tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7426160757782762432024-03-28T19:18:01.101-06:00Red Rocks and Sunflowers Looking for the light
Writings about life, travel, photography and nature by a photographer, traveler, adventurer and writerAnn Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.comBlogger861125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-32445421625634172192024-03-19T06:34:00.001-06:002024-03-19T06:34:09.640-06:00What Has Happened to America?<p> What has happened to America?</p><p>I have lived my entire life -- several decades -- in this country. Sadly, I no longer recognize the nation in which I have spent my life. I know there have always been undercurrents of racism, antisemitism and misogyny. There have been times when these negative thoughts and actions were more pronounced, and more in the open, than at others. But I hoped things had changed. I believed that the American people had changed.</p><p>How incredibly wrong I was.</p><p>Now the followers of a former twice-impeached president seem determined to destroy this country and everything it has stood for for nearly 250 years. They wear their racism, their antisemitism and their misogyny as a badge of honor. </p><p>They call for the overthrow of the government. They ban books that don't conform to their warped ideology. They call for the execution of the current and the previous president. They call themselves 'pro-life' while simultaneously refusing to provide food and medical care assistance to those who need help the most. They want to turn this nation into a "Christian" nation, ignoring the founding fathers' insistence (embedded in the US Constitution) that there should be separation of church and state.</p><p>The disgraced leading candidate for the presidency of one party says he will be a dictator "from day one." He proclaims that if he loses the election, "there will be a bloodbath." He says he will round up all the people in this country illegally, put them in camps, and then conduct a massive deportation. He announced that he plans to fire the nation's federal civil servants (non-partisan employees) and replace them with those loyal only to him, not to defending our constitution. Adolf Hitler and the current Hungarian dictator Viktor Orban did the same thing. He wants to slash Medicare and Social Security, upon which millions of Americans depend, and for which we paid through mandatory payroll taxes. He even mirrors the rhetoric of his idol Adolf Hitler when he refers to immigrants as not human.<br /></p><p>Jewish students on college campuses across the country, even at traditionally liberal universities, have been threatened because of their religion. Someone at San Francisco International Airport was questioned about his religion and the driver (who was fired) ultimately told the would-be passenger that he would not transport a Jew in his car. </p><p>Three Palestinian students at a Vermont college were walking down the street, speaking Arabic, when a man walked onto his porch and shot them. Two have recovered, while the third is permanently paralyzed.</p><p>A candidate for the position of head of public schools in North Carolina has publicly called for the assassination of former President Barack Obama and current President Joe Biden. She should have been arrested for these threats, but of course, nothing was done, and her Republican colleagues are silent.</p><p>In an opinion piece on cnn.com, some political scientists suggest this country is on the verge of another civil war. Here is the link to the article: https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/16/opinions/us-brink-of-civil-war-hoffman-ware/index.html</p><p>These are just a few examples of what has happened in our country. </p><p>It is up to us, the people who believe in this country and that for which it had stood since 1776. to not remain silent. We cannot sit by and watch the destruction of our country.</p><p>Get out and vote in every election, the November presidential election in particular. The stake have never been higher.</p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-69690433938060676682024-03-08T16:19:00.001-07:002024-03-08T16:30:33.604-07:00One Day Is Not Enough<p> Today is International Women's Day.</p><p>Yet despite the many advances women have made over the years, we now find ourselves going backward. The Republican-majority US Supreme Court overturned legislation (Roe v Wade) that had for 22 years protected a woman's right to a safe abortion. Since then, various states, led by Texas, have seriously limited a woman's right to choose, going so far as to criminalize abortion. Now the Alabama supreme court has declared that frozen embryos are, in fact, children, and destroying them is tantamount to murder.</p><p>In Afghanistan, following the return of the Taliban, girls who are allowed to attend school usually stay only 2 years. Afghanistan ranks among the highest for gender-based violence. So-called honor killings, while illegal, are still widely practiced. Women are not allowed to work outside the home or to leave the home unless unaccompanied by a male relative. Females must once again cover their faces in public. Pakistan and several African countries round out the top 10 worst nations for women's rights.</p><p>Female Israeli hostages being held by the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza are subjected to not only the tears of being kidnapped, but also the absolute horrors of sexual violence. Far too many women in India are victims of domestic abuse and even gang rapes in public places and on buses.</p><p>Women throughout the world have the potential to do great things with their lives. They can be fighter pilots in the armed forces. They can command naval vessels. They can be police officers and neurosurgeons and prime ministers. They can make amazing discoveries and develop new medications to treat fatal diseases. </p><p>One group I really admire is called the Black Mambas, an all female anti-poaching group in South Africa that works to prevent the slaughter of South Africa’s rhinoceros population and other wildlife. These highly trained rangers put their lives on the line every time they go on patrol.</p><p>There are many notable female role models in our world: Malala Yousafzai, Jane Goodall, Kamala Harris, Greta Thunberg and Amanda Gorman immediately come to mind. If you're not familiar with these women, please look them up and read about them.</p><p>I have been fortunate to have met a couple of female trailblazers. Dr. Ellen Ochoa was the first female Hispanic astronaut. She later became the first Hispanic woman and the second female director of NASA's Johnson Space Center. Ochoa holds a doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University.</p><p>US Air Force Colonel Eileen Collins became the first female pilot and the first woman to command a space shuttle mission. </p><p>Educate yourself, then speak up for women everywhere. Our struggling world is beset by wars on many fronts, by poverty and hunger and disease. We need all of us, not just white men, to work to make this world better for everyone.</p><p>Every day should be a day to recognize and honor the world's women. All women, not just those with advanced degrees or celebrity. deserve to be given the chance to follow their dreams and to succeed in whatever life they choose.</p><p><br /></p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-59483229579454218192024-03-02T07:11:00.004-07:002024-03-02T07:16:59.613-07:00Your Religion Is Not Better<p>Your religion is not better than mine ... or anyone else's.</p><p>It may be the best religion for you. But that doesn't make it the best religion for everyone else. For many people, following no religion is best for them. And your religion does not give you the right to impose your religious beliefs on others.</p><p>Maybe you come from a long line of Mormons, or Roman Catholics, or Baptists, or Muslims or Hindus or Jews. That's wonderful. If that makes you happy, great. But that doesn't make you better than anyone else on the planet. And it doesn't make your religion of choice better than anyone else's. </p><p>It does not give you the right to try to exterminate followers of other religions. It does not give you the right to attempt to impose your personal religious beliefs on others and prevent them from following their own set of beliefs. Your religion doesn't give you the right to impose your beliefs on others through coercion or legislation. Our Constitution's First Amendment permits freedom of religion, as well as freedom <i>from </i>religion.</p><p>If you want your children to attend a private, religion-sponsored school, you have that right. But you do not have the right to expect taxpayers to fund your child's private school education and indoctrination.</p><p>You wouldn't be happy if tax dollars were spent to pay for tuition at an Islamic school that taught sharia law. So you shouldn't expect people to pay for your children to attend a Christian school.</p><p>Too many wars have been fought over religious differences: the Crusades, the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East between Muslims and Jews, even battles between the two major factions of Islam. The Roman Empire murdered early Christians who refused to worship the Romans' panoply of gods.</p><p>The major monotheistic religions have one thing in common: worship of a single god. The ancient Greeks and Romans worshipped many gods. They had a god of the sea, household gods, a goddess of love, a god of war, and so on. </p><p>I would guess that followers of each of the major religions feel that their religion is the best. And that's fine. </p><p>Just stop trying to force your religion, and your non-religious beliefs, on others.</p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-7345054756850548002024-02-28T14:49:00.003-07:002024-02-28T14:49:45.631-07:00Hypocrites Among Us<p>No, God did not create government.</p><p>The ridiculous claim that "God created government" was made last week by the chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. This court also decided that frozen embryos are children, and that anyone who destroys them can be charged with wrongful death. This nonsense is why I have started calling the state of Alabama, Alabamastan, or Talibama. It has a lot of similarities with the country of Afghanistan and its fanatical religious leaders.</p><p>This attorney has decided to ignore the Constitution's first amendment that states, in part, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ..." The chief justice, as so many other right-wing evangelical Christians have done, feels he can do whatever he chooses as long as he cites his religious beliefs. That’s the case, however, only as long as those beliefs are the ultra right wing evangelical Christian beliefs. Jews and Muslims need not apply.. </p><p>The "God created governments" line arises from the belief that since God created people, and people created governments, therefore God created governments. This ridiculous assumption can be carried to unbelievable conclusions. For example, since God created people, and some people are murderers or rapists or pedophiles, it should then follow that God created murderers, rapists and pedophiles. God created people, and people created assault rifles. Therefore God created assault rifles. </p><p>The United States is not now, nor has it ever been, a Christian nation. The United States has never been, and should not be allowed to become, a theocracy. The authors of the US Constitution made this abundantly clear, except to those blindly following their golden calf (or, I should say, their tacky golden sneakers).</p><p><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A frozen embryo is NOT a child. An embryo cannot move. It cannot survive on its own. It cannot feel pain. It is not sentient. It cannot express emotions. A clump of cardiac cells beating in unison do not a heart make. A grape is not a bottle of wine. An acorn is not an oak tree. A tomato plant is not a tomato. An egg is not a chicken. A seed is not a flower. See the difference?</span></p><p>Evangelicals don't want the government to infringe on their rights as Christians (I question whether they are, in fact, Christians), while at the same time trying to force the government to infringe the freedoms of others, all in the name of their version of Christianity. </p><p>Rather hypocritical, don't you think?</p><p><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /><br /></span><p></p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-21784151642231015322024-02-25T10:00:00.008-07:002024-02-26T06:02:10.119-07:00I Am A Real Christian<p> I am a real Christian. </p><p>This thought popped into my mind this Sunday morning as I was walking one of my dogs. Over the past few years, the words and actions of many so-called Christians have not been anything like what Christ taught.</p><p>These so-called Christians, aka evangelicals, oppose gay marriage. They tend to be anti-Semitic and homophobic. They pick and choose which biblical verses they will follow. They rail against the imposition of sharia law by certain Islamic countries, but they have no problem at all with attempting to impose their restrictive religious beliefs on their fellow Americans.