tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74111675623877618242024-02-06T20:29:29.124-08:00Ways To Escape By Candace Dempsey Adventure Travel blog by Candace Dempsey, author, journalist, travel writer. Africa, Italy, India, the Americas. Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-15946989530528452782019-02-12T19:39:00.000-08:002019-02-13T09:40:33.916-08:00Dreaming of Venice? Me too. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uf0wtImeo3_UMQLScRaPhMaKi45i0V2DjA2XOpAYfxMnJfIma_uYykh6QqfRG5P80sTfekMvp2naXzZzavfQRvgiSAx0unUWTrvTlO6tdS5lGV-A4jIRhN9Jcy9ApA_WS86j8o7JJWhf/s1600/DOVBW-Cover-Lisa-Katsiaris+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uf0wtImeo3_UMQLScRaPhMaKi45i0V2DjA2XOpAYfxMnJfIma_uYykh6QqfRG5P80sTfekMvp2naXzZzavfQRvgiSAx0unUWTrvTlO6tdS5lGV-A4jIRhN9Jcy9ApA_WS86j8o7JJWhf/s320/DOVBW-Cover-Lisa-Katsiaris+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a>
I was dreaming of Venice last fall, but my trip to Italy fell through. Now, I'm socked into a Seattle winter, the roads covered with uncharacteristic snow. Luckily, I've got <i>Dream of Venice in Black and White </i>and my memories<i> </i>for company. In 77 photographs from 10 countries, this new book strips the legendary floating city down to its bones, presenting it to us in black and white, in fog and ice and rain.<br />
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Started in 400 A.D. by citizens seeking safety from the perilous mainland, Venice is made up of 117 tiny islands, connected by winding canals and rickety bridges. Trust me, you have not seen it all.<br />
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Do not believe anybody who tells you Venice is ruined and over-discovered. Leave San Marco and keep walking until you get lost in the narrow streets where few visitors ever venture. You will find peace, that rare thing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJKOgrEn3dPJtZ99R35DcQW-y_uw46e4BS7KSN64s9ttQBAr9-q2LleaJ3VevxQqPoMVwpl-xXVHqKa4HHuYmxuB-2JETEGMxvoh9_a3L3JqTTR0KpoGZWUNqZQNu-QRHCTfjyniSyeOr/s1600/dream-of-venice-julie-brami-pg65-72.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1254" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEJKOgrEn3dPJtZ99R35DcQW-y_uw46e4BS7KSN64s9ttQBAr9-q2LleaJ3VevxQqPoMVwpl-xXVHqKa4HHuYmxuB-2JETEGMxvoh9_a3L3JqTTR0KpoGZWUNqZQNu-QRHCTfjyniSyeOr/s320/dream-of-venice-julie-brami-pg65-72.jpeg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mOJvRPhUjlxhxsUwye2DHibTJR1r7Crg_1HKZhXywIHHwm5iZ1dEMN2LBBH6__J9YkWIkO9svvxtkM31XpD-ROi0g6uHjYRZgC8zxwBhRbDzuAaO3g_3ayG5Mu9tBgHvYLsfR8psp8P5/s1600/dream-of-venice-fabio-sguazzin-pg79-72.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="1600" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mOJvRPhUjlxhxsUwye2DHibTJR1r7Crg_1HKZhXywIHHwm5iZ1dEMN2LBBH6__J9YkWIkO9svvxtkM31XpD-ROi0g6uHjYRZgC8zxwBhRbDzuAaO3g_3ayG5Mu9tBgHvYLsfR8psp8P5/s320/dream-of-venice-fabio-sguazzin-pg79-72.jpeg" width="320" /></a>
<i>Dream of Venice </i>captures Venice's tangled history and fascination, thanks to commentary by Tiziano Scarpa. A novelist, poet, playwright and journalist, he wrote the popular <i>Venice Is A Fish: a Sensual Guide</i>. Editor Joann Locktov founded Bella Figura Publications, an imprint dedicated to Venice-inspired works.<br />
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Enjoy these beautiful images.<br />
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<i>Photo credits: Julie Brami, 2016, La pausa del gondoliere.<u></u><u></u></i></div>
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<i>Fabio Sguazzin, 2016, Caffè Florian</i></div>
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<i>cover image: Lisa Katsiaris</i></div>
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Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-25732197748668010542017-12-29T00:22:00.000-08:002018-01-01T21:57:57.859-08:00Christmas Pitta: Recreating a Lost Italian Pastry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFejg6vxc8MeeHSASgR4sTxJYw7BjgvhIct9ZJtaQo6R4ywrCMKNsp4W6W1saKQKAKg-ihBIgC34KyUpwH-Rq9X-Fvziwih9zH21uFDJW8M4er02tF8hH0wpm35OdKpg2hAOlRjyGt_mVZ/s1600/ChristmasPizza.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFejg6vxc8MeeHSASgR4sTxJYw7BjgvhIct9ZJtaQo6R4ywrCMKNsp4W6W1saKQKAKg-ihBIgC34KyUpwH-Rq9X-Fvziwih9zH21uFDJW8M4er02tF8hH0wpm35OdKpg2hAOlRjyGt_mVZ/s400/ChristmasPizza.JPG" width="300" /></a>Do you have a lost family Christmas recipe you're longing to taste again? I finally perfected my mom's "Scarcello Christmas Pitta," a rich Southern Italian pastry coiled like a snake and filled with walnuts and raisins, flavored with whiskey, red pepper flakes and a trace of orange rind. It can also be served at Easter.<br />
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My grandmother brought this recipe with her from Pedace, Italy, in Calabria. It's a <a href="http://bloggers.iitaly.org/bloggers/41629/pitta-mpigliata-calabrian-christmas-pastry-diaspora" target="_blank">speciality of the Sila</a>, a beautiful forest in the hills above Pedace that I've visited several times with my Italian relatives. There it's called <a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitta_%27mpigliata" target="_blank">Pitta 'mpigliata.</a> Pitta is from the Arabic and 'mpigliata from the Hebrew word for "crushed."<br />
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My Jewish husband loves this dish, which reminds him of his mother's apple strudel. Scholars trace it back to 1700 in San Giovanni in Fiore, practically next door to Pedace.<br />
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Mom and I made this raisin/nut delicacy during our last Christmas together, three years ago. She didn't really want to do it, but I begged her to, because it was my favorite. She was stressed and claimed that she couldn't remember how, but finally she rolled out the dough, lined up the filling, wound the dough over it, and then twisted it. She demanded that I do the same "because I'm not going to show you again." My rolls weren't as pretty as hers, but they tasted great, just as she had predicted.<br />
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"You make these things and sometimes they just don't turn out right," she said of all Italian pastries. "You just have to try again."<br />
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Many Italians make the pitta by rolling out the dough, spreading the filling over it, and then rolling the whole thing up l<a href="https://www.cookingwithnonna.com/italian-cuisine/christmas-pitta-impigliata.html" target="_blank">ike a cinnamon roll. </a>Our family folds the dough over the filling and then seals it, sort of like an enchilada. Then we <a href="http://www.waystoescape.com/2017/12/christmas-pittah-recreating-lost.html" target="_blank">coil it. </a><br />
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Mom created one big roll per buttered pan, by making three or four snakes and then coiling them around each other. I had better luck with three small ones. You can freeze the pitta; so you may as well make a bunch.<br />
