Doors allow us to enter and leave buildings and give us a sense of safety and security. We can lock them against danger or open them wide in welcome. For Dara Gerson and Ashley Lowengrub, the husband and wife team that owns Alkemie Jewelry at the Alkemie Road Shoppe, their door is a showpiece defining their attention to detail. The hand-carved owl door on their custom jewelry store offers a glimpse of the wonders you might find inside. @alkemieroad One of my favorite parts about the shoppe Come see us at 120 S Topanga Canyon Blvd!! #handmade #owldoor #handmadejewelry #alkemiejewelry #alkemieroad #reclaimedmetal #handmadeshop #socalhiddengems #topangacanyon ♬ Gypsy – Fleetwood Mac The couple designs, creates, and sells custom jewelry that combines art and accessories using only 100 percent reclaimed metals. They pride themselves on emptying our landfills one small piece at a time. Inspiration comes to them from Mother Nature, vintage styles, and a “bit of rock n’ roll.” Every item they produce is lead and nickel-free. The couple constructed the shop in Topanga Canyon, California, incorporating many hand-crafted features. While Dara admits that the owl door is her favorite feature, it is not the only unique architectural element. Several stained glass windows filter light into the shoppe. The sunburst window is most noticeable, featuring a rainbow of bright colors around a golden-yellow circle. Images from YouTube and TikTok. The owl door operates on a set of tracks at the top and bottom, allowing the door to double as an exterior decoration when the shoppe is open. It slides all the way along one exterior wall to rest in a front corner facing the parking area. Alkemie operates as a sustainable company that gives back to the community in many ways. Every year, the conscientious couple donates a portion of retail sales from their website to select charities. Visit the eclectic shoppe if you’re in the area. You won’t be disappointed. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Quaint Jewelry Store Shows Off The Stunningly Unique “Favorite Part” Of Their Shoppe appeared first on InspireMore.

The breeze captures their essence as they dance through the air, bringing the windhorse to life. The Festival of Fantasy at Drachenburg Castle brings art to life. Over 30 artists from seven countries converge to contribute to the festival. The show includes dancing, juggling, acrobatics, music, and more. Perhaps the most stunning are the windhorses, who undulate through the air, guided by nothing more than dreams. @contemporary_art88 And through the trees the windhorses dove to visit Schloss Drachenburg at Fest der Fantasie By: pantao.de #puppetry #puppet #contemporaryart #art #artwork #artistatiktok #fyp ♬ Beggin’ – Måneskin The transparent beasts, held aloft on clear poles, glide through the forest. The dancers use the poles to create a movement resembling that of real horses. Viewers can lose themselves in sight as each windhorse prances along an unseen path. The windhorse is part of Tibetan, Buddhist, and other Eastern practices. A “herd” of five horses symbolizes the four cardinal elements and good fortune. As the horses dance through the gentle breeze, sound effects create real-sounding neighs. The sound adds to the impact, adding to the life-like movement of the horses. Image from Instagram. Horses hold many important roles within society. They work on farms, perform stunts in rodeo shows, work with children in physical and emotional therapy positions, and more. These intelligent animals interact well with humans, using body language to relay feelings and meaning. It is easy to see how the strong horse came to symbolize the base elements in practices that calm the spirit. During the Festival of Fantasy, the wispy horses are carried by puppeteers. As the handlers walk, their motion transfers directly to the windhorse, creating a lifelike walking motion. The puppeteer, moving the head, adds to the realistic movements. A gentle breeze on the day of the festival adds the magic that brings the windhorse to life. Please share if you found the windhorse puppets mesmerizing. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Mesmerizing: Stunning “Windhorse” Puppets Gracefully Drift Through The Sky appeared first on InspireMore.

These birds of a feather march together! Pedestrians couldn’t believe their eyes when two costumed musicians led a parade of geese through the city streets. Waddling in an impressively straight line, these well-trained avians kept perfect time with the beat of the drum. Everyone watching was delighted by this rare spectacle! Many people had their phones out to film the procession as it went by. As the musicians marched down the street with their feathered entourage in tow, they played When the Saints Go Marching In on their instruments. We might not call the geese in this parade saints, exactly, but they were certainly much better behaved than the average bird! @melavalkenburg1 ♬ origineel geluid – Mela Valkenburg If you enjoyed watching these geese on parade, you can thank Marc Picar, founder of Picar Productions. A versatile performer, Marc has worked as an actor, a clown, and more. Now, he leads his aptly named Geeseparade all over Europe! What kind of geese are these? While Marc’s flair for showmanship certainly adds to the appeal of this parade, the stars of the show are obviously his geese. These aren’t just any birds, you see. They’re Toulouse geese, a French breed dating back to the 15th century! According to The Livestock Conservancy, there are two types of Toulouse goose: production and dewlap. Screengrab from TikTok Judging from the parade footage, the geese in the video are likely dewlap Toulouse. These creatures are distinguished by the flaps underneath their chins, which you can clearly see jiggling as they march. Another interesting characteristic of these birds is their large size. The average weight for a dewlap Toulouse goose is 20 to 26 pounds! Commenters loved watching the clip from Marc Picar’s Geeseparade. Many people wished that they could see this event in person! “Take me to the goose parade now,” one person demanded. “Do they do weddings,” another joked. It sounds like you may have to travel to Europe if you want to see these geese on parade, but it could be worth the trip! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Oh When The Geese Go Marching In… Onlookers Gaze In Wonder At Unique Parade appeared first on InspireMore.