</p><p>The recent decision by the Alabama supreme court that declared frozen embryos to be children, while the state has eliminated its summer food program for children who already have been born, tells me all I need to know about the so-called Christian nationalists.</p><p>I was raised in a church-going family who attended a mainstream Protestant church. Once I left home to attend college, and ever since then, I have not attended church on a regular basis. In fact, I can't recall the last time I attended church. I did attend a friend's church wedding many years ago, but that was a special occasion.</p><p>When I lived in Houston, I joined a local church that sponsored a group called Christians in Action. I enjoyed that group, as it gave me a chance to take part in things that helped others. One Thanksgiving, we were asked to purchase everything, from a turkey to a roasting pan to gravy, stuffing and everything else on the list we were given, for a family in need. We got to choose the size of the family we wanted to help.</p><p>One Christmas, we were asked to purchase a gift for a child. Again, we got to choose the age and gender of the child, and we were told what the child would like for Christmas. This was fun. I remember shopping for a pink bicycle for a little girl.</p><p>So although I don't attend, or belong to, any church, I believe I am a good Christian. Why do I believe this? Don't I need to attend church services each week to glorify God? I don't think so.</p><p>I don't need to promote or announce my religion. I'd guess that none of my friends has a clue about my religion, and that's just fine with me. I prefer to put my religious beliefs into action. After all, actions speak louder than words. </p><p>My actions include donating to a dozen charities every year. They include funding a scholarship for two girls from rural Kenya so they can attend high school. They include being kind. They include adopting my daughter from an orphanage in Siberia. They include adopting 15 dogs during my adult life. They include paying forward a kindness shown to me. They include working to protect our planet from human destruction. They include being a witness at the wedding of a gay friend and photographing the brief civil ceremony.</p><p>My actions do not include trying to force others to follow and live by my beliefs. They do not include refusing to allow gay people the same rights I enjoy as a straight person. They do not include discriminating against others because of their race, ethnicity, skin color, political beliefs or gender preference. They do not include declaring frozen embryos to be 'children' while simultaneously refusing to take part in a summer food program for children already born.</p><p>I'm not writing this blog post to hold myself up as a wonderful example of Christianity. I'm not looking for praise or accolades. I am merely pointing out the gross hypocrisy of many who call themselves Christians.</p><p>They need to read again the teachings of the one whom they allegedly follow.</p><p><br /></p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-20832379153271565062024-02-17T00:30:00.001-07:002024-02-17T00:30:00.136-07:00Random Acts of Kindness Day<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Everyone is invited to participate. Random acts of kindness can be free or inexpensive. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Don't know where to start? Don't want to deal with someone directly? How about simply letting a driver go ahead of you in traffic, or buying extra food and donating it to a food pantry, or paying for the coffee of the person behind you in the coffee shop drive-through? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">How about paying for someone's meal, letting a shopper check out ahead of you, giving someone a compliment, taking cookies or muffins to work, <span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">paying for another person's meal, letting someone go ahead in line, buying extra at the grocery store and donating it to a food pantry, or buying flowers for someone. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">There are so many ways we can show kindness to others. No money is required. Just a bit of thoughtfulness can make someone's day.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">So be kind to others, not just today, but every day.</span></span></p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-61275782139025039692024-02-15T16:45:00.003-07:002024-02-16T06:41:40.027-07:00I Am Angry<p>I am angry. </p><p>I am very angry. There has been yet another mass shooting. Two gun-toting criminals -- both juveniles -- opened fire on a crowd of some 1,000,000 people gathered in Kansas City, Missouri, to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory. Nine of the victims are children.</p><p>In other news, three police officers in Washington, D.C., were shot while trying to serve an arrest warrant on a suspect in an animal cruelty case.</p><p>And in Los Angeles Country, four people were shot and killed in apparently random killings.</p><p>So this is the state of America in 2024.</p><p>We have reached the point where it isn't safe to be in any large public gatherings. It isn't safe to go to the grocery store. It isn't safe to go to the movies. It isn't safe to attend church or synagogue. It isn't safe to attend school. It isn't safe to go to the mall. It isn't safe to walk down the street or to drive anywhere. </p><p>The bottom line is, it isn't safe any place in America.</p><p>The state in which I live, New Mexico, has a couple of new laws aimed at the gun violence. The first will impose a 7-day waiting period on anybody wanting to buy a gun. This will allow time for the federally required background check to be completed. The bill as originally introduced would have mandated a 14-day wait, but after lots of screaming about their Second Amendment rights, the 7-day was a compromise both sides agreed to. </p><p>The second piece of legislation bans firearms in or near polling places and during early voting. The only exceptions are for law enforcement and those with concealed carry permits.</p><p>Will these pieces of legislation, which our governor has said she will sign, actually make an impact on gun deaths in our state? That remains to be seen, but guns are so readily available on the streets that it doesn't seem likely. Our governor has declared gun violence to be a public health emergency, which it definitely is nationwide.</p><p>Gun violence is a serious matter, taking the lives of nearly 19,000 Americans in 2023. That number does not include suicides. Gun-related deaths dropped for the second consecutive year, but the number of deaths by firearms remains appallingly high.</p><p>Firearms are the leading cause of death among children and teenagers, with more than 1,600 deaths every year. Is this the world in which we want our children to live, with active shooter drills part of their education?</p><p>My father had rifles used solely for hunting squirrels and rabbits. I don't know that he kept them locked away, but I know they were not anyplace we kids could have found them. We were never tempted to pull out a gun and kill people.</p><p>Clearly mental health issues play a large role in gun violence, so that issue needs to be addressed in any discussion of gun deaths. But not all shooters have mental health issues. Some are just plain evil.</p><p>There were 800 armed law enforcement officers at the Chiefs' parade and celebration. Eight hundred armed officers on scene, and still they were unable to prevent the shooting. So much for the "only a good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun" theory. And who brought down one of the shooters? An unarmed civilian who tackled the guy with a gun and, with the help of other unarmed civilians, brought the guy down.</p><p>It's pretty clear that America care a lot more for its guns than for the safety and lives of its citizens. </p><p>I have no answers to gun violence, but it's blatantly obviously our government's do-nothing-but-offer-thoughts-and-prayers to the victims of gun violence and their families is not enough. </p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-3716311143890268602024-02-11T05:50:00.001-07:002024-02-11T05:50:15.249-07:00Little Things<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Small things done with great love will change the world</i>. -- Mother Teresa</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I have seen a couple of posts on Facebook that started me thinking.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The first mentioned that a shopper in a grocery store noticed that the cashier was having a bad day. So the shopper decided to do something nice. She turned to the display of candy bars, said she couldn't decide what kind to buy, and asked the cashier for her favorite. The shopper bought that kind of candy bar, then gave it to the cashier as she paid her bill. This small act of kindness lifted the cashier's spirits.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Another person commented about a small act of kindness she had done for another cashier at another time. The cashier had mentioned that she was saving money so she could buy a blanket like the one being purchased. So the shopper bought an extra blanket and gave it to the cashier.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">These acts of kindness made me realize how easy it is for people to brighten someone's day with a small kindness.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I have been the recipient of an act of kindness in a grocery store, where I was about to pay for the few items I was purchasing. The man ahead of me in line told the cashier to add my items to his bill, because he wanted to pay for them. I protested, but he insisted. I thanked him and said I would pay it forward.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">And I kept my word. On three occasions I paid for the items of the person behind me. In one case, it was a young man buying a dozen yellow roses. The second case involved a Native American woman in a wheelchair who was buying a few items. Another time I paid for the doughnuts being bought by a man who really didn't want me to buy his treats. I asked him to please do this for me, and he relented.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My daughter once took my car to the car wash for a complete cleaning inside and out when I was out of town. I really appreciated not just the clean car, but most of all, I appreciated her act of kindness.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I guess the lesson is that not everyone can graciously accept a kindness. I didn't imply that the man couldn't pay for a couple of doughnuts; they cost very little. I just wanted to do something nice for him. But I guess accepting an act of kindness makes some people feel uncomfortable.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Maybe, if more people practiced small acts of kindness, they would be easier to accept. I have read about how someone paying for the coffee of the person in the car behind them set off a chain reaction, with that person then buying the coffee of the next person in line. I don't drink coffee, but I certainly would not want to be the person to break the chain of kindness.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">For many years I had a colorful card with the following message: </span><span style="background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #353e48; font-family: arial; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit;">“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” –Aesop. These words of Aesop, a Greek storyteller who was born around 620 BC, remain true to this day.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Maybe if each of us commits to doing some little thing whenever we can, we can make this world, or at least our little corner of it, a better place.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">What little things can you do or have you done for others? Have you been the recipient of a small act of kindness? How did it make you feel as the giver or as the recipient?</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-43698599394801244032024-02-07T06:39:00.004-07:002024-02-07T06:39:40.034-07:00Lessons From A Shoe Company?<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: 15.4px;">Today seems to be a good day to revisit and update this post from 14 years ago. </span></div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: 15.4px;">The origin of the post was a Sunday newspaper ad for Naturalizer shoes, from the days when I subscribed to the local California newspaper. The bottom the ad included the following five phrases: </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">Be flexible.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">Go lightly.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">Find balance.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">Move softly.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">Breathe easy.