MUST SEE ...

...he said. What these photos have in common is that each is unusual in its own particular way.
Especially the last one.

Bridge? Tunnel? Brunnel?

The essence of peace and quiet

You're hurting my ribs!

Go find your own branch to sleep in!

DUCK!

Saskatchewan Security Squad

Coming in for a beautiful landing.

YIKES!

Humor --

I re-typed the following from a photograph of a sign in British Columbia:

WARNING

Due to the frequency of human-bear encounters, the B. C. Fish and Wildlife Branch is advising hikers, hunters, fishermen, and any persons that use the out-of-doors in a recreational or work related function to take extra precautions while in the field.

We advise the outdoorsman to wear little noisy bells on clothing so as to give advance warning to any bears that might be close by so you don’t take them by surprise.

We also advise anyone using the out-of-doors to carry pepper spray with him in case of an encounter with a bear.

Outdoorsman should also be on the watch for fresh bear activity, and be able to tell the difference between black bear feces and grizzly bear feces.   Black bear feces is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly bear droppings has bells in it and smells like pepper.

JUST FOR FUN

But first, a quick note:  Google has made some changes to Blogger. I've been told that in order to publish a comment, hit publish, then continue, then publish again.

As to the above, something is a bit peculiar. I tried the process myself, and all I had to do was write my comment, and then click on 'Publish'. Seems simple enough. And I do love to receive comments.

PET INFORMATION
(To be posted VERY LOW on the refrigerator door, pet-nose height.)

Dear Dogs and Cats:

~ The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate or food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

~ The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

~ I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

~ For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob, or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years--canine or feline attendance is not required.

~ To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:

To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit and Complain About Our Pets:They live here. You don't.
If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That's why they call it "fur"niture.
I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.

To you, they are animals. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.

Remember: Dogs and cats are better than kids because they:

1. Eat less

2. Don't ask for money all the time

3. Are easier to train

4. Normally come when called

5. Never ask to drive the car

6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends

7. Don't smoke or drink

Don't have to buy the latest fashions

VARIOUS

But first, a quick note:  Google has made some changes to Blogger. I've been told that in order to publish a comment, hit publish, then continue, then publish again. 

The only thing that these photos have in common is that they have practically nothing in common!
Some remarks by ‘Guess Who?’

All right, students. You got all that?

I'd just like to know how the professor reached the top of the board.

OOOH! That looks tasty!

He cheats! He's using his elbow.

 

 How often does that have to be re-soled?

Ka-Boom!

I just think this is very pretty.

The goat doesn't seem to be helping.

Very pretty!

Humor --

TOMBSTONES

Harry Edsel Smith of Albany, New York: Born 1903--Died 1942.  Looked up the elevator shaft to see if the car was on the way down. It was.

Thurmont, Maryland: Here lies an atheist, all dressed up and no place to go.

London, England: Here lies Ann Mann, who lived an old maid but died an old Mann.

Ruidoso, New Mexico: Here lies Johnny Yeast... Pardon me for not rising.

Uniontown, Pennsylvania: Here lies the body of Jonathan Blake.
Stepped on the gas instead of the brake.

Hartscombe, England: On the 22nd of June, Jonathan Fiddle went out of tune.

Nantucket, Massachusetts: Under the sod and under the trees, lies the body of Jonathan Pease.

RAINBOW MOUNTAINS OF CHINA

But first, a quick note:  Google has made some changes to Blogger. I've been told that in order to publish a comment, hit publish, then continue, then publish again.


The Rainbow Mountains are in China's Danxia Landform Geological Park.  Layers of different colored sandstone and minerals were pressed together over 24 million years and then buckled up by tectonic plates.

The Huffington Post says that while the photos are certainly incredible, there could be some slight photo manipulation going on to make the colors pop a bit more than they would naturally. 

The landform is a unique type of petrographic geomorphology which is found only in China and consists of red-colored sandstones and conglomerates of largely Cretaceous age.
Even if you believe that the brighter colors are there by enhancement, the shapes and forms are truly remarkable.

 

 The colors to the right seem more natural

Note the visitor lookout platform

That is much more natural looking.

The red is red sandstone

 

Humor --

DUH…

We happened to notice a small article entitled “Currency” in the business section of our local paper. A quote from our government’s treasury secretary was included in the following paragraph:

"Asked Friday whether he thought the penny should be eliminated, the Treasury Secretary agreed that it would make sense, saying, 'The penny is worth less than any other currency'”.

What an astute observation!!!

QUIZ TIME

BRAIN TEASERS

But first, a quick note:  Google has made some changes to Blogger. I've been told that in order to publish a comment, hit publish, then continue, then publish again.

Study the five brain teasers. Then, see if you can answer without looking at the answers below.

1. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?

2. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?

3. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?

4. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?

This is an unusual paragraph. I'm curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual, though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out. Try to do so without any coaching!









BRAIN TEASER ANSWERS

1. The third. Lions that haven't eaten in three years are dead. Don't you feel silly now?

2. The woman is a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it, and hung it up to dry. Yeah, you should have paid closer attention to wording.

3. Charcoal. This one is tricky. Only old-timers can remember using coal for heating.

Sure you can: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow!

5. The letter "e" - the most common letter in the English language - is missing from the entire paragraph! This one was hard. If you got this one, give yourself a pat on the back.

KEYBOARD TROUBLE

Computer, not piano.  I have a wireless blue tooth keyboard for my computer.  I like the wireless because then I have one less wire snaking across the desktop.

Yesterday afternoon I went to type something, and nothing - I mean nothing - happened. I checked the keyboard for power and saw that I did not have the little light that goes when everything is good. Oh. Must need new batteries. So I put in a new set of batteries. And I got -- nothing.  Still, no power.  I opened the battery section to be sure I had them in correctly, and that everything was seated properly.  Reassembled.  Guess what?  No power.  Ack!

So this morning I called Apple tech.  He had me try several things, but nothing worked, so the gentleman made an appointment for me at the Apple store.

But then I had another idea. I again removed the batteries with the intention of simply replacing them one more time.  But then I had yet another thought, and asked Cliff to check the batteries with his tester. One of the four batteries was no good. Aha!

The funny thing is if I had simply replaced all 4 batteries, the keyboard would not have worked.  Why? Because the first of the new replacement batteries was no good, and would have been inserted with the other three newer ones if Cliff had not checked each one.  Now I am back in business.  I typed all of this on said keyboard.  Computer, not piano.

Cartoon time --

 

AH, THE LIFE IN RETIREMENT

Holly was my barber for many years, so when she told me that she and her husband Scott were going to retire to someplace else on earth, I was quite surprised.  She and Scott spent considerable time investigating a number of different possible retirement locations. For a variety of reasons, they settled on Panama, and moved there the end of this past May.

Holly has a blog and keeps her followers well-informed. There have been issues with housing, learning a new language, meeting new people, and other interesting events. Just the other day she published a blog that epitomizes the quietly relaxed retired individual in a new location. I was so impressed with this writing that I asked her if I could publish it on my own blog. She quickly agreed and so here is Holly relaxing in Panama.

Incidentally, the photograph came with the blog.

 

 I just have to tell you how much I love the mornings here! It's always sooo peaceful and its the start of a new beginning everyday. All is fresh and just awakening, all of nature is preparing to go out and embrace the day. I love to make a pot of coffee first thing when I get up. Then I go outside and am greeted by two very happy dogs, tails wagging and I swear they're smiling! Really! They are so happy to see me each morning, I just love that about dogs. When I lived in California I never had time to have a dog. But here, even though I don't 'officially' have a dog, (don't tell these two; they think they're mine or do they think I'm theirs? Hmmm?) I'm enjoying the presence of their happy doggy faces everyday. Whatever they think, I just adore the enthusiasm that greets me when I open that door in the morning. They're so stinky and they have tons of little flies all over them,(who knows what they've been frolicking in during the night, yuck!), but I don't care, my hands can be washed! I pet them and scratch their bellies and they just love my attention and I love theirs as well, everyone is happy. After giving them a little food (very little, they are so fat, I think they must make the rounds here in the neighborhood and are fed by multiple people!), I grab my cup of coffee and my iPad and go sit on the patio to read my emails or check out Facebook and play my many turns on Words With Friends. I hardly every get to read my emails or any other such productive things because the view is soooo distracting. The hummers are giving me a show as they dance around the feeder, fighting over whose food it is. All the colorful birds are having their daily meeting in the avocado tree in front of me. I'm always sure to place a banana in the little basket in the tree so they have a snack while they are having their meeting. Often I see bright yellow or bright blue butterflies flittering past as I gaze out at the lush green mountains in the distance. All the flowers also serve as distractions from my morning reading. The bright purple colored bougainvillea, the huge Angels trumpets, the vast array of many colored Hibiscus scattered all around this landscape and lets not forget the hydrangea. I just can’t pull my eyes away from all the natural beauty I'm surrounded by as I sip on my coffee. I must admit one of my favorite sights is the many banana trees all over this property, you just don't see that in your everyday life living in the Silicon Valley ! I love the way the gigantic leaves move with the breeze, they sway so gracefully and I never tire of watching them. As the sun rises the landscape changes ever so subtly with the light. The mountain range comes into view as the mist recedes and I can slowly begin to make out the many different layers of mountain that are seemingly 'stacked' up behind one another. What appeared to be one big mountain is actually several different mountain ranges all covered in coffee plants and varies species of trees. The many different shades of green mesmerize me. I love to pick out all the green. Who knew there existed so many different shades! It's just impossible to pay attention to my precious iPad with this much beauty surrounding me. Yes, the mornings are my absolute favorite time of day! No need to rush to get ready to go anywhere, I'll shower whenever I have time. There's never any feeling of urgency to get anything in particular done or started! Aside from putting that banana in the tree or petting that fat little stinky dog with the smiling face. If there's such a thing as being too content, I'm in trouble!

