Paris Flood, Counting My Blessings, and listening to Nature's Cycles & Warnings (Earthquakes and Supervolcanoes)

(I took this photo April 12th)

I was in shock this morning, listening to the news on the radio, willing my brain to wake up when I heard the Seine River in Paris France was flooding, and that the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay were closed in order to save precious art.

An article from The Independent showed humbling photos of the floods and the high level of water of the Seine, the same river I walked along over a month ago.

On May 10th, 2016, we drove back from Issoudun to the Charles De Gaulle airport, driving along the A10 through Orleans up to Paris.  Even on that day it was raining really hard.  It was pretty scary, cars zipping by driving over 120 km an hour (74 mph) on standing water.  Really dangerous, especially after the experience my Mom and I had last March driving along the I-15 to Nevada when an SUV lost control in the rain and almost hit us.  The article in The Independent states: "The main A10 motorway from Paris to the south west remains flooded north of Orleans.  On Wednesday, 650 motorists and truckers were stranded after the motorway turned into a river.  Amphibious army trucks were sent to rescue them."

From what I've read the flooding of the Seine happens every century, the last happening in 1910.  Current water levels don't match the level reached in 1910, though with more rainfall predicted it's possible the situation will get worse.  The RER C train, which I took to Versailles, is closed.  If the water level rises a few more feet the subways will be affected.  The situation is grim.

I'm praying Paris will recover, as I pray everyone surviving the Texas floods will recover, where there's 31 Texas counties flooded.

It's important to listen to the cycles and patterns of nature, stretching hundreds, thousands or more years.  Living in the Western United States we have our own patterns to watch for, many of which are pretty terrifying.  The super-volcano Yellowstone, a six hour drive from here, is overdue.  The Wasatch mountains have about a 47% chance of Earthquake in the next 50 years, with great devastation predicted (Utah Valley floor dropping 15 feet, liquefaction due to fine soil sediments, floods from Salt Lake and mountain lakes,etc). San Andreas is 60 years overdue.  The overdue Earthquake that's the stuff of nightmares is the Cascadia subduction zone, which will not just affect California, Washington, and Oregon, but Japan as well, and will be overwhelmingly devastating due to the nature of this Earthquake running along the pacific coast.  The Cascadia subduction zone erupts every 240 years.  The last one took place 316 years ago.  It's due.  And it will be terrifying.  Far worse then San Andreas.  Oh, and there's another super-volcano near Mono Lake in the Eastern Sierra Nevada's that's showing movement, so there you go.

I didn't write the last paragraph to scare anyone, especially since mostly everyone I love lives in the Western USA.  I'm not moving anytime soon.  I love Utah, and I know this is where I'm supposed to be, but it's important to be aware of the dangers that surrounds us and to prepare accordingly.  A lot of dangers we can't prepare for, but for those in which we can, we should.

We shouldn't live in fear as fear merely robs us of our present and future.

With everything I've thought about today thus far, I'm thankful.  Every moment I'm alive I'm thankful.  And I'm thankful my Mom and I got to experience France and come home safely.  It's humbling.

And I'm praying for all of those living through natural and unnatural disasters/tragedies throughout the World.

101 Goals in 1001 Days Revisited; What I Actually Accomplished

I didn't realize my 1001 days were up!!  March 4, 2013 through November 27, 2015. Wow, how time flies.  So how did I do?  I only accomplished 13 of them, but that's still 13!  Not zero!! 13 out of 101 = 13%, if you round up: 13/101 = 0.1287. And some of the goals I accomplished are filled with incredible memories which I wouldn't have at all if I didn't set these goals.

1. Enter a Music Writing Contest

I entered a music writing contest in 2013 by submitting the song "How Do I Feel the Spirit" to the church music contest under the children's song category.  I didn't win or place, but got a nice letter of rejection in response.  My first rejection letter. I've got to start somewhere.  I do want to expand the song as both a solo piece and full choral piece.  That would be a good project.

2. Get An Original Music Video Online

This was quite the project!!!  And it wouldn't have been possible if I didn't have the help of two of my brothers Robbie and Steven.  I wrote lyric and melody.  Steven and I arranged it, with Steven splashing together all those cool sounds.  Robbie directed and storyboard the video, coming up with cool shot ideas, and then edited the whole thing.  Steven did all the fancy graphics.  My only cringe of complaint is in the chorus where the vocals suddenly get louder then needed; I think we discovered that it was caused by accidentally layering the voice.  It's also why I haven't put the single up for download, because I want to fix it, but Steven and I couldn't figure out how.  I might have to rerecord it, along with finally getting the piano arrangement version out, which would be a good 2016 goal!!!

Here's a behind the scenes video, with arrangement track only.

3. Eat 1 treat or less a day for 3 months

The whole idea of one treat or less comes from the fact that I love treats way too much, and one treat allows the indulgence without the overeating or depriving.  Thing is, I didn't just do the Eat 1 treat or less goal, I went an entire 3 months not eating any sweats, muffins, cereal, etc!!!  At all.  It was quite an accomplishment.

