This holly tree grew in the rocks near a waterfall (the Lower Cascades) at Hanging Rock State Park. There are three trunks with one being somewhat hollow. The gallery photos start at the base and work up to the top. If you zoom in, you can see the holly leaves.
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Thursday Tree Love is inspired by Parul Thakur
In 2025, EVs made up 25 percent of new car sales globally, up from one percent in 2019. China and Europe are leading the way. See details in this article from DW via GoodGoodGood.
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A recent report shows that Italy has more forest than agricultural land for the first time since the Middle Ages. Some reasons include young people moving to big cities and “… the demand for living close to nature has grown, while the demand from living in farming communities has declined.” The Good News Network has details HERE.
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After two major earthquakes hit Venezuela on June 24, rescuers have continued to find survivors, including a man who spent 8 days under nearly 3 stories of rubble. The following video from CBS shows rescues by human and canine responders.
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One special rescue dog named Tsunami was himself rescued from abuse and neglect as a puppy in 2017 and trained by Jorge Beens, director of a canine response training center. The border collie then became an international rescuer. After years of service, Tsunami is retiring having recently worked in Venezuela. You can read Tsunami’s story in this article from Forbes. The video below shows him as a puppy and as a rescue worker.
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Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “spark.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!
Fireworks are pretty to look at, but the traditional booming booms are way too loud. They’re not good for dogs, birds, some people with PTSD (or sensitive systems), and wildlife besides birds that get scared and might panic, running into the road like this stream of consciousness is running who knows where?
I do love sparklers and sparkly things that are relatively quiet. Three years ago, I got a sparkler on my birthday cupcake. I don’t know how healthy that was, but it was fun and quiet. Sparks are pretty, except when they’re flying on combustible material and make a fire in an unwanted place, like your hair. No, that never happened to me, but that’s where the stream went. Hair doesn’t often catch on fire, but pants might if you’re a liar. Wouldn’t that be great if that really happened? The images conjured up for me are political in nature and I probably won’t share them.
But Happy Birthday, America! May we stay free and maintain our independence from wanna be dictators or wanna be kings….
Sorry, not sorry.
Getting back to fireworks. There ARE silent or quiet fireworks and light shows that some communities and cities are opting for. Maybe I can find an example….
It’s hard to find silent fireworks videos, but this drone show was impressive with more than a spark of creativity. I like how they show the perspective from different places in the sky. They had a few traditional fireworks at the end, but they seemed relatively quiet? I would have cut those out, but this shows what’s possible.
Cool right?
I don’t want anything to do with fire right now as it’s 98 degrees Fahrenheit as I type this Friday at 5:30pm with a predicted high is 100 F, same as tomorrow (Saturday), and we haven’t had any rain in a few days, so no fires here. I’ll probably wait on the sparklers. Instead, I’ll enjoy some watermelon and hold on to a spark of hope that things will cool down soon. Thank God for the shade of trees who make going outside bearable.
(Before I forget to mention, I have not been getting all the comments in my notifications and have to go to the post itself for some, so sorry if I missed anyone. I’ll keep looking.)
For the gallery, I looked in my pictures for sparks, sparkle, and sparklers.
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For more sparky streams of consciousness,
hop on over to Linda’s blog by clicking HERE.
Patients at University College London Hospital (UCLH) were treated for lupus nephritis with a type of genetic therapy known to be helpful in treating cancer. 5 of the 9 patients went into “a sort of lupus remission…” One of those five, Katie Tinkler, was able to fulfill a dream of going Alpine skiing for the first time and was able to dance at her daughter’s wedding. The Good News Network has details HERE.
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On 9 June, France created seven new biological reserves and expanded two existing ones safeguarding 157,000 hectares (387,955 acres) of forest most of which is the South American territory of French Guiana. This brings France closer to meeting the country’s goal of placing 10 per cent of its land under ‘strong protection’ by 2030. Euronews has the story HERE.
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A Hiker was rescued by helicopter on a Washington State mountain last month after being found by other hikers. Reminder: Don’t hike alone (unless it’s an easy hike and you have a contact plan) and of course take a phone.
