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Chris Cherry is the author of the Amazon bestselling The Mad Game series of three novels, factually set in the Great War. He undertakes meticulous battlefield and social history research, all on his trusty Honda Blackbird, to ensure that his novels are historically and militarily accurate, reflecting the true history of the times. Intended to give readers a real sense of being there, on the Western Front, living the war with the characters. He is also an IAM Observer, volunteer Blood Biker with Blood Bikes Manchester and a historian of early twentieth century history.
Battlefields on a Bike
Call us bikers, motorcyclists, riders or mad. But show us an open road, a clear sky (mostly) and a full tank indicator and we all see the same thing. Freedom, fun and all possibilities are on, especially if we have a fellow biker to share it with.
In this first article in the series "Battlefields on a Bike", Chris Cherry explores the Great War battlefields on the Western Front by motorcycle and offers some advice, handy hints and tips as well as a couple of ideas for a visit to the Great War battlefields. He invites you to follow in his wheel tracks and then go and make some of your own.
In the summer of 1914, the British Empire (as it was then) embarked on a massive mobilization of troops, supported by millions of workers and family back home. Somewhere near to ten million troops and support staff crossed the channel to France and Belgium. Commonwealth countries sent millions of troops to support the bulk of the fighting which took place across Eastern and Western Europe and the Middle East. Trenches were dug in response to the changes in warfare tactics and the advent of heave artillery and the machine gun, which could destroy troops, horses and equipment in almost an instant. The digging in created an attritional, immobile and devastating war, leaving scars to this day across Western Europe. The majority of Western Front battlefields are located in a narrow strip of between 40-60 miles stretching over 400 miles from the Belgian channel coast to the Vosges Mountains in Switzerland. Trenches existed on the beaches and on the snowy slopes of the Southern Alps.
The battlefields are very accessible to visitors. Much work has been done on the roads around the sites of the major engagements, especially in Verdun, around the whole Somme region and in southern Belgium. They are especially accessible to motorbikes, and being only an hour or so from the coast, make a fantastic venue for a weekend away, or a remembrance trip. Albert and Cambrai can be reached in just a couple of hours of dual carriageway riding from Calais. You can reach Ypres (Ieper) from Calais in an hour as well. In fact, you can ride the whole length of the Western Front on a bike in a day (I have done it).
If you are planning a trip to the battlefields, it is a good start to refresh your knowledge a little of the war before you go, this will help you to choose where you want to go and what you want to see. The locations are often now simply farmland and field, but still just beneath the surface is a wealth of history and tragedy, that is deeply moving to understand. The Somme has many little villages with an incredible war history, but with little to see of the actual war nowadays on the surface, so knowing the geography helps to locate the major sites and cemeteries to visit. It is also worth knowing a little about the divisions who fought there (and when), as there are monuments, statues and memorials everywhere. A wealth of web resources are available, as well as Facebook pages and the written record, such as the newly published War Diaries. As the front moved back and forth so frequently over the course of the war, over relatively short distances, the engagements are very mixed together, and as a result the cemeteries are as well, with graves located from all years of the war. The cemeteries are always worth a visit, for reflection and remembrance. Try and visit French and German ones as well as those from the Commonwealth. It is interesting to see how other nations remember the sacrifice.
So, are you going?
You have decided to go. Excellent. What should you do to prepare? First of all, obviously, make sure your bike is up to the trip. Plenty of rubber on the tyres – some of the roads in France and Flanders are narrow and prone to mud and dirt from tractors (there are a lot about), especially in April and October. Check oil, water and take all of the usual care. Make sure if you are going two-up or taking a lot of luggage, you check if you need to adjust your suspension settings, or your headlights. If you don't ride with all-up weight very often, practice at home before you go. Bikes can respond differently with weight on the rear. It might also help you decide if a tail-pack, rucksack or tankbag/panniers are the best options for your comfort on the trip. There are no modifications needed to your bike for France and Belgium, but remember that traffic comes from the left, more than the right, so practice left shoulder checks, which should become a paranoid habit on the continent, for safety and good progress to your destination.
When it comes to planning the route, I personally use Tyre (with a Tomtom Rider 5). The main reason is not so much the navigating, but I can plan waypoints to visit (for my research) beforehand at home. I can then work out the timings to help manage a day's riding in the field. That way, I don't miss what I want to see and if something interesting pops up, as it always does, I can always get where I need to be in plenty of time. It is also fun researching locations beforehand and adding them in to the itinerary. It really does enhance the visit when it comes to setting off.
So your bike is in fine fettle, you have your route in the can, or mapped out on your tankbag, what next? I use my route to plan my crossing in advance. I have found two ways to cross to the continent for battlefield visits. It partly depends on where you live, but both have advantages and disadvantages.
Route 1 – night ferry Hull-Zeebrugge. The crossing is not cheap, at approximately £250 for a motorcycle. But it is at night, leaving at about 8pm and arriving in the morning at about 9am. You arrive in Holland early in the morning, refreshed (if you have not hit the bar too hard) and ready for the three/four hour blast down to Belgium. Morning traffic is light and if you have the weather, you will have sunlight from morning to dusk, the land is very flat, without hills to spoil the view!
Route 2 – Dover-Calais. This is a cheaper option, coming it at around £30 for a timed crossing, or about £50 for a "turn up and go" option. The ride down to Dover alongside HS1 around the M25 is a bit dull. If you go via Dover, try to include time for a visit to Folkestone, just along the coast from Dover, about 20 minutes ride away. It was here that most soldiers departed throughout the war. The Slope (the road down which soldiers marched) has been renamed the Road of Remembrance and an arch is to be constructed in memory of the part played by Folkestone in the war and the sacrifice of the soldiers passing through. A ride up and down looking out over the old war harbour should be part of any trip.
Ferry across the water
For either crossing, don't forget to take a couple of crocodile straps to help tie down the bike. Most ferry staff are brilliant at helping to tie down a bike, but loading is a busy time. They will give you a strap for the bike (it will be dirty and oily/rusty) with a hook on either end that goes through an eye (like a ground anchor) either side. Make sure it is over the lowest point of the seat, with an old glove under it to protect your seat. Some like the bike on its sidestand, some centrestand. If given the choice, use the centrestand and chock the wheels. I also tie a shoelace between the stand and the front wheel preventing the bike rocking forwards, the only way it can roll off. But it is unlikely to happen, so don't worry. Take your lid with you, or lock it in your panniers. Objects do get moved around and you don't want your lid knocked without you knowing. Leave the alarm off. it isn't likely to be stolen! I always pre-book, as it is cheaper. In the week, crossings are quieter. I always filter up to the front of the assigned lane. Most loaders let you on first as well, I always try to make contact with the loaders anyway. The ramps are metal, sometimes wet and slippery. Keep calm. You should not have problems, but set your gear, use the clutch to manage engine speed and ride steadily, avoiding sharp throttle movements. Use any grip-strips provided on the ramps. If you are on the upper decks, the slopes on the ramps can appear to be alarmingly steep, but they really are not too bad. Almost always, you are first into the coffee lounge, to recover from the loading. All modern ferries are gyro stabilized with driving planes, so seasickness is unlikely.
What to pack…
What to pack? This partly depends on weather and your approach to risk. Belgium and France are bike-friendly and drivers are aware of bikes more than the UK, I have found. But, general driving may seem more erratic.
At the time of writing, bikers did not need to carry any special equipment or to modify the bikes, such as warning triangles, hi-viz or reflective patches. A breathalyzer kit is still required, but as yet, the Law is not enforced through penalties.I personally try to avoid infringing the Law, but you must decide what is best for you. Here is some official advice from the IAM…
Neil Greig, IAM director of policy and research, said: "The law for carrying breathalysers will no longer be enforced through fines, but in order to comply with the law we still recommend that you keep a breathalyser kit on the bike whenever you're travelling to or through France."
Re-check before you depart. Take a first aid kit for general use and a tyre pressure gauge (or mobile inflator). Bike shops are plentiful. I found a genuine Honda brake lever in a Piaggio dealer in Arras, as bikes are everywhere. Always take your full licence, V5, insurance and MOT if needed. Keep to speed limits everywhere. Speeding fines are on the spot and can be costly.It is a trip of remembrance, so it is always polite to mind the revs in villages. Anyway, many folk want to come and speak to you, if they know you are interested in the War.
I always carry a SANEF Liber-t tag for the Peage. These tags work by remotely triggering the barrier. Keep it in your pocket or tankbag, but don't bury it. You can opt to avoid the Peage if you want to, it does not make a great deal of difference. There has been a lot of discussion about bikes and Liber-t tags at peage booths. Here are my experiences of Liber-t Tags:
- Handing the tag to an attendant in an attended lane always works perfectly, but this can put you in a queue. You get charged the reduced motorcycle tariff (Class 05).
- Using an automated (non-height restricted) credit card lane works perfectly, but it can take 30 seconds to recognize the bike, so don't worry if the barrier does not lift immediately. You get charged the motorcycle rate most of the time. You can get this adjusted afterwards, if it incorrectly reads your bike, or a car comes in behind you.
- Using the express lane works perfectly and you do not have to even stop for the barrier to lift. You get charged the standard car tariff every time (Class 01). Usually, you can't get this lane type adjusted.
