The Outer Banks - (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a 200 mi (320 km) string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast of the United States. They line most of the North Carolina coastline, separating Currituck Sound, Albemarle Sound, and Pamlico Sound from the Atlantic Ocean. A major tourist destination, the Outer Banks are known for their wide expanse of open beachfront and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The seashore and surrounding ecosystem are important biodiversity zones, including beach grasses and shrubland that help maintain the form of the land. The Outer Banks stretch southward from Sandbridge in Virginia Beach down the North Carolina coastline. Sources differ regarding the southern terminus of the Outer Banks. The most extensive definition includes the state's three prominent capes: Cape Hatteras, Cape Lookout, and Cape Fear. Other sources limit the definition to two capes (Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout) and coastal areas in four counties (Currituck County, Dare County, Hyde County, and Carteret County).[9] Some authors exclude Carteret's Bogue Banks; others exclude the county entirely.

The Outer Banks were sites of early European settlement in the United States and remain important economic and cultural sites. Most notably the English Roanoke Colony vanished from Roanoke Island in 1587 and was the first location where an English person, Virginia Dare, was born in the Americas. The hundreds of shipwrecks along the Outer Banks have given the surrounding seas the nickname Graveyard of the Atlantic. The Outer Banks were also home to the Wright brothers' first flight in a controlled, powered, heavier-than-air vehicle on December 17, 1903, at Kill Devil Hills. During the 20th century the region became increasingly important for coastal tourism.

Pinky Promise (To make a pinky promise, or pinky swear, is a traditional gesture most commonly practiced amongst children involving the locking of the pinkies of two people to signify that a promise has been made. The gesture is taken to signify that the person can break the finger of the one who broke the promise. The tradition appears to be a relatively modern invention, possibly as a continuation of older finger traditions)

Off to work............................

The American Quarter Horse - or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name is derived from its ability to outrun other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less; some have been clocked at speeds up to 44 mph (70.8 km/h). The development of the Quarter Horse traces to the 1600s. The American Quarter Horse is the most popular breed in the United States, and the American Quarter Horse Association is the largest breed registry in the world, with almost three million living American Quarter Horses registered in 2014. The American Quarter Horse is well known both as a racehorse and for its performance in rodeos, horse shows, and as a working ranch horse. The compact body of the American Quarter Horse is well suited for the intricate and quick maneuvers required in reining, cutting, working cow horse, barrel racing, calf roping, and other western riding events, especially those involving live cattle. The American Quarter Horse is also used in English disciplines, driving, show jumping, dressage, hunting, and many other equestrian activities.

YouTube

Why The Quarter Horse is Built For Speed

The American Quarter Horse has been clocked at 55 mph.Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE if you enjoyed it! **More info & videos below**"American Horses" premieres F...

YouTube

8 Facts You Didn't Know About the American Quarter Horse

The American Quarter Horse is one of America's most popular breeds. Today, the breed is used for almost every discipline - from barrel racing to dressage, an...

Random Acts of Kindness (is a nonpremeditated, inconsistent action designed to offer kindness towards the outside world. The phrase "random kindness and senseless acts of beauty" was written by Anne Herbert on a placemat in Sausalito, California in 1982. It was based on the phrase "random acts of violence and senseless acts of cruelty". Herbert's book Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty was published in February 1993 speaking about true stories of acts of kindness. The phrase is commonly expressed as the suggestion to "Practice random acts of kindness." There are groups around the world who are sharing acts of spontaneous kindness)

and there's a national day for Random Acts of Kindness..............

Calling it a night.......................

The Seelbach Hotel - is a historic hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, founded by Bavarian-born immigrant brothers Louis and Otto Seelbach. It opened in 1905 as the Seelbach Hotel, envisioned by the Seelbach Brothers to embody the old-world grandeur of European hotels in cities such as Vienna and Paris. To do so in early 20th century Louisville, they employed a French Renaissance design in constructing the hotel. Louis was already a restaurant owner in Louisville when his brother Otto joined him from Germany around 1890, forming the Seelbach Hotel Co. The Company began construction on the hotel in 1903. The hotel was quickly regarded among the finest hotels in the United States and throughout its long history has been frequented by many notable Americans — for instance F. Scott Fitzgerald, who took inspiration from the Seelbach for a hotel in The Great Gatsby. Now known as the Seelbach Hilton, the hotel is part of the Hilton Hotels & Resorts chain.

Seelbach circa 1905

Undergoing restoration work 1979

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Seelbach Hotel - The Historic Hotel, Louisville Kentucky

Tsovkra-1 (Nestled in midst of the hills of the Greater Caucus Mountains, Russia, there is a tiny, secluded village named Tsovkra-1. The special thing about this village is that every physically able resident can walk a tightrope. In Tsovkra-1, the tradition of tightrope walking has been in existence for over 100 years. No one actually knows how it started. But according to a legend, the tightrope walking tradition evolved as a way to expedite romantic encounters. It states that a long time ago, the young men of this village grew bored of the long trekking required to court the women of neighboring mountainside villages. So, they strung a rope from one side of the valley to another. While most hauled themselves across, the daring ones began to walk the rope to show off. Soon, walking on the tightrope became a prized test of manhood. Over time, Tsovkra-1 produced 17 men and women who became famous for their tightrope-walking skill in circuses. The most glorious days were the decades following World War II. At that time, circuses were extremely popular, and they recruited the best performers from this village. Currently, the village is home to less than 400 people, all of whom possess this skill. Even children are taught tightrope walking in school. However, the tradition is in danger of disappearing since most young people of this village are fleeing due to the hard living conditions and poverty)

FYI: From my Around the World topic folder...........

