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July 22, 2015 I'm going to start today to record on a daily basis whatever happens to strike my fancy. So, it is a very cool breezy day. I just posted 5 short book reviews to The Monthly Reading Challenge. I'm suppose to put away some winter wood today from the woodpile outside but I'm playing hookey from work to write so starting this blog will get done. I'm having a daily fight with a flock of English Sparrows that are trying to take over my barn. They are making a terrible mess so they have to go. I have destroyed several nests so far they don't leave but they get out of the barn when I am around. I'm just starting the fight so I guess I don't know how far I have to go to discourage them. I'm trying not to spread myself to thin on WDC because I find so many things that are interesting here and I am trying to work on a new story. I really enjoy sitting at my desk with a cup of tea and reading blogs on WDC. |
BFof: Prompt: Pick one of these fun places and write about it. Experience Thailand With These 10 Things To Do In Pak Chong! -   At a young age when I was asking why? My dad said, "Curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction brought him back."I just could not pick One! 1. At Palio Village I found the mushroom farm. This is such a great learning experience for growing mushrooms. There is a place to go to see the way the medium for the growth of the mushrooms is packed around the mushroom to start it. The farm itself has gardens with large colored Mushroom sculptures There are two story cottages you can book to stay in and mushroom paintings on the walls of the buildings. I'm reminded of the story in one of "The lion, Witch, and Wardrobe," series. The farm has that kind of childlike aura within the grown up world of growing mushrooms. 2. Then I visited the Elephant Roundup Village which is near the silk village where silk is weaved for the royal family. some of the patterns are only allowed to be used for the royals. The fabrics for them are woven by hand and often a fabric in the process of being woven only gains a few centimeters per day.. I like silk fabric, so I was hoping to find more about the process for silk that is exported. My links did not work well so I'm not sure I was in the proper place. Anyway, this particular visual was very interesting. Stories about the patterns are interesting as well. 3. The elephant village is a place where Mahout s are trained and elephants are trained. During the year there is a roundup. What is similar to a horse gymkhana in the USA. The Mahouts show off their elephants. The elephants compete in different contests such as dart throwing and ring juggling. Within the village are houses built on high poles. The ground level is where the elephants live. The top level has two sides. One for a family the other for the Mahout in training. It's a very organized system. You can take a ride on an elephant while you are there. I once rode an elephant at the San Antonio Zoo in Texas. a very slow but insightful ride. 4. I could not stop there. Since I was in the area I also visited a Buddhist Temple. The temple itself is almost in ruins. a new temple grounds has been built. There are many beautiful and very old sculptures on the grounds in garden settings. One sculpture depicts a pair of large birds eating the intestines of a human body. Perhaps depicting a burial rite of some sort. In the Andes mountains a group of natives take the pieces of the human body to the top of a mountain to feed to large vultures. Then when only the bones are left they are powdered and cast to the land. This is the reality of "We are born from dust we return to dust." I found a Buddhist Temple in Minnesota which is very much like the one in Thailand that I visited. Started by Monks fleeing from the Khmer Rouge 1988. Now there is a group of Buddhist living near them. I often wonder what the Buddha thinks about this kind of visual respect toward him. You know he adamantly did not want people to worship him. And, they do not seem to attempt exactly worship, but pay their respect to him in this way, while creating a quiet place to meditate and attempt to achieve enlightenment. This is what I found today. Thank you for the incentive.  apondia#1781748 |
| We're going to have a picnic by the falls this afternoon. And spend some quality time together. Give a brief summation of the last ten days including today's sights.in your entry today.  Nhao Yai National Park: Wild Life video from Youtube: THE WILDLIFE VIDEO IS NOT FROM THAILAND. There is a Bonanza Zoo which contains a compact amount of exotic animals for viewing. However, I kind of got stuck at the Khao Yai National park. One thing be sure of you cannot get into the park on foot. You must be in a vehicle. This is part is very large. It takes about 3 hours to drive to all of the sites and that does not count viewing time. Also this park is similar to Yellowstone where all the wildlife roams freely within the park. There are only two circular trails connected to the wildlife center, that can be freely walked by tourists of the park. On all other trails a guide is required to walk on them. All of the trails are circular so you won't get lost. Snakes, monkeys, butterflies, wild pigs, chickens, elephants, and other animals are native to the area. Some of the snakes are poisonous. I saw one on a guided tour to one of the falls. Although this National Park was the first one established in Thailand it is now the third largest. Around 447 species of birds inhabit the Park. There is a bird migration into the park during March and April. There are wild chickens all through the park and along the road sides. I saw a brown horn-bill today. I suppose if I add it to my bird list I should notation virtual beside the name of the bird.  