Two days ago I finished the Cussler-Fargo 'Eye Of Heaven' Novel, but with the lingering smokey overhang fogging the region; I've been seriously dragging my tail and doing very little of anything.
We are literally surrounded by wildfire smoke - wildfire smoke that is hovering in the sky of Castle Rock-WA, is carried on the breeze from WA wildfires (notably from the north and east - BUT there is a wildfire at Sage Creek, near Pe Ell-WA … which isn't that far away & winds blowing in our direction), OR & CA wildfires (particularly in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade ranges), the Rocky Mountain region (Montana & Idaho), & from Canadian wildfires (British Columbia & Alberta).
Holland was pretty concerned about me yesterday, telling me that he hears me coughing most of the nights away, lately: because of his TBI, he doesn't sleep a lot & is up most nights while I'm upstairs snoozing (in this case, snoozing & coughing unawares). And that's why I go to bed exhausted & wake up exhausted - asthma is stressful for the body and brain: the brain only functions as well as the body that hosts it.
Flare-ups can create a vicious circle.
Lately, I've been experiencing: lack of energy * exhaustion * daytime sleepiness or tiredness (primary reason I skipped meeting with friends yesterday) * asthma symptoms during the night (Holland's main concern, evenings he's wake) * acid reflux, any hour of the Day * headache (been noticing this the past few days) * dizziness or lightheadedness (vertigo is concerning me the past few days) * cognitive impairment (brain fog is a real thing, & leads to lack of concentration) * irritability (I don't have a lot of breath to waste - I need people to hear me the 1st time; repeating myself wastes energy I have very little of). ALL of this has been noticeable to me, lately … and to my husband; so much so, that I have said, "Sorry you got a lemon for a wife" - which had him smiling & saying, "I happen to like lemons". And yesterday, he even said, "I know I don't say it enough - but, I love you. Don't check out on me Baby, I need you." I said, "Don't worry, Luv. I don't plan on leaving any time soon. I hope to be around for the next 20 years, God willing … and bugging the hell out of you, every Day." He worries. I keep things light: physical limitations are kinda new to him - I've been struggling to stay alive all my Life. It's a pattern I am familiar with.
The Cussler-Fargo 'Eye Of Heaven' adventure that started on Baffin Island, Canada, with a mysterious Viking link to the Toltec people in ancient Mexico - was wrapped up in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, as the Fargo's followed a pattern that led them to a satisfactory ending.
A dragon-headed Viking ship, fully-rigged with sails opened, could appear to be flying over the waves. Viking dragons often highlighted a feathered serpent head. A dragon is a mythical creature found in the folklore of cultures throughout the world. It is roughly serpentine in form, and often possesses features drawn from different animals, such as wings and/or claws. While most dragons are traditionally scaled, certain species in mythology do have feathers, often on wings, tails, or crests. Feathered dragons are more common in Eastern myths, & Aztec artwork (the historic timeframe in mexican tales that 'red-haired-white-skinned' Quetzalcoatl was present in the jungled land):
{{Sculpted Ancient Warrior Wearing A Serpent Helmet Found At Chichén Itzá
~By Kayra Buyukyildirim, 14 November 2023 - Arkeonews
In the Casa Colorada archaeological complex within the premises of Chichén Itzá in Mexico, a sculpture of an anthropomorphic face with a snake headdress was found.
On Thursday, November 9th, during the morning conference of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the director of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), Diego Prieto Hernández, reported on the discovery of said sculpture, made last Tuesday.
Dated to the Late Classic period, the rare sculpted artifact was discovered during excavations by the Archaeological Areas Improvement Program (Promeza), in “Temple 6 of Maudslay,” which is part of the Casa Colorada complex of ChichĂ©n Itzá. AnatolianArchaeology guide
The statue is 33 cm (13 in) tall and 28 cm (11 in) wide. It appears to depict a warrior wearing a feathered dress and a helmet shaped like a serpent with its jaws open, and scholars suspect it may have once been part of a larger sculpture built about 1,000 years ago.
The feathered serpent was one of the most important gods in Mesoamerica. The Aztecs called him Quetzalcoatl, and the ancient Maya called him Kukulkan. The K’iche’ group of Maya named him Gukumatz.
