Russian Hill in San Francisco, CA

Photo Credit: Ryan Shepard
Location: Macondray Lane, on Russian Hill in San Francisco, CA

We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and to know the place for the first time.

-- T.S. Eliot

Lunar sea

lunar sea
A lunar sea is any flat, dark plain of lower elevation on the Moon. The term was erroneously applied to this feature of the lunar surface by telescopic observers of the 17th century; in actuality, a lunar sea (or mare) is a huge lava flow and does not contain any water. All lunar seas occur on the side of the Moon that always faces the Earth. They are the largest topographic features on the Moon and can be seen from the Earth with the unaided eye, appearing as dark patches on a paler background.

Guess the Word

This word has 10 letters namely

1234567890

1234 - carries heredity
456 - is a period of time
567 - is a pest
and 890 - is a charged particle
What is the word?



Answer
GENERATION
1234 carries heredity - gene
456 - is a period of time - era
567- is a pest - rat
890 is a charged particle - ion

Islands National Park, California

Photo Credit: Copyright S. Cyd Read
Location: Inspiration Point on East Anacapa Island, one of the islands within Channel Islands National Park, California

You know what happens when you dream of falling? Sometimes you wake up. Sometimes the fall kills you. And sometimes, when you fall, you fly.

-- Neil Gaiman

Medicare

The legislation for Medicare, the health insurance program administered by the United States government for senior citizens or other people who meet special criteria, was first passed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 30, 1965. Former President Harry S. Truman was the first person to enroll in Medicare and receive a Medicare card.

Texas Hill Country

Photo Credit: Stephen Pollard
Location: Enchanted Rock State Natural Area just outside of Fredericksburg, TX in the Texas Hill Country.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

-- Max Ehrmann

Elevator and Escalators

An elevator is a car that moves in a vertical shaft to carry passengers or freight between the levels of a multi-story building. The passenger elevator was introduced in 1853. An escalator is a moving staircase used as transportation between floors or levels in subways, buildings, and other places where there are many pedestrians. The name escalator was first applied to a moving stairway shown at the Paris Exposition of 1900.

Hidden Time & Again III

Inside each set of the following words, there is a pair of smaller words. By putting & between them, lo & behold, you'll make a familiar phrase. For example, "Thighbone/Swallowtail" conceals "High & Low."

1. Firecracker/Misconstruing
2. Blockbuster/Doohickey
3. Shunting/Bespeckled
4. Proliferation/Climbable
5. Heartstrings/Consciences



Answer1. Rack & Ruin
2. Lock & Key
3. Hunt & Peck
4. Life & Limb
5. Arts & Sciences

Los Altos, California

Photo Credit: Eileen Melton
Location: Los Altos, California

We need not be afraid to touch, to feel, to show emotion. The easiest thing in the world is to be what you are, what you feel. The hardest thing to be is what other people want you to be.

-- Leo Buscaglia

Vegetable oils

Vegetable oils are extremely important in cooking. They are extracted either from seeds (such as soya and sunflower seeds) or from fruits (such as olives and nuts). Sesame and olive oils have the oldest origins; records show both were used by the ancient Egyptians. The ancient Greeks used olive oil. Most vegetable oils are low in cholesterol, being made up of monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids. Others, such as coconut and palm oil, contain almost as much saturated fatty acid as animal fats.

Everest Region of the Himalaya in Nepal

Photo Credit: KK Condon
Location: Thamserku, in the Everest Region of the Himalaya in Nepal

Myths are public dreams, and dreams are private myths.

--Joseph Campbell

Sushi

sushi
Sushi, the Japanese specialty, consists of rice mixed with a dressing that not only adds flavor but makes the rice shapeable in a mold or by rolling. Additional ingredients include raw or cooked fish or seafood and vegetables. Layers of sushi rice and prepared ingredients are pressed into a mold to form little cakes, or wrapped in a sheet of nori seaweed and served in slices. Dipping sauce, mustard, and pickled ginger are typical accompaniments.

