Travelogue

Lest I allow yet another month to go by without posting something, (although it nearly has already) I've decided to describe my vacations of 2009. I won't get into weekend trips, for expediency's sake.

I'd already posted beforehand about (what was at the time) the plan for my annual sojourn to Hawaii in January, but here are a couple of the pictures that I took while I was there:

Close approximations of the shots in that prior post?
(The difference being that I took these shots myself)

I have mostly been taking my vacations in conjunction with paid days off for the past several years, so as to get four weeks of vacation out of three weeks of vacation time; the following descriptions are of those weeks that I took off, with a few pictures for each.

Memorial Day Week - Hiking on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia:


Independence Day Week - Cruising 'round BVI on a 44' catamaran:


Labor Day Week - Touring Europe; mostly Italy, 1 day in Slovenia:

(Predjama Castle, above, is in Slovenia)

Thanksgiving Week - Working on the FL Trail, and visiting Springs:

(Armadillo)(MANATEES!!!)

Also, sharing Thanksgiving dinner with family, of course.

But wait! (As they say in the TV ads) There's more!!!

I plan to visit South America during the last week of this year too, seeing such things as Machu Picchu and the Nazca Lines:

(I have off Christmas through New Year's Day, too.)

The Military-Industrial Complex™ does quite well by me.

Next year? It all begins again, Lord willin'... ;-)

Once upon a time...

...there was a set of buildings:


At the time of their completion in the early 1970's, the twin towers were the tallest buildings on Earth. Ultimately however, world records notwithstanding, they were only that...buildings.

As nearly everyone knows, these mere buildings were destroyed as a result of having commercial airliners flown into them.

Of course, there was another building struck by a commercial airliner that day, although that one was not completely destroyed:


Buildings can be replaced with new ones, and although some cynical folks might say the same is true of people, the innocent people who died on September 11, 2001 were all unique individuals with personalities all their own. They were just a bunch of people who had come to work that day, never knowing it would be their last.

I have written on this subject previously:
2006 - Jeanette...
2007 - Dwelling on the past...
2008 - Don't forget...

The first one was on behalf of The 2,996 Project:
A Tribute to the Victims of 9-11-01

In this era of limited attention spans and sound "bites", I think it is paramount that we do not allow ourselves to forget. Ever.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
-George Santayana

Update:

I am currently in Europe on vacation, and just got access to the Internet; apparently I have been assigned by the 2,996 Project to commemorate Vanavah Alexi Thompson. Of course, I did not know this individual, so I will defer to those who did know him, or at least know his daughter:

Vanavah was my cousin. I was his baby-sitter for some time after he was born. He was a pleasure to know and love. I have pictures of Vanavah and my kids, Ronsheeka and Raionalto, and I look at them often. I know he is in heaven just singing and playing music, the way he loved to do. Vanavah, you will always be loved and missed.
*** Posted by DAWN F. HARTE on 2008-09-15 ***

I am Vanavah's cousin and I miss and love my cousin. He was a sweet person with a great spirit and a beautiful heart.... He will never be forgotten!
*** Posted by Ronsheeka Harte on 2008-09-11 ***

I do not know Vanavah, but I know his daughter, Nia Thompson. I am one of her teachers in Elementary School. Vanavah would be so proud of the beautiful young lady that she has grown to be. She will always remember him, but he can rest assured in heaven that she will be the beacon of light that he meant for her to be. Nia will forever be loved by all.
*** Posted by vhusamudeen on 2007-09-11 ***

I am the mother of Vanavah's only child Nia Thompson. I try not to think about 9/11 because it's just too hard. I get all choked up and can't breathe. I end up crying for hours. I just want to say I miss you so much it hurts. I mean it hurts so bad. Unbelievable grief. Your daughter talks about you almost all the time. If not a memory, a show or something that comes across her mind that leads to you. We miss you, and we love you Vanavah. You're in our hearts forever. I can't even type no more, with tears flowing all over the keyboard. I miss you dearly.
*** Posted by Frauliene Lyte on 2006-07-28 ***

I am Nia Thompson's Big Sister from Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Nia is a wonderful, beautiful, bright, and energetic young lady. I did not meet Nia until after her father passed away, so I never knew Vanavah. I have grown to know him from her stories and memories of him. Vanavah lives on on in Nia's stories and memories of her Dad and in her being. She loves music, just like her Dad did, and she loves to sing - just like her Dad. He is greatly missed, but Nia carries Vanavah's memory on.
*** Posted by Mady Dersch on 2004-06-18 ***

Those comments are from the 9-11 Heroes website.

This stuff never fails to bring me to tears...

