Tag Archives: Stream of Consciousness Saturday

So Beautiful

So if you’re wondering why so many people in the US want to preserve our national heritage of beautiful open spaces and not have oil drilling or fracking allowed in these parks, take a look at some of the US Bureau of Land Managment photos. I plan to browse through their photo albums almost as a meditation. I am starting with these below from Bears Ears National Monument, Utah:

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“Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”— Rachel Carson

Sream of Consciousness Saturday is hosted by Linda G Hill. Images from US Dept of Interior, Bureau of Land Management “Your Public Lands.”

Strange Birds

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To wear a hair shirt means to suffer a self-imposed punishment, trial, or burden. Those who are sentenced to prison have their punishment imposed on them from society. A very famous prison is located on an island in the San Francisco Bay. It’s name is Alcatraz. The name Alcatraz is thought to have originated from the Spanish word alcatraces for “strange birds.” There are many sea birds that nest on Alcatraz Island. It has a very interesting history. Many people are familiar with the name Alcatraz, the high security Federal prison, that housed some of the most hardened criminals. Reading a few short biographies of some of these men, I realize that their life stories would definitely make great films, and of course, some films have already been done. There is also a great sense of darkness about these men and this prison. Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Robert Stroud, Roy Gardner, James “Whitey” Bulger, and Mickey Cohen are some of the more famous inmates. Roy Gardner was called the ” King of the Escape Artists” because he managed to escape twice while under guard by U.S. Marshalls and escaped from prison twice. No one escaped from Alcatraz.

Fake head made by prisoners in escape attempt via NPS Alcatraz Island website

Image of human head via US National Park Service Alcatraz Island website

“In 1962, three inmates attempting to escape from Alcatraz created fake human heads out of cardboard and human hair. They placed the heads on their pillows in their cells so it appeared as though they were sleeping.” ( NPS Alcatraz Island website)

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Christmas 1954 menu for prisoners via NPS Alcatraz Island website

Nowadays, the prison is empty. Wild birds make their homes on the island and they are free to fly away.

Snowy Egret of Alcatraz Island via National Park Service

Stream of Consciousness Saturday is hosted by Linda G Hill. The prompt word for today is “hair.” Information for this post was obtained from The US National Park Service Alcatraz Island website and Alcatraz History.com. Featured Image of ‘Snowy Egret with mating plumage’ via NPS Alcatraz Island website.

Redwood

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Sequoia sempervirens, Coastal Redwoods of California, can grow up to 367 ft (112m) tall, 22 ft wide ( 7m) at the base, the size of a 35 story building. Your kind has been on the earth for 22 million years, in the same location, from Big Sur to the Oregon Border. You receive moisture from the foggy ocean mists, you are resistant to insects and fire. You regularly live 600 years and can live up to 2000 years. You were around in the Jurassic Era, 160 million years ago. What did the dinosaurs call you? You ranged across 2 million acres and now your protected forests are down to 4% of that due to the logging that has occurred. I have walked among your groves and felt very small, felt like I walked in a prehistoric landscape of giant trees. What wisdom would you have to share? I will keep your secrets.

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Beautiful photos by National Park Service via Redwood National and State Parks, California, where you can find more great photos. Most of the Information for this post via the same website. I have visited these magnificent trees. 🙂

Stream of Consciousness Saturday and JusJotItJanuary hosted by Linda G Hill. Prompt words for today “wood/would.”

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Glass Of Wine

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On a lighter note, I have been looking for a good red wine for a moderate price. I do prefer California wine because it is local and I am in love with our wine countries. There has been an explosion of wineries in California and this makes it ~~hard~~ impossible to keep up with all the labels. So just doing some quick research (Google) and happy to see there are some wines that are affordable to me. ( $20 and under). I really like the richer flavored red wines, like Cabernet, and found out that some of the best are from Napa Valley. Here’s another list of red and white wines and some from other countries. And another list of California Cabernet, from different regions, under $4o. One more list of 100 wines from California and other countries for $15 and under. Hmm, lots to explore and my research may take some time…..

Glass of Napa Valley Red Wine by Ash Berlin

Stream of Consciousness Saturday is hosted by Linda G Hill and the prompt word for today is “glass.” Featured image is ‘Vineyard bathed in light [Sonoma]’ by torbakhopper on wikimedia.

Perspicacity

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Having insight, ability to see through, or look into, perceptive, astute is perspicacity. The word flows easily off the tongue, not really, but it is fun to say. Perspicacious or having perspicacity. Jane Austen definitely had perspicacity.

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Stream of Consciousness Saturday is hosted by Linda G Hill. The prompt is to use a “p” word. Extra cred for using it at the beginning and end. Which authors do you think have perspicacity?

