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Slaughter Ranch
There are always new and off-the-beaten-track places to explore in Cochise County and we recently took a day to visit one that's a national landmark, the Slaughter Ranch.
John Slaughter (1841-1922) remains one of Cochise County's most famous sheriffs and in general a colorful western character. Someone you'd enjoy getting to know. He was tough, honest, and well liked. Not an easy combination to find in the Wild West of the 1880s. He was born on October 2, 1841 in Louisiana, but grew up in Texas which is where he received the nickname "Texas John." The family business was cattle and John grew up learning the ways of cattle ranching, Indian lore, marksmanship, and tracking. He was a confederate soldier and Texas ranger before relocating to Arizona.
He became a widower after his first wife, Adeline (marriage 1871-1877) succumbed to small pox, leaving him as a single parent of two children. He remarried in 1878, bringing his new wife, eighteen-year-old Viola Howell, children, and family members, along with herds of cattle to the southeast corner of Cochise County. He purchased a massive tract of land—65,000 acres, the majority of it located over the border into Mexico. Eventually, he would own and lease 100,000 acres.
It was a hard life on the ranch, but John and Viola had a vision to make their dreams of a prosperous life possible in the treacherous times of Apache renegades and dangerous border incidents. Constant cattle rustling and outlaw violence kept everyone on the ranch vigilant. The U.S. Army even kept a regular presence at the ranch.
In 1886, five years after Tombstone's famous shootout at the OK Corral, John was elected sheriff of the county and served two terms. He was determined to clean up the crime which plagued the area with the likes of the Clantons, Earps, the Jack Taylor Gang, and Johnny Ringo. He was also acquainted with the notorious Pancho Villa and helped track Geronimo who was caught on his San Bernardino Ranch. It was common for lawmen to straddle the thin blue line of law and order, but Texas John made no compromises. He hunted down outlaws with a vengeance and made himself judge, jury, and executioner at times. Plenty of tales about Slaughter's exploits, including poker games with John Chisum are available in book form and a few vintage TV shows.
Now, for the ranch. It's in the middle of nowhere, where it's still open range and about fifteen miles from the border city of Douglas. It's located just off Geronimo Trail which becomes a dirt road and one you don't want to travel during monsoon season. The international border is visible and is marked by a fence running parallel with a busy Sonoran highway. A beautiful pond is the centerpiece of the ranch grounds which was built by John. The land has an abundance of springs and he capitalized on that with the construction of the pond and a dam. It's stocked with native endangered fish such as Yacqui chub and Yacqui catfish by the nearby San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge which borders the ranchlands. The Slaughter's home is spacious and has several outbuildings including the cook's residence (a bedroom and they had a Chinese cook) with the commissary (for their neighbors and employees since they were far from town) adjoining it, an ice house, wash house, small garage which houses a Model T, and barns. Horses, a donkey, goats, and longhorn cattle are in the pastures. You'll find an abundance of birdlife around the pond. We spotted a vermilion flycatcher, Say's Phoebes, various ducks, a snowy egret, broad-bill hummingbirds, and a few others. One of the park staff also made us aware there was an active mountain lion in the area, but we didn't encounter any signs of the big cat--a good thing I believe.
The Border Patrol from the Douglas station keeps a presence there with some equipment on site, but mostly they're on horseback patrol in this remote area. We enjoyed talking with the agents who were resting their horses in the shade of the cottonwoods. It was a relaxing, beautiful, and informative day. If you enjoy Western history and a peek into the past, a visit before or after the monsoon season is well worth the effort. Bring a picnic lunch and you can enjoy the peaceful pond surroundings at a table on the wonderful grass lawn or you can do as we did and get a delicious Mexican lunch at La Fiesta in Douglas on the way back.
Admission to the ranch is $5.00 per person and it's open Wednesday through Sunday. It receives no federal funds. No pets are allowed. You'll find it a friendly and peaceful place, where you can step back into time for a bit, and let your imagination roam.
For more information on the Slaughters and the ranch, here are a couple of websites. Check out the slideshow below for photos of the ranch and the neighborhood.
The Dutch Oven Mystery
There is no dearth of interesting tales in Cochise County, the land of Wild West legends. One of the fascinating things about the mountains around us is the variety of caves which have some interesting stories attached to them. There were many caves discovered in Bisbee's Mule Mountains during the heyday of copper mining. They were wonderlands of glorious mineral formations which visitors compared to King Solomon's splendor. The Masons and the Elks held ceremonies and grand occasions in these massive caverns that are now mostly backfilled for safety reasons.
The Huachuca Mountains have their own secret caves that were used by Apaches, Mexican bandits, soldiers, smugglers, and other nefarious characters. I'm sure they're still used today for illegal activities. There are tales of lost treasure and of Coronado's trek to find the cities of gold only to wind up somewhere in Kansas. Now that was disappointing. No wonder he gave up exploring upon a humiliating return to Mexico City around 1542.
However, there are a couple of curious incidents that surround the Pyeatt's Cave located near the west gate of Ft. Huachuca. Let me tell you about one that occurred in May 1888. John H. Slaughter was the sheriff of Cochise County at the time, a legend in his own right. I'll save his exploits for another day, but you should know that he brought law and order to the county five years after the gunfight at the OK Corral. He also helped track down Geronimo and arrested many outlaws over his four years as sheriff. But, before I become sidetracked, here's the story of The Dutch Oven Mystery, so named by Sheriff Slaughter.
One fine spring morning in May, 1888, a U.S. Army patrol was making a sweep of the canyon near Pyeatt's Cave. As always, they were on the lookout for bandits, Apaches or any sort of troublemakers. There were plenty to be found in those days. The canyons afforded excellent places to hole up to plan illegal activities and were often bases of operation for outlaws.
The soldiers halted their mounts as they stumbled upon an empty campsite in the mesquites and began looking around for any occupants. A spanking new cast-iron Dutch oven stood out like a sore thumb amid the usual camp equipment, which caught the patrol's attention. Wondering who might be passing through, the men made a more careful search of the area. Not finding any horses nearby, they continued scanning the nooks and crannies of the rocky area. Something looked out of place under a cut bank where the summer rains had eroded a pathway under a rocky outcropping. The smell might have been their first clue and what they must have suspected was quickly confirmed. Under a pile of blankets and gunny sacks, the soldiers found a decomposing man holding a copy of the Police Gazette dated April 20, 1888 in his hands. He'd obviously been deceased for a time since maggots were present.
Captain W. C. Wyeath, who was also the Assistant Surgeon for Ft. Huachuca reined his horse in near the spot to make his examination of the body. After dismounting, I imagine he covered his nose and mouth with his neck scarf. The decedent's skin was quite dark and alongside the body were several items. A pack saddle and bridle, a tall white felt hat, and several bags of provisions had been cached underneath the blankets as well. After his cursory exam, he gave orders for the soldiers to bury the remains and quickly.
After returning to the fort, the captain hand wrote his official report concerning the unknown man's death and sent it off to Sheriff Slaughter. Now, the sheriff had some serious questions about the death after reading the captain's account. The captain wrote that because of the darkened skin he expected that the deceased was a Mexican peon and that he had determined the man died from natural causes. There was something entirely fishy about the report in the sheriff's opinion. So, he swore in a coroner's jury of five men consisting of J. S. Taylor, J. M. Empey, Frank and Thomas Frary, and W. H. Constable. The men rode out to the Huachucas to take a look at the case for themselves.
The jury wasn't squeamish and wasted no time in disinterring the body from the shallow one foot-deep grave. Despite the poor condition of the corpse, it was quickly determined that the man had died from a skull fracture above the right ear. This method of injury was called "buffaloing" and was used by Wyatt Earp in controlling men he intended to arrest. A quick blow above the ear with a gun barrel quickly dropped the man making the arrest less exciting for Wyatt and more painful for the cowboy. However, too hard a blow and the man never got up again.
