Rainbow

Trudging heat-red Hopi mesasPanting, you and I, old lover,Relishing these sandy momentsWalking bone hard plateau land.Sun's rays meet the mesa's edgesTurquoise skies surpass gem bluenessAncient shadows of Kachinascast patina'd spirit spells.Butterfly Kachina DancerShe with clay beads on her foreheadTwirls enticements to Rain SpiritBlack Bear quells all tribal frights.Souvenirs of driftwood god-dollsTrimmed with feathers, fur ruffed neck rings:Blind Eyed Traveler, strong for walkingCarries Weak Legs on his back.

Don Gansauer wrote from Canton on Tuesday after watching the sun shining into a snow shower. "To form a rainbow, sunshine must be shining through a rainstorm," he said. "If the conditions were perfect, could one see a snowbow?" Sorry. Rainbows appear when sunlight is reflected off the rear surface of liquid raindrops and refracted, or split into colors. Solid snowflakes can't perform the same trick.

Kim Possible 2: Drakken's Demise It's difficult to find a video game that appeals to preteen girls. And to find one as good as Kim Possible 2 is nearly impossible. Based on the Disney animated TV series, this Game Boy Advance title extends the adventures of high school student and world heroine Kim Possible. Over the course of 16 levels, players avoid henchmen with stylish moves and nifty gadgets like a grappling hook. The game play is quick, and smooth animation and colorful graphics add to the fun. The only negative is that the level of difficulty may be too high for the intended audience.

ANNA GREENBERG of Annapolis has been named one of Maryland's Top 100 Women, the only woman from Annapolis to receive that honor this year, unless you count Maryland's first lady, Frances Hughes Glendening.Greenberg is known for her energy promoting the arts and education."I feel honored that my volunteer efforts are being recognized," she said."I hope it serves to encourage others in the community to volunteer."In addition to serving on the boards of several national organizations, Greenberg volunteers with Maryland Citizens for the Arts and the Anne Arundel County Commission on Culture and the Arts.

Citing the threatened "perversion" of an immigration program that allows foreign investors to gain permanent U.S. residency, a federal appeals court has ruled the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service was justified in setting strict new standards. The brief decision issued by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco could mean that hundreds of foreigners who sought permanent green cards under a decade-old investor visa program will have to leave the country. Under the program, established by Congress in 1990, foreigners can become permanent U.S. residents by investing at least $500,000 in an American business.

One buyer backed out, another has stepped in, and the future of Rainbow Hall, a sprawling Green Spring Valley mansion, is becoming clear. The family of Henry A. Rosenberg Jr., chairman of Crown Central Petroleum Corp., has dropped its $1.8 million bid for the house, built in 1917 and once the home of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The name of the buyer, Stanley Keyser, surfaced this week at a meeting of the Baltimore County Landmarks Preservation Commission, which voted unanimously to nominate the mansion as a county landmark.

D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930) was born in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, the son of a miner. He attended public school and, reluctantly, went on to become a schoolteacher. Upon some encouragement by friends and a book publisher he began to seriously work on his writing. He gave up teaching after the publication of his first novel, "The White Peacock," in 1911. Lawrence would later produce works, such as "The Rainbow (1915)," "Women in Love (1920)," and "Lady Chatterly's Lover (1928)"

Laurel's annual holiday house tour takes place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and features renovations, additions and decorations in area homes. Tickets are available at the Laurel Museum, 817 Main St., the Main Street Pharmacy, 653 Main St., Rainbow Florist & Delectables, 370 Main St., and Hey Red at 641 Main St. Tickets are $15 in advance or $18 the day of the tour. Call 301-725-7975 or go to laurelhistoricalsociety.org for more information.

White Marsh-based SafeNet Inc., a leading network security company, said yesterday that it will merge with an Irvine, Calif., maker of security products and authentication tools in a $457 million deal expected to close early next year. The merger with Rainbow Technologies Inc. is expected to add about $70 million in government business to SafeNet, whose clients include the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Reserve Bank, the U.S. Postal Service, the U.S. Department of Defense and the FBI. The combined company will create a security business with vast expertise in encryption technology and the capability to offer an array of products that includes public and private network security, anti-piracy software and electronic license distribution.

Often the tone of a shower is set by the bride, who requests a certain type, such as kitchen, linen, honeymoon or lingerie, for which the guests bring appropriate gifts. Other gift-related themes are "round the clock" or "all year round" showers, for which a certain hour of the day or month of the year is written on each guest's invitation, and a suitable gift is brought for that particular hour or month.Many themes are carried out through the decorations, centerpieces and favors.To capture a Victorian look, select floral prints in muted shades of champagne and dusty rose accented with satin ribbons, pearls and lace.