Celebrating #Maine2020 through Poetry with Author John W. Howell

Celebrating Maine’s Bicentennial.

Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author

More Maine—Arts & Culture

• Maine officially celebrates its  Bicentennial (200th birthday as an independent US state) on March 15, 2020.
• The Pine Tree State (Maine’s official nickname)—provides a sanctuary for arts and culture—check out these famous Maine people (Arts & Literature) at Maine.gov.
• Maine has been inspiring artists and art lovers for more than two centuries and continues to provide a cultural haven for residents and visitors alike. You’ll find a treasure chest of museums and galleries spattered throughout the state. Be sure to check out these “10 Must-See Maine Art Museums.”
• Maine is known as Vacationland.  From pristine wilderness to pine forest mountain ranges to crystal clear waterways and majestic shorelines, Maine is a perfect place to spend your vacation.

I’m delighted that John W. Howell stopped by to help celebrate Maine’s Bicentennial with a fine piece of Maine art that inspired his My Maine haiku…

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A quick update about Grinders

A new book by C.S. Boyack.

Entertaining Stories

I love hour-long lunch breaks, they allow me a moment for things like this. The WiFi came back on yesterday, so last night I spent some time on Amazon and uploaded Grinders. This morning they notified me that it is a book. Here is a little bit about it:

Jimi Cabot made one mistake as a starving college student. When she went to work for the San Francisco Police Department, it nearly cost her the job. The union stepped in and they had to reinstate her. They did so by assigning her to the duty nobody wants, Grinder Squad.

Grinders are people who use back room surgeries to enhance their bodies with computer chips, and various kinds of hardware. Jimi is sure that if she can just bust one grind shop, it will be her ticket back.

Paired with veteran cop, she soon learns that Grinder Squad is a cash-cow…

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Who are you said the Black Cockatoo?

A picture by Cindy Knoke of a beautiful Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo in Australia.

Yesterday was the last day before we left Booderee National Park in New South Wales, to follow more of The Yellow Brick Road in Oz.

We have been seeing so many truly beautiful birds, but none of the vulnerable Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo, which is an enormous and very impressive cockatoo.

Yellow Tails are a vulnerable species, facing rapid population decline, due to habitat destruction and human predation, hence they they tend to be shy around people they don’t know

I had seen Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos here eleven years ago, but was packing my suitcase, resigned to not having a repeat experience, when I spied this one out my window.

I found my Wizard of Oz! And now, you have too.

Cheers to you from all The Wizards in magical Oz~

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Helping hedgehogs

How to help the hedgehogs.

Sue Vincent's Daily Echo

I remember, late one night, perhaps forty years ago, taking a shortcut home across a disused railway line in the city. It was a very dark path and seldom used, but it cut a mile or so off our walk home. We had no torch, but the moon was bright and the skies clear enough to see our way, enough at least to show us the damaged path and the tussocks of grass over which we could have tripped.

It must have been midway along the path, right where it crossed the old rails, when I saw one of the tussocks move. There was the strangest of noises, a sort of low grunting, coming from all around and it was quite eerie. We stopped, wondering what on earth it could be… and as our eyes adjusted to the light, saw dozens and dozens of hedgehogs of all sizes, curled into…

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Cerulean & Crimson~

Stunning pictures by Cindy Knoke of the Australian Crimson Rosella’s.

Crimson Rosella’s,

share lunch!

In magical Oz,

these beauties,

join your picnic.

A crimson tide,

of feathered charm!

Cheers to you from your feathered friends in Oz~

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Filosofa is Snarky … Again

Are Democrats turning on their own?

Filosofa's Word

♫ I feel snarky, I feel snarky … ♫  Oh … hi!  In case you didn’t hear, I am feeling a bit snarky this afternoon!  But then, when don’t I feel snarky these days?

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What the heck are they doing???

Today marks 173 years since rescuers first reached the Donner party who had been stranded by a snowstorm as they tried to make their way across the Sierra-Nevada Mountains.  The Donner story is a tragic one … of the 89 people that set out from Springfield, Illinois, in the summer of 1846, only 45 would survive.  But what the Donner story is most well-known for is that after they killed and ate their dogs and pack animals to keep from starving, they then began to eat their own, even killing two Native Americans who had joined their party, and roasting them.

Why, you ask, do I bring up the Donner…

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a beauty

Gorgeous.

Paul Militaru

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Parking lot Problem:

Kawanee stands up to a pest in the parking lot.

My mom has a hard time walking, she’s 70 yrs old and we have a handicapped placard to use for her to park in handicapped spots. It’s raining; despite this, we walked pretty slowly across the pick-up lane and over to my car. I took the cart and went around to my side of the car to load things so that when we got home I could get everything from the side closest to the house. Mom wanted to come over and help me load; she’s standing at the end of my car. I had just told mom I would put stuff in on my side of the car and to go ahead and get in the as it was raining but she’s still clearly visible.

A woman pulled up behind my car, gets out and asked me if she could ask me a question. Thinking the woman needed…

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Whew! Some relief…

Good things are happening for Kawanee but a few not so good problems are continuing.

Okay, guys! I am the happy and relieved and I can breathe for a minute. Exciting news, I started getting those back tax refunds! So far, I’ve received two. They were nice checks like I can pay all my bills up to date and even next month’s type of nice. 🙂

I paid all my bills, and I treated myself to a little retail therapy. I bought groceries, some new paint, and canvasses, a couple of books, a new pair of shoes and I took the family out to a sit-down dinner. I got a little tripod for my camera so I can take better pictures of my paintings, and do my video blog on coping with depression, loss, anxiety, trauma and all that lovely mix of BS.

I have landed a job with the Census… got my fingerprints done and everything, but that doesn’t start until April. Got to…

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Is it time for The Office of Public Prosecutions?

What we need.

On The Fence Voters

In the age of Trumpism, it’s time to look how other countries ensure an independent Justice Department

During the Trump era, it’s rare that I agree with anything Alan Dershowitz says. The 81-year-old ‘TV’ lawyer has gone off the deep end it seems, especially when you consider his ridiculous performance during the recent impeachment trial.

But once in a while, he gets it right. A few nights ago on CNN, he was debating his former pupil, Jeffrey Toobin, concerning the recent intervention of Bill Barr into Roger Stone’s sentencing recommendation from federal prosecutors. Dershowitz, of course, first sided with Trump on the issue, saying that he did have the ‘legal’ right to intervene in that particular case. There was nothing in the law that says he couldn’t do it.

But then he also explained that it wasn’t right for him to do so. Because of the long understood norms and…

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