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I’m not actually sure if these are egrets, but the title sounded good… :-) I’ll figure out what they are eventually. The white one had just caught a fish in front of me; the other one came swooping in to join in the fishing and the white one wasn’t too pleased… this is only at 80mm and modest crop (from 4x3 to 1x1) so it gives an idea of how close they came to me.
"Actually the name is Spade. Sam Spade."
"My bad. I get confused. You look so much like Marlowe that you could be his twin."
Actually got out with my big boy camera last night. This is a 5 min exposure shot at f/10, ISO 100 using my extreme neutral density filter.
Happy Tuesday friends :)
Madrid (Spain).
ENGLISH
The Jardines del Buen Retiro or Parque del Buen Retiro (literally "Gardens" or "Park of the Pleasant Retreat"), or simply El Retiro, the "Lungs of Madrid", is the main park of the city of Madrid, capital of Spain.
The Parque del Buen Retiro is a large and popular 1.4 km² (350-acre) park at the edge of the city center, very close to the Puerta de Alcalá and not far from the Museo del Prado. A magnificent park, filled with beautiful sculpture and monuments, galleries, a peaceful lake and host to a variety of events, it is one of Madrid's premier attractions. The park is entirely surrounded by the present-day city.
In 1505, at the time of Isabella I (r. 1474–1504) the Monasterio de Jerónimos was moved from an unsuitable location elsewhere to the present site of Iglesia de San Jerónimo el Real, and a new monastery built in Isabelline Gothic style. The royal family had a retreat built as part of the church.
King Philip II (r. 1556–1598) moved the Spanish court to Madrid in 1561. Philip had the Retiro enlarged by his architect Juan Bautista de Toledo, and formal avenues of trees were laid out. Here, at the Palacio del Buen Retiro, the king could withdraw during Lent, bringing the court with him.
The "Jardines del Buen Retiro" were extended in the 1620s, when Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares, Philip IV's powerful favourite, gave the king several tracts of land in the vicinity for the Court's recreational use. Olivares determined to build, in a place that the king liked, a royal house which should be superior to those villas that Roman nobles had lately been setting up in the hillyt outskirts of Rome. Although this second royal residence was to be built in what were then outlying areas of Madrid, it was actually not far from the existing Alcázar or fortress residence, and the location in a cool, wooded area proved to be ideal.
More info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parque_del_Buen_Retiro
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CASTELLANO
Los Jardines del Buen Retiro, popularmente conocidos como El Retiro, son un parque de 118 hectáreas situado en Madrid. Es uno de los lugares más significativos de la capital española.
Los Jardines tienen su origen entre los años 1630 y 1640, cuando el Conde-Duque de Olivares (Don Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel), valido de Felipe IV (1621–1665), le regaló al rey unos terrenos que le habían sido cedidos por el Duque de Fernán Núñez para el recreo de la Corte en torno al Monasterio de los Jerónimos de Madrid. Así, con la reforma del Cuarto Real que había junto al Monasterio, se inició la construcción del Palacio del Buen Retiro. Contaba entonces con unas 145 hectáreas. Aunque esta segunda residencia real iba a estar en lo que en aquellos tiempos eran las afueras de la villa de Madrid, no estaba excesivamente lejos del alcázar y resultó ser un lugar muy agradable por estar en una zona muy boscosa y fresca.
Bajo la dirección de los arquitectos Giovanni Battista Crescenzi y Alonso Carbonell se construyeron diversos edificios, entre ellos el teatro del Buen Retiro que acogió representaciones teatrales de los grandes del Siglo de Oro, Calderón de la Barca y Lope de Vega. Perduran aún el Casón del Buen Retiro, antiguo Salón de Baile, el Museo del Ejército, antaño Salón de Reinos con sus paredes decoradas con pinturas de Velázquez, Zurbarán y frescos de Lucas Jordán y los jardines.
Éstos se levantaron al mismo tiempo que el palacio, trabajando en ellos, entre otros, Cosme Lotti, escenógrafo del Gran Duque de Toscana, y edificándose una leonera para la exhibición de animales salvajes y una pajarera para aves exóticas. El estanque grande, escenario de naumaquias y espectáculos acuáticos, el estanque ochavado o de las campanillas y la ría chica pertenecen a este período inicial.
