Beware of Sinking Ponds.....
SANICA, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Just outside the rustic village, children fished in a tranquil pond bobbing with green algae and lined with willow trees, as cattle grazed nearby.
Now, Rezak Motanic gazes in disbelief down a gigantic moonlike crater where the pond used to be. It's like something from a science fiction movie: a sinkhole swallowed the water, the fish and even nearby trees.
"I sat here only a day before it happened, sipping plum brandy," Cemal Hasan said. "And then, there was panic. Fish were jumping out, and a big plum tree was pulled down like someone yanked it with a hook."
The villagers of this remote northwestern Bosnian village have been in shock since the pond vanished two weeks ago.
Their pond was some 20 meters (yards) in diameter and about eight meters deep. Now, the "abyss," as the villagers have dubbed the crater, is some 50 meters wide and 30 meters deep — and growing.
Scientists say it is not uncommon that ponds and small lakes suddenly disappear. They say it could be caused by drying underground water currents, or changes in soil drainage due to irrigation.
The Sanica villagers, however, are having none of the scientific explanations.
"It could have been a giant cave that opened its doors," offered Milanko Skrbic. "Or a volcano."
Another popular theory — one that experts dismiss along with the others proposed by townsfolk — is that fish could have triggered the explosion of one of several World War II German bombs believed to have been thrown into the pond by an old woman after the war.
"She herself died when one of the bombs exploded in her arms," Cemal Hasan said as he stood on the edge of the "abyss."
Another spooky explanation: The owner of the pond took it with him when he died about a month ago.
"Only days before Hasan passed away he said: 'I'll take everything with me when I die.' And that's what he did," Motanic said. "His daughter saw him walk on the lake the night he died."
Husein Nanic said it could be a sign that the end is nigh: "All sort of miracles happen before the doomsday," he said.
____
Associated Press writer Dusan Stojanovic contributed from Belgrade, Serbia.
_________________________________________________________________
'Tis the season for eating. And eating I have been doing. I remember a Thanksgiving a few years back where I had ONE meal of turkey for the entire holiday. This year made up for that-----Four, yes, Four turkey dinners, plus Deb gave ME her carcass. Yeah! Well, not HER carcass, the turkey's.
Grandma G's Black Friday Turkey Salad.....cold turkey, apples, celery, dried cranberries, walnuts, dash of nutmeg, and salad dressing. Yum!
AND healthy!
"That you, cousin Leroy?"
Turkey, veggie, noodle soup.....
A delight for the vegetarian.....And for the rest of us.....
Spaghetti squash smothered in pasta sauce with black olives and mushrooms....sprinkled with Parmesan cheese....Yum....the squash has the texture of spaghetti and has a mild flavor.....
The past few days have been relaxed, somewhat lazy, yet with adequate activity.
Wednesday evening was my 3rd turkey dinner, sponsored for active military and their families. A local veterans board and my minister's family provided the food, cooking, serving and musical entertainment. Bonus, it was only about a 10 minute drive from my house.
Thanksgiving Day was a phone fest for me as I called all my little turkeys and some Indiana turkeys----I mean, my kids and some of my siblings. I get that mixed up sometimes.
In the afternoon I took my homemade carrot cake and went to Deb's for the rest of the day. A bonus there....a new cousin to the Millers, 4 week old, Zyan. Bentley dog was quite confused with this strange little puppy.
Friday was sleep-in day (no Black Friday shopping for me). I did stay up Thursday until after 1AM for PPP (What?) and Star Trek marathon.
First came DISHES from all the previous days' cooking before "processing" the turkey carcass into soup stock and salad. Then a little laundry and cleaning up the kitchen. Finally back to PPP.
OK.....PPP.....Piggy Puzzle Progress......Oink.....
It's like eating potato chips....one piece leads to one more....
FYI...eating potato chips goes a LOT faster...
Saturday started the same as Friday....only a bit more stiffly. I resumed stretches for an hour before getting back to PPP Friday evening.
Since Christmas season quickly overtakes Thanksgiving I took down all the fall deco in the yard and porch. (The forecast is for RAIN, RAIN, RAIN the next few days and then temps dropping into the 20's.)
I did get in on the end hours of Black Friday sales (on Sat.) after Deb called and said a particular store had all their artificial Christmas trees for half price. I had already bought one there earlier in the week. The sales girl said if they go on sale within the next 2 weeks I could bring in my sales receipt for a price adjustment. However.....this evening I found out that it didn't apply to BF sales. However.....one could buy one this evening for the sale price and return the other for a refund. One could even happen to have "the other one" along with her after purchasing the one on sale and "return" that one with her previous sales receipt to receive one's refund....all without bringing a tree into the store or taking one out of the store that evening. Think about that for awhile.
One thing about RAIN in the forecast out here.....they are always correct and punctual. I brought in all my just bought Christmas decorations from my car BECAUSE rain is moving in. Sure enough, 2 hours later the rain has returned. I think it is something called "The Pineapple Express" air currents.
