Thou makesst the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice (Ps. 65:8).

Get up early and go to the mountain and watch God make a morning.  The dull gray will give way as God pushes the sun toward the horizon, and there will be tints and hues of every shade, that will blend into one perfect light as the full-orbed sun burst into view.  As the King of day moves forth majestically flooding the earth and every lowly vale, listen to the music of heaven’s choir as it sings of the majesty of God and the glory of the morning.

In the holy hush of the early dawn

I hear a Voice-

I am with you all the day,

Rejoice! Rejoice!

The clear, pure light of the morning made me long for the truth in my heart, which alone could make me pure and clear as the morning, tune me up to the concept-pitch of the nature around me.  And the wind that blew from the sunrise made me hope in the ‘God who had first breathed into my nostrils the breath of life; that He would at length so fill me with His breath, His mind, finding therein my own life, only glorified infinitely.  What should we poor humans do without our God’s nights and mornings?                                                                                                                 George MacDonald

In the early morning hours,

“Twixt the night and day,

While from each the darkness passes

Silently away;

Then ‘tis sweet to talk with Jesus

In thy chamber still-

For the coming day and duties

Ask to know His will.

Then He’ll lead the way before you,

Mountains laying low;

Making desert places blossom,

Sweet’ning Marah’s flow.

Would you know this life of triumph,

Victory all the way?

Then put God in the beginning

Of each coming day.

Source:  “ Streams of the Desert “  Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

Why I like hiking…

Because of the solitude I feel in the woods. I love the fact that my thoughts, in the vastness of the woods are undisturbed. I feel I can finally finish thinking about something, or rather, about a lot of things! I don’t get that feeling when I am part of the civilized world.

Modern life is so filled with routines, responsibilities, schedules, and so many have to’s that I can rarely do any real thinking, or reflecting about anything. Noise of all sorts fill my mind, I feel I don’t give it a moment of peace and quiet until I am in the beautiful solitude of the woods.

Nobody will be around there; not a cell-phone with signal, not a computer, no mail, no TV, no radio, no newspapers, no roads, no stores, no cars, nothing but me and the trees, and the colors of the forest, and the animals that wander the land, and the trail that is ahead of me, and from time to time, another human being.

I like hiking because once I am the woods, I feel I am equal to the trees there. We are not the same species but were beings; alive! I feel we have equally important roles to fulfill in the universe. I am no better than them, neither they are than me.

Hiking is special when part of the journey is to summit a mountain. The physical activity combined with the challenge of summiting is a metaphor for life. Every step taken along the way you must focus on, just as when we set goals in life, or at work. And when the hiking gets treacherous, you must focus even more. Misstep for lack of attention, and you could get hurt.

Along your journey, your hike; you take breaks, and enjoy the surrounding beauty, or turn around and see what’s behind you, what you are accomplishing. See what you’ve hiked?

The best feeling is when you are finally at the top, and get to see the rewarding view. The fruit of your work! Things could certainly look different from above. Also, quickly you realize that the higher you go the less people there is. It does get lonely at the top! What is amazing it’s that once you reach the summit, no matter how hard the hike was; you quickly forget it after you see the views. A feeling of ‘Oh, it was completely worth it!’ inundates you….

I love hiking….

Recently I added a series of products to my zazzle store featuring my watercolor painting Oakridge Reservoir #2. The original is on Fabriano Uno 140lb hot press 100% cotton paper, 7 1/2″ x 11″, 2001. This is one in a series of four paintings based on some photos I took early in the morning while camping with my family in Oakridge, Oregon.  Done in an almost photo-realistic style, this painting draws the eye beyond the upended tree roots protruding from the shore of Oakridge Reservoir toward the mountain ranges and pale blue morning sky in the distance. A lone twig sticks up from the water, while algae and tree stumps seem to float  tranquilly and as the water deepens. Green and gold, the colors of the forest shimmer in the water as the cool blue Oregon mountains beckon as they glistening white shore in the distance. Many guests visiting my home have stared in amazement and asked, “is that a photograph?” because of how realistic it is.They are even more astounded when I tell them it’s a painting.

