Oberon's Journal

More Magic Eye Pictures for Christmas

2011-12-22T03:34:00.001-05:00

This is a re-publish segment but I am decorating for Christmas so why not pull out the old ornaments?
I promise some new and better finds this year but, for now meow.
Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

Christmas funny pages

2011-12-01T22:54:00.001-05:00

Meaning and History of the Wreath

2011-12-01T09:19:00.000-05:00

The earliest Christmas wreaths were made from holly during Roman times. Holly was looked on as having magical powers to the ancient Celts as it was one of the few plants to survive and look beautiful in the winter. The Celts picked holly boughs and put them in their houses to ward off the evils they believed lurked about in the darker months. Roman soldiers are believed to have brought the idea of decorating with holly back from Britain.
Holly was used by the Romans during their winter solstice celebrations and became sacred to Saturn, the sun god the Romans worshipped. The week long winter solstice celebrations of the Romans honored Saturn. Holly wreaths with their bright red berries were given as gifts. Holly was everywhere during these celebrations – on the public buildings, in the streets and shops, inside and outside of homes. The tradition of giving wreaths as gifts started here. Holly was thought to be lucky so the more you had the better off you were.
Early Christians in Rome would decorate their homes with holly to avoid persecution during the winter solstice festivals even though they didn’t worship Saturn. Over time the meaning behind the tradition of holly Christmas wreaths blurred and it eventually became a symbol of Christian faith. It was used to explain the life and death of Christ. The leaves represented the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus at his Crucifixion, when he was mockingly crowned "King of the Jews". The Romans usually placed wreaths of Laurel leaves on those who won a battle, excelled and won a tournament or they were just normally worn by Caesars as a "crown " to represent their position. A wreath placed on some one's head let everyone know they were exceptional, the best, God-like or Ruler. The wreath of thorns that was forced into Christ's scalp, was to add insult to injury and done with such cruel brutality. The red berries were interpreted by Christians to represent Jesus’ blood as it appeared on the crown of thorns. This was incredibly sacred because it represented the sacrifice Christ made for all mankind to redeem, save and forgive all from sin, with his own blood in pure torture. The holly bush was one of the few evergreen plants in Northeast Africa. The undying green came to represent everlasting life and hope and the shape of the circle represented eternity and everlasting life in heaven granted by God because of Jesus' sacrifice. The round shape also symbolized eternity. A circle has no beginning or end. For all these reasons one would think the wreath would be the main decoration for Easter. BUT.....

The Roman Emperor Constantine gave official status to Christianity and forced all the pagans to be baptized into the Roman church. He needed to join the Christians and pagans and so pagan rituals and idols took on Christian names and pagan holidays like winter solstice festival became Christian holidays. December 25th was the birthday of the Gods to the pagans. And the Winter Solstice was the most "holy" time and the most important religious time for the pagans. Eventually many pagan symbols and traditions were melded into Christian symbols and traditions. Including the Christmas tree. (that is for next post)
Now the Wreath, no matter how religious you are, symbolizes the celebration of the holiday, on your front door welcoming people into your home, showing your spirit of Christmas and is the most simple decoration, used as a sign of love, care and respect in cemeteries, not over commercialized with mandatory "Keeping up with the Jones' "variety of new yearly trend decorations and
a the second biggest universal symbol for Christmas.

Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

Halloween 2011

2011-10-02T12:28:00.134-04:00

Halloween legends, origins and trivia updated for 2011. (all the things you never thought you needed to know about halloween =^..^=)

The origin of the Jack-O-Lantern:
This is a tradition that started in Ireland(hence the green font) and they were carved out of turnips not pumpkins. The story starts with a man named Jack. He was a drunkard and a prankster. He had met the devil in the pub on All Hallows Eve. The devil wanted his soul in exchange for one more drink and one more year on earth. Jack took the offer, got his drink and his last year on earth. The next year he came stumbling home sufficiently inebriated he came across the devil himself on the road. Jack was not ready to go. What a shocker! Somehow he tricked the devil up an apple tree and carved a cross into the trunk so the devil was trapped at the top of the tree unable to climb down. He begged the devil for 10 more years if he let the devil down. The devil was VERY angry at Jack but, in some way, appreciated his drunken ingenuity to trap him and granted him his ten more years. God was not happy with Jack. He was mad at Jack for all his careless treatment of his own body, tricking others and, needless to say, making deals with the devil. But, in some way, God appreciated Jack for tricking the devil using a cross as his foil. Jack died before the year ended. (probably of cirrhosis and lost an extra 9 years) Heaven did not want him nor did hell. Jack was set to wander in darkness between worlds. God provided Jack a turnip rooted from the ground and the devil gave him an ember from the eternal fires of hell. So Jack, being Jack, hollowed out the turnip and cut holes in it turning it into a lantern. He placed the ember from hell inside the turnip to light his way down the path of everlasting darkness. Jack was in "lack of a latern " so he made one.

A Jack-o-Lantern.

(this is my very short version of a very LONG story. It is like the Cliff notes for this legend)

Above is a picture of a traditional Jack o lantern.

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their New Year on November 1. This marked the end of summer,the harvest and the beginning of dark,cold winter.
Winter was the time of year that was associated with human death. Due to no food except what was stored from the harvest,the bitter cold, darkness,sickness and isolation,everything depended on the final outcome of the Harvest. Everything! Celts believed that on the night before the New Year the boundary, between the worlds of the living and the dead,became blurred.
The night the veilis lifted between the living and the dead.This night of October 31, Samhain, the end of summer (Nov. 1), the division between the two worlds becomes very thin, when hostile supernatural forces are active and ghosts and spirits are free to wander as they wish.In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future.To the Celts, the bonfire represented the sun and was used to aid the Druid in his fight with dark powers. The term bonfire comes from the words "bone fire," literally meaning the bones of sacrificed animals, sometimes human, were piled in a field with timber and set ablaze. All fires except those of the Druids were extinguished on Samhain and householders were levied a fee to relight their holy fire which burned at their altars.

During the Festival of Samhain, fires would be lit which would burn all through the winter and sacrifices would be offered to the gods on the fires. This practice of burning humans was stopped around 1600, and an effigy was sometimes burned instead. You may think this an admirable thing to stop it but in reality the practice was extremely beneficial considering the few humans that were being burned had died from disease or just was there time. Either way, in the middle of the winters in this area, you can not bury someone or float them out on frozen ice to sea. And disease in these bundled up little communities spread like wildfire in winter as most illnesses were spread by human contact and, in a dark cold winter, people are going to huddle up! So it was extremely practical in many regards! Unless, however, your neighbor, who had been keeping your wife warm while you were out chopping wood, accidentally fell into the "Sacred Fire".
After years of these long winters the population inevitably rose and along with it what happens whenever you put to many people together:
Jealousy, Greed, and Power.
And what comes next ?
Law from the guy with the most Power.
Hence 1600 and rules by.......from...........you can fill in the blanks!

1. This Halloween we all are going to be short on the Pumpkins and the candy. That's a fact!

2. I am going to try to help by giving some suggestions on how to make the little demons that come to your door not go away disappointed. That is the most important part; being HAPPY!!!!! That's a fact!

So here we go with one idea for you

Ghost Halloween Lollipops:

this is my mom's invention

You will need:

2 or 3 bags of round lollipops depending on how many children you exoect

1 or 2 packages of small plain white paper napkins

1 or 2 packages of small plain black paper napkins

1 roll of orange curling ribbon

1 roll of black curling ribbon

1 black permanent marker

1 white gel marker (white out pen is perfect for this)

1 nice plastic cauldron or speckeld roasting pan or any nice big deep dish to put your ghosts in

it is really easy. just open the napkin and put top of lollipop in the middle, twist around stick and then tie with ribbon. Then on the white ones draw a simple ghost face.(you can have a lot of fun with the expressions and the kids can help, just have a window open for the marker fumes.) On the black ones draw a little bat face with ears with white marker, Then just fill up your container with everyone standing up looking pretty and your good to go! I have done this for 10 years and the kids knew my house after the first year and looked forward to their ghosts and bats. The best part is it is very inexpensive as opposed to buying chocolate and it's almost like a little candy toy!

Other treat options:

Because some of the children had allergies to chocolate and peanuts that is another reason why I chose the lollipops. But you never have enough and someone, (as if they should), will have a problem with the type of candy you give out to their children who are begging AT YOUR DOOR for candy you bought with YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY!!! ANd needless to say, keeping you running to the door from 3pm till 8pm! Unless you are the lucky parent (who I envy) that gets to take them door to door. This is special, you get to see your children so HAPPY AND YOU ARE THERE, so You know they are safe. So here are some good things to have on hand.
1. Always have change for the UNICEF box this is important no matter where you live. Just put the change jar we all have by the front door for the night. It is good Karma.
2. have a small stash of alternative treats like granola bars, goldfish crackers, small bags of chips, etc. It's great for the person giving out the treats when they are getting a sugar high. Salt helps. Come on your nerves are fried you've eaten 24 Reeses no dinner and a potatoe chip looks like fillet mingon.
3. for the kid who is allergic to everything. I have learned this is because his parents care what he/she eats BUT IT'S HALLOWEEN!!! The parents can and SHOULD sort the candy when they get home. So I calm down and give them a dollar bill. If they eat it I guarantee they won't get sick. I spray them with antibacterial spray as with all my money.
4. When you go grocery shopping use some of the change in the gumball machine on your way out. You will be surprised how much stuff you can accumulate between now and Halloween and 1 item will make 1 little person very happy. (just make sure that the little person is old enough to know not to eat it!)
this is good advice for people who live in large towns or apartment complexes .
Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

Magic eye pictures for halloween

2011-10-01T23:19:00.000-04:00

I am going to get more but for right now here are some.