A lo largo de la historia, en este conjunto se han ido efectuando modificaciones, no siempre planificadas, que cambiaron la fisonomía del jardín, como el Parterre diseñado durante el reinado de Felipe V (1700–1746), la Real Fábrica de Porcelana del Buen Retiro en tiempos de Carlos III (1759–1788) o el Observatorio Astronómico, obra de Juan de Villanueva, reinando Carlos IV (1788–1808). El rey Carlos III fue el primero en permitir el acceso de los ciudadanos al recinto, siempre que cumpliesen con la condición de ir bien aseados y vestidos.
Más info: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buen_Retiro
Actually I wanted to photograph a beautiful sunset this evening. But when I arrived at a good spot the last sunset light I was able to capture is what you can see here.
I mounted my camera on the tripod - took 3 shots - and the beautiful red sky turned blue ;) Next time I'll have to be earlier.
Greetings from Germany!
Otto. Actually, I should name him Velcro or Super Glue because he is literally stuck to my side 24/7. I mean, he was always with me but since Phil died, he has taken it to a whole new level. Almost like "Mom, I lost dad, I don't want to lose you, too" Such a loyal and faithful companion. German shepherds are a breed all their own.
I love to photograph him in late sun like this because it really brings out the vibrance and richness in his coloring. And he couldn't have been sitting in a better spot because the background was in deep shadow. Made for the perfect portrait of him.
He is 6 years old today. Happy Birthday Otto.
I actually marked all of these private so I wouldn't flood your contacts page. Yeah, that worked well. Sorry.
So, today was my day to pick FGR. And, as always, I couldn't come up with anything in the weeks preceding that just said "yeah, that's the one!" But with the onset of spring, I thought Flickr Green would be a perfect opportunity to get everybody outside. And help us remember that this place is worth taking care of.
1. IMG_1346_edited-1, 2. Refreshment, 3. Soaring, 4. IMG_1330, 5. IMG_1326, 6. IMG_1262_edited-1, 7. IMG_1336, 8. IMG_1349, 9. IMG_1351, 10. IMG_1342, 11. Soaring, 12. IMG_1343, 13. The wonder of nature14. Not available15. Not available16. Not available
Created with fd's Flickr Toys.
Actually the Science Pyramid at Denver Botanical Gardens
BURKETTDESIGN, Inc., Architect, completed 2014
"Dear, sweet, unforgettable childhood! Why does this irrevocable time, forever departed, seem brighter, more festive and richer than it actually was?"
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860-1904)
"I never have taken a picture I've intended. They're always better or worse."
Diane Arbus
Actually taken 06/12/2016. Nikon D600. Contrast masking in Lightroom.
This was in the show "From Dusk Til Dawn" at PhotoPlace gallery in MIddlebury Vt, during November-ish of 2016.
(I never actually got to see the show - it's 6+ hour drive from here, but the catalog is available from the gallery. Besides yours truly, there's a guy in Summit who had some neat stuff, plus others)
Actually, I'm not nearly as frazzled as this suggests. Things are going very smoothly, and I'm on number 5 of 8.
Late night last night, but tonight I should be able to get some sleep while the computer does the hard work.
Huzzah!
seen here...
www.100negocios.com/trabajo-desde-casa-por-internet-tips/...
and here...
www.dumblittleman.com/2011/05/how-to-effectively-measure-...
and here... digital-era.org/blog/?p=3901
and here... blogs.payscale.com/salary_report_kris_cowan/2012/07/tips-...
and here... blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2013/04/12/ncbi-rofl...
and here... www.businessinsider.com/syndromes-drive-coders-crazy-2014-3
Actually just a few days afterwards... since an unedited version was encored quite a bit I have hurried up and by popular acclaim upload this version, which I'm sure I don't thing has anything too special about it. But hope you like seeing the comparisons, and I'm so busy it will take a little bit to get to the close ups, please be patient.
Actually broke out the 18-200 for the first time with a selfie. Converted this to B/W and used the TRA "Beer goggles" for the blur.
Explored Highest #134
West Somerset Railway - Autumn Steam gala - October 2014 (DSC 3517)
Images from my three days there can be seen on the Smugmug link below
davidcable.smugmug.com/Events/2014/141003-to-05-WSR-Autum...
Actually there weren't any snakes involved in this image, just an unusual leaf formation on my indoor palm. Just occasionally this pam produces new fronds which aren't able to emerge normally and the embryo leaves get folded like a concertina. The image is turned 90 degrees. I thought it then looked similar to a human hand stroking a green snake's head.
Actually was hard up against a wire fence. see bottom corner :)
thanks for viewing. please leave a comment if you have the time.
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Actually when this was posted I was seeing white. We were in the midst of another strong winter storm that dropped another foot or more of snow before it is finished.
