#mount Mitchell

[forestgreenivy]

At the summit of Mount Mitchell. Inside of a cloud. I could’ve stood there for hours.

[theghostpinesmusic]

I got a chance to hike up Mount Mitchell, which is the tallest peak east of the Rockies, back in 2016. Unfortunately, the flight that brought me to NC in the first place to visit my family was also the trigger for an inner ear issue that basically made it impossible for me to move around normally for the next four months. So, nice visit, but no mountain.

Yesterday, I got another chance to take the hike. In normal health aside from some really bad spring allergies, I had a great climb to the top. The trail is pretty straightforward throughout, and there aren't any real views until the top, but it was great to be hiking through Appalachian forests for the first time in a few decades.

I'm gonna say that between the highest Eastern and highest Western summits, Mount Whitney wins out, but it was a great day nonetheless 😀

[travelamazon]

North Carolina: Top 10 Places to Visit in North Carolina

North Carolina: Top 10 Places to Visit in North Carolina

Located in the southeastern United States, North Carolina is the 28th largest and 9th most populous state. It borders Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and South Carolina to the south, and Tennessee on the west. This beautiful state offers visitors a wide range of attractions and activities. North Carolina is home to several national and state parks, which offer…

[ansonmountdaily]

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds cast behind the scenes as their episode 1x08 “The Elysian Kingdom” storybook counterparts

Christopher Pike as Sir Amand Rauth, the King's Chamberlain Spock as Pollux the Dark Wizard Christine Chapel as Lady Audrey Nyota Uhura as Queen Neve Erica Ortegas as Sir Adya the Knight Jenna Mitchell as The Crimson Guard Una Chin-Riley ("Number One") as Z'ymira the Huntress Hemmer as Caster the Wizard Joseph M'Benga as King Ridley La'an Noonien-Singh as Princess Thalia (with Runa the Dog)

Source: startrekonpplus Official Instagram

[unpun1shable]

god what a fucking loser (visibly frothing at the mouth while clawing at the hardwood)

[rosalie-starfall]

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds -  The Elysian Kingdom

The Merry Crew Of The Enterprise

[wingedjewels]

Wilson's Warbler by Lee Greengrass Via Flickr: Mitchell Canyon, Mount Diablo, Clayton, CA

[majestativa]

His kisses were good, tender and cosseting as the play of harps in a summer night. Wild, too, rough and harsh as a tempest over Northern seas. Glowing as the fiery breath of Etna’s mouth, tearing and devouring as the maelstrom’s vortex. [...] Then the fires roared forth and the hot flames shot upwards into the skies. The torches blazed, the altars ignited, and with bloody jaws the wolf burst through the sanctuary. She held him tight and pressed herself hard against his breast. ‘I’m burning,’ she shrieked.

— Hanns Heinz Ewers, The Dedalus Book of German Decadence: Voices of the Abyss, transl by Ray Furness and Mike Mitchell, (1994)

[fluffleforce-mysdrym]

Smooches, Mitchell! Affection! I think you're a cute little bastard and want to scoop you into my arms and carry you around like a princess!

Mitchell.exe stops working at the first declaration, but as he listens further, snaps out of it, considering what has been said. "How long are you willing to carry me for? And can I choose the destination you carry me to?"

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Image: The Milky Way sitting above Mount Rainier. Photo by Ryan Sullivan.

* * * *

Rainer Maria Rilke died on December 29, 1926.

Excerpt from the First Elegy:

Of course, it is strange to inhabit the earth no longer, to give up customs one barely had time to learn, not to see roses and other promising Things in terms of a human future; no longer to be what one was in infinitely anxious hands; to leave even one's own first name behind, forgetting it as easily as a child abandons a broken toy. Strange to no longer desire one's desires. Strange to see meanings that clung together once, floating away in every direction. And being dead is hard work and full of retrieval before one can gradually feel a trace of eternity. -- Though the living are wrong to believe in the too-sharp distinctions which they themselves have created. Angels (they say) don't know whether it is the living they are moving among, or the dead. The eternal torrent whirls all ages along in it, through both realms forever, and their voices are drowned out in its thunderous roar.