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

Lazy laces Game site

2011-08-22T18:55:00.000-04:00

I have been trying to come up with something to illustrate
Evil Spam monkeys
here they are in the bathroom mirror
work in progress..........
Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

My Imaginary Dream Home

2011-08-09T12:59:00.002-04:00

This is a house I created using a painted brush software free trial.I can't find the software anymore. They redesigned their program and I cannot find anything that can do what this was able to. I really wish I could find something like it. I was able to use my own artwork, photos and some web apps and had the best time creating this.

This closeup of back door

This is the bedroom

This is the dresser in bedroom with reflection of bed in mirror

This is the kitchen

and this is the library. My dream library with catraven running the computer.I did have the foyer and attic also but they are stuck in cyber land with my old computer.

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

Dog Days of August are coming!

2011-08-09T12:24:00.002-04:00

We have all heard about the "Dog days of August". What does it really mean? And how about some trivial facts about August and dogs?

First here is some meaningless trivia:
The months of July and August were named after two Emperors of Rome. July is for Julius Caesar and August for Caesar Augustus.
Julius Caesar we all know from Shakespeare, history class, and his great love, the last Pharaoh of Egypt, Cleopatra. Tons of stuff I can tell you about that!
As far as Caesar Augustus, here we go:
This information is directly from infoplease.com

Julius's grandnephew Augustus defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra, and became emperor of Rome, the Roman Senate decided that he too should have a month named after him.
Whereas the Emperor Augustus Caesar, in the month of Sextillis . . . thrice entered the city in triumph . . . and in the same month Egypt was brought under the authority of the Roman people, and in the same month an end was put to the civil wars; and whereas for these reasons the said month is, and has been, most fortunate to this empire, it is hereby decreed by the senate that the said month shall be called Augustus.
Not only did the Senate name a month after Augustus, but it decided that since Julius's month, July, had 31 days, Augustus's month should equal it: under the Julian calendar, the months alternated evenly between 30 and 31 days (with the exception of February), which made August 30 days long. So, instead of August having a mere 30 days, it was lengthened to 31, preventing anyone from claiming that Emperor Augustus was saddled with an inferior month.

OK enough history. If you want more go to infoplease.com.
Now for why the dog days of August:

This is based on the position of the "DOG STAR" (aka Sirius which is why sirius radio has a "dog" as it's symbol) which is seen in the Mediterranean for 20 days before and 20 days after direct position with the sun, Consequently the people of this region began to realize, over many years, that the Dog Star was the harbinger of very
hot weather and problems. In the Mediterranean region this last from July 3rd to about August 20th. It varies where you live on the planet, but translates very well to North America. The native people suffered in the heat, disease spread like wild fire, everything started to smell bad (including the people), crops suffered and everyone got VERY CRANKY, as they had no AC.
The Dog Star is a bright shining beacon for sea travelers and the brightest star in the sky.
It was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians which ties everything back to the Romans. Also some cultures believe that Sirius is the hunting dog of Orion (another constellation) the great hunter.
So in the end it is not because your puppy is panting that it is called the dog days. Blame it all on the Romans not the pooch.

Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

Albino Animals

2010-11-06T06:03:00.000-04:00

First Albino on my list: My Cat Oberon Albino Siamese

Albino Sperm Whale
Albino Blue claw crab
Albino lion (is this gorgeous or what?!!!)
Albino Black Bear

I have to admit I have always had a fascination with anything out of the ordinary. Probably because my mind lives in that neighborhood. Since I was a very little girl ,{just a few years ago hahahahahahaha} I have thought of the profound beauty in things that are "not the way they are supposed to be" to be staggering and breathtaking. Whether it be animal, vegetable or mineral, it is the unusual that garner the most admiration and awe in my opinion. Something so rare is not only precious but most often exquisite. And, the majority of these precious anomalies in nature, have a big price to pay. Their beauty and rarity often comes with compromised health, safety and a shortened existence. When they say "beauty is pain" they're not kidding!

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

Perseid Meteor shower for 2010! Aug. 11-13

2010-07-31T22:09:00.006-04:00

This is from the scientists at "earth sky"
The Perseids are considered by many people to be the year’s best shower, and often peak at 50 or more meteors per hour. 2010 is a great year for the Perseids. This year, the slender waxing crescent moon will set at early evening, leaving a dark sky for this year’s Perseid show. The Perseids tend to strengthen in number as late night deepens into midnight, and typically produce the most meteors in the wee hours before dawn. These meteors are often bright and frequently leave persistent trains.

This should be really fun if you live in an area without too much light from a major city. I used to live right outside New York City and , let me tell you, the amount of light from the city really makes a difference. It was never really dark outside at night unless there was a major storm or cloud cover. Now I live in New England in the middle of nowhere and I can see satellites moving! They look like really slow shooting stars that never fade away. They just move in a great curve past the horizon. Anyway, this is supposed to be a great opportunity for people to see the meteor shower no matter where you are.
On NPR radio on August 11 at 9pm they have a radio show to take outside with you as you lie down and look up at the sky and you can call in, tweet (I HATE TWITTER) or email them from 9 till 11 about what you are seeing. SO set up a lawn chair or two, grab* the radio and a blanket, turn off the lights outside, make some great little snacks, some candles and something to drink and make a picnic out of the night. We only live once! Why not** enjoy something different! So what if you stay up ** past 12. No one is going to punish you for sitting in the backyard quietly looking at the stars (radio on low, if you are worried about sound, but you don't need the radio) Enjoy a ** chance to see the beauty of nature and as it is Summer why not include the kids. You will be amazed how happy they will be lying there waiting for the next star to fall with their family and THEY WILL NEVER FORGET THAT NIGHT. I know from experience that my Mother and Father used to make an event out of things like this and they are the BEST memories of my life. ***
HAVE SOME FUN!!!!!!!!!!
Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=*** ** ***

Summer Break. small amount of fun stuff before next post

2010-07-26T17:50:00.005-04:00

SUMMER BREAK:
This is just a bunch of fun things for this post before I go on again with a mindless history trivia escapade.

Some Summer related "Magic eye" and Illusions.

Something you don't want to see while swimming in the ocean!

This one you would!

Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

Something for July 2010

2010-06-19T17:47:00.019-04:00

This is some stuff for the fourth of JULY hopefully you will like this I just wanted

to post some fun animations & brain teasers in honor of the holiday and this time

of year. Life is way too serious and depressing lately. We all need a little escape
So I thought I would find the best mindless and just plain fun distractions out on

the web. As you can probably tell by now I am going to use up the rest of this space
to use up the text to create a Flag motif. I could write something meaningful or some-

what intelligent, funny or just plain worth reading. That is not going to happen as

you can probably tell by now. So I will just keep meandering along without purpose

until I achieve my 13 stripes. I could mention the reason why the flag has 13 stripes.

That is to represent the first 13 colonies that formed the Union & would later be called

states. The 50 stars on the blue field represent the 50 states . In the beginning the stars

were only 13 in a circle and as states were added the flag changed accordingly. BUT

there are many different styles of our first flag and other "fun facts" . Explanation ne

Stare at upper flag for 30 seconds then look at dot and you will see a red, white and blue flag.
Take a break after this.
What is happening is that the rods and cones in your eyes that process color to your brain get "tired" and the left over color is a result of what has not been overworked. It is the opposite color on the color wheel that causes the eye to see these colors.

March 2010

2010-03-08T17:19:00.001-05:00

St. Patrick's Day Fun:

Find the 4 leaf clover.

2009-09-24T02:36:00.001-04:00

New bat species discovered in Philippines
Sep 16, 2007

MANILA (AFP) — A new species of flying fox or fruit bat has been discovered on an island south of Manila, it was reported Monday.

The orange-coloured bat with a distinctive white-stripped face was discovered in a protected wildlife area on Mindoro Island, the Philippine Star newspaper said quoting the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The discovery was a result of joint research between the University of Kansas' Biodiversity Research Center and a team from the Comparative Biogeography and Conservation of Philippine Vertebrates (CBCPV), the paper said.

Known as the Mindoro Stripe-Faced Fruitbat for its striking facial features the bat was discovered by accident when it was caught in a net set by the researchers.

One of the Filipino researchers, Jake Esselstyn, told the paper that the bat was found during a survey of mammals, reptiles, and amphibians in Sablayan region on the west coast of the island.
From associated press

I am re publishing this because a bat has been named one of the newest species discovered and in the top ten. Which means in all animal. plant, and marine life. It is very significant to find a previously unknown mammal species. For us nature geeks this is HUGE!!!! But I LOVE bats and this is a little triumph for the naturalist and photog exposure for the new Bat on the Block. Let's hope she doesn't get a big head and start carrying on past dawn!!! Especially just to be seen flying out of those low life bat caves and having to fly home in the middle of the AFTERNOON!!!!!!!!! Shame shame! But I guess, when you are young, gorgeous and just recently discovered you go a little wild!