Teeth

teeth
Each adult jaw contains 16 teeth: four incisors, two canines, four premolars, and six molars. Incisors are cutting teeth; canines grip and tear food; premolars and molars have flattened crowns to crush and grind food.

Sunflower

Sunflower heads consist of 1,000 to 2,000 individual flowers joined together by a receptacle base. The large petals around the edge of a sunflower head are individual ray flowers which do not develop into seed. A sunflower is ready to harvest when the back portion of the head turns brown. Floating rafts of sunflowers were used to clean up water contaminated by the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in the former Soviet Union. The roots of the sunflower plants removed 95% of the radioactivity in the water by pulling contaminants out of the water.

-straw

Can you determine what word goes in front of these words?

-straw, -draft, -episode, -Frontier, -curtain



AnswerFinal.

The final straw, the final draft (my favourite), the final episode, the 'Final Frontier' (a UK TV show), and the final curtain (another way of saying the end).

Richmond, Virginia

Photo Credit: Kimmy Certa
Location: Richmond, Virginia

Take a course in good water and air; and in the eternal youth of Nature you may renew your own. Go quietly, alone; no harm will befall you.

--John Muir

College and University

college and university
A university is an institution of higher education, usually comprising a liberal arts and sciences college and graduate and professional schools and having the authority to confer degrees in various fields of study. A university differs from a college in that it is usually larger, has a broader curriculum, and offers graduate and professional degrees in addition to undergraduate degrees. In Europe, the first modern-style universities were set up in Italy (Bologna) in the 11th century, and in France and England (University of Paris and University of Oxford respectively) in the 12th century.

pelican-sunset

Subject: English

If you ever feel stupid, then just read on. If you've learned to speak fluent English, you must be a genius! This little treatise on the lovely language we share is only for the brave.
Pursue at your leisure, English lovers.

Reasons why the English language is so hard to learn:

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France.
Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.
Quicksand works slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guineapig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth?
One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? Doesn't itseem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? Is it an odd, or an end?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eat vegetables,what does a humanitarian eat?
In what language do people recite at aplay and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can aslim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

P.S. – Why doesn't "Buick" rhyme with "quick"?

For English lovers

As you may know, a group of fish is called a "school", a group of lions is called a "pride", and a group of seagulls is called a "flock". Some are a little more unusual. See if you can guess what animals belong to the following groups:

Answer
Crash - Rhinoceros
Exaltation - Lark
Mob - Kangaroo
Murder - Raven/Crow
Parliament - Owl
Pod - Whale
Sounder - Pig/Hog

Photo Credit: Erin Partridge
Location: Coalinga, CA

I want to spend the time I have doing things that makes my heart rage.

-- The Great Buck Howard

Walter Cronkite: What America Lost by Madeleine M. Kunin

The death of a famous person is different from the death of a loved one, whether it is Michael Jackson, Frank McCourt, or Walter Cronkite. We didn’t know any of them personally, and yet, we experience a sense of loss.

Fame lends itself to a different kind of intimacy -- on one level, a famous person becomes part of the backdrop of our lives. Sometimes, he or she steps into the foreground because we think we know them; we think they know us because they seem to speak to us directly, whether it is with their music, writing or what was once called The Nightly News. There seemed to be no other.

It may be difficult for people under the age of 40 to fathom what an imprint Walter Cronkite had on my generation. He has been called “the most trusted man in America,” and possibly he was. All I can recall is that what he said seemed sound and sensible. I do remember that in the early years of the Vietnam War I was impatient with him because he reported on the war dispassionately with no hint of doubt. I already had my doubts.

But when he declared that this war could not be won, and at best, end in a stalemate, we knew that the dissenters were not only marching in Washington, they had reached Middle America. It was a turning point.

Few people today could serve as such a precise barometer of American public opinion. Lyndon Johnson saw it, and perhaps even Archie Bunker, who had argued with his son about the war on television every week.