Every other day, the powers that be affirm them

Imagine standing on the edge of a cliff, wind rushing past as you stare at the open sky. The thrill, the fear, and the limitless possibility are exactly what great rock songs with the word “fly” capture—a leap into the unknown, carried by a melody that makes you feel weightless. These songs don’t just play on your speakers; they lift you off the ground, sending you soaring into realms of freedom, longing, and self-discovery. Rush’s “Fly by Night” takes that first daring leap, an anthem of leaving the past behind to chase a brighter horizon. Lou Reed’s “Fly Into the The post 10 Best Songs With The Word ‘Fly’ In The Title appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

There’s no way around it: the holidays can be tough right now. Due to the economic crisis, some far-flung families can’t afford to get together. Others can’t swing the traditional feast, and they’re dialing it back. Other families have lost people over politics or another cause, and there are heart-breakingly empty seats at the dinner table. Still others simply have nobody to share the day with for any of a number of reasons. In 2022, we started a new tradition with our first online OP Friendsgiving. This community is like a family (complete with grouchy uncles and a few members who make us shake our heads with their political beliefs.) But truly, we have such a lovely community of people here from so many different backgrounds. The conversations are enlightening and ever-interesting. Let’s “get together” here! I realize this isn’t a substitute for truly being with the people you love, but I hope it helps the day go by a little more easily, just knowing that someone out here cares about you. We’ll be keeping this post front and center on Thanksgiving Day. I’m going to post a bit about our Thanksgiving and a couple of recipes to get things started, and the things I’m grateful for this year. Please take a moment in the comments to do the same if you feel so moved. And let other commenters know that they’re not alone. Our Thanksgiving menu We have a smaller get-together this year and decided to do things a little differently. I don’t know about you, but our favorite parts of Thanksgiving is the sides. We really don’t care that much about the turkey. So we decided to have a Sidesgiving Dinner. We’re having: Charcuterie board with fruit Stuffing muffins Fresh-made cranberry sauce Sweet potatoes Garlic green beans Dinner rolls Gravy Sweet corn with butter Baked brie Pinto beans with onion For dessert, since I’m not really on my feet this year, I got an assortment of mini-pies from the bakery and a carton of vanilla ice cream. That way we can all have a little bit of each kind. Aden contributed a Thanksgiving poem for preppers. Aden wrote the most beautiful poem that I have to share with you. As a prepper, it will really hit home. It’s called Comparison, The Thief of Joy. He’s so creative. What I’m grateful for this year Dealing with a long-term injury has been tough, but I know I still have things really good. I’m incredibly grateful for my family. My girls and I have such a beautiful relationship, and it’s a priceless treasure. The fact that they are adults (24 and 29) and they still want to talk to their mom nearly every day just brings a glow to my heart every time I hear the phone ring. My friends are wonderful. I’m an introvert. I have very few friends. But the ones I do have…holy cow. They’re just incredible. They’re so supportive, so loving, and so encouraging. They never let me feel lonely during an entire year of barely being able to leave my apartment. They called, visited, texted, and sent memes. It seems like no matter what I’m dealing with or how “crazy” my latest idea sounds, they are there with suggestions, love, and cheerleading. They even tolerate my quirky need for solitude with unrelenting affection. They’ve got my back every step of the way. Y’all know who you are! I have the most amazing readers in the Bloggerdom. My work is such a privilege. I know everybody says this, but I really never expected to be a blogger with lots of readers. The fact that I’ve gotten to know such a wonderful, supportive, and caring community through the work that I do is a gift that constantly amazes me. I’m going into my 12th year of blogging on The OP and I feel endless gratitude that you all help me do what I love every single day. I always wanted to write, and your visits to my website make that possible. How could I get any luckier than this? You guys mean the world to me. My recovery is going better than expected. Last year was tough, with two surgeries and a terrible prognosis. But I continue to improve and am already well past the point of expected improvement. I know that in the new year, things will continue to get better, and I really look forward to rejoining the world again. I’m thankful for the election results. I have been so concerned about the crazy culture taking over our country. I’m thrilled with the outcome of the election and I hope for real change and a step back from the insanity. I deeply hope that our new leadership will pave the way for greater peace, prosperity, health, and happiness. What about you? What’s a dish that you make every Thanksgiving without fail? Would you share the recipe with us in the comments? Is there a story behind the recipe? If so, please tell us! What are you grateful for this year? What makes your heart sing? Let’s talk about it. And if you are struggling, tell us. Hopefully, a burden shared is a lighter burden. That being said, we here at the OP love our readers, and we’re so glad that we can provide information and entertainment to you. Happy Friendsgiving, from my family to yours. The post Welcome to the OP Friendsgiving 2024 appeared first on The Organic Prepper.

