tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-385379532024-03-07T18:36:24.293-05:00Carolan Ivey<b><i>Romance That Will Haunt You...</i></b><br><br>This being the place where an award-winning author deposits the random thoughts that fall out of her brain.Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.comBlogger460125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-64705298258043026702013-10-30T23:52:00.003-04:002013-10-31T11:18:09.719-04:00Writer on Wheels, Video Blog #1: Happy Halloween!On one of the last nice days of the year before winter closes in, I take a ride out to an historic cemetery along the Maumee River in northwest Ohio. It's one of the oldest cemeteries in Ohio, and veterans of every war in U.S. history are buried there - all the way back to the Revolutionary War.<br />
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It's my first attempt at vlogging, so your patience is much appreciated! I have a wee bit to learn. :)<br />
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<iframe width="400" height="225" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/SjWXJKGUZ6w?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-88217913934867678982013-10-30T10:55:00.003-04:002013-10-30T10:55:55.241-04:00Three spooky videos for Halloween!I remember when these first aired. This was such a great series!<br />
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Pop some popcorn, turn out all the lights, and enjoy!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ykaJXyKIBnk?rel=0" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1rU-OjKK2_A?rel=0" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/TCIbQusjiKw?rel=0" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Happy Halloween!<br />
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Carolan<br />
<a href="http://www.carolanivey.com/" target="_blank">www.carolanivey.com </a><br />
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Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-35601950075457474012013-08-28T15:54:00.000-04:002013-08-28T15:54:18.166-04:0030 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not KnowA round-robin meme as part of <a href="http://invisibleillnessweek.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">National Invisible Illness Awareness Week</a>!<br /><br />Warning - Deep thoughts, humor, and brutal honesty ahead.<br />
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1. The illness I live with is: Rheumatoid Arthritis<br />
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2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 1964<br />
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3. But I had symptoms since: 1964<br /><br />
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: That no matter how hard one fights this disease, one is in an almost constant state of loss - loss of joint function, loss of mobility, loss of overall health. The meds don't always work like you see on TV - in reality, no two patients are alike and it may take years to find an effective treatment, if at all. Surgery and medications can help you regain some of those losses, but overall the loss is greater than the gain.<br /><br />
5. Most people assume: I'm simply lazy.<br /><br />
6. The hardest part about mornings are: Getting to the bathroom on stiff joints "in time."<br /><br />
7. My favorite medical TV show is: House<br /><br />
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: My electric wine bottle opener!<br /><br />
9. The hardest part about nights are: Getting comfortable enough to fall and stay asleep.<br /><br />
10. Each day I take _15_ pills & vitamins (and 3 injections a week).<br /><br />
11. Regarding alternative treatments I: Am a Reiki master/teacher. I think it has helped me heal much of the mental, emotional, and spiritual scars RA inflicts. On the physical level, I think it has helped me do better on fewer medications.<br /><br />
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: Visible. It's easier for people to understand. Sometimes I wonder if it would be better to have a limb missing.<br /><br />
13. Regarding working and career: I tried to have a career, but had to choose between full time work and raising my kids. We've also moved a lot due to my husband's career, which made it harder to build one of my own. Now I work from home as a contract writer. I gave up commuting to jobs years ago - it's too physically draining. If I can't do it from home, I turn the contract down.<br /><br />
14. People would be surprised to know: Having a chronic disease can be lonely. Once you become chronically ill you learn who your real friends are. Everyone is sympathetic at first, but eventually most get tired of you being sick all the time, and fall away. Another aspect that isn't talked about is the depression that comes with chronic illness, and the toll it takes on marriages. Autoimmune illness affects primarily women, and sometimes their husbands decide "I didn't sign up for this" and seek divorce. More often, the strain of having a wife that can't be fixed (when men are hard wired to "fix"), takes a huge toll.<br /><br />
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: My reality is "old", but I'm continually amazed at how many people still don't "get it", or even want to try. They'd rather make wrong assumptions than learn anything. <br /><br />
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: Ride a motorcycle.<br /><br />
17. The commercials about my illness: DO NOT GET ME STARTED.<br /><br />
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: It sounds silly, but one of the few things I remember from before my diagnosis is being able to sit on my heels, and sit "Indian style" on the floor. I wish I could still do that.<br /><br />
19. It was really hard to have to give up: I don't remember what it's like not to have to deal with this illness, so I guess it was the idea that I would NEVER have anything close to a normal life.<br /><br />
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: Motorcycling.<br /><br />
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: Put on a backpack and hike for miles and miles with my husband and feel like I'm holding him back.<br /><br />
22. My illness has taught me: Letting go of what I can't control. Worry and stress make it so much worse. <br /><br />
23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: "Why do you take all those toxic medicines? You'd feel better if you'd just (insert 'exercise', 'get out more', or some bogus 'miracle' supplement here)." Or, "What about that drug I heard about on TV? It shows people taking one pill and dancing all night."<br /><br />
24. But I love it when people: At least make an effort to understand.<br /><br />
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: "Rule 1: Don't sweat the small stuff. Rule 2: 99 percent of it IS small stuff."<br /><br />
26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: Life as you know it may be over, but that doesn't mean the life ahead of you can't be just as fulfilling. It won't be what you planned, but it can be great if you let it.<br /><br />
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: RA and its autoimmune cousins tend to run in packs. If you have one, you probably have two or three. I've also learned who my real friends are.<br /><br />
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: Make me laugh.<br /><br />
29. I’m involved with <a href="http://invisibleillnessweek.com/" title="Invisible Illness Week">Invisible Illness Week</a> because: I want others like me to know they're not alone.<br /><br />
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: hopeful that I've opened someone's eyes to the reality of living with chronic illness.<br />
<br />
Carolan Ivey<br />
www.carolanivey.comCarolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-74444846890626391672012-02-05T13:25:00.000-05:002012-10-05T18:51:51.841-04:00Scotti sh W eb Ca ms!Thanks to Scottie at RampantScotland.com for this comprehensive list of Scotland web cams! Enjoy!<br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: x-small;"> <a href="http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/acc/YourCity/webcam/"><b>Aberdeen</b></a> <br />
Aberdeen City Council have not been mean with their budget and have set up three webcams - looking over the harbour, Castlegate and Union Street. <br />
<a href="http://www.marexmarine.co.uk/"><b>Aberdeen Harbour</b></a> <br />
Pan, tilt, zoom and scan the webcam as you watch the ships entering and leaving the busy Aberdeen harbour. <br />
<a href="http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/webcams/index.asp"><b>Aberdeenshire Webcams</b></a> <br />
Aberdeenshire Council operate a number of Internet Webcams in towns across their area, including: <br />
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<ul type="disc">
<li><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/webcams/banchory.asp"><b>Banchory High Street</b></a> </span></li>
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<li><a href="http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/webcams/banff.asp"><b>Banff Harbour, Aberdeenshire</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/webcams/inverurie.asp"><b>Inverurie Town Centre</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/webcams/fraserburgh.asp"><b>Fraserburgh Shore</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/webcams/peterhead.asp"><b>Peterhead Harbour</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/webcams/stonehaven.asp"><b>Stonehaven Harbour</b></a> </li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.angusahead.com/VisitAngus/Webcams/webcamHome.asp"><b>Angus</b></a> <br />
The Visit Angus Web site hosts web-cameras with viewing controls allowing users to zoom in on landscape features, wildlife and fauna. <br />
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<ul type="disc">
<li><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.angusahead.com/VisitAngus/Webcams/glen-clova-webcam.asp"><b>Glen Clova</b></a> with views of the scenery from a hillside farm close to the Glen Clova Hotel. </span></li>
<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: x-small;">
<li><a href="http://www.angusahead.com/VisitAngus/Webcams/carnoustieWebcam.asp"><b>Carnoustie</b></a> from the clock tower of the Carnoustie Golf Hotel over the first tee of the Championship Course. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.angusahead.com/VisitAngus/Webcams/montroseWebcam.asp"><b>Montrose Basin</b></a> from the front gallery area of the Scottish Wildlife Trust Montrose Basin Wildlife Centre with superb views across this tidal basin. </li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.ardgrain.com/ellon-webcam"><b>Ardgrain, Ellon, Aberdeenshire</b></a> <br />
