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 |   Theses are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call life. |
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These are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call Life. I blog with these groups:     "Blogging Circle of Friends "  [E] 
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30 Day Blogging Challenge - Day 12 Woohoo, Mother Nature must have been a card player at one point... it's 55 degrees Fahrenheit 13 degrees Celsius. The fire feels good... and the spade game between ANN Thankful4MarriageEquality and Lyn 30 Day Camp Guide against Charlie & Cinn and Cinn & Charlie is close. Everyone is placing bets... Conversation around the fire…what is the strangest thing you’ve ever seen happen during the summer? Why was it so weird? What might other people have thought about what you saw? In the morning, we are off to see Mud Volcanoes at Lake Village and Bridge Bay. We'll be setting up camp there, need volunteers to fish for trout in the river there. If anyone is interested there is a fishing contest going on, prizes are 1000.00 for the largest catch of the day. Here is the link to explain the card game... I want it for future reference. It looks like fun. http://www.bicyclecards.ca/game-rules/spades/198.php?page_id=32 Strange things happening in the summer? Hmm. I am curious what other people will say. I would not call it strange, but I have seen a beautiful display of Northern Lights when visiting my home town of New Liskeard years ago. The view is breathtaking and the evening was cool and perfect. No humidity in the air. I am going up to New Liskeard at the end of the month so I hope to get another Lights show. I also saw a video of a deer playing with a bunny - it was real life Bambi and Thumper! So funny to see them both bouncing around. Talking about strange things... these Mud Volcanoes sound intriguing. This is the area... http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/images/LAKEVDTL.GIF This is what we are to see: http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/mudvolcano.htm Super hot and stinky. Should be interesting to view if you can handle the smell. The names are witchy and fantasical - Dragon's Mouth and Black Dragon's Cauldron. Lots of belching, sloshing and steaming. I shall keep a respectfully safe distance. Not sure if I would join in with a fishing contest, though I wish anyone interested lots of luck. A thousand dollars would be a wonderful addition to your bank account. I may be more inclined to people watch. I am sure there would be plenty of characters. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge – Day 11 We are supposed to pull up camp and move onto Lake Village and Bridge Bay today but we have an several injured campers Princess Megan Rose, BlueMoon, and we have a missing teenager Help Miss Dragon~ Note# 297138 . Instead of moving on we are going to work with the authorities to find Miss Dragon in the morning. This evening to keep our mind off all that is happening around us we are going to have a card playing night around a roaring fire. (There was a camper killed by a grizzly bear in Yellowstone, the bear was captured so we are safe so long as we use camp safety) Those of you that would like time to write home, there is a postal pickup service, plus I was told Xanterra Parks & Resorts has an internet hub and phone center if you want to use it for a fee. Please take a buddy, no wandering alone. Share with us your card game experiences, what games do you play? Enlighten us on your thoughts about our missing Miss Dragon. And finally since we are here for another day how about some good old baked beans in a hole and hot dogs. See the video so you know what I mean about in the hole. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAbzuN6kbdw Has anyone done this before with their families? Volunteers? I am sorry but that does not sound very good, though I may try a bit. Yesterday, two of our group said they didn't like hot dogs. I am okay with them over the campfire done on a stick. Baked beans are good, but what is this hole? Share with us what you chose to do while we stayed another night in Grant Village. There is a longer trail that goes out from this area. I want to check it out, but not alone. Anyone interested in the Shoshone Lake trek. It is a burley 5.8 miles which is more my regular length. We might see some moose. I plan on taking lots of photographs and maybe even stop to do a little sketching. I think Miss Dragon will be okay... I hope so anyway. I don't want to worry about what might have happened to her. She was sticking close to the others. She didn't wander off in her sleep did she? The authorities know what they are doing... they know the area and have probably had to do rescues on a regular basis. I just keep telling myself she'll be fine. We need to keep busy so we don't worry too much. Card games – Euchre is my card game of choice. I used to play it in high school. http://www.pagat.com/euchre/euchre.html I am also willing to learn any new card games but nothing that requires us to strip - it's too cold for any of that kind of stuff. |
