Thursday, July 14, 2011

INITIATING SOME BLOG CHANGES & LOOKING FOR NEW IDEAS:))

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ALL TONIGHT'S PHOTOS ARE MEMORIES FROM OUR 5TH WHEEL DAYS WHEN WE FIRST ARRIVED IN COLUMBUS,NEW MEXICO BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2006 

For the first time this summer I have had to do some watering around the property.  Ferns were beginning to lilt & plants were getting droopy.  Planted two more Virginia Creepers, a climbing Hydrangea & another Trumpet Vine this morning.  I now have to keep my bedroom window closed up tight because I have a fear of those vines creeping in my window some night & carrying me off to far away places.

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ROCK HOUND STATE PARK NM...OF COURSE KELLY WANTED TO PUSH THIS ROCK BACK TO THE CAMPSITE , LOAD IT ONTO THE TRUCK & BRING IT HOME WITH US FOR OUR FRONT YARD 

Nice to see JEAN & SKIP pop up on our Blog Roll this morning.  They are taking some time off from house renos & doing a bit of camping not far from home on Vancouver Island.  We met Jean & Skip in Borrego Springs California last winter.  A quiet couple with many of the same interests & thoughts about RVing & life that Kelly & I have.  Nice folks:))

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With the words, "I'm a fiber fanatic that has fallen in love with RVing. My love is wet felting. Love to spin" Well, I had to go have myself a look see what a 'spinning, wet felting fiber fanatic was all about.  Or, was that a spinning fanatical fiber who felt wet?  Well anyway, better check her out for yourself at TRUE CONFESSIONS OF A RV LOVIN FIBER ARTIST.

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IT'S ALRIGHT MAX, THIS RV LIFESTYLE IS GOING TO GET BETTER SOON....PROMISE.

I did try my luck with the Motor Homes leveling system & that troublesome rear jack again.  Three times I lowered the rear jacks & three times I had to jack the passenger side leveler back into place.  The tension on the two lifting springs seems the same as the jack on the other side.  Lubricating the cylinder hasn't helped.  I think we will just accept the fact it is unusable & work our way around that.  We carry leveling blocks that we can use for the passenger side rear if we have to.  If the coach was newer & we were Full Timers we would replace that leveler completely but at this stage of the game we will just deal with the problem as we go along.

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THIS PHOTO IS SELF EXPLANATORY

I have been doing a lot of thinking about my blog lately.  Not only about it's content but it's appearance as well.  You may notice I have already begun to make changes to the site but I also realize I have to make other changes as well to stimulate my writing interest or just pack it all in & get on with other things.  The format has basically remained the same for years now & being a fellow of change I think I am way overdue for something creatively different.  A 'makeover' if you will.  My blog has always revolved around traveling & the RV Lifestyle & that will basically remain unchanged but I'm looking for a new direction.  Something different, something refreshing.  Same old, same old gets tiring & doesn't work for me after awhile & I have been in 'same old' mode for quite awhile now.  I need a challenge, some new ideas & suggestions.     So, I throw it out to my faithful readers or anyone else with an interest.  Any ideas on how I can make my blog not only more interesting for you but for me as well??  And, I cautiously say, constructive criticism is welcome too

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THIS WAS OUR SET UP THE FIRST YEAR THE BAYFIELD BUNCH HIT THE ROAD & THOSE ARE THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND SOUTH OF CARLSBAD, NEW MEXICO...UNBEKNOWNST TO ME I HAD MADE A VERY SERIOUS 'BEGINNER'S ERROR' HERE THAT IS VISIBLE IN THIS PHOTO, CAN ANYONE SPOT IT.   I DROVE FROM CARLSBAD THROUGH EL PASO TEXAS, DEMMING & COLUMBUS NEW MEXICO, DOUGLAS, TOMBSTONE, PATAGONIA,  NOGALES & FINALLY TUCSON BEFORE AN  ALARMED GARAGE GUY AT BEAUDRY RV QUICKLY POINTED OUT MY MISTAKE.  WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE WE DID NOT SUFFER SOME MAJOR DAMAGE......OR WORSE!!!!

