Belladaze

Yellowstone in Winter: Let Sleeping Grizzlies Lie

belladaze — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:42:51 +0000

Reblogged from Off the Beaten Path: Hikes, Backpacks, and Travels:

I’ve never come upon a grizzly bear while hiking in the backcountry, and that’s just fine with me. I’ve backpacked a time or two in grizzly country, but never in Yellowstone or Glacier. I just know that I’d be wide-eyed all night, bear spray at the ready, waiting for…well…you know: Night of the Grizzlies. I do hike in grizzly country, but I’m definitely on my guard the whole time. And, even though I’m not a huge fan of winter, one of its perks is that the bears are …

Do Not Take Your Internet Uses and Choices For Granted

belladaze — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:30:53 +0000

I was just on Portland’s craigsList and noticed this information directly posted by craigsList . I have seen it before but never took time to fully grasp what’s up:

★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

STOP SOPA & PIPA
HR3261 & S968 are
threatening CL and
the rest of your
Internet. Most of
the web sites you use
strongly oppose these
bills. Find out why, and
how you can help put
a stop to this madness
before it’s too late!

★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

Me? I’m standing with: Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia, craigslist, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, eBay, AOL, Mozilla, Tumblr, Etsy . . . All of which I use!

Think how these proposed internet changes would affect you personally and ask your friends to think it over too. Then don’t forget to act and make your opinions known.

I followed the link and was overwhelmed at all the political shenanigans listed here. WOW. I think everyone should have a look for themselves and take some quick action – I mean it, IF YOU LOVE USING THE INTERNET LIKE YOU DO NOW.

The following information was in my email just now

from Bob Fertik democrats.com :

Real free speech on the Internet is a profound, existential threat to these media giants and the politicians they own. So they are desperately trying to seize control of the Internet with obscure bills called “SOPA” in the House and “PIPA” in the Senate.

Tell Congress: Stop the Corporate Takeover of the Internet

SOPA and PIPA would wreak havoc on the technical infrastructure of the Internet, and threaten thousands of Internet businesses which are truly creating jobs.

More importantly, these bills would give big corporations and the Attorney General the power to shut down websites large and small that somehow link to copyright violators, whether through their own posts or even visitor comments.

How on earth can a website – ours included – monitor thousands or millions of links that accumulate over the years? And why should a single link be sufficient to shut down a website or force a bankrupting legal battle with a giant corporation?

Help spread the word: All of the following info was taken from http://www.craigslist.org/about/SOPA

Corporate supporters of HR3261 (SOPA) and S968 (PIPA) demand the ability to take down any web site that affects their profits — without due process or judicial oversight — in the name of combating “online piracy.” Hoping you won’t notice or care, quite a few of our Public Servants want to give them that right.

Supporters of SOPA: RIAA, MPAA, News Corp, TimeWarner, Walmart, Nike, Tiffany, Chanel, Rolex, Sony, Juicy Couture, Ralph Lauren, VISA, Mastercard, Comcast, ABC, Dow Chemical, Monster Cable, Teamsters, Rupert Murdoch, Lamar Smith (R-TX), John Conyers (D-MI)

Opponents of SOPA: Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia, craigslist, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, eBay, AOL, Mozilla, Reddit, Tumblr, Etsy, Zynga, EFF, ACLU, Human Rights Watch, Darrell Issa (R-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Ron Paul (R-TX)

Believe it or not, Monster Cable (remember “Monster Park“?) considers craigslist a “rogue site” for blacklisting and takedown under PIPA - apparently 2nd hand sales of stereo cables by CL users is reducing Monster’s sales of new cables. (reddit).

SOPA/PIPA authors and supporters insist they’re only after foreign piracy sites, but Internet Engineers understand this is an attempt to impose “Big Brother” control over our Internet, complete with DNS hijacking and censoring search results.

