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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. |
Andre the Blog Monkey's Banana Bar / Share the Love Event![Merit Badge in The Blogging Banana Bar
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For competing the full four weeks of the Non-Judgmental Blogging Event in January 2023.
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Your blogging is always welcome at [Link To Item #1985857] .](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-The_Blogging_Banana_Bar-2246010_9.gif) }  P5: Depth of WDC. What have you experienced on WDC? I have been around for a while. I've dipped my words into a lot of different places. I spent a lot of time on the Reading Challenge, writing reviews of books I read. Some are still in my portfolio. I think that is the first place I really settled into doing anything on a regular basis. The second place I fixated on at particular pace was the 30-Day Challenge, which is now on Hiatus. Through that Challenge I somehow found myself writing blogging challenges on Andre' the Blog Monkey's Banana Bar. There is not any particular time or way to figure all I have experienced in a particular rhythm. I took 3 different courses on WDC. One was about poetry since I do not have much of a background in poetry. While accomplishing the material, our teacher stopped the course about halfway through, but left me with work to finish, so I could continue to learn some of the material. The other two courses I finished. One was nonfiction writing and the other was a very informative course on reviewing on WDC. I wrote a story entry for Short Shots called "Mushrooms On the Trail" #2058309, Once in a while I remember to welcome newbies, Recently, I am writing blogs for Blog City and Blogging circle of friends, I wrote for Journalistic Intentions one month, which I really enjoyed and may do some more writing for the contest. Now I write comments in Question of the Day, stop regularly in the Newsfeed to check out what is there, and sometimes comment on entries, enter the monthly challenge in the Senior Center Forum now and then, I was blogging with "Take up Your Cross for a while, " A few years ago, there was a scavenger hunt. I was on a Wi-Fi that kept dropping me but, I did as much of the hunt as I could. It was fun and a good way to learn your way around WDC. I have email at WDC, so I sometimes get to talk with people who are acquainted with my blog. I check my notifications daily, except weekends. The last year I have not been able to get on WIFI weekends. I try to get in to check up on everything during the week and meet most writing deadlines during the week. I just checked my community recognitions and found some I did not know I had. There are 8 trophies in my trophy room, 62 collected trinkets, 99 merit badges, and 72 recognitions. I did not count the blogs on Tenacious Tidings. I've been here 14 years. One day at a time. I've learned a lot about writing here. I hope I can continue to be here for days ahead. WDC gives me an opportunity to continue to write and chat with other people. Very  .All Word Count on WDC:479 ![Merit Badge in Every Moment Matters
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| Andre the Blog Monkey's Banana Bar / Share the Love Event P7: Interesting discovery in your closet or cupboard (go look and find something) Found I found a knife when I was insulating the living room. It was inside a wall where studs rest. The handle is 4 3/4 inches long. It is made of walnut wood. The blade is fastened into the handle on a 1/4-inch slant with two copper rivets. The blade is serrated. It has a width of 1/2 inch at its' thickest place. The blade curves to a point. It is very sharp. It is 8 1/4 inches long. On the blade is a very small, (EMBLEM, EKCO STAINLESS USA, EMBLEM) writing. I checked with some family members. Noone claims it. It presently is in the silverware drawer with other odds and ends of knives, can openers etc. When the original paneling was placed in the original kitchen no knives were left in the wall. I have never had a set of knives or a single knife that matches this one. Where it came from is a mystery. How it got into the wall is another mystery. When the house was first built, the walls of the house were wood paneled. There was a kitchen in one part of the area. Later we removed the kitchen and put in a bedroom. Years later, we removed the bedroom making the whole area into one large living space. I found the knife several years ago when we started to change the house around. It is perfect for cutting insulation to fit. I'm sure it is not its original intended purpose. When it was first built the house did not have insulation in the wall where we found it. If you know someone who lost a knife out of a fancy knife set, let me know. All Word Count on WDC: 306 |
| Prompt: National Kite Flying Day -- BCoF I could not fly a kite today (well I could). Maybe some years February would be an OK time to fly a kite. Some place without snow would be better. I've heard of people flying kites out over Lake Erie. Not necessarily in February. We have a foot of snow in the field behind the house where in spring I have flown kites before. I have a really large kite I bought for the kids years ago. Once in a while, I get it out and fly it. It is the kind of kite that loves to fly. We have heavy unbreakable string especially for it, because I can put it up on a good day and fly it high enough to not be able to see it. I once invited some people I graduated with to come out and fly kites. The hay field is a perfect place because it is fairly flat, and we get a westerly wind or breeze that puts up a kite easily. It was at some monthly meeting of the class I graduated with; however, they thought kite flying was a childish endeavor. It is kind of thrilling to feel the wind pulling on the kite. To know I was able to get it up and then once it is up really high, I worry I will lose it over the forest behind the field, when I bring it down again. I also have some very small bird shaped kites I bought one year for my grandchildren. They are not as easy to get up but are fun to play with in the wind. It's a shame to grow so old you can't enjoy flying a kite. I have my own train set. I think that's why the lost boys ran away from home. They did not want to grow up. One of my sons gave me part of my train set for Christmas. I won't apologize for staying young at heart. Song Lyrics from :Mary Poppins 1964 " Let's Go Fly a Kite Up to the Highest Height, Let's Go fly a Kite and Send it Soaring, Up in the atmosphere, up where the air is clear. OH, Let's Go Fly a Kite." |
