Here is an interesting sculpture I noticed installed at the San Jacinto Battleground Monument state park. I don't know what it is and there was no signage to educate visitors like me about it. Nevertheless I think it is an interesting piece of art sited strategically sited at the base of the battleground tower at the end of the long water body that seems to have been built just to reflect the battleground monument.
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PrintLuna for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
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73-Year-Old Woman Scales Mount Everest
Japan is a small country but with a bunch of hardy, determined people. The first woman to scale Mt. Everest was from Japan and now the oldest to get to the roof of the world is also from there. I wonder when we Indians will become as determined and adventure seeking. Or will we continue to exist like a bunch of insects crawling over one another in our teeming cities.
Yesterday, McDonalds served a cockroach in Hashbrowns and today it gets even worse. Fastfood chain Arby's served a sandwich with a human finger. Quality control seems to be a dead trait among these corporations that focus on bottomlines more than service.
Appended below is an excerpt from the news report I read online. It is certainly shocking to me that such news is getting published day after day and these are not related to some seedy eatery but to national fast food chains.
Ryan Hart, a 14-year-old boy from Michigan, had a rude surprise when he bit into his Arby's roast beef sandwich. "I was like, 'that's got to be a finger,'" he told the website Michigan Live. "It was just nasty."
Getting anything for free is hard, or at least that is what I thought till I came across the website www.all-free-samples.com. This is one website where we can find all kinds of free samples and the best part is that most of these are set up in such a way that they are delivered to you by mail. Along with free samples, the site features, free trial offers, real sample products, sample deals and online freebies. Samples available include baby products, beauty stuff, books, automobile products, clothing, food, health stuff, music, movies, perfumes, vacations and pet stuff also.
If you are gamer you can get free online games too. This is one online site where you can play to your heart's content and you wont be asked to pay. I am personally fond of online stuff so I went to the computer section looking to see what is available and voila I found a whole bunch of offerings including a office 2010 guidebook, free 5 gb online storage, and other offers.
There another equally great site for free offers known as FreeCatcher.com where you can find more free stuff. My favorite on this site is the free birdwatching kit from Cornell University. This is something the whole family could use, the kit contains two beautiful posters and a number of stickers which you could use to record bird sightings.
I am done writing about the sites I would go there and try to get myself some stuff. Go ahead and get your free stuff before they run out.
The Battleground Monument State Park has several interesting spots. These offer a historical perspective, education and enhance the beauty of the place. The tall privately owned victory tower is a landmark that should not be missed. The 285 feet tall tower can be climbed via an elevator by paying a small fee per person to enjoy the birds eye view of the surroundings.
Here are some pictures of the interesting landmarks in the state park.
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of ConnectMyDNA.com for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
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Man finds cockroach in McDonald's hash brown
It always becomes big news when there is some kind of adulteration of food. Now to go on the chopping block is the fast food chain McDonald's which apparently gave a man fried cockroach with his hash brown.
This kind of food adulteration happens in the US of A too. Surprising indeed or is it business as usual, the other day we had found a similar crawlie in a cup of coffee at a famous restaurant in Dallas.
This is the memorial park for one of the historical wars that Texas fought with Mexico and won. The monument is set amidst 1200 acres of sprawling grassland and forests. There are nice walking trails which visitors can use for recreation and exercise. I will be posting pictures of the memorial in upcoming posts.
Close at hand is the Battleship Monument which houses an old warship. Marooned in the bay the warship "Texas" showcases how the navy fought in the earlier part of the 20th century. Then there are vast expanses of open areas for people to hangout and enjoy nature. Here are few pictures of the ship.
Galveston is an island off the gulf coast of Texas connected to the mainland on one side by a bridge. The other side of the island is linked to other near by islands via ferry that are free. People drive their cars into the ferry on one side and drive off on the other getting on with their works. The unique feature is that this ferry is completely free of cost and one can take as many trips as one pleases. We took up the task, but we left the car on the Galveston side and just climbed into the ferry to enjoy the ride and watch the sights of the sea and the breeze.
