%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |  Re-dedicated - April 1, 2021, Brother Nature's views from the Winnipeg River SE Manitoba |
|
My Writing.com experience continues...30 Day Blog Challenger, Andre the blog Monkey's Banana Bar Founder, Aging Baby Boomer. Here you'll find a warm welcome, maybe I'll make you laugh out loud - That's my goal. Thanks for visiting. |
 PROMPT May 22nd Write about the biggest challenge you have faced and how you overcame it. I believe my biggest challenge is yet to come. Maybe my/our biggest challenge is the challenge we face from the Global COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 - 20??. Our recent move was quite a challenge. We had to move an entire house full of belongings (including a 24 x 24 garage full and a 10 x 10 shed full) a forty-five-minute drive up the highway. We had 30 days to do it and because of COVID-19 restrictions, we could not have any help. So Leslie and I did the entire job with a Ford F150 and a small car. We had two teenagers who helped for one afternoon with some of the heavy lifting. BUT WE DID IT! Now the challenge is unpacking, but we have the rest of our lives to do it. I may move again at some point, but I'm not taking anything with me when I go. This is it; this is where we make our final home. Bring on the next challenge. For the
|
| Write a blog entry This is bad! I was so tired I filled in the title, then wrote that first sentence there, then made it 'PRIVATE', then went to bed. Yep. This is bad! |
PROMPT May 5th If your job gave you a surprise seven-day paid break to rest and recuperate, what would you do with those seven days? Funny!  I haven't had a day off since I first read this prompt 18 days ago. Okay, I'm exaggerating a little I did have 3 days off from work, but then there's that home-life thing that takes up a bunch of time, which could otherwise be spent writing a daily blog entry for 30 straight days.So we've had three days of rain now, which is good because we were heading for drought conditions and forest fires were becoming a concern. Besides that rain, means days off in the golf course maintenance business. So now I have some time to write and, oh yeah, The Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway, Go Jets Go! I have time to write, but I'm so far behind, the only way to catch up is to skip ahead. Sounds like a plan! See you in the next entry. For the
|
PROMPT May 4th May the Fourth Be With You! Write about a movie franchise or book series that you love. Because I mentioned him as one of my idols on the May 1st prompt I will write about Douglas Adam's four-book trilogy 'Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy.' I was hooked on this series from the first chapter of the first book, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (1980), Life, the Universe and Everything (1982), So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (1984) are the other three books. I enjoy Adams' writing style and his creativity. I feel like saying, "I share his sense of humor" or something like that. He makes me laugh; I'll put it that way. The first book has been made into a movie, an animated movie, a radio play, and there are many audiobooks available. I know that most readers have read at least the first book, it's one of the few books that I have re-read. In case you haven't read the book, I won't write a spoiler. I highly recommend this if you're looking for a fun read. I've just discovered this audiobook, read by the author. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] I'm going to give this a try later tonight. For the
|
PROMPT May 3rd What was the best thing that happened in your life over the weekend? Looking at the week ahead, what are your goals and how will you motivate yourself to achieve them? It's always feast or famine, sink or swim, comedy or tragedy, nothing is ever easy, and then it starts to rain...whatever, life goes on, and now it's Monday again. The best part of my weekend was, I didn't crush the tip of my left index finger by dropping a loaded trailer on it. That was last weekend. This weekend I only suffered emotional injury, just as painful, but a different kind of pain. It's nice to have choices. |
PROMPT May 2nd What smell or sounds brings back great memories of your childhood? My dad's 1954 Oldsmobile Neighty Eight was a slick-looking car. One Friday afternoon he left me sitting in the passenger seat while he went in to rob the Royal Bank on the corner of Mountain and Main. The last thing he said to me before closing the car door was, "stay here and watch out for the cops." I sort of knew he was kidding about robbing the bank, but I figured I should keep an eye out for the cops anyway. I was so proud to be seated in that car; it had a three-color paint scheme (gloss white, light grey, and candy-apple red) and a lot of brightly polished chrome. The car was an eye-catcher and I was enjoying all the attention the car was attracting. All the other drivers who passed by looked intently at the car, even peering inside to see who's in the car... Me!  This was probably my proudest moment up to that point in my life. Turns out, dad never robbed that bank but he did leave me sitting in a running vehicle, parked at a bus stop during rush hour, and it did occur to me sometime later in my life that those people weren't actually admiring the beauty of the car as they drove slowly by. I've been looking around for this car lately or one like it. There is nothing like it out there, some come close, but none are identical. One thing I remember most about dad's Olds is the smell. When the heat of the sun warmed the leather bench seats the car had a scent that was like no other. It wasn't a particularly pleasant aroma, but it wasn't overly offensive either. The fragrance was a result of the exact mix of heated leather, dust, wax, hot painted metal, and a splash of leaded fuel, with a hint of hot rubber. It's that classic car scent, I can't describe it any better. I forgot about that car smell until many years later when I got into a late model vehicle and I picked up that very same scent and it took my memory right back to the day my dad robbed the Royal Bank on the corner of Mountain and Main. For the