<RANT>What could be more anti-American than jack-booted thugs throttling our free speech, poisoning that greatest of American inventions, the Internet, while devastating perhaps our most successful and competitive industry? There’s got to be a better way to sell more stereo cables.RANT>

★ ☆ ★ Tell Congress you OPPOSE H.R. 3261 “Stop Online Piracy Act” (SOPA) and S. 968 “Protect IP Act” (PIPA) ★ ☆ ★

Reverse Robocall ALL pro-SOPA MOC + Key Lobbyists (Genius! More info on Ars Technica)
Phone your Member of Congress via nifty Progressive Change app
Contact Senators who are refusing to meet with constituents about SOPA/PIPA.
EFF Congressional Emailer – Oppose Internet Blacklisting (SOPA & PIPA)
ECA Congressional Emailer - Don’t Censor Our Internet!
OpenCongress Congressional Emailer – Oppose SOPA
Generic Congressional Emailer (You’ll need your Zip+4)
Petition Congress – Protect Innovation, Dump SOPA (Progressive Change )
Outside the US? Sign Petition Opposing US Censorship of Global Sites (EFF)

My next post will mark my 100th entry. I promise it will be much more light hearted and visually delightful. See you later!

You and your children deserve REAL FOOD

belladaze — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:30:29 +0000

Hopefully you already know about this, however I never heard the Media mention this December 4th 2011 protest march in New York. This farmer from Maine gives a short but accurate description of why we all need to be concerned about the far reaching arms of Monsanto.

Ask yourself how you can best contribute and support “a celebration of community power to regain control over the most basic element to human well-being: food.”

Startling figures: 40% of ranchers and 80% of dairy farmers are already lost. Don’t let Monsanto grow gmo food for your family. Food Democracy belongs to each of us.

A Frosty Oregon Winter Scene

belladaze — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:47:10 +0000

Yesterday freezing fog clung to life along the ridges of a real estate property photo shoot I was attempting. The view acreage had no long views to capture yesterday but I think I found some magic anyway. I’ll return when the fog lifts, until then I hope you see beauty in this picture.

Normally I post my professional work at Kris Tabor Creative Home Services where I work to tell the story that brings buyers to some of Oregon’s most beautiful homes and land – luxury homes, neighborhood treasures, rural properties, cabins and lodges.

Make The Best Ever Personalized Santa Video Link

belladaze — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:38:42 +0000

Thanks to blogger Sande Chase I found a fabulous website where you can make a precious Santa Video and send it personalized to your favorite kids, big and small!

This is simply too good not to share with everyone. If you are sending it to a child, be prepared to upload 2 or 3 photos of them so Santa can insert the photos into his video and story. Also be ready with the child’s zip-code so Santa’s map will be accurate.

Here’s the LINK to get you started. It is free and only takes a few moments of your time. Trust me, someone will love you for the effort! http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/home

ps: the video will require flash on computers to play it – maybe Santa needs his own wishlist!

Splendid Christmas Decorations To Lift Your Spirit!

belladaze — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:42:12 +0000

Some season’s plans never quite materialize and you just have to roll with how ever days unfold. I won’t be hosting the winter solstice evening I envisioned, nor will my outdoor decorative lights be blazing to greet all who drive by. To help get myself in the mood today I got up an hour early for some alone time with my photos and blog. Here are a few favorite photos taken of a friends home last year. I think the Nativity glowing in the reflective mirror sums up the magic of filling our homes and hearts with love and memories . . .

It is mid December and I just realized I really need to immerse myself in the spirit of the season. This year I am very busy as the primary care giver for my 91 year old neighbor. (She has struggled with a pressure ulcer that has exposed a tendon between her toes . . .) So far I only have managed to cut a beautiful Noble tree and did get it inside, (yes, it is still naked after gracing the cottage for a week now!), and the wreaths on my door and my dear neighbor’s are hung . . . but I haven’t managed to add ribbons yet.

Over the next few days I will be adding more of the stunning Christmas decor photos of this beautiful home. Each interior and exterior photo depicts the beauty of the woman who lives here. Simply reviewing her pictures this morning has already lifted my spirits. Now I know I will accomplish embellishing my own home today, not to this extent but my own style will again be shining through.

How do you decorate your space? Send me some photo’s of what speaks through you. I’d love to share them here.

Writing always helps sort out my life and prioritize how to squeeze in several more important things. My lists seem to materialize and evaporate whenever I take a few moments and write here. How does blogging affect your life?

Boise Idaho Dog Rides Bike All By Himself

belladaze — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:27:27 +0000

My daughter’s husband was out and about in Boise this week when he came upon a lone dog “riding” a Maverick bicycle in an empty corridor of a big box store. Lucky for all of us Jeff has a camera on his cell phone or else we would never have believed this very special short story! Jeff captured the moment and I couldn’t help sharing this handsome pooch with all of you!