| Andre the Blog Monkey's Banana Bar / February 2023 / Share the Love Event P6: Weather disasters and what can be done to protect people and property before they happen. Weather warning system "Tornadoes and severe thunderstorms can develop quickly, so an important component of a severe weather plan is a reliable warning system. Warnings are disseminated through outdoor warning sirens, local television and radio stations, cable television systems, cell phone apps, and NOAA weather radio. Find out how all these systems work and which are available to you. Public Warning Sirens are used in many towns to warn people of tornadoes. However, rural areas and smaller towns do not have them." Quote from reference: www.weather.gov The prompt plays into the storm system, that is about to hit the rural area where I live. Lows for 6 degrees Fahrenheit are expected with wind chill factors going deep below zero degrees. We have TV stations that broadcast from Erie, Pennsylvania. They keep us up to date about current conditions. We get our TV by antenna. One station is devoted to weather. ENN is forecasting about a 6-inch accumulation of snow starting about 7 p.m. this evening and continuing into Friday, February 3,2023. Other news programs on WICU, NBC, and CBS will also have up to date weather coverage. A new warning system was discussed on a weather report I recently saw that declares we may be getting a warning system for winter storms and other types of storms related to the area soon. If it happens phone apps will have siren warnings similar to the one used for lost people or kidnapped children. We do have a siren on the rural volunteer fire department. I don't know how it works for weather or if it works for weather. I also keep an emergency radio that plays when you wind it up should we lose our electricity for any reason. The NOAA weather radio mentioned in the above quote also sounds like a good idea. High winds are one of the problems that hit our area. Because of many trees across the area, you can find downed limbs and in more rare cases downed trees on rural roads. My suggestion to anyone and everyone is to stock up with foods, blankets, water, and pet food. Insulate your home or at least one special room where you can sit out a trending storm in some comfort. If you have a cell phone, be sure you have a weather app to check before you go out. There are even home weather stations you can buy on the market today. Weather.gov has UpToDate weather personalized to your zip code, if you have Wi-Fi and computer access. Keep Warm. All words counted by WDC:457 |
For Andre the Blog Monkey's Banana Bar / February 2023 Prompt: P3. Groundhog Day and groundhogs in general (not the movie) Groundhogs, whistle pigs, and wood chucks are the same thing. "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" (One of the things my dad taught me to say when I was a child.) I didn't know there was a movie. The name whistle pig comes for the sound this animal makes by drawing air through his front teeth when there is danger. Woodchucks have short muscular legs. Their front incisors wear down by chewing. They are one of the animals that have incisors that continue to grow making chewing a necessary routine. They feed in the morning and early evening. The rest of the day they sleep or rest in the sun. They are a true hibernating animal. Their heart rate goes from a normal 100 beats per minute to 4 beats per minute during hibernation. The size of an adult keeps most predators away. The young are not so lucky. Woodchucks mate early in spring. Offspring can be 6 and above to a litter. They are raised by the female. Pennsylvania Game Commission says it is possible for more than one litter to be born in a season. This is one of the reasons there is no hunting limit on woodchucks in Pennsylvania. The only restrictions are you cannot hunt them on Sundays and during rifle deer season. Woodchucks dig holes to build dens. They can have tunnels underground and a front and back door. Often, they dig holes under buildings, which gives them shelter in winter. They prefer fields, gardens, or lawns as well as under buildings to dig their dens. Groundhog Day has become an American tradition. It was started in Pennsylvania by German farmer settlers in Pennsylvania. They celebrated Candlemas. In Germany they used badgers as their go to for information about the weather. In Pennsylvania there were no badgers, so they started this story; when the Groundhog sees its shadow on Candlemas there would be six more weeks of winter. The groundhog used presently has a special day in March for his predictions. He has a special person as his keeper in Philadelphia. The groundhog's name is Punxsutawney Phil. There is another groundhog in Massachusetts. Massachusetts made a law to make Ms. G their own special state groundhog. Ms. G lives at the Druman Farm Wildlife Sancturary in Lincoln. Massachusetts. I can tell you from experience Phil from Philidelphia is not always right with its predictions. REFERENCES: WWW.WIKIPEDIA.COM WWW.MASSAUDUBON.ORG All Word Count by WDC:429 |