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">So, with apologies to Naturalizer, I present once more these thoughts courtesy of a shoe company.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">Be flexible</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">. Flexibility can refer to so many things, from being physically flexible (something I struggle with) to being mentally flexible. I see it as a reminder not to become rigid in our thinking and outlook. Be open to new possibilities and to new ways of seeing the world. Be flexible and willing to change your opinion about something or someone. Be willing to consider opinions other than your own. This is quite difficult in today's very polarized political reality.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">Go lightly</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">. The possibilities are many. Go lightly in the world. Don't use more than you need, whether it's water, energy or food. Recycle and reuse. Minimize your impact on the Earth. See the humor in things, and don't take yourself too seriously. Find your own 'lightness of being.' I recently joined my local Buy Nothing group and have found new homes for some gift bags and an ironing board I no longer need. My garage is a bit less cluttered, and nothing ended up in the landfill.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">Find balance</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">. This is a wonderful life lesson. We should all strive for balance in our lives. Balance work with play, activity with rest, crying with laughing, social time with personal time. This lesson is a difficult one for me, as for so many people. Life in 21st century America doesn't lend itself to balance, so it requires a real effort to find and maintain a balance in life.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">Move softly</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">. Move softly through the world. Treat others with respect. Minimize your negative impact on the world. Be firm when necessary, yet gentle. Think of the great people who have moved softly yet had tremendous impact: Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Rev. Martin Luther King.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">Breathe easy</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">. This is another dictum that is difficult for me. It is difficult to breathe easy, but oh so easy to become caught up in worry, fear and the 'what ifs' of life. But as I have learned during the past couple of challenging years, "Nothing gets done until we feel the peace inside," to quote a friend of mine. Things will happen as they are meant to. Sometimes those things are positive, and sometimes they are negative. But our worrying and fretting about them won't change the outcome. Trust in your higher power, Mother Nature, or whatever your source of strength.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15.4px;">So, here are today's life lessons, courtesy of an ad for shoes in the local newspaper. more than a dozen years ago. It always amazes me where I will find the inspiration or the kernel of an idea for a blog post. Yet these ideas offer timeless reminders of small things we can do to make this world a better place.</span></span><p></p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-84075750588254710122024-02-01T00:30:00.001-07:002024-02-01T00:30:00.124-07:00American Idiocracy<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I read something online recently on the page of a writer and pundit. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In response to his post, someone commented that we are living in the American idiocracy. Not a democracy. Not a democratic republic. An idiocracy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Sadly, I believe the person who made that comment is 100 percent correct. The term certainly touches on many things that are prevalent in our society: anti-intellectualism, rampant capitalism, the growth of oligarchy, corporate control, overconsumption, rampant commercialism, lack of critical thinking skills, anti-science beliefs, anti-education, willingness to believe and follow the latest fraudster, etc. I would add the slavish following of the so-called evangelicals, who work tirelessly to impose their version of Christianity (which is about as far removed from the message of Christ as it can get) on everyone else. And let us not forget the most well known advocates of idiocracy in Congress: Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Boebert.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The dumbing down of America is, sadly, real. I mean, it took Boebert three times to pass her GED. That means she struggled to pass a high school equivalency exam. And she's in Congress?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Put another way, we are living in the age of stupid, the era of the idiot. It's all about what's in it for me. It's about being too dumb or lazy to read, to think, and to make up one's own mind. People are incredibly gullible. Here's one example: drinking bleach to rid the body of the covid virus, suggested by the king of idiocracy.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">During the recent pandemic, conspiracy theories were rampant. Among them: Bill Gates was having people injected with microchips along with their covid vaccinations. The vaccination was far more dangerous than the virus, according to various conspiracy theorists. The current example of rampant stupidity is that megastar Taylor Swift is part of a massive psychological operations plot by the NFL and the Democratic Party to ensure that the 2024 election is won by President Joe Biden. Now, Taylor Swift has encouraged her fans to register to vote, and she did endorse Biden in 2020. But there is no, zero evidence that she is part of some nefarious plot leading up to the 2024 election.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Social media, and its MAGAt pea-brains, are responsible for concocting and spreading this idiocy. They actually believe that covid vaccinations killed more people than did the pandemic. A friend of mine -- an intelligent, well-educated woman -- refused to be vaccinated until she would be guaranteed that the vaccine would make her asthma worse. Guess what? She got covid and was very ill. I have had all recommended vaccinations (five in total), and I'm still alive. And I didn't grow horns. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">People stupid enough to believe this and other conspiracy theories need to have their heads examined. Either our education system has failed abysmally, or the stupidity is more rampant and deeply rooted than we want to believe.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Welcome to the not-United States of Idiocracy!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-60831908693084713452024-01-27T02:00:00.007-07:002024-01-27T02:00:00.141-07:00Let Us Never Forget<p><span style="font-family: arial;">This year, for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, I am going to do something different.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Rather than writing about my experiences at Auschwitz I and at Auschwitz-Birkenau, I am going to share some of the images I captured during my in-depth visit to these camps. If it's true that pictures are worth 1,000 words, I hope these images will convey some of the reality of the horrors that took place there in a way words cannot. I am including captions to explain each photo. <i>All photos are copyright Ann Sullivan Nature Photography and are the photographer's intellectual property. Please note that all photos were taken with great respect and in areas where photography was allowed.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Let's begin in Berlin, where the 'final solution to the Jewish question' began.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEe-yQ6L6Xh7Ffbbpua0QIYDVZQRsmHworMIhjyzMfvVMlCKXG5ifxNvxFjzxLPWe2W411iza_Yf7WspTtF6bU7736T1iQKrjAA3axAyDIDTfnrOxML0wTa25tyXe150ALDrHzst8f2J3wOH2EySL5W84Xm_O1PyDy3sc0Jy0daIj1XQ_b8dOI6ktF/s3199/IMG_7114.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2133" data-original-width="3199" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEe-yQ6L6Xh7Ffbbpua0QIYDVZQRsmHworMIhjyzMfvVMlCKXG5ifxNvxFjzxLPWe2W411iza_Yf7WspTtF6bU7736T1iQKrjAA3axAyDIDTfnrOxML0wTa25tyXe150ALDrHzst8f2J3wOH2EySL5W84Xm_O1PyDy3sc0Jy0daIj1XQ_b8dOI6ktF/s320/IMG_7114.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">These so-called stumble stones were place in front of homes where Berlin's Jewish population lived before being deported. <span>The shiny bronze plaques commemorate the victims of the Nazis in some 1,100 locations in 17 countries. Each one lists the name, date of birth, year of deportation, and place of death. I photographed the ones seen here in Berlin, heart of the Nazi terror.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-pGTXgmopI4qfU8dgP6EydXhJ5i_SjcUa6pr314aaFfpzTsqUOLafn2WOo9xZH3lNzRqoSJCEhIXgaXiHyLj0NnXX75x38B-MO_sl6xaz_Q3z3NlLt90gZQiTGMUaKArqCPQExjXd9E8J89d9gi4Xrc-Z19UzpaYQVLg8c3WpqH7jNLXlcIqFkDlUx8/s3648/IMG_7238.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-pGTXgmopI4qfU8dgP6EydXhJ5i_SjcUa6pr314aaFfpzTsqUOLafn2WOo9xZH3lNzRqoSJCEhIXgaXiHyLj0NnXX75x38B-MO_sl6xaz_Q3z3NlLt90gZQiTGMUaKArqCPQExjXd9E8J89d9gi4Xrc-Z19UzpaYQVLg8c3WpqH7jNLXlcIqFkDlUx8/s320/IMG_7238.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span>Memorial to the Sinti and Roma murdered by members of National Socialism. Then known as gypsies, as many as 500,000 members of these groups were rounded up and put into concentration camps before being executed.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEonuQM39Fej9a8-1oCeZTF7Uuzly80zn8Ss-bxZ0U3IZmDeT65AjQVCPGPgRkw3j4QVzlaa0Z9MDI_4p7E1UCufjQCMk45pklOcmD6nlAp9J1gsYP7E00CeaV_q0yq7EZyBZ9A_JV57xbDCkyJO4JtWtU15QzkZdcCd_rxTF1YeLOC84-G7licohfMA/s3648/IMG_7271.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEonuQM39Fej9a8-1oCeZTF7Uuzly80zn8Ss-bxZ0U3IZmDeT65AjQVCPGPgRkw3j4QVzlaa0Z9MDI_4p7E1UCufjQCMk45pklOcmD6nlAp9J1gsYP7E00CeaV_q0yq7EZyBZ9A_JV57xbDCkyJO4JtWtU15QzkZdcCd_rxTF1YeLOC84-G7licohfMA/s320/IMG_7271.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">In this villa in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee, top Nazi officials met in January 1942 to discuss "the final solution to the Jewish question." Representatives of several government ministries, along with members of the SS, attended. After the meeting, attendees enjoyed a nice meal. This building, set on the shore of Lake Wannsee, is now a Holocaust memorial.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1cnopmjsobehswfAm5FH_3UzqjnuOBLt_Lo5t4GXCZNp-KcT5bJgoeGHKIIs3o4pqJ8kTn6A46G5GojaYHyKu1K34yT54-CkX1PFCLFnwZiQcYi9gPmCtE5uKk2WVtRpGPV-YAyOCoEUM-cpncklRXvwjqLlBn_pe1Sd9huJ_EW62tUkEgUEhnM98_U/s3648/IMG_7379.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1cnopmjsobehswfAm5FH_3UzqjnuOBLt_Lo5t4GXCZNp-KcT5bJgoeGHKIIs3o4pqJ8kTn6A46G5GojaYHyKu1K34yT54-CkX1PFCLFnwZiQcYi9gPmCtE5uKk2WVtRpGPV-YAyOCoEUM-cpncklRXvwjqLlBn_pe1Sd9huJ_EW62tUkEgUEhnM98_U/s320/IMG_7379.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Plaques along a no-longer-used train track -- track 17 -- in Berlin note the number of Jews, the date of deportation, and their final destination. This track was used to transport Jews from Berlin to various concentration camps. This plaque indicates that on February 2, 1945, near the end of the war, Nazis were still deporting Jews from Berlin to Ravensbruck and Sachsenhausen. Only 23 Jews were in this shipment, as nearly all of Berlin's Jewish residents had been killed, had fled or were in hiding. Visitors had placed a rose on most of the plaques in memory of the victims of the Nazis. Being there for just a few minutes and remembering what took place there was chilling.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">From Berlin, my group traveled by bus to Oswiecim (Auschwitz), Poland. We stayed in a former monastery a short walk from camp. On the way, we passed train tracks that had been used to deliver millions to the Auschwitz concentration camp.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>The following photos </span>are from Auschwitz 1, the original concentration camp. It was originally built as a Polish army barracks. When this camp became full, 49 subcamps were opened. The most famous of them is Auschwitz-Birkenau, a couple of miles away.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Historians believe that around 1.1 million people died in Auschwitz during its 5 years of operation. Around 1 million were Jews, 70,000 to 75.000 were Poles, and about 20,000 were Roma. A</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Franklin Gothic Book"; font-size: 18.75px;">bout 16,000 Soviet POWs and 10-15 thousand prisoners of other ethnic backgrounds (including Czechs, Belorussians, Yugoslavs, French, Germans and Austrians) also died there.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpW8m7Y-cAwbme9c-KE-tkFZG4qIicbRYjhZJ-m-B-D-d64FWLOz9IKdJfE4HXnVR4vF2PbOPg_8QIUJMdkN_ARMTKcN2AuZKH8sKwAUKjyLryvR7NjoHcV1Km4Ak6rXMcmdeaBFytOu7f4XU56kTCWvt0IR77T5A7vMrtircQY0nBV6qQwjAqT0ylew/s3648/IMG_8070.