Exploringwinding trails
through Nature's land
designed for adventure is
full of surprises. Unexpected thrills
pop up around every
corner as host
emphatically states:
Welcome!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Adventures are where you find them
Exploringwinding trails
through Nature's land
designed for adventure is
full of surprises. Unexpected thrills
pop up around every
corner as host
emphatically states:
Welcome!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Second novel about ready to launch
"Reveille: A story of survival, war, family" is in final editing stages. It has been a labor of love . . . and a daunting task. How does one tell a story about a member of the family, when little is known? With scant records, hand-me-down stories, and a love of history, "Reveille" started out as a minor research project and turned into an historical fiction novel.
Hopefully, it will be published by July 1. If not, that's okay. It will be at some point in time. It started out as an idea, grew into a research demon with no apparent end, and came out the other side an interesting tale.
Charles Andre was born with one name, was stuck in an orphanage with another, and with that name, served in the Civil War as a Union drummer. Almost two years after the war, he settled in South Arkansas and made a name for himself as Charles Montgomery Andres.
He was my great-grandfather and his story is something of which I will always be proud. Taking time to research his life and mesh tales with history was an act of love.
Here's the draft cover and back cover for "Reveille." It is still undergoing revisions. It is the product of Chase Perryman, one of the most creative and talented people I know and whom I consider a friend.
Too many birds, too little time
If you can't got to Costa Rica, no reason to fret! Photos by Gayle Smith are as good as being there. Almost. Not quite. Naw, not even close. But these photos will make you smile!!!!
Remember: Bosque de Paz. It's Googleable.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Common sense, anyone?
Sometimes the
legislature passes
really dumb laws
In case you haven’t noticed, the world is no longer spinning on its axis.
The sun rose this morning from the west.
Chickens no longer bob their heads when they walk.
Oh, my goodness, the humanity!
Arkansas voters will go to the polls in 2010 to vote on a state constitutional amendment that creates the right for Arkansans to hunt, fish, trap and harvest wildlife.
Game and Fish Chairman Freddie Black sent an email to G&FC Director Loren Hitchcock: “Great job! Congratulations!”
Sounds like the power of cannabis talking.
Okay, time to simmer down. On the merits of the words, there’s nothing wrong with Arkansans having the right to hunt and fish within the state borders. Shoot, we already have that right. Right? If we can forget the lawsuits that will be filed and the hundreds of thousands of dollars that will be spent defending this piece of political clap-trap, and, if the proposed amendment doesn’t hinder the commission in performing its legal duties, this is a really good amendment proposal.
A voice of reason from the wilderness? Anyone?
G&FC Commissioner Ron Duncan took a slightly different stance on the proposed constitutional amendment: “I would prefer seeing the buck-fifty license (bill to increase hunting and fishing license fees) passed than this piece of trash.”
Look for bumper stickers to appear by the Common Sense party for “Duncan for Governor.”
The notion would be totally ludicrous if there were not six of the seven commissioners in favor of it, as is Atty. Gen. Dustin McDaniel, who said he supports it as a hunter and fisherman. Should we give McDaniel some slack because he’s a politician and will say anything to set himself to be governor one day? Naw! His position is just dead-dog dumb and peaks the needle on the “Pander-o-meter.”
Those in favor of the proposal say it’s just a “safety measure” to prevent possible legal intrusions in the right of Arkansans to hunt and fish. Hogwash, anyone?
Even the commission’s own attorneys have unanimously indicated the proposed amendment could be detrimental to the ability of the commission to carry out its duties. The commission members, save one, seem to know the law-side of things than paid legal advisors.
For the record, the state Senate voted 29-0 to put the amendment to the vote of the people; the House vote was 70-9.
Next year, the voters will get to say “yea” or “nay” on the measure. And, after that, let the lawsuits begin.
Final note: How about a constitutional amendment to abolish the Arkansas Legislature? Seems in order if they are going to waste their time coming up with dumb amendments that allow people the right to do what they already have the right to do.
A real good idea
This constitutional amendment thing might be put to use for the common good after all.
How about this: A constitutional amendment mandating that the state university and college sports teams win at least 80 percent of their games each season. The coaches then have no option to obey the mandate of the people.