Oakridge Reservoir #2 by dlmtleArt
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if I land in Salt Lake City & the mountains make me cry

& I’m not sure whether this is because I feel overjoyed to see them or because I feel oppressed by them, by what parts of my life here stood for…

…if I publish this, am I dealing with these feelings? It feels like releasing them. By putting them out into the world to an anonymous audience, it makes the ambiguity feel okay. To this writer.

…if I never tell anyone, did it really happen, or are the mountains just weighing heavier on my heart? The guise of control over this weight. Guise of control over the situations in which (I) someone may feel vulnerable, be forced to question..

& I want to encourage people to question because I think disassembly, the way I disassemble my life is the universal way to happiness?

I think I have to believe it is a way to happier

richer, that it can be a way to art, which can be a way to something mystical

which can be a container for lack-of-control, a way in & out of control, perhaps…

Again, I question why I do this. Why I blog. What do I mean by transparency? Why choose it? Out of laziness? As a way of breaking down closetedness? If I admit something, am I assuming there is already a closet there…

I avoided using the word closeted at dinner last night to avoid having to speak as a queer person. Though I clearly was, speaking as one. Did my knowledge speak for myself? The experiences which I shared, did they carry weight without categorization?

Devin said I was a hit at dinner, that what I contributed to the conversation made people think, question.

This is not a stable position. Again, I have diverted– questioning why I do this again. Is there a theoretical standpoint or is it just an impulse, an itch that needs to be scratched…

a way of being safe that is not quite….

Article in the newest issue of Bitch about the “new narrator” in fiction. Blog-inflected. The new narrator shares her transgressions– things that she does in an attempt to be loved, or to have experiences. Nothing is hidden– not necessarily tattooed across her forehead, but available. Rather than being shamed, the new narrator, is, well, unchanged– she continues to be what the article called overexposed.

The narrative for women is no longer adventure/impulse, then embarrassment/shaming, then assimilation/”happiness.” New narrators are no longer married off. Or, divorcing from unhappiness to adventure to finding strength in oneself which is often rewarded by money &/or the love of a new partner…

Does the new narrator/narrative give the character/reader who may identify with character the power to engage beyond received narratives, to be within what is really the slow, sometimes joyful, sometimes painful, often cyclical (non-linear) process of self-awareness?

What do I mean by transparency? Open to what society deems oversharing. I still choose the same way someone who shares nothing chooses.

…if I put all this out there, does it become useable? Any future employer could make a caricature of me from what I put on the web & that doesn’t discourage me…

I welcome being a caricature.

I’d rather be honest with my feelings than nice in the long run (but that of course means that I have to continue this slow process of getting over always feeling like I’m imposing on space as an invasion, that to think my thoughts & experiences are valuable to share in casual conversation is somehow evidence of being uncaring or self-absorbed (but who isn’t) or not aware of dynamics between people, the delicate balance it takes to make something new, new questions, new experiences of others…

if the goal is always growth, I feel so good about Thanksgiving dinner. Not only because Devin’s mom & family & friends may have encountered new questions (how arrogant of me to assume!) but because I am laying here at 8:29 am & thinking again about what it is I get out of this…

I have new questions.

more & more I realize my paradoxical relationship to safety

what is it that I want to avoid? If someone veils me with the term arrogance, does it make me completely inaccessible? Or only if I identify with it & act with the entire history of the word…

why look at this only in terms of gain / loss? What is gained when we perceive gain? Whose rules am I following, whose happy life am I emulating? Or is this my space for building, for attempting to shatter the narrative of the happy life in which this blog will either take me to the illusion of end point or not…

I do this, this process, this ever-mutating definition of transparency because I enjoy it, because often it FEELS better than not seeing my thoughts/feelings/inklings fleshed out before me in comprehensible signs, the containers of language. The reason is more of a poem than a thesis or a standpoint. It may have something to do with control, but I’m not sure how. I’m not going to tell someone else this is the way to happiness, because happiness for another individual may be safety or something else, a whole list that I have not imagined or have & cannot or will not flesh out here.

However, even when I am confused or anxious, I love my life, the adventure of it.

