Okay, I’ll admit it…I’m more a dog person than cat. (Not that I haven’t had a cat in residence before, and if you own one, you know that she/he is not your pet–you are hers/his.) Continue reading “Cat Fanciers Get the Spotlight”
I love cutesy animal pictures and have been known to post them before; especially dog pictures. 
Well, dog and horse pictures. 
But then these two came across the internet and I couldn’t resist downloading them to post for my Freaky Friday Feature this week. It’s Friday! Another work week is over. It’s time to relax and have chips, chuckle, and a drinky–poo drinkie-poo. 
Okay, the lion isn’t really a kitty, but if you have a really cute one of your favorite feline, I promise equal time. Send it to me and I’ll post! 
The Oxford University Press sparked a war back in 1892 that continues to this day with as many on both sides of the line protesting their side as the right one.The Oxford comma (also referred to as a serial comma, or even the Harvard comma) is that “comma before the conjunction at the end of a list.” The Oxford University Press style guidelines touched off the conflict back when Horace Hart, controller of the University Press, organized a set of rules for the Oxford Press employees.
While the anti-comma faction would eliminate the second comma, the pro-comma faction would add it, sure that it provides clarity. The “pro’s” are more commonly found in the U.S. (I wouldn’t be without mine!) Only journalists forced to use the AP style generally omit it, but that was originally a bid to save space! The anti-comma people hold sovereignty in the U.K., except, of course, for Oxford University–go figure.
Why all the fuss over bell, book, and candle? Aren’t we invoking the Oxford comma for purposes of clarity? Click to Tweet
And doesn’t that really promote consistency of comma use? Apparently not in some scholars eyes. The article by Warren Clement to The Globe and Mail noted this example: “She invited her father, a tuba player and several ballerinas. It is clear that she invited her father, the musician and the ballerinas.(?Is it?) Now insert the Oxford comma: She invited her father, a tuba player, and several ballerinas. Suddenly the father has become a tuba player.” (Really?)
Hmmm…You say to-may-to and I say to-mah-to…
And we’ve been at this 125 years? So I’ll submit to you one final argument illustrated in riveting detail that you may or may not have seen before: “We invited the strippers, JFK, and Stalin.” I rest my case.
I’ll stick to my Oxfords, but I’d be interested to know if you do. Do we have a majority? ©2017 Virginia Williams 
What is it that attracts us to sunken ships? Whether treasure ships or WW2, the fascination seems endless and demands a search. If found; explored.What happened to the ship and it’s crew? Was it a battle? Was it a hurricane like the one in which the Marguerite went down?
My grandfather, son of the captain, was first officer abroad the Marguerite about to cross the equator “some ten of fifteen miles west of Lagos,” (aka the gold, ivory, and slave coast) on a starboard tack when a typhoon struck the ship and she down, stern first. My grandfather always classified the Marguerite as carrying general cargo. No treasure there–we think! Continue reading “Exploration of Sunken (Treasure) Ships”
I was struck by the recent post on Twitter by Ellen DeGeneres of the charming little picture of a dog and horse friendship and the obvious appreciation by Ellen as she noted, “They’re so cute and they nose it.”
Not the first picture of an unlikely pairing of animals far out of their own species, but as amazing and fun as the friendships between canines and felines or mammals and avians.
I suppose the bond between horse and dog isn’t so unnatural as the two have a history of working together under domestic situations for their humans the world over.
It’s Friday and we love cuteness overload. There are possibly few videos of a horse and dog relationship better than those Budweiser has put out over the years. What is your favorite?
©2017 Virginia Williams
The Entertainment Section of the Sacramento Bee, January 22, 2017, ran an impressive number of pictures that would set your heart aflutter; that is, before you noticed the price. But no problem–you’d definitely be in the “in” crowd with Thom Browne’s 2017-18 fashion collection that debuted in Paris the same month. It would appear they bought a huge bolt of this material though, as they presented two notable styles with the same fabric. Continue reading “2017 Spring-Summer Fashions Are Here!”