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This dish is so simple that you almost don't need a recipe. What's tricky is the pastry. Every family has a different version. Mom left us two different recipes. I tried the first one this Christmas, three years after her death, and it flopped. It uses cooking oil. The dough was greasy and fell apart. I needed Mom to show me what went wrong. I'm not as skilled with adding flour as she was. Notice that the portions are gigantic. Families were big in those days.<br />
<b><br />Traditional crust</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjJ3pvSSnLaZFWdxxpHARZyP6Y_9StovCM64v_E9FG9IsbkVzKjt3e1WR7OnB00tECyLRBqw2f8RnCddgiA73puXS3czXJmzv80N3bwHEqAYV6m2QBIZyfjUWxpeIB04mbLOZnwbAa3uy/s1600/ChristmasPittahRolled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxjJ3pvSSnLaZFWdxxpHARZyP6Y_9StovCM64v_E9FG9IsbkVzKjt3e1WR7OnB00tECyLRBqw2f8RnCddgiA73puXS3czXJmzv80N3bwHEqAYV6m2QBIZyfjUWxpeIB04mbLOZnwbAa3uy/s320/ChristmasPittahRolled.jpg" width="240" /></a>6 eggs, beaten until foamy<br />
½ cup sugar<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1/12 cups oil<br />
Two cups milk<br />
½ tsp baking powder<br />
One or two tsp of whiskey or rum<br />
Mix with about 10 cups flour and knead to smoothness<br />
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<b>Optional crust</b><br />
I was so happy when I tried this second crust, which rolled out beautifully. Mom called it "Suzanne B’s pie/pastry crust" and said, in a sweet way, "You may use it if you like."<br />
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I don't have a food processor, so I used a pastry cutter to get the butter and cream cheese mixed into the flour. Then I kneaded it by hand. It's a forgiving dough:<br />
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2 cubes butter<br />
3 cups flour<br />
8 oz. cream cheese<br />
Process in food processor (or knead by hand) until smooth. Chill and roll thin.<br />
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<b>Filling:</b><br />
Mom used half chopped walnuts, half raisins in her filling, but I prefer a higher proportion of nuts. If you add the orange rind, go easy; otherwise, the orange flavor will overwhelm the dish. This filling worked for me:<br />
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Two cups chopped walnuts and one cup raisins with honey or Karo syrup (about 2 tablespoons). Mix together and sprinkle with water and red pepper flakes (scant) and orange rind (optional). Be sure to add a tablespoon or two of whiskey or rum, because the liquor gives the mix its distinctive flavor.<br />
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<b>Technique:</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszjnhyDjgDQhEUrjb2VN-Bdym9v7omkdhpRFPqCyy3np-WeZuZ3BwP1E_aJ9-DGfubMi6xYCW0_2r-shhraYEN9uwnKCXLfcdIQhvLLdG6ltiVAnNwwqL8ZJAxs4grdPDbg7VyDujRPDN/s1600/Pizza3.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiszjnhyDjgDQhEUrjb2VN-Bdym9v7omkdhpRFPqCyy3np-WeZuZ3BwP1E_aJ9-DGfubMi6xYCW0_2r-shhraYEN9uwnKCXLfcdIQhvLLdG6ltiVAnNwwqL8ZJAxs4grdPDbg7VyDujRPDN/s1600/Pizza3.JPG" /></a>Roll the dough into thin strips (6” by 16-20” lengthwise), about ¼ inch thick. Spread the filling across the dough strips. Roll up and seal the sides. Twist like a curled snake in a buttered cake pan. You can coil the "snakes" around each other to make one big one (Mom's beautiful technique).<br />
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Bake in a pie plate at 375 degrees until slightly brown. Check after 30-40 minutes. Do not overcook, but make sure you have a nice firm crust. Cool. Store in an airtight tin (not plastic). When ready to serve, slice into small slices, and serve with coffee or tea.<br />
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Here is a <a href="https://www.savingdessert.com/italian-fig-cookies-cucidati/" target="_blank">version made with figs</a>, flavored with Grand Marnier, sliced in a similar way. We don't frost our pitta or add the sprinkles on top, but as Mom would say, "Do what you like."<br />
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<br />Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-6930293533751814502017-11-25T21:37:00.000-08:002018-01-26T21:27:02.847-08:00Review: Four Seasons in a Day, by Deborah Jacobs, an escape to France <b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxyEyXESWIafhIQnLOM4IRzgRzDj5jNByL_75y8ewt9hGU_g2WUn_4-KhFVHtfvejnxBygtbKfIeBCt4TdO15tc5sc1Xz8LyMOqB4jqkhCQDTfUKpe5zwMDFL0q2HNYoY6TKQdm5ZVPSJi/s1600/Screenshot+2017-11-25+18.27.43.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxyEyXESWIafhIQnLOM4IRzgRzDj5jNByL_75y8ewt9hGU_g2WUn_4-KhFVHtfvejnxBygtbKfIeBCt4TdO15tc5sc1Xz8LyMOqB4jqkhCQDTfUKpe5zwMDFL0q2HNYoY6TKQdm5ZVPSJi/s1600/Screenshot+2017-11-25+18.27.43.png"></a>"Dressed in a Bretagne striped shirt, red apron and <i>beret Basque</i>, the vendor was waiting on other customers when I slid into the line behind them. I thought I had gone unnoticed. Then he interrupted his sales pitch, picked up a wheel of cheese from which he had cut a large wedge, held it close to my face and said, "<i>Madame posez votre nez dans ce fromage</i>!" (Put your nose in this cheese!)<br>
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So begins a delightful anecdote in <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06W558HM9/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1" target="_blank">Four Seasons in a Day: Travel, Transitions and Letting Go of the Place We Call Home</a>, </i>Deborah Jacobs' sensual real-life tale of escape from a nightmarish "Content Mill" job in New York to an Airbnb life fraught with misadventures in France's Loire Valley, the Basque Country and Paris. <i> </i>A how-to for anybody who dreams of funding a live-abroad life via the "sharing economy," this travel memoir recently made the Wall Street Journal's list of <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-best-books-of-2017-about-healthy-aging-1510243323" target="_blank">"Best Books About Healthy Aging."</a><br />
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If you fantasize about escape into the exotic but worry about language barriers, you'll be glad to know Deborah and her husband, Ken, aren't terribly skilled in French. Yet they are game, always game. They can't actually return home, since they've rented out their Brooklyn dwelling. For three months they battle passive-aggressive landladies, cleaners who don't clean, antiquated electrical systems that suddenly fail and door locks from hell. I'm sure they would do it all over again.<br />
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You just know Deborah <i>will</i> put her nose in that cheese--and be all the better for it. "Apparently it didn't bother the customers ahead of me. They bought half the cheese. Then I bought what had become my usual amount, which was <i>"une petite tranche"</i> (a small slice)."<br />
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When she returns home, Ken asks why she needs yet more sheep's milk cheese, when she has six other chunks at the house. She says it's for the same reason he keeps tasting Gauteaux Basque, the local cake. Because they're in France, not Brooklyn. Because they can.<br />
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I treasure the priceless encounters with the landladies, the desperate phone calls, the times when everything goes wrong and Ken and Deborah must rely only on themselves. I love the fact that they didn't settle in Provence but in areas less discovered by foreigners. I enjoyed seeing these newer landscapes through their eyes and was happy for them when they fled the disappointing "winemaker's cottage" in the Loire and found a charming, drama-laden home in the Pyrenees, with easy access to those fabulous cheeses and cakes.<br />