Bublebee bat
Bublebee Bat pups
Albino Microbat
World's largest bat The Golden Crowned Fruit Bat in Malaysia. Avg weight 2-3lbs Wing span 5-6 feet

Being it's Halloween time I thought i'd share this picture of the world's smallest mammal! It just so happens to be a bat which makes it perfect for this time of year!
The bumblebee bat roosts in colonies, but as an individual is solitary.Bumblebee Bats roost in the hot upper chambers of caves in limestone hills, just about as far away from the entrance as possible so that the small colony — up to 15 individuals — can fit without the bats being too close to each other.
This little bat weighs 2grams which is the weight of a dime!
Though close to others in its group, it hangs alone, rather than clustering tightly. Due to its tiny size, it has to keep separation from the rest.
If you really think about it, which I do because I have a way to over active imagination, this poor little thing has to go through pregnancy, labor(upsidedown no less!) breast feeding. She has to eat 3/4 of her weight to feed herself and her "pup"
The nursing cave is safe and warm, comfortable at about 100 degrees because of the decaying feces and dripping ammonia-saturated urine. It lies still, comforted by the steady but raucous melee of clicking sounds vibrating through its nervous system.
Sadly, the bats are small both in size and in number. The species was unknown prior to 1974 and is found only in the Karmhanaburi Province in Western Thailand. Their habitat has been highly affected by deforestation and unsustainable levels of teak logging. In 1982, the Royal Forest Department of the Thailand Government could only found 160 of them living in 3 caves, despite extensive surveys.
Bumblebee bats are are now considered one of the twelve most endangered species on the planet

Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

World's smallest mammal is a BAT!!!!!

Bublebee bat
Bublebee Bat pups
Albino Microbat
World's largest bat The Golden Crowned Fruit Bat in Malaysia. Avg weight 2-3lbs Wing span 5-6 feet

I thought i'd share this picture of the world's smallest mammal! It just so happens to be a bat which makes it perfect for this time of year!
The bumblebee bat roosts in colonies, but as an individual is solitary.Bumblebee Bats roost in the hot upper chambers of caves in limestone hills, just about as far away from the entrance as possible so that the small colony — up to 15 individuals — can fit without the bats being too close to each other.
This little bat weighs 2grams which is the weight of a dime!
Though close to others in its group, it hangs alone, rather than clustering tightly. Due to its tiny size, it has to keep separation from the rest.
If you really think about it, which I do because I have a way to over active imagination, this poor little thing has to go through pregnancy, labor(upsidedown no less!) breast feeding. She has to eat 3/4 of her weight to feed herself and her "pup"
The nursing cave is safe and warm, comfortable at about 100 degrees because of the decaying feces and dripping ammonia-saturated urine. It lies still, comforted by the steady but raucous melee of clicking sounds vibrating through its nervous system.
Sadly, the bats are small both in size and in number. The species was unknown prior to 1974 and is found only in the Karmhanaburi Province in Western Thailand. Their habitat has been highly affected by deforestation and unsustainable levels of teak logging. In 1982, the Royal Forest Department of the Thailand Government could only found 160 of them living in 3 caves, despite extensive surveys.
Bumblebee bats are are now considered one of the twelve most endangered species on the planet

Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

The meeting of the 5 families

2009-09-23T18:03:00.003-04:00

The meeting of the 5 families

This is a really really quick sketch of a strange dream I had after going apple picking with my husband. I dreamt of "little Johnny Macintosh" going with his Dad to the monthly meeting of "The 5 Families". I forgot to eat dinner that day. My dream was about the food groups( which there are really 4, I split fruit and vegetables) and as if they were a powerful Mafia. The only explanation for this is: I was really hungry,I had not eaten all day, we had gone apple picking and I had seen the cutest little apple on one of the trees and ate it right there (I know that was wrong) and my husband is half Sicilian Italian so that's the only reason I can think of. In the dream everyone had a name. The Steak was called Sal "the Butcher" Bury. He was the Don. The Pepper was Peppy "Hothead" Perez who had a sidekick named Hal Peno. The Bread was Riley "Crumbs" Semolina. And the Apple was Johnny "Pie Face" McIntosh with his son "Little Johnny. The cheese was Carl "the Pope" Provolone (because he is "holy"). The cheese also had "dogs" like pit bulls which were eggs with spiked dog collars on. The Don had a man at the door who was a hot dog and his name was simply Frankie. And in the dream there were girls outside the door waiting for the meeting to end. I did not have names for them but there was a head of broccoli an asparagus and a string bean on a couch outside the room and they were all primping and talking. It goes on but I think it is a sign I have to eat better, as should we all. Or I have officially lost it. In either case I'll never look at a strawberry the same way again.

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

P.S. I am going to post the finished colored drawing next

Right after I finish it and my brussel sprouts

if anyone has ideas for the girls names I would love to hear them for when I do part 2

I will give full credit

Illustration Friday MODIFY

2009-07-31T21:23:00.002-04:00

It has been almost two years since I posted for IF and I am working on new things. But for right now, just to get my feet wet, I am posting a very poor attempt with a free paint program I downloaded before I moved. I Hated my desktop settings and really was not happy with the option of just putting any old picture up there so I came up with the idea of creating my own desktop screen with "modifications". I love cats, books, my mother, and am trying to still warm up to my computer so I thought why not make my own little fantasy library office with a cat running the show. I created all this on my own with the exception of the kitty on the computer. That I downloaded and "modified". Everything else is me and I even have created my own icons as books that fit on the shelves. I know, I have a little OCD but at least it is creative OCD.

Meow for now,

Catraven

2009-03-02T07:29:00.001-05:00

I know this is overkill but I have been absent from the web since before Christmas. Now it is March so the only two things I can think of for this month are flying kites and St Patrick's day.

So in honor of the green I am posting a bunch of pictures where you have to find the four leaf Clover or Shamrock. When I research the difference between the two I'll be sure to post all the useless information about the descrepancy. Anyway, HAVE FUN!!!!!
this post was from last year but I thought since it has been almost a year since I have been back on line I would re post it. I am trying to get things going again after a lot of major stuff that has happened in the past year but, I will not complain. Just happy to be back!
Meow for now,
Catraven =<..>=
Four Leaf Clover

Get your aspirin ready

2007-12-20T08:25:00.000-05:00

Warped Square? No, there are no curved lines in this figure

ALL OF THESE WORK MUCH BETTER IF YOU CLICK ON IMAGE AND OPEN IT. MY SNOWFLAKE BACKGROUND SEEMS TO DIMINISH THE EFFECT BECAUSE TOO MUCH GOING ON IN THE Peripheral.

Here are some really fun optical illusions but don't do more than one without a break or you WILL need aspirin. I am not kidding! Pace yourself.
Try one and then get up , stretch, walk to the water cooler, warm up your coffee or just close your eyes for a minute two. If you don't believe me now, you will! After trying to do them without a break, you will be glad you got the aspirin and mad because I told you so and you didn't listen. So be good and have fun!

This first one is very obvious . White or black dots appear in the corners and alternated depending on where your main focus is. They will flash and change even though the image is not animated in any way. It is impossible to see all the same color dots in all corners.

TAKE A BREAK

More "moving" images without animation.

TAKE A BREAK

TAKE A BREAK

In this one you will see immediately that green dots appear and if you watch long enough the pink dots will disappear and the green dots will replace them.

TAKE A BREAK

More self explanatory optical illusions.

TAKE A BREAK

Stare at the black dot in the middle and all the colours will disappear.

TAKE A BREAK

Black and white photo you will see in color. This one is really fun!

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

2007-12-18T10:44:00.002-05:00

2007-12-18T10:44:00.001-05:00

2007-12-18T10:42:00.000-05:00

Myspace Layouts - Myspace Editor - Image Hosting

2007-12-18T10:41:00.000-05:00

My Fairies

2007-12-12T05:24:00.000-05:00

These are my fairies from last year (and a little older).
I am drawing again and will have more fairies but a little more on the darker side as life reflects.

Faires

2007-12-12T05:18:00.001-05:00

2007-12-11T12:10:00.001-05:00

Christmas Tree Facts

The use of evergreen trees to celebrate the winter season occurred before the birth of Christ.
Other types of trees such as cherry and hawthorns were used as Christmas trees in the past.

1: Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the United States since about 1850.
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2:The first Christmas tree retail lot in the United States was started in 1851 in New York by Mark Carr. The best selling trees are Scotch pine, Douglas fir, Noble fir, Fraser fir, Virginia pine, Balsam fir and white pine.

3:The first decorated Christmas tree was in Riga, Latvia in 1510.

The first printed reference to Christmas trees appeared in Germany in 1531.

4:Growing Christmas trees provides a habitat for wildlife.

98 percent of all Christmas trees are grown on farms. 73 million new Christmas trees will be planted this year.
***Artificial trees will last for six years in your home, but for centuries in a landfill.***

5:Christmas trees remove dust and pollen from the air.An acre of Christmas trees provides for the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people.2-3 seedlings are planted for every harvested Christmas tree.

6:Christmas trees take an average of 7-10 years to mature.

Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states including Hawaii and Alaska.
100,000 people are employed in the Christmas tree industry
Helicopters help to lift harvested Christmas trees from farms.
5: In 1856 Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States, was the first President to place a Christmas tree in the White House.
President Coolidge started the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House lawn in 1923.
Teddy Roosevelt banned the Christmas tree from the White House for environmental reasons.