| For BCoF: Prompt: In February there is everything to hope for and nothing to regret. by Patience Strong Write about hope or regret. Jeremiah 29:11/ "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord," Plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future." Hope is a feeling mixed with desire and expectation. In my life I have hope about lots of different things. Some of them pertain to the way the USA will handle politics or foreign relations. Some of them pertain to things that need done to the house to keep it livable as I age, I also hope relationships with family members remain stable as I age. Regret? I'm not sure about regret. Regret means to be disappointed over something. Unless it is something I can monetarily or momentarily fix I usually just shift regrets into the background of life. If it can't be fixed it isn't worth keeping relevant. I'm not really cold hearted about instances of regret only have to have a practical attitude about regrets. If it can be fixed, I will work toward fixing it. If you compare hope and regret; regret may be something expected, that just could not make its way into reality. Stay warm winter is still buzzing around like a fly I want to swat. |
For Blog City/ February 1.2023  How was January for you? Because my personal computer was hacked. I have to use K's computer. In January I found word pad on it and began using it as a journal to keep some blog entries and write on. Weather is always a factor for whatever I am doing in a day's time. The first two weeks were fairly calm, cloud cover was there most of the days. I prefer sunshine. The second two weeks were snowy and rainy. My birthday came and went calmly enough. The dogs are not happy because I did not take them out most days of January. If K is home, he will often interfere with my blogging efforts. Sometimes getting into WDC is just not possible so I'm erratic about getting blogs done. I blogged prompts in January for Andre' at the Banana Bar. Signed up of Blog City and the BCoF. I was happy to be able to complete Prompts and do the research without too much interference. Now I am going to see how far I can get in February. It is snowing again today. The weather has been erratic since November. It has been warm when normal would be cold and cold when normal would be warm. I can't tell if this is normal weather problems or spiritualist praying for opposites. February is the month people look for a break in winter near the end to tap trees for Maple Syrup. We will see if that happens. Stay Safe, Laughter is good for your health. |
| For BCoF: January 28 and January 30, 2023 Circulmstellar: THIS PROMPT ENCOMPASSSES JANUARY 30TH AND JANUARY 28.  Circumstellar definition: Something that surrounds or moves around a star. Earlier in the year it would have been impossible to catch a cab at this time of the evening. Since the Colony Govenors made a ruling that a platform for taxis would be built and a law that a taxi would be waiting there for passengers no matter what time of starlight was available. I was running fast, taking high leaps in the thin atmosphere and coming down 8 or 10 stride lengths instead of the normal one I would have taken if there had been more gravity. Georgia was still way ahead of me. As she hit the taxi platform a waiting car door flew open, and Georgia sailed inside. I was still too far away to hear the directions she gave as the car jumped into gear and sailed quickly away from the platform. Not to worry, another taxi slid into the empty space beside the platform, as the passenger door swung invitingly open. I leapt in and shouted, "Follow That Car." The pint-sized pink bunny turned in his seat and gave me a big, toothed grin. "Yes sir. it said." and taped the counter beside his steering wheel. "If you don't have a badge, I will have to charge extra for a follow that car command," the bunny stated as it's clawed paws gripped the wheel and made a sharp turn to follow the car ahead of us. I dug my badge out of my pocket and pushed it forward into his vision clipping one of his whiskers. "Hey! Watch it or I'll report you to the drivers union." The car lurched to the right as the bunny driver took a paw off the steering wheel and smoothed out his whiskers. "Sorry. I think we are losing the car I'm following." "Naw. We can't lose it. That's car 0040, I programed it into my navigation system. Now wherever it goes, we go with it." "I didn't know you could do that." "It's a new system. Came with the new laws for taxi's and the new platforms for entering and exiting. Kind of spiffy if you ask me." Just then the Taxi ahead of us lifted off and aimed upward toward an anchored starship. Bunny giggled. "Hope you're ready to exit quickly, looks like they are headed for the platform where Starship Magnolia is anchored. Do you have a ticket to board?" In dismay I uttered, "No. Didn't know I would need one." "It's O.K". bunny assured me. "I can sell you one just wipe your credit card across the bottom of the pay spot." As I performed the action for pay a musical note played. I plugged my ears to keep from hearing the song because it was intended to soothe the passenger into accepting whatever outrageous price the Taxi charged for the taxi ride and starship ticket. Up ahead the taxi had already lurched to a stop and Georgia had jumped across the platform into the doorway of the starship. We were not far behind. I was soon out of the taxi into the starships hold. A cute alien girl wearing the uniform of a starship greeter pushed me to the right toward a seat and slammed the door shut. "Buckle Up! We are on our way." "Do you know where the girl that entered just before me is sitting?" "She is in the viewing port. That way." She