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They return home with far too much baggage, including a two-handled griddle, a French Press and other new essentials, to discover that their Brooklyn home is a bit worse for wear. But whose house is not? They've learned how to make a <i>cepe </i>(mushroom) omelet, decipher obscure French phrases via Google translator, use GPS to explore the beaches of Biarritz, San Sebastian and St.Jean-de-Luz. They know that boulangeries close for two hours at lunchtime, that canned foods can be spectacular, that the French will appreciate your faulty attempts to speak their language. <br />
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Back in her Brooklyn house, where she is sorting out home repair problems, Jacobs writes nostalgically of the welcome her landlady Laurence gave in a white-washed manor house of the Basque style near the village of Sare:<br />
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"We took another lap around the apartment to soak up the details. There was cross-stitchery everywhere from the family monogram on the lampshades and window shades to the hand towel in the W.C. Laurence had left us a jar of homemade pate, a basket of walnuts (the tree in front of the house was dropping its fruit) and a bottle of 2008 Bordeaux. She had stocked the refrigerator with bread, butter, juice and jam for our first breakfast."<br />
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I'm happy to report that Deborah never returns to "The Content Mill."<br />
<br /></b>Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-28879979090720522352017-08-22T09:44:00.000-07:002017-08-22T09:53:44.793-07:00Eclipse over Yellowstone Park (Video) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsXoF9HRUnv3NlQX2A5XGWOZcPpNLMYKnFkrkplZqf_Ib-pa5_hQ1RIT6BPglpasMSN0QGLZqmTFpnlJXH6rP9fFtXpfQc2iu89YEx1L-pgj2nOSOyO_y6ddVaJHBtz2lGe_laCQovWmY/s1600/Mammoth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsXoF9HRUnv3NlQX2A5XGWOZcPpNLMYKnFkrkplZqf_Ib-pa5_hQ1RIT6BPglpasMSN0QGLZqmTFpnlJXH6rP9fFtXpfQc2iu89YEx1L-pgj2nOSOyO_y6ddVaJHBtz2lGe_laCQovWmY/s320/Mammoth.jpg" width="320" height="160" data-original-width="688" data-original-height="344" /></a></div>"An eerie light and a growing chill enveloped Mammoth Hot Springs during Eclipse2017.mthen, in the blink of an eye, the day returned. My favorite total eclipse video from yesterday's once in a century sensation. I saw it from Seattle and was awed. We experienced the chill but the sky stayed lit. What did you see? <blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">An eerie light and a growing chill enveloped Mammoth Hot Springs during <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Eclipse2017?src=hash">#Eclipse2017</a>. Then, in the blink of an eye, the day returned. <a href="https://t.co/n0zME7ipVL">pic.twitter.com/n0zME7ipVL</a></p>— YellowstoneNPS (@YellowstoneNPS) <a href="https://twitter.com/YellowstoneNPS/status/899751058087436288">August 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-12194253739227184822017-05-29T10:27:00.000-07:002017-05-29T18:04:03.504-07:00Tiger, Tiger: Caught by Surprise (Video) in India<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4xYPsjkI6iJ7xtnNSamh6775QOcK-0DjZO0Wyn5GumpCpek_XhRuijo3cp4paz65C-2FGH77t6y-JQr0fuJ5y8BaH7YsrAlvx0IvOIXBoXh8f9GEGI-B5MF1qyel9q-GKUe5A7diVujl/s1600/Benghal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4xYPsjkI6iJ7xtnNSamh6775QOcK-0DjZO0Wyn5GumpCpek_XhRuijo3cp4paz65C-2FGH77t6y-JQr0fuJ5y8BaH7YsrAlvx0IvOIXBoXh8f9GEGI-B5MF1qyel9q-GKUe5A7diVujl/s320/Benghal.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>Some people think I lead a charmed life, because I'm often on the road</b>. I seldom write of biting insects, brutal heat, Verizon overcharges, boredom, dust, homesickness, insults, personal slights. I am not charmed. I've learned patience. The most powerful moments happen when you abandon hope. A <a href="http://www.bandhavgarh-national-park.com/" target="_blank">Royal Benghal tiger </a>in India taught me that.<br />
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When I was invited to explore Bhopal (in Madya Paresh), the center of this vast, churning country last fall, I entered the sub-continent for the first time. I would go back again just to hang out with the warm-hearted, fascinating people and eat the fabulous cuisine (idlis, rice cakes with sambar being a favorite). But the big draw was the chance to see tigers in nearby Bandhavgarh National Park. Like many American children, I'd been brought up on adventure books by Kipling and studied <a href="http://www.bartleby.com/101/489.html" target="_blank">William Blake's immortal lines:</a> "Tiger, tiger burning bright/in the forests of the night."<br />
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Alas, tigers are elusive. Kipling spoke of "night" for good reason. Tigers are nocturnal. When I hopped into a giant safari vehicle in Bandhavgarh, I was warned that the tigers were savvy. They seemed to know that the park gates close at five p.m. and that humans must get out. In other words: Tigers, too, are patient. We knew they were somewhere in the park, because we could see their tracks in the road.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiICYDbEKlo3ztcrR3bJgUY5j4b80HggUsyRKlPymE7TR9LzjyTnJkjO7YnrpElhgRrJrQ9pKCyHkd0VRTaykFzTEFfs70_qNW4bHEHxqp-DWFB_jpRQPVUnF8U5w2iVnl1xfqftrLhoZh9/s1600/SpottedDeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="712" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiICYDbEKlo3ztcrR3bJgUY5j4b80HggUsyRKlPymE7TR9LzjyTnJkjO7YnrpElhgRrJrQ9pKCyHkd0VRTaykFzTEFfs70_qNW4bHEHxqp-DWFB_jpRQPVUnF8U5w2iVnl1xfqftrLhoZh9/s320/SpottedDeer.jpg" width="320" /></a>So we drove for hours through a dusty forest of drab trees and burned grass, in a giant safari vehicle, very wide, filled with charming tourists from India. We had a lot of fun. But as the light started to dim in late afternoon, we wearied of our safari vehicle. Welost faith in our guide. We didn't believe him when he told us that the tigers would be out soon. He said he was sure, because they'd want to eat the spotted deer that suddenly seemed to be everywhere. <br />
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Another 45 minutes crawled by. I took a photo of a dead scorpion. I asked the women sitting next to me to teach me how to tie an Indian scarf.<br />
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"I wish I was in South Africa," she said. "I was there last year. They know how to do safaris!" <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9hLo4LsT7j8vCrO1ghWF9P2eHVNQbEXTcExaTTA3sVOPIiEvCPC2NNwOIjOBsN4rwKrVwfC0kDR9l-bL94_rTtNGjcLegLRHMpSCmi6RXbpDssxgBQDQRZEpcat1RntDy-GEoZbAcmtn/s1600/ScarvedWomanTigers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM9hLo4LsT7j8vCrO1ghWF9P2eHVNQbEXTcExaTTA3sVOPIiEvCPC2NNwOIjOBsN4rwKrVwfC0kDR9l-bL94_rTtNGjcLegLRHMpSCmi6RXbpDssxgBQDQRZEpcat1RntDy-GEoZbAcmtn/s320/ScarvedWomanTigers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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By this time, we had turned around and were racing toward the gates. Suddenly, we ground to a halt. "Tiger!" I heard our guide say. And there he was, watching us, from the center of the road. A huge, vibrant, gorgeous animal, blocking our way to the gate. He yawned. He got up and slowly, yes, like royalty, strolled around our vehicle. I felt like I could reach out my hand and touch him. It was worth the long flight from my home in Seattle, the heat, the dust, the insect bits. Check out this tiger. He will not disappoint:<br />
