text:
Chasing Abbey

The trail to some sort of personal peace seemed to wend high into the Himalayas. But where it led was back to an old friend.

Across the deepest valley in the world the monsoon clouds billow, then part, revealing immaculate snowfields falling off the western shoulder of Annapurna. Clumps of dwarf juniper cling to the mountain at treeline, and a sparse carpet of late-summer grasses covers the gentler slopes. Farther south, fresh powder has softened the rugged face of Dhaulagiri, which holds its brilliance long after the sunsets. I watch the inner flush of the mountains against the dark sky, a dull pearly luminosity that glows until the stars come out. I am here, camped in the shadow of these daunting peaks, with two friends, biologist Dennis Sizemore and British climber Alan Burgess. Our four other companions are Nepalese, whom Al has hired as guides: three Sherpas from the Makalu area, east of Everest, and a Thakali from the town of Marpha, 6,000 feet below. It's the off-season for trekking, so we don't expect to see any other humans as we journey to the high valleys north of Dhaulagiri. We want to explore the area for wild sheep and goats, Asiatic black bears, maybe wolves and snow leopards. Our guide Bhakti, who runs a tea house in Marpha and accompanied Al on a climb of Dhaulagiri in 1980, has seen the tracks of four different snow leopards in Hidden Valley, which lies just above us, beyond 16,500-foot Thampus Pass. Our plan is to cross the pass and thread our way a hundred miles to the uninhabited plateau country between Mustang and Dolpo. I dream of a legendary journey, a trek surpassing all others: I'll lose the roll of belly-fat around my middle-aged gut. I'll stand face to face with a yeti. I'll sneak over the border to Tibet, drop my pants, moon the Chinese border guards, and then run like hell.

Al, Dennis, and I linger in the pale light of evening until long after the guides have turned in. Al, who has been climbing in the Himalayas for 20 years, regales us with stories. During one expeditionary climb of Everest in 1987, Al's job was to ferry loads across the fearsome Khumbu Icefall, one of the most treacherous spots on the mountain. To relieve himself of the monotony, he waited to watch an attractive woman climber slowly make her way past him. Al followed close behind, one eye out for danger, the other fixed on his lovely companion. Just as they approached a ladder breaching a crevasse, an ice tower fell with the jolt of an earthquake and the crevasse collapsed, sucking the ladder into its white belly. Were it not for his sophomoric dawdling, Al would have gone down with it.

During the night I lie in my tent, nursing a mild altitude headache and a chronic cough that's kept me awake for two months. The distant roar of an avalanche off Dhaulagiri rolls over the foothills and fades down the valley. I listen to the silence, then rummage through my backpack for two codeine tablets to suppress the cough. I smile as I remember how my old friend, the writer Edward Abbey, looked forward to his nightly codeine fix as he battled complications of acute pancreatitis during the last year of his life.

By the time Ed died at age 62, he was renowned, the author of 20 books, including Desert Solitaire and The Monkey Wrench Gang, whose protagonist, George Washington Hayduke, was a former Green Beret medic who greatly resembled myself. Published in 1975, The Monkey Wrench Gang sold half a million copies, and the character of Hayduke became famous in a lowbrow sort of way. This was hardly an endorsement of excellence, nor was it flattery of any kind; Hayduke was a one-dimensional dolt. To the extent that I was seduced by the hype, it placed enormous strain on my friendship with Ed, which from the start carried the imbalance of paternalism.

I met Ed in the winter of 1969 at the home of a mutual friend, the writer William Eastlake; we talked about mountain lions. He was very funny, yet there was a stubborn finality to his judgments, which tended to be misanthropic toward adults and gentle toward children. Like myself, Ed had little use for religion of any variety, but he nevertheless believed there were observable guidelines for living, an accessible wisdom that resided in the land. He called the Taoist philosopher Chuang-tzu — who viewed government as deadly not only to mankind but all of creation — the first anarchist.

It was the love of wild country, and the need to protect it, that brought us together and kept us together through the two bumpy decades of our friendship. Ed, who was 15 years older, became a guide in my life, introducing me to some of America's greatest desert spots, and I tried to return the favor. After I began to closely study the biology and sociology of grizzly bears in the midseventies, Ed and I made many trips to Glacier National Park in the hope that he would spot a bear. He traveled to Alaska and the Arctic but was fated never to lay eyes on one. To the end, Ed called the silver-tipped bear "the alleged grizzly."

Now, years after his death, I'm taking another trip in honor of Ed, my first return to Asia since the Vietnam War. I didn't travel abroad much before Ed's passing, but his death radically altered the declination of my compass, sending me beyond the familiar and outside my own culture. I started hesitantly, visiting the Athabascans of Alaska and the Inuit of Lancaster Sound, in the Canadian Arctic. On my meandering way to Nepal I explored the salmon rivers at the edge of Siberia and followed tiger tracks along the Sea of Japan. I wanted to see places Ed had missed in his life and to get more out of what life I myself had left. I wanted to take what Ed would call "great walks." It was a way to pay tribute, to shed an entrenched existence for a new beginning, to get out in order to look back in.

In the morning we start up the faint, winding trail to the pass, crossing a few steep patches of snow and scree. Pemba, our head guide from Makalu, uses his knife to cut steps in the hard snow of the gullies. I gasp in the thin air, my mind fuzzy as I struggle along the path. I watch my boots and try to regulate my breathing. My pack is nearly empty; the others saw to that. I'm the oldest and the least fit of our little group, and feel old enough to be a grandfather to our youngest guide, also named Pemba, who's merely 16.

I breathe deeply, blowing out every two seconds, trying to keep a rhythm. Eventually my head clears and I forget about the pain in my back and legs. One of the best things about walking in the backcountry is that it allows me to get in touch with my body. On my solo trips in Montana or the Arizona desert, something starts to happen on the fourth or fifth day: I lose my desire for caffeine, booze, sugar, salt. It's as if the body's consciousness wants me to walk off the fat, to streamline this much-abused corporeal seat of the soul.

We reach Thampus Pass at 16,500 feet and Hidden Valley comes into view, a high grassland covering the morainal debris of a U-shaped basin. A slot of blue sky hovers over this high meadow, hemmed in on all four sides by rain clouds. We take a break on a muddy bench sloping off the wide saddle of the pass. Pemba the elder uses cedar twigs carried from far below to heat water for tea. Al studies the topographic map and picks various routes out of the valley, all of which entail steep glacier travel or technical rock work. Dennis goes off by himself, picking over the bedrock and thin patches of soil. He squats and plucks a piece of quartzite from the loam. He opens his Arapaho medicine bag and adds the stone. Afterward, he tells me this is the first time he's opened his bag in years.

A black vulture flies over, and I'm reminded of one of my early road trips with Ed. It was December 1974. At the time he and I were unattached and without families. We had just spent a sniffling, lonely Christmas Eve in a topless bar in Tucson, drinking whiskey. Thinking we could improve on that, we packed up and drove 150 miles west over Charlie Bell Pass into the Cabeza Prieta desert, hard against the Mexican border in southwestern Arizona. We sipped beer the whole way and were a tad plastered by the time we arrived. At the bottom of the pass we got out of the truck to look at the petroglyphs carved into a group of basalt boulders. There were birds and thunderstorms and curved patterns that didn't resemble anything. Ed studied one of the birds and said that he wanted to come back as a buzzard after he died and soar above Barrier Canyon in Utah, where the greatest Indian rock art in North America is located, a place I had never been. He described life-size cliff paintings of mummylike figures with bucket-shaped heads, square shoulders, and long, tapered trunks decorated with birds and other small "spirit helpers." Go there, he said. It's the gateway between worlds.

We continued on for one more six-pack until we hit the Granite Mountains, where we got stuck in a ditch. We hiked for a while and found a pile of rocks, probably marking the old grave of a prospector. "A good place to end up," Ed noted.

I sip my tea and wonder how old Ed would have fared up here in the Himalayas. He felt weak on his last trips to our beloved Cabeza Prieta. He was low on blood those last months of his life. The doctor said he had lost half of his blood volume during one weekend in early 1989 when the veins in his throat ruptured, a complication brought on by hepatic hypertension. The resulting anemia starved his brain of oxygen and produced an odd, insular humor. He knew the end was near, and he seemed relieved to be finally free of the conceits of the society he'd railed against for so long. By the time Ed died, he had the clearest eyes I'd ever seen.

The eyes still haunt me. Ed's dying revealed that being willing to die was not the same as being prepared for death. I'd witnessed death many times over the years, and I had no fear of it. I'd survived two tours in Vietnam and later courted trouble with grizzlies. My favorite animals remain those that occasionally kill and eat humans. But I've never glimpsed what Ed found at his end. In a world where no one gets out alive, in a culture in which death still comes as an unexpected shock, Ed's dying with grace was the greatest of all the gifts he gave me.