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpW8m7Y-cAwbme9c-KE-tkFZG4qIicbRYjhZJ-m-B-D-d64FWLOz9IKdJfE4HXnVR4vF2PbOPg_8QIUJMdkN_ARMTKcN2AuZKH8sKwAUKjyLryvR7NjoHcV1Km4Ak6rXMcmdeaBFytOu7f4XU56kTCWvt0IR77T5A7vMrtircQY0nBV6qQwjAqT0ylew/s320/IMG_8070.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Over the gate to Auschwitz is a sign that reads 'Work will set you free.' The only thing work in the camps did was cause the deaths of countless people forced to work until they died of exhaustion, starvation or disease. Only then did work set them free from the horrors of life at Auschwitz.</span><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmU3q7_S7XFeYose9N5he02T-LQztWtff6oJqqkHS_anUlpbjWzKwHc4aVUdxhKDx4f9QVmA03MTScXd0lkHuTL5V0T9t8t6KCi9-J4GDStRovl46gj28DWMwmbzSoKBEwP64C2Wsygim91bPBL1rSu9VyRrGo_Or3_jYY7kUtxrYdASxu89v2Xef6cA/s3648/IMG_7559.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmU3q7_S7XFeYose9N5he02T-LQztWtff6oJqqkHS_anUlpbjWzKwHc4aVUdxhKDx4f9QVmA03MTScXd0lkHuTL5V0T9t8t6KCi9-J4GDStRovl46gj28DWMwmbzSoKBEwP64C2Wsygim91bPBL1rSu9VyRrGo_Or3_jYY7kUtxrYdASxu89v2Xef6cA/s320/IMG_7559.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGBvgNkYmHQovcodD2ESVfPmq5DAG6jiJUUxeEkYRw0frgffipN6YL8ccXatu3pfPoGqIwfHOXa2tvOJauZ1_TBa-qM91bjSgdHk9oh2ggj4M013DkBaiU2HM99OQDi2QcsL8P3D1r7KdyeQ7DRxWRz3F8a0L4UugWGtLV9BBU9qcQPox5lYlR7XTN9A/s3648/IMG_7573.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGBvgNkYmHQovcodD2ESVfPmq5DAG6jiJUUxeEkYRw0frgffipN6YL8ccXatu3pfPoGqIwfHOXa2tvOJauZ1_TBa-qM91bjSgdHk9oh2ggj4M013DkBaiU2HM99OQDi2QcsL8P3D1r7KdyeQ7DRxWRz3F8a0L4UugWGtLV9BBU9qcQPox5lYlR7XTN9A/s320/IMG_7573.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Three-tiered beds in one of the buildings at Auschwitz. Multiple people 'slept' on each bed, with possibly a single, thin, lice-infested blanket. Originally designed to hold 700 prisoners, they held as many as 1,200 as the roundups continued.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirI8_43QYZe3fMVJ2Sl3s7hMCWn-wmrtFA2LboWptZNiiRsZK_akuj7zab8sQ2dzoW7X75ZRh6omdjg8CCL33ZYUAiMuDpzym4WXBxG-E71DosyFr1adjlQLO38qkVwHDCRj7G0TNw5t4hIRh24kQrHubqRlT6qr-oyLPiELoc85aCAzEoFZ_g5RONfHg/s3648/IMG_7924.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirI8_43QYZe3fMVJ2Sl3s7hMCWn-wmrtFA2LboWptZNiiRsZK_akuj7zab8sQ2dzoW7X75ZRh6omdjg8CCL33ZYUAiMuDpzym4WXBxG-E71DosyFr1adjlQLO38qkVwHDCRj7G0TNw5t4hIRh24kQrHubqRlT6qr-oyLPiELoc85aCAzEoFZ_g5RONfHg/s320/IMG_7924.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The campus of the original Auschwitz looks deceptively peaceful. Brick buildings, trees and wide streets gave the impression of a lovely, quiet town. Nothing could be further from the truth. Some of the buildings, known as blocks, hid a variety of kinds of torture, including heinous experimentation.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_KRQT1MUjYZ10yL010kAhFIpcBukc9HSdlE9VGUp2d1FaZZyU0vjY1fnmBPPrqbGW094j1BtfpeYkhSYabsFrL28ohRcOvRuQiGu_mCW6V3Mro7-WzlTV6JArdgLtNRtK4R0Yun-yRbdq0_xOgB5ZRHO4Mkg9E8XdTmMkgngnilbe_XoaJuGmT-x4-s/s3648/IMG_7929.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_KRQT1MUjYZ10yL010kAhFIpcBukc9HSdlE9VGUp2d1FaZZyU0vjY1fnmBPPrqbGW094j1BtfpeYkhSYabsFrL28ohRcOvRuQiGu_mCW6V3Mro7-WzlTV6JArdgLtNRtK4R0Yun-yRbdq0_xOgB5ZRHO4Mkg9E8XdTmMkgngnilbe_XoaJuGmT-x4-s/s320/IMG_7929.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>One of many wooden guard towers at Auschwitz 1, with double electric fences. To the right behind the tower is a reconstruction of the gallows on which prisoners were hanged. Camp commandant Rudolf Hoess was hanged there after the war and his conviction for war crimes.<div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="font-family: Arial; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvhkg7HFZy8dksbElVpmxnNXzQycAL-4Swy7p-M-P9um1JjExDxSiJlWiP3i5_mjnofFdircF5ugWkwh9Uy386BSL2S0MT5HsOD4gLkHc9fVmLZdat5HbJT5JBFYNNamjkU7JMeZ-UQbE-Tw9WTjoQnStDC_dmChUvL9Pb8yN5sAqeXidPaJNZry5QWI/s3648/IMG_7973.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvhkg7HFZy8dksbElVpmxnNXzQycAL-4Swy7p-M-P9um1JjExDxSiJlWiP3i5_mjnofFdircF5ugWkwh9Uy386BSL2S0MT5HsOD4gLkHc9fVmLZdat5HbJT5JBFYNNamjkU7JMeZ-UQbE-Tw9WTjoQnStDC_dmChUvL9Pb8yN5sAqeXidPaJNZry5QWI/s320/IMG_7973.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The home of the camp commandant during most of the war years, Rudolf Hoess, is seen behind one of the guard towers. Hoess and his family, including his five children, lived in the house most of the time Auschwitz was in operation. Camp inmates worked in the house and garden as slaves. The house is still in use to this day.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHGKkbdGdQ58vQ2F0FlT7K7MxL6kuVkOXJEWw0y4_CD3Jd0OMIx5dRLzD66-ZgVgbDmBzaI65iHACknCTT4o3-VmBmCJPypERNfPJpPY1YE8wRExUMItk9Of0Wk5dU7K6aTYowFVHVTSO-G04ReOR4y1tfE9tInaO_33ySwbRXwdzMVVUGaMjeXqC2T0/s3648/IMG_7608.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHGKkbdGdQ58vQ2F0FlT7K7MxL6kuVkOXJEWw0y4_CD3Jd0OMIx5dRLzD66-ZgVgbDmBzaI65iHACknCTT4o3-VmBmCJPypERNfPJpPY1YE8wRExUMItk9Of0Wk5dU7K6aTYowFVHVTSO-G04ReOR4y1tfE9tInaO_33ySwbRXwdzMVVUGaMjeXqC2T0/s320/IMG_7608.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />This suitcase, labeled with its former owner's information, is one of hundreds displayed in the main camp. Conservators work daily to preserve (not to restore) all the items left behind when the camp was liberated by Soviet soldiers. There were suitcases, eyeglasses, toothbrushes, eating and cooking utensils, shoes, toys and many more personal objects.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiPFgDfwF6dfBGcrk07QgiOu64sMzKdqfu-aXvfFH4iIvRWUKTrvZpsIk5U8UwRZXhB1G7q4ZjUJ3sMckKExX33qkXOM2fpyky9RKiwJZ4tRr_hiVRwIz-dFludoCADc-7MFOoo9gICeP_KVj9RlPM6LjeC733CW-fk6AKQ6gqpEVbisxPMJsFskZJfLU/s3648/IMG_7600.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiPFgDfwF6dfBGcrk07QgiOu64sMzKdqfu-aXvfFH4iIvRWUKTrvZpsIk5U8UwRZXhB1G7q4ZjUJ3sMckKExX33qkXOM2fpyky9RKiwJZ4tRr_hiVRwIz-dFludoCADc-7MFOoo9gICeP_KVj9RlPM6LjeC733CW-fk6AKQ6gqpEVbisxPMJsFskZJfLU/s320/IMG_7600.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Crutches, artificial limbs and other devices previously belonging to Jews who were sent to Auschwitz provide a stark reminder of the scope of those who were murdered at the camps. Anyone unable to work due to age, illness or infirmity was sent immediately to the gas chamber.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzmk2Q17eBO3eaAfNfJxnMUOaTxiiQTGka0-iOXhUbX6pq6KV79cmk0hy60Jozj7jaVfPKPmdEFzL7JinXEH9vxabYZXi855tqVYzCu1x23AAfKpSlowXMwA4zDce87tFpLFSvXtWbGN6QNaQURj59RQmhzoyskChLaLJ8kObobgKZ-NOTog46wVY1b0/s3648/IMG_7597.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzmk2Q17eBO3eaAfNfJxnMUOaTxiiQTGka0-iOXhUbX6pq6KV79cmk0hy60Jozj7jaVfPKPmdEFzL7JinXEH9vxabYZXi855tqVYzCu1x23AAfKpSlowXMwA4zDce87tFpLFSvXtWbGN6QNaQURj59RQmhzoyskChLaLJ8kObobgKZ-NOTog46wVY1b0/s320/IMG_7597.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Empty canisters that held deadly pellets of the cyanide-based pesticide Zyklon B. The pellets were dropped into an air shaft from the building's roof. The pellets turned to gas when exposed to air. Those locked inside the gas chambers suffocated.<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3N2zLN-xVRtjUN4NdO_bgxIhvGIHIrl9v2vQXg4njBbHfCxsZIWa8xSl3PrjJv8Fn-h8PAJcR1UX4qSF3UJWxWZgAGv678gl7DAbEXsWM6ONn1m-ZxiXc6BjGNJ8oOpTHEHzhQgacjcF150fzRBaewNUyQLm4WqywCLcuZCIV5t_W_Kud-AAStRmbMBw/s3648/IMG_7604.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3N2zLN-xVRtjUN4NdO_bgxIhvGIHIrl9v2vQXg4njBbHfCxsZIWa8xSl3PrjJv8Fn-h8PAJcR1UX4qSF3UJWxWZgAGv678gl7DAbEXsWM6ONn1m-ZxiXc6BjGNJ8oOpTHEHzhQgacjcF150fzRBaewNUyQLm4WqywCLcuZCIV5t_W_Kud-AAStRmbMBw/s320/IMG_7604.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Cups and other personal items that belonged to those murdered at Auschwitz. <br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYPOdi265ETs4arFVRzQ3yHJhzJWeMVQ8Ecgaq_jD89JFhBMf1XXtLaS4UdyXS7tdmeaO09cOuDItIrgxBU7K469prRaVkuKYv7i-CxYZHU8vzQps4gBwHTnE8UDhuqvTEd8yiG9Y91ust3XqXyKeREmMDJfg7vNH57lgssW517pmAcqRBCjzINe0m-M/s3648/IMG_7612.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYPOdi265ETs4arFVRzQ3yHJhzJWeMVQ8Ecgaq_jD89JFhBMf1XXtLaS4UdyXS7tdmeaO09cOuDItIrgxBU7K469prRaVkuKYv7i-CxYZHU8vzQps4gBwHTnE8UDhuqvTEd8yiG9Y91ust3XqXyKeREmMDJfg7vNH57lgssW517pmAcqRBCjzINe0m-M/w320-h213/IMG_7612.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Of all the reminders of the people murdered at Auschwitz, this large display case of shoes hit me the hardest. These shoes once belonged to innocent people as they went about their lives. The red shoe in a sea of brown really stands out. It makes me wonder about the person who once wore it. What was she like? Did she like to have fun? Did her red shoes reveal a lively and vivacious person?</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYo5JvHJ23aV-bs5F1FW1txxpiiXgvBPpX7_0VwGGSwmUvqAJbhFwfUErB88scrra0u2MkXcISDxDoOmF9Wy2XdvTNSe5GsiSVsw90EtvYrlk5rTdIpJkvbGyMDze8iU0WDe_nr6nozrmuA35UHmoyCJFI4h3xPti5LjDqJ8-xYvCuVUpuTWO4QSLf2Uw/s3648/IMG_7666.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYo5JvHJ23aV-bs5F1FW1txxpiiXgvBPpX7_0VwGGSwmUvqAJbhFwfUErB88scrra0u2MkXcISDxDoOmF9Wy2XdvTNSe5GsiSVsw90EtvYrlk5rTdIpJkvbGyMDze8iU0WDe_nr6nozrmuA35UHmoyCJFI4h3xPti5LjDqJ8-xYvCuVUpuTWO4QSLf2Uw/s320/IMG_7666.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The gas chamber and crematorium at Auschwitz 1. Several hundred people could be killed at a time. The Nazis were all about efficiency and maximizing the number of people they could murder at one time. Before operations began, the Nazis experimented <span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18.75px;">to find the most effective chemical agent and to work out the proper method for its use. About 600 Soviet POWs and 250 sick Poles were killed in such experimentation from September 3-5, 1941. The original crematorium was destroyed by the Nazis as the war approached the end. A replica was built in its place. It still holds haunting memories of all those murdered within its walls.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEips5xOlJiAJ1WqPwAqeZLCcvgY2r2NPIGJaKIdodLUfBEW8AMjFvrnc06f8BvaCZudb0eJ6BtLAE2LZcxp9jgaingxzXh3NyyXzEEYYxGL_4GEBXYhRSHL_nOpKCaXUFHYLEi9gZoe6GgRAeOJGsjdOyO8Gu3ZFBp8eQNd1xx1dmRBtltqe6zYHROezkM/s3515/IMG_7697.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2343" data-original-width="3515" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEips5xOlJiAJ1WqPwAqeZLCcvgY2r2NPIGJaKIdodLUfBEW8AMjFvrnc06f8BvaCZudb0eJ6BtLAE2LZcxp9jgaingxzXh3NyyXzEEYYxGL_4GEBXYhRSHL_nOpKCaXUFHYLEi9gZoe6GgRAeOJGsjdOyO8Gu3ZFBp8eQNd1xx1dmRBtltqe6zYHROezkM/s320/IMG_7697.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 18.75px;">Double rows of electric fences surrounded the camp. Prisoners who could no longer tolerate the inhumane conditions and abuse of the camp staff committed suicide by throwing themselves against the fence. Poison was another popular method of suicide.<br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 18.75px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 18.75px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 18.75px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcSGD9TlEMuHPM_rr0oH10Tcc9T0d7MXKyIbdL6RoafQ60UzL7QBgxd3AhSAAoUCAYmmoEWfGw9qwXXfkgjuvi3SgKh8dLk_U3IyviUKaJvX8nYD3PQPDZGQN-hd1Dzs7TU3ZEK6BTB3QmTbtBhB_XfzwmFaF-mgn3lgnD-nUhKe9dZU-1kuOwLeACfc/s3505/IMG_8049.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2337" data-original-width="3505" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcSGD9TlEMuHPM_rr0oH10Tcc9T0d7MXKyIbdL6RoafQ60UzL7QBgxd3AhSAAoUCAYmmoEWfGw9qwXXfkgjuvi3SgKh8dLk_U3IyviUKaJvX8nYD3PQPDZGQN-hd1Dzs7TU3ZEK6BTB3QmTbtBhB_XfzwmFaF-mgn3lgnD-nUhKe9dZU-1kuOwLeACfc/s320/IMG_8049.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Reconstruction of the wall where Auschwitz prisoners were executed by being shot. Known as the 'wall of death,' it saw the execution by SS firing squad of thousands of prisoners, </span><span>the majority Polish political prisoners. <br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 18.75px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 18.75px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 18.75px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18.75px;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18.75px;">The photos that follow were taken at Auschwitz-Birkenau, about 1.2 miles (2 km) from the original Auschwitz death camp. The first image shows the main gate of Birkenau as approached by rail. This train track, in operation from May to October 1944, led to barrack, gas chambers and crematoria. </span></span><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #f8f9fa; font-size: 15.4px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOIc3adEb1YFI0VR3n5-7qVgrrCDhKfcKdzTZvfo3hREyrgzhI5Lp61-ADeblXtnMo3ej02clrDMsw-8UsEeXs4nCgb8SiQnqLGBeiaY5sSmD0fpWUAjDaGVZnNdF7VjkD3t2P2JUmEv5UE2C6ZRnUf4VNr1DtCk2Py-XEYLuiJ6ZDrKKgAYiQijbOIw/s3648/IMG_7720.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOIc3adEb1YFI0VR3n5-7qVgrrCDhKfcKdzTZvfo3hREyrgzhI5Lp61-ADeblXtnMo3ej02clrDMsw-8UsEeXs4nCgb8SiQnqLGBeiaY5sSmD0fpWUAjDaGVZnNdF7VjkD3t2P2JUmEv5UE2C6ZRnUf4VNr1DtCk2Py-XEYLuiJ6ZDrKKgAYiQijbOIw/s320/IMG_7720.