Just over 30 years old, Interstate 80 runs across the United States from San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey, which is actually in the New York Metropolitan Area, according to Wikipedia. The interstate is the second longest in the US (after Interstate 90) at 2,899 miles. Started in 1956, it wasn’t actually completed until 1986!
From California, the highway progresses over the Sierra Nevada range, through the barren, windy desert and over the Rockies, where it finally drops into the plains. This time of year that means everything from more rain in California, blizzard conditions in the mountains, and treacherous driving and flying most everywhere else.
More than half the country is expected to receive a major wallop in the next week with three successive storms. Meanwhile, there has been a wild variety of temps along the I80 corridor demonstrating what an expansive, topographically diversified country in which we live.
Around here they can’t remember a recent winter with this little snow (18″), but they are expecting small amounts from these systems. Meanwhile, it was 75 degrees in Goodyear AZ today. ©2017 Virginia Williams 
Most of these men issued forth a veritable number of memorable quotes. So it is here that I shall honor just a few:
George Washington-Born February 22, 1732-Died December 14, 1799
Actually, this quote was shortened–the full text was: “Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for ’tis better to be alone than in bad company.”
Thomas Jefferson-1743-1826
“When angry, count ten, before you speak; if very angry, a hundred.”
Abraham Lincoln – 1809-1865
“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt – 1882-1945 “The only thing to fear is, fear itself.”
Harry S. Truman-1884-1972
“I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.”
John F. Kennedy-1917-1963
Ronald Reagan-1911-2004
“The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave.”
Of course, there are the memorable quotes made by others regarding our presidents, such as the one from Ann Richards about George W. Bush:
“Poor George. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.”
And then, there is the one from William Taft that all authors and writers can take to heart: “Don’t write so that you can be understood, write so that you can’t be misunderstood.” Good one, Bill! Thanks to BrainyQuote.com for all the great photo pins! ©2017 Virginia Williams 
Perhaps you are one of the folks out there who just love the kinesthetic feel of your books, and I’d agree with you–most of the time. (I love the feel of those books, too.) In the four years since we left Idaho, however, our print book library has taken a major hit. Indeed, we finally had to sift through even our old college books and decide whether we really needed to store or lug those poor things around–again. (We didn’t.)
In all the miles we shared on the road either in our car or the RV, one of the things we enjoyed most (after heart-to-heart conversations, of course) was to fill some of those open roads with borrowed audio books or those gleaned from a thrift store for a couple bucks. We listened to a wide variety of genres, and they were as exciting and remarkable for the distracted-free driver as the passenger. Continue reading “Let’s Go Audio-Books”
I’ve spoken before of the “Grand Ole Lady” (the Lake County Courthouse), resplendent with the striking brick red facade (love this building!), but probably not The John Dillinger Museum, a focus of the 1930’s with Dillinger memorabilia enclosed within the building in Crown Point. If you recognized that as being in northwest Indiana, you’d be correct.
Admitted to the union in 1816, Indiana can claim a number of authors, many of whom hail out of Gary, about as far north as you can go without wading out into Lake Michigan. Of the well-known Jackson family born in Gary, Janet gained fame as a singer/songwriter and LaToya as both author and songwriter.
Alex Karras, who gained fame as a pro-ball player, wrote a journal that was published in the Detroit Free Press and much later, a novel entitled “Tuesday Night Football.”
Kurt Vonnegut Jr, born 1922 in Indianapolis, wrote for more than 50 years and although he published many novels, plays, short stories, and non-fiction, was probably most famous for the dark “Slaughterhouse-Five.”
Vonnegut dropped out of Cornell University to enlist in the army and was deployed to Europe to fight in WWII. Captured by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge, he survived the Allied bombing by seeking safety in the meat locker of the slaughterhouse in which he was imprisoned.
Of course, there are whole alphabetized lists of authors from Indianapolis from Charles W. Akers, also a (WWII–navy) veteran, wrote what is called one of the three best books about Abigail Adams, “Abigail Adams, an American Woman,” Marguerite V. Young, American writer and academic and Dan Quayle, former VP, who wrote his memoir, “Standing Firm” in 1994.