Just a hint of a rough canvas texture applied to this one.
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved.
Lampstand.
This was taken where I was staying during my recent holiday in Barbados - it's actually a bedside lamp. I rather liked the effect of the light in the different perspex globes and the light against the roughness of the wall and thought it would make an interesting image for 7 Days With Flickr group's Thursday Black & White theme.
Thanks for taking time to look. I hope you enjoy the image! Happy 7DWF :)
[Handheld in artificial light on the little camera :)
Processed in DXO Photolab, then sharpened and a bit of Glow filter in Affinity Photo.
Then into Nik Silver Efex 2 for the conversion. I was intrigued by the look of the Film Noir preset, so I tweaked from there. It gives it rather a strange overcooked look. Also used burnt edges in the filter.
Back into Affinity for a basic frame.]
Spearfish Falls was actually one of the most popular tourist stops in the northern Black Hills around the beginning of the 19th century when a Burlington Railroad line took passengers directly over it, parts of which can still be found on the trail today. The trail to this 47 ft waterfall starts at the parking lot for the Latchstring Restaurant and is roughly 3/4 in length. Note that while the path to the left is easy, the one to the right of the restaurant is more difficult but does include a sweet traverse over an old metal walking bridge. Interestingly enough, in 1917, this waterfall was actually turned off for awhile as water was diverted from Spearfish Creek to a nearby hydroelectric plant that helped power operations at Homestake Gold Mine until November 17, 2003. For this reason, Spearfish Falls is one of the lesser-known waterfalls that often gets passed by even today.
Source: www.blackhillsbadlands.com/places/spearfish-falls
If you don’t have much time to hike while you are visiting Spearfish Canyon, I would encourage you to put this one high on your list. The trail is rated as moderate. The total hike is 1.5 miles. I love hiking this any time of year. The trail is pretty easy to find. The path is right behind the Latchstring Inn. The trail has been reworked recently. It is no longer a loop trail, the only access point is just north of the restaurant. The path is nice and wide and should be manageable by most people that can walk moderate inclines. Just take your time and soak in the beauty of the canyon floor. The waterfall is so beautiful, you’ll want to hangout and enjoy it for awhile. This is just one of the waterfalls of Spearfish Canyon worth visiting. There is plenty of hiking in the area. Just on the other side of the road is Roughlock Falls Nature Trail. While I like hiking this area all year long, it is definitely one of my favorite fall hikes in the Black Hills. And, if you are staying in Spearfish, be sure to checkout the Lookout Mountain Hiking trails if you want a longer hike.
Source: enjoyingsouthdakota.com/spearfish-canyon/spearfish-falls-...
Actually many rivers run through it as it gets a lot of run off from the mountains behind it.
As I not a Welsh speaker it took me many attempts to even try to pronounce the town the river runs through: Dolgellau
Well actually it’s not a fungus at all, meet Badass* utricularis who is a rather fetching Slime mold.
Slime moulds are a group of single-celled amoeba-like organisms that hunt bacteria and form a commune to reproduce. They then produce plasmodia (the caramel sauce) which can grow to quite a large size. When food supplies become scarce they produce the fruiting bodies that we see here and release spores which hatch into amoeba, starting the cycle all over again.
They are not part of the fungi kingdom but their fruiting bodies might suggest they are related.
If you want to know more, (which of course you do, how could you not be fascinated by this amazing organism), then watch this rather entertaining video.
I’ll be asking questions at the end just to make sure you’re behaving and doing your homework.
* It's actually Badhamia but Badass sounds much better.
Actually Tuesday and the Ruddy didn't have to pay for parking either.
Ocean City Inlet Beach, Maryland.
We actually returned to the same site not too long later. More of the area had been flattened at this point but we were still able to access the 'block' that we had before.
So, all good, right? The way in was the same, still no meaningful security on site... what could go wrong? Well, boy was it cold. Layered up in jumpers and coats, we had climbed the internal stairs without any trouble. The conditions on the roof were... worse. A layer of incredibly slippery ice had formed on the surface - typical considering on this visit I wanted to venture further down the rooftop...
Venture forward we did though: me, clutching onto the railing for dear life and Michael stepping forwards unaided without any fuss (could we be more different?). It certainly felt like one of the more dangerous things we'd done over the years.
Actually not found exactly there but right underneath. Still like it.
(Explore March 28, 2012; # 470)
Thanks for your comments and favs!!