(Translation by Stephen Mitchell)

[h/t Ian Sanders]

[forestgreenivy]

Balsam Trail, Mount Mitchell, NC

This mountain is known for its height. At 6,684 feet tall, it is the tallest mountain and peak east of the Mississippi River, and the tallest peak in the Appalachian mountain range.

The old growth forest on this mountain is an extremely rare and special place. The Balsam Trail is one of my most favorite places in the world. It feels like you are transported into another world. It’s absolutely amazing.

[damnredthing]

Fairy tale ramblings – SNW S1E08

This post – naturally – contains spoilers. If you haven’t seen the episode yet and do not want to read spoilers, please do not read any further.

This is not an episode review but rather just a bunch of ramblings which I’ve tried to at least sort a little bit into categories.

Season 1 – Episode 8 – The Elysian Kingdom

My ramblings will be a bit different this time, mostly because I have done something I usually don’t do. I’ve read critics (and instantly regretted it. Thankfully I kept my hands off the vitriolic youtube reviews). But no worries, I’ll not just beat on a dead horse, I also have other things to say about this episode. But to get the unpleasant part out of the way (just skip to the next headline if you don’t want to go through the stupid criticisms):

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I’m sorry but I have to ask

What is wrong with Star Trek fans? Why does this episode get so many shitty reviews? What is it you want from a Star Trek show that pays homage to TOS, what? Because I don’t get it. You want serialized episodes, yet people whine when one out of 10 episodes gets “wasted” to a comedy episode.

You want story arcs resolved, yet people whine when a story gets resolved but it happens within a comedic environment.

You want the silliness that turned some TOS episodes into classics, but when SNW goes exactly that, people whine that it’s cringy?

I don’t get some fans anymore.

I tried to understand them by doing what I usually keep my hands off, I read some of the reviews. I don’t want to comment all of them, but some just stand out that I really don’t get at all.

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A comedic episode should not have been done in season 1

Some critics claim that a comedic episode came too soon, and that the characters had no right to be comical when they weren’t even properly introduced yet.

So that means we are only allowed to watch serious episodes in the first season until every single character has enough depth to show other sides of themselves? That doesn’t even make sense. The other shows also goofed off already in season 1. Remember a certain pregnancy in Enterprise? Or a batshit crazy game in DS9’s Move along home?

When did some Trek fans turn into people who have to go outside to laugh?

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Captain Pike was damaged

I have read some really disturbing critics, some went even so far to be flat out homophobic. It seems to some people that being a whiney weakling fairy tale figure equals to being gay. Some critics claim that Pike is now “forever” damaged and cannot be taken seriously anymore.

Really? Rauth is not Pike, how is it so difficult to understand that? Pike did not exist while his body was possessed. Pike, just like everyone else who was possessed, did not even remember any of what happened. Just because the body of Pike acted all differently, people now cannot take the real Pike seriously anymore?

And what’s with all the homophobic shit? EVEN IF Rauth was gay, what’s the problem with that? Are you so scared Pike might be gay or bi that this little fun gig already made you lose your masculine coolness? But the firm conclusion that Rauth is whiney and weak, therefore he MUST be gay speaks volumes about some fans.

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More LGBTQ+ phobic critics

There are really people who bitch about Una’s and Erica’s characters supposedly being in a relationship and call that “preaching”.

Heaven forbid there is a little girl who was raised with an open mind and who dared to ship two female characters. This was such a short sequence in the entire episode that it hardly qualifies as “preaching”. It’s not like it was forced down your throat. It was just a tiny remark followed by a tiny “oh we know” smirk. That’s all there was! If anything, I applaud M’Benga for having his daughter raised so open minded that it felt like a completely normal thing for her.

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Gender swap crap

Some critics bitched about the gender swapping of Sir Adya and claim it preaches feminism in our faces!

Oh cry me a river! The characters were matched solely by choice of a child! And if the child would have wanted a space amoeba to be Sir Adya, we would have seen an amoeba in a shining knight armor!

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The story was childish and the characters were overacted

I’ve read many critics in which people claim the actors were so bad and were over acting, so that the whole episode seemed to have been written by children.