Webcam broadcast from the historic Grade A listed Scottish barony of Ardgrain, which dates from 1629. The webcam has views of the rolling countryside looking towards the market town of Ellon, Aberdeenshire. Part of a website packed full of local pictures and the detailed history of the baronial site of Ardgrain through the ages. <br />
<a href="http://arranproperty.co.uk/arran-webcam/"><b>Arran - Brodick</b></a> <br />
Live webcam overlooks the beautiful bay in Brodick. <br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/scotland/"><b>BBC Travel Webcams</b></a> <br />
Reports of traffic delays and congestion across the country as well as webcam views of major traffic flows. See also <a href="http://trafficscotland.org/lev/list/">TrafficScotland</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.visit-fortwilliam.co.uk/webcam/index.html"><b>Ben Nevis</b></a> <br />
A Fort William tourist site brings you views of Scotland's (and the UK's) highest mountain. When it's dark in Scotland, there is a collection of Ben Nevis and Nevis Range images to look at instead. <br />
<a href="http://www.streamdays.com/camera/view/bowmore_whisky_distillery_webcam"><b>Bowmore Distillery, Islay</b></a> <br />
Change the view and see the lochs outside the distillery. <br />
<a href="http://www.bruichladdich.com/web_cam.htm"><b>Bruichladdich Distillery</b></a> <br />
The "world's first non-stop whisky show" has an increasing number of cameras updating the view every second. These webcams leapt to fame when the US-based Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) were reported to have been monitoring the whisky distillery, using the close-up webcams. The agency claimed that it only took a "tweak" to allow the malt whisky production to change to churning out chemical weapons..... <br />
<a href="http://www.winterhighland.info/"><b>Cairngorms</b></a> <br />
Weather data and webcam views for hill walkers - and armchair viewers. Picture updated every ten minutes. Includes views of the <a href="http://www.winterhighland.info/cams/cairngorm-mountain/">White Lady</a>, view from <a href="http://www.winterhighland.info/cams/cairngorm-mountain/morlich.php">Loch Morlich</a> and <a href="http://www.winterhighland.info/cams/glencoe/">view from Summit of Main Basin T-bar</a>. <br />
<a href="http://www.visitkintyre.info/webcam/index.htm"><b>Campbelltown, Argyll</b></a> <br />
Control the views - Westport Beach, the reef or the islands of Islay and Jura. <br />
<a href="http://www.camvista.com/search.php?keyword=Scotland&imageField.x=28&imageField.y=11&target=search"><b>Camvista - Scotland</b></a> <br />
The Scotland index of a larger site covers a number of locations across the country (some of which are not operated by Camvista) including: <br />
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<table border="0" cellpadding="2"><tbody>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="45%"><ul type="disc"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: xx-small;"><b>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/aberdeen/aberdeen_harbour.php">Aberdeen harbour</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/aberdeen/aberdeen_castlegate.php">Aberdeen Castlegate</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/aberdeen/aberdeen_unionstreet.php">Aberdeen, Union Street</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.scottishfield.co.uk/webcam/view/3/">Arran, Brodick Pier</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.checkitlive.com/camera/rhinos-blair-drummond-safari-park-scotland.html">Blair Drummond Safari Park (Rhinos)</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/highlands/aviemore/cairngorm-mountain-weather-cam.php">Cairngorm Ski Resort</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.stvedas.co.uk/surfcam.htm">Coldingham Bay (surf), Scottish Borders</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/dumfries/bbcdumfries.php">Dumfries</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.taysideaviation.co.uk/flying/webcam.html">Dundee, Riverside Airport</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/edinburgh/citycentre.php">Edinburgh City Centre</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/edinburgh/castle-webcam.php3">Edinburgh Castle</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/edinburgh/capcity.php3">Edinburgh - Various camera views</a> </li>
</b></span><b>
<li><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/edinburgh/histedin.php3%3EEdinburgh%20-%20Princes%20Street%3C/%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/FONT%3E%3C/B%3E%3C/TD%3E%3CTD%20width=45%%20valign=top%3E%3Cfont%20face=" size="1"><b> </b></a></span><ul type="disc"><b><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/edinburgh/histedin.php3%3EEdinburgh%20-%20Princes%20Street%3C/%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/FONT%3E%3C/B%3E%3C/TD%3E%3CTD%20width=45%%20valign=top%3E%3Cfont%20face=" size="1"> </a>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/glasgow/bbcscotland.php">Glasgow, BBC HQ, Pacific Quay</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/glasgow/buchananstreetlive.php">Glasgow - Buchanan Street</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/glasgow/george_square_cam.php">Glasgow, City Chambers, George Square</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/glasgow/georgesq_camera1.php">Glasgow George Square General View</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/sports/golf/gleneag.php3">Gleneagles Golf Course</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/highlands/the-lecht-skiing-carpark-cam.php">Lecht Ski Resort Car Park</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/highlands/lochness.php">Loch Ness</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/scenic/galloway.php">Mull of Galloway</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/scenic/oban.php">Oban Bay</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/highlands/fort-william-glencoe-weather-cam.php">Onlich Hotel near Fort William</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/scenic/riverturretcam.php">River Turret, Perthshire</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/highlands/bbcskye.php3">Skye</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/scenic/stonehaven.php">Stonehaven Harbour</a> </li>
</span></b>
<li><b><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/other/turnberry/golfcam.php">Turnberry Golf Course</a> </span></b> </li>
</ul>
</li>
</b></ul>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/webcam/"><b>Dundee</b></a> <br />
Dundee City Council give you control of the Webcam for two minutes (though you may have to wait a while if there's a queue ahead of you! <br />
<a href="http://www.sol.co.uk/j/jreid/laa.htm"><b>Dundee</b></a> <br />
The bonnie city of Dundee from Law Hill. You can control the view from side to side and zoom in and out. Trust the "City of Discovery" to come up with a cool view! <br />
<a href="http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/newsroom/currentaffairs/dunooncamarticle"><b>Dunoon</b></a> <br />
The webcam from Argyll and Bute Council overlooks the harbour - impressive no matter the weather! <br />
<span style="color: maroon;"><b>Edinburgh</b></span> <br />
</span><br />
<li><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.standrews.com/webcams/edinburgh-city-centre"><b>Princes Street</b></a> </span></li>
<span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: x-small;">
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<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/edinburgh/citycentre.php"><b>Edinburgh City Centre</b></a> </li>
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<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/edinburgh/castle-webcam.php3"><b>Edinburgh Castle</b></a> </li>
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<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/edinburgh/capcity.php3"><b>Edinburgh - Various camera views</b></a> </li>
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<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/edinburgh/histedin.php3%3E%3CB%3EEdinburgh%20-%20Princes%20Street%3C/B%3E%3C/%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/UL%3E%3CP%3E%3CA%20HREF="><b>Fair Isle</b></a> <br />
Two webcams from one of Scotland's most remote islands (though there is an air service). <a href="http://www.maximized.co.uk/fifeguide/vr/index.shtml"><b>Fife Panoramas</b></a> <br />
From a guide to Fife, these are not Webcams but 360 degree Java panoramas of a number of locations in Fife including: <br />
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<table border="0" cellpadding="2"><tbody>
<tr> <td valign="top" width="45%"><ul type="disc"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: xx-small;"><b>
<li><a href="http://www.maximized.co.uk/fifeguide/vr/aberdour.shtml">Aberdour</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.maximized.co.uk/fifeguide/vr/abbot.shtml">Abbot House Gardens</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.maximized.co.uk/fifeguide/vr/canmore.shtml">Canmore Golf Club</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.maximized.co.uk/fifeguide/vr/ceres.shtml">Ceres</a> </li>
</b></span>
<li><b><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.maximized.co.uk/fifeguide/vr/crail.shtml">Crail</a> </span></b> </li>
</ul>
</td> <td valign="top" width="45%"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: xx-small;"><b> </b></span><br />
<ul type="disc"><b><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: xx-small;">
<li><a href="http://www.maximized.co.uk/fifeguide/vr/culross.shtml">Culross</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.maximized.co.uk/fifeguide/vr/dunfabbey.shtml">Dunfermline Abbey</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.maximized.co.uk/fifeguide/vr/forthbridge.shtml">Both Forth Bridges</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.maximized.co.uk/fifeguide/vr/linkshotel.shtml">Links Hotel, St Andrews</a> </li>
</span></b>
<li><b><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva,helvetica; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.maximized.co.uk/fifeguide/vr/fisheries.shtml">Scottish Fisheries Museum</a> </span></b> </li>
</ul>
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.ardgrain.com/gardenstown-webcam"><b>Gardenstown/Gamrie</b></a> <br />