Actually blue Stilton and digestives but the strongest flavour comes from the bacteria so let’s be honest about what we’re eating.
This is
Actually this sweater was brand new, and it only cost 88 cents. I remember having taking this and felt excited, because for once I felt I had decent composition, which is something I lack In all Of my photos. I was proud I really didn't edit this. I developed some great indoor lighting techniques over time, thanks to you guys! The truth is development for me isn't a seen thing. One day I'll just get it, for no reason at all.
My freckles look like spots. That's kinda gross. & I no longer have a pro account & it's weird because I haven't had to look at ads on flickr for aaages (one whole year, actually), & now there's a limit to only 200 photos on my stream, & only 100MB of photos per month. Oh & I can't see what weird stats I've been getting (I always get weird ones). It's very strange.
I couldn't decide whether to upload or not. But I don't want to fall behind on my diary. I spent like the whole day with Hannah, & we didn't take a single picture - actually, I took a few of my Mom when she was on stage - but otherwise it was a picture free day. & it was a nice day too. =)
This is when Max & I when we were on the terraces yesterday.
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I'm actually really tired & it's only 2.20am, but I will write this entry tomorrow. Before my Mom went to sleep I thanked her for the lovely day, & told her how much I enjoyed it.
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Soooo, it's really irritating when you're waking up & you can hear your Mom coming closer & closer to your room, talking on the phone to someone who is obviously your friend, & is telling them that you have been lying around in bed & should be awake by now. I said I would get up at 10am. I check the clock. It's 9.40am. So I'm not even late. But my Mom is still spouting this bull. She comes in & gives me the phone. It's Hannah, I start talking to her as my Mom exits the room. Except she doesn't. She stands at the door and says very, very loudly "GET UP! GET UP! GET UP!" I only just managed to refrain from telling her to fuck right off, & instead stopped half-way through talking to Hannah & yelled "MOM!" She left then. I was just really irritated because I'd said when I was getting up, & I wasn't late, I was actually awake before that, & yes okay, Hannah called me & if I hadn't been awake it would have been necessary for her to wake me, but I was already awake so there was no need to stand at my door being annoying.
But anyway. Hannah said she'd come by for 11.45pm, & we discussed what we were wearing. I only have one dress I like at the moment (last year I had 4 or 5) so that was pretty much sorted for me. I got dressed at a steady pace & then got some breakfast & read the paper. Well, Jane talked to me a lot too. My Mom had to pop out to try on her outfit for the make over today, but she came back with her friend Maggie in tour. I was eating breakfast at this point, & genuinely thought my Mom was about to ditch her friend with me & make us talk. I pointedly said "I'm eating breakfast" & then my Mom said that no they weren't going to disturb me. So that was okay. Maggie was still in the hall, so my Mom went upstairs quickly to get all her things, & then they chatted in the hall while waiting for my Mom's other guests to arrive. When everyone had arrived my Mom said they were going over there & that I could wait here for Hannah. Hannah then called moments after they left to say she'd was running a bit late & would be there in 5 or 10 mins. She offered to meet me there, but I figured it'd be easier to just meet at my house. I continued to read the paper until she got here, & then we left her car keys at my house & went out. Oh, & she showed me her new tattoo. It's of a snowdrop, & she designed it herself in memory of her grandma. It looks like a henna tattoo. I couldn't get a tattoo - too painful. & I'm just not really a fan of tattoos.
Last year I'm pretty sure we walked round the outside, but this year it was pretty windy so we walked through the school. We saw Hazel outside the reception area - well, the inbetween area between reception & the way out to the terraces, & she told us that for the time being we had to walk the whole way round the tent to enter. She also told us she wanted us to make ourselves known to the photographer, so that they had photos of younger people, & the fact that we were OEs was just an added bonus.
As we got ourselves a glass of free pink champagne I told Hannah that I was drinking more - but only wine. Actually, just Lambrusco, Buck's Fizz, & white wine spritzers. But still. I'm getting past my complete fear of it (thank you very much, American) though I still thinking getting drunk is ridiculous. We moved into the tent, but there were a lot of women crowding up the entrance, making it hard to squeeze through. I thought about checking our table seating on the board in the entrance but my Mom had mentioned we were right by the stage, so I figured we'd find it or she'd show us. && so we squeezed through the crowds & looked around the stalls - I noticed the Age Concern one (my Mom's somehow involved with them) - & we checked out what everyone was wearing & who was here. We saw the photographer, but didn't say anything. Also, last year there were these 2 women who were basically goth twins. Well, they're super tanned (totally over the top) & have suuuch black hair, (always worn really elaborately), way too much make up, & odd dresses. The dresses would probably look nice if they just toned it down a bit. Anyway, we figured out one of the goth women was the mother of a girl in choir who would be singing today. I really dislike the mother because she is very pushy, & was rude towards me because I got the main solo at the Christmas services, not her daughter. But her daughter does have a lovely voice.
