Hurtin'... Not Horton Nor Haute

I normally have the hearing of Horton. I'd like to think that i could pick out a Who call in the middle of rush hour, and that's not even my top super power. (Night Vision. Sssh!)

Unfortunately, as i recover from a horrible flu that has temporarily taken my hearing hostage, i can also attribute another disconcerting turn of events to this illness. Apparently, my husband and doctor are convinced that i have some extreme case of scoliosis, when in fact... it was just another strange mishap in Wonderland.

It appears that the radiologist that took my chest x-rays has always had the secret desire to be a fashion photographer. That, or i now know where the official "Couture Pose" comes from. It is attributed to Dorian Leigh Parker, but i now suspect that it should be credited to her radiologist whenever she must have gone in for a chest x-ray due to an upper respiratory infection.

Image found on Google

What i don't understand... is how this turned into another bizarre scenario where no one was listening to the facts, but instead ran with wild ideas such as i suddenly [and secretly] have a raging case of scoliosis.

As i stood with my back to the 100% moveable x-ray machine, i saw a metal groove for the chin atop a stationary metal slab that clearly had a straight line running down, directly below said groove. This is traditionally what radiologists use to make sure that the patient is in place, while the fully maneuverable machine behind it is aligned with the correlating projected lines. My artsy radiologist clearly had a new vision, and saw fit to ask me to leave my chin in the groove, but contort my body in an überunnatural fashion - to the left, in the infamous "Couture Pose."

Image found here.

As i was trying to form a joke in Portuguese, “Ha-Ha: This is really how the couture pose was invented,” i realized i didn't know the word for pose. Before i could think of another way to say it, i was promptly kicked out & sent on my way. Upon returning to the doctor's office with my x-ray, he was so horrified by the supposed extreme scoliosis that he wouldn't let me explain that it was the contortion-loving high couture radiologist with a vision that had caused this misrepresentation; and though i looked to my husband for help he just shook his head saying that it was all of the hours spent in front of the computer in poor form that had caused this. [He is a lifelong member of the posture police, and thought he'd finally proved his case.]

Later that night as we turned in to sleep, i tried unsuccessfully to recreate this popularized pose - as if that's something that should be done right before bedtime - to prove to my husband that it was just a weird twist & turn of events. Slightly impressed, but less than believing, he insisted that i go to an Osteo Doc a.s.a.p.

I could see questioning if i had some sort of habit or addiction which i could try to hide, but scoliosis of this severity would be easy to spot from a mile away. I freely admit that i have an ever so slight case of scoliosis that we've all known about for quite a while (hello! middle school) …but scoliosis of this degree would be like trying to hide my sixth digit...

...or my third ear (which would really come in handy, right about now).

Image found here.

Image found here.

Image found here.

Apparently, i'm not the only person mystified by this strange pose, as i found several sites questioning the purpose or draw of this posture in my search for appropriate pics of this phenomenon. Here are some of my faves:

Osteoporosis IS The New Black

I’ve Got A Hunch

What Is Up With The Crazy Model Poses

Go Goiano

I have an announcement to make. :)

As you may have noticed, i've been MIA for the past few months, with the exception of a post here & there. I was in the middle of a pretty big transition, personally. Due to some adjustments in my life, i will not only be back here - but i'd like to invite you over to a blog that is specifically about the state of Goiás that i currently call home.

There is so much to document, and it's a shame that Goiás is not more well known by the English-speaking world. I plan to change that. I will still keep this "personal" blog to talk about everything else, but Go Goiano is going to be a steady stream of information and photos about this great state in the middle of Brazil.

I hope to see you there, and i will soon be seeing you all on your blogs, as well.

(Biggest skipping stone i've ever seen...)

I Only Have Eyes For You

I guess we'll go in reverse... :)

This was taken at about the same time in the late afternoon/early evening, while the contrast from the bright moon wasn't quite at its peak. I increased the contrast of the pic to bring out the full detail. I'm liking both the black & white and the blue-hued pics. Which do you prefer?

(To enlarge pictures, right-click and open in a new window.)




How about a little mood music?


Cool vid! The bokeh is perfect for this song.

The Moon I See

He it is Who spreads out the northern skies over emptiness and hangs the earth upon or over nothing.

~ Job 26:7 (Amplified)

This pic was taken along the banks of the Rio Araguaia, towards the end of our camping trip. It was about 5:30 in the evening, just before it was too bright to capture with my camera. I increased the contrast for full detail.

Here it is in black and white...

(To enlarge pictures, right-click and open in a new window.)

Which one do you like more?

Lament

I only recently discovered Phaeleh, of whom i am now a fan due to his awesome music. Then i came across this video for Lament... It completely blew me away. Pure Art. My only lament is that i'm not any of the girls in that video. ...and that the horse that i attempted to ride this past weekend wasn't anything near as sweet as the stallion in this clip.

We went to The Ranch on Friday, and as i received the go ahead from my doc this past week, to start to take up physical activities that were off limits for the past decade, i jumped at the chance to ride again.

I must mention that i've been thrown by a horse before... years ago. You know, it's always the "gentle ones" that no one suspects - except me. I cannot stress how important it is to try to pick up on what the animal is feeling before even considering trying to interact with it. Horses are just like people: they might like everyone else, except for you & a few other people; or might not like anyone else, except you... I believe that is the general disposition of any animal ...but that's just me. I've been accused of being Dr. Doolittle on more than one occasion.

