2008
Shutterbug Sunday: Pooh Bear
Stumpy-tailed Manx
05-14-2008
Pooh was not originally my cat. When the Marine and I moved to Texas, Pooh (the owners called him Oliver) lived three doors away. He was very friendly and walked the sidewalks like a person. The story we got from the owner was, he was purchased as a kitten for her son. Her son developed allergies to the cat so, she put him outside. He could get in and out of the garage and, had a sleeping pad on a bench on the front porch.
01-01-2008
He didn’t visit our house too much because we had Buddy. When we lost Buddy, he got closer and closer to the front door, unsure because he wasn’t allowed in his own home. One day, we opened the door and he walked in. We fed him some tuna and…he stayed. We taught him how to use the cat doors we already had and he returned to us every day. His previous owner, at this point, had re-married, had two more kids (plus the husband’s kid) and three dogs. I’m not sure they ever noticed.
01-24-2011
He didn’t look like an Oliver to us. My Marine made the remark that he looked like a little bear walking up the sidewalk. I immediately went to my childhood days and thought “Pooh!” He got a new name with his new home.
Pooh liked to watch TV.
02-25-2009
Poor Pooh had spine problems related to his stumpy tail. The entire time he was with us, he had spells…twice a day. Something in his spine would move or catch and he would howl in pain. Then, he would chase the pain…until he was dizzy. It was something bizarre to watch and you couldn’t miss the sound. Think Looney Tunes’ Tasmanian Devil. When he regained his faculties, he would begin to groom as if nothing had happened. Unfortunately for me, some of those spells occurred in my lap. I still have scars…bless his heart.
He was our baby for three and a half years. He developed pancreatic cancer and had to be put down February 17, 2011. He was a character. When he wanted your attention and you weren’t fast enough, he made this sound of frustration that always reminded me of Number 5/Johnny Five from Short Circuit.
06-20-2009
Chris Thomas: No More Papering Over The Cracks
A Blog Post From: The Chris Thomas Files
Have you ever been faced with the job of re-decorating a room? You know what it’s like…you strip off the old wallpaper only to find that the plaster is full of cracks. This means either filling in the cracks or re-plastering with all the mess that entails. Well, this is what has been happening for the past months (or years) to everybody, either on a personal level, a government level or nationally.
These are the real symptoms of change. In order to become new, to find out who we truly are, we first have to demolish the old. This process of change we are undergoing requires that everything of the past is cleared out so that we can see the cracks that have been underlying our lives for some time. We cannot become what our potential demands as long as the world, and ourselves, are still layered over with the old paper, old ways of being, which covered up everything.
Through 2007, and particularly 2008, we have seen the removal of many layers of old paper, which have served to blinker our view of reality. As we entered 2009, the blinkers really began to come off and we started to realise that we, as individuals, have to take responsibility for our own lives. We can no longer rely on anyone or any institution to save us. Those who have turned to the ‘quick fix’ for their problems realised, at long last, that there cannot be a quick solution. We cannot just add another layer of wallpaper. We have to face the consequences of re-building from the foundations up.
Taking Positive Action
You know the kinds of conversations we have all had, where you come up with the answer:
“I know I should be doing (whatever it is) but,…”
Well, the result of all of this self-work is that the answer needs to be changed to:
“I know I should be doing (whatever it is) so, I am going to start doing it now.”
This is what the last couple of years have been about…removing the wallpaper and seeing the cracks underneath, to help us to realise that we can no longer paper over these cracks. We have to take positive action and positive action, now. We cannot wait until 2011 or even 2012. If we wait beyond 2009 to take action, we will not be able to make it as far as the end of 2011. This is what the energies for change truly mean. We need to put our own house in order, clear out old emotions, and ways of dealing with the people with whom we share our lives, before we can reach our higher levels of being. And, nobody is going to do it for us.
It’s a nice thought that there are legions of ‘angels’, ET’s or even well meaning ‘orbs’ out there who are going to step in and do all of the work for us. But, the reality is that, while they may be happy to show us what we need to do, it is we, ourselves, who need to do it. [In] that sense, we are on our own. This is our planet and it is our mess we need to clear up. There are those beings ‘out there’ who would love to come and help but, they cannot come and help until we have shown that we are capable of resolving our own problems by making our leap into full consciousness. Until we have made that leap, we are on our own. The two featured books (visible in the blog post as The Universal Soul and The Human Soul) can help you understand where you are in this process of change and how to move forwards.