|
PROMPT May 1st Write about one (or more) of your creative idols. Who do you look up to? Whose work are you most inspired by? Why? There is a long list of people who have inspired me with their creative genius. I am most impressed with people whose creativity is used to entertain me by making me laugh. I'm not one to idolize people, I have a hard time picking favorites, but I believe strongly in giving credit where credit is due. The first person who comes to mind is children's author, Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) Dr. Suess's poetic storybooks thought me that words can be fun, writing can be fun, words don't have to be properly spelled and officially recorded in the dictionary, words can be simply made up, just for fun, meaningless nonsense, because it rhymes. Dr. Seuss was the first author who inspired my creative spirit. I very much enjoyed reading his books and still do. Douglas Adams is an author whose creativity and humor inspire me. Another group of entertainers I enjoy and appreciate for the creativity they inject into their craft is comedians. Robin Williams, Johnathon Winters, Howie Mandel are a few who I find cleverly creative. I have a lot of respect for the comedians who excel at improv - Drew Carey Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, Gilda Radner. If I were to idolize somebody, it might be someone like Edger Allan Poe, whose work is so creative and inspiring it's known around the world and transcends time. For the
|
Our journey brings us to St. Georges . Journaling a relocation to the town of St.Georges, beginning April 1, 2021
This is self-networking, which is something I think I just made up. Maybe republishing is a better description. Some might say spam. Either way, enjoy! It's my blog entry for today April 14, 2021, it's my Winnipeg River View. HISTORY ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** The origins of the parish go back to 1882 when Father Joachim Allard, an Oblate missionary from the Fort Alexander Indian reserve invited the people from Chateauguay Quebec to come and establish a French-Canadian parish on the Winnipeg River in 1882. It was not until 1903, after the construction of a chapel, that St. Georges officially became the Saint-Georges de Châteauguay parish. In 1909, St. Georges built its first church but unfortunately, it was destroyed by fire on May 1st, 1929. A second church (still standing) was built on the same spot and opened its doors in the month of December of that same year. On the occasion of its centenary in 2003, a historical monument was erected near the church to commemorate the work that was accomplished by the founding members of the parish. Key Day - April 1, 2021 Our Back Yard ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** April 13, 2021 We are thirteen days into the move from Sunset Bay to St. Georges. We've made several trips with the F150 so far. One room (Leslie's sewing room) has been completely emptied and the garage (My room, in a sense) has only large items left to move. I have a cargo trailer booked for this Saturday and two teenage boys (Dakota and his Buddy) to do the heavy lifting so that by Sunday we should be 95% moved. It's a forty-minute drive North up the Highway. The highway winds its way north as it follows the west shore of the Winnipeg River System. There is also a North Eastern route from Sunset Bay to St.Georges. The North Eastern route is a five-and-a-half-hour drive and most of the highway is unpaved. You pass through Nopining National Park, the mining town of Bisset, and Fort Alexander First Nations, so I would like to travel this route at least once when I have more time. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| Friday, April 9 The Sims Family Murders in Tallahassee On October 22, 1966, Robert and Helen Sims and their daughter, Joy, were found dead in their Tallahassee, Florida home by the Sims 0ldest daughter, Jeanie, when she returned from a babysitting job. “A massive search was launched to find whoever committed the crime,” a local news station recounts. But the Sims had no enemies, there was no discernible motive to the crime, and although there were suspects, no one was ever charged. Tell us what happened, who did it, and why. Did you do it? I've sure solved a lot of mysteries this week and I've learned a bunch of stuff, but this one might be tough. There's not a lot to go on in the prompt as far as clues go. We know that Daughter, Jeanie was out at her babysitting job, but nothing is mentioned of the cause of the death of her parents and sister. It would be helpful to know exactly how they died; more so than knowing Jeanie was out babysitting. I could probably find some details by Googling it. Yeah, I should do that. I won't be able to solve this mystery otherwise. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Well, I'd have to say that is a legitimate crime. I conclude that foul play is certainly suspected. And a second babysitting sibling, Judith Ann, who was fifteen years old at the time. This is a bit of a long shot but I'm going to take a stab at it. (a bit of murderer's inside joke there) The couples that hired the Sims sisters to babysit that night belonged to some sort of, couples who commit murder cult, or something like that. They used the cover of going to the football game but instead went out and murdered a family. The problem was when the foursome discovered that everyone in town was really at the football game, after all, it was October, so you know it's going to be a playoff game. Go Seminoles! They couldn't find anyone at home to murder. Then one of them remembered that Jeanie, whose real name is Norma, Jeanette, but everyone calls her Virginia said that their parents were going to be at home watching TV all night, so the group of murders decided to go murder the Sims family. It's interesting that Judith was asked to stay with the couple that just murdered her family, because not only did they get away with murder, but they probably wouldn't have to pay Judith anymore for babysitting, while she stayed with them. It all comes down to the same thing every time... Being in the wrong place at the wrong time. |
