Portence 5 STARS from N.N. Light Book Heaven

  The plot of this epic had been building since Solace first laid eyes on a Rep-toad way back in the opening pages of Solace.  The loyal reader has come all the way along thru Solace and Tanner to Bliss and Nate to make it to this point.  Finally it was time for the sisters of Anu to unite to face the big bad we all knew was going to be exposed.
    Port is, by far, the most complex of all the sisters.  Her past weighs so heavily upon her, she doesn't have the trace of lightness of Solace or the great lightness of Bliss.  Port is all Fae but all weighed down.  That much of her angst might be because of Mother...issues doesn't make it any easier for her.  The author did a masterful job of having this partnership be more of a fatherly one then a lover, like her sisters.
   People who enjoy the titanic clashes in Lord of The Rings III or even Harry Potter 7 parts 1 and 2 will be totally caught up in this book.  The action keeps the reader guessing and the suspense is palpable.  
   This incredible three-book series is a must-own for nearly every action/sci-fi fan.  Portence will leave the reader with a smile on their face.  A brilliantly constructed and portrayed series that ticks every box. 

                          My Rating: 5 stars 

Blub: 
    In the final battle to save the Earth, Fae Warrior, Portence Goodeve stands ready to serve Mother Nature. But as she fights for the future of the planet, she’s haunted by her past. One near-death experience and a betrayal that goes deep become weapons that could get her killed. 
   Malachi, a cross/breed, half-sorcerer and half-Fae, is back to help fight the Reptile invaders. Once upon a time, his sexy Fae-half stole Portence’s heart, breath, and good sense. Then he abandoned her--what if it happens again? 
    Should she surrender to desire, giving both Malachi and love another chance? Or seek retribution and be done with him forever? Portence and her sisters, as well as their Earth partners, are in a fight for their lives. When Malachi’s magic is stolen and his life is in danger, will she discover the path to her future is bound by both love and duty?


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Antique Estes Park Post Card

This tourist post card was sent from Estes Park, Colo to Longmont, Colo back when stamps were only 
2 cents! The recipient was Kenneth Clark.                 

    Made on some kind of extremely thin leather,
or product there of, it's not only a nice hello, but a Burro-meter 

This is surprisingly accurate!

Jack thought this was funny. Rosie, not so much. 

Meanwhile, here's a recent image of Estes Park today. No burros, but LOTS of elk

The Significance of the Elk Tooth Dress

Created and worn as ceremonial dress by the High Plains Indian women (think Cheyenne, Lakota, Apsáalooke, Dakota, Kiowa, and more) the elk tooth dress had a story to tell. These dresses spoke of the standard of wealth and status of the family of the woman wearing them. 

A Lakota legend explains the importance of the teeth: 

"Two elk teeth remain after everything else has crumbled to dust… and for that reason the elk tooth has become an emblem of long life. When a child is born, its parents desire long life for it and for this reason an elk tooth is given to a child."

— Oku’te, Lakota Elk Dreamer, early 20th century

The teeth are located in the upper mandible where canine teeth would be positioned. These teeth are actually ivories, as they are what remains from an ancient time when elk had tusks. Each elk only possesses two ivories, as all the other teeth are made of enamel. They were valuble as a statement of the wife's husband's prowess as a hunter, or the wealth that he could trade with. Think of the work that went into obtaining the ivories two at a time! If used in trading, 100 ivories would buy you a good horse.

The common practice of stitching the ivories onto a buckskin dress to be worn on special occasions, like a wedding, was really prominent in the late 19th century, but had all but disappeared by the early 20th century. Thankfully, many of these dresses from the 1800s have survived intact for us to see, today.

Artificial ivories could be constructed from bone, or antlers in the 1800s. Today, artificially made teeth from plastics are available, that can be made to look very authentic at a fraction of the cost of real ivories.

The ivories were not just used on women's clothing, but were also used in creating jewelry. In at least one tribe, when a man killed his first elk, the ivories were gifted to his bride, or daughter, to be used to create special necklaces. 

Tracey Leigh Bryant

• Elk arrive in Colorado

  Elk arrived in northern Colorado around 8,000–10,000 years ago and in southern Colorado around 4,000–5,000 years ago. 

