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Wednesday, April 27, 2016

BelVita Breakfast Biscuits to the Rescue: A Review

BelVita Breakfast Biscuits came to my rescue this morning. I had hardly slept all night because of health problems. Sometime during the night I started having mild heart palpitations and I had to keep changing positions because sometimes my sleeping position aggravates them.

I woke about 6 am with a call of nature and took the pills I need to take on an empty stomach. I keep them handy in a small pill organizer in the bedroom for convenience. Then I went back to sleep.

I woke up again about 9:45. This time, as I was waking, I got one of those very painful leg cramps in my calf. Of course, nature was also calling urgently again, but I couldn't walk right away. I had to hold my hands over the cramp to keep it warm so it would relax, while at the same time I was trying to flex those leg muscles. The cramp finally relaxed enough so I could walk to the bathroom, but I was still feeling faint from the pain I'd been in. I used the walker for support.

While I was on the white throne, I almost passed out. I thought my husband had gone to church, but he heard me after I had finally made it back to bed and came to check on me. I still felt weak and faint and didn't dare get up. I knew part of my problem was that I hadn't eaten anything for about twelve hours. I needed energy and water, quick. I asked Hubby to bring me a package of BelVita Biscuits, a banana, a cup of tea, and a glass of water, and he did.

BelVita Breakfast Biscuits by My Bed, © B. Radisavljevic

I raised the head of my bed so I could sit and eat the makeshift BelVita breakfast and drink the tea. The banana was too hard to peel and didn't really sound good anyway, so I skipped it. I sat and absorbed the nutrients so I'd gain some strength.

It worked. In about fifteen minutes I was able to go to the kitchen and drink a lot of water and have a bit more food. You'd better believe I'll be leaving a pack of BelVita cookies beside my bed from now on, just in case, along with what's left of a small bottle of water the dental hygienist gave me on Tuesday. I can refill as needed. I hope I won't need these again, but better safe than sorry.

Big Box of BelVita Breakfast Biscuits in My Pantry, © B. Radisavljevic

We first discovered BelVita Breakfast Biscuits at Costco in a box like the one above, except they were the blueberry flavor. I always read labels, and I was pleased to see that these breakfast "cookies" have only 320 calories for the four breakfast biscuits contained in an individually wrapped package. There is no high fructose corn syrup. Each package contains 4 grams of protein and three grams of fiber, so when you need breakfast fast and portable, one can just add some milk or yogurt or nuts and some fruit and be ready to eat.

When quince and apples are in season, I make a fruit compote with them and that is a perfect accompaniment for the breakfast biscuits. You can see how I prepare it in my post Quince Fruit from Blossom to Table. I often pair the BelVita cookies and the fruit compote as a bedtime snack, as well.

The BelVita biscuits are cookies you don't have to feel guilty about eating. They are delicious without being overly sweet. They pair well with apples or pears or sweet strawberries. As I experienced this morning, they provide the boost of energy and nutrients on needs to start the day.

BelVita Breakfast Biscuits come in many flavors. Kosta likes blueberry best, but they no longer carry any flavor but Cinnamon Brown Sugar, so we buy that. I recently discovered that Smart and Final and Food 4 Less had started carrying BelVita and had more flavors, but they were in smaller packages that made them more expensive. I did try the chocolate flavor, but didn't like it as well as the other flavors I had tried. Kosta thinks he might like to try the Cranberry Orange variety. We will probably buy at least some of our BelVita at Amazon now, since they currently have a good deal on the Blueberry flavor.

belVita Cinnamon Brown Sugar Breakfast Biscuits (15 pk. 4 ct.)
These are just a sampling of all the Belvita varieties available. There are so many sellers and packaging configurations one has to read the boxes and descriptions carefully to make sure of getting the best deal. Whichever size box you get of BelVita, though, you can be sure that the contents will be yummy. If your local stores don't offer this brand, order some at Amazon so that you will be prepared with something healthy next time you need to grab breakfast in a hurry. BelVita Breakfast Biscuits can also come to your rescue next time you have a hunger emergency.

belVita Bites Breakfast Biscuits, Chocolate, 14.08 Ounce belVita Breakfast Biscuits, Golden Oat Breakfast Biscuits, 8.8 oz belVita Breakfast Biscuits, Cranberry Orange, 8.8 Ounce Nabisco, Belvita, Soft Baked Breakfast Biscuits Variety Pack, 8.8oz Boxes (Pack of 4 Different Flavors)

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Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Reviewing the Kaytee Finch Station

Easy Way To Attract More Finches

One of my favorite birds is the American Goldfinch and I have found that using the Kaytee Finch Station is a great way to get more of them to visit my backyard. Before placing the feeding station in my little bird garden, I would have a few of these lovely little yellow birds come around but only just a few. After having placed this feeder with mesh tubes next to the other feeders, I found that even more came to dine. It is not unusual to see 10 to 15 goldfinches feeding at the same time. What a beautiful sight that is!

The image to the left is not one of the little finches that visits my own yard but one that I found at Pixabay. I never seem to have my own camera ready to grab a neat shot of the sweet little goldfinches that come to my yard.