The webcam is looking towards the coastal village of Gardenstown on the North-East coast of Aberdeenshire and the site also has a page on the Gardenstown Weather Station, provide constantly updated weather information. There is also local information about local tourist attractions such as Church of St John the Evangelist, which was built in 1513 and celebrates the defeat of the Danes at this site in 1004. <br />
<a href="http://www.gatehousewebcam.co.uk/"><b>Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries & Galloway</b></a> <br />
A view of the Main Street in Gatehouse of Fleet looking toward the clock tower, with Cardoness Castle and the sea in the background. <br />
<a href="http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/AboutGlasgow/WebCams/"><b>Glasgow- George Square</b></a> <br />
View the changing face of Glasgow's main square which hosts many different events during the year. <br />
And here are views of Glasgow from Camvista: <br />
<ul type="disc">
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/glasgow/bbcscotland.php"><b>Glasgow, BBC HQ, Pacific Quay</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/glasgow/buchananstreetlive.php"><b>Glasgow - Buchanan Street</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/glasgow/george_square_cam.php"><b>Glasgow, City Chambers, George Square</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/glasgow/georgesq_camera1.php"><b>Glasgow George Square General View</b></a> </li>
</ul>
<a href="http://freespace.virgin.net/kings.house/"><b>Glencoe</b></a> <br />
The view from the King's House Hotel looking down the glen, updated every two hours. <br />
<a href="http://www.gleneagles.com/golf/golf-courses/pga-centenary-course/webcam"><b>Gleneagles Golf Course</b></a> <br />
The first tee at the PGA Centenary Course, Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder. <br />
<a href="http://saitek1.camstreams.com/"><b>Greenock, Inverclyde</b></a> <br />
Looking across the river Clyde. <br />
<a href="http://www.anvilhall.com/webcam/index.html"><b>Gretna Green Anvil Hall Wedding Venue</b></a> <br />
See the wedding ceremonies in this famous location. <br />
<a href="http://www.lochalsh.com/webcam.html"><b>Kyle of Lochalsh</b></a> <br />
Looking over to Skye and the Skye road bridge. <br />
<a href="http://www.eoropaidh.co.uk/"><b>Lewis - Eoropaidh Tea Room</b></a> <br />
In the extreme north of the Isle of Lewis <br />
<a href="http://www.linlithgow.com/webcam_cross.htm"><b>Linlithgow Town Centre</b></a> and <a href="http://www.linlithgow.com/webcam_canal.htm"><b>Union Canal</b></a> <br />
See the traffic flow in Linlithgow town centre or the slower pace of Linlithgow canal centre, the Union Canal and the narrow boats moored there. <br />
<a href="http://www.lochlomondshores.com/about-us/webcam/"><b>Loch Lomond</b></a> <br />
Change the views to see different aspects including the loch, Loch Lomond Shores visitor centre and the Maid of the Loch paddle steamer. <br />
<a href="http://www.lochness.co.uk/livecam/"><b>Loch Ness</b></a> <br />
So that you can keep watch for Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster - both above and under water. <br />
<a href="http://www.nlb.org.uk/WebCams/Main/"><b>Mull of Galloway and North Ronaldsay North Ronaldsay</b></a> <br />
The Northern Lighthouse Board, Lighthouse Library has set up Webcams on the lighthouse on the Mull of Galloway and the island of North Ronaldsay North Ronaldsay. <br />
<a href="http://www.ardgrain.com/new-deer-webcam"><b>New Deer, Aberdeenshire</b></a> <br />
Looking from just outside the ancient town of New Deer in Aberdeenshire, towards the mountain of Bennachie, the best known and most climbed hill range in North East Scotland. <br />
<a href="http://www.blaven.com/webcams.aspx"><b><b>North-west Scotland and Skye</b></b></a> <br />
There are links to a series of Webcams near Armadale at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig College (part of the University of the Highlands and Islands) looking from the college across the Sound of Sleet to the fishing and ferry port of Mallaig. If you look out at the right time you might just catch sight the CalMac ferry leaving Mallaig for Armadale or the Small Isles of Rùm, Eigg, Muck and Canna. Another webcam looks north east from the college across the Sound of Sleat to "Britain's last wilderness", the Knoydart peninsula. Further webcams include one located behind Bernera Farmhouse looking west across the meadow to the Kyle Rhea narrows and Ben Aslak; then there is a webcam at Bernera Farm, north of Glenelg, looking north east down Glen Bernera towards Glas Bheinn. Don't forget to click on the webcam image to view a dedicated archive page that includes a captioned view of the most prominent features on each webcam plus thirty days of images and time-lapse sequences. Other webcams of Skye from the same site, include: <br />
<ul type="disc">
<li><a href="http://www.streamdays.com/camera/view/skye-badicaul-crannog-lodge"><b>Badicaul by Kyle of Lochalsh</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.914outdoor-eshop.co.uk/eilean-donan-castlemountain-weather-webcam-3-w.asp"><b>Eilean Donan Castle</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.carbostweather.co.uk/kabcam.htm"><b>Loch Harport, Minginish Peninsula</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/highlands/lochness1.php"><b>Loch Ness</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.camvista.com/scotland/highlands/skye.php3"><b>Skye Bridge</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.skyeskyns.co.uk/webcam.asp"><b>Skyeskyns, Waternish Peninsula, Skye</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.sligachan.co.uk/webcam.php"><b>Sligachan, Isle of Skye</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.lochness.co.uk/livecam/index.html"><b>Urquhart Castle & Loch Ness</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.whiteheatherhotel.co.uk/Isle_of_skye_webcam.html"><b>White Heather Hotel, Kyleakin</b></a> </li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.oban.org.uk/Oban-tourism-information-and-accommodation"><b>Oban</b></a> <br />
Three cameras providing two views of the town from different points plus inside the tourist information centre - wave to your friends who wish they were there too! <br />
<a href="http://www.clacksweb.org.uk/community/webcam/"><b>Ochil Hills</b></a> <br />
View of the Ochils from Clackmannan Community Web site. <br />
<a href="http://www.hafnavagr.demon.co.uk/ispy.htm"><b>Orkney</b></a> <br />
A view of Stromness Harbour, updated every hour. <br />
<a href="http://www.thelongpartnership.co.uk/profile/orkney_webcam.php"><b>Orkney - St Magnus Cathedral</b></a> <br />
View of St Magnus Cathedral taken from the office of a local chartered accountant. <br />
<a href="http://nairb1.camstreams.com/"><b>Rutherglen</b></a> <br />
The site has been listed in the top 25 views by the webcam portal site EarthCam - rubbing shoulders with views of Brooklyn Bridge, Tokyo and Nasa astronauts in space. A plus is the quality of the sound being broadcast - the site comments "if you listen, you will hear the odd reveller go home after a wee drink or two after the local pubs and bars close." <br />
<a href="http://www.visitshetland.com/"><b>Shetland</b></a> <br />
Click on the Webcam link on this official Shetland tourism site and get a series of Webcam views around the islands, including: <br />
<ul type="disc">
<li><a href="http://visit.shetland.org/lerwick-town-centre-webcam"><b>Lerwick Town Centre</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://visit.shetland.org/lerwick-harbour-webcam"><b>Lerwick Harbour</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://visit.shetland.org/hays-dock"><b>Hays Dock, Lerwick</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://visit.shetland.org/sumburgh-airport-webcam"><b>Sumburgh Airport</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://visit.shetland.org/pool-of-virkie"><b>Pool of Virkie</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://visit.shetland.org/eshaness-webcam"><b>Eshaness</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://visit.shetland.org/fetlar-webcam"><b>Fetlar</b></a> </li>
<li><a href="http://visit.shetland.org/lunna-house-webcam"><b>Lunna House</b></a> </li>
</ul>
<a href="http://trafficscotland.org/lev/list/"><b>Traffic Scotland</b></a> <br />
CCTV views of traffic on most of the main trunk roads across Scotland. Long list gives access to pop-up view of all the locations (if the cameras are working!) Note that there is a Smartphone app for this site - search for "Traffic Scotland" in your apps market place. </li>
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</span></blockquote>
Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-48591515913749663002011-10-29T12:29:00.002-04:002011-10-29T12:29:19.036-04:00Braaaaaaaaiiiins!Last night, the zombies took over Adams Street in downtown Toledo! My husband and I donned our biker gear and went out in search of a few brains to munch on at the second annual Zombie Crawl. This is probably the one time that turning off the red-eye reduction on the camera is actually a good thing. :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuyd2tWRYEE8q4JedzW7P-EBPptybZmJaauNkWrR8tF3OwGO35vRT7YR3_P_drmXqqcsShgIIv5rgZe8rfNFrReTZxqDRO8CwlJCbsPyA8Pz8RBugYWo4V7aATdPMml1_cvNF/s1600/zombiebikers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="264" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuyd2tWRYEE8q4JedzW7P-EBPptybZmJaauNkWrR8tF3OwGO35vRT7YR3_P_drmXqqcsShgIIv5rgZe8rfNFrReTZxqDRO8CwlJCbsPyA8Pz8RBugYWo4V7aATdPMml1_cvNF/s320/zombiebikers.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This was one night we elected not to ride the Harley. Are you kidding me? With all those blood-hungry monsters roaming the alleys? [shudder]<br />
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Happy Halloween, everyone!<br />
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Carolan Ivey<br />
<a href="http://www.carolanivey.com">www.carolanivey.com</a>Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-91445371560132510762011-10-25T12:09:00.001-04:002011-10-25T12:10:07.383-04:00Early Celtic "Stonehenge" Found in Germany<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.sciencedaily.com/2011/10/111011074624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://images.sciencedaily.com/2011/10/111011074624.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>Early Celtic Moon-based Calendar "Stonehenge" Found in Germany<br />