American...idle?

Is this show still on the air? Do you care? Do people still follow it closely and discuss it amongst themselves? I never really cared about it...ever. It's not as though I'm about to begin. I'm just curious, wondering online (as opposed to out loud) here; the foregoing should be considered rhetorical questions. It's just been awhile since I posted anything, FWIW.
(Prob'ly not much)

Anyway, speaking of my curiosity, here's yet another list of countries from which my humble little corner of "da blogosphere" has been visited since the last time I posted something:

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, Europe, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holy See (Vatican City State), Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

Now, since I'm trying an experiment (not sending out any notification of this new post), we'll see how long it takes anyone to notice... ;-)

Everything under the Sun!

Well, OK, not everything.

However, here are some solar energy projects representing solar-powered transportation by land, sea and air.

The first (by land) is by the brother of an acquaintance.

(Battery bank under the hood)

Here's what she (my acquaintance) had to say about it:

"This year's project was to convert an old El Camino truck to an electric car. One of the challenges was, when he finally loaded all 48 lithium batteries under the hood, the old springs sagged and the front end dropped so the roof of the wheel well was just above the tire. A neighbor hauled it off to a guy, who knew a guy, and the new stiffer springs did the trick - adequate lift. Well, it works. Saturday, we took a load of recyclables to the dump."

Check it out: Electric El Camino

Next up (by sea) is the PlanetSolar project.

(Artist's depiction)

From their website:

"In 2010, the first round-the-world trip powered by solar energy will be realized, with stopovers, along the equator, where the maximum amount of sunlight is available. The over 40,000-km voyage will last 120 days, for an average speed of 10 knots. PlanetSolar's two-man crew will cross the Atlantic Ocean, the Panama Canal, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean and finally the Suez Canal, to return to the Mediterranean. After a roadshow with the village that will cross Switzerland in 2009, the boat will stop in cities like Monaco, Paris, Marseille, Dubaï, Abu-Dhabi, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Hambourg, New-York and San Francisco."

And last (by air), but not least, the Solar Impulse project:


"The Solar Impulse project...aims to have an airplane take off and fly autonomously, day and night, propelled uniquely by solar energy, right round the world without fuel or pollution."

Speaking of solar energy, I'm off for some "fun in the sun"...

Where in the world?!

I've been keeping track of all the visitors from other countries who've been looking at my blog; in the past few months there were visits from the following countries:

Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Korea, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Venezuela, and Yemen.

Many of them are just looking at images, mostly of various aerospace and motorcycle related items.

Anyway, speaking of where in the world, I was just up in New Hampshire last week for Laconia Bike Week:


Next week, I'll be off to the Caribbean again:

(Picture above from a previous trip)

And while I've been enjoying the "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness" that being an American affords me, people are fighting and dying in hopes of gaining their own freedom in Iran. I have been hoping for a revolution there for many years now; I really empathize with them. Of course, we shouldn't ever forget the true costs of revolution...in blood, death and suffering.

May God be with them in their struggle...

Now Let the Vault Of Heaven Resound

Now let the vault of Heav’n resound
In praise of love that doth abound,
“Christ hath triumphed, alleluia!”
Sing, choirs of angels, loud and clear,
Repeat their song of glory here,
“Christ hath triumphed, Christ hath triumphed!”
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Eternal is the gift He brings,
Wherefore our heart with rapture sings,
“Christ hath triumphed, Jesus liveth!”
Now doth He come and give us life,
Now doth His presence still all strife
Through His triumph; Jesus reigneth!
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

O fill us, Lord, with dauntless love;
Set heart and will on things above
That we conquer through Thy triumph,
Grant grace sufficient for life’s day
That by our life we ever say,
“Christ hath triumphed, and He liveth!”
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Adoring praises now we bring
And with the heavenly blessèd sing,
“Christ hath triumphed, Alleluia!”
Be to the Father, and our Lord,
To Spirit blest, most holy God,
Thine the glory, never ending!
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

In the past few weeks, this blog has been visited by people in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Europe, France, Germany, India, Israel, Latvia, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, The Russian Federation, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom and Vietnam.

A fair number of them were looking at this:


I posted it for Easter last year; I think it's awesome...

On a hill far away...

...stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

(Refrain):
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

(Refrain)

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

(Refrain)

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

"The Old Rugged Cross" -by George Bennard (1873-1958).

Such a bittersweet song; one of my favorites, although I don't know if it's in the latest revision of the hymnal at my church...I'll have to check, maybe later today if I remember.

I've always had a rough time of it on Good Friday, although of course that is as nothing compared to what Jesus went through on that fateful day. For me, and you...