You get an invoice, which is paid at the end of the month automatically. The tag avoids queues, as lanes can get very busy. Early morning can be tricky as well, as can peak season with UK tourists all on the wrong side of the car, or needing change for 50 Euro notes.
This is the official word from Liber-T…
You can use a Liber-t tag with a motorcycle with some limitations, the main one being that to avoid being charged as Class 1 vehicle you must use the manual lane and hand over the tag to the person in the toll booth. They will use a barcode scanner to read the tag and will charge you as a Class 5 vehicle. The main advantage is that it saves you fumbling for cash / payment cards with gloves on but you should not use the automated lanes. If there is no manned lane, use the automated Liber-t lane. When using the automated lane on a motorcycles just hold your tag up to the gantry, label side facing you. Take care the vehicle (or other motorbike) behind is not too close as the equipment in the automated lane may register you as a larger vehicle and charge for a car (class 1). You can check your transactions in the 'My Account' area a few days later. If this happens you would need to contact us and request a toll adjustment. If you use the automatic lane then we can only request a toll adjustment if you have used the non-height restricted Liber-t lane, all vehicles using the 2 meter height restricted lane will be classed as class 1 with no option to adjust this.
Take all the usual clothes for biking, don't forget your camera with lots of space for cards/film. Load up the panniers evenly, check the suspension, check you are comfortable and can ride at walking pace without a wobble, adjust the load to even up (always use the manual) and off you go!
What do I do?
My preferred route is from Calais. I try to arrive in Calais in the morning, but as long as I leave two hours of daylight to get to Albert or Cambrai, I know I will be fine. Riding in the dark in France is no problem, but you are likely to be tired and looking out for your stop, so give yourself every chance of a trouble-free trip. I will often ride down to Arras first, stopping at the Carriere Wellington for a visit to the museum. This commemorates the use of tunnels under the town to hide some 25,000 soldiers prior to the Battle of Arras in early April, 1917. Don't forget the main military cemetery. Parking is tricky, down the left-hand side. Sometimes, I will go to Ieper (Ypres) first, taking in Lille and Armentieres as well. Both are dual carriageway rides, with historical sites almost every mile.
Accommodation when in Belgium and France is a personal choice. Some hotel chains are better appointed on the continent, than they are in the UK. Some bed and breakfast accommodation is luxurious and bike friendly. I often stay in the Ibis in Albert. It is literally on the front line of the Somme battlefield and I can be on the line in five minutes at La Boisselle. There are places to stay in Bapaume, Cambrai and Amiens, all within a few minutes ride of the front lines. Again, worth thinking about which regions you want to see. Often a combination with a longer trip can work well also, a comfy bed, good food, or location, the coice is yours. Expect to pay £60 a night whatever your choice.
Now that you have your bike fettled, all packed up, tagged and bagged, accommodation sorted, what to do once you roll off the ferry, or appear from the tunnel?
In Flanders Fields…
If you are going to Belgium, then there is a wealth of history to visit. But, are two spots that you must visit, and they are only a half an hour apart. First is Tyne Cot cemetery, which is the biggest cemetery on the British part of the Western Front. Formerly a casualty clearing station run out of a captured German concrete bunker (which is still there), it became the central location for burials from all around the salient.
The memorial wall to those with no known grave is very impressive and sobering. Its location within a modern housing development is typical of Belgium, but the view from the cemetery itself is fabulous over the salient and across to the Passchendaele plains. The car park is small pea gravel, but otherwise bike-friendly, so make sure you pack a sidestand puck – most cemeteries are gravelled. The visitor centre is packed full of information about the region and the cemetery.
Second is the Last Post ceremony in Ypres itself, at the Menin Gate, located in the centre of Ypres. In the evening, you can park bikes on the main square near the Cloth Hall, three minutes walk away. There are many fabulous Belgian coffee shops and bars around to suit all tastes.
The walk from the Cloth Hall to the gate follows the route taken by most soldiers leaving to fight on the salient. The gate itself was built as a memorial and at 8pm each evening, the Fire Brigade buglers sound the Last Post. The musicianship is wonderful. Normally the service starts at 7.15-7.30 and can be busy. It is a nice spot to park in, so go early and be on the front row to see the invited bands and the young people of the Commonwealth, who perform alongside the buglers.
There are cemeteries and museums all over the salient and you can find a lot of information about them on the web. Belgium has many private museums, of variable quality. These sprang up after the war, when battlefields were cleared and made safer. An example is at Hill 62. The trenches are just corrugated iron ditches, although there are many photos and piles of shells and equipment.
Hill 60 was the scene of bitter, terrible fighting. Found again in the middle of a housing development, it has a small car park. You should visit, although it might be difficult to imagine the scale of the battle now. Much of the battlefield has been rightly reclaimed by the citizens and is quite noticeable in Belgium, in and around the Ypres salient.
The ridge of Messines is another site of incredible history and unimaginable suffering. The southern tip of the mining operatios in June 1917, the Germans were literally blown off this ridge. There is a peace centre open on the ridge itself, it is one of the highest spots in the area and the slope on the far side is relatively steep. The Messines ridge cemetery is small, chiefly because many bodies were simply never found. The ridge was heavily mined, you can still find the depressions if you take a good look around. There are other memorials in the area, to the Irish and the wider Commonwealth, as well as to the miner engineers who dug the mines in appalling conditions.
There are others and I will feature them in other posts.
En France…
In France, most of the villages on the Front, especially around the Ancre and the Somme valleys, are tiny and the archaic "priorite a droite" may still apply. This essentially means emerging traffic at roundabouts and unsigned junctions has right of way to join the carriageway. Normally, though, you aren't riding fast through villages anyway and as long as you are aware and concentrating, nothing will happen unexpectedly. Most drivers look to give way anyway, as the rule is rare in France nowadays. The majority of signs state that the rule is inoperative. Look out for these at roundabouts.
France has a wealth of sites to visit. For a biker, there are a few worth mentioning in particular. You must ride the road from Bapaume to Albert. It was this road that formed the very centre of the fighting in the (First) Battle of the Somme in July-November 1916. Along almost the entire length (denoted by Front Line notices), there are thousands of bodies left and right, still in the earth. The closer to Albert you ride, the more that this is the case. Stop to pay respects to the Australian Memorials on the road near Pozieres. An unimaginable sacrifice, in many ways, greater than that at Gallipoli and as costly as Fromelles, or Bullecourt.
Along the way you pass Pozieres, Martinpuich/Courcelette (first use of tanks), La Boisselle and Albert itself. Turn left towards Martinpuich and Contalmaison and you travel the main sites of the continuing battle, through Bazentin, Longueval, Delville Wood and High Wood. Turn right and you go towards Ovillers and Thiepval, where gains on the first day were negligible, the defences and terrain were just unsuitable for attacking. At La Boisselle is the Lochnagar Crater and the La Boisselle Project. The mining tunnels are being excavated and the mine itself has been acquired as a permanent memorial to the divisions that fought the first day on the Somme (particularly the 34th Division).
You must visit Ovillers Cemetery, where many first day graves are located. Also, Pozieres, so dear to hearts of Anzacs, the fighting was appalling for each yard gained. Delville Wood and High Wood also, sites of unimaginable horror, so peaceful they are today. If you park at Caterpillar Valley, looking out towards High Wood, you look over ground covered by a cavalry charge on 14 July, 1916. This ground was almost taken on the first day of the battle, undefended as it was. It then took two months and unimaginable casualties to take it finally from the Germans.
The locations all around here, within a mile or two are evocative to the British and Commonwealth. Troncs Wood (Trones Wood), Bernafay Wood, Delville Wood, Flers, Ginchy, Guillemont, Bazentin-Le-Petit. All are worth a visit. Mind the cemetery car parks, they are red gravel and can be slippery for a bike. Remember that puck! You should take time to visit Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. It can be seen on Thiepval Ridge from all around. The 64 stone panels are densely packed with names of soldiers without a place of rest, or who remain missing. Right on this spot were the trenches and some of the scars in the land can still be seen. If you go to the end of the cemetery there (which is relatively small) that is very close to the advance of the British up and over the ridge, which was not achieved on 1 July.
Just north west of Thiepval is Newfoundland Park and Beaumont Hamel. Here is a typically beautiful and respectful Canadian Memorial of a proud Caribou looking out over the battlefield. The trenches are original, but time has taken them over somewhat. Go right to the end to the Memorial to the Highland Division. The 51st Division have many memorials over the Western Front, so great was their sacrifice. This newer one is truly fabulous. Go along to Y Ravine and picture the struggle over it in November 1916. Just about here was the site of the Hawthorn mine, detonated early on 1 July (7.20 instead of 7.28). It has been captured on film and is worth a view.
There are other locations, too many for a single list. The Ulster Tower is on the site of the Irish attacks during the First Battle of the Somme. Bodies and artifacts are found almost daily right on that site. Further along is Serre and Gommecourt, the disastrous diversionary movement to deflect attention away from the Somme.
As you ride north, pretty much along the Front Line, you pass Arras/Wancourt and the surrounding areas. The Battle of Arras in April 1917 was a momentous push around the Scarpe River to take the higher ground. The battle included the attack on Vimy Ridge. The ridge itself and the Canadian visitor centre are worth looking at, especially the line of mines. The memorial on the ridge is windswept and exposed. Imagine taking the positions in 1917. I hope this first article has made you think about taking on a bike trip. You should go, especially in these memorial years. What is to stop you? What is your bike for? Good luck, ride safe and send me your photos!