Plain of Jars Location: Xiangkhoang Plateau, Laos More than 2,000 large ancient stone jars are spread across a plateau in Central Laos. Some stand 10 feet tall and weigh several tons. Archaeologists estimate the jars are 2,000 years old, but their purpose is unclear. The most common theories are that they were used as funeral urns. What do you think these urns were for? WARNING! Reading this entry may give you worldly knowledge you're not supposed to have. Once you read this entry it will be nearly impossible to unread it. I resisted the urge to research the mystery of the Plain of Jars, I wanted to see if I could think of a plausible theory on my own by simply meditating while picturing the images of the jars in my mind. I was taken back in time, further than I have ever been before, beyond the stone age. It was there, that I learned the secret to the mystery. It wasn't only this one mystery I learned the answer to, but several mysteries. I learned the secrets that time has hidden from us, and now will reveal the forgotten event that has baffled humankind for eons. The Plain of Jars (Laos)  STONEHENGE (ENGLAND) CARNAC (FRANCE) MYSTERIOUS STONE SPHERES (COSTA RICA) DEER STONES (MONGOLIA AND SIBERIA) AVEBURY HENGE (ENGLAND) GOCHANG DOLMEN SITE (SOUTH KOREA) Great Pyramid of Giza (Egypt) Candle Rock (Japan) Stone Statues (Easter Island) The Terracotta Army (China) All of these and so many more, too many to list them all. MYSTERIES SOLVED! You're Welcome.This is not exactly how I discovered the solution to all of these mysteries, but it may be the easiest way to tell the story, so you can best understand it. Here we go. No turning back now. Andre the prehistoric craft monkey was hot, tired, and frustrated. He had been chipping away at his stone for weeks, pounding rock on rock, trying to make a larger beer mug. Andre was a master craft monkey who specialized in making stone tools, like the stone tool he was using to craft his new beer mug. Motivated by the idea that a second larger beer mug would permit the drinking of more beer Andre kept pounding away. Suddenly a T-rex charged out of nowhere, and momentarily caught Andre off guard, but Andre was not only quick-witted he was quick on his feet and was able to run swiftly to the safety cave. From the safety of the safety cave, Andre threw stone stones at the T-rex. The stones didn't bother the T-rex at all, but still, Andre liked to throw them all the same. While Andre waited for the T-rex to move on, he thought about all the things he would make out of stone, if only he had the time. Not only was he a master crafter monkey he was also a very inventive monkey. He had ideas and dreams of making a multitude of things, most of which haven't been invented yet, but he was frustrated because it took so long and it was very laborious to even make a simple beer mug. Andre tossed another Stone stone at the T-rex, just out of spite. This time, however, when the stone hit the T-rex the T-rex vaporized right in front of Andre. There was nothing left of the T-rex except a pile of bones. Andre was frightened but curious, and he didn't have time to create too deep of a back story, so he peeked out from the safety cave and saw a site never seen before. Andre's mind became awash in colors, colors that didn't even exist, and then... poof! The story advances. Greetings Andre the craft monkey, I am Crayola, the creator of imaginary things. I'm from very far into the future and I travel back to your time to vaporize some dinosaurs because I want to create mysteries that scientists can't figure out and besides I'm a dick. While I was vaporizing that dinosaur, and by the way, those bones will be there for quite a while, I read your mind and I know all of your thoughts and everything about you. So let's not piss around, I know what you want and I know when you want it. So here's the deal... Crayola produced a product from the future and showed it to Andre, it was a small piece of styrofoam. Then Crayola produced a heated carving tool and began to shape the styrofoam piece into an exact likeness of Andre. Soon there were more pieces of styrofoam and another carving tool. Crayola taught Andre how to carve objects and Andre carved himself a fine beer mug. I will have to leave soon and return to the future but first, let's have some fun. I will transform all the stone on earth into styrofoam and then you and I will travel around the globe and carve statues and structures. We'll make enormous buildings and impossible feats of engineering all over the planet. Then when we're done. I'll turn it all back into stone. So that's what happened. That explains everything, even the dinosaurs. Well, it wasn't exactly like that. It could have been a genie in a bottle granting wishes, or a sorcerer casting spells. But the underlying principle is the stone was all made into styrofoam, carved into shape, then turned back to stone. I don't know, I thought I had something there. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
your comment. I've done some time curled up. The thumb-sucking never gets old, but the games get boring, and once you've seen all the videos the real world becomes a welcome lifestyle change.
or NO 
