Designated Sept. 9th each year in honor of American President Teddy Roosevelt., our 26th President. CHEERS

Ings land is designated to flood in periods of high water. Ings is an old word of Old English origin referring to water meadows and marshes.

This field and numerous other are still well covered in flood water adjacent to the canal. The fields are farmed during the summer as can be seen from the bale of hay left over.

The Pocklington Canal is a broad canal that runs for 9.5 miles through nine locks from the Canal Head near Pocklington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, to the River Derwent which it joins near East Cottingwith. Most of it lies within a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest

The Saint Sophia church (Church of God's Wisdom) in Ohrid has a fascinating history! It replaced two earlier predecessors and dates to the end of X century when Tsar Samuil moved the capital of the Bulgarian Empire to Ohrid at the time of its greatest power and extent, and designated this church to serve as the main cathedral of his realm and the seat of its own Patriarch. Its frescos date to XI century; although they are obviously damaged, they are one of the outstanding examples of the Byzantine art from that time, along with those in the eponymous cathedral in Kyiv. The church has survived almost intact because the Ottoman Turks who had conquered the Balkans in XIV-XV centuries converted it into a mosque during their rule rather than had it destroyed.

История Софийской церкви в Охриде очень интересна! Она была построена в конце Х века на месте двух предшественниц царём Самуилом, сделавшим Охрид столицей Болгарского царстваа в эпоху его наибольшего могущества, как главный храм своей державы. Фрески XI века, несмотря на очевидные повреждения, являются одним из выдающихся памятников византийского искусства той эпохи наряду с фресками тёзки этой церкви в Киеве. Софийская церковь сохранилась до наших дней практически без изменений потому что турки-османы, захватившие Балканы в XIV-XV веках, не разрушили её а обратили её в мечеть на время их владычества.

The wind was strong today and it was very cold.

A wish for a disease-free illness A man enters the sea.

Country Designated Important Intangible Cultural Asset

"Sagicho Oiso 2017"

One of the headlands along the Dorset coast, now designated as a World Heritage Site. In an area known as the 'Isle of Purbeck'

Excerpt from brucecounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Shortlist/index.html?app...:

806 Huron Terrace: The house is a Victorian-Queen Anne style red brick two-storey house and was built in 1912 by John Mills for Samuel Farrell. The brick for the house came from the Paisley brick works. The barn behind the house was used to keep the horses. Mr. Farrell used for the delivery of main in Kincardine. He sorted the mail in the loft above the stables.

Designation By-law 1990-002, on January 18, 1990.

Excerpt from www.stcatharines.ca/en/building-and-renovating/resources/...:

51 Mountain Street

Ball House

The original stone portion of this house has a two-storey, five bay aspect facing the driveway. The main facade is of split face ashlar coursing with cut stone quoins. The sidewalls are of a more random coursing and all stone is chiefly local. All the windows have solid stone sills; some with solid stone lintels and others with a flat arch of the same local stone. The land on which the building is located was originally a Crown Grant to George Ball in 1796. The property was sold to the Public Works Department in 1843 and was then turned over to the Welland Canal Loan Company. During this period, the building was used as the home of the lockmaster, overseeing the work of 17 locktenders.

Excerpt from www.centralelgin.org/en/recreation-and-culture/Heritage/H...:

Windjammer Inn

324 Smith Street, Port Stanley

Situated in the heart of Port Stanley, the Shepard House(circa 1854) was built by Samuel Shepard, a prominent business man and grain merchant. The house has been tastefully restored to become the Windjammer Inn featuring relaxed, comfortable rooms, with award winning cuisine.

Excerpt from www.stthomas.ca/living_here/parks__recreation_and_propert...:

Thought to be named after a popular Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, Pinafore Park was first developed by the St. Thomas Street Railway Company in the later years of the 19th century. It was their hope that a recreational feature would encourage passenger traffic on the newly electrified railway.

Many changes have taken place since 1863, yet Pinafore Park still remains a unique spot for recreation and pleasure with something to offer everyone. Century old pavilions nestled among towering trees provide an ideal setting for family picnics. The beautiful flower displays created each year are the product of the hard work of our park’s crews.

