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Monday, March 25, 2019

Crossing the "Loibl pass"

From Bleiburg I drove through the Eastern part of the Rosental (the Valley of the Roses) and then, using the "Loibl Pass" into Slovenia. 
The day was absolutely gorgeous: Blue Sky, Sunshine and about 20 degrees Celsius.
What more do you want?
The serpentine road twists higher and higher and at every other turn, the peaks of the Karawanken Alpine Chain show their challenging, snow powdered faces.




Snow roses and Erika bloom in profusion. 





Small Waterfalls whisper over last years fallen leaves, finding a narrow chasm, down into the river.


Then I saw this puzzling sign: 
Was it put there by an ardent Feminist
as an answer to the frequent, almost exclusive greetings, of 
"Grüß Gott" 
used in Austria?
Or is there really such a place? No! There surely isn't.
I shall investigate this puzzle.
It raises the ridiculous point as to the gender of God.
Is he male? Is she female, ("Göttin" being the female side of "Gott") is he both?
I "Googled" it: It's quite interesting.



All together, it was a lovely afternoon.

Saturday, March 23, 2019

The Easter Story


The Easter Story

Well, it's that time of year again. The Easter-bunny makes his annual appearance and the story of Easter in the biblical sense is told over and over again. Both stories make about the same sense.
Why would a rabbit bring coloured eggs ? And chocolate goodies ?

I have asked this question many times before, never received an answer which made sense and I will ask this question again:

Why would the gruesome killing of a man bring about the absolution for a sinful world ? Why would the death of this man cause the forgiveness of all sins and pave the way to heaven for righteous men and sinners alike ?
There are, of course, no “righteous men”, since, according to the teachings we are all sinners.
A “Sin”, as I understand it, is a transgression against God's commandments, and a “debt” which we owe to the Creator.
Let me just for a minute stay with the concept of “debt”.
If many people, say everybody, owes me money, in other words, a debt, would it ever occur to me to say: “If you kill my son, I will forgive all debts”.
The world would consider me insane. And yet, we say:
“And God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, so that those who believed in him would not perish but live forever.”
I have asked this before and I will ask it again until someone gives me an answer which does not consist of meaningless gobbledegook:
Where is the connection ?  “You kill my son and as a reward I will forgive your sins.”

(1 John 4:10) “This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Wouldn't it have been simpler for God to say:

“You are a sad, sinning lot. I will send my Son who will teach you, and if you honour him and believe in him, and do his bidding, I will forgive your sins and you shall live forever.
A short time on this earth and then, with me in heaven forever.

Would this not have been a good deal simpler ? And much more just ?
What good did the murder do and why was it needed ?
Who was responsible for his Death ? The Romans ? The Jewish High Priests? 
The jewish population ?
According to Jesus himself,  nobody was responsible:
He, in fact stated: “Nobody can take my life from me but I lay it down of my own accord....” (John 10:18)

So, Please, somebody tell me: Could an all powerful, an all-just, an all-merciful God not have avoided such cruel torture and final crucifiction and found an easier solution ?

Now we find Jesus on the Cross, between two thieves, one of whom seems to be a believer and Jesus makes a promise he may not be able to keep. He says:
“In truth I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise !”
But Jesus actually stays on Earth for three more days, then goes to a purgatory and only on the 7th day does he sit on the right hand side of his father.
Jesus must have erred in his timing, or the translator-writer of the bible put a comma in the wrong place:
“In truth I tell you today, you will be with me in paradise.”
The relocation of the comma from before to after the word “today” would at least make this a fulfillable promise.

About this one bible-issue alone, there are so many contradictions, so many absurdities, that I truly do not expect any sensible explanation.

So, I just have to continue believing in the Easter Bunny.

Bertstravels.

Thursday, March 21, 2019

First Day of Spring


Bleiburg enjoys "minus temperatures" but loads of sunshine on the First Day of spring...


...but there is still snow on the Petzen

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

First Messengers of Spring



Nothing shouts "Spring's acomin' " louder than a Snow Rose.




Friday, March 8, 2019

Megalomania...

... is when a Duiker thinks he is an Oryx.




Thursday, March 7, 2019

The Last of the Butterflies


"The Last" only relating to my pictures. 
There are many more where these came from.







Would you believe this?

The Catholic Clergy is now concerned about the Status of Good Friday.
Should it be a half holiday, or a whole holiday ?
Do they not have a heap of other problems?
Like: Should sexual predators from within their organisation be defrocked?
Should they be handed over to the prosecuting Authorities and sent to jail, where they belong?
Should those Bishops and Cardinals who either themselves commit crimes against children or who hide, hush up, those crimes when committed by their employees, be themselves excluded from this Club?
A few days ago the four day meeting of the highest members of the RCC, called by the Pope, in order to discuss this criminal problem of the sexual conduct by many members of the clergy came to an end. 
I said it then and let me repeat it now: 
Blah, blah, blah, yackety-yack, blah, blah.
And that will be the end of it!

Mark Bertstravels words.

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Some more Butterflies


I'm sorry that I don't know their names.


But, they're beautiful anyway.




Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Butterflies

I saw some  Butterflies flutter by...


The above is my personal favourite "butterfly-shot" 
I have ever taken.

there are some others to follow below:






Monday, March 4, 2019

The Heron and the Hippo


This Grey Heron uses a Hippo as a fishing platform.
Another Hippo objects to such obnoxious behaviour



.


But, since Hippos are vegetarians, 
the Heron gets away with a scare.