__________________

Off to work.......................

University - an institution of higher education, usually comprising a college of liberal arts and sciences and graduate and professional schools and having the authority to confer degrees in various fields of study. A university differs from a college in that it is usually larger, has a broader curriculum, and offers graduate and professional degrees in addition to undergraduate degrees. Although universities did not arise in the West until the Middle Ages in Europe, they existed in some parts of Asia and Africa in ancient times.

Vexillology (is the study of the history, symbolism and usage of flags or, by extension, any interest in flags in general.The word is a synthesis of the Latin word vexillum (which refers to a kind of square flag which was carried by Roman cavalry) and the Greek suffix -logia ("study"). The first known usage of the word vexillology was in 1959. A person who studies flags is a vexillologist, one who designs flags is a vexillographer, and the art of designing flags is called vexillography. One who is a hobbyist or general admirer of flags is a vexillophile)

The flag of Minnesota is the state flag of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Its design features a modified version of the seal of Minnesota emblazoned on a blue field. The first version of the flag was adopted in 1893, in advance of the state's mounting an exhibition at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. It was significantly revised in 1957 and received a minor update in 1983. The design and use of Minnesota's flag is prescribed by Section 1.141 of the state statutes. The flag is rectangular and features a design emblazoned in the center of a field of medium blue. According to statute, the flag is bordered with gold and finished with gold fringe, but this is rarely used. The central design features three concentric circular fields. The innermost field is filled with a simplified version of the state seal. Around the seal is a ring of blue ornamented with a wreath of pink-and-white lady's-slipper and a red ribbon upon which are written the years 1819 and 1893. At the top of the blue ring the year 1859 is set in gold. Around the blue ring is a white ring upon which 19 stars form five radially arrayed groups. Each group contains four stars except for the top-center group which has two stars of the standard size and one star larger than the rest. Between the bottom two groups the name of the state is set in red. Both the blue ring and the white ring are bordered with gold. The Minnesota flag has been widely criticized for decades. Derision of its over complex design and relative illegibility has been common at least since the 1980s. In 2001, Minnesota's flag was chosen as one of the ten worst flag designs in an online poll conducted by the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA). The survey consisted of 100 NAVA members and 300 members of the public. Minnesota received a score of 3.13 on a scale of 1 to 10, on par with other flags that consisted of the state seal on a blue background, which were ranked very unfavorably..........................

The Kentucky flag consists of the Commonwealth's seal on a navy blue field, surrounded by the words "Commonwealth of Kentucky" above and sprigs of goldenrod, the state flower, below. The seal depicts a pioneer and a statesman embracing. Popular belief claims that the buckskin-clad man on the left is Daniel Boone, who was largely responsible for the exploration of Kentucky, and the man in the suit on the right is Henry Clay, Kentucky's most famous statesman. However, the official explanation is that the men represent all frontiersmen and statesmen, rather than any specific persons. In 2001, the North American Vexillological Association surveyed its members on the designs of the 72 Canadian provincial, U.S. state, and U.S. territorial flags; Kentucky's flag was ranked 66th..................

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Here's one more to go with your "Vexillology" post. It was what I immediately thought of when I saw what you posted.

YouTube

Sheldon Cooper presents Fun with Flags: Episode 1

Amy and I spent a good while producing this fun educational video. Then Leonard had to run in during the middle of the shoot and ruin it. Perhaps my next epi...

Winning Colors - was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse and one of only three fillies to ever win the Kentucky Derby (1988). Though she was registered as roan, she was, in fact, a gray with a white blaze on her face. Winning Colors was bred by Echo Valley Farm near Georgetown, Kentucky owned by Donald & Shirley Sucher. The couple had previously bred the Hall of Fame filly, Chris Evert. During her racing career she was owned by Eugene V. Klein and trained by D. Wayne Lukas. 

In the spring of 1988, the large filly won the Santa Anita Derby, defeating colts her age by 7½ lengths. Sent to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, she was up against a stellar field of colts including Risen Star, Seeking the Gold, Forty Niner, Regal Classic, and co-favorite Private Terms. As was her habit, Winning Colors broke fast and raced to the lead. Although Forty Niner made a charge in the homestretch, she held him off to win by a neck. In the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown, Winning Colors finished third to Risen Star, who then won the 1½ mile Belmont Stakes by fifteen lengths while Winning Colors finished out of the money. Winning Colors was voted the 1988 Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Filly. In 2000, Winning Colors was inducted into the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. As a broodmare, Winning Colors produced ten foals and six winners. Winning Colors was euthanized February 17, 2008, at the age of 23 as a result of complications from colic. She was in foal to Mr. Greeley. She is buried at Greentree Farm, a division of Gainesway Farm near Lexington, Kentucky.

YouTube

Kentucky Derby Flashback | Winning Colors 1988

Winning Colors becomes only the 3rd filly in 114 years to win the Kentucky Derby. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas and ridden by Gary Stevens, Winning Colors gave t...