There, another thorny problem solved.
legislature passes
really dumb laws
In case you haven’t noticed, the world is no longer spinning on its axis.
The sun rose this morning from the west.
Chickens no longer bob their heads when they walk.
Oh, my goodness, the humanity!
Arkansas voters will go to the polls in 2010 to vote on a state constitutional amendment that creates the right for Arkansans to hunt, fish, trap and harvest wildlife.
Game and Fish Chairman Freddie Black sent an email to G&FC Director Loren Hitchcock: “Great job! Congratulations!”
Sounds like the power of cannabis talking.
Okay, time to simmer down. On the merits of the words, there’s nothing wrong with Arkansans having the right to hunt and fish within the state borders. Shoot, we already have that right. Right? If we can forget the lawsuits that will be filed and the hundreds of thousands of dollars that will be spent defending this piece of political clap-trap, and, if the proposed amendment doesn’t hinder the commission in performing its legal duties, this is a really good amendment proposal.
A voice of reason from the wilderness? Anyone?
G&FC Commissioner Ron Duncan took a slightly different stance on the proposed constitutional amendment: “I would prefer seeing the buck-fifty license (bill to increase hunting and fishing license fees) passed than this piece of trash.”
Look for bumper stickers to appear by the Common Sense party for “Duncan for Governor.”
The notion would be totally ludicrous if there were not six of the seven commissioners in favor of it, as is Atty. Gen. Dustin McDaniel, who said he supports it as a hunter and fisherman. Should we give McDaniel some slack because he’s a politician and will say anything to set himself to be governor one day? Naw! His position is just dead-dog dumb and peaks the needle on the “Pander-o-meter.”
Those in favor of the proposal say it’s just a “safety measure” to prevent possible legal intrusions in the right of Arkansans to hunt and fish. Hogwash, anyone?
Even the commission’s own attorneys have unanimously indicated the proposed amendment could be detrimental to the ability of the commission to carry out its duties. The commission members, save one, seem to know the law-side of things than paid legal advisors.
For the record, the state Senate voted 29-0 to put the amendment to the vote of the people; the House vote was 70-9.
Next year, the voters will get to say “yea” or “nay” on the measure. And, after that, let the lawsuits begin.
Final note: How about a constitutional amendment to abolish the Arkansas Legislature? Seems in order if they are going to waste their time coming up with dumb amendments that allow people the right to do what they already have the right to do.
A real good idea
This constitutional amendment thing might be put to use for the common good after all.
How about this: A constitutional amendment mandating that the state university and college sports teams win at least 80 percent of their games each season. The coaches then have no option to obey the mandate of the people.
There, another thorny problem solved.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Reaction of the intestinal kind
Some folks get a gut reaction when simply seeing a photograph of another person.
My guts react somewhat differently. I get that grrrrrrr-reaction whenever I even hear the name Dick Cheney.
Eight-plus years ago I went to my rural polling place with the choice of either voting for George Bush or punching Al Gore's dot. I didn't want a wooden wonk as president, thinking the boredom of listening to Gore for four years would kill my spirit. So I knee-jerked and voted for Bush.
It was a gut reaction, a mental trigger-pull tied to emotion and disgust at the choices. The only commonality I could find at the time was Bush was considered a "good" Texan and I grew up in the State of Contradiction. In Texas, the connection I had with Bush is considered good enough to even vote for a blind dog named Amos Moses.
If I could genie-blink myself back in time, I would not only have voted for Gore, I would have campaigned door-to-door for him. Sent him money, too. Probably. Maybe.
I have come to a happy-place in my mind about my vote for the former president: I voted for him once, which makes me half as smart as those that never voted for him and twice as smart as those that voted for him in both elections.
That, at least, salves my conscience to a degree that suicide by throwing myself under a red-balling truck hauling chickens is no longer considered an option.
Oh, yes – sorry. Got distracted. Back to Dick Cheney.
Can anyone recall any time in recent political history when a former vice president made a campaign out of lambasting a seated president of the opposing party? Cheney's "he-nanigans" would be laughable if the man were not so full of venom. Poison leaks from his pores.
Watching him perform his Obama-is-making-yet-another-huge mistake schtick on Fox News is akin to watching so-called hunters bash baby seals in the head with iron bars. It’s just plain mean.