A Happy Thanksgiving to All Our Readers!

Pristine grains of asteroid Ryugu clearly were no match for Earth’s microbes.

Alan McKenna, a founder of Loch Ness Exploration (LNE), has offered an alternative explanation for sightings of the legendary “Nessie.” Over the years, numerous reports of the mysterious Loch Ness Monster have surfaced, yet definitive proof of its existence remains elusive. McKenna suggests there might be a natural reason behind many of these sightings. He believes that a phenomenon known as a standing wave could account for reports of a large, humpbacked creature appearing in the water. “A standing wave occurs when two boat wakes of the exact same frequency and amplitude are moving in opposite directions on the loch surface,” McKenna explained. “When the two boat wakes finally meet and interfere with one another, the results have the potential to create a standing wave. We know that standing waves exist, and they have been reported, but what we don’t have is the footage showing a natural standing wave in motion.” McKenna’s approach focuses on eliminating conventional explanations to better identify and investigate reports of phenomena that remain truly unexplained. “It’s a process of elimination, in my mind, as most potential ‘Nessie’ reports can be explained,” he said. “Without being disrespectful, I tend to follow the reports made by the locals, and the reason being is that they see Loch Ness every day. I dare say that they are more knowledgeable than tourists.” “If you are unfamiliar with Loch Ness and its natural behavior, then I do believe that many people will be fooled by the water and certain illusions—it’s easily done,” he added. The post Expert Suggests Natural Phenomenon May Explain Loch Ness Sightings appeared first on Anomalien.com.

I was nervous before Election Day. After the nightmare of the 2020 election — when it seemed like every single rioter who lobbed Molotov cocktails at cops in the streets and beat folks to a pulp during the "Summer of George (Floyd)"; and every single lunatic who drove shoppers from stores for failing to adhere to their holy "mask up" doctrines; and every single one of their comrades in the halls of Congress, governors' chairs, district attorneys' offices, Antifa and BLM enclaves, mainstream media newsrooms, and Hollywood studios mailed in ballots for Joe Biden — I wasn't terribly confident that conservative voters could pull off a win against leftists in 2024. So take your oaths of office, and get to work. Destroy awful laws, pass great ones, and put our country back on a path that makes sense. Despite Donald Trump running against a deeply subpar Democrat opponent in Kamala Harris, who made misstep after misstep while her die-hard supporters desperately tried to prop her up, I feared a repeat of 2020 — and another four years of leftism in the White House and more lawlessness and lunacy that habitually accompany it. But as the returns rolled in Tuesday night, Nov. 5, and into Wednesday morning, it began to feel a bit like the night of the 2016 election — only way better. Not only did one state after another side with Trump, but a majority of Americans who went to the polls picked him. Leftists love to rattle their "Our Candidate Won the Popular Vote" sabers and declare ridiculous moral victories when the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Electoral College says differently. But they didn't even have that this time. The White House. Both houses of Congress. The popular vote for president. All went Republican. What's more, there was nary a hint of unrest this time. Remember what happened right after Trump was elected in 2016 and then when he was inaugurated? Violence in the streets. Destruction of property. Riots. I braced myself for that in the days following Trump's 2024 victory, but leftists didn't collectively rise up this time. It was as if they had no more fight left in them. If that's so, then good. And good riddance. This year's election sent a clear message that most of the country is done with leftism and the lawlessness and the lunacy that accompany it. Therefore, on this Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for all the American voters who made their voices heard to that end. What do most Americans want? No more Democrat lawfare. No more weaponized government agencies unleashed against political enemies. No more upside-down justice that lets repeat-offending criminals go free so they can commit more crimes. No more Biden-Harris illegal immigration quagmire that not only allows killers and rapists to cross our border but also pays for them to live here. No more cancel culture. No more innocent people getting beaten up in the streets while leftist politicians and district attorneys turn a blind eye. No more public schools that promote drag queen performances and let males compete against female athletes. What else do most Americans want? More jobs and a better economy. More common sense in government. More feeling safe just going outside. More justice without consideration of politics or skin color. More public schools that teach math, science, and literature — and do so without leftist doctrines and biases mixed in. More freedom of speech. More legal immigration. What now? Now, it's time for conservatives in office to roll up their sleeves and deliver for those who put them there. Now, it's time for elected Republicans who are on board with the Trump agenda to avoid wielding power almost as if they're embarrassed they have it, to resist the urge to cave to the whims of angry Democrats in Washington who have no legs to stand on, and to govern without fear of being characterized as mean, heartless fascists and knuckle-dragging Neanderthals for passing laws and enacting policies the majority of voting Americans want. Hey, let them call you all of those things. It's noise. It's a death rattle. It's the last collective gasp of a defeated party fighting desperately as its oxygen runs out. So take your oaths of office, and get to work. Destroy awful laws, pass great ones, and put our country back on a path that makes sense. Because if you don't — or stand in the way of such outcomes — Americans will vote for others who will do the job in your place. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!