While we were looking around we saw the woman I wrote about after this event last year, & Hannah burst out laughing & said she'd been telling someone about it just the other day. It was quite funny, & anyone I've told the story to has agreed with what I was saying. But it's probably best if I don't repeat it. My Mom came over to talk then & said she was worried because they were putting her in skinny white jeans for the make over. I'm sure she'll be fine. Though I usually think of skinny white jeans as a young people thing. Then, my Mom went & introduced us to two of her friends who were running the Age Concern stall, & basically ditched us there. I can't remember the name of one of the women, but the other was Maggie. Her son works in the theatre & TV, & she saw my production last week. So we had a quick talk about the arts, & then she asked me my favourite author. Samuel Richardson was the first person to pop into my head, & I really do love 'Pamela' so I said him. I'm not sure if she actually knew who he was. Kudos if she did. && she said she preferred seeing Arthur Miller plays to Shakespeare. I couldn't entirely agree. I see them as 2 different types of theatre, which yes you can compare, but you could also argue that they're very different. So, um, yeah. I let her move onto Hannah then, & she quizzed her about art, & then said Hannah & I would probably be friends for life. I've never really labelled my friendship with Hannah, so I felt a teeny bit awkward then. We were looking for a way to escape this dwindling conversation, when Maggie said we mustn't let her keep us, so we were just about to say goodbye when she continued talking. Uggh. I hate it when I get caught in conversations, & totally can't get out of them. We started talking about how our feet were hurting, & were going to sit down, when Maggie said her feet were hurting too . . . & the conversation continued. Eventually Hannah just said her feet were really hurting & that she just had to sit down, so we said our goodbyes. I felt rude, but some people I just don't gel with. Maggie seemed nice, but I don't really like to talk about the things I'm interested in. Which sounds silly, but I have my passions, & I usually have friends who are not interested in there areas, or if they are, it's just a minor thing, & there are things they're more interested in. So when someone else comes along & tries to talk to me about these things I'm like "Woah, back off." I don't mean anything by it. I just rarely feel comfortable talking about it. I know. I'm weird.
We saw my Mom then, & she showed us to our table, which really was right by the stage. There were a few of my Mom's friends sitting there already, but I could only remember one of their names. Awkward. They all said hi to me, so I didn't have to remember their names in the end. The woman next to Hannah was quite old, & as we were talking she caught my eye. I felt it would be rude not to say hi, so we both did. And then the woman basically told us her life story. I really had no idea how to react when she told us her husband left us with her 2 year old son for another woman, & then died about three years later after suffering from Parkinsons. Obviously her son has all grown up now (this story came up when she started telling us her son used to go here) so these events happened a while ago, but I still didn't know what to say. The school's music scholars were singing & playing & the sound was blasting from the speakers, which also made it really hard to hear. After we finished our conversation with this woman Hannah said she hadn't known how to react to her story either. So then we just chatted. My Mom got some wine for her table, so I had some. It wasn't to my liking, but I drank it anyway. Must keep up appearances of normality.
Lunch was served, & Maggie was really nice & said because I didn't eat chicken I could have her slice of the asparagus quiche, but I really didn't need it. She was really be nice & insisting I have it, but I was fine. I had another brief conversation with her while Hannah was caught talking to the woman next to her. She asked me if I liked contemporary music. I said yes. I didn't know how to elaborate. I told her I didn't like screamo and country & western. I probably should have asked her what music she liked, but I just found talking to her so awkward. I don't know why. She said her son always told her to tell people who wanted to go into his industry that it was very hard, & that he'd been struggling. She was trying to be kind, but I figured that I was 19, & have been focusing on this for over 10 years, so of course I knew the industry was hard. But I'm being overly critical here. She was probably just looking for common ground. I felt even more awkward when my Mom asked Maggie if she'd told me about her son. She had. We still had very little to talk about.
