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It was early noon in the city of Watford, and the weather was uncharacteristically sunny. The ever-swirling dark clouds of the Iris were visible on the horizon if one were to look towards the sea, but the sky overhead was as clear as a summer's dream. The city itself was incredibly quiet despite the good weather, with only a handful of people that could be seen roaming the streets. Such a thing would seem strange in most civilized places, but Watford had its own rhythm to it. The hard-working citizens were already out tending the fields or fishing with their boats, and the less reputable ones were just now waking up from various nightly activities.
Long story short, Watford's midday was almost as quiet as the rest of the world's midnights. However, that was only under normal circumstances. And today was a very special day indeed.
A series of massive explosions rocked the snoozing city, all of them centered around the floating slum known as the Fish Farm. Nearly twenty shacks, buildings and ships went up in a deluge of flame and smoke as a result of the simultaneous detonations. Various forms of water-based magic were called upon to quell the fires as confused and bewildered people began pouring out of their houses. Hurried footsteps ran up and down the web-like piers as the locals tried to sort out this mess.
However, the ones that were trying to sort it out the most were not exactly 'locals.'
"What in Teresa's tits happened here?!"
A man in a hooded blue robe was pulling one of his colleagues out of the water while their ship continued to slowly but surely sink into the bay just a few meters away.
"Koff! Koff! We- Koff! We're under attack, sir!" replied the soaked man as he coughed up seawater.
"Shit, it finally happened," cursed Hook in a low grumble. "Sorry about this, but time is of the essence."
The bald Psionic then reached out and grasped the grunt's head with both hands.
"Mind Vision!"
A series of images flashed before Hook's eyes as they relayed the events of the past few minutes. He saw the man he was holding standing guard at the pier under the guise of a sailor with a terrible hangover. He saw a stumbling lanky figure trudge down the pier and head towards the guard. The man did his duty and headed him off to turn him away, intending to warn him this was no place for homeless bums.
However, when he tried to do so, the stranger suddenly lunged at him, his arm extending forward unnaturally. In a show of strength, speed and ability that no common pauper would ever have, the intruder punched the man in the head before he could react, sending him flying off the pier. The guard rose to the surface just in time to see this intruder barrel through three of his other comrades and wiggle his way into the ship's lower decks through one of its gun ports. The ship exploded seconds later through unknown means, peppering the area with burning debris. The 'witness' Hook was 'interrogating' took a bad blow to the head from a stray piece of wreckage, forcing him back underwater with a definite concussion. Fortunately he was of a sufficiently high Level, otherwise when Hook showed up to pull him out shortly afterwards, he would've only found a corpse.
The Psionic let go of the screaming man's head and turned his attention to the other smoke trails in the sky. There were quite a few of them already and they kept increasing as the rest of the city was experiencing belated detonations. Based on their relative positions and the information ripped out of the grunt's mind, Hook was able to instantly determine four things.
One - they were indeed under attack, as all seven of the Gilded Hand's mobile bases appeared to have been hit. Two - Edward was right in that they had a mole among them, since they had only transferred their operations to this floating shanty town relatively recently. Three - the enemy was a shapeshifter of considerable Level, whose true identity was most likely the Sandman that stopped them from taking Nao Shoki. Fourth and perhaps worst of all - this opponent was not working alone. Though this seemed like an obvious conclusion given the coordinated nature of this assault, there was also the matter of the anomalous reading on Hook's Psychic Radar. The one that was rapidly closing in on him from behind and below.
Something shot out of the sea like a missile, flying squarely at Hook's center of mass. The Psionic had just enough time to ready his defenses, making the mass of pink goo splash against his invisible barrier. Stain rapidly reformed herself next to her target, giggling obscenely to herself as she did so. One look at her twisted open-mouthed smile and the gelatinous tongue-like tendril that wiggled out of it made it abundantly clear she wished to do unspeakable things to Hook.
"Force Wall!"
The Psionic didn't wait for her to say anything and immediately countered with a Spell. True to its name, an invisible wall smashed into the pink slime, dealing minimal damage but throwing her off the pier and into the sea. A jet of highly pressurized water clashed into Hook's defensive barrier from the side, prompting him to turn his head and spot another Stain bearing down on him as she bobbed along the surface of the water. He looked around and realized there were two more of them, one of whom had climbed onto the pier and was blocking his escape path.
He then realized why his Psychic Radar was giving him mixed signals - it was because the same entity was attempting to encircle him from all sides. He wasn't sure how it was possible, but he was now certain these queen slimes all shared one mind. He didn't need to be a mind-reader to tell that though, given how they were moving in perfect unison with that same disturbing look on all of their faces. The fact that these slimes had faces at all was another matter entirely, as it betrayed both personality and intelligence - the signs of a truly dangerous monster.
A more pressing concern, however, was the fact that this battlefield was extremely unfavorable for Hook. Slimes were very good at using fluids to both attack and defend and this bunch had an entire sea to work with. Normally he would be able to mind-rape the thing into oblivion, but the overwhelming psychic pressure he was feeling made him rapidly give up on that idea. Deciding this was not the place to pick a fight with this thing, Hook rapidly retreated into the air.
"Come back here!" cried out all four Stains. "You've been naughty and need to be- *SSSLURP* -punished!"
"I'll pass, thanks!"
Several more Water Slicers whistled past Hook, but they were not enough to stop him from retreating towards the fallback point. As he flew he noticed something gleaming in the sunlight in front of him. Something transparent, about ten centimeters in diameter and shaped like a twelve-sided die. An arrow pierced the Spell Crystal before he could identify the object as such, shattering it and releasing the magic stored inside. Hook reflexively tried to change course, but the remotely delivered Momentum Anomaly had already enveloped him.
With his weight amplified in proportion to his speed, the Psionic found himself plummeting towards the ground and crashing into a shack hard enough to completely flatten it. His barrier absorbed much of the impact, but it still took him a few seconds to rise to his feet and dig himself out of the wreckage. It was then he spotted the man- no, the thing that had shot him down. A pedestrian - likely another shapeshifter in disguise - was standing on top of a nearby roof and aiming a wooden longbow right at his face.
Before the creature could let loose its arrow, however, it got a telepathic status update about an inbound threat. It leaped from its position just as Zone's full force blow came down on it. She missed her target, but hit the roof of the house it was standing on, demolishing it in the process. Hook thought to call out to her, but the manic, broken grin on her face gave him pause. Seeing that was so bizarre that it made him doubt whether it was actually her, but the force and zealotry with which she swung that deceptively heavy staff left no doubt she was the real thing. She was without a doubt their most powerful fighter, so she could easily eliminate that thing on her own with a bit of luck. Then again, Lady Luck was a two-timing slut, and Hook knew better than to trust her, so he flew upwards with the intent of helping her catch and kill the retreating shapeshifter.
Once he gained some altitude, however, Hook's ears picked up a distinct eagle-like cry coming from the heart of the city. He immediately recognized it as one of Bandit's royal griffins. They only raised such a ruckus while in combat, implying that place was under attack as well. Hook didn't know what to do or where he was needed most, so he took a moment to compose himself and think. It was times like these that communication was of vital importance, meaning the thing he should be doing right now was establishing a telepathic link between himself and the rest of the Gilded Hand's top brass.
"This is Hook, can everyone hear me!?" he shouted inside his head.
"About damn time!" growled a frustrated Edward. "What took you so long?!"
"I had company, monster company."
"You're not the only one, ya cloaked baldy!" complained Bandit. "I need backup right away, some invisible spider-freak and a weird mithril golem are assaulting Puff and Fluffles!"
Although the names were cutesy, the beasts they represented were anything but. 'Puff and Fluffles' were the two royal griffins that helped cover the Gilded Hand's retreat from Azurvale by running interference against the Republic's VIPs. They did this by targeting the affluent party-goers with their innate magical abilities, forcing the adventurers on the defensive. They'd have definitely been wiped out in a straight up fight, as evidenced by how the one called Dolly didn't make it back from that botched mission. Her surviving brothers had been kept in the aerie atop the local Lord-Mayor's castle without the fool being aware they were not 'his' griffins, so it was likely that was where they were currently fighting.
As for Bandit's other three, more common flying beasts, they were likely heavily injured from the mass bombing. They would've been inside the cargo holds of the largest ships, right next to the blast powder and ammunition stocks for the cannons. Those supplies likely caused secondary explosions following the initial ones, and the griffins would've taken the brunt of them. They probably survived since Bandit's Monster Tamer Skills were toughening them up, but it would take time for them to return to their master. The vessels themselves were a completely lost cause, however. They were designed and magically reinforced to take all manner of blows from the outside, but getting blasted apart from within was, to put it mildly, not covered by their warranty.
"He's not the only one in trouble!" Question chimed in. "Edge and I are being attacked by that red-skinned fiend and her master! We have some backup with us, but they're dying like flies!"
"Reporting that I am currently in pursuit of Boxxy T. Morningwood?" said Zone with more than a hint of confusion in her voice.
"What?! Then who the fuck is the guy on our end?"
"I saw a different shapeshifter enter one of our ships, it went up in smoke with it still inside. I think it's safe to assume there's quite a few of them running around."
Hook saying 'he saw' something was perhaps not exactly accurate since he was reporting on another's pilfered memories, but the situation demanded he keep things simple.
"Not necessarily," Edward's voice came in. "Our target was confirmed to be a doppelganger variant, and those things have a Skill that allows them to make body doubles out of thin air. They're inferior copies that only last a few minutes, but they make the perfect suicide bombers. Especially if they're carrying Artificer-made weapons. Zone, the one you're chasing is likely another fake trying to waste your time."
"… I see."
The Monk had said only two words, and although they 'sounded' calm, the animosity attached to that thought was impossible to hide.
"Be warned, we have another enemy in the field," Hook reported. "I was also attacked by a strange queen slime variant, likely an accomplice of the Sandman's. She's pink, controls multiple bodies and likely holds some mind-based abilities, so do not engage her unless I'm around."
"Understood. Mist, open up a Gate to let Edge and Question fall back to your position, then regroup at Bandit's location with the rest of us," Edward ordered. "We need to work together if we're going to salvage this disaster, and those griffins are far too valuable to abandon."
The former Spymaster could run away here and now, but abandoning his most valuable allies and assets like that was not much of an option. The Gilded Hand's resources and influence were already strained after that debacle at Azurvale, so losing Watford would likely render them physically unable to make any sort of major power play in the foreseeable future. Not to mention it would also destroy their reputation as the Empire's bogeymen, making coercion and intimidation that much more difficult. In short, turning tail at this juncture would permanently cripple the Gilded Hand, so Edward's troupe really had no choice but to fight.
There was also the matter of the old spy's professional pride being injured as a result of clearly being outplayed by a rival organization, though that did not factor into his judgement.
"If you say so," responded the old man. "Question, where you at?"
"We're coming up on the corner of Elm Street and Hickory Boulevard, open it up there!"
"Got it, be ready!"
A circular spatial anomaly opened up directly in front of the retreating Gilded Hand officers, allowing Edge, Question and two of their subordinates to escape through it. The portal closed immediately afterwards, but not before their pursuers managed to throw a metal canister through it. The object bounces off the nearby stone wall and fell to the ground with a clatter, only to have a massive armored boot stomp it flat. There's a muffled bang, followed by a loud hissing and an unsavory-looking dark green fluid that spread across the floor. The foot was lifted, revealing that the liquid in question was a virulent acid that was currently busy eating its way through the wooden floorboards.
"Tsk. Just had that carpet replaced," grumbled Mist. "Oh well. Nice work, Bloknalthoz."