Ed died in March 1989 after four days of esophageal hemorrhaging. My Nepalese companions tell me the throat is supposed to be the seat of communication and that speech is the link between the peaceful divinities of the heart and the wrathful deities of the brain. But neither Ed nor I was ever very good at communication. Ed could be a real crank; he was the most difficult close friend I ever had. And I was a moody bastard myself. Even now, it gives me a chill remembering our last big quarrel, over a .357 Magnum pistol Ed thought about using to hasten his exit. Though Ed and I had always laughed at the frail psychology of members of our sex who spent half their lives getting over their relationships with their fathers, there was an edge to our brotherhood, elements of the macho and the authoritarian that took many years to leave behind. It's a sad irony that this most masculine of friendships would yield to openness only at the very end. It wasn't until four days before his death that I finally told Ed how much I'd always loved him.

We drop off Thampus Pass and scramble to the grassy bottom of Hidden Valley. I hit the ground almost running, eager to explore this wild place and see what kind of animals live here. The remote habitat is especially suitable for blue sheep, and if the sheep are here, snow leopards will be, too.

I pitch my tent on a ridge a couple hundred yards above my companions. The pass marks the highest altitude I've ever reached, and I feel high in spirits, too, happy that I've made it. I wander in a gentle breeze blowing off the mountains, the rare sunlight of the monsoon season raining down on me. A horned lark picks flies out of fresh piles of yak manure. I flip the chips over to dry in the sun; dung is the only available fuel up here. As I work, a flock of Tibetan snow finches bursts over the ridge and alights among the buttercups, asters, and ice plants that surround my camp. I think of my earliest memory of the outdoors: riding on my dad's shoulders during World War II, when he led his Boy Scout troops into the Michigan countryside, collecting milkweed pods to fill navy life preservers.

After sunset a thick fog ebbs and flows through the valley like a diurnal tide, twice rising to a level just shy of my tent site, engulfing my friends camped below. About two in the morning I awaken to a tortured round of coughing. I take two codeine tablets and lie back down, willing myself to sleep. A few minutes later I notice a gurgling in my belly, followed by a deeper rumbling down in my bowels. I step outside and have a brief but violent bout of the runs; I'm astonished to see blood on the ground. I try to stay calm and assess the situation, but another rush of hot blood hits my stomach, and I gag.

After a few minutes the retching stops and I crawl back into my tent. I feel a trickle of blood in my throat; all that coughing must have broken a vein.

Woozy, I lie in my sleeping bag until daylight and then creep outside to check the damage. It's hard to tell how much blood I lost, but it looks like a lot. My coughing has stopped, though, and the bleeding in my throat is now just a slow drip. I gaze down on the ghostly tents below me, barely visible through the mist. Weak and confused, I decide not to wake the others. Since I can still walk some, I dimly reason that that is what I should do.

I grab my binoculars, take another codeine tablet, and head out. The dewy grass sparkles in the early light; I can smell the sun on the wet willow leaves. I wander toward a boulder field dotted with iridescent green lichens. Under one of the boulders sprout tiny purple mycena mushrooms. Nearby are panaeolus. I squat down and mechanically pinch the base of a stalk. A blue stain will indicate the presence of psilocybin, meaning that these are "magic mushrooms." Maybe I'll eat a handful and see the face of God. But there is no blue stain.

Up ahead by a miniature creek I spot animal trails in the steep scree. I take two steps forward for a better look and freeze; a hundred feet away a dozen or more Himalayan blue sheep are staring at me. They're all females and juveniles, including a single tiny lamb. I stand motionless for two or three minutes and the sheep resume grazing, nibbling on clumps of coarse, dry grass. Slowly, I drop to one knee and ease my binoculars up to my eyes. It's the wrong move, and the sheep bound away. One ewe remains, watching me for a moment before loping away to join the herd.

A wave of dizziness shudders through my body. I stumble to the creek to splash water on my face then lie down to dry in the morning sun. I feel as if I'm outside of my body, watching my crumpled figure sprawled out along the bank. Humans are such frail, helpless creatures, I muse dreamily. A warm wetness creeps across my back; I'm probably bleeding again. I roll over and wipe myself, checking for blood, just as I did with Ed two hours before he died.

"I can't do it myself," Ed said.

"That's what I'm here for," I answered.

Maybe that's what it comes down to, this final humility, this acceptance of service — all preparation for the big trip, all shrouded in wretched comedy.

I push myself up from the ground. Though it occurs to me that I could be bleeding to death in much the same manner as Ed, I'm too oxygen-starved to be alarmed. I feel dazed, almost giddy. I find it enough of a laugh to savor the rich irony of my situation. So this is what it's like, I think, Ed's dark wit coming back to get me in the end. I take a few tentative steps and sit back down with a nervous chuckle, my hypoxic cerebral circuitry joking with itself.

I dig out my notebook and scribble a short but adequate will and a note to my family. "Larry, I salute you. Laurel, Colin, I am sorry. I love you all." I add for myself, "I am going to die and it will be OK if not wonderful."

I pack the notebook away and stand up again. I manage to stagger back to camp, where I explain to my companions that I'm sick. I feel self-conscious and embarrassed as I tell them that I'm bleeding and that if it continues I might not make it out of the valley. Little Pemba and the other young Sherpa, Ngwang, look slightly uncomfortable. Perhaps they're worried that I indeed will die and they'll have to carry my large carcass off the mountain.

I lie back in the grass and rest my head on a rock. I think back to the frigid winter of 1962, when I became hypothermic during a camping trip in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario. I wanted to lie down in the snow and go to sleep and never get up again. Now it is much the same. The climb back over the pass seems both unnecessary and impossible. I'm content to stay here in Hidden Valley, on this little grass-covered knoll.

But Dennis is gently pulling me to my feet, and Alan and the Sherpas are hustling to break camp. As I stare at the ground, battling faintness, I notice the white feather of an Egyptian buzzard lying on a patch of heather. I carefully bend over and pick it up, telling Dennis, "I'm going to need a bit of luck." He takes the medicine bundle from around his neck and places it around mine without comment.

We strike off to the east, toward the steep scree below the pass, now 1,500 feet above us. I carry no pack, no extra weight, yet it's all I can do to inch up the slope. I start to black out and squat in the rocks with my head between my knees. The wildly spinning valley below returns to a still frame.

One pitch leads to another, one slope to another, and before the sun disappears behind Dhaulagiri, I step up and see an expanse of rock, the top of the pass. I clench the white buzzard feather in my fist and make a lame joke about the tough job of burying me up here in this thin, rocky soil.

Where I get planted is important to me. I never wanted to be cremated or fed to the buzzards, Tibetan sky-burial style. I learned that for myself years ago, when one of my best friends committed suicide and was cremated and scattered before I got the news. I wanted somewhere I could go to visit him. Later, when Ed died, I was on hand to see to his burial. He'd wanted to nourish a plant, a cactus or a tree. He was buried illegally, deep in the desert, and just moments before we laid him to rest, I lay down in the grave to check out the view. There was blue sky and a faint desert breeze stirring the blossoms of a brittlebush. We should all be so blessed.

Two and a half miles above the town of Marpha, I start coughing again. I stagger, and Dennis props me up. He asks Al if they should rope me to someone, but Al says no: "If he falls, he falls." Al has slipped into professional climber mode. It's up to me to get myself out of here, he says.

Since there's no way we'll reach town by dark, Dennis and Al decide to stop for the night. I feel too far gone to make sense of anything. Somebody puts up my tent and hands me a cup of sweet tea. Dennis asks if he should stay with me, throw his sleeping bag in with mine, but I prefer to be alone. I try to think about Ed, to borrow some of his courage, but it's hard.

It rains in the night, and Al and Dennis go out in the flailing wind to check my tent. They stay up until dawn, listening for my cough, exchanging whispers. Dennis recklessly suggests a transfusion — his blood type is compatible with mine — but of course we have no tubes or needles.

In the morning I stick my head out the tent flap to see a crystalline blue sky. Everything is white with fresh snow. Dennis, visibly relieved that I've made it through the night, packs up my gear, and together we head out, leaving Al and the Sherpas to break camp again. Soon the faint yak trails converge into a wider path, which after a couple of hours leads to the trail we climbed only a few days ago.

Finally, in the distance, we see the stacks of firewood that outline the rooftops of the small thatch houses of Marpha. I lurch toward them over the slippery alluvium of the trail. Dennis is suffering excruciating pain in his quadriceps, having descended 8,000 feet in a single day. I'm simply grateful to be breathing. My throat is raw, but I've stopped coughing and can no longer taste blood in my throat. My wound seems to have clotted over.

In town we're greeted by the strong aroma of yaks and cooking fires. I hear a tinkle of bells and turn to watch a lively Mustang horse trot by, its saddle blanket woven with bright images of snow leopards. Beautiful.

We arrive at Bhakti's tea house, where Al buys a bottle of brandy, distilled locally from home-grown apples. I add a tablespoon to a cup of weak tea; the sweet fragrance rises to my nostrils and I remember where I last smelled this scent: an abandoned orchard swallowed up in sumac and jack pine on a hillside in northern Michigan, just about the last place in the country where you could still buy an acre of land for $150. I discourse at length on the olfactory power of place, of bears and big cats, of brandies and wild mushrooms. My friends listen indulgently.