Lest you think the famous authors of Indiana were only from the big cities, there are also lists of writers from Anderson to Terra Haute. Disappointed though, I didn’t see any from Crown Point. Do you know the authors of your area? ©2017 Virginia Williams 
I’ve been looking for a blogging group, Meetup, or publishing-marketing group locally and still coming up empty-handed. Seems most groups are located in or much closer to Chicago than I want to travel. Failing a local, physical group, I started looking around for something online and may have found an idea in a Twitter Chat–looks like they discuss blogging. The host is Mack Collier @MackCollier and his chat is #Blogchat.
Yes, I know, there are gazillions of chats–and parties, out there. Anyone have any experience in this arena with sage advice to impart? Have you participated in another you would recommend for book marketing, for instance?
I’m considering using Hootsuite (but I’m not sure it’ll be fast enough). I’ve used Hootsuite in the past to schedule posts and tweets. I understand there are a number of other platforms out there can be used to keep up with posts, including TweetChat, however, their “permissions” include one or two I wasn’t ready to agree with. TweetChat also keeps a schedule, which is quite handy as it lists chats scheduled for everyone from 5th grade teachers to food prep with Star Olive Oil. And then there is Tweetdeck and that looks the same to me as Hootsuite. Is it better?
Mack Collier has assured me they are very helpful in all things blogging–and will discuss a different topic each week. They also have a Facebook page if you’d like to check them out as well. I’m up for trying #Blogchat this Sunday, January 22nd, at #Blogchat, 8 pm CT. Meet me there? ©2017 Virginia Williams
If TGIF resounds with you, as it used to do with me when I was still in the work force, then you will be celebrating today as the end of your work week and looking forward to the weekend. Of course, Dr. Eldon Taylor, who wrote the book I just reviewed on this blog, Choices and Illusions, said that embracing the TGIF mentality means you hate your job. True–either that or you have plans for the weekend you just flat can’t do during a work day!
For me, Friday is a mini-celebration, and as I’ve noted before on this Freaky Friday Feature, time to kick back, have some laughs, and hopefully enjoy a few of the fotos and funnies I’ve gleaned lately. Somehow, the puppy pictures always catch my eye!
One of my blog buddies, Rob Moses of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a photographer who has a phenomenal eye and posted this one he called, “Mustachio.” Looks like he was having a GOOD Friday! 
Another of my buddies sends me great little ditties from time to time and I thought it was time to share a couple of those as well. Freaky, huh? Happy Friday–have a safe, warm, and dry weekend! ©2017 Virginia Williams
Christmas came and went in a flurry of last minute buying as it always does, sometimes dictated by a late pay check, often times by a clueless giver that left the gift recipient wondering, “What Were They Thinking?!!”
Point being; maybe they were issuing subtle hints–or you took it that way?
1. A boxed set of 31 tubes of toothpaste. This set consists of exotic flavors such as Indian Curry and Kiwi Fruit. (Are the tubes one time use only? Or with judicious use, could you get a whole year out of each of them?)
2. Bar of Soap
3. Pity Marcia A., of Carlsbad, California, who one year received a pill vial designed like a white elephant filled with baby teeth of the friend’s children!
4. Dental floss
5. How about one slipper–or slippers designed to look like bear claws, rabbits, cats, blah, blah, blah
6. 
How about this iPod toilet paper holder? (I just plugged my iPod into a clock-radio.)
7. Did you get a piece of coal in your box or stocking? Uh oh
8. Fruitcake–does anyone EVER eat those? (Why do they continue to make them?)
9. Vacuum, kitchen pans, blah, blah, blah
10.(Inappropriate–or any) Magazine subscription
Perhaps the best gift of all just came in a “prank” box, popular now in various sizes. These can be ordered direct from PrankPack.com or Amazon and can be found in local stores like K-Mart. 
How about the Bathe&Brew box? Bacon scented dryer sheets?