The demon in question snorted once in response as he returned to his station near the room's only entrance. He was as big and as intimidating as fiends got, standing at nearly three meters tall when he stood upright. His skin was dark red and his hair and eyes a fiery yellow. He had a massive underbite, making his wide face look rather dumb. He had three pairs of silver-plated horns poking out of his head. The rest of his humanoid body was as wide and well-muscled as one would expect from a fiend, though only the left half of it was covered by armor. The handle of a massive greataxe poked over his shoulder, while his left forearm had a shield-like vambrace affixed to it.
"So. Question. Care to explain what happened out there?"
"We got fucked is what happened," the blond man replied. "The ship we were on went up like a bonfire. Luckily the two of us were on the deck so we mostly just got tossed around, but then that monster gave chase to us."
"The real one?"
"I would certainly hope so. If that was just a body double, then we don't stand a chance against the real thing."
"Hrmm… What's up with the girl? Is she okay?"
Edge was currently collapsed on her knees, panting heavily and trembling while hugging her own shoulders. She was also mumbling some barely audible yet clearly incoherent gibberish.
"She will be in a bit. She got hit with a Delirium Spell just before we got away."
And true to Question's word, the half-elf assassin's breathing and demeanor calmed down significantly after a few seconds. However, it was clear she was still shaken. Even though the physical injuries from her first 'meeting' with the Sandman were healed, her mind still bore a nasty scar. It just went to show that monster was very proficient at using fear as a weapon, both through magical means and psychological warfare.
"I'll be fine," she said after noticing the others' gazes. "By the way, Question, how long are you going to maintain those constructs of yours?"
"Oh, right."
The blond man waved his hand at the two Gilded Hand foot soldiers, only to have them disappear into a cloud of sparkling particles. The real foot soldiers were already sacrificed to help the officers escape, so these two were merely imitations conjured by Question. The man was a Lightbinder by trade, a rare breed of magic user that, as the name implied, focused on the manipulation of the light element. The Job's strong points were its use of sturdy barriers, realistic illusions and constructs of solid light called Lightborn Guardians to support one's allies. It had some purely offensive magic too, but Question was never much of a fighter. The main reason he even had the Job was for its exceptional clairvoyance and scrying magic, which he needed to fulfil his duty as a strategist and coordinator. He was no stranger to combat, but the most he could do during that shameful retreat was provide cover and stall for time while he and Edge ran for their lives.
"I have some old gear and supplies in the wardrobe over there," said Mist while nodding his head towards a corner of the dark room. "Suit up and get ready, we need to rejoin the others as soon as possible."
The other two looked at each other as if only just realized they were wearing plain civilian clothing. Well, the boat where they were keeping all their stuff got slightly blown to pieces, so they didn't exactly have a chance to grab anything of use. The duo therefore gladly took Mist up on his offer and opened up the wardrobe, though they paused for a moment when they realized the 'old gear' was a bunch of blue Gilded Hand uniforms. They even had the gold-colored palm-print insignia on them.
"Beggars can't be choosers," grumbled the wrinkled old man. "I don't particularly want to be wearing this old thing either, but it's high-quality gear nonetheless."
He patted his chest for emphasis, and only then did the younger ones realize he was already wearing his 'official' robes. Not only that, but the gold-plated staff he was using as a walking stick had a bunch of Imperial heraldry on it. It was like shouting to the entire world which organization he belonged to, which was less than ideal considering the Gilded Hand's status as outlaws. Edge and Question ultimately had very little choice in the matter, however, so they grit their teeth and donned the incriminating equipment over the course of the next few minutes.
"Where are we anyway?" the younger man asked as he looked around the dimly lit room. "I don't recall seeing this place before."
"It's an old tower of mine, from before your time. I teleported here when I heard the city was under attack."
"I mean, like, geographically."
"Ah. It's actually the old lighthouse just east of Watford."
"I see, that's good. In that case I will remain here so I can observe the fight remotely and coordinate everyone through Hook's telepathy."
"What, chickening out already?" Edge sneered.
"Exactly. I'm useless when it comes to high-Level combat, after all. I'd only be dead weight if I showed up in front of that incomprehensible monster."
"That's not something to be proud about, you know."
"We're short on time, we need to go," Mist called out. "We'll be porting into a hot zone, so be ready to come out swinging. The enemy has a stalker so we need to get through the Gate as soon as possible and close it behind us. Bloknalthoz, you take point."
The fiend in the corner grunted in response and gripped his greataxe with both hands. He lowered his stance as if he was ready to dash, with Edge and his master taking position behind him. After briefly coordinating with Bandit through Hook's telepathy, Mist threw open the Gate and the trio dashed through immediately. They found themselves in a flower garden that had been ravaged by combat. The tall stone walls around them and the imposing keep at their backs made it abundantly clear they were inside Watford's castle grounds.
They didn't get much of a chance to sightsee, however, as one of the royal griffons was rolling around on the ground while the other was fighting a short mithril golem. Both of them had their wings webbed up, and Bandit could be seen riding the second one's back, trying and failing to cut the magical thread. Edge immediately went for the one that looked like it was playing in the dirt and expertly kicked off the barely visible webstalker that had been crawling all over it.
Drea fell off the massive beast's feathery mane and landed on the ground with a short roll. She hissed aggressively at the half elf, but an axe swing by Bloknalthoz made her fall back. Over with the griffin called Fluffles, the monster was trying to use the armored talons on its forelegs and its mighty beak to swat its much smaller opponent. However, Fizzy was a hard target to pin down. Parallel Plot and Engine of Destruction were already running on full blast, allowing her to focus on dodging. At the same time, Plus was keeping her healed and Minus was using Geomagnetic Grip to slam her wrench into the griffin's hide over and over.
"Freezing Beam!"
This was where Mist was allowed to strut his stuff, blasting away at the mithril construct with its elemental Bane. He hit her from a blind spot, causing Fizzy to quite literally freeze in her tracks. It didn't last long though, as the ridiculous amount of heat coming off her body freed her from her icy shackles almost immediately. She then used Lightning Warp to dodge another Freezing Beam while simultaneously returning fire with her Magitech Cannon.
Her bright blue shot splashed against Mist's Mana Shield, dealing no damage but successfully obscuring his view. She used this opportunity to throw a Basilisk Flashbang, hoping to temporarily disable the troublesome magic user. Yet the old man was able to expertly launch the explosive device far into the distance with a blind Air Hammer, thanks to Question's voice in the back of his head giving him directions.
As for where that explosive even came from, it would appear the golem was actually using a magic item, a leather belt with about a dozen large circular crystals built into it. Boxxy had loaned her the use of Aethereal Repository #3, an Artifact-grade belt that had almost identical functions to its Storage Skill, and was currently filled to the brim with bombs and devices. And yes, it was technically a belt, even though the way Fizzy was wearing it made it look more like a bandolier.
More Gilded Hand reinforcements showed up almost immediately afterwards, as Zone flew in and tried to smash the golem in a fly-by strike.
"Shield Wall!"
However, the Champion of Chaos had seen this attack coming and was able to counter it with a Martial Art. The Monk's metal staff smashed against her glowing shield, causing much of the force behind it to be neutralized. At the same time it also allowed the powerful electric charge permeating Fizzy's body to travel up it, shocking the Monk and making her pull away. Meanwhile Mist had tried to skewer her with a spear-shaped piece of magic ice, but Drea leaped in and took it instead, her Cold Affinity completely neutralizing the damage.
While this was all going on, the dapper-looking gentleman called Bandit had managed to free one of his pets from the webs limiting its movement. He had taken it over to the other one, where Mist, Edge and the axe-wielding fiend currently were. There was a shrill cry from the sky as one of Bandit's missing griffons crashed into the courtyard while burning heavily. The fact that it still clung to life in spite of all the punishment it had suffered both during and after the initial bombing was nothing short of a miracle.
One that was quickly rectified out by a Meteor smashing into it for a direct hit, finishing it off. The resulting rush of flames, hot air and smoke put the ground battle to a pause as Xera descended from the sky with a wicked grin on her face.
"You know, I always wondered whether those things burned good, what with all those feathers," she said calmly. "I give it a seven out of ten."
"Took you long enough!" Fizzy complained. "Where's Boxxy?"
"Master and that pea-brain are on their way. They should be here any moment."
What followed was a brief moment of calm as both sides waited for their allies to arrive. Boxxy and Kora showed up by leaping over the wall, while Stain burst out of a nearby drainage grate. Meanwhile Hook finally flew in to take part in the battle personally, standing side by side with the rest of the Gilded Hand.
It was thus that the proverbial line in the sand was drawn. On one side stood Boxxy, in a slightly more compact version of its Sandman persona. Kora was standing resolutely in front of it, ready to take any sort of attack that came their way. Xera floated overhead while Fizzy and Stain stood on either side of the shapeshifter. Drea was nowhere to be seen, but then again, that was only to be expected.
Standing opposite them, the Gilded Hand assumed a similar formation. Bloknalthoz took point, shielding both Hook and Mist with his massive body. Edge was standing a bit off to the side in a crouching position, her body coiled at ready to snap like a spring. Zone spread her wings and took to the air, staring hungrily at the Mimic on the other side of the smoldering crater between them. Bandit was standing shoulder to shoulder with his half-elf niece, sword in one hand, buckler in the other, and his now freed royal griffins flanking either side of this group of war criminals.
"Come on out, Edward!" Boxxy shouted, its voice deep and booming. "Or would you rather just watch as we butcher your precious followers?!"
"Dear oh me, I guess I can't just take that threat lightly now, can I?"
Much to everyone's surprise, the former Spymaster of the Empire strode out from behind one of the massive griffins like he had always been there.
"How did you know he was here?" Fizzy whispered.
"Lucky guess," the Mimic whispered back.
Edward, on the other hand, had clearly been expecting this sort of development, as his equipment was the same blue uniform he had when he first 'met' Boxxy. Not because of nostalgia or symbolism or anything. Much like Mist had said, this was some of the best gear the Gilded Hand had at their disposal. Which was probably why Hook and Bandit were also wearing their respective blue-tinted uniforms. It was also the group's way of saying the time for hiding was over, and that the time to fight was now.
"What is it you hope to achieve here, you naive little box?" Edward shouted as he stood besides Bloknalthoz. "Is it vengeance you seek? Justice, perhaps? Or did the twigs just buy you off like a common sellsword?"
"And since when did monsters need a reason to do what we do?"
"Precisely. Since when did monsters need reasons to ally with one another? Since when did monsters need reason to pointlessly risk their lives for a bunch of elves? Do you honestly expect that the slime and golem over there will not stab you in the back when the opportunity presented itself."
"Betrayal is a purely human problem," Boxxy countered. "Us monsters expect treachery at every turn, so we're ready for it. You enlightened idiots are the ones that choose to foolishly trust one another and leave yourselves exposed to it. In fact, why don't I let my companion here demonstrate. Stain, if you will."
The queen slime slithered forward, her face bearing a twisted smile that was quivering with excitement. This put the entire Gilded Hand group on guard, as Hook had already warned them she seemed like a powerful mind magic user. Still, between himself and Mist, he was confident they could repel whatever Domination Spell she threw at them. What he didn't account for, however, was that the mindfuckery he was on the lookout for had already taken place.
Because even the Foundation's spy had no idea of their own treacherous identity.
"Would you kindly kill Bandit, my dear girl?"
No sooner did those words leave Stain's mouth that Edge's serrated dagger found itself lodged underneath her uncle's jaw and driven halfway through his skull in a single motion. Hook immediately reacted and pushed her off him with a telekinetic blast, but it was already too late. The Monster Tamer fell backwards, his body limp, and his heart making its final beat.
It was thus that a showdown nearly a year in the making truly kicked off.
Not with a bang, or a whimper, but with the thud of a dead body hitting the ground.
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Bio: I'm a programmer, a mythical creature that survives completely on beer and cynicism. We skulk in the dark, secretly cursing and despising everyone else. Especially other programmers.