The GOPer clan who believe every word Cheney and his Bush-puppet ever uttered are blind, deaf, and really, really dumb to much of the doctored snake oil sold to the American public over the past eight years. To hear some Republicrats tell it, the financial crisis started the day Obama took office.
Face it, folks: The political skirts of Cheney and Bush are as dirty as that of Mrs. Ricardo in the classic grape-stomping scene in an early-day "I Love Lucy" television. That show, like Cheney and Bush, is a blurry example of some semblance of life, in black-and-white.
Cheney and Devil’s Advocate Karl Rove were both on the same recent so-called news program.
Attention! Tighten that sphincter! Get rid of that grimace!
It had a slightly altered classic morality play cast: No-good and evil.
And it shall be written: Never a straight word has ever passed the mouth of either man.
And those that believe what they utter to the masses is the true political gospel . . . God help you.
My guts react somewhat differently. I get that grrrrrrr-reaction whenever I even hear the name Dick Cheney.
Eight-plus years ago I went to my rural polling place with the choice of either voting for George Bush or punching Al Gore's dot. I didn't want a wooden wonk as president, thinking the boredom of listening to Gore for four years would kill my spirit. So I knee-jerked and voted for Bush.
It was a gut reaction, a mental trigger-pull tied to emotion and disgust at the choices. The only commonality I could find at the time was Bush was considered a "good" Texan and I grew up in the State of Contradiction. In Texas, the connection I had with Bush is considered good enough to even vote for a blind dog named Amos Moses.
If I could genie-blink myself back in time, I would not only have voted for Gore, I would have campaigned door-to-door for him. Sent him money, too. Probably. Maybe.
I have come to a happy-place in my mind about my vote for the former president: I voted for him once, which makes me half as smart as those that never voted for him and twice as smart as those that voted for him in both elections.
That, at least, salves my conscience to a degree that suicide by throwing myself under a red-balling truck hauling chickens is no longer considered an option.
Oh, yes – sorry. Got distracted. Back to Dick Cheney.
Can anyone recall any time in recent political history when a former vice president made a campaign out of lambasting a seated president of the opposing party? Cheney's "he-nanigans" would be laughable if the man were not so full of venom. Poison leaks from his pores.
Watching him perform his Obama-is-making-yet-another-huge mistake schtick on Fox News is akin to watching so-called hunters bash baby seals in the head with iron bars. It’s just plain mean.
The GOPer clan who believe every word Cheney and his Bush-puppet ever uttered are blind, deaf, and really, really dumb to much of the doctored snake oil sold to the American public over the past eight years. To hear some Republicrats tell it, the financial crisis started the day Obama took office.
Face it, folks: The political skirts of Cheney and Bush are as dirty as that of Mrs. Ricardo in the classic grape-stomping scene in an early-day "I Love Lucy" television. That show, like Cheney and Bush, is a blurry example of some semblance of life, in black-and-white.
Cheney and Devil’s Advocate Karl Rove were both on the same recent so-called news program.
Attention! Tighten that sphincter! Get rid of that grimace!
It had a slightly altered classic morality play cast: No-good and evil.
And it shall be written: Never a straight word has ever passed the mouth of either man.
And those that believe what they utter to the masses is the true political gospel . . . God help you.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Bosque de Paz, Costa Rica
There is this travel comments site (TravelAdvisor) that encourages comments from travelers. It's a free country (well, most of them I get to visit are), so comments can range from the ridiculous to the trivial to the encouraging to the exemplary.
One person who visited Bosque de Paz Rain/Cloud Forest Biological Reserve had absolutely nothing good to say about the lodge and more than 3,000 pristine acres, 17 miles of hiking trails, more animals than are in most zoos, and staff so friendly you want to take them home with you to be your neighbors.
The complaints from this person ranged from the owners blessing each meal, artery-hardening meals, being "locked inside" the reserve, staff who couldn't speak English well, no birds singing in the morning, cold bedrooms, no comfortable chairs to lounge around in ... and the list went on and on and on.
Obviously, this person was expecting the Four Seasons of biological reserves.