Relax. If you only got a sweater two sizes too large, the wrong color, or one you are allergic to, count yourself lucky. ©2016 Virginia Williams
Obviously, we’ve gotten out of the habit of being prepared for cold winter weather since leaving the Treasure Valley of Idaho. There, we had doggy coats and sweaters for our Bichon Frise and carried emergency equipment in the car. Now, one hour south of Chicago and facing a major Polar blast this weekend, the weather forecasters are warning people to dress in layers, cover the head, ears, nose, mouth and wear heavy gloves. Can you say Sasquatch?!
I got to thinking about my little dog who loved the Idaho snow–bounding around in it and digging to see what treasure she could find under all that cold, white stuff. I did put a coat or sweater on her depending on how cold or wet it was outside, but didn’t worry so much about her feet. Now, she is almost eleven (January) and I’m thinking fleece, earmuffs, and booties. Continue reading “Can A Bichon Frise Handle a Polar Blast?”
I was crushed when I went back to “the Square” in Crown Point, Indiana, to take pictures of the sculptures by Seward Johnson that I’d taken for granted would still be there, not knowing they were part of a summer collection and would soon be going bye-bye. I had vowed to take pictures of the life-size sculptures of everyday life every time I returned to Crown Point, but was always on a different mission or the sun wasn’t right, yadda, yadda, yadda. BIG mistake!
Fortunately, the Midwest Wanderer had the foresight to take pictures and post for the rest of us to enjoy; certainly better than I would have. Apparently, this was not the first time Crown Point has sponsored a sculpture display as part of their public summer art project. There were twelve sculptures largely located around Crown Point’s iconic courthouse. This courthouse is so beautiful it would demand your attention anyway, but coupled with the “people” who don’t move, you are overwhelmed with the desire to park the car and browse–I have to think the downtown merchants had that result in mind.
Local businesses sponsor the exhibit. For 2016, sculptures included a photographer, a woman walking her dog, a hot dog vendor, and people deeply in private conversation over a newspaper. 
The collection also included Marilyn Monroe (holding her skirt down, of course). Although most of Johnson’s sculptures are life-size, he does have a collection of “Monumental Scale,” which includes a depiction of Lincoln.
The merchants thoughtfully prepared an exhibit brochure, which included a map. Located within the Old Lake County Courthouse is the John Dillinger Museum, Crown Point’s claim to fame. I have to believe the sculpture exhibits will replace that claim with a more artsy one, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for the winter. And next summer, I won’t miss the chance to photograph the 2017 Johnson sculpture collection! ©2016 Virginia Williams 
From the southwest to the midwest. It’s a given that fall comes earlier to some areas faster than others. While we enjoyed a slow decline in morning temps in Goodyear, there were not all the outwardly signs of the slide into winter as we are currently beginning to note in northwest Indiana. I love the landscape of Arizona, the cactus, the beauty of sunrises and sunsets and I never tired of the artistic parks crafted with the perfect balance of sand, rock, and arid vegetation–there is an amazing variety of plants and trees in the desert. And so many hiking trails! There is a bounty of hiking trails for everyone from short to long or level to climb. Continue reading “From the Desert to the Rust Belt”
Wounded in the Civil War, inventor Confederate Colonel John Pemberton became addicted to morphine. His need to replace morphine led to the formulation of the Coca-Cola recipe, originally produced as a coca wine. It was formally registered as a French Wine (Coca) nerve tonic. It was reformulated in 1886 in a non-alcoholic version, became Coca-Cola, and sold out of Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. But “soda” drinks had already become popular.
Increasingly found in pharmacies by the 1830’s, soda fountains were helping to dispense medications with the flavor of mineral (or naturally carbonated) water. Back then, two plant roots, specifically sarsaparilla and sassafras, were recognized for their unique flavor and presumed to contain medicinal properties. Sassafras (as well as sarsaparilla) was a major ingredient in root beer, brewed as a mildly alcoholic beverage. (Studies found sassafras oil caused cancer or permanent liver damage in laboratory animals in 1960. A process was then discovered to remove the harmful substance.)
And, by the way, Coke’s main competition was created by Caleb Bradham of North Carolina when he concocted a fountain drink in his pharmacy that was intended to aid digestion and boost energy in 1898. The main ingredients are pepsin (a digestive enzyme) and kola nuts, later to become Pepsi-Cola.