text:
Ethics Committee Discusses Possible Oversight Models
By: Todd Spitzer, Chairman of the O.C. Board of Supervisors
Bill Mitchell and Shirley Grindle present to the Ethics Committee. Pictured are Second District Committee Member Joel Angeles, Chairman and Third District Representative Chris Nguyen, Fourth District Committee Member Denis Bilodeau, and Vice Chair and First District Representative Brian Probolsky
The Board of Supervisors' Ethics Committee held its first meeting on Tuesday, July 28th, second meeting on Thursday, August 6th, third meeting on Tuesday, August 11th and fourth meeting on Tuesday, August 18. At Chairman Spitzer's request, the committee was formed to discuss possible ethics oversight models and bring recommendations to the Board on the formation of an Ethics Commission. Continue reading

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Fundamentals Repairs and Maintenance in a Log Home
There's always a need for repairs and maintenance for every home that is created from wood. Care or maintenance is very vital for you to minimize any future expenses of your own log home, and perhaps you can even prevent any damages. Like any wooden houses they all expresses charm, peacefulness, and warmth to people. In order to preserve that charm, you need to know the basics guidelines in repair and maintenance of a log home.
Tip 1#
You need to be organized whenever you are dealing with the log upkeep. Securing the best schedules of every upkeep you can be sure that your log home is well treated and handled. Practically speaking scheduling each maintenance is very important especially to these kind of residences, which are really prone to weather deterioration. And also continue monitoring of the state of the logs and quickly deal with the problems before it gets worst.
Tip 2#
Let us say you lack the prior knowledge on how to examine your log home or maybe you don't have spare time to execute each scheduled maintenance, then perhaps hiring a professional might to the job for you. If ever you might find yourself confused on how to perform a repair but still forced to do it because it is needed, at that moment you need professional supervision in order to for you to execute properly the repairs and maintenance. For starters you might need a yearlong supervision from professional but after that period of time you can be confident that you can perform all the repairs and upkeep needed on your log home. And also if ever you have confusions or things that you don't understand, well you can personally ask the professional supervising you.
Guide 3#
There are a lot of things are complicated than you thought it would, especially when it comes to log home repairs and maintenance. Well in fact we humans have this instinctive respond to problems we promptly act to repair it, however, we it come to log home repairs you need more than prompt respond, you need skills. Like any simple and easily maintenance or repair tasks, it would be easy for any homeowner to perform them all, but, in a case that the problem is quite too complicated and hard I would advise that you would let the professionals handle it.
To sum it up, if ever you fully understand what you are doing well there's no reason to why you should not repair your log home. Put this in mind that our home is one of the biggest investment in our lives, which is why you should take care of it.
Why No One Talks About Repairs Anymore


