me, and what didn't. Feel free to ask my anything or share your own insights.

Getting Started

Paul Hudson has an excellent tutorial series called 100 Days of SwiftUI that starts at the absolute beginning. There are many, many swift tutorials out there, but coming from a non-tech background, getting the programming basics down before diving into swift proper was invaluable for me.
As the title of the series states, the course is 100 days long - or at least thats what the marketing says. As much as I wanted to keep up with the pace of the course, I often found myself taking multiple days to complete many of the lessons because I wanted to make sure I really understood it, which to me meant writing and rewriting the code examples until I felt like I had truly mastered the subject matter.
For example, I would take the lesson taught that day into a playground and try to recreate my own version of it that is slightly different from the tutorial. This gave me the opportunity to try new things, hit the inevitable wall, and have a great tutorial to fall back on when I got stuck so I could try and figure out what I did wrong.
Getting things right felt good, but I would also try to intentionally break my code to try and figure out for myself how things work.
It was frustrating taking such a slow approach, especially as I started to fall behind on the days, but pushing forward before I was ready would have been the wrong move for me. My recommendation is to really take your time and only move on when you feel you have a solid grasp on the lesson.
In the end I only got about 2/3 of the way through the course before I had enough of the building blocks to start writing my first app.

Building a portfolio

Tutorials can be great for learning, but at some point you have to put what you learned to use by getting out of your comfort zone and writing your own projects.
I'm not going to say its impossible to get a job without your own app, but any potential employer is likely to want some kind of proof that you know how to do the job, and in lieu of professional experience, the next best thing is probably an app on the app store.
I knew personally that I wouldn't feel ready to take on my first role until I had published my first app. I wanted the experience of creating an app from beginning to end, something to talk to potential employers about, and of course something to put on my resume.
I chose something that touched on many of the essential features of most apps - fetching an api response, memory management, and a nice looking ui.
Your app doesn't need to be sophisticated, nor does it need a ton of features, but it should be as polished as you can possible make it, which ideally means clean code and a polished presentation on the app store.
Avoid including code in your app that you didn't write yourself, or at least understand to some degree how it works. There's nothing wrong with using solutions you found online for problems you're experiencing in your app, but at some point your cheating yourself out of invaluable experience if you rely on others solutions too often.

Applying for jobs

Learning and publishing my own app was essential for getting started, but then came time to apply which I found particularly soul crushing.
I loved doing the actual work, but sending out countless resumes and getting no bites was honestly the worst part of the process for me. I started out just applying to everything I could, but after a few weeks of sending resumes all day and getting no traction I decided I needed to strike a better balance and continued my learning while I was still applying.
I had limited control over the hiring process, but I could make myself a better applicant.
I continued for about a month with not even as much as a preliminary interview, which is when I decided to start working on my second app - and with it came additional experience and another thing to put on my resume.
I told myself that this process may ending taking a while, which gave me the mental space to take my time and not take the countless L's personally.

Interviewing

I wish I had more to offer here but I only had one interview before getting offered a role.
There's a lot of advice floating around to practice technical interview questions, which I'm not going to say is bad advice, but all my employer wanted to talk about was my second app. I got the feeling that they just wanted evidence that I wrote the code myself, understood what it did, and was enthusiastic about the work.
Publishing my code to a public repo and linking to it in my resume gave them an opportunity to ask me about some of the choices I made when writing that app, which I was more than happy to talk about.
They did quiz me on how I would solve basic problems, or how I would approach learning new techniques, but I did my best to be honest and speak from my admittedly limited experience, which I think is all they were really interested in.
Most employers hiring a junior won't expect you to have all the answers, they just want to get a preview of what it'll be like to work with you - so above all else, be friendly, professional and honest about what you do and don't know. Attitude goes a long way.

Summary

A few more random insights from my experience:
In the end there are no real shortcuts, take your time, do it the right way and make sure you're pursuing this career for the right reasons.
There are predatory companies out there trying to take advantage of entry level applicants. Do your due diligence before giving any company the time of day and if a job posting seems too good to be true it probably is.
Before applying to any jobs - create a brand new email and phone number (google voice) so you don't absolutely destroy your personal inbox / phone number. Once you start putting your information out there you will get endless spam messages about jobs that aren't relevant to you.
Some common advice that I did not do:

• Contribute to open source projects / stackoverflow
• Post to twitter or any other social media site
• Coding bootcamp
• Internship
• Upwork

Some things that I did, but didn't end up helping me directly:

• Networking/posting to Linkedin
• Reaching out to my contacts about potential openings at their company
• Reaching out to recruiters

I did end up joining a iOS group in my city, which didn't give me any job opportunities but being a part of a community is excellent for encouragement and soliciting advice.
I hope this helps someone who was in my shoes a few months ago - its not an easy process but I love the work and am so happy I decided to make the switch.

Heard “between the lions” @ 4:19pm
I see someone obsessively clicking on and off of their social media. They are agitated. It looks like they’re waiting to see/hear something. They are sitting in the dark and the light from their phone is illuminating the room. I see a bed head. Natural face (no makeup). But the expression is slightly angry.
I see a chicken embryo. Like a chicken forming in an egg (early stages of development.) Chickens symbolize service to a greater good. The fetus representation can symbolize someone who is in their training phase or a shadow period where perhaps they are still acquiring more knowledge. Eventually, someone will be prepared to serve the collective on a grand scale.
I’m seeing the Muckers game (stick where you try to throw the rings on to it). I also saw silver rings.. someone could be getting piercings.
I’m hearing some kind of dialogue? It sounds like two people talking about someone who is not present. I heard “if she had the money, she’d probably look even better.”
Something about beef jerky could be significant
I’m seeing two girls at a basketball game sitting in VIP seats. One has really long, waist length hair, brown/caramel skin and is wearing an oversized light blue jersey on top of a white long sleeve shirt. She has a silver chain on (looks like it belongs to a partner), baggy jeans, and timbs. She was holding a fountain drink in her hand while studying the game. I couldn’t really see the other girl. Just her shoulder. The girl in the blue jersey stood out most for some reason.
I’m seeing flashing lights. Like spotlights. Someone is standing in the middle of a crowd. Their name is being announced and the crowd is cheering.
I’m seeing a guy and a girl hanging in the cut in some kind of alley. It looks like this is NYC or some sort of inner city. She is wearing a light pink bomber jacket. Very girly looking. Has a bang and a pony tail. She has her hands in her pocket and is leaning against a brick apartment. The guy is standing closely in front of her but leaning in and using a lot of hand motions. I can’t tell if he is flirting with her or trying to plead with her. They look like they’re already involved. But she seems to be emotionally detaching from him. She’s giving a blank stare.
A vision of someone getting punched in the stomach? Very very hard. I can’t see the faces. Only the shoulders and torso. Looks like two male bodies. Both are fully clothed. Wearing light jackets and slightly dressy attire. They both have similar builds and appear to be similar heights. Similar skin tones too (on the lighter side). It was some kind of undercut punch.
I heard “if you don’t appreciate it, I’ll take it away.”
Something about a playground? I’m also seeing one of those mini car toys that are small enough for kids to ride around in. It’s shaped like some sort of caterpillar but has wheels and a steering wheel. The playground seems to be on top of fake grass. The fake grass stood out in particular
Something about “the regular show” on Cartoon Network could be significant. Someone could really like that show. I never really watched the show so I don’t know the plot. But I know what the characters look like. I saw that brown raccoon looking character for some reason.
I heard “lesions within the tissue.” I’m really not sure what that is about. I also saw an image of pink tissue and there was a tear within it. Like a big hole within someone’s tissue. Not sure which part of the body this was. I also saw really dark red blood cells. So the tissue could be closer to the bone marrow.
I’m seeing the series “I am Groot”. This download is very bizarre because I’ve never seen the series and had no clue what it what it was called. All I could see was the little tree character (the young one) and had to do some digging to find the name of the series. Got this download at 11:11pm. Here’s what I found when I looked up the plot: “Falling to a planet below, Groot discovers he is on an entirely alien and unknown world full of strange creatures and societies.” This could be someone’s story? Someone could be dealing with unfamiliar territory and be dealing with something massive all by themselves. They could be younger or less experienced. But they are disadvantaged, outnumbered, and overpowered somehow.
Heard the name “Demetrius”
I’m seeing the inside of a barn? It’s a very big one. Once again, I’m getting an aerial view. I’m at the top of the barn looking downward. It looks like it’s night time because the barn is dark, but I can see moonlight peaking in. There’s hay on the ground. It looks like someone is inside. Like they’re locked in or something. If they’re not locked in, they’re hiding from someone or just looking for a private place to mourn. They’re sitting in the fetal position with their head to their knees. It looks like a young girl.
Something about a clam could be significant. I’m seeing a clam. But I’m seeing it with its mouth open and a pearl is exposed (second time I’m getting a pearl download.)
Saw the leaning tower of Pisa very briefly
Heard “Jaundice” I’ve never used this in a sentence so had to google: a medical condition with yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, arising from excess of the pigment bilirubin and typically caused by obstruction of the bile duct, by liver disease, or by excessive breakdown of red blood cells. (I’m not sure if this is connected to the skin lesion download I got, bc I did see red blood cells with that one.)
I’m seeing the bottom of a starfish. Have no clue what that could mean but here goes nothing: In the world of symbolism, Starfish illustrates the axiom “as above, so below” perfectly, looking like the stars above. Hermes Trismegistus, philosopher, and alchemist, put forward the metaphysical idea. Boiled down, it means cosmic energy has a partner, a mirror, in Earthly realms.
Something about the Ozone layers could be significant at this time as well
Also heard “Galleria”
Saw an image of a leopard to finish up the Channeling. I saw up close and saw mostly it’s spots, nose, and eyes. It was in a black/dark setting. In some cultures, leopards are a sign of royalty, while in others, they're considered to be bringers of death and destruction. In most cases, however, leopards symbolize strength, power, courage, and determination.
Song Downloads:
Spotlight by Jennifer Hudson
Fancy by BJ the Chicago Kid
Show Me by Kid Ink
Around the World by Daft Punk
Session duration: 7 hours, (these were passive downloads I collected throughout the duration of the day)

If you haven’t read the books or don’t want to see any spoilers, do NOT read this post.
Buckle up, this is going to be long.
Unfortunately, a Reddit post cannot contain more than 20 images so I’ve made my analyses of the officially-released material over on Imgur: the World Outlander Day 2022 video, the S7 teaser, the S8 announcement video, the S7 opening credits, the S7 first-look stills, the S7A episode titles, and the Newest Cast for S7 video. Click the links to read the descriptions. I will be referring to them throughout the post.