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Just in time for the Celtic new year!<br />
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From Science Daily:<br />
<i>A huge early Celtic calendar construction has been discovered in the royal tomb of Magdalenenberg, nearby Villingen-Schwenningen in Germany's Black Forest. This discovery was made by researchers at the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum at Mainz in Germany when they evaluated old excavation plans. The order of the burials around the central royal tomb fits exactly with the sky constellations of the Northern hemisphere.</i> <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011074624.htm">Read more</a>Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-10950534507815129712011-10-11T09:40:00.000-04:002011-10-11T09:40:03.531-04:00Highway to Hell (Mich.), Oct. 2011Last weekend my husband and I explored south central Michigan's rolling hills and gem-like lakes to see the fall colors. Armed with a handful of printed off maps (oh yeah, I can hear you snickering already), off we went on our Harley beastie (I'm not riding solo that far or fast yet!). Within an hour the wind took a couple of the maps, so thus began our navigation by "iron booger." (Fans of Home Improvement will get that reference!)<br />
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Here are a few pictures from the weekend. Most of them were taken while the bike was in motion, so I apologize in advance for the tilted view. :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-SvHyhuGrV4GE-Wg7zdjQHPQjg7BstidyMt2HpyuhqExntQXjget78zs8YC0vvxNNWsl1204GlZPwfa6v02X6TjfZudRd0DhaSZ0KoI26bPzKXSCBg3-J7Qh95M8bKqQAxa44A/s1600/DSC06311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-SvHyhuGrV4GE-Wg7zdjQHPQjg7BstidyMt2HpyuhqExntQXjget78zs8YC0vvxNNWsl1204GlZPwfa6v02X6TjfZudRd0DhaSZ0KoI26bPzKXSCBg3-J7Qh95M8bKqQAxa44A/s200/DSC06311.JPG" /></a></div>Huron River below Barton Pond dam.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1iJN0Q0vj3VJwWSZGbc2KYIk1Ep4xjjrtCSJRBvH3hmagw61rKzf70REiOD3WwpmU8PpzlABcfnFDM9hhcMa2Syb1qKg6CT5sji7C_BM29Lr94JfHMdZRFfmmLErawt498p05fA/s1600/DSC06196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1iJN0Q0vj3VJwWSZGbc2KYIk1Ep4xjjrtCSJRBvH3hmagw61rKzf70REiOD3WwpmU8PpzlABcfnFDM9hhcMa2Syb1qKg6CT5sji7C_BM29Lr94JfHMdZRFfmmLErawt498p05fA/s200/DSC06196.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvLRZJchxIQbpokAi401hmgMSaWG6AWgipXO2CcctmLQFk4YHjBi9feGgkUQX38pcFICuQvXLOcoYT0HLra9jP4-JnyEYjFe4UFk7i3DYahtk_CaRI8YajrRX05lr8XXRC-k-qA/s1600/DSC06245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvLRZJchxIQbpokAi401hmgMSaWG6AWgipXO2CcctmLQFk4YHjBi9feGgkUQX38pcFICuQvXLOcoYT0HLra9jP4-JnyEYjFe4UFk7i3DYahtk_CaRI8YajrRX05lr8XXRC-k-qA/s200/DSC06245.JPG" /></a></div>My hubby and the Beastie at Sandhill Crane Winery. Don't worry, I did most of the tasting, since I wasn't driving!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7yy2B6sIhmnDi1q5uReHadOm2Dy0jKNvb9Gp05KX7m7w0bzlKmvO3yBaWoVf3Dd3rgWTeNBGHYosScq8cjPDXK_nZ62ozLhwiypbnnyqPTc2AD-lzfZBKiA09hAq_v76JDjWw1A/s1600/DSC06250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7yy2B6sIhmnDi1q5uReHadOm2Dy0jKNvb9Gp05KX7m7w0bzlKmvO3yBaWoVf3Dd3rgWTeNBGHYosScq8cjPDXK_nZ62ozLhwiypbnnyqPTc2AD-lzfZBKiA09hAq_v76JDjWw1A/s200/DSC06250.JPG" /></a></div>Most of these photos are from the Waterloo recreation area.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLYOIFuEa2P7MDG1tRZWuDKTgSE2apkOfOiSkzRd55wcQRYS7LLS8nvFeyfew2tw2DMVgNzY20utFelSGBgwCq8iPukclWLj6e44wwHJ6d77wrPm5D8Vlaf4kzN927Af7VTJbcQ/s1600/DSC06259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjLYOIFuEa2P7MDG1tRZWuDKTgSE2apkOfOiSkzRd55wcQRYS7LLS8nvFeyfew2tw2DMVgNzY20utFelSGBgwCq8iPukclWLj6e44wwHJ6d77wrPm5D8Vlaf4kzN927Af7VTJbcQ/s200/DSC06259.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYcW1_poXSyj4caxAnoZHSIZZn_T_WCUvG5uH7XwkKbQTDFXF0XHoMZ7d8RDd5qUz87gghFPP90mDFxE0DmAeE7P3yFNMuDZRLJ89ku3sDPARrw05E5AE1QpoV3Pk87-TETK4TGw/s1600/DSC06383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYcW1_poXSyj4caxAnoZHSIZZn_T_WCUvG5uH7XwkKbQTDFXF0XHoMZ7d8RDd5qUz87gghFPP90mDFxE0DmAeE7P3yFNMuDZRLJ89ku3sDPARrw05E5AE1QpoV3Pk87-TETK4TGw/s200/DSC06383.JPG" /></a></div>Lotsa bikes at the Dam Site Inn, Hell, Michigan.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrcKyFYxmggT5b5GJ6YsIszAD_xV3KX-F0MjDV7UNEcls4_PjKB8JuHLecL_XJsHAUYtH7k7YOLtkX6aARCEGeLIk2d3IjL2xGEYxzJUx7HjGfhv-Q8pN_ITz605b_YqdNNyPvA/s1600/DSC06336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrcKyFYxmggT5b5GJ6YsIszAD_xV3KX-F0MjDV7UNEcls4_PjKB8JuHLecL_XJsHAUYtH7k7YOLtkX6aARCEGeLIk2d3IjL2xGEYxzJUx7HjGfhv-Q8pN_ITz605b_YqdNNyPvA/s200/DSC06336.JPG" /></a></div>Barton Pond<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bfjzC9tldbcnJ4ZO4AW0RM5xo86ACjvAG0Ob9dW_4zggpGY97lmR11TFysxsAJJ67A0bLgCsJOu48hXT3E1LZYf2bYhyphenhyphenII4610QYy_n6OOi3NYEVa1_D6urovwp0TR8ESlTfbw/s1600/DSC06358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bfjzC9tldbcnJ4ZO4AW0RM5xo86ACjvAG0Ob9dW_4zggpGY97lmR11TFysxsAJJ67A0bLgCsJOu48hXT3E1LZYf2bYhyphenhyphenII4610QYy_n6OOi3NYEVa1_D6urovwp0TR8ESlTfbw/s200/DSC06358.JPG" /></a></div>I'm not sure WHAT this is...!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvyFogPOeumZpr65RzWWEQsvnbtcsX0JfVkw6Q82PgKeVtD70awn6pwJMHM_ezF3bOCPlMpDBi4YCQ2AC28MYNF4nheo-QnySsdzklLV-q5fxUhHQ9kOtKT9BhwtJ6cOh_zE7lQ/s1600/DSC06371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvyFogPOeumZpr65RzWWEQsvnbtcsX0JfVkw6Q82PgKeVtD70awn6pwJMHM_ezF3bOCPlMpDBi4YCQ2AC28MYNF4nheo-QnySsdzklLV-q5fxUhHQ9kOtKT9BhwtJ6cOh_zE7lQ/s200/DSC06371.JPG" /></a></div>Welcome sign over the bar at the Dam Site Inn.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZSVKyeVf6Mtcqnv4-j0C948ev3QL3EK1WvDM_SjVqWvEzHrC_Ri4UxFzY42pVvCk6xc5h4h-uJKveeluqWuQEB0wxVyiPgEcY9V3wmV_aO_elHOEnNCfkjRfncez3TWkuwEedg/s1600/DSC06382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZSVKyeVf6Mtcqnv4-j0C948ev3QL3EK1WvDM_SjVqWvEzHrC_Ri4UxFzY42pVvCk6xc5h4h-uJKveeluqWuQEB0wxVyiPgEcY9V3wmV_aO_elHOEnNCfkjRfncez3TWkuwEedg/s200/DSC06382.JPG" /></a></div>Proof that Hell, MI is a real place!Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-65937280391337317452011-10-11T09:18:00.002-04:002011-10-11T09:18:33.476-04:00Ticket to ride!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpiOAIVkCiPVbKC4SXxVzZ_dQQ0_mBkPFpDJGUHSrezAmFMVlGPddBk23_SwsH-gva6HRPMcZCriwIjEs2Bjo5SCtgr6quQOsivtie-q2kL_XUHvIFekzuSHM-vdr4bUs9M7k/s1600/Scoot2ndDay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="170" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfpiOAIVkCiPVbKC4SXxVzZ_dQQ0_mBkPFpDJGUHSrezAmFMVlGPddBk23_SwsH-gva6HRPMcZCriwIjEs2Bjo5SCtgr6quQOsivtie-q2kL_XUHvIFekzuSHM-vdr4bUs9M7k/s200/Scoot2ndDay.jpg" /></a></div>About this time last year, I posted a blog about <a href="http://carolanivey.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-i-did-on-my-summer-vacation-vroom.html">my spectacular failure to pass the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's (MSF) basic rider course</a> in a quest to get my license. I can look back on it now and laugh, especially since now, one year later, I have...(drum roll)...passed the course and earned my M!<br />
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Yep, instead of a generic picture of a girl on a motorcycle, today's picture is me on my second day riding my new scooter, which I've dubbed "Puck." In faerie lore, the pooka or phukka are a funloving folk, full of mischief and lively humor. But treated with disrespect or ignored, they can turn on you and make life miserable! That's sort of how I approach riding - have fun, but don't push my luck.<br />
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Puck is a 2011 Meiduo 150cc scooter, delightfully easy to ride and with enough zip to be safe on the townships 50-mph roads. The previous owner added a water bottle holder and a strip of bright blue LED lights on the underside, right before he decided he wanted a machine with a bigger engine. <br />
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My instructor, the proprietor of a local scooter shop, went above and beyond to help me get over my jitters. When I showed up for the schedule class in August, it turned out all the scooters he'd brought with him were too tall for me - I couldn't reach the ground with my toes, much less flatfoot it. So once again I had to bow out of the course before I'd barely gotten started. Tom promised me he'd meet with me one on one with a smaller scooter the following week. Then his lovely wife Katy broke her foot, so we had to put it off yet another few weeks.<br />
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Just when it looked liked I'd either be riding in the snow or putting it off another year, Tom called with the news that Katy was cleared to put weight on the foot.<br />
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A few days later I walked nervously onto the far corner of long-term parking at the local airport. Tom put me on a bright yellow former rental scooter that I promptly named Tweetie Bird. After learning the basics on Tweetie, Tom put me on a bigger scooter to see how I fared in the sharp turns. Suffice to say the bug population of the Lucas County airport parking lot was cut roughly in half as I raced around the turns with a huge grin on my face. :)<br />
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Two days later I'd mastered the dreaded Box (tight figure 8), cornering, weaving and emergency stopping. My only point off was not coming out of the corner fast enough.<br />