I have always had a lot of respect & admiration for people who are able to step up to the plate, say what they think & not worry about the repercussions from expressing their point of view.  Oh, how I wish I had the courage to do that.  I am talking about folks like Debra from FIND AN OUTLET, Mike from MOBILE KODGERS & Nick from BAD NICK.  I have recently added these 3 fellow Bloggers to a separate side bar which in fact is part of the changes I am working on.   These are 3 people I identify with & understand.  I appreciate their no nonsense, down to earth, logical & common sense approach to life.  I believe they see the world as I see it.  A world for what it is & not for what many would have some of us believe it is.   Nick's main blog is THE GYPSY JOURNAL - NICK'S BLOG.   But it is his aka Bad Nick blog concept that really perks my interest.  Many times I have thought of doing this myself & setting up a separate blog where I could truly lay out what I really think!!  But, it's this dam thin skinned personality of mine that holds me back.  I would just have to write it & post it with no feedback.  No feedback at all, good or bad.  I am influenced by feedback so my writing would just have to stand on it's own.  Just write how I feel, post it, let the chickens fly to the moon & move on to my next post.  Will I do this?  Not likely, but it sure has been heavy on my mind for quite awhile now........10-4!!  

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AND THIS IS THE GANG I SHARED MY BED WITH EVERY NIGHT.....BUT I LOVED IT & WOULDN'T HAVE HAD IT ANY OTHER WAY...MY BEST PALS OF EVER:)) 

GROANER'S CORNER:((  The following conversation is long, practical, makes sense & if you make it to the end I think you will understood the meat of the matter.  The conversation takes place aboard an Alien spaceship & revolves around the decision whether to contact the people of Earth or not.  They have a perfectly logical conversation & arrive at a perfectly logical decision.  Well, in my books anyway.......... 

Imagine if you will ..the leader of the fifth invader force speaking to the commander in chief...

"They're made out of meat."

"Meat?"

"Meat. They're made out of meat."

"Meat?"

"There's no doubt about it. We picked several from different parts of the planet, took them aboard our recon vessels, probed them all the way through. They're completely meat."

"That's impossible. What about the radio signals? The messages to the stars?"

"They use the radio waves to talk, but the signals don't come from them. The signals come from machines."

"So who made the machines? That's who we want to contact."

"They made the machines. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Meat made the machines."

"That's ridiculous. How can meat make a machine? You're asking me to believe in sentient meat."

"I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. These creatures are the only sentient race in the sector and they're made out of meat."

"Maybe they're like the Orfolei. You know, a carbon-based intelligence that goes through a meat stage."

"Nope. They're born meat and they die meat. We studied them for several of their life spans, which didn't take too long. Do you have any idea the life span of meat?"

"Spare me. Okay, maybe they're only part meat. You know, like the Weddilei. A meat head with an electron plasma brain inside."

"Nope. We thought of that, since they do have meat heads like the Weddilei. But I told you, we probed them. They're meat all the way through."

"No brain?"

"Oh, there is a brain all right. It's just that the brain is made out of meat!"

"So... what does the thinking?"

"You're not understanding, are you? The brain does the thinking. The meat."

"Thinking meat! You're asking me to believe in thinking meat!"

"Yes, thinking meat! Conscious meat! Loving meat. Dreaming meat. The meat is the whole deal! Are you getting the picture?"

"Omigod. You're serious then. They're made out of meat."

"Finally, Yes. They are indeed made out meat. And they've been trying to get in touch with us for almost a hundred of their years."

"So what does the meat have in mind?"

"First it wants to talk to us. Then I imagine it wants to explore the universe, contact other sentients, swap ideas and information. The usual."

"We're supposed to talk to meat?"

"That's the idea. That's the message they're sending out by radio. 'Hello. Anyone out there? Anyone home?' That sort of thing."

"They actually do talk, then. They use words, ideas, concepts?"

"Oh, yes. Except they do it with meat."

"I thought you just told me they used radio."

"They do, but what do you think is on the radio? Meat sounds. You know how when you slap or flap meat it makes a noise? They talk by flapping their meat at each other. They can even whistle by squirting air through their meat."

"Omigod. Whistling meat. This is altogether too much. So what do you advise?"

"Officially or unofficially?"

"Both."

"Officially, we are required to contact, welcome, and log in any and all sentient races or multibeings in the quadrant, without prejudice, fear, or favor.

Unofficially, I advise that we erase the records and forget the whole thing."

"I was hoping you would say that."