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span><span style="text-align: center;">Birkenau was the largest of the 40 camps and subcamps in the Auschwitz complex. </span><span style="text-align: center;">The camp sat on 346 acres, and included 300 barracks and other buildings, 10 miles of barbed wire, and four gas chambers with crematoria. In August 1944, there were 90,000 prisoners and 908 guards. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 18.75px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SnswNXOWevQbtDBjUcU43BIlr5V8yizxIEdVrRSmNZh3LIMMkOIxa6o_8_CdaWD_jk5rcgtkjcnSX4glFleJZ08upGHi96jM3WVB5kdyOs4DD92fpuFHYwTw1Za_Hw_8CaN9IOmPMPHPlUitEhLOZaZEVm5_2K87fdoxA85sFFtWSrCk3biS0Jil7Mg/s3391/IMG_7735.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3391" data-original-width="2261" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SnswNXOWevQbtDBjUcU43BIlr5V8yizxIEdVrRSmNZh3LIMMkOIxa6o_8_CdaWD_jk5rcgtkjcnSX4glFleJZ08upGHi96jM3WVB5kdyOs4DD92fpuFHYwTw1Za_Hw_8CaN9IOmPMPHPlUitEhLOZaZEVm5_2K87fdoxA85sFFtWSrCk3biS0Jil7Mg/s320/IMG_7735.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18.75px; text-align: left;">View of the tracks from Birkenau's administrative <br />offices on the second floor.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86oZOGgcudvURy__hTi5iapul7cwQQfS-TOECcMDwYzAMhMMio-LwdZAD7iqF561Y1guhXzjRppNUehD17UQ_zA98Zlg2JOF25TBosqpRcl6_aP27Ebu9lbgtt_OQrQOEncm5fYz7scwxRK5EAz4qdB5DOVVrXvFx4PBnTzZedfCj61s-eBr2m82gkKA/s3648/IMG_7736.JPG" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86oZOGgcudvURy__hTi5iapul7cwQQfS-TOECcMDwYzAMhMMio-LwdZAD7iqF561Y1guhXzjRppNUehD17UQ_zA98Zlg2JOF25TBosqpRcl6_aP27Ebu9lbgtt_OQrQOEncm5fYz7scwxRK5EAz4qdB5DOVVrXvFx4PBnTzZedfCj61s-eBr2m82gkKA/s320/IMG_7736.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /></div></span><span style="text-align: center;">One row of wooden barracks as seen from the second floor of the main building. There were 36 bunks in each barrack, each holding five or six inmates, for more than 500 prisoners in each barrack. There was no insulation from cold or heat, and the roof often leaked.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 18.75px;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrBxwGsBgK7yP11aJ5O-DtB9qwCmOPPvmlMKirLVryywrf2orYd_2WtnqIRtoP9SHqU5LapTuVhG-G5tUKPH-Yp1VnmSx7iRM6rx90xS6-8_yCcstVJP83O82pAHUheYdp7fE1kYLvRAY416mvvCY-C64KD8INbXqdg4WJHx_3s-OyBKVisEBwmfuaeI/s3648/IMG_7749.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrBxwGsBgK7yP11aJ5O-DtB9qwCmOPPvmlMKirLVryywrf2orYd_2WtnqIRtoP9SHqU5LapTuVhG-G5tUKPH-Yp1VnmSx7iRM6rx90xS6-8_yCcstVJP83O82pAHUheYdp7fE1kYLvRAY416mvvCY-C64KD8INbXqdg4WJHx_3s-OyBKVisEBwmfuaeI/s320/IMG_7749.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Barracks for Birkenau prisoners were adapted from a German army horse stable. Designed to hold 51 horses, <br />each barrack held more than 400 human prisoners.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkn5-7KH8bsJ2O-s05W2yFOvOfmM5OxwDgw3wI-ptoMeFW1iuVBZZCDb6eAfvAWyooYkw9CQmHoK5av-_kJnxlpbw24RmA6OzQ-tFxjSsXNsUbgY6KjNxVhx5ZMSfzct9wmcJrt45JivkeSTVEgLpwaGSyxaVLT3XF2GCOcxWRBMgKq54RhqK_odNV1Yo/s3251/IMG_7761.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2167" data-original-width="3251" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkn5-7KH8bsJ2O-s05W2yFOvOfmM5OxwDgw3wI-ptoMeFW1iuVBZZCDb6eAfvAWyooYkw9CQmHoK5av-_kJnxlpbw24RmA6OzQ-tFxjSsXNsUbgY6KjNxVhx5ZMSfzct9wmcJrt45JivkeSTVEgLpwaGSyxaVLT3XF2GCOcxWRBMgKq54RhqK_odNV1Yo/s320/IMG_7761.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Prisoner bathroom. No privacy, no paper, only a couple of minutes at designated times to take care of business on the toilets.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIb2TLyEAn8U5yEaiLGlJ7_VULxCVK9TRkitmQS-I5jp3o5qE6Ia5PVTHQTU_-RckhKRXoVJ5QgH37EQxPLnLzoP0q-XWAReYREHYz_hl28-6lRNEc-50s4Lqrr4RybCdwaNE60JwAgxSMeBm4R6Cn-QDtrrK6eMdXkc0SKwDr2yolCTP5OFB9MqliB4/s3648/IMG_7773.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIb2TLyEAn8U5yEaiLGlJ7_VULxCVK9TRkitmQS-I5jp3o5qE6Ia5PVTHQTU_-RckhKRXoVJ5QgH37EQxPLnLzoP0q-XWAReYREHYz_hl28-6lRNEc-50s4Lqrr4RybCdwaNE60JwAgxSMeBm4R6Cn-QDtrrK6eMdXkc0SKwDr2yolCTP5OFB9MqliB4/s320/IMG_7773.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">A cattle car like those used to transport Jewish residents from Berlin and other cities to Auschwitz sits on a track. Each locked and windowless car held up to 150 prisoners, so packed together there was only room to stand. Prisoners were given no food or water during the journey, which could take days.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVglj3-3XgDcc0_dK5m8mMPxkWJbmI8-R3_dNmPquQpyoQMIjtmjLy3EaX066FG9hXRC19uQMTN9DJvFcFsWZVmMiHJTh8ajLF4FK9343OCTbxnlNyES4l1gR274lZk2pzPnno87R6mJXUkjSHdwupxsvT0OCbJ8rfMQ6k53T-vrIDZ5UDu50DsMIHsM/s3648/IMG_7817.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVglj3-3XgDcc0_dK5m8mMPxkWJbmI8-R3_dNmPquQpyoQMIjtmjLy3EaX066FG9hXRC19uQMTN9DJvFcFsWZVmMiHJTh8ajLF4FK9343OCTbxnlNyES4l1gR274lZk2pzPnno87R6mJXUkjSHdwupxsvT0OCbJ8rfMQ6k53T-vrIDZ5UDu50DsMIHsM/s320/IMG_7817.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Personal items on display at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The personal nature of these items really brought home the individuality of the prisoners. Someone once wore these boots and carried this suitcase. The victims were so much more than mere numbers.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmHhpZaPQvS38dOeeMjCyFea6LGrUtAUcSdNJn_9CDBtAVFrMWKRnqYixA37gM92g4hnNi-3_M7TfLE9LhFiCdiGKZGAfWOvmnWL8q8Ls2toVxsRX0ZD8OaO0fHUOhwd_qCWkAynyzkbjawIY8qatka5PJ9B844Oe-i5NoLq6eF4Ris0pS-91O4tBNm0/s3648/IMG_7854.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmHhpZaPQvS38dOeeMjCyFea6LGrUtAUcSdNJn_9CDBtAVFrMWKRnqYixA37gM92g4hnNi-3_M7TfLE9LhFiCdiGKZGAfWOvmnWL8q8Ls2toVxsRX0ZD8OaO0fHUOhwd_qCWkAynyzkbjawIY8qatka5PJ9B844Oe-i5NoLq6eF4Ris0pS-91O4tBNm0/s320/IMG_7854.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">A memorial candle, flowers and ribbon rest on the remains of Birkenau's infamous gas chamber and crematorium 5. It was destroyed by the Nazis toward the end of the war in an attempt to remove traces of their crimes against humanity.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghne6mrAJo-avX3Mn1_34GlzF6I0JUjm1dLfrjkEvJxy09H6MK0STw2B83Jcear1e-2uNp42uLgOZkI4DevSg0iphEvGAzJoqN56ThdIQTxLidOd6uQV67NNLUpTEdj0Fa01Xrzt-j1dOv608RF51Myc26SFAaL6socMMN29TB_-eQmMziGejjWi3ySe4/s3462/IMG_7870.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1928" data-original-width="3462" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghne6mrAJo-avX3Mn1_34GlzF6I0JUjm1dLfrjkEvJxy09H6MK0STw2B83Jcear1e-2uNp42uLgOZkI4DevSg0iphEvGAzJoqN56ThdIQTxLidOd6uQV67NNLUpTEdj0Fa01Xrzt-j1dOv608RF51Myc26SFAaL6socMMN29TB_-eQmMziGejjWi3ySe4/s320/IMG_7870.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This is the death barrack, where women deemed too sick to work were sent to await their deaths. They waited without food or water, often for several days. Many died as they awaited their trip to the gas chamber. When the barrack was full, additional prisoners selected by the SS for death were kept outside in a locked yard surrounded by brick walls.</span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZy9bt7nhH4Xq67a5ARzBIFRTl553OSeVFAPMSXb5oTfzeCAhknckFyygfOuw-5SlGB-fnLibdXmDOe1JWvdvXiTgaL1aXEloWKuEfqUFutws5rNyfQL7ad7nS-C3aRxvADRjoPsZ00nI-jKJ6gQZUCPlcQfGGgUl13vLKCo7GgVwYNLEa0ph3JVnyk0/s2875/IMG_7858_edited.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2875" data-original-width="2124" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZy9bt7nhH4Xq67a5ARzBIFRTl553OSeVFAPMSXb5oTfzeCAhknckFyygfOuw-5SlGB-fnLibdXmDOe1JWvdvXiTgaL1aXEloWKuEfqUFutws5rNyfQL7ad7nS-C3aRxvADRjoPsZ00nI-jKJ6gQZUCPlcQfGGgUl13vLKCo7GgVwYNLEa0ph3JVnyk0/s320/IMG_7858_edited.JPG" width="236" /></a></div></span></div><div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">At the conclusion of our extensive tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau on a cold, rainy and somber day, I was wandering around and noticed that someone had placed flowers on the train tracks that took so many to their deaths. The main gate of the camp looms in the background directly ahead of the main track.</span></div></div></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4irXvMfmb5XCEgxk7pcDlhS-b_KQP4A3EKhrOGdk6DYzr3Yla9WB6ad8vsjA_jBO-ib8raLDjLX7K_EfLaxvfXrtF1W5yWG1OqauUzWHkxzoQUWByXTDMWik_M0ztZznzY1Gdx6lQOr_gdhAiv6uM0letNsl7BAbO-Opgs41tRx2KfGKWIjFNZ9el1E/s3648/IMG_8055.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4irXvMfmb5XCEgxk7pcDlhS-b_KQP4A3EKhrOGdk6DYzr3Yla9WB6ad8vsjA_jBO-ib8raLDjLX7K_EfLaxvfXrtF1W5yWG1OqauUzWHkxzoQUWByXTDMWik_M0ztZznzY1Gdx6lQOr_gdhAiv6uM0letNsl7BAbO-Opgs41tRx2KfGKWIjFNZ9el1E/s320/IMG_8055.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">A strand of barbed wire, a brick building, a light and a 'block' (or building) number symbolize the terror that was Auschwitz 1.<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thank you for reading this lengthy blog post. My visits to Auschwitz and Birkenau were both incredibly enlightening and horrifying. As the threat of fascism and anti-Semitism increase both in the US and in much of Europe, I hope that learning about the horrors perpetrated by the Nazis and other fascists will encourage people to be aware of its dangers and work to stop its spread. Sometimes photos tell more than mere words can.</span></div>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-89074127079291020982024-01-25T06:11:00.005-07:002024-01-25T07:10:41.314-07:00Momma's Here!<p>I don't know what brought this about, but I had a most unusual thought the other day.</p><p>Somewhere between being asleep and awake one early morning, I was envisioning myself on my death bed, and wondering what my final words would be. And then I knew.</p><p>"Benny!!! Momma's here!" Those are what I imagined and hoped would be my final words as I leave this life.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMOrItg75oLuWsDvFLI_XPAnA0OeCVeIlDvDuqt_5xwcoXDJNkeowd-9s5fmKTNfBduEvVlm-EluRJikSRwLds74cBnjvnu8zThEL5ijXYpU6oALk4KvtmSNt2oQ_7lnDerLxbeHIGa4pkRh9ROcFX0AlLEZJkpvpN4i42bZxN0xfxs39saI5hjNvZjw/s3084/IMG_6924_edited.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1979" data-original-width="3084" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMOrItg75oLuWsDvFLI_XPAnA0OeCVeIlDvDuqt_5xwcoXDJNkeowd-9s5fmKTNfBduEvVlm-EluRJikSRwLds74cBnjvnu8zThEL5ijXYpU6oALk4KvtmSNt2oQ_7lnDerLxbeHIGa4pkRh9ROcFX0AlLEZJkpvpN4i42bZxN0xfxs39saI5hjNvZjw/s320/IMG_6924_edited.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>These words will mean that my best boy, Benny, who died last summer, will be there to greet me at the Rainbow Bridge. It will mean that he and I, and my other dogs, will get to spend eternity together. Benny, never a dominant dog, will lead the pack as it rushes to me.<p></p><p>This doesn't mean I have received a devastating medical diagnosis, or that I plan to move to the next stage of my life any time soon. It simply means that I miss Benny so very much I miss him more than I have ever missed any of the 14 dogs I have adopted. I still call my newest dog, Jett, by Benny's name from time to time without realizing.</p><p>So I hope that when the time comes, whenever that is, I will be greeted by this happy face, wagging tail and short legs running into my arms with all the speed he can muster.</p><p>Until then, I will miss him every day. </p><p>Until we meet again, Mr. Ben.</p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-83404937230357946402024-01-22T03:00:00.023-07:002024-01-22T05:59:03.239-07:00Strangers No More<p><span style="font-family: arial;">This is the time of year when I change the batteries in my four smoke detectors. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Changing batteries is a task that is not difficult, but I’m not a fan of climbing on a ladder and trying to balance myself while I struggle to replace the batteries. Every year I have taken care of this simple chore myself … Until this year. This year, as I stood on the ladder looking up at the smoke detector on the ceiling and trying to reattach it to the short cable (my smoke detectors are all hard-wired into the house's electrical system, with battery back-up), I decided that I wasn’t comfortable doing this. If I fell, there would be no one in the house to help me. That was a risk I wasn't prepared to take.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">So I decided to ask for help, something not easy for me, or for most people, to do. <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I put a message on NextDoor to see if somebody would change the batteries for me.</span> I had new batteries, and I have a stepladder. All I needed was somebody to actually change the batteries.</span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><p style="color: black; font-size: medium; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I quickly got a response from a few people offering to help. I certainly wouldn’t have minded paying someone a reasonable amount for this service. But then I got a response from a woman named Amy who said she would change the batteries at no charge. What a nice surprise that was!