I have to admit that when I first saw the Kaytee Finch Station I thought it was one ugly feeder. It has a large yellow dome that serves as both protection and the place where you add the nyjer seeds. Then the mesh sock tube hangs from the dome.

I took a chance on it anyway because I really did want to have more finches feeding in my backyard. I have not been disappointed! The joy of seeing all those finches feeding at one time far outweighs the not so attractive looking feeder. Just goes to show you that birds don't care if a feeder is pretty or not, they want something that helps them find the food they want to eat in an easy way.

The added benefit of that plastic dome at the top is that the squirrels can not get to the mesh sock. Oh they try, believe me they try! Those little varmints (squirrels are my mortal enemies, you know) may get to the dome but they slide right off.

I also love that inside the package is a spare sock which comes in handy if for some reason the other one gets torn. Honestly, I haven't had to use the spare but I know I have one if I need it.

Oddly, I find that it is mostly the goldfinches that feed on this feeder. The cute little house finches don't seem to use it as much as the goldfinches do. I have seen them go to it but they don't stay long. That is fine with me because the view of several yellow birds hanging on that sock is just breathtaking!

If you love to feed the avian visitors in your yard and you like goldfinches, you will not regret getting a Kaytee Finch station. The tube feeders work well but this one with the mesh sock has worked better for me than the tubes that I have used in the past.

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Monday, April 25, 2016

Moultrie Game Camera Review

I had considered purchasing a game camera for some time. I have considered placing one on my balcony rail as security for my Jeep and urban parking lot. I have also wanted one to capture wildlife during camping trips. Price and uncertainty about ease of use stopped me from making the purchase. Until recently. I learned from a friend how easy-to-use the Moultrie A-5 Game Camera is and the price was easily within my budget. With the purchase of a piece of land teeming with wildlife, buying a game camera seemed like a logical choice.

The Moultrie A-5 Digital Game Camera Gen 2

This model of Moultrie is an easy-to-use 5.0 MP game camera. It comes with the "belt" and a clip that attach it to a tree. I just added the batteries and a SD memory card. The easy-to-use and understand control panel are under the door that latches securely shut.

control panel and battery compartment

My favorite feature is the count-down display. It shows that I have set the camera and begins a count down so that I can leave the area without having my photo taken. Much like the arming of a home security system. Like a home security system, the last thing I want is to set it off on myself. I know, I know, in this case it is only a picture. But I really don't want to see what I look like when I'm wandering around my yard at The Shack.

The price of game cameras seem to fluctuate. I purchased mine around $45. Then we found some at a big box store, on the clearance shelf, for $30! Yes, we snatched them up. If you can afford to pay more, you can purchase a model with higher pixels (resulting in better photo quality). But for what I want, this photo quality and price tag suits me just fine.

Our Moultie Game Camera Pictures

My roommate is monitoring an area where he hunts. He's captured deer, a fox, birds, and apparently, occasionally, the blowing wind during a snow storm. Well... I should say he caught the movement of the trees during a windy storm. If only we could capture photos of the wind!

deer during a snow storm

I love seeing fox

I only set up my camera at The Shack just last weekend. There is evidence of many large deer there. And we may have seen bear scat last weekend. I'm certainly no bear scat expert but it was a pile of something from a large animal. I am very excited to have a camera set up to record some of my visitors.

So far, I've captured Willy and the neighbors dog. (Oh boy, I hope the neighbors dog isn't a problem after I move there permanently and add chickens and rabbits to the family! At least I don't have to worry about that for awhile).

I will soon move the camera so it captures the entrance of The Shack. I will know if I have human visitors while I'm away.

Willy loves being at The Shack

visiting neighbor dog

For More Information -

In order to help you decide if the Moultrie A-5 Gen 2 Game Camera is for you, be sure to look at the nearly 300 reviews on Amazon, complete with nearly 100 questions that have been answered. It is likely that any of your specs and technical questions will be answered there. I will leave that information to the experts.

See Amazon listing for more information

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Friday, April 22, 2016

The Jungle Book (2016 film) - Movie Review

By Disney [CC BY-SA 4.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons

The newly released movie, The Jungle Book, is the best new movie of 2016!

The combination of a fabulous book, excellent actors, and spectacular animation techniques makes The Jungle Book one of the best movies ever released.

I sat in amazement as I watched the new movie version of The Jungle Book unfold on the big theater screen. The characters were so realistic it was seriously hard to believe that they were not real live animals.

I have read the book by Rudyard Kipling several times, I've seen the original Disney The Jungle Book many times, but the new Jungle Book movie starring Bill Murray as Baloo literally breathed new life into the old beloved story.

Bill Murray as Baloo

By Paul Sherwood from Welland & Toronto, Canada
(Bill Murray Uploaded by Diaa_abdelmoneim)
[CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, Baloo has been one of my all time favorite animal characters. His cheerful personality in the original Disney movie always made me want to dance and sing right along with him.