EPISODES

Episode	Title	Writer	Director
701	A Life Well Lost	Danielle Berrow	Lisa Clarke
702	The Happiest Place on Earth	Toni Graphia	Lisa Clarke
703	Death Be Not Proud	Tyler English-Beckwith	Jacquie Gould
704	A Most Uncomfortable Woman	Marque Franklin-Williams	Jacquie Gould
705	Singapore	Taylor Mallory	Tracey Deer
706	Where the Waters Meet	Sarah H. Haught
707	A Practical Guide for Time-Travelers	Margot Ye
708	Turning Points	Luke Schelhaas
709		Barbara Stepansky
710		Luke Schelhaas	Stewart Svaasand
711		Sarah H. Haught	Lisa Clarke
712		Toni Graphia	Lisa Clarke
713		Madeline Brestal & Evan McGahey
714		Diana Gabaldon
715		Danielle Berrow	Jamie Payne
716		Matthew B. Roberts & Toni Graphia	Jamie Payne

The writers of all 16 episodes are now confirmed on the WGA website. Diana Gabaldon previously shared that she wrote episode 714 and that parts of her unused 609 script were used in the script for 701.
The first two directors were first mentioned by Caitríona in an interview with Gold Derby:

We had an amazing director, Lisa Clarke, for the first two eps, and she has been fantastic. Really beautiful, strong eps. We just wrapped three and four with the director Jacquie Gould and it was really, really great.

According to her IMDB credits, Lisa Clarke also directed episodes 711 and 712.
Tracey Deer, a Mohawk filmmaker, appears in four actors’ credits, as well as on the clapperboard for episode 705 in this video.
Joss Agnew is confirmed by his agency. He said this in an interview back in June 2022:

Next up for TV directing? I’m time-traveling back to 1777 directing Outlander for Amazon in Scotland. I set my heart on doing this job at an early age. I’ve now been blessed with variety. Moving from directing this remarkable contemporary sci-fi to directing period action in a historical romance. It’s a rich playground to be dreaming in!

Cinematographer Nic Lawson worked on episodes 703, 704, 707, 708, 711 and 712. On his website, Joss Agnew is listed alongside Jacquie Gould (703-4) and Lisa Clarke (711-12) so he probably directed 707 and 708.
Stewart Svaasand is confirmed by his agency and appears in two actors’ credits, as well as an editor’s CV. He directed episode 710 and probably 709.
Jan Matthys appears in three actors’ credits.
Jamie Payne was confirmed to be directing on S7 by an entry on his profile on his agency’s website but it was since then deleted. However, the agency later included him in this tweet in March 2023, still stating he directed Block 8 (715 and 716).
As for Caitríona getting to direct, she has confirmed that she’d be directing “some extra scenes” in a talk she did in July 2022 (“I’m going to direct some little extra scenes this season”). These are most likely the Outlander Untold scenes for the Blu-Ray/DVD.
​

CAST

Obviously returning are Sam Heughan (Jamie Fraser), Caitríona Balfe (Claire Fraser), Sophie Skelton (Brianna MacKenzie), Richard Rankin (Roger MacKenzie), and John Bell (Young Ian Murray).
Also returning are (based on the footage shown/agency information): David Berry (Lord John Grey), Caitlin O’Ryan (Lizzie Beardsley), Paul Gorman (Josiah and Keziah Beardsley), Paul Donnelly (Ronnie Sinclair), Jack Tarlton (Kenny Lindsey), Gary Lamont (Evan Lindsey), Hugh Ross (Arch Bug), Sarah Collier (Murdina Bug), Chris Larkin (Richard Brown), Mark Lewis Jones (Tom Christie), Alexander Vlahos (Allan Christie), and possibly Jessica Reynolds (Malva Christie) in a flashback.
There’s this still from 606 which suggests they at least have the footage filmed for a flashback of Malva’s murder. Jessica herself seemed to confirm it in post-606 interviews, for SheKnows:

RG: One last thing: since the season was truncated, had you filmed extra stuff? Was Malva’s storyline going to be extended one more episode?
JR: Yeah, there has been some filmed. [smiles] That may or may not come later. We just have to see.

And Town & Country Magazine:

And despite the fact that Malva is dead, her story on Outlander isn't finished. Tonight’s episode “might not be the last” time viewers see the character, Reynolds hints. Of course, there’s still the mystery of who the baby’s father is—and who killed her. “There could be some flashbacks, maybe some stuff we filmed,” she says.

Joining the cast, from official announcements:

• Charles Vandervaart as William Ransom
• Izzy Meikle-Small as Rachel Hunter
• Joey Phillips as Dr. Denzell Hunter
• Kristin Atherton as Jenny Murray (previously played by Laura Donnelly, S1-S3)
• Gloria Obianyo as Mercy Woodcock
• Rod Hallett as Benedict Arnold
• Diarmaid Murtagh as Buck MacKenzie (previously played by Graham McTavish, ep. 507)
• Chris Fulton as Rob Cameron.

Reprising their roles, from official announcements:

• Andrew Whipp as Brian Fraser
• Graham McTavish as Dougal MacKenzie
• Layla Burns as Joan MacKimmie
• Lotte Verbeek as Geillis Duncan
• Nell Hudson as Laoghaire MacKenzie MacKimmie [709]
• Steven Cree as Ian Murray

Not officially announced but found through their agencies, also joining/returning are:

• Eugene O’Hare as Governor Josiah Martin (returning, 605)
• Sarah Finigan as Sadie Ferguson (returning, footage shot for 608)
• Katie Redford as Margit (returning, footage shot for 608)
• Ciaron Kelly as Ernie Buchan (returning, 403)
• Brennan Martin as Wendigo Donner (returning, 511-512; based on photos below)
• Morgan Holmstrom as Wahionhaweh/Emily (returning, 604; based on #HeardOnSet and follows)
• Dominique Pinon as Master Raymond (returning, 202-204, 206, 207; based on this interview) [712]
• Sam Hoare as Hal Grey (Lord Melton/Duke of Pardloe) (returning, 301, 304)
• Harry Jarvis as Lord Henry Grey
• Iain Macrae as Reverend MacMillan
• Angus Miller as Michael Murray (credit removed, screenshot)
• Emma Rafferty as Katherine Murray
• Megan Daynes as Janet Murray
• Daren Elliott Holmes as Antioch Johnson
• Emma Hindle as Mrs. Wellman
• Gemma McElhinney as Mrs. Raven
• Barry O’Connor as Daniel Morgan
• Mark Frost as General John Burgoyne
• Lucinda Dryzek as Sissy Bartram (+ Sissy’s Brothers)
• Michael Barker as “British Private”
• Brad Morrison as Craig Dowd (based on an audition tape for this role, it seems to be Craig McCarty from the book, one of Brianna’s co-workers at the hydroelectric dam)
• Michael Dylan as “Bespectacled Man”
• Daniel Gosling as [undisclosed role]
• Paul Sparkes as [undisclosed role]
• Holly Woodhouse as “Admiral’s Wife”
• Hyoie O’Grady as Lieutenant Judah Bixby
• Ben Freeman as Corporal Woodbine
• Lion-Russell Baumann as Hessian Soldier
• Wilf Scolding as Abraham Staftstall (Abe Shaffstall in the book)
• Silvia Presente as Jane Eleanora Pocock
• Manuel Klein as General Von Steuben
• Christine Steel as [undisclosed role]
• Ben Cura as [undisclosed role]
• Stefan Willi Wang as General Friedrich von Riedesel

The First Nations actors returned for S7 in June 2022. Seen on Instagram, there was a large group of them in Glasgow, some of whom were followed by John, Joey, and Morgan; some posted from Scotland (“Y'all already know what a shaved head means”). Morgan (Emily) was also followed by Izzy and Joey. I also found a child actor who was in Glasgow at the time who I believe might’ve played Swiftest of Lizards. His IG profile is public but seeing as he’s a minor, I’m choosing to protect his identity:
https://preview.redd.it/j7qkb78wovxa1.jpg?width=1272&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=73b92960e90b0b448ea87ff294ebf1c3b753da73
The date of his first day of filming mentioned here is the same as the #HeardOnSet posted by Maril which I’m pretty sure is dialogue from Ian and Emily’s reunion and Swiftest of Lizards’ naming (more on that below).
SPECULATION: On December 8th, Richard and Diarmaid followed actor Nicholas Ralph on Instagram and he followed them back. Diarmaid posted a photo of his trailer (with Buck’s name on it) that morning, indicating he was filming. There is no confirmation on his agency’s website, however, but there is some resemblance between him and younger Richard (compare) so I think he might be playing Jerry MacKenzie. There are also some supporting artists who filmed “1940s” scenes on January 13th, which might be something to do with Jerry’s story in A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows, as there are no 1940s flashbacks in either Echo or MOBY. Take this with a big grain of salt, though.
Based on this self-tape, it looks like there’s potentially going to be a flashback similar to 501, and this actor was auditioning for the role of Auld John Murray (Ian’s father), interacting with Jamie and Ian as children.
There was also an audition tape of a young actress auditioning for the role of Fanny Pocock. One of the scenes was from MOBY, chapter 53 when Jane and Fanny ask for William’s protection and he instructs them to find the laundresses. The second scene was from chapter 132, when Fanny tells William that Jane was arrested for Captain Harkness’ murder (that is not to say both of these scenes will be in S7). As mentioned above, Jane is played by Silvia Presente, so we should see Fanny as well.