However, nothing exists in a vacuum. If this blog contributes to shattering the received life “narratives,” if it prevents me from choosing something so I can be happy without examining it or thinking about what I want or what the environment I want demands, doesn’t it create that possibility for others? Can’t my poems do that, too? Is that what people have meant? Is that what it is, to be moved by art? In part, I think so.

& sometimes, I can be embarrassed by how I used to keep myself at a distance from art or life, be ashamed of tears as a sign of weakness (femininity! I was (am sometimes) so ashamed of being feminine because it meant that I was a target, someone easy to keep down so others could feel powerful…)

To feel it now. To come to a place of finding strength in vulnerability.

This, in part, what I want Adrienne Rich to have meant by freedom. In this space, I feel free to build my own life. To take risks, to put my heart on the line, to allow experience or growth or feeling to define me rather than keeping things. Than keeping the image of something always being the same & therefore always exciting (because it won’t be. The moment has passed, it was excellent to have felt it, now find something else to give you another glimpse of joy…)

Keep something, hide your heart. Keep happiness (or joy or whatever its more dynamic cousin…), consult it, co-create with it…

perhaps. I’ll work for this for now, I may change, strip these thoughts from the internet where readers don’t know me entirely– but all we can ever get of someone is a glimpse. We are those glimpses. The I as an affect of the moment.

… & you do not know how passionately I talk with my hands.

Virginia Beach Good Outdoor Activity With More Adventure City

Virginia Beach is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the Chesapeake Bay and North Carolina, and provides miles of beachfront for activities in the Virginia sun. Fishing, golfing, whale watching, dolphin watching, historic landmarks, and exciting attractions and popular events are part of the beach experience. Virginia Beach is very good travel city in the state of Virginia which is the most popular destination, nightlife, sightseeing, restaurant, cheap hotels and one of the most attraction cities for tourists which are beach, the state parks and Back Bay national wildlife refuge beckon, hiking, kayaking, and biking adventures. To get all the adventure in this city there are many cheap hotels in virginia beach. This city is a good travel city and there also fantastic tourist attraction points include:-

• Cape Henry Lighthouse
• Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
• Mount Trashmore
• The Old Coast Guard Station
• Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum
• State Parks and National Wildlife Refuge
• Virginia Beach Farmers Market
• Golfing, Surfing, Kayaking and Canoeing
• Running, Fishing, Dolphin and Whale Watching

Got up the mountain today and the cloud lifted for a while.

Bliss.

THE COOLING EARTH

Nowadays it is fashionable to talk and write about global warming; so much so that it may sound like blasphemy if I say that the Earth is cooling. But it is a simple fact that all members of the solar system except the Sun are in fact cooling off continuously from the time of inception. Any hot body will shed its heat until its temperature corresponds to the temperature of its environment. If we consider the Earth as a whole, including its atmosphere, the temperature may be roughly 250 degree C more than the outer space. It’s inevitable that the earth must cool off, for a considerable time to come.

 Heat received by the Earth from the Sun is neglible, beyond 55 degree north and 55 degree south latitude. The slanting sunrays will not produce any worthwhile heat. Again, the heat received in the middle region up to 8 am and after 5 pm can be ignored. Whatever heat is absorbed between 8 am and 5 pm is lost during the night! All this is in summer. In winter sunlight has no effect at all.

 “But we have striking and sufficient evidence that the superficial shell of the globe is not only heated above that of the ambient air, by the action of its own deep-seated fires”  (Physical Geography by Thomas Milner)

 How does the earth remain warm? We must look inwards for an answer. The interior of the earth is very hot (The reasons have been explained in the article below on Gravity). The temperature may be thousands of degrees C. Slowly this heat seeps outwards. As we go down the earth it becomes extremely hot. Heat may be transferred from the interior to the surface of the earth by the process of conduction. Heat is also transferred by water molecules. If there is no water in the oceans, the ocean beds would be extremely hot. But actually the temperature of the water in ocean beds may be of the order of 3 degree C. This is because of convection currents caused by the ice caps in the Polar Regions and the hot cauldron of sea bed below. This can be proved by a simple experiment.