• Elk have ivory teeth

  Elk have two canine teeth, also known as ivories, "eyeteeth," or "dog teeth". These teeth are made of the same material as tusks on walruses, wild boars, and elephants. 
• Elk's ivories are vestigial tusks

  Elk's ivories are actually shrunken remnants of the tusks their ancient ancestors had. These tusks were used for defense and fighting during the rut, but as antlers evolved to be larger, the canines receded. 

Trapper's Moon 4 stars from Kam's Place

    As a free trapper, mountain man Kade McCauley is wary of the Hudson Bay Company. Their form of vengeance against those who are not part of the company can be deadly. When he and his partner are attacked, he fights back, only to discover one of his shots struck an innocent. A woman who touches his soul, and he will do anything to keep her safe.

   While searching for her Native American tribe, Blind Deer crosses paths with Kade—with near fatal results. Once she is patched up, she decides it is safer to travel with him than alone Their uneasy alliance turns to genuine caring, but Blind Deer’s past gets in the way, and she must choose between love or old obligations.

   But nothing in life is carved in stone except the mountains, and those formidable peaks have been known to change the course of a man’s life—or a woman’s. 

Full review from Kam's Place

  Throughout history, there’s been hate, violence, racism, and death. You can’t point your finger at any period in time and not find it. However, even in the darkest of times, there is light. No entire race, religion, culture is 100% evil. It’s not 100% good either. 

   Life is about balance. In Trapper’s Moon, Gini demonstrated how vile a human or group of humans could be. She also focused and reinforced the goodness in people. How different races can live in harmony. How love and compassion can and should triumph over hate and violence. 

   This message should be embraced and utilized in our everyday lives. 

   We can’t allow history to repeat itself. We all have the power to love, or at least tolerate one another. 

Trapper’s Moon was a historical story, but I genuinely believe its message pertains to the here and now. 

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Toilet Paper 101 fun facts and a short history.

                            

With all the hording and freaking out about TP, I thought it might be fun to learn a little about this prized possession now worth its weight in gold.                                   

               Here's a nice video on how it's made. 
                          How toilet paper is made

     
     And remember, no job is done 
                 until the paperwork is complete. 

               
           Here are some historical and fun facts. 
1. The first recorded use of toilet paper was in 6th Century China. (Now it's their fault we're hording it.) 

2. By the 14th Century, the Chinese government was mass-producing it.

3. Packaged toilet paper wasn't sold in the United States until 1857. Known as Medicated Papers.
                         4. Joseph Gayety, the man who introduced packaged TP to the U.S. had his name printed on every sheet.

5. Global toilet paper demand uses nearly 30,000 trees every day.

6. That's 10 million trees a year. 
                  (Sad to hear about that statistic)
                    

7. It wasn't until 1935 that a manufacturer was able to promise Splinter-Free Toilet Paper.

8. Seven percent of Americans admit to stealing rolls of toilet paper in hotels.

9. Americans use an average of 8.6 sheets of toilet paper per trip to the bathroom.

10. The average roll has 333 sheets.

11. Historically, what you use to wipe depended on your income level.

12. In the middle ages they used something called a gompf stick which was just an actual stick. The Romans used a sponge on a stick.
                           
13. Wealthy Romans used wool soaked in rose water and French royalty used lace.

14. Other things that were used before toilet paper include: Hay, corn cobs, sticks, stones, sand, moss, hemp, wool, husks, fruit peels, ferns, sponges, seashells, knotted ropes, and broken pottery (ouch!).

15. 70-75% of the world still doesn't use toilet paper because it is too expensive or there is not sufficient plumbing.

16. In many Western European countries, bidets are seen as more effective and preferable to toilet paper.

17. Colored toilet paper was popular in the U.S. until the 1940s.
                      
18. The reason toilet paper disintegrates so quickly when wet is that the fibers used to make it are very short.

19. On the International Space Station, they still use regular toilet paper but it has to be sealed in special containers and Compressed.

20. During Desert Storm, the U.S. Army used toilet paper to camouflage their tanks.

                      

21. In 1973 Johnny Carson caused a toilet paper shortage. He said as a joke that there was a shortage, which there wasn't, until everyone believed him and ran out to buy up the supply. It took three weeks for some stores to get more stock.

22. There is a contest sponsored by Charmin to design and make wedding dresses out of toilet paper. The winner gets $2,000.
                        