Gayle and I have made three trips to Bosque de Paz and will go again. And again. The meals are incredibly good (and you can request different fare---anything from vegan to the beefeaters menu). The staff is very attentive. The owners "bless" the meal in a way that makes you feel a part of the family. It's not pushy or showy ... it's real and you can feel it. They are truly happy to have you visit their home.
The complainer said they had an assigned table. True enough, but if you want to move your table, pull tables together, join folks from Canada, Belgium, Germany, and all over the US, just ask! We did and had a great time -- and made some new friends -- from around the world.
How peaceful is the Forest of Peace? Here's some additional photos taken in March that show some of the sights and the beauty of the a true piece of heaven on earth.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Limits
What
are your
limits? Do you
know? If not, that
defines fallacy of mankind's perceived
infallability. Don't reach beyond
limits. Just recognize
... and master
them.
are your
limits? Do you
know? If not, that
defines fallacy of mankind's perceived
infallability. Don't reach beyond
limits. Just recognize
... and master
them.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
No help
Listerine
will help
bad breath if
you follow the directions.
Mouthwash by any other name
won’t help you if
you have a
really scummy
personality.
will help
bad breath if
you follow the directions.
Mouthwash by any other name
won’t help you if
you have a
really scummy
personality.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Hidden beauty
Beauty,
hidden in
places Nature deems
sacred, obscured by the
veil of location and distance,
awaits discovery by those
taking time to
search them
out.
Rush and Dittoheads
I used to listen to Rush Limbaugh.
I listened to him for the same reason I sometimes watch "Whacked Out Videos" or "Cops." But one can take just so many ignorant men in muscle shirts getting drunk and acting out and the women who support their antics. (I'm talking about Rush, not the two TV shows.)
Those shows are visual train wrecks. Rush is a verbal train wreck and is no longer entertaining; he's the radio equivalent of Jerry Springer after ingesting a handful of uppers.
Rush, for some reason, now thinks he's the savior of all conservatives. His ranting and constant griping and verbal skewering of anything Democrat, is no longer entertaining. He's boring and tedious.
He was ranting recently about "savior worship" of President Obama and how it made him literally ill to watch people fawn over the new president.
"Fawning" is much better than getting sick to one's stomach over a commander in chief's actions.
With Bush in office, indigestion and IBS were commonplace.
With Obama, it's "May I have a tiny bit of hope, if you please?"
Sounds better than "Pass the Imodium."
I listened to him for the same reason I sometimes watch "Whacked Out Videos" or "Cops." But one can take just so many ignorant men in muscle shirts getting drunk and acting out and the women who support their antics. (I'm talking about Rush, not the two TV shows.)
Those shows are visual train wrecks. Rush is a verbal train wreck and is no longer entertaining; he's the radio equivalent of Jerry Springer after ingesting a handful of uppers.
Rush, for some reason, now thinks he's the savior of all conservatives. His ranting and constant griping and verbal skewering of anything Democrat, is no longer entertaining. He's boring and tedious.
He was ranting recently about "savior worship" of President Obama and how it made him literally ill to watch people fawn over the new president.
"Fawning" is much better than getting sick to one's stomach over a commander in chief's actions.
With Bush in office, indigestion and IBS were commonplace.
With Obama, it's "May I have a tiny bit of hope, if you please?"
Sounds better than "Pass the Imodium."
Splinterdorf's Tale: Volume 1
"The Tales of Splinterdorf" is a novella coming to a book store or web site near you by Summer '09. Illustrations by Ashley Fairley.
“The Tales of Splinterdorf, Volume 1” is a story about family, albeit a rather "different" family. The family is not like the Smiths down the street, nor like the Smiths on a planet in the next galaxy.
Splinterdorf is the baby in a family of tacwols, residing at the base of Mount Live on a planet with three suns in a faraway galaxy. Tacwols are large creatures distinguished by their three legs, one huge eye, and loooong rolled-up-tight ears that can be unrolled if there is a need to hear faraway noises.
When Splinterdorf's family disappears, she sets off on a journey to find them. She does not face the dangers and try and unravel mysterious secrets alone. She finds herself aided (or encumbered, depending on one's point of view) by Jat, a hated member of the thought-chattering bongojat clan.
This a different type of middle-grade children’s book because of a word puzzle interwoven throughout every chapter. Part of the fun of the story is deciphering the word puzzles.