pointed down the aisle to the right. "Please stay seated until we reach our destination. This is a circumstellar flight. We will soon be revolving around Epsilon Eridani. Epsilon is located in the constellation Eridanus. The star is 10.52 light years from earth. It is the closest star visible to the naked eye and there is a dust disk around it. The planet Vulcan may be one of the planets rotating in its orbit. You have viewing googles in the arm of your chair. I will be serving refreshments shortly." I buckled into my seat. Where I found a menu of the scheduled refreshment and goggles that would protect my eyesight from any energetic sights out the port beside my seat. I settled in for the flight. Lots of time to enjoy the views and the refreshments. After all Georgia wasn't going anywhere for a while and how often do I get to follow a shop lifter into the interstellar world. THE END All word count on WDC: 743 |
| For Blog City: Have you ever locked yourself out of the house? What did it feel like? If you haven't, do you know anyone who has and what do you think could be their feelings? The last time I locked myself out it was, because the lock on the back door was turned to lock position and I did not have my keys on me. I Immediately, started to look for ways to get back in the house because no-one else with a key was going to be around for about eight hours. I found a window to the basement that was made of plexiglass. I removed the Plexiglas window by bending it inward enough to remove it from the edges of the frame. Then, it was an eight-foot drop into the basement. There was a chair near the window, so I hooked it with a rake and drew it over to the window. Still too far to enter safely and drop, so I got the large ice chest off the back porch and set it on the chair. I went through the window feet first with my back facing inward. I very carefully let myself down onto the ice chest, then onto the edge of the chair then onto the floor. I was really not too concerned except I was wondering if I was trying to tempt fate the whole time, I was inching myself in through the window. This would no longer work because the windows are all sealed into the frames now. My feeling were all," How am I going to get back in?" I have a rule about the door lock too. I always check the lock to see if it is turned to unlock position and I make myself remember the key rule. "Always carry your keys out the door with you. Even if it is just to stand on the porch and watch the dogs in the dog pen or deer in the yard. Later my daughter in law asked me why I did not call her? Alas, my phone was inside the house.  Never a dull moment. |
Andre the Blog Monkey's Banana Bar Category 4 prompt: "What is the most important social problem in society today and how would you recommend toimprove or completely fix it?" If you surf the internet, you will find twenty to thirty different social problems that are a concern to the public in the USA. Here is a short list: Terrorist attacks, animal abuse, hate speech, weapons of mass destruction, gun violence, economic inequality, affordable energy (electricity, heating fuels, Wi-Fi, telephone service), race relations, political relations, church relations, unusual weather, there are a lot more. People are being pulled apart with the number of concerns. I have to say the public has a lot of concern about many problems assailing the country. I'm not aware how many problems are working on the minds of people from countries other than the USA. I believe if I looked up problems in other countries, I would find similar concerns all over the earth. My answer to the prompt would have to be the mental health of ordinary people who may not know how to prepare or have the money to prepare for the kinds of emergencies that could strike a population at any time. Nine eleven, pandemic, unusual weather strikes, and shootings of schools and places where people gather, have made the country aware of the possibility of disaster striking anywhere at any time. There is also a deep resistance in the minds of people. They believe the authority figures would be more willing to lie than give aide. I think it is time for public assurance that they will be able to find help, if it's needed, regardless of monetary situations or other social issues. More people need to pull together or at least see that people are helping each other. Media need to stop trying to scare the public. Media seems to love to play on the superstitious part of society. The ones who were targeted in schools and not given proper education. Now they feel like slaves to their jobs. I see the movement to pay money out for student loans as one of those types of help. There is 1.75 trillion dollars owed among 48 million borrowers. It is about $412 billion more than auto loan debt. Citizens want to learn. They want their children to learn. If a disaster strikes it will be the knowledge these people learn that will help the country. Pay scales are another problem. How do you pay volunteer firemen, police who are in danger from gun fire every day, doctors and nurses who now, because of pandemic, know how difficult it is to find help and safety for patients and their own families. A congress that fights all the time seems strange to some. If you look at history, you will find that the congress is used to fighting for different ideals and ideas. It is easier for the public to know more about the congress on a daily basis, because we have updated news every moment delivered to TV, phones, computers, and tablets. I expect in any real emergency a local media would be put into place to bring news to whoever is in need. I have no idea how to tell anyone to help others. I think that's part of the problem. Who knows? All word count on WDC: 551 |
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