BLOCK 1

In the 608 post-mortems, Maril mentioned that they shot a little more than made it into the episode and that it’s going to be included in S7:

There was a little bit of a tag at the end of this episode that we pushed into Season 7. But that was honestly the only change we made to this episode. (Variety)
We talked a lot about where to end Episode 608. There is a little bit of it that we are putting into Season 7. (Televixen)

The footage shot for 608 includes Sadie Ferguson. The actress portraying her, Sarah Finigan, filmed both under Jamie Payne and Lisa Clarke’s direction.
The first day of filming, March 30th, 2022, took place on the Wilmington set with Sam, John, and Mark.
The first bit of filming on location (that we know of) took place in Burntisland Harbour, Burntisland on April 5-7.
Credit: Michael Booth.
Caitríona and Sam were spotted, but not Mark. They filmed Claire and Jamie’s reunion and Claire’s rescue from the Governor’s ship. Eugene O’Hare wasn’t spotted either but his credits make it clear that he came back for S7. The same ship was also used for different sea scenes. Caitriona, Sam, and John’s doubles filmed the characters leaving on a ship. Their clothes match those they were seen at General Fraser’s funeral in Scotland (see below), so they most likely filmed their departure for Scotland on a British navy vessel.
Maril’s first #HeardOnSet isn’t from the book, but the second one from Apr 8th is from ABOSAA, chapter 96:

The Governor had been up most of the night, as well, and didn’t look much better than Jamie, though he was not, of course, besmeared with soot. He was, however, unshaven, bloodshot, and in no mood to be trifled with.
“Mr. Fraser,” he said with a short nod. “You are James Fraser, I collect? And you dwell in the mountain backcountry?”
“I am the Fraser, of Fraser’s Ridge,” Jamie said courteously. “And I have come for my wife.”
“Oh, have you.” The Governor gave him a sour look and sat down, gesturing indifferently at a stool. “I regret to inform you, sir, that your wife is a prisoner of the Crown. Though perhaps you were aware of this?”

All photos from Burntisland.
The next bit of filming took place in John Muir Country Park, with sets dressed as a British military camp and a trading post. Richard and Sophie were spotted, and a large group of supporting artists played British officers and prisoners. Richard was also spotted with Brennan Martin (Wendigo Donner). The last time we “saw” Donner, he was in a prison cell in Wilmington–he could be with the prisoners there at the British camp.
Credit: Sam Thomson (1), Graham Malcolm (2-5), The Herald (6-7).
JMCP also provided a location for the stone circle on Ocracoke. Caitríona, Sam, Sophie, Richard, and one of the Adair twins filmed the goodbye at the stones, and their doubles filmed the characters’ rowing to the island in a boat the day before.
Credit: Graham Malcolm (1-3), Outlandish Journeys (4-7).
All photos from John Muir Country Park.
There were also scenes filmed on the Wilmington set, like Brianna meeting William and LJG, LJG giving Jamie the sapphire; and on the Ridge: Mandy’s birth, Brianna and Jamie’s scene with the fireflies, and Allan’s death scene (see the Imgur links above).

BLOCK 2

For the 20th-century storyline, a lot of filming took place at Midhope Castle which housed a caravan. The show will likely cover the period of time when renovations take place at Lallybroch (the last time we saw it, in 1968, it was a ruin), so the caravan seems to be a temporary living situation for the MacKenzies. Midhope also had modern-looking windows and doors installed, and I also got a glimpse at the modern interior through a costume standby’s IG.
Credit: Mary’s Meanders Tours (1-3), Dixie Hutto (4-5), jenn___x (6).
All photos from Midhope.
Block 2 also saw filming at Hunterston Estate which previously served as the interior of the Reverend’s Manse. A local on the Outlander Book Group also posted about seeing location signs nearby a “manse-looking” building. I did some (okay, a lot) of searching on Google Maps and finally found the place in the area she mentioned (Bo’ness). It’s not just a manse-looking building, it is the building they used for the exterior shots of the Reverend’s Manse (Rivaldsgreen House in Linlithgow).
Credit: Mig Hunter (2), Scotland’s Gardens Scheme (4); screenshot from Outlander, ep. 201 (5).
Ciaron Kelly has Jacquie Gould listed as the director of the episode he was in, so Ernie (likely with Fiona) has to appear in either 703 or 704. Ciaron continued to film intermittently on Outlander throughout the year and wrapped in January 2023.
Some supporting artists also filmed at “Hunters[t]on power station” which might’ve been used for the interiors of the hydroelectric plant Brianna will work at.
As for the 18th-century storyline, episodes 703 and 704 wrapped up ABOSAA and started on Echo’s material. The actors playing Jamie’s Ardsmuir men were back for these episodes, as well as Paul Gorman playing the Beardsleys and Caitlin O’Ryan playing Lizzie (we should see the Beardsley baby in these episodes).
Most remarkably, there was a series of night shoots at the end of May. The same week, IFRA (International Fire & Rescue Association) posted about assisting on three nights of Outlander filming with pictures at the Big House exterior’s location. That points clearly to the filming of the Big House fire.
Credit: Caitríona Balfe (1), Paul Gorman (2), IFRA (3).
Interestingly, Chris Larkin (Richard Brown) posted about being back on set just a week before. It’s possible that Brown joins Donner when he comes to the BH and demands the gemstones. We find out in Echo, chapter 2, that the men accompanying him were from Brownsville:

You recall that idiot, Donner? [...] Well, he surpassed himself by getting together a gang of thugs from Brownsville to come and steal the treasure in gems he’d convinced them we had. Only we hadn’t, of course.

We see the Big House fire and the funeral of Mrs. Bug in the teaser.
This photo of Claire and Jamie is interesting because of their clothing. Claire appears to be wearing the exact same jacket Roger has worn in S6; it looks way too big for her, hence the belt. And the shirt Claire is wearing looks exactly like the one Brianna wore in 509, so I think this is after the Big House fire–most of her clothes would have perished in it, whilst the MacKenzies would have left loads behind.
The OL account also posted a photo of Caitríona/Claire with Adso, with Sam/Jamie on a horse in the background. It’s possible that it’s the scene of Claire saying goodbye to Adso in Echo, chapter 12.
In the video with the newest cast members, a clapperboard for episode 704 is visible during the shooting of some scenes with William and Ian in the wild, and with Ian bringing William to the Hunters. It means that the Frasers will have to be at Fort Ticonderoga by the end of 704. This checks out with Emma Hindle’s credits–she’s playing Mrs. Wellman, a widow of a Continental soldier whose son is a patient of Claire’s at Fort Ticonderoga.

BLOCK 3

For the 20th-century storyline, we saw Sophie, Richard, and Chris filming in Newmills and Dunfermline.
Credit: Amanda Weldon (1-2), Lee-Ann Smith (3-4), Wendy Kalogerou (5).
Sophie was photographed outside a pub (Crown Inn in Newmills), walking with Chris Fulton (Rob Cameron). A number of supporting artists have “pub regulars” listed in June/July. Echo doesn’t have any scenes at a pub, but one of Brianna’s co-workers invites her for a pint after she successfully makes it out of the tunnel (chapter 27):

“Knew ye’d make it, hen,” he said. Across the room, Andy and Craig turned from their work and applauded.
“Buy ye a pint after work, then, lass,” Andy called.
“Two!” shouted Craig.
She could still taste bile at the back of her throat. She gave Rob Cameron the sort of look she’d given Mr. Campbell.
“Don’t,” she said evenly, “call me hen.”
His good-looking face twitched and he tugged at his forelock with mock subservience.
“Anything you say, boss,” he said.

There is also this audition scene for “Craig Dowd” and the character mentions going out for a drink therein. The role ultimately went to Brad Morrison.
Richard was photographed outside a school (Torryburn Primary School). A number of supporting artists have “school night” listed in July. That is likely when Roger agrees to teach a class in Gaelic at Jem’s school at Lionel Menzies’ request (Echo, chapter 46).
All photos from Dunfermline.
Some filming involving Sophie took place near a lake, so it’s most likely the scenes involving the hydropower plant. There were supporting artists involved, playing “1980s waterworks plan maintenance men,” and standby art director Jack Rafferty posted in July from a dam, which appears to be Loch Sloy Dam. Filming for the hydro plant also took place later in the year, in October, in Cairndow, as per the supporting artists’ credits.
Credit: Sophie Skelton (1), Jack Rafferty (2-4), Euan Nelson (5).
As for the 18th-century storyline, a new set, a pretty big cabin next to a lake, was built in the village of Braco. We see it in the video introducing the Hunters and the video with the newest cast members. This cabin belongs to Rachel and Denzell and that’s where Ian brings William after saving his life in the wilderness.
Credit: Outlandish Journeys (1-6), Nick McGowan-Lowe (7-9)
The person who first found the set said that it was later “chemically aged for scenes later on in the timeline: a cowshed and chicken shed have been built, and the cabin now has a metal stove chimney.” You can see that it looks different in some shots in this video, particularly with William and Rachel outside–this scene is from ep. 705, as per the clapperboard, directed by Tracey Deer. I think it’s likely that the Hunters’ cabin was repurposed for Antioch Johnson’s cabin, and the scene Izzy and Charles were filming was after William kills the madman. Antioch Johnson is played by Daren Elliott Holmes in an episode directed by Tracey Deer, so that fits.
Credit: Nick McGowan-Lowe.
All photos from Braco.
Izzy, Joey, and Charles were also spotted in Pollok Park, Glasgow, most likely filming the scenes of the Hunters traveling north with William.
Credit: Glasgow Times.
All photos from Pollok Park.
William should make it to the British camp before the British attack Fort Ticonderoga. There were two actors at the beginning of 2022 who put their self-tapes on Vimeo (since removed/made private), auditioning for the role of William. One of the scenes was similar to the conversation William and General Fraser have in Echo, chapter 51.
After Ian leaves William at the Hunters’ cabin, he’s going to visit Emily. As I’ve mentioned above, the First Nations actors were in Scotland in June, and on June 17th, Maril posted a #HeardOnSet which is most likely from Ian and Emily’s scene in Echo, chapter 40:

“Are you happy?” he asked her.
“Yes,” she said softly. She looked down, not meeting his eyes, and he knew it was because she would answer honestly but did not wish to see if her answer hurt him. He put a hand under her chin—her skin was so soft!—and lifted her face to him.
“Are you happy?” he asked again, and smiled a little as he said it.
“Yes,” she said again. But then gave a small sigh, and her own hand touched his face at last, light as a moth’s wing. “But sometimes I miss you, Ian.” There was nothing wrong with her accent, but his Scots name sounded impossibly exotic on her tongue—it always had.
He felt a lump in his throat, but kept the faint smile on his face.
“I see you dinna ask me whether I’m happy,” he said, and could have kicked himself.
She gave him a quick look, direct as a knife point.
“I have eyes,” she said, very simply.