The extent of Cronkite’s fame was revealed to me in 1974 when I was a delegate to the Democratic Convention in Kansas City. (It was an interim convention that was held between nominating conventions to focus on re-writing the rules). We were attending one of these gargantuan receptions which are the hallmark of national political conventions when suddenly, the word spread through the crowd, necks craned and the crowd moved like lemmings in one direction.

“Who was it?” I wondered. “One of the presidential hopefuls?”

“No,” the word came back. It was Walter Cronkite. The real Walter Cronkite. We all wanted to go back home to tell our friends and neighbors that we had actually seen him, in the flesh.

His death is a loss, a loss of good reporting, a loss of cohesiveness which he could bring to our country and the simple loss of a man we felt was a friend.

Madeleine M. Kunin is the former Governor of Vermont and was the state's first woman governor. She served as Ambassador to Switzerland for President Clinton, and was on the three-person panel that chose Al Gore to be Clinton's VP. She is the author of Pearls, Politics, and Power: How Women Can Win and Lead from Chelsea Green Publishing

Yosemite, CA

Photo Credit: Sylvia Morris
Location: Yosemite, CA

For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.

-- Nelson Mandela

Amphibians

Amphibians are a group of creatures that are able to live both on land and in the water. They have existed for millions of years and are found everywhere but Antarctica and Greenland. Frogs are the most widespread amphibians, surviving in deserts, rain forests, and mountainous regions. Most amphibians breed in water, where they lay eggs that develop into tadpoles. Tadpoles breathe through gills until they develop lungs for breathing on land; this process is called metamorphosis. The name amphibian is derived from Greek amphibios, meaning "living a double life" - for the ability to live in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Despite the name, there are actually some species that are permanent land dwellers and others with a completely aquatic mode of existence.

Mount Everest

Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. It is 29,035 feet high and lies on the border between Nepal and Tibet. It was recognized as the highest place on Earth in 1852 and is named after Sir George Everest, who was the British Surveyor-General of India from 1830 to 1843. New Zealand mountain climber Sir Edmund Hillary, along with Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay, became the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953.

Island of Kauai overlooking Waimea Canyon

Photo Credit: Diane J. Petrillo
Location: Island of Kauai overlooking Waimea Canyon

All good things are wild and free.

-- Henry David Thoreau

Figure of speech

Figures of speech include any intentional deviation from the literal that emphasizes, clarifies, or embellishes both written and spoken language. An important part of language, figures of speech are found in primitive oral literature as well as in polished poetry and prose and in everyday speech.

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (close to Ely, MN)

Photo Credit: Randall Douglas
Location: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (close to Ely, MN)

Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up.

-- Anne Lamott

Condiments

condiments
Condiments are food substances used to heighten the natural flavors of foods, stimulate the appetite, aid digestion, or preserve certain foods; the word comes from Latin condire "to preserve." The custom of using condiments is as ancient as cookery itself, the first ones being mainly of vegetable origin and used as a means of preserving. In the U.S., large quantities of bottled sauces and condiments are used to accompany salads, meats, vegetables, etc.

Utah's Arches National Park

Photo Credit: Josh Myers
Location: Utah's Arches National Park

This picture is the winner of our National Parks Photo Contest on Sierra Club Trails.
Read Josh's story and see other finalists here.


Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.

-- Twyla Tharp

Comets

Comets are leftovers from the formation of the nine planets in the solar system billions of years ago. Comets are fragile balls of snow and dust found at the edge of the solar system in the Oort Cloud. The Oort Cloud is made up of about 10 million comets, some of which leave the cloud and travel toward the Sun. The Sun's heat melts the snow and these comets appear to grow greatly. Astronomers have seen about 700 comets in the Earth's sky.

Lake Superior in Cascade River State Park, Minnesota

Photo Credit: Don Householder
Location: Lake Superior in Cascade River State Park, Minnesota

The grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never dried all at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal dawn and gloaming, on sea and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.