Featured Image of Jane Austen portrait by her sister Cassandra 1873 via wikimedia.

jjj-2017

Winter Coat

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This year I definitely need a winter coat in California and a raincoat to boot, (and boots to boot). It has been a long time since I needed winter clothes here in Southern California because it never gets cold enough. We are expecting a real winter for a change after several years of drought. I am liking the change in weather here.

“California Rain Storms”

Rain on Saturday

Atmospheric rivers flow

Hole in my rainboots

This post is part of Stream of Consciousness Saturday and JustJotItJan hosted by Linda G Hill. The prompt for today is “coat.” Featured image “Paris Street; Rainy Day” by Gustave Cailebotte via Wikipedia. Girl in Raincoat image via Pixabay.com.

The Beginning of the End

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It began when I woke up the morning after the recent presidential election, after watching the election returns late into the night with a sense of shock, disbelief, unreality, and increasing premonitions of impending doom, and said something like this to my husband, “This is when it begins, the end of the world.”

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I have gradually calmed down and regained some equilibrium until I read about The Russians hacking into our election and watched the president-elect appoint a man for Secretary of State who was awarded a “Friend of Russia” trophy by Putin.

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The saving grace for me has been reading satire and humor about the whole situation. At least we can have a good laugh while we march off to our destruction. So I want to include a few funny posts for your enjoyment, which would probably be anything by Andy Borowitz of the New Yorker Magazine, Dave Barry, and David Horsey.

Kremlin Names Trump Employee of the Month

Putin to Sing at Trump Inauguration

Putin Agrees to Recieve Intelligence Briefings in Trump’s Place

Dave Barry’s Year in Review: 2016–What the ?

David Horsey Political Cartoons and Commentary in LA Times

A Fake News History of 2016

I consider myself a hopeful, optimistic person most times and I feel I must work hard to remain this way for the sake of my kids and new grandson. So I think it will all come out all right in the end.

This post is for Stream of Consciousness Saturday hosted by Linda G Hill who said, Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “first/last.” Use one or both words, or find words that mean the same. Bonus points if you start your post with “first/beginning/start” etc. and end with “last/end” etc. Enjoy!

Wishing you a Happy New Year! And hoping 2017 will be a better year for us all.

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Gifs via Giphy.com and Happy New Year image via Pixabay.com

Moot

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I don’t give a hoot about “moot.” That is our word prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday this week. And as you can see I am posting on Sunday because I did not get inspired so much by moot yesterday. Moot indicates something has occurred and it is probably not worth it to debate the whys and wherefores. It is not worth it to go look back over the situation and argue about why it happened. It is done. Kind of like the recent presidential election in the US. We can go over and over it, trying to determine the cause(s) for the outcome. But maybe it is not productive to do that and no one will ever be able to prove, without a doubt, all the factors involved in the final result. We just need to focus on where do we go from here, (Even if it’s The Russians).

I love owls. The owl on the right is saying, ” I know it’s The Russians!” This post is for Stream of Consciousness Saturday hosted by Linda G Hill.

Strength In Numbers

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My new baby grandson is 3 weeks old but that number of weeks does not reflect how old he really is when you adjust for his prematurity. He has already gone through some challenges and will have a ways to go until he is big and strong enough to go home with his parents. Much of my husband’s and my attention and energy have been focused on him and his parents. We have been visiting him when we can and trying to show him we are there for him. We have received many calls and emails from friends and family expressing concern. I had announced in a private email when he was born and that he had to be in NICU. I have recently asked for prayers and healing thoughts because I believe that when people direct their prayers and healing energy toward someone it really works. Even though I am not religious in a traditional sense. I remembered a study by Dr. Randolph Byrd done with patients on a coronary care unit at San Francisco General that showed that patients who were prayed for did better in various measures. Since then there has been controversy about that study’s methods and accuracy of outcomes. One thing I know is true for me is that the messages I have received from friends and family telling me that they are keeping my grandson in their thoughts and prayers has made me feel supported and better able to bear up. They have made me aware of all the kindness and caring of others. I hope all these healing thoughts are having the same effect on him. He is a little fighter.

This post is for Stream of Consciousness Saturday hosted by Linda G Hill. The prompt for today is “bear/bare.” Image of Velveteen Rabbit via wikipedia.

Loving Wishes

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“Goodnight nobody

Goodnight mush

And goodnight to the old lady whispering “hush”

Goodnight stars

Goodnight air

Good night noises everywhere” (from Goodnight Moon)

Little babies can hear even in the womb. And I am learning it is good to read to premature babies. It is good for language development. My little grandson needs a lot of quiet right now but it is also good for him to hear his parents and grandparents voices. So I am thinking about purchasing some children’s books to take to the NICU. I want him to get to know our voices and loving wishes.

Do you have a favorite childhood book?

This post is for Stream of Consciousness Saturday hosted by Linda G Hill. Prompt for today “sh” words. Goodnight Moon book is by Margaret Wise Brown. Featured image from Goodnight Moon via wikipedia.