"It seems harsh, but there is a limit. Do we really want to make contact with meat?"

"I agree one hundred percent. What's there to say?" `Hello, meat. How's it going?' But will this work? How many planets are we dealing with here?"

"Just one. They can travel to other planets in special meat containers, but they can't live on them. And being meat, they only travel through space. Which limits them to the speed of light and makes the possibility of their ever making contact pretty slim. Infinitesimal, in fact."

"So we just pretend there's no one home in the universe."

"That's it."

"Cruel. But you said it yourself, who wants to meet meat? And the ones who have been aboard our vessels, the ones you have probed? You're sure they won't remember?"

"They'll be considered crackpots if they do. We went into their heads and smoothed out their meat so that we're just a dream to them."

"A dream to meat! How strangely appropriate, that we should be meat's dream."

"And we can mark this sector unoccupied."

"Good. Agreed, officially and unofficially. Case closed. Any others? Anyone interesting on that side of the galaxy?"

"Yes, a rather shy but sweet hydrogen core cluster intelligence in a class nine star in the G445 zone. Was in contact two galactic rotations ago, wants to be friendly again."

"They always come around."

"And why not? Imagine how unbearable & how unutterably cold the universe would be if we were all alone."

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EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
stargeezerguy@gmail.com
OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/
The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right
now...... AL.

32 comments:

  1. Seems to me that those landing jacks on the front need to be a little higher, but then what do I know!

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  2. Al -- I understand your need for changing it up from time to time, but from someone who goes to your blog first thing in the morning, I'd like to say -- just don't stop writing! I can't think of one single blog entry that you've written that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. Well maybe the technical camera & computer ones aren't quite my thing, but then again, I'm not your only reader.

    LOVE your writing & photos; please don't stop!

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  3. Your front jacks are still down !!!!!!!!! DUH..you are very lucky no damage was done.

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  4. One new idea might be to quit writing so much about yourself.

    Max, Virginia

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  5. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I like things just the way they are.

    Thanks.

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  6. No suggestions at all from this peanut gallery, just complete and absolute interest in whatever you decide to do! Just make sure you don't go away. I, too, love Mobile Kodger and Find and Outlet.

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  7. Ha! I saw the jacks too!

    When I looked at the third picture on this post I wondered about the chair behind you. Then I realized it as a different rig.

    What caused you to switch from a fiver to a motor home?

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  8. I do enjoy your blog as it is, but understand the desire (need)for change. My only advice would be to not worry about what others think.

    I have learned the hard way over the years, that when I accept others judgement over my own, it almost always bites me in the rear.

    You already have the basic motivation in hand- the desire to things better.

    Perhaps a separate blog on any issues that peak your interest would be a good way to go.

    As for format, I have basis for comment. I have thought about it many times, but still have the same one I started with almost five years ago. What I need is some of your blog drive.

    I look forward to what ever you come up with. As they say, the fun is in the doing.

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  9. Al, I know you have a lot of interest in the stars and space related things. That might be interesting to include from time to time in your blog....things that interest you in that area. You might add a section that is just devoted to things of that nature. I know that you would have a lot of interesting things to say on the subject....and your observations would be enjoyable to read.

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  10. http://www.rv.net/forums/Index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/23877743/gotomsg/23879557.cfm

    Read this on RV.Net. Basically he sent his jacks back to HWH to be rebuilt and it was not overly expensive. Rod

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  11. I'd pretty much live things as they are

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  12. Al I don't feel you need to make any changes to your blog. Sandy and I have always enjoyed reading your blogs and the photos are always outstanding. We have noticed you've changed your background and font colors. I felt the black background made your photos pop out at you. Keep them coming.

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  13. Max is a JERK...you do a grat job. I enjoy your introspective.

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  14. So, Al, if you want to write without any feedback, good or bad - why not just turn off the comments?

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  15. its your blog and write and post pictures of what you are interested in...not anyone else..some days you 'hit a nerve' and some days not so much..I believe it is like that for all bloggers!

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  16. Al, thank you for your very kind words. Terry and I enjoy you blog, and I urge you to continue to write and evolve with it.

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  17. Re: your blog layout.

    I barely read your blog to be honest, and it is entirely as a result of the design. I would suggest going minimal. If you are using wordpress, there are many minimal themes. There is also themforest.net which has nice cheap themes that are simple to implement.