</span></p><p style="color: black; font-size: medium; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I got in touch with her, and she and one of her daughters, who is learning to drive, soon arrived at my house. I had asked her to give me a minute to get my dogs into the backyard before I let the people into the house, as my dogs get overly excited when we get company. But she said not to worry about it, because she has a couple of very excitable dogs as well.</span></p><p style="color: black; font-size: medium; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She quickly replaced the batteries and reattached one of the smoke detectors. Somehow we started talking about photography, she asked what I like to photograph, and I replied that my most favorite subjects are African wildlife. So I showed my guests my favorite leopard photo, as well as one of elephants and a cheetah peering into the back of our safari vehicle, all of the photos hanging on a wall in my office.</span></p></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;">She said I should hold onto her phone number in case I need help with any other small things around the house. She has five teens and young adults living in her house, and either she or one of them would be happy to help. I think she is doing a great job of raising kind young adults. When she introduced her daughter to me, the teen quickly reached out to shake my hand. </span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;">Amy is setting a great example for her children how to be a good person and to help people, even strangers, with no expectation of anything in return.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial;">I texted Amy my thanks (I also thanked her a couple of times while she was here). She replied that "We are ... neighbors, and we aren't strangers any more. It just seemed silly to have to pay someone for something so quick! And we got to see photos of leopards and elephants and those big cat eyes, which made my day." The cat eyes belonged to a cheetah sitting on the spare tire and peering into the safari vehicle in which I was riding.</span></div></div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In a world so filled with hate, greed and selfishness, it did my old heart good to see that there are people who are willing to help others. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-28930871324165964072024-01-20T00:30:00.001-07:002024-01-20T00:30:00.145-07:00The Clock Is Ticking<p> The clock is ticking.</p><p>We all know that our time on this planet is limited. Most of us don't dwell on that fact, but sometimes something happens to remind us.</p><p>I am at the age where I no longer need an external reminder. My vision isn't what it used to be. I have arthritis that flares up often, causing pain in my fingers. I don't have the strength or the stamina I once had. I don't have the energy I used to have.</p><p>And then Tina Turner died. She was older than I am, but still, she died. She had high blood pressure that caused a stroke and that damaged her kidneys. Tina Turner, with her hundreds of millions of dollars and worldwide acclaim, died of maladies that afflict many people. Her money and her fame couldn't save her.</p><p>My blood pressure has been a bit high recently, so I made an appointment with my doctor. I now take a daily pill to control it. I also take a daily pill to lower my cholesterol. </p><p>So yes, the clock is ticking. I have more years behind me than ahead of me.</p><p>But I'm not focused on the past. And I'm not focused on what may lie ahead. Instead, I try to focus on what I want to do with whatever time I have left. I want to do as much as I can in the time I have left. I want to travel as much as I can afford to. I want to do as much photography as I can. I want to help make the world a better place by donating to causes most important to me.</p><p>And really, that is all any of us can do. Live life with no regrets.</p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-6884977176376957962024-01-17T14:48:00.002-07:002024-01-18T14:09:20.294-07:00Did Smart Plugs Make My Dog Sick?<p>I read something online recently that gave me pause.</p><p>A woman had written that her dog -- I believe it was a Jack Russell terrier -- suddenly began panting and refusing to eat. After a while, she took her dog to the veterinarian, who ran tests but could find nothing obvious wrong with the dog.</p><p>Then she began to wonder whether the family's smart plugs were distressing her dog. She removed the plugs, and the dog resumed eating and stopped panting. As a test, she put the plugs back into the sockets, and the symptoms returned.</p><p>That made me think about my beloved dog Benny. He would pant constantly unless he was asleep. He grew disinterested in food. I tried a variety of foods -- different kinds of kibble, a variety of brands and flavors of canned food, ground beef and steak, even meat baby food. Nothing worked. I took him to see our veterinarian multiple times over the course of several months, perhaps a year. We ran blood tests, did x-rays and physical exams. I spent thousands of dollars seeking an answer to what was making my precious dog sick.</p><p>Now, after reading that article, I have to wonder whether it was the three smart plugs in my house that caused his symptoms. There is one in my bedroom, one in my office, and one in the living room. </p><p>Could something as simple as removing the smart plugs and their high-frequency sound have given 12-year-old Benny an additional year or two of life? He was hard of hearing, but otherwise in good health. </p><p>I have seen nothing online other than anecdotal 'evidence,' so I am skeptical of the claims, but not dismissive. Given the lack of any other reason for Benny's illness, I won't rule out the smart plug angle.</p><p>Part of me questions whether his decreased hearing could have detected the high-frequency sounds emitted by the smart plugs. But I wish I had known the plugs might have been the problem so I could have removed them to see if they were the culprits.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnimfesiu4ONVbnDdgsYt-jv0Zvyo430hBRRHNSDuFz70HjEk7Y9yuE0ZMiLID6qpJX5VEpPR6FVWBJA6nQepTmE3A1ol3PbCEol9XnxG7f8RSXh3e2hwhw1tjrlv_CAHzGrUqM4n5eWPMbYGBywcA5vuz1WnCXVEOZUJwupsgSLzLJKKmg1OluiDVrc/s3648/559A2443.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnimfesiu4ONVbnDdgsYt-jv0Zvyo430hBRRHNSDuFz70HjEk7Y9yuE0ZMiLID6qpJX5VEpPR6FVWBJA6nQepTmE3A1ol3PbCEol9XnxG7f8RSXh3e2hwhw1tjrlv_CAHzGrUqM4n5eWPMbYGBywcA5vuz1WnCXVEOZUJwupsgSLzLJKKmg1OluiDVrc/s320/559A2443.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Benny was the absolute best dog, and I would have given anything to spare him discomfort. <br /><p></p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-1520022952894288932024-01-06T01:00:00.021-07:002024-01-07T16:36:04.185-07:00A Dark Day in American History<p> January 6, 2021, was an absolutely horrifying day. </p><p>I remember watching the crowds of protesters on television, smashing windows, macing police officers and forcing their way into the US Capitol building, where they did $1.5 million in damage. Members of the US Senate and the House were hustled off to safe places to protect their very lives. Protesters were calling out 'Where is Nancy?' as they searched for then-speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. They constructed a gallows on Capitol grounds, ostensibly for the hanging of Vice President Mike Pence, who refused to delay or prevent certification of the votes. More than 140 police officers were injured in the riot. Some committed suiOcide in the days following the attack. Attacking America's leadership and congressional building is not making America great again. One would have to be stupid, brain dead or brainwashed to believe this is the way to make a nation great.</p><p>All of this was done at the behest of the outgoing president of the United States, in an effort to stop the certification of the Electoral College vote confirming that he had lost the election. Despite frenzied calls from members of his staff and administration to call in the National Guard to restore order, the outgoing president refused to lift a finger to stop the protest. Eventually the vice-president called in the Guard after several hours. The outgoing president reportedly watched the riots and the protest on television with great glee. He also refused to call off his goons that were attacking the US capital.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55wPZUogFyBBxLlxV7m6z7BdBA3AhGWqNJYGzUJ4mwSxv5Qgoerc2c9i69qLHFJaPJl5Dgla7-RbvX77wVoBFc6H4LMYVjsQfamv3ZTt3jixIVGNuebw2SweWdc2GgTzx8e0otYU6M6P7J7y-2ZAf71Sf24veL8eFvYT40giCKbng-f2wfnpWxUrrJYA/s527/708DCC5D-1E39-4252-AE64-7A99F1DC1759.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="527" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55wPZUogFyBBxLlxV7m6z7BdBA3AhGWqNJYGzUJ4mwSxv5Qgoerc2c9i69qLHFJaPJl5Dgla7-RbvX77wVoBFc6H4LMYVjsQfamv3ZTt3jixIVGNuebw2SweWdc2GgTzx8e0otYU6M6P7J7y-2ZAf71Sf24veL8eFvYT40giCKbng-f2wfnpWxUrrJYA/s320/708DCC5D-1E39-4252-AE64-7A99F1DC1759.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>I am a 23-year retired employee of the federal government. I spent the majority of my working life as a federal employee. Watching these goons attack our government buildings and elected officials, with the complicity of the outgoing president and some members of Congress, infuriates me to this day.<p></p><p>He is in my opinion guilty of inciting an insurrection. Protesters reported that they showed up because the president told them to. The protests were well organized in advance. This was not a spur-of-the-moment gathering. And they most certainly were not, as one congressional apologist stated, simply a group of tourists vising the nation's capitol. Certain members of Congress were, to one degree or another, complicit in the insurrection, having taken some of the insurrectionists on tours of the Capitol building the day before the insurrection.</p><p>This was not about protecting our freedoms or defending America as the traitors claim. It was about trying to overturn a free and fair election so the outdoing president could remain in power. He simply could not accept that he was defeated at the polls.</p><p>The riots of January 6 weren't about making America great again. They weren't about patriotism. They were, and still are, about a childish, spoiled narcissist who has never been held responsible for anything in his life throwing a temper tantrum that resulted in the deaths and injuries of many people.</p><p>January 6, 2021, was a very sad and very frightening day in American history. More than 1,200 protesters have been charged with crimes related to the events of January 6. Nearly 900 have pleaded guilty or have been convicted of crimes.<span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 18.75px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Some have been</span> sentenced to several years in prison.</p><p>It's time for the instigator and ringleader to face the same punishment.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-14458641737599270612024-01-01T14:33:00.003-07:002024-01-02T17:43:06.871-07:00A Year of More<p><span style="font-family: arial;">It's January 1, the first day of 366 days in this new year.</span></p><p>I'm wondering what I can do to make this year better than others. I know there will be stress, hurts, disappointments and failures. Every year comes with its own particular assortment of challenges we would rather not have to deal with. But those things are part of each and every life. They can be opportunities for growth and learning.</p><p>But each new year also comes with endless opportunities for success, fun, growth, adventures and other things I haven't even thought about yet.</p><p>I can't just sit around and hope and wait for the good things to come. I need to dream, to act, to plan, to make the good things happen, and to be open to new things, new experiences, things I have never tried before. </p><p>Today is page one of a 366 page book, whose pages are waiting for me to write upon them. I remember when I was a child looking forward to the start of a new semester. I remember looking at my notebooks filled with blank lined pages and wondering what I would write in those notebooks in the semester ahead. </p><p>I want to make 2024 the year of more. More trips. More photography. More adventures. More peace. More gratitude. More kindness. More living. More patience. More time enjoying this world’s natural beauty. More giving. More wandering with my camera. </p><p>Many thanks for this suggestion about the year of more from the Facebook page of Jeffrey, the Positively Peaceful Pit Bull. And many thanks to photographer and blogger Linda Stager for the inspiration to write this post.</p><p>What do you write want to write in your 2024 edition of the book of life?</p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-53444637216808343242024-01-01T06:43:00.002-07:002024-01-01T06:43:42.186-07:00An Audience of Nations<p>The year 2023 saw visitors to my blog from several new countries.</p><p>I welcomed visitors from the following countries, in addition to the United States.</p><p>Australia, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, UAE, United Kingdom, Venezuela</p><p>That's quite a variety of nations. I appreciate visitors from each and every nation, and I hope to see you again in 2024.