They almost understood the plot. But still missed it terribly. Of course the characters were over acted and of course the story seemed childish, BECAUSE THE ENTIRE STORY WAS TOLD FROM THE EYES OF CHILDREN!!! It’s like kids playing with dolls.

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M’Benga’s story arc was destroyed by comedy

People wanted Rukiya’s story arc resolved (which I agree with). But there is a bunch that is now pissed off because it was done within a comedic setup which disrespected M’Benga’s sacrifice and tragic story.

Look at these two fellas, who represent the oldest story telling art in the world.

Comedy and drama have always been a classic to shock people. You feel safe and entertained, until the hammer drops. It’s a classic storytelling format.

What these people don’t understand is that the entire story was Rukiya centred. SHE drove all the characters. She was taken out of her isolation to have the best time she had in a long while. The fact that every character was so over the top hilarious just showed what a joyous person was hidden in the transporter buffer. We were shown a child’s world, which is actually a gift. Too many of us adults have forgotten what it’s like to be and think like a children (obviously!). For M’Benga it must have felt like salvation to see his child enjoy herself so much, even if it was at the cost of his friends, whose bodies were borrowed for a while. I am almost certain each and everyone of the crew forgave Debra for using them, because they all knew the gift they had given to Rukiya. This was a bittersweet story, seen through the eyes of a child to say a heartfelt goodbye. This is a dramedy to its core. I am sad so many people failed to see that.

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The writers destroyed their own story they built up two episodes earlier

In Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach, M’Benga saw a chance to heal his daughter when Elder Gamal shared some of his advanced medical knowledge. Some critics don’t get why just 2 episodes later M’Benga “sacrifices” his daughter to live in the nebula. They even go so far to call this lazy writing.

The thing is, M’Benga did NOT sacrifice Rukiya. He gave HER the CHOICE to decide what she wanted. Big difference.

So far, M’Benga had decided for his daughter what is best for her, by keeping her inside the transporter buffer. Rukiya grew increasingly upset with that and voiced it louder and louder. M’Benga might have improved his research with the help of Elder Gamal, but he did not find the cure yet. At the begining of this episode M'Benga said in his personal log that Rukiya has just little time left.

So for Rukiya the choice was either stay in the transporter buffer and hope for a cure (that might never come), or live a happy life within the nebula together with her new friend and with endless possibilities. She chose the latter. SHE chose, not M’Benga. And that’s why the solution (which wasn’t one just yet) from 2 episodes earlier became void.

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-- ENOUGH WITH THE CRITICS --

From here on my real ramblings begin.

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Why did Rukiya and Debra match Rauth to Pike?

I can only guess here as only the writers can really tell why Rukiya matched the characters as she did. But guessing is fun, so here I go.

Why did Rukiya and Debra match the least appealing character with Pike? Amand is a whiney coward and an opportunist who only thinks for his own advantage. He has no backbone and if given a sword, he probably would stab his own foot with it. No wonder he is scared of Sir Adya, he wouldn’t stand a chance against a skilled sword fighter.

Pike is the crass opposite of Rauth. Pike is brave, courageous and caring. He puts the well-being of everyone else above his own.

Were Rukiya and Debra mean spirited to match Pike to Rauth, as some critics claim? I cannot estimate the characteristics of Debra, but I don’t think Rukiya has any mean bone in her body. I think as for Rauth, the matching was done or pushed by Debra, but not in a mean spirited way.

Rauth had to be matched to someone. When going through the available people on the enterprise, I am sure the kids focused on the bridge and sickbay personnel. We know from Rukiya’s return as an adult that minutes in the “real world” can be months and years in the nebula. We also know that for Debra it is no problem at all to alter the appearance of the Enterprise and its crew and to even add new items, such as the costumes, twines and yes, even hair

(I am looking at you Spock)!

Debra was also able to shelf all personalities except Rukiya’s, M’Benga’s and Hemmer’s, everyone else was literally stored away. Not even the slightest glimpse of their true selves or their consciousness was allowed to the surface.