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Sam is back with a good news summary for June including: Recovery of a protected bay off Scotland, ocean cleanup, the kiwi’s returns to New Zealand, a new drug for treating ovarian cancer, drones keep watch over new forests in Kenya to learn how ecosystems recover, rewilding with oyster reef in the UK, wind power had its strongest year yet around the world, a more effective TB vaccine on the horizon, agricultural waste is being turned into a leather alternative in India, the Pride in our Planet Award winners, and how Erin Brockovich is fighting data centers.
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Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “peak/peek/pique.” Use one, use all three (for bonus points), use them any way you’d like. Enjoy!
Many things pique my interest. If I got involved in all those things, I’d be busy all the time. In addition to volunteering with homeless dogs, I’d like to volunteer at the library’s used bookstore. Take more art classes. Write another book, or more likely develop my family history novel into a novel to submit to publishers and agents. That last one is a lot of work. Plus, I love naps and reading. In all honesty, I like watching TV a couple hours a night, too. I want to go hiking more and get my kayak out. But time just keeps moving faster and faster. That’s where prioritizing comes in.
The older I get, the more time I need to spend taking care of my health by doing my PT exercises, get back to strength building and not just yoga. Am I whining? The fact is, time is limited, and I reached my physical peak decades ago. That’s the way it is. Do the other senses grow sharper as the body declines? Ew, I hate that I typed that, the idea of the body declining. But it is in fact, a fact. My fall, which happened over a couple weeks ago, makes that clear. I am continuing to heal, but will my back ever be the same?
Gratitude. That’s the remedy for all this. I’m thankful I didn’t break anything. I’m thankful for ice and a heating pad and that I have the ability to go to physical therapy and chiropractic, and acupuncture, all of which have helped to some degree. I finally found an acupuncturist in my little town. He doesn’t use a lot of needles and uses CBD oil which I bought a container of. It’s very smooth and silky, which may be due to the coconut oil. When I worked as a substance abuse counselor, I would never use CBD anything, because even a tiny risk of testing positive is out of the question.
My new acupuncturist is a fan of Star Trek. I learned this when I saw the big picture of the Enterprise near a space station in his office. The space station is not in his office, but it is in the picture which is signed by Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, and probably William Shatner and a couple others. I think he, Dr. C, had lunch with Scotty a long time ago. Anyway, it was nice to meet another Star Trek fan in this tiny rural town.
When I saw the prompt, I had no idea what to write about. Then, the good ol stream of consciousness took me along for a ride. If time keeps moving this fast, we’ll be on the Enterprise in no time, going to seek out new life forms and new civilizations… I hope they have some really good motion sickness remedies.
If you had the chance to peek into the future, would you? How far ahead? That’s the question. But I’m not going to spend time worrying about that. There’s plenty more to do….
… like watch old movies. Star Trek, The Voyage Home, is one of my favorite comedies. (Plus it’s the one where they save the whales). It gives a peek of future medical miracles.
Wouldn’t it be nice if humans prioritized the humane development of better medical practices? What if healing – healing people and healing creation on our home planet, took priority over money, power, wars, data centers, and all that other mess? What a wonderful world it would be.
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For more streams of consciousness,
take a peek or two over at Linda Hill’s blog
Play to Learn, a program of the Sesame Workshop, helps children and families affected by conflict and crisis at a massive scale. While the program has focused on the Middle East and Bangladesh, it has expanded to Kenya, Ukraine, and Latin America. Learn more about Play to Learn HERE at the Sesame Workshop.
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Judge Amit Mehta reversed the US Department of Energy’s October cancellation of 11 clean-energy grants ordering the department to restore about $82.1 million in funding. A lawsuit led by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers led the way for this reversal. MSN has details HERE.
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China is constructing a 250 mile area of solar power panels arranged to create the image of a giant horse in the Mongolian desert. The image set a Guinness record for the largest image made with solar panels. Mounted higher than usual, the panels also serve as windbreaks and create shade to allow for greening and crops to grow. You can read more about China’s plans and innovations in this article from Interesting Innovations.