Pinafore Park is oriented to the active outdoor enthusiast with hiking and cross-country ski trails, tennis courts and its first-class ball stadium, Emslie Field. In addition to its beauty and accessible layout, Pinafore boasts a small lake, the Rotary Splashpad, accessible playground equipment and the magnificent Morris F. Jones Memorial Bandshell for the music lover.

Within Pinafore Park, there are 6 park pavilions that can be rented for family reunions, birthday parties, staff gatherings, wedding receptions and more! Each pavilion is unique, but all offer access to water and hydro.

Bobolink Trail Boulder

Excerpt from cdnsm5-hosted.civiclive.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_1218...:

In 1878 the American Hotel was constructed at 763-767 Talbot Street. This was THE hotel of the rail officials and its V.I.P.s. The buildings are located directly across the street and facing the Canadian Southern Depot and the Michigan Central Park.

Since then, there has been numerous businesses located here including Erie Smallwares, Hong Kong Variety, The Golden Crust Bakery and currently Streamliners Espresso Bar.

The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) is an American torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air and naval aviation services around the world.

The Avenger entered U.S. service in 1942, and first saw action during the Battle of Midway. Despite the loss of five of the six Avengers on its combat debut, it survived in service to become one of the outstanding torpedo bombers of World War II. Greatly modified after the war, it remained in use until the 1960s

There were three crew members: pilot, turret gunner and radioman/bombardier/ventral gunner.

( Info. according to Wikipedia)

Best experienced in full screen! Please press 'Z'

Thanks for your view.

Christie

The property was designated a heritage site by the City of Stratford in 1987 for its association with Annie Macpherson, founder of the Match Box Makers mission for impoverished children in 1866. Born in Scotland, Macpherson was appalled by the conditions in which children in London were living. An estimated 100,000 children were sent abroad in the hope they would have a better life.

Excerpt from cdnsm5-hosted.civiclive.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_1218...:

Dingman House, 91 Metcalfe Street:

This two storey brick neo-classic Greek Revival house with a three-bay front has a double-hung central door with a shallow curved fan light. Large Italianate brackets at the eves support a hip-roof. One two-storey Greek-revival porch is supported by Ionic columns which support a balcony over the door while another semi-circular porch is accessed from the main floor via double-hung doors.

The property continues to be owned by the Dingman family. L.H. Dingman was owner/publisher of the St. Thomas Times which St. Thomas Times-Journal newspaper.

Excerpt from brucecounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Shortlist/index.html?app...:

816 Princes Street: The house was built circa 1890 by the John Watson Family and in 1911 became the property of the William Mitchell Family. In the late 1930's it was purchased by Howard R Magwood and on his death it became the home of his daughter Dorothy and her husband Bert Hartley. During the late 1800's Architects and builders borrowed ideas from various styles including Classical Revival and Italianate and incorporated them in their design. The structure if of yellow brick and the distinctive decorative trim particularly around the eaves.

Designation By-law 4640, on December 20, 1984

Excerpt from www.stcatharines.ca/en/building-and-renovating/resources/...:

479 Vine Street

Gibson-McIsaac-Smith House

This one and one half storey brick veneer home was built around 1870. It is one of the few remaining structures of its time in the north end of St. Catharines area. The house has a hipped roof with boxed cornice and frieze. All of the windows are double hung in a two over two pane arrangement. One interesting feature of the house is that above the door is a segmental transom which opens for ventilation.

~ Intellectual Gatherings ~

*Georgian Squares in Edinburgh & a Poetry Garden in the City of Literature.A Square with Vibrant Colours & Verses ...

*The Grandeur of St Andrew Square & The designated Poetry Garden * UNESCO city of literature *

St Andrew Square was built in 1770 and is part of the New Town design.The centrepiece of the Garden is the fluted column of the Melville Monument,commemorating Henry Dundas,1st Viscount Melville,a politician described as the uncrowned king of Scotland.

*Its construction has a literary link as the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson,the world-famous author and poet, was a lighthouse engineer,and he was consulted about the foundations for the 150ft monument when it was built in 1823.

*In the 1780’s, during the Scottish Enlightenment period,St Andrew Square was free from the inconveniencies of the old city and was the most fashionable address in the New Town.

* On 4th April 2008,the Garden with the wonderful pool and the pathways around,opened to the public for the first time in 230 years and dedicated space to Poetry.

