Wordless Wednesday (10/29)

♥ ∞

The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe

The Ravenby Edgar Allan Poe(First Published in 1845)

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door."

'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door;

Only this, and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember, it was in the bleak December,

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.

Eagerly I wished the morrow; vainly I had sought to borrow

From my books surcease of sorrow, sorrow for the lost Lenore,

For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.

Nameless here forevermore.

And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me---filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,"

'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door,

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door.

This it is, and nothing more."

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,

"Sir," said I, "or madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;

But the fact is, I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,

That I scarce was sure I heard you." Here I opened wide the door;---

Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there spoken was the whispered word,

Lenore?, This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word,

"Lenore!" Merely this, and nothing more.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping, something louder than before,

"Surely," said I, "surely, that is something at my window lattice.

Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore.

Let my heart be still a moment, and this mystery explore."

'Tis the wind, and nothing more."

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately raven, of the saintly days of yore.

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

But with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door.

Perched upon a bust of Pallas, just above my chamber door,

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,"

Though thy crest be shorn and shaven thou," I said, "art sure no craven,

Ghastly, grim, and ancient raven, wandering from the nightly shore.

Tell me what the lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore."

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,

Though its answer little meaning, little relevancy bore;

For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being

Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door,

Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,

With such name as "Nevermore."

But the raven, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only

That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

Nothing further then he uttered; not a feather then he fluttered;

Till I scarcely more than muttered, "Other friends have flown before;

On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."

Then the bird said, "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,"

Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,

Caught from some unhappy master, whom unmerciful disaster

Followed fast and followed faster, till his songs one burden bore,---

Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore

Of "Never---nevermore."

But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,

Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;

Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking

Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore --

What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore

Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

Thus I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing

To the fowl, whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;

This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining

On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,

But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er

She shall press, ah, nevermore!

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer

Swung by seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor."

Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee -- by these angels he hath

Sent thee respite---respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!

Quaff, O quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!"

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore!"

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!--prophet still, if bird or devil!

Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,

Desolate, yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted--

On this home by horror haunted--tell me truly, I implore:

Is there--is there balm in Gilead?--tell me--tell me I implore!"

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil--prophet still, if bird or devil!

By that heaven that bends above us--by that God we both adore--

Tell this soul with sorrow laden, if, within the distant Aidenn,

It shall clasp a sainted maiden, whom the angels name Lenore---

Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels name Lenore?

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!" I shrieked, upstarting--"

Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!

Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!

Leave my loneliness unbroken! -- quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"

Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming.

And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted---nevermore!

thttp://terrisfp.com/hallo1/ghost1.swf

Boo!! ♥ ∞

I Wuv Your Blog!

Maxie and I have decided to give a gift for all my blogging friends. We enjoy y'alls blogs so much, this is just our humble way of saying "Thanks". I made this myself (with Maxie's help, of course. She barked commands, and I obeyed ...)

Those I Count As Blogging Friends:

All About Whatever ~ Rosezilla

Bygone Beauty

Chachaneen

I Need A Martini Mom

Life At Willow Manor

Muse Swings

Nana's Living The Dream

Pappy's Balderdash

SoulBrush

Tea Time With Melody ~ Someone 'new' to me I would like to count as a friend too. :o)

The Birdbath Chronicles

Voila! Vintage Postcards

Wicked Gardener

Please save this graphic of my favorite little dog, Maxie, to your hard drive and place it any where you wish at your blog. If you'd put a link back to me at http://redbirdacres.blogspot.com/ , I would appreciate it.

You 'guys' are the best! I'm a lucky gal indeed to count you as friends.

((Hugs)) Y'all! Be chatting with ya in Blog Land! ♥ ∞

This About Covers The Election

Here in America, politics and various opinions, seems to be everywhere right now. Even at one of our favorite web sites, MyGreatRides, this seemingly never ending election is on almost everyone's lips and minds.

Now y'all know I'm not usually very political on my Blog. I am in real life, as I know what I believe and will not be swayed from it. I just chose to be lighthearted and fun on my Blog because that is also a part of me. I like to help people smile and feel loved.

But if you'll just bear with me a moment, I want to share this with y'all.