Consciousness Reintegration
This full consciousness state is that which many have come to call ‘Ascension’ but, we need to remember that we are not actually ‘ascending’ anywhere. We are staying firmly rooted on the planet. What we are supposed to be doing is bringing the ‘Higher Self’ into the physical body. In so doing, we ‘ascend’ to higher levels of consciousness and understanding. Once we have achieved that, we will be greeted by every ‘angel, and ET in the Universe to congratulate us on a job well done. According to the Akashic, there are currently about two million people who have already achieved this full consciousness reintegration world-wide. The majority of these people live in tribal cultures in remote regions of the planet. They have achieved what we all set out to achieve on this amazing Earth. So, during 2009, the rest of us, in the ‘western world’, need to be taking the necessary steps to catch up with them. This can only be achieved by each individual taking responsibility for themselves and not putting off, ’til tomorrow, what they can do today.
© Chris Thomas 2009
[We are LONG overdue to clean up our own houses and evolve. ~Vic]
The Blog Post (Cygnus Review Blog…with the wrong author credited)
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Chris Thomas: Earth’s Chronological Chart
A Forum Blog Post From: The Chris Thomas Files
Photo Credit: NASA on Unsplash
[Preface from a client of Chris Thomas: My friend Chris Thomas, who is “hard-wired” to the Akashic, has produced a list of events in Earth’s history that I would like to share with you. Chris Thomas’ books go into much greater detail about the [below] but, this is quite a nice summary.]
14,376.279.386 years ago…..Creation of our Universal envelope.
100 million yrs ago…..Creation of the six non-physical races.
40 million yrs ago…..Completion of our solar system with early life forms on the outer planets.
30 million yrs ago…..Creation of the seven semi-physical races.
25 million yrs ago…..Beginnings of life on Earth (Earth’s choice).
20 million yrs ago…..Creation by earth of the Sidhe’ and the Faerie.
4.5 million yrs ago…..Neanderthal Man developed by Earth from early primate models.
4 million yrs ago…..The arrival of The Merlin on Earth.
3.9 million yrs ago…..Removal of 4 planets from our solar system.
3.8 million yrs ago…..Arrival of Cro-Magnon man’s template from Mars.
3.6 million yrs ago…..Disruptive alien race called the 14th faction burst into our Universe.
94-98,000 yrs ago…..Lemuria established.
85,000 yrs ago…..Atlantis established.
65,000 yrs ago…..Atlantis destroyed and the Sphinx constructed in Egypt.
28,000 yrs ago…..New energy matrix to support human life post Atlantis.
20,000 yrs ago…..Human resettlement of the planet begun.
12,000 yrs ago…..First use of language in the form of Hewbrewa.
10,000 yrs ago…..Construction of energy sites at Silbury Hill, Avebury and Stonehenge.
Aug 14th 1996…..New Earth energy grid activated for whole planet.
Aug 16th 1996…..A bridge between Avalon and Glastonbury Tor is made so that the Sidhe’ could counteract the threat of genetically modified organisms.
Dec 31st 1999…..Earth energies boosted to speed up human evolution.
May 30th 2000…..Earth alters her base frequency from 7.56Hz to 3,500Hz.
Jan 19th 2004…..Energies changed chakra speeds and all colour was lost from the chakras.
Aug 2nd 2004…..Earth charged up all its crystal deposits.
Feb 2005…..Another energy boost and this time, the energy level is maintained. Also, a higher-self census was taken to see who was to remain on the planet.
© Chris Thomas 2008
The Forum (One Vibration Forum/Blog August 6, 2008)
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Shutterbug Saturday: Old Halloween Stuff
It’s finally October, home month of jack-o-lanterns, ghosties, ghoulies, witches (the cartoon type), bats, spiders, skeletons, and the like, for the upcoming Halloween. I love wandering around to get shots of local decorations, much like Christmas. This post, however, covers some of my old stuff…stuff collected over the years (remember email forwards?)…stuff I didn’t take, myself, plus…a really cute video from 2005. I have no idea who took these. ~Vic
Image file reflects 12-05-2000
Image file reflects 09-30-2001
Image file reflects 10-31-2001
Image file reflects 10-19-2002
Image file reflects 08-26-2007
Image file reflects 10-12-2008
Shutterbug Saturday: Critter Collections 7.0
All Things Critter
All photos are my personal collection. ~Vic
Part I/Part II/Part III/Part IV/Part V/Part VI
Taken with my old Samsung Alias II.