In 1963, the National Christmas Tree was not lighted until December 22nd because of a national 30-day period of mourning following the assassination of President Kennedy.
A Christmas tree decoration was banned by the government. Tinsel contained lead at one time, now it’s made of plastic.

6:Thomas Edison’s assistant, Edward Johnson, came up with the idea of electric lights for Christmas trees in 1882.
Christmas tree lights were first mass produced in 1890.

7:)In the first week, a tree in your home will consume as much as a quart of water per day.Nineteenth century Americans cut their trees in nearby forests.93% of real Christmas tree consumers recycle their tree in community recycling programs, their garden or backyard.

8:Every year since 1947, the people of Oslo, Norway have given a Christmas tree to the city of Westminster, England. The gift is an expression of good will and gratitude for Britain's help to Norway during World War II.

After the aspirin pictures here are the best MAGIC EYE

2007-12-03T03:04:00.000-05:00

These are the top drawer "Magic Eye" pics that are really the best viewed on a computer screen. You get a depth that is impossible from a print. But, still feel free to print these they will work. I suggest framing the under glass or stick them in between a glass top table and the wood. The glass helps achieving the illusion tremendously.

A VERY UNIQUE WINTER EXPERIENCE:The Ice Hotel

2007-11-24T10:59:00.000-05:00

A hotel built of ice and snow
ICEHOTEL is situated in the village Jukkasjärvi, 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden. The heart and backbone is the River Torne flowing freely through the unspoilt wilderness. Covered with a meter thick ice layer winter time the river is the source of all our art, architecture and design. The pure water and the steady movement of the river creates the clearest ice possible.

This is the "Club" where you come to drink very cold syrupy vodka, which serves the purpose of warming you up(and also is a major sponsor of the project) and you forget you are sitting on a block of ice!

This is the church with fur covered pews. The altar is adorned with motif of the national flower of Sweden'Linnaea Borealis'.
This is one of the very few guest rooms which are all designed by various famous artists and cost between 1200 to 4700 euros per night, depending on which type of room you request. The hotel can accommodate 100 guest per night and they have rooms that are not the high end "suites" which are the features. Even the "regular rooms" ,if you could call them that, are all designer created. And if you want breakfast in the morning, which I think you would after using up all your calories freezing, it will cost you a "cool", again sorry I could help it it was there, 750 Euros!Per person!!!!!!!!
This is a view of the entrance
This is the Check -in desk.
Unless you are a penguin or polar bear most people do not opt for more than a one night stay. Surely the novelty wears off really fast, no matter how much vodka you drink, and huddling around a trash can with burning newspapers probably sounds like heaven!

All in all, my sarcastic comments aside, this is an amazing feat of architecture, design, art ,science and incredible fantasy come true!

This marvel has been erected every year since 1990. It takes the whole year to plan for the next one and many months to harvest and fabricate the ice and snow.The hotel is open from December to April. Being that it is above the arctic circle the sun does not really appear until May. So , no melting!

The only way to get to the hotel after landing at the airport is by either dog sled or snowmobile! This is a true adventure and worth every cent for a night stay in a real fairy tale you will never forget!!!!

Meow for now,

Catraven <<<=^..^=>>>

Thanksgiving. Is it really a day to be thankful for?

2007-11-20T03:22:00.000-05:00

May they live the rest of their lives in blissful gobbling, and may all Americans enjoy a holiday full of love and peace. God bless you all," Bush said.
Well Thanksgiving is just around the corner and begins the "Holiday Season " which lasts until New Year's Day. (unless you count the super bowl which comes more than a month later but as far as almost every man in the US that can draw breath,is concerned is their High Holy Day. this is another story for after New Year's)

So in my tradition of explaining our American holidays I will cut this holiday down to size out of my sheer amazement at the ignorance that supports the icons, customs and misguided beliefs for this holiday. (just wait for my rant about the destruction of Christmas!)

No one ever really cares about what the actual holiday is marking and why we are celebrating it.

Thanksgiving's number one feature is the meal.

The turkey, the traditional pies, relatives coming over that you feel you would rather have bamboo picks shoved under your finger nails than see,people freezing outside overcrowded and up from 3am for the Macy's parade with giant balloons (still don't get that one) and marching bands ,that no one wants to listen to ,not even the TV stations, the football games, Mom and all the other women in the family cooking since dawn to feed a bunch of usually ungrateful people that stuff themselves, drink too much and pass out in the living room while Mom and all the other women slave away doing the dishes, cleaning up and getting ready for round 2, desert.
In 1621, after a hard and devastating first year in the New World the Pilgrim's fall harvest was very successful and plentiful. There was corn, fruits, vegetables, along with fish which was packed in salt, and meat that was smoke cured over fires. They found they had enough food to put away for the winter.
The Pilgrims had beaten the odds. They built homes in the wilderness, they raised enough crops to keep them alive during the long coming winter, and they were at peace with their Indian neighbors. Their Governor, William Bradford, proclaimed a day of thanksgiving that was to be shared by all the colonists and the neighboring Native American Indians.
The custom of an annually celebrated thanksgiving, held after the harvest, continued through the years. During the American Revolution (late 1770's) a day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress.

THEY BEAT THE ODDS BECAUSE.......

1621 Thanksgiving, The Pilgrims in Massachusetts
The early settlers of Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts were particularly grateful to Squanto, the Native American and former British slave who taught them how to both catch eel and grow corn and also served as their native interpreter. Without Squanto's assistance, the settlers might not have survived in the New World.
This one Thursday in November is supposed to signify the kindness of the Pilgrims (a bunch of puritanical idiots that were beyond racist )to the Indians providing the harvest feast thanking them for feeding and teaching them how to survive in the "New World" But the supreme kindness and generosity of the Native Americans was not appreciated to long after. This gesture they forgot about 5 minutes after their stomachs were full and then proceeded to take everything away from these good people . The true example of "no good deed goes unpunished!"
They proceeded for the next 100 years to take their land, food, faith and their very lives.Using the most despicable weapons to prey upon their innocence. Subduing and corrupting them with vices they never would have known.

Whatever the reason we celebrate Thanksgiving, misguided or otherwise, the bottom line is to take one day to be Thankful you have a family,a friend or even a total stranger that shows they care .

Make it a real Thanksgiving. Give Mom a break, and sit her on the couch after dinner, put her feet up, put on Lifetime and go do the dishes and cleaning yourself!

Try to put petty bitterness and stupid grudges away and enjoy your family on that day. If everyone treated each other for who they are at that moment without preemptive malice for past actions, enjoyed a wonderful meal and ,God Forbid,relaxed ,smiled and were truly thankful for just being alive, it really would be Thanksgiving!

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

World's largest Spider Web and other spider related useless information

2007-11-13T04:55:00.000-05:00

O.K. I have some time to kill before my rant on the hypocrisy of Thanksgiving, so I thought I'd share some amazing info and pictures about spiders and their webs. I was looking for reference pictures for ideas for spider webs for my next fairy drawing I am working on (a dark forest fairy) and , as usual, I got distracted. You have to understand that I have the attention span of a knat. Anyway here goes nothing..........

Every thing's bigger in Texas

Besides George Bush's ego and the Huston Astrodome (now vacant costing 1 million $ a year to maintain and to be turned into a luxury hotel) this is the third biggest thing in Texas!

This web was first found by park staff on August 6, 2007, after an approximate two week absence of walking the trail.This web and two other smaller versions are on the park's large northeastern peninsula jutting out into the lake. PHOTO TAKEN BY TOM PENNINGTON AP

Discovered by park rangers at Lake Tawakoni State Park in Texas, the football-field sized web is actually the result of millions of spiders working together. Strangely enough, spiders don't normally organize themselves in large social units, though so far their efforts have been incredibly successful.
Described as 'fairy-tale white' by the rangers who first arrived on the scene, the web is now a few shades darker as it is completely blanketed by ill-fated mosquitoes. The smorgasbord will likely continue until the autumn when the spiders short lives will come to an end. source

Here are examples of the same type of spider making it's web after being given different drugs. Don't feel bad for the spider because they were treated well. They were given drugs, yes, but at least they were not ending up on the business end of a rolled up magazine! I would venture to guess they might even enjoyed their experience. Their art work was amazing. Most of the famous painters, sculptors, writers, musicians, actors and so called "great minds" were alcoholics and drug addicts. Sigmund Freud was a severe Cocaine addict and Sherlock Holmes aka Sir Arthur Conan Doyle also! Adolf Hitler and Stalin did not drink or do drugs. So draw your own conclusion. I am by NO MEANS promoting drinking or drugs this is just my sick sense of humor and these pictures were actually used for an anti-drug campaign. Similar to the egg frying in the pan with the caption "This is Your brain On Drugs" I just made up the parody rhyme

New rhyme for counting your child's toes?
This little spider drank too much coffee

This little spider stayed home
This little spider took acid
This little spider got stoned
And this little spider cried wEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
because he was on speed. Then ,after he helped everyone else finish their webs, he had a heart attack and died.
The End.

Other strange webs:

This was made by a spider on the space shuttle.

World's first Arachnid Astronaut!!!!

arabella in space

I love this one. After the dew formed it froze! Must have been a drastic sudden change in temperature because there is no way a web could stand up to an ice storm. Really beautiful and sad because the spider that made this could not have survived this severe cold. But she left a masterpiece!!!