In one of the forums, a gentleman with the nickname "Doc Crow" started a General Discussion on this very subject. He stated that he was dining somewhere for lunch and he "... passed a homeless guy with a sign that read, 'VOTE OBAMA: I NEED THE MONEY'. Once inside the restaurant, I also noticed that my waiter had on an 'OBAMA FOR '08' tee shirt." So, Doc started thinking that maybe this was a good idea and when the bill came, he refused to tip the waiter. He continues the event by saying "I explained to him that while he had given me exceptional service, his tee shirt told me that he believes in Senator Obama's plan to 'redistribute the wealth'. I told him I was going to do just that and 'redistribute' his tip to someone that I deemed more in need -- the homeless guy outside. " The waiter angrily stormed away.

Doc then went outside and gave the homeless guy the $3 tip and told him to thank the waiter inside, as he had decided he could use the money more.

Folks, listen to me, this is what Senator Barrack Hussein Obama, Jr. wants to do with our money. What gets me is apparently people are lining up to vote for him.

Well, there's a sucker born every minute.

My wonderful husband wrote the following response to Doc's post:

"One of the founding fathers of our REPUBLIC not democracy [basic definition of democracy----mob rule], stated that the republic they had fought so hard for would be finished as soon as enough citizens figured that they could elect the officials who would gladly tax the wealth of others and buy the votes of the lazy by "redistributing" the wealth.

Truely a prophecy whose time has come. The public education system in this country has managed to dumb down enough people so that the majority now believes we are a democracy. Individual rights no longer matter ...... the tyranny of majority rule has now fallen on us and our God given sacred rights will evermore be in jeopardy.

We have one presidential candidate who openly endorses Marxist doctrine and another candidate who won't call him on it. The votes of both these men and most of their colleagues in the Senate and House show either they have no knowledge of the US Constitution or no use for it.

Washington, Jefferson, Madison and the other founders who risked their lives, their property and their sacred honor are surely turning in their graves.......and we who should have been vigilant in our loathing of tyrants should be ashamed."

My husband is a wise man. I love my country and pray earnestly that others will listen to the warning signs. I don't want to lose what little freedoms we have left.

♥ ∞ Always With Affection ♥ ∞

The Stink in Farts Controls Blood Pressure

Honest to God y'all, this is an actual article that I read this morning:

The Stink in Farts Controls Blood Pressure
by Amelia Thomas
LiveScience Staff - Thu Oct 23, 3:21 pm ET

A smelly rotten-egg gas in farts controls blood pressure in mice, a new study finds. The unpleasant aroma of the gas, called hydrogen sulfide (H2S), can be a little too familiar, as it is expelled by bacteria living in the human colon and eventually makes its way, well, out.

The new research found that cells lining mice's blood vessels naturally make the gas and this action can help keep the rodents' blood pressure low by relaxing the blood vessels to prevent hypertension (high blood pressure). This gas is "no doubt" produced in cells lining human blood vessels too, the researchers said.

"Now that we know hydrogen sulfide's role in regulating blood pressure, it may be possible to design drug therapies that enhance its formation as an alternative to the current methods of treatment for hypertension," said Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Solomon H. Snyder, M.D., a co-author of the study detailed in the Oct. 24th issue of the journal Science.

Snyder and his colleagues compared normal mice to mice that were missing a gene for an enzyme known as CSE, long suspected as being responsible for making hydrogen sulfide. As they measured hydrogen sulfide levels taken from tissues of the CSE-deficient mice, the scientists found that the gas was depleted in the cardiovascular systems of the altered mice. By contrast, normal mice had higher levels of the gas, thereby showing that hydrogen sulfide is naturally made by mammalian tissues using CSE.

Next, the mice were subjected to higher blood pressures comparable to serious hypertension in humans. Scientists had them respond to a chemical called methacholine that relaxes normal blood vessels. The blood vessels of the CSE-lacking mice hardly relaxed, indicating that hydrogen sulfide is a huge contender for regulating blood pressure.

Hydrogen sulfide is the most recently discovered member of a family of gasotransmitters, small molecules inside our bodies with important physiological functions.

This study is the first to reveal that the CSE enzyme that triggers hydrogen sulfide is activated itself in the same way as other enzymes when they trigger their respective gasotransmitter, such as a nitric oxide-forming enzyme that also regulates blood pressure, Dr. Snyder said.

Because gasotransmitters are common in mammals all over the evolutionary tree, these findings on the importance of hydrogen sulfide are thought to have broad applications to human diseases, such as diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases.