Nature Preserve
Round Rock, TX
10-25-2008
05-06-2019
05-13-2019
Love the Ladybugs.
05-13-2019
He looks like a Skivvy Waver.
05-17-2019
05-19-2019
05-31-2019
Riverwalk
05-31-2019
Shutterbug Saturday: Critter Collections
Nature’s wonderful creatures with many legs or, none at all. All photos are my personal collection. ~Vic
Found the little guy in our shed in the backyard (mating season).
I had trouble snapping his picture as he kept moving and I kept jumping.
09-10-2008
We turned him over to a friend who had Tarantulas as pets.
Nature Preserve in Round Rock, TX.
10-25-2008
Nature Preserve.
06-20-2013
He had places to go.
08-30-2013
More to come…
Shutterbug Saturday: Feathers 3.0
I love watching and listening to the birds. They are fun and fascinating. A few evenings ago, I was sitting in one of my Adirondack chairs I have in my yard. They are underneath a very large Hackberry tree. This tree is huge and old. As I was enjoying the sunset and journaling, I heard tapping…above my head. Then, I noticed dust-like material gathering in my lap, my pages and on my phone (and, no doubt, on my head). I looked directly above me, which was not an easy task in a high-back chair. Yes. It was a small woodpecker. This little thing had the entire tree to beat its beak into but, decided to do its routine…directly above me. I struggled to get shots but, I got a few. That will be for another post in the future.
Invasion of the Buzzards
03-07-2017
Sadly, all of those trees had to come down last year.
03-03-2013
But, a Cooper’s Hawk or a Sharp-Shinned, I’m not sure.
12-12-2008
Foto Friday: Tribute Pictures 6.0
Photo Credit: Natalie Rhea Riggs on Unsplash
The below is now Part Six of the final Seven Part Series showcasing my former supervisor’s work and, additional photos taken of him at various stages of his life and career. The above picture of Big Bend National Park, I never got to see while I was living in Texas. It’s a big state and there is a lot to see. I confess that I spent a rather large amount of time traveling back and forth, between the Austin area and the Houston area, as I had a very dear friend and classmate living in Spring. Texas will always be my second home.
♦ Part I
♦ Part II
♦ Part III
♦ Part IV
♦ Part V
This picture has no time stamp. I haven’t a clue when it was taken.
03-24-2010
03-24-2010
03-24-2010
The following three pictures, he sent to me on November 17, 2008. I have no idea when or where these were taken but, they were his friends and they requested his expertise.
He is from Houston.
He is from Lubbock.
That is all I have of the pictures he took. Everything forward will be of him.
Last post, tomorrow. ~Vic
Shutterbug Saturday: Tribute Pictures 5.0
1st Street Bridge
Town Lake (Colorado River)
Photo Credit: Carlos Delgado on Unsplash
It appears that I have more Patton pictures than I realized. Some of them are of him, not by him. Nevertheless, this is looking like a seven part series, now.
♦ Part I
♦ Part II
♦ Part III
♦ Part IV
06-04-2008
08-27-2008
02-24-2009
05-08-2008
More to come… ~Vic
Foto Friday: Tribute Pictures 4.0
This is part four of a five, possibly, six part series showcasing my former supervisor W. H. Patton’s photography. The first post is here. The second post is here. The third post is here.
Round four…
10-09-2008
10-09-2008
02-21-2008
02-27-2008
03-07-2009
03-07-2009
05-18-2008
05-18-2008
Shutterbug Saturday: Tribute Pictures 3.0
This is Part Three of the five-part series showcasing my former supervisor W. H. Patton’s photography. The original post is here. Last Saturday’s post is here.
The above picture (on a phone) or the picture to the left (on a PC) is from the Texas Lone Star Wind Farm just outside of Abilene (northeast) and Clyde (northwest). On one of my visits to his ranch in Clyde, he took me out to this wind farm installation. Those wind turbines make the weirdest noises.
I wish I had remembered MY camera.
Round Three below.
Wild turkey in his backyard, 04-07-2008
Shutterbug Saturday: Tribute Pictures 2.0
The Percy V. Pennybacker, Jr., Bridge on Loop 360, Capital of Texas Highway, Austin
In my previous post from November 24, I spoke of my former supervisor, W. H. Patton, whom I worked for, and with, from September of 2002 until he retired in May of 2007. This is Part Two of a five-part series. Below are more of his photography works.
