October 2006

Halloween 2006

Halloween Greetings

Once again, the leaves are falling and the pumpkins in the patch are ripe. It’s the time that all restless spirits set forth in their annual ritual of calling on the living – and demanding treats.

Halloween is known and loved today as a time to wear costumes, go door to door asking for candy, and watch monster movies. But the holiday’s origins go back centuries to the enactment of All Saints’ Day, a Christian holiday. Along the way, it has also picked up traditions from Samhain, a Celtic festival celebrating the start of winter.

We’re looking forward to the visitations of all the little goblins and spirits at our door tonight. We plan on posting some spooky pictures here tomorrow.

31 Oct 2006 by Damsel Culture

We’re the 43rd-Safest City – No Thanks to Democrats

Our city is ranked as the 43rd safest, but that’s little consolation when you consider we’re virtually surrounded by very dangerous places. Nearby Compton is fourth most dangerous and Inglewood to the North is 62nd.

From our local newspaper:

How safe is your city? If you live in Torrance, smile

The city ranks 43rd nationally on a list of 371 U.S. cities. If you’re reading from St. Louis, lock your doors.

Take a deep breath, Torrance: You are the nation’s 43rd-safest city.

The new rankings, released today, peg Brick, N.J., as the safest city in the land, and St. Louis as the most dangerous. Torrance came in just behind Warwick, R.I., at 42nd, and ahead of Clifton, N.J., at 44th. Torrance is the second-safest city in L.A. County, behind Santa Clarita at 34th.

When it comes to being safe in our homes, we’re comfortable with our home defenses and know how to apply them should the need arise. That’s why we’re voting for Republicans next week since there is not one single Democrat on our ballot that supports our right to own and bear arms. Diane Feinstein once indicated that “everyone should just turn in their guns” and disarm. Of course, there are many other reasons not to vote Democratic.

All in All, a Good Day

Yep, today’s been a pretty good day for me. I enjoyed working in the garden, enjoyed getting ready for Halloween, had a pretty good day at the range and enjoyed a sumptuous meal of BBQ “Crazy Yellow Chicken” with pinto beans, corn on the cob and special rice with tortillas.

29 Oct 2006 by Damsel Culture Firearms Food & Dining Photography

A White Icelandic Poppy

The sun was greeted by this white Icelandic Poppy this morning in my garden. I just love these since they tolerate the cooler temperatures and provode colors in the garden late into the year.

Even though this is called an Icelandic Poppy, it is, in fact, native to the USA. Read the following short articles for more facts and more pretty pictures about Icelandic Poppies.

By the way, if you’re in a timezone that observes daylight saving time, tonight’s the time to set your clocks back an hour.

28 Oct 2006 by Damsel California Home & Garden Photography

Spooks and Flowers

Since we love Halloween, we’re going to start getting in the “spirit” with this colorful centerpiece on our table this weekend. Over the weekend, we’re going to get the decorations and the rest of the preparations ready for the little spooks headed our way on October 31st.

27 Oct 2006 by Damsel Culture Photography

Watching the Sun in STEREO

The twin spacecraft mission STEREO blasted off from Cape Canaveral in a nighttime launch last night. STEREO, which stands for Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory, is a two-spacecraft mission to observe solar activity from two vantage points in orbit around the sun. the spacecraft, identified as A (ahead) and B (behind), will head for the Moon to get a gravitational “slingshot” into orbit. B will be flung into orbit behind the Earth while A will return to the Moon for another boost into orbit ahead of Earth. This separation in space provides a unique view of the Sun from orbits with a similar distance from the Sun as the Earth, while imaging from points away from our planet. The spacecraft will assume their stations near Lagrange points L4 and L5.