The research was supported by grants from the U.S. Public Health Service and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research as well as a Research Scientist Award.

My husband said that this explains why he has High Blood Pressure and I don't ... his don't stink! [I've got news for him, his could knock a buzzard off a poo wagon!!]

Well, I'll get him back. Quick ... someone, pull my finger! [giggle] ♥ ∞

Our Vacation To Western North Carolina

Greetings Bloggy Friends!

We have finally returned from the 'Great North'. We were having such a good time, that we decided to extend the one week vacation to almost two weeks. (Gee, it's great to be retired!) The fall colors in Maggie Valley, NC, and down into northern Georgia around Tallulah Gorge are absolutely stunning this year! So far, this must have been the best year for color for us. We must have hit the peak just right because the woods were spectacular. I had to be careful riding my motorcycle on the Blue Ridge Parkway because one can't sight-see and ride at the same time. I saved all my "Oh!'s" and "Awww!'s" for when we stopped at the overlooks. That's me and Sweetie below at one of our stops.


If one clicks on the photo above, it takes you to MyPhotoAlbum where all the pictures from the trip are stored. This photo was taken by our good friend, Tom Williams. We traveled with him and his lovely wife Rebecca this time. They're the ones we've been friends with Since The Beginning Of Time (or maybe it just feels that way?). [lol] It was chilly up on the Parkway but down in the valley, the temperatures reached into the low 80's. That's really warm for this time of year.

If you view the photos of Elk at MyPhotoAlbum, they were taken on the Cataloochee Trail near the old Caldwell house. North Carolina has reintroduced Elk in the same area that they once roamed in the southern Appalachain Mountains.

Please excuse me not being too wordy this time. I'm still weary from the journey.

God bless ya everyone! It's good to be back. Can't wait to view all your blogs too! ♥ ∞

Tagged and Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I've been tagged by Soul Brush for the Breast Cancer Awareness Month (VERY good cause!). This is my first time so if I err please feel free to correct. I promise not to get above my raisin'.

1. Clothes Shop: Not much of a clothes horse (as one can tell from my photos, uhhum). If Wal-Mart doesn't have it, I don't need it. But I do like Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's.

2. Furniture Shop: Funny, we were just discussing this today. If I NEVER have to buy another stick of furniture I'll consider myself fortunate. I always feel ripped off after buying any.

3. Sweet: Hmmm ... DARK CHOCOLATE!! And I mean 85% pure or more. 'Nuff said. [drool]

4. City: I do not like cities. At all. I'm a country girl through and through.

5. Drink: Oh yeah, I like my Dos Equis Amber (dark mexican beer). But am not adverse to Celestial Seasonings Honey Lemon Ginseng Green Tea (I call it hippy tea), coffee and lots of country well water.

6. Music: Hang on, here goes ... Alice Cooper, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Bad Company, Boston, Bread, Cream, Dazed and Confused, Doobie Brothers, Eagles, Eric Clapton, Guess Who, Jethro Tull, Jimmy Buffett, Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynryd, Jefferson Starship, Moody Blues, Ringo Starr, Rolling Stones, Santana, Steve Miller Band, Ten Years After, The Doors, The Monkees, Three Dog Night, Who, most all 1970's Country, Classical. [whew]

7. TV Series: Don't watch Network TV Series. I do watch my 'toons though [duh]; Family Guy, The Simpson's (until abt. 2000, the new ones suck), Futurama.

8. Films: Don't watch most new movies. I'm tired of America or our President being insulted every time I turn around .... Anyway, favorite movies are: My Favorite Year, The Cheap Detective, Radioland Murders, Best Years Of Our Lives. I *love* old British comedies: Butterflies, Sweet 16, To The Manor Born, etc. Also most anything with Humphrey Bogart, Steve McQueen, Audrey Hepburn, etc.

9. Workout: Me too with the 'walking, talking and blogging'!! [bwwaaa]

10. Pastries: Cheesecake, anything with chocolate. [drool, again]

11 Coffee: Love coffee! That cheap Wal-Mart brand coffee is very good. They use Arabica beans. [yum]

Hey, that was fun! Thanks for tagging me.

Ok, ladies, and germs, I tag Chachaneen, JERRYSPEAK, Pappy's Balderdash and Wicked Gardener. Don't fail me y'all!! ♥ ∞