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subset: commoncrawl


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Weather Resources: Interactive Radar | Weather Warnings | Closings, Delays | List of current snow emergencies
Sunday, Feb. 10. 9:45 p.m. — The winter weather advisories for central Ohio have been canceled, but conditions outside are still slick and a wintry mix is possible Sunday night.
Sunday, Feb. 10, 4 p.m. — Snow continues into the mid-evening with a total of up to 2" for most but some spots north of the city could get up to 3" or so. This turns over to a mix in the mid to late evening and even a little freezing rain with a light glaze later.
Sometime in the early hours of the morning, this turns back to rain, but some slick spots will still be possible early on Monday.
Jeff Booth provided latest on Sunday's winter weather:
Sunday, Feb. 10, 8 a.m. — All is quiet and cold this morning across central Ohio but that will not be the case come this afternoon.
A winter weather advisory is in effect for parts of central Ohio from 12 pm Sunday through 1 am Monday.
During this time, snow and a mixed bag of precipitation will push through the region. Snow will be the primary form of precipitation to start, slowly moving its way into the region from the southwest this afternoon.
With the recent cold and dry air in place, this will likely keep precipitation out of the region until this afternoon.
Also, the dry air interacting with the onset of moisture added to the region will lead to some evaporation, allowing for temperatures to and air in the upper parts of the atmosphere to cool. This will keep the primary form of snow precipitation through the afternoon, but eventually, we'll see rain mix in at times and possibly freezing rain in spots.
Ice accumulations will stay light, generally a few hundredths of an inch. Rain will mix in sooner for those in southern Ohio this afternoon, which will lead to less snow totals by the end of the day.
Most areas along and north of I-70 will see 1 to 3" of snow by the end of the day. Areas north of I-70 could see 3"+ in more isolated pockets. Areas south of I-70 could still pick up and inch or two, with lesser amounts closer to the Ohio River. Later tonight, we'll continue to see a mixed bag of precipitation with little to no additional accumulation.
Temperatures will hover around the freezing mark and will warm above freezing into tomorrow morning. Rain will then take over as the main form of precipitation on Monday, where flood watches will go into effect as periods of rain will move across central Ohio through Tuesday. Areas in northern Ohio on Monday could see some snow to start, but will eventually see rain during the day.


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Lessons in Love series
Author: Clarissa Carlyle
Publication Date: Mar 19, 2014
Pages: 510
Genre: New Adult / Coming of Age
Lessons in Love follows the story of high school cheerleader Alex Heron. She's pretty, blonde and popular.Alex seems to have it all, but she's hiding a dark secret from her past that threatens to destroy her future. Only the handsome new math teacher, Mark Simmons, can see past Alex's façade to the real girl hiding inside. He wants to help Alex overcome her past, but will their developing feelings for each other get in the way?
Almost a week had passed since Alex had gone from being the girl in Mark's car to the invisible woman. She was tired of second-guessing his feelings about her and more tired of her own constant attraction towards him. She was obviously deluding herself to entertain any sort of fantasy involving him, yet she couldn't help it. Each time she caught his scent or spotted him in the corridor, her heart raced in a way that no one else had ever been able to make it do.
The only way she could get through math class was to actually settle down and do some work, and as a result her grades began to improve.
"You got an A?" Claire gasped as they sat in their Friday morning class.
"Mmm." Alex nodded sheepishly.
"How did you manage that?" Claire asked, clearly amazed by the achievement.
Alex wanted to answer that all she had done was pay attention and apply herself, but knew that wouldn't be in keeping with her head cheerleader status. "I bought the answers off some guy yesterday," Alex whispered conspiratorially.
"Ooh," Claire exhaled, nodding in approval. "Why didn't you share?" She sounded hurt as she asked.
"I didn't want us both to get caught cheating." Alex offered an impromptu explanation, which seemed to appease Claire.
"Hope you don't get caught," she whispered across to her friend.
"Me too." Alex smiled at her.
Mark was winding down his class, having distributed test papers and solved all of the equations on the board. As usual his gaze had never once drifted to the back right of the classroom where Alex sat. Suddenly she felt his eyes upon her before she heard him speak, her breath catching in her throat as he did so.
"Miss Heron, can I see you after class?" His tone was abrupt. It was not a request but a command.
"Oh God, looks like he caught you cheating!" Claire sent Alex an apologetic glance before hurriedly packing away her stuff, not wanting to be tarred with the same cheating brush.
Alex watched Claire and the rest of her classmates scurry away, her heart already in overdrive, pounding within her chest, reverberating all the way to her eardrums, blocking out all external sound.
What did Mark want with her? He'd ignored her all week long; why speak to her now? Alex nervously approached his desk. Mark went to speak but then spotted the open door, beyond which were students milling around in the corridor, unenthusiastically meandering towards their next class.
He got up and walked purposefully to the door, swiftly closed it, and then headed back to his desk. He sat on top of it, close to Alex as she hovered nervously nearby. She could smell him, and it was intoxicating. She struggled to keep her focus.
"I owe you an apology," Mark blurted out, his stern demeanor instantly gone and the kind, open man from the cinema standing in his place.
"Huh?" Alex was caught off guard.
"I've been ignoring you all week. But you know that, right?" Mark looked deep into her eyes, and embarrassed, Alex looked away.
"I thought you were just being a tool," she told him flippantly, forcing herself to wear her arrogant cheerleader armor.
Mark merely smiled fondly at her insult. "You've every right to be mad. I just can't be seen to be too familiar with you in school. People will talk."
Alex was silent, staring intently at her battered Converse sneakers; thankfully the distressed look was currently in style.
"Alex, I'd risk losing my job if anyone knew we were…friends." He struggled on the last word, and Alex wondered why.
"What's wrong with being friends?" Alex challenged.
"You know what," Mark told her earnestly, and she felt her heart skip a beat as she dared to believe that perhaps he did actually see her as something more than just a friend. But if that was the word they needed to use to toe the delicate teacher-student line, then she was more than happy to do so.
"Are we still friends?" she asked cautiously.
"She didn't enjoy being the center of negative attention but knew she had to play her role." -Clarissa Carlyle, Lessons in Love
Lessons in Love is about a teenager who is doing what she feels she needs to in order to be popular but not what she wants to do. But the new math teacher, Mark Simmons, sees someone different than the rest. Can he bring her out or will Alex find herself stuck in the same town forever? Find the official description on Goodreads.
Lessons in Love opens to a typical high school scene, one that isn't hard to imagine. Throughout the book it seems to be the typical high school scene for the most part.
Throughout the book, Alex is feeling the pressure of being perfect in front of her peers. This is really a common theme in high school and I felt that Clarissa Carlyle portrays just the right amount of angst. Then there was the fact that we don't learn Alex's history right away. You find it out slowly throughout the book and it made things interesting. You never really knew that Alex wasn't doing what she wanted except from her thoughts and you wondered why she was hiding where she lived as well.
Clarissa Carlyle shows that the emotional scars can be worse than the physical. Throughout the book, readers find out about Alex's past and why she feels she needs to be popular. And it shows the pain she has to go through to get where she eventually ends up. Lessons in Love shows the difficulties that high school presents,and just how mean high school kids can be.
It was great to see that Clarissa Carlyle made Alex strike out on her own, and find her own person throughout the book. She slowly stops depending on others to tell her what she has to be or who she has to be and that growth was...marvellous.
Alex Heron has graduated high school and been accepted to Princeton! But will college be the fulfillment of a dream like she always hoped it would be?
Leaving her first love behind, Alex travels far away from her hometown with a heavy heart. Can love blossom as she makes new friends, joins a sorority and attends a wealth of college parties?
Princeton will test Alex in many ways. There will be hearts torn apart and flames burning anew, and always there will be the letters from home, the letters of love, to help guide her back from the brink.
"There was no more hiding from her past, no more denying who she was." -Clarissa Carlyle, Letters of Love
Alex made it! She's starting at Princeton. Unfortunately this means she has to leave Mark behind but it's only four years, right? But in those four years a lot can happen. Alex finds Oscar, someone who knows the pain she has gone through and is dealing with it very differently. Then there's the fact that Alex now has to decide who she is. Is she the dumb blonde cheerleader of Woodsdale or the studious Alex she used to be. She will be put to the test and the question is can she made it at Princeton? Find the official description on Goodreads.
I loved that Letters of Love pretty much picks up from where Lessons in Love ended. It made it feel continuous and more like it was one book than separate books. Not to mention Alex experiences University life for the first time and makes a new friend right away. Ashley's energy was easily visible and kept the reader bouncing as well.
I was excited to start this book because I've had one college experience and I wanted to see what Alex's experience would be like. I could really relate to Alex in the beginning of the book because of all the feelings she was experiencing and the things she was dealing with. I remember very clearly what my experience was like and my transition was made a little easier by having a friend from home as my roommate. But throughout the book I started to really dislike where Alex was going and how she was acting. I thought she was wasting her chance and as a person who has worked hard to get where I am, I wasn't really happy with her. Then there was the fact that she got so tied up with a boy that she was allowing it to affect her studies negatively and she wasn't taking the chances offered her. I found that just slightly annoying. But towards the end I started to cheer more for Alex as she makes changes in order to better herself.
Then there was the fact that Alex deals with many common fears and difficulties of college students. I know that I've experienced many of them and I'm only finishing my second year. So it was easy to read Letters of Love and put myself in Alex's place. Not to mention it reassured me a little as well.
The only thing I didn't really like about Letters of Love was the time jumps that it experienced. I know it's necessary but at the same time it was slightly annoying. I would have liked to have a little bit more to each year.
But other than that, I really enjoyed Letters of Love, and think it was a good addition to the Lessons of Love Series.
Alex Heron has graduated from Princeton, and now it's time for her to make her mark in the big wide world. With an exciting job opportunity in New York City, everything seems to be going well, but with the two great loves of her life, Oscar and Mark, still looming in the background it's going to be far from smooth sailing.
Will Alex finally get the happy ending she so desperately deserves? Only time will tell as she navigates both the city and life back in Woodsdale in her ongoing search for her true self and true happiness.
"The girls hugged one another crying over their time together drawing to a close as life inevitably pulled them forward and apart." -Clarissa Carlyle, Living With Love
Alex is following her dreams by going to New York and working at an insurance firm. But she can't forget the two men who have influenced her life so much. And now she's wondering if she can't give love a shot. Find the official description on Goodreads.
This book was a fitting conclusion to the Lessons of Love series. It brought everything to a conclusion that will make you sigh.
Throughout the first part of the book there's some travelling. What I enjoyed was that instead of describing solely the physical aspects of the places that Alex and Ashley travelled, Clarissa Carlyle also described the qualities of the city. It really brought the locations to life and added a unique flare to Living With Love.
It was also great to see Ashley and Alex so close. The sisterhood feeling made me feel warm and fuzzy. That was another thing about Living With Love. It drew the reader in, making them feel the emotions that Alex was experiencing without much difficulty.
I also enjoyed seeing Clarissa portray two characters of the opposite gender who have previously dated be friends at least for a little while. It's usually much more dramatic and it was nice to get away from that for a bit.
There was also a bit of a surprise in the book, one that I honestly didn't see coming. It shocked me and I suddenly had doubts about assumptions I had made. This shock made me keep reading and more avidly as well.
Living With Love is a marvellous addition and fitting conclusion to the Lessons of Love series. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to anyone who loves romance. What did you think of these three books? Did you enjoy the series?
Lessons in Love Boxed Set
(Includes all 3 books in the Lessons in Love series, specially priced!)
(Includes all 3 books in the Lessons in Love series, specially priced!)
Facebook | Blog | Amazon | Twitter | Goodreads | YouTube channel
I have been an avid reader and writer since my earliest school days. Reading was my first and earliest passion that I can remember, often seeking the safe sanctuary of my room or the library to read everything I could. My favorite has always been romance. I penned some romantic poetry in high school and was winning school awards for my short stories at 16. In college I would hibernate in the library for days at a time, consuming every short story and novel I could find. My diploma says Bachelors in English Lit., which I'm very proud of.
I probably drink too much coffee and eat too much junk food, but to compensate do like running outdoors when the weather is nice. I love shopping in the mall even if I never find what I'm looking for. I'm a hopeful romantic who prefers stories with a happy ending. You can often find me in a coffee shop either working on my next story, or with my nose in a book.
Go here http://clarissacarlyle.blogspot.com/ to find out more, or just stop by and say hi.
Buy Links
Lessons in Love http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IMU3CX2
Letters of Love http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IMU3LWO
Living with Love http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IMUAI3E
Lessons in Love Boxed Set (Includes all 3 books in the Lessons in Love series, specially priced!)
Author Links
Clarissa Carlyle's blog http://clarissacarlyle.blogspot.com/
Amazon author page http://amazon.com/author/clarissacarlyle
Clarissa on Twitter http://twitter.com/ClarissaCarlyle
Clarissa Carlyle's Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AuthorClarissaCarlyle
Clarissa on Goodreads https://www.facebook.com/AuthorClarissaCarlyle
YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCObOQ6z30JlM0zCDCK7p-sw?feature=mhee
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Local Tree Care Experts In Grand Forks, North Dakota
For Grand Forks tree services then look no more. For tree-specific jobs, big and small-sized, we will solve them for you. Our company is very highly proficient with many years of practical experience, meaning we deliver great work for you.
It is typically a good idea to use the services of professionals when it involves removing and trimming of trees. We have the gear and expertise to undertake it safely and proficiently. We come with all of the required gear, know-how and insurance protection for our tree surgeons to confidently and successfully fell, maintain and take away trees, branches, and stumps. We look after every detail and will remove and rubbish and debris once we have cut down or gotten rid of the trees. Let us know how we can help you when you get in touch with us.
We have vehicles and tools at our disposal for even complicated tree jobs – and the abilities and experience to use them.
Tree Service Company In Grand Forks, ND
Smaller domestic trees can be trimmed or taken away depending upon your demands along with larger projects that require commercial vehicles and gear. We can guide you via assessment together with tree removal, and maintenance professional services.
- Removal and felling of trees
- Pruning, tree reduction, lifting and branch thinning
- Removing dead wood and crown cleaning
- Removing fallen trees after storms and dealing with damage
- Bracing and propping of leaning trees
- Stump grinding and removal
- Planting of trees
- Inspection of trees
- Planting of hedges, removal as well and topping and trimming
- Clearance of vegetation and mulching
- For extremely big trees we have the gear required to carry out the job
If the trees in your yard need looking after we can trim, thin and remove them. If you need tree stump removal or stump grinding, we can address that too.
In some cases, you may not be allowed to take out a tree. We are experienced in bringing the tree to a manageable degree while making sure the tree survives and remains safe. We will before undertaking any task ensure that anything we do is within the local conditions. All of our qualified staff wear protective clothing and tools.
Are you up to here looking at that tree in your backyard? You have a variety of choices from trimming and pruning, to full removal of the tree to enhance the look of your garden. We consider the condition of the tree before we begin work on it. Occasionally it is worthwhile to relocate the tree to another part of your garden.
Tree Trimming in Grand Forks, ND
Sometimes pruning and trimming a tree is all that is called for. In these types of scenarios, we basically get rid of the branches that are causing the trouble. This can mean that we do not need to get rid of the tree. If some branches are contacting your property or shutting off light, then we can safely remove them and leave things looking much better.
Only expert tree companies should be tasked with performing work like this. This can be a more affordable option, rather that the cost of getting rid of the tree.
Grand Forks Stump Removal
Are you looking for tree stump removal? That is a task best left to those with knowledge and the proper equipment. We know what we are doing, and will perform the job expertly and with minimal disturbance.
We are here for you when you need to contract a professional tree service. Contact us today and receive a fair quote. Discover why First Call Tree Services in Grand Forks should always be your first call.
Communities we service
Bismarck Tree Services, Fargo Tree Services, Grand Forks Tree Services