The next morning Dennis asks if I want to see a doctor at the army compound here in town. I say no; as long as the bleeding remains stabilized, I prefer not to be examined by a military sawbones who will likely dislodge the clot and restart the hemorrhaging. Instead, I stock up on more codeine pills and cough syrup from the small local pharmacy.
From Marpha we make it to the town of Jomsom, then on to Kathmandu. We check in at the Mustang Holiday Inn, and Dennis calls the airport. All flights are booked, and we're on standby. It could mean several days of waiting.

We walk the streets of the city, hiring bicycle carts when we get tired. As we ride, I play a game with myself: I pick out the homeliest face I can find and try to get inside that person's mind to see something beautiful. We pass a legless beggar and I stop our driver, climb out of the cart, and walk back to the man. He has a broad face very much like that of my friend Jim Harrison. We both smile. I bow. "Namaste," I say.

Each evening, from the roof of the Holiday Inn, I listen to the hum of the city and watch swarms of birds descend into the trees. As they settle in for the night, giant coppery fruit bats leave their roosts and hatch across the sky. Dennis and I walk down to the temples along the Bogmati River, a tributary of the sacred Ganges. Along the bank, greasy smoke billows from a funeral pyre of eucalyptus as another Hindu is reduced to ashes and transported seaward. The fire crackles and the choking smoke floats downstream over naked children frolicking in the filthy water. I wonder if there is enough firewood to complete the job; the cadaver appears to have been a big man. A local guide tells me I may take pictures of the corpse, whose black toes now curl in the flames, but I decline the offer.

The effluvium of death sticks in my lacerated throat, a memory of the others who have gone this way before me: my comrades in Vietnam, relatives, cherished pets and lovers, Ed — all those for whom I grieve each day and haven't quite let go of.

Far up in the sky, fork-tailed kites wheel against the thunderheads of a building monsoon. They speak their message clearly: You, Peacock, have been granted a second chance. You'll have a bit more time to do good work, to live a good life and get ready to die a good death.

The billowing wall of clouds closes in on the vault of Asian sky. A last message floats down: "Don't blow it, idiot."

Four weeks later, I'm stumbling up a volcanic boulder field in southwestern Arizona, a bit weak but otherwise all right. Doctors tell me that the blood I lost in Nepal resulted from a tear in my esophagus caused by violent coughing. I could have bled to death like Ed, but unlike him I got lucky and the bleeding stopped.

The lesson is a big one, and I don't want it to merely slide away, so I'm paying a visit to Ed's grave in the Cabeza Prieta desert. I've brought along a plastic bag full of desert flower seeds to scatter over the site: Mexican poppy, larkspur, lupine, Indian paintbrush, brittlebrush. It's not the right time of year for proper germination, but I'm not much of a farmer, so I'll leave the sprouting of these seeds to chance.

A steady breeze cools the beads of sweat on my forehead. I pick my way over the boulder-littered ridge toward the grave, hopping from stone to stone, careful to not leave any tracks. Very few people come out here, and only a handful of friends and family know the exact location. A bureaucrat somewhere might decide he should be dug up and moved, and I don't want old Ed disturbed.

When you write a book of change, you don't get to choose the last chapter. It arrives on the wind, fast. A month ago I thought I was dying. I was packed for that big trip, ready to go, but then I didn't leave. Edward Abbey figures prominently in this trip, looming larger in my life now that he is dead. I'm not sure why; perhaps something about the feral nature of our friendship back then, combined with the closeness of our families afterward. Beyond the grave, all was forgiven. Though I miss him, he taught me that there are things worth dying for, that "one's death should mean something." I learned that the letting go of life could be encased in utter vitality.

Indian petroglyphs decorate basaltic boulders along a rim of volcanic caprock. The country falls away to the west, huge empty desert valleys and distant mountain ranges. As far as I can see, there is not a human sign upon the land — no roads, no trails, no power lines. I take my time getting to the grave, enjoying the walking, noting little changes in vegetation since my last visit. I recall the very last time Ed smiled, when I told him where he was going to be buried. I smile, too, when I look around this place and remember the small favor, the final duty, performed for a friend: the rudimentary shovel work, the sweaty labor consummating trust. Then came the sign — seven buzzards soaring above, joined by three others, all ten banking over the volcanic rubble and gliding across the freshly dug grave.

I pull another plastic bag from my pack and kneel before a torote bush. I repair the wind chime that hangs near the site, adding thin crescents of clamshell to replace slivers of volcanic glass that have disappeared. I carefully reconnect a devil's claw seed pod hung with bits of obsidian — an offering from Ed's sister-in-law Susan and her husband, Steve, who helped me dig the hole. Deer and bighorn sheep have browsed the small ocotillo planted by the lead singer of Tucson's best white band. The ground is littered with seashells, crystals, and many heart-shaped rocks placed here by children — Ed's children, my children, our friends' children.

For a long time I stare at one of the boulders. An inscription is roughly carved into the rock:
Edward Paul Abbey
January 29, 1927-March 14, 1989
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COVID-19 Prevention

Last updated July 1, 2020

Wellness Remains Our #1 Priority

We're here to provide our residents with a safe and sheltered environment during these uncertain times. As we work through the COVID-19 health crisis, we are adapting to their needs and desires while taking special precautions. Rest assured, they will continue receiving the high level of care and protection that only Oxford Senior Living can deliver.

When will restrictions lift?

Oxford Senior Living will continue to follow federal guidelines from the CDC and CMS in addition to paying close attention to local restrictions for each community managed by Oxford. As some area businesses reopen, health experts warn more cases of the coronavirus could occur. We understand how dangerous this virus can be for vulnerable high-risk people like our residents. In Oxford communities, visitor restrictions and general infection control precautions will remain in place based on a series of requirements set forth by local and federal guidelines.

Each area may experience restrictions lifting at different times based on the current COVID-19 case count in your city or county. For that reason, please contact your community directly to find out what the latest restrictions are for your family.

Preventing the Spread of Infection

  • Our community is directing necessary personnel to enter through the main entrance only and complete a brief screening process at that entrance.
  • We have canceled all large group activities and communal dining.
  • Our community has implemented increased frequency of cleaning to maintain disinfected surfaces throughout the building.
  • All residents and team members are being closely monitored daily for any signs of symptoms.
  • We’ve posted additional hand-washing reminders and hand sanitizers throughout the community.
  • We have canceled several events and will continue to monitor the situation to determine if additional cancellations need to occur. Watch our community Facebook page for event updates.

Adapting to Residents’ Needs
During times of uncertainty, mental health is also at risk. Every day we are finding new ways to make our residents' lives easier. That includes bringing positivity to their environment, providing them with entertainment and minimizing disruption in their lives as much as possible under the circumstances.

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We know this situation is especially difficult for family and friends of residents. Although visits are not allowed, we encourage you to stay connected with your loved ones through phone calls and video chats. Call us if you need help setting up a video chat. And please continue doing your part to help us prevent COVID-19 from further endangering elderly communities.

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Silent Prayer Painting

Oil Painting Home > Anna Razumovskaya > Painting for sale (reproduction)

Silent Prayer

Anna Razumovskaya

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Handmade Oil Paintings

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Beautiful, original hand-painted artwork in your home. Interpreted paintings based on the masters' works of Anna Razumovskaya.This Silent Prayer needs about 14 - 16days for production by a talented artist.

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If you're not happy with Anna Razumovskaya Silent Prayer that you made on, for any reason, you can return it to us within 50 days of the order date. As soon as it arrives, we'll issue a full refund for the entire purchase price. Please note - does not reimburse the outgoing or return shipping charges unless the return is due to a defect in quality.

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If you want to purchase museum quality Silent Prayer at discount price, why not give us a try? You will save a lot more!

This Anna Razumovskaya Silent Prayer needs 14 -18 days for production time frame. We ship all over the world. We can provide Silent Prayer Painting stretched canvas and large framed art.

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Aladdin Sane

June 30, 2020
London, UK

Aladdin Sane (1973) by David Bowie.
Today, I want to pay tribute to one of the artists in the world of music that inspires me the most when painting. This is the cover of Aladdin Sane, which is the sixth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released by RCA Records on April 13, 1973.
The cover of the album was made by Brian Duffy and although the critics had different opinions about Aladdin Sane, it can not be ignored that the iconography of the blue and red ray that covers the right eye of David Bowie became a true referent of pop culture.
With the participation of makeup artist Pierre La Roche, the design that stands out in Bowie’s face was copied, in reality, from the logo of a National Panasonic rice cooker that was in the photo studio. The image evokes, in a very effective way, a division of the mind.

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Family Interviewed Internet Filtering

The Lackey family was recently interviewed by WPVI’s Erin O’Hearn for the Channel 6 Action News segment know as “Your Life,” which aired in the Philadelphia area on November 2, 2016. The family was interviewed. They shared their experience using a new filtering device to enforce internet safety and time spent in front of the computer. The new system is called Circle; it is designed to make the most out of technology while still keeping families connected and safe over the internet. While PALCS places a security filter on all of our devices known as iBoss, the Lackey family wanted to explore an additional internet filtering system for their personal devices, as well.

The Lackey family is in their second year here at PALCS and have two students enrolled with us. Their son Simeon is 11 years old and in the 6th grade and Micah is 8 years old and in the 3rd grade. They live in Philadelphia County, and they homeschooled prior to enrolling in PALCS.