Welcome To My Reality - Week Eighty - Six 6. Tell us how you spent your weekend. I went to the Fergus Highland Games with my Mother and a friend. We had a lovely time. There were no Henderson Clan this year and our friend's Cameron Clan had gone early - we went on the last day. When my mother and her friend went in to hear some more traditional celtic music complete with a fiddle, I wandered off to explore. I found some sheep - half of them sheared, the other half waiting for the afternoon's show. I also found a lovely Clysdale horse named Earl. He had lost one of his eyes to cancer, but he was still solidly healthy. He stood at the far side of his fenced in pen. When he took a sniff of his own dung I made a comment about the fact that it was only his as he is the only animal there. He eyed me up after that and because I was the only one around that had talked to him, he made a quick move forward and let me pat his soft, silky nose. Beautiful animal. I wandered from there across the field, lurked by some interesting music. I included a Youtube link of the band - apparently it was their Canadian premier. I hope they come back. Loved this: Albannach - great drumming and pipes. Not typical. I got to see a few women toss the caber. I have a link - the men's is taller (I think). I bought some Nova Scotia honey and Wild Blueberry jams from one of the vendors and my mother bought my a silver celtic ring that I am currently wearing on my left baby finger. I love it. is a song I learned in grade 7 or 8 music class. I remember writing out the words as our music teacher, Mr. Young said them to us. It has always stayed with me. My mother likes this song... which we had a small group sing while we had tea and scones. It always brings tears to my eyes. Place can define you, no matter how far you roam. The lyrics: CELTIC WOMAN LYRICS "Caledonia" (originally by Dougie MacLean) I don't know if you can see The changes that have come over me In these last few days I've been afraid That I might drift away I've been telling old stories, singing songs That make me think about where I've come from That's the reason why I seem So far away today [Chorus:] Let me tell you that I love you That I think about you all the time Caledonia, you're calling me, now I'm going home But if I should become a stranger Know that it would make me more than sad Caledonia's been everything I've ever had Now I have moved and I've kept on moving Proved the points that I needed proving Lost the friends that I needed losing Found others on the way I have kissed the fellas and left them crying Stolen dreams, yes, there's no denying I have traveled hard, sometimes with conscience flying Somewhere with the wind [Chorus] Now I'm sitting here before the fire The empty room, the forest choir The flames have cooled, don't get any higher They've withered, now they've gone But I'm steady thinking, my way is clear And I know what I will do tomorrow When hands have shaken, the kisses float Then I will disappear [Chorus] Caledonia's been everything I've ever had Caledonia's been everything I've ever had Caledonia's been everything I've ever had from:http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/celticwoman/caledonia.html And of course... another favourite: Amazing Grace |
30 Day Blogging Challenge – Day 10 20 more days... we are heading to Grant Village today on a very outdated school bus since it is over 24 miles. We will be setting up our campsite again, getting our gear unloaded because the bus is leaving us here. We will be here until Tuesday morning when we hike to Lake Village and Bridge Bay campsite and then we will hike to Canyon Village on Wednesday. So all my junk foodies you will be burning those calories. We will be exploring West Thumb Geyser Basin, photo opportunities during our short hike. We will need volunteers for cooking and clean up. There are flush facilities here but that is it. Since we haven't been around a campfire for a few days let's talk about food... what is your favorite food cooked on a barbecues or on a camping trips? And see where our conversations go from there. I am good on the clean up. I can help fix a salad to go with the steaks, or even do the corn on the cob. I hope someone remembered the butter and salt. Today's hike was relatively short - only 1.5 miles; but that's okay. We also have fresh food to cook and it will only last a few days. The steaks won't last and the corn on the cob is best right away. Flush facilities but no showers. I am glad I took a good long shower this morning. Clean clothes are great too. Let's have another chain campfire story, you each rocked it last week. For those of you that were not here, the first person that blogs after 12:00am WDC time begins the story and each person either summarizes the blogger before them or cuts and pastes it into their blog and then adds their part. The story can go anyway you want. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge – Day 9 Since your guide indulged last night with the boys and danced till dawn... Today, we are going to go float tubing on the Lewis River. Have you ever done this activity before? What should you do before you get on the tube to protect the river and its inhabitants from the chemicals normally we wear? Do you think there are any risks involved? Man, the water sure feels refreshing... Aqua_Mantis ~ Plotting I hope you learned a lot, we'll be fishing for our lunch today on the river. We'll be checking out of Cody Lodge in the morning, if you haven't re-stocked I suggest you do so we don't hit a lodge again for nine days. Given that we will be eating a lot of fish once we get away from the lodge, I am inclined to forgo our fishing for our lunch. The float tubing I love! I got my water shoes - my tender tootsies don't want to get hurt on the rocky bottom. I have my biodegradable sunscreen and bug spray. As far as getting ready for our jaunt out tomorrow... I have recharged my Surface 2. My clothes are all washed. I have picked up another sweat top and bottoms that can easily fit over my other clothes whenever I need another layer. I also found another pair of convertible pants. I have gotten rid of my garbage that I have carried since day one - what goes in, must come out. I will leave nothing that does not belong. I have restocked my power bars and made sure I picked up some more fruit. This website was helpful for food ideas: http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/planning-menu.html I like the idea of packaged instant oatmeal, tea and granola (bars and cereal). Cereal bars are good too. I would do instant coffee, brown sugar and coffeemate. Dried fruit - apricots and prunes, maybe even some apples and banana chips. Nuts - almonds. Trail mix - with no peanuts. Instant soups and whole wheat melba toast - if anything this will help me warm up after a chilly day. Carrots are good. Peppers - red, orange and yellow. Fresh may not last but at least a couple of days will allow for the fresh before we need to rely on the more packaged options. Of course I will restock my supply of marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers - S'mores anyone? Dinner meals are more of a challenge - there are dehydrated packages that might me okay... for those days we are too tired to cook or if it is raining or we have not managed to catch fish. And toilet paper. |
| Today's blogs... Welcome To My Reality – Week Eighty – Five 4. Describe yourself as a writer. Give us the brief - what do you write, what's your writing style, any items published, writing goals, etc. I am a writer. I write, therefore I am a writer. I am not published... beyond a high school creative writing anthology - which my mother still has a copy of. I like to write stories that include some element of romantic relationships. I tend to write about characters that are within the New Adult category - 18 to 25 year olds. My stories are character driven. I do a little planning, but I am open to pantsing it... and see where things want to go. I also love to write poetry. Much of my poetry is free verse, but I like the challenge of trying new forms. I often just let the words play. For me, writing has always been a way of connecting with my emotions and dealing with things that overwhelm me. I started writing as a child around the time my parents separated - around the age of 7. What are my goals... I want to finish a novel (I have begun many for Nanowrimo) and get it published. That is the ideal. I would love to get some of my poems published. I want to continue to write and enter contests... here at WDC and beyond. 5. Share a photo. If you don't have an upgraded membership, use detailed imagery so we can visualise the scene.  I created a photo album for this. Learned something new today. I love this photo. It is not me... not sure where I got it but I love the idea of it. A Writer is Always in the World of Writing. Characters talk to you at all hours. Story plays at the corners of your mind... it is never really too far from your thoughts. It is odd to think some people don't live like this! 7. Create a list of favorites. Favourite blog posts from your entire blogging history, favourite foods, favourite authors, favourite books, whatever you like. Be as creative as you want. Favourite Things: Reading Writing Hiking Trails Walking and exploring new areas Visiting coffee shops Bubble baths Going to literary events - Eden Mills Writer's Festival, Word on the Street Going to the Stratford Festival Swimming |