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Report: GAME OF THRONES Actor Cast As ATLANTEAN KING In JUSTICE LEAGUE
Game of Thrones actor Kristofer Hivju, who plays the Wildling leader Tormund Giantsbane on the HBO drama, has reportedly joined the cast of Justice League as an ancient Atlantean king, according to IGN.
According to the online news site, Hivju was distinctively used in concept art for Justice League on display to press on the London set. He will reportedly appear in the role in a flashback sequence that shows the Atlanteans hiding a Mother Box eons in the past. Aquaman will also reportedly retrieve his famous trident from the king's tomb.
Like the Atlanteans, it seems the Amazons will also possess a Mother Box, as does Cyborg, whose fusion with the New Gods tech was seen in Batman v Superman - something that, according to costume designer Michael Wilkinson, allows Cyborg to change his shape and turn his limbs into weapons.
Justice League is scheduled to hit theaters November 17, 2017.


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Domaine Trilles Calignan 2017, IGP Cotes Catalan. 15 %.
Made from 100 year old bush wines, this wine is a wonderful example of what can be achieved from old Carignan vines. Full red fruit flavours are complemented by a softness and roundness derived from ageing in old oak barrels. Perfect with a steak, roast lamb or strong cheese. Drinking well now, but will also age beautifully for at least 3 years.
Rated 90 by Parker's Wine Advocate
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Later that evening I was drifting off to sleep when suddenly I felt a jolt, and then, "Bam!" Suddenly I was wide awake.
I was at the Empire Theatre and it was the noise of the siren from the movie Mission: Impossible – Fallout that helped me regain consciousness.
Ironically, it was a boring scene in the opening 10 minutes of this latest Tom Cruise flick - and exhaustion of course, that sent me to dreamland in the first place.
But I certainly did not feel drowsy for the remainder of the movie. Based on how the earlier instalments fared, I thought I would never admit this but here I go – this Mission: Impossible is much better than I expected.
And I'm prepared to bet that if you go to see it, you will have a jolly good time - but only if you are able to survive the tedious exchange between the leading characters earlier in the movie.
And if your eyes somehow lose their fight against gravity, don't worry; there is a good chance you will feel the same jolt I did when the action really gets underway.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout takes place two years after the events of Rogue Nation where Impossible Missions Force (IMF) agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) is able to capture anarchist Solomon Lane (Sea Harris) and destroy his organisation, known as The Syndicate.
However, The Syndicate is far from seeing its last days as the remaining members form another terror organisation, this time called The Apostles.
Hunt receives a mission to intercept the sale of three plutonium cores to The Apostles who want to use them to make nuclear weapons to stage an attack on the Vatican, Jerusalem and Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
He joins CIA assassin August Walker (Henry Cavill) and his IMF team in an action-packed mission to prevent the plutonium from falling into the hands of The Apostles.
Mission: Impossible is one of the most profitable franchises, raking about $4.4 billion from the five movies so far against a budget of about $1.2b (including the latest one, Fallout).
Since the initial Mission: Impossible which was released back in 1996, the makers of this franchise have managed to fend off some strong challenges from other spy movies to keep their audience entertained.
The franchise may have lost some of its fan base from the lacklustre sequels, but Mission: Impossible remains a major drawcard when talk about the greatest spy movies come to the fore.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout director Christopher McQuarrie, who also directed Rogue Nation, does a superb job in bringing some fresh elements to keep the franchise fresh in a highly competitive genre.
The story has a good flow, there is a pinch of humour here and there, bit of a chemistry between the main characters and most important of all, adrenaline-filled action which is top notch.
There is a high speed chase with Cruise on a bike trailed by the police through busy Paris traffic which is terrifically done. The camera work is outstanding here, and it makes the audience feel like they are part of the scene.
Cruise, who does all the action scenes himself, makes these daring stunts look so easy. To be honest, what he may lack in acting ability (no offence to his fans), he covers well with some daring stunts in the action sequences.
The locations chosen by the makers of this film, especially some parts of the climax shot in a snowy-clad Kashmir, give good depth to the visuals.
In a nutshell, Mission: Impossible – Fallout is a real treat for cinemagoers who appreciate action movies with a decent script.
It's a hard combination to find these days, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to miss this one.