There were other things that didn't add up upon a more careful examination. Mexican peons traveled light, looking for day labor. They outfitted themselves with the bare necessities. A serape, a sombrero that not only kept the sun off them, but was used as a makeshift bowl to mix up cornmeal and water for tortillas. They would then bake the tortillas on a heated rock. The additional provisions didn't fit the captain's theory. He was completely wrong about the manner of death. And what really stood out was that nice new Dutch oven. Slaughter remarked that even he didn't travel in such luxury.
The jury ruled out Apaches as the perpetrators since they certainly wouldn't have left a perfectly good saddle and blankets, not to mention food supplies, the Dutch oven, and the man's clothing. Mexican bandits would have taken everything except the man's clothing and the Police Gazette. Nothing indicated the identity of the murdered man who must have been able to read if he'd brought along a newspaper on his expedition.
Not coming to any further conclusions, the sheriff had the man reburied in a proper grave that was piled with enough rocks to keep predators out. They made a marker inscribed, "Name Unknown, died May 1888." I wish I'd been able to hear the conversation between the sheriff and the army captain. I suspect the captain got a good dressing down at the very least for his sloppy handling of the case.
So, was the man a prospector looking for gold which was common then, or just a cowboy passing through? Did he have a falling out with a partner or was it a random act of violence? Was it a cover-up of some sort by the army? Unfortunately, we'll never know. The mystery of the murdered man in the western Huachucas remains to this day, the marker of his lonely grave disintegrated long ago in the Arizona sun.
References: So Said the Coroner by Grace McCool
Fort Huachuca: The story of a frontier post by Cornelius C. Smith, Jr.
Texas John Slaughter: Arizona's Meanest Little Good Guy by Roger Naylor
A few weeks ago, my husband and I headed out for a birding adventure that has been on our list for quite some time. Less than an hour from Casa Wallace, there are wetlands, yes--in the desert which are a siren call to thousands of migrating waterfowl and other birds.
Whitewater Draw is owned entirely by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and comprises about 600 acres of lake, wetlands, and riparian area. The Audubon Society has designated the draw as an important bird area. With the rise of dairy farming and other agricultural pursuits in the Sulphur Springs Valley located in eastern Cochise County, the population of Sandhill cranes has especially grown in last decade. In other words there's a lot of feed for birds in the harvested corn fields.
After wending our way over back roads and finally to a dirt road that led down to a parking lot with just a few vehicles, I was eager to take in the sights. We walked the easy trail that borders the wetlands and the lake itself is further off with spectators kept in viewing areas that won't encroach on the cranes.
Serious photographers were setting up camera equipment at one viewing platform with enormous telescopic lenses readied for use. Before settling into watching the arrival of the cranes, we decided to check out the marshlands and found lots of ducks placidly swimming around filling their bills with delicacies from the cold waters. There were American coots and Northern pintail ducks in abundance. Returning to the viewing platform, we saw that the real show was beginning. Overhead, a large flock of snow geese began their elegant descent toward the water. The sunlight glinted off their pure white plumage like snowy diamonds gliding toward the lake. It was breathtaking.
The Sandhill Cranes were making an appearance--just small groups in the beginning. And then, the sky was filled with them. Flocks coming from the Willcox area to the northeast and more from the east and south. They called constantly to one another, the air filled with their "song" which was overpowering. What a choir! It's interesting to note that mated pairs have their own complex duet that is synchronized with the female making two calls for every one of the males. No snide comments now.
And then in the midst of crane arrivals, a male vermilion flycatcher caught our eye as he preened in the branches of a mesquite tree. The photographers scrambled to catch the red bird's antics as he took center stage for a few minutes. A Northern Harrier hawk landing on the ground nearby received his few minutes of fame apart from the cranes, but the stars of the avian show weren't ignored for long. Magnificent and huge, the long-legged gray birds with red foreheads filled the lake, the flocks adjusting their positions as more flew in. They average from just under three feet in height to four feet six inches. Their wingspan can be over seven feet which allows them to be master soaring birds, riding the thermals with nary a flap of a wing. Graceful, beautiful, and noisy.
It was a lovely morning with glorious sights in hidden desert wetlands, off the beaten track in southeastern Arizona. We continue to scout out new adventures in this unique part of the world. Whitewater Draw Website
And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens." So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:20-21
Wintry Musings
There were white flakes in the air when my good husband and I awoke this morning. We stood and gawked as they thickened and began accumulating on the ground and courtyard wall. An unusual occurrence in our neck of the woods. It quickly became apparent that the storm system had made itself comfortable over the Huachuca Mountains and the surrounding area. It was a good day to stay in. Inspired by memories of homemade hot cocoa and toast sticks that my mother would make on wintry days, I stirred up a steaming pan of cocoa. In case you didn't know, plain old toast with butter is magically transformed into something extraordinary when it's cut into sticks. It was so as a child and is still true today as a grandma. I quickly made a batch and settled in to read and drink hot chocolate.
I'm finishing up a new book by a good friend, Brenda Shipman entitled Embracing Hospitality: Help for the Hesitant Host. Brenda's insights, encouragement, and biblical foundation in her debut book is well worth reading. If you're avoiding extending hospitality for whatever reason, or if you're a seasoned hospitality giver, there is wisdom and practical help for all between the covers of this little book. You'll find Brenda's book on Amazon in paperback or for your Kindle.
Now, I read a lot--both fiction and non-fiction. If you're looking for some possibilities for the coming year to challenge and strengthen your faith, here are four non-fiction books to consider:
1. When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy by John Piper. "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." An excellent read and it's not wrong to pursue joy. Joy in God that is. He is the source of true joy.
2. Prayer - Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God by Timothy Keller. Practical and energetic instruction in deepening your prayer life. Life changing stuff.
3. Why Should I Believe Christianity? by James Anderson. A foundational apologetics book that is understandable and shareable with those who have serious questions about Christianity and the Bible.
4. Valley of Vision. The Valley of Vision is a classic collection of Puritan prayers and meditations. Now, before you dismiss it as stiff and irrelevant which was my preliminary opinion, it is not. While there are thee's and thou's it is full of gems that encourage and challenge, and warm the heart. It's highly recommended to add to your devotional reading.
All of the aforementioned books are available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle.
In the realm of fiction, historical-fiction mysteries are my current focus ... er ... addiction. Please allow me to recommend a few authors, all of whom I totally enjoy for attention to historical details, clean writing, believable characters and well-constructed plots.
1. Anne Perry - The Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series and William Monk series are set in Victorian England. I've been reading Anne Perry books since the 1980s and she's still writing. Perry weaves intricate plots and creates complex characters. Settle in for a slower read.
2. Candace Robb - The Owen Archer series set in medieval England. Full of details about medieval life with captivating characters, and clever mysteries.
3. Charles Todd - The Ian Rutledge series and Bess Crawford series set in WWI era England. These are slower-paced plots, but wonderful characters, excellent mysteries, and details about WWI and the post WWI era.
4. Ellis Peters - Brother Cadfael series set in the first half of 12th century England. This series has been around for some time, and is now available on Kindle.
5. Ashley Gardner - Captain Lacey Regency series, set in England of course. Faster-paced plots, colorful characters and excellent mysteries with a bit of romance.
The snow is still falling and it's piling up. Three and four inches at the moment. We've not had such a snowfall since we left Western New York 15 years ago. Wherever you may be, find a comfy chair, a hot beverage, and I hope a good read. Blessings in the New Year.
The Bombing of Naco
For those of you who like a good story, especially if it involves the West, I have to share this rather bizarre, but true tale of the early 20th century. It all happened about 30 minutes from from Casa Wallace in the little border town of Naco, Arizona along with its counterpart, Naco, Sonora on the other side of the line.
The year was 1929. It was before the big crash in October, but things weren't so great in Mexico in the spring of that year. The people were fed up with heavy taxation, corruption, and the government in general. Hmmm...has a familiar ring to it already. Well, some rebel forces organized and began giving the Mexican army a hard time. Naco, Sonora was a pretty rough place with lots of saloons and gambling establishments, so more government intervention in their way of life wasn't welcome. The rebels and the army dug in around Naco, Sonora and began to have daily skirmishes. Since there wasn't much happening in Naco, Arizona, which is still true to this day, residents brought out chairs to watch the bullets fly between the Mexican army and the rebel forces for entertainment. Every once in awhile, a stray bullet would come across the U.S. border and send the spectators for cover. In general the Mexicans didn't want the rebellion to get out of hand and have the U.S. Army come in to settle the matter. So it remained a fairly orderly rebellion as rebellions go.