And really, this is nothing. Think what man discovered they could do with rice, corn and grapes and those drinks have been around for thousands of years! ©2016 Virginia Williams 
Craig’s list has a reputation for unusual or hard-to-find items; it’s a go to whenever you are looking for something. Looking for a desk recently, I found some very unusual items and I’m not sure if it is just a representative sample of what can be found perusing “furniture,” or whether it’s the area of search (NW Indiana). For instance, this area seems to be big on “man caves.” Here is the perfect accessory for the pool table out there. Called a Pool Shark Cue Rack, it will hold 4 for the measly price of $100.00.
The French tend to go a bit overboard with their French Provincial; this love seat with matching couch at only $400. (Do you like the way they pulled the plastic off for the picture and then left it there?)
Need something a little more modern with some color? How about these Herman Miller Landscape Social Chairs–only $150. (Well, you have to imagine it with legs.)
Even more simple, you say? How about these “hand chairs?” $100 each. Pick a color–any color–or not.
An absolute must-have around here with all these lush green areas, however, are riding lawn mowers. You won’t find them in furniture–or lawn equipment for that matter. Apparently once you finally get one, it’s stays in the family for life. I didn’t see one. ©2016 Virginia Williams
No, this blog is not all about dogs, it just seems that way lately. I was struck recently by a couple pictures I saw of dogs dressed in human clothing and dogs painted to look like other animals.
My own dog, shown on this blog before, hurt her foot and has been way over attentive to it, licking the fur off and practically laying the foot raw. She is receiving an Epsom Salts soak every night, and it does seem to be helping a little, though my son and daughter-in-law thought she might need a plastic hood designed to keep an animal from aggressively attending an owie (sometimes REALLY important).
This is the third time she has had a sore paw (she gets stickers between her toes) and the second for the hood and once again, I was struck with how difficult it is for her to negotiate her normal routine. That hang-dog look is obvious; the change in attitude a dog exhibits upon being “dressed.” Is it really possible they can be embarrassed or demoralized? Ask most canine owners and they would say YES! (Once again creating an anthropomorphizing quality to a canine.)
So, besides the restrictions to eating and drinking, do costumes, clothing, or protective devices actually change a dog’s attitude? We know, depending on the costume or clothing, it can change the dog’s body language, which is especially important when confronting other animals.
Costume May Lead to Stress 
The inability to signal other dogs might lead to stress, which in turn may make the dog less tolerant. If the dog cannot produce subtle signals, she/he may resort to more obvious or vocal signals–i.e., barking or lunging. Additionally, a change in temperament may change his normal pack order. Knowing your dog well will help you watch for important behavior cues.
While clothing or bootees might be a good thing in the winter for some thin, shorthaired or small breeds, it can in some instances allow the dog to overheat.
In the case of the “head cone”, I’ve had one vet advise for it and one against it. Guess it depends on the dog. ©2016 Virginia Williams
Taking a commuter train, I am sure, is somewhat akin to riding the Greyhound. There is an unmistakable impression that follows–the “train people.” But there are a whole myriad of train people; there were the train people that caught the rails during the depression hooking a ride to wherever the train was going, and the train people who refuse to fly–taking the “smell the roses” route of transportation–and then there are commuters.
In America, a steam engine was installed in a vessel in 1807 that hauled passengers from Albany to New York. England opened their first steam powered rail line in 1825, France in 1830, and Germany in 1835. In New York, a fella named Beach tried to create a secret subway system in 1870, but was denied any extension to his successful 400′ line.
Subsequently, subway systems were built world-wide including London, Paris, and Madrid. New York City built a subway that eventually became one of the largest in the world. (I’ve ridden “the tube” in London [awesome] and traveled under the English Channel from London to France–unfathomable [pun intended]. Commuting to work by rail was born!)
We became one of the faceless crowd as we joined the group boarding the South Shore Line in Portage, Indiana, for the Millennium Station in downtown Chicago yesterday for the bargain price of $4 one way per person. (It was built between 1901 and 1908.) The line that operates between South Bend International Airport and downtown Chicago is now an electrically powered inter-urban commuter rail service operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District.