We had the chance to speak with Simeon and Micah’s mom, Heather, about her family’s experience with Circle and PALCS. The Lackey family started using Circle last January in place of the subscription service they were paying for monthly in order to filter their internet. Heather explained that she would rather pay the one-time fee for Circle and be able to customize all the controls than pay a monthly subscription for a general filtering of the internet.

More About Circle

As explained on the Circle website, “Circle pairs wirelessly with your home Wi-Fi and allows you to manage every device on your network. Using the Circle app, families can create unique profiles for each family member. From here, kids will have a connected experience that is designed just for them.” With Circle, parents are able to filter the content that their children view, while limiting screen time and are able to set a bedtime for any device within their home.

As Heather explains it, “my boys really hate circle, which tells me its working! One of the features I love and they hate is the ability to pause the internet or their specific devices. I do this as a discipline method or for family time (i.e. dinner).”

This Family and PALCS

We also spoke with Heather about her family’s experience transitioning from homeschooling to PALCS. She explained that they first came to the decision to stop homeschooling because it became too easy to skip the difficult assignments and move on to the next subject. They were looking for more accountability in their students’ academic world. The had a desire to enroll them in a more formal school. However, they did not want to give up the flexibility they were use to coming from a homeschool environment. They decided that Cyber School would give them the best of both worlds, a quality education with room for flexibility. As they researched different PA cyber schools, they found PALCS and decided that it was the right school for them. “My boys really liked that PALCS offered a coding class elective. None of the other cyber schools did,” said Heather.

When the Lackey family first enrolled at PALCS, Simeon had just been diagnosed with ADHD and a math learning disability. The special education department at PALCS worked with Heather to develop a plan to help Simeon with his math. As a result, his math scores and ability dramatically improved within his first year at PALCS. “I love PALCS. I like that field trips are included as part of the curriculum. And I love the special ed department,” exclaimed Heather.

We thank Heather and the Lackey Family for taking the time to speak with us about Circle and their experiences! We are so happy to have them in our PALCS community! Click here to see their interview on Channel 6 Action News.


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Stainless Steel Mini Whipper

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The “Greens” had several changes in their composition, after early securing the first place in the Play-offs. Six players from the Academy played throughout the match. Marcus Berg had some good classical chances to score but the goal this time did not arrive.

Scorer: –

Panathinaikos: Kotsolis, Marinakis, Tavlaridis, Triantafyllopoulos, Nano, Lagos (81’ Ninis), Koutroumpis, Donis (60’ Zeca), Ajagun, Mavrias (69’ Karelis), Berg.

Asteras Tripolis: Theodoropoulos, Zisopoulos, Allocco, Sankare, Panteliadis, Tsokanis, Iglesias (89’ Papachristos), Fernandez, (66’ Mukam), Munafo, Gianniotas (59’ Rolle), Shkurtaj.


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2021 DIY Desk Calendar

4.4" x 5.4"
12 Months

Coordinating Items

PS produced & designed
Give 2021 your own touch by customizing and personalizing it. Add adorned details with rubber stamps, collages, doodles, and more! Decorate throughout the year and create monthly mood boards to keep you inspired. Do something creative every month! This DIY Calendar is printed on 100% recycled paper with 30% PCW.

January - December 2021


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Parcelhub news

E-commerce ticketing system UK

Parcelhub has developed a new internal ticketing system to help the customer service team track and solve customer enquiries more efficiently.   A significant internal change, it combines a number of current procedures to make monitoring and responding to queries simpler and quicker for both customers and the customer service team.   The system has been built entirely by in-house developers and as a result is a completely bespoke...

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Outsource eCommerce customer service in the United Kingdom

Parcelhub has launched a ground-breaking logistics support solution for its eCommerce clients, providing them with levels of service and transparency never before seen in the industry.   The fast-growing firm now handles parcel shipping for over 500 eCommerce, eBay and Amazon retailers and has become known for its innovative technology and intuitive solutions for the ‘final mile’, often the most complex, time consuming and costly part of...

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Lake District Three Peaks Charity Challenge for Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance

Raises £2,449.50 of £2,000 target for Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance   Back in July, 12 members of the Parcelhub and Mail Workshop teams attempted three of the highest peaks in the Lake District; Skiddaw, Helvellyn, and Scafell Pike, all of which exceed 3,000 feet in height.   However, due to adverse weather conditions, the team was advised to abandon the attempt to climb England’s highest peak, Scafell Pike,...

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Courier management software development career opportunities in the Nottingham area

Role: Junior Applications / Software Analyst and Developer   Location: Nottingham   Time: Full time   Application deadline: August 31st 2016   Closing date for interviews: Sept 20th 2016   Role description: You will need to have a working knowledge and proven skills in ASP, .NET, MVC, C#, and SQL, and will be required to maintain existing projects as well as managing, analysing, designing and developing new ventures.   This role will suit someone who has a background...

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Xcel Energy’s President & CEO Ben Fowke took the stage at the St. Thomas Alumni Association for their First Friday Speaker Series and framed the company’s vision on going carbon-free.

Key Takeaways:

  • Fowke’s second visit (his first to this forum was seven years ago) showcases a dramatic flip in Xcel’s supply portfolio
  • Xcel Energy projects to be carbon-free by 2050, with an exit out of coal by 2030
  • Fowke says of going of 100% carbon free: “While 2050 is a little way off, if we don’t get started now, we won’t get there.”

Path to 100% Perspective:

Xcel Energy CEO Ben Fowke was the keynote speaker to kick off the University of St. Thomas Alumni Association’s 29th Annual First Friday Speaker Series.  Mr. Fowke’s first appearance at this event was in 2012 – since then, he has committed Xcel on a path to 100% renewables.  In addition to giving a detailed plan on how Xcel will exit carbon-based power systems, Mr. Fowke likewise gave a pragmatic view on the topic: “Scientists will tell you what you can do, economists will tell you what you should do, [and] your legislators and regulators [will] tell you what you will do… We have to get all of that right because public policy really matters.” Learn about the five key takeaways from his speech, and read about Xcel’s 100% renewables progress on the University of St. Thomas Newsroom’s article “Five Observations: First Friday with Ben Fowke.”


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The Auto Body Shop Schaumburg Drivers Turn To:
Patrick Collision Auto Body Repair in Schaumburg, IL

Patrick Collision Auto Body Repair in Schaumburg is your source for top-quality body work in Chicagoland. Drivers from Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Roselle to Northbrook have turned to us for decades because we offer meticulous auto body repair and auto glass repair in Chicago with fast, friendly service along with free towing!

Our Schaumburg Body Shop is conveniently located just a few miles northwest of O'Hare at 534 Mall Drive, just off Rt. 72. Our Schaumburg Body Shop services all makes and models of vehicles, and we specialize in luxury car repairs. We are the only BMW of North America certified body shop in Chicagoland and we've worked hard to earn this honor with over 680 years of combined experience. Our highly trained staff will ensure that no matter the make or model (or extent of body damage) your car will come back to you in mint condition. We specialize in bringing your new or used car in Schaumburg to factory-perfect condition, and have decades of collision and body repair experience with all makes and models.

Visit us today and experience "The Patrick Difference!"
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    • Are certified in structural aluminum repair for many makes - This is particularly critical for many cars that are partially or fully aluminum like for Jaguars and BMW.
    • Have over 680 years' combined experience - Our staff, including technicians and painters, have more than 680 years of combined experience fixing BMW, and 60 years fixing Jaguars and Land Rovers. And, we apply this experience to all other brands of luxury cars, SUVs and trucks.
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Condo For Sale # 0010

Home / Properties / Condo For Sale # 0010

Large condo , 1  bedroom 1 bathroom 50  sqm  in North Pattaya.

1 Bedroom, with king size bed. New Virus Doctor, energy efficient and quiet Samsung air conditioning in the condo.
Spacious condo, big, L shaped   sofa in living room, . Rain shower in the bathroom.
Full european kitchen with oven, dishwasher and four ceramic hobs.
80 m. from Pattaya beach

soi 1. As its quite important for some there is really comfy(and expensive) mattress in there.There is a swimming pool and gym in the building.

SALE : 2,500,000 Baht

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Ultimate Christmas Giveaway: Win a Minecraft poster signed by Notch

Minecraft poster thumbnail

Apologies: we're facing some technical trouble. If the link above isn't working for you, please click here

Welcome to the PC Gamer Ultimate Christmas Giveaway ! This is the biggest competition we've ever done: packed with peripherals, games, and exclusive items signed by some very important people. Why are we doing this? Because it's Christmas! And we love you.

The Ultimate Christmas giveaway will run until Christmas Eve. Every day we'll be posting about a new prize that's up for grabs, and you'll have 24 hours after the time of publishing to enter. Sadly, we're only able to open this competition to UK residents.

Our old Minecraft server was a wonderful place, full of amazing constructions. Sadly it was also laggy and unstable, so we were recently forced to hit the big red 'reset' button and start over again. Before we did though we created these enormous posters rendering our old spawn area to commemorate it. Better yet, we sent them to Mojang, where Notch and the guys all signed them, just for you. Now here's your chance to win one!

Check inside for details:

Remember, you can also win one of these posters via the Christmas build competition on the Minecraft server itself, so get building!