</p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-28210910898461854042024-01-01T01:30:00.018-07:002024-01-01T01:30:00.134-07:00New Year Thoughts<p>I saw something online recently that asked a simple question. </p><p>At the beginning of this new year, what word describes your thoughts about the year ahead?</p><p>Several people replied <i>hope</i>. Others said <i>retirement</i>. Some mentioned <i>kindness</i>. I thought about several words: adventure, peace, hope, health. Hope is my top choice.</p><p>I hope we will see an end to war in the Middle East. I hope the United States can begin to heal the massive chasm that divides this country. I hope we will finally begin to get serious about climate change and start taking steps to address it before it’s too late.</p><p>What are your thoughts about this new year? It will bring us 366 days to enjoy or to endure, to thrive or to just muddle through. For most of us, I suspect the year will bring some of both.</p><p>Our world is so divided: immense wealth and horrible poverty. Peace and war whose most likely victims are innocent people who have nothing to do with planning or carrying out war. Great progress in medicine while so many are unable to get the most basic of health care. An epidemic of obesity as starvation is present in much of the world. A fight to retain democracy in the world while fascist governments proliferate. Those who believe in science as others refuse to believe its findings.</p><p>Whichever side of the divide you are on, I hope this new year brings you hope, peace, happiness and fulfillment.</p><p>Happy New Year, everyone. Let's make it a good one.</p><p><br /></p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-91571521821668487032023-12-31T06:21:00.003-07:002023-12-31T06:21:31.400-07:00What's The Big Deal?<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm not one to celebrate the changing of the calendar.</span></p><p>I mean, it's just a construct of some human's mind. Whether the calendar says December 31 or January 1 really makes no difference. The weather varies little from one day to the next. The sun rises and sets at roughly the same time from day to day. So what, really, is the big deal about adding another digit to the end of the date?</p><p>I don't celebrate on New Year's Eve. I don't make resolutions, although once in a great while I will set a couple of goals (that I seldom achieve). So what's the big deal?</p><p>I do wonder, however, what the year 2024 will bring to this weary, war-torn, divided and hate-filled world. Will Ukraine win the fight to maintain its freedom? Will Israel succeed in wiping the terrorist group Hamas from the face of the earth? Will humans finally wake up and start taking steps to save our planet? Will this country come together to elect a president committed to saving our democracy, preserving our constitution and working to bring the divided nation together? Or will we elect someone who seeks revenge on those whom he believes have wronged him?</p><p>So changing the month from December to January or the year from 2023 to 2024 won't make one bit of difference. We will be bombarded once more with the weight loss and 'get in shape for the new year' commercials. And that's it. How many people actually see their resolutions come true? I'd guess the percentage is extremely low. </p><p>I remember when I was still working. Every year in early January the locker room where I changed into running clothes for my mid-day run would be packed with people. There wasn't even room to sit on the bench to put my running shoes on. I had to wait to use one of the shower stalls. But as the month wore on, the crowds diminished until soon the only women using the locker room were the same ones who had used it the year before. So much for resolutions.</p><p>It doesn't matter to me whether others make resolutions or whether they are successful in achieving them. Like so much else in this country, it's just another marketing ploy. I don't need to join a gym or sign up for a fitness program to make the effort to get into shape or drop a few pounds.</p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-13434080109020424492023-12-30T03:30:00.001-07:002023-12-30T03:30:00.160-07:00The Year In Review<p>This year, as are most nowadays, was a mixed bag of good and not-so-good.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAO5j01FYDlLsmR9eLcwzAekI_FWr6wBpkeTTkNgsNwx607q19qkW1ILRrP9PylIxCGMCYKg8XslLxxZ_8FIV5fYGeJaCj4QYtR2s4fEEc88Ua1G8n1RvP3tr9ojosXTbSuvshbnOoPdx8NYQM2mf3_mywzxZvfkKaWLzGnyVIUOgTGocPSc7KJN90F_s/s4863/5W3A1597_edited-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3578" data-original-width="4863" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAO5j01FYDlLsmR9eLcwzAekI_FWr6wBpkeTTkNgsNwx607q19qkW1ILRrP9PylIxCGMCYKg8XslLxxZ_8FIV5fYGeJaCj4QYtR2s4fEEc88Ua1G8n1RvP3tr9ojosXTbSuvshbnOoPdx8NYQM2mf3_mywzxZvfkKaWLzGnyVIUOgTGocPSc7KJN90F_s/s320/5W3A1597_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I made another photography trip to Tanzania and got to share the trip with three friends I met on a previous trip. Despite the terrible drought, Tanzania did not disappoint. We had lots of wonderful elephant sightings, and we even got to spend some time photographing my favorite big cat, the elusive leopard. This was a great trip that provided fun, lots of amazing wildlife and endless opportunities to improve my photography.<div><br /></div><div>We saw so many elephants during this trip, including a lot of cute baby elephants. This bodes well for the survival of this threatened species.<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCa-Roi2QEGtVsVQwZsqE-LXIBd80Zx0ny7zmJkKcVV_QPepf8Dg7xVWyCioGgQOnl47OuMZEH8SGKUGtL83UNBZkCjS9ue463E9uiZgpiMTkAqoiMvDoCtkVkM0uEjUlp63moemDDNIvEAVAYf0OYGjfU_e9xfynGLFGwZXo5qVGKsYx6yPDrw1e8cZs/s5496/1H3A2347_edited.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3670" data-original-width="5496" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCa-Roi2QEGtVsVQwZsqE-LXIBd80Zx0ny7zmJkKcVV_QPepf8Dg7xVWyCioGgQOnl47OuMZEH8SGKUGtL83UNBZkCjS9ue463E9uiZgpiMTkAqoiMvDoCtkVkM0uEjUlp63moemDDNIvEAVAYf0OYGjfU_e9xfynGLFGwZXo5qVGKsYx6yPDrw1e8cZs/s320/1H3A2347_edited.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I returned to Alaska on a photography trip, where we were blessed with clear weather on three successive days over Denali, the tallest mountain in North America at 20,310 feet. There was no wildlife to be seen during this trip aside from one moose along the side of a road. Well, the only wildlife found in abundance were mosquitoes -- lots and lots of mosquitoes.<br /><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiT54bDIuf8rthbTC5fAr6DaxXVUZayZOr85pgOzau9cRI9TbvN8oHtwosaldP0A0ABqaxU-honksppnkCY5R_3_JPa3c_sx9gHmRAuf8HTHg4yMQgjWpFE6sgREx8yB-_9-6nRLzFejLDwVvUNirWQVhk1Dn7ze_pQRLTzj24aXJGzR2cAJUH_gid9J0/s5496/1H3A3695_edited.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3501" data-original-width="5496" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiT54bDIuf8rthbTC5fAr6DaxXVUZayZOr85pgOzau9cRI9TbvN8oHtwosaldP0A0ABqaxU-honksppnkCY5R_3_JPa3c_sx9gHmRAuf8HTHg4yMQgjWpFE6sgREx8yB-_9-6nRLzFejLDwVvUNirWQVhk1Dn7ze_pQRLTzj24aXJGzR2cAJUH_gid9J0/s320/1H3A3695_edited.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I spent some time on another photography trip, to Iceland, a country I have wanted to visit for several years. Most of the time was spent photographing landscapes and many, many waterfalls. But getting to photograph some of the beautiful Icelandic horses was a real treat.<p></p><p>My travels were limited to only three trips this year, after the outrageous cost of airfare prompted me to cancel my Christmas-in-Rome trip. Maybe next year.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBe7JVxnBeFO0GNEXE3oRAnyxPNMe73cIZdrKIk2UZBCxCZ5ZKLJLeFaijB185UCnQekKaAuD_vpNsehDKFDuEGrWZptehuFNMp3gs_yT8dbgnoKDxhVFSOVremrPVjh16tiVvUGjTNNhqFd6KGriqfDFFIWfFvUk4sccA9I0YepL50M6lZgAebLA1H4/s5496/1H3A2002_edited.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3670" data-original-width="5496" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBe7JVxnBeFO0GNEXE3oRAnyxPNMe73cIZdrKIk2UZBCxCZ5ZKLJLeFaijB185UCnQekKaAuD_vpNsehDKFDuEGrWZptehuFNMp3gs_yT8dbgnoKDxhVFSOVremrPVjh16tiVvUGjTNNhqFd6KGriqfDFFIWfFvUk4sccA9I0YepL50M6lZgAebLA1H4/s320/1H3A2002_edited.jpg" width="320" /></a>The bad thing that happened, the worst thing possible, was having to say goodbye to my beloved dog Benny. He was my heart dog, a wonderful, sweet, loving, golden retriever/corgi. He suffered from an ailment that our veterinarian could not diagnose, despite repeated x-rays and blood tests.</p><p>After Benny died, I started the search for an adoptable adult male golden. Unfortunately, adoptable goldens are almost impossible to find in my state. But a dear friend in North Carolina lived near a 16-month-old male golden in need of a better home. He was driven to me in early August. His name is Jett, and although he is no Benny, my other dog loves him. They play, chase and wrestle constantly. His leash manners need work, but we are working with a trainer on that. And he is a very sweet dog.</p><p>My daughter and grandson came to visit for Thanksgiving, and she even did all the cooking and clean-up. My dogs were not thrilled to have a very active toddler in the house.</p><p>All in all, 2023 wasn't a bad year. I remained healthy, I got to travel, and I am looking forward to a good 2024.</p></div>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-34316653530512240512023-12-26T05:49:00.003-07:002023-12-26T05:49:53.487-07:00Elderly But Not Old<p><span style="font-family: arial;">I saw a comment by someone recently that said while she is elderly, she is not old </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">One term, I believe, refers to chronological age, while the second seems to apply to psychological age. So while I may be considered elderly in chronological age, I certainly do not consider myself to be old.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Physically, I am not as strong as I used to be. I gave up running, something I enjoyed for more than 30 years, a dozen or so years ago because I simply no longer had the energy to run. But I still walk 4 miles every day. I have arthritis in my hands and one elbow, but aside from vision problems unrelated to age, I am pretty healthy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Unlike my parents and grandparents, I don't spend my days sitting on the porch or in a chair inside, doing nothing. I am a voracious reader. My Kindle is loaded with some 300 e-books. I write. I stay up to date on current events around the world, as distressing as that often is. I love to travel and I am passionate about photography. So I am not mentally old.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In the meantime, I will try to avoid the curse of dementia. I know how terrible it was to know someone who suffered from dementia. My grandmother didn't recognize her own son (my father). I refused to visit her in the facility where she lived at the end of her life. I knew she wouldn't know who I was, and seeing her in that condition would have been very painful for me. So I chose to remember her as she was in better days.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">My mother died before reaching that stage of dementia, but she would 'see' my uncle when he wasn't there, and even have one-sided conversations with him.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With a history of Alzheimer's disease and dementia on both sides of my family, I am doing everything I can to stave off this horrible disease. Do I forget certain words sometimes? I admit that I do. And it worries me. But occasional forgetfulness is a common sign of aging, so I am not panicking.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Will I be successful in holding off this terrible disease? Only time will tell. In the meantime, I will keep do everything I can to keep it away.</span></p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-447774783924164812023-12-20T06:57:00.003-07:002023-12-20T06:57:59.769-07:00What I Should Do<p>Do you know what I'm tired of?</p><p>I am tired of <i>should </i>and <i>need to. </i>I should take the dogs for a walk. I need to pick up a prescription. I need to fix my vacuum cleaner.</p><p>I have been retired for a bit more than 13 years. I no longer have to go to work, and I can avoid most appointments. But there still are far too many <i>shoulds </i>and <i>need tos</i>.</p><p>I suppose it's inevitable that as long as I live in a house and as long as I am responsible for two dogs, there will be a lot of things that I should and need to do.</p><p>This does not, however, mean that I don't dread these things. I love looking at my calendar and seeing nothing but empty spaces for each day of the week or month. </p><p>It seems that there is always a medical appointment on my calendar. But what I <i>should </i>do is to look at those appointment reminders with gratitude. I am fortunate that I have affordable access to a slate of physicians skilled in the treatment of the medical issues that crop up with increasing frequency as I age. That is what I <i>should </i>do.