Hannah & I were originally going to get Eton Mess for pudding, but my Mom chose this vanilla turrine & it looked so good that we went for it too. I thought it would taste better than it did, but the raspberry sauce was lovely. && then the speaker for this year started. She ran 'Save Our Souls', which teaches women how to dress better, & for their shape & colour palette. My Mom is on the Parent's Society, so had been asked to be one of the models, along with another woman. The other woman went first, & was told she was an autumn palette (warm colours). When the palettes were both held against her skin the warm ones obviously looked better. Then my Mom was up on stage. It was harder to tell with her, but I would say the cool palette (spring) was a little more striking against her. I don't think my Mom was pleased, as she wears very warm colours, but she's lucky because they all look good on her really. Maggie said she thought the warm looked best, & I said I thought they both looked good, but the cool possibly just won for me. Then she went back stage to get her new outfit, while the woman talked to us about the clothes best for us. I didn't necessarily agree when she talked about how to dress with big boobs. As someone who probably has some of the biggest natural boobs in the country I had to totally disagree. She said wear long necklaces - they just hang off my boobs like a shelf. She said to wear very deep v-necks - whenever I do people just look at my boobs even more & say I'm trying to raw attention to them. There were a few other things she said which I had to say from experience were totally wrong. Hannah agreed. Then they were ready to show us the clothes. The woman who went before my Mom came out in a green maxi dress, (which was quite nice), a coral pashmina, & a big brown belt just under her chest. Oh, & a long necklace. The dress was nice, but the belt & necklace pushed everything weirdly, & made it quite unflattering. Then my Mom came out. Her legs looked soooo skinny (well, she does have very skinny legs), but she was wearing this polka dot mac which bulked her out & hid her shape. Apparently they'd lost the blazer they'd picked out for her. She looked better without the mac, & had a purple sleeveless top with a blue cardi on. Then the woman fastened the cardi, which was unflattering. But the jeans looked good. & they also found the blazer, which looked nice with the rest of the outfit. I took some photos on her camera for her - shocked at the quality, I must say I've been quite spoiled by my cameras. One of my Mom's friends commented that she'd never realised just how skinny my Mom was. That was nice - I've got to remember to tell her that.
When my Mom came to sit down Maggie told her that she thought both colours looked good on her, & I said I liked everything but the mac & the blue cardi. Hannah said she liked everything, & my Mom said that a far as she was concerned what I'd said was high praise coming from me. =p
The woman finished her talk, & my Mom got some beautiful flowers as a thank you for taking part. They really were lovely. Hannah & I just stayed at the table & chatted, until she said she had to put some more cream on her tattoo. We exited the tent from the far side just as the raffle started, & Hannah took off her heels to walk across the grass. The queue in the bathroom was quite long, but she only needed to wash her hands. We headed back but were a little too nervous to walk through the tent while everyone was focusing on the raffle. We passed the musicians still sitting at a table by the entrance, & when we got back to the table Hannah asked me why they were still here. I replied that they probably had nothing better to do with their time. Mary McCarthy, who was helping out with the raffle right in front of her table, laughed & said she'd heard what I said (thinking I'd meant it about the people running the raffle). I felt mortified, & said I hadn't been talking about her, but I'm not sure if she believed me. She said she didn't mind though. Mary really is very sweet, & I wouldn't say that about her even if I did think the raffle people had nothing better to do with their time. Which isn't true anyway.
After the raffle everyone started dispersing, & Maggie got up to go. I tried to catch her eye to say goodbye, but she didn't look at me. I'm not sure if she was purposefully ignoring me, or just thought I wasn't worth the bother. I felt a twinge of guilt then, but I really hadn't know what to say to her. After she left my Mom asked me how she was, & I admitted that I hadn't really had much to say. My Mom reprimanded me then & said she was grieving for her husband, which made me feel awful, until I asked when it had happened. She said it happened seventeen years ago, which made me feel less bad. My Mom said it shouldn't make any difference that it had happened seventeen years ago, but it does, even if just a little bit. If it had just happened very recently then I would have admired her for being able to come out to an event like this, because I certainly wouldn't be able to. But after seventeen years I probably would have been able to leave the house. So that's the difference.
Hannah & I flipped through the magazine that we'd been given for free (last year we got free hair care) & I pointed out the shots I wanted to do. She said she could do those poses, & we just needed to find the locations & then voila. My Mom came back & said the jeans were only £8, so she'd probably get them, & maybe the tops too. She also very kindly gave us money for afternoon tea - I'm sure it was free last time. Hannah got a piece of chocolate cake, while I went for a piece of Victoria Sponge cake, & we both had tea. Jean was serving, so I said hey. Oh & Hannah called her mum to ask if she had the money to pay for the ticket, but Elaine was at the LS swimming gala, so my Mom said she'd write a check for her now & Hannah would pay her back at the party tonight. I thought that was very nice of her.