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401 members
301 members
Posted on May 24, 2017 at 1:30am 0 Comments 0 Likes
"It is in times when emotions are strong,
when things are not the way you would like them to be
that great transformation and expansion can happen.
Instead of reacting or trying to get out of feeling the way you feel,
Let yourself give up in the moment.
Sit, play your…
Posted on May 18, 2017 at 5:58am 0 Comments 0 Likes
"A lot of spiritual teachings thrown around are 'shoulds.'
'You should be kind.' 'You should be selfless.'
'You should be positive.'
But we have been abused by these 'shoulds' our whole life.…
Posted on February 14, 2017 at 8:00pm 0 Comments 0 Likes
Posted on January 17, 2017 at 8:41pm 0 Comments 2 Likes
"This moment is radiating out of silence;
out of peace.
No matter what is arising in this moment,
it is radiating out of silence.
When you are quiet enough
within yourself, you become aware of this silence.
You become drawn into it,
absorbed into it.
And eventually you will realize
that everything is this silence;
Posted on November 30, 2016 at 2:13am 0 Comments 0 Likes
"One of the greatest things that can happen
to you on the spiritual journey
is you lose the will to keep going forward.
Because the mind is always going forward.
It is always seeking the next task,
the next accomplishment, the next attainment,
the next object of desire.
This is how we maintain our sense of self.
Like a carrot…
Love coming your way too, Kip. You're such an inspiring person and your posts enlighten my days with hope and motivation. Thanks for being you! :)
© 2020 Created by Powerful Intentions. Powered by


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As your day approaches, here are some things to start thinking about. If it feels overwhelming, know that we are here to help every step of the way. We are happy to provide suggestions for any (or all) moments of the day. You are welcome to be as involved in the process as you like. If you want to pick every song, great! If you would like to pick a theme such as: classical, pop, jazz, country, etc. and have us make appropriate musical suggestions or selections, we are happy to do that as well.
Every celebration is unique to the individuals. You may find that you want to add or subtract from the sample timeline below.
Every celebration is unique to the individuals. You may find that you want to add or subtract from the sample timeline below.
- Prelude - Prelude music will begin typically 15-20 minutes before the ceremony as guests start arriving and taking their seats.
- Seating of Family (Mothers/Parents/Grandparents/Other special family members etc.) - Perhaps you'd like a special song played here that has some important significance to someone special in your life. Perhaps a song your parents danced to at their wedding or a song special to a grandparent.
- Wedding Party Processional - Music provided here while your wedding party walks down the aisle.
- Bridal Processional - Perhaps the most important music in the wedding ceremony happens here as the bride makes her grand entrance.
- Mid-Ceremony Moment - An optional moment for romantic musical ambiance. Some couples choose to have music during a unity candle lighting, a reading by a member of the wedding party, a sand pouring, or a wine toast.
- Recessional - Generally an upbeat song works best here. This is the celebratory moment right after you've been introduced as husband and wife for the first time!
- Music for the cocktail hour can be anything you'd like: classical, pop, jazz, country, rock, or a mash up of different styles and genres.
- Grand Entrance: The start of the reception makes for a perfect time for the MC (often also the DJ) to announce the bride and groom's grand entrance. You might also choose to have your wedding party introduced before the bride and groom's entrance.
- Welcome Speech/Blessing etc.
- Dinner - during the dinner, soft instrumental music tends to work well to allow your guests to converse.
- Toasts - typically toasts and speeches will happen toward the end of dinner. Decide here whether you'd like to limit the toasts and speeches to several planned speakers or whether you'd like to "open" the mic to other guests that might want to contribute.
- Cake Cutting
- First Dance - Bride and Groom's First Dance as husband and wife.
- Father/Daughter Dance
- Mother/Son Dance
- Wedding Party Dance (optional)
- Open Dance Floor - A DJ or live band playing music during this time will get your guests on the dance floor to let loose. Relax and enjoy your night!
- Optional Bouquet Toss/Garter Toss
- Last Dance Song/Send Off


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The Law Commissions' proposed changes in insurance law will be welcomed as a means to correct perceived bias, says Ken McKenzie.
When the Law Commission launched a consultation on its insurance reform proposals, Davies Arnold Cooper surveyed market participants about the ideas. Responses came in from 41 UK-based and global companies operating in the London insurance market – companies with a combined annual revenue of more than $60bn.
80% of respondents are in favour of reform in principle and two thirds expressly agree with the reforms proposed by the Law Commission as part of their paper, Misrepresentation, Non-Disclosure and Breach of Warranty by the Insured. By far the biggest driver of insurance law reform is seen as the need to eliminate the perceived bias English law has in favour of insurers – an area in need of complete modernisation.
The common international industry perspective that UK insurance law favours the insurer stems in part from the extent of the duty of disclosure on those applying for insurance and the consequences for the policyholder in getting it wrong. DAC's survey showed that 60% of respondents believe there is a perceived bias.
A key proposal would shift the appreciation of the relevance and materiality of the facts requiring to be disclosed to underpin an insurance policy away from the underwriter to that of an insured.
This shift would mean that underwriters would in future be unable to rely on the insured to provide information about which no specific enquiry has been made. Interestingly, the survey reveals the proposals will change more than just the documentation discipline: most (70%) believe it will make it harder for insurers to accept irregular risks. However, despite this, 75% agree that the duty of disclosure is in need of reform, and of those, 60% agree with the proposed reforms in this area. 73% of the respondents think that it is inevitable that underwriting practices will change as a result of this proposed change in the law.


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Teensy Ray
|Teensy Ray
|Appears in
|Rayman Origins, Rayman Legends
|Portrayed by
|Douglas Rand
|Polokus (ancestor)
Muse of the poets (ancestor)
|Unlock criteria
|(Rayman Origins)
Teensie Ray is an unlockable Teensie character in Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends.
In order to be more like his hero Rayman, Teensy Ray cosplays as him, wearing a coat and a shirt with the same colour scheme of Rayman's shirt and hood, including the signature white "O". He also wears a pair of white gloves, and a pair of shoes similar to Rayman's. He also changed the colour of his skin with body art, and emulated Rayman's haircut with hair transplantation to practice the ability to use the helicopter; however, it doesn't seem to work for him. He and Globteen are the two cosplayer Teensies.
Role in the games
Rayman Origins
It's the head of the fanclub! Teensy Ray. Nice body art, my friend! Any luck flying with the new head implant? Don't try from too high...!
In Rayman Origins he is unlocked once 15 Electoons have been earned. He claims to be Rayman's biggest fan, possibly due his heroic acts in previous games. The Bubble Dreamer recognizes him as the leader of a never before mentioned Rayman fanclub. Is unknown how many members does this fanclub have, where is it located or when was it created.
Rayman Legends
This little Teensy is the ultimate Rayman fan! He even dresses exactly like his role model and is Head of Rayman's fanclub.—In-game description, Rayman Legends
In Rayman Legends he is unlocked once 5 000 Lums have been collected.
Rayman Adventures
Although he doesn't appear in Rayman Adventures, his files have been found in the game.
Teensy Ray in Rayman Origins.
See also
External links
|Characters from Rayman Origins
|Playable characters from Rayman Origins
|Rayman • Globox • Green Teensy • Goth Teensy • Raybox • Red Globox • Teensy Ray • GlobTeen • Teensy Queen • Teensy Wizard • Grand Minimus • Ninja Teensy • Flaming Teensy • The First King • Raymesis • Glombrox
|Friends from Rayman Origins
|Bubble Dreamer • Murfy • The Magician • Betilla • Moskitoes • Holly Luya • Edith Up • Annetta Fish • Helena Handbasket
|Bosses from Rayman Origins
|Boss Bird • Giant Eel • Golem • Carnivora • Mocking Bird • El Stomacho • Creveton • Mecha Carnivora • Mecha Mockingbird • The Magician • Big Mama
|Characters from Rayman Legends
|Playable characters from Rayman Legends
|Rayman • Globox • Grand Minimus • Goth Teensy • Sir Globrax • Sir Rayelot • Teensy Ray • Ray Plumber • Ray Vaas • Red Globox • GlobTeen • Glob Plumber • Far Glob • Raybox • Teensy Queen • Glombrox • Teensy Wizard • Raymesis • Teensy Hermit • Raymolk • Ninja Teensy • Globolk • Flaming Teensy • Poglox • The First King • Rayomz • Barbara • Elysia • Aurora • Twila • Estelia • Selena • Ursula • Emma • Olympia • Sibylla • The Golden Teensy • Splinter Ray • Assassin Ray • Avelina • Ray of Persia • Glob Cell • Funky Ray • Champion Ray • Murfy
|Friends from Rayman Legends
|Bubble Dreamer • Moskitoes • Four Kings • Gandalf
|Bosses from Rayman Legends
|Dark Teensies • Medieval Dragon • Armored Toad • Luchador • El Luchador • Sea Dragon • Mechanical Dragon • Hades' Hand • Boss Bird • Carnivora • Mocking Bird • Giant Eel • El Stomacho • Creveton • Golem • Big Mama


