HAPPY 102 BIRTHDAY

 

Before You Judge Your Mother

Before you measure her mistakes, 

pause… 

and look at the road she walked.

Your mother is not perfect.

She learned life while carrying you.

She made choices while tired, afraid,

and trying her best with the love

she knew how to give.

Some of her words may have hurt you.

Some of her actions may

have left quiet scars.

But remember before you knew

the world, she risked everything

so you could take your first breath.

She fought battles you never saw,

held fears she never shared, and 

stayed strong so you wouldn't have to.

So love her while time is still kind.

Hold her while you still can.

Because understanding often

comes late, and regret always

arrives too quietly.

Today's Question

The hardest pill I had to swallow this year was realizing I meant so little to people who meant so much to me. And that kind of truth hits different. It humbles you, it hurts you, and it teaches you all at once. It’s a wake-up call that not everyone loves with the same heart you do.

Some people only value you when it’s convenient for them, and the moment you stop pouring into them, you see their real intentions. But the blessing in that lesson is clarity. You stop forcing connections, you stop over giving, and you start choosing people who choose you back.

Could it be losing them wasn’t a loss. Was it making room for better. 

 

Another Shooting and BIG Lies

 

When Truth Hurts

 

If someone truly cares about you, it would

break their heart to know they’ve hurt you.

People make mistakes, but when you tell

them they’ve caused you pain, they

respond by gaslighting, deflecting, lying,

or manipulating – that’s not love; it’s ego.

In these moments, they’re more focused

on avoiding criticism and judgment and

protecting the image they have of

themselves than on your feelings. Your

words threaten the illusions they hold, so

they get defensive, interpreting your

honesty as an insult.

They don’t care about how you feel –

they’re upset because you called them out.

WHEN YOUR MOM STOPS CALLING, IT DOESN’T MEAN SHE STOPPED CARING

 

Sometimes she goes quiet

not because she doesn’t need you,

but because she doesn’t want to be a burden.

She’ll say she’s okay,

even on days she isn’t.

She’ll smile through the silence,

missing you more than she admits.

She won’t ask for gifts.

She won’t ask for help.

All she’s really hoping for

is a few minutes of your time

and the sound of your voice.

One day, the phone may stop ringing.

And by then,

there may be no missed call

to return.

Merry Christmas

 You knew it would hurt me, but you did

it anyway. You knew how much i

cared, how much i trusted you, yet you

still chose to break me in ways you

knew would leave a mark. It’s not even

what you did that hurts the most, it’s

knowing that you understood what it

would do to me and still went through

with it.

It’s the kind of pain that is so

heavy, the kind that lingers even when

you try to move on. It’s realizing that

someone you would never hurt didn’t

think twice about hurting you.

Broken Heart

 The deepest scars I have didn’t

come from enemies or strangers 

they came from the people I

trusted with my whole heart. The

ones I loved from birth.

The ones I never imagined would be

the ones to hurt me. That’s the

thing about betrayal, it never

comes from the outside. It comes

from the people who had full

access to your heart and still

chose to break it.

Life is Like a Camera

How Do You Selfish

 How do you spell selfish. Let me count the ways.

Note to self: caution, caution, caution.

Language

 

Real Men

 

Bodo

 

Bodo Harbor

Here's a reminder of Peter's huge disappointment. Down by the harbor, we waited in line for what felt like 20 minutes. Peter had been dreaming of these fresh shrimp. When our turn came, the fisherman was filling a bag with his very last shrimp. As Peter tried to pay—nightmare! No bank card, USD, or Euro accepted. We should have offered him double the price, but that thought came too late.

Meanwhile back at the ranch,  Mr. Skunk steps in front of the camera. First skunk recorded.

Harstad

 

Harstad Harbor

I found the only fresh blooming flowers in Harstad.

Then I discovered the only art.

This was the most interesting architecture that I could find.

Modern apartments were built alongside the harbor, perfectly positioned for ideal viewing. Whether we enjoyed the view more or they did remains to be determined.

Nordkapp

 

My cameraman, closer to the North Pole than on any of our previous travels.

At the place where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Arctic Ocean lies the North Cape.

Nestled at the edge of the Arctic Ocean, North Cape (Nordkapp) is a majestic cliff that stands as Europe's northernmost point accessible by car. This is a place where the endless summer sun refuses to set, casting a golden glow over the breathtaking panorama of the Barents Sea. North Cape is not just a journey to the end of the road, it is a journey to the end of the world, where land meets the sea in one of the most dramatic settings on Earth.

                                                      We made it to North Cape!

From the ships bow cam on the television. The green is a distortion on the television but sort of an aurora non existent in the summer.

Norwegian Sea.

Honningsvåg claims to be the northernmost city in Norway and even in the world.

Honningsvag Harbor

Not much happening in this village but a resourceful use of an obsolete telephone booth turned into a little library. Or, maybe it is their public library? Still found snow the ground.

 There ia a tourist information office; however I prefer to learn from a troll.

Midnight Sun

I was so fooled. Looking out at 1AM I thought that I captured the sun setting. This close to the North Pole the sun never sets in June. Actually the sun is up for 1800 hours.  At North Cape, there is midnight sun from 12th of May till 31st of July.          

Honningsvåg

 

1AM Sunset Above the Arctic Circle - Fooled Me

For two months now the sun will not set.

Crossing Over the Arctic Circle

During the polar summer, the sun stays above the horizon 24 hours a day – meaning no sunrise or sunset, just constant daylight. This unique phenomenon is caused by the seasonal tilt of the Earth toward the sun during the Arctic or Antarctic summer.

Trondheim Norway

 Do you know him?

Trondheim, situated on the shores of the Trondheim Fjord in central Norway, is a city steeped in history. Established in the 11th century, it boasts the magnificent Gothic Nidaros Cathedral, renowned for its intricate rose window and detailed west facade. Close to the cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace Museum showcases a wealth of archaeological finds and sculptures, including the cathedral's original gargoyles.

Nidaros Cathedral, northernmost medieval cathedral in the world.

More gargoyles than i could count.

Of all the numerous carved statues of kings and saints on the cathedrals exterior, Peter noticed this one holding his head. I now know it is a statue of Saint Denis, the patron saint of France and bishop of Paris, who was martyred by beheading.

Smørrebrød

Peter looked forward to this traditional food and of course loved it.

A man hole cover with my name on it.

Once warehouses.

Colorful historic houses built on stilts are reflected in the Nidelva River in Trondheim, Norway.

Not much of a chance for this clown to haunt us tonight. Barely any darkness way up here as we cross the Arctic Circle tonight.

Alesund, Norway

 Fishing Vessel - M. Ytteratad

A ship that I want to NEVER go on...

Light Packing And We Are Off By Train

 
 Light packing and we are off to Copenhagen one day before departing on an 

Arctic trip.