 A drum filled with water may be heated from below and cooled by a block of ice floating above. If you measure the temperature, you may find the water slightly warmer below the ice block than the water at the bottom of the drum. Water molecules, absorbing heat at the bottom, travel up and ice cooled water from the top comes down. In the same way hot water from the sea bed goes up and water (at 0 degree C) below the polar ice cap travels down towards the sea bed. This way heat from the interior of the earth is slowly transferred to the sea water. Eventually this heat is transmitted to outer space.

 There is another less known mechanism of heat transfer, from the interior of the earth. Water molecules are driven towards the ocean beds under tremendous pressure. We know how it is, if it rains continuously for a few days! What if it rains for 365 days? Or imagine a water tank constructed in a field (bottom being earth without water) the height of the tank being 6kms. Well, this is how the ocean bed is! The constant pounding of the ocean bed by the pressure of up to 1000 atmospheres, makes the earth pulpy and water infiltrates down. Marine geologists tell us that the terrain below the ocean is not much different from the terrain of the continents. When the surface temperature of the earth was higher than 100 degree C, there was no water in the seas. There was no difference between land and sea. It was all land. The sea bed was normal height of the plain. The continents are merely plains of greater height like Tibetan plateau we are familiar with. There are mountains and valleys in the ocean beds also. Tunnels and caves we find in the continent are there in the sea beds too. These will get filled with water; under high temperature, acquired from geo-thermal energy and high pressure, the water becomes super heated steam. Water goes down but steam presses up and ultimately finds its way to the ocean. There are about 30 thousand volcanoes and any number of hot springs in the ocean through which heat continuously comes out. This may, perhaps, be the source of hot currents in the ocean.

 The oceans can never be heated from above. The warm layer of water formed by sun rays cannot travel down and will become cool before the next day break. The ice cold water from the Polar region will sink to the ocean bed, never to rise up, unless heated by the earth. Ultimately, the whole ocean will become a block of ice if the earth is heated only from above by the Sun.

 Let us now look at a strange thing about the Earth. The Arctic Circle is comparatively well populated with Eskimo’s etc living permanently there. The corresponding region in the Antarctic Circle is extremely cold and inhospitable. Man makes his presence felt in this region only in the southern summer. The reasons are obvious. The Arctic region being land locked, there are any number of hot springs there, (see my article on Saraswati ) warming the atmosphere. On the other hand the Antarctica is surrounded by deep oceans : the Pacific ocean on one side and the Indian ocean on the opposite side. There must be hot springs in this region also; but being too deep the warm waters get cooled.\

From the above discussion one thing is clear – the earth is kept warm by geo thermal energy, and not by the heat from the Sun. Today life forms depend very much on sunlight; but the bottom of the sea too contains even developed life forms. Tomorrow if the sun suddenly disappears, I am sure mother Earth will continue to nurture her children, giving the warmth from her own bosom.

 If you look at the map of the world, you will find that the whole of the hemisphere on the Pacific side and 90 % of the southern hemisphere is water. Comparatively few points of the continent comprise of urban areas. Industrial activity in these urban centers can contribute but a miniscule percentage to global warming, which has been going on much before industrialization. (see para on CO₂)

 Therefore, all this hullabaloo about global warming may be unwarranted.

According to one theory, ‘Ice Age’ occurs every 18,000 years or so. The warming earth melts the polar ice cap, and the ice cold water comes down to northern Canada, Europe and northern Siberia. This will cause severe winter and the whole area will be covered with ice ushering in another ‘Ice Age’. The cycle repeats itself.

A few weekends ago my pop came down to spend the weekend with me.  Early Saturday morning we hit the road, driving southwest to Old Rag Mountain for an energizing hike.  It was an absolutely gorgeous post-fall day in November.  We could not have had better weather.

Here’s a shot of Old Rag as it appeared from the roadway (it’s that large knobby peak in the distance):

When my dad read in the guidebooks that Old Rag is the most popular hike in the entire state of Virginia, I didn’t believe it.  Of course, the last and only time I’d hiked it was with my A-team girls in the middle of a thunder storm.  (Smart, I know).  Of course the trail was deserted then. 