As time went on more gawkers gathered from Bisbee and outlying areas, sitting in wagons, makeshift benches, or vehicles. One of these folks was Patrick Murphy, a pilot with a bi-wing plane sitting idle. Being a good Irishman, he had a few whiskeys in Bisbee and decided to go down to Naco and offer his services as a bomber pilot to the poor under-equipped rebels. He also offered to make some custom bombs and make a run at routing the army. It was all quickly arranged with the rebels who promised some significant pesos for his services.
Murphy went to work assembling homemade bombs with dynamite, nails, scrap iron, and bolts. He stuffed them into old suitcases and iron pipes.On March 31 and April 1, he made two attempts at bombing the army, both of which failed since the bombs didn't explode. On his third attempt, he flew low over the town of Naco, Sonora and let the third load fall. Unfortunately, it hit the customs house and sprayed shrapnel toward the U.S. audience. Undaunted, the pilot hastily flew back to his hangar and made four more bombs. He was getting better, or so it seemed.
He continued his bombing raids and on April 6 he made his most magnificent strike. He managed to kill two Mexican soldiers in a trench and then things really went south or rather north. Murphy grossly miscalculated and continued his raid on Naco, Arizona. He managed to bomb a garage, broke the windows out of the Naco Pharmacy, wrecked a touring car, damaged the Phelps Dodge Mercantile, and the U.S. Post Office. The pilot who sensed he might be in trouble with the U.S. government, parked his plane and slipped into Mexico. The U.S. Army came out and immediately disabled the plane, while Gen. Topete of the rebel forces promised the U.S. there wouldn't be any more bombings.
Now, lest you think Patrick Murphy ended up in Acapulco sipping drinks with umbrellas in them, here's the end of the tale. Mr. Murphy crept back into the U.S. on April 30 when he determined that facing American government officials was eminently wiser than facing a Mexican firing squad. The Mexican troops had by then squashed the rebellion and Murphy was persona non gratis to the Mexican government. He was arrested once back across the border and carted off to the Tucson jail. He wasn't ever prosecuted and was eventually released. And no, he never did get paid for his aerial antics either. But he may go down as one of the worst bombers in history and as the only pilot to bomb the U.S. mainland from the air. His exploits have been immortalized in song entitled "The Bombing of Naco" by Dolan Ellis, Arizona's official balladeer. So there you go, another strange tale from Cochise County, the Land of Legends!
Roadrunner Wars
It's springtime at Casa Wallace. Pink salvia and Spanish lavender are blooming; the roses are budded. The rabbits are chasing one another amorously through the mesquites and cacti. Our feathered friends are a warbling choir in the trees--finches, curved-bill thrashers, silver cardinals, black-throated sparrows, and verdins searching for that special someone. And then there are the roadrunners. A pair of them who are in the mood to build a nest. In fact, they've considered the three acres comprising the Casa Wallace territory and decided that the garage is the perfect place to construct their abode.
They're of course completely wrong about the location. I can see the attraction though. Inside out of the wind--no obvious predators for babies. They're also close to the bags of seed for the bird feeders. It's sort of like room service.
We have no intention of allowing squatters to live in the garage. It just won't work. My good husband has cleared out their construction of mesquite twigs, grasses, and feathers at least three times so far. They tried the top of a cabinet and then decided that the tines of several rakes hanging on the wall was a good idea. Engineering is not their strength. After being foiled once again over the weekend, they've begun another attempt with humble nesting materials situated on top of the cupboards. Now mind you, the usual nesting places of roadrunners is in cacti, trees, and shrubs---outside. These roadrunners have different ideas and seem mostly indifferent to my instructions to vacate. Their beady little eyes stare at me as if to test me or frighten me back in the kitchen. It is a little creepy to see one atop the step ladder or on the raised garage door when I step out to shoo them away. Maybe Hitchcock's The Birds has scarred me.
Roadrunners are part of the cuckoo family which explains a great deal about them. They like to eat a variety of critters including scorpions (YAY!!) and even rattlesnakes (YAY!!). They supplement their diet with seeds and fruits. They are monogamous and usually raise about four progeny in a nest. Their flying ability is dismal, which accounts for the occasional flattened one on the roads. They are rather speedy when running and reach speeds of 20mph. In case you're wondering, coyotes are faster with speeds to around 40mph. They don't beep as a rule, but make an odd clacking sound with their beak accompanied by cooing. Their normal lifespan is seven to eight years.
The ones around Casa Wallace tend to be rather brazen and unafraid of people. They keep us company when raking or working in the garden and now they want to live with us. Oh boy!
Well, the garage door is down--no admittance for Mr. and Mrs. Roadrunner, who really should consider that cozy cactus in the side yard. We are determined to win the war against the feathered trespassers. But I will be watching my back.
A Moving Christmas
Our youngest daughter and her husband are getting ready to move. It's a military lifestyle thing.Their three-year assignment is up and they're moving to a new location. Thousands of miles to travel. There are so many details to arrange and they're trying to prepare. All things we don't like at Christmas. I like my family around, lots of comfort food, and time to slow to a crawl. That's a perfect Christmas - savoring the moments and doing everything the way we've always done it. I think most of us want the familiar traditions of home and hearth for the holidays.
But the first Christmas was nothing like that. A very pregnant Mary was enduring an uncomfortable three or four day trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem. I can't imagine riding a donkey or walking 70 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem while nine months pregnant. She and Joseph were obeying orders from Caesar Augustus. A decree had gone out for people to return to their hometowns for a census and to pay taxes.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. Luke 2:4
That wonderful night when Jesus was born, shepherds who were outside of Bethlehem received startling news from the sudden appearance of angels in the night sky. They were to leave their sheep and go see the long-awaited Messiah. The journey wasn't far, and they wasted no time in finding the lowly stable and the baby lying in swaddling clothes in the manger.
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. Luke 2:15-16
There were the Magi (the wise men) who had studied the Scriptures and were watching the skies for one very special star, which they found. Without hesitation they loaded up their camels and headed out to follow that star for probably over a year before they found Mary, Joseph, and the very young Jesus in Bethlehem. They weren't sure where they'd end up or how long it would take, but they came prepared with gifts for the King of Kings. They took a real step of faith.
...they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. Matthew 2:9
The one who made the longest trip of all was Jesus himself. He willingly left heaven's glory and became flesh and blood, man yet God --Emmanuel, God with Us. The Son of God humbled himself to walk in this world, showing us how to live, and laying down His life to save us from our sins.
Who,(Jesus) being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Philippians 2:6-8
None of these moves were about comfort or tradition. They were in fact downright uncomfortable, inconvenient, and even dangerous. But the common thread is obedience which ultimately displayed God's plan for the best move of all--the way to heaven to live with Him forever. When God is getting ready to do a great thing, He starts moving people. Each person who experienced the first Christmas had to step out of his or her comfort zone, trust God, and change locations.
Things to ponder as the New Year approaches.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
All I Want for Christmas
A Christmas short story for my faithful readers. Did you ever peek at the presents before Christmas? Here's one boy's misadventure about that very topic. It's family-friendly , so read to the kids.
The packages have been arriving in the mail almost everyday. There was one that came today from Grandpa and Grandma Harding that Mom whisked upstairs to her secret closet. We're not supposed to go anywhere near the secret closet starting the week of Thanksgiving. But it's not really a secret since my brother and sister and I know where it is. In the hallway between Mom and Dad's bedroom and my brother, Jerry's room is a closet with a special lock at the top of the door. I can't reach it and neither can Jerry or my sister, Darla. My hand can just brush the bottom of the deadbolt if I stand on tiptoes, but I'm not tall enough to pull it back. Not yet, but maybe next year.