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By David Joel Miller, MS, Licensed Therapist & Licensed Counselor.
If things are bad keep moving.
Recovery is about the future and the process of getting where you want to be.
When things are at their worse don't look down, don't look back, keep looking forward.
If right now things in your life look bad and you are tempted to give up, keep reminding yourself that your future is more important than your past. No matter how bad things may look from where you're standing recovery is possible.
Whatever your issue, an emotional problem, an addiction or a severe mental illness, you should know that lots of others have had that problem or similar ones, and they have moved from being in the problem to being in the solution.
When things are bad it is easy to look down and see where you are and feel stuck in this terrible situation. You may be telling yourself that things "can't" get better or that they will "always" be this way for you. You may feel that you are somehow different or that your issues are unique and that others are not having to struggle with the things you have to cope with.
The reality of this situation is that lots of people struggle with issues every day. Some stay stuck in the problem and some keep moving and eventually things change. The way of things is to change. People, on the other hand, they have to work at changing themselves.
We all have pasts. Some people's pasts are a whole lot worse than others. Your past may have determined who you are today. It made you the person you are. It does not have to determine the person you become.
Whether you are 16 or 86, you can spend the rest of your life looking back over your shoulder at your past and wishing it had been different. But looking over that shoulder and saying, because a particular thing happened to you, nothing better can ever be, that keeps you stuck in the pain.
Embrace the future. Believe that change is possible. Change starts with changing you. Do new things if you want a new result. Keep your eyes focused down the road on where you want to go and see where the path of life might take you.
Without a dream, a vision of the future life can be a nightmare.
If you feel stuck look for some help. Here are some suggestions for getting that help.
Develop a support system
Getting help
Professional help.
12 step or other self-help groups.
Just because you have been in a bad place in the past does not mean your future is set in stone. There are no guarantees but people who keep moving towards recovery get a lot farther than those who give up and stay stuck in the past.
When you are living in the past you have no future. Where would you like your road of recovery to take you?
Staying connected with David Joel Miller
Two David Joel Miller Books are available now!
Bumps on the Road of Life. Whether you struggle with anxiety, depression, low motivation, or addiction, you can recover. Bumps on the Road of Life is the story of how people get off track and how to get your life out of the ditch.
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Registration for online summer course 2020Places are limited for each section, so sign up early. Register for online course
Due to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the onsite Medieval Music Course of Besalú 2020 has been transformed into an ONLINE summer program. This new course has been created to ensure that we can keep providing the best possible medieval music learning experience taking into consideration the mobility limitations that might still be in place during the month of July in Spain, Europe, and the rest of the world.
In 2020, The International Course of Medieval Music Performance of Besalú will explore the music composed and performed in Paris between 1100 and 1300. This will include trouvère and clerical songs and dances, monophonic and polyphonic conductus, and the great organum of Notre Dame, in addition to the study of vocal and instrumental improvisation in the Parisian style and the specific use of musical instruments in the city and its repertoires.
One Online Course, 5 Options
MMB Online 2020 offers 5 different possibilities of studying medieval Parisian music:
- a deep musicological-performative study of medieval Parisian repertoires,
- a one-on-one study of medieval singing/musical instruments,
- a combination of the previous two options,
- a combination of a theoretical-practical class with individual lessons, and
- a musical instrument making workshop. In four of the options students will participate in at least one Online Performance Project.
In four of the options students will participate in at least one Online Performance Project.
Course Methodology
- Survey, discussion, and study of original music sources (from our online library)
- Study of medieval music theory
- Examination of medieval notation and different rhythmic theories
- Poetic-musical analysis of compositions
- Scrutiny of data extrapolated from music and poetic treatises and iconographic sources
- Discussion of modern musicological approachesExploration about musical instruments and their role in song
- Construction of a musical instrument
Manuscript to Performance Course
This course, composed of three different modules, concentrates on the study of the medieval Parisian monophonic and polyphonic repertoire and their performance. The different classes are composed of online lessons and tutorials, use of downloadable resources, assignments, and the Online Performance Project: Singing the Viderunt Omnes of Perotin.
One-on-One Voice/Instrument Lessons
Participants will receive individual lessons on medieval singing or on the instrument of their choice. The classes will be conducted online through video lessons and tutorials. A piece will be coached to be performed in the Online Performance Project: Singing and Playing the Parisian Dance Song.
Manuscript to Performance + One-on-One Voice/Instrument Lessons
With this package, participants will learn about medieval Parisian repertoires in conjunction with the study of medieval singing or instrument techniques. Students will also participate in the Online Performance Projects: "Singing the Viderunt Omnes of Perotin" and "Singing and Playing the Parisian Dance Song".
The Monophonic Repertoires of Medieval Paris + One-on-One Voice/Instrument Lessons
This package combines a theoretical-practical class with individual voice or instrument lessons. Participants focusing on singing or an instrument will acquire background on the Parisian monophonic repertoires and their performance practice. Students will also participate in the Online Performance Project: Singing and Playing the Parisian Dance Song.
Musical Instrument Making Workshop
This online workshop gives you the possibility of building in your own workshop or home one of the instruments offered in the course. The options are a 12-string Romanesque harp, 4-string Guittern, or 3-string Vielle. The pre-cut parts of the instrument will be sent to the participant and the instructor will guide the assembly of the instrument through a series of video lessons (both recorded and live) run throughout the month of July 2020.


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Aging in Place; Stuck without Options
"Aging in place" is identified as not having to move from one's present residence in order to secure necessary support services in response to changing need. It means having a safe, accessible and comfortable home to live in as your body and mind age. Accessibility does not limit itself to no-barrier entry, wide doorways and lack of stairs. A huge component of accessibility has to do with independent and public options to get to/from your barrier-free home. Suburb lovers, listen up.
I'm sure that's not what your parents meant when they said they envision aging in place. Being stuck within four walls of their home is not as glamorous of a life as they have imagined. But that is exactly what more than 56% of soon-to-be 65-year-olds will be facing, if we don't address the transportation component of "aging in place".
Suburbia living has been creating solely on the assumption that every family member would operate or have access to an automobile. If you remove the vehicle from the equation, you are left with a very scary scenario of the largest part of the American population no longer having access to the basic amenities like groceries, pharmacies, clinics. What we need now is an influx of public transportation solutions to provide, for many the only, way to move around.
"The analysis by the Center for Neighborhood Technology evaluates metro areas within each of five size categories. It shows that in just four years, 90 percent of seniors in metro Atlanta will live in neighborhoods with poor access to options other than driving, the worst ranking among metro areas with populations over 3 million."
Accessibility by foot is also crucial and often forgotten about. Many suburban neighborhoods have been poorly designed and do not provide a safe and walking-friendly environment. Walking here relates not only to getting to places, but also safe exercise and fitness outlet. No sidewalk, no walk.
"In the last 15 years, more than 76,000 Americans have been killed while crossing or walking along a street in their community."
For many decades, public transportation has been viewed as the poor class way to commute from here to there. The stigma against bus systems, neighborhood connecting street car or rail system, has moved this society to the tip of inefficiency, which everyone will soon be paying for. Unless we choose to do something about it…now.
For more information on the dangers of poorly connected and developed suburban neighborhood and aging , download the Transportation for American study.
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Meet Golden Valley Firefighter Gregg Prest
At the time he signed up to be an on-call firefighter, Gregg Prest had three young children and some doubts. As the years went by, those doubts vanished. "It was probably one of the best decisions I've made for what I've done with my life," he says.
A small business owner and an occasional mountain climber, Prest is no stranger to adventurous living. But becoming a firefighter, he says, was just a straightforward practical choice. Looking back, he's glad he confronted his initial doubts.
"The Fire Department introduced me to a circle of friends I wouldn't have met otherwise, and the physical elements have kept me sharp," he explains. "It forced me to stay fit and young."


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If you need a replacement PianoDisc pedal solenoid driver board (circuit board) for a PianoDisc player system, we may have what you are looking for. Please note the image is for reference only. We may have different versions available. Contact us for more information.
Type, price and condition will vary.


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Since I did my first series of HDR images at Dusk I've been more than a little intrigued by how it can go either very impressionistic and surreal to very literal. Tonight I broke down and went down to an old Gas Station dating back to Monrovia's Route 66 Days. The station has been there since Monrovia had an airfield in the 1920's. It is a bit of history that remains and I figured this might be a good time to document it and experiment with the HDR.
In a bit of a flight of fancy I shot this wanting to blend in the real and surreal. For you techy kinds I shot it RAW, Average metering with an f8 Average value and ISO 400. The trusty 38-200 lense was used at a focal length of 50mm with shutter speeds of 3.2, 8 and 13 seconds. I used Photomatix Tonemapping for the HDR generation. I then finished it up with CS2 and the Virtual Photographer plug-in after it was converted down to 8bit jpeg. Then....I took that monster file and print down to 72 bit in a final size to fit better here which means a lot of subtle detail is lost...but blah blah blah...you get the idea.
Enjoy "Shamrock Gas" with the promise of more from tonights shoot to follow.


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August Screening
Monthly Screenings
Screening Room
Outdoor Movies
Watch Party
Film Groups
The Barrel and Crate
Short Films
The Underground Cinema Short Film Awards are now going in to their 11th year. From January 2020 through to September 2020 Underground Cinema will once again begin screening on a monthly basis a selection of some of the best independent short films and music videos from filmmakers from around the globe. Would you like to submit your film? Click on the button below to learn more.
Lovely festival, great communication from the start and really well organised.
They really care about the filmmakers and respect their projects.
Teresa Lavina
Documentary Maker
Great festival. Selected films are eligible for nomination at an annual awards event, which is going from strength to strength. Has become a major fixture on the Irish film calendar.
Amy Joyce Hastings
Fantastic film festival. A really special event. The monthly screening bring together loads of film makers and is a great chance to network. The awards night is just fantastic. Brilliantly ran.
Emmet Kelly
Writer & Director
They really support independent filmmakers and do this out of a genuine love for film and great stories. If you are looking for a festival to submit your work to, then this is a must!
Dave Thomas
Remarkable talent spotters, champions of raw ambition. this team is at the heart of a revolution. The revolution will not be televised but it will be screened at Underground Cinema.
Terry McMahon