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Hmm, riding faster...better go work on that. See ya later! Now where's my helmet...Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-81065957229903057192011-09-03T13:15:00.000-04:002011-09-03T13:15:19.231-04:00CONTEST on my BtV blog post today!Come on over and chat about your guilty media pleasures. :) Leave a comment to get in a drawing for a bag of Authors After Dark con swag and books. <a href="http://paranormalauthors.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-have-this-love-hate-relationship-with.html">Click here!</a>Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-84524396084069143042011-08-26T09:21:00.002-04:002011-08-26T09:21:57.751-04:00Summer Ghost HuntingRead about the ghost walks and hunts I've done this summer over on the Samhain Publishing blog, and see my orb photos! :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.samhainpublishing.com/2011/08/summer-ghost-hunting/">Read it here!</a>Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-42865819463395779302011-07-24T17:47:00.005-04:002011-07-24T18:22:53.030-04:00Dark Wine & Dangerous Cheese: What Authors Do After Dark<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvDqH2RgxtL3sfw_ffK7wXQh-bYc0erZhfYzw1YF3fIgkE0_VPTOxnQJeEdy_IQT0uYKYAu39wVqIHaRT8ZYTsty-eTvVzPz43NbhFj1UNlzIJ3VhVvAgfgtzxZjmgWiCnTRvnA/s1600/dwdc.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 135px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvDqH2RgxtL3sfw_ffK7wXQh-bYc0erZhfYzw1YF3fIgkE0_VPTOxnQJeEdy_IQT0uYKYAu39wVqIHaRT8ZYTsty-eTvVzPz43NbhFj1UNlzIJ3VhVvAgfgtzxZjmgWiCnTRvnA/s200/dwdc.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633046335937744258" /></a>Greetings! Just a quick announcement that I will be appearing at the 2011 Authors After Dark con, Aug. 11-14 at the Philadelphia Doubletree. Registration is officially closed, but the booksigning will be open to the public.<br /><br />If you're signed up to go, here's my schedule:<br /><br />Thursday:<br />3pm, Assembly E, Historical ROmance<br />4pm Assembly F, Myth and Magic<br /><br />Friday:<br />11am, Concerto A, Behind the Scenes of the Average Author<br />4pm, Assembly D, Spontaneously Paranormal<br /><br />Saturday:<br />11am, Assembly D, Author Blog Fail<br />2-4pm, Ormandy Ballroom, Booksigning<br /><br />-----<br /><br />On Friday, join me, Dana Marie Bell, Bianca D'Arc and J.C. Wilder for "Dark & Dangerous Wine & Cheese" from 4-6pm, Hospitality (2nd Floor).<br /><br />Trust me, as an avid fan of "Suspicious Cheese Lords", I lobbied hard for "Dark Wine & Dangerous Cheese" as the title, but I guess everyone was afraid that no one else would get the reference. [grin] Oh well. <br /><br />We'll have gourmet cheese and nibbles and a cash bar, and we'll be handing out goodie bags and holding a drawing for prize baskets and a FREE NOOK!!<br /><br />Hope to see you there!Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-65572981194708075152011-06-24T00:48:00.002-04:002011-06-24T00:51:03.238-04:00Friends of author L.A. Banks hold benefit auction<a href="http://www.labanksauction.org/">Click here for information</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.labanksauction.org/Auction.htm"><br /><img border="0" src="http://www.labanksauction.org/images/Share%20Your%20Heart%20Button.jpg" width="150" height="150" alt="Share Your Heart. Help LA Banks by Bidding Early and Often in the Auction."></a>Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-58342192367259487892011-06-06T13:09:00.002-04:002011-06-06T13:13:03.183-04:00Music Review: "Stories for Sale" by Christie HennessyHey gang, I'm now a staff writer for Celtic Mp3s Magazine. If you haven't checked out this site, you should! There are even free Celtic music tracks to download. Enjoy! <a href="http://celticmp3s.com/2011/06/review-stories-for-sale-by-christie-hennessy/">Click here</a>Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-68875653550274861572011-04-20T19:12:00.015-04:002011-04-20T21:20:00.093-04:00Between Two Fires: Earth Day to Beltane<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rVDYZu7umfISSHrnu6qbO4rd_RzgeITyqPaFv1fK4WWLOoTSfoUdL3gRPgHz0JCsvX32weNPl2SUnf0SNo9hoFKvvKLdZ9Rhy1IO_kuwK_MylwJFg5-XlbSYGI9WjGU7fr9u_w/s1600/BeltaneArtDeco.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8rVDYZu7umfISSHrnu6qbO4rd_RzgeITyqPaFv1fK4WWLOoTSfoUdL3gRPgHz0JCsvX32weNPl2SUnf0SNo9hoFKvvKLdZ9Rhy1IO_kuwK_MylwJFg5-XlbSYGI9WjGU7fr9u_w/s200/BeltaneArtDeco.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597840410597110434" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style:italic;">Eadar dà theine Bhealltainn.</span> The Highland Scots honored the ancient traditions of May Day by casting juniper boughs upon two bonfires, then passing between them for purification and luck.<br /><br />These days, our planet Earth could use a bit of both.<br /><br />Here are a few things you can do to celebrate both Earth Day (April 22) and May Day/Beltane!<br /><ol><br /><li> Declutter and donate. As long as you're spring cleaning, do it right! Be ruthless and get rid of anything you haven't seen, touched or used in more than a year. Don't just pitch everything, though. Your local Goodwill, Salvation Army or homeless/domestic abuse shelters can use:<br /><br />Furniture<br />- Clothing & shoes<br />- Small appliances<br />- Toys, games and books<br />- Older but still functioning computers/laptops<br />- Unused toiletries leftover from when you went crazy at that last 2-for-1 sale<br /><br /></li><li> Recycle all those cardboard Christmas gift boxes you've got stuffed under the bed. (Yes, dear hubby, I'm talking to you!)<br /><br /></li><li> Your local chapter of the <a href="http://www.aauw.org/">American Association of University Women</a> or Friends of the Library might appreciate your old books.<br /><br /></li><li> Send your used paperback novels to <a href="http://booksforsoldiers.com/">soldiers serving overseas</a>.<br /><br /></li><li> Plastic grocery bags - there's a reason these are being outlawed in some states. Please don't throw these out with the garbage - save them and drop them in the collection box many grocery stores have their front doors.<br /><br /></li><li> Oh, but keep a few to stuff in your pocket to collect trash on your next walk in the park.<br /><br /></li><li> Take a stand against climate change and observe <a href="http://earthhour.org/">Earth Hour</a>. Turn off electrical appliances, lights, computers, etc. for one hour. Do something crazy, like, um...talk to your kids and your spouse! ;)<br /><br /></li><li> A great project for schools, churches, scout troops, etc. - <a href="http://www.earthdaybags.org/index.htm">Earth Day Groceries Project</a>. "Borrow" paper bags from the grocery store (ask the manager), decorate them with earth-friendly messages, and return them to the store to be given to customers.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif<br /><br /></li><li> Put your talent to work! Contribute a photograph to the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1667216@N23/">Earth Day State of the Earth</a> photo project.<br /><br /></li><li> Learn about kid and pet friendly, <a href="http://just-for-mom.slides.kaboose.com/129-a-safer-home-toxin-free-cleaning-products">toxin-free cleaning products</a>. Can't find these in the store? <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=make+your+own+cleaning+products">Make your own!</a><br /><br /></li><li> Take a hard look at your overstuffed linen closet (come one, admit it, you know you have one!) and take out at least half of what's in there. My guess is you've got more towels and maybe sheets than you need or use. Your local animal shelter would love to have them! <a href="http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/creative-reuse/top-ten-ways-to-recycle-your-old-towels-and-sheets-075474">Here are a few more ideas</a>.<br /><br /></li><li> Save a few tin cans from the recycle bin and make <a href="http://crafts.kaboose.com/earth-tin-can-herb-pots.html">Tin Can Herb Pots</a>.<br /><br /></li><li> Don't throw out that broken wooden chair - or that half a can of leftover house paint. Make a <a href="http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/beltanecrafts/ss/FaerieChair.htm">Faerie Chair</a>!</li></ol><br />Happy Earth Day and Blessed Beltane!<br /><br />Carolan<br />www.carolanivey.comCarolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-77926469597338115462011-04-02T20:46:00.003-04:002011-04-02T20:48:43.780-04:00Things that make you wish you'd worn a Depends...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABnm22ljcTW_r95ZDkpzJ_GPGvsKJDsrhNPn9lnAQ5B6ZiSVvzB7foWviNwBfhjsOV4RD0Yavb1v8zNKrC14JAW15whgPM85AHfVSFfexls5n3J7rDiWK_TRmZzm20dIbiH1oNA/s1600/bluelady.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 144px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABnm22ljcTW_r95ZDkpzJ_GPGvsKJDsrhNPn9lnAQ5B6ZiSVvzB7foWviNwBfhjsOV4RD0Yavb1v8zNKrC14JAW15whgPM85AHfVSFfexls5n3J7rDiWK_TRmZzm20dIbiH1oNA/s200/bluelady.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591152705414541890" border="0" /></a>Blogging today over on the Samhain blog: "<a href="http://www.samhainpublishing.com/2011/04/things-that-make-you-wish-youd-worn-a-depends/">Things that make you wish you'd worn a Depends...</a>"Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-19733379990724457292011-03-21T10:10:00.010-04:002011-03-21T10:44:14.509-04:00Celtophile Monday - Get Your Tartan On!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEyl8JrhLLgpTcG47IOaGSWWfcKIJzJBroRpceEacGk7vQTKL_Mb16hMKni8m6VWDoxSPCaDYHW6Dm_G3MQwKClLDbhsYIAnl80f9DAHltH0LqPwMx8FKb7U4qBQ38gQ_MUB-5Q/s1600/TartanDay1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 151px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPEyl8JrhLLgpTcG47IOaGSWWfcKIJzJBroRpceEacGk7vQTKL_Mb16hMKni8m6VWDoxSPCaDYHW6Dm_G3MQwKClLDbhsYIAnl80f9DAHltH0LqPwMx8FKb7U4qBQ38gQ_MUB-5Q/s200/TartanDay1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586536681672261906" border="0" /></a>Tartan Day is upon us! Wondering if there are any special events in your area? Check out my friend Scotty's list of events, many in the U.S. <a href="http://www.rampantscotland.com/features/tartanday.htm">Click here</a>.<br /><br />What's your favorite <a href="http://www.tartans.scotland.net/">tartan</a>? I have a few. :)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />My clan tartan, MacPherson:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRq9hsRaGZLK_U5s9v22Tjr1t6rd04FgHDuQxDoOugs3TGqSWO30QZIEPIZlWAj14hGunkS8PMKlmOAAuky2VgDnJkxSiUd4yjKVo9e-yllk7U_2V7QNGIvl1hLT_a3mE7kjfrlA/s1600/tartanmacpherson.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRq9hsRaGZLK_U5s9v22Tjr1t6rd04FgHDuQxDoOugs3TGqSWO30QZIEPIZlWAj14hGunkS8PMKlmOAAuky2VgDnJkxSiUd4yjKVo9e-yllk7U_2V7QNGIvl1hLT_a3mE7kjfrlA/s200/tartanmacpherson.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586540303916705154" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Black Watch:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2p3DUhKDOUNeLXoe69BxBdbmStM-X-3t11y-qVJa4k8VXzZP2d6Mk7BHs4sRCKDixuNcE5L0ET6iuuT2wl0EzX4mR74ZEecY99tIWI8zjyVo9Sbe61w7UKcVLQuAjJnRHlmLa4w/s1600/tartanblackwatch.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2p3DUhKDOUNeLXoe69BxBdbmStM-X-3t11y-qVJa4k8VXzZP2d6Mk7BHs4sRCKDixuNcE5L0ET6iuuT2wl0EzX4mR74ZEecY99tIWI8zjyVo9Sbe61w7UKcVLQuAjJnRHlmLa4w/s200/tartanblackwatch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586541294483743266" border="0" /></a><br /><br />and Flower of Scotland:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3Y3-biiCxsO8k7hOQNShkgwXi5V-r9bD092X1xjQ1_myrovRXlXLaXKrHY_4B-KKXy_bcGFTs-MlWYIQ5mmiuOJH15ZnDPQp3gNDE3cEoQiZu10iAFdcvMNWmjURCZVViYmbuw/s1600/tartanflowerofscotland.