To win one, just follow these instructions:

I want you to design me a Minecraft monster. Something as scary as Creepers and as unnerving as Endermen.

The best, funniest and most intimidating enemies/entries will win one of these lovely posters. If you win, you'll get a private message via the forums. Let us know your address and we'll send you your prizes shortly after Christmas. Remember, this competition is open to UK readers only. Also, if you don't claim your prize within three weeks of being notified we'll offer it to someone else. Full terms and conditions can be found here .

Happy crafting! Remember to check back at 4.30 tomorrow for the next big prize, and be ready to upgrade your rig.


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WoW Classic now has an official release date

World of Warcraft Classic

May 14, 2019 Blizzard has officially announced the WoW Classic release date.

Blizzard has just dumped a whole lot of World of Warcraft Classic information on us, including – at last – a proper release date. The vague ‘summer 2019’ that we heard back at BlizzCon last year is now officially August 27, just ahead of the game’s 15th anniversary. As previously announced, Classic will be included as part of a standard WoW subscription.

At a presentation to members of the press earlier this month, executive producer John High said that “This is our love letter to our fans, to our players, to our community. This is something that they have asked for. This is something that they convinced us is the right thing to do for our players.”

If you want to claim the name you used back in the day, Hight says there will be a sign-up period a “couple weeks” ahead of launch that will allow you to claim up to three names. A closed beta is set to begin tomorrow – sign-ups are available on the official site, and a series of stress tests will follow.

WoW Classic is built from the modern client, with features stripped back and removed to match the original 1.12 patch. Post-launch, additional content – from Blackwing Lair to Naxxramas – will roll out in phases in an effort to preserve the original power curve.

If you’re of a mind to spend a whole lot more money on your WoW Classic experience, you can opt for a new collector’s addition. It’ll feature bonus mounts – Alabaster Stormtalon for the Alliance, and Alabaster Thunderwing for the Horde. You’ll also get a large, lovely Ragnaros statue to stand guard over your desk.

For more details on how it works and how Blizzard finally made it happen, check out our full WoW Classic interview. The WoW Classic announcement back in 2017 had been a long time coming, and we’ve still got a handful of months before the final release. But at last, an official way to get into vanilla servers is upon us.

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Could WikiLeaks, Not Spamhaus, Be the Target of Cyber Attacks?

There's something very fishy about this whole Cyberbunker situation, and I think it all traces back to WikiLeaks.

According to reports, there's a beef between anti-spam operation Spamhaus and Cyberbunker, a Dutch Web host. Spamhaus claims Cyberbunker unleashed a barrage of spambots that is pounding the Internet at an alleged 300GB/s, apparently at enough choke points to slow everything down.

And by everything I mean everything. All companies are at risk, from smaller operations to bandwidth hogs like Netflix.

The allegation is that Cyberbunker is sick and tired of being abused by Spamhaus, which apparently blocks Cyberbunker's users. It assumes anything coming from the IP numbers specific to the domain is a spammer, which is obviously false. But, based on the purported Cyberbunker marketing, one must assume that many customers are indeed spammers.

I was sold on this bullcrap story until I looked into it.

Spamhaus says the folks at Cyberbunker are "collaborating" with some Eastern European criminal organizations and the Russian mob to unleash a spambot attack on Spamhaus. Sounds exciting!

Since Spamhaus is a point of reference for many providers, everything around the world of email and communications has slowed down which in turn slows down other aspects of the Web. It makes sense—except for the lack of any evidence.

I tried to access Cyberbunker's site but it took forever to load. It finally cropped up with some ominous logo and a picture of WikiLeaks' Julian Assange. Ohhh. So this is where the sneaky site is hosted. Funny how that isn't mentioned in any of the reports.

Assange's various stinks with large government organizations, including the United States, changes the story drastically if you ask me.

Three links sit at the bottom of the page: City Hall Fights Back, Spamhaus Blackmail War, and Swat Team Raids Bunker. All are worth reading—if you have the time to wait for the pages to load. It's as if Cyberbunker was the one suffering from a denial of service attack.

Meanwhile, Spamhaus.org loaded as fast as if it were on my local network. What gives? Which operation is actually being attacked and which is doing the attacking?

The document hosted on Cyberbunker tells a tale of woe. More than a few people seem to have a grudge with Spamhaus to the point where Cyberbunker is suing the operation.

There is something very sketchy about this fight and it's unclear to me which party is on the offensive. But if Cyberbunker is such a huge source of spam, aren't there legitimate ways to shut it down? It's been done before. If it turns out that this is really about WikiLeaks rather than spam, then we are being terribly misled by the media.

So what else is new?

For more, check out Epic Cyber Battle Pits Spam Tracker Against Web Host.

Further Reading

About John C. Dvorak

John C. Dvorak
John C. Dvorak is a columnist for PCMag.com and the co-host of the twice weekly podcast, the No Agenda Show. His work is licensed around the world. Previously a columnist for Forbes, PC/Computing, Computer Shopper, MacUser, Barrons, the DEC Professional as well as other newspapers and magazines. Former editor and consulting editor for InfoWorld, he also appeared in the New York Times, LA Times, Philadelphia Enquirer, SF Examiner, and the Vancouver Sun. He was on the start-up team for C/Net as well as ZDTV. At ZDTV (and TechTV) he hosted Silicon Spin for four years doing 1000 live and live-to-tape TV shows. His Internet show Cranky Geeks was considered a classic. John was on public radio for 8 years and has written over 5000 articles and columns as well as authoring or co-authoring 14 books. He's the 2004 Award winner of the American Business Editors Association's national gold award for best online column of 2003. That was followed up by an unprecedented second national gold award from the ABEA in 2005, again for the best online column (for 2004). He also won the Silver National Award for best magazine column in 2006 as well as other awards. Follow him on Twitter @therealdvorak.

Read the latest from John C. Dvorak


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"Peace News has compiled an exemplary record... its tasks have never been more critically important than they are today." Noam Chomsky

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Brief: Fourth Annual Sizewell Camp.

Brief review of the fourth annual camp at Sizewell nuclear power station

ImageThe fourth annual camp at Sizewell nuclear power station took place between 20-22 April, the aim of which was to both oppose the building of two planned reactors and a dry fuel storage dump and to provide information about about nuclear power to local people.

The choice of the April date itself was to commemorate the Chernobyl disaster which occurred on April 26, 1986.

The weekend included a demonstration at the gates of the power station attended by between 80-100 people and included a number of speakers such as Peter Lanyon from the 'shut down Sizewell' campaign and Pete Wilkinson from the Sizewell Stakeholders group.
Topics: Nuclear Power


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Sense and Sensibility (Kobo eBook)

Sense and Sensibility Cover Image
Available Now

Elinor Dashwood is affectionate and good-natured--but above all, prudent. She takes pride in her ability to conceal her emotions from others. Her younger sister, Marianne, on the other hand, is everything Elinor is not: impulsive, romantic, and carefree. It's hard to imagine two sisters who could be more different.

But twists of fate will unite Elinor and Marianne in a tangled web of deception that could ruin each of them.

Both have decided to marry. Elinor has made a sensible decision and has set her sights on a man she believes will be a good husband and a decent provider. Marianne--swept away by emotion--has lost her heart to a handsome, dashing charmer. Men as different as night and day: but each sister believes she has made the perfect choice.

Or has she?

Tor Classics are affordably-priced editions designed to attract the young reader. Original dynamic cover art enthusiastically represents the excitement of each story. Appropriate "reader friendly" type sizes have been chosen for each title—offering clear, accurate, and readable text. All editions are complete and unabridged, and feature Introductions and Afterwords.

This edition of Sense and Sensibility includes a Foreword, Biographical Note, and Afterword by Elizabeth Engstrom.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.


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About the book
  • Published: 1 May 2006
  • ISBN: 9780552151115
  • Imprint: Corgi
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 640
  • RRP: $14.99

Troy: Lord Of The Silver Bow

Compelling, unputdownable novel of love and hatred, ambition and rivalry, peace and war by bestselling David Gemmell.

Three lives will change the destiny of nations.
Helikaon, the young prince of Dardania, haunted by a scarred and
traumatic childhood. The priestess Andromache, whose fiery spirit and fierce independence threatens the might of kings. And the legendary warrior Argurios, cloaked in loneliness and driven only by thoughts of revenge.
In Troy they find a city torn apart by destructive rivalries - a maelstrom of jealousy, deceit and murderous treachery. And beyond its fabled walls blood-hungry enemies eye its riches and plot its downfall.
It is a time of bravery and betrayal; a time of bloodshed and fear. A time for heroes.

  • Pub date: 1 May 2006
  • ISBN: 9780552151115
  • Imprint: Corgi
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 640
  • RRP: $14.99

About the Author

David Gemmell

Published in 1984, David Gemmell's first novel, Legend, has become a classic. His most recent Drenai and Rigante books and his acclaimed Troy trilogy were published as Bantam Press hardcovers and are available in Corgi paperback. All of his novels have been Sunday Times bestsellers.

Widely regarded as one of the finest writers of heroic fantasy, David Gemmell lived in East Sussex until his death in July 2006.

