Bill W

Chapter 9 – Football and Doctors Now that classes had started, Devin and I fell into a pattern where our non-academic activities were concerned. We would go to the dog park on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings and I would transition into Devin so Devin could get some exercise as Bear. Then on Tuesday and Thursday we’d wait and go in the afternoon or early evening instead, whichever worked best with our class schedules and other activities. The weekend had a fairly consistent

In a "Battle Royal" scenario, the outcome of a spider versus praying mantis showdown is difficult to predict definitively, as it depends on several factors. While a spider might initially have an advantage with its web trapping, a mantis's strength and hunting tactics could give it the upper hand. Ultimately, the victor could be determined by the specific species involved, their individual size and strength, and the environment of the encounter. Elaboration: Spider's Advantages: Spiders, particularly those that construct webs, can use their sticky webs to trap prey, like praying mantises. This trapping method can be effective in immobilizing the mantis, allowing the spider to subdue it. Some spiders also possess venom, which can paralyze or kill prey. Praying Mantis's Advantages: Praying mantises are ambush predators with remarkable speed and agility. They can strike with great force and their exoskeletons offer significant protection. They are also capable of escaping from spider webs. Factors Influencing the Outcome: The size and strength of both the spider and mantis can significantly impact the battle. The specific species involved (e.g., a large huntsman spider vs. a smaller praying mantis) can also influence the outcome. The environment where the encounter takes place can also affect the strategy and tactics of each combatant. For example, a mantis might have an advantage if it can use camouflage to ambush the spider. Possible Scenarios: Spider's Trap: A spider with a strong web might be able to ensnare the mantis, leading to a spider victory. Mantis's Attack: If the mantis can find a way to escape the web or outmaneuver the spider, it could attack and overpower the arachnid. Venom's Effect: The spider's venom might be effective in paralyzing the mantis, but the mantis's resilience and strength could allow it to resist. Size and Strength: A larger, more powerful mantis might be able to overcome a smaller spider. In summary, the outcome of a spider vs. praying mantis battle is not predetermined and depends on the specifics of the encounter.

The word dilemma origninates from Ancient Greek and Latin, meaning "a difficult choice or problem." It's derived from the Greek word "δίλημμα" (dílēmma), which translates to "double proposition." This Greek word is a combination of "δι-", meaning "two" or "double," and "λῆμμα", meaning "premise" or proposition". Initially, it was a term in logic, referring to a specific type of argument with two conditional statements, but it evolved to describe any situation involving a difficult choice between equally undesirable options. The word "dilemma" first appeared in English in the early 16th century, around 1523. By the end of the 16th century, the word's meaning began to broaden, encompassing any difficult choice of situation. Today, "dilemma" is commonly used to describe a situation where a difficult choice must be made, even if the options are not necessarily equally undesirable. Example of "dilemma" in a sentence: "Jonathan was faced with the dilemma of whether or not to return home after the argument." "Emily was faced with the dilemma of whether or not to report her colleague for embezzling money from the company." "Some people often face the dilemma of feeding themselves or their cattle during times of great hardship." "The dilemma, like all ethical dilemmas, arose by virtue of a conflict between values." "He made an attempt to resolve the long-standing dilemma." "The new school rules have put counselors in a terrible dilemma." "Prodding Martha to talk out her dilemma helped, didn't it?" "After overcoming that dilemma, I think our friendship is stronger."

I remember watching this on a cartoon show when I was in elementary school in the 50s, and it's still as fascinating as it was then.

If you have a sense of consternation you have become afraid, disoriented, or completely befuddled. It comes from the Latin roots con- and -stenare, which means "spread out." In orther words, it comes from the verb consternare ‘lay prostrate, terrify’ to the Latin word consternatio, and when it came to English they merely added 'n'. The word "consternation" first appeared in the English language in the early 17th century, specifically around 1611. Randle Cotgrave noted the earliest use in his writing. Examples of "consternation" used in a sentence: "I always welcomed clover, much to the consternation of the neighbors" "Jill, your book has a happy ending that created consternation among some early readers." "Much to her parents' consternation, she had decided to not go to college." "The candidate caused consternation among his supporters by changing positions on a key issue." "I sleep in consternation not knowing where my keys are. "Full of consternation at first, the boy now thinks he aced the pop quiz." "Discovering a water bug crawling on the ceiling left me in consternation for hours."