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When I was a little girl, I always dreamed about marrying a rich man so that way I could spend my days working alongside poor people. I had no idea how God was going to answer that question ... but after 60 years of religious life, I think the Lord is opening that door.
When we started turning the Bakery into a viable small business a few years ago, I took our first $100 dollars of profit and bought shoes for children in the local area. How delighted they were when the shoes were delivered! The smiles on their faces left an imprint on my heart.
In 2017, I was on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and the Lord reminded of my childhood dream while I was walking through the those holy sites. My heart broke seeing the poverty of the children there. I thought to myself, "These are the children that I would help if only had more money to give away." A few months later, I was at a food convention in New York City with Little Portion Bakery. A businessman asked me much I wanted the bakery business to make. I said, "The more I make, the more the poor make!" We laughed at what sounded so absurd ... but really, that's what I want to do.
The "Children Helping Children" is an initiative that I created wherein school-aged children can raise funds for their cause. IOur initiative offers a deeply discounted whole-sale price of our 4oz Granola snack packages that they can sell.
Right now, I have helped 15 children with the cost of their education ... but there are so many more children to help, and their need is great. Would you help me reach more children not only through awareness, but also through generating funds that I can give to them?
To learn more about this exciting opportunity, please call our Office directly at 877.504.9865 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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I love Thursdays, part of it is because it is the armpit of my week, because Jed is basically only home to sleep Monday through Thursday evening. He works 4 10's, has an hour drive to work one way and then as soon as he is done with work he races to get to school. It is the quarter before he gets his associates and it is keeping him excessively busy. Please don't take this as complaining, I do get lonely at times but how grateful I am that he is willing and determined to do his best. I like him a lot. :)
So come Thursday I am at the end of my emotional rope so to speak with being a single parent. I honestly don't know how people do it day in and day out. But Thursday is also a great day because it means we have Jed home for the whole rest of the weekend. It makes me giddy with glee.
We had some fun happenings today, Eli managed to climb very carefully down the very large stairs on the bus, he normally just wants to jump to me, but between the bus driver and I we decided it would be worth the extra time it would take to help him grow the confidence to go down them. He did great and I kept reminding him to hang on to the rail and come down slowly. I also got an email from his teacher telling me he has already made great progress.
Ruby called me from school telling me she wasn't feeling well, so I came to pick her up and she did look pail, so she came home. It was amazing how her strength was restored after getting home. :)
We borrowed Rise of the Guardians from the neighbors and as we were getting ready to watch it Ruby said she had a tooth that was wiggly and tried to pull it out, she needed a little help so I was able to work my magic and Ruby will now be visit by the tooth fairy this evening. She is thrilled.
I tucked the girls in and came upstairs to run my bath so I could watch Larkrise to Candleford and I could hear Emma's voice, I came out to check on her and she came up to tell me that she wrote a note for Jack Frost and that it was under her pillow and that she hoped that the Tooth Fairy would take it to Jack Frost. And she just wanted me to know that. She said that she would show it to me tomorrow if the Tooth Fairy didn't pick it up. I love that girl, I think she has a thing for Jack. It was made known to me tonight at dinner that she broke it off with her boyfriend E. It was difficult to keep a straight face and to be casual.
I am feeling a little responsible as well for my neighbors misfortune, their son is waiting for his mission call to come and so when I saw the mail truck I knocked on their door to let them know it was here. I know I am a stinker. So Eli and I watched from the window while eating popcorn, as he was coming out to get the mail his dad was walking backwards recording and his mom and sister recording from the back. Long story short, Sir neighbor took a stumble and is now left with a broken foot, I feel some guilt for it. Perhaps had I not been a Mrs. Cravitz none of that would have happened. Alack and alas, I did make amends by lending them a favorite musical of mine that I was sure would lift their spirits.


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Global Site Search
Use the links in the blue boxes to narrow your search results.
Governments, private businesses and cities are all latching on to the open data trend as the benefits (and value) of shared data become increasingly clear. Open data programs and policies can do a lot to help cities become more efficient, more...
Article - 10/11/2018
Active Region(s): North America
Category: Data management


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Industrial Reconstruction after the Great East Japan Earthquake
Current Status and Initiatives
Current Status and Initiatives
Nozomi Sagara
Tohoku Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)
Seven years after the earthquake, gradual progress is being made toward recovery, including new facilities opening in affected parts of Tohoku and the establishment of special reconstruction zones. We will continue to work with the relevant institutions toward full recovery of the performance of key industries and regional population with the aim of speeding the recovery of affected areas and promoting additional autonomous development.
Seven years have now passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake and the tsunami waves and nuclear power plant accident that accompanied it. The disaster caused terrible damage to Tohoku industry, but steady progress is being made toward reconstruction thanks to the dedicated efforts of local authorities and industry personnel, as well as various types of assistance from a number of quarters. I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude for your support.
Status of industrial reconstruction
Looking at the economic state of the Tohoku region, the Indices of Industrial Production reveal that production, which slumped heavily following the disaster, had recovered virtually to pre-quake levels by the beginning of 2012, but the pace of recovery for the region as a whole remains sluggish.
In the affected areas along the coast, work continues on raising ground levels and land readjustment projects, while in areas additionally affected by the nuclear power plant accident , recovery and reconstruction assistance through, for example, SME Group Subsidy, remains essential.
Reconstruction initiatives in affected areas
Progress with infrastructure development in tsunami-hit cities, towns and villages in Miyagi Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture has opened the way for local commercial and municipal regeneration initiatives.
In April 2017, Kyassen Ofunato shopping facilities and Abasse Takata shopping center opened in Ofunato City and Rikuzentakata City respectively (both in Iwate Prefecture), using the government's subsidy program for the reconstruction and development of commercial facilities, etc.
In June 2017, the market Ishinomaki Genki Ichiba also opened in Ishinomaki City in Miyagi Prefecture, utilizing the government's support program for regional and urban commercial revitalization. Local restaurants and retailers have set up shop there, and the hope is that the market will become a lively creative hub and serve as a symbol of urban reconstruction.
However, the marine processing industry—a key industry in this region—is recovering very slowly.
Because the industry fosters employment clusters in affected coastal areas, and because the Sanriku Coast's once-abundant marine resources could potentially create major added value again in the future, chambers of commerce and industry, support organizations and government institutions came together in March 2016 to set up the "Council for Promoting the Revitalization of the Sanriku Marine Processing Industry", aiming to open up markets for processed marine products both in Japan and overseas. In addition to the "Japan Brand Development Assistance Program," we are working with the relevant ministries and agencies to actively support the establishment of a Sanriku brand with the aim of opening up sales channels in Asia, as well as offshore expansion.
In addition to the efforts mentioned above, we have created a slideshow video showcasing the Sanriku region. Take a look—I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
[YouTube] Sanriku Japan (in English)
Evacuation orders have now been lifted for a growing number of towns and villages affected by the nuclear power plant accident in Fukushima Prefecture, and community regeneration efforts are moving forward. Looking at transport infrastructure too, the various rail segments are being progressively put back into service, while the restrictions on general traffic previously in place on some highways have been removed, with slow but steady progress being made on restoring the infrastructure for use in daily life.
Turning to the situation in individual towns, Tonya no Sato shopping mall opened in the town of Kawamata in July 2017, along with the Iitate Village rest stop Madeikan in August the same year—both examples of business returning to the area. METI Tohoku is also working with the relevant institutions on programs designed to rebuild the livelihoods of affected businesspeople and help them become independent, aiming to bring about the quickest possible recovery and reconstruction of Fukushima.
In addition, the central and prefectural governments are using the Fukushima Innovation Coast Scheme to provide overarching support for the regeneration of Fukushima Prefecture's Hama-dori area, including research on nuclear decommissioning and robot field trials. The entry into force in May 2017 of the Act Partially Amending the Act on Special Measures for the Reconstruction and Revitalization of Fukushima will enable us to push this initiative forward even more powerfully.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has created a couple of videos featuring the current state of Fukushima, and these are also well worth viewing.
[YouTube] Welcome Home to Fukushima (in Japanese)
[YouTube] The Next Step—Building Fukushima's Future Together
METI Tohoku is also promoting disaster reconstruction tourism in order to communicate to a wide audience the disaster prevention and mitigation lessons learned from the Great East Japan Earthquake, as well as to boost the regional population and erase lingering reputational damage through local tours.
We held a symposium in Osaka City in June 2016, followed by a similar event in Takamatsu City in August 2017. Around 380 people from companies and administrative institutions, etc., came along to the Takamatsu event to deepen their understanding of current conditions in Tohoku and disaster prevention and mitigation initiatives.
Please visit Tohoku!
The Tohoku region is located in northeastern Honshu. Comprised of the six prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akita, Yamagata and Fukushima, it represents approximately one third of Honshu's total land mass. The glorious natural landscape allows visitors to experience many different attractions through the lenses of four distinct seasons.
In spring, for example, Tohoku's harsh winter comes to an end and the region is wrapped in the white snow remaining on the mountains, the pink of cherry blossoms, and the green of vegetation. Hanamiyama Park in Fukushima City is called Fukushima's Shangri-La, with its profusion of different types of local blossoms captivating the eye. To many people visiting Tohoku's numerous cherry blossom viewing spots, the sight of the cherry trees in full bloom brings the sense that spring is finally here.
Summer in Tohoku is festival season. The Tohoku Rokkon Festival, which each of Tohoku's six prefectures took turns holding in the years following the Great East Japan Earthquake, was renamed the Tohoku Kizuna Festival in 2017, with parades and traditional performances making for a major celebration! In addition, more than 10,000 fireworks are set off at the Omagari Fireworks Festival, a national fireworks competition which takes place in Omagari, Akita, with the best products from fireworks makers around Japan brilliantly lighting Tohoku's evening sky.
Autumn is harvest season, when Tohoku's foods taste their very best. The Best Imonikai Festival in Japan is a major event held every September in Yamagata Prefecture, where massive pots six meters across and large-scale heavy machinery are used to prepare around 30,000 servings of this famous local stew. Japanese sake painstakingly brewed from Tohoku rice and crystal-clear water by master brewers is also becoming increasingly popular both in Japan and overseas. Fukushima Prefecture has led the country for the last five years in terms of the number of gold medals it has won at the Annual Japan Sake Awards.
In winter, the bitter cold decorates the trees with hoar frost in areas such as Mt. Hakkoda in Aomori Prefecture and Mt. Zao, which straddles the border of Yamagata and Miyagi, and many visitors from both inside and outside Japan visit Tohoku to view this magical spectacle. Other winter specialties include Tsugaru's Stove Train in Aomori and Kotatsu Train which runs along the Sanriku coast of Iwate Prefecture--unique attractions which enable passengers to view the Tohoku snowscapes from inside a cozy train.
Tohoku also has many tourist resources that can be enjoyed regardless of the season. Savor history, nature and culture around the region—at Shirakami-Sanchi (Aomori/Akita), the first site in Japan to be added to UNESCO's Natural World Heritage list, for example. Tohoku has almost endless local resources on hand. In terms of tourism, the number of foreign visitors to Japan has been increasing every year and there are also more visitors to Tohoku now than before the Great East Japan Earthquake.
Seven years on from the Great East Japan Earthquake, Tohoku continues to drive forward toward recovery. Whether for tourism or business, visit Tohoku for a truly remarkable experience.