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***Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-25732532057004092262017-04-19T16:10:00.002-07:002017-04-19T16:19:15.136-07:00The Beauty of Hobbity New Zealand <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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My favorite place on earth? Tonight: New Zealand. Earth Day is April 22. </div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-50510280907511775072017-01-31T16:13:00.001-08:002017-04-19T16:25:56.701-07:00Persian horses gallop over sands of IranToday's escape: Abbas Azizpour, Twitter. "My land Darehshar, west of Iran."<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">First-ever statue of a horse rearing up on two legs, Madrid's beloved artwork from 1640. See the pigeon perched by the ears? Birds perch on this baroque masterpiece all day. What keeps it from toppling over? Michelangelo couldn't solve this riddle but Galileo did the math and artist Pietro Tacca weighted it properly. Felipe IV is the rider.</span>Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-21459346522426441512016-12-25T10:54:00.000-08:002016-12-25T12:35:14.975-08:00Whale Watching Above the Arctic Circle <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Merry Christmas from Tromso, Norway. I wish you many adventures this year.
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Photo credit, Northern Lights, <a href="http://chasinglights.co/">Chasing Lights</a>
Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-59858476395114710792016-12-13T11:12:00.001-08:002017-02-06T20:21:37.727-08:00Why Madagascar's Is Paradise for Wild Animal Junkies <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEW_zytprAdjWd1U9chyyI3hTH0-uVDHVxRMUu7-ORCacGJMFtdWRfmkimBzsG4PpNgp5783HrCWDsXuNDZndonWqfwLBK3qk97GmOVqb_Vb4K4FQVPbXKaFwx4QiPloW3vGwGSw8oUpK/s1600/madagascar-safari-ring-tailed-lemur-giovanna-fasanelli.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEW_zytprAdjWd1U9chyyI3hTH0-uVDHVxRMUu7-ORCacGJMFtdWRfmkimBzsG4PpNgp5783HrCWDsXuNDZndonWqfwLBK3qk97GmOVqb_Vb4K4FQVPbXKaFwx4QiPloW3vGwGSw8oUpK/s320/madagascar-safari-ring-tailed-lemur-giovanna-fasanelli.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<i>I love the very idea of Madagascar, Wild animals plus adventures in remote lands is my favorite thing. Ring-tailed lemurs? Elaborate reptiles? I'm there. Please enjoy this trip to the eighth continent by <a href="http://www.apex-expeditions.com/blog/author/giovanna-fasanelli/">Giovanna Fasanelli</a> for <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/I%20love%20the%20very%20idea%20of%20Madagascar,%20Wild%20animals%20plus%20adventures%20in%20remote%20lands%20is%20my%20favorite%20thing.%20Lemurs?%20Are%20you%20kidding?%20I%27m%20there.%20Please%20enjoy%20this%20trip%20to%20the%20eighth%20continent%20by%20blogger%20Giovanna%20Fasanelli%20for%20Apex%20Expeditions:" target="_blank">Apex Expeditions:</a></i><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">I</span>t is so hard to describe to people who have never set foot on ‘The Eighth Continent’ what they are in for on a <a href="http://www.apex-expeditions.com/expeditions/madagascar-tours/">Madagascar Safari</a>.</b> But if you are an animal junkie, and have watched Attenborough’s documentary series entitled Madagascar, you may just have an inkling of what’s in store. <br />
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Some 90 million years ago, the piece of the Gondwana puzzle known today as India broke loose from the east coast of Madagascar, leaving the world’s fourth largest island lying in splendid isolation. Soon enough, animals began to arrive, either by air, swimming, or by rafting the distance on platforms of vegetation washed out from continental neighbors. The stage was set for one of the greatest radiations of life this planet has ever seen, millennia of evolution yielding over 12,000 species of flowering plants, around half of the world’s chameleons and a spectacular number of amphibians. Even more impressive, perhaps, are Madagascar’s lemurs, its tally of over 100 species placing it second only to Brazil in overall primate diversity. Add to these numbers the fact that over three quarters of every plant or animal species one encounters is found nowhere else on Earth, and one has a wildlife lover’s wonderland, every day being a treasure trove of the most enthralling proportions. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcZgrBynC-_Ou-javJ5DgT_IevQAg-yV8FWfKv-VTiD2mJoYwKHukaWtC7dEwbm7b7wYCZ_corhFip-8Tb_Sf6aVanFG5LseEWsgGi5INSYLxbgKVS3gU5pxPFOZtDWOKR_JivfmNZlXi/s1600/madagascar-travel-ring-tailed-lemur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcZgrBynC-_Ou-javJ5DgT_IevQAg-yV8FWfKv-VTiD2mJoYwKHukaWtC7dEwbm7b7wYCZ_corhFip-8Tb_Sf6aVanFG5LseEWsgGi5INSYLxbgKVS3gU5pxPFOZtDWOKR_JivfmNZlXi/s320/madagascar-travel-ring-tailed-lemur.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
As one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots on the planet, this is a destination to prioritize… YESTERDAY! It is changing at a disconcerting rate and forest reserves and national parks take each day as they come under an ever-changing government or lack thereof. People are breeding fast and people are starving. The animals and plants living in some areas are protected by local fady or taboos, but those in other areas are not. Due to massive deforestation, native wildlife is now restricted to pockets of indigenous vegetation, less than 5% of which still stands, making these relic populations all the more precious. There can be no more important destination for the discerning eco-traveller, and no more valuable a place to spend eco-dollars in support of conservation. There’s no doubt you will come away from visiting this country with bitter-sweet feelings for you will have touched the immense diversity and the extraordinary uniqueness of this evolutionary laboratory, and felt too, the desperation of its story. <br />
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<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/145280802" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/145280802">Madagascar Safari with Apex Expeditions</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/apexexpeditions">Apex Expeditions</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
In the areas that have been set aside, treasures, of the creature variety, are waiting behind every leaf… you just have to know where to look! Here are a few of my absolute scream-out-loud favourite creatures of Madagascar, which is a tough ask as there are literally dozens!<br />