-- John Muir

Stars

stars
There are more stars than any other object in the universe. Each is a spinning ball of hot, luminous gas. Most are composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. As these gases are converted to heaver elements, energy is produced. A star has a life cycle of billions of years; its mass dictates how it will develop and die.

Synonym Safari 4

Replace each word or words in parentheses with a one-word synonym to decipher a common phrase.

1. (Similar to) (male parent), (relating to) (male child).

2. (Everything) that (sparkles) is not (Au).

3. (Awful) (information) (moves) (lickety-split).



Answer
1. Like father, like son.
2. All that glitters is not gold.
3. Bad news travels fast.

McKethan Lake

Photo Credit: Polly Jean Werner
Location: McKethan Lake in the Withlacoochee State Forest, FL

Life can be found only in the present moment. The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life.

-- Thich Nhat Hanh

Calligraphy

Calligraphy is writing as art. The word derives from the Greek words for "good" or "beautiful" and for "writing" or "drawing." Calligraphy is a long and exacting tradition and is considered a major art. Masterpieces of calligraphic art include the Irish "Book of Kells" (8th century, now at Trinity College, Dublin) and the English "Lindisfarne Gospels" (8th century, now in the British Museum).

A Fisherman's Tale

When telling a story
About flounder or dory,
I often end up far apart.

But when bowing your head
Or mourning your dead,
I'm together and close to your heart.

You may lend me or hold me
Or show me or fold me,
And all this is merely a start.

What am I?



HintI am many other things beside,
May one of these help you decide:

A bunch of bananas,
A measure of height,
An assistant, or
The way you write!
Hide
Show Hint


Answer
Hands!

The first stanza and the title refer to the typical "fisherman's tale" about the "one that got away".

In the second stanza, bowing your head refers to either praying or the Asian form of greeting. The mourning reference is to "wringing one's hands".

You can "lend a hand" and "hold someone's hand". In Poker, players show their hands to find who wins or fold their hand if it is no good. The last line refers to the many other uses of the word "hand"!

The hint refers to other usages - bananas grow in hands, a horse's height is measured in hands (4 inches), an assistant may be known as a hand (e.g. stagehand), and someone's particular style of writing can be referred to as their "hand" (e.g. "leftclick has a very scrappy hand").

The Pope Has It

The Pope has it but he does not use it.
Your father has it but your mother uses it.
Nuns do not need it.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has a big one,
Michael J. Fox's is quite small.
What is it?


Answer
A last name.

Never Get Me Back

I can run swiftly and silently when you want me to stay still,
I can move slowly and cautiously and am yours to fill.
You look at me often and yet you always forget me,
I am the most feared killer, yet you can't live without me.
Sometimes you have me for all to spare,
Yet when you need me, I am not there.
You can waste me, or cherish me, you choose the track,
But once you're done you can never get me back.



Answer
Time

Meaning of Flag Draped Coffin

All Americans should be given this lesson. Those who think that America is an arrogant nation should really reconsider that thought. Our founding fathers used GOD's word and teachings to establish our Great Nation and I think it's high time Americans get re-educated about this Nation's history. Pass it along and be proud of the country we live in and even more proud of those who serve to protect our "GOD GIVEN" rights and freedoms.
I hope you take the time to read this ... To understand what the flag draped coffin really means ... Here is how to understand the flag that laid upon it and is surrendered to so many widows and widowers....


Do you know that at military funerals, the 21-gun salute stands for the sum of the numbers in the year 1776?

Have you ever noticed the honor guard pays meticulous attention to correctly folding the United States of America Flag 13 times? You probably thought it was to symbolize the original 13 colonies, but we learn something new every day!


The 1st fold of the flag is a symbol of life.

The 2nd fold is a symbol of the belief in eternal life.



The 3rd fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing the ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of the country to attain peace throughout the world.



The 4th fold represents the weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine guidance.