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

2007-11-10T04:36:00.000-05:00

This is almost exactly what Luna will look like as a big wolf right down to the white spot on the chest. As soon as I get someone to take a new picture of her I'll show how she is heading in this direction.

Now my, soon to be enormous, puppy has turned 13 weeks old. She was weighed and measured and the results are:

23 1/2 lbs.

19" from collar to base of tail

19" tall ( when on all fours)

This means that my little monster has gained 8 1/2lbs. and grew 3 inches in both directions in less than 2 weeks! If this keeps up I may have to warn Tokyo in a month. She'll give Godzilla a run for his Yen! I know, a pathetic joke but it was right there to use. forgive me.

She is getting her real doggie fur now and she looks less and less like her baby self. I am not complaining because she is more beautiful than I ever could have imagined!
Her coat is so shiny and she has a collar of tan on her neck and another right before her shoulders. The white streak down her nose is almost disappeared and her tail is getting very bushy.
Her ears are trying to stand up and every morning are in very weird positions.I think I am giving her a complex because I can't stop laughing.

Her new favorite game is "torture the cat". It's not really torture for Obie because he is enjoying chasing her too! Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

My Mom's new doggie

2007-11-09T20:53:00.000-05:00

My Mother and Winston

My Mom and Dad's new doggie Henry

My Mother and Father lost their beagle, of 7 years, right before they retired and moved into their dream home. Very harsh blow! They loved their beagle "Winston" so very much and he even inspired a huge story: "Winston the Wonderhound" which my Mother wrote and illustrated. If you know me you know about my artist and author Mother, Ginger Nielson. If you don't, do yourself a big favor and go to her website. There is so much there for everyone and the story of "Winston the Wonderhound" is completely online and will provide hours and hours reading fun for the little ones along with the amazing pictures she drew!!!! I always thought if I had a little one it would be a great idea to read a chapter a night together and look forward to the next bedtime to find out what happens next, if you could wait that long! It is a wonderful story and my Mom has illustrated many other children's books and is writing and illustrating her own! The big one coming out is titled "Gunther the Elephant" which is going to be a masterpiece! Up there with Babar, Stella Luna, and even Peter Pan. GO THERE AND SEE FOR YOURSELF!!!!

~Children's Book Illustration~

www.gingernielson.com

Member: SCBWI, NESCBWI,PICTURE-BOOKCHILDREN'S ILLUSTRATORSthe DIGITAL ARTIST

Now my Mom and Dad have finally gotten a new family member to their home. His name is Henry and he has a big story behind him and where he came from. Again, go there and read about it. I am not telling too much because I really want everyone to read for themselves from the source.
There is also a link for adopting poor little doggies that have had a hard time and need a family.
Henry is one lucky beagle and I am sure he is inspiring my talented Mother
to write and illustrate a whole new series.
So, to my new "brother" Henry, Welcome!
Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

Story of the Jack o Lantern

2007-10-30T04:52:00.000-04:00

This an actual carved turnip. The one the only the original Jack O' Lantern!!! but then a big round orange gourd moves in the neighborhood and takes over! He does not even have to grow underground! He gets all the sun, the praise, treated like a celebrity and the recognition for the job you did for 10o years and what do you get? Made into soup.The nerve!

Only one day before Halloween and I wanted to share the folk tale that started the whole reason for carving out a pumpkin and lighting it on Halloween. It really had nothing to do with All Hallows Eve but, like the Christmas tree(pagan origin way way way before Christianity this story will come at Christmas time), which has nothing whatsoever to do with the birth of Christ, once one person starts a trend and you live during a time with no TV, radio, record player etc. any diversion is wonderful. And when it has caught on as a trend, everyone starts doing it. When the holiday is only one day a year and the main decoration reflects the artistic talent and pride of the home owner, competition to "keep up with the Jones's" is bound to follow. The great things about envy, pride and vanity (3 of 7DS ) are that they spawn better and better displays.

an aside note: The reasons and story behind the carving and lighting of a pumpkin on Halloween are deeply rooted in the Catholic religion which makes the
pumpkin aka
Jack O Lantern, a true Christian religious symbol to represent purgatory, where as the Christmas tree comes from a Pagan tradition. The amazing paradox is the day associated with evil, witches and all things unholy has it's major icon representing a lesson of what happens when you fail God. The Christmas tree, used for the day of all good, kindness, and honoring the Messiah,which all Christians use to mark and celebrate the birth of Christ, very well could be considered blasphemy because it's true purpose is to honor the Pagan gods . Direct violation of one of the ten commandments "Thou Shall Have No Other God's Before Me"!

History of the Jack O'Lantern
The Irish brought the tradition of the Jack O'Lantern to America. But, the original Jack O'Lantern was not a pumpkin.The Jack O'Lantern legend goes back hundreds of years in Irish History. As the story goes, Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who liked to play tricks on everyone: family, friends, his mother and even the Devil himself. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing up an apple tree. Once the Devil climbed up the apple tree, Stingy Jack hurriedly placed crosses around the trunk of the tree. The Devil was then unable to get down the tree. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he died. Once the devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed the crosses and let the Devil down.
Many years later, when Jack finally died, he went to the pearly gates of Heaven and was told by Saint Peter that he was too mean and too cruel and had led a miserable and worthless life on earth. He was not allowed to enter heaven. He then went down to Hell and the Devil. The Devil kept his promise and would not allow him to enter Hell. Now Jack was scared and had nowhere to go but to wander about forever in the darkness between heaven and hell. He asked the Devil how he could leave as there was no light. The Devil tossed him an ember from the flames of Hell to help him light his way. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed out Turnip, one of his favorite foods which he always carried around with him whenever he could steal one. For that day onward, Stingy Jack roamed the earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his "Jack O'Lantern".
On all Hallow's eve, the Irish hollowed out Turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Stingy Jack away. These were the original Jack O'Lanterns. In the 1800's a couple of waves of Irish immigrants came to America. The Irish immigrants quickly discovered that Pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve out. So they used pumpkins for Jack O'Lanterns

What a gift! Artwork by Sistina

2007-10-27T14:03:00.000-04:00

Artwork by Sistina 10/2007

How lucky am I! To have artwork done just for me by an amazing woman and a truly great friend! I can't describe how touched and amazed I am by this truly beautiful work!( and the artist is pretty damn amazing looking herself)I go by the name Catraven in cyber land, but most people call me Cat. Sistina drew this incredible picture JUST FOR ME!!!!!! I love the Raven! The detail,the inventive imagination and beauty just astound me! I am one very lucky person to have such a talented and wonderful friend!

Sistina

Sistina is also a phenomenal poet! Her link is here in the link column. Do yourself a favor and read her poetry.
Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

2007-10-26T06:29:00.000-04:00

This is the perfect time of year to learn about the famous ravens that are sacred at the Tower of London, which, by the way, was the place you would get locked up in before having your head chopped off or some other delightful form of public execution(like being drawn and quartered!) for committing an offense to the crown. Unless you were one of King Henry the Eighth's wives, in which case you got your head chopped off because his libido desired a different wife. This did not stop him from violating the chamber maids . That was just a side hobby. But, when he tired of his Queen, she was executed because divorce was not allowed. He could not offend the laws of the Holy Church of England. Later, as his syphilis got worse and caused his insanity to flourish, he tired more rapidly of his wives. Funny thing that the biggest philanderer and lecher would be replaced by Queen Elizabeth I, his daughter, who is touted as the Virgin Queen.

She was imprisoned in the Tower for two months herself before her reign.

A side note: Both King Henry =VIII and Elizabeth I are arguably the two most talked about, infamous and iconinized monarchs of the throne.
This article is from last year when the birds had to be quarantined indoors due to the Avian Flu.

English legend says that a terrible evil will befall the kingdom if the Tower of London loses its ravens, which have lived at the landmark for more than 300 years.
"The legend goes back to the early part of Charles II's reign," said the Tower's raven master, Derrick Coyle, who looks after the birds.
King Charles II, who reigned from 1660 to 1685, decreed that at least six ravens should always be kept at the 11th-century fortress that sits on the River Thames.
The Tower, one of Europe's top tourist attractions, also houses the Crown Jewels.
Coyle, 61, says the ravens have been confined for both their own safety and that of the nation.
The Tower's current resident ravens—Baldrick, Branwen, Gwyllum, Hugine, Munin, and Thor—are usually seen strutting about the Tower's green where they are popular with sightseers.
"A lot of visitors are asking where the ravens are, but when we explain the reason why they've been put away, they completely understand," the raven master said.
The birds, whose wings are clipped to prevent them flying away, have been moved to aviaries in one of the royal palace's towers.
"They're being kept in a big airy room with lots of light and fresh air. They're doing very well in there," Coyle said.

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

World's smallest mammal is a BAT!!!!!

2007-10-26T00:22:00.000-04:00

Memorial for my baby Raven

2007-10-18T05:58:00.000-04:00

One year ago today she went to The Bridge. My heart breaks but I know she is there waiting for me one day.

I wish we had more time to spend

But God has brought you home.

Now you are an Angel's friend,

And happily Heaven you roam.

I miss you baby

Meow for Now,

Catraven =^,,^=

Luna News Today

2007-10-17T20:55:00.000-04:00

11 weeks

Latest news on Luna:

She is now 11 weeks old and weighs 16lbs. She is 16" high and 16 1/2" long from base of neck to start of tail.