Sure enough, parking at the trailhead was packed when we arrived around 10 am.  That’s why the NPS had to purchase a farmer’s field just to accomodate parked cars at the trailhead.

Partway up the trail we stopped to enjoy the fabulous views.  On any other trail this would be the piece de resistance.  Not on Old Rag, though!

Here I am at the first of several mini-peaks along the way.  The large rocky outcroppings are granite.

A view from the first peak to the next ones.  Lots of rocks to cross!

After the first mini-peak we encountered a human traffic jam as people queued up to lower themselves into a large crevasse (which was part of the trail). 

I won’t lie, lowering yourself between the boulders does take a moment of work.  Here’s a semi-action shot of another hiker lowering herself down:

Up next, a sideways squeeze between boulders:

Then a climb up a rocky passage:

As we queued up for the second traffic jam, my dad decided he needed to hold this rock up:

After a 15-minute or so wait, we finally climbed our way through the last tricky boulder area.  At one point we had to grab a rope and pull ourselves up onto a higher rock – as there was no way to physically climb it otherwise.  In this shot you’ll notice that the plaid shirt is handing the rope down to the next person: 

After that it was easy-peasy.  We arrived at the summit, which was just a whole bunch more granite with a million awesome views in every direction.

Hmm.  This photo doesn’t  begin to show the massive rocks at the peak.

Mission accomplished.

We hiked back down the 6 miles and drove to Sperryville for a very satisfying dinner at a little restaurant.

The following day I felt sore, but in that fabulous “I’ve accomplished something and been healthy” sorta way!  I was definitely impressed that my 68-year-old pop was able to keep up with (and sometimes climb faster) than me!

Last night I didn’t want to sleep in my apartment, even though I have it for a few more nights. I wanted to sleep in the van, so November 25 became my official First Night. Here’s what my bed looked like:

Now I can’t truly say that I’m a vandweller yet: I still came home to have a shower (and see? I’m still calling the apartment ‘home’). The metamorphosis is a gradual one… but it’s definitely begun!

Some lame news though… a chip that appeared in my window last week has now grown to a 2″ crack, which is too big to repair, so now I need a new windshield. The idea of taking my home to a repair shop is kind of unsettling.

The Phoenician

The promise is simple.  The best.  And nothing less.  Here you’ll find guest rooms sheathed in Italian marble, Berber carpet and rattan.  Four uncompromising restaurants.  More than an acre of tiered pools and waterfalls.  Spectacular golf and tennis amidst 130 acres of desert, gardens and mountain.  800-888-8234 ● 602-941-8200 ● 6000 East Camelback Road ● Scottsdale Arizona 85251

Visual source:  usairwaysvacations

If you would like some up to date Heritage news from Ireland, check out the Heritage Council website.  They seek to protect and enhance the richness, quality and diversity of Ireland’s national heritage for everyone. The Winter 2009-Spring 2010 Heritage Outlook Publication is available online, it features the latest heritage related matters in Ireland.

From the desk of Ken Bryant at Lake Chatuge on the state line between Hiawassee, GA and Hayesville, NC

By Claes Bell • Bankrate.com [Excerpted]

U.S. housing values showed signs of life during the third quarter, according to the latest National Association of Realtors home price survey.

While housing values were down significantly year-over-year in the vast majority of markets, many markets hard hit by the extended real estate slump rose when compared to the second quarter.

Nationally, the average single-family home price fell from $200,400 to $177,000 year over year, a seasonally adjusted loss of 11.2 percent, according to the NAR. However, average home prices actually rose 2.2 percent during the third quarter — from $174,100 to $177,900 — when compared to the second quarter.

Several markets severely affected by the housing downturn saw price improvement. Median home prices in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a market that epitomized the collapse in housing prices during the worst of the downturn, rose for the second consecutive quarter, from $207,400 to $217,000. Hard-hit Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz., also registered a second straight quarterly gain, rising 8.8 percent from $131,100 to $142,700.