We headed back to our table, & I remembered to reply to a text I'd gotten from Vicky about the cast meal. Boffey had a tennis match, so she was asking if we were still having the meal. I said it was up to them. Hazel came over & asked if Hannah's tattoo was real or henna. Hannah think that Hazel's estimation of her has gone down now. After finishing our afternoon tea we headed outside the tent. The weather had been so up and down - cool, windy, hot, humid. We were hot now, & right above the tent there were blue skies & white clouds, but above the benches we were going to sit down on there were grey clouds that looked like they might burst at any moment. Before we got to the benches 2 boys went & sat there, so we just sat on the little steps & took our heels off & talked some more. Alex approached to ask me if we were having the cast dinner & I said it was up to them, so she said we were having it. We then saw Dave AR walking over to talk to the boys on the benches. He's back from UCLA to go to the ball with his girlfriend. He didn't acknowledge us at first, but at one point we both looked up at the same time, so he had to wave & smile (it was more of a grimace). I waved back & told Hannah, so she looked up & waved too. He returned the wave & showed teeth when he smiled. Hannah said he was being weird, & that even though we weren't close, he should still have come over to at least say hey. He left, & it started to spit a little bit, so we headed over to my house.
She wanted to see my new laptop & camera, so I showed them & we went through facebook profiles of people we knew. I think she was a bit pissed off with the girls we used to hang out with at school, so we were looking at what they'd been doing recently. Hugh came in & got cereal & I just thought it was nice how he got on with Hannah. Her mum called & asked Hannah to pick her up for the Leaving Drinks at my house (for the teachers leaving at the end of this year) so I told my Mom we'd be back in 10mins & that I had my phone with me. Hannah had All Time Low's CD playing, & I'm not sure what I think of it. It's the type of music I used to listen to all the time, but over the last year or so - probably more - it's become a bit samey to me. I do like their single 'Lost in Stereo' though.
Hannah changed out of her heels at her house & showed me the photos on her camera from her night out last night. Her mum finished getting ready - after being a bit annoyed at Hannah for the mess she'd left her room in - & we got back to my house. (Max called me on the way home to apologise for not seeing me today. He said he'd been in school for the last four hours, but he'd just been so busy. I thought it was nice of him to actually call & apologise, but it wasn't as if I'd been waiting around for him today. He said he might see me tomorrow, but he probably won't.) But anyway, Hannah & I went out into the garden when we got back, where my Dad told us that actually my Mom was wrong to invite us to this party, as it was a Common Room party, & that we should leave. First I showed Hannah our new patio area, & then we went & got food from Jean. We tried this tomato sticks & cranberry with cheese puffs. They were particularly nice.
We headed in then & wondered what the hell to do. Usually we take photos, or watch movies, or bake. We couldn't exactly bake now. So it was either movies or photos. We headed up to my room (stopping on the way to show Hannah my brother's drawing, before he rushed in & grabbed them & said they weren't good enough to be seen, although Hannah assured him that wasn't true) & lay on my bed for a bit before deciding to go & look at photos taken over the years on my laptop. We decided we'd have to put up some of the really bad ones of people we knew. After we'd finished Hannah wanted to look through the photos on my flickr & decide which ones to sell, so we started doing that until her mum said it was time to go after an hour and a half. I then read until the party finished about an hour later. There were no cranberry puffs left. Great sadness.
I read some more until my parents called me up to watch TV with them all. I had 3 lemon sherbets left from a packet we got back at Christmas, so I gave one to my brother & my Dad. My Mom said she couldn't have them because of her teeth, so I had the last one. My Mom started to fall asleep, & after BB was finished my Dad told Hugh & I to go to bed. My Mom was still partially awake, so I told her how lovely this day had been. I enjoyed my evening, & the routine of spending time with my family. I felt a bit sad that my Dad basically tentatively asked me if I wanted to watch it with them. I don't mean to be stroppy about watching it. Just it's annoying to watch it so late usually, & usually when I won't watch it I've just had a fight with my Mom, so am upset. But really I like spending time with them all. =)
Actually really like these, in photos i wasn't a fan but spotting it in person it looks alot nicer!
This was the best selling car in Ireland in 2021 and these only came out in January!
Executive Plus is the highest spec you can get in lreland which costs around €40,000
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Kim actually took a day off from work! We were up early and went out to the Ojito Wilderness near San Ysidro. We were there by 0800 under a low ceiling of cloud and wildfire haze. The haze wasn't as bad there as it was in ABQ.