Also by David Gemmell

See all

Praise for Troy: Lord Of The Silver Bow

“History and legend combine in an epic recreation of the Troy myth”

Conn Iggulden

“David Gemmell carries us away to a four-cornered, wholly convincing cosmos, so masterfully done that the reader thinks, 'Ah this is what it was really like.'”

Steven Pressfield

“Gripping and fast-paced, intelligent and intensely readable ... should appeal to anyone who enjoys an action-packed historical epic”

Joanne Harris

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Article: 2018 FIFA World Cup: Lessons on team-building

Employee Relations

2018 FIFA World Cup: Lessons on team-building

Besides the entertainment, excitement and ecstasy that the FIFA World Cup has brought forth, it has taught a few lessons about team-building.
2018 FIFA World Cup: Lessons on team-building

2018 Football World Cup’s group stages saw was a meaningless yellow card handed to a Panama player after some tempers flared in the Panama vs Tunisia match. The knock out stages had been decided in the previous 47 matches played between 32 countries. But don’t let the meaninglessness of the last kick lull you into believing that the two weeks have been uneventful against unevenly matched nations. There have been goals, drama, dominations, upsets, and the first stage of the sporting extravaganza has left behind a lesson or two which can be learned from them. This article takes a look at key team-building lessons from the group stage of the World Cup.

The sum is always greater than its parts

Croatia is a small nation – both in size, and its dominance in world football. Yes, it is relevant, but it never falls in the list of tournament favourites before a major football tournament begins. Then there is Argentina, a team of Messis, Agueros, Higuains, Dybalas – so stacked that their attacking might cannot fit on one pitch (as long as you aren’t playing 10 forwards). But when they clashed head to head, Croatia didn’t just defeat Argentina, it dismantled the 2014 runner-ups 3-0. This was a great reminder that a team will always outperform a collection of high performers.

When members of a team complement each other’s skills and work together as a unit – their collective performance is always larger than what the members of the unit would have achieved at an individual level. You can have all the superstars, but if they do not fit together in one unit, there are weaknesses in other areas of your team (like Argentina’s midfield and defence), and you expect the team’s main person to do all the heavy lifting (ala Messi), then the chances of success are remote. Not to say that a team of high performers cannot perform, but only if they work as a unit – as Belgium has proved in the group stages.

Luka Modric celebrates after scoring Croatia’s second goal.
Source: NYT

Have an identity and stay true to it

Every team must have an identity, and they must respect it. The most successful teams in football made their mark by having their own identity and staying true to it. Spain won the 2010 World Cup using tiki-taka to walk the ball into the net, Cruyff’s Netherlands was a phenomenon of total football, and winners Germany have been known to be an organised defence, and ruthless attack. However, they seemed to have forgotten it during their first two games (when their callous defence was taken apart by Mexico, Sweden and South Korea) and it cost the reigning world champions a spot in the knockout stages. This is a reminder to be true to what defines your team. In the world of business, this means respect the company’s vision and stay true to it.

Forgetting it can disturb the team’s harmony, confuse the members about what their real roles are, and allow your competitors to pounce on you.

Germany’s Jerome Boateng tackles Sweden’s Marcus Berg when he was through on goal
Source: US Today

High performers will bail you out but don’t burn them out

Ronaldo’s free-kick against Spain at the last minute to share points, or the Kroos free kick against Sweden in stoppage time to save Germany the blushes of an earlier Group Stage exit – high performers stand up and deliver when needed. But to what extent can you expect them to carry you through? At the end of the day, high performers can also burn out due to overwork, and the pressure of the business to carry it through. The burnout affects the performance, and in some cases, the individual decides to quit the company.

It is important for organisations to remember – build a team around the main (wo)man, do not make the main (wo)man your team.

Portugal has performed well because their team is built around Cristiano Ronaldo – every player has a defined role and that is why when Portugal has played, it has looked like a team.

Cristiano Ronaldo scores from the free kick against Spain in the dying minutes
Source: Indian Express

A disappointed Messi during the match with Croatia
Source: LiveMint

Adapt to get the best out of your people

Do not be rigid in the way you are structured. In fact, be nimble enough to adapt to the best of capabilities of your team members, and create a working style which gets the best out of them. What the young English side has shown in the tournament thus far – they may not be the flashiest of players, but the coach Gareth Southgate has them playing in a system which gets the best out of them. This requires taking some tough calls like keeping some of your top players out and using unconventional playing systems, but it is an approach that should be tried by organisations. Be agile enough to bring changes to the way your team works, so that the potential of everyone is fulfilled. A creative free minded person will be limited if she is micromanaged and told exactly what to do at every stage of her work. Create a system which allows her to be free, and see how that unlocks her potential and paves way for some great ideas – instead of micromanaging, coach her with the concept of ownership. An English team of Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes, Beckham, Hargreaves and Carrick could only disappoint because the system didn’t adapt to their strengths, instead tried to squeeze them into an existing rigid formation where they couldn’t do what they did best.

The England squad picture before the Panama game. England won 6-1
Source: BBC

Watch out for the knockout stage – there will surely be more lessons to draw about team-building.

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Topics: Employee Relations, Sports, Books & Movies

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Summit White 2019 GMC Acadia SLT-1 AWD 6-Speed Automatic 3.6L V6 SIDI 2019 GMC Acadia SLT-1.

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Exhaust, dual (Included and only available with (LGX) 3.6L V6 SIDI DOHC engine.)

Tool kit, road emergency

Wheel, spare, 18" x 4.5" (45.7 cm x 11.4 cm) steel

Tire, compact spare, T135/70R18, blackwall

Roof rails, Silver

Headlamps, projector beam

Fog lamps, front projector type

Glass, deep-tinted (all windows, except light-tinted glass on windshield and driver- and front passenger-side glass)

Wipers, front intermittent with washers

Wiper, rear intermittent with washer

Liftgate, power programmable

Audio system feature, Bose premium 8-speaker system with sub-woofer

Seat adjuster, front passenger, 8-way power

Seat adjuster, power passenger lumbar control

Seats, heated driver and front passenger

Console, front center with 2 cup holders and storage, includes rear storage drawer (Excludes storage drawer with (GAT) All Terrain with (ABD) 5-passenger seating.)

Power outlet, 120-volt, 3-prong household style located on the rear of center console

Steering column, tilt and telescopic

Display, driver instrument information enhanced, multi-color

Sensor, humidity and windshield temperature

Compass display

Windows, power with driver Express-Up/Down and front passenger Express-Down

Remote vehicle start

Universal Home Remote includes garage door opener, 3-channel programmable

Defogger, rear-window electric

Cup holders 2 in front center console, 2 in front door panel, 2 bottle holders in front door panel, 2 in 2nd row and 2 in 3rd row, 10 total

Lighting, interior with theater dimming, cargo compartment, reading lights for front seats, second row reading lamps integrated into dome light, door-and tailgate-activated switches and illuminated entry and exit feature

Lamp Package, interior, deluxe

Daytime Running Lamps, LED

Passenger Sensing System sensor indicator inflatable restraint, front passenger/child/presence detector (Always use seat belts and the correct child restraints. Children are safer when properly secured in a rear seat in the appropriate child restraint. See the Owner's Manual for more information.)

Air bags, frontal and side impact for driver and front passenger driver inboard seat-mounted side-impact, driver side knee and roof-rail side-impact for all rows in outboard seating positions (Always use seat belts and the correct child restraints. Children are safer when properly secured in a rear seat in the appropriate child restraint. See the Owner's Manual for more information.)

GMC Connected Access with 10 years of standard connectivity which enables services such as, Vehicle Diagnostics, Dealer Maintenance Notification, GMC Smart Driver, Marketplace and more (Limitations apply. Not transferable. Standard connectivity available to original purchaser for ten years from the date of initial vehicle purchase for model year 2018 or newer GMC vehicles. See for details and further plan limitations. Connected Access does not include emergency or security services. Availability and additional services enables by Connected Access are subject to change.)

Rear Vision Camera

Door locks, rear child security

Rear seat reminder

Teen Driver configurable feature that lets you activate customizable vehicle settings associated with a key fob, to encourage safe driving behavior. It can limit certain vehicle features, and it prevents certain safety systems from being turned off. An in-vehicle report card gives you information on driving habits and helps you to continue to coach your new driver

Horn, dual-note

Year 2019
Make GMC
Model Acadia
Miles 32,419
Transmission : Automatic
Engine 3.6L 310.0hp
cylinders 6
Drivetrain All Wheel Drive
Exterior color Summit White
Interior color Jet Black
Doors 4 Doors
Stock 1050
Title Clean (most titles)

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WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: application/xml

text: note szabgab Based on what I see, in the first case the test did not fail. It was skipped (becasue you did not have utf8::all installed). <p> After installing it the test was executed and passed. <p> This is the normal and expected behavior, but on Windows the second one crashes. (With nasty popup offering to report to Microsoft) 1009989 1009997


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Blog Archives

From Merry and Bright to Sneaky Elves, Perry’s Holiday Flavors Return!