The 5th fold is a tribute to the country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong."



The 6th fold is for where people's hearts lie. It is with their heart that They pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States Of America , and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.

The 7th fold is a tribute to its Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that they protect their country and their flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of their republic.

The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day.


The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood, and Mothers. For it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.


The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of their country since they were first born.

The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies in the Hebrews eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.




The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christians eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.


The 13th fold, or when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding them of their nations motto, "In God We Trust."



After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the Sailors and Marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for them the rights, privileges and freedoms they enjoy today.


There are some traditions and ways of doing things that have deep meaning. In the future, you'll see flags folded and now you will know why.

Share this with the children you love and all others

who love what is referred to, the symbol of " Liberty and Freedom."





MAYBE THE SUPREME COURT SHOULD READ THIS EXPLANATION BEFORE THEY RENDER THEIR DECISION ON THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.


FORWARD IT; MAYBE SOMEONE WITH THE NECESSARY POWER, OR POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL INFLUENCE, WILL GET IT TO THEM.

IN THE MEANTIME, MAY GOD PROTECT US ALWAYS.


ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

San Francisco Zoo, CA

Photo Credit: Rosella Tibig
Location: San Francisco Zoo, CA

Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible.

-- Deepak Chopra

Aborigines

Aborigines are those believed to have been the first inhabitants of a country ab origine, i.e., "from the beginning." The nomadic natives of Australia have been called Aborigines, which means "first people," but it was the original possessors of Greece and Italy who were first referred to by that name; the term was later extended to the original occupants of other countries such as Australia. The Australian aborigines arrived from Asia thousands of years before the Europeans discovered Australia at the end of the 18th century. They were expert hunters, even in the desert, and used the boomerang and the throwing spear as weapons.

Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path teaches that the way Buddhists lead their lives should be correct in eight important aspects. Those who follow the noble Eightfold Path are freed from the suffering that is an essential part of human existence and are led ultimately to nirvana, or enlightenment. The Eightfold Path consists of: (1) right understanding-faith in the Buddhist view of the nature of existence in terms of the Four Noble Truths; (2) right thought-the resolve to practice the faith; (3) right speech-avoidance of falsehoods, slander, or abusive speech; (4) right action-abstention from taking life, stealing, and improper sexual behavior; (5) right livelihood-rejection of occupations not in keeping with Buddhist principles; (6) right effort-avoidance of bad mental states and development of good ones; (7) right mindfulness-awareness of the body, feelings, and thought; and (8) right concentration.

Growing Down

What grows down while it grows up?



Answer
A goose! (Down is the type of feathers that geese grow)

Four is the Magic Number

Without changing the order of the letters, place the four letter words on the dashes to form eight letter words. All the words will not be used.

Veto, Lent, Rake, Hilt, Clam, Abut, Tile

1. __ um__ __ i __ y
2. Pro __ __ __ i __
3. __ err __ b __ __
4. __ __ xa __ i __ n
5. Ove __ t __ __ __



Answer
1. Humility - hilt
2. Proclaim - clam
3. Terrible - tile
4. Vexation - veto
5. Overtake - rake

Italy

Airship

In July 1919, a British dirigible, R-34, made the first round-trip transatlantic flight. Despite great achievements, airships were virtually abandoned in the late 1930s because of their cost, slow speed, and intrinsic vulnerability to stormy weather.

Word Fusion

Each statement describes two words that when fused together create a new unrelated word (not a compound word). The clues do not necessarily indicate in which order the two words are attached. Example: This is the average oldness of a tablet (pill + age = pillage).

1) This is an automobile's domesticated animal.
2) This is a group of wolves, much like stone or bronze.
3) This is an alcoholic beverage that is made from a part of a fish.
4) This is a volume's military partner.



Answer
1) car + pet = carpet
2) pack + age = package
3) fin + ale = finale
4) liter + ally = literally

Guarded Queen

I am a queen, beautiful and
Covered with a sweet fragrance,
Guarded by five guardsmen,
Two of them clean-shaven,
Two of them unshaven,
And the last one half-shaven.