Whoever owns this sweet canine is a lucky dawg too!

KOIN TV Channel 6 Lit Up The Historic Kirchem U Cut Tree Farm

belladaze — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 23:40:01 +0000

I do a lot of photography for the beautiful Historic Kirchem Farm. Their main crop is Christmas Trees so it wasn’t too surprising to get a call the other night from the farm’s owners, Cher and Reg Tollefson. Cher asked me to drop over at dusk and turn on lights for the local TV crew from KOIN’s Channel 6. The farmhouse has an ancient fir tree towering next to it and the television crew was preparing to broadcast live!

What fun for me to see all the preparation the crew needs, and WOW, their camera van has tremendous lighting power. Wouldn’t I love to drive one of those vans and take photos everywhere I went!!!!!

Just look at these results! Don’t you think the Tollefson’s Christmas Tree is as beautiful as any tree in a public square or government location?

Merry Christmas to All!

The Historic Kirchem Farm is one of the most beautiful tree farms, and it is also one of the closest in U Cut Tree Farms – literally minutes to I-205 Clackamas or Oregon City. For Review, Hours, and Directions start here. http://wp.me/PYfpx-1o

Beautiful Lisa Hannigan Combines Music with Visual Art

belladaze — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:01:40 +0000

Over at Contentinacottage’s blog I was turned on to Lisa Hannigan today.

WOW! A positive and beautiful songbird. Anyway I enjoyed her youtube video so much that I had to see if she had any others. We are in luck. Lisa has 3 treasures uploaded so I embedded them here for us to enjoy. I am pretty sure you will leave with an uplifted heart and a peaceful easy feeling.

I like all three but “I Don’t Know” is my favorite – and be sure to watch to the end so you can experience the effect of her paper cuttings.

Millie, My Fragrant Night Blooming Cereus Opened Last Night

belladaze — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:51:40 +0000

Years ago a Design Client of mine gave me a large long floppy leaf that broke off his Night Blooming Cereus cactus. It could have just as easily come from my Grandmothers house plants, had she thought to share their mysterious nature with me. (Wiki says the nightblooming cereus is also referred to as Princess of the Night, Honolulu Queen, and Queen of the Night. Madonna is another name I’ve heard before.)

My Cereus is just called “Millie” and she barely has any soil – just a little 4″ pot. Millie can’t stand up on her own. She is so tall and gangly that she is supported by my Grandmother’s old oak umbrella stand! After a summer outside on my porch I hauled Millie and her umbrella stand inside at the end of September. First she rested in the coolness of my bedroom. Then about 10 days ago Millie made it into the living room where it’s warmer but has less light. In fact, that room has been very warm lately because it is cold enough to be tending fires in the wood stove.

Yesterday never got warm outside and by evening the dogs were insisting on curling up near the wood stove. It seemed like a great idea to me too so I found my book and enjoyed an hour of really warm reading. My nose discovered Millie’s bloom first. A heady floral citrus aroma took over the entire room about 10:00 PM and the random wild fragrance confused me until I spotted Millie’s GIANT white bloom resting along the edge of a vintage standing bird cage. All of this had been taking place inches away from the traffic flow between outdoors, the living room and kitchen – a very busy part of the cottage!

I took a zillion pics of Millie’s stunning bloom! I was so excited. The room smelled so wonderful that I decided to sleep on the sofa and just soak up the fullness of the event.

Click to view slideshow.

The sony video battery was not cooperating but that’s okay. I guess I am not the only one who has a night blooming cereus because lots of people have created youtubes. This is one of the better ones:

Update: It has been so fun reading comments, but they have been filling my email instead of commenting here.

"Sure wish we had been at your house for book club for this event!
We'd have all slept over."

Arent they incredible plants? I have 'serious' night blooming envy Kris.

Aren’t they incredible plants? I call mine the Alien Plant because of the long tendrils that reach across the room.

When we lived in CO. with lots of hot, dry sun, I had 11 blooms in three days! The house had that perfumed air that is so unique.

Congratulations.

The more light/heat you give it, the more blossoms you will have.

 (Wow, if I'd known 11 blooms were possible I doubt if I'd written up Millie!)