Resonate comes from Latin resonat- ‘resounded’, from the verb resonare, which means "to make a prolonged sound together." The verb "resonate" was first recorded in English in 1648. The earliest evidence of its use is found in the writings of "Mercurio-Mastix Hibernicus". The figurative meaning of resonate (to have meaning or appeal) emerged later, around 1978, according to the Online Etymology Dictionary. The noun "resonance" first appeared in English around the mid-15th century and referred to the prolongation or repetition of sound. The noun form "resonation" also existed earlier, in the early 15th century, with the same meaning as "resonance". Examples of "resonate" used in a sentence: "Her best works continue to resonate long after seeing them." "His words seemed to resonate with so many different meanings" "Furthermore, the parts of the songs resonate with beauty and emotion." "This image is a photographic icon that continues to resonate with viewers." "The values we address today do not only resonate with people with deeply held religious convictions." "Here are at least some of the top 5 fashion for females in the 80s - those that had a strong impact and still resonate strongly today, either for their notoriety or their beauty!" "The legacies of European colonialism still resonate throughout the developing world."

Was that because they used it on you? 🤪

The verb "prod" has an uncertain etymology, possibly related to Old Norse "broddr" (shaft, spike) or imitative in origin. Another possibility is that symbolic of a short poking movement, or a blend of poke1 and dialect brod ‘to goad, prod’. The noun "prod" also has a relatively late origin and is believed to be a variant of an earlier term. The verb "prod" first appeared in English around 1525-1535, with the earliest known use in 1535. The noun "prod" has three main uses: an act of prodding (1676), a pointed instrument used for prodding (1787), and a shortened form of the word "Protestant" (1837). Examples of "prod" used in a sentence: Verb: "She prodded him in the ribs to wake him. up." "The question was designed to prod students into thinking critically." "He prodded at the snake with a stick." "She was prodded into signing the contract." "The government's new policies are meant to prod businesses to invest more." Noun: As an act of prodding: "He gave her a sharp prod in the back to wake her up." "She called me and gave me a prod about finishing the report." As an encouragement: "The deadline for the project served as a timely prod to get started." "He needed a few prods to remember his lines". As a pointed object: "He used the stick as a prod to keep the donkey moving." "The children broke fallen branches, which were about the size of a marker, so they had a sharp end that they could use as prods to make holes in the ground."

Quote Valkyrie: "Later, we discovered Pass the Pigs." And I don't think Val and her family went out to the farm and started passing piglets around, because older pigs would be too heavy.

I love #286, but I just don't have the time to write another story right now, since I'm working on two at present. I might be able to get back to it later, but it won't be for a while.

Yes, they'll get rid of Louella eventually. If not before, at least when they graduate.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ordgarius magnificus Ordgarius magnificus, Manyung, Queensland Scientific classification Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Chelicerata Class: Arachnida Order: Araneae Infraorder: Araneomorphae Family: Araneidae Genus: Ordgarius Species: O. magnificus Binomial name Ordgarius magnificus (Rainbow, 1897) Ordgarius magnificus, the magnificent spider, is a bolas spider in the family Araneidae.[1] It is endemic to forests along the Australian east coast. Description [edit] Females are up to 14 mm long and almost as wide; males reach only 2 mm. Females are creamy-white with a pattern of pink and yellow spots on the abdomen, and a crown of white and reddish tubercles on the head. Habits [edit] They live in trees or tall shrubs, rarely less than 2 m above the ground. The easiest way to find them is to search for clusters of large, brown egg-sacs suspended among foliage; the spider will be found nearby, at day sheltering in a retreat made from rolled leaves and silk. Like all bolas spiders, the female attracts male moths with an airborne pheromone. Once a moth approaches, the spider senses it coming due to vibration sensitive hairs on its outstretched legs. It is then caught with a sticky globule that is swung at the prey. The egg-sacs are up to 5 cm long; one spider produces up to nine sacs per season, each with several hundred eggs.

Neat looking spider. It appears to have nipples or two tiny shields on its back!