I wish I could open that door to see what's really in there. Mom says peeking will ruin Christmas. What? How could knowing ahead of time ruin anything? If I don't get what I asked for...now that'll ruin Christmas morning for sure. There's this really great race car set that I've wanted forever. It wasn't under the tree last year, and I asked Dad for it again weeks ago. He got a funny look on his face and rubbed his whiskers like he was thinking it over. He gave me the same old answer. "We'll have to see what Santa brings you."
Santa? Do they think I'm dumb? The presents are already in the secret closet. Mom took some shopping bags upstairs last week. Nothing looked big enough for the box the race car set would be in though. I'm probably not getting it again. But, that's all I want. Why can't I have it? It isn't fair. Jerry and Darla got what they wanted last year. Jerry got a dumb dinosaur that roars and Darla got the Barbie Dream Castle--a hunk of ugly pink plastic. I got a robot. It was OK. Maybe it's time to come up with a plan to see if my Christmas is ruined or not.
Mom had Christmas music on and the house smelled like gingerbread--my favorite. There were already some frosted gingerbread men piled up on a her special cookie plate. She said "Donny, you can have two," so I grabbed them and sat in the big chair by our huge Christmas tree in the living room eating and thinking. Gingerbread cookies must be good for thinking because I came up with a plan to get into the closet right away. I'd have to keep Jerry and Darla from seeing me, otherwise they'd tell on me for sure. They were always following me around, except for right now. Where were they? I checked each room looking for them. Finally, I went back to the kitchen and asked Mom. She said they were at practice for the Christmas program at church. That's right--the Christmas play was next week. It was the first year I didn't have to go. The little kids Christmas program was for kids who were younger than nine. I was tired of being a shepherd anyway. I'd been one every year since I was three.
Then Mom said she was going outside to get the mail. She already had a jacket on. Here was my chance! Dashing up the stairs, I got the red wooden stool from the bathroom. Darla still stands on it to brush her teeth. It had to be tall enough. It was so easy! Why hadn't I thought of this before? I ran to my bedroom window to see if Mom was still outside. She was, and old Mrs. Gardener was talking to her. They'd be out there forever. Dad calls her Mrs. Gabby Gardener because she talks a lot. I can't ever understand what she's talking about. A lot of stuff about when she was a kid, I guess.
Well, anyway I shoved the stool in front of the secret closet door. The stool made me tall enough to slide the bolt back and then I was standing in front of piles of boxes and bags stuffed in between old coats hanging on a pole. There was a doll for Darla--it figured. I pulled a game out of a big bag. It looked kinda interesting. I pushed it back behind the coats. There was a bag with pajamas, and some candy. More girl stuff for Darla. Why did she get so much? Nothing--no race cars. Then I looked up. The two shelves above the rod where the coats hung had lots more boxes. There was the one that had come from Grandpa and Grandma. But that wasn't big enough. I put the stool inside the closet to get a better look. There was a bag--a really big bag with something really big in it on the top shelf. It could be the race car set. I stood on my tiptoes on the edge of the stool. If I could just reach the bag to look inside.
But then it happened. I tipped and grabbed the edge of the bag to catch my balance. The bag came crashing down on my head and I fell into the coats, knocking bags and boxes everywhere. I felt something trickle from my nose and when I swiped my finger under my nose, it was blood. My shirt sleeve took care of that problem. The bigger problem was the mess of packages that had tumbled into the hallway. The front door hadn't slammed, so I might still be OK. It's a good thing I'm nine and pretty strong because I got all those packages put back in the closet. I couldn't get the big bag on the top shelf though, so I shoved it behind the coats and shut the door ... very quietly.
Then I pushed the bolt through those little hoops and locked the door. The bad part was that my nose was still bleeding and I had to wipe it on my shirt again. I sat on my bed wishing that it would stop. Some Kleenex from the bathroom helped when I stuffed it up my nose. The front door opened--Mom was back in the house.
She called for me, but I couldn't go downstairs with blood on my shirt. So I answered that I was busy doing homework. Then she asked if I was sick. I hollered "no" and pulled off my shirt. I took another one out of the dresser drawer and hid the bloody one under the bed. Carefully, I pulled out the Kleenex. No blood. Good! But then, I remembered. Oh no! The stool was still in the hall. If she didn't come upstairs, I could sneak it back to the bathroom. Tiptoeing like a Ninja, I picked it up and put it back---everything was OK.
Then I realized, I'd never looked in the bag. It had been for nothing. How dumb! But I hadn't gotten caught. Maybe doing my homework was a good idea after all. And waiting for Christmas might be OK. Maybe a really smart thing, even if there wasn't any race car set.
Merry Christmas Readers! If you'd like access to more free short stories, become a Mystery Maven Society member by subscribing to my occasional newsletter.
P.S. Donny did get his race car set.
Christmas Cinema
It's time to get the Christmas movies and TV specials DVDs out. Since Christmas is just four weeks away, we'd better get started. The stack of DVDs at Casa Wallace is about ready to go, but we might add something new. As bonafide Christmas junkies here's what our viewing will include this month.
1. A Christmas Story - We've already watched this one. A Wallace family tradition for over 20 years, we kick off the Christmas season by watching this 1980s classic on Thanksgiving night. We continue to laugh over "You'll shoot your eye out," "a major award," "I double-dog dare you," and "You used up all the glue on purpose. Then there's this little exchange between Ralphie and his mother after he said the worst word of all time:
Mother: All right. Now, are you ready to tell me where you heard that word?
Ralphie as Adult: [narrating] Now, I had heard that word at least ten times a day from my old man. He worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium; a master. But, I chickened out and said the first name that came to mind.
Ralphie: Schwartz!
This movie never fails to bring a smile and a good laugh. And if tradition holds, the USA network will run the movie continuously for 24 hours starting on Christmas Eve. My personal opinion is that if you can't crack a smile during this movie, then you're taking life way too seriously.
2. A Charlie Brown Christmas - Having been a kid when it first came out on television in the 60s, I love this animated story. The music by Vince Guaraldi is fabulous and I even have it on my iPod, so I can listen to it year-round. It never fails to bring a tear to my eye as the Christmas story is narrated by Linus. A must see every year. Charles Shultz was an absolute genius when he created this special.
3. It's a Wonderful Life - Yup, I cry when I watch this one too. I think it's entirely OK during the Christmas season to shed a few tears. It's the joy of the season that wells up inside and makes us feel good about what really matters - integrity, sacrifice, love, family, and a darn good ending. Frank Capra's low budget 1946 movie has become part of the American Christmas tradition. Get the DVD and watch it in front of a crackling fire, hot chocolate and tissues in hand. A stellar cast with James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, and Thomas Mitchell doesn't disappoint--ever. And if you've wondered how Bert and Ernie got their names on Sesame Street, you'll find the answer in this movie.
4. Scrooged - With the hilarious Bill Murray, this 1988 film is an adaptation of A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. Joining Bill are Karen Allen, John Fosythe, Carol Kane, John Murray, Robert Goulet, and many more excellent actors. Carol Kane is absolutely hysterical as the Ghost of Christmas Present. A movie that is a hoot.
5. How The Grinch Stole Christmas - Boris Karloff narrates the original and is the only one I'll watch. Another perfectly told story that needs no remakes or improvements. Who doesn't love Dr. Seuss's Max the dog as he struggles to haul the Grinch's sleigh? And as the Whos sing the strange, but compelling carol in the village square, you might actually join in. Thurl Ravenscroft provides the outstanding bass vocals on "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." He was also Tony, the Tiger for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes. (free trivia)
6. National Lampoon's Family Christmas Vacation - We all want the perfect family Christmas and place such high expectations on ourselves and our families for the holiday. But, as Chevy Chase learns in this modern classic, the family stuff is a little overrated. Crazy relatives, snooty neighbors, a squirrel, a large Rottweiler, and a kidnapping by your wife's redneck cousin can almost ruin your life. Almost. It's a laugh out loud movie to lighten the stress of the holidays.
7. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - I was and still am fascinated with the animation in this one, which went along with the Norelco TV ad (the electric shaver that zipped through the snow). You have to be of a certain age to remember that one. Burl Ives narrates and this is another production that cannot be improved upon. Amazing that three Christmas specials from the 1960s continue to have such popularity over 50 years later. The music is great in this one too. Isle of Misfit Toys, Silver and Gold, and Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas are part of the musical landscape.
