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 Life, Adventure, Family, Writing what else is there? Random thoughts. |
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WELCOME TO: GEMINI RISING   UPDATED INTRO 30 JUNE 2025: Just a little about me. I've been married for 33 years this past NOV and currently live in Southern California, but I grew up in New Hampshire. I've got 2 boys who are young adults. I work as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I enjoy my job a lot. Still. If you can believe that. I love to write. Thankfully both of my boys achieved Eagle Scout. My Scouting days are over and I'm back to focusing on my writing. I like to get out in nature, drink coffee and watch football. Here's a little bio about my zodiac. GEMINI: Gemini, the sign of the Twins, is dual-natured, elusive, complex and contradictory. On the one hand it produces the virtue of versatility, and on the other the vices of two-facedness and flightiness. The sign is linked with Mercury, the planet of childhood and youth, and its subjects tend to have the graces and faults of the young. When they are good, they are very attractive; when they are bad they are more the worse for being the charmers they are. Like children they are lively, and happy, if circumstances are right for them, or egocentric, imaginative and restless. Their good qualities are attractive and come easily to them. They are affectionate, courteous, kind, generous, and thoughtful towards the poor and suffering - provided none of the activities resulting from expressing these traits interferes too greatly with their own lives and comforts. Geminians can be successful in many walks of life though their general characteristics tend to make them unreliable. They are often skilled manipulators of language, in speech and writing, and may be: debaters, diplomats (though in politics they are more interested in theory than practice), orators, preachers (brilliant rather than profound), teachers, authors, poets, journalists, or lawyers. CURRENT BLOG PROJECT:
RULES: 1. Blog has to be more than 2 paragraphs, some people have tried putting a one-liner response. That won't cut it. 2.You need to respond at least once every week to other participant's blog posts. This is a 7 week activity= 7 blog responses within each of the weeks. It's fun getting to see what others noted that you might have missed or hadn't thought about. 3. You don't need to blog everyday, catch-ups are allowed if you want to go for the bigger prize award. But each entry must be a separate entry. So, if you do all 51, you'll have 51 entries. 4. Please tag me Lyn's a Witchy Woman   in your entry so I can keep track of your entries for the prizes.5. Posting in a book is preferred to keep the forum from being clogged. You can use any book you want. ALONG FOR THE RIDE: HOST: Lyn's a Witchy Woman Princess Megan Rose  and her wolf, PeytonSung'manitu   and his pet rock, Peachy AmyJo-Moving day's soon here  SandraLynn  AmyJo-Moving day's soon here WakeUpAndLive  and her dog SproutKrista  Jellyfish RECOGNIZATION: 10-24 Entries, MB plus 10K Awardicon 25-50 Entries, MB plus 25K Awardicon 51 Entries MB plus 50K Awardicon Merit Badges Collected from Virtual Blogging &Virtual Blogging Friends: ![Merit Badge in Let Dreams Take Wing
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To my upcoming virtual traveling blog companion. Dream big and fly high!](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Let_Dreams_Take_Wing-2335469_1.gif) ![Merit Badge in Normal Is Boring
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here's to another week of creating adventures!](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/Kudos-Normal_Is_Boring.gif) ![Merit Badge in Blog Camping
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Thanks for completing [Link To User elusive4lyn] July 2025 blogging vacation!! Great job!!](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Blog_Camping-1788309_13.gif) ![Merit Badge in Travel
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Woohoo! We’re halfway through!](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Travel-1975.gif) BLOG ACCOMPLISHMENTS: SEPTEMBER 2024: I participated in the
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Congrats on your Honorable Mention in Blog Week Birthday Bastion 2024](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/type-Nonfiction.gif) Big thanks to WakeUpAndLive for hosting the contest! OCTOBER 2024: I participated in the
![Merit Badge in Halloween
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Congratulations on completing the 13 Poetic Days of Halloween.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Halloween-2026567.gif) Big Thanks to Lyn's a Witchy Woman for hosting the contest!Find me at: WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor GOOD READS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart YOU TUBE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee  WARNING I intend to be open, honest, and forthright. No topic is off limits from religion to you name it, I'm going there. If you think you might be offended...back up now - this blog isn't for you. For those who "dare"  check out the "Gemini Rising..." 