Humor --

QUOTES

My husband and I divorced over religious differences.  He thought he was God and I didn't.

I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it.

Some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them.

I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.

Don't take life too seriously; no one gets out alive.

You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me.

Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.

I'm not a complete idiot… some parts are just missing.

Out of my mind.  Back in five minutes.

ANIMALS AT THE THEODORE ROOSEVELT NATIONAL PARK

This National park is divided into three sections packed with wildlife including bison, feral horses, elk, bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer and mule deer, prairie dogs, and 186 species of birds such as golden eagles, sharp-tailed grouse, and wild turkeys.  Here’s a look at the wildlife at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, one of the few places where the buffalo still roam.

Porcupine perch in a tree at the park.

Oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam

A small group of elk on the Ridgeline Nature Trail

Wild horses roaming the park. In 1901, Teddy Roosevelt said, “We get exactly as much in hunting with the camera as in hunting with the rifle; and of the two, the former is the kind of sport which calls, for the higher degree of skill, patience, resolution, and knowledge of the life history of the animal sought.

Prairie-dogs are abundant.  They are shaped like little woodchucks, and are the most noisy and inquisitive animals imaginable. They are never found singly, but always in towns of several hundred inhabitants, and these towns are found in all kinds of places where the country is flat and treeless.

The photographer said of this juvenile bison, “Getting old enough to shave

More feral horses. Watching the wildlife is one of the highlight attractions
of visiting Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

The park maintains a small group of longhorn steers.

Rocky Mountain mule deer.

Humor --

A visitor from The Netherlands was chatting with his American friend and was jokingly explaining about the red, white and blue in the flag of his country. "Our flag symbolizes our taxes," he said. "We get red when we talk about them, white when we get our tax bill, and blue after we pay them."

"That's the same with us," the American said, "only we see stars, too."

THE BADLANDS OF NORTH DAKOTA

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt fell in love with the North Dakota badlands during his first visit there in 1883 when hunting bison. The establishment of Theodore Roosevelt National Park was to memorialize Roosevelt’s life, and the influence the landscape had on him and his conservation ethics. The 110 square miles park is divided into three sections packed with wildlife. The South and North Units have about 100 miles of foot and horse trails, wildlife viewing, and opportunities for back country hiking and camping. Besides wonderful wildlife, the National Park Service calls the bizarre geologic rock formations the “grim fairyland”.  Roosevelt said the badlands were “so fantastically broken in form and so bizarre in color as to seem hardly properly to belong to this earth.”

 

North Dakota Badlands Overlook at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The park is made up various ecosystems such as flood plains, forests prairies and grasslands, and rivers and streams. Roosevelt said, “The preservation of the useful and beautiful animal and bird life of the country depends largely upon creating in the young an interest in the life of the woods and fields.

Rain pillars in wilderness portion of TRNP
(They look like giant mushrooms to me.)

Painted Canyons, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota.

Cannon Ball Concretion: According to NPS, “This boulder is known as a ‘concretion’. The concretions are formed within sedementary rocks such as shale or sandstone. They form as minerals are deposited around a core. As the surrounding rocks erode, the ‘cannon balls’ become exposed.

This picture could be a postcard of the Badlands

The Little Missouri River at the North Unit. The park is fenced to stop the bison, wild feral horses, and cattle from getting out of the park, but other animals like deer, elk, and pronghorn can jump over or go under the fence.

Winter at the Maltese Cross Cabin where Roosevelt first came in 1883 to hunt buffalo. Roosevelt said, “I do not believe there ever was any life more attractive to a vigorous young fellow than life on a cattle ranch in those days. It was a fine, healthy life, too; it taught a man self-reliance, hardihood, and the value of instant decision…I enjoyed the life to the full.”

Early morning at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Sunset over the North Dakota badlands.

Humor --

FIVE FUNNY FACTS OF LIFE

Having one child makes you a parent.
Having two makes you a referee.

Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right,
and the other is the husband.

You can’t buy love,
But you pay heavily for it.

Wife and husband always compromise.
The husband admits that he’s wrong, and the wife agrees with him.

Our language is called the Mother Tongue
because the father never gets a chance to speak.