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For the past several years, Dakota Dickerson Racing has supported two charities that he holds dear to his heart, Shelter to Soldier and Nowzad. Both groups work with military veterans and with rescue animals but in different ways. The young driver has always had a strong connection to the military and as an owner of rescue dogs himself, he wanted to use his racing platform to help raise funds and awareness for these two organizations.
Shelter to Soldier's motto is Saving Lives, Two at a Time. Their mission is to bring post 9/11 combat veterans together with professionally trained rescue dogs to help both recover and move forward from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or other psychological injuries associated with traumatic service experiences. Graham Bloem, Founder, President and Director of San Diego based Specialty Dog Training and Shelter to Soldier, has been training dogs professionally for over 15 years. He has a true understanding of dog behavior and is passionate about animal rescue and giving back to men and women in uniform.
Since becoming involved with Shelter to Soldier, Dakota most recently donated some of his racing equipment and a race weekend experience for a raffle by Shelter to Soldier at their annual Gala held in San Diego. The prize package was well received and as such, Dakota was able to spend time with two supporters of Shelter to Soldier during the Intercontinental GT Challenge race in Monterey, CA this past month.
The Nowzad connection is as follows.
Nowzad operates and manages the only animal sanctuary in the Afghanistan area. They care for and nurture animals that have been hurt or abused. They also deliver educational seminars to the Afghanistan locals on how to properly care for the animals. In addition to this, brave men and women serving in a war zone find themselves adopting stray cats and dogs that are struggling to survive there. The soldiers are not only a salvation for the animals, these animals are a lifeline to the soldiers, providing a respite from war, a moment of peace and home and love.
When the soldier's tour of duty comes to an end, it is unthinkable to leave their four-legged comrade homeless. This is where Nowzad steps in to help. They arrange legal and safe passage for the animals to be reunited with the service men and women after their time in Afghanistan has ended.
Dickerson ran a fundraiser for Nowzad during rounds 13-15 of the F4 US Championship. People from around the world donated to Nowzad and were able to put their furry loved one's name on Dickerson's helmet and Formula 4 car. He was able to raise over $1,300 and later met with founders, Pen and Hanna, in San Diego to go over future plans.
"These two charities do so much remarkable work. I first met Shelter to Soldier in 2016 and was so impressed by how humble and generous both Graham and Kyrie were," Dakota said. "They are able to save a tremendous number of dogs from shelters in the San Diego area, and to watch them then train these dogs to help our service men and women is amazing to see. I later heard of Nowzad and their story last year and felt very connected with what they are achieving both for animals and veterans alike. I am so grateful that we are able to support these charities, and hope that we can make an even greater impact in the years to come."
Dakota Dickerson's race fans can follow him on his website dakotadickersonracing.com, Instagram (@dickersonracing), Facebook (Dakota Dickerson Racing) and on Twitter (@DickersonRacing).
About Dakota Dickerson Racing:
Dakota Dickerson is a third generation racer from San Diego, CA. The 21 year old has been racing since he was 6 years old and recently won the 2018 F4 US Championship with DC Autosport. In his first two years of racing cars he won a Driver Development scholarship from Bryan Herta Autosport (2 time Indianapolis 500 winning team), a Karts to Cars scholarship from Skip Barber Racing School, was chosen to be one of two drivers to represent the United States overseas via the Team USA Scholarship and was the 2016 USF2000 Mazda Scholarship Driver. With this success, he hopes to continue on to the Verizon INDYCAR Series.
About Shelter to Soldier:
Shelter to Soldier™ (www.sheltertosoldier.org)is a CA 501c3 non-profit organization that adopts dogs from local shelters and trains them to become psychiatric service dogs for post-9/11 combat veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or other psychological injuries associated with traumatic service experiences.
About Nowzad:
Nowzad (www.nowzad.com) is an organization whose purpose is to relieve the suffering of animals in Afghanistan; including companion animals, working equines, stray and abandoned dogs and cats and all other animals in need of care and attention, by providing and maintaining rescue, rehabilitation and education facilities for the care and treatment of such animals with no voice. Nowzad carries out all the necessary checks and paperwork to get the dog or cat to their loving home, wherever it is, in the world. War zone rescues include Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine and Libya and the new homes for the animals include USA, UK, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Spain, Jordan Thailand and South Africa.


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Posting ID : A1068543970
Date Posted : 2015-08-19
Category : Business Commercial By Owner
We are selling a Jackson JPX-300 under-counter commercial dishwasher. Item works perfectly just do not need it for my current setup. Sale includes two dish racks (one flat and one pegged), owner's manual 1.5 cases of soap, and 1.5 cases of sanitizer for machine. Please email me if you would like to come take a look. The unit is hooked up and can be test run. Used models in similar shape normally sell for around $2,500.


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PHOTOS: President Obama vows taking ISIS fight into Syria, Kerry visits Iraq
US President Barack Obama delivered a prime time address from the Cross Hall of the White House on September 10, 2014 in Washington, DC. Vowing to target the Islamic State with air strikes "wherever they exist", Obama pledged to lead a broad coalition to fight IS.
PHOTOS: Protestors in Pakistan clash with police Monday
Anti-government protesters armed with rocks and wooden clubs clashed with police in Islamabad, Pakistan on September 1, 2014.
PHOTOS: Rail workers strike in Paris
French riot police clashed with striking train workers over a bill to reform the state-run railway system, on June 17, 2014, in Paris.
PHOTOS: Hillary Clinton begins Hard Choices book tour
Clinton's tour for "Hard Choices" began Tuesday morning in the friendliest possible setting: A sold out autographing event at a Barnes & Noble in Manhattan's Union Square.


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A California couple, looking for a Florida photographer. It almost seemed too good to be true. Months later, as they stood on the white sand, thousands of miles from the West Coast, we watched as Juliette + Paul promised one … Continue reading
Tag Archives: pensacola beach wedding photographer
2015 Best of Series | Weddings
I knew that 2015 was going to be a different year from the very beginning. For one thing, we moved ourselves AND Kate's Captures Photography a mere 2000 miles across the country, got MARRIED in March, settled into life here … Continue reading