Richard Holloway,once Chairman of the Scottish Arts Council,said that the wonderful thing about having a Poetry Garden in a famous square,in a beautiful city,is the way it will help people to pause for a minute and let Poetry into their lives.

"Wring the Scottish Rain Clouds Dry ...

the summer's sun slowed down

to pearl-sheen dusk on hillsides and on lochs at midnight.

And, most of all, take the years that have already run to dust,

the dust we spill behind us…

All this,distill,and cask,and wait ...

The senselessness of human things resolves

to Who we Are and our Present Fate.

Let's taste,let's savour and enjoy ...

Here's life! Here's courage to go on ... " Ron Butlin

"A Recipe for Whisky" ~ Without a Backward Glance & a 'wee dram' just to calm me heid ... Aye All Good ‘N Fine ... ♥

* Grateful Thanks my Friends for your visits & comments *

Excerpt from brucecounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Shortlist/index.html?app...:

219 Lambton Street: Sir Alexander MacKenzie's summer home, he was the only native of Bruce County to have been knighted. This building dominated the streetscape and surroundings and reminds one of an important era in the town's history. It is now home to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 183.

Designation By-law 4086, on September 15, 1977.

Excerpt from storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/18052a440fb9498cbd247ad5105b...:

Stone Barn | 2113 No 25 Side Road

The stone barn, also known as an English Barn, was constructed in 1875. It is a unique style of barn with 22 inch thick walls, and is known to have existed in England well before the seventeenth century. It is one of the largest stone barns still standing in the Region of Halton.

I am getting fond of this Pelargonium for its scented leaves and easy-going free-flowering nature and was pleasantly surprised to find it designated as a Plant for Pollinators by the RHS

Excerpt from storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/18052a440fb9498cbd247ad5105b...:

59 Mill Street

This building, constructed in 1856, is a two storey terrace house on a raised basement which comprises the west half of a two unit building. It is Georgian in style with a 3 bay front elevation. The entrance consists of a panelled door with rectangular transom and sidelights. All windows are double hung with six lights in each sash. The front and side elevations are finished using ashlar limestone blocks with tooled faces laid in a coursed, broken-bond pattern. The south-west corner of the building is set off with bevelled limestone quoins and all openings are spanned with simple limestone lintels.

The home, one of the first semi-detached homes in Milton, was constructed by Edward Martin, son of Jasper Martin, and was rented. It was the residence of G.T. Bastedo, a lawyer and the first appointed Clerk of the Justice of Peace and County Attorney for Halton.

I've always found it very ironic that the one day in America designated for kindness and gratitude is also a day when the multitudes make a conscious choice to eat an animal when they don't have to.

It was my love of cats that made me decide to go vegetarian at 13 years old because I was taught to not discriminate against humans so why not apply the same to animals? How could I justify eating a pig, a turkey, a cow if I could never eat a cat or a dog? It made me question the way our society values some lives more than others and caused me to start thinking with a mind for social justice too. When systems say "It's ok to do this even when you feel this...." all you have to do is follow the money. Factory farming in this country in and of itself is a multi billion dollar industry that causes great harm to both animals and the environment. Why should we choose profit over the lives of animals as well as our own health?

There are so many stray cats in need of love and medical treatment. To me, it is like living in a city where you see people sleeping and begging on the street often. You feel like every dollar you give will never be enough. But, there's something to be said for when you are part of a vast world of great suffering and you help even one life.

This cat was found in a rescue orientated cat café and was actually provided with multiple medical treatments out of the pockets of the volunteers who worked there to keep it alive. One of the best cats I ever had, Buckley (named after Tim and Jeff), was a cat I adopted after a volunteer at the rescue agency paid over $2000 for a surgery, which I definitely would not have been able to afford at that time in my life. Buckley lived at least a decade in my arms and resembled this little guy. He would head butt me in bed and I'd lift up my blanket and he'd sleep and purr right beside me all night. When the time came for his life to end, I held him in my arms until his very last breath and I have no doubt he knew he was loved. All of this because someone said, "Yes, there is immeasurable suffering on this Earth but I can make a choice to make it less for this creature. "

Our choices matter.