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My first one is none other than the Ring-tailed Lemur. Ok, so no originality awards for me, but I have to nominate them as they truly are ineffably lovable. I haven’t known a traveller yet who hasn’t fallen head over heels! One afternoon at Berenty Reserve I was on my belly photographing a family group as they were nonchalantly walking past me when I felt a light touch on my back. A Ring-tailed had come up and just placed his little hand on me as if to say a very casual “Hey… what cha doin?”. I instantly melted into the ground… whilst he waddled off. It’s those moments that one never forgets.<br />
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The Painted Mantella Frog (Mantella madagascariensis) is another stunner resembling the poison arrow frogs of South America. Their skin secretes toxins and the bright colours warn predators to stay away. Talk about convergent evolution! The local guides know just where to find these beauties after which a brief photo shoot ensues! There are some 170 species of frogs on the island with new additions being found all the time.<br />
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It is no secret that a Madagascar expedition reveals some of the world’s most elaborate reptiles: a herpetologist’s veritable wonderland. The night walks/treasure hunts along the road at Ranomafana are the most fun you’ll have! The local guides really show off their spotting skills as they pull out all kinds of creatures for the trip list. When our guide found this creature I actually did let out a scream as it was a dream of mine to see one in the wild. May I introduce to you Uroplatus phantasticus – the Fantastic Leaf-tailed Gecko. Appearing like nothing other than a dried up dead leaf fallen over a low-slung branch, this creature lit up under camera flash exposing satanic red eyes. I wonder how many people had walked right past this rarely-seen, stealthy beast and been none the wiser.<br />
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For the finale I offer the apex predator of Madagascar: the Fosa (pronounced foosa or foosh). In late October to early November these powerful carnivores can be seen mating in the trees of the hot western forests. I would need 2000 more words to tell you about this captivating creature and how exhilarating it was to witness the spectacle. This odd weasel/panther-like beast measures two metres in length of which half is tail used for balancing in the trees as it runs down lemurs.<br />
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Discover the incredible magic this island holds soon… you will undoubtedly be bedazzled.<br />
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About the Author: </div>
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Giovanna Fasanelli is one of the Co-Founders and Field Leaders for <a href="http://www.apex-expeditions.com/">Apex Expeditions</a>, which specializes in biologically and culturally unique travel experiences that explore the world’s most fascinating places—from Madagascar safaris to Brazil Amazon tours and Raja Ampat diving adventures. Their expeditions are inspired by a passion for true exploration and a desire to better understand our ever-changing and increasingly threatened planet. Each year, the selection of expeditions offered changes, providing unique year-to-year travel experiences.</div>
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<b>Photos: <i> <a href="http://www.apex-expeditions.com/blog/author/giovanna-fasanelli/">Giovanna Fasanelli</a> </i></b>Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-11292292724040038932016-08-02T16:59:00.000-07:002016-08-02T16:59:38.686-07:00Fun in the Water: Diving to Rafting, Snohomish County, Washington <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ssnh_QFP-jhWfIdLN7-vKqLPRmQxm-cPvPMpi2sUFn5JeogLYiRAa-gyhx_mIxOzS3iMw3qadyEPX8uc48nxHAuaE3jOZT2ERJUWIp0MSmlnzg1ksbpqkLbQNuYfOOyGHeMWRXAX39_v/s1600/Dive2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ssnh_QFP-jhWfIdLN7-vKqLPRmQxm-cPvPMpi2sUFn5JeogLYiRAa-gyhx_mIxOzS3iMw3qadyEPX8uc48nxHAuaE3jOZT2ERJUWIp0MSmlnzg1ksbpqkLbQNuYfOOyGHeMWRXAX39_v/s320/Dive2.jpg" width="320" /></a>Washington State is beautiful on the ground--snow-capped volcanoes, fir-tipped islands, wildflower meadows, rolling wheat fields--but it truly shines when you combine all that with rushing water. Here are two fun ways to get wet in Snohomish County, just north of Seattle, this summer. To drill down on these adventures, check out the <a href="http://www.snohomish.org/" target="_blank">Snohomish County Visitors Bureau. </a><br />
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1. Scuba diving in Edmonds, Washington (home to famous world traveler, Rick Steves).</b> See the ferry below? For years, I rode it from Edmonds to the Kitsap Peninsula, and then drove west until I hit Washington's wild Pacific Ocean beaches. But, look what I was missing right by the ferry dock. These divers are about to plunge into the bountiful, 27-acre <a href="http://www.edmondswa.gov/edmonds-underwater-park-discovery.html">Edmonds UnderWater Park</a>, the most popular of the Washington's 10 underwater parks. <div>
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Scuba dive down to the the nature trails and you'll see sunken vessels and "enormous lingcod, cabezons, spotted ratfish, various greenlings and rockfish, seaperch, gobys, sculpins, flounders, sole, eelpouts, Dungeness, red rock, kelp and hermit crabs, horse clams, geoducks, scallops, heart cockles, moon snail, giant pacific & red octopus, sea cucumbers, and numerous species of anemones, sea stars, urchin, nudibranchs, shrimp and seaweed."</div>
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<b>2. Rafting. </b> I've rafted/kayaked all over the world, last year in Chile, but have barely scraped the surface in Washington State. Who knew the liftoff town of Index, was only an hour's drive from my Seattle home? This summer I rafted the Skykomish River with <a href="http://www.adventuretravel.biz/events/adventureconnect/" target="_blank">AdventureConnect </a>and the <a href="http://www.outdooradventurecenter.com/" target="_blank">Outdoor Adventures Center</a>, a half-day, nine-mile shoot through the rapids, ending in a hot tub and steak feast in the company's Index headquarters.<br />
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The water was so warm that we got to jump out of our rafts at one point and swim around (albeit in neoprene suits), a rarity in these parts. I discovered that you can also snorkel with spawning salmon in the Skykomish later in the year.<br />
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Outdoor Adventures has two other adventures on my bucket list: 1. saltwater kayaking near Lopez Island. 2. Rafting the Sauk River, up in the North Cascades. Also try one of my favorite adventures: raft the Skagit River during eagle season to see the nesting birds. There's lots more water in Snohomish County. See you in Index (below). <br />
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Photo credits: Top photos, <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Snohomish County Tourism Bureau. Bottom photo: Outdoor Adventures. Index: Candace Dempsey </span></div>
Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-66630133774223147312016-07-23T14:17:00.001-07:002016-07-23T14:20:39.942-07:00Val D'Orica: High on Tuscany <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I came to Italy's Val D' Orica for the first time with my son, Jacob, to ride horses--only to learn that the horses were too spirited for mere amateurs to ride. Since we'd signed on for a week, we had to learn how to relax. The longer we stayed in this rarified air, enjoying this spartan beauty, the easier it became. No wonder it's a <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1026" target="_blank">UNESCO World Heritage site</a> and a summer playground for rich people from Rome:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">"Gently-rolling hills covered in the dense vegetation of vineyards, olive groves, cypresses, beech and chestnut trees alternate with Medieval habitations, rural villas and castles boasting impervious towers – all of which is diffused in a tranquilly-isolated nature. This is the scenario that is laid out before the eyes of the visitor to Val d’Orcia – just as evocative in real life as it is when depicted by the </span><a class="external-link-new-window" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sienese_School" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #006699; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 19.6px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sienese_School">Sienese Masters</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lato" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.6px;">." </span><br />
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A photo posted by Landscapes | Travel | Animals (@naturerad) on <time datetime="2016-07-23T11:09:16+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jul 23, 2016 at 4:09am PDT</time></div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-87920855707187635542016-06-21T23:12:00.003-07:002016-06-21T23:21:13.410-07:00Starry Starry Arches National Park <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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I'm in love with this photo of Arches National Park, Utah, under the stars. From Earth Pics (@ThatsEarth) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThatsEarth/status/745497897165160448">June 22, 2016</a>. My husband and I hiked in Utah's Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Now I want to go here--at night. </div>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-7428058393007268862016-06-15T18:09:00.001-07:002016-07-23T18:08:55.328-07:00Bluest Skies Ever: Palouse, Washington <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCl1L0EnjJ_ZuKQsv2Gg4Pc-t0dI6vAmwmL5AlFkENlt1YlHjYCVMjFoNPA523QR-vyzIMs9cJyJJhlu2965nfmofnDjFVSSOOwqNj8iFlR4Is2_2bDeG4OhTjy7yqlIIKqvvtCg24H8k/s1600/IMG_4392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdCl1L0EnjJ_ZuKQsv2Gg4Pc-t0dI6vAmwmL5AlFkENlt1YlHjYCVMjFoNPA523QR-vyzIMs9cJyJJhlu2965nfmofnDjFVSSOOwqNj8iFlR4Is2_2bDeG4OhTjy7yqlIIKqvvtCg24H8k/s400/IMG_4392.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Thunderstorm building over the Palouse, Washington State. I went to my niece'</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">s high school graduation in Rosalia. She was valedictorian and is a wonderful, beautiful girl who has already completed two years of college thanks to the Running Start program. We've had such fun watching her and sister </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">grow up--and spend all their summers at the lake in Northern Idaho, just as we did. Both grandmas died within the past year and were much missed. Their spirits seem to hang over this place. We lived here for a few years when I was a little girl and I've always loved the high, blue skies. </span>Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-70334289152251506232016-06-04T00:06:00.002-07:002016-06-04T00:12:33.145-07:00Lightning In Slow Motion <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyIlxcGQhVacCYvpSSmcdwc-PxTqLzHVUKYaVzdt7lIlC2CsAmdao2kZKpogJ6M56SEYaYP7Eak-6sh8QL18j7ZPcjIcW7VtiiMELHdO6KRiFCCDzkiXaP0VvIVYIhmmtYf0FMzLYetmK9/s1600/Lightning-Tree-300px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyIlxcGQhVacCYvpSSmcdwc-PxTqLzHVUKYaVzdt7lIlC2CsAmdao2kZKpogJ6M56SEYaYP7Eak-6sh8QL18j7ZPcjIcW7VtiiMELHdO6KRiFCCDzkiXaP0VvIVYIhmmtYf0FMzLYetmK9/s200/Lightning-Tree-300px.jpg" /></a></div>
I love the lightning storms that sweep the far western United States, where I've lived nearly all my life. I couldn't really "see" lightning. It all happened too fast. Check it out in slo-mo, thanks to the magic of NPR. <br />
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<a href="http://npr.tumblr.com/post/145377644309/skunkbear-ive-always-wanted-to-see-lightning">http://npr.tumblr.com/post/145377644309/skunkbear-ive-always-wanted-to-see-lightning</a></div>
<script async="" src="https://secure.assets.tumblr.com/post.js"></script>Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-9792680310037677942016-05-29T19:50:00.000-07:002016-06-05T09:30:27.736-07:00If You Wrote Game of Thrones <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLC1YqITiVBe42ZlF82mSmqUezPuhW7DAVhvIRqcaWSHYn54nA_BameqZgvbG38mbqaDPJuDUFDl8nqj0FBmPknP5E2hNjKiy8jLlK2ipbyyVT_k5TadIJjIfOO7dYToGCfLa_ho7BPDu/s1600/GeorgeMartin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLC1YqITiVBe42ZlF82mSmqUezPuhW7DAVhvIRqcaWSHYn54nA_BameqZgvbG38mbqaDPJuDUFDl8nqj0FBmPknP5E2hNjKiy8jLlK2ipbyyVT_k5TadIJjIfOO7dYToGCfLa_ho7BPDu/s200/GeorgeMartin.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<b>I saw George R. R. Martin, author of the <a href="http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones" target="_blank">Game of Thrones </a>books,</b> in Auntie's Bookstore in Spokane, Washington. "I'm a slow writer," said the Santa Fe resident. Check out this cartoon, "The Sad Adventures of sad George R.R Martin."<br />
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A photo posted by Mashable Watercooler (@watercooler) on <time datetime="2016-05-20T15:35:07+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">May 20, 2016 at 8:35am PDT</time></div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-78199969181740922572016-03-20T11:56:00.002-07:002016-03-20T12:38:55.073-07:00Snowshoeing Up Mt. Rainier <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 12.88px;">Spring in Seattle and deep powder in the Cascades. I loved snowshoeing up to Paradise on Mt. Rainier, one of the snowiest peaks in the U.S. A sunny day with </span><a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=141925999195069" href="https://www.facebook.com/EverGreenEscapes/" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 12.88px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;">Evergreen Escapes</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 12.88px;">. And, hey, Seattleites check out the wine tastings at <a href="http://www.evergreenescapes.com/" target="_blank">Evergreen's Adventure Hub</a>. The wine is made right there in Sodo and I got to hang out with my adventure colleagues there this week.</span><a href="http://www.evergreenescapes.com/adventure-hub" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 12.88px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.evergreenescapes.com/adventure-hub</a></div>