8. Christmas with the Kranks - a movie based on the John Grisham novel, Skipping Christmas. Starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, I firmly believe this would happen to my husband and me if we decided to forego Christmas. A 2004 film, this is the only one after the turn of the century that's been added to our pile. It's a good laugh, heartwarming, and worth viewing this December.
There are lots more movies that may get watched - White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, Holiday Inn, The Bishop's Wife, Home Alone, to name a few. What are your favorites?
The Giving Season
Many of us will dig deep this Christmas season, writing checks, pushing coins into red buckets, and making online payments to charities before January 1. Americans are the most generous people in the world. Giving to charitable organizations in 2014 was recorded at more than $258 billion by Giving USA Foundation. It was 5.7% more than giving in 2013. That's a lotta dough.
We love to give, but we're also suckers for a "feel good" experience. The TV commercials that make us cry and tug at our heartstrings may not be the best places to send our money. And definitely not the ones who send us "free" gifts in the mail to make us feel guilty. I encourage you to take a serious look at what your favorite charities are doing with your hard-earned dollars after they get your check. There are great resources to find out what's happening with your donation. Here are two helpful links:
Visit your charity's website and find out if they post their financials and how much they spend to raise money. That's the real proof of the pudding. Organizations that spend a whopping 40% or more to raise more money are not a good value. That means a lot is spent on advertising, events, etc. and less is getting to those who need the help. If you can't find the information on their website, send them an email or give them a call. If the organization is unwilling to share those numbers, that's a red flag.
There are lots of great organizations that operate administrative and fundraising sides with 20% or less. Those are the ones I recommend you check into. Charity Navigator has information on the statistics if the organization is required to file a 990 with the IRS.
Giving is a serious responsibility and a matter of the heart. We must be sure that our gifts are thoughtful, generous, and done with the right attitude.
"You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully." 2 Corinthians 9:7 NLT
If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Romans 12:8 NLT
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! Malachi 3:10 NLT
Give generously, but give wisely. Don't be fooled by glitzy materials or guilt trips. Follow your heart to where you want to give, but find organizations that do it well. My personal top five are these:
1. My church
2. Africa Inland Mission
3. Samaritan's Purse
4. The Salvation Army (Local)
5. Care Net Pregnancy Center (Local)
Money isn't the only way to give, so do consider giving your time to your charity as well. I can tell you from experience, that's the most valuable gift many charities desperately need.
Be blessed and bless others this Christmas season.


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Introducing: Alain F. Berger, Alstom
As a current member of the council, Alain highlights how important it is to be committed to the chamber in order to increase it's reputation. For more information on the Council nominations process and timeline, please follow this link. If you're interested but want to know more about being a Council member, or standing for President, contact Glenn for an informal discussion.
The first event I came to 7 years ago was an EU Committee breakfast in a hotel room when I first arrived in Brussels. I attended based on recommendations from other organisations because of the high quality and the great environment in which these events are held. Becoming a council member wasn't planned and is rather time-consuming, but it is an interesting place to discuss ideas and be surrounded by other like-minded organisations.
I have really enjoyed the work done so far in my 18 months on the council and being a part of the progress and journey of the British Chamber. The more involved in the chamber you become, the more you can shape the discussions you have, the easier it becomes to invite the people that you want to speak to. Of course the chamber is a neutral platform and there is no lobbying at these events, but having that unique environment to which you can invite influential policy makers is important for me as a member.
The British Chamber has a unique voice in Brussels. When compared to other chambers – with some focusing only on EU and others on national and domestic policy – the British Chamber is a truly EU-Business family. Combining this uniqueness with the evolving membership of the chamber requires everyone to fulfill their part to ensure we keep at the level of excellence where we currently find ourselves.

subset: commoncrawl


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Visiting big brothers, Nick and Neil, in Alabama. And, yes, there was some Xbox played! 😉
the continuing saga of middle-aged parents raising twins…
You are currently browsing articles tagged Brothers.
Visiting big brothers, Nick and Neil, in Alabama. And, yes, there was some Xbox played! 😉
Caption courtesy of BigHugeLabs
Tags: Brothers, Chillin', Crib, Hanging out
whereas the boys get a chance to sport their new galoshes, or maybe you prefer boat shoes, dickersons, overshoes, rubbers, or rain boots…
Anyway, whatever you choose to call them, Alex and Adam were sportin' 'em!
Adam tries 'em out in a convenient puddle. (hmmm…normally mommy yells at me when I do this!)
Next they take 'em for a spin…
Verdict: Although the boots make us look kinda silly, the puddle-splashing freedom they provide is well worth it!
Tags: boat shoes, Brothers, dickersons, galoshes, overshoes, rain boots, Rainy days, rubbers, Twins
Alex holds hands with his brother while tooling around the mall in the stroller …
There's a closeness between these two that's amazing to watch, especially when they don't know you're watching!
or McGarrertt & Danno…
Tags: Brothers, Crockett, Danno, Funny Pictures, Hawaii 5-0, McGarrett, Miami ice, Tubbs
On the road again, and on our way back home to Mississippi. We got off about 8 a.m., and made real good time. We stopped about 1 p.m. in Buford, Georgia, and fed the kids/ate lunch in the Mall of Georgia. We made it through Atlanta without hitting the rush-hour traffic, but we did slow considerably behind the construction traffic. (sigh)
Still, it wasn't too bad. After all, we had planned on staying the night in Montgomery, Alabama, so Alex and Adam could meet their brothers, Nick and Neil, and Jess and Kameran could visit…
Tags: Brothers, daughters, family, Life with Twins, nieces, sisters, sons, uncles
Tags: Baby Pictures, Brothers


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Editors Note: Below is a response by Rich Traver to the Question asked above. I thought I would reprint it here as there is much about it to consider.
Yes. I saw it early on (tho' it has been present in every age) in the WCG. I realize you haven't asked about the Laodicean ERA, but a Laodicean attitude. In the WCG we were TRAINED to look right at things being done, by the ministry and others, even the highest ranking ministry, and conclude that we should DO NOTHING WHATSOEVER about it!! We were TRAINED to BE Laodicean, while deluding ourselves that we had the 'brotherly love' that defines what a Philadelphian IS! Then, when doctrinal changes came along, we took the same approach, we did absolutely nothing about it. When those like the Flurryites began doing the same thing, people who IMAGINED that they were in fact Philadelphians, did the same Laodicean thing. They refused to DO ANYTHING to correct matters! The Laodicean attitude is of the persuasion that we need do NOTHING about things, "God will correct it". (When in fact, HE might have put the matters before us to test us as to what we would do about it.) In many ways, WE FAILED, and lost our church as a result. Those who think they're OK, despite having no passion for what is right or against what is not right, are the people of this question. RT
Editors Note: As I am publishing this it came to mind that (PASSION in other words ZEAL) is exactly what God says is missing in this ERA of His Church. Also They are identified by Christ as those who think they are OK, that they have NEED OF NOTHING. Rich's response to that simple question just keeps on resonating more the longer you look at it.


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By Sue Murphy Darius Rucker's new song says, "When was the last time you did something for the first time?" He probably meant something like motocross or bungee jumping, but it motivated me to try (drumroll, please) yoga. Not goat yoga. Apparently, some people find it relaxing or fulfilling or whatever to practice yoga with a hooved animal cavorting nearby, but that sounded … [Read more...]
Breaking My Heart … And My Beak
By Sue Murphy During a rare quiet moment, I heard a knocking sound. It wasn't solid or rhythmic, just insistent. I checked the icemaker, the usual culprit for these things, but it was whirring along nicely. In a moment of panic, I checked for a roof leak from the morning rain, but no. So, I stood stock still, and each time I heard the sound, I moved in that direction, until I … [Read more...]
Not A Chance
By Sue Murphy I was picking up Easter goodies for my grandchildren and came across basket-sized boxes of teeny tiny fairies and action figures. The problem was, the teeny tiny question mark on each box indicated that you couldn't be sure of which figure you would get. This kind of uncertainty isn't good for a 4-year-old. It isn't good for their grandma, either. "Here you … [Read more...]