The Riverside-San Bernadino-Ontario, Calif. area, which has seen its median home price drop by more than half since its 2006 peak, recorded a quarterly gain of 4.1 percent, rising from $161,500 to $168,100. And prices in Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla., — which saw its median value plunge from $268,200 in 2006 to as low as $84,000 in the second quarter of this year — finally reversed direction, jumping 16.7 percent in the third quarter to $98,000.

Several markets showed healthy year-over-year gains as well. Median prices in Cumberland, Md.-W.Va., soared 19.2 percent year over year, to $122,100. Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Iowa-Ill., also recorded double digit yearly gains, jumping 14.3 percent to $115,600. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City home values rose 9.1 percent to $144,100.

Sales rise

Sales of existing homes, spurred on in part by the recently extended homebuyer tax credit, continued to accelerate, according to the survey.

“We can’t underestimate just how powerful a catalyst the first-time homebuyer tax credit has been for the housing sector,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, in a statement. “It’s given buyers the confidence they needed to get off the fence and take advantage of extremely affordable housing conditions.”

Compared to the second quarter, 45 states and the District of Columbia saw sales increases. Of those markets, D.C. and 28 states recorded double-digit gains. Overall, sales rose 11.4 percent nationally in the third quarter.

Year-over-year sales were higher in 32 states and D.C., and rose a seasonally adjusted 5.9 percent nationally.

Abisko has been scientifically designated as one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights.

Abisko is situated smack in the middle of the Auroral Zone and due to its topography there are very rarely cloudy skies. Coupled with spectacular mountains and lakes Abisko truly is a special destination.  It is also around 100kms from the magnificent ICEHOTEL® so we’ve added a night there for good measure!!

When I visited Abisko, I returned slightly in awe. This place is wild and it is spectacular. I had visited many parts of Lapland but none had left such an impression on me. There isn’t really anything surrounding the accommodation here, no shops, no bars…. there in lies its beauty. Abisko also has a reputation for being one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights and has views of Lapporten (Sami Gate) a very important symbol of Lapland both of which add to the atmosphere.

Source: Nature & Kind Travel Collection

And Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou?  Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water.  And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs (Josh. 15:18-19).  

There are both upper and nether springs.  They are springs, not stagnant pools.  There are joys and blessings that flow from above through the hottest summer and the most desert land of sorrow and trial.   The lands of Achsah were “south lands,” lying under a burning sun and often parched with burning heat.  But from the hills came the unfailing springs, that cooled, refreshed and fertilized all the land.

There are springs that flow in the low places of life, in the hard places, in the desert places, in the lone places, in the common places, and no matter what may be our situation, we can always find these upper springs.

Abraham found them amid the hills of Canaan.  Moses found them among the rocks of Midian.  David found them among the ashes of Ziklag when his property was gone, his family captives and his people talked of stoning him, but “David encouraged himself in the Lord.”

Isaiah found them in the awful days of Sennacherib’s invasion, when the mountains seemed hurled into the midst of the sea, but faith could sing:  “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.  God is in the midst of her: she shall not be moved.”

The martyrs found them amid the flames, and reformers amid their foes and conflicts, and we can find them all the year if we have the Comforter in our hearts and have learned to say with David:  “All my springs are in thee.”

How many and how precious these springs, and how much more there is to be possessed of God’s own fullness!                                                                          A.B. Simpson

I said:  “The desert is so wide!”

I said:  “The desert is so bare!”

What springs to quench my thirst are there?

Whence shall I from the tempest hide?”

I said:  “The desert is so lone!”

Nor gentle voice, nor loving face

Will brighten any smallest space.”

I paused or ere my moan was done!

I heard a flow of hidden springs;

Before me palms rose green and fair;

The birds were singing; all the air

Did shine and stir with angels’ wings!

And One said mildly:  “Why, indeed,

Take over-anxious thought for that

The morrow bringeth!  See you not

The father knoweth what you need?”

                                                                                                                   Selected

Source:  ” The Streams of Desert “   Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

San Antonio city is recognizing for more recreation and entertainment in vacations. This county is in Texas in United State. This is the second largest city and the three geographical attractions like hills, plane and Prairie and lake in it.