Follow Splinterdorf’s journey as she learns first-hand about patience and virtue and fear and bravery and how important true friends really are. This is a story about a family’s love and knowing that doing whatever it takes to make sure family members are safe is always the right thing to do.
“The Tales of Splinterdorf, Volume 1” is a story about family, albeit a rather "different" family. The family is not like the Smiths down the street, nor like the Smiths on a planet in the next galaxy.
Splinterdorf is the baby in a family of tacwols, residing at the base of Mount Live on a planet with three suns in a faraway galaxy. Tacwols are large creatures distinguished by their three legs, one huge eye, and loooong rolled-up-tight ears that can be unrolled if there is a need to hear faraway noises.
When Splinterdorf's family disappears, she sets off on a journey to find them. She does not face the dangers and try and unravel mysterious secrets alone. She finds herself aided (or encumbered, depending on one's point of view) by Jat, a hated member of the thought-chattering bongojat clan.
This a different type of middle-grade children’s book because of a word puzzle interwoven throughout every chapter. Part of the fun of the story is deciphering the word puzzles.
Follow Splinterdorf’s journey as she learns first-hand about patience and virtue and fear and bravery and how important true friends really are. This is a story about a family’s love and knowing that doing whatever it takes to make sure family members are safe is always the right thing to do.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Birds/flowers
Hummerbirds
like flowers.
The feeling is
mutual as nature's cohabitants
plot ecological games to protect
the fragile environment and
life for all
birds, flowers,
critters.
Expanding horizons
Photos/
Gayle Smith
Several years ago I gave my Supreme Spousal Unit Gayle a camera with a 400 mm. lens for shooting soccer. She's a natural sports photographer ... sense of the game, anticipation, not afraid to get in close to the action.
She's graduated to status of a nature photographer. And she's good at it.
As an old newspaper shooter for more than 40 years, I've taken my share of photos and some of them were, well, quite good, to be honest.
But Gayle's photos -- watching her take them, seeing her incredible patience in the field and the delight in her eyes when she gets that perfect shot -- make my heart soar.
Stalking hummingbirds
A
bird stalked,
quietens as woman
meets nature head-on and
is absorbed into the heady
environment. She becomes one
with the object
of search:
Birds.
Photo/Gayle Smith
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Joining new organization
There's a new organization that has people signing up by the millions ... here, there, everywhere.
The loose group is calling itself Oh, Baby! America's Moving Ahead.
Going by the acronym OBAMA, the new group is not stopping to count all the things that are going wrong in America and the world and blaming it on the president. After all, (this is a good point, so listen up), the president has been in office less than three months.
Give him the benefit of the doubt, for gosh's sake.
So far he has, as he promised, beefed up (or soon will) forces in Afghanistan and set definitive deadlines for turning Iraq's security over to Iraqis. He visited troops in that troubled country and soldiers actually hugged their commander in chief. Not one, not two, but a bunch of camo-dressed soldiers, from privates to corporates to sergeants.
Officers apparently restrained themselves from high-fiving or hugging President Obama. Setting an example, and all that.
There's a rumor floating around that another group is being formed to commemorate the past administration. Part of the rumor is that new members of OBAMA are also going to join Bull! Ugly, Stupid, Hurtful (BUSH).
For the first time in eight years, politics is starting to be fun again.
The loose group is calling itself Oh, Baby! America's Moving Ahead.
Going by the acronym OBAMA, the new group is not stopping to count all the things that are going wrong in America and the world and blaming it on the president. After all, (this is a good point, so listen up), the president has been in office less than three months.
Give him the benefit of the doubt, for gosh's sake.
So far he has, as he promised, beefed up (or soon will) forces in Afghanistan and set definitive deadlines for turning Iraq's security over to Iraqis. He visited troops in that troubled country and soldiers actually hugged their commander in chief. Not one, not two, but a bunch of camo-dressed soldiers, from privates to corporates to sergeants.
Officers apparently restrained themselves from high-fiving or hugging President Obama. Setting an example, and all that.
There's a rumor floating around that another group is being formed to commemorate the past administration. Part of the rumor is that new members of OBAMA are also going to join Bull! Ugly, Stupid, Hurtful (BUSH).
For the first time in eight years, politics is starting to be fun again.
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