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Rated: 18+ · Book · Personal · #1051691

Life, Adventure, Family, Writing what else is there? Random thoughts.

WELCOME TO:

GEMINI RISING

Banner for my blog, "Gemini Rising"
*Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1*

UPDATED INTRO 30 JUNE 2025:

Just a little about me. I've been married for 33 years this past NOV and currently live in Southern California, but I grew up in New Hampshire.

I've got 2 boys who are young adults.

I work as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I enjoy my job a lot. Still. If you can believe that.

I love to write. Thankfully both of my boys achieved Eagle Scout. My Scouting days are over and I'm back to focusing on my writing.

I like to get out in nature, drink coffee and watch football.

Here's a little bio about my zodiac.

GEMINI: Gemini, the sign of the Twins, is dual-natured, elusive, complex and contradictory. On the one hand it produces the virtue of versatility, and on the other the vices of two-facedness and flightiness. The sign is linked with Mercury, the planet of childhood and youth, and its subjects tend to have the graces and faults of the young. When they are good, they are very attractive; when they are bad they are more the worse for being the charmers they are. Like children they are lively, and happy, if circumstances are right for them, or egocentric, imaginative and restless.

Their good qualities are attractive and come easily to them. They are affectionate, courteous, kind, generous, and thoughtful towards the poor and suffering - provided none of the activities resulting from expressing these traits interferes too greatly with their own lives and comforts.

Geminians can be successful in many walks of life though their general characteristics tend to make them unreliable. They are often skilled manipulators of language, in speech and writing, and may be: debaters, diplomats (though in politics they are more interested in theory than practice), orators, preachers (brilliant rather than profound), teachers, authors, poets, journalists, or lawyers.


BLOG ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

SEPTEMBER 2025:

FORUM
It's WDC- 25th Birthday Open in new Window. (E)
7 day Challenge to celebrate 25 years of this successful writer's haven.
#2343390 by A Warped Witch I Be Author IconMail Icon


SEPTEMBER 2025:

FORUM
Earn the Badge - CLOSED Open in new Window. (E)
You want it? Earn it. How? Complete these simple tasks and the badge is yours!
#2133333 by Purple writing writing writing Author IconMail Icon


Merit Badges collected and earned from "Earn the Badge 2025"
Merit Badge in WdC Supportive Friend [Click For More Info] Thank you for participating in [Link To Item #2133333] . Congratulations on completing the September 2nd Daily Task. Merit Badge in Earn the Badge [Click For More Info] Thank you for your donation to [Link To Item #2133333] - from Purple Princess. Merit Badge in Music [Click For More Info] Thank you for participating in [Link To Item #2133333] . Congratulations on completing the September 3rd Daily Task. Merit Badge in Contests [Click For More Info] Thank you for participating in [Link To Item #2133333] . Congratulations on completing the September 1st daily task. Merit Badge in Growth [Click For More Info] Good job earning the Growth Merit Badge in [Link To Item #2133333] Merit Badge in Word Searches [Click For More Info] Great job participating in [Link To Item #2133333] and completing the September 5th task. Merit Badge in Teamwork [Click For More Info] Great job for picking a teammate and completing the September 6th Task at [Link To Item #2133333]


SUMMER 2025:

FORUM
BCoF 's Virtual 50 State Bucket List Open in new Window. (18+)
We're going to explore one unique place in each of the 50 states in alphabetical order.
#2342653 by A Warped Witch I Be Author IconMail Icon


Merit Badges Collected from Virtual Blogging &Virtual Blogging Friends:
Merit Badge in Let Dreams Take Wing [Click For More Info] To my upcoming virtual traveling blog companion. Dream big and fly high! Merit Badge in Normal Is Boring [Click For More Info] here's to another week of creating adventures! Merit Badge in Blog Camping [Click For More Info] Thanks for completing [Link To User elusive4lyn] July 2025 blogging vacation!! Great job!! Merit Badge in Travel [Click For More Info] Woohoo! We’re halfway through! Merit Badge in BCoF 2 [Click For More Info] Thank you for your participation in BCoF's 50 States Virtual Blogging adventure. *^*Heart*^* Lyn Merit Badge in Endurance [Click For More Info] 51 days of blogging takes commitment, and you rocked it. *^*Heart*^* Lyn


SEPTEMBER 2024:

I participated in the
FORUM
Blog Week Birthday Bastion 2025 Open in new Window. (E)
Blogging event from September 1-7, 2025. CLOSED
#2277665 by WakeUpAndLive~NOV Word Monger Author IconMail Icon
which was a big challenge for me due to my schedule, but I hunkered down and got it done. There's some great entries for the contest and the blog earned the following:

Merit Badge in Nonfiction [Click For More Info] Congrats on your Honorable Mention in Blog Week Birthday Bastion 2024

Big thanks to WakeUpAndLive~NOV Word Monger Author IconMail Icon for hosting the contest!

