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Altaira
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Fri, 4:11pm
Post #1 of 32
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It's time for Fiesta Friday! Come join us!
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Greetings, and welcome to our Fiesta Friday celebration!
Big thanks to dernwyn & gramma who tended the bar over the last two weeks. B.G. and I were on a family cruise to the beautiful state of Alaska, where it's *much* cooler. A highlight was getting out and hiking in some of the Alaskan rainforest (where we saw a porcupine munching the top of a small tree), and having an amazing, sunny day for our cruise-by of Hubbard Glacier. The ship sails into the small ice field as far as it can, then stops and turns 360 degrees several times so everyone can get a perfect view. We didn't see any critters on the ice flows this time, but in the past we've seen a seal and a bald eagle (not together), resting on them. I'll post some piccies once we get them sorted.
How has your week been? Anything exciting going on this weekend? We brought back lots of yummy seafood from Alaska for the buffet (king crab, mussels, salmon), and there's a selection of Alaskan beers on tap. No vineyards in Alaska though, lol, so Dorwinion it is!
*puts quarters on juke box* play us some hot weather tunes, and have a fantastic weekend!  
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dernwyn
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Fri, 4:25pm
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One of my favs, thank you, Altaira! This is the perfect time of year for an excellent cruise like that.
We had a seniors' day trip this past week, over to Newport, R.I. (1 1/2 hours away) for a pleasant boat tour out amongst the boats and islands, with an excellent guide. Some America's Cup sailboats were in port. An interesting trivia: we passed by a HUGE luxury yacht, which we were told belongs to an owner of Manchester United.
I'm off to visit friends shortly, I've made a zucchini bread for them. Here's a tune our tour guide played on the bus heading out, when it was steady rain that was predicted to end (and did) by the time the boat would head out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VyA2f6hGW4
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"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Altaira
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Fri, 4:46pm
Post #3 of 32
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The boat tour sounds lovely, and how nice of the rain to stop just in time. Both of our Alaska hikes were in light drizzle, but that's why they're called rain forests. I bought a poncho on the trip that kept me nice and dry, so I didn't mind the drizzle at all (just like the song you posted  ).
May you have a fun visit with your friends, and a fabulous weekend!
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dernwyn
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Fri, 5:25pm
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Heh, we did purchase some overpriced cookies from a small shack manned by college students trying to earn some funds.
I'll add these chocolate chip cookies and molasses cookies to the buffet.
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"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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dernwyn
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Fri, 5:28pm
Post #6 of 32
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Light drizzles are fine for hiking in!
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Downpours would be another thing...but drizzle in a rain forest just seems perfect.
Thank you, may you have a fun weekend too!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Altaira
Superuser
Fri, 5:30pm
Post #7 of 32
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Another good one.
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Annael
Elvenhome
Fri, 5:55pm
Post #8 of 32
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we're still managing to stay cooler than the rest of the continguous US, but are slowly warming up a bit and breaking into the 80s next week. I'm catsitting for a neighbor, which means a nice walk twice a day to spend a little time with elderly Cleo. Otherwise going through all the materials from my recent research trip to Maine. I'm fascinated by the big schism in the town where the current (then) Congregational minister embraced universalism and also made it clear that he was not going to sit in judgment on his parishioners for every perceived lapse, which offended enough people that the congregation split in two in 1816 to form the new "Trinitarian Congregational" church while the old one became the "Congregational Unitarian" church. Both are still there. The minister in question was also the first to see and sound the alarm when the British sailed up and occupied the town.
Not much planned besides a walk in the woods Sunday--when it's hot, we have several options for deep-woods hiking. The one we're going on this weekend also crosses or goes along creeks (and is very popular with dog owners).
In anticipation of the thermometer climbing to 79F today, I'll take a chocolate shake with a squirt of raspberry syrup please (the local drive-in offers this and they're nummy!).
I am a dreamer of words, of written words.
-- Gaston Bachelard
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NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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Altaira
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Fri, 6:20pm
Post #9 of 32
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Deep woods hiking sounds marvelous!