</p><p>I <i>should </i>be more grateful for my house that protects me from summer heat and winter cold, rather than focusing on the ever-present need to repair or replace something.</p><p>I <i>should </i>appreciate the fact that I have ar pantry filled with food, rather than moaning about how much everything costs.</p><p>I should focus on the love my dogs bring me, on their unbridled joy whenever I return home whether I was gone for 20 minutes or 3 hours, rather than on the need to refill the water bowl or pick up their poop in the yard.</p><p>Although I don't make resolutions for the new year, I will strive to remember the good things rather on the things I should or need to do.</p>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-48807984042810276732023-12-18T04:30:00.003-07:002023-12-18T10:09:11.624-07:00A Visit To Iceland<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Iceland is a beautiful yet challenging country.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGQXVx63DjPqbOjj0iwdpdA24-xAs5hrfbBqTKLWQJhu7mJ5VwbxhSTtQoaeVeyeEn287bDuokt2dkPg9OnIA8uKzx1JovmsqxUrKmfnU3TfpFiq6ROrElalOPslu5nTy8vEl26YGn6luoxJ5LMwwfh5v_euw8DfqfP9N6KPa81GeY9e7_9nTfceVs8Q/s2048/E574BCA0-E5CB-496C-979F-3CDC6BD8D5C0.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGQXVx63DjPqbOjj0iwdpdA24-xAs5hrfbBqTKLWQJhu7mJ5VwbxhSTtQoaeVeyeEn287bDuokt2dkPg9OnIA8uKzx1JovmsqxUrKmfnU3TfpFiq6ROrElalOPslu5nTy8vEl26YGn6luoxJ5LMwwfh5v_euw8DfqfP9N6KPa81GeY9e7_9nTfceVs8Q/s320/E574BCA0-E5CB-496C-979F-3CDC6BD8D5C0.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Wind-swept. Rocky. Often very windy. Very often cold and blustery. Midges (small biting flies) that are particularly fond of noses, mouths, eyes and ears. <p></p><p>But Iceland is beautiful. Towering waterfalls. Icebergs floating in deep glacial lakes. Turquoise water at the bottom of waterfalls. Compact, sturdy, and also tough, Icelandic horses. And sheep. Lots and lots of sheep. I guess if I lived in Iceland, I would wear a lot of wool clothing. And it appears the Icelandic people eat a lot of mutton and lamb. Hence the large number of sheep.</p><p>Iceland is a very environmentally green country, getting the majority of its energy from hydroelectric and geothermal power. It's also a very clean country. I saw almost no trash and very little graffiti, unlike most American countries.</p><p>The Icelandic language is a one-of-a-kind language. I could understand or read nothing. I did, however, recognize four words on buildings. Those words were the same as the words in Russian, but written in the Latin, not Cyrillic, alphabet.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCxBNibHUM1WCHl1bvbLPS5hR4XCg0aInd5wjyzdUL2Ckf61LyAEKXK_iUdudUK70UktguGav3wt-_CkmGp4e-vk-PxqQNhCyM_uDTUmNFpF12X7_5HEhwMiL068YVFQCYsjp5VmRARU1B6xBV0Cbwq7fxzEDXNMqKAS-ffTzLQPIXjC71j4zHWSgyFM/s2048/D5A70668-1E1A-4E72-B8F8-08F03C589670.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1456" data-original-width="2048" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCxBNibHUM1WCHl1bvbLPS5hR4XCg0aInd5wjyzdUL2Ckf61LyAEKXK_iUdudUK70UktguGav3wt-_CkmGp4e-vk-PxqQNhCyM_uDTUmNFpF12X7_5HEhwMiL068YVFQCYsjp5VmRARU1B6xBV0Cbwq7fxzEDXNMqKAS-ffTzLQPIXjC71j4zHWSgyFM/s320/D5A70668-1E1A-4E72-B8F8-08F03C589670.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>I spent about a week visiting this far northern island earlier this year. It's a country I have wanted to visit for quite some time. But I could not wait for this trip to be over. </p><p>I’m always looking forward to returning home and to my dogs and to my own bed at the end of a trip, I felt the call of home even more strongly this trip. I was exhausted, from getting up before sunrise to photograph sunrises, being on the go and walking over some very challenging terrain, at least for me, and then going out to shoot the sunset. I went out one night with great anticipation to seeing and learning how to photograph the northern lights. It was cold, but mercifully, not too windy. Sadly, the northern lights did not appear that night. The group went out again a few nights later. I was tired and didn’t go. And guess what? The northern lights appeared rather early, about 10:45 PM, and stayed around for about an hour. The group was back in their beds in the hotel by midnight.</p><p>On the next to last day of the trip, I got to photograph some Icelandic horses, those rather small, compact, sturdy and very hearty northern horses, the only horse breed allowed in the country of Iceland.</p><p>Despite my fatigue and disappointment, I did learn something from this trip. I learned something about photography, of course, but just as importantly, I learned that I much prefer photographing animals to photographing landscapes. </p><p>Yes, landscapes can be beautiful. And it seems that most people would rather look at a lovely landscape than, say, a portrait of a beautiful leopard. And that's OK. I enjoy both types of photography, but my heart is really with wildlife photography.</p><p></p><p>One afternoon as we were photographing some of these horses, I stood outside, freezing in a cold wind, wearing a somewhat heavy winter coat, with a raincoat over it, and a winter hat on my head. It's difficult to operate my camera while wearing a glove on my right hand, so usually I just put a glove on my left hand and let the right hand get really cold. I was so excited to photographs these horses up close that I didn't put gloves on at all. I was cold, yes, but I will endure the cold in order to photograph a beautiful animal. I do the same thing when I go to Yellowstone National Park in the depth of winter. . </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpvauJYZ5rPqVWZ44nx4PlGVOjMQ2MXIg0g_JMb1N-wkR1xJZffueYhDiwo9dF4In982j0dWAM7TgEVLOyk_iAmgUyiKGNOQKu5gCrdaw2ht8DTCTWvYwPwwouDg7TYTCgX5b-8cMqjbLcDn9aNZ2ANDban3pROFOQwQXjEHqYUCEYL_nG2jJc0YEZd0/s5116/1H3A3693_edited.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3416" data-original-width="5116" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpvauJYZ5rPqVWZ44nx4PlGVOjMQ2MXIg0g_JMb1N-wkR1xJZffueYhDiwo9dF4In982j0dWAM7TgEVLOyk_iAmgUyiKGNOQKu5gCrdaw2ht8DTCTWvYwPwwouDg7TYTCgX5b-8cMqjbLcDn9aNZ2ANDban3pROFOQwQXjEHqYUCEYL_nG2jJc0YEZd0/s320/1H3A3693_edited.jpg" width="320" /><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpvauJYZ5rPqVWZ44nx4PlGVOjMQ2MXIg0g_JMb1N-wkR1xJZffueYhDiwo9dF4In982j0dWAM7TgEVLOyk_iAmgUyiKGNOQKu5gCrdaw2ht8DTCTWvYwPwwouDg7TYTCgX5b-8cMqjbLcDn9aNZ2ANDban3pROFOQwQXjEHqYUCEYL_nG2jJc0YEZd0/s5116/1H3A3693_edited.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpvauJYZ5rPqVWZ44nx4PlGVOjMQ2MXIg0g_JMb1N-wkR1xJZffueYhDiwo9dF4In982j0dWAM7TgEVLOyk_iAmgUyiKGNOQKu5gCrdaw2ht8DTCTWvYwPwwouDg7TYTCgX5b-8cMqjbLcDn9aNZ2ANDban3pROFOQwQXjEHqYUCEYL_nG2jJc0YEZd0/s5116/1H3A3693_edited.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpvauJYZ5rPqVWZ44nx4PlGVOjMQ2MXIg0g_JMb1N-wkR1xJZffueYhDiwo9dF4In982j0dWAM7TgEVLOyk_iAmgUyiKGNOQKu5gCrdaw2ht8DTCTWvYwPwwouDg7TYTCgX5b-8cMqjbLcDn9aNZ2ANDban3pROFOQwQXjEHqYUCEYL_nG2jJc0YEZd0/s5116/1H3A3693_edited.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpvauJYZ5rPqVWZ44nx4PlGVOjMQ2MXIg0g_JMb1N-wkR1xJZffueYhDiwo9dF4In982j0dWAM7TgEVLOyk_iAmgUyiKGNOQKu5gCrdaw2ht8DTCTWvYwPwwouDg7TYTCgX5b-8cMqjbLcDn9aNZ2ANDban3pROFOQwQXjEHqYUCEYL_nG2jJc0YEZd0/s5116/1H3A3693_edited.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpvauJYZ5rPqVWZ44nx4PlGVOjMQ2MXIg0g_JMb1N-wkR1xJZffueYhDiwo9dF4In982j0dWAM7TgEVLOyk_iAmgUyiKGNOQKu5gCrdaw2ht8DTCTWvYwPwwouDg7TYTCgX5b-8cMqjbLcDn9aNZ2ANDban3pROFOQwQXjEHqYUCEYL_nG2jJc0YEZd0/s5116/1H3A3693_edited.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div><p></p><p>I don’t make a connection with a waterfall or a beautiful scene or a canyon. I do connect on some level with the animals I photograph. Sometimes I look at these gorgeous animals, animals that many people may not consider to be gorgeous, and they just take my breath away. Sometimes I feel that way about landscapes, but the feeling is a lot more likely when I’m dealing with wildlife.</p><p>So basically what I learned is that while I am a serious photographer, sometimes even a passionate photographer, I am not a hard-core photographer as were the majority of people in my group visiting Iceland.</p><p>Part of the issue is that I am older and sometimes struggle with balance issues, which came to the fore when I was walking on steep and rocky paths to get to a waterfall. Fortunately, one of the other photographers was a true gentleman and helped me many times navigate my way down slippery slopes while carrying a heavy backpack so I didn’t fall. One of the trip leaders also did the same for me. And while I appreciated their assistance, and always thanked them profusely, I felt bad that I needed this assistance and I felt that I was keeping them from doing what they came to Iceland to do – – take photographs.</p><p>So I have vowed to focus more on photographing animals -- mostly wildlife but also interesting domesticated animals -- and to choose my trips more carefully. </p><p>Learning to listen to, and follow, my heart is the greatest lesson from this trip.</p></div>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-742616075778276243.post-72593814033439609132023-12-16T06:20:00.000-07:002023-12-16T09:01:57.820-07:00And So This Is Christmas<p><i> And so this is Christmas.</i></p><p>Apologies to John Lennon for borrowing this line. The inspiration for this post came to me early one cold and dark morning recently as I was dropping some recyclables into the outdoor bin.</p><p>We've all heard the refrain about how Christmas is the season of love and goodwill toward others. Well, it seems the spirit of the season is sorely lacking in much of the world.</p><p>At home, a woman pregnant with a non-viable fetus was forced to flee her home state of Texas to obtain an abortion after the state supreme court forbid her from getting an abortion. Her need for an abortion was just that -- a medical need to abort a fetus that will not survive after birth and that threatens her ability to have a child in the future. I guess women aren't worthy of making their own medical decisions in the eyes of the far right wing republicans. Merry Christmas, women of America!</p><p>On the other side of the planet, Israel and Hamas are going after each other, with innocent civilians on both side paying the greatest price. Neither Jews nor Muslims celebrate Christmas, but the spirit of the season is sorely lacking in that part of the world, regardless of one's religious affiliation.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcyUjflBileFwUrhX2XrEVODH7wRbfYJGDiJ_KNlzzhCoKr48CihKegEvQ6eWN2oPm7LbKJI_zS5OeH6I9cmve2oNJj928U38jAvTW0KnfijKheyiz-K8TkmRLIylqH6RDhzyC7hwPaloJhL1nBhnML-UBDYvIfzcOksi1TO68tSA3NhdEzvkkqjAuGA/s2848/IMG_0139.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1898" data-original-width="2848" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcyUjflBileFwUrhX2XrEVODH7wRbfYJGDiJ_KNlzzhCoKr48CihKegEvQ6eWN2oPm7LbKJI_zS5OeH6I9cmve2oNJj928U38jAvTW0KnfijKheyiz-K8TkmRLIylqH6RDhzyC7hwPaloJhL1nBhnML-UBDYvIfzcOksi1TO68tSA3NhdEzvkkqjAuGA/s320/IMG_0139.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>All of the traditional Christmas activities in Bethlehem have been canceled by Christian leaders in solidarity with the people of Gaza. I have visited Bethlehem. Unlike the village of some 2,000 people at the time of Christ, it is now a city with more than 28,000 residents. It is filled with shops that cater to the tourists that visit the city's Church of the Nativity. The photo shows a metal star placed above the traditional birthplace of Jesus.<div><br /></div><div>In New Mexico, two teenage boys were playing with guns one night at the high school they both attended. One boy was shot and killed; his friend has been charged with manslaughter. Why teenagers were out of the house, and more importantly, why they had guns, has not yet been explained. But two families will remember this Christmas, and not in a good way, for the remainder of their lives.<br /><p></p><p>The people of Ukraine continue their fight for freedom as they battle the invading forces of Russia and face the real possibility of running out of ammunition because the republicans in Congress refuse to authorize the expenditure of more funds.</p><p>In Africa, where hunger is a persistent problem, years of climate change- related drought have left tens of millions facing starvation. I witnessed the drought in February during a trip to Tanzania. Fields that should have been filled with crops were nothing but blowing dust.</p><p>I know there are good people and organizations doing good things to help, but this year, perhaps more than others, I have no Christmas spirit. My Christmas CDs remain tucked away. Christmas decorations and lights remain stored in the garage. There is no holiday baking to fill the house with wonderful smells. </p><p>I will do nothing except make donations to 10 or so of my favorite charities and hope that things will get better. Doing something for others reminds me of the good being done to bring a bit of hope to this sad, war-torn world.</p></div>Ann Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14727482352711675467noreply@blogger.com0