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3Y3-biiCxsO8k7hOQNShkgwXi5V-r9bD092X1xjQ1_myrovRXlXLaXKrHY_4B-KKXy_bcGFTs-MlWYIQ5mmiuOJH15ZnDPQp3gNDE3cEoQiZu10iAFdcvMNWmjURCZVViYmbuw/s200/tartanflowerofscotland.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586542259000597922" border="0" /></a><br />...which is not unlike Black Watch but a little lighter and more reminiscent of the colors of a thistle.<br /><br />Oh, come on, who am I kidding? Just about any tartan is my favorite, worn in the right context:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdb9qpjmcU76CA8Y2di6jDaJQaffSc2Yo4vkSJbVzB6UkT_oXf2k8raUuHEu3rp7lhyphenhyphenE5MruD3kKRIli0sKnQR41jCQLopRdq2Si_QD3Mpj4Miy9R621yaDXrRNQepzk-3rf9IKw/s1600/gregg-homme-174-kilt-thong-4489090.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdb9qpjmcU76CA8Y2di6jDaJQaffSc2Yo4vkSJbVzB6UkT_oXf2k8raUuHEu3rp7lhyphenhyphenE5MruD3kKRIli0sKnQR41jCQLopRdq2Si_QD3Mpj4Miy9R621yaDXrRNQepzk-3rf9IKw/s200/gregg-homme-174-kilt-thong-4489090.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586543802952698194" border="0" /></a>Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-68056113412441214942010-12-21T00:01:00.000-05:002010-12-21T00:01:03.212-05:00<object width="400" height="334"><param name="movie" value="http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/flash/syndicatedVideoPlayer.swf?vid=ireland_newgrange"></param><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"></param></param><embed src="http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/flash/syndicatedVideoPlayer.swf?vid=ireland_newgrange" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="400" height="334"></embed></object>Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-14934121738632182262010-11-03T19:05:00.006-04:002010-11-03T19:23:12.571-04:00A Ghost of a Chance is an RT Reviewer's Choice Finalist!Following in the footsteps of Beaudry's Ghost, book 2 of the series has also been nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice award! :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Chance-Legends-Carolan-Ivey/dp/1605044121/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288826160&sr=8-1"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6AB3GYBtzQR2ZcHT7iNd-qdgjjrUOMPNjDqRrgnh1WvwPV1wZ9SYlQ5LuXPrluL44rFzuGzD1NNnvRhyytQTPoFYczrzCuwCJehLHca0p6Qxx6N3NZGLm56fYnwUY7Spm6eGhFw/s320/907.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535463698437153458" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Chance-Legends-Carolan-Ivey/dp/1605044121/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288826160&sr=8-1"> <img style="cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 101px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguEiNC5Iv5C9-DWgbTC_cNgUBSNz6te0HgTO9L4dZhlVdljlneHOxIg0f50VFzn9fpzz0T5p1PIbEd6OZ6yPoNosiVCOsa3cv0PuH6Z6GwrXILAZfob0o6TpePlD7KXZ3GSWeJiA/s200/RT2010Finalist.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535463855416797362" border="0" /> </a>Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-26231600045044210242010-09-08T10:21:00.001-04:002010-09-08T10:21:51.287-04:00My very first romanceCheck out my mini-blog today over on <a href="http://www.ireadromance.com/?p=4168">IReadRomance.com</a>. :)Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-66965214492668627342010-09-03T19:06:00.012-04:002010-09-03T19:33:37.052-04:00What I Did On My Summer Vacation--VROOM!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.hdopenroad.com/wp-content/themes/busybee/thumb.php?src=http://www.hdopenroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/womanriderfatboy.jpg&w=425&h=344&zc=1&q=90"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 316px;" src="http://www.hdopenroad.com/wp-content/themes/busybee/thumb.php?src=http://www.hdopenroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/womanriderfatboy.jpg&w=425&h=344&zc=1&q=90" alt="" border="0" /></a>Subtitle: <span style="font-style: italic;">In order to remember what it's like to feel alive, sometimes it's necessary to do something that scares the sh!t outta you.</span><br /><br />So, I've been a little MIA this summer. As soon as the weather got nice, my husband and I have been out on his Harley whenever it's a nice day. This is our second summer with the bike, a '99 Ultra Classic, and while it's a blast riding behind my husband, I've been getting the itch to learn to ride, myself. I figured, hey, I know how to drive a stick shift. How hard can it be?<br /><br />[insert hysterical laughter here]<br /><br />Those of you who know me even a little know that I've had rheumatoid arthritis virtually all my life. I've done pretty well overall, thanks to modern medicines and joint replacement technology. Normal, everyday activities are usually not too big of an issue. Still, the prospect of working a clutch with my teeny little hands and not my foot had me working on strength training for a few weeks leading up to a weekend beginning riders course.<br /><br />Day 1 of the riding portion of my Motorcycle Safety Foundation class dawned dreary and rainy, and I'm thinking, "Perfect! If this doesn't cure me of my fear of wet surfaces, nothing will."<br /><br />I arrive, gear up, and walk down the row to select my bike, preferably one with a low seat. I got on a Honda Rebel, red, and my tush went "aaahhhh!!" It seems to be a good fit. Next step, overcome my first fear: balancing the bike. I put the kickstand up and leaned it back and forth, not real far, but got a feel for the weight. Okay, seems doable, and it's clear I'm not going to tip over just sitting still with my feet on the ground.<br /><br />Did I mention it's pouring rain by now? I'm glad I put the visor back on my helmet.<br /><br />Finally comes the moment to start the engine. I hit the button and how can I describe the feeling? I can't. Those of you who ride know what I'm talking about. Next, power walking, which brings me to my second concern - the clutch. First power walk completed, though I'm the slowest in the class. I'm struggling to find the friction zone as my hand strains and quickly starts getting sore. I manage a couple of sloooow power walks and by this time my fear of balancing while the bike is in motion is gone.<br /><br />The trainer encourages me to go a bit faster and get my feet up. Nope, still can't find the friction zone (the point where you're letting out the clutch and the engine catches hold), and as I fight a losing battle with the clutch, I forget about the throttle. I give it a little gas, feel the engine staaaaaart to engage, then my clutch hand slips and, to my great surprise, I'm zipping along at maybe 8 to 10 mph but it felt like lightspeed!<br /><br />There wasn't time to be scared. It was more like, "What the...? Oh. Let off the throttle, retrieve the clutch. Oh, and braking would be handy!" I get it stopped quickly, hit the kill switch and sit there for a minute to assess. Yeah, I know what happened. Still, I'm not really scared, just a bit startled. The trainer comes over and laughs, and cheers me back to the starting line. Okay. One more time. No more clutch slipping, but I still can't find the friction zone and I turtle across the range, straining with my left hand at the clutch. The I fought with it, the less my throttle hand cooperated.<br /><br />Still raining. Oh, and I can't seem to get the bike from first to neutral without accidentally popping into 2nd. Balky gear shift, or rider ineptitude? At this point, hard to tell.<br /><br />Meanwhile my clutch hand is getting increasingly tired and sore, and it's only been an hour since I started the engine. It's clear that my learning curve is going to be way too wide for this class - which by this time have all mastered power walking and are waiting for me after every revolution. After yet another of countless stall outs, I signaled the trainer and withdrew. My hand wasn't going to make it through the five hours ahead of me.<br /><br />I sat down to watch the rest of the session. I held back tears for a few minutes, mainly because I'd wanted to ace the class in memory of my Dad. But as the class wore on I knew I'd made the right decision. I learned tons just by watching. It was fun to watch the beginning riders' faces light up and grins get bigger as they mastered each step.<br /><br />At the end, both trainers told me that I was the first person who'd ever actually stayed to watch the rest of all-day session after withdrawing. They could see I'm determined and encouraged me to try again. A couple of the more experienced students in the class also talked to me and gave me advice, which was really nice. They all said I could work on my hand strength, but they thought might do better on a scooter, which doesn't involve a clutch. At least to build my confidence until I'm ready to look for that elusive friction zone again.<br /><br />So, the bottom line is, by charging head-on into doing something that scares the crap out of me, I put a few unfounded fears to rest. And I'm confident that someday soon, I'll finally feel the wind in my face under my own power.<br /><br />It was a pretty awesome day. :)<br /><br />Carolan<br />www.carolanivey.com<br /><br />Special shout-out to my new friends at <a href="http://www.vtwinmama.com">VTwinMama.com</a>. You ladies rock!Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-90144565568021471192010-08-30T19:50:00.004-04:002010-08-30T20:00:29.217-04:00Celtophile Monday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.sunsetcelebration.org/performers/bagpipe.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 155px; height: 256px;" src="http://www.sunsetcelebration.org/performers/bagpipe.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The World Pipe Band Championship is complete! Click here to read Scottie's diary and photos of the event.<br /><br />For full results, visit the <a href="http://www.rspba.org/html/majorcontests.php?Year=2010&Contest=World%20Championships">Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association</a>'s web site.<br /><br />View Scottie's slide show, set to music by Moira Kerr, on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of5SeaqK-DU">Youtube</a>.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/of5SeaqK-DU?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/of5SeaqK-DU?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object>Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-81440613961692144452010-08-26T02:34:00.001-04:002010-08-26T02:36:19.272-04:00New photos up on my site!Hi gang,<br /><br />I've been a bit AWOL this summer, haven't I? Well, you can see what I've been up to on my web site - <a href="http://carolanivey.com/Oregon-California.html">travel pictures</a>! Enjoy!Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-33410980499296917752010-07-29T16:14:00.002-04:002010-07-29T16:20:09.930-04:00Win a Nook!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSmdwwX8PX0E1W6vkHpSavI5PDeNTwp02lLRWzIgTb5fwaH39s&t=1&usg=__KDGjw3fSZKaANHI0O98lDug69zs="><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 278px; height: 181px;" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSmdwwX8PX0E1W6vkHpSavI5PDeNTwp02lLRWzIgTb5fwaH39s&t=1&usg=__KDGjw3fSZKaANHI0O98lDug69zs=" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://www.longandshortreviews.com/">The Long and the Short of It Reviews</a> is celebrating its third anniversary in style -- by giving away THREE Nook eBook Readers that come with $50 BN.com gift certificates AND are already pre-loaded with dozens of romance and juvenile fiction eBooks.<br /><br />How to win? They're having a scavenger hunt that runs from August 2-29 and culminates in a two-day chat that final weekend in their Yahoo groups, during which they'll be announcing the winners.<br /><br />Good luck!!Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-28387952045067874512010-07-06T07:43:00.002-04:002010-07-06T07:46:20.835-04:00Spotlight: SJ Willing(Note: This is a cross-post from the Beyond the Veil blog.)<br /><br /><div><em>As our way of saying thank you for the amazing, wonderful, fabulous response to <a href="http://paranormalauthors.blogspot.com/2010/07/thursday-thirteen-thirteen-reasons-to.html">Beyond the Veil’s Save Our SJ fund drive</a>—and to give you a taste of what all the fuss is about—today we’re posting the jacket copy and an excerpt from SJ’s newest release, Dante I. Thank you again from all of us, and especially SJ!<br /></em><br /><strong>Their love could save the planet—or blow it all to hell.<em> </em></strong><br /><br /><em>PIACT Undercover Agents, Book 3</em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Z8h0Q2fftt08dFSGh7u-LKjnBu7I93aSz8LPj_RuxriBujIukcexL0oyWlFOOBRzbFtMHYHPywdLfzwPa1QTjaCH83G229PC7MnISw2ILo6_l3K5uvEWsgjFF1dQAYdN3ZIA/s1600/DanteBtV.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490672523466496306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Z8h0Q2fftt08dFSGh7u-LKjnBu7I93aSz8LPj_RuxriBujIukcexL0oyWlFOOBRzbFtMHYHPywdLfzwPa1QTjaCH83G229PC7MnISw2ILo6_l3K5uvEWsgjFF1dQAYdN3ZIA/s400/DanteBtV.jpg" /></a>Two years on the Separatist-controlled planet of Dante I, and undercover PIACT agent Tomas Valcino is no closer to contacting the underground rebellion. As if imminent mission failure isn’t bad enough, he can’t shake his lust for the prefect’s beautiful daughter, Yumi Rebyj. The distraction must not tear him away from duty.<br /><br />Every time Tomas’s eyes find her, Yumi’s insides melt like the molten planet below them. But she’s got her hands full leading the rebels, caring for her sick father, and fending off the Separatist leader’s advances. Plus, she already knows that Tomas isn’t who he says he is. She just isn’t sure whose side he’s on.<br /><br />An assassination attempt drives Tomas to take Yumi into hiding. In close quarters, all is stripped away. Secrets. Lies. And clothes.<br /><br />Then the discovery of a new technology drives the Separatists to step up their campaign of cruelty to expose the rebels, once and for all. Tomas and Yumi’s connection is Dante I’s only hope—but it could be too little, too late.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Warning: Hunks, Heroines and major warfare in close quarters—and locked cells. Ahem. We won’t forget the pair of panties that bravely gave its all in the making of this novel.</span><br /><br /></div><br /><div><strong>Chapter One</strong><br /><br />Yumi Rebyj closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of the man beneath her. Tomas Valcino, a special metals consultant, had arrived on Dante I a mere two years ago. He’d driven Yumi crazy every day since, simply by being around. It must be illegal the way his muscles rippled as he moved; just watching him made her shiver with lust. When he gazed at her, those pale blue eyes never failed to send a tingle running through her body. Still, none of that could compare to having him in bed. Now that was—<br /><br />“Would you like me to put it in now?”<br /><br />Startled, Yumi opened her eyes and peered over the railing. Lying on the floor below the catwalk, long black hair splayed against the steel floor, Tomas poked amongst the circuitry of the Secondary Mining Terminal. In his free hand he held a datacard loaded with clean datacubes. His puzzled look as he watched her made her blush. What would he think if he knew the daydreams she had about him? Not that they would be anything other than daydreams. Between running the Bolgër—the resistance forces—managing Dante I’s constant flux of mining skippers, and Tomas’s very obvious lack of interest in her, Yumi very much doubted her dreams would come true.<br /><br />Suppressing a sigh she leaned back, staring up for a moment at the rock above her. Living in an asteroid circling the molten planet below had a lot of advantages, but unfortunately being able to see anything other than rock wasn’t one of them. Forcing her heart and mind to calm she looked down again.<br /><br />Tomas still looked at her, expecting an answer to his query.<br /><br />Yumi glanced over to the main control panel. Zshanna stood there, a curious smile playing over her lips as she waited for Yumi’s directions. Damn. Yumi knew from that smile she’d just told Zshanna far too much, given away too many thoughts. Zshanna, a Poseidian by birth, may be one of the most proficient data operatives Yumi had, but the tech’s psyche abilities could be embarrassing as well as extremely useful. Zshanna had filtered out almost all of the Separatist infiltrators who attempted to worm their way into the Bolgër. Without her abilities the resistance would have been crushed years ago. Of course, it also meant Yumi barely held a secret she could call her own.<br /><br />There had been only two people Zshanna couldn’t get a fix on. Both were natural Melds with thought patterns so stubbornly fixed and immutable Zshanna was unable to single out anything but the most basic thoughts. The first, five years ago, had turned out to be a Separatist spy who eliminated several of the Bolgër cells and the Federation agents assigned to them, before he was discovered. The second was Tomas, a man with an ironclad history woven in the Ultranet. A history that was a little too perfect. There were also the odd things he did now and then, almost as if he were looking for the resistance forces. The Bolgër kept a careful eye on him, taking no chances that he might be a second Separatist spy.<br /><br />Still, after one intense session where Zshanna attempted a Meld breakthrough she determined, other than personal things, Tomas’s absolute hatred of the Separatists. The images had been enough to satisfy Zshanna that Tomas posed no threat to the Bolgër. They knew too little to invite him into their fold, and enough not to be concerned about his poking around, so the surveillance on him was light. This was great, not only because of his good looks, but he’d also turned out to be one of the best damn SpecMets Yumi had ever known. In the two years since Tomas arrived he’d improved the special metals extraction and purification process by almost two hundred percent. Incidentally saving a few lives at the same time by meeting the absurdly high Separatist quotient demands. Personal feelings aside, Yumi, and the colony, couldn’t afford to lose him.<br /><br />She couldn’t afford to lose Zshanna either. If the Separatists ever discovered Zshanna’s abilities the Poseidian would be in the grunge tank, brain dissected, faster than a plasma bubble burst. Yumi would die before she let that happen.<br /><br />“Ma’am?” Tomas asked again.<br /><br />“Yes, just a moment, Tomas,” Yumi blurted out, amazed he didn’t show even a trace of impatience. She became too easily distracted nowadays, maybe because the uprising was so close. “Zshanna, how are the multiplex Riener circuits doing?”<br /><br />“Around seventy-five percent optimum,” Zshanna answered, grinning back. “They’ll hold if the Secondary burns out again.”<br /><br />“Okay, Tomas, you can put it in.” Yumi almost cursed, blushing bright red again. Fortunately Tomas had slipped under the unit and couldn’t see her embarrassment. She definitely needed a break from Dante I and the oppressive Separatist culture. Time away, with someone really sexy—like Tomas.<br /><br />They were rewarded when the Secondary hummed gently back to life. Yumi relaxed a little. It wasn’t a vital piece of the colony’s systems since it mainly worked as a backup in case the Primary failed. Experience, though, had taught Yumi not to delay repairs even on the secondaries.<br /><br />“Well done everyone,” she congratulated them. “Repaired in less than five hours and we didn’t have to call the Techs in. Good work!”<br /><br />Her own work had begun though. The Secondary had been sabotaged and she had to find the saboteur before the occupying Separatists did. She’d already set several cells of the Bolgër on the task. It certainly wasn’t the work of the underground resistance themselves. The sabotage had been sloppy and the Secondary of too little importance to destroy. This had been something personal against the Separatists, through a relatively easy target.<br /><br />She watched Tomas edge out from under the terminal, and the familiar feeling of lust coursed through her. When this was all done, maybe…<br /><br />“Ah, I see you have it working. Good.” Colonel Marcus Saeger walked up to her smiling. “And I have several pieces of good news for you.”<br /><br />Yumi grimaced. Good news to a Separatist colonel wasn’t normally something people wanted to hear. Not that she had much choice nowadays. Ever since her father’s illness—losing the supply of Federation anti-aging drugs had finally taken its toll—she’d been called in more often than normal lately to represent him on matters of colony policy. Not for the first time she wished Father hadn’t surrendered so easily to Separatist rule. Yes, they probably would have all died trying to stem a Separatist invasion. Surely, though, it would have been preferable to dying like this, one day at a time.