Is it so far off to assume that to do that, Debra had to invade everyone’s minds to then keep them subdued? One can argue that this alone was abusive. But it is also the behavior of a child who does a thing without realizing it’s a wrong thing to do.

Most likely, what Debra found in Pike’s head was his sad future and his mind constantly circling around it. Maybe Debra wanted to see Pike let go of that for a while and act completely differently. We have to remind ourselves that this story unfolds from the eyes of children. Imagine you’d have been told this story when you were 6 or 7 years old. Wouldn’t you find the character of Rauth extremely funny? Wouldn’t you want that character to pay the price for his selfish behavior? Children have a great sense of fairness and poetic justice, but they are not mean spirited. Rauth was never meant to be punished in a way adults would think. He was only meant to be pushed around a little and get his butt kicked (which happened in this episode, LITERALLY!).

I think the kids chose Pike for Rauth because they saw in him the best match for a funny result. They wanted to see him disconnected from his sadness for a while. They wanted him to be the character they could laugh about the most. It’s like when a child asks its dad to play the tickle monster. There is no hidden agenda, no mean spirit behind this choice. It’s just a kids choice.

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Erica’s and Pike’s banter continue even when they are not themselves

I absolutely loved this comedy duo. I had a moment in episode Memento Mori in which I was unsure about Ortegas, because she was cracking jokes and remarks non-stop without really being helpful. I now understand it was her outlet to deal with the angst and stress of the situation. I wish we could get a backstory episode for her because that would give her character even more depth. But at least she got away from her usual “helmsman problems” (as Melissa keeps calling it fittingly) in this episode and she could shine as badass knight.

She is one of the few characters that got matched without changing much of the real person behind it. Ortegas is a badass and strong character, and so is Sir Adya. Ortegas is witty and so it Sir Adya. And both love to banter with Pike/Rauth.

Rauth was so whiney that I wished Adya would really have slapped him around a bit. He so had it coming!

I also think that these two had the best comedic timing of all characters, individually and in scenes together.

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Some Randoms

M’Benga’s first name is Joseph

Hemmer’s antennae DO move!

M’Benga did not tell Pike about Rukyia. Maybe they aren’t as close friends as I thought. I suppose Pike also didn’t tell M’Benga about his secret. It is a bit of a missed chance that we didn’t see how Pike reacted to this closing report and learnt what secret M’Benga had kept from him for so long. As the Captain he is responsible for every person onboard. How can he care for a person whose existence he isn’t even aware of? A person that’s stuck in some piece of technology that can give out during a power outage? I also think it was a missed chance not to show us how Una and Pike resolve this, because Una knew about M’Benga’s secret but didn’t confide in Pike, even though just some episodes earlier Pike proved to her that he is willing to risk his career to protect her own secret.

Little blooper when Pike called for the Jester, in one take he had his right hand up, in the next take it was his left. Oopsie

Was every character the exact opposite of what their true selves are?

Tough and reserved La’an turned into a pampered princess diva - check

Kind and helpful Uhura turned into mean spirited queen bitch - check

Courageous and empathic Pike turned into a wuss - check

Badass Ortegas turned into badass knight – miss

Tough Una turned into tough archer – miss

Logic driven and unemotional Spock turned into conniving witcher – check

Independent and witty Chapel turned into a witty psychic – um… check and miss?

I consider Lt. Mitchell main cast now, she keeps popping up in episodes so often and even played a bigger part in the medieval episode as one of the knights. I am sure Rong Fu had a ton of fun bossing Anson around and kicking his butt. 🤭😂 It was also a bittersweet little pun for Rauth to cry out that he was “too young to die”

Why didn’t M’Benga go with his daughter? What was keeping him in the real world? I understand that his wife is also dead. His daughter was offered a life in eternity with these nebula being, he could have gone with her, why did he not? The answer is plot armor, M’Benga was part of TOS for a few episodes. But I think it would have been a very brave choice if the writers had let him go with his daughter.

If Hemmer was able to block the entity from manipulating him due to his telepathic abilities, why couldn’t Spock use his? Was his human side maybe still too strong in his pre-TOS years?