There were people pulling carry-on bags we used to call luggage. There were students heavy laden with backpacks, shoppers, tourists, and people like us–out to enjoy a day in Chicago. The train, thankfully, was equipped with WiFi, but unfortunately didn’t keep everyone occupied, as we were treated to the lady on the way into Chicago on a non-stop conversation that no one in the car had a problem hearing. Likewise, a younger man on the way back had to involve us in this profanity filled, F-word laden conversation. At least the lady’s conversation included sage, age-driven advice. I didn’t learn a thing from the guy. ©2106 Virginia Williams
Cats can be very dangerous, if you’re a dog. Whether it’s instinctual for a dog to chase a cat or just that most cats immediately go into fight or flight–most being flight–they absolutely demand the pursue response.
Let me just say, I don’t think dogs are born with the need to chase cats. My theory is that it’s the cat’s fault. Or, perhaps, secondarily, the human’s fault (moi?) for trying to get an older, resident cat to accept a puppy. Accept a puppy? Not going to happen. In our house, the cat (fight) tried to relieve the puppy of one of her eyes. Scared the puppy so much, she decided all cats must die. And she’s held to that mantra ever since.
I am usually very careful about having Frosty around cats in the cat’s domain. Hubby–not so much. This morning, little Frost (all 13 lbs. of her), launched off the kitchen chair after the gray house cat known here as Mr. Gotto (flight).
She landed wrong.
Lots of blood and a visit to super-vet Dr. McPheron of Crown Point, and it was decided Frosty will live. Our son asked how “Stubby” was doing, but it’s apparently not more than a lost toenail. We have something to give her for pain control and she’s appears to be sleeping comfortably at present.
However, she’s been shaking and panting heavily–I know it hurt. But she hasn’t even whimpered. ©2016 Virginia Williams 
If you’ve been writing very long, you know how easy it is to overlook your own errors, whether they are typing errors or otherwise. I had another pair of eyes looking over “Cocos Island Treasure,” and I’ve been through it so many times, I almost have it memorized, so I know how dismaying it can be for someone to glance at your pages and find mistakes. It’s a subject I wrestle with all the time: When I’m reading Indie authors hard-won newly published works, do they want to know if I find problems?
I finally settled on the compromise of contacting the author directly through a private message. Lacking English degrees, I don’t claim to check for grammar or punctuation. Lacking an editing contract, I don’t mark obvious errors. However, if we are to raise Indie standards of publication and elevate the reputation, I’m hoping the author will take a word to the wise in the spirit in which it is intended. If I see it; others must.
Perhaps I’m noticing more edit errors lately because of heightened awareness through the publication of my grandfather’s books. Maybe there is just a slip in the level of English education in the younger generation. As with the failure to activate a turn signal on a vehicle, is it possible using Spell Check is conceived as unnecessary?
However, even the professionals seem to be missing more mistakes lately. Or are the errors an attempt at humor? Some headlines (whether newspaper or internet feeds) would definitely seem so. While I’d be prefer that everything we produced was “perfect,” it appears that mistakes do happen to everyone. ©2016 Virginia Williams (Credit Pics 1 and 2- SlipTalk. Credit #3 – PubGuys)
In an incredibly dangerous challenge, Alison Teal surfed toward the base of the cliff where waterfalls of lava are flowing into the Pacific Ocean at the southeastern coastline of the Big Island, turning the water upwards of 2,000 degrees. (Teal obtained permission from local Hawaiian families to film the feat.) The lava produces steam, but also becomes explosive as the burning lava turns into solid rock, which can then become hardened molten missiles. Teal said that surfing toward a lava flow falling into the Pacific has been a dream of hers since she was a child (and she is no stranger to Hawaii. Her parents, who watched safely from cliffs overlooking the scene, are National Geographic photojournalists.) Kilauea has been erupting for 33 years and remains one of the most active, but it has been three years since the last flow of lava hit the beach and this event has been anticipated for weeks.