The word "troglodyte" originates from Ancient Greek, meaning "one who dwells in holes." It's formed by combining "trogl-" (from "trṓglē," meaning "hole") and "dy-" (from "dýein," meaning "to creep into"). The suffix "-tēs" indicates an agent or someone who performs the action. It came to English via Latin from Greek trōglodutēs, alteration of the name of an Ethiopian people, influenced by trōglē ‘hole’. The term was first used in the 16th century to describe cave-dwelling people, and later expanded to describe those with outmoded or reactionary attitudes. The first recorded use of the word "troglodyte" in English was in the mid-1500s, specifically around 1555. The Oxford English Dictionary lists an example of its use in a translation by William Waterman from that year. Examples of "troglodyte" used in a sentence: "The villa was turned into a motte in the 10th century, around which the village developed, in part in excavated troglodyte dwellings." "He could feel himself slowly melting into the kind of troglodyte you sometimes saw scurrying off the end of the subway platform." "Soldiers on both sides lived a desperate troglodyte existence in the waterlogged shell holes that had destroyed almost all trace of their trench systems." "In the vicinity are the troglodyte caverns of Monte Scaglioso, still inhabited by some of the lower classes, and other caves with 13thcentury frescoes."

That was a good one, kajean. It's a good thing your building manager has a sense of humor.

And who knows where problems may come from - sources we know or possibly sources we haven't been introduced to as of yet.

Skimp is likely a variation of scrimp, which means "to make too small" and comes from the Swedish word skrumpna, meaning "to shrink, shrivel up." The earliest known use of the word "skimp" in English as an adjective is in 1775, and as a verb in 1879, Examples of skimp used in a sentence; "You don't have to skimp on the cream, there's plenty more where that came from." "There's plenty of sugar, so you don't skimp on it." "And they didn't skimp on the cheese either; there was enough for every chip." "If we skimp on the satellite and spyplane fleet, we'll regret it." "Many old people skimp on food and heat in order to meet their bills. "When choosing a hotel, do not skimp."

Yes, Louella is a gem. I'm glad she's not living next to me. Mac and Devin are entering their senior year (4th year) of college, and Bailey will be pining for Bear after they graduate. I assume the boys just kept going. I never thought about trail cams, but they're more worried about others showing up while they're their and see them when they're locking up the hunting cabin before the last one turns into a dog or a bird. Thanks for the feedback.

Yes, Frisbee gold sounds like a fun game. Have a good sleep, kajean, and I hope it helps you have a good day.

Yes, those cartoons were wonderful for introducing kids to classical music. You didn't mention the cartoon "Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips" where they used Mozart's overture from "The Magic Flute" or "Tom & Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl" that featured a musical sequence set in an opera house. There was another cartoon, "What's Opera, Doc" where Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd have a musical battle set to classical music, or "Baton Bugs" where he conducts a piece by Franz von Suppe. When my older son was younger, I remember him playing a current song (I forget the name of it), but I remember the lyric "when making love was just for fun, those days are gone." I pointed out to him that part of the song was played to a theme in Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2. He didn't believe me, so I pulled out my record and played it to prove my point. I'm glad that you're enjoying my humble tale.

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yes, extreme amusement parks are becoming more and more frequent and they do push the boundaries for some. It's amazing how the amusement parks we went to when we were young are now quite tame in comparison. As far as the 4-D is concerned, take the movie you described with chairs that movie and jerk along with what's happening on the screen. For example, the scene is showing a building collapsings and suddenly you chair jerks to the side and then suddenly tips you forward so as you watch the building fall... it's scary. Yes, we've all done very foolish things when we were young and wonder how we lived through it. If you think about it, though, there were others that did the same foolish stunts and didn't survive them. They just don't get to have the recollections about the foolishness like we do. Anyway, thanks for the feedback. Oh, and yes, it looks like another evil skinwalker and you don't want to be a bully when Devin and Mac are around. 😲

Let's see what the new academic year has to bring.

Maybe some interesting times.

Yes, it's very possible that Bailey senses something different about Bear and that he's not a true dog. It could be something about how he smells or that he acts differently toward her - it's hard to say what she detects. Whatever it is, she prefers Bear over the other dogs. 🐕 😲 Yes, Louella saw the boys walking down the street toward their house, which is right nest to hers. This time she merely made a face, turned her back to them, and walked back to her place. Not that the boys minded... 😜

Chapter 8 – Getting Settled In When Devin and I woke up on Saturday morning, we headed over to the dining hall for breakfast before driving out to the hunting camp. Devin pulled into the area as far as he could, which was right in front of the door to the cabin, so the SUV wouldn’t be seen from the road. It was also to make sure that it would block anyone from seeing us when we exited the door, because we’d typically be naked at that point. Once that was taken care of, I unlocked t