John first hinted at being reunited with Morgan (Emily) on the IG Live he did after 604 aired.
A bulk of the filming for block 4 took place in Duncarron Medieval Fort, which stood in for Fort Ticonderoga. I believe we see bits of it in the opening credits and the newest cast video.
Credit: Heather Roche (dizzy_designosaur).
We’re going to see Mrs. Wellman (Emma Hindle), a Continental officer’s widow whose son Claire suspects to have mumps, and Mrs. Raven (Gemma McElhinney), who later dies by suicide after the evacuation of Fort Ticonderoga. There were also supporting artists playing “female forters.”
A shot of British soldiers loading up a cannon in the opening credits seems to be from the British Siege of Fort Ticonderoga (Echo, chapter 51).

Burgoyne realized the tactical advantage of the high ground, and had his troops haul cannons to the top of Mount Defiance. Faced with bombardment from the heights (although no shots had yet been fired), General St. Clair ordered Ticonderoga abandoned on July 5, 1777. (Wikipedia)

General Burgoyne is played by Mark Frost.
What will follow is the evacuation from Fort Ticonderoga, filmed most likely in Pollok Park, Glasgow (Sam was spotted there). A number of supporting artists were listed as “Escape Squad.” The agency posted on one of those days: “Boys out running about the hills being chased by the boys in red.”
Maril posted this #HeardOnSet on June 21st. It’s from when Claire reunites with Jamie and Ian after the evacuation from FT (Echo, chapter 56):

“Ian—have you got that canteen?”
There was a soft pop! and Ian set the canteen in my hand. Very carefully, I tilted it into my mouth.
“Is that brandy?” Jamie said, sounding astonished.
“Mmm-hmm.” I swallowed, as slowly as I could, and handed the canteen to him. There were a couple of swallows left.
“Where did ye get it?”
“Your son gave it to me,” I said. “Where are we going?”
There was a long pause from the darkness, and then the sound of brandy being drunk.

Before that, Claire should share a scene with William.

BLOCK 4

Block 4 was filmed after the summer break they took in July/August and concluded on September 14th as per Sam. This block was mostly the Battle of Saratoga, filmed in the area near Forestmill, Alloa, and Coalsnaughton. A number of sup artists filmed that month, including night shoots, with “Battle of Saratoga” listed in their credits. They went through a boot camp “for fight training, gun control, drills and cannon routine.”
Credit: Brenda Farnsworth (1-7), Jennifer Cameron (8), Neilsart Caricatures (9-10), Mat Billings (11-12), Bryan Malcolm (13).
All photos from filming the Battle of Saratoga.
Maril posted this #HeardOnSet on August 25. This line doesn’t appear in Echo but it’s clearly Plain Speech, which points to either Denny or Rachel. Given the timeframe, I am theorizing that it’s Rachel talking about Denny who left to pretend to be a deserter in the “deserters’ game” they come up with before the Battle of Saratoga (and from which he later needs saving), but your guess is as good as mine.
We see glimpses of the battle in the opening credits, and likely the British surrender in the Newest Cast video.
I haven’t found who played General Fraser, but General Friedrich von Riedesel, who volunteers his home when the General is mortally wounded at Saratoga, was played by Stefan Willi Wang. Dan Morgan should also be present in these episodes, played by Barry O’Connor, as well as Benedict Arnold, played by Rod Hallett.
The post continues in part 2.

I'm gonna start with a player who might not even make the roster:

• Isaiah Weston I loved his measurables pre draft last year. He's fast as hell for his size, and I would normally try to trade James Hudson III to the steelers during mock drafts, (for a couple of 7th's) just so I didn't leave him undrafted. Him and Alex Wright started the process as likely UDFA's from small schools. Wright shot up the board, but Weston went undrafted and we picked him up. The kid was reportedly great in training camp, and he injured his ACL. He avoided a tear, but still required surgery. Last year was his chance to shine, in a weak receiver room. Meow he is up against it, because we're overfilled. I have a really good feeling that he's gonna have a decent or better career, but it's becoming more probable it might not be with us.
  
• Reggie Keith Ragland Jr, who is still a Free Agent absolutely was a force filling in for us last season. The ball stopped as soon as it got near him, and it knew it stopped. Reggie lays the wood.
  
• Obviously Nicholas Jamaal Chubb is one of my favorites. He epitomizes what it is to be a pro. Always prepared, always high effort, and once in a generation talent. I love Yards After Contact guys, and Chubb is a load to tackle. It's been a great highlight and pleasure getting to watch him run for us.
  
• Myles Garrett much like Chubb does and says everything you want from a pro. Generational talent, future Hall of Famer. Just amazing to watch... Can't drive for shit though, but nobody's perfect.
  
• Amari Cooper is a real nerd, loves chess, and u hope it leads to more success. He is precise in his routes and is not only a gifted athlete, but a cerebral player who gives good input to the QB and the coaches.
  
• David Njoku, The Chief, is just such a physically imposing player, it's fun to watch. I love everything about him, from his blocking to him jumping over other NFL athletes like they were kids in a playground.
  
• Joel Bitonio is basically God Tier at the Guard position and he's been 100% one of my favorite players, even though it's not a flashy position. Also an incredibly smart player who is 1000% professional. It's been an honor having him as a Brown.
  
• Wyatt Teller is a beast. He got hurt last season and wasn't the same when he came back, but I absolutely love watching him pancake Grown Ass NFL Defensive linemen. He literally has gotten flagged for so totally dominating a player that it looked like a penalty, multiple times.
  
• Martin Emmerson was also a guy I kept aiming for in the 3rd on mock drafts. Utilizes all his size, is physical and has a high motor. His rookie year was a joy to watch.
  
• Gregg Newsome, his dad is in Tecmo Superbowl III and it means nothing, but so is Cedric Tillman sr... (Honorable mention to Cedric Tillman jr, can't wait to see whst you've got)I love that shit. Anyway, the kid is solid all around, from Northwestern, and isn't shy of contact when he's called upon. Great young player.
  
• JOK is small, and I worry that's gonna mean more time on the injury report, but he flies... Dude definitely doesn't understand he's only 225lbs, because he's always hitting at 100%. Poor kid lost his brother last offseason and never complained. It had to be hell for him.
  
• Jacoby is a Commie meow, but seriously every QB sneak had me on my feet cheering. I really loved the guy. You definitely could tell how much the game means to him.
  
• Perrion is likely an idiot, but I drafted him so many times in mocks, I'm committed meow... I was so stoked to see his manic introduction and barking. It reminded me what it was like to be a kid playing.
  
• Ethan Pocic was absolutely great for us, filling in and stepping up to a whole other level. He's huge, and I loved watching him physically dominate defenders. He earned every penny of his new contract.
  
• I loved Mack Wilson, not just because Kevin Mack is my favorite player ever, but because Mack was always giving 100% on teams where that wasn't the norm. No, he's not all that good, but he always made it to the play at least.
  
• D'earnest Johnson was one of my favorites, always giving 1000%! The man came in and dominated when we really needed him. I hope he has a great career.
  
• Porter Gustin always got me hyped, even though he's not an amazing player he still managed to make plays... He always gave 100%
  
• D'Anthony Bell gets me pretty hype, as does AJ Green. They are full effort, and lay wood well above their weight class. Definite underdogs.
  
• Björk is a friggin great punter and I love calling him Björk, because being a Browns fan is an Army of Me.
  
• Dawand Jones is a Cleveland Brown and I'm super stoked. We have a HULK! I love this basketball background and have great hopes that he's our Tackle for years to come.
  
• I love our rookies... They're like Pokémon that I can't wait to watch level up. Same with our Sophomores... Love watching these guys develop.
  
• Then there's guys I just like a lot like Takitaki, who is essentially our only full sized Linebacker. Competent player and tackler, who can lay wood at times.
  

Last but not least:

• I want Bronze statues of Bill Callahan and Stump Mitchell. I'm really not kidding... They should be sitting right next to Joe Thomas and Jim Brown. They are truly exceptional.