Another funny pun: “do I have to commandeer a ship?” *makes a disgusted face*. This pun would also have worked with Sir Adya. But Adya would have gone head first into the adventure, so it had to be Rauth.

Rukiya got another of her wishes fulfilled. She got to see her dad’s quarters and the whole ship, just as M’Benga promised her. 😊

I love the ruse we were given about the chemical cloud that went off in M’Benga’s head. I bet I wasn’t the only one who thought he was hallucinating after he got affected by the chemicals.

Bonus-Gif! 😊

[muhammadgiovanni]

I just traveled round trip across the country to see Joni Mitchell in concert. Stopping at National Parks on the way there and back home. The furthest west I went was to Cannon Beach in Oregon. Saw the Haystack Rock and the Pacific Ocean for the first time, first time seeing out west too. I went to the Badlands, Yellowstone, Mount Rainier, Cannon Beach, Grand Teton, Yellowstone (again), Theodore Roosevelt, and then the Indiana Dunes Nat. Park (which was the worst, there was a huge gas plant right next door and smog and pollution filled the air).

First time experiencing such large, expansive landscapes—I mean I've seen wide open spaces before, just nothing like what I saw near Yellowstone and Mt. Rainier. On my way from South Dakota to Montana, I took Route 212, which eventually leads to the Cheyenne Reservation, but that road was barren. Hardly any population, no exits, etc. just a two-way highway with big rigs flashing passed you. If you want to pass the person in front of you, you'd better calculate it right. Apparently it's one of the most dangerous highways in America. I rode that for hours, driving across flat, spacious lands and up through the Custer Gallatin National Forest.

I got off 212 before Billings, MT and that's where I first came across the Yellowstone River. That night I stayed in Bozeman, MT and in the morning spontaneously decided to go to Yellowstone. From there the adventure really began. White capped Mountains came into view for the first time, nearing Bozeman. I was so emotional driving to the West entrance of Yellowstone. It was early morning and the moon was setting over this snow covered mountain range, and the sun rising over it all. You wind down this long road, along rivers and through valleys—in the thick of nature (Route 191 from Big Sky, MT to the West entrance of Yellowstone) After Yellowstone I headed for northern Idaho, then finally Quincy/George, WA area where I stayed for a few days before seeing Joni in concert.

Joni was incredible. I was expecting my mind to implode but when I saw her but I was just like, yup there's Joni Mitchell. It was natural. She was so sweet and jovial and it was just the icing on top of this unbelievable journey, that was only just beginning. Following the concert I traveled to Mount Rainier. Going through Yakima county which was desert like, until you start nearing the park area. Just near the end of Yakima county you can see the rivers are turquoise. Then the farther you get into the mountains, the lakes are bright blue, glacial blue. Mount Rainier hangs in front of you, following it deeper into the mountains. Eventually I arrived in Packwood, WA and took a back road "Skate Creek Road S" to the Nisqually entrance. That went through deep woods, following a river until you hit a stretch of road with huge trees towering over you. By the time I reached the park the morning mist had fully moved in, blanketing Mt. Rainier.

From there I went to Cannon Beach in Oregon to see the Haystack rock. That was beautiful and magical. Then crossed Oregon, then Idaho where I reached Ammon, ID. I was going to have an early end to travel day, so I decided to go see "Across the Spider-Verse" but when I reached the area a storm moved in and torrential rain poured down. Ponding started happening, then all of the traffic seized and the side road I was suppose to go down was closed. I eventually made it to the theater, but you could here the pound of the storm from within. I was full of anxiety until the movie ended and I came out to sunshine and relief. A lot more happened but i'll leave this here. I had fun. ☺︎

[thestevenjose12-blog]

Planning a family reunion can be overwhelming, but it can also be a lot of fun with the right approach. Visit https://www.mmecoretreat.com/reunions to make wonderful memories for your wedding party, family reunion, or grand send-off.

[ansonmountdaily]

STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS 1x08 "The Elysian Kingdom"

[aashiqui-aashiqui]

yeah its like i deduced from the changes in the squad but Seddon Park is more conducive to pace bowling (source can be found here) so it wasn't based on his performance which reassures me but that also means i will not see much of him at all then throughout this week. shame :/