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- Download Full Movies 1.4GB 720p BluRay
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I'm sure some of you were wondering if this was true! My Mom lovingly informed me that I've been slacking off on my blogging responsibilities (ahem...like a month ago), but I tell you what life is crazy! Not really crazy in the "I've spent the last couple of months traveling the globe like a high roller" kinda way, but crazy in a "I'm now babysitting 3 boys during the day-and I can barely contain the explosions that occur in my house" kinda way. So sorry! I will try to do better. Especially now that Little B is getting so smiley and fun! Here are a few I took to mark his first 6 months on the outside: Is he cute or what?
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Still Alive!
I'm sure some of you were wondering if this was true! My Mom lovingly informed me that I've been slacking off on my blogging responsibilities (ahem...like a month ago), but I tell you what life is crazy! Not really crazy in the "I've spent the last couple of months traveling the globe like a high roller" kinda way, but crazy in a "I'm now babysitting 3 boys during the day-and I can barely contain the explosions that occur in my house" kinda way. So sorry! I will try to do better. Especially now that Little B is getting so smiley and fun! Here are a few I took to mark his first 6 months on the outside: Is he cute or what?
Posted by Jenn at 3:56 PM 2 comments
Thursday, August 25, 2011
A couple of Sundays ago we had a couple of minutes before we had to leave for church (Shocker! We're usually running out the door as fast as we can go.) and everyone was in the mood for a few poses. Do I have gorgeous girls or what? Every time I look at a picture of one of them, I'm shocked at how grown up they're both looking. I know I see them every day, and every day they are growing, but I just don't recognize how much they're changing until I sit down and look at the latest photo I've taken vs one a few months ago.
Posted by Jenn at 2:52 PM 4 comments
Saturday, August 20, 2011
The Fair
In case some of you were wondering what it was we were doing at this year's fair, here's a peek. We've started a new business called Crossfire Combat Games. Our mission is to use something really cool and fun to help spread our love of Christ. Something that can reach young people outside of the four walls of a church building. Hopefully, along the way it will also be a way to supplement the often turbulent seasons of farm income. Any-who, we had our first big event during the fair, and it was tons of fun!
Kids of all ages and families played together, and everyone had a blast (even though it was 100 degrees out there)!
We are so excited that God blessed us with a great kick off to this venture, and we're hoping it's only up from here!
Oh, and here's another super cute pic of my babies snuggling on the couch. I never get tired of the girls wanting to love on baby brother and/or each other!
P.S. Ben has discovered his hand as you can see in the pic. I took 7 or 8 photos, and he looks exactly the same in every one! :)
Posted by Jenn at 2:10 PM 1 comments
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Fair. Exhausted. Cute picture of the kiddos snuggling on the couch.
Will post more soon.
Posted by Jenn at 11:07 PM 2 comments
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Whenever a baby is born, it seems like everyone wants to talk about who he or she looks like. I'm no different, but when it comes to my own children, it seems I have a much harder time pegging it. So, I thought I'd let you be the judge. At different times I've thought Ben looks a little like Anna and a little like Abby. What do you think?
Here's Anna at 6 months (that's the earliest I had of her on my computer): And here's Abby at 3 months
Posted by Jenn at 1:23 PM 2 comments
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Harvest 2011
Well, we've survived it once again. Harvest. One of the best, worst, most exhausting, most thrilling times of the year. Everyone is out in their fields, working hard, and waving at each other as they drive back and forth to the grain elevators. People start getting giddy because harvesting their wheat means they might actually have some money in the bank for a few minutes. Children get excited because they might get to take a ride on the big machinery. Take Anna for example...She loves to ride around with Ty's Dad just watching the combine do it's thing.Here's Abby helping me take dinner (or out here it's called supper) out to our "new" big truck. Hard to imagine that one day she might just be big enough to drive that thing.
Harvest Time is also a great time to appreciate the marvel of God's creation. Spring and Summer create just the right conditions (most years) for the wheat to grow. Longer days means you can wait for just the right conditions in the wheat, and then still have plenty of time to cut before dark. Of course, the best part of Harvest is when it's over, and you finally get your hubby/Daddy back!
Posted by Jenn at 3:20 PM 1 comments
Monday, July 4, 2011
Last Tball of the season
Well we had our last tball game of the season on Friday. I love how into the games Anna gets, and I love how excited Abby gets about going to watch her sister play. That may just be because we usually get snowcones after, I don't know! Here she is batting. I think her swing is getting better and better!
This one is a better video of Anna playing first. She gets so excited and proud of herself when she gets to play 1st. The rest of the time the kids all kind of dog-pile the ball, and she's not so into that. So this is the only time she gets to catch and throw during the games. I really should take a video of the dog-pile next year. It's a hoot! PS. You might want to turn your volume down for this one. I didn't realize my "encouraging yells" would be so loud on the video! ;)
Now, I think, our summer can slow down a little. No more harvest. No more tball. Just lounging in the sun. Maybe? Maybe?
Posted by Jenn at 9:36 AM 1 comments
Saturday, June 25, 2011
More T-ball
Here's a short video of Anna playing 1st base. I didn't get much, because they totally took me by surprise. Usually, they only let the older kids play 1st, but this game, they started rotating through all the kids. Anyway, here it is.
Memaw and Uncle Will made it to this game.
And just for fun, here's one of Ben. Can't believe how quickly he's growing. Up to 10 pounds already!We're right in the middle of harvest at the moment, so once the dust settles, I'm sure I'll have some more pics to share. Hope you all are doing great!
Posted by Jenn at 2:12 PM 0 comments
Thursday, June 16, 2011
IV - Did you say 4?
Holy Moley! Can you believe my little Anna has gone from this... to this!
Posted by Jenn at 1:57 PM 3 comments
Monday, June 13, 2011
Yesterday was Vacation Bible School Day at our church. I LOVE VBS! I love watching kids come in and get excited about Bible stories. I love watching kids sing praises to the Lord. I love watching "long time" members (ok, they're like 10) and visitors giggling together and planting the seeds for a life-long relationship with Christ without even knowing it! Since I was there working, the kids were there too. Even though Abby was technically too young to participate, the lovely Kathleen was kind enough to take her around to everything since she was the only one her age hanging around. I guess she was paying attention.
Is she cute or what?
Posted by Jenn at 1:46 PM 1 comments
Friday, June 3, 2011
Game #1
Ok folks. I know this is what you've all been waiting for. Tball season! Here's a quick video I got before my battery died. I love how giggly and excited the kids are this year. You can hear them cheering for Anna in the background.
This is my first video upload, so hopefully it works. Enjoy!
Posted by Jenn at 2:06 PM 3 comments
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Rain, rain
Last week t-ball practice was canceled due to the threat of sever weather. So what did we do? Go out and play in it of course! By we, I mean Anna. Abby had no interest, and I mostly stood under the porch and took pictures. Can you believe this is the same girl who didn't want to get wet from the sprinkler?
Posted by Jenn at 2:40 PM 1 comments
Monday, May 23, 2011
Sprinkler Fun?
A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated Abby's 2nd birthday. It really feels like I blinked once since her 1st birthday, and here we are a whole year older. I found this fun little caterpillar sprinkler thing that sprays water out of all its legs, and thought it would be perfect. As soon as the wrapping paper came off the box, the begging began. "Pleeeeaaaase can we go outside now? We want to play with the sprinkler, pleeeaaaaaaase!" But it was chilly that day, and we had church the next. Finally Monday came, and it was warm and beautiful and a perfect day to play in the water. So, we got it all set up-got swimsuits on-got sunscreen on-went potty one last time-and finally we were ready to run out and have some fun!
They literally stood there staring at it for less than five minutes, with my Dad and me trying to prompt them to run around and get wet. Then they came back over and said they were ready to go inside.
Posted by Jenn at 1:41 PM 2 comments
Monday, May 16, 2011
Super Girls!
So if you're ever in a jam, you know who to call! Super Girls!
Posted by Jenn at 1:52 PM 1 comments
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Wow! I'm realizing that it's been a while since I posted, and I'm thinking you can guess why. I've been a little busy with this beautiful little boy...Benjamin Leo
born April 15
6lbs 3oz, 19"He's adorable, and everyone is loving him already! This labor was by far the easiest (in case you were wondering), and I've been amazed at how much better I'm feeling this time around. Of course it helps that my Mom and Dad have been here helping keep the girls occupied and the house from falling apart, but we won't talk about how they'll be going home soon. Ok?
Posted by Jenn at 10:40 PM 3 comments
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Budding Photographer?
Posted by Jenn at 1:43 PM 1 comments
Friday, April 1, 2011
Belly Time!
Well, since I shared some of the not so nice parts of my pregnancy with you before, I thought I'd be nice and share something a little better this time. I LOVE big round pregnant bellies. Even when they're mine. Even when they make my feet freakishly large. To me they sum up the beauty/awesomeness of God's creation, and the blessings He gives to us all in one. I love how excited Anna is about this baby! Last time around, we barely mentioned it because she was so little. I just hope both girls share as much love with #3 as they have with each other. Have I mentioned that it's kinda difficult to take you're own picture in the mirror. I was trying to get something cute and sweet without seeing the my head covered up by a big box of a camera.
Posted by Jenn at 2:50 PM 3 comments
Monday, March 28, 2011
Can you say "swell"?
And I don't mean as in the phrase, "Hey! You're really swell!" I mean it in the my feet are swelling to a blimp like state sense. Before I go on, I just thought I'd put out a little warning for those who don't like pictures of really weird/kinda gross you out things. Sorry if this is too freaky for you to handle, but I know so many of you out there are just dying to know I'm doing, so here we go. Of course, if you've known me during either of my other pregnancies, you know that swelling is not new to me. What is new to me is the ridiculous way that Kansas seems to cling to winter weather. At a time when flip flops would be great for my little tootsies, IT'S SNOWING. At the end of March! I'm not asking for summer or anything, but is 60 degrees too much to hope for? Luckily, once I get my foot crammed into one of the few pairs of shoes I can still cram my feet into, it's not all that uncomfortable. It does create some interesting bumps and creases on my feet, though, so at least it's interesting to see what my feet are going to look like when I take them off. Just in case you're having a hard time picturing things, here are some pics from yesterday when we got home from our weekly church/grocery shopping adventure to Salina (yes it was snowing most of the time): I think it looks like I'm arching my foot in each picture, but I'm not.
Posted by Jenn at 2:36 PM 1 comments
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Guitar Hero
Last week, we had a fun game night with our peeps at church. The kids had a fun time "playing guitar". Anna really loved it. Of course, Abby had to help out even though we were trying to get ready to go (hence the pjs).
Posted by Jenn at 2:37 PM 1 comments
Monday, March 21, 2011
Abby said, "Princess" loud and clear!
Posted by Jenn at 4:15 PM 0 comments