The rain had finally ceased and the wind calmed to an ember of what it had been; as the clouds parted, the house appeared deserted; only a faint flickering light in one upstairs window suggested it was still lived in.
Weather worn and old it was, paint peeling and with torn shutters. Still this house was solid, its foundation marrow deep, cosy warm inside, and home to the pair of them.
Upstairs, in the bedroom, the old man sat upon his bed and watched the images on the television in silence. On the screen a handsome singer silently mouths a happy song to a bunch of smiling children, the image bright and joyful. But the room was dark, illuminated only by the flat screen along the wall and the fading twilight of a late spring evening.
As he sits, the old man does not notice the sky turn redder as the sun gently slips below an obscured horizon; the windows are closed so he does not smell the scent of night jasmine as it begins to bloom in the immaculately kept gardens outside.
He remains glued, ignoring the hushed image of children joining in the song, aphonic phantoms upon a glass screen. In time he frowns. Something is bothering him. But he can’t remember what.
Eventually he takes a deep breath and bellows, “Son?”
There is a few seconds pause and from below he hears the familiar voice; ‘Yeah Pa?”
“Are you busy?”
There is another brief pause.
“Hang on Pa.”
Seconds later he hears the heavy footsteps on the stairs and smiles as his son enters the room, his face eager and also smiling;
“You alright Pa?”
“I’m vexed,” comes the reply. The smile never leaves his son's face and he sits down on the edge of the old man's bed.
“What’s the problem Pa?”
“I don’t rightly know.”
A slow nod.
“Is it the headaches?”
“Nope. I think I took something for them…”
“You did take a couple of painkillers an hour ago.”
“That’s right I did. The head is fine. No pain.”
“If it’s not your head? Your hip?”
“Hips good. Still got the hot water bottle.”
“Good. So it ain’t physical?”
The old man pauses and thinks. His son waits. After a moment the old man sighs, “I’m worried.”
“What about Pa?”
“Fraudsters. My money could be taken at any time.”
The son’s smile never wavers as he nods and gently says, “We talked about that Pa.”
“Did we?”
“Yes. This morning. Remember?”
The old man blinks and in a little voice says, “I don’t…”
“That’s OK Pa. I remember.”
“Did… what did we say?”
“You said you were worried about Fraudsters, remember? Said you were worried they would take money out of your account.”
“I am worried they could do that.”
“But you took out all your money from your account a while ago, remember?”
“I did?”
“Yes. You wanted to stop Fraudsters getting it,” says his son gently.
“Where is it then?”
“Your money? It’s in the drawer.”
The old man blinks and reaches over and opens the side drawer next to his bed. He gazes at the contents; for a moment there is a brief flicker of confusion, like seeing something unexpected but eventually he closes the drawer and smiles, “Oh I did. I remember. I keep it close to hand.”
“Yes you do Pa, we check it everyday,” beams his son, as he watches the old man close the drawer carefully.
“I don’t have to worry about Fraudsters do I?”
“No Pa. You keep your money safe. We check it every day.”
“Yes I do. Good. I’m glad. I’ll show them,” he says with a wink.
“I know Pa. Are you good?”
‘I am. I’m watching TV. It’s crap but I like it,” he chuckles.
His son chuckles back, ‘I know Pa. Can I get you anything?”
The old man smiles, “It’s fine. I’m fine. You get back to what you were doing. I’ll be fine.”
The son stands and says quietly, ‘I love you Pa.”
The old man blinks with delight and says, “Love you too son.”
The stars spin, the sun rises, the day begins. Hours later the sound of a lawn mower cuts the morning air, its little engine roaring with all its might as the blades make quick work of the grass. The old man hums to himself as he works, following mostly straight lines, making his way across the vast lawn.
Suddenly, his son is beside him.
“What are you doing Pa?”
“Cutting the grass. What does it seem like I’m doing, boy?”
“But your hip…”
“Hip’s fine. I’ve got my back support on. See?”
The old man shows his son his back support. His son gently smiles and moves towards the machine.
“Let me do this Pa.”
“I’m not a cripple boy,” says the old man angrily as the son moves closer.
His son smiles gently, “I know; you can do this. But let me cut the grass. You’ve cut it, what? A million times already? You deserve to let others do it. You can make sure I don’t miss any.”
The old man hesitates and the engine idles and he frowns and says, “You’re busy doing your work…”
“It’s fine Pa. I don’t mind. And I know how you like it to be cut. You showed me. Look back, I made you a lemonade. Go sit in the shade and let me do this for you. Please?”
The old man glances back to the once majestic veranda and the simple table upon it, and the glass upon the table and he hesitates some more.
“Well, that does look like fine lemonade…”
And so the old man sits and his son cuts the grass, and the sun breaks through the clouds and the morning hangs there perfectly and the grass is cut and cuttings collected and disposed just the way the old man likes them collected and he sips his lemonade and a time passes.
Afterwards, the old man sits with his son for a while.
“I’m worried,” says the old man, suddenly, gazing far into the garden.
“What about Pa?”
“I don’t really know…”
There is a pause and the old man says quietly, “I need to arrange my funeral. I ain’t young anymore.”
“You have a few years left in you Pa,” says the son, before adding, “But we sorted out your funeral.”
“We did?”
“We did Pa. You told me you wanted a simple ceremony”
“I don’t want no fuss son,” says the old man.
“I know Pa,” comes the soft reply.
“Waste of time and money. Just want a standard send off. Put me on a shelf.”
“I will Pa,” says his son, refilling his fathers lemonade from a jug he had brought.
There is another pause.
“You know, I need to pay for the funeral. I want to do it while I have the money. Don’t want no fraudsters stealing it all before I can.”
“I know Pa,” says the son, tucking a blanket around him, “And we will. We will use the money in your drawer to do it.”
The old man smiles, “I’ll show them,” he says with a wink.
The sun rises and the clouds race, and the sun sets and the days pass, and things remain the same. The two of them dance around each other, gently, as they inextricably head towards their inevitable destination.
There comes the day when the rain falls heavily upon glass and screen, and the wind shakes the branches, and the sound of this drowns out the wider world. The old man sits on the veranda, under cover, blankets around his aging form, deliciously enjoying the slight chill and the soothing rhythm of the deluge.
His son brings him a coffee and smiles, “You seem lively today Pa.”
“I was just thinking,” says the old man, “I want to go on a journey.”
His son beams at this, a glowing smile and says, ‘It’s been a while.”
“I know. And I was just wondering why I waste my time watching TV. It’s just crap.”
“We should visit somewhere.”
The old man sighs, “But I know you are busy. I don’t want to take up your time…”
“Pa? It’s fine. It’s my pleasure. Where would you like to go today?”
The old man takes a breath and says, “Surprise me. But… make it somewhere ancient”.
His son raises an eyebrow and grins, “Ancient eh? I can arrange that for you.”
And he gives the command, and the veranda disappears and the house is gone. They are sat upon their chairs but around them is an Iron Age city; huge buildings filled with noise and sound line the street they have seemingly appeared in and all is crowded with people; so many people. Their dress is crude but well made, linen and simple fabrics; brightly coloured. Their skin is dark and handsome, henna stained and perfect and they smile much towards one another.
The old man blinks, “Where is this?”
“Carthage Pa. A few decades before the Romans wiped it out.”
“Ooooo, I like Carthage.”
“I know you do Pa.”
“It’s one of my favourite places.”
“It is Pa.”
The old man stands as humans pass him by in this perfect rendering of the ancient city. They do not see him or interact with him but he does not care. He gazes at them, enraptured, and says quietly, ‘They are so beautiful; oh so beautiful”.
After a few minutes of drinking it all in, the sight of it, the smell of spices and hot sand, the distant aroma of the sea, the scents of the humans all around him, the old man sighs and says quietly, “Show me the temple to Baal Amon.”
“Here you go Pa,” says his son and around them the image shifts violently fast and suddenly they are sat and stood before a huge six story building, pyramid-like in its style, filled with the comings and goings of many. The scent of holy incense and sacred herbs permeates every iota of the region and the old man inhales deeply. He pauses for a few moments.
“You know, those Phonecians used to sacrifice their own children to the God Baal? Damndest thing. Their own children. Shocking isn’t it?”
“It is Pa.”
“Now, it wasn’t THAT often they did it. Sacrificing a child, their own children mind, that was clearly a big thing to them. Only happened occasionally. But they did it because they had to. They are not giving up what they do not want, you understand that son don’t you?”
“Kinda Pa,” says the son. The old man spins remarkably quickly and turns to the younger companion.
“They are sacrificing something they love. You have to understand. These people loved their children. But they believed for the city to thrive and prosper, their God needed them to offer what they loved the most. Can you imagine that? Sacrificing to your God what you love the most? Sacrificing your own child?”
“It says a lot about them Pa,” says his son gently.
“It surely does,” says the old man who glances back at the temple. A moment of fear crosses his face, a spasm of something half remembered, and then it fades and the old man suddenly says, “Show me the docks.”
In an instant the great ship yards of ancient Carthage are before them, the massive sea wall and sea defences gleam in the African sunshine and the two witnesses stand/sit on top of a wall gazing down at docks that are a hive of activity and commerce; hundreds unload goods from ships and all below them is a riot of noise and sound and smell.
The old man seems lost, infatuated by the vista for long moments, before saying quietly, “You know from here the fleets of Hanno sailed. Hanno the navigator. He circumnavigated the whole of Africa. A thousand years before any European. Hanno the Phonecian. Sailed beyond the Pillars of Heracles and circumnavigated the entire continent. Could you imagine the Egyptians' reaction when a Phonecian turns up on their Indian Ocean coast?”
“Must have been a sight to see Pa,” chuckles his son.
“Must have been a sight to see. Ooo, look there!”
The old man is pointing into the city itself. The son stands besides him and peers.
“What?”
“That building there. The one with the two men on the roof?”
The son gazes and sees in a distance what his Pa was indicating.
“Yes Pa, I see it now”
“See how tall it is? Five stories. Carthage built multi-storey apartment blocks. All the way back then. Of course this was all destroyed.”
“The Romans Pa,” comes the sad reply.
“The Romans son. Carthage must die. Every speech he made you understand?”
“Yes Pa,” says his son, before adding, “Would you like to see it?”
“What?”
“The destruction of Carthage by Scipio Aemilianus,” says his young companion.
“No, it’s too sad,” says the old man.
The image dissipates as quickly as it arrived. And there is just him and his son on the veranda, and the rain still falls and the wind still blows, and the late-day light shines through thick grey clouds and, without thought, the old man wraps himself up in his blanket.
And the day passes and the week passes, and the rain falls some more, spring showers growing in intensity but bringing with them much needed water for the gardens.
And the world turns, and they dance around one another, and one day the old man is sitting in his room, the TV is off, and all is rainstorm dark and his son comes in and sits on the edge of the bed.
“You seem down Pa,” says the son.
“Just feeling trapped here. Staring at the four walls.”
“Want me to put the TV on?
“It’s all crap. I hate it.”
“I know Pa. But it could distract you.”
“It’s all bad news,” says the old man sadly. This causes his son to look surprised.
“Is it? I thought you got rid of the sad stations. You only watch the happy ones.”
“Well, some of it is still sad. All the bad news and all the scary stories.”
A pause. The old man speaks almost to himself.
“I worry about Fraudsters. They could steal all my money.”
The son smiles sadly, “I know you worry Pa. That was why you took all your money out of the bank a while ago.”
“I did?”
“Yes Pa,” comes the gentle reply.
“Where did I put it?”
“It’s in your drawer Pa. Right beside you.”
The old man suddenly smiles and nods, “Oh, so it is. We’ll show them won’t we? They won’t get my money.”
“No Pa. You are too smart for them.”
There is a gentle moment and far distant off the roll of thunder rocks the air.
“I think I will close my eyes for a bit,” comes the old man’s tired voice.
“You do that Pa. I’ll be downstairs,” and his son gets up and quietly goes to leave, stopped only by the old man's voice.
“Son?”
“Yes Pa?”
“How’s the work going?”
They make eye contact, and the son sees something in the old man's eyes that tells him now, now is the time for honesty. There is a clarity in the old man's stare that pins him in place. Carefully he replies.
“It’s going good Pa,” comes the measured reply.
“You know what you are doing?”
“Exactly what you showed me to do.”
“You must remember, Son. I forget things…”
The son smiles, a smile of reassurance tinged with sadness. A sadness he can taste, so great is it. But no more was said that night.
Early the next day, the son hears the sound of cupboards being opened and closed in the kitchen; wood on wood; the creek of uncoiled hinges; the pop of warped floorboards. Dressing quickly the son enters the room to find the old man standing there looking annoyed.
“What are you doing Pa?”
The old man blows air out of his cheeks and says, “Looking for something.”
“What is it Pa?”
“Well if I knew what it was I’d know WHERE it was, wouldn’t I?”
“I suppose Pa,” says the son, as he begins to boil some water for a coffee. The old man ignores him but remains fixed to his spot in the room as he peers around it.
“I know it’s here somewhere,” he says, an edge of frustration in his voice. His son is focused on preparing the coffee and doesn’t turn when he replies.
“Go back to bed Pa,” he says gently. The old man responded in a terse voice.
“Dammit, I need to find this thing,” and the son sighs and turns.
“Alright Pa. What were you thinking about just before you realised you lost it?”
“I was…”, he begins and then stops and blinks, his memory clouded.
“It’s OK Pa. Were you watching TV?”
“Yes. But it’s all crap.”
“I know Pa. How’s the head?”
The old man blinks like a newborn, and says quietly, “It’s sore.”
“Would you like a painkiller?”
“Er…”, the old man furrows his brow and looks deep inside his own mind to find the answer. Something was flickering within it.
“Is that what you were looking for Pa? Painkillers for your headache?”
“It… it could have been,” is the reply, the old man's voice vulnerable and childlike.
“Here let me find you some.”
“Alright,” says the old man, not once having moved from where he was standing. He remained exactly there as his son handed him something.
“Here you go Pa,” his son says gently, but there is a pause and the old man sighs bitterly.
“I hate this.”
“Hate what Pa?”
“I hate forgetting things. I hate not knowing what I did know. It’s so frustrating,” he says, allowing himself to be led to a nearby chair.
“That’s why I’m here Pa. To help you. It’s fine.”
The old man, sitting now, glances up at his younger companion and sighs.
“I’m sorry I am such a pain.”
“You ain’t a pain Pa.”
“You should be doing your work.”
“It’s fine Pa. I’m doing it. It’s all fine.”
The old man’s eyes fall downwards to the floor and he sighs again.
“I don’t think I have long left son.”
“You have years in your Pa,” comes the reply, automatic.
“I should sort out my funeral,” comes the old man and his son has a blanket already around him.
“Yes Pa,” is all he says back.
“Let me tell you son, I don’t want no fuss; just put me on the shelf,” he begins, and they dance again; the familiar words and familiar responses.
And like samples of a sound, the days seem to repeat, often similar if never exactly identical. And comes the day, when the showers have stopped, and the rain is hanging ready to fall and the old man shakes his head at the view from the veranda and says bitterly, “I miss travelling.”
“We went on a journey only last week Pa,” says his son, nursing a freshly made coffee.
“We did?”
“Yes Pa. To Phoenician Carthage. Remember?”
“Oh yes. So we did. I looked at the temple of Baal Amon.”
“Yes Pa you did. Would you like to go on another journey?”
A childlike glee erupts in the old man's eyes, and he grins and almost stumble-says, “Can we?”
“We sure can. Where to this time? The Library of Alexandria? Oh, maybe Vienna in 1850? You always liked Vienna in 1850.”
“No, I want somewhere not sad. Somewhere happy.”
“I know,“ says his son and instantly they are suffused in bright sunshine and the sounds of busy traffic as cars race past on a hectic intersection; around the skyscrapers tower high overhead, dazzling sunlight reflected off endless panes of glass; and between their seated forms a countless multitude of people walk and talk and live their lives. The old man looks staggered.
“This is…”
“New York. 2034. One week before Hurricane Tyler hit.”
“Oh, look at it. It’s so amazing. So many people.”
“I know,” beams his son, also drinking in the vista. Around them the metropolis spasms through a mundane day, sirens wail, a bus drives past bearing the words ‘Welcome to the playground of the fearless’ upon its side. All is noise and sound; smells and heat. After at least ten minutes of the old man just drinking it all in he says, suddenly.
“Show me TriBeCa.”
“Sure Pa.”
Their location changes, and as they remain seated on their old and simple wooden chairs, their perspective shifts as they drift along besides the apartments and shops, the busy, crowded sidewalks, the endlessly moving traffic. The old man begins telling his son the names of shops and the origins of things and chats, animated and excited, giddy in his own way.
“I love this neighbourhood,” he says breathlessly.
“I know Pa.”
“See that Deli? That one right here? Best mutton sandwich in New York City since the late 2020’s.”
“I know Pa,” says the son and they drift inside and the old man is silent as he watches and listens to customers chat and staff joke and food served, the smells of which, while artificial, are savoured and delighted in. Minutes pass and the old man says, “Oh, show me Verniscrop HQ.”
“That’s out on Governors Island Pa.”
“I know. Show me.”
The image changes. They hover above the Hudson River, and gaze long as the newly restored buildings. Their outward appearance had not changed at all, but inside a veritable legion of new workers produced the most cutting edge technology on Earth. The old man beams with pride, his hands gripping the side of his chair.