We had a great time walking around and ran into this fellow on one of the rocks. He had lots to tell us, when he'd stop dancing, but mostly it had to do with events in the Jurassic.
We didn't listen to him when he advised going back to US 550 the way we had come in. After all, his info is a bit dated.
We continued on the dirt road after leaving the parking area. Two hours later after traveling across pretty heavily unmaintained roads, and having to turn back one time not being able to cross the Rio Puerco in our non-amphibious vehicle and finding another road, we made it back to US 550 about half way to Cuba (NM not the island).
Kim thought it was marvelous, being away from work and not having to wear a mask. She wears one all day long in the OR.
Tomorrow we might go up to Fenton Lake and come back by way of Bandelier.
Hello BLINKs!! Are you ready for our next SHOW?
We are so happy to invite you all to
Actually Love Date Agency
Saturday16 time 4:00 PM SLT.
🎵 Feel the energy, dance to the
beats, and sing your heart out to all your favorite songs and dancing with us💃
️ Date: Saturday 16
🕐 Time: 4:00 PMsl
📍 Venue: Actually Love Date Agency
Actually our grandson will have a long wait. The Cafe was closed for the season for renovations so we did not get to try it. He chose a bag of snacks instead.
Taken at the George Ranch in Richmond, TX
_DSF4726
The front gates are actually fixed allowing only a narrow passage giving room for only one person at a time to pass though the gates. I have heard two different explanations for these very usual gates.
One suggests that when Osgoode Hall was built there was open pasture land nearby and the gates were intended to preclude cows wandering onto the grounds.
The second which is the one I lean towards is that it would make it very difficult for a mob to access the grounds. Layers were deeply in politics of the time and latter was a decidedly unruly affair with violent behaviour not unknown.
I actually took this (and a few other ornaments) to the beach on Monday, but it was so overcast that I decided not to take photos. So they got a trip out, and a walk along the beach lol!
When I got back to town it was nicer, so I went to a park and had a little photo shoot there instead :-)
All shells found and carefully collected by me from beautiful NZ beaches.
>More of my beach finds on flickr :-D
Katasraj temple is a Hindu temple situated in the Chakwal district of Punjab in Pakistan. Dedicated to Shiva, the temple has existed since the days of Mahābhārata and the Pandava brothers spent a substantial part of their exile at the site. The Pakistan Government is considering nominating the temple complex for World Heritage Site status. It also proposes to spend about Rs 20 million in three phases for the restoration of the complex.
Most of the temples, located some 40 km from the modern city of Chakwal in the Potohar region of northern Punjab in Pakistan, were built during the reign of Hindu kings. These several temples were built around 900 years ago or more, although the earliest of the Katasraj temples dates back to the latter half of the 6th century A.D. Scholars believe that most of the temples were actually constructed when the Shahi kingdom, driven from Afghanistan when their ethnic cousin Mahmud of Ghanavi came to power, fled to the region and set up base there.
The temple was abandoned by local Hindus when they migrated to East Punjab in 1947. It has always been the site of holy pilgrimage for people of various faiths. Even nowadays, worshippers from all faiths perform pilgrimages to the temple every year and bathe in the sacred pool around which Katasraj is built.
The Katas site houses the Satgraha, a group of seven ancient temples, remains of a Buddhist stupa, a few medieval temples, havelis and some recently constructed temples, scattered around a pond considered holy by Hindus. The temples at Katas are mostly constructed on square platforms. The elevation of the sub shrines seems to form a series of cornices with small rows of pillars, crowned by a ribbed dome.
The Ramachandra temple is situated to the east of the Hari Singh Haveli and is closed from all sides except for an entrance on the east. The double-storied structure has eight rooms of various dimensions on the ground floor and a staircase at the south leading to the first floor. The temple has two jharokas (balconies) that have been severely damaged.
The Hanuman temple is on the western extreme of a high rectangular enclosure with entrances on the south and the north. The temple's ceiling is undecorated, and lime-plastered. The Shiva temple is also built on a square platform. Its entrance is a recessed round arch with faint cusps and a rectangular opening to the north.
Katasraj temple complex is believed to date back to the Mahabharata era. There are stories about the Pandavas spending time there during their long exile. The lake in the complex is believed to have magical powers and supposed to be where Yudhisthira defeated the Yaksha with his wisdom to bring his brothers back to life.
(From wikipedia)