Elf Trash, Hot Cocoa, Peppermint Stick and White Christmas Available For a Limited Time Akron, N.Y. – October 23, 2019 –  Are you dreaming of a White Christmas, cuddling up by the fire with a cup of Hot Cocoa, swirled with a photo worthy Peppermint Stick? Or does the looming holiday season make you feel…read more

Posted in blog, news, news_featured, news_scoopville | Tagged , , | Leave a comment


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Gardening Tips > June > ‘How to’? Care for your Roses

‘How to’? Care for your Roses

Roses are one of the most rewarding plants to grow and care for.  So many colours, varieties and many with truly wonderful scents. Roses are the perfect way to add beauty and scent to a sunny spot in any garden or patio!

Rosa ‘Lady Emma Hamilton’ (David Austin)

Here are our top tips on planting and maintaining roses for a maximum flowering year after year:

A sunny, open position with minimal trees and shrubs in the bed or border (as they will compete for water, light and nutrients) is perfect for all types of roses.

Dig a hole twice the size of the rose pot.  Incorporate the organic matter into the planting hole.  Mix a slow-release fertiliser into the soil before positioning the plant.  Finish by back filling with soil and applying a mulch of garden compost around the base.

You will need:

  • Organic Matter (garden compost or well-rotted farmyard manure)
  • Slow-release Rose Food Fertiliser
  • Spade
  • Small cane (depending on the height of your plant)

Roses are a particularly hungry shrub and require frequent watering and feeding as young plants and during the growing season.  If you allow to dry out, there is a risk of pest and disease problems like rust, powdery mildew and aphids.

Specific rose fertilizers are available to use but an all-purpose liquid feed can also give roses a quick boost if you want to feed them alongside other plants.

Dead-head regularly throughout the season to encourage and maximise your rose flowering time.  Carefully weed around the base often avoiding any disturbance to the roots near the surface.

Rose Pruning
Gap Photos 2018

Each type of rose requires a different pruning technique.  Our plant team are always on hand to offer guidance.

 Top tip: Cuts should be no more than 5 mm above a bud and should slop away from the bud to avoid water collecting in the bud.

Perfect Partners

Some plants are just made for each other.  Good rose partners are those that hide their bare stems.  Traditionally Lavandula (chosen to ward off aphids) and tall growing Dianthus or Salvias make good partners.  Roses love garlic so members of the onion family such as chives, ornamental alliums are rumoured to increase their scent, ward off aphids and prevent black spot.  Marigolds may also repel pests and encourage growth.

Top tip: Remember to plant rose companions at least one foot away from your roses so that you do not disturb their roots.

At Perrywood we have a wide range of roses available, including:

Shrub roses – tough and hardy these roses have an old English rose character,  great for repeat flower, perfect for mixed borders, pots and containers

Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ (David Austin)

Hybrid tea rose – These upright shapely modern shrub roses are ideal for the front of a border or for large containers. They have double flowers, in single or small clusters.

Rosa ‘Mum in a Million’

Floribunda rose – Loosely bushy in shape, these colourful Floribunda roses repeat flower in masses throughout the summer and are suitable at the front of a border or in a large patio tub.

Rosa ‘Arthur Bell’

Climbing roses – are usually vigorous, and often bear scented blooms. Many repeat-flower from early summer into autumn. They are great for bringing a vertical accent to the garden, covering walls.

Rosa ‘Blush Noisette’

Rambling roses – are perfect for covering a large wall or pergola, or growing into the canopy of a large, established tree. They produce large clusters of usually small, and often fragrant flowers attractive to pollinators.

Rosa ‘The Lady of the Lake’ (David Austin)

Patio roses – Patio roses are small and ideal for containers or mass plantings and will flower all summer. They grow from 30-60cm (1-2ft) high

Rosa ‘Flower Power Gold’Occasion favourites – a long lasting and thoughtful gift for wedding, anniversary and special birthdays. We stock ‘Birthday Girl’, ‘Happy Golden Wedding’, ‘Together Forever’, ‘Wedding Bells’ and ‘Remembrance’ to name a few.

Rosa ‘Warm Wishes’

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Gardening Tips > February > Looking ahead to brighter gardening months

Looking ahead to brighter gardening months

January can be a peculiar month for a gardener as you can find yourself staring out into your garden thinking that there is nothing to do, particularly with the weather being so unpredictable. Maintenance is never a particularly exciting part of gardening but it does need to be done and the results can be very satisfying. Make the most of having an emptier garden to get into the back of plant beds and repair or replace fence panels.

Whilst you’re waiting for the weather to warm up you can also take time out to plan and prepare for the start of a new gardening year. Quiet, dull days can be utilised to sit back and properly appraise your garden’s design and plan any required improvements. Even the most established gardens will have odd areas that have become a little less impressive over time. You may have noticed that a certain plant bed lacks in interest during a particular season or that a colour combination you tried previously didn’t really work. Growing your own vegetables has become extremely popular and now is a good time to decide which fruit and veg you fancy this year and ensuring you have the space in which to put them. Even the smallest space can be adapted by improving the soil or clearing some space. If you have a heated greenhouse or conservatory you can even grow your own from seed, although this requires patience! The novice gardener may prefer to buy pre-grown seedlings later in the season for a more guaranteed result.

Whether you have a blank canvas or established garden adding new elements or completely re-designing it can be extremely daunting. Inspiration can always be found in gardening books, magazines and online. You can also visit open gardens like the RHS Hyde Hall and Beth Chatto, or copy ideas from your friends and family. Everyone borrows ideas from other gardens but it is important to choose something that will work in the space you have available, and to suit your garden’s soil and situation. Glamorous planting schemes from show gardens can look stunning but they wouldn’t necessarily have been designed to have the wow factor throughout the year. Instead of trying to copy a design completely, choose some of your favourite planting combinations and adapt the ideas to suit your own garden.

If you wish to completely revamp your garden it can sometimes be extremely worth while to bring in a professional garden designer to provide a fresh opinion. You may want to rip everything out and start again but this can be incredibly expensive. A designer can find ways of keeping some of the more mature specimens in your garden to maintain focal points and present you with a complete planting plan for you to follow. This can be particularly worthwhile if you have little experience or knowledge of plants.

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Polti Steam

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 Clinical studies demonstrate the effectiveness of SANI SYSTEM for professional sanitisation

Polti Sani System has been subjected to numerous laboratory tests and clinical studies, both in Italy and abroad, confirming the safe use and effectiveness of Sani System in the reduction of the microbial load.

The Polti Sani System sanitising method should be used whenever and wherever microbiological contamination has to be kept under control and reduced to the lowest possible safety levels such as healthcare environments, industries, transportation systems, hotels, food companies and public places in general.

Results have shown that it is possible to obtain better results with this innovative sanitising method than with traditional methods.

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Disinfectant Treatment


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Looking for the best squirrel repellent for your home or yard? Great! You're in the right place.In this Pest Strategies[...]
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Looking to buy or adopt a Persian ?

The Persian cat has been one of the most popular breeds for decades and for good reason. They are not only glamorous with their long, flowing, luxurious coats, but they boast having extremely sweet natures too. They are medium to large in size and although they are intelligent, they like to contemplate things before they take any action. Persians have wonderfully expressive eyes which is just one of the reasons why they have found their way into the hearts and homes of cat lovers the world over and why they have consistently remained a popular choice in the UK both as companions and family pets.

The actual history of the Persian cat remains a mystery simply because records were not kept of the breed until more recent times. What is known is that these charming cats have existed for centuries and that Persians were exhibited at the first cat show ever held in the United Kingdom at Crystal Palace in 1871. It was at this time that early enthusiasts of the breed drew up the standard of Persians we see today. In fact, the breed has not changed that much since they first appeared in England, however, because of their short noses, responsible breeders do their best to make sure cats are bred carefully to ensure noses are not too snubbed which could cause Persians to suffer serious breathing issues.

One of the more popular stories and one which is quite well documented is that these charming cats were introduced to Italy in 1620 by Pietro della Valle when he imported jewels, spices and silks that he sourced in Persia. At around the same time, Nicholas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc imported longhaired cats to France which he had found in Turkey. These cats were originally called Angoras which at the time was the capital of Turkey and which is now Ankara. There is some belief that these two cats were indeed one and the same breed.

However, there is also some belief that these longhaired cats were the result of crossbreeding cats that were of Egyptian descent. This story is backed by early Egyptian hieroglyphics found on the walls of ancient tombs. The fact these cats boasted longer coats meant they were well suited to the often colder climates of both Turkey and Persia. Today, the Persian cat is one of the most popular breeds throughout the world including in the UK thanks to their sweet, kind natures and their adorably, charming looks.

The Persian is a medium to large cat that boasts having a muscular, well-developed quite cobby-type body. They have rather short legs, but this does not detract from a cat's powerful appearance. They have nicely rounded, very large heads and huge eyes which always have a sweet and gentle expression in them. They have snubbed noses with a nice central break in between the eyes. Characteristically, a Persian's rounded head should be high above their noses while their chins are nicely below it. Ears are rounded and small being set wide apart on a cat's head and which follow its contour. Their ears are well furnished and not that open at the base.