**All photos are copyrighted**

Pumpkin patch at Harris Farms, Minesing Ontario

Thanksgiving Day is an annual Canadian holiday, occurring on the second Monday in October. The day has been celebrated as an annual holiday in Canada since November 6, 1879, when parliament passed a law designating a national day of thanksgiving.

Excerpt from www.stcatharines.ca/en/building-and-renovating/resources/...:

92 Henry Street

This one storey house was constructed in 1853 by prominent local builder James Dougan Senior. The building, which has been moved twice since its construction, was most notably used as the Classical and Commercial School by Reverend Thomas D. Phillips from 1862 to 1866. The building has been used for residential purposes since that time. Although the building has undergone some alterations over 150 years its basic structure remains unchanged. The façade is dominated by a broad Victorian style veranda and exhibits mid-nineteenth century Ontario vernacular style with such Classical Revival elements as the rectilinear door and window openings and the eave returns at the rear.

Excerpt from cdnsm5-hosted.civiclive.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_1218...:

Elgin County Land Registry Office

The Elgin County Registry Office is a fine example of the registry offices constructed throughout the province during the last quarter of the 19th century. The building, erected in 1874, with additions in 1888 and 1909, is Italianate in style.

This is a designated location in Tbilisi, Georgia, for people to leave their leashed dogs. However, Tbilisi is overrun with stray dogs who spend their days sleeping on the streets. In this case, this stray dog obeyed the rule on his/her own but alas, didn't have a leash. Concern was not too evident here.

The New York, Susquehanna & Western has invaded East Binghamton, NY Delaware & Hudson's rail yards as ordered by a bankruptcy judge in New York State. Guilford has pulled out of town for the last time, a story we all know about and NYS&W now the designated operator for the D&H lines. The operation is in full swing by the time of this shot and there are no shortages of "45 power" on this day of my visit to the yard. several SD45s and NRL F45s are spread about. These two happened to be in a fine position for a clean roster, so the shutter went "click"!

FWIW, the 3618 still operates today on "Q".

Excerpt from discoverbelleville.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/COB-Heri...:

240 William Street (designated 1991):

Built 1874. Brick building is T-shaped, with three bay windows on the main floor which lends to it some character. Of special interest is the handsome enclosed winter or storm porch with its long narrow rounded windows which help to enhance the tone of the other plainer windows which help to enhance the tone of the other plainer windows and the house as a whole.

Excerpt from discoverbelleville.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/COB-Heri...:

227 John Street (designated 1992):

Built in 1917, originally owned by Fredrick Quick. Mr. Quick sold men’s clothing at Market Square and later moved his store to what is now Greenley’s Book Store. It’s a combination of Old English Cottage, Western Bungalow, Craftsman and Colonial styles.

the area underneath the water at Abbott's Lagoon (about 200 acres in total) is federally designated wilderness, but the surrounding lands are all working ranches. doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

this image is part of a new project i'm working on -- if you'd like to see more, please click here:

www.lauraalicewatt.com/#an-evolving-landscape/1

Excerpt from www.centralelgin.org/en/recreation-and-culture/Heritage/H...:

Morrow House

232 Colborne Street, Port Stanley

The Morrow house in Port Stanley has been designated for both cultural and architectural reasons. It is a fine example of a Regency Cottage style with the central doorway with pilasters on either side. The windows are balanced and features typical sashes of the 1840s. The building was originally the first library in Port and later the offices of Dr. Jackson and then Dr. Clinton Bell. It had been neglected for many years but a few years ago, John and Cathy Morrow purchased the home and restored much of its heritage features.

Happy New Year everyone... be safe, don't drink and drive.

Excerpt from discoverbelleville.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/COB-Heri...:

Kinsmen Park, 151 Dundas Street (designated 1991):

The Dundas Street East burying ground was consecrated on March 3, 1828 as one of Belleville’s first cemeteries. Old surveys and registered land plans shows a lot marked “WM burying grounds”, presumably meaning Wesleyan Methodist. In 1872 when the Belleville Cemetery on Dundas Street West was opened, it is speculated that bodies could have been transferred there and the cemetery ritually closed by the Wesleyan Methodist congregation. Belleville Cemetery did not keep precise records prior to 1895, therefore there are no records of any such transfers, leaving the only way to tell by identifying names on aged gravestones. In 1916 the land was sold to Francis and Mary O’Flynn by the City for tax arrears by the owner of the ground. The O’Flynn’s in turn sold the land back to the City in 1925 to preserve the property for use as a public park or “open breathing space”. In the early 1950’s the land was leased to the Kinsmen Club who have established and maintained the site as a children’s playground until this day. However, it is presumed that many of our earliest settlers are buried there and that the part they played in establishing the City of Belleville as very important.