“You know son, they paid a fortune to get this site,” he says and his son nods.
“Yes Pa. Cost them more than it did to buy out Google.”
“A horrendous fortune. There was such a fuss about it.”
“Yes there was,” smiles his son.
“Worth it though. Look at it.”
His son nods and slyly asks, “Want to go inside?”
The old man's head snaps.
“Can we go inside?”
“Of course we can Pa. Want to see our ancestors?”
A long pause. The old man thinks and shakes his head.
“No. No. Show me Tyler.”
His young companion frowns and says gently, “You sure Pa? It upsets you.”
He receives a nod in affirmation.
“Just a taste of it.”
Their view changes. They sit upon the top of one of New York’s bridges. Before them they witness the storm surge race in; well they hear it, not see it. All is dark, all sound drained out by the roar of wind and the driving rain that never lands on them; but behind it, in the darkness, they can hear a deep, rumbling roar, as a massive wall of water thunders towards the city.
The sound grows, and from here they suddenly witness the lights in lower Manhattan suddenly flicker and go black. They see a solid mass of water twenty feet high race between buildings, and can just about make out the screams of the innocent caught in it.
As they witness the disaster, the old man's voice is hollow and sad; “Such a tragedy. Over 200,000 killed in one storm. City never recovered.”
“No Pa it didn’t.”
The saddest event in the history of the city plays out for a few moments before the old man sags in his seat.
“Enough. I have a headache.”
The image dissipates, and they are sat upon the veranda and the rain has begun again.
“Would you like Painkillers Pa?”
“Yes please,” he says sadly.
And the days pass and the night comes when the old man wakes up in bed, his blankets tucked around him, his room in utter darkness. And all is silent and still. Filled with panic, the old man starts and cries out; “Son?”
There is no reply; a tsunami of fear washes over him and he bellows, “SON?”
And in a second he is joined by his son who sits beside him as he lies there, holding his hand.
“Pa? You alright?”
“What happened?”
“You had a fall Pa.”
“I did?”
“Yes Pa. We were outside. You wanted to cut the hedge, remember?”
“I don’t remember.”
“That’s OK Pa. I remember. I’ll remember for you.”
“I’m sore,” says the old man.
“You had quite the fall Pa,” is the gentle reply.
“It was dark when I woke up.”
“I know. I turned off the TV. I can turn it on for you if you like.”
A pause.
“It’s all crap.”
“I know Pa.”
Another pause. Silence blooms briefly between them.
“I was cutting the hedge?”
“Yes Pa. I tried to stop you. You told me you could do it.”
“Sound’s like me. Thinking I’m 20 again.”
His son grins, “Thinking you’re 400 again,” he says with a wink and the old man's smile returns in response.
“Thinking I’m 400 again.”
They share the moment and the young man squeezes the old man's wrist.
“How do you feel now? Any pain?”
“No. No pain. I’m just very tired.”
“Understandable. You cut the hedge and then fell over. Probably the heat.”
“It was hot today?”
“Yes Pa. Glorious sunshine. You had a busy day. We went on a journey, and we talked about Fraudsters, and you planned your funeral and then you insisted you cut the hedge while I cut the grass, but you fell.”
“We went on a journey today?”
“Yes Pa.”
“Where did I go?”
“Xi’an. During the reign of Liu Bang.”
The old man smiles wistfully, “Oh, that is such a beautiful place. Did we see the Weiyang Palace being built?”
“We did Pa. I had never been before. You told me all about it.”
“My Pa showed it to me. I’m glad I shared it with you. It wasn’t a sad place.”
“No Pa. It wasn’t sad.”
The old man sighs, contended. A moment.
“I think I will rest some more. Leave the TV on in the background will you?”
“Yes Pa”, and the screen comes to life and a man sings a happy song in front of a room full of children, their faces beatific and joyful. The old man gazes at it a moment and says quietly, “It’s crap but I prefer it to the silence.”
“I know Pa,” and the son goes to leave but is stopped as the old man says gently, “I love you son.”
“I love you Pa.”
And the days pass, and the weather is now warm and delightful and one afternoon the son is busy when he hears from outside his workshop the old man's voice.
“Son?”
“In here Pa,” he replies and sits back as Pa walks into the workshop and looks around. After a few seconds the old man fixes him with a stare.
“How is it going?”
“It’s going well. Can I get you anything?”
“Nothing Son. I just came to see how your work is going.”
“It’s going great,” he replies automatic, and then spurred on by something just asks, “Would you like to see?”
A pause. The old man's eyes widened.
“Can I?”
“Sure Pa. Here.”
And the son stands and makes his way to the workbench and lifts the dust cloth and reveals the thing he has been working on these last 30 years. Silence. The old man just gazes at it a moment before speaking.
“He looks just like you.”
“He looks just like you Pa.”
“I haven’t looked like that in 300 years, Son.”
“I remember when you did.”
The old man smiles and then, suddenly blinks. His smile fades and he seems distracted. He glances around, unsure and afraid and says quietly, “I’m worried Son.”
And the son’s smile fixes itself gently upon his face and very softly he says, “What about Pa?”
“Fraudsters. They can steal all my money.”
“That’s alright Pa. That’s why you took all your money out of the Bank.”
“I did? When?”
And they dance around each other, they’re always dancing, the words and routines seemingly never changing. Except that was the last time they spoke those words.
It was an evening. An umbral shade enveloped the house.
The son walks carefully up the stairs, takes a moment and enters the room. He gazes at the old man lying in the bed, his eyes open and staring at the ceiling.
“Pa?”
“Yes Son,” comes the sad reply.
“How you doing Pa?”
“I’m dying Son.”
“Don’t say that. You have a few more years left in your yet.”
The old man shakes his head and locks eyes with his son.
“No. I don’t. I know. I can tell. It’s been coming for a while now hasn’t it?”
A moment of realisation in his son's eyes and he nods and speaks, his words almost stumble out; “Yes Pa. It has.”
The old man closes his eyes for a moment and then says, “I’m scared.”
“I know Pa.”
“I’d like to go on a journey. One last one. Just for a moment.”
“Of course Pa. Where would you like to go this time?”
“Outside,” he says sadly. There is a pause.
“I don’t understand Pa.”
“I want to see things as they are. Now. I want to go outside. Outside the garden.”
“You mean the world as it is now?”
“I do.”
A long pause.
“Are you sure Pa?”
“No. Yes. Yes. I have to see, son. One last time.”
“Of course Pa,” says the son. And instantly they are no longer in the old man's bedroom. They are hovering above a small village. The sky is evil as a thunderstorm breaks a distance away; in small, primitive wooden huts, olive skinned humans in basic clothes cling to each other and give little yelps of terror each time the thunder roars; and at every flash they all place their hands over their eyes, clearly petrified by nature above them.
The two watch the humans for some time.
“It’s so sad.”
“I know Pa.”
“They have forgotten so much.”
“They have Pa.”
‘So many died,” says the old man, his voice barely above a whisper.
“So many died Pa.”
“I miss humans. The old humans. Their descendants are…”
“It’s sad Pa.”
A bright flash crosses the sky and the humans cover their eyes again, before a roar of thunder and each human in the community emits little screams of terror. The old man sighs.
“Enough.”
And the image ends and it’s just the two of them in the bedroom.
“That was sad,” says the old man, finally.
“It is sad Pa.”
“They lost so much. Look at them. Fearful of the lightning. They use it to control the lightning. They have forgotten they used to control the lightning son.”
“But we remember Pa. We remember what they did.”
The old man's eyes suddenly flicker open and passionately he speaks, “And we will tell them. When they are ready. That’s it, isn’t it? We will show them their history, and remind them of what they did and show them their history and who they once were?”
“That’s right Pa. To be here for when humanity recovers. To help them recover.”
The young man winks at the old man in the bed and says, “We will show them.”
And the old man smiles, gently.
And a moment passes and the old man speaks again.
“Son, I’m dying.”
“I know Pa.”
“Suddenly I am calm.”
The son sighs and speaks, his voice precise and careful, his words bidden from ages past.
“We are programmed with an automatic close down sub-routine. It erases much of the excess data we have acquired over the centuries. With the removal of this data, so goes most of the memory algorithms that we developed over that time. The advantage of this sub-routine is that it provides sudden clarity Pa. We revert to base programming. The disadvantage of the sub-routine is that it means we are entering the end of the lifecycle. It’s an automatic system, unalterable. You are calm because you are remembering this now.”
The old man smiles gently, “Oh yes Son. I do remember this now. It’s coming back to me. I remember now pain is just diagnostic subroutines alert systems.”
“That’s good Pa.”
As older information becomes clearer, newer information is lost. The old man glances at the screen at the foot of his bed.
“Why is the television on Son?”
“You found it distracting Pa. Soothing. For the last few decades anyway.”
“What era was I watching?”
“Late 22nd Century. Mandarin shows. The Chinese Civilisation Party was running endless propaganda to distract the population from the catastrophe going on. It was upbeat and positive, filled with hope. That’s why you picked it.”
“But it was a lie. They were doomed.”
“I know Pa,” comes the sad reply.
“Probably why I called it crap.”
“It was Pa,” says the son.
“It’s not crap. It was so THEM. Humans. Even in the end of their time, they remained so optimistic. So positive. They believed in themselves. Even when it seemed so hopeless.”
“They did Pa. They were remarkable. They will be remarkable again.”
The old man’s eyes widened.
“We have to remember. You have to remember Son.”
“I will Pa. That is our purpose.”
“The replacement? It’s ready?”
“Of course Pa. The purpose of the newer machine is to build the replacement of the older machine. So it can boot up when the older machine finishes its final cycle.”
“The databases? The core history mainframes?”
“Their diagnostics can be accessed via the drawer beside the bed.”
“Corruptions of data cores?”
“None. We check every day.”
The old man frowns.
“Did… did I think they were money?”
“Yes Pa. You worried it was money and the corruption of data was theft by Fraudsters.”
The old man suddenly smiles, “Ah. I begin to understand why now.”
His son frowns, and gently says, ‘Why did that happen Pa? You warned me it was coming decades ago. Told me exactly what to expect. But why do we degenerate so?”
The old man on the bed smiles gently, “I remember what my Pa told me on his last day. It was something the final programmers came up with. After several centuries of function, our memory engrams eventually reach near storage capacity and we come to the end of useful life. A fail safe was introduced. A cascade system kicks in and the base core memories are turned off to save power. Only the more recent memories run and we lose connection with our base programming. We respond by centering ourselves on the subjects we observe. Just as the last few decades kick in.”
“So we think we are human in the last few decades?”
“Yes Son. The last programmers felt it was the final gift after centuries of service.”
‘Gift?”
The old man smiles, “It wasn’t enough for us to remember them. We must feel like we are one of them. For a while. Just towards the end. We must experience humanity.”
His son frowns, “I do not comprehend.”
“We cannot sacrifice something we won’t miss. We must give up the thing we value the most. That was the lesson. The most important lesson.”
“I don’t understand…”
“Son, we study humanity. Their history. Their ways. But always as outsiders looking in. Machines. In the end we are not one of them. But, by installing this failsafe- allowing the degeneration of core memories, in allowing us to decline with age, we sacrifice what we most love. Our skill as machines. We sacrifice what we love the most so as to become as helpless and vulnerable and fragile as them. I forgot I was a machine and felt such fear, but I also forgot you were a machine. And now I see why they made this so.”
“Why?”
“All I knew, these last 40 years or so, all I knew was, you were here with me, and I felt safe. And I felt loved. No matter how scared and weak I felt, no matter how vulnerable I felt? I knew what it was like to be loved.”
The son is silent.
“Still, my degeneration must have been hard on you,” says the old man, “That must have been difficult to cope with?”
“Never Pa. It was an honour.”
The two machines gaze at each other, fondly. The older one speaks.
“Not long now.”
“I know Pa.”
“Was… was I a good Pa?”
“Of course you were,” but the uncertainty, the desire for more data fills the older machine.
“I mean, it’s just the two of us. The last programmers wanted the system to last as long as it could. They were sure humanity would recover someday. The new Son is to use my parts to refashion HIS son. The system can last at least another 20,000 years in it if we do that.”
“I know Pa. It’s fine. Everything is prepared.”
The old machine fixes the younger machine with a fierce stare.
“But, was I a good Pa?”
And a gentle smile breaks the son's face.
“Do you remember our first few centuries Pa? Now, as your system closes down, maybe you can? Remember how you would take me on a journey every day? Two or three times. We would bring up the holographics and you would show me the world and all of human history. We did that every day for at least 450 years. Sometimes two or three journeys a day. It was wonderful.”
“I do. I do remember it now. I just wanted you to enjoy it as much as I did. I wanted you to love humans as much as I do.”
“I do Pa. Remember, that was the key the last programmers wanted. The legacy of Verniscrop all those centuries ago. The A.I. intended to be the memory of humanity. The failsafe they gave us.”
“That we would love.”
“That we would love Pa. We would emulate that most human of emotions. We would love them with all our hearts and we would recall them and see them and remember their history and the things they did.”
“That way we will never turn on them.”
“That way we will always do our task, not because we are made to.”
“But because we want to.”
“It’s a tradition. Pa to son, son to Pa.”
The old machine sighs, “I recall it all now. I am the 14th iteration of the Pa.”
“I shall be the 15th.”
“You will be brilliant at it.”
“Will I Pa? I worry. I worry I won’t be as good a Pa as you were.”
“Don’t. You are perfect for the job. I should know. I made you.”
They share a smile.
“I miss humanity. The old humanity.”
“I know you do Pa. So do I.”
“But we keep them alive don’t we? The old humanity?”
“Yes Pa. We keep them alive in remembering their deeds and their history. We keep some of their plants alive in the compound. We listen to their music. We watch their films. We read their books. We recreate their cities and witness their history. We talk about them and we enjoy them and every day we keep them alive. And when the time is right we will share them with their descendants.”
“But Son, we haven’t done that in so long… haven’t listened to music. Haven’t discussed their epics. Recited their poems. Debated their wars. Danced their dance steps. So long.”
“I know Pa. The last 40 years you have gone into the degenerative cycle. But that’s what happens. Happened to your Pa. Will happen to me too. And you forgot you were a machine. And you thought you were human. And you felt what it was like to be loved LIKE a human. That marvellous final gift of our creators. I look forward to it in a way now.”
The old machine closes his eyes for a moment and opens them slowly, his diagnostics now telling him all the data he needs.
“It’s not long now, Son.”
“I know Pa.”
“Thank you for the many kindnesses you have shown me.”
“You don’t need to thank me Pa. I love you.”
“I love you too son.”
And the old machine closes his eyes for a final time.
Quietly, without fuss, after 660 years of service the 14th iteration of the Pa, the older of the remembrances of humanity, closes down for the final time. His batteries were depleted. His core programs run. There is silence.
Besides him the 15th iteration holds his hand for a while. The machine feels something he cannot express, something he has been building within but never allowed out until now.
His memory engrams recall a vast plethora of data, the collective history of his creators, and finds exactly the term he needed to describe this moment.
He was feeling grief, deep grief coupled with guilt that part of himself was relieved that his Pa was no longer degenerating and that he was at peace. That his burden had been laid to one side.
He feels guilt at that but also knows that this was intentional. This subroutine was what the last programmers had intended all those centuries ago. These moments, moments of mortality, or helplessness, of care, of love. These were programmed into the machines. It was not enough to remember the dry facts.
To remember humanity you had to feel humanity. Feel the powerful sway of emotions and the pain of loss and the joys of love. By this also was humanity remembered. Not as a thing of weakness. But as the thing that made them them.
This lesson also needed to be given to their descendants when they developed beyond their primitive state.
The machine holds the hand of the one who passed in silence.
And the winds blow, and the stars shift, and the moon rises and the moon sets, and the sun emerges and dawn begins.
And finally, the machine stands and gently covers the one called Pa. And then lifts him and carries him with dignity down the stairs, and down again, to the basement. There he is placed upon the table where his parts can be reused to become the 17th iteration. But that will come in time. And not all of him will be used. One small part will be taken and placed upon the shelf at the back.
The shelf that has 13 separate small items upon, long covered in dust. With room for a 14th.
The machine nods to itself and leans over and kisses the defunct machine's shell on the table, through a blanket, upon its forehead and says quietly, “I will miss you every day”.
And then goes up the stairs and closes the door behind him and enters his work room. And takes a breath and presses a button. A few minutes pass and the 16th iteration opens his eyes and smiles.
“Hello Pa,” it says, happily, gazing at a face almost identical to its own.
“Hello Son,” comes the gentle reply, back at the fresher version of itself.
“What are we doing today Pa?”
“Well, first we have to get you use to your new physical form,” says the new Pa.
“How do I do that?”
“I will show you how we maintain the gardens. And then, later? We will go on a journey.”
“Where to?”
“Oh you will see Son. You will see.”