A Persian has lovely full cheeks and a nicely rounded forehead. Their chins are strong and muzzles are full with cats having powerful, broad jaws. Necks are thick and short. They can have a medium or large size body which is rather cobby looking with cats having deep, broad chests, huge shoulders and well-muscled rumps. They have short, thick and powerful legs with large, round shaped, tufted paws and nice firm pads. They have five toes on their front feet, but only four on their back ones. Tails are short and extremely bushy which Persians like to flick to side to side to show their emotions.

When it comes to their coat, the Persian boasts having a luxurious, long and thick coat that's fine to the touch. Cats have full frills covering their shoulders and then continuing down between their front legs. They come in many colours which includes the following:

  • Smoke Persian
  • Chinchilla
  • Golden Persian
  • Shaded Silver Persian
  • Cameo
  • Pewter
  • Tabby Persian
  • Tortoiseshell
  • Tortie and white
  • Bi-Colour Persian
  • Colourpoint

Like a lot of other breeds, the Persian likes to have a routine in their life and don't particularly like it when anything changes for any reason. They like to be fed at the same time of the day and don't appreciate it when furniture gets changed around the home. They are renowned for their sweet and gentle natures which is just one of the reasons why they make such marvellous family pets and companions. With this said, Persians like a calm and quiet environment rather than a boisterous and noisy one. As such, although they get on well with younger children, they are best suited to households where the kids are slightly older and who therefore know how to handle cats and how to behave around them as well as when to leave their pet alone.

Persians are not overly talkative and they have sweet, quiet voices. Their main way of communicating their feelings with an owner is by way of their eyes which are incredibly expressive. Unlike many other breeds, the Persian likes to keep their feet on the ground and are more likely to be found draped over the back of a comfy chair than on top of a high bookcase.

As previously mentioned, they adore being around their owners and will happily accept being petted whenever they can. However, they are not overly demanding by nature and as such they are quite happy to be left on their own, but never for extended periods of time.

Persians are smart cats, but they never do much very quickly, preferring to take them time and contemplate things before they react which means they are slower to respond to anything, but when they do there's no stopping a Persian from having lots of fun. They do like playing interactive games like chase the toy on a string and "fetch" which they thoroughly enjoy. Although they love spending time with their owners, a Persian is not clingy or demanding which means that as long as they have lots of toys to play with and nice cosy places to snuggle up in, they are quite happy to be left on their own, but never for too long.

Children and Other Pets

Persians with their laid back, affectionate personalities are the perfect choice for families with children. They are very tolerant around children of all ages which is just one of the reasons why they have consistently remained one of the most popular family pets in the UK. However, care has to be taken when very young children are around cats and any interaction should always be well supervised to make sure things stay nice and calm. With this said, children need to be taught how to behave around cats and when to leave them alone especially as Persians prefer a quiet and calm environment rather than a noisy one.

They also get on well with dogs especially if they have grown up together. However, care has to be taken when introducing a Persian to dogs they don't already know just in case the dog does not get on with their feline counterparts. They are incredibly social and laid back by nature and have been known to get on with smaller animals and pets. However, it's always wiser to keep a close eye on any cat when they are around small pets, just in case.

Persian Health

The average life expectancy of a Persian is between 15 and 18 years when properly cared for and fed an appropriate, good quality diet to suit their ages.

The Persia is known to be a healthy breed although being brachycephalic breed, they are prone to breathing issues. With this said, they can suffer from a few hereditary health issues which are worth knowing about if you are planning share your home with one of these charming cats. The conditions that seem to affect the breed the most include the following:

  • Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) - breeders should have stud cats DNA tested
  • Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) - breeders should have stud cats DNA tested
  • Breathing issues
  • Skin problems
  • Eye problems

Caring for a Persian

Persians need to be groomed on a regular basis to make sure their coats and skin are kept in top condition. On top of this, cats need to be fed good quality food that meets all their nutritional needs throughout their lives which is especially true of kittens and older cats.

Persians boast having long, luxurious coats and as such they are high maintenance on the grooming front. Their coats need brushing on a daily basis to prevent any knots or tangles from forming. Like other cats, they tend to shed the most in the Spring and then again in the Autumn when more frequent brushing is usually necessary to keep on top of things. Persians love the one-to-one contact they are given when they are being groomed and it helps strengthen the bond they have with their owners.

A Persian's eyes need to be regularly wiped to prevent a build of crust and to remove any tear staining. It's also important to check a cat's ears on a regular basis and to clean them when necessary. If too much wax is allowed to build up, it can lead to a painful infection which can be hard to clear up. In short, prevention is often easier than cure with ear infections. Cats often suffer from ear mites which can be a real problem which is why it's so important to check their ears on a regular basis.

Energy Levels/Playfulness

Persians are not high-energy cats, but they do enjoy playing interactive games with their owners when they are around and when they are not napping, that is. They tend to play in short bursts and when they move, they do so at their own pace. However, when a Persian decides to chase a toy, they are fast on their short legs and will happily retrieve an object so it can be thrown for them again.

Cats kept as indoor pets need to be given lots of things to do and places to hide when they want to just keep out of the way. They also need to have lots of cosy places they can snuggle up for a snooze when the mood takes them because like all cats, Persians love to snooze the day away.

If you get a Persian kitten from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same kitten food to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a kitten's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upsets and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change it again.

Older cats are not known to be fussy eaters, but this does not mean they can be given a lower quality diet. It's best to feed a mature cat several times a day making sure it's good quality food that meets all their nutritional requirements which is especially important as cats get older. It's also essential to keep an eye on a cat's weight because if they start to put on too much, it can have a serious impact on their overall health and wellbeing. Like all other breeds, Persians need access to fresh, clean water at all times.

Average Cost to keep/care for a Persian

If you are looking to buy a Persian, you would need to pay anything from £250 to well over £700 for a well-bred pedigree kitten. The cost of insuring a male 3-year-old Persian in northern England would be £15.58 a month for basic cover but for a lifetime policy, this would set you back £27.16 a month (quote as of September 2016). When insurance companies calculate a pet's premium, they factor in several things which includes where you live in the UK, a cat's age and whether or not they have been neutered or spayed among other things.

When it comes to food costs, you need to buy the best quality food whether wet or dry making sure it suits the different stages of a cat’s life. This would set you back between £15 - £20 a month. On top of all of this, you need to factor in veterinary costs if you want to share your home with a Persian and this includes their initial vaccinations, their annual boosters, the cost of neutering or spaying a cat when the time is right and their yearly health checks, all of which quickly adds up to over £600 a year.

As a rough guide, the average cost to keep and care for a Persian would be between £40 to £60 a month depending on the level of insurance cover you opt to buy for your cat, but this does not include the initial cost of buying a well-bred GCCF registered kitten.

Click 'Like' if you love Persians.

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text: Today’s celebration of Earth Day might not be a joyous as last year’s considering a January Pew Research survey found only 41% of Americans say protecting the environment should be a top priority, a 15-point decline from the previous January when 56% called it a top priority. Of the 20 issues people were asked to rate, five significantly slipped in importance as attention to the economy surged, but environmental protection fell the most precipitously. A similar fall with regard to the environment was also seen in January 2002 following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. While the slip in priority crosses partisan and demographic lines, however, a large partisan gap persists between Democrats and Republicans in rating the environment a top priority (34 points). In fact, the only policy ranking lower than protecting the environment among Republicans is dealing with global warming (16%). Not all is bleak for the green minded, though. A separate Pew Research survey found a majority of the public (59%) favors setting limits on carbon dioxide emissions and making companies pay for their emission, even if that may mean higher energy prices. Only a third opposed capping emissions. Read More


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164 Mullum Mullum Road, Ringwood

A Warm Welcome Every Time

Located only minutes to Eastland Shopping Centre, North Ringwood Shops, Freeway/Eastlink and just a short walk to public transport and schools is this gorgeous weather board home.

An open plan design includes a light and bright lounge room which looks on to the kitchen area with floating floor throughout, bench tops, good cupboard space and gas cooker.

Three generous bedrooms, two with built in robes and central bathroom with shower, toilet and vanity plus a separate second toilet.

A large low maintenance enclosed yard and a double garage that can be used as another room or office area.

Further comfort includes split system in the lounge, ducted heating and extra off street parking.

View the map below to show distance and commute time from the property to nearby schools, childcare centres, public transport stops, medical centres and
many more points of interest.


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Harman Kardon speaker powered by Microsoft's Cortana gets certified

Google Home and Amazon Echo are among the most popular voice-activated speakers, but there's enough room for other companies to join this relatively fresh market.

Microsoft is another major player that's likely to adhere the fray, as the Redmond-based company plans to lend its Cortana personal digital assistant to Harman.

The information was confirmed by Harman back in December when the company published a video teaser of an upcoming voice-activated speaker. The new product by Harman Kardon would be powered by Microsoft's Cortana.

Since the device hasn't been unveiled at CES 2017 in early January, there's a chance Samsung, Harman's new owner might announce the speaker at Mobile World Congress later this month.

Regardless, a Harman Kardon speaker recently received its Wi-Fi certification at Wi-Fi Alliance, so the reveal announcement can't be too far away. The product's description mentions the speaker is powered by Cortana, and that it runs Linux version 3.8.13.

We're also attaching the video teaser released by Harman back in December, which offers a sneak peek at what's to come.

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FCC OKs Cingular's purchase of AT&T Wireless