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Having just done some myself. 
On two of the hikes I've done in Alaska, we've had escorts with rifles, 'just in case' (both of whom were nice young men who've never had to use their weapon on a bear - though one did look off the trail and cock the rifle at one point, I suspect mostly to impress the young girls in the group who were like his groupies.  ). Hopefully, there's nothing more dangerous in your woods than an errant porcupine or two, and the bears (if any) will keep their distance.
Enjoy continued digging into the family history too! Something I must get back into.
(This post was edited by Altaira on Fri, 6:21pm)
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cats16
Gondolin
Fri, 8:24pm
Post #10 of 32
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I've heard great things about Alaskan cruises.
We've had a bit of a warm up here this week, but thankfully it's slowly cooling off as of today. It's somehow already been 6 months since the LA fires, so there's been a lot of "where do things stand?" now stories. There's a woman in Altadena who is hoping to have her home rebuilt by Christmas - she seems to be the one there who is the most likely to rebuild first, so I'm sure folks are looking to her as a kind of beacon of hope for things to come.
Tomorrow we're grabbing dinner followed karaoke with some cousins and their significant others, so I'm trying to preserve my voice ahead of time. I don't know what my karaoke song will be this time - hopefully I can find something I like in the big book of songs.
Wishing everyone a happy weekend!
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
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Altaira
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Fri, 8:51pm
Post #11 of 32
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On our last family cruise, my sister-in-law bought us 2 hrs of karaoke in a private room. I was so hoarse even the prosecco didn't help. 
I'm sure you'll find a good song or three. Once everyone gets started I find everyone suddenly gets inspired and remembers songs by the same artists they like, etc. If you want to surprise everyone, throw in a Bohemian Rhapsody sing-along! However, you'll need lots of prosecco for that, and you'll be *very* hoarse (not that I would know). 
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sevilodorf
Dor-Lomin
Fri, 9:01pm
Post #12 of 32
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Niece was Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof so attended last night with granddaughter so tunes drifting through all day.
While local talent tried they just didn't have the chops to carry out the bottle dance.
That Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) was Perchek in the film version still blows my mind a bit. Though Hugh Jackman was a PE teacher....
Fourth Age Adventures at the Inn of the Burping Troll http://burpingtroll.com
Home of TheOneRing.net Best FanFic stories of 2005 and 2006 "The Last Grey Ship" and "Ashes, East Wind, Hope That Rises" by Erin Rua
(Found in Mathoms, LOTR Tales Untold)
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Greenwood Hobbit
Doriath
Fri, 9:02pm
Post #13 of 32
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Sounds like you had a great time! I know someone out there, in Eagle River. She was with the Peace Corps in Lesotho when I was there ('76-'80) and we've managed to keep in touch ever since through occasional emails and an annual calendar-swap. They came over to visit once. I should have gone to visit them when I was younger and fitter! I really couldn't face the journey and the jetlag now.
We're having another mini-heatwave, 30C forecast for tomorrow. We're not used to the heat, but I think we're going to have to become used to it, the way things are going. Some parts of England are already on a hosepipe ban - we're not in this area, yet...
A hot weather song? Certainly! This is SUCH an oldie...1966! Showing my age, here. Cheers, folks!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YgevxRGXIU
(This post was edited by Altaira on Sat, 5:19am)
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Annael
Elvenhome
Sat, 4:48am
Post #14 of 32
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but no grizzlies. I've encountered bears many times out hiking, but they've never shown any interest in us. Of more concern is cougars, but they're very rare and shy. Then there was the mountain goat who gored & killed a man in the Olympic Mountains just a few years ago. But he was being stupid and trying to scare the goat off the trail, which the goat took as an invitation to fight. We've had them come right into our camp but we just stayed still & they moved on.
I am a dreamer of words, of written words.