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<br />Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-4158221141240022962016-02-08T20:41:00.001-08:002016-02-08T20:44:16.997-08:00Fast Train to Machu Picchu<div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bi4AGUV-Dgc/VqCkpUM29TI/AAAAAAAAbyU/M3rD43Hfywg/s1600/TrainMachuPicchu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bi4AGUV-Dgc/VqCkpUM29TI/AAAAAAAAbyU/M3rD43Hfywg/s320/TrainMachuPicchu.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><a href="http://candacedempsey.com/" target="_blank">By Candace Dempsey</a></b></div>
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<b>Getting to the sacred shrine of<a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/machu-picchu/" target="_blank"> Machu Picchu</a> </b>in<b> </b>Peru doesn't have to be arduous, no matter what people tell you. After acclimating in Cusco and tackling the Lares Trek with <a href="http://www.mountainlodgesofperu.com/" target="_blank">Mountain Lodges of Peru</a>, we hopped aboard Inca Rail and rode in luxury, drinking wine and taking in the incredible sights.<br />
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This train leaves from "the ancient village of Ollantaytambo, a gem among Inca architecture, tracing a winding route along the Vilcanota river past snow-capped peaks and verdant crops until it slowly enters the enchanted rainforest that hosts the mystical Inca citadel." We arrived in Aguas Calientes, the tropical town nearest the shrine, happy and relaxed, ready to see Machu Picchu the next morning. One of the world's must-see sites, it was worth the ride. <br />
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Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-71036984526497293592015-01-11T14:48:00.001-08:002015-01-12T12:33:44.591-08:00Yosemite: U.S. Climbers, World's Hardest Free Climb<b>By Candace Dempsey
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Up or up? That's the choice tonight on Yosemite's glorious El Capitan for two U.S. free climbers (ropes, no gadgets). Will they make mountaineering history or ...? Working on a dream here.
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Yosemite_El_Capitan.jpg/420px-Yosemite_El_Capitan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Yosemite_El_Capitan.jpg/420px-Yosemite_El_Capitan.jpg" /></a></div>
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Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-59109579175365503112014-09-18T17:00:00.002-07:002014-09-30T12:31:15.095-07:00Mexico: Fun in the Water Four Ways<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><a href="http://candacedempsey.com/" target="_blank">By Candace Dempsey </a></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQm1kiKE9YndAwXYvVbnJTFKoZHtTqJ1Vz443NkquexRij57iMMfT61YzH95-qWPWfTu8d37M3J0Tv1Slaf7yF59FCCvwvQGAV71c_bZwrrSz0_d5DOAmjTNqgi-WDDr-aiE7Wj_Noh6Z/s1600/MerryPranksters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQm1kiKE9YndAwXYvVbnJTFKoZHtTqJ1Vz443NkquexRij57iMMfT61YzH95-qWPWfTu8d37M3J0Tv1Slaf7yF59FCCvwvQGAV71c_bZwrrSz0_d5DOAmjTNqgi-WDDr-aiE7Wj_Noh6Z/s1600/MerryPranksters.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><b>I came to <a href="http://www.visitmexico.com/en/san-luis-potosi" target="_blank">San Luis Potosi</a> in beautiful Mexico for adventure, </b>like so many adventurers before me. Eager to acquire crazy new skills, I chose a four-day <a href="http://huaxteca.com/">HuaXteca.com</a> guided trip that promised a "Hidden Eden" of ferocious turquoise rivers north of Mexico City, where gringas are scarce and gray-haired women in black cotton still sell roasted corn, spiced with chili, from roadside stands.<br />
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At HuaXteca.com where "even the dog has fun", I signed on to whitewater raft, rappel into a waterfall, jump into waterfalls and scuba dive into a lake Even though I deliberately chose an extreme adventure, I must admit that I had
moments of doubt. Why can't I just choose something safe? Why do I have to try new things? <br />
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Whitewater rafting on the Tampaon River (Class 3) was an enjoyable, easy time, since I'd already survived Hell's Canyon (Class 4) and the River of No Return (Class 3) in Idaho.<br />
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Clambering 147 feet down the sides of Minas Viejas waterfall into a delightfully warm pool was a day at the beach (see photo below of Dana Johnson heading down the cliff) because I'd recently rappelled 200 feet into a New Zealand cave. Besides, I love rappelling. I feel free and light on the rope. It is magical. </div>
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But even though I grew up in the West, practically living in water, two activities did scare me. Waterfall jumping (eek, heights) and scuba diving (holy claustrophobia). Would I flop or fly?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsC5pGDj8COTFm1SExTktIMK8rCKRw6_q1GrrxB4iRjUiM2m5m7boypCAFrUCCJXMyJLF4FwhcggD1AI8tW_c7TF98Xbv5_JBPFxxWLrXrXUD3wGvjO8dmG0WhO5H0DLwdHSD4evVnbyv1/s1600/RapellChiapas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsC5pGDj8COTFm1SExTktIMK8rCKRw6_q1GrrxB4iRjUiM2m5m7boypCAFrUCCJXMyJLF4FwhcggD1AI8tW_c7TF98Xbv5_JBPFxxWLrXrXUD3wGvjO8dmG0WhO5H0DLwdHSD4evVnbyv1/s320/RapellChiapas.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Well, it turns out anything is possible </b>if you're with people who encourage you to try new things and know how to laugh. We were a merry group of many nations and languages, brought together through the magic of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/huasteca.secreta" target="_blank">ATTA</a>) and <a href="https://www.adventuretravel.biz/connect/atmex-2014/" target="_blank">ATMEX</a>. Adventure addicts, one and all. We got high on risk-taking, plus plentiful tequila and elaborate spreads of luscious local food at EcoResort Huasteca Secreta (see below, with the mighty El Salto del Meco waterfall just behind) and La Malanca Hotel & Spa.<br />
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Yup, I did dive into the waterfalls at San Luis Potosi. This is me taking the famous "big step" over the cliff.</div>
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I discovered that you can even make new friends while scuba diving. Here are fellow <a href="https://www.facebook.com/adventureangelstravel" target="_blank">Adventure Angels</a> Dana Johnson of <a href="http://www.openleafexcursions.com/2013/10/13/adventure-trip-to-the-copper-canyon-of-mexico-with-dana-johnson-adventure-concierge-of-open-leaf-excursions/" target="_blank">Open Leaf Excursions</a> and Jiyeon Juno Kim of the fabulous <a href="http://runawayjuno.com/" target="_blank">Runaway Juno</a> blog. I enjoyed this scuba dive into Media Luna Lake State Park, having prudently taken some last-minute lessons in Seattle. The lake water was warm and placid, which made it easier to jump into the water and even climb down a very tall tree.<br />
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Can't wait for the ATTA Summit in Chile next year. That is a dream come true. Thank you ATMEX2014 for the memories. Let's all go out and have adventures. It's a big world. We need to see all of it.</div>