OCTOBER 2024 & 2025 :

I participated in the
FORUM
13 Poetic Days of Halloween Contest 2025 Open in new Window. (E)
Let your spooky poetry shine. Oct. 13th 12:01 am WDC time. - closes 11:59 pm WDC Oct 25th
#2328177 by A Warped Witch I Be Author IconMail Icon
in 2024 which honestly was a big challenge for me considering my schedule, and again I hunkered down and did it! Update October 2025: I had so much participating in the challenge last year, I did it again for 2025 and successfully completed it. There's some great spooky poetry to be found in October and the blog earned the following merit badges:

Merit Badge in Halloween [Click For More Info] Congratulations on completing the 13 Poetic Days of Halloween. Merit Badge in Determination [Click For More Info] You rose to the poetry challenges in 12 Poetic Days of Halloween in grand style. Merit Badge in Ghost [Click For More Info] Thank you for your successful completion of 13 Poetic Days of Halloween *^*Heart*^* Lyn

Big Thanks to A Warped Witch I Be Author IconMail Icon for hosting the contest!



Find me at:

WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee

*Exclaim* WARNING *Exclaim*

I intend to be open, honest, and forthright. No topic is off limits from religion to you name it, I'm going there. If you think you might be offended...back up now - this blog isn't for you. For those who "dare" *Wink* check out the "Gemini Rising..."


Another Signature
July 5, 2025 at 11:24pm
July 5, 2025 at 11:24pm
#1092903
Well, the party bus went west – Destination: Joshua Tree National Park. Somewhere in New Mexico Šuŋgmánitu Tȟáŋka Author IconMail Icon fired the bus driver and took over. I was sleeping at the time, so I don’t know why.

Personally, speaking, few deserts are mesmerizing for me. They’re just full of dark yellow dirt and sand. BUT the desert has it’s own ecosystem, it’s own plants, trees, shrubs, animals, rhythms of life. It’s nothing you’ve never known. Joshua Tree National Park was actually created in 1994 to preserve the desert environment, the habitat, the way of life.

As a National park, there’s park rangers, campgrounds, and visitors’ centers with information on the various hiking trails. By the time Šuŋgmánitu Tȟáŋka Author IconMail Icon pulled the party bus in, we were ready to see the trees – actually cactuses.

One of the Park Rangers said we should do the Sunrise Hike so A Warped Witch I Be Author IconMail Icon forked up the dough for a campsite and we camped out in the party bus. I rented a dutch oven and made chili for everyone. Krista Author IconMail Icon helped me cook. Princess Megan Snow Rose Author IconMail Icon wolf, Peyton, wanted to chase after all the roadrunners. Šuŋgmánitu Tȟáŋka Author IconMail Icon was afraid to put Peachy down because all the rocks looked alike.



At 4 am, the park ranger woke us all up and took us on the Sunrise hike. Honestly, 4 am is too early. It was wicked dark and you could see for miles. If you were a stargazer, you’d be in stargazer heaven. Anyhow, I didn’t even have time to brew coffee. We were up and out. Our guide zigged and zagged on the sandy dirt path and took us past the Ryan Mountain as we made our way to The Cholla Cactus Garden. Did you know there’s more than one type of cactus? Giant Phantom Jelly Author IconMail Icon got confused which cactus was which. A Joshua tree is distinctive though. It’s like a green-gray upside down pitch fork that is full of prickles. Our Ranger had us all sit on a big flat rock as the sun came up. The sunrise started slow. The night turned lighter and lighter and then a hint of orange-red peered over the horizon highlighting a row of Joshua trees and deepening shadows. It kind of looked like all the Joshua trees were on a long march before going into battle. Mordecai Grimsly 🦇🧟 Author IconMail Icon and fell asleep back-to-back. I can’t say I blame them. AmyJo-Zombie hours Author IconMail Icon was getting hungry and asked the Ranger if there was anything to eat. The Ranger went to a nearby cactus and cut it open. AmyJo-Zombie hours Author IconMail Icon ate it without making a face. I was proud of her. Thankfully, the desert was cool as the sunrise appeared over the horizon.

Honestly, I don’t know how we dragged outrsleepy asses back to the bus, but when we got back, we slept for 5 hours straight before we had to get up and get ready for the next adventure.
*Thought*  Comment   •   View 3 comments


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