I didn't initially want to see the new Jungle Book movie because I didn't want my mental image of the beloved bear to be ruined. Once I found out Bill Murray was Baloo, I decided it might be okay. It was better than okay!

Bill Murray is Baloo! There could be no better choice to play that part. Since Bill Murray has always been part comedian and part serious actor, he was perfect for the part!!! Baloo the Bear is fun-loving, easy going and yet very powerful in the jungle. All of those descriptions apply as well to Bill Murray.

Oh, and yes! He does sing "The Bare Necessities" with Mowgli. They were so precious together.

Christoper Walken as King Louie

John Harrison [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)
or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)],
via Wikimedia Commons

King Louie was always my least favorite character in The Jungle Book. Much to my surprise, that is no longer true. This is The Jungle Book character that has forever changed for me, and it is a great change.

Christoper Walken, as King Louie, was magnificent! The man actually made me like the orangutan. So much of Christoper Walken's personality showed though that the orangutan made me laugh.

The really crazy thing, there was a part of me that wanted Mowgli to give this King Louie the desired red flower (fire).

Exceptional Animation in Jungle Book 2016

I've seen a lot of animated movies in my lifetime, but the new Jungle Book animation is truly beyond spectacular. You can see the real human actors in the facial features of the animals. Their voices were not simply dubbed in. When I looked at the face of Baloo, I could see Bill Murray's expressions. The same thing was true for King Louie. Those eyes are so very recognizable especially when the voice matches.

Each of the animals were exceptional! I dearly loved Mowgli's wolf mother, Raksha in the new movie. She is gorgeous, expressive and very believable. Prior to seeing this new adaptation of The Jungle Book, I would not have even remembered her name. Now, her image and her protective strength will come to mind when I define motherhood.

It is truly hard to believe that this movie, this story that I was previously so familiar with, had such a powerful impact of me. I largely attribute that affect to the realistic animals and their interaction with what appears to be a real human boy.

The Art of The Jungle Book

You can see for yourself in the photos above how very realistic the animals look and how beautiful they each are. The little wolf cub sitting next to Mowgli is his little wolf brother, Grey. The stunning beauty in the lower right photo is Mowgli's wolf mother, Raksha.

The Two Big Cats in the The Jungle Book

Shere Khan, the tiger, is so gorgeous that at first he is really hard to dislike. Just in case you are not familiar with the story, Shere Khan desires to take revenge on Mowgli for the injuries he suffered when he killed Mowgli's human father. His hatred of the man-cub is palpable and sadly diminishes his outward beauty.

I saved one of the best til last. As the story goes, after Shere Khan kills Mowgli's father, Bagheera finds him and gives him to the wolves to raise because of their strong, protective family pack. Bagheera, who is so profoundly well played by Ben Kingsley, is beautiful inside and out. I have always thought black panthers were pretty, but Bagheera's beauty goes beyond the fur. He is wise, protective, intelligent, loyal and above all else, good.

More Notable Actors in The Jungle Book 2016

Simply stated, all of the actors are exceptional and deserve a standing ovation for their performance.

Here are a list of the main actors in Jungle Book (2016)

Neel Sethi - Mowgli
Bill Murray - Baloo the Bear
Ben Kingsley - Bagheera the Panther
Idris Elba - Shere Khan the Bengal Tiger
Lupita Nyong'o - Raksha, Mowgli's Wolf Mother
Christopher Walken - King Louie the Orangatan
Scarlett Johansson - Kaa the Snake
Giancarlo Esposito - Akela the Wolf Pack Leader

All of these actors, and more, worked together to make The Jungle Book film of 2016 the best movie of the decade! You will not want to miss it. While quite suitable for kids, this movie is not just for children.

The Jungle Book [Blu-ray] [2016]Check Price

The Jungle Book (2016) Movie Review by:

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Thursday, April 21, 2016

Seascape Photography

Down by the Sea

I have always been fascinated by the sea, so seascape photography has been a wonderful hobby to pursue.

I am continually mesmerized by the beauty of the ocean. I love the way it never looks the same. The beauty of the waves, the reflections of the sky and clouds, and the way the wind interacts all make the sea a fascinating subject to photograph.

There is something quite wonderful about being by the seashore. I have lived all of my life in the midwest, miles away from the sea but I have always been pulled by the allure of the sea.

On this page I will share with you some of my favorite photos from trips to the seashore.

Sunrises

I love a beautiful sunrise, but it seems that when that sunrise is coming up over the ocean it is even more stunning. Here are a few photos I took this year of the sun rising over the ocean in Jupiter, Florida. They were all taken on different days, from the same location, and yet each one is different. I will never tire of getting up early and enjoying the sunrise over the ocean.

Before the Sunrise

If you get up really early, you will find that on some mornings the colors about 30 minutes before the sunrise can be quite spectacular. It only lasts for a few minutes so be sure to have your camera ready.

Moonlight Photography

Another fun way to look at the ocean is in the moonlight. To take these photos it is important to use a tripod with your camera and set your speed for a longer exposure. Here are a few moonlight shots I took in Jupiter.