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Saturday, May 17, 2014
Sea Shells in the Library!
This sweet lady had toured my home several times, she has also brought others to tour, including several groups. On one of my tours she asked about some brass window cornices in the kitchen. I said they were a gift from a tourist in Kentucky. She said, people give the house gifts. And I answered yes and never gave it another thought.
Those of you who follow my blog, know I am a collector of Victorian Glass Specimen Domes. These glass domes were highly praised in Victorian times, 1830 -1900, and held many fun and unusual items. At my house I have domes with, clocks, dolls, dead birds, wax fruit, silk flowers and the list is endless. I did not have one with sea shells. I do love sea shells and have lots of them in French Wire planters on all my porches. This nice tourist lady, saw my domes, saw my love for sea shells and gave a dome full of shells she had, to me for my tour house.
This is beyond generous.OH MY!!hen she arrived with it, being the big baby I am, tears were in my eyes. It is tall, full of the most wonderful shells and just beautiful. I put it in the library on the center of the room table. The library has many other domes already and it seemed a good spot for it. I can close my eyes and see the Elgin children studying the shells and learning all there names.
If you love sea shells and domes like I do, you are sure to like this dome. Please come anytime for a tour. The lights are always on and Sissy Dog is always at the door with a kiss.
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'Dancing With the Stars' odds-on faves
Putting a disappointing "All-Star" season in its rearview mirror ball trophy, "Dancing With the Stars" reboots Monday (ABC/7 at 8) with a back-to-the-future edition. Who will win the 16th edition? Come on -- admit it: You care. So do I, and with that, let's go to the handicaps:
Zendaya (partnered with Valentin Chmerkovskiy) With just one name, who does she think she is? (Full name is Zendaya Coleman.) She has the advantage of youth (16), personality and experience (a handful of music videos). As Rocky Blue from Disney Channel's "Shake It Up," she's also an in-house star -- and the younger ones usually do well here. Odds of winning: 10-1
Andy Dick (Sharna Burgess). The comedian and D-list celeb with Lohanesque-size problems is no laughing matter -- he really does need help and hopefully "DWTS" will provide that. But he better get it fast because he could be one of the first to go. Odds: 1 million-1
Dorothy Hamill (Tristan MacManus) Household name status will go a long way here but at 56, she would be the oldest winner. (Jennifer Grey was 50 when she got her trophy.) Even though her Innsbruck gold medal has 37 years' worth of dust on it, she remains a huge star and athlete, appearing with "Stars on Ice" in Japan in January. She's very much in shape. Odds: 8-1
D.L. Hughley (Cheryl Burke) "DWTS" wouldn't partner Hughley with Burke (nor would she agree) if he were a stiff. But the former ABC sitcom star and onetime King of Comedy has turned into a professional commentator (recent book: "I Want You to Shut the ---- Up: How the Audacity of Dopes Is Ruining America"), and they tend to polarize viewers, especially older ones. Odds: 45-1
Jacoby Jones (Karina Smirnoff) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver is a first-rate athlete and a funny guy (watch his recent "Kimmel" appearance if you don't believe me) but... he just had knee surgery, which will -- or should -- force him to be conservative on this floor. Odds: 20-1
Wynonna Judd (Tony Dovolani) Biggest "name" this season, and, while she doesn't exactly cut a figure as a dancer, she is pure charisma, plus she has that star ability to work the crowd. She'll play well to "DWTS's" mostly older, mostly rural audience. Odds: 12-1
Sean Lowe (Peta Murgatroyd) What would "DWTS" be without another "Bachelor" contestant. He was a hit there, will be a hit here. But a winner? No way. Odds: 10-1
Victor Ortiz (Lindsay Arnold) For his sake, let's hope ABC doesn't show replays of his 22 wins by KO. Professional boxers -- no matter how compelling their story -- cannot win this show: They won't get the viewer votes. But he'll still be very good. Odds: 14-1
Kellie Pickler (Derek Hough) Two words: "Derek" and "Hough." He's the only superstar of "DWTS" fame and, for that reason alone, Pickler is already a front-runner. Nice, self-deprecating personality, too. She could win. (But won't). Odds: 5-1
Ingo Rademacher (Kym Johnson) Jax of "General Hospital," and another in-house star. Just seems like a long shot. (But I hear he's a good surfer!) Odds: 50-1
Aly Raisman (Mark Ballas) Captain of U.S. Women's Gymnastics team at the 2012 Summer Olympics; individual gold on the floor. Great pairing with Ballas for TV purposes: she's 5'3"; he's 5'6". She's your 16th season winner. Odds: 1-1
Lisa Vanderpump (Gleb Savchenko). Star of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" will not win "DWTS" and, more to the point, should not win either, just on principle alone. Odds: 500,000-1
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Pathogens of the Respiratory Tract
Even in healthy animals, bacteria of different species can be cultured from the respiratory system. Clinical evaluations of the lower respiratory tract demonstrated that 35–50% of healthy dogs were culture-positive (5). True primary pathogens of the lower respiratory tract are viruses and bacteria, including Bordetella bronchiseptica, Mycoplasma, Streptococcus zooepidemicusm, and Mycobacteria, which are able to overcome respiratory defense mechanisms, and induce respiratory tract infections (5).
The majority of bacteria to be found in the trachea and bronchial tree of healthy and diseased animals seems to be secondary opportunistic invaders, in most cases aspirated from the gastrointestinal tract, which take advantage of factors weakening the host's defense system and become pathogenic.
Secondary Pathogens Dogs
Secondary Pathogens Cats
Klebsiella in the Respiratory Tract
Pathogens of Upper Respiratory Tract Infections
Upper Respiratory Pathogens in Dogs
Upper Respiratory Pathogens in Cats
Pathogens of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections
Lower Respiratory Pathogens in Dogs
Lower Respiratory Pathogens in Cats
Antibiotic Activity
*C=bactericidal, S= bacteriostatic
**Based on Pseudomonas aeurginosa
0 = not likely effective due to intrinsic or acquired resistence
1+= <50% probability of in vitro susceptibility
2+= 50–74% probability of in vitro susceptibility
3+= 75–89% probability of in vitro susceptibility
4+= >90% probability of in vitro susceptibility
Ec= Escherichia coli
Pm= Proteus mirabilis
Kp= Klebsiella pneumoniae
Ssp= Staphylococcus species
Pmult= Pasteurella multocida
Psp= Pseudomonas species
St. Sp Streptococcus species
Bb= Bordetella bronchiseptica
(1) Blondeau JM. Steps To Antimicrobial Therapy. 2nd edition. North American Compendiums Inc. 2014, page 135
(5) King LG, Boothe DM: Bacterial infections of the respiratory tract in dogs and cats. Veterinary Learning Systems Kansas USA, 1997.


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Faith Harvest Church, located in North Hills, CA, hosted a rather special Christmas party on Sunday — one for the children and families of incarcerated individuals.
The party was hosted through the 'Angel Tree' program of the Prison Fellowship, a non-profit which ministers to individuals within the prison system, prepares them to readjust to life outside of prison, and helps them to maintain healthy relationships with their families. Through the Angel Tree program, Faith Harvest adopted 50 children this year to give them Christmas gifts and host a Christmas party for them and their families.
Faith Harvest Church has participated in the Angel Tree program for the past six to seven years, said Pastor Edmund Lee of Faith Harvest. This year, about five families came to the Christmas party, which included a time of icebreaker games, crafts, dinner, Christmas carols, and a presentation of the gospel. Church members also prayed for each family, and delivered the Christmas gifts to the children, which contain messages from their incarcerated parents.
"Our role is not to say, 'This is from us,'" Lee said, "but to be the conduit for their parents, and to say, 'They are thinking of you, they care about you, and they love you.'"
One of the unique aspects of the Angel Tree program is that it matches the church with families of incarcerated individuals who live within the area, explained U-chin Jang, who has coordinated the Angel Tree program at Faith Harvest for the past several years.
"It allows a way for us to be a presence in the community," said Jang. "We're just a Korean church — a lot of the people that we serve through Angel Tree wouldn't normally come to our church, and a lot of them don't go to church at all. So it's a good opportunity for us to bless them and serve them."
According to the Pew Charitable Trusts 2010 study, 'Collateral Costs: Incarceration's Effect on Economic Mobility,' some 2.7 million children in the U.S. have parents who are incarcerated. More than half (54 percent) of those in U.S. prisons are parents with minor children aged 0 to 17.


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- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Low-lying morning clouds in Southern California coastal areas form the predictable "June Gloom" in early summer - at least, they used to. The combination of urbanization and a warming climate are driving up summer temperatures, reducing cloud cover and increasing the risk of bigger and more intense wildfires, reported Julie Cohen of UC Santa Barbara's The Current.
UC Cooperative Extension specialist Max Moritz, UC Santa Barbara geography professor Dar Roberts and colleagues published the study results in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
The scientists compared hourly cloud observations recorded by Southern California airports since the 1970s with a large database of vegetation moisture levels in the hills outside of Los Angeles. They found that periods of less cloud cover during the summer correlated with lower vegetation moisture and increased fire danger.
"Because fires can already be very difficult to control in these areas, a reduction in cloud cover and its effects on fuel moisture is likely to increase fire activity overall," Moritz said. "In areas where clouds have decreased, fires could get larger and harder to contain."
Conditions vary year to year, but Moritz said he expects fire danger to increase in California as climate change accelerates.


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What I'm currently using: the Paperblanks Blue Filigree journal, Winnable Executive Journal, the Seven Seas Writer, and the Franklin Christoph Notebook.
Total pages written since this post (Dec 30): 21
Total pages to date since project inception (Dec 11/13): 1464
Total pages written in 2016: 21
Last week I announced the pen of the month for January would be my Lamy Al-Star but I have a confession to make: I have not had a chance to ink it up and start using it yet! This week was the first week back to work and cleaning up after Christmas and NaJoWriMo…. the list goes on. But I promise to have it inked up and in use by next week. I will announce the pen for February on January 27.
Purchases: So the Boxing Day Deal arrived, and I have been writing with it non-stop, taking it with me everywhere I go, even sleeping with it under my pillow (that could be an exaggeration but only a little). It is gorgeous and I will probably review it this weekend. It is a pen and it is a Parker but that's all I will tell you for now. I've also purchased a new pen case from ebay and will review it whenever that arrives, sometime this month. I do still intend on writing about journals I received for Christmas, and also my reading for 2015 and plans for 2016.
Check out my post NaJoWriMo and a Giveaway and enter to win my Monteverde Poquito! Giveaway closes on January 30.
Some points covered this week in my journals:
- I wrote five more pages in my Christmas Journal but now I will put it away until November this year. I've really enjoyed writing about Christmas and family traditions and I could probably go on all year. But putting it away keeps it special.
- I have been keeping up with NaJoWriMo and have so far devoted eight pages to it. I'm loving the prompts and plan on doing the full month. Fingers crossed.
- Over the Christmas break we had Calgary Lock and Safe and Sunspot Films make our house just a little bit more secure. Actually a lot more secure. And this has given me immense peace of mind. We've never been broken into and as far as we know no attempt has been made either but we had some vulnerable points and now we don't. Great experience and great customer service.
- I recorded some goals for 2016, as in personal, writing, blog, reading and health goals. Experts say writing goals down vastly increases the likelihood of achieving them. I do that every year and some of them I have actually achieved. 🙂
- We saw the new Star Wars movie. Wowee what a film. Go see it in the theatre; definitely worth it.
Until next post, happy writing!