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| I was so excited to go to New Hampshire today because I was born and raised here. I sat next to SandraLynn and directing her along the local roads like I was still a native! I still am in my heart and when I retire, we’ll be moving back to New Hampshire. I asked SandraLynn to stop my Londonderry and we picked up my sister, Christine for the day. We took the 16 north through Ossipee, Conway and on the way to Mt. Washington. Mt. Washington is the tallest mountain in New Hampshire and holds the record for wind speed. The best way to get up to the top is the Cog Railway. Mind you, I’ve never ridden it, but it’s on the list for the fam to do when we go back. The Cog is a steep railroad and the engine pushes the train because it’s easy. Right now in summer, the trees are deep green and the air is so crisp! Princess Megan Rose Lyn's a Witchy Woman enjoy the summit up. SandraLynn and Jellyfish keeps their eyes closed as the train chugs up the mountain. On the way down, Sung'manitu and WakeUpAndLive say it’s like riding down a roller coaster. After our Mt. Washington adventure, I tell SandraLynn to take the Kanc. The Kanc is short for The Kancamagus Highway, the highway that connects Conway to Lincoln. It takes you through the White Mountains with great views. AmyJo-Moving day's soon here and Krista oh and ah at the forests and mountains. Princess Megan Rose spots a moose or two. WakeUpAndLive spies a few bald eagles. We take a detour and stop by Bretton Woods. It’s a very famous hotel that was constructed in the early 1900’s and many important meetings have been held there. We all ride the gondolas over the area and get another perspective of the White Mountains and the woods that surround the area. Krista took lots of pictures for her Instagram. This is a great area for skiing in the winter time. It’s great having some time with my sis. We eat lunch at Bretton Woods and then head over to Franconia Notch. The “Old Man of the Mountain” was there before it fell in 2003. The profile was that of an Old Man and it truly was representative of us New Hampshirites. While at the Notch we went kayaking down the Pemigewasset river. We took our time, laughing and giggling. Sung'manitu splashed water onto Lyn's a Witchy Woman who spied several fresh water fishes in the clear water. We ended the day Glamping next to the river. WakeUpAndLive shared her coffee and Krista and AmyJo-Moving day's soon here made smores for everyone. Being home, even just for the day, and seeing new places has invigorated my soul. |
| The Party Bus was in great shape for the Extraterrestrial Highway and the 92 mile drive. SandraLynn made sure we gas’d up before starting. Let me tell you – it’s a bit sandy and windy driving the highway. Lyn's a Witchy Woman was hoping to see some aliens and played episodes of X-files on a loop for us. Jellyfish thought Mulder was cute. I was just hoping to see a flying saucer. We stopped by the Black Mailbox and AmyJo-Moving day's soon here , Krista Me, and WakeUpAndLive left a hand written note for the aliens. We stopped by the Little A'Le"Inn for lunch. SandraLynn was hungry and a little parched. Everyone who could tried the Alien burger. SandraLynn brought out her 64 oz Big Gulp she got at the 7-11 when we gas’d up and had the server put lemonade in it. Jellyfish went for the Garden Salad. For dessert, we pigged out on the homemade pies. WakeUpAndLive and Sung'manitu tried the rhubarb pie. Me and Lyn's a Witchy Woman tried the Alien Pie. Princess Megan Rose , Krista , and AmyJo-Moving day's soon here kept it safe and went with the apple pie. They had a great giftshop and Krista got a bumper sticker that said, “I Believe.”When we were done, we went to Vegas and shopped until we dropped at the pedestrian mall on Fremont Street. Princess Megan Rose and I found the Kate Spade store and ran out of the money buying purses. Lyn's a Witchy Woman took Sung'manitu and WakeUpAndLive over to the Pawn Stars store after we were done shopping and they all met ChumLee. We had a couple people who were