Standing Into Danger

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

IWSG: Wednesday, August 7, 2024 ~ Traveling

It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.

To visit the IWSG website, click here.

To become a member of the IWSG, click here.

Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are Feather Stone,

Kim Lajevardi, Diedre Knight, C. Lee McKenzie and Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen!

I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.

I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.

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Every month the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
with advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.

Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.

Remember the question is optional.

This month's featured question is:

Do you use AI in your writing and if so how? Do you use it for your posts? Incorporate it into your stories? Use it for research? Audio?

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Happy August, Everyone!

I am traveling today, so I'm skipping the question this month.

I've been in Nova Scotia, and Terry and I've had a blast!

Terry and I on the Bay of Fundy

On Mariner Cruises' Chad and Sisters Two

Out of Westport, Brier Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 26, 2024

Watching Humpback Whales

They're feeding near ledges I used in a short story about selkies for an IWSG anthology competition.

Out of Westport, Brier Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 26, 2024

We've had lots of fun family times and lots of talking, games, and hugs.

I had a special visitor who drove up from the South Shore,

my special friend and fellow IWSG Administrator, Pat Hatt.

We had a great time.

Pat Signing His Books for Me

Barb and Pat's House

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 27, 2024

Pat and I in Front of the Bear River Lighthouse

at the Smith's Cove Lighthouse Park

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 27, 2024

There is never enough time to spend with family and friends.

It's important to enjoy time together as much as you can.

Chef Taylor in His Playhouse Kitchen

At Grandpa's House

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 28 2024

Josie Visiting at Bertie and Peter's House

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 30, 2024

Telling Tales Around the Fire Pit

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 27, 2024

The Timeless Beauty of the Annapolis Basin

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 27, 2024

Roy Makes a Game-Winning Play

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 30, 2024

Gathering with Some of Our Extended Family

Donnie and Martin's Deck

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 28, 2024

Josie (dog) considers the risk of stealing some water from Scotia's (cat) glass on the table

Barb and Pat's House

Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

July 31, 2024

Wishing each of you a fun IWSG Day.

A big thank you to our awesome co-hosts today.

Have a healthy, happy, and creative August!

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be August 16th!🤞

Friday, July 19, 2024

Parting Shots

I'm taking a break from blogging for the next couple of weeks.

I will publish a post on IWSG Day, August 7th,

and then I'll return to my Friday posts on August 9th or 16th.

Meanwhile I'll leave you a few parting shots:

This beautiful fawn was standing outside my door the other morning.

Aurora, Colorado, USA

July 17, 2024

I grabbed my iPhone and snapped a few quick shots,

as the fawn and its mother slipped between my home and our neighbor's

and cautiously approached the golf course.

Mother and Child

Aurora, Colorado, USA

July 17, 2024

You Can Do It, Baby!

Aurora, Colorado, USA

July 17, 2024

Let's Go!

Aurora, Colorado, USA

July 17, 2024

You've Got This!

Aurora, Colorado, USA

July 17, 2024

The Fawn Takes off Pronking, Leaving Its Mother Behind!

Aurora, Colorado, USA

July 17, 2024

Pronking is moving with a bounce with all four feet off the ground at the same time.

Mule deer will pronk to alert a predator that it has been spotted

and to warn other deer of the danger.

In this case, the predators were golf carts and golfers on a nearby hole.

Even if I'm unable to post, I will try to visit when I can.

Enjoy these lovely summer (or winter) days!

See you soon!

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be

Wednesday, August 7th. 🤞

On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Friday, July 12, 2024

Compassion, Integrity, and Honor

In recent months I've found it difficult to watch the news.

I get discouraged and feel hopeless when I look at the state of the world,

and I feel really depressed when I look at politics in our divided country.

I wonder where are the politicians honorably serving America,

not for themselves, but for the good of our country.

And then I remember: We rarely hear about the good.

We always hear about the bad ~ ad nauseam.

In early June I was reminded that there are

many good men and women among the 535 Members of Congress,

starting with my own congressman, Representative Jason Crow.

Representative Jason Crow and Brig. Gen. Micah Fesler (Colorado Air National Guard Commander)

Buckley Space Force Base, Aurora, Colorado, USA

U.S. Space Force photo by Airman 1st Class Airman Yepez, January 23, 2023

Wikimedia

Crow has represented Colorado's 6th congressional district since 2019.

He is a lawyer and a decorated veteran who served three combat tours of duty

in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the 82nd Airborne Division and 75th Ranger Regiment.

I'm really proud of my congressman,

even though he is sometimes overshadowed

by the questionable activities of others in Congress.

Jason Crow ~ Ready to Go

from an email he sent constituents on June 17th

Also: Jason Crow

I was reminded when the western world commemorated the 80th Anniversary of D-Day.

D-Day means the day on which a military operation starts,

and there have been a great many throughout America's history.

But D-Day has become synonymous with the Allied invasion

of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944.

