I’m worried about this Top 7 American Idol contestant

What a season it’s been on American Idol. As of last night, the hopeful contestants have been winnowed down to 6 plus 1 judge “save” and I’m sure we can all agree these 7 are solid! Who gets eliminated next, no matter which one, will feel like a tragedy (although I have a prediction on the two that might not make it to the next round). In the episode Monday night, judges picked songs for the singers and to fill up the 2-hour episode, there were also renditions of judges’ songs performed by groups. Mattie and Breanna did “Something In The Water” by Carrie Underwood. Gabby, Jamal, and Josh did “Dancing On The Ceiling” by Lionel Richie. But a performance that might be talked about for seasons to come was from Slater Nalley, Thunderstorm Artis, and John Roberts. They did “Huntin’, Fishin’, and Lovin’ Every Day” by Luke Bryan.

Goodness gracious. I haven’t heard an Idol group sing something this memorable in a month of Sundays. Also, thanks to Jelly Roll for reminding me of that southern phrase ;). If Jamal was in that group, making it a quartet, we’d have watched the top 4 singing together. But it’s not that easy to predict, is it?

I’m worried about Slater.

He’s my pick to win it all and I’m sticking by that but the numbers have my attention. I check YouTube pretty consistently and his view count is usually near the bottom of the group. Who’s at the top? Jamal… and by a long shot! Others in the upper levels are Gabby and John Foster (who’s sounding more and more like Kenny Chesney every passing day). If it were up to me the top 3 would be Slater, Jamal, and Thunderstorm but I only get 30 votes! And yes, their voting system is weird but who am I to judge? I sometimes ‘like’ my own Instagram posts. 😵‍💫

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The Volkswagen Little Boxes Commercial – The Song and More

Color outside the lines.

Take the road less traveled.

March to the beat of your own drum.

All of these well-known adages about living the adventurous life capture the sentiment in a new Volkswagen commercial titled “Best Day.” Take a look, then scroll down for more…

The Song. The ad ends with a modern stylization of a song that’s over 60 years old. But how it starts is with that very song from the early 1960s. Here’s “Little Boxes” by Malvina Reynolds…

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100 Men vs. Gorilla – The Debate Continues

When I first heard this dilemma– who’d win in a fight, 100 men or a gorilla?– I thought it was an easy answer: 100 men. How could anyone defend themself against 100 people (let alone the best 100 men the world has to offer)?

We all know the question will never have a definitive answer, at least not by trying it. But when I read the quote below from wildgorillasafaris.com, I had my answer. That particular web link will take you to an explanation of the strength of a gorilla whether it’s arm strength, leg strength, bite power, etc. You’ll also come across this…

You would only survive if that was what the silverback wanted.

Which of those 100 men are getting close enough to disarm such a powerful beast, enabling the 99 to jump in and help? None. The gorilla wins. Plus I had no idea a gorilla’s bite is twice as strong as a lion, around 1,300 pounds per square inch. Half as strong as my beagle, just saying. Humans are around 162 pounds per square inch, as a comparison.

Who wins, gorilla or man? Explain your answer in the comments and if you enjoyed today’s post, consider making a small donation to help me continue posting daily, thanks in advance!

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35,000 – Almost A Triathlon Story

This was supposed to be a post wrapping up the results of a sprint triathlon I participated in today. I would write about reaching (or not reaching) my goals, how each sport went, where I can improve, what was my favorite part. But as my truck crossed the 35,000 mile-mark, I was driving back 2 hours from a cancelled event.

Rain. Thunder. Lightning. Stupid weather! Am I frustrated it didn’t happen? Of course. There was a lot of training leading up to the triathlon. Maybe the payoff is the training, though? Plus, we’ll never know what tragedies might have been avoided by calling the whole thing off. Not to be dramatic, but lives might have been saved and if that’s the case, then it’s sure as heck worth the inconvenience. In this case, it’s hard to be in a good mood– when things happen that are out of our control. I want to believe there’s a purpose behind it all. What’s God up to in my life? I guess I don’t know yet.

But at least I got a t-shirt.

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Five-Photo Friday #2 – Oh, Deer

Today marks the second edition of Five-Photo Friday and I’m excited to say the theme this time is deer (take a look at Five-Photo Friday #1 here). It’s tough to narrow down my favorites but to have any more than 5 would definitely ruin the whole alliteration thing I’m going for here! Twenty-Three Photo Friday just doesn’t have a ring to it. But nonetheless, here are 5 favorite photos of deer with a short background story for each. If you have some extra time, check out the rest of the “BW Wildlife” gallery where these photos are gathered. Hope you like what you find, they are available for purchase, too!

This photo marks my favorite wildlife day on a camping trip I took from Florida over to Texas and up to Oklahoma. In Texas, Caprock Canyons State Park has all sorts of wildlife but they’re known for bison and prairie dogs. There are also mule deer and I saw a roadrunner, too. Meep meep. But this mule deer pictured was very high up on a canyon side one quiet morning. He wasn’t alone, one other deer must’ve bedded down for the night there, too. I just happened to look their way and my day, my entire trip, were both instantly made.

This was the first fawn I’d photographed with my Sony A6600. I was walking around Radnor Lake in Nashville, Tennessee and a few deer were off to the side of the main trail. I’ll always love the spots on young deer.

I think this one will always top the list of favorites. She was the rearguard for 2 fawns and when I was approaching for a photo, she was on alert. In fact, she even took a stance in a way that I interpreted as her meaning business. She was fearless and I love that. Not to mention that her wounded eye clearly shows that she’s been through some stuff and has kept on going. So the photo itself isn’t anything spectacular, but the subject herself is.

Crossing the road in Payne’s Prairie State Park in central Florida was this adorable fawn and its mother. I love low angle shots so I got down on the ground for this one. I also love the contrast of green, gray, and golden brown. This was a fun photo to capture!

I’ve never once in my entire life seen a deer swimming, that is until this day at Village Creek State Park in Lumberton, Texas. I noticed her at the bank of the river, thinking she was just stopping for a sip of water. Then she waded on in and proceeded to cross. As a native Floridian, it gave me so much anxiety… alligators… sharks… snakes. But there she went and thankfully she made it to the other side without a hiccup.

And there we have it! Five-Photo Friday #2 is officially in the history books now. Check back next Friday for a new theme and in the meantime, I post every day at 1pm so subscribe by adding your email below and if you’re feeling generous click the button below to see how you can help me continue posting daily with a small donation. Thanks for coming by…

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