interested in quilting so Lyn's a Witchy Woman took us to Sew Yeah Quilting. They host week long quilting clinics. Princess Megan Rose , WakeUpAndLive , and SandraLynn were interested in one of their clinics, took their information and bought some quilting stuff. After a long day, we all took a shower to get the dirt, dust, and alien sand off of us and our clothes and relaxed down in the hotel/casino lobby watching re-runs of the X-files and drinking WakeUpAndLive coffee before going to bed. A Personal note - I love visiting Nevada and going to Vegas for my bowling league. Mind you, I've only been in the Vegas area, but it's like a hidden gem and you can always find something to do. I'd love to go see the bowling hall of fame in Reno. Maybe one day... |
| Let’s just say there’s plenty of highway in Nebraska. And prairies, and wide open spaces. We were on the way to see the Archway Monument Museum which was a museum over Highway 80. SandraLynn was concerned there wouldn’t be enough parking for the Party Bus as we drove up to the Archway Museum, but there were was plenty! She skidded right up to a big fat RV. Poor AmyJo-Moving day's soon here was biting her nails, but I had faith. Lyn's a Witchy Woman was excited. Clearly this wasn’t your traditional museum. The museum covered the history of how the west was settled, talking about the Oregon Trail and then it had a really cool railroad display. Trains is something that always fascinated me. Jellyfish enjoyed the railroad display, too. There was a classic car and a roadside café. Sung'manitu was getting hungry. WakeUpAndLive and AmyJo-Moving day's soon here bought a bunch of puzzles at the gift shop. After our stop, SandraLynn drove the Party Bus to the Classic Car Museum in Kearney, Nebraska. They had quite a collection of cars from the 1920s on up. Personally, I liked the fast cars and the Mustangs. Princess Megan Rose likes Mustangs too. Toward the end of the day, we went to see the Sandhill Cranes. Krista just loved hanging out with the Cranes and took a lot of pictures for her Instagram. We all marveled at the Cranes and it was good to get out in nature and stretch the legs. Me, Lyn's a Witchy Woman and Princess Megan Rose had a bird count competition going on but I suck at counting birds. Princess Megan Rose won. Sung'manitu found some great places to eat in Kearney and we went to the Suwannee Thai place. I love medium hot peanut dishes and Suwanee had some great menu choices. They had great vegan options for Jellyfish . Me, Lyn's a Witchy Woman , SandraLynn and Princess Megan Rose tore up some Crispy Chicken. WakeUpAndLive enjoyed a hot cup of tea with some Thai veggies and noted that Nebraska was a pretty laid back state. We all agreed. After a wonderful dinner – and who would have thunk it – Nebraska had the BEST Thai food we ever had – we settled down for a good night’s sleep before our next adventure. |
| SandraLynn said the Party Bus needed an oil change and tune up so we took the bus to a Jiffy Lube in Kalispell. Sung'manitu said he had a friend at the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and made a phone call. Soon, Millie came by and picked us up in a Ford 10 passenger van and took us to see the reservation on the way to Glacier National park. Princess Megan Rose and I loved all the handmade items – from ponchos to purses. It took a while to decide which ones we wanted. Lyn's a Witchy Woman , SandraLynn and WakeUpAndLive bought some jewelry.After our visit with Millie’s family - they served us Elk Soup for lunch – we were off to the Park. SandraLynn appreciated the break as Millie drove. She showed us an old hotel that had a Swiss theme called the “Many Glacier Hotel.” She parked the bus and we took an easy hike around the area. This was nature at it’s purest! The air was cool and crisp. The sunlight was vibrant. The pines and cedars scent the air. The water in the lakes was so clear you could see the reflection of the mountains. We saw all kinds of animals to include moose, elk, and bears. Krista took lots of pictures for her Instagram. Afterwards, Mille took