They believe the body is a woman. (Because a bow wasn't found with the burial. As in archery....not a hairbow!)
A horse was sacrificed to accompany this person. (A mare, which is interesting, if the body does prove to be female.)
They think it dates from at least 1500 years ago.
The clothing and accessories are spectacular:
4 cotton coats, so far. (The clothing is said to be "beautifully stitched.") Other pieces of camel hair and wool.
A leather saddle and woven bridle.
And this embroidered bag:
The grave was found at 9200 feet altitude in the Altai Mountain chain, which flows through Siberia, Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan. Researchers credit the altitude and the area's colder climate for helping keep the grave artifacts so pristine. (It was also three meters deep.)
"The finds show us that these people were very skilled craftsmen," said one researcher. "Given that this was the grave of a simple person, we understand that craft skills were rather well-developed."
Warm, cold, sunny, gray. Can't Spring weather make up its mind? I'd gripe more about it...but that's Colorado for you. Other than the occasional rain or snow (which we don't get nearly enough of right now), the chickens could care less. They've already established several areas in the yard for dustbaths...the rest often congregate in the narrow space under the library table. Maybe they're having book discussions in there.
Board Meeting in Progress
We have been worried about the health of one chicken with 'wry neck.' Thanks to the Brick's tender ministrations, she's been improving daily. Yesterday she actually struggled to get away from him -- a first. She is still hanging out a lot by herself, but I don't blame her -- the others are ruthless, and will jump on her at a moment's notice. Chickens can be very cruel to each other.
Dr. Dave, making a house call
I talked to a friend locally who also raises chickens. She has Black Star and Red Star chickens -- 'sex-linked,' in that the males and females are different colors at birth. They're a mix of Rhode Island Reds and Whites. She finds that the Black Stars beat up on everyone else, but the Red Stars have been winners, both in docility and egg-laying. "I'm having trouble with the Buff Orpingtons, though," she said. "They keep getting broody." I sympathized with her -- our Black Australorps (the Australian blend of Buff Orpingtons) have been famous for doing this. The stinkers. I've been watching the flock peck around with a certain sadness -- we didn't get a fresh batch of chicks this spring, for the first time in five years. We plan to fix up the house and put it on the market this year...and the babies would take six months to mature and start laying. It just didn't seem worth it. Meanwhile: Eight households get $100 to spend on groceries. No instructions -- whatever they want to buy. What did they get, and why? (From The Simple Dollar) Also:
We just saw London Has Fallen. Interesting...but as our friend pointed out, why does Our Hero and the President survive a helicopter crash (that kills everyone else in the copter, incidentally), an elevator fall and umpteen bazillion bullets with hardly a scratch? I also find it interesting that the director ofOlympus Has Fallen-- the original movie, and one of my favorites -- refused to direct this one. (He didn't like the script.) Come to think of it, Mike Banning got shot at an awful lot in that movie, with little effect. Maybe his clothes are bullet-proof.
However, the timing was chilling. I could see terrorists doing some of these movie actions in real life, including pretending to be police. Yow.
15 secrets from IKEA. We got this store in the Denver area only a few years ago. We're big fans of their 99-cent breakfast...but otherwise, rarely go there. Many others do, though. (From Passionate Penny Pincher) 'I am tired of being poor, so I'm going back to work.' And spend a LOT. (From Millenial Moola. Be sure to read the comments, as well.)
What it's like to spend a year in space. (For one thing, your skin is extra-sensitive. For another, your balance is impaired.) From Scott Kelly, who just returned.
And finally, in honor of Abby the dog, who Does This All the Time. (She 'talks,' too. In fact, you can hear her on the first Charley the Snake Hunter video.)
I don't like giving my personal -- or business -- info out for spammers to use. Trust me -- I know what I'm talking about. Just by posting the business address on the Brickworks website, we get more than our share of goofy stuff.
But I DO like earning gift cards, just for doing the same wandering around and searches on the Internet that I normally would do. That's why I'm a fan of Swagbucks.
This easy program lets you earn bonus points just for your regular work on the computer. You can also earn bonus points for shopping...for example, if you buy things on Ebay, you currently can earn up to 7 SB (or Swagbucks) points for every dollar you spend.