Her precious little wolf ears are starting to stand up more and more each day. She is becoming a very good little lady and has decided that I have to be with her to watch her eat and play. I think she thinks this is the highlight of my day to watch her gnaw on a chewie or clean to death one of her stuffed animals. She's right it is. I adore my little baby but I have a feeling the rate she in going I don't think she will be too little for very much longer. She has a tremendous amount of respect for Obie, my cat, being that he put her in her place the second day she was here. He didn't hurt her he just let her know who was boss and since then she will invite him to play and bark at him but only from a three foot distance. He recently decided he would pay some attention to her but only with reserved exuberance. I think he suddenly became English when I wasn't looking. I am half expecting him to pick up a cup of tea and read the paper. I think his new found importance has really gone to his head.

Before there were two other animals above him on the Alpha scale:

My dear sweet little Ashes. the 2lb Calico Female Cat with the heart of a tiger.

August 21, 1996 - April 12,2007

And My BABY Raven, our beautiful, perfect, black, Lab who I still can't think about without crying like a baby myself.

May 23,1992 - Oct 17, 2006

And now Obie is King and he knows it!

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

2007-10-16T03:42:00.000-04:00

Luna Growing up

2007-10-09T03:38:00.000-04:00

And this was yesterday after finishing her architectural project 10/9/07/.

Just shy of 10 weeks old.

This is Luna coming home from not so wonderful first visit to the Vet 9/26/07 just shy of 8 weeks old

Here is a picture if my precious little monster as she looks today. She is getting taller by the minute and starting to get her real dog coat. She has decided to help me with my housework, which means, we take the broom away when I am sweeping and eat it...we take the laundry that is being folded and run, at top speed with it in our mouth, to our favorite hiding spot and make a nest out of the carefully selected items. She has a preference for my husbands socks, my favorite shirt and only our best towels. These are all whisked away and carefully constructed into her own architectural achievement. Which becomes ground zero for her own dictatorship. It is a really good thing she is so adorable! I think that is what is saving her from serious retribution. She can be a real little monster but the kisses and love make up for all her demon behavior... most of the time!

Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

2007-10-01T03:38:00.000-04:00

Please visit my husbands site

High Voltage Tattoo

http://highvoltagetattoo.blogspot.com/

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

HERE SHE IS! LUNA!

2007-09-20T17:54:00.000-04:00

Here is my new 7 week old baby. She is completely out of her mind! When we went to pick her up she was so shy and timid. She was a complete angel on the 11 hour car ride home and perfect on all her potty breaks! HAHA jokes on me! She is a FIREBALL! I don't mind I absolutely adore her but she is a handful. I have never seen any animal run this fasy in my life! SHe is into EVERYTHING and really enjoys taking shoes, toys or anything else she can drag into a corner of the living room, attacking it and then washing it very well. She is so young she is not too steady on her feet, especially when she first wakes up. The will to run at 90mph is there but the legs can't always keep up so there are many tiny tumbles that are so precious. It is a very good thing these happen on a wide open carpet so she does not hurt herself. She really likes watching the TV when she is calm (that's about 3 minutes out of the day). She is also teething and my freind Tina (her Aunt) gave me the best teething toys I have ever seen and they really seem to help her. Tina is a real angel!

One really great thing is that she is completely house trained! And a bonus is she sits on command! I just need to exercise her more and take control of the "nipping" which sometimes is a little too much.

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

2007-09-18T22:37:00.000-04:00

My Amazing, Beautiful, Fabulous ,Talented and All Around Perfect!! Mother's Birthday October 16!!

Which I am Belated in wishing this amazing woman!!!!

I know it is 2 days late but HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!!!!!!!!!!

The Astrology & Numerology of your Birthday
Your Sun is in Libra in the Gemini decanate and the Cancer quadrant.
The ruler of your Sun is Venus. Secondary rulers of your decanate and quadrant signs are Mercury and the Moon, respectively.
You are gifted at communicating with charm, tact, and likeability. Your understanding of the nuances and subtleties of human nature aid in your considerable writing and acting ability. Communication is important to you, and although you can be moody in this respect (sometimes very talkative, and other times silent), you value human contact more than most. You are able to read a face or a gesture quickly.

People Who Were Born on Oct 16th:

Angela Lansbury, born October 16, 1925 Actress, Murder She Wrote.
Tim Robbins born October 16, 1958 Actor, director.
Suzanne Somers, born October 16, 1946 Entertaining chef.
Oscar Wilde, born October 16, 1854 Writer, poet.
Noah Webster, born October 16, 1758 Lexicographer, Webster's Dictionary.

Fixed Star(s) Near Your Sun:
Sun Conjunct SpicaThis fixed star has a Venus/Mars influence, endowing you with charm, a pleasant disposition, tremendous appeal, and general good fortune.
Progressed Sun: Turning Points in the Life
We carry our Sun sign with us throughout our entire lives. If I'm a Libra, I'll always be a Libra. However, in secondary progressions, the Sun "progresses" in a symbolic sense through our natal Sun sign, and then beyond it to subsequent signs. Secondary progressions are "a day for a year", and because the Sun moves just under one degree per day, our Sun symbolically progresses just short of one degree every year of our lives. Because there are 30 degrees for every sign, if I was born in the latter days of a Libra Sun, my Sun would progress to the sign of Scorpio in my early childhood, and to the sign of Sagittarius in my early to mid-30's. If I was born near the beginning of a Libra Sun, however, my progressed Sun would enter Scorpio close to my 30th birthday, and to Sagittarius in my late 50's. The changeover of signs marks a critical turning point in a person's life. At the very end of a sign (just before changing signs), individuals may make life-changing, impulsive decisions.
Your progressed Sun enters Scorpio at age 7. The ages of 6 to 8 mark a critical turning point in the development of your personality. Circumstances are such that you develop a slightly thicker skin. You become more passionate and have less of a need to rely on others for support, and your power to make decisions improves.
Your progressed Sun enters Sagittarius at age 37. The ages of 36 to 38 mark a critical turning point in the development of your personality. After some sort of crisis of consciousness, and perhaps elimination of circumstances that have been limiting your growth, you begin to feel lighter, more free, and decidedly more outgoing. Your desire to learn increases, and your sense of humor is enriched.
Your progressed Sun enters Capricorn at age 66. The ages of 65 to 67 mark a critical turning point in the development of your personality. You become more practical and concerned about your personal security.
Degree Meanings of your Sun:
23
Sabian Symbol:
Sabian symbols present imagery associated with the degree of your Sun in Libra. Either of the following may apply, depending on the exact degree of your Sun:
If Sun is 22-23 degrees Libra:
"Chanticleer's Voice Heralds Sunrise"
If Sun is 23-24 degrees Libra:
"A Butterfly With A Third Wing On Its Left Side"
Harmonic Degree Meaning: The following is the degree meaning of your Sun (23 degrees Libra) based on harmonic sign influences.
"Intuitive and subjective. Self-sacrificing worker and a helper of the needy. Idealistic and spiritual values. Dedicated to home and family."
Numerology of October 16
You were born on the 16th day, which reduces to a 7. Your powers of intuition are strong, and you often rely on your hunches when you make decisions. An inner restlessness might find you traveling or "finding yourself". At some point in your life, you need to work for a cause or a charity. Factoring in the 10th month of October, you are a number 8. Because of your sweet demeanor, it might surprise some people to know that you are strongly individualistic and you possess much conviction and determination. Your ability to combine intuition and good common sense can take you far in life. Factoring in your birth year gives you your Birth Path Number—a highly personal number for you. Find out how to determine this number here.
Birthday Forecast for You
2005 is, and has been, a Number Six year for you. Ruled by Venus. This is a year of relative contentment. It is a time when love is the easiest to attract, and partnerships formed under this vibration have a better chance for longevity. You are able to attract others, and material things as well, this year. This is a good year for establishing harmony in the family and in the home. Advice - develop existing relationships, be positive and receptive because these kinds of energies help you to attract what you desire.
2006 is a Number Seven year for you. Ruled by Neptune. This is a year of preparation, chance, and refinement. It is not a time of dramatic changes. Instead, it's a year when reflection on the past is helpful, and when refinements to your life path should be made. It's a good year to study and analyze. Unexpected twists to your life story and "chance" meetings are probable. Advice - take stock of your life in order to prepare for more exciting years to come, examine the past and plan for the future, get in touch with your deepest needs and uncover your personal power, don't strain yourself or actively try to expand.

You Are Drawn to People Born on...
Easy, subtle attraction and harmony: You don't feel an irresistible pull towards each other, but over time, appreciate the peace you have between you. These people are good for you, although they might not challenge you to grow.
February 7-17, June 9-19, August 12-19, December 12-19

On-again, off-again attraction. This is a complex connection, and you make an odd yet interested couple.
March 12-16, May 12-16, September 14-18, November 14-18

A mysterious attraction that can be very romantic...or completely platonic! This is a spiritual connection that has a magical quality to it.
January 25-29, June 29-July 3, August 22-26, December 4-8

Opposites attract. Push me, pull me. You could complement each other well if you allow yourselves to learn from each other, or you could actively war against each other.
April 8-18

Attraction of the soul; challenging, intense, rich, and binding.
September 3-7, November 24-28

Powerful, tumultuous attraction--you are aware of the distinct differences between you, but may be drawn to each other because of the simultaneous awareness of a need and a lack. Either the relationship is ongoing and obviously tumultuous and of a "love-hate" nature, or it flows well until it breaks unexpectedly.
January 9-19, February 25-March 1, May 28-June 1, July 10-20, August 29-September 2, October 11-21, November 29-December 3

Creative, communicative, inspiring, and spiritually rewarding connections.
March 6-10, May 18-22, August 1-5, December 25-29

In the Cards...
Today's playing cards are based on an ancient system similar to the Tarot. Each birthday of the year is associated with a main playing card, the Birth Card, and each tells its own story.