us to the giftshop at the hotel. WakeUpAndLive , Jellyfish and AmyJo-Moving day's soon here got some really cool postcards and posters. As the sun set low in the sky, Millie took us back to Kalispell and we picked up the Party Bus. Everyone thanked Millie for sharing so much with us. Then SandraLynn took us to the cabin we rented. This was a MEGA luxurious cabin. It had 8 different bedrooms, plenty of bathrooms, a big flat screen TV and a jacuzzi in the back. I made fatijias for dinner and prepared a veggie faitija for Jellyfish Princess Megan Rose made the beans, and AmyJo-Moving day's soon here made the rice. Lyn's a Witchy Woman made the strawberry margaritas. After dinner, Sung'manitu , Jellyfish , Princess Megan Rose and WakeUpAndLive played a card game called Spades. Me, Lyn's a Witchy Woman , SandraLynn , Krista , hung out in the jacuzzi for a bit, and when we were done, we made hot tea for everyone. Once the moon came out, we all retired to our beds and slept like rocks until the morning and our next adventure called. |
| The Party bus cruised up to GEHA Field and SandraLynn wanted to drive the Party Bus onto the field. Lyn's a Witchy Woman gently reminded her that a football field wasn’t quite the same as the Brickyard 400. After parking the Party Bus, we got a tour of the stadium. I’ve been to college football stadiums – the Rose Bowl and the USC Coliseum, but never a pro football stadium. Just so happens the Chiefs were there taking in a practice. Krista was hoping to find Travis Kelce, but truth be told, Kelce, does nothing for me. I’m a Harrison Butker fan! Who is Harrison Butker? He’s the kicker! I LOVE  kickers. I have Vinteri and Gostkowski jerseys. My next kicker jersey? Dicker the Kicker! (LA Chargers) Justin Tucker has the longest field goal at 66 yards, but I heard he just got in trouble. Sung'manitu said he played football in high school. Our tour guide, Tom, took us to the field to watch the players practiced. All the players were very nice. Lyn's a Witchy Woman talked to Andy Reid and flagged down Harrison Butker who autographed my jersey. AmyJo-Moving day's soon here took a picture of Krista and Travis Kelce for her Instagram.  Me and Andy at a USC Football game After the tour, we went to the Museum of Toys and Miniatures. There were a lot of dollhouses. Princess Megan Rose the Victorian dollhouses. WakeUpAndLive liked the Mardi Gras dolls and masks. She said it gave her a great idea for a short story. After the dollhouse, we got on a mini bus and visited some out of the way places to eat and drink. The driver took us to a place called Pigwich! Poor Jellyfish – there was nothing Vegan there. Sung'manitu and WakeUpAndLive took Jellyfish to the Blue Nile Café because they had vegan dishes there. SandraLynn Lyn's a Witchy Woman , Princess Megan Rose and I screwed up our courage and tried some whiskey from J. Rieger and it pretty much made us pretty giggly. In fact, we giggled all the way back to the Party Bus. Sleep caught up with us and we all pretty much went down for the count after such a busy day. It’s a good thing the back of the party bus has just enough space for small beds for all of us to crash. |
| The Party Bus pulled into the Gulf Coast Gator Ranch early in the morning. Lyn's a Witchy Woman thought it would be a good idea to check out gators while we were in Mississippi and WakeUpAndLive Sung'manitu and Jellyfish wanted to see what all the hype was since they didn’t have gators were they lived. Our tour guides, Susie and Tim, were very friendly. They took us inside the Gator Ranch and started showing us the alligators. One of the gators snapped at Princess Megan Rose so she bought a "just in case" stick. Susie and Tim let us pet the baby gators. Their skin is kinda rugged and slimly. I took a picture of Krista petting one for her Instagram. After we got done hanging with the gators, Susie and Sal took us for an airboat ride! What fun. The party crew was able to fit in a big fat airboat. There was a huge fan in the back that pushed the boat. Sal let me drive the boat for a bit. I slowed down enough