<br /><br />With a shock, Yumi realized this was the seventh year of Separatist occupation in the Dante system. During those years she’d seen their population steadily decline despite a steady influx of workers. Only seven thousand now lived in The Rock, instead of the nine thousand there used to be. She’d heard rumors the losses were even greater on Dante V, or The Fiver, as her people called the frozen planetoid that spun in the lonely fifth orbit. All the losses, it was pretty obvious to everyone, could be traced to Marcus’s administration, his treatment and frequent execution of Dante’s colonists.<br /><br />“You know I’m always interested in your good news,” Yumi lied. As she spoke she walked toward the Prefect’s office—officially her father’s office though Yumi would be inheriting it soon. She tried not to think about that too often. “So what’s happened?”<br /><br />Marcus brushed a hand through his hair. The shocking red color, like the dusky red tone to his skin, had been genetically induced to increase his natural resistance to solar radiation. Marcus’s home, Stallas VI, was one of the nine foundation worlds of the Separatist Dynasty. Its people had been engineered to survive on the planet surface in the high radiation system.<br /><br />“Well,” Marcus said. “We found your saboteur last night. She was trying to stow away on a shuttle flight to The Fiver.” Marcus spoke loudly, making his presence felt amongst the nervous Control Room staff. “One of your Techs, Stela Magrow, seems she had some complaint with our policies.”<br /><br />Damn! Yumi swore at herself. She should have seen this happening. The policy Stela felt unhappy about occurred five months ago. The distraught Tech had filed charges against five Separatist soldiers who’d spent one night raping her—simply because they were bored. The charges were instantly dismissed by the Separatist legal system as trivial. The Separatists even refused to undergo tests to determine the father of her unborn child.<br /><br />Yumi, like every other Dantian, hated the Separatist policies that left Separatist soldiers free to terrorize the colonists. She knew she’d been stupid, but now it was too late. She should have smuggled Stela out of system months ago to one of the Federation-owned safe quarters the Bolgër maintained. Then again, there’d been no physical contact with the Federation for almost five years and no radio contact for almost two. Getting Stela to safe quarters, which had more than likely been compromised, would have killed everyone involved.<br /><br />Yumi was left with the task of rescuing Stela from the grunge room and hiding the poor woman from the Separatists somewhere in the belly of The Rock. Probably with the small Bolgër army she had in The Crypts. God knew how they’d managed to maintain their forces there for so long without anyone noticing.<br /><br />Yumi turned into a small tube-like corridor. Here the walls were highly polished, indicating the tunnel had been cut by the V.T.M., the superbly efficient Vinder Tunnel Drill. A few more yards down and she stopped in front of the Prefect’s office. Marcus, with that damned superior smile on his face, stopped with her. Short of taking a small tank into the heart of Separatist territory there was very little she could do for Stela. Unless, and it was rare, Zshanna could find a bribable guard.<br /><br />“I’m glad you found her.” Yumi smiled as the doors automatically slid open. It was a lie, of course, but she daren’t let him know how she truly felt. “We need more manpower on the ore-smelting line. She can join the other prisoners there. It won’t take more than a few days for her to regret her actions.”<br />Yumi walked into the outer office, passing Vhal and Melindra. The two assistants sat behind their desks busily working on the latest ore shipment and mining figures. Their desks, like most of the furnishing in Dante I, were fabricated from crushed rock obtained from the tunnel drills. Here and there within the highly polished surface of the dark-gray stone was the sparkle of silver, copper and gold.<br /><br />“I’m afraid Stela can’t join the line,” Marcus said. Yumi’s stomach twisted, anticipating his next words with dread. “She died an hour ago while under questioning.” Marcus made sure Vhal and Melindra heard everything he said.<br /><br />Stiffly, barely able to keep her temper, Yumi walked the last few steps to the inner office in silence. Touching her fingers to the lockpad she stepped back and let the door slide open. Once inside, with the door closed, she turned to face Marcus. Only sheer determination prevented her from shouting at him.<br />“I wish you would refrain from this continued depletion of our personnel resources.” She spoke calmly in spite of seething with every word. “We’re twelve percent undermanned as it is and we’ve had no replacements from The Fiver, or out of system, for over six months.”<br /><br />Marcus, unruffled by her words, simply sat on the edge of the desk and looked at her. A knowing smile pasted on his face. A stupid, aquiline face she wanted to slap silly.<br /><br />“The second piece of good news,” Marcus continued, “is your father has given us permission to marry.”<br /><br />“Father has what!” Yumi held onto a tall cabinet next to her. Weakness washed over her. What had he done to her father! No. Doctor Lasky ranked as Second Lieutenant in the Bolgër. He’d never let a Separatist, even a colonel, near her father. Not while her father remained too ill to care for himself. Walking carefully to the desk, Yumi went behind it and sat in her father’s chair. She refused to show her fear to this murderer. “I understood Dr. Lasky’s orders were no visitors,” Yumi said. “I’m surprised he let you in.”<br /><br />“Dr. Lasky is in the infirmary.” Marcus’s face held a look of, Yumi assumed, mock sympathy. “Several members of the Bolgër assaulted him last night. He’ll be lucky to survive.”<br /><br />Yumi shook her head sadly. It wouldn’t be the first time Separatist soldiers had disguised themselves as resistance fighters, just enough of a disguise to confuse the few witnesses who’d see the attack.<br /><br />Marcus’s men always made sure there were reliable witnesses to make the Bolgër unfavorable to the frightened colonists. “I took the liberty of assigning Dr. Krog to your father,” Marcus added. “He assured me a short visit wouldn’t tax your father too much. Just long enough for your father to understand my arguments for a strong male leader in the colony. Appreciating that, he agreed to our wedding.”<br /><br />“Ah.” Yumi nodded. In other words Marcus’s men hospitalized Dr. Lasky so Marcus could install his favorite toady, Dr. Krog, in Lasky’s place. Then Marcus had the freedom to torture her father until he agreed to the wedding. It had to have been torture. Yumi knew her father enough to know he’d never go against Dante I’s deeply ingrained custom of Prefect inheritance. Neither would the workers accept non-family inheritance—which was why Marcus forced her father to approve of this marriage.<br /><br />Seriously concerned for her father’s safety, and that of the colony, Yumi shuffled the papers on the desk. Trying to calm her nerves, she filed the unneeded ones in a drawer—she’d sort them later. For now she daren’t allow her thoughts to wander through dangerous assumptions. She needed to think clearly. The stakes in this deadly game of occupation and resistance had suddenly tripled.<br /><br />“So when is the wedding date?” Yumi continued as steadily as she could. “How long do I have to get the wedding dress ready?” By how much did she need to accelerate the rebellion preparations?<br /><br />“Three weeks,” Marcus said, looking way too smug. “My Procurer is already working on your wedding chains.” He took the remaining papers from her hand and scanned through them as he spoke. “You should be proud. General Tarug himself will be arriving on the Ultimate tomorrow. He’s decided to stay for the wedding.” He extracted a couple of the reports, folded them and put them in his pocket, then dropped the rest on the table.<br /><br />Damn. She’d have to see if Vhal and Melindra could work out which reports were missing and duplicate them.<br /><br />Obviously deciding business was over, Marcus leaned forward. He grasped her around the back of her neck and forced a hard, unwelcome kiss on her. Stunned, Yumi couldn’t react immediately because Marcus stepped away before she could brain him. Being out of reach and unable to cause him physical damage was, in itself, probably a good thing.<br /><br />“I’ll call on you later,” he told her as he stepped toward the door. “I’m going to start organizing this colony the way it needs to be done.”<br /><br />Organizing the colony? Chains? For her wedding?<br /><br />Yumi shuddered. The chains meant Marcus planned for a typical Separatist ceremony. Yumi couldn’t let it happen. She refused to be given to his best men the night before the wedding then dragged to the ceremony the following day—bruised, beaten and very naked. In a true Separatist marriage the woman became little more than a slave.<br /><br />Yumi gritted her teeth. Thanks to the Federation’s anti-aging drugs she’d had seventy-three years to learn how to control what her father called her hair-trigger temper. Somehow they’d accelerate the rebellion by three weeks. The only trigger Yumi intended to pull then was one that blasted a bullet through Marcus’s heart…<br /><br /><br /><em>Ahem. Dying to read more? You don’t need to go quite that far. Simply click </em><a href="http://www.mybookstoreandmore.com/dante-i-p-5684.html"><em>here</em></a><em> to order the book from My Bookstore and More.</em> </div>Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38537953.post-69432710179972688912010-07-01T16:51:00.005-04:002010-07-01T17:01:43.512-04:00A Very Special Thursday 13<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPeXZZb1D4JXWNj2gPZsHw54Em7SqMQZ8OW_T0fWEEqfKPb2GEoSMrpLaWdDIL1Nucu1bXSaZF3c4kOSBp61wvqZIsQihfIjLs0fGkyMG0JHGTOizONaW_QHUv_kzND2ViM0a9Q/s1600/sjpic.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 123px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPeXZZb1D4JXWNj2gPZsHw54Em7SqMQZ8OW_T0fWEEqfKPb2GEoSMrpLaWdDIL1Nucu1bXSaZF3c4kOSBp61wvqZIsQihfIjLs0fGkyMG0JHGTOizONaW_QHUv_kzND2ViM0a9Q/s200/sjpic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489044276799533858" /></a><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">Thirteen Reasons to SOS - "Save Our SJ"<br /><br /><a href="http://paranormalauthors.blogspot.com/2010/07/thursday-thirteen-thirteen-reasons-to.html">Click here to go to the Beyond the Veil blog</a>. We are, literally, in a race against time. Thank you!<br /></span></span></span><br /><br />(Picture: Theresa, SJ and I at RT 2008)Carolan Iveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11964204665748083341noreply@blogger.com0