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), Diego Prieto Hernández, described the head as a “very interesting find.” “It was customary to represent warriors with a headdress, with a kind of helmet,” he said. “In this case it is a snake figure from which the face of this character emerges, and a feathered headdress, so it is probably alluding to Kukulcán, the feathered serpent of the Maya.”
The pre-Columbian civilization was one of the most important Mayan centers of the Yucatán peninsula, flourishing between the ninth and thirteenth centuries AD. Chichén Itzá is thought to have housed tens of thousands of people at its peak.
Serpent warriors were people who dressed like serpents and participated in religious rituals in Maya culture. As go-betweens for the worlds of the supernatural and the earth, these warriors were essential to fertility and rain-related ceremonies. The elaborate headdresses, among other costumes, showcased the artistry of the Maya people and their deep spiritual and natural connections.
The excavations are part of an archaeological rescue project carried out in its conclusive phase in the works of the Mayan Train.
The warrior’s sculpture, unearthed at the Casa Colorada complex in ChichĂ©n Itzá, was discovered during this archaeological survey accompanying the railway line construction. AnatolianArchaeology guide
“As of Nov. 9, Prieto Hernández said that archaeological salvage work on the seven sections of the Maya Train had recovered 57,146 building structures, 1,925 movable artifacts, 660 human burials and 2,252 natural features associated with human settlements.
https://arkeonews.net/sculpted-ancient-warrior-wearing-a-serpent-helmet-found-at-chichen-itza/
Archaeologists At Chichén Itzá Just Uncovered A Maya Warrior Statue With A Feathered Serpent Helmet
~By Hannah Reilly Holtz | Edited By John Kuroski
The discovery of the 1,000-year-old sculpture came as excavation crews prepared the area for the future placement of a train route through the Yucatán Peninsula.
rchaeologists with Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) recently discovered an ancient Maya statue featuring a warrior wearing a serpent helmet.
The statue, measuring 13 inches tall and 11 inches wide, was in very good condition aside from a small crack. It depicted the head of a warrior clad with a feathered headdress and a helmet shaped like a serpent with an open jaw.
“It was customary to represent warriors with a headdress, with a kind of helmet,” said INAH head Diego Prieto Hernández in a statement released by the institute (translated from Spanish using Google Translate). “In this case it is a snake figure from which the face of this character emerges, and a feathered headdress, so it is probably alluding to Kukulcán, the feathered serpent of the Maya.”
The statue was found at Chichén Itzá in the Yucatán Peninsula. Excavations of the Casa Colorada Complex where the statue was unearthed also revealed intricate hieroglyphs dated to the ninth century C.E. The statue may have been part of a larger sculptural design.
ChichĂ©n Itzá, meaning “at the mouth of the well of Itza” (referring to the cenote around which the site was built), is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It rose to prominence during the Late Classic and Terminal Classic periods and had an estimated population of 35,000 people across its four square miles at its peak.
Serpent imagery and symbolism were common in Maya culture, representing various concepts, including transformation, fertility, and rebirth. Serpent warriors led religious ceremonies, serving as “intermediaries between the earthly and supernatural realms,” according to Ancient Origins.
Serpent headdresses and the similar jaguar headdresses often associated with Maya culture were created by skilled artisans who passed down their trade through generations, creating unique cultural and historical artifacts.
Archaeologists have been excavating the area ahead of the construction of Mexico’s controversial Maya Train project. The project, a major policy goal of President AndrĂ©s Manuel LĂłpez Obrador, began construction in 2020. It is planned to serve as a railroad across the Yucatán Peninsula, from the tourist hotspots of the beaches of Cancun and Tulum to the archaeological sites in the Maya jungle.
INAH head Hernández said that to date, archaeologists conducting excavations at the sites planned to be used for construction of the Maya Train have recovered “57,146 real estate elements; 1,925 personal property; 1,398,083 ceramic fragments and 1,467 pieces under restoration,” as well as 660 human burials.
President Obrador has been promoting the project since the start of his tenure, claiming it will bring jobs and infrastructure improvements to the country’s poorest regions.
However, the Maya Train has been denounced and protested by the Indigenous communities being displaced by the project. According to The Guardian, at least 3,000 households have already been displaced by construction of the $20 billion railway project.
“What is being done with the Maya train megaproject is not Mayan in any way. It is a decision from above,” Q’anjob’al Maya leader Romel González DĂaz said at a protest in May 2023.