What am I?



Answer
A Rose.

When you look at a rose, the colored petals forming the rose represent the queen.
The five green leaf-like flaps below the petals, called sepals, represent the five guardsmen.
At closer inspection, you will see these five leaves have very distinct characteristics.
Two of them are clean-shaven, meaning smooth edges on both sides.
Two of them are unshaven, meaning on both sides of the leaf there are small little tentacles, sometimes very fine, sometimes larger.
And the last one is half-shaven, meaning one smooth edge and one 'tentacle' edge.

Another interesting thing is that you'll always find a smooth edge and a 'tentacle' edge next to each other.

Go and have a look! All true roses have these characteristics!

Exterminate! - I

It's time for some spring cleaning! The sentences below each contain a bug that you need to find and exterminate! Can you spot them all?

1. It's not always easy to listen to what my mother says, but most of the time, it's the right thing.

2. All of a sudden, this wee, vile creature crawled up my arm and all I could do was shriek!

3. Long term itemizing of your priorities in life always helps.



Answer
1. It's not always easy to listen to what my MOTHer says, but most of the time, it's the right thing. - MOTH

2. All of a sudden, this WEE, VILe creature crawled up my arm and all I could do was shriek! - WEEVIL

3. Long TERM ITEmizing of your priorities in life always helps. - TERMITE

Oxymorons

Oxymorons are not thick bovines, but two words, with opposite meanings, linked together to form a descriptive phrase. As an example, golfers play with metal woods.

Take a word from the top list, pair it with a word from the second, and find all 7 oxymorons.

LIST ONE: fine, dry, awfully, slipped, sweet, good, standing

LIST TWO: jump, good, sorrow, sherry, drizzle, up, grief



Answer
Fine drizzle.
Dry sherry.
Awfully good.
Slipped up.
Sweet sorrow.
Good grief.
Standing jump.

Museums and Galleries

Ancient art was displayed in caves. As time went by, artists' work was displayed in homes and then in galleries and museums; art museums developed from great private collections assembled by royalty, the aristocracy, and the wealthy. A form of art collecting was practiced in the earliest civilizations, with precious objects and artworks stored in temples, tombs, sanctuaries, and the palaces and treasuries of kings. Such collections frequently included booty taken from conquered peoples, and served to exalt the power and glory of a king or a priestly caste rather than to display art objects for their innate significance. The great private collections of European royalty began to be opened to public viewing, and eventually monarchs and aristocrats began donating their holdings to the public. The movement of artworks from private collections into museums has been a dominant feature of art collecting ever since.

America The Beautiful

The national hymn, "America The Beautiful," was published in "The Congregationalist" in 1895. The poem was written by a Wellesley College English literature professor, Katharine Lee Bates, to commemorate the Fourth of July.

Jangle in the Jungle

Add a different set of three letters to each of the following words to create a list of new words. The three-letter additions all have something in common. What are the new words, and how are the three-letter additions related?

EASE
GIN
HEM
ICE
ON
OPUS
RILE
TIC



Answer
DECEASE
MARGIN
MAYHEM
NOVICE
APRON
OCTOPUS
FEBRILE
SEPTIC

Each of the three-letter additions is the common three-letter abbreviation for the months of the year (DEC, MAR, MAY, etc). AUG completes the hint word.

Fireworks

Fireworks originated with the ancient Chinese, from military rockets and explosive missiles. During the Middle Ages in Europe, fireworks spread as a type of military explosive. Later, pyrotechnics came to be used in celebrations of victory and peace.

Ann Arbor, MI

Photo Credit: DeAnn Marston
Location: Ann Arbor, MI

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.
-- Confucius

Tour de France

The Tour de France, the most prestigious road bicycle race in the world, takes place for three weeks in July. The Tour de France was established in 1903 by Henri Desgrange and covers some 2,235 miles, usually in 20 stages of one day each.