In city transport amenities are so nice and San Antonio Airport in best famous in the city and from that there are many attractions are there. Every year many of visitors visit in the city to get vacations into entertainment.

The city contains the many facilities of lodging like inns, cheap hotels and many more. And the prices of the hotel rooms are such so attractive. And the amenities are providing like swimming pool, internet, play ground and any more. There are all the luxury amenities are at low rate.

City contain the more attractive visiting places are The Alamo, Casa Navarro State Historical Park, River Walk, San Antonio Missions National Park the big spot of attraction. At River Walk the water recreations is the best attractions and there the best adventure of swimming, fishing and boating.

Restaurants with delicious food taste. The city lodging inns, and san antonio hotels that the matchless with other. Visitors can get more recreations and also contains the good night life attractions. The clubs, and discos that the youthful and attractive and put great enthusiasm.

San Antonio the city to get more recreations and attraction in vacations this is in United State of Texas and second largest city in it. The city contains many of attractions like mountain, plane and Prairie and lake that contain these types of attractions.

The city contain the more attractive visiting places are The Alamo, Casa Navarro State Historical Park, River Walk, San Antonio Missions National Park the big spot of attraction. At River Walk the water recreations is the best attractions and there the best adventure of swimming, fishing and boating.

There are lodging and other attractions are like cheap hotels , inns and lots of at attractive rates, near to attractions. And also contain the other facilities in hotels like internet access, swimming pool, play ground, conference rooms and other luxury goods that make vacation so entertaining.

Visitors can get more recreations and also contains the good night life attractions. The clubs, and discos that the youthful and attractive and put great enthusiasm. Restaurants with delicious food taste. The city lodging inns, and hotels in san antonio that the matchless with other. The city that such the nice place and more recreations activities places are there.

The local church

This ‘city’ has a grand total population of around 13,000. It’s actually more of a large plot of land surrounded by mountains and desert, filled up with boxey cement-wall stucco houses painted in various shades of white, yellow, blue, and other bright colours. And, as with every Mexican town we’ve seen so far, there’s a beautiful big church smack bang in the middle.

We stopped at Cuatro Ciénegas for two nights and one day, so we could visit the pools and the desert dunes. It was amazing. A worker at a local hotel overheard us asking the receptionist how we could get to the springs and dunes (which are about 15km out of town, into the desert), and she phoned her husband to pick us up in his truck.

View from the back of the truck - Cal doing great job of gatekeeper

The pools are a strange phenomena because they just spring up out of the ground in the middle of a desert. The first pool we came to was simply the bluest, most crystalline water you’ve ever seen. It was so blue, in a real aqua kind of way – you could see straight down to the bottom.

Anne on the dune formations

The dunes were so white you could hardly keep your eyes open without sunglasses on. The only plants were cactus (cactii?) in various varieties, and some mean looking die-hard shrubs, jutting out of the sand like stubborn little maniacs. I don’t know how the sand formations formed, but they’re mighty impressive. It’s just sand, sand, shrub, sand, cactus, sand, sand, sand, massive sand formations, sand, sand, cactus, sand, etc.

Lastly we got to swim in the pools, which was awesome because we were dusty from sitting in the truck all day, and we’d bought snorkels and wanted to use them – not to mention we’d been looking forward to a dip for days. There were meant to be hundreds of tropical fish, but really there were only a few small schools of fish – and they didn’t look that tropical. But how would I know? Perhaps they were tropical. It is also winter, so they might be hiding out or something.

Leslie and Cal going for a snorkel at the spring pool

Nevertheless it was great to see the fish and to swim in the beautiful still spring water. The bottom of the pool was like really fine sediment. If you put your foot down, it would sink like silk into the mud, and heaps of mud would rise up, causing a cloud underneath the water. It was really cool. I tried to stand on rocks where possible, so as not to disturb the quasi-tropical fish.

When we got back to town, the wife invited us into her home, which had some rooms for guests. Unfortunately we’d already booked accommodation, and were leaving early the next morning. But the house was just stunning. It was, like most of the other houses, a little stucco square-ish casa, but with really authentic decor, and lots of Catholic paraphernalia (crucifixes, Mary statues, etc).