The ferry ride is also a good opportunity to see Dolphins as they jump out of water and play in the surf created by the boats propellers. Here are some pictures of the ferry ride. There is no picture of the ferry itself but of what I saw around in the sea waters as I traveled in the ferry.
I have still not completed writing about my visit to Galveston during spring break. I know it is over a month and a half and I am still writing and posting pictures. Galveston is a small tourist town with a quaint downtown where shopping means buying lots of "Made in China" stuff at the trinket stores. There is tons of eating out and one unique store which is the military surplus store. Apart from that it is like every other downtown in America cobble stone streets, sidewalks, restaurants, and shopping.
Here are some pictures of downtown Galveston:
I love getting stuff for free, specially when it is a product I am not familiar with the best way to know it is via a free sample. In reality it is difficult to get anything really free, companies will give the product free but charge for shipping and handling, processing fees, etc. This doesn't really make it free.
Recently I found this fantastic website All-Free-Samples.com where there is a comprehensive list of all kinds of free samples by mail, free trail offers, real sample products, special deals, online freebies, etc. One thing I loved about this website is the way they have categorized their free products. All free samples are uniquely classified into different categories such as baby, beauty, books, cars, clothes, food, health, music, movies, perfume, pet food, travel, and many many more.
I am interested in travel deals and wanted to see if there are any travel related products. Lo and behold I found a number of free travel guides on this site. I would love to visit this site and download the travel guides to the places I want to visit this summer and I am ready to go.
The site also features a number of free samples by mail offers. I love it I don't have to print a coupon and go somewhere to get the product sample, all I have to do is to visit the website and I will get it delivered home. I don't think it can get any better than this.
Among the numerous short trails in the Sheldon Lake State Recreation area the Bent Pine Trail is interesting. This trail has been named such because of this pine tree which got bent due to another tree falling on it and grew in a bent fashion as seen. This unique tree lends its physical feature to the name of this trail.
Galveston is an old town and as such there are several buildings that date back a few hundred years. Of course these are vehemently protected and guarded against demolition by legislation and public initiatives. A good phenomenon of course preserving history is important. Then there are modern buildings sporting concrete and glitzy signs. Here are few pictures of buildings I felt were interesting...
I know it has been like forever since I last blogged... but well life happens and nothing matters at that point in time. I am three weeks from finishing up school and it has been kicking my a*# so here I am back blogging for therapy and trying to catch up on the pictures I hadn't posted of my previous trip to Galveston.
Couple of years ago when Hurricane Ike hit Galveston, it created quite a devastation in the island. Many of the older trees were destroyed, either broken or uprooted. The city of Galveston bounced back and decided to convert these broken stumps of wood into artworks. They commissioned artists to work on converting them into sculptures. Here are some of the creations...
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Spartan Race for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
At the dawn of 2012 I made a resolution to get out more, workout more and get fit enough to compete and complete a triathlon. I recently found out about the Spartan Race and I am convinced that training and participating in one of them will help me achieve my fitness goals in a manner nothing else will.
Spartan racing is called such because this is the ultimate challenge for everyone. It tests not only the participants running ability but the overall fitness. The race involves crawling, jumping, carrying, dragging, running, and a whole lot of other activities. This is one race that will push everyone's body and mind to the limits. It is an obstacle race like none other.
Since I am a beginner in these kind of athletic activities I would take on the 5K sprint trail race and get into the groove. It will get me into the true warrior spirit and get me out of the couch and on the trail.
This is a race created to make working out fun and entertaining and for the entire family. This is open to people of all ages and the only requirement is determination and self discipline to be part of this brand new fitness frenzy.
It is called the Spartan Race because historically Spartans were among the toughest warriors and this race will make you think and act like a Spartan. It is one that will make you thrive under pressure and strive for survival. This is one of the few events that offers a kids race and a women's network (Spartan Chicked). This race promotes family, and community like none other.