On Saturday, i could tell that this stallion was not. in. the. mood. for me to ride him. He was patient with the owners, only because disobedience isn't tolerated... but me, he didn't have to oblige. After several minutes of clueless people assuring me he was 'in the mood,' i reluctantly gave in. The only reason i didn't go with my gut instincts is that i really, really, reeeeally wanted to ride a horse. It had been too long, and it's something i've dreamed of doing for years. So... i ignored my spidey sense and hopped on.

I've never ridden a mechanical bull for fear i'd fly off, and hit the wall. Let's just say that is no longer a fear of mine. I rode a "bucking bronco" for 8-10 seconds. After he realized that i wasn't going anywhere, he stood still. Of course, by that time, everyone else ran to check on us.

Thankfully, this was going on while he was still tied on a rope with about 6 feet of slack. Otherwise, he'd have taken off running, and tossed me in the nearest barbed wire fence. Horses are so smart. You see, this horse thought that the boy untying the rope had tied the customary slipknot that the usual riders were accustomed to tying - but he hadn't. Slipknots take about a half of a second to undo.

Instead, the young man who had tied him up, had tied a regular double knot. When the horse saw him untie the first knot, that's when he tried to buck me off. Realizing he was still tied up, he bucked higher, trying to knock me off with a low branch from the tree overhead. Too bad there weren't any. When that didn't work, he tried smashing my leg against the fence.

Once i saw how determined he was to get me off, i realized he'd certainly throw me into any number of unpleasant situations, if given the chance. A good friend of mine spent the better part of a year and a half in a back brace because of a horse bucking her off, and stomping her. Since this stallion was more than a little irked, i feared the same sort of outcome.

It was then that i dug in. I grabbed a fistful of mane (in addition to the reins that i was already using to coerce him into stopping the madness), squeezed my legs, and rode it out. All of this happened in a mere 8-10 seconds. That's real rodeo competition time, folks! ;)

So now i look at this video with more than a twinge of wistfulness. When will i find a horse that i can run, walk & play with? Hopefully soon. On the other hand, i realize that had i have fallen, my hip would have most certainly been compromised. I’ve been working on getting my core strength back, and definitely need to focus on that more, before i attempt to break any more horses. ;)

In the meantime, i will continue to replay this video & dream of freely wandering the Earth, playing tag with herds of buffalo, wrestling with bears (or wolves), telling snakes to talk to the hand, cuddling flamingos, helping lizards with Acrophobia therapy sessions, chilling with big cats, kicking up sandstorms, and galloping along the beach on a gorgeous horse - all in dramatic designer dresses that have ample coverage suitable to withstand windstorms, and the aforementioned awesome horseback rides. ♥

No horses were harmed in this incident.
Certain people did have bruising of the thigh from pinching of the saddle, though.

From The Inside Looking Out

I've been stuck on the outer edges of the rabbit hole for the past few months, with only memories of my stay along Araguaia in July to keep me going. I find myself staring out the window, more & more... or immersed in National Geographic's site - imagining i am elsewhere. Having grown up in a city where i could easily slip away into nature [& peace] several times a week; i've noticed that when i go for too long without an escape from the concrete jungle, i instead slip into depression. Where, oh where, is the eject button??

Our second storm of the season just rolled in, with a little drizzle. Our first storms of the season are usually much more eventful, but this muted respite from the heat perfectly matches my temperament of late...

I found this photo of our last evening along the Araguaia in July. The ducks are unknowingly headed the wrong direction. The smoke along the bottom of the left corner of the pic will soon overtake the entire sky, as a result of land clearing efforts at a nearby ranch.

(To enlarge, right-click and open in a new window.)

I feel like this picture is symbolic of a lot of aspects of my life, lately... Only God knows what tomorrow's sunrise will bring. I know i can rest easy tonight on that, alone.

What about you? What has been going on in your world?

Hoatzin Who?

...or as it is known here in Brazil: the Jacu-cigano (pronounced “Zhah-coo See-gahn-oh) literally translated, the "Gypsy Guan," is the most interesting bird that i have had the pleasure to come across.

Whenever i had the opportunity to explore the more secluded areas of the lake behind the island where we camped, which consisted of narrow passageways through overgrown foliage, i repeatedly heard what sounded like a group of angry monkeys within the forest. It wasn't anything of the sort. It turned out to be groups of the very vocal Hoatzin.

As we approached wherever the Hoatzins were hiding, about 15 to 20 of them would burst out of the trees, screaming and fleeing the area. Really, we weren't even that close, and they could have just as easily remained hidden in their natural camouflage; but these birds didn't take any chances.

I suspect that all the screaming is to momentarily catch a predator off-guard so that there is no time to pursue them. The Hoatzin is said to be a distant relative of the cuckoo, which seems fitting, as they seem just a little bit crazy. They are the most bizarrely behaved birds i’ve ever seen. They are certainly the loudest, most flamboyant birds around - and from what i understand; they have a certain odor that has earned them the nickname "Stinkbird," in English. I never got close enough to smell them, so i cannot attest to their fragrance.

I can confirm their strange beauty, though. They have a blue face, maroon eyes, and a mohawk that reminded me of a certain famous Brazilian soccer star named Neymar. We affectionately nicknamed the birds as such. ;)

All photos of Neymar found on Google

Due to their rapid retreats i was unable to get any clear shots, but one, due to the setting on my camera. However, i would like to present the glimpses i caught of these interesting birds. This is yet another bird that supposedly isn't in this region, according to researchers. I guess we could call it the Incognito Cigano.

(To enlarge pictures, right-click and open in a new window.)