    I think the point I am trying to make is that you mentioned you wanted to change up the blog as a way to make it more interesting to you. I disagree with that. The look and feel of a blog is not really relevant in comparison to other more important aspects of the blog.

    If it weren't for RSS and Safari Reader where I can get to a text only version of the site, I would not even be writing this comment. What will make the blog interesting, and keep you interested in writing is the actual writing, and has very little to do with the design.

    It sounds to me like you know this deep down inside, as you mentioned that you wanted to start a second blog and say what you really want to say. I suggest you do so. I also suggest you don't start a second one. I few things can result... One would be that people will read the "dirty" blog, realize they don't agree with you, and stop reading both. Others will read the "dirty" blog, decide they do agree with you, find the "clean" one, determine that is disingenuous or at the very least, that you are playing both sides and stop reading. In the end, you will maintain two blogs, which is a pain in the butt, lose readers because they don't respect you etc.

    Go for it, write what you want. I am about to go on the road and one of my concerns is finding like minded people to meet in my travels. So far, I have subscribed to 50 RSS feeds, and to be honest, I am pretty tired of looking at pictures of flowers all the time. There is a pretty heavy slant on those who are overly religious, overly republican, and in general, not much like me. If you write what you want, even if I don't agree with you, at least I know you stand by what you mean, are thinking for yourself, which is all something I can respect regardless of what your writing is.

    If I agree with your writing, more than likely, I will also agree with who your friends are, and find your blogroll links to friends, who I would also agree with. So if you come out of the closet so to speak, you end up building a framework of content on your site that leads others to like minded blogs. It is a win win and I hope you go for it.

    You can't please all the people all the time, but you certainly can gain the respect of all the people all the time if you staunchly stick to your own idea of what you care about.

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  18. I don't have any suggestions for your blog...but sounds like you are ready for a change so go for it! Enjoyed seeing all the "past" photos and yeah those front jacks are a might on the low side!

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  19. I recognized your photo from the Guadalupe Mountains very quickly because I was a park ranger there during the late 70's and 80's. I sure enjoyed my time there; it was and still is a great park.

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  20. Re: the rig photo with the "oopsie" in it . . . legs up, my friend! Al, your blog posts are not only great to view simply for the photos, but you do come across as speaking your Truth in an up-front, straight-up and amusing way, much as I would imagine sitting down and visiting with you would be like. (Odds are against that happening, but who knows.) I'll leave you with a little tidbit I try to keep in mind, not only in writing but in everyday life . . . "Do what you will but do no harm." Cheers!

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  21. Unlike Anonymous I enjoy your blog with the many pictures you include. I could read it on Google Reader as I do some of the other blogs I follow, but instead I choose to click to your blog to check out the pictures.

    If you were going to make any changes to your blog I would skip the "Weather Statistics". I wonder how many people even look at that.

    I think right now you are in a funk about what to write because you are right in the middle between living in a permanent home and being on the road enjoying your RV adventures. Once you start traveling again your enjoyment level increases and you have many new things to write about.

    Writing about everyday things while living in Bayside may seem very boring to you. But to us your readers you make it very interesting.

    You have a very successful blog. You didn't get 324,000 visitors by writing boring content. Give yourself a little credit and just wait until you hit the road. Things will change drastically then and you will get back to enjoy posting again.

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  22. Al, you are doing more than a great job. Your words and photos more than express how you feel about things. I guess you want to add the "edge factor" into the equation. That might be interesting. RV jacks have obviously become your nemesis. LOL.

    Virginia

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  23. Good Morning Al & Kelly,
    I loved groaners today :)
    phxmtngirl

    PS the link to bad nick did not work

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  24. Call me weird, but I enjoy reading all of your weather related information that you've added to your blog. I find that kind of stuff interesting, but never have looked it up on my own. Thanks for providing it, Al.

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  25. Can't say much that others haven't said. When Rick started blogging, he worried about being appealing to others. I advised him to write about what interests him, and he'd make it interesting to others as well. So far he has done that amazingly well, and so have you! If you want to change, do so, but only to what makes YOU happy. Your readers will either accept it or not, but we feel most will hang with you through your agonies of change!