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Monday, January 19, 2015
Congratulations New England And Seattle
Good morning. This will be a fairly short post as I have a morning appointment with the eye doctor. It's been at least two or three years since my last eye exam. I've been wanting to get new glasses, but not until after a new exam.
This morning on the Weather Channel they are showing all the recent vehicle pile-ups due to icy roads, plus they are re-hashing several of the other really bad pile-ups from this past week. I am just so amazed at how many people will insist on being out on the roads during freezing rain.
Any time it rains and the temperature is below freezing, the roads will be icy. Is the almighty dollar so important to us that we will risk our lives and the lives of others by travelling on unsafe roads? I'm thinking that a lot of accidents may have been prevented if people had waited a few hours to travel to their jobs or destinations. Maybe I just think too realistically.
At 3:30 this morning, it was 43F degrees. At the moment, it is 33 degrees, with a promise of maybe getting up to 40 degrees later today. The road near my house looks dry, but I will leave a bit early for my appointment just in case. If I find the roads looking a bit iffy, I'll turn around and come back home and re-schedule my appointment.
Well, Deanne and Eddie are beginning to feel better, DIL Janet is over her bout with the flu, and Kevin is hanging in there till his upcoming doctor appointment. Hopefully they will all be healed and feeling normal really soon.
Congratulations are in order for all you Patriots and Seattle football fans. Your teams will be facing off in this year's Super Bowl. Good luck to all of you, although I'll be routing for the New England Patriots, of course.
Is anyone other than me trying to do that 365 day photo project? Are you having as much difficulty as I am trying to match a photo to the daily words? I may end up making my own word list in order to make the project more fun.
In that case, today's word will be "water". I've taken a photo of our new bird water bowl. It's outside my window where it is protected from bad weather. Also, I can just open my window to fill the bowl with water.
Well that's all my news for this morning. It's time to make breakfast for my little guy before I have to get ready for my appointment. So, till tomorrow, Y'all have a wonderful day and please stay off the icy roads.
Hugs, Edna B.
4 comments:
- Nani said...
I'm so glad Audrey is okay! My "big brother," Scotty, has never hunted for deer but has had an after-the-fact license and a freezer full of venison way too many times! Deer are often tougher than cars.
Your "impact" photos almost look like Christmas lights photos! The BANG would have sent to girls running upstairs, but I think Marco would have been at the door like Pogo was to watch. You'll have to give posting video another try so we can hear Jazzy sing! ;)
I agree; EW! Somewhere between Menopause and bladder control if you need it there may be leftovers, but let's not call it "recycling" and not on TV! The stigma about needing bladder control products is one that needs to be gone but that tag line builds it right back up. Yuck.
And now, today! :D
In response to your question in the comments on my blog, I'm a casual football fan. I love watching the games, but I don't follow it enough to know all the players. Although when I went to the Football Hall of Fame, and I expected to be a little bored, I impressed myself with how many names and records I did know. I was born in Lions territory, perhaps why I don't follow football, but I became a Patriots fan through marriage, so in 2 weeks I'll be munching low-fat nachos and cheering on New England!
I'm so glad everyone there is starting to be on the mend! Aside from Sheri just getting out of the hospital here there have been a few members of our MS Support Group that have been down with colds too. The Flu Shot is looking more and more like it was a good idea as there have been a few reported outbreaks in our local hospitals!
I've tried to do 365 with photos in a few different ways but have never had any luck sticking with it. Like I mentioned in my blog, for 2012 and 2014 I concentrated on writing a line or two every day about the day and was successful in completing them. When Project 365 started there weren't prompts, just a photo each day for the year. Your photos are always so great, you'd probably have no problem with the freedom of just a photo for the day. In fact you can probably back track and discover you aren't behind at all!
Well, that second cup of coffee is long gone and it's nearing lunch time, so until tomorrow, keep warm and dry and may your 2015 jar fill faster that your list of challenges for the year!!
Hugs, Nani
- January 19, 2015 at 3:59 PM
- Nani said...
Okay, now that I've had a nice couple cups of coffee catching up with what been going on in the best corner of New England (Of course, that's the Edna corner of New England) I'll leave the comments I've been collecting as I read. Yes, it's a little novel of my part of the coffee conversation so far this year, but it's in one spot so you don't get carpal tunnel trying to find all the one liners. And I'm not leaving 2000 scattered comments like the spammers! :)
You've had some nasty cold spells like we have, and then it warms up and no wonder everyone is getting colds and flus; the weather not making up its mind is cruel for that!
I think cats may be the opposite of dogs in how their being warm affects us being warm. I totally understand how Pogo being warm is important to you feeling warm. I on the other hand use my space heater by where I sit to keep me warm and Kaline figures it's on for her and sits in front of it so the warm air hits me indirectly rather than warmly direct!
I think I might try that stuffed peppers in the crock pot recipe, only I might try it with ground turkey. David is not a stuffed pepper fan, but I'd be able to freeze some of the individual peppers. They'd be 9 weight watchers points each, thank you for putting the nutrition info on the recipe, and less if I use turkey. I try to keep meals under 10, so with a veggie which is no points, it's a great diet recipe too! (and still warm and filling!!)
I agree with you about Mother Nature and paybacks and all. But I did like it better when it was just "global warming" and we all, well, I did anyway, thought everything was just going to be warmer. Ahhhh! But then they finished understanding it and the poles getting warmer meant a weather shift. Average summers in the 80 become the 90s with a few 100s and it balances out with subzero winter days; a LOT of them. If we only get a degree or two warmer on average it's a nasty way to do it! And all this because of some aerosol deodorant before I even used deodorant, Yeesh! ;)
Your afghans look great, I think of you with a smile every cold day with honor that I can wrap up in mine! I love the one you're making for Kevin, so masculine! And the yellow one just feels bright and warm, in a sunny way, to look at!
- January 19, 2015 at 3:59 PM
- Unknown said...
Well I have had another sleepless night, due to pain all over my entire body. I plan to make some tacos for dinner tonight. I already have the guacamole made and the rest is just really quick. I plan to eat and go to bed.
I will do some of the photo challenges with you. I can't commit to all of them but the ones I can do I would love to do. Can I upload my pictures to my comments? How will this work. I have a blog but I don't know how to add the URL... I am not that computer savvy.
I am trying to be more up on my blog but my sons have been home and I have been sharing my laptop with them and it has really limited my time.
How did your eye appointment go? I heard that you are all having another snow and ice storm headed your way. I am so sorry for that. Spring needs to get here but I have a very hard time dealing with the heat. It seems that we go from winter to summer... skip spring and fall.
Guess I will go for now and get my meat cooked and the veggies chopped. It is almost 4 so we can eat, clean up and I can go to bed. I hate being this tired all of the time. Hugs, Beth
- January 19, 2015 at 4:49 PM
- smiekeltje said...
wasn't there yesterday due to my appointment. Glad all family is getting better slowly!
You are right to take care on the road, and if it is slippery because of the ice, stay home.
I will be back tomorrow, blogging, but wanted to let you know I am okay.
Too many planning doesn;t seem to work neither with you or me LOL.
If I have just a few thingson the to-do kist for a day, okay, that might work. But better thing is to let come what comes. and most of the times I am then more productive hahahaha.
Have a nice day, hope you can go to your eye appointmentwithout any trouble.
- January 20, 2015 at 3:51 AM