Snakes on a Brain
By Sue Murphy I'm not afraid to go in my attic. Sure, spiders and misguided insects occasionally have to be rerouted, but my attic wouldn't be considered a good setting for "Psycho 6: Grandma Rises." The room is pretty tidy, if I do say so myself. Still, there are things lurking in the shadows that I'd rather not deal with. Nothing tawdry or embarrassing (I'm not that … [Read more...]
AAA (Amenities Across America)
By Sue Murphy I love turndown service. Back when Harold took me along on sales conventions, we would stay at a fancy schmancy hotel, and while we were at dinner, the housekeeping fairies would tiptoe in (or so I imagined), turn back the covers, put a mint on each pillow and hang fresh towels in the bathroom. When we came back after a long hard night of customer … [Read more...]


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Twenty years to the day after the first book in the Harry Potter series was published, fans gathered online and in the real world to express their enduring love for J.K. Rowling's magical creation.
Since "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" came out in 1997, with a first print run of just 500 copies, the series of seven novels has sold 450 million copies worldwide in 79 languages and spawned a blockbuster movie franchise.
The book appeared in the United States a year later as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone".
On Monday, some fans took the day off work to celebrate the anniversary, heading to significant locations such as King's Cross train station in London, which in the stories is one of the gateways into the world of witches and wizards.
The real-life station features a mock-up of Platform 9-3/4, the departure point for trains to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The mock-up is a bustling spot where tourists and fans queue to pose for photos wearing Potter-themed scarves or costumes.
"Harry Potter I think still means so much to so many people even though it's 20 years now," said Clara Carson, whose job at the nearby souvenir shop involves taking photos of the fans and holding up the scarves to achieve a windswept effect.
Rowling, who has 10.8 million followers on Twitter, also took to the medium to mark the anniversary.


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Closes the session to the USRP RIO nodes.
Channel to operate on. Valid options are rx/RF 0, rx/RF 1, tx/RF 0, and tx/RF 1.
The object created by the Open node and used as the session handle for the USRP RIO nodes.
Error information wired from nodes previously called. Use this information to decide if any functionality should be bypassed in the event of errors from other nodes.
Error or warning information out of a node to be used by other nodes.
The reference to the FPGA bitfile on the device.


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We are now on our normal schedule (Image on Monday, Video on Wednesday) so here is the official network-wide Video of the Week #2, August 3, 2011.
From the blogs:
- Mark Stewart - The Necessity of Humanism
- Caleb A. Scharf - Favorite nuclear flavors
- David Wogan - More on food sourcing and food sustainability
- Jason G. Goldman - Humans Aren't The Only Ones Who Need To Avoid The Heat: How Birds Avoid Scrambled Eggs
- Krystal D'Costa - Unmasking the Truth in Caricature
- Katherine Harmon - Chew on This: More Mastication Cuts Calorie Intake by 12 Percent
- S.E. Gould - New MolBio Carnival up!
- Cheryl G. Murphy - Will Carrots Help You See Better? No, but Chocolate Might
- Ingrid Wickelgren - Porn on the Mind
- Bora Zivkovic - What is: Science Online New York City
- DNLee - National Association of Black Journalists host national convention, but where are the Black Science Journalists?
- Charles Q. Choi - Missing Links: Review of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
- Joseph Milton - Art forms in nature
- Larry Greenemeier - No Hactivism Here: McAfee Reveals Cyber Espionage That Went Undetected for Years
If you like any of the posts by our bloggers and if you think the posts can be easily edited and formatted for print, submit them for the next edition of The Open Laboratory.
Conversations on our articles and blog posts often continue on our Facebook page - "Like" it and join in the discussion.
You should follow the Blog Network on Twitter - the official account is @sciamblogs and the List of all the bloggers is @sciamblogs/sciambloggers.


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For a Start, each theme has support for colours and the full catalogue of Google web fonts — more than 600. Maybe more importantly, all topics offer you unlimited background options: such as many different built-in background layouts, the aforementioned unlimited colours, and the choice to upload a custom background image.
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Most Importantly, however, is that this is a clean, lightweight, and robust code underneath all. What is more, to ensure your website is as visitor-friendly as possible, all topics boast a fully mobile responsive layout, lightning-quick load times, and cross-browser compatibility.
Another Bonus: every theme comes with a narrated video tutorial, plus MyThemeShop offers round-the-clock support to help you out of any tight spots you may encounter (more on this later).
The Themes are split across four classes:
- Magazine themes (39 available)
- Website themes (41 available)
- WooCommerce themes (17 available)
- Business topics (9 available)
Searching For a theme is simple, and that the MyThemeShop website has lots of features that will help you out. To begin with, you can look for topics in each of the four classes we've just recorded, and there's a separate category for free and assorted themes. Or, if you'd prefer, you can start by looking for a keyword. Free Premium Magazine WordPress Themes
All Themes include a preview to assist you get an idea of the design. These previews come in rows of three by default, butif you would prefer a slightly bigger preview, then you can pick rows of 2. There's also a filter that allows you form the topics by release date or recognition.
Maybe Most useful of all, however, is that MyThemeShop allows you to select which features you need in your subject. Characteristics are selected from a drop-down list, and any motif that fails to meet with your standards is dropped out of the search page. There are nine options (and you can select more than one):
- Two column
- Three column
- AdSense optimised
- Full width
- Fixed header
- Responsive
- Slider
- Translation ready
When You have found a motif you like the appearance of, you can click through to the theme's product page. Here, you are going to have the ability to read more about the theme's major attributes, and you will find an idea of the subject's popularity — every theme includes a neighborhood rating out of five.
As you'd Expect from one of the best theme sellers each theme comes with its own demo.
Before You buy a theme, I'd strongly recommend spending a couple of minutes exploring this demonstration. You will be able to sample the motif's layouts, try out the different customisation options, and find a general idea of the way the theme looks and plays.
Click Here to register up to MyThemeShop Now!
Most Popular MyThemeShop Themes
To give You a taste of the quality of the topics, let's take a little time to check at a few of the best it has to offer. No sales amounts are made available, therefore we're expecting the'popularity' search function . (Note: Just click a screenshot to be taken directly to the theme's demonstration page.)
From Social media to the search engines, Schema is a site tailored for dominating the SERPs — attained by a carefully constructed, SEO-optimized layout. The theme is lightning quick, with site speed an important factor. The website employs a stylish-yet-simple design, plus it comes packaged with review performance and advertising management. For an SEO-focused motif named Schema, the theme, of course, adds the essential Schema markup which powers Google rich snippets.
Social Traffic is growing, and websites have popped up feeding exclusively off traffic. If you are looking to construct a viral social website, SociallyViral was built for you — that the theme boasts a variety of characteristics to Boost social shares and cater to viral traffic. That means a website with a great deal of social buttons, trending post widgets, and, with one eye on monetization, advanced AdSense optimization.
Best is a beautiful, easy, and clean WordPress magazine theme. While Many magazine themes end up looking overly cluttered, Best remains organized throughout — it's clearly defined segments make your website easy for people to browse. As you'd expect in the magazine motif, there is also plenty of committed widgets; vivid, vibrant social sharing buttons; and built-in review performance. Free Premium Magazine WordPress Themes
OnePage supports a gorgeous full-screen slider above The fold, grabbing traffic' attentions. It's primarily a business theme, supporting dedicated team, portfolio, client, testimonials, and pricing segments — all of that seem extremely professional and offer stylish parallax effects. The motif looks fantastic when kitted out from its own alternative blogging skin.
PointPro is this, just another professional theme Time coming in three variants — blog, business, and eCommerce shop. The business template is very eye-catching, using a clean, organized layout complementing lots of pictures — there's an image slider, thumbnails, and gallery performance, also. The theme provides you loads of versatility, with wallpapers that are unlimited , boundless colors, and custom sidebars.
MyThemeShop Plugins
As well As topics, MyThemeShop also has 20 WordPress plugins, such as 12 premium (at $29 each) and eight free.