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Jessica Burmaster
Doctor's Assistant
Meet the other team members
Jessica was born and raised in Bloomington, IL. She graduated from Normal West in 2003 and then moved to Melbourne, FL for 7 years. She relocated back home to Bloomington and has been at Allied Health Group since October 2010. She has three children, Jordyn, Eli, and Zach. She enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.


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The Taurus New Moon occurs on Sunday, May 17th at 9:13 pm PDT at 26 degrees Taurus 55 minutes. Here's the chart: TaurusNewMoon2015. Taurus is the first of the Earth signs and is the quintessential manifestation archetype. What is begun in Aries is stabilized and secured in Taurus. This is the sign of survival and self-reliance. Through Taurus, we learn to establish our success by investing in and developing our own natural talents, skills and abilities. As we share our gifts with others, we can in turn garner the resources we need to survive. Taking care of ourselves is empowering. Self-worth and confidence result as we value ourselves, develop ourselves and become increasingly self-reliant.
Like last month, this New Moon is also at late degrees so it too is 'VOID.' Void planets have nothing left to do before changing signs. Since the planets reflect reality, while they're void, activities associated with them here on planet Earth are also 'void' meaning nothing of real significance will occur. Activity will likely resume once the Moon enters Gemini on the 18th and the Sun follows suit on the 21st.
Meantime however, Gemini's ruler, Mercury, will retrograde for the second time this year, this time in its own sign of Gemini. Although general activity will begin again on or around the 21st, the circumstances involved are likely to regress, reverse or need review in some way. Retrograde energy necessarily reverts us back to some prior issue or situation that needs review before forward movement can occur once again when the retrograde is complete, which will occur on June 11th.
So be prepared for things to unfold s-l-o-w-l-y over the coming weeks. Be prepared and willing to go backwards before you can move forwards knowing that whatever needs to be reviewed, revised, re-worked or re-visited will, in the long run, prove to be important necessary and beneficial to the ultimate outcome.
Venus rules this New Moon and is in Cancer, the sign of home, family and inner emotional security. Through Taurus, Venus develops a healthy relationship with our self that encourages us to learn to take care of ourselves. Cancer is the archetype of inner emotional security that teaches us to become aware of all the sources of outer dependencies we have with people and things we hope will take care of us. So Venus in Cancer is a 'double dose' of self-reliance! This planetary combination points to the need for self-reliance not only on physical/fiscal levels, but also on emotional levels.
The Sun and Moon semi-square Venus symbolizes that for some, establishing emotional or financial security may feel like a struggle now. Connect inwardly with your Higher Self or inner divinity to find the truest source of your well-being. Then outwardly pursue what reflects your personal values and is most meaningful and important to you. Invest in yourself. Make the effort to expand your sense of self-worth and confidence and empower yourself through greater self-reliance.
Fortunately, the timing couldn't be better to work on ourselves because Venus is also trine Neptune in Pisces right now!
Venus and Neptune are a natural planetary pair. Astrologically, there are planets that are known as higher and lower 'octaves' of one another. This means that they share a certain archetypal energy, but express that same energy on different levels. What Venus and Neptune have in common is LOVE!
Venus rules conditional love or earthly, human love. All too often, we project our needs onto others expecting them to be the source of our fulfillment. Indeed most of us were raised to believe that finding the 'right person' will make us happy. This type of love often leads to a relationship dynamic that withholds love and affection when the partner does not meet our needs or expectations. Conditional love is based upon another meeting our needs. Conditional love says, "I will love you if…"
Neptune rules unconditional love or the highest level of love that comes from a spiritual source – from our Creator. Neptune represents divine love. It does not judge, reject, withhold or limit its love in any way. It doesn't base its love on conditions. It simply loves unconditionally. Unconditional love says, "I will love you no matter what."
So Venus in a trine aspect (120 degrees) to Neptune reflects the most favorable and beneficial energetic connection between earthly and divine love possible! These two bring together both higher and lower expressions of love. Accordingly, this month holds the promise of finding and expressing love and happiness easily. Offering love unconditionally to others will be returned many fold. Receiving love can happen effortlessly if you simply allow it to enter your life through feeling worthy of it and deserving of good things.
Through Taurus, Venus reflects our relationship with our self. If you can love your self enough, you can open up to receive love from others including from the highest source of all – the divine Source that created you.
Venus is also square the Nodes of the Moon symbolizing a necessary choice point. Perhaps your choices are too numerous making decisions seem difficult. Make choices based upon your own personal truth and values while while considering how others will be affected. Choose what reflects the highest and best good for all concerned and watch magic happen.
Venus is also opposing retrograde Pluto in Capricorn (exact on the 21st) and will square Uranus in Aries (on the 25th). Old realities, goals, ambitions or responsibilities may need to be released or let go of in some way before new directions can take root. Don't be afraid to make BIG, bold or radical changes. Love yourself enough to take risks and make choices from your heart not just your head. Trust and depend upon yourself more. Don't follow; lead! Take full responsibility for what you want and need and what you're going to do to manifest your greatest desires!
So commit yourself to connecting with what's sacred this month including the Earth and your self! Reach for the highest levels of manifestation you can imagine and expect miracles to happen because these energies are naturally and divinely supported now.
Readers and listeners probably know by now that I love to garden. In closing, the best metaphor I can think of to describe this month's New Moon pattern energy is one most gardener's will recognize. For your garden to grow you need good seeds, good soil, ample water and lots of sunshine. However, in addition to all these crucial ingredients, for your garden to really flourish, you also need to feed all those vegetables and flowers. Perhaps the most common, well-known all purpose garden fertilizer is 'Miracle Grow!'
The 'seedlings' you transplanted last month are no doubt beginning to really grow now but still need LOTS of patient care and attention. Feed them and soon they'll be bloomin' like crazy! This Taurus New Moon encourages all of us to lovingly tend to our 'garden' and watch our miracles grow!
This article is written a summary of my live public presentation that explains and analyzes the energies and influences of the New Moon in-depth. The audio recording is available in CD or mp3 file formats for $15. Contact me if you wish to purchase the audio recording.
The Gemini New Moon occurs on June 16th at 7:05 am MST!


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Part 3 in a series: 'Insane path of uncontrolled wireless expansion!'
News Analysis
USA – Research, scientific studies, news reports – all questioning the safety of wireless radiation – have recently come together, much like a snowball that might begin its descent at the top of a massive ski slope. But somewhere on that slope is a consortium of telecommunications providers – a type of Sasquatch – throwing huge amounts of money and effort into implementing new 5G networks!
Sasquatch's goal is to squash that snowball. Why? Because any growing group of naysayers has the potential to derail looming technology known as 5G – expected to transmit wireless radiation on a scale and magnitude previously unimaginable.
Here's another analogy: Think of 5G as wider roads and faster lanes – without the Highway Patrol. If what we have now beaming through the atmosphere (and our bodies) is bad for our health, 5G will be much, much worse!
One expert on the dangers of wireless radiation is Dafna Tachover, who has tentatively committed to visit Pamlico County in mid-September as part of the local library's series of lectures, titled 'Hot Topics.'
Tachover is a young woman with an impressive list of credentials – MBA, law degree, and a stint in the Israeli Defense Forces, where she was the commander of the computer center for the military's Operations Center and Headquarters. She admits to being an early adopter and avid user of wireless technology – until she began to lose her health to a syndrome, which she and others now call 'microwave sickness.'
On her website www.wearetheevidence.org, Tachover describes herself as "dedicated to exposing the epidemic of sickness caused by this technology; to protecting the rights of the injured; to eradicating the misrepresentation that wireless technology is safe; and to pursuing those who betray the public's trust."
During a late May presentation before a committee of the Michigan state legislature, Tachover, joined by Michigan State Sen. Patrick Colbeck, argued eloquently and forcefully that Michigan should reject proposed industry legislation meant to ensure that any future 5G roll-out across the state will be almost immune from grassroots objections or regulations.
Citing a scientific fact that the human body is basically one elaborate electrical system, Tachover told the legislators "the question is how can it (wireless radiation) not affect us?"
In a recent broadcast email to followers, Tachover officially announced her support for the like-minded Colbeck in his campaign for the Michigan gubernatorial seat:
"I support him because of the wireless issue and I do NOT state my opinion on any other issue on his agenda. I explain that my support for him is based only on his commitment to the wireless issue," and Tachover added: "I strongly believe that the wireless issue is a crisis far and beyond any other issue. We have an epidemic of sickness and we cannot continue on this insane path of uncontrolled wireless expansion while the sickness, the sick, and our voice is being ignored and kept out of the discussion."
Colbeck is one of a very few prominent politicians in the nation who have publicly warned of 5G dangers.
Back to Sasquatch. Sometimes snowballs do have a chance in hell.
One amazing study, conducted in Switzerland among a group of 700 adolescents, was released just last week. Like most of these scientific documents, technical language and caveats often dissuade and deter. Deciphering science-speak can be difficult.
Nevertheless, this report has gone a bit further than others. In a brief 'conclusion' on the front page of the 13-page document, researchers state: "Our findings . . . suggest a potential adverse effect of RF-EMF (radiofrequency electromagnetic fields) brain dose on cognitive functions that involve brain regions mostly exposed during mobile phone use."
Translation: Hey kids! If you are having trouble remembering things, quit holding that mobile phone so close to your head!