23.. There was a toilet paper museum in Wisconsin, The Madison Museum of Bathroom Tissue, but it closed in 2000.

24. The museum once had over 3,000 rolls of TP from places all over the world, including The Guggenheim, Ellis Island, and Graceland.

25. There is still a virtual toilet paper museum called Nobody's Perfect.

26. In 1996, President Clinton passed a Toilet Paper Tax of 6 cents per roll, which is still in effect today. Obama tried to triple that but the House wouldn't pass it.

27. The Pentagon uses, on average, 666 rolls of toilet paper per day.

28. The most expensive toilet paper in the world is from Portuguese brand Renova.
                  
29. Renova is three-ply, perfumed, costs $3 per roll and comes in several colors including black, red, blue and green.

30. The CEO of Renova came up with the idea for black toilet paper while he was at a Cirque du Soleil show.
                   
31. Beyonce uses only red Renova toilet paper.

32. Kris Jenner uses only the black Renova toilet paper.
                   
33.  If you hang your toilet paper so you can pull it from the top, you're considered more intelligent than someone who pulls it from the bottom. How rude. (Wonder how this was determined?)

34. Koji Suzuki, a Japanese horror novelist best known for writing The Ring, had an entire novel printed on a single roll of toilet paper.
                
            Called Drop, it's a nine chapter Novella 
35. The novel takes place in a public bathroom and the entire story runs approximately three feet long.

36. When asked what necessity they would bring to a desert island, 49% of people said toilet paper before food.

37. Rumor has it Queen Elizabeth II wipes her royal bottom with silk handkerchiefs! 

              

                         

                Remember Mr. Whipple? 
             Please don't squeeze the Charmin.

          

                               THE END!

             

                      this information has not been fact checked!

Who remembers The Bremen Town Musicians ?

                          
     As a child, this was one of my favorite stories. I mean what's not to like. Talking animals, off on an adventure.  I still love it! They all ran away because their owners no longer wanted them. And now I've spent the last twenty years rescuing farm animals!
Who knew?

The story, first published in Grimms' Fairy Tales in 1819,  tells the story of four aging domestic animals, who after a lifetime of hard work are neglected and mistreated by their former masters. Eventually, they decide to run away and become town musicians in the city of Bremen. Contrary to the story's title the characters never arrive in Bremen, as they succeed in tricking and scaring off a band of robbers, capturing their spoils, and moving into their house. 

  I guess the moral of the story is supposed to be that separately they were old and weak and their future looked Grimm (tee hee). But together, as a team, they were unbeatable and happy. We all need our friends and family, and we all need to take care of one another. 
               
Now my donkey, Rosie, wants music lessons!

  The Medieval town of Bremen in Germany goes back before 787 and the rule of Charlemagne. Many beautiful buildings still stand as well as a statue commemorating the Bremen Town Musicians. 

                
                          
             A bronze statue by Gerhard Marcks. 
                            Erected in 1953.
                     
            The animals are also memorialized 
                in statues, stamps, pictures and toys
       
                                           
                             
                                   
                                     

Bliss: Fae Warriors Book Two receives 5+ STARS

THANK YOU N.N. LIGHT BOOK HEAVEN

                                      Read Review Here

     Fae Warrior, Bliss Goodeve, fires up her empath skills to help Mother Nature battle the Reptiles invading Earth. But when it comes to her new human partner, Nathaniel Winston Calhoun, Bliss would rather make love than wage war. A man of mystery, he even makes horn-rimmed glasses and a white lab coat look sexy. 

    Nate admits to being a brainiac, at least that’s the persona he shows the outside world. If his boss discovered his checkered past, life could get complicated. The bad boy in Nate wants Bliss in the worst way. The scientist in him calculates high odds of being left brokenhearted.    
   After one Reptile goes rogue, it’s up to Bliss, Nate, and an alien critter named Noodge to bring him down. But time is running out, and things are heating up—especially romantically. Bliss is all for living in the moment. But will that be enough for Nate? 

       Noodge, such a sweet otherwordly protector...

     Until someone threatens the Fae sisters.  
Then even the Reptile invaders run for their lives

excerpt:
     He wasn’t a muscled-bound jock who looked like he lived at the gym, but rather he was tall and lanky, with the broad shoulders and narrow hips of a Soccer Pro. Or on her planet, a three dimensional air jockey. She could watch those bad boys for hours.   
   “Does this mean you’ve come to terms regarding where I come from.” 
   “I’m not sure what you mean by terms. And I really don’t know where you come from other than out there.” He waved his hand around in the air. “I’ve had sufficient time to digest the concept, of course, but there’s still too much undiscovered data to come to a conclusion. But then we all have secrets.”
   “Do we now.” Her favorite superhero, Bruce Wayne, he had secrets. Did Dr. Calhoun have an alter ego? Was there a bat-cave nearby, and someone equivalent to Alfred waiting for him?   “Have you been briefed on why I’m here, and what we’re up against.” 
   “Again yes. And again, still working on it. I try to keep an open mind. After all, I’m a big supporter of SETI. Did a “tour of duty” at the Lick Observatory for my postgraduate work.”  
   Lick, such a nice four letter word. And in her mind, one that did not conjure telescopes and long boring hours of record keeping with hopes of alien contact. 

   “So you see,” he continued, leaning against the doorjamb, arms crossed over his chest. “I certainly believe in the potential for you to exist.”

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Trapper's Moon Best Historical/Western Reader's Choice Award

                    Thank you Still Moment Magazine 

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Blurb:

    As a free trapper, mountain man Kade McCauley is wary of the Hudson Bay Company. Their form of vengeance against those who are not part of the company can be deadly. When he and his partner are attacked, he fights back, only to discover one of his shots struck an innocent. A woman who touches his soul, and he will do anything to keep her safe. 

     While searching for her Native American tribe, Blind Deer crosses paths with Kade—with near fatal results. Once she is patched up, she decides it is safer to travel with him than alone Their uneasy alliance turns to genuine caring, but Blind Deer's past gets in the way, and she must choose between love or old obligations. 

     But nothing in life is carved in stone except the mountains, and those formidable peaks have been known to change the course of a man's life—or a woman's.

Where was Blind Deer? The water bucket and rifle were missing. Probably gone down to the stream. 

 Excerpt:

She had been at his side since the accident. He remembered hearing her voice and the stories she had told. He remembered fighting to come back to her. She had been his warmth and light. Her spirit his only sanctuary in the fearful world he’d roamed alone. 

Opening the cabin door, he stood in the sun, soaking up the healing rays as he awaited her return, a vision to fill his eyes and heart. Instead, an Indian brave materialized before him.

The solitary man stood several yards away, clothed only in leggings, a loin cloth, and moccasins. The man stared back, formidable and unafraid. The white talons of his bear claw necklace glinted in the sun, reminding Kade of another brave and the eagle claw that had ripped his leg open those many years ago. The man’s face was slashed with red and black paint, adding a terrifying bit of decoration to the already threatening spectacle.

Armed with a Missouri war axe, bow, and knife, the solitary figure stood stock still, a painted bag at his feet. The feeling he thought himself invincible radiated from his stance and demeanor, although he made no move to attack.

Holy mother of God, what a way to start his first day out of bed. Kade didn’t feel fit to take on a lame rabbit let alone an unexpected Indian. As nonchalantly as possible, he glanced around for Blind Deer. Had this man already found her? Did she lie injured or dead nearby? If she were unharmed, he hoped she had the sense to stay hidden.

“Easy, friend.” Kade straightened to his full height and tried not to weave about. “We weren’t expecting company.” He fought to keep the man in focus. “But you’re welcome. We’ve always lived in peace, wishing no harm to anyone, and expecting none to ourselves.”

The stranger’s reply came first in Indian, and then in French. Unfamiliar with either language, Kade didn’t understand the man’s intent. The silence hanging in the air became increasingly uncomfortable, and Kade’s strength began to dwindle.Just as passing out seemed a possibility, he sighted Blind Deer approaching from behind their uninvited guest.

Rifle at her shoulder, she moved silently through the grass. When she was a few paces behind the man, she cocked the gun, and call out. The intruder appeared to recognize the language she spoke. From his topknot to his beaded moccasins, the warrior tensed for action and slowly turned around.

Sweat broke out on Kade’s forehead. Blind Deer only had one shot, and he had none. If she missed, they would both be dead before either could make a second move. 

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