The card associated with your birthday is the Six of Clubs. You are at once peace-loving and hard-working. You appreciate the comforts of home and family, and you don't always feel like painting the town red. However, you are enthusiastic about your work. A work from home job may be what you strive for. With the Queen of Hearts as your love card, you are a very ardent, charming lover, and you may be drawn to partners who are emotional and a tad dramatic.

People who died on Oct 16th:

Moshe Dayan

Shirley Booth

James A. Michener

Marie Antoinette

October 16 Birthday Astrology

Libras born on October 16 are peace-loving individuals who can meet tough challenges. These engaging men and women have an almost childlike love of the spontaneous gesture. Further, they have the ability to judge others in a wise yet kindly way. They have a strong humanitarian streak.
Libra Informationfor October 16You should embrace: People of substance, information, wise choicesYou should avoid: Shyness, unrealized dreams, lack of fulfillmentFriends and Lovers October 16 natives have no trouble making friends. Their sincerity and lack of pretense draw others to them. October 16 people are very romantic, yet they are practical and will not allow themselves to be so addicted to a relationship that they can't see reality. Children and Family October 16 natives understand how to make peace with the past. Although they have high ideals, they are not idealists. As parents, they are able to let their hair down and get involved in their child's life. They can play the role of authority figure and friend. Health While keeping active enough to remain healthy is rarely a challenge, eating right can be difficult. They can be junk-food junkies. They care more about how they feel than how they look. When they use this attitude to change their ideas about food, they'll gain new perspectives. Career and Finances These versatile men and women can see themselves in a variety of professions, and they are not afraid to change directions and pursue another path. Because of their need for freedom in assessing career options, they are comfortable with their financial situation changing radically from one job or career to the next. Dreams and Goals People born on this date need to have fun. October 16 men and women can set specific goals for themselves without becoming obsessive. They have great organizational ability and know how to take a project one step at a time

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

Name the Puppy & Win your own custom Fairy Drawing!!!!

2007-09-07T21:28:00.000-04:00

My new baby is the one with the stripe on her head

After nine months since my baby "Raven" went to the bridge, I am getting a new puppy. I think Raven would approve. She is coming from the most wonderful people I have ever had the pleasure to know!

My new baby is a Black Lab/Wolf mix!!!

Yes wolf!!!!!

We are picking her up next weekend from the breeder.

These are wonderful amazing people that take excellent care of the animals and the customer!

I highly reccommend them !

If you want one of these puppies Hurry!

the link for the info is http://www.livedeal.com/ShowItemDetail?id=45351656&zip=07647&tc=cf&category=261#shipping

Meow For Now,

Catraven =^..^=

This is the cat the blog is named for

2007-08-28T10:37:00.000-04:00

This Is Oberon! I named him after the King of the Fairies in Willaim Shakespere's "A Mid Summer Night's Dream". He is a very rare cat. He is an Albino Siamese. You can't tell in this picture, but his eyes are the lightest blue and at night instead of the amber color that we see our animales eyes glow, his glow a brilliant ruby! He actually changes color when I pet him! He gets darker the happier he is! His nose goes from white to deep pink and his fur goes from white to a pinky tan color! He's like a Cuttle fish! He is not the sharpest tool in the shed but that is part of his appeal. I adore my little guy! Well I should not say little because he is tipping the scales at 25lbs!

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

2007-08-22T20:42:00.000-04:00

2007-08-10T23:39:00.000-04:00

this is my favorite picture of my very best friend ever. This is my baby Raven who we were lucky to have for 14 years of happiness. We lost her on October 17 of 2006 to lung cancer. Her whole mind and body was fine except for that. We would never wanted her to suffer, but she didn't seem in any pain and all her faculties were there. she was still begging for the endless cookies I would give and just wanted to be with us. She passed out 8 times and came right back to herself over the course of 2 months. the Vet was not exactly sure what was wrong with her in the beginning and said besides her breathing her heath was impeccable. At 14 she only had a spatter of grey on her chin, which you would really have to look for. I am an extreme advocate for putting an animal down if they are suffering, I would not want her or any human to endure terminal pain. we were very optimistic at the first prognosis. But then, 2 weeks later it was inevitable. The Hardest Part was she did not want to go. It was her time, but still, her look and love and fight literally almost killed us. The last thing she saw was my sweet husband's face, looking at him with trust. He knew this was had to be done, but, at the same time, she is looking at him with love in that scary vet office. It was the right thing to do but the pain and the sorrow is something neither one of us ever could have imagined.

anyone who has ever owned a pet knows how we feel. Especially one that loves you so much, unconditionally, no judgment. Just happy to be with you, ecstatic when you walk in the door, and beyond anything, the purest most perfect love. When you have a pet like that, that thinks you are the beginning and end of the universe, giving you every ounce of love they have with total innocence, it is the best and purest love there is.

2007-07-22T21:10:00.000-04:00

2007-05-22T21:12:00.000-04:00

2007-04-22T19:45:00.000-04:00

2007-04-09T17:08:00.000-04:00

My 2 most favorite works of art ever!!!

2007-02-26T01:34:00.000-05:00

This is my second favorite. The Silver Swan Automaton created in 1771 that now stands in the Bowes museum. It is made entirely out of sterling silver and life size. It is the most sophisticated music box ever made. As the music plays the swan bends her neck to catch the fish running by.

Michelangelo was 24 in 1488 when he started carving this out of a single piece of marble. He said that he saw this inside the stone as God directed him. In one year he had finished. The detail and delicacy of this stone masterpiece is incomparable to anything ever made. There is luminescence in the figure which almost seem to glow and the veins are exact and seem to almost still have blood running threw them. The proportion of Mary is debated as being wrong because if she stood she would be over six feet tall but who cares. It is art and the impact and sorrow of the moment. You can see light threw her veil because the marble has been carved and polished to the smallest degree. This fantastic piece of art was damaged in the 70's when a crazed man with a mallet hit and broke off Mary's nose while it was on display in London. Many people worked on the delicate repair but we will never see the perfect piece again.

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

A breathtaking animal!!!!!

2007-02-16T23:31:00.000-05:00

I realize this is not the greatest picture, but still, this is a rare and beautiful creature. This little guy is an albino fawn, that only occurs in nature less than one in a million times. These very nice people found him and took excellent care of him but did not want to make a pet out of him. I believe he is living now in a protected santuary or really nice zoo. I will have to research more.
Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

2007-02-14T18:08:00.000-05:00

Happy V- Day! While I am sitting here in the middle of an ice storm I invented a project for myself.
This is a picture of my dear wonderful sister in her Brownie Uniform holding her very first and most favorite pet. Pepper.( who just happend to follow her home one day) hahahahahaha!!!!
Anyway the actual photo is 1/2" tall by 1/4" wide , if that. So I played and came up with this.
My tribute two my best freind ever, my sister, Marianna and her first love, Pepper.
Happy Valentine's!
Meow for now,
Catraven =^..^=

2007-02-10T23:22:00.000-05:00

Part of a huge mural I did around our Tattoo Shop from floor to 4' acrilic on dry wall

2007-01-17T23:09:00.001-05:00

The Greatest Gift I Was Ever Given

2007-01-06T14:16:00.000-05:00

This is the single greatest gift in my life. My mother , the author, artist, teacher, mentor and friend made this for me on my 10th birthday . It is my greatest treasure. To be so loved by someone that would do this for you is a true gift. I wish everyone could be so lucky. This is a story about myself and my first stuffed animal that I was given at the age of 1 by my Great Grandmother Ruff. Of course at 1, I named him bunny, I was so witty then. Any way I still have him and have never left home without him. I know this is pathetic but everyone has a security blanket of some kind. This is not the point. The point is the love of an amazing mother!!!!!! Enjoy the story

All this was done smsmsm years ago by the amazing Ginger Nielson, my Mommy! Are you jealous?

You should be!
http://www.gingernielson.com/

Here are some pictures of my poor bunny all these years later. first his good side then his "not so good side". If there is a good side at this point!

Meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

2006-12-22T21:07:00.000-05:00

2006-12-22T20:48:00.000-05:00

2006-12-22T20:46:00.000-05:00

2006-12-22T19:44:00.000-05:00

2006-12-22T19:09:00.000-05:00

AnazingDoggy Hero!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-07-29T22:33:00.000-04:00

NEW YORK (July 26) - A black Labrador who became a national canine hero after burrowing through white-hot, smoking debris in search of survivors at the World Trade Center site died Wednesday after a battle with cancer.