Excerpt from discoverbelleville.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/COB-Heri...:

258 Front Street (designated 1983):

Original stone building approximately 1824; this foundation still exists. A third storey was added about 1883. The present brick facade was probably added in 1891. This building was originally used as a bakery; in the basement are the remains of a large open hearth. Building retains original tin ceiling and wood ceiling at the store level.

Excerpt from discoverbelleville.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/COB-Heri...:

Foster Ward Community Centre, 75 St. Paul Street (designated 1985):

Built in 1899 by Abbott, Mitchell Steel & Iron Company. Specific features of this building are the polychromatic brickwork, quoining, bell-shaped roof and interior wood casing and trim. The north side of the building presents the facade with centred main door, with one large sash window on each side. The second floor has three large sash windows. All the windows and doors present the same characteristics as wood sills and yellow coloured brick voussoir arches above the plinth of the building which is made out of large pieces of stone.

Florida designated the endangered gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) as the official state tortoise in 2008 (Senate Bill 1486). Florida recognizes two other reptiles as state symbols (American alligator and loggerhead sea turtle). All State Reptiles.

The gopher tortoise is a land based tortoise, preferring to make their homes in the high and dry sand pine scrub areas of the state. They dig burrows in the ground that can go as deep as 10 feet and 40 feet in length. These burrows are important not only to the tortoise but are also used by over 350 other species including other state residents such as the indigo snake, gopher frog and gopher cricket. On a sunny day you will find gopher tortoises out and about feeding on some of their favorite grasses and small plants

A major threat to our gopher tortoises is vehicle traffic, as they often try to cross roads to find new areas to feed or dig burrows.

I found this one at Walk In The Water Wildlife Management Area in Lake Wales, Polk County, Florida.

Designated Corman Week

Antigua Guatemala (commonly referred to as just Antigua or la Antigua) is a city in the central highlands of Guatemala famous for its well-preserved Spanish Baroque influenced architecture as well as a number of spectacular ruins of colonial churches. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Excerpt from brucecounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Shortlist/index.html?app...:

236 Harbour Street: The Lighthouse structure is typical of an integrated lighthouse combined with the keeper's house. Although the element of the Lighthouse are similar to others of its type, the pleasing proportions, the rhythm of the windows, the colour scheme of the white and red and the location in the town scape make this Lighthouse unique. It has become the symbol-the-logo of the former Town of Kincardine and now for the Municipality of Kincardine and is featured on the majority of its promotional material.

Designation By-law 2009-008, on January 28, 2009.

Excerpt from www.stcatharines.ca/en/building-and-renovating/resources/...:

135 Bradley Street

Locktender’s House

A historically significant building which was built in approximately 1849-51 was originally used as a semi-detached locktenders house and located adjacent to the second Welland Canal. It is a one and one half storey building made of local sandstone laid in random coursing with dressed limestone quoins at the corners. This dwelling is one of the few remaining 19th century pink sandstone cottages in St. Catharines. The land on which this building is located was originally part of a 100 acre Crown Grant in 1804 to Jacob Ball Sr. It was purchased from the Crown in 1937 by Mr. David M. Florence for $800. The backyard of the property was once a quarry and some of the stone that was used on the former Second Welland Canal was apparently quarried at this location.

Magpie - Pica Pica......

The Eurasian magpie or common magpie (Pica pica) is a resident breeding bird throughout northern part of Eurasian continent. It is one of several birds in the crow family designated magpies, and belongs to the Holarctic radiation of "monochrome" magpies. In Europe, "magpie" is used by English speakers as a synonym for the European magpie: the only other magpie in Europe is the Iberian magpie (Cyanopica cooki), which is limited to the Iberian Peninsula.