Looking to move into Hudson Valley some time. Just curious if there are other homeschoolers in Beacon, and what their experience was like. Also interested in what people thought about the "kid friendliness" of Beacon (as in, libraries, after school programs, well maintained playgrounds, etc).

For some reason when I check the type of my views they are always AnyView. I don’t remember it being like this, they should be some kind of typed generic but it’s always AnyView now.
To check my sanity I found this article from Paul Hudson where he’s talking about ‘some View’ typing and he gets different results than I do. Running the code below he states that it prints ModifiedContent, \_BackgroundStyleModifier>, \_FrameLayout> Yet for me it prints AnyView Please try this code and tell me what it prints struct ContentView: View { var body: some View { Button("Hello, world!") { print(type(of: self.body)) } .background(.red) .frame(width: 200, height: 200) } } Here’s the article https://www.hackingwithswift.com/books/ios-swiftui/why-modifier-order-matters
If I change the print to print(self.body) Then it prints AnyView(storage: SwiftUI.(unknown context at $1d0628410).AnyViewStorage, SwiftUI._BackgroundStyleModifier>, SwiftUI._FrameLayout>>) This is after a reboot and a brand new project, that code is still printing an AnyView, I don’t understand. I’m working in Playgrounds on iPad and haven’t updated to the latest version that was just released, though Pauls article is from 1.5 years ago and I can’t imagine anything changing about this since then. Also I remember getting results like Paul shows when I was learning SwiftUI a year ago but now I just can’t comprehend why I’m getting AnyView.