-- Gaston Bachelard
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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Altaira
Superuser
Sat, 5:17am
Post #15 of 32
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Now I really want to watch the movie. I've never seen it on stage. I bet it was impressive (aside from the bottle-dance, lol)
Happy weekend sevilodorf!
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Altaira
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Sat, 5:24am
Post #16 of 32
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That's hot for where you live. A typical mid-summer, mid-afternoon for here. Though, we're cooling off again this week, so I'm not complaining.
Yes, Alaska would definitely mean a wee bit of jet lag for you. It was a bit of a luxury for us to have a short flight and only one hour difference from the port.
Excellent song! Stay in the shade and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
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Greenwood Hobbit
Doriath
Sat, 1:22pm
Post #17 of 32
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I've no idea why I can't make it work. Definitely 30C here today, I'm staying out of it! I've never been a fan of the heat - definitely a child of the temperate latitudes!
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dernwyn
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Sat, 1:26pm
Post #18 of 32
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New England history is filled with religious schisms which played large roles in its political history. I do look forward to reading your book some day!
Enjoy the coolness under the tree-cover! Do you have much of a problem with ticks in your area?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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dernwyn
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Sat, 1:37pm
Post #19 of 32
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who were affected by those fires, managed to somehow start over? I don't know how I'd feel after that tragedy - whether I'd be too disheartened to stay, or love the place so much I'd rebuild. Brave souls, all of them.
Okay, you're going to have to let us know what your karaoke song is!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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dernwyn
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Sat, 1:42pm
Post #20 of 32
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That is a great play, she must have had so much fun playing that part!
The last time I saw a high school production, they glued the bottles to the hats, and managed to pull off a respectable bottle dance, although it was funny to watch the bobbing bottles.
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"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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dernwyn
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Sat, 1:54pm
Post #21 of 32
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Oh, that is a classic summer song!
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30C is just too hot for your area. I hope your plants have been holding up, have you gotten any drizzles at least? We're not in a drought here, and hand-watering and garden drip lines are fine, but the town is doing a just-in-case regulation of only certain days for automatic lawn watering.
Eagle River is out near Anchorage, what a beautiful area - but then, there's hardly any part of that state which isn't!
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"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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sevilodorf
Dor-Lomin
Sat, 2:57pm
Post #22 of 32
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Niece has a theater arts degree from local college and has been on all the local stages (which in Bakersfield are widely varied) from Puffs (Harry Potter Hufflepuffs based play) to Shakespeare for the last 15 years. If she's not on stage (as Mrs. Potts ) she's behind the curtain running tech, stage manager, front of house, and dabbling in directing.
Not sure if she's going to make a jump to a bigger pool (LA is just over the hill) or not.
The local talent ranges and the last "big" musicals in town were just a few weeks ago so I think Fiddler got the the second tier though the voices held up.
Fourth Age Adventures at the Inn of the Burping Troll http://burpingtroll.com
Home of TheOneRing.net Best FanFic stories of 2005 and 2006 "The Last Grey Ship" and "Ashes, East Wind, Hope That Rises" by Erin Rua
(Found in Mathoms, LOTR Tales Untold)
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Annael
Elvenhome
Sat, 3:13pm
Post #23 of 32
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we are spared most bitey things. Ticks are a problem on the other side of the Cascades but not on the wet side. We have no poisonous snakes either (do have rattlers on the dry side), we don't have black widow spiders or blackflies. We do have hobo spiders, but they're very shy. Mosquitoes we got, but this year they've not been very evident. We occasionally encounter horseflies hiking at higher elevations.
We also have banana slugs, which are only a problem if you step on them barefoot - the slime does NOT come off easily! But they're usually easy to spot.
https://en.wikipedia.org/...riolimax_columbianus
We do have earthquakes and volcanoes
I am a dreamer of words, of written words.
-- Gaston Bachelard
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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dernwyn
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Sat, 7:29pm
Post #25 of 32
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Er...*looks up info* "Grows up to 25 cm long..."
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Eew, no, I should not want to step on a banana slug, even in sneakers!
Hm...when's the next volcano predicted?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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