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Get your PLA ready for GAMP
We deliver PLA 3.0 as a verified software system. The PLA Validation Package automates several tasks in the validation process on the target computer system.
According to GAMP regulations, the customer - not the vendor - is responsible for validating the software. This means, you have to validate PLA 3.0 on your computer system, in order to meet GAMP regulations. To help you minimize the required validation effort, we created the PLA Validation Package.
The PLA 3.0 Validation Package is an add-on that provides the features to qualify your PLA 3.0 software on your target computer system, compliant with GAMP. It contains functions for automatic installation and operational qualification (IQ and OQ) and supports your performance qualification (PQ).
The OQ data set for the Biological Assay Package includes several hundred datasets that can be run with the OQ functionality. The results of these calculations are then compared to digitally signed data sets.
Automated Installation Qualification
The installation qualification routines of PLA 3.0 verify all system components and deliver a certificate as well as a detailed report about the installation on the target system. It certifies that all required components are in place, which basically means that all the files have been copied to your computer correctly. In case your hardware is damaged and PLA could not be installed correctly, the installation qualification would fail and you would get a report stating the error.
Note: Although the Installation Qualification is part of the Validation Package, it does work in the trial version of PLA as well, but only for demonstration purposes. You cannot print the resulting certificate.
Automated Operational Qualification
The operational qualification is able to validate the calculation routines of a PLA 3.0 document. The OQ data is delivered with the package. You need a Validation Package license to use the OQ data for qualifying a system.
The OQ data set for the biological assay package contains several hundred datasets that can be run with the OQ functionality of PLA 3.0. The results of these calculations are compared to digitally signed data sets delivered with the document package. After the successful verification, the program creates a certificate.
Performance Qualification
The performance qualification requires customer data to be verified. PLA allows you to create your own verified data sets. You can use these data sets for the automated qualification of additional computer systems and for the re-qualification after changes in the environment or when you updated PLA 3.0.
If you work in a regulated environment and would like to save time and effort in validating the software then the PLA Validation Package is the right choice for you. Please contact our support team for a quote.


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The Children's Hospital of Mansoura University hosted the International Volunteer Surgeon Society of the International Association of Surgeons of the International association of Surgeons for the operations of the repair of the rabbit lip and the roof of the throat in children during the period from 27 October to 3 November 2018 under the auspices of Prof. Ashraf Abdel Basset, Prof Dr. Abdel-Hady, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine,Prof Dr. Ahmed El-Refaie, Director of the hospital.
The team consists of 10 members, including 2 surgeons, 3 anesthesiologists, 4 nurses and 1 secretary. The team performed 35 operations on the lip and throat and performed 25 operations by Endoscope.
Prof Dr Adham Al-Saeed, a professor of pediatric surgery and supervisor of the team, said that the visit of the team is the sixth visit to the hospital to perform some voluntary surgery to repair the rabbit lip and the roof of the throat in children aged 3 months.
For his part, Dr. Ahmed Al-Refai said that the hospital administration is keen to achieve the highest rate of healing and use the expertise of distinguished surgeons from all over the world to transfer these experiences to young doctors and in the same way abroad to provide the best service for sick children.


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This is the one exercise which lots of people hate. They hate it because they can't do it well, or because they can't get to that magic number of 10+ reps (which we can usually achieve on things like body weight weighted squats or push ups).
I understand the pain of failure and how that makes us not want to try, as much as I understand success and how that makes you remain in pursuit.
So to help with your chin up success, I have reviewed our Phase One Programming Protocol at The Results Room and applied the theories to my own goal; 'A One Arm Chin-Up.'
Unfortunately I currently 1 Arm Chin up like Sanka on Cool Runnings.
So I have literally started at the bottom: Zero Chins, little relative strength, and 87kgs of body weight to shift.
If you share the Triple '000' ability to do a Chin up like me, then the first place to start is here…
The 1st Progression – This is the very first exercise we get all clients to do at The Results Room when performing the chin-up for the first time. The First Progression is…
A Rack Chin…. Two feet on the ground, hanging vertically under the bar, then pulling yourself up to the bar by using your arms with as little assistance from your legs as possible. Really squeeze and hold your chest at the top of the movement to encourage full use of the muscles around the scapula.
I started my journey to a one arm chin on the 08th of February 2016, so that I could encourage non-chinners to progress as quickly as possible by methods which I felt work best. I started this journey doing…
1 arm Rack Chins for 6 repetitions.
I was able to do 4 secs max flexion hold at pretty much 179 deg elbow flexion.
1 Arm Lat Pulldown 50kg for 6 reps each arm.
For those on the journey to a single Chin up with me, take note of your personal Two Arm…
- Max Flex Hold (time and degree of elbow) Use an under-hand Chin up Grip
- Rack Chin ability (in terms of reps achieved) Under-hand Chin up grip
- Lat Pulldown (weight and reps) Again Under-hand Chin up grip
This is our baseline. Any progress we make from now is to be expected, but even still, to be celebrated.
I want us to prove the system right. And to make 'Chins Out of The Chinless.'
See how long we take. 😉
Week 1 prescription – What I'm Following this week.
- Max Flex Holds – 5 secs x 3-4 sets
- Rack Chins – 5 reps x 3-4 sets
- Lat Pulldown – 5RM x 3-4 sets
The main focus this week is to increase volume and time under tension. Basically, do more chin-ups for longer this week, than ever.
Aim to train Two or Three times a week – as your recovery allows.
Go On You Chinners!! Tune in next week to see my progress and the next steps to increase yours…. Remember…..


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Autumn in Wales – 5 Great Places to Visit
Autumn is our favourite season here at Brecon Carreg. It's when the Brecon Beacons really come to life in beautiful shades of red, orange and gold. Our commute in to work is nothing short of spectacular.
No matter where you are in Wales during the autumn months, you won't have to look far to find breathtaking views. We've put together some of our favourites.
Elan Valley, Mid Wales
With an abundance of dams, reservoirs and wildlife to explore, you'll be spoilt for choice with things to do here. You can walk, hike, cycle, picnic, bird watch and even fish during your visit. Pop in to the visitor centre for all the information you need to plan your day.
Henrhyd Falls, Brecon Beacons
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Henrhyd falls is looking more like Niagara falls after all the rain from Storm Callum! Hope everyone is keeping safe and dry as it passes. Thanks to @aledwyndavies for the video #henrhydfalls #sgwdhenrhyd #waterfall #wales #igerswales #igerscymru #thewalescollective #stormcallum
Sgwd Henrhyd is spectacular throughout the year but it's well worth a visit in the autumn months when we've had some rain and the falls are really flowing! The falls have become even more popular after featuring in the Batman film The Dark Knight Rises. As a result, improvement work has made it more accessible to visit.
Ty Hwnt I'r Bont, Llanrwst
No, that's not a painting! The incredible red leaves on this tearoom in North Wales are a big tourist attraction during the autumn months. You'll have to be quick though – the leaves only last around 5 weeks before dropping off.
Pen Y Fan, Brecon Beacons
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Whether you're climbing a mountain, admiring waterfalls, exploring canals or spotting red kites, the Brecon Beacons National Park never fails to amaze. It also safeguards the source of our beautiful water 💦 #NationalParksWeek #breconbeacons #breconbeaconsnationalpark #mountains #welshmountain #penyfan #igerscymru #igerswales #thewalescollective #wanderlustwales #discoverwales #visitwales
Pen Y Fan will always be one of our favourite walks. We're allowed to be biased though – it can be found right here in the Brecon Beacons, near the source of our water. In the autumn months you'll be able to take in the changing colours of the Beacons and, quite often, you'll be met by snow at the top! It's quite a strenuous walk so make sure you keep yourself hydrated.
Zip World, Penrhyn Quarry
Set in North Wales near the Snowdon range, this one isn't for the faint- hearted! However, if you want the best view of the autumn colours in Wales, there's no better way to do it than flying 500m above a quarry lake!
Need more ideas?
Our monthly adventure emails are packed full of brilliant ideas for all the family and are perfect for inspiring days out – sign up here.


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By Elsa Baxter
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But, officials warn motorists bad driving could lead to their licence being revoked.
The total number of driving violations registered with Dubai's Traffic Public Prosecution (TPP) fell last year by nearly 480 cases compared to figures for 2008.
Some 6,430 cases were registered with the TPP in 2009, according to data by the motoring authority, compared to 6,906 the previous year.
Despite the decline officials issued another warning to reckless motorists saying they could be unable to drive for four years if they continue driving dangerously on Dubai's roads, Gulf News reported.
Motorists could have their licences cancelled for two years and be banned from applying for another for two years after that, Salah Bu Farousha, TPP chief, told the paper.
Traffic prosecutors have also started seizing driving licences electronically under an initiative between the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Police.
"Our team of traffic prosecutors will ask the traffic court to confiscate the driving licences of inattentive and reckless drivers for three months to two years, besides punishing them with a fine and/or imprisonment," he told the paper.
"We also ask the court to prevent convicts from obtaining a new licence for another two years… which forces a reckless driver to spend a period of four years without a driving licence.
Last year 155 Pakistanis, 151 Indians and 67 Emiratis were caught driving without a licence, the paper reported.
While figures reveal the number of drink driving cases has fallen from 1,204 in 2008 to 1,188 in 2009. Unlike Europe and the United States where there are allowed limits for consuming alcohol and driving, in the UAE it is illegal to have any alcohol.