It was the largest seaborne invasion in history,

and it was supported with airborne operations.

Into the Jaws of Death

U.S. Troops wading through water and Nazi gunfire,” circa 1944-06-06.

Chief Photographer's Mate (CPHoM) Robert F. Sargent

Wikipedia

Captain Frank Lewis Lillyman

A 101st Airborne Division trooper, the first to jump on D-Day.

He survived!

ww2gravestone.com

I will always have a soft spot for paratroopers,

because my first husband was a "Screaming Eagle" in the 101st Airborne Division.

He was paralyzed on his way to ship out to Vietnam.

Jason Crow is not a Screaming Eagle. He is an "All American."

But I won't hold that against him. Airborne is airborne.

Jason Crow ~ Ready to Jump

from an email he sent constituents on June 17th

Also: Jason Crow

My Congressman, Jason Crow, is a great Representative

who serves my 6th Congressional District with integrity and honor.

On June 7th he and a delegation of other veterans in Congress

jumped out of a WWII-era C-47 propeller plane to commemorate

those who made the same jump behind enemy lines 80 years ago on D-Day.

The others members of Congress who jumped with him:

Representatives Mike Waltz (R-FL-06), Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-03), Mark Green (R-TN-07), Keith Self (R-TX-03), Rich McCormick (R-GA-06), Ronny Jackson (R-TX-13), Cory Mills (R-FL-07), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX-02), and Darrell Issa (R-CA-48).

Video of the Jump

YouTube

To me, Jason Crow is also a compassionate hero who proved it on January 6, 2021.

On that infamous day a mob of pro-Trump insurrectionists attacked

the U. S. Capitol Building in Washington, D. C.

in a futile attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

Crow was sitting in the gallery of the House of Representatives

when the mob breached the Capitol security.

He drew on his Ranger training to help people barricaded in the House,

comforting them and instructing them in how put on gas masks.

Crow was prepared to fight his way out.

Full Account: RollingStone

An Iconic photo of Rep. Jason Crow comforting Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pennsylvania)

House of Representatives, January 6, 2021

Credit: TOM WILLIAMS/CQ ROLL CALL/AP source

I think character is tremendously important whoever you are.

You don't need to be a decorated veteran or to serve in Congress.

We all have the ability to develop characteristics like compassion, integrity, and honor.

For an inspiring book on character, I highly recommend

The Road to Character by David Brooks.

I'm linking to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date, Tom's Aloha Friday, Gillena's Lunch Break. and Nicole's Friday Face Off.

For Rain: Bench ~ Moorea

Musicians on a Bench ~ Motu Fareone

Moorea, French Polynesia

October 22, 2023

For Tom: Aloha ~ Honor

Honor Guard

Waikiki, Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawai'i

March 13, 2016

For Gillena: Compassion ~ Haiku

Source

For Nicole: Integrity ~ Canadian Hero Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope:

Terrance Stanley Fox (July 28, 1958 – June 28, 1981)

He was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research activist

who had a leg amputated due to cancer.

In 1980 he set off on an east-to-west run across Canada

to raise money and awareness for cancer research.

He was forced to stop on day 143 after running 3,339 miles/5,373 kilometers.

He was the youngest person to be named a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Cancer claimed him on June 28, 1981. Wikipedia

Marathon of Hope

The Royal British Columbia Museum

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

September 30, 2017

Terry Fox ~ Integrity

The Royal British Columbia Museum

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

September 30, 2017

My Sister, Donnie, by the Terry Fox Memorial

Donnie is one of the most giving, compassionate, and brave people I know,

and she, too, is dealing with cancer.

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

September 25, 2016

I'm sorry that I've been slow getting around.

I've been trying to set boundaries and get on top of my schedule.

I don't believe it's too late for an older dog to learn new tricks.

I Don't Believe it!

Have a great weekend!

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be

Friday, July 19th. 🤞

On the Bay of Fundy
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved

Friday, July 5, 2024

Summer Along Piney Creek

Summer in Colorado is glorious, but then every season is.
My favorite season here is typically the one I'm in,

and right now summer is in full bloom, so favorite it is!

"My" Upper Pond Along Piney Creek

Aurora, Colorado USA

June 29, 2024

Things have eased enough that on Saturday I took a walk along Piney Creek.

I can't remember the last time I did that, probably just before we cruised the South Pacific.

What a difference eight months can make!

The last time I strolled along my beloved creek,

I was having trouble walking and seeing.

Now I'm back to my old self.

Well, I still have to build up my muscles again in the gym,

but I'm working on it.

Saturday was lovely with puffy clouds in a vibrant blue sky,

the deep blue sky that occurs at 6,000 feet in our arid climate.

June 29, 2024

My only concern was that some of the cottonwood trees are getting really huge,

and they're lurking over the path, hulking with danger.

Some have fallen in recent years, and one fell over the path into the park last year.