Salt licks are normal along the park road ways which can lure the animals close so they can be viewed from automobiles. The best way to see the larger species is with a guided tour because guides communicate between tours where the animals are spending time. Quides can take the public right to any section of the park where and elephant herd or other animals may be congregating. Khao Rom mountain is the highest mountain in the park. It is very humid in the park at this time of year because it is the rainy season. Also the water falls will be more splendid because of more available water. Besides birds there are many beautiful butterfly species. Special picture boards can be seen at the viewing sites that depict the kinds of animals, plants, and insects within the park. Personally, Because of a poisonous snake I saw at the waterfall I think the picnic would be better inside a vehicle or even at the Wildlife center. Notes: The Kensington English Garden Resort is quiet and serene. It would be a great place to spent a retreat or some time to write. We have visited some really nice hotels on this trip.I thought I would miss the Viroth's Hotel but this one was fine as well. Who wouldn't love Opal hunting. The miners have built a kind of awesome village there. A nice way to fight the environmental landscape. I was very taken with Spanda and the Swan bell tower. Awesome man made monuments. Everywhere we go bicycles are used for the way to get around most places--except Antarctica where boats and snow vehicles are the main ride. All during this trip we are meeting environments that are contrasts; cold versus heat, ice versus desert, desert versus jungle. Also, hotels and places we are visiting have some very nice people interested in the safety of the travelers. I feel though that I could still wring out more about Antarctica if I spent time in research. It was interesting to find that there are no Polar Bears in Antarctica. And, some of the special clothing is good for winter here even if we only have cold a couple months of the year. HAPPY TRAILS! apondia#1781748 |
| BFoF: BCoF:Educate us about famous musicians from Cambodia. I've given you one resource, feel free to expand with more information for us. Make us want to see one of the artists. I could not use the link from the prompt so this is what I found.   Evil always seems to target music and musicians. during the days of the Pol Pot. 1.7 million people of Cambodia were killed. Among that number was a large per cent of skilled Cambodian musicians. One of today's important Cambodian musicians Kang Nai has an album out called, "Survivors of the Khmer Rouge, They Will Kill You If You Cry." This musician is known to write and sing songs of encouragement, and healing to the public about the horrors they survived." The NACA Orphanage of Cambodia has a documentary called, "Still I Strive Cambodia." The documentary includes the music of orphans from Cambodia. This talented group of orphans has formed orchestrated music and a ballet group. The ballet group sings as part of the performance. Most of the instruments are wind and percussion instruments. The Ballerinas are graceful as they do a dance that imparts blessing. Much of the music of today's artists is interpretive for healing, blessings, and thankful enlightenment. One of today's famous musicians, Sinn Sisamouth sings songs with rhythm and foot tapping beats. His music is good for dancing, house cleaning, and tapping your feet. |
| We;re staying at the Viroth's Hotel https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g297390-d9514361-Reviews-Viroth_s_Hotel... Siem Reap is the capital of the province Siem Reap in Cambodia. One of their most famous sites to visit is the Angkor Wat temple. Besides that, they have many more temples, museums, the Old Market and the Cambodian Cultural Village. Explore the different options and discuss. Make us envious.  https://pharecircus.org/phare-revealed-cambodian-legends-and-myths/ Traveling| Checking into the Viroth's Hotel was so easy. The hotel is just lovely. I could not think of a better word. Every room has views of green growing plants and gardens. The staff is very courteous. You can always find someone near who will answer questions and help. The lot of us hired a mini bus and tumbled in for a trip to Angkor temples. I took pictures of WakeUpAndLive, Blue Moon and Carly standing on the temple steps. Sandra Lynn and I both noticed the big difference in the climate here and weather where we live. The heat is different causing the growth of more tropical trees and plants. We are using lots of sun screen and carrying bottles of liquid. The artists that created the carvings on temples and statues was very talented. Doesn't it show the amazing creative minds that existed during this period of Cambodian life? In a Biogeoghraphy class we discussed the fact that a lot of legends are based on some kind of facts so I was wondering what facts the legend about a half-man half lion are created on? I looked up one link about an eclipse and the story that is told about eclipses. Wikipedia also has several pages about Cambodian folklore. All of this folklore around the temples made me wonder what life is really like so I booked a trip with the Happy Ranch Horse Farm. I took a three hour trip through the country side on horse back. The horses seemed really calm and used to anything they might experience on the trail. Once when we were riding on a wide trail through a part of jungle a spotted pig came out suddenly from the underbrush. The horses did not even acknowledge it. On the ride we waved at people hand working some fields. We also saw, statues, temples, and rode through villages. It was a long day. Some of our group took the water tour of Toni Sup Fishing Village. I still want to see Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary. Lots of good bird pictures I can chalk up some new bird sightings for my list. I hope there is time to sit in the lounge and compare adventures. Maybe at breakfast if people are to tired tonight. ![Merit Badge in Encore! Encore!