And then I developed bad habits again -_-;;  I'm a work in progress.

4. Do a Ropes Course

 I went camping with some church friends a couple years ago, and this was the first stage in the ropes course.  We had two courses to chose from, and I went for the easier option.  I'm really scared of heights!!!  Like, I hyperventilated the entire time.  Oh my gosh, I was so scared!  You have no idea.  But I did it :0)

5. Ride the Lift at Sundance and Go on a Hike

 

 This last Summer I rode the Sundance ski lift all the way to the top.  I don't know if what I did can count as a hike.  I walked around and enjoyed the AMAZING sights!  That counts.  Heh.  But the views really are amazing.  And anyone who lives here in Utah has to try it.  There's a point on the platform next to the restaurant--they have really yummy nachos and turkey sandwiches--where you can see both Utah Lake and Deer Creek Reservoir, all in one spot, looking left then right.  It's really gorgeous.  Oh, and the cell reception is the best in the valley because there's a cell tower up there.

6. Send a postcard to myself each month for a year

It seemed silly at first when I decided it would be fun to buy postcards, write a note on it, and then mail it to myself, even in the same city.  As in I drove two miles to drop the postcard off at the Post Office and then waited two days to get it back.  Sounds really silly.  But now I have all these postcards from trips and other adventures sitting in a special box.  It's such a fun way to journal, and looking at the postcards and stamps I've collected is really fun.

7. Receive my 100th Postcard through Postcrossing

When I first started Postcrossing the idea of getting 100 postcards seemed like a crazy high number.  By November 27, 2015 I didn't receive 100 postcards.  I've received over 500 postcards!!  From over 40 different countries.  And I'm still getting postcards.

8. Get a passport

I had a passport when I was a kid, but it was expired by the time I graduated High School.  I wrote down this goal because I really want to travel, and this was the first step.  Sometimes the hardest step to take is the first, which is why it's one of the most important steps when achieving a goal.

9. Visit Another Country

 I visited Japan!!!  That was an incredible goal accomplished.

Here's all the blog posts I've written about this trip thus far.  I still have 3 or so more posts I want to write.

Enoshima, aka Tri Force Island, Part 1, Enoshima Sea Candle, Enoshima Island Part 2, Japan, Enoshima Island, Iwaya Caves and Tide pools, Japan, Walking About Shibuya, Tokyo Japan, Day 2, Eating Steak While Standing in Shibuya Tokyo, Ikinari Steak, Tokyo Disney Sea, Part 1, Japan, Tokyo Disney Sea, Part 2, Japan, The Unique Tokyo Disney Sea Rides, Halloween at Tokyo Disney Sea, 2015,  A Japanese Meander and Kamakura, Japan Day 4, Meiji Shrine, Japan, Day 5 Part 1, Asakusa, Kaminarimon gate and Senso-ji Temple, Japan Day 5, Part 2, Tokyo Skytree, Seeing Tokyo City in the Most Amazing Way, Final Stop on Day 5, Japan, The Confusing Trash Situation in Japan, The Contrasting Toilets of Japan

It was amazing :0)

10. Visit Yellowstone

 In 2014 I visited Yellowstone.  Many years before I had visited the Grand Tetons, which are amazing, and only West Thumb in Yellowstone.  I wanted to return so badly, just to see all the natural wonders.  Walking on top a super volcano is really cool.

Watching Old Faithful with my Niece

11. Visit Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde!!  A long time ago, when traveling on another trip, I picked up a collection of brochures.  And one of the brochures was all about Mesa Verde.  As soon as I saw a picture of Cliff Palace I knew I had to visit!  And I'm so glad my brothers, sister-in-law, and I were able to make the trip.

Cliff Palace was amazing.  Petroglyph trail a highlight.  Balcony House scared me to death: That last climb!  It's an amazing place to visit.

On Our Way to Mesa Verde, Petroglyph Point Trail in Mesa Verde National Park, Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park, Balcony House in Mesa Verde National Park, Spruce Tree House Tour in Mesa Verde, Mesa Top Loop Road at Mesa Verde

12: Have a Game Night

 Having a Mine Craft LAN party totally counts, right?

13. Ride the Heber Valley Railroad

 Riding the Heber Valley railroad was just a really fun thing I wanted to do.  The train, for this voyage, only went to Deer Creek and back.  I really want to ride it again, but this time to Vivian Park and back.  And try one of their theme nights.  I wonder if they're going to do a mystery train this Summer.  Solving a mystery while riding the train sounds really fun.

And those are the 13 goals I accomplished!  Now I need to plan out another 101 goals, including many I didn't accomplish last time.  If I start the next set of goals on Saturday January 16th, 2015, then it would end on October 13, 2018.  These next few years are going to be crazy.  Got to have some good things to look forward to :0)