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Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-83281265849223865382014-07-23T14:16:00.003-07:002016-05-30T00:26:49.444-07:00Who Was the Famous Migrant Mother? (Photos)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Who was the famous "Migrant Mother," 32, whose famous photo has haunted us since the Depression years? Mary Coin, Marisa Silver's haunting novel reimagines the lives of Florence Owens Thompson and unveils the photo's secrets. "She said that they had been living on frozen vegetables from the surrounding fields, and birds that the children killed," said photographer Dorthea Lange. <a href="http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/128_migm.html">(From: Popular Photography, Feb. 1960).</a>"
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c.parentNode.insertBefore(cp, c); })(); </script><noscript>Powered by Cincopa <a href='http://www.cincopa.com/video-hosting'>Video Streaming Hosting</a> solution.<span>Migrant Mother </span><span>Images of Migrant Mother </span><span>Famous Migrant Mother </span><span>height</span><span> 150</span><span>width</span><span> 120</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>Mary Coin, novel based on Florence Owens Thompson's life </span><span>What is the story behind the famous Depression photo, "Migrant Mother"? Marisa Silver's beautiful novel reimagines the lives of the mother, father, and historian caught in the web of this story. </span><span>height</span><span> 391</span><span>width</span><span> 260</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>Unretouched Image </span><span>height</span><span> 150</span><span>width</span><span> 121</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>height</span><span> 120</span><span>width</span><span> 150</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>height</span><span> 120</span><span>width</span><span> 150</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>height</span><span> 150</span><span>width</span><span> 121</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span><span>height</span><span> 118</span><span>width</span><span> 150</span><span>originaldate</span><span> 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM</span></noscript>Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-32514909909906330682014-07-23T13:15:00.000-07:002014-07-23T21:21:17.914-07:00Fire on Mountain, Washington State Slideshow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lightning storms sparked wildfires in Eastern Washington, the largest in state history. We could see smoke all the way east in Idaho, just like the ash from Mt. St. Helens eruption. Now, flash flood warnings ...<br />
<script src="https://storify.com/Candacedempsey/wildfires-of-washington-state.js?template=slideshow"></script><noscript><a href="https://storify.com/Candacedempsey/wildfires-of-washington-state" target="_blank">View "undefined" on Storify</a></noscript>Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-241963389310548452014-06-01T11:58:00.005-07:002014-06-03T23:34:47.215-07:00Six Climbers Perish on Mt. Rainier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>First six climbers went missing on Mt. Rainier on Wednesday night.</b> By Saturday we knew the names and the sad truth. They died somewhere at the bottom of Carbon River Glacier. Did they slip? Did a rockslide wash over them? We may never know exactly. For now, conditions on the glacier are so deadly that rescuers can't even search for the bodies. Check out the slideshow below. I'll update as events unfold.
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Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-52060889959498424692014-04-04T23:33:00.001-07:002014-06-01T01:00:28.996-07:00Yellowstone Bison: Mensa Material? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><b>By Candace Dempsey, author of <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/.pagenavi%20.current%7B%20background:%20#4371cf%20;border:1px%20solid%20#4371cf" target="_blank">Murder in Italy</a>, the true story of Amanda Knox. </b> </b><br />
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<b>Yes, I, too, want to believe Yellowstone's bison are Cassandras able to predict natural disasters </b>way ahead of scientists. That they know just when to get the hell out of Dodge. But I couldn't help laughing--and being skeptical--when Britain's <i>Independent</i> newspaper went crazy on Twitter tonight: <i>Animals are fleeing Yellowstone Park in vast numbers, sparking fears a super volcano may erupt. </i><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Like much of the Twitterverse, the Guardian fell for the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_csBXWlUA4" target="_blank">"ALERT! Yellowstone Buffalo Running for Their Lives!"video</a> that went viral right around April Fool's Day (Yes, should've been a clue.). Said video claims to show the mammoth beasts thundering out of the snow-driven park in droves, sensing doom. A massive earthquake, maybe. A volcano erupting under the hot springs and fumaroles.</span><br />
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Having worked in Yellowstone National Park one enchanted summer, I tried to suspend disbelief (if they're so smart, how come they nearly went extinct?). Then some spoilsport scientist told the <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2014/0404/Yellowstone-bison-fleeing-impending-supervolcano-No.-video" target="_blank">Christian Science Monitor </a> that bison are migratory. They often leave the park, looking for green things to chow down. To add insult to injury:<br />
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<i>Park officials have noted that these two dozen or so <b>bison are actually running deeper into the park, not away from it. </b>In fact, many of Yellowstone's 4,600 bison are outside the park right now.</i><i>Why? Not because of Sunday's 4.8-magnitude earthquake, which was Yellowstone's biggest quake in decades but is still just one of the 1,000 to 3,000 temblors the park sees each year. </i><br />
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Why did the bison cross the road? They were hungry. Sometimes real life isn't stranger than fiction.
Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411167562387761824.post-76383136743525354932014-04-03T09:31:00.000-07:002014-05-26T21:20:27.057-07:00Passion Will Get You Up a Mountain (Video). <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>By Candace Dempsey, author of <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/.pagenavi%20.current%7B%20background:%20#4371cf%20;border:1px%20solid%20#4371cf" target="_blank">Murder in Italy</a>, the true story of Amanda Knox. </b><br />
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Rain, snow, ice, smoldering heat, altitude sickness, not to mention bugs. Some days the sun shines on a mountain. More often, it tests courage. What gets you up where you belong? Curiosity. A love of the outdoors.<br />
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I needed inspiration on this gray day, down here at sea level in beautiful Seattle. Outside's "Passion: The Days You Need It Most" cured my blues. Try it. <script height="360px" src="http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#ec=xyZDVrbDoFUkDDxDVToFRI80CXV5yIFB&pbid=MzMyN2JkYjc5ZWFlOTg1N2FkMjk5MmI5" width="500px"></script>Candace Dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05003556957562847947noreply@blogger.com