Get out and be a Spartan, register today the races fill out fast and you don't want to be left in the sidelines. Still not sure of what the Spartan race is all about, just visit the frequently asked questions and answers page at http://www.spartanrace.com//spartan-race-obstacle-course-faq.html and I am quite certain all your doubts are answered.
On my recent visit to Galveston, the beach resort town south of Houston I enjoyed walking on the beach road. The road stretches along the miles of coastline and offers a wide sidewalk for people to walk, bicycle, skate, etc. This is indeed a very well developed stretch of the beach where visitors and residents alike enjoy the warm and sunny evenings. I enjoyed every bit of the sea, just watching the vast azure water is definitely soul soothing in my opinion. Then of course the towering waves that create white frothy foam ever so often provide a break a in the scenery. I wish I could stay there for ever with my feet soaking in the waters... Anyway that activity has been reserved for the next visit to Galveston. This time it was just walking, watching and photography...
On my recent visit to Lake Sheldon I found some notices put up at the observation tower. The notices are meant to warn visitors about the threat these invasive species pose to the natural water bodies of this country and how they should be avoided or mitigated. The invasive species include some plants from India, Japan, and other parts of the world. I was thinking it is time all nations started this system of warning its people about invasive species. In India they need to put up signs about the all pervasive Parthenium plant which is from the United States that is the biggest menace for the entire country's open soil.
How would you like to get the latest iPad for less than $50? or the iPhone 4s for under $25? If you are thinking that I am must be crazy or just plain telling lies, think again. I came across this wonderful auction site known as Dealfun.com where you can buy fantastic products for pennies on a dollar.
It is a simple deal the latest products in the market are sold on this site and the starting price for all is just $0.01. Subscribers like you and me will start bidding on the products as the auction progresses, each bid will take the product price up by $0.01. That is cool isn't it. If you are not satisfied there is a 100% cash back option.
Still not convinced just visit dealfun.com reviews and find out more about the unique auction site. Of course if you want more details you can always call DealFun.com customer service hotline which works 24/7.
Then there is something I love on Dealfun.com, every day all registered members get a chance to spin the virtual wheel and win fantastic prizes including iPad 2, bid packs, and more. That is what I would call a uniquely useful website.
If you are still not a member go ahead and become one. Don't miss all the great deals available out there.
While at Sheldon Lake State Park and Environmental Learning Center I happened to spot some species of urban wildlife such as chameleon, and turtle. Of course there were signs warning us of alligators, armadillos, rabbits, and other species we didn't see any. Here are the more pictures of Sheldon Lake and the state park area.
Today is the last day of Spring Break - a week long holiday to enable students to enjoy the onset of spring. Having lived in US for the past four odd years this is the first time I participated in the break like a typical American student. Yes! I went on a short three day trip to the beach side holiday island resort of Galveston, TX. Before going to Galveston, we stopped at Houston and visited the Sheldon Lake State Park and Environmental Learning Center. This post is about Sheldon Lake, the first stop in our spring break tour.
Sheldon Lake is probably the only state park in Texas that has no entry fees. The park ranger was surprised to see me flash my State Parks Pass and thanked me for supporting them by buying the same. We took the map and went around to explore the park. This is mostly being used as an environmental learning center for high school and college students. There are several small ponds built in a row with walking trails to provide access to each one of them. Two are open to public for fishing and no license or fee is to be paid if you are going to catch and release the fish.
There are several other attractions at the state park one can walk the .5 mile pond loop trail that meanders around all the small research ponds. There are other places along the way worthy of visiting such as the Fishing Deck, Floating Deck, Bridge, Pond Center, Heron Plaza, etc. There is an interesting sub trail known as the Bent Pine Trail about which I will be posting soon. For now enjoy the pictures of Sheldon Park.