to let Sung'manitu and WakeUpAndLive feed the gators. For dinner, we went to Nana’s Seafood, but Jellyfish had a vegan stash on the Party Bus that Sung'manitu gave her. Princess Megan Rose tried the catfish. After dinner we went on the haunted Bayou Cruise. The boat was a pontoon boat which had just enough seats for the guides and the Party Crew. Lyn's a Witchy Woman channeled her inner witch and saw several old souls lingering in the mist. AmyJo-Moving day's soon here tried to feed the alligators, but couldn’t find any. The humidity was a killer! My curly hair frizzed right out. Krista said she could feel the sweat run down her back. Everyone complained. When the sun set, the guides took us back to the dock. The knats were really annoying and the old ghostly souls couldn’t even chase them off. After the ride, our guides feed us smores, plied us with tequila sunset. They apologized for the humidity as well as the knats. All was forgiven – especially after the tequila sunsets. The Party Crew did the pub crawl we learned in Minnesota and made it back to the Party Bus where we passed out quickly. I think our snoring kept the old ghostly bayou souls up though. I think I saw one of them knocking on the windows trying to get us to wake up and stop. |
| SandraLynn wanted to drive the Party Bus through the Wabasha Street caves, but the caves weren’t big enough. We unloaded off the bus in the parking lot and took the “gangster” tour of St. Paul. Who knew St. Paul was a hub for gangsters? John Dillinger, Alvin “Creepy” Karpis and Babyface Nelson used St. Paul. They lived in local houses which are still standing to this day. A popular place they would go would be caves. The Wabash caves are cool. They used to be a mine, then was made into a speakeasy, then a swing bar, and a gangster hangout. I think I found a money clip that John Dillinger used in one of the bullet holes down there. Princess Megan Rose thought she saw a ghost. What we didn’t know was that it was swing night. The band filtered in and started to play. Before you know it, the swing floor was full of customers. The new owner bought a round of drinks for the guests. WakeUpAndLive and Sung'manitu swung to the music. When the hour was over, we decided to do a 3 hour pub crawl through St. Paul. Lyn's a Witchy Woman found all the good shops – not just bars. Me and Princess Megan Rose got another Kate Spade purse. Krista took lots of pictures for her Instagram. AmyJo-Moving day's soon here found a place that sold a fat tire bike – a bike made specifically for snow. She wanted to come back ride one in the winter. After our pub crawl, we managed to crawl back to the Party Bus and pass out, exhausted. |
| Welp, SandraLynn wanted to drive the Party Bus right up the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, but thankfully Lyn's a Witchy Woman explained that the bus tires would get stuck in the sand. After some gentle persuasion, she parked in the parking lot and we were off to climb the sand dunes. Let me tell you, these dunes seemed to go forever. We were all huffing and puffing as we reached the top, but we stopped quite often to drink water and catch our breath. The view was reward! Lake Michigan was gorgeous! The water was incredibly blue. Krista took pictures for her Instagram. WakeUpAndLive bought postcards from the visitor’s center. Sung'manitu wanted to go fishing so he took AmyJo-Moving day's soon here to go fish. We all decided to go back and set up camp. Honestly, there wasn’t much to set up. We were glamping! Luxury camping! Kinda nice after staying in a Boy Scout camp. Lyn's a Witchy Woman went down to the camp store with Jellyfish to buy stuff for smores and I fired up the camp stove. Sung'manitu returned with 2 fish and I cooked it. As the sun set, we all sat around the campfire and made smores. WakeUpAndLive , Sung'manitu AmyJo-Moving day's soon here and SandraLynn were exhausted and passed out cold in their fancy tents. A little bit later I went down to the lake shore with Lyn's a Witchy Woman Princess Megan Rose , Krista , Jellyfish and just hung out, listened to the sound of the waves, skipped a rock or two and just enjoyed the company. There’s more to Michigan than just Detroit! |