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BCoF:Prompt: Perth - As a tourist, which would you rather come home with: lots of souvenirs or lots of pictures. Why?  Perth: Because of the bicycle ride around Perth I would have to say lots of pictures. For one thing I can't really imagine where money would come from for a real world trip like we are taking. For another thing I am having a great time looking at pictures from Wikipedia and YouTube or bike rides around fascinating places. I also learned some new things about bikes while I was on this trip. It would be fun to trade my bike in on an electric bike. In real time I took a photography class in college for journalism. I have a wonderful 35 millimeter camera with a zoom lens, that never gets enough use. It has all kinds of automatic buttons that I have fun with when I do use it. If you have read my blog for Perth you know I really liked the Spanda Sculpture by Christian de Vietvi. I would love to hang a picture of it taken by me on the wall in my house. Picture taking is an art and if I was traveling in real time I would be using my camera to record all these places and creating albums to show off sometimes. I also like the picture taking abilities of my kindle and phone. I would take live movies of the bell tower because I would like to hear the bells ring in the Swan Bell tower. Who knows now what I will find in Cambodia that should be recorded. Taking pictures adds to the fun of travel. Getting that perfect shot just right is a special experience to keep for all time. |
The tour guide is so excited to have such a large group. And there's a lot of interesting places along our ride. Discuss what you've seen and what you liked thus far in Australia..  Australia Quote:“I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror – The wide brown land for me!” ― Dorothea Mackellar, The Poems of Dorothea Mackellar reference:https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/australia PERTH TODAY I took the bicycle tour. Even wearing masks the ride was spectacular. I had to center on something and I was so taken with Elizabeth Quays. The Quays are where Perth City meets the Swan River. It is considered one of the precincts designed within it's own area and use.Elizabeth Quays was named for Queen Elizabeth during her diamond jubilee. Two things put me over the top at Elizabeth Quays. Although, I saw and read about so much more these things were are the top of my attention. There are 18 bells hanging in a 271 foot high tower, which is made of copper and brass. Twelve of the bells are from St. Martin-in-the-Square church located in Trafalgar Square in London. Six of the others were recently cast by by White Chapel Bell foundry. Metal mined in Australia was used to shape these bells. One was donated by The Australian Government. The other five were underwritten by West Minister of the UK, the city of London, and British and Australian mining companies. The sound of the bells can be aimed in different directions depending on the need or time of day. The Swan Bell Tower was designed by Hames Shailey. The second thing is the Spanda sculpture by artist Christian de Vietvi. The Spanda is situated looking south toward the Swan river. It is six nested arches. The largest arch is nine stories high. The smallest arch is the size of a human being or maybe two standing together. It represents divine vibrations that united human communication with the universe. I tried to find out why the clothing of the women's sculpture changes, I've not been successful about that yet. If I was actually going to travel face to face Perth would be one of the places I would go. I would like to hear the bells and walk through the Spanda. By bicycle it was a wonderful ride with so much to see. I needed in-depth knowledge of all the places I rode to see. I could visit Australia more than once or just stay for a few months to see all the sites it exhibits. Now I am excited to visit Cambodia. A place I have never been. |