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The Obama Presidential Center opened on Juneteenth (6/19) in Chicago preserving the legacy of the first African American president of the US. The center is much more than a library. NBC has details on the history and an inside look in this video:
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Got Good News?
Feel free to share in the comments!
Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “miss.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!
Back in the late 70s, I resisted being called, Miss…. even though I was unmarried. I preferred Ms. because men don’t have letters before their names that indicate their marital status, so why should women? Teachers were usually called Miss, regardless, unless they corrected and specified Mrs. but you knew if they were married or not that way. After I was married, I generally kept using Ms. unless it suited me to be known as married. Like if I wanted someone to leave me alone.
Men don’t have to shave their legs, unless of course they want to. That’s my excuse for not shaving my legs. It’s been years. I’m 70. What’s the point? To make them look better? Why are shaved legs better? Like the granny veins on my legs. They are works of art. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
I don’t miss shaving my legs at all. I don’t miss panty hose or high heels or trying to sleep in plastic curlers like we did in the 70s. I don’t have to miss 70s music, because I can find it on Youtube or on vinyl in my guest room. Plus, we can sing!
One thing I kinda miss is going to the movie theatre which I have not done since COVID. Maybe I’ll go see a movie in a theatre for my birthday in December. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I waited in a line with my first husband to see Star Wars, the Empire Strikes Back. Science fiction was one of the main things we had in common (along with art and drinking beer.) We got there very early for the first showing and sat in a line that went around the building.
I don’t miss going to bars at night, though there was a certain freedom in cruisin on hot summer nights with the windows down in my 69 Dodge Dart… a long time ago, when we listened to 8 track tapes and never watched the news and no one I knew had a computer or answering machine. Seems like David, who would many years later become my second (and best) husband, would bring a case of 8 track tapes with him to our friend’s house on weekends. Jethro Tull was always included. In the wilder days of the late 70s, “Barracuda” was one of the songs I listened to in my car.
My guardian angels were busy back in the late 70s. I’m thankful I made it beyond that time…. to slower days. Now, I’m in “Dog and Butterfly” mode (another Heart song.)
I miss my parents and the 2 sisters who are with them in heaven. I wish we’d had more time. But their memories are with me. They are part of me.
I used to miss fireflies when we lived in the city, but since we’ve moved west, we have them blinking on and off in our backyard. Such a gift.
The gallery opens with a cloud that reminded me of a dragon. A little while later, turned sideways, it reminded me of a dog. Then we have the butterfly that was kind enough to let me take multiple photos.
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Don’t miss more streams of consciousness!
Visit out host, Lind G. Hill
India’s new Rah-Veer program will reward Good Samaritans with 25,000 Indian rupees—about $250—for stopping to assist people injured on accidents. Each year, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways awards the 10 most vital or courageous interventions with a bonus $1,000. The new laws help in rural areas where ambulance services are spread thin and also protect people from legal complications. The Good News Network has details HERE.
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Researchers in Florida are celebrating a record-breaking season for endangered leatherback sea turtles. So far, the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center has documented 42 leatherback nests in the area — more than double its average. Leatherbacks are largest sea turtle species and the only one without a hard shell. GoodGoodGood has more here.
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Sometimes something bad turns into greater good. A neighbor called the cops on Parez and Jakkhi Reese for selling lemonade and snacks in their Kansas City neighborhood. One of the first officers to respond was Morgan Reed who encouraged the boys to keep going and then started “calling everybody” to support their business. Within 30 minutes, the brothers made $280. The recent Kansas Lemonade Stand Law (House Bill 2599) states that “minor-owned, intermittent businesses do not require government permits or business licenses.” Click HERE for details from GoodGoodGood.
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Havard graduate Noah Eckstein delivered a powerful graduation speech, and it went viral showing how much people resonate with his message of listening with open-mindedness to bridge the divide.
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Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “guest.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!