These Plugins allow you to add quite specific functionality to your website, such as notification bars, time-to-read estimates and coming soon pages.
You can Look for plugins in precisely the same manner as topics because plugins change in regard to their capabilities, the plugin product pages are the places.
Each Plugin page has a long list of this plugin's features, giving you a clear indication of what it can (or can not ) do. You'll also observe an individual evaluation, and there is a presentation for each plugin so you can see every one in action.
Most Popular MyThemeShop Plugins
Since There are fewer plugins than themes, let us run down the three MyThemeShop WordPress plugins. I provide a succinct overview of what every plugin can perform.
WP Mega Menus adds interactive menus into your website. The mega menus arrive permit you to add thumbnail pictures, and loaded with options. These menus are a prominent and stunning design feature for your site, and they make it more straightforward to navigate.
WP Subscribe Pro enables you to exhibit stylish popups and Subscription boxes to cultivate your list. This plugin boasts lots of design options plus support for departure intent technology. You could also incorporate WP Subscribe Pro including MailChimp AWeber and, of course, together with the email marketing autoresponder solutions.
Since the Name implies, WP Review Guru adds any WordPress website and review performance. This lets you speed goods in style, using a selection of customisation choices and rating systems. The plugin also adds your review articles, which induces Google's wealthy snippets functionality and the schema markup. (Note: Recently featured in our very best review plugin roundup.) Free Premium Magazine WordPress Themes
MyThemeShop Pricing
With this Many competitors, how can MyThemeShop's theme and plugin prices pile up? Let us look at the product prices.
MyThemeShop Functions a level pricing structure — any theme will put you back a 59, with plugins coming at $29 each. This is a typical price for plugins and themes, and on a level with major marketplaces such as ThemeForest and CodeCanyon.
Should you Want access to its subject club, an membership account prices $167 annually. You'll get access to most of 99 topics and 20 plugins, in addition to client support and access.
Membership Is more expensive than that of some of the additional motif clubs, like ElegantThemes (from $59 annually ), TeslaThemes (from $59 a year), and ThemeIsle (from $99 a year), but more affordable compared to the likes of WooThemes (from $399 a year — update — 16th July: WooThemes.com is now under the umbrella of WooCommerce.com, using their subjects available at https://woocommerce.com/product-category/themes/), WPMU Dev (from $294 annually ), and StudioPress (from $499 a year).
Something Working in its favour, however, is the simple fact that membership licences permit the products to be used on an unlimited number of sites — which makes them perfect for salespeople and agencies. And, as mentioned, by buying the permit you also receive continuing support. (Note: We'll get into this later on in the article.)
What's More, an extended membership will also provide you with access to any new products released by MyThemeShop for the duration of your subscription.
MyThemeShop Does a pretty good job of releasing products that are new every few months — in 2015 with more than 30 releases.
In General, MyThemeShop is certainly one of the best WordPress clubs it offers an impressive assortment of topics which are renowned for their quality for an affordable price. Throw in an excellent, versatile choice of plugins and support that is ongoing, and it is not tough to see more than 300,000 customers have taken the plunge and become MyThemeShop clients.
You may Be wondering if you should purchase themes in an individual basis, or as a job lot as part of their'club' subscription. This is different.
If you Construct a lot of sites — perhaps as a service or a programmer the club membership is sure to be the most appealing option. This package will give you access to almost a hundred themes to impress your customers, plus each one comes packed with customisation options so you can tailor a site to a client's liking.
If, However, you're an individual constructing a website that is single, the decision is difficult. You'll save money by buying one theme; on the other, paying to get a club membership allows you to examine your site until you find the one that is perfect. Free Premium Magazine WordPress Themes
The Annual membership holds its own when compared to other WordPress clubs — $167 annually for 20 specialist plugins and 99 quality topics is an absolute bargain, and represents the best value!
Click Here to register up to MyThemeShop Now!


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We knew going in that starting an opera company would be a huge challenge, requiring lots of time and resources. I wish someone could have reaffirmed for us from the beginning that we really would be okay to simply trust in strong material, talented performers, and that audiences are smart and curious.
Maureen Batt and Erin Bardua are the co-artistic directors of Essential Opera, almost a guerrilla operation. With limited resources, they draw on their experiences in language studies and theatre production to create an experience that speaks to the seasoned opera-goer without alienating a general audience. They translate much of the dialogue into english themselves to convey the story, and create their own english subtitles when they sing in other languages. There are no fancy sets, which offers a creative challenge for an art form that is known for being over-the-top.
Essential Opera offers a very immediate and intimate way to experience an operatic repertoire that is well loved by singers but rarely performed to the public. They are perfect for this budding opera company that does not seem to be daunted by obvious challenge of being both the producers and the performers of their own shows.
Their 5th production next Friday, aptly titled "Two Weddings and a Funeral" featuring two one-act comic operas by Puccini and Donizetti. Check out the trailer to their show at the end of this post. We'll be running a contest to give away two tickets to their show on Monday, so stay tuned for details!
Erin/Maureen, tell us about yourself. What is your interest in opera and performing in general?
M: I started out as an instrumentalist—I didn't start private singing lessons until I was in high school. I fell in love with performing as a singer in a way that I hadn't experienced before. I didn't apply for a B. Mus. directly out of high school because I figured I was late to the singing game, and that more time would work in my favour. Instead, I studied languages at St. Thomas University, while maintaining private lessons and competing in local festivals. I knew I'd want to continue my music education, and so I went to Dal for my B. Mus and finally to University of Toronto for my M. Mus. The funny thing is, I never had a specific goal about being a certain kind of singer. I knew I loved singing, I knew I loved performing, and I wanted to keep getting better. I maintain this philosophy today. It allows me freedom among music and performance genres. And it lets me keep growing as an artist.
E: I also started out with instruments as well as with theatre as a kid. Throughout my studies of flute performance during my B. Mus. I was leaning more and more toward singing. I didn't take singing lessons until I was already in the midst of that degree, and the bug bit me right away. Fortunately, I went to a smallish school (University of Victoria) and there were many vocal opportunities on campus even for a non-voice-major. The conservatory in Victoria also offered opera and musical theatre workshops and private lessons. I've always known I wanted to make art and to perform, I just explored different musical expressions until I found the thing that spoke to me the most, which was opera. It's the combination of music and drama that gets me.
Tell us about "Essential Opera". What was the impetus that led to its creation? How has it been growing?
M: We started out by planning one show: The Marriage of Figaro. We brainstormed a company/group name, and Ludwig Design volunteered to start us up with a logo and a website. By the time we had a logo and a website, we had an opera company: Essential Opera. I distinctly remember us thinking, "We should make sure we have a name that will apply to potential future productions." We talked about other types of shows we might present, but it was very much a "just in case" or "if we survive this first show" scenario. The moment we finished the Figaro show, we found ourselves planning our next production, and we just kept going from there. I honestly can't believe we're already working on our fifth show!
Can you tell us more about "Two Weddings and a Funeral"? What kind of audience are you reaching out to?
E: I really see this as a "back to our roots" show, because Puccini and Donizetti are such standard, bread-and-butter opera composers. There really is something for everyone in this performance—such gorgeous, romantic music, on top of funny characterizations and witty plotlines. It's going to be a really fun show with a huge contrast between these two one-act comic operas. This will be a great "first" operatic experience for someone who finds the epic over-the-top stories of many popular productions overwhelming. Even for the seasoned opera-goers, Il campanello or "The Night Bell" is a rarely performed pice by Donizetti. Now that we've had a rehearsal or two, we're even more excited for everyone to see our cast's wonderful performances.
What do you see as the main challenges for performers in general, and opera performers in particular?
E: So many things come down to money and funding. I don't think anybody wants this to be true, and so many people feel awkward talking about money and how much is needed or where it's coming from, but it's a fact. Opera is particularly precarious, because it is so multi-disciplinary. In order to work within limited funds, we do a lot of juggling and prioritizing. In a way that's been good for us, because it forces us to boil each production down to the true essentials.