Search and rescue dog Jake, here seen in 2003, helped comb the rubble for survivors at the World Trade Center following the Sept. 11 attacks and later worked in Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina. He died Wednesday after a battle with cancer.
Owner Mary Flood had Jake put to sleep Wednesday after a last stroll through the fields and a dip in the creek near their home in Oakley, Utah. He was in too much pain at the end, shaking with a 105-degree fever as he lay on the lawn.No one can say whether the dog would have gotten sick if he hadn't been exposed to the smoky air at ground zero, but cancer in dogs Jake's age - he was 12 - is quite common.Some rescue dog owners who worked at the World Trade Center site claim their animals have died because of their work at ground zero. But scientists who have spent years studying the health of Sept. 11 search-and-rescue have found no sign of major illness in the animals.The results of an autopsy on Jake's cancer-riddled body will be part of a University of Pennsylvania medical study of Sept. 11 search-and-rescue dogs.Flood had adopted Jake as a 10-month-old disabled puppy - abandoned on a street with a broken leg and a dislocated hip."But against all odds he became a world-class rescue dog ," said Flood, a member of Utah Task Force 1, one of eight federal search-and-rescue teams that desperately looked for human remains at ground zero.

Meow for now Catraven =^..^=

2006-06-15T05:22:00.000-04:00

2006-06-15T05:21:00.000-04:00

2006-06-15T05:20:00.000-04:00

2006-02-28T01:00:00.000-05:00

For some ridiculous reason, to which, however, I’ve no desire to be disloyal,
Some person in authority, I don’t know who, very likely the Astronomer Royal,
Has decided that, although for such a beastly month as February,

twenty-eight days as a rule are plenty,
One year in every four his days shall be reckoned as nine and twenty.
Through some singular coincidence – I shouldn’t be surprised if it were owing to the

agency of an ill-natured fairy –
You are the victim of this clumsy arrangement, having been born in leap-year,

on the twenty-ninth of February;
And so, by a simple arithmetical process, you’ll easily discover,
That though you’ve lived twenty-one years, yet, if we go by birthdays,

you’re only five and a little bit over!

2006-02-22T17:03:00.000-05:00

2006-02-13T15:26:00.000-05:00

2006-01-28T11:26:00.000-05:00

this is a picture of my freind Tina from one of her wedding photos that I used hand drawing and a new paint program to create. She is in her wedding dress and I drew the tree, lamp and castle. I then used different effects with the paint program to make the moon, stars, put a glow on her dress and create a different hair style.. This is one of the first times I have mixed a real photo with a pencil drawing and used special effects from the paint program.

meow for now,

Catraven =^..^=

2005-09-08T07:38:00.000-04:00

2005-09-08T07:28:00.000-04:00

2005-08-28T08:24:00.000-04:00

pop

2005-07-29T09:36:00.000-04:00

Return to Naval Historical Center home page. Return to Online Library listing
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARDWASHINGTON DC 20374-5060
Online Library of Selected Images:-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --
USS Lake Champlain (CV-39, later CVA-39 and CVS-39), 1945-1970
USS Lake Champlain, a 27,100-ton Ticonderoga class aircraft carrier, was built at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia. Commissioned in June 1945, she participated in Operation "Magic Carpet" later in the year, helping to transport service members home from Europe. While engaged in that activity in late November 1945, she set a trans-Atlantic speed record. Lake Champlain was decommissioned in February 1947 and remained in reserve until the Korean War and Cold War greatly increased the demand for active aircraft carriers.
Following a modernization that gave her a strengthened flight deck, new island and other improvements, Lake Champlain was recommissioned in September 1952 and was soon thereafter redesignated CVA-39. She transited the Suez Canal in May 1953, eastbound to join Task Force 77 for Korean War service. Arriving in the war zone in mid-June, she had six weeks of active combat duty before the Korean Armistice stopped the fighting. The carrier remained in the Far East until October 1953, when she returned to the U.S. east coast by way of the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
During the next four years, Lake Champlain made several Sixth Fleet cruises in the Mediterranean, including a crisis deployment in April-July 1957. In August 1957, she was converted to an anti-submarine warfare support aircraft carrier and redesignated CVS-39. In that role, she continued her Atlantic, Caribbean and Mediterranean assignments for another eight years, including participation in the Cuban Quarantine in October and November 1962. In addition to her normal anti-submarine activities, Lake Champlain conducted midshipmen training cruises, acted as recovery ship for manned space flights and assisted in hurricane relief activities.
By the early 1960s, Lake Champlain had become the only "axial" (or straight) flight deck fixed-wing aircraft carrier in a fleet that had long-since embraced the revolutionary angled flight deck. Incapable of safe operation of modern aircraft, and rendered redundant by the construction of new "super-carriers", she was decommissioned in May 1966. USS Lake Champlain was striken from the Naval Vessel Register in December 1969 and sold for scrapping in July 1972.
This page features selected views of USS Lake Champlain (CV/CVA/CVS-39).
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: 80-G-265465USS Lake Champlain (CV-39)Underway at sea on 23 June 1945, less than three weeks after she went into commission.Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.Online Image: 66KB; 740 x 605 pixelsReproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

Photo #: NH 95918USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39)At anchor in Aden harbor, 18 May 1953, while she was en route to take part in the Korean War. Among the planes on her flight deck are a few Douglas F3D "Skyknight" all-weather fighters, parked just in front of the carrier's island.Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation.U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.Online Image: 98KB; 740 x 595 pixels

Photo #: NH 97435USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39)"A flight of (F2H-2) Banshees streaks over the USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39) in a photo taken by an accompanying destroyer of Task Force 77. The Essex-class carrier, recently arrived in the Far East, is in her first tour of Korean duty."Quoted from original caption released with this photograph by Commander Naval Forces Far East, under date of 18 July 1953.Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Online Image: 97KB; 740 x 605 pixels

Photo #: NH 97436USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39)Anchored at Cannes, France, on 17 June 1957, during her final deployment as an attack aircraft carrier. Among the planes on her flight deck are three large AJ "Savage" attack aircraft.Photographed by PH2 J.R. Sholar.Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Online Image: 137KB; 740 x 605 pixels

Photo #: NH 97437USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39)Underway at sea. The original print bears the rubber stamp date 1 July 1960.Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Online Image: 85KB; 740 x 610 pixels

Photo #: NH 97438USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39)Underway while conducting anti-submarine exercises in the western Atlantic, circa early 1965.The original print was received by "All Hands" magazine on 23 April 1965.Note flight deck markings on this ship, the last axial-deck fixed-wing aircraft carrier in U.S. Navy service.Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Online Image: 124KB; 740 x 605 pixels

Photo #: NH 97439USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39)Anchored at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, while making a liberty call after exhaustive anti-submarine warfare exercises in the Caribbean. Presence of Sikorski HSS/SH-34 helicopters on her flight deck indicates that the photo was taken during the early 1960s.The original print was received by "All Hands" magazine on 23 April 1965.Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Online Image: 98KB; 740 x 605 pixels

Photo #: NH 97440USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39)Catapults a pair of F2H-2 "Banshee" jet fighters for her first Korean War strikes, 15 June 1953.Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Online Image: 97KB; 740 x 600 pixels

Photo #: 80-G-684504USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39), andUSS Purdy (DD-734)Refueing at sea from USS Neosho (AO-143), in the Mediterranean, 20 October 1955.Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.Online Image: 108KB; 740 x 605 pixelsReproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

Photo #: NH 97441USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39)Members of the carrier's V-2 Division rigging arresting gear on the flight deck, circa 1962.The caption released with this photo on 24 July 1962 reads: "Speeding toward a record-breaker, V-2 divisionmen aboard the USS Lake Champlain show what it takes to come out on top in barrier rigging. The 'Champ' crew recently broke the Atlantic Fleet record for setting the Davis (S2F) barrier with a time of 59 seconds flat. Having gained momentum, they went on to rig the conventional (AD) barrier in a pace-setting 53 seconds. When the men slowed down enough to look in the record books, they quickly found out that the record they had broken was their own, set in July of '61."Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Online Image: 117KB; 740 x 600 pixels

Photo #: NH 97442Gemini Titan 2 Suborbital Test, 19 January 1965"U.S.S. Lake Champlain -- Navy frogmen place the floatation collar around the Gemini Titan 2 spacecraft. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration launched the spacecraft from Cape Kennedy, Jan. 19, 1965 at 9:03 and it was recovered by the recovery forces aboard the U.S.S. Lake Champlain some 2100 miles downrange at 10:45 a.m. Flight time was 19:03 minutes. Actual landing was 16 miles short of the programmed landing area."Quoted from the original caption released by NASA with this photograph. Lake Champlain (CVS-39) is in the background. One of her SH-3 helicopters is hovering over the spacecraft.National Aeronautics and Space Administration Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.Online Image: 83KB; 740 x 610 pixels

If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."
Return to Naval Historical Center home page.
Page made 14 November 2000Link added 8 October 2001

Pop

2005-07-29T00:11:00.000-04:00

-Frederick FEUERSTACK, 5, of 409 Kent street, sustained a scalp wound when he was knocked down in the middle of the street in front of his home by an automobile driven by Charles PARKIN of 224 Metropolitan avenue last night. The boy was treated by an ambulance surgeon from Beth Moses Hospital.

2004-11-30T09:01:00.000-05:00

2004-10-16T02:33:00.000-04:00

2004-10-11T03:45:00.000-04:00

2003-12-24T11:01:00.000-05:00

2003-12-20T21:30:00.000-05:00