Its jutting limbs have been trimmed back,

but its massive trunk lies half hidden in the grass as a warning.

June 29, 2024

This cottonwood tree is one of my favorites, and it worries me the most.

Its enormous trunk leans toward the path,

and its weighty limbs hang above me as I scamper to safety.

It is easily as wide as it is tall.

I still can't resist a quick look inside the cavity marking the spot of a lost limb.

In the past it has housed birds or squirrels, but it is empty this year.

June 29, 2024

The trees following Piney Creek are plains cottonwoods (Populus deltoides monilifera),

a subspecies of the Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides).

They are native to Colorado in elevations between 3,500 and 6,500 feet.

I missed cottonwood sex in the park this year.

The trees are dioecious, bearing male and female catkins on separate trees.

The reddish-purple male catkins release pollen into the wind

which carries it to the light green flowers of the female catkins.

This occurs before the cottonwood leaves open so the pollen can spread unhindered.

Showy Male Catkins

Along Piney Creek

April 30, 2022

Opening Female Catkins

Along Piney Creek

April 30, 2022

After pollination the female catkins develop small green capsules

that burst open and release cottony seeds far and wide.

A single female tree can disperse tens of millions of seeds,

a seed event that can look like snow flurries in the wind

and cause cottony drifts scattered on the ground.

Bursting Capsules

Along Piney Creek

June 29, 2024

Cottonwood Seeds Waiting to Fly

Along Piney Creek

June 29, 2024

Cottonwood Seeds Floating in the Air

Along Piney Creek

June 25, 2018

Drifting Cottonwood Seeds

Along Piney Creek

June 25, 2018

Over the years I have been watching the milkweed plants expand their territory.

This is a good thing, because milkweed a vital resource

for migrating monarch butterflies and many other insects.

Blossoming Milkweed

June 29, 2024

I reached my turnaround point, the upper pond in our stretch of Piney Creek.

I've walked to this spot hundreds of times over the years, and I never tire of seeing it.

Serene Beauty

June 29, 2024

As summer progresses all the lush greenery will age and brown.

The scenery is ever-changing, but remains captivating.

Flourishing Grasses

June 29, 2024

Lush and Vibrant

June 29, 2024

I'm so grateful that I can walk much better and see clearly again.

I will make the most of this new lease on life.

Almost Home, a Half Mile to Go

June 29, 2024

I'm linking to Rain's Thursday Art and Dinner Date, Tom's Aloha Friday, Gillena's Lunch Break. and Nicole's Friday Face Off.

For Rain: Herbs ~

Roll'd, a Vietnamese restaurant in St. Leonards Forum Plaza,

serves great food like this soup.

Roll'd was a lifesaver when Terry and I had white pneumonia.

It's located in St. Leonards, a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, Australia.

Food for the Soul

Roll'd, the Forum Plaza

November 6, 2023

For Tom: Aloha ~ I just want you to know, Tom,

that your Aloha theme has me very homesick for Waikiki!

Beautiful Kūhiō Beach Park

Waikīkī, Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA

February 24, 2024

For Gillena: Family ~ I don't have a beautiful granddaughter like you,

but I have many wonderful nieces and nephews.

This is my niece Natalie who has overcome more obstacles than anyone I know.

Here she is getting her doctorate! A veterinarian!

She proves that grit and determination can overcome anything!

Have a great weekend!

OOPS! If you read this and saw baby pictures from last week's post,

then you know I forgot to do my final edit,

and you know I write new posts by using the previous post as a template.

And I forgot a face for Nicole. I'm just going to let it go.

It was a lovely July 4th for Terry and me. What can I say?

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com

My next post will be

Friday, July, 12th 🤞

Books Read in 2024

"5 Languages of Love: The Secret to Love That Lasts" by Gary Chapman
"At Home in the World" by Joyce Maynard
"Cockroaches" by Jo Nesbo
"Death's End" by Cixin Liu
"Eruption" by Michael Crichton and James Patterson
"In Darkness" by L. Diane Wolfe
"In My Time of Dying" by Sebastian Junger
"Nothing to Fear" by Julie McFadden, RN
"The Bat" by Jo Nesbo
"The Dark Forest" by Cixin Liu
"The Frozen River" by Ariel Lawhon
"The Last to Vanish" by Megan Miranda
"The Montauk Monster" by Hunter Shea
"The Road to Character" by David Brooks
"The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller
"The Twist of a Knife" by Anthony Horowitz
"The Uninhabital Earth: Life After Warming" by David Wallace-Wells
"The Women" by Kristin Hannah
"Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens
"Writing the Shadow" by Joanna Penn

Pages

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

IWSG: Wednesday, August 7, 2024 ~ Traveling

Friday, July 19, 2024

Parting Shots

Friday, July 12, 2024

Compassion, Integrity, and Honor

Friday, July 5, 2024

Summer Along Piney Creek