©2016 Virginia Williams
Update on Pokémon: The game is getting tougher. Who knew you’d need math skills to play this game? I’m at Level 15 – 61 virtual characters of 143.
We love them almost as much as our own. We have a tendency to anthropomorphize them because they seem to connect so tightly to us; intuitive to our emotions and moods. I’ve posted pictures of my own little girl dog, Frosty, on this blog before. Like posting pictures of your children, you can’t help it because they are so “doggone” cute.
They are so much a part of us (for over 30,000 years now) that we have “dog days of summer” activities with them. Better let them run and play now because it won’t be long before we’ll be sharing a “three dog night” as winter chills down. Uh oh, and there are many more fun doggy expressions, like these few: Every Dog Has Its Day, It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Work Like a Dog.
I sincerely try to follow Cesar Millan’s knowledgeable posts and admonish my excited little (10 year old) pup when she sees me grabbing my purse to be “calm, submissive” before I’ll take her anywhere. Cesar is a fount of information re all things canine and continually drives home his formula for successfully “balanced” dogs:
First-Exercise–Then
Discipline-and Lastly
Love
How is that possible? Perhaps he should be teaching us how to avoid reacting all soft and cuddly to excessive cuteness. ©2016 Virginia Williams
Melanie cocked her head just to the left and snatched a quick glance at me. “You know you are the oldest one here,” she whispered, “and I’m the next.”
As I gazed around at the jostling crowd pushing the traffic around Crown Point Square, I didn’t need to guess their ages. Of course, she was right. These were largely teenagers, sprinkled with pre-teens and an occasional millennial. “Yeah, I know.”
Later there was a man possibly in his 50’s walking with his son, his own smart phone in his hand beckoning us across the street. “We have the light, you know,” he called as he waved his arm at us. Traffic was heavy with vehicles making lefts in front of us, pedestrian crossing or no, in their hurry to get to the next PokéStop. It was pushing 10 pm on a fairly temperate Wednesday evening and Mel sighed, “I really didn’t expect this much traffic.” Continue reading “Pokémon GO Is Serious Exercise”
There are so many natural wonders on this planet of ours that is impossible to list or picture them in one short blog. There may be several in your area, as these phenomena can occur in more than one area of the world, while others are located in one isolated area and one area alone, as with a few of the exceptional spectacles in Iceland. Planet bound or skyward, they awe and inspire, difficult to capture on film or digital camera–rare when they are–natural wonders of our planet.
Heavenward, our climate makes for some spectacular shows such as water or fire spouts. How about lightning that strikes upward, not down? Those strikes have been captured and authenticated. This is a lenticular cloud–some so alien as to be mistaken for UFOs.
Glorious trees grace our environment. How about the Rainbow Eucalyptus? This tree, also known as the rainbow gum is probably the most colorful tree on the planet. Found in the Philippines and Indonesia, it also grows in Hawaii. The bark starts out as green. Then as the bark ages, it begins to turn color as the chlorophyll is replaced by tannins.
Spotted Lake in BC, Canada, takes on a polka dot appearance in the summer. The water evaporates in the summer leaving large deposits of colorful minerals. Also known as Kliluk Lake, there are numerous videos on YouTube that exhibit its beauty.
Columnar basalt is the result of lava flows that has cooled quickly and cracked vertically. This particular phenomenon is found around the world. The “sailing” stones of Death Valley move hundreds of yards at a time–by themselves over the sand.
The planet is 71% water, 29% land. It is filled with so many natural wonders and as harsh, varied and violent as it can be, still is our fragile planet. I am awed every day at the site of new displays of beauty and worried at its ability to withstand the indolence of man. ©2016 Virginia Williams 
I need a new computer. 
One that understands me.
One that anticipates what I’m trying to do–and executes it properly the FIRST time.
One that doesn’t flip out every time I breathe hard or brush the wrong key.
One that will STOP fighting what I am trying to do and LETS me do it!
One that doesn’t auto-correct the slang, euphemisms, or abbreviations with words I’ve never heard of.
One that doesn’t have to have the same passage or photo re-entered and saved six times to stay where I put it.
One that doesn’t take a sudden left turn and leave a large block of content unsaved.