| Ah, Massachusetts! The Spirt of America! I’ve been there many times when I was growing up and even going back to show my own family. There’s so much to see and do! And the Party Bus had a day to pack it in! Let me tell you, SandraLynn fit right in driving the Party Bus like a crazy Boston driver through all the rotaries. We started the day out with pastries from Mike’s pastries. Nothing like a sugar bomb packed cannoli to get the day started. Me, Krista ,AmyJo-Moving day's soon here ,and Princess Megan Rose indulged and were wired for hours. Then we walked the Freedom Trail. There are many historical sites dating back to Revolutionary times. WakeUpAndLive and Sung'manitu spent their time lingering on the USS Constitution. We walked past Faneuil Hall, a meeting place during the revolution, but now it’s a shopping place with several restaurants. We passed Paul Revere’s house which has retained it’s classic colonial façade. WakeUpAndLive takes more pictures than Krista does! The Red Sox game starts at 4 tonight. Fenway Park is the oldest baseball park in major league baseball. My first time there, I was in middle school and I won an opportunity to tour the park through one of the giveaways at the local Stop and Shop stores. It has changed since then – gotten a heavy facelift, and yet still retains its iconic structure. There’s Pesky’s pole, and the Green Monster where seats are $50.00 each to sit in, though you have to bid for them in a lottery. Fenway was built in the outskirts of Boston at the time, in a swampy like area, but since, the city of Boston has grown around it. SandraLynn gets some peanuts for the game. Everyone gets a Fenway Frank except Jellyfish . Our heroes, the Red Sox, are dialed in. Come the 8th inning, the whole stadium pauses to sing “Sweet Caroline.” A lump forms in my throat as I appreciate the opportunity to watch the game surrounded by friends. The Red Sox are MY FAVORITE baseball team, even here in LA, they are #1 to me. Here's a story I wrote inspired by their 2004 World Series win:
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| Well, SandraLynn got a little lost trying to find the place where we rent the kayaks to go see the horses so WakeUpAndLive pulled out her trusty GPS app and we drove right up to it, running over a kayak or two. The Kayak guys, Joe and Gus, were surprised to see the Party Bus and all it’s NASCAR decorations, but after we paid them, (for the broken kayaks as well) we were good. We went down to the beach, and hoped in 2 person kayaks out to Asseteague island to see the ponies. Me and Princess Megan Rose were in a kayak. We kinda took our time paddling because there was always something to see! Dolphins, seals, eagles looking for fish. Lyn's a Witchy Woman who was with WakeUpAndLive kept nagging us to catch up. As we approached the beach we saw the ponies. They were somewhat smaller than horses with a mix of white and brown spottings. Krista snapped up a bunch for her Instagram. She was in the kayak with AmyJo-Moving day's soon here . Sung'manitu was kayaking with Jellyfish He takes good care of her and always finds her vegan options for dinner.After all that adventure, we went to the Trimper Amusement park. I rode the carousel and had a blast. SandraLynn won a stuffed pencil at one of the games and Princess Megan Rose won a stuffed wolf. WakeUpAndLive bought some cotton candy and shared with AmyJo-Moving day's soon here After the amusement park, Lyn's a Witchy Woman took us to Edgar Allen’s Poe’s grave. I took her quiz “cold” and didn’t search for any of the answers and got 7 out of 15. Personally, I thought I did better than that, but oh well. It was sunset when we went. The air got chilly and a couple of ravens flew past the graveyard. Krista was creeped out. After a moment of silence, we moved on. As we shuffled out of the cemetery and made our way to the Party Bus, a raven croaked, “Nevermore!” |
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