The Eurasian magpie is one of the most intelligent birds, and it is believed to be one of the most intelligent of all non-human animals. The expansion of its nidopallium is approximately the same in its relative size as the brain of chimpanzees, orangutans and humans.

Magpies were originally known as simply "pies". This comes from a proto-Indoeuropean root meaning "pointed", in reference to either the beak or the tail. The prefix "mag" dates from the 16th century and comes from the short form of the given name Margaret, which was once used to mean women in general (as Joe or Jack is used for men today); the pie's call was considered to sound like the idle chattering of a woman, and so it came to be called the "Mag pie". "Pie" as a term for the bird dates to the 13th century, and the word "pied", first recorded in 1552, became applied to other birds that resembled the magpie in having black-and-white plumage.

The range of the magpie extends across temperate Eurasia from Spain and Ireland in the west to the Kamchatka Peninsula. The species has been introduced in Japan on the island of Kyushu.

The preferred habit is open countryside with scattered trees and magpies are normally absent from treeless areas and dense forests. They sometimes breed at high densities in suburban settings such as parks and gardens. They can often be found close to the centre of cities.

Magpies are normally sedentary and spend winters close to their nesting territories but birds living near the northern limit of their range in Sweden, Finland and Russia can move south in harsh weather.

A study conducted near Sheffield in Britain, using birds with coloured rings on their legs, found that only 22% of fledglings survived their first year. For subsequent years, the survival rate for the adult birds was 69%, implying that for those birds that survive the first year, the average total lifespan was 3.7 years. The maximum age recorded for a magpie is 21 years and 8 months for a bird from near Coventry in England that was ringed in 1925 and shot in 1947.

The Eurasian magpie is believed not only to be among the most intelligent of birds but among the most intelligent of all animals. Along with the jackdaw, the Eurasian magpie's nidopallium is approximately the same relative size as those in chimpanzees and humans, significantly larger than the gibbon's. Like other corvids, such as ravens and crows, their total brain-to-body mass ratio is equal to most great apes and cetaceans. A 2004 review suggests that the intelligence of the corvid family to which the Eurasian magpie belongs is equivalent to that of great apes (chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas) in terms of social cognition, causal reasoning, flexibility, imagination and prospection.

Magpies have been observed engaging in elaborate social rituals, possibly including the expression of grief. Mirror self-recognition has been demonstrated in European magpies, making them one of only a few species to possess this capability.The cognitive abilities of the Eurasian magpie are regarded as evidence that intelligence evolved independently in both corvids and primates. This is indicated by tool use, an ability to hide and store food across seasons, episodic memory, using their own experience to predict the behavior of conspecifics. Another behaviour exhibiting intelligence is cutting their food in correctly sized proportions for the size of their young. In captivity, magpies have been observed counting up to get food, imitating human voices, and regularly using tools to clean their own cages.[citation needed] In the wild, they organise themselves into gangs and use complex strategies hunting other birds and when confronted by predators.

In Europe, magpies have been historically demonized by humans, mainly as a result of superstition and myth. The bird has found itself in this situation mainly by association, says Steve Roud: Large blackbirds, like crows and ravens, are viewed as evil in British folklore and white birds are viewed as good". In European folklore, the magpie is associated with a number of superstitions surrounding its reputation as an omen of ill fortune. In the 19th century book, A Guide to the Scientific Knowledge of Things Familiar, a proverb concerning magpies is recited: A single magpie in spring, foul weather will bring The book further explains that this superstition arises from the habits of pairs of magpies to forage together only when the weather is fine. In Scotland, a magpie near the window of the house is said to foretell death. An English tradition holds that a single magpie be greeted with a salutation in order to ward off the bad luck it may bring. A greeting might take the form of saying the words ‘Good morning, Mr Magpie, how are Mrs Magpie and all the other little magpies?’

Population:

UK breeding:

600,000 territories

Excerpt from www.stcatharines.ca/en/building-and-renovating/resources/...:

344 Merritt Street

Former Merritton Library

The former Merritton Public Library was built in 1924 through a grant for the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. The building was designed in the Neo Tudor Style by renowned local architect Arthur Nicholson of the firm Nicholson and Macbeth. The architectural features of this building include a prominent front entrance to the left of the front façade. The entrance is a large stone Tudