I’ve been searching the net earlier today for inspiration to write a scene with extreme weather. Below is how I got sidetracked lol

I hope you find it as interesting as I do.

1- THE GREAT FLOOD OF 1936

It was the greatest disaster ever recorded along the Connecticut River, making 430,000 people homeless and leaving over $500 million worth of damage in its path. (In today’s dollars, the cost would have been over 6.5 billion!)

Source: HERE

2- GREAT HURRICANE OF 1780

Great Hurricane of 1780, also known as the Hurricane San Calixto ll is the deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. Over 27,500 people died when the storm passed through the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean between October 10 and October 16.

Source: HERE

3- DEATH VALLEY, California

The hottest air temperature ever recorded in Death Valley (Furnace Creek) was 134°F (57.1°C) on July 10, 1913, at Furnace Creek. During the heat wave that peaked with that record, five consecutive days reached 129°F (54°C) or above.

Source: HERE

4- THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE

Over the past 100 years, the Bermuda Triangle has seen what some say is a significant and inordinately high number of unexplained disappearances of planes, ships and people. Some reports say that as many as 100 ships and planes have been reported missing in the area and more than 1,000 lives have been lost. The U.S. Coast Guard, however, maintains that the area does not have an unusual number of incidents.

Source: HERE

5- NORTH KOREAN FAMINE – 1996

• BEIJING, Nov. 18 (UPI) — Nearly 150,000 people are on the verge of starvation in North Korea following a series of devastating floods and crop failures during the summer, international aid workers said Monday.

• That summer, people in the northeast provinces of North Korea were reduced to eating leaves, grass and wild roots following the most extreme floods in memory.

• Some 32,000 heads of livestock were also swept away, further exacerbating the nation’s food crisis.

Source: HERE

6- “RED SKY AT NIGHT, SAILOR’S DELIGHT…

RED SKY IN MORNING, SAILOR’S WARNING.”

Red sky at night, sailors delight.

When we see a red sky at night, this means that the setting sun is sending its light through a high concentration of dust particles. This usually indicates high pressure and stable air coming in from the west. Basically good weather will follow.

Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.

A red sunrise reflects the dust particles of a system that has just passed from the west. This indicates that a storm system may be moving to the east. If the morning sky is a deep fiery red, it means a high water content in the atmosphere. So, rain is on its way.

Source: HERE

7- THE COLDEST PLACE

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In February, 1885, a scientist recorded a temperature as low as minus 64 degree Celsius in the north latitude of the globe. In May, 1957, a monitoring station situated in the Antarctic further making the scientists shocked with the minimal temperature they measured. It was minus 73.6 degree Celsius. In the same year in September, the monitoring station had recorded another shocking temperature that was minus 74.5 degree Celsius. Scientists believe that this was the lowest temperature ever recorded as there is no break record up to date.

Source: HERE

8- THE HOTTEST PLACE

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In Turban Basin (as shown in the picture) in Xinjiang, China, a place which is called “Volcano land” locally has its maximum temperature recorded as 47.8 degree Celsius in July 1941. This is indeed extremely hot as you can feel your skin being charcoaled. This fact is so true that the flying birds even dare not to come even though they are 500km away from here. The temperature becomes hotter when the summer approaches. Nevertheless, the temperature of 47.8 degree Celsius is not an extreme temperature ever recorded on the earth. .

*** Death Valley which is situated in California. It was recorded that from July 6 to August 17, 1917 for almost 43 consecutive days, the temperature was recorded over 48 degree Celsius. This temperature was slightly lower as compared to 1913, when the Death Valley has its temperature recorded as 56.7 degree Celsius. After 5 years of 1917, Libya was recorded the highest temperature of 58 degree Celsius on September 13. Despite of this extreme temperature, it was regarded as the hottest place in the world.*** .

Source: HERE

9- RELAMPAGO DEL CATATUMBO.

• The everlasting lightning storm in the world’s largest generator of ozone. .

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There’s something strange in the air where the Catatumbo River flows into Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela… For 140 to 160 nights out of the year, for 10 hours at a time, the sky above the river is pierced by almost constant lightning, producing as many as 280 strikes per hour. Known as the “Relampago del Catatumbo,” this lightning storm has been raging, on and off, for as long a people can remember. .

Source: HERE

10- THE TUBEN OR ‘ELK SHOWERS’

In the small village of Gravendal in Dalarna, Sweden there is an old wooden water tube, leading water to the local electric power station. Because of it´s age, this tube is full of holes so water squirts out in various places, in wintertime it forms amazing ice sculptures in the trees nearby.

Locally this phenomenon is called the “elk shower”. Whether the elks actually take a cold one once in a while is unknown, but if you are very quiet maybe you might be able to sneak up on one..

Source: HERE

11- THE TUKTOYAKTUK PINGOS

A pingo, also called a hydrolaccolith, is a mound of earth-covered ice found in the Arctic and subarctic that can reach up to 70 metres (230 ft) in height and up to 600 m (2,000 ft) in diameter. The term originated as the Inuvialuktun word for a small hill.

In fact, a pingo is a ‘periglacial landform,’ which is defined as a nonglacial landform or process linked to colder climates. They are essentially formed by ground ice which develops during the winter months as temperatures fall. The plural form is “pingos”.

Pingos usually grow only a few centimetres per year, and the largest take decades or even centuries to form. The process that creates pingos is believed to be closely related to frost heaving.

Source: HERE

12- THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH ??

The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted across the world for thousands of years,

In the 16th century the story of the Fountain of Youth became attached to the biography of the Juan Ponce de León According to the story, Ponce de León heard of the land of Bimini from the people of Peurto Rico when he conquered the island. Growing dissatisfied with his material wealth, he launched an expedition to locate it, and in the process discovered Florida.

The city of St. Augustine, Florida is home to the Fountain of Youth National Archaeological Park, a tribute to the spot where Ponce de León is traditionally said to have landed.

Though the fountain situated there is not “the” Fountain, this does not stop tourists from drinking its water

Source: HERE

13- WEATHER MYTHS

When a cow lies down, bad weather is coming.

A ring around the moon means rain or snow is coming.

If March comes in like a lamb, it will go out like a lion.

When a pig carries sticks around in its mouth to build shelter, precipitation will come.

When the dew is on the grass, rain will never come to pass.

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Don’t forget it’s Read an EBook Week  March 7th til 13th

You can purchase In Your Eyes & Iron Horse Rider 1 & 2 with 25% off  Enter RAE25 at check out.
Details in post below. Take a look around Smashwords, you might be surprised what authors work you’ll find there.

Happy Reading!

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“The mission of Read an E-Book Week is to raise international awareness about the benefits of ebooks to authors, readers, educators and the media,” said Rita Toews, founder of the non-profit event.  “As a sponsor of the event, Smashwords will help promote the initiative, and will work with its 3,500 authors and publishers to offer special book promotions during the week.”

Click on above banner to read more about Read an Ebook Week.

I’m thrilled to be a part of this celebration for the first time.

Three of my books are offered on Smashwords at 25% off for the duration of this event.

There are also countless other author participants. So if you want to check out that author you’ve had your eye on, now’s the time to do it.

You will find my books, In Your Eyes, and Iron Horse Rider book One & Two at 25% off

Visit SMASHWORDS today and enter the code RAE25 at the checkout.

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Well here it is. the place where I spend countless hours writing. It’s a corner of my dining room, and while it’s not an ‘office’, it suits my needs. The blanket over my chair, my mom made for me. It was actually the last big project she did. I will treasure it always. Having my space in a central location is ideal with two teen daughters *wink. They can’t get in or out without me seeing them lol Not that I have anything to worry about with them, it’s the boys who follow them around like puppy dogs.

Anyhow, some of you had asked to see my space, so here it is. Have a great weekend everyone!

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Thirteen Children’s Games

It’s amazing how similar some of these games are to some I’ve played as a kid. I read an article about how much time our generation of children spend on computers, video games etc. This sparked my curiosity about games other kids play around the world. I hope you enjoy!

1- Israel – Hamesh Avanim (Five Stones)

2 or more players

• Five gold-colored square stones. Use 5 pebbles if these are not available.

How to Play

1. Toss the five stones on the ground.

2. Select one stone for tossing.

3. Toss the stone in the air, pick up one stone with your other hand and catch the tossed stone on the back of your hand. Continue until you have picked up all stones.

4. Repeat steps 1 – 3 only this time pick up two stones at a time. Repeat this picking up 3 and then 4 stones at one time.

2- Laos is located in Southeastern Asia -Marble Game

3 or more players

• Marbles

How to Play

1. Dig a hole in the ground, then draw a line about ten feet away.

2. Players attempt to throw their marble into the hole.

3. If your marble gets into the hole, you become a tiger.

4. A tiger has the advantage of being able to get people out if their marble touches another one.

3- Laos – Pick up Sticks

2 or more players

• Tennis ball

• Chopsticks

How to play

1. Put the chopsticks on the ground in a way that they would be harder to retrieve.

2. Throw the ball, then try to remove one of the chopsticks before the ball touches the ground.

3. The player who retrieves the most chopsticks wins.

4- Malaysia – Ram,Ram,Rip

2 players

How to Play

1. 1 player holds out hand, palm up.

2. The other player places his/her index fingers in hand.

3. Say Ram, Ram, Rip together, and the player with outstretched hand tries to snatch index finger of the other player.

5- Zimbabwe – Kudoda

Origin

You’ll quickly notice that this game is a familiar one. An original version, often played with stones or pebbles, can be found in Zimbabwe.

How to Play

1. Players sit in a circle.

2. Place the bowl (preferably a metal one) in the center. Fill it with about 20 marbles.

3. The first player takes a marble and tosses it into the air. (Not too high!) He/she then tries to pluck as many marbles as he/she can before catching the tossed marble.

4. Players take turns. When all the marbles have been collected, the person with the most is the winner.

6- Australia – Down,Down,Down

2 or more players

How to Play

1. The two players throw a ball back and forth.

2. When 1 of the players drops the ball, both, say down, down, down.

3. After that, the player who dropped the ball gets down on 1 knee, elbow,or chin, etc.

4. The game continues on like this until one of the players cannot go “down” anymore.

7- ENGLAND – Kim’s Game

Girl Scouts and Girl Guides all over the world play this game.

1 or more friends.

• At least 10 small things.

• A scarf or piece of cloth.

How to Play

1. Put 10 things on a table. Be sure you can cover all the items with the cloth.

2. Show the players the objects under the cloth for 10 seconds then over them.

3. Ask the player what is on the table see if they can remember all 10 things. You can also take 1 thing away when the player isn’t looking and see if they can identify what you took.

8- ITALY – John on a Pony

John on a pony originated in Ancient Rome which is in Italy.

Number of Players

• Six or more players.

• Each team should be equal in strength.

How to Play
1. To play John on a pony you need to make two teams.

2. One of the teams needs to assemble a pony using their bodies.

3. When the “Pony people” are done they close their eyes.

4. Next the other team sends some players to climb on the pony.

5. With their eyes closed, the “Pony people” must guess how many riders are on them.

9- Phillipines – Tinikling

Tinikling is very similar to jump rope, but instead of a spinning rope, two bamboo poles are used. The poles are held by two people, one pole in each hand. They hit the poles on the floor, then raise them, then hit the poles together. The person(s) in the middle hop over and outside the poles before they come together. When mastered, it is considered a form of dance.

10-Aruba – Pele

Aruba is an island in the Caribbean Sea and part of North America.

2-10 players

• a puck – a stone or coin can make a good puck

• chalk – to draw the hopscotch mat

How to Play

1. Throw the puck into box one.

2. Hop over the first box into box two. The player then jumps into boxes three, and four putting one foot into each box at the same time.

3. Next, hop into box five on one foot and then jump into boxes six, and seven putting one foot into each box at the same time (just as you did in the previous step).

4. Jump and turn at the same time landing in boxes six and seven facing the other direction.

5. Hop to box five on one foot and then into boxes three and four just as you did the previous times. Next hop into box two on one foot and pick up the puck from box one.

6. Hop out of the pattern, without landing in box one.

7. Every turn, you throw the puck into the next box. Do not hop into a box with your puck or the puck of another player. If your puck does not land in the right box or if you step on a line you lose and it is the next players turn. When you lose your turn your puck stays in that box until a person can complete it.

8. The person who completes the whole pattern first, wins the game.

11- BRAZIL – “bolinha de gude” Marbles

In Brasil, as in many other countries, children play a game known as “bolinha de gude” (in english, Marbles or Glass ball). Our glass bal has about ½ inch (1.25 cm) across. There are different rules in each region, and kids make your own and new rules everyday.

One of most common game is played drawing a circle in the ground and making a hole in the center of it. Players throw the balls in the circle, and the one which is closer to the hole starting to play. The goal is to shot your opponent’s ball and get it out of the circle.

Kids have collections of this little glass balls, wich can be made in different sizes and colors.

12- Native Micmac Indian – Waltes

Waltes is a kind of dice game thought to be of pre-Columbian origin. Although it is still played today, skilled players are increasingly rare.

The game is played on a circular wooden dish called a waltestaqn (’wall tess stah ahn’) which is about twelve inches in diameter, hollowed to three-quarters of an inch at its centre. It is usually made from a hardwood burl, whose non-directional wood grain provides strength to withstand enthusiastic play. There are six disk-shaped dice made of bone, each with one side plain and the other side marked with a dotted cross design. There are also a number of scoring sticks: one shaped like the forward half of an arrow, three more shaped like the back half with fletching, and fifty-one plain sticks. The king pin was also referred to as kesegoo (’gis ee goo’, the old man) and the notched sticks as his three wives and the plain sticks as his children.

To play, two players sit opposite each other with the dish between them, usually on a pad of leather or cloth. The six dice are placed on the waltestaqn with marked faces downward. One player takes the dish in both hands, raises it and brings it down with enough force to flip the dice. If all but one of the upturned faces are marked or unmarked, he scores a point and continues to play as long as one of such combinations result. When he fails to score, the amount of his winnings is withdrawn from the pile of sticks and forms his private pile. The other player repeats the dice throwing until he, too, fails to score. Scoring and counting are carried out according to very complicated rules, and game play can continue indefinitely.

13-Kameshi Ne Mpuku (The Cat and the Rat)

Variations of this game were played throughout much of Africa; this form originated with the Luba people in the Congo.

The players line up in four equal rows leaving an aisle between each, and the students in each row hold hands.

1-One student is chosen to be the caller, one to be Rat, and another to be Cat. To start the game Rat runs up and down the aisles with Cat chasing after.

2-When the caller shouts, “Mpuki ekale,” or “Let the rat stop,” the players in the rows drop hands and join hands with the row across. This changes the direction of the aisles and Rat must adapt to the change or be trapped by a barrier of joined hands.

3-The caller should change the direction of the rows at regular intervals, and the game ends when the rat is caught or the time limit is reached. Each of the three main players then choose another student to fill their position.

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If you’re like me, you’ve been glued to the TV watching Canada vs USA tonight for the Gold. Talk about a close game. They had us all sitting on the edge of our seats. How awesome is it for Canada to win the most Gold Medals ever?  Also, to watch the Canadian Women’s hockey team win against USA was such a rush. Of course, Joannie Rochette stole the hearts of all who watched her. What an amazingly strong woman to hold it together and actually come out a Bronze medalist in the midst of such a tragic loss in her life. It’s been an emotional journey for most Canadians, and I have to say, in spite of a few glitches they done us proud.

Congrats to all medal winners. Well deserved whether Canadian or not.

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This Olympics I watched more than I have my whole life.

How awesome was it to see Canada’s Womens Hockey Team WIN Gold in a 2-0 game against USA!

This isn’t the first time I’ve been emotionally vested in a Canadian Gold as there were many this time around.

Might I just add…Canadian women ROCK!

Another medal winner truly touched my heart as she did to many across the globe.

I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house during her

first performance. She skated beautifully, and the hurt in her heart was almost palpable.

What an incredibly strong woman she is.

So when I watched Joannie Rochette win Bronze medal tonight, I couldn’t have been prouder to be a  Canadian.

Kudo’s to Ms Rochette. My condolences to you and your family.

You’ve done your mother proud,  as you did every Canadian whose heart you’ve touched.

I look forward to the rest of the Olympics and cannot wait for the summer games.

Goooooooooooo Canada!!

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LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

1-A perfect parent is a person with excellent child-rearing theories and no actual children. ~Dave Barry

2-Nowadays they say you need a special chip to put in the tv so kids can’t watch this and that. In my day, we didn’t need a chip. My mom was the chip. End of Story. ~RayCharles

3-Setting a good example for your children does nothing but increase their embarrassment. ~Doug Larson

4-You know your kids are growing up when they stop asking you where they came from and refuse to tell you where they’re going. ~P J O’Rourke

5-Without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year olds. JoJo Denson

6-When you don’t know what you’re talking about, it’s hard to know when you’re finished. ~Tommy Smothers

7-Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you’re a mile away…and you have their shoes.  Anne Brashares

8-Wrinkles only go where smiles have been.  ~Jimmy Buffet

9-The key to successful aging is to pay as little attention to it as possible. ~Judith Regan

10-Men want the same thing from their underwear that they want from women: a little bit of support, and a little bit of freedom. ~Jerry Seinfeld

11-My metabolism stinks. I can gain weight just listening to dinner music. ~Ron Detinger

12-It’s time to exercise and diet when you accept the fact that you can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time–but not while you’re wearing a bathing suit.  ~Gene Perret

13-Being in therapy is great. I spend an hour just talking about myself. It’s kind of like being the guy on a date. ~Caroline Rhea

Kudo’s go out to all of the amazing athletes competing in the winter games.

I am really into watching the Olympics  this year. I even watched a few hockey games. Now that’s shocking!

And can I just say….. Canada is rocking the Olympics this year. Let’s go Canada, let’s go!!

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This is one of the kewlest stories I’ve read in a very long time.

It’s times like these that help support my mission to change peoples perceptions of bikers in general.

Kudo’s to all who helped make this happen for the nursing home residents.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/Nursing-Home-Residents-Form-a-Biker-Gang-84805857.html?__source=Facebook

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Brenda Talley at The Romance Studio  gives

Triad of Hope  5/5 Hearts!    She says,

‘I cannot give enough accolades to this author. I highly recommend that anybody read this book—as quickly as possible. Readers will see why Laudan has become a ‘must read’ for me. Great job, Ms. Laudan!’

Thank  you Ms. Talley!

Read full review HERE

Purchase Triad of Hope HERE

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Soooo I think this is perfect timing to show you  some of the prints he’s chosen to use in Calendars, Keepsake Boxes and Note cards.

1            Art of Photography – Cole Thompson

2-

Lone Man

3                  Light Emanating from Darkness

4-

Old Car Interior

5           Art of Photography – Cole Thompson

6- 

Flaming Dahlia

7        The Ghosts of Auschwitz and Birkenau

8  

Bingo Thursdays

9 

Harbinger

10 

Windsurfing

11 

Bear’s Harley

12 

Last Leaves

13 

Windmill In Moonlight

I hope you take the time to watch the videos. They are simply breathtaking.

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