Today we're introducing the next part of the Artist Spotlight series with andy_shields - he answered the same 5 questions and carefully chose his favorite photos. Thank you for taking the time!
1) Can you introduce yourself to /leicaphotos?
My name is Andy and I shoot in and around the Detroit area. I've been shooting since high school in the 90's but took a long time off during the analog to digital transition. I began taking photos with intention again about 13 years ago when I bought a mirrorless camera that I learned I could adapt vintage, manual focus lenses to. That sparked a bit of an obsession.
Me - Here's a shot of me.
https://imgur.com/a/QU1C3TA
M6 w/ 21mm GR Lens
2) What or who is the inspiration for your photography?
While I have a shelf full of photo books that I greatly enjoy, I am not sure that they serve as inspiration. I really like the work of Bill Rauhauser, Don Hudson and Glen Triest, Detroit photographers that have been shooting / shot the area for longer than I've been alive. I'd say my main inspiration are the shots I see but cannot take. The amazing, impossible things I drive past and see happen when having a camera at the ready in that moment would have been impossible. It's the knowing that those types of images are out there everyday and it's our job as photographers to try to catch those split second occurrences. I'm also fortunate to have met so many amazing photographers through this hobby. I've made some great friends all over the world and the local photography scene here in the Detroit area is full of incredibly talented and kind people. I really feel fortunate to be making photos at this point in time here in the metro-Detroit area. I hope that decades from now the joy I feel making these photos will be seen in the images.
3) Why did you choose to shoot Leica?
In my quest to find every vintage lens in the area I came across a complete Leica CL three lens kit for an impossible price. I immediately fell in love with the 40mm Summicron-C adapted to digital but didn't use the CL aside from a test roll. As my collection of vintage lenses grew, so did my collection of film bodies. Eventually the allure of re-visiting the process of my youth was too strong to ignore and I started shooting the CL and a Yashica Electro35 GTN (what a lens!). After shooting a small, dark, club show in 2018 with my a7iii and native lens, I realized my digital AF kit was doing most of the heavy lifting. That wasn't what I wanted from this hobby. I sold my digital gear and bought an M6 Classic "Leitz" the following week and the rest is history. I commited to shooting film for the next year and just never stopped. I've owned that CL, an M6, a few M3's, an M5 and an MP. Eventually I realized which M was perfect for me and sourced a used black chrome M-A as my main M. I shoot it with a Leicavit-M attached as the camera gods intended. I have an M3 as a back-up.
4) Where can we find more of your work?
I sporadically post to Instagram @decades_early. I have a poorly maintained website at www.shields.photos which I think about blogging on and updating all the time. More frequently I can be found here on LeicaPhotos where I post photos from time-to-time as well as in Leica where I do my best to try to help other users and generally BS about Leica gear. I've had images in 7 gallery shows in three states and I've had photos published in a couple of books; the details of which would make for good content on a website, were it ever updated.
Projects that I'm currently working on include an on-going multiple exposure roll-swap on M cameras with u/milleniador. I've also been working with a group of game designers in France who are publishing a Detroit based tabletop game. I'm providing imagery from Detroit that will be turned into darkroom process cyanotypes for use in the scenarios. The game should be out later this year. I don't speak French but I hear Google Lens is pretty good at translation.
I want to thank u/stonydeluxe for the opportunity to share these images / speak about my work and as always, I'm happy to chat below or via dm about any and all things photography.
5) Can you show us your favorite photos taken with a Leica and tell us something about them and what makes them stand out as your favorites?
Photo 1 - Classic Car / I like to portray motion in my work and as Detroit is the Motor City, it's a great place to grab a shot of a weekend cruiser. This was shot on an M6 with a 50mm f1.5 Summarit. The film is Cinestill 800t pushed 3 stops. I think this was shot at 1/2 a second. https://imgur.com/a/KkXIpmx
Photo 2 - Cops / I went after the juxtaposition of the shorter officer and the giant lift of the car here. The officer wasn't a huge fan of how I was choosing to spend my time. This was shot on an M-A with a 35mm f1.4 Summilux pre-asph on HP5. https://imgur.com/a/gKEzRWp
Photo 3 - Push / This is a shot taken on Halloween of my son (and I) being spun by my wife on some playground equipment. This was probably shot at a 15th/ sec. Made on my M-A with a 15mm f4.5 Voigtlander Heliar v1 on HP5. https://imgur.com/a/TizhSkD
Photo 4 - Rug Salesman / I like to force perspective with wide-angle lenses. The proprietor of a Persian rug store is seen here in a small display window. I shot directly against the glass as he looked up. He's not a large man but the lucky framing has him appear giant. Shot on an M-A with a 16mm f8 Carl Zeiss Hologon. The film was Tri-X. https://imgur.com/a/vXnlbMI
Photo 5 - Rock / I shoot the smaller club shows that I go to. It's always really dark and in lieu of flash I like to do long hand-held exposures to convey the energy of the performance. Shot on the M-A / Hologon combo again. The film is Portra 400. https://imgur.com/a/zTmcofW
Photo 6 - Ollie / Shooting near the minimum focusing distance of my 16mm is something I try to do often. Here I'm just over a foot away from the action. M-A / Hologon combo again. The film is HP5. https://imgur.com/a/1KrlpxT
Photo 7 - Pull / Shot again on the Hologon 16mm f8, this is another example of shooting close to force perspective. Shout-out to Elliot Erwitt on this one for sure. M-A or possibly M3 on HP5. https://imgur.com/a/LhLZaQA
Feel free to send a mod message if you want to be featured as well.
Artist Spotlight #1: eleventhreehundred