The guest speaker attracted a sordid and motley crew, but he was not welcome in the guest room or even the guest house. Why? Maybe it was his topic: Being yourself no matter who it offends.
Can you be completely yourself without offending people? Probably not. Maybe it’s just a matter of where we draw the line. How many people are we willing to offend, and how many of our characteristics do we want to squelch.
I don’t want to be around someone who is being themselves if their true self is a jerk. That would be part of being myself. Who I choose to be around.
What to do about an uninvited guest? That all depends on the guest’s temperament.
I’m truly just going random in the stream of consciousness today. Not really caring much, but then, that’s how the stream should go it you really let go and not even think about what you’re writing.
My recent uninvited guests are physical ailments. Nothing life threatening, just that nervy itch I mentioned before. Tonight, I’m trying not to scratch and have an icepack on my back. Plus, Tuesday night, I fell going down the porch steps at night, because I was not paying attention, it was dark, and I was wearing clogs. It had nothing to do with our sweet new dog who I was getting out for a potty break without having her have to go down the more numerous steps out back. Well, David built her a ramp that decreases the required steps from 9 to 4, but she’s gotten used to the steps. I think she’s getting stronger having more exercise than she did in her previous life and definitely more than her 7 days in the pound, aka, Animal control where she was certainly not a guest, but more of a prisoner, or at least that’s how it must have felt – like hell. They don’t even let the dogs out of their kennel for the first three days because they are such a small facility and they’re trying to prevent the spread of parvo, etc. in their play yard. I guess coming from the pound to the no kill shelter where I volunteer must feel better, but no wonder some dogs are traumatized.
I didn’t volunteer this week because of my hip. I hate that I didn’t go, but it was the right decision.
Anyway, I’m being careful now. No more walking down the steps in clogs. Clogs are for inside the house. Watch your step, say the little notes I have written to myself. Be mindful for God’s sake! Sigh. I’m thankful I didn’t break anything, though it felt like I did at the time. My right hip is still sore, but we worked on it in physical therapy yesterday, along with my neck and back issues that might be causing the itch. The therapist encouraged me to keep moving, but be careful.
Last week, we took both our dogs to lunch at Two Chefs, a little place in our little town that is trying to be eco-friendly (no Styrofoam) and has a dog friendly patio. Marley has been out on the town often, but we did not know how our new dog, Georgia would do. She started out a bit nervous but then settled down and enjoyed the French fries.
The first 2 photos in the gallery are from our first visit to Two Chefs when David had an omelet and I had fried green tomatoes and garlic green beans. The next three photos are from out second visit to Two Chefs with our two dogs.
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For more streams of consciousness,
visit out host, Linda Hill
Muriel Bujega told workers at St. Christopher’s Hospice she wanted to be reunited with her brother Colin, who she’d not seen for almost 15 years. Nurse specialist Phoebe Mooney eventually found Colin volunteering in one of St. Christopher’s fundraising shops. Read more about this story and the reunion in this article from The Good News Network.
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The Enduring Earth collaboration has secured an initial $63 million in public and private funding to permanently conserve more than 24% of the country of Namibia and to enhance opportunities for 283,000 people. The project, Namibia for Life, was launched on May 20, 2026. Read more about this initiative and Namibia’s history of conservation in this article from World Wildlife.
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A fire station in Fort Worth serves as a “safe baby site,” where desperate parents can leave a baby they are unable to care for. Recently, a dog was left at the firehouse with a note that said, “His name is Jake…If you really care about helping babies, please help my baby.” It turns out, Tom, who left Jake, had been homeless for two years after his landlord said he could not keep his dog. Read about how the Fire Station gave Jake a home and helped Tom, too. This moving story from CBS News includes a video from Steve Hartman On the Road that’s worth sitting through the commercial.
(I originally found this story at the FB page of Godbey Creek Canine Rescue who rescued Luke in Saturday’s post.)
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Thanks to Laura Newhampshire for this good news video about swift bricks being included in newly built houses.
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Got Good News?
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Anything is Possible! 