And,
One that uses my searches to FIND what I actually want within 15 minutes.
With all this talk about AI taking over, I’m not really worried. My computer doesn’t seem to have learned a thing in six years. ©2016 Virginia Williams 
America has benefited by some of the most creative and innovative engineers, scientists, and builders on the planet, conceiving modern marvels such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Hoover Dam, Mt. Rushmore, bridges, tunnels, transcontinental railroads, skyscrapers, and, of course, the World Trade Center. It was in 1974 when 24 year old Frenchman Philippe Petit made it his “le coup” to illegally walk on a high wire across the top of the twin towers a total of eight times, the “artistic crime of the century.”
Then the tallest structures in the world, the twin towers stood at just over 1,360′. According to Wikipedia, it was among a complex of seven buildings. The twin towers opened in 1973 and were known as 1WTC and 2WTC.
Petit walked at the 1,350 ft. level at the 110th storey. There was a 200′ gap between
the buildings. The feat is celebrated in a film released in 2015 called “The Walk,” and there is no way to appreciate just how high that really is until you see the picture of the walk with Lower Manhattan buildings well below. Better known is the terrorist destruction of the twin towers on two-eleven.
It was an American icon; a rallying point. It would be nice to celebrate that deep pride; the fierce American spirit year round again–not just July 4th. Happy 4th! ©2016 Virginia Williams 
It’s Freaky Friday and granted I have missed a few. We are still in a state of transition and things can get pretty crazy around here. Just to remind myself that there is still a sense of humor in the world out there, I’ll present you with two funny pictures today. Maybe just my sense of humor, but both are pretty funny though I can’t imagine how that horse got himself(?) into that situation. (Trying for the break to freedom no doubt! The pastures are always greener….or there was a really pretty little filly just over yonder hill.) Yes, I’d imagine the cow was photoshopped, but how great is that? It’s Friday–relax and have a chuckle on me. And them.
©2016 Virginia Williams
He Guest Hosted (Just) Once on SNL!
Known to millions of early television viewers as “Uncle Miltie,” Milton Berle was among the American TV pioneer stars during “the Golden Age” of TV. Born in 1908, he was credited with a number of witty quotes, several (including the one above) were the most popular: “Laughter is an instant vacation,” “If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands.” But I think my favorite is also a poem:
“I’d rather be a ‘could-be’ if I cannot be an ‘are’ because a ‘could-be’ is a ‘maybe’ who is reaching for a star. I’d rather be a ‘has-been’ than a ‘might-have-been’ by far; for a ‘might-have-been’ has never been, but a ‘has’ was once an ‘are.”
― Milton Berle
Starting in silent films and vaudeville, he was an actor and comedian. He died in Los Angeles of colon cancer in 2002 after a long and illustrative career. ©2016 Virginia Williams 
Goodyear–Where Did the Name Come From?
Goodyear, a smaller suburb of the Phoenix Metropolitan area with a population of approximately 65,000 is coming into summer with a cooler than average spring. Normally experiencing the highest average July temperatures of any U.S. metropolitan area, our days in the 70’s are coming to an end. We don’t experience too many cloudy or rainy days. Obviously, it must be time to leave.
How to Prolong Your Life and Save Another
So are you a dog person or a cat person? I’m more the dog person. Having a canine companion can be a joy and, yes, I’m aware a feline companion can also give you joy. However, even in our larger cities where walking or running space is at a premium, dogs are quickly taking the favored pet choice. A canine is a quickly adaptable animal, loyal, and easily anthropomorphized. Perhaps the difference between owning or being owned.
These fur kids are generally undemanding (except perhaps for the feline variety). They require very little–really. They are the only animal that can look you in the eye and discern your mood AND then act to relieve or elevate it. Below is my mood elevating animal. Yes, that one–but also the one in white! Just look at that face! Ahh….
They can reduce your blood pressure just by stroking the little beasts. If the animal shelter shared with you, it’s a win-win. You’ve saved a life and the endorphins generated will go a long way with your own. ©2016 Virginia Williams 
The Writing Life
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