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  26. Hi Al. I've been reading your blog since I started mine in November. We love the full-time life, and I aspire to do as much with my photography as you have. I LOVE seeing your pictures, and they inspire me to work harder at mine and continue learning about photography. There are so many wondrous places to see and record, we hardly know where to start! I also love reading about your pups, and was heart-broken when you lost 2 in the same month. We also travel with two of them, and whereas it does make some sight-seeing difficult, we so far have worked around it. Thank you so much for your blog, and inspiration!

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  27. It sounds to me like what you are saying is ‘I want to dish it out’ but ‘I can’t take it’. Very similar to ‘having my cake and eating it too’. Neither of these will work. If you can’t accept criticism, it’s pointless starting a new blog because the criticism’s will just be transferred here and as a previous commenter already stated you’ll be known as a hypocrite. Maybe you could just answer the question as to why you’re so angry?

    long time blog follower

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  28. Hi Al, First you should totally ignore the 10,000 word essay from "Anonymous" as to why they don't read your blog !!!!!!!! Personally, I read your blog everyday & drive 6 miles(each way) to the library to do so. I think it is perfect already including layout, font size, colors. I love your writing & it has brought me to both laughter & tears. You have so much heart & I love the Southwest as much as you - Yes, I do ! And your photos are so beautiful I linger on them & dream of being there to enjoy the beauty of the West. I have printed some of them out to decorate my walls at home. I don't have any suggestions as to how to improve as your blog is already perfect to me. Happy Trails - CindyL

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  29. Hey Al, First let me thank you for becoming a follower of my blog. It warms the cockles of my heart to know that you are following me. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would have you as a follower of my two blogs and I am honored. I have been following you for over a year now and have enjoyed every word that you have written and every picture you have shared.

    I didn't start blogging until 2009 and am still a novice with it. I write what's interesting to me as you probably write what's interesting to you. If you like writing about you and Kelly and Motormouse and your adventures, GREAT! That just gives me an insite to what your like and makes me want to meet you all the more someday out on the open road.

    Like you, I have always been a private person, guarded in my expressions and thoughts but am learning to let go with my blogging.

    Write what you feel Al, what's important to you. If people don't agree with you...so what. Not everyone will. I too am somewhat thin skinned but got good advice once, "be like a duck...let the comments roll off your back like water and then let it go and continue to swim forward". I like your blog as it is. I change mine up ever so often so I'm not bored with it, it's my blog I can do with it as I see fit, if others are bored with it then that's their problem.

    If you want to start a second blog and express yourself deeper then go for it. I will still read it. I may not agree with it, but I don't know that as of yet, but that would not keep me from reading your first blog.

    Yes there are some nasty people out there who will say hurtful things. But you can't let that bother you. Your expressing your opinion as I'm sure their expressing theirs. It's time that everything quit being so PC. If someone says something that's not nice and quite hurtful in the comment section then I have the right to not publish their comments.

    So Al, start your second blog, change your first blog around if you wish. It's a free site, yours for using.

    Susie

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  30. Did you ever think it's not the blog that's boring you, but sitting at home instead of doing what you love..traveling?? I agree with gumo..nothin' needs fixin' in my humble opinion...

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  31. One change I recommend you make to improve your mood is to remove the continuing references to your past dogs. You loved them, now they are gone and you need to move on. When you burn your hand in the flames it will only get better when you stop putting your hand back in the flames. Putting the rest of us through it will not help your blog readership. I for one can't help but respond by thinking oh my god he's got his dogs pictures in here again.
    I do enjoy the photography and think a little photo lesson once in a while would be a good read for lots of folks.
    I, too, have an interest in astronomy and hope to get one of those smart phones and apps that can tell you what you are looking at in the night sky.
    I don't understand the side bar comments as a duplication.
    Anyhow, comments are only opinions and you know what they say about that.....Everybody's got one.

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  32. I'm late getting into this discussion, but thought I'd add a few words. You should blog about what you enjoy and the rest will follow...no doubt. I think that's a given and everything goes from there.

    That said I always enjoy your pics and if that's interesting to you that might be an area you can blog more about (people have a great interest in taking better pictures). If you find yourself getting "stuck-in-a-rut" with daily blogging you could also look at blogging only 3 times/week or whatever feels right.

    But...these are just ideas. Blog about what makes you happy and those people who feel ya will come along...

    Nina

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