I did enjoy observing a natural phenomenon this afternoon......several brigades of honking geese flying west. Hopefully they change direction somewhere. The ocean isn't very far west of here.
This has been a good 2 "after Thanksgiving" days in the life of Grandma G.
"The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work." (Psalms 104:12-13)
Now, Rezak Motanic gazes in disbelief down a gigantic moonlike crater where the pond used to be. It's like something from a science fiction movie: a sinkhole swallowed the water, the fish and even nearby trees.
"I sat here only a day before it happened, sipping plum brandy," Cemal Hasan said. "And then, there was panic. Fish were jumping out, and a big plum tree was pulled down like someone yanked it with a hook."
The villagers of this remote northwestern Bosnian village have been in shock since the pond vanished two weeks ago.
Their pond was some 20 meters (yards) in diameter and about eight meters deep. Now, the "abyss," as the villagers have dubbed the crater, is some 50 meters wide and 30 meters deep — and growing.
Scientists say it is not uncommon that ponds and small lakes suddenly disappear. They say it could be caused by drying underground water currents, or changes in soil drainage due to irrigation.
The Sanica villagers, however, are having none of the scientific explanations.
"It could have been a giant cave that opened its doors," offered Milanko Skrbic. "Or a volcano."
Another popular theory — one that experts dismiss along with the others proposed by townsfolk — is that fish could have triggered the explosion of one of several World War II German bombs believed to have been thrown into the pond by an old woman after the war.
"She herself died when one of the bombs exploded in her arms," Cemal Hasan said as he stood on the edge of the "abyss."
Another spooky explanation: The owner of the pond took it with him when he died about a month ago.
"Only days before Hasan passed away he said: 'I'll take everything with me when I die.' And that's what he did," Motanic said. "His daughter saw him walk on the lake the night he died."
Husein Nanic said it could be a sign that the end is nigh: "All sort of miracles happen before the doomsday," he said.
____
Associated Press writer Dusan Stojanovic contributed from Belgrade, Serbia.
_________________________________________________________________
'Tis the season for eating. And eating I have been doing. I remember a Thanksgiving a few years back where I had ONE meal of turkey for the entire holiday. This year made up for that-----Four, yes, Four turkey dinners, plus Deb gave ME her carcass. Yeah! Well, not HER carcass, the turkey's. 
AND healthy!
"That you, cousin Leroy?"
Turkey, veggie, noodle soup.....
A delight for the vegetarian.....And for the rest of us.....
Spaghetti squash smothered in pasta sauce with black olives and mushrooms....sprinkled with Parmesan cheese....Yum....the squash has the texture of spaghetti and has a mild flavor.....
The past few days have been relaxed, somewhat lazy, yet with adequate activity.
Thanksgiving Day was a phone fest for me as I called all my little turkeys and some Indiana turkeys----I mean, my kids and some of my siblings. I get that mixed up sometimes.
In the afternoon I took my homemade carrot cake and went to Deb's for the rest of the day. A bonus there....a new cousin to the Millers, 4 week old, Zyan. Bentley dog was quite confused with this strange little puppy. Friday was sleep-in day (no Black Friday shopping for me). I did stay up Thursday until after 1AM for PPP (What?) and Star Trek marathon.
First came DISHES from all the previous days' cooking before "processing" the turkey carcass into soup stock and salad. Then a little laundry and cleaning up the kitchen. Finally back to PPP.
OK.....PPP.....Piggy Puzzle Progress......Oink.....
It's like eating potato chips....one piece leads to one more.... FYI...eating potato chips goes a LOT faster...
Saturday started the same as Friday....only a bit more stiffly. I resumed stretches for an hour before getting back to PPP Friday evening.
Since Christmas season quickly overtakes Thanksgiving I took down all the fall deco in the yard and porch. (The forecast is for RAIN, RAIN, RAIN the next few days and then temps dropping into the 20's.)
I did get in on the end hours of Black Friday sales (on Sat.) after Deb called and said a particular store had all their artificial Christmas trees for half price. I had already bought one there earlier in the week. The sales girl said if they go on sale within the next 2 weeks I could bring in my sales receipt for a price adjustment. However.....this evening I found out that it didn't apply to BF sales. However.....one could buy one this evening for the sale price and return the other for a refund. One could even happen to have "the other one" along with her after purchasing the one on sale and "return" that one with her previous sales receipt to receive one's refund....all without bringing a tree into the store or taking one out of the store that evening. Think about that for awhile.
One thing about RAIN in the forecast out here.....they are always correct and punctual. I brought in all my just bought Christmas decorations from my car BECAUSE rain is moving in. Sure enough, 2 hours later the rain has returned. I think it is something called "The Pineapple Express" air currents.
I did enjoy observing a natural phenomenon this afternoon......several brigades of honking geese flying west. Hopefully they change direction somewhere. The ocean isn't very far west of here.This has been a good 2 "after Thanksgiving" days in the life of Grandma G.
"The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work." (Psalms 104:12-13)
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