Where I spent the evening while we were at Darwin Austrailia.  Mindl Beach Market is an evening adventure. The market is here in the evening for a specific reason. It's for the sun watchers of society. The Market itself is known for a diversity of types of foods. If you are hungry this is a great place to dine. Then, of course, there is a lot of other interesting stalls rugs, painting, gems, and aboriginal items. Plus, there is the music here that is constantly playing. It's a background to the market and later continues as people wander down to the beach for the main event. When the sun starts to go down you take the walkway to the beach. Mindl Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Australian Continent. The oxidation in the sand causes it to be reddish in color.There are palm trees and other plant life for greenery. The contrasting glory of the sea colors and sky colors as the sun sinks is awesome. If you know about the sun it is large, in this part of the world, as it sinks slowly down giving the sky a red, yellow, orange, and even purple light show. There is a wharf there with dining options. No one sells alcohol drinks but you can bring your own. The wharf is out over the ocean even closer to the sun. Many people are standing around with cameras taking photographs as the sun falls slowly down behind the horizon. The contrast between the sky and the color of the beaches makes a beautiful show. This is where the paintings sold from the stalls at the Mindl Beach Market were born, as artist watched this sky show. I ordered a seafood platter with Iced tea and stood on the edge of the wharf taking pictures that will be a happy reminder of the trip, in times yet to come. When I thought I had enough picture taking and the food was delivered to the table I enjoyed fresh fish and shrimps with a sauce native to the area. It was so peaceful. The night quietly settled in as the sun at last made its final exit. It left a glow in the sky even as it disappeared. I was happy to acknowledge how many other people were sunset watching. The sun will always amaze you as our planet spins around it on a daily basis. |
Darwin Waterfront and Vibe Hotel: exploring Darwin and surrounding area.   Although the vibe had some bad reviews I got along really well with staff. The rooms were clean and the showers large. I liked the seating on decks to watch the sunset. Lots of different kinds of group settings. Since I spent some time on walking tours the comfort was most appreciated. I walked across the sky walk. You have to take an elevator up to the sky walk and then when you get really close to the harbor you take and elevator down. It was a stormy day with some thunder rolling in the horizon so the sky walk felt adventurous. As I exited the sky walk there were some rental bikes. A little unusual because they had a very comfortable seat. Descriptively equal to sitting in a chair with armrests and a back. It's a good thing I rented one because walking around the walk ways was a long walk. We entered a park area where we saw a small beach which had a life guard chair and a volley ball net. The walkways wandered all over the wharf. Passing the Beach markets. Lots of different views on the walkways. Saw the wave lagoon and the convention center. Also walked through some more markets and outside dining where flora and fauna surrounded the tables and dining areas, very secluded and especially peaceful. Then it was back up on the sky way walk to our starting point. One of the residents told me that in WWII there were more bombs dropped on Darwin than on Pearl Harbor. A lot of the building we see today is rebuilt from 1974 when Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin on December 24 after 10 p.m. The residents were celebrating Christmas Eve. They thought the cyclone was going to go in a different direction so they were caught unawares. The storm killed 71 people. There were winds of 135 m.p.h. 70 per cent of homes and buildings were destroyed with #837 million worth of damage. 30,000 people were evacuated many never returned. Today Darwin continues to have what is considered a low population. It is interesting that mixed in with Australian shops we find Coles, Coca Cola, and Hertz rent a car. I took Sandra Lyn and Blue Moon with me to Mindle Beach Sunset Market. They had strict instructions to keep me from spending too much. I did buy a aboriginal musical horn. There were so many things to see. Tye dye dresses, paintings of Beach Sunsets, gorgeous rugs with unusual patterns. It's a good thing today was an active day with lots of walking because the food was to good to pass up. I agree with Sandra Lyn no moth soup or grubs of any kind. I no longer eat white tail deer at home so I'm not eating kangaroo here. We also visited Liechfield National Park. There are 20 national parks near Darwin. This one has water holes between falls areas so you can wade and swim. We walk around the termite mounds which are high and wide. Really needed rest at the end of the day. |