That may not sound like much, but it adds up -- and 2200 SB gets you a $25 gift card on Amazon.
They don't give out your info. (Something I really like.) You don't have to take advantage of any of the surveys or shopping deals they offer. (95% of the time, I don't.) And the extraneous stuff is easy to ignore. Sign on in the morning, and whenever you search, you have the chance to win extra SB.
We've been in the Swagbucks program for more than four years now, and have earned literally hundreds of dollars of Amazon gift cards. Which bought not only groceries and needed items, but videos, books and other specialty goodies.
Want to try this? They're running a special right now. Sign up, and you automatically qualify for a 300-point bonus...enough for a $3 gift card. (Use this link, and I get a little something, too.)
The Brick would say I'm obsessed with Bruno Mars' Uptown Funk. I'm not -- but I'm amazed at the movie dance scenes adapted to fit this bouncy tune.
I thought this one the best (with a creepy exception or two):
But then I found this: 66 scenes from old movies, including several from that master of dance, Fred Astaire.
Gene Kelly's there too, including some bits from Singing in the Rain. (Did you know Kelly did his signature dance while running a 103-degree fever...and he improvised much of it while dancing?)
Also represented: the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, Frank Sinatra...and I haven't even mentioned Ann Miller, Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland and the many talented female dancers on this compilation.
Got back from Idaho last week, elated...and exhausted. This being sick business has taken all the starch out of me. I'm not contagious -- haven't been for weeks -- but just can't seem to summon up a lot of energy unless I do an equal amount of resting. The Brick is struggling with the same problem, which makes chores interesting. Whoever feels the best at the moment is the one to load the dishwasher or feed the chickens. Everything else gets put aside for the moment. After a number of snowstorms, we can finally see the grass. The air is still chilly, but the garden area in the south of our property, protected by the curve of the hill, is warming up nicely. I need to grit my teeth, get down there and plant peas stat, before the weeds take hold. Maybe Spring is really here...but maybe not. We've got more snowstorms predicted for next week. Meanwhile:
Going hogwild on expenses -- or not. It may just be an April Fool's trick. Mr. Money Mustache sets us straight. (And may or may not have shaved off said appendage.)
Need extra income? Knock a 103-year-old woman down, steal her purse and the food she just got for her next two meals...and manage to get yourself videotaped. Then plead not guilty. How classy can you get...
The promise of spring. Boy, do we need it. (From Surviving and Thriving)
And if you're scouting for pennies for projects (see above), check out Donna's post, See a penny: pick it up. (I found 26 cents while going through the security line at DIA this trip -- and saw two unaccessible pennies on the floor behind the staff counters that still bug me.) Unique historical artifacts smashed -- courtesy of ISIS. Their target this time: Palmyra's national museum. Boy, this really irks me...they have destroyed so much already. (Not to mention the many people, including Christians, that they've executed.)
I've saved the strangest for last: Hillary Clinton announces that an unborn person has no constitutional rights. Period. No matter what. Thank you for clarifying this point of law, Mrs. Clinton...but I'm guessing you're going to have a hard time proving this, even from a pro-abortion standpoint. (She wasn't misquoted, either.)
Needless to say, I do NOT agree with this. But there are many things about Hillary Clinton that I have problems with -- including her dishonesty and self-serving actions. (I've been reading The Residence lately, which only cements this perception.) Is this the same person who was our First Lady AND Secretary of State...and now I'm supposed to want her for my President, as well?
I'm back from Idaho. It went great -- wonderful people there. And they're now starting to get into Crazy quilts! (I'm sorry for giving you yet another reason to become packrats, friends -- but you'll love it.)
Came back exhausted, and took a few days to recover. This pneumonia is long gone, but an irritating cough shows up when I get tired. And I tire very easily. Gripe moan complain. It could have been worse. Mustn't grumble.
According to the Deseret News, the 'Floating Green' is actually man-made, made up of heavy foam pieces and anchored to the lake bottom with pylons. My question: how would you recover the ball, if you sliced it into the lake??
We visited theBear Paw Quilting shop, too. I just had to buy some fabric while we were there -- professional courtesy, you know.
Don't miss a stop at Capone's, as well. They have some of the best pastrami I've ever had, encased in tender homemade rolls.