From his ranch in 2007, a pair of Bobcats
From his driveway, 09-16-2008
From his driveway, 09-16-2008
From his backyard, 09-16-2008
From his back patio, The Quartet 08-10-2008
From his back patio, The Texas State Bird Chorus & a couple of wasps 08-10-2008
From his back patio, 07-23-2007
From his backyard, 07-23-2007
Shutterbug Saturday: Tribute Pictures
Texas State Capitol Building
I lived and worked in Texas for nearly a decade. I was fortunate enough to snag a Texas State job for the majority of the time I was there. The gentleman that interviewed and hired me was, as it turns out, my immediate Supervisor. He was one of the best bosses I ever had (his replacement after retirement was just as terrific). He did his job and he let me do mine. We sometimes rode the bus together, to and from work (downtown Austin).
I grew to love this man. He was a lanky 6′ 6″ and spoke fluent Spanish with a Texan accent. He had to have heart valve surgery a decade before I met him and, when you got close to him, he ticked like a clock. He owned a ranch just outside of Abilene in a small town called Clyde. He was a cattleman, a businessman, a photographer, a writer, an artist, a musician, a pilot, interviewed two U.S. Presidents and, was good friends with Mac Davis, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. He graduated Texas Tech with a Journalism degree, loved the Red Raiders and served in the U.S. Army Reserves:
“I protected Fort Leonard Wood, MO, from all enemies, foreign and domestic, during the Cuban missile crisis” ~ W. H. Patton
He lived all over the U.S. and Mexico. He moved to the Austin area in 1997 and I met him in 2002. He always had a story to tell and had a wicked sense of humor. He was one hell of a cook and drank like a fish. I am thankful that I met him and am a better person for it. He passed away in 2012, five days after his 73rd birthday. I’d like to share some of his work, as he shared it with me.
From the 1960s, his son fishing.
From the 1960s, he managed to capture the image of a Barn Owl in an abandoned house.
From the 1960s, local geese.
From the 1960s, Kodiak bear.
From the 1960s, a wood duck.
From his backyard, 04-08-2008
Flick Friday: Burn After Reading 2008
It’s Flick Friday! Ten years ago, today, the #1 movie was Burn After Reading, a black comedy from the Coen Brothers that brought us hits like Fargo and The Big Lebowski. I’ve never seen this movie, or The Big Lebowski for that matter but, I have seen Fargo, which was an absolute trip. At least the brothers aren’t as gory as Tarentino. ~Victoria
Throwback Thursday: Hurricane Ike 2008
While we are on the subject of hurricanes, ten years ago, today, Hurricane Ike struck Galveston, Texas, at 2:10am CDT. It was recorded as a Category 4 on September 4 as it moved near the Leeward Islands. Though it had lessened in strength from its prior Cat4 status to Cat2, this was a bad storm in costs, damage and death. Ike’s storm surge went right over the Galveston Seawall, a ten-mile wall built for protection after the devastating Galveston Hurricane of 1900.
Ike claimed 195 lives…74 in Haiti, six in Cuba and 113 in the US. As of August 2011, 16 are still missing. This was a huge storm that also damaged the Bahamas, the Turks & Caicos, the Florida Panhandle, Mississippi and Louisiana. It is the most expensive storm to ever hit Cuba and, at $38 billion, was the second-costliest storm in US history until 2012.
I was living in Texas when Ike hit. I was too far inland to be affected by more than some rain storms. The terrain in Texas is quite different from North Carolina and even though the Austin Area is roughly the same distance from the Texas coast as the Piedmont/Triangle is from the NC coast, my native Texan friends told me that Austin had never been hit by a hurricane.
I was employed by the very agency that responded to the disaster…The Texas General Land Office, though I was not working in the Coastal Management Unit. I was working for the Veterans Land Board but, I remember the teams going down to help with the clean up and the pictures of the damage that were posted to our intranet. The stunning images of the debris that littered I-45 and the heartbreaking photos of the flooding to downtown Galveston. NASA’s Johnson Space Center (Houston, we’ve had a problem…) suffered roof damage to Mission Control and my beloved Lone Star Flight Museum wound up with $18 million in damaged planes and had to be moved inland to Ellington Field. ~Victoria