BCoF There are beautiful pictures in the links, your prompt is to pick one and write a poem or a story about that location. Be creative.  I shared this YouTube because it's a picture of the music Tom Curtain sings. This particular song appeals to me because it shows the specific female ability to overcome things this world can throw at them. Some one had the nerve to tell me a few years ago that Women don't run farms. This was a female who pushes the stereotype in the USA of a women knitting, sewing, wearing dresses, and saying yes sir to the man of the house. Women don't rum farms? It made me laugh. Who ran the family farm when Daniel Boone was roaming around with the Indians? When the statesmen were in Philadelphia forming and signing the Declaration of Independence. Who was running the family farm? A lot of those statesmen came from Plantations and farming communities. Someone had to build the agricultural bases that cause a country to be able to grow and expand. In this day when it takes two incomes to be able to raise the children and pay the bills. One of the two goes to work in a factory the other drives the tractors and feeds the livestock. I know women running farms today. It's a energy sucking job with a great feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day. People running a farm, ranch, plantation sleep well at the end of a day. Bills to pay, Bad weather for hay, Time to feed livestock, Getting every chore done means, standing like an unmovable rock. Have you fed a nation? Women have for generations. Garden sowing,crop harvest, and cooking meals, have you ever heard an army moves on its stomach. There use to be large farms around here. In the last 50 years they have collapsed. The land is split up and sold in small acreages of 10 to 50 acres. Now, these people,who are investing in a few acres, are buying small tractors. They raise dairy goats, sheep, pigs, a beef cow or two, hunt for the white tail deer, and they feed their families. Women are raising chickens, collecting eggs, and grinding meat to store and freezing vegetables for winter. Factories are closing but, underneath there is a movement of people that still know that agriculture is the basis for growth in any nation. Scientists, nurses, doctors, lawyers, writers all have to eat. Who will feed the people who think and develop technology? All this study of the outback shows the importance in every nation of agricultural need. Listen to the music Tom curtain sings. He can see the need of the people. He sings about the men and women who work the land and make a difference in every way. They feed the people food, knowledge, and fill lots of daily needs, with agriculture. Music always has a picture and a message. apondia#1781748 |
| 30 day: You have choices once we land in Katherine. Discuss what you discovered and enjoyed from the links.Include your fellow bloggers to help inspire interaction.  I am very interested in the history and story telling of the Jawoyan People. Jawoyan is a term that communicates jointly 17 clans of people who are united in an association to preserve and maintain their cultural heritage. The Jawoyan Association promotes economic independence and human services for the clans. The Jawoyan people own Nitmulak Park. One of the ancient stories passed to the people is how Nabilil named Nitmulak by the sound of the Cicadas he heard as he passed through the gorges. Some of us, (WakeUpAndLive, Blue Moon, Carly, Sandra Lyn, and Prosperous Snow) decided there is safety in numbers. We banded together and walked the three mile Baruwei look out and loop trails. August is one of the best months for this kind of sight seeing in the Nitmulak Park because the humidity and heat are lower at this time of the year. We backpacked lots of water and some TimTam snacks. The view from this trail of Katherine gorge and 17 mile valley are lovely. We took pictures of native birds along the way and took our time with lots of rest stops. The guides explained to watch for the signs along the way, that would keep us on the trail, so we were careful. It was fun and not too stressful. Cicadas make their sound through the use of two cymbal like appendages. One on each side of the body. Only the males sing. They have air sacs and timpani, that act like amplifiers. As they relax and contract the cymbals they can chirp 50 times a second. Reference: by April Neander on YouTube. Later in the day I went horse back riding on the Tom Curtain ranch. Tom curtain is an award winning singer. His outback songs are known for their social messages. Two of the ones I listened to were "Speak-Up" and "We Are Still Here". On the ranch you can take lessons in horseback riding and training. The ranch trains dogs and hoses with kindness methods. If you ride they will put you on a horse that is special to your riding abilities. It was one of those wonderful full days. I crammed lots of new facts about the Jawoyn people and outback ranching into my brain. Time to take a break with some Australian cuisine. So Much To Learn. |
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