M: The most obvious challenge is mastering the art form; and in order to do that, you need support and resources. Another challenge is letting the world know that being a performer isn't always a labour of love; it's a job and a living. Any professional performer has experienced the highs and lows of being in this industry. The main thing is to remember why and how you got here in the first place, and to stick with it. I can't see myself doing anything else, so that's why I'm here. You just find a way to make it work.
Tell us a cool story that sums up your journey as co-artistic directors of Essential Opera thus far.
E: We've had a number of amazing little moments. At every show, someone comes up to us who thought they didn't like opera, or simply hadn't been to an opera before, saying they had a great time and plan to come back for more. That's awesome, especially when there's always some panic-monger out there saying this or that art form is dead. It's clearly not true, or we wouldn't have been able to undertake something like this with anything resembling success.
M: A woman in the audience approached us backstage just before our Threepenny show was about to start. She said she had seen Threepenny in New York in the 50s… and she hadn't had the chance to see it since. She was so excited for our production.
What words of advice do you wish you had been given when you were first starting out?
E: We knew going in that putting on an opera—never mind starting an ongoing opera company—would be a huge challenge, and take up lots of our time and require lots of resources. I think I wish someone could have reaffirmed for us from the beginning that we really would be okay to simply trust in strong material, talented performers, and that audiences are smart and curious. What we're doing is working.
M: I'm laughing as I read Erin's response. It's so true; we knew what we were getting into. We knew that it was going to be hours and hours of work and would require us to wear 20 different hats. But I have no regrets. I love what we do. And we have a great team.
Here are some trailers for their recent production of Kurt Weill's "The Threepenny Opera" and their upcoming show this Friday:


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New to Skeet
Mental Game
PictureWe have heard many times, "a picture is worth a thousand words". Also, it has been said that we learn from seeing things done and visualization aids in learning.
In shooting a moving target with a shotgun we use vision and learn what is called "the sight picture". This is what the sub-conscious mind learns so it knows when to pull the trigger. But there is much more to the picture. You might ask, how or why do I need to know more than it looks right or the correct sight picture. While this is very important and will carry you to some good scores, it is not the only picture you need to look for. Another very important picture is, where the target is in relation to the gun when you start the move with the target. This will depend on many things, such as vision, reflexes, gun weight, the strength of the shooter, hold point and look point just to mention a few. Now understand this picture of where to start the gun has a large impact on where you break the target and how fast or slow you make the shot. Where this comes into play and has one of the biggest impacts is doubles on station 4, make a fast move on the 1st target and you will make a fast move on the 2nd. Some will say "I can't shoot it that fast". What they are missing is, if they will let the target get so close to the gun before they take off the gun will be moving much faster because you are now out running the target, so you will have to pull the trigger quicker to break the target. So you don't have to hold close and take off soon which is hard to do, you can hold out and wait and really go after it which is the opposite of hurrying the 1st shot. In other words by waiting longer to move the gun makes the shot quicker.
Now back to the picture. There are many ways to learn these pictures. One way is to shoot the same shot or shots over and over, doing this by standing on a station and say shooting 100 times at one shot. But one must be careful not to teach ones self a bad way of making the shot, that is not a consistent way of doing it. In other words learn the shot picture with good basics.
I have heard shooters say "I just know in my mind what looks right, I don't really see a lead". Well if that works for you then great. The question then becomes, would you like to do better, be more consistent? If the answer is yes, then you should know all your pictures, not just it looks right or feels right. You might ask "how do I know if I know all the pictures?" The answer is really simple, can you close your eyes and replay in your mind the film or pictures of every shot on the skeet field in your head, just like watching a replay on tv. You saw the move, when it started, the lead, the break and the finish of the shot. If you have the pictures, you just need to use them. Now understand one very important fact, you cannot think about this and do it, you have to learn it and recognize it without having to think about it (the hard part of this).
Learn the pictures, make them clearer and clearer and watch your scores go up.
Hope this helps some.
Allen aka WAM


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Advert details
Advert ID: 266
Displayed: 249
Expires: 2020-01-15 14:32:00
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Whether you run a business website or sell a product online, your site will be better off with a decent FAQ page. That's where you should answer some of the most important questions you are often asked by your visitors. You can always implement a frequently asked questions page manually or use one of these plugins to do the job:
FAQ Manager: a super quality frequently asked questions plugin for WordPress. It uses custom post types and taxonomies to handle the job.
Sugar FAQs: a premium plugin for handling questions and answers. It has 9 color schemes and an AJAXified front-end submission system.
Q and A – FAQ Plugin: makes creating, categorizing, and reordering your Q/A items easy. Offers shown/hidden animation too.
WP-FAQ: provides you with a Frequently Asked Question area for your website. Text, Audio, Images, Maps, and even Video answers can be added to your page.
WordPress FAQ Plugin: a premium FAQ plugin which you can use to develop as many FAQ items as you like. You can add it to your website using a shortcode.
WP Super FAQ: adds a dynamic FAQ section to your website. It includes a FAQ shortcode and jQuery animation to show/hide each question.
Putting together a well-developed FAQ section can take a lot of time. These 6 FAQ plugins won't come up with your questions and answers for you but make adding a FAQ page to your website easy.
- 8 Ways To Start a Q&A Site with WordPress
- Start a Questions WordPress Portal with WP-Answers
- Accordion FAQ Plugin for WordPress
- Quiz Cat: WordPress Quiz Builder
- Facebook Messenger Chat with Bot Plugin for WordPress
- Start a Q&A WordPress site with Instant Q&A Theme


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Highest Performance Armv7-A Processor
The Arm Cortex-A processor series is designed for devices undertaking complex compute tasks and supporting multiple software applications. The Cortex-A17 processor offers a high-end feature set, making it suitable for smart TVs, and a variety of home consumer appliances.
Pairing with the Cortex-A7 processor in a big.LITTLE configuration provides flexibility and cost-effectiveness across applications.
Offering the highest performance for the Armv7-A software ecosystem, Cortex-A17 provides a large performance uplift over the widely adopted Cortex-A9 processor at the same clock frequency.
With similar performance to Cortex-A15 but with a 40 percent reduction in power consumption and area, Cortex-A17 is a cost-efficient processor that doesn't compromise performance.
Smartphones and Tablets
Smartphones have become the consumer's portal to services and capabilities. High performance combined with energy-efficient processors lead the way for the next wave of innovation, expanding the mobile experiences into PCs for even more productivity and longer battery life.
Smart TVs
The increase in streaming movies, online gaming, and social media via the TV places growing demands on processing. Cortex-A17 is designed to improve energy efficiency and performance in this and other high-demand consumer appliances.
Find out how Cortex-A17 can increase the efficiency of your applications.
The Arm Mali-450 is the second Arm Mali ultra-low power GPU built on the Utgard architecture. It introduces double the scalability of the very popular Mali-400 GPU to address a broader range of performance points and use cases.
CoreLink GIC-400
The GIC-400 works with Armv7 processors to perform critical tasks of interrupt management, prioritization, and routing.
CoreLink NIC-450
CoreLink NIC-450 Network Interconnect is a library of highly configurable and multi-power domain tools. It is a bundle of key interconnect IP that enables you to build a scalable and configurable network interconnect.
Arm-based chips, device architectures, and technologies orchestrate the performance of everything that makes modern life possible — from smartphones to agricultural sensors and from medical instruments to servers.
Armv7-A Architecture
The Armv7-A architecture introduced the concept of architecture profiles. It implements a traditional Arm architecture with multiple modes, supports a virtual memory system architecture (VMSA) based on a memory management unit (MMU), and supports the Arm (A32) and Thumb (T32) instruction sets.
Arm big.LITTLE technology is a heterogeneous processing architecture that uses two types of processor. 'LITTLE' processors are designed for maximum power efficiency, while 'big' processors are designed to provide maximum compute performance.
Arm TrustZone technology provides system-wide hardware isolation for trusted software. The family of TrustZone technologies integrates into any Arm Cortex-A core, supporting high-performance applications processors.
Cortex-A17 Resources
Everything you need to know to make the right decision for your project. Includes technical documentation, industry insights, and where to go for expert advice.
Industry News