30 Day Blogging Challenge – Day 8 Woohoo, it is time to play group games at the lodge. We are having good old fashion pig roast on a spit, there are chickens roasting and vension steaks grilling, lots of salads and vegetables cooked in good old western style over a roaring fire. No worries, we aren't preparing any of the food the lodge is. It is going to be 55 degrees Fahrenheit/ 12 degrees Celsius today, almost a heat wave! I am so looking forward to that yummy feast! Not a fish in sight. Horse Shoe Competition This is serious business in the west, the pits are ready. There is an non-alcoholic competition and one that requires you drink a shot for each missed shot. This is a non-traditional game especially for us. Have you played horseshoes before? Competed? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoes The link explains how it is done. I have not officially played before but I have seen it played. I'd be afraid I would throw up above our heads and not over to the pit... particularly if drinking shots are involved. Did you know that there is a camping version that does not require lugging the back yard equipment? What do you think was used? I think it would use tent pegs and... not sure. Do you enjoy playing group games? What is your favorite? Group games... hmm. Will it be like charades? Pictionary? Trivia of some sort? I am in. Should be fun. We are having a square dance this evening, bring your dancing shoes.... and dozy do, spin your partner ... ANN Thankful4MarriageEquality can I get you to call the steps for the youngsters... so they can learn square dancing? I will try this as well but don't expect me to be fabulous. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge – Day 7 - Friday August 7, 2015 It's 43 degrees Fahrenheit... 6 degrees Celsius this morning...brrrr! The fire went out over night. so breaking up camp this morning won't be hard. We are going to Cody Lodging for the weekend. Yes, hot showers and real beds for two nights. Don't try to talk me into more, it won't work. We are re-stocking supplies, so if you need something now is the time to grab it. Today, we are going on a horseback adventure... hope you are up to a good ride, we are going exploring the area. Let us know what you discover and what appeals to you here besides the luxury of a comfy bed and a shower. http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/codylodging.htm Check out the link, it will give you lots of ideas about what to do while there. Don't get to tired... we have a horse shoe competition on Saturday. Another cold one. Brrr is right. It's like stumbling around at my Grandparent's place before Gramzie lights the wood stove. I don't want to get out of my sleeping bag, but nature calls and I must answer. Thank goodness we are heading to Cody Lodging. Two days of warmth... I wonder if I can recharge my Surface? It may be a little silly to bring technology on a camping trip... particularly on one that requires you to carry all your worldly possessions but I think this small piece won't kill me. I checked out some of those accommodations in Cody... wow. Some of them are mighty fine. Almost don't want to leave the room... I would love to find a pool and a hot tub. There should also be laundry facilities to clean my clothes and get my stuff back in order for the more rougher treks. First thing... a long, hot shower. I wouldn't mind picking up a sweatshirt souvenir of the area - practical in that I can wear it and keep it as a memory of our time here. Be cool if I could everyone to sign the thing before we head home. Horseback riding should be interesting, though I am a little nervous being on the back of a horse. I love horses... I just prefer to meet them face to face, not with my butt on their back. Hopefully, I will get a kind, patient horse who can handle my nerves. I expect to be fine once we get going. The Trail: http://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com/images/CANYNDTL.GIF The write up for the 2 hour horseback ride is: Canyon 2 Hour Ride: This ride leaves the corral, heading into timber and crossing a large meadow and some burn area. The ride continues along the rim of the Cascade Canyon through which Cascade Creek flows. A nice view into the canyon is possible from Coyote Slide. The ride returns to the corral through a series of meadows. (Cascade Canyon is not to be confused with the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone; the Grand Canyon is not visible from the trail.) The views should be amazing. Fresh air and open country. Wildlife at a distance. Should be good - hope there is a hot tub for my sore muscles later. |