At the blue pool - the photo does absolutely no justice

The garden was particularly amazing. There were all sorts of fruit and nut trees. The lime tree, or limon arbol, bore the biggest limes I’ve ever seen – they were the size of giant oranges! Maybe bigger! But the lady said they were a tad bitter. She gave us a handful of shelled nuts, which we cracked to find walnuts inside. I accidentally ate a bit of the shell and it was intensely bitter and left a strange taste in my mouth.

They were a beautiful older couple, and I wished we could have stayed in their little casa. Cuatro Ciénegas is a must-see city, even if just for one day.

Mountains in 360 degree view, vast, ancient and beautiful against the blue sky

We then caught a bus to Torreon (where we sat at McDonalds for 6 hours), connected on an overnight bus to Chihuahua, then hopped straight onto another bus to Creel – our new town for at least 3 or 4 days, maybe a week.

More on Creel soon!

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park still remains the most popular national park for every road trip planner. It is situated on both sides of Tennessee and North Carolina. Attracting over nine million adventurers and sightseers every year, it is the most visited national park in the United States. This summer, grab your gear and head off to the massive Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Planning your summer road trip will make you realize that there are so many things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You would most certainly want to experience all of them. The size of the park might pose as overwhelming, but the Smoky Mountain Heritage Driving Tour will surely help you discover the park at your own pace on a self-guided automobile tour. Take your time driving yourself around to seek out landmarks, mountain culture and heritage, the captivating aura of the neighborhoods and, of course, the history of the Smoky Mountains.

If you are looking for a unique way to wander around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, then the English Mountain Llama Trek is perfect for you. The llama treks also allow you to move at your own timetable as you are welcome to arrange them for varying lengths of time. You have the option to choose a trekking trip with a picnic or even an overnight stay at one of the cabins and/or campgrounds affiliated with English Mountain Llama Trek. Children six years of age and older can join the treks as long as they are accompanied by a responsible adult.

You can also spice up your summer road trip with an adventurous biking tour around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Smoky Mountain Bicycle Tour offers guided and self-guided tours to everyone. Mountain and road bikes are offered for touring the mountains, the historical sights and other scenic areas in and around the park.

There are also horseback riding opportunities in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Walden Creek Stables’ Mountain Adventure Trail promises nothing but the best time. The four-hour ride will take you through the valley, across the streams and to the top of the mountains where you can enjoy the most breathtaking views.

Note: During the summer months, the horseback rides are scheduled as early as 9 a.m. Should you wish to take the tour at an earlier time, arrangements can be made prior to your desired schedule.

Dare to challenge yourself physically on this summer road trip by conquering the bubbly and frothy whitewater. Raft yourself away with Rafting In The Smokies, which offers you the chance to experience the waters of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in a very scenic and exhilarating way, even if you have no prior rafting experience. Reservations are highly recommended, especially during the summer.

After the very exhilarating whitewater rafting experience, cool off and relax with the Smoky Mountain Angler, the oldest fly fishing guide and outfitter in Gatlinburg. The Smoky Mountain Angler is authorized to give fly fishing guided services in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. These services are offered to both professional fly fishermen and beginners.

The things you can do in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park definitely spells out the words fun and adventure. You can bank it as one of the best summer vacations any road trip planner will have in his or her lifetime!

We went for a day skate over into Humphrey’s basin the other day. Beautiful ice and classic, stunning Sierra fall scenery. Check out the video here

After several borderline solo ascents of incredibly difficult routes in the Himalayas, Tomas Humar died last week during another solo attempt, on the  Langtang Lirung, from the consequences of a fall and a delayed rescue operation. In 2005, he was somehow miraculously rescued from the slopes of the Rupal flank of Nanga Parbat by a Pakistanian army helicopter flying at the boundaries of its possibilities.

Following Messner’s lead, Humar favoured a light-and-fast climbing style which allowed for faster climbs but left him open to difficulties in the case of bad weather. Here is a picture of the contents of his backpack from the 2005 Nanga Parbat expedition that shows how light he climbed!

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