Half-half

What large and well known city in the U.S.A. is half golden and half silver?



Answer
Denver is half golDEN and half silVER

Man Underwater

A man dove into the water with no tank, no snorkel, or any other device which allowed him to breathe, yet he stayed down there to live for the rest of his life. How is this possible?



Answer
Of course he died within minutes like any human would, but he had lived there for the rest of his life!

Oxy the Moron! Part III

Yes he's back, back again. Oxy's back, back again! Here are five more for you to figure out.

Task (same as always...):
Can you figure out which well known oxymorons these words are?
Ex) Initial facsimile = original copy

1) Latest ritual
2) Average huge
3) Juvenile grown-up
4) Factual deceptions
5) Unwell fitness



Answer
1) New tradition
2) Medium large
3) Young adult
4) True lies
5) Ill health

Berkshire, England

Photo Credit: Vladimir Dimitroff
Location: Berkshire, England

Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.

-- Soren Kierkegaard

Postage Stamp

The first postage stamps were issued for sale by the United States Postal Service in 1847. The 5-cent stamp depicted Benjamin Franklin and the 10-cent stamp depicted George Washington. Prior to this date, stamps were issued by private postal services.

Read Me!

can be large, I can be small.
The things inside me; can you guess them all?

The words within me always vary,
You never know what I may carry.
Be it dragons, be it war.
Be it love, raging forevermore.

Pick me up, take me home,
And keep me safe for years to come.



Answer
A Book. Books can be any size, and there are innumerable books of different topics

C _ _ _ ED

A common three-letter word can be added in the spaces below to create four common English words. What is the three letter word?

C _ _ _ ED
T _ _ _ SIT
ST _ _ _ D
F _ _ _ TIC


Answer
The three-letter word is "RAN", which yields:

Craned
Transit
Strand
Frantic

Which Is It?

Group A:
leech
wine
calm
sherry
pillow

Group B:
staple
mead
cloak
sew
strife


Answer
The word "sew" can be put into Group A.

All of the words in Group A are types of trees, except that the first letter has been changed:
leech -> Beech
wine -> Pine
calm -> Palm
sherry -> Cherry
pillow -> Willow

and sew -> Yew.

Add a Letter 9

Each pair of definitions is for two words, where the second word is the first word with an extra letter added somewhere (example: band & brand). The length of the short word in each pair is provided.

1) low in fuel content & to gain knowledge (4 letters)
2) a small vessel for liquids & essential (4 letters)
3) a low or open slipper & malicious gossip (6 letters)
4) a mark used to indicate the place where something is to be inserted & a floor covering (5 letters)



Answer
1) lean & learn
2) vial & vital
3) sandal & scandal
4) caret & carpet

Word Jumble 9 - The Gemstone Series

Unscramble the words below, then take the letters from each word as instructed to form another word that is the answer to this teaser:

DOD Take letter 1
ONRUM Take letters 1,2 & 5
CROSITH Take letters 1,2 & 3
ERVNE Take letters 1,2

Unscramble the letters you collected... what do you get?



Answer
DOD Take letter 1 - ODD, take O
ONRUM Take letters 1,2 & 5 - MOURN, take M,O,N
CROSITH Take letters 1,2 & 3 - OSTRICH, take OST
ERVNE Take letters 1,2 - NEVER, take N,E

Unscramble the above to get 'Moonstone'.The Moonstone is known because of the way it catches the light and gives out a mystical gleam. The way the light appears changes as you change the position of the moonstone. In ancient times, these changes to the glowing gem was associated with the waxing and waning of the moon.

Moonstone is the perfect choice for soft, sensuous, feminine jewellery because of its beautiful glow.

In different cultures, the moonstone represents various things. In India, it is believed to bring sweet dreams. In Arab countries, it is a symbol of fertility. It is also believed to enhance feelings of intuition and sensitivity.