Indigenous people and advocates have been joined in their protests by scientists and environmentalists who say the project will cause immense environmental damage. A section of the route runs through the Calakmul biosphere reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to many exotic and endangered species.
“They said it would bring development but it will be just the opposite,” said Sara LĂłpez González, a member of the Regional Indigenous and Popular Council, in an interview with The Guardian. “It is a megaproject of death. It is an ecocide.”
https://allthatsinteresting.com/chichen-itza-warrior-statue
Then and Now: El Castillo’s Unbelievable Rebirth
This incredible photo comparison shows how archaeologists restored the abandoned Mayan temple of El Castillo in Chichen Itza to its former glory.
Today, the majestic El Castillo temple looms proudly over the remains of the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza. But not all that long ago, it looked as if those historic remains would never live to see the 21st century at all.
In 1913, archaeologist Sylvanus Morley proposed an expedition to the Yucatan peninsula in order to unearth Chichen Itza, then in shambles. Ten years later, after being delayed by the Mexican Revolution, Morley was finally able to begin excavating this incredible site.
By the time Morley and his team arrived in the Yucatan in 1923, El Castillo had fallen into ruin, barely visible through the vegetation that had taken over its outer structure.
This was hardly surprising, given the estimates that say the structure was built between 800 and 900 AD on the foundations of earlier temples and had been abandoned since the 15th century.
With centuries of wear and tear to fight against, Morley and company began restoring El Castillo — known as the Temple of Kukulcan to the Mayans, named for their feathered serpent god.
It took almost ten more years to get inside El Castillo, where the team found inner chambers containing statues inlaid with mother-of-pearl, boxes filled with turquoise, and a jaguar made almost entirely from jade.
Since those early efforts, Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History spearheads all efforts to preserve El Castillo and all of Chichen Itza’s stunning remains, which have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
However, the fact that El Castillo and Chichen Itza were restored so well may now be hurting them. According to UNESCO, the site’s now stunning remains are vulnerable because of intense tourism. An estimated 3,500 people visit Chichen Itza every day, which necessitates constant maintenance.
Unfortunately, according to UNESCO, a lack of the personnel needed to care for Chichen Itza means that “no emergency plan exists for the site and there is no long term monitoring of the state of conservation.”
But for now at least we can enjoy one of the most spectacular rebirths of all the world’s ancient monuments:
https://allthatsinteresting.com/el-castillo-chichen-itza }}
August 12, 2026 - NOVEL TRAVEL & CARDIO CURCUITS~Self-Care 2026; Castle Rock-WA: https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/08/novel-travel-cardio-curcuitsself-care.html
August 13, 2026 - VIKING-TOLTEC ADVENTURES~Self-Care 2026/Kettlebell Drills; Castle Rock-WA: https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/08/viking-toltec-adventuresself-care.html
August 14, 2026 - NOVEL ADVENTURE & SHABBAT RELAXATION~Self-Care 2026; Castle Rock-WA: https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/08/novel-adventure-shabbat-relaxationself.html
August 15, 2026 - STRETCH YOURSELF~Self-Care 2026; Castle Rock-WA: https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/08/stretch-yourselfself-care-2026-castle.html
August 18, 2026 - KEEP GOING FORWARD~Self-Care 2026; Castle Rock-WA: https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/08/keep-going-forwardself-care-2026-castle.html
We did however drive to Longview later in the afternoon - today, to grab some paper towels and Holland's blood pressure pills … and I begged for a walk at Willow Grove. So, I dressed light & strapped one of the asthma inhaler pouches I designed, onto my watchband - in case the inhaler was needed.
I told him the trail was about 1 mile long; nearly 30 minutes - but, he got worried because it was pushing 90-degrees and he wasn't seeing me; I could see him, but I knew where to look - he didn't: so, his concerned arrival ended my walk before time. But, it was okay - the pattern was actually kinda sweet. And the walking done in the store, helped me reach the required mileage.
When we got back home, all of my energy had basically been used up.
But I don't regret a single step!
I needed that walk.
And, the fresh air blowing in off the river, did wonders for both of our psyches.
Tonight, while visiting my blogger friends, I'm noticing that my crochet cobweb buster post, is a popular feature.
That's it for tonight - I'm going to bed early, again, tonight; and pray for a break healthwise for both of us … hoping this exhaustion does not become an unwelcome pattern.
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