30 Day Blogging Challenge – Day 6  Oh, no it is raining and only 46 degrees Fahrenheit, it is only 7.77778 Celsius. Brother Nature (Joel) or Lady Carly - House Baratheon is this how you reflect the differences in temperature from Fahrenheit and Celsius. Try not to touch your tent celling or walls with your hands, it will leak wherever you touch. Laying in your sleeping bag in the rain tell me what other sounds do you hear in the woods around us? Did you notice the skyline before you settled in for the night? What did you notice around us today? Someone cooked today, what did we have? What takes place when it is raining and you are cooking outside? Do you know what we need to do to adapt? Enlighten us all with your thoughts. Friday, we are going to have an interesting day, bring your game face... Only 8 degrees Celcius (we are rounding that sucker up!) that is awful [real time it is 16 degrees Celcius which is crazy for August - it should be close to 30 and I should be at the beach), Anyway, rain has decided to torment us. Oh, how I hate the rain especially this cold icy kind. It soaks you through and there is no way to get warm even if you are able to strip. The tents are little help to provide protection but I manage to get into mine and peel off the layers of clothing. Since there is no place to hang them I put the whole mess into a plastic bag and pull on a dry set of clothes - with my sweat top and bottoms over the other layers I crawl into my sleeping bag to find some warmth. When my teeth stop chattering, or are at least not rattling so much I think I will loose my mind I grab my reading material and my notebook and pen. Might as well make the best of a closed in situation. I lay there listening for the sounds but the heavy rain bombards me and nothing can be heard. I doubt anything will come into the camp. When the rain ebbs off several hours later I awake from a little nap. I am finally feeling a little more myself, I don't relish the idea of venturing out beyond the confineds of my tent but my growling stomach rivals the local wildlife and I fear my camp mates may mistake me for something not so good. This time I pull my rain poncho out of my back pack and struggle into it within the tight space of my tent. I am careful not to touch the tent. I open my tent and tentatively stick out my hand. It is only a light drizzle nothing too bad, so I work my way out careful to keep everything back away from possible moisture. It is good to stand and I stretch. Elle - on hiatus   is venturing out as well. We both point to our stomachs and laugh. We decide to grab a couple of apples and the fishing poles and see about catching some fish. With luck we will be able to and maybe Mother Nature (a relation of Brother Nature?) will take pity on us and let us light a fire to cook them. "We could tr to find a cave to cook in." Elle - on hiatus suggests."Bears." I say and she nods. Prosperous Snow celebrating  pokes her head out of her tent and says "We could take turns holding an umbrella over the fire pit." Elle and I both smile and nod at that. We leave her to gather up some dry bits of wood and kindling that someone, probably Fivesixer  , had the foresight to cover up to keep dry. While fishing we are joined by a few others who have ventured out. We take turns trying to catch some fish and by the time we return to the camp we have enough for everyone. "I'll cook them." says skeason  We decide to have the rest of Lyn's a Witchy Woman  's potato salad with it. We take turns with the umbrella and find ourselves singing more camp songs. Our spirits are lifted and by the time it is time to eat the rain stops. We huddle by the fire to stay warm. ANN Counselor, Lesbian & Happy starts us off with another story and we take turns trying to scare each other again. By the time we have to settle back into our tents for the night our bodies are warmed from the fire and the laughter. The camp is tidied and because the rain has moved off we are able to hang our wet things in the trees and bushes around camp. It has been a pretty good day. Thanks to my camp mates and their sense of fun. |
| This was done yesterday and posted after midnight... 30 Day Blogging Challenge – Day 5 Have you ever seen a geyser before? What was odd about this attraction? Can you tell us anything about this? Yeah, a little research will not kill you? Is anyone interested in taking a dip in the mineral springs when we return from our hike today after dinner under the stars? Let's do a sing-a-long? What songs do you recommend for our first sing-a-long together? I have never seen a geyser before. Hot springs I have, I think. I so want to do the mineral springs after dinner. It will be so relaxing under the stars and we will finally be able to get the chill out of our bones. As for camp songs... anyone know the Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts song? I learned it at camp when I was eight. Here is the link for the words: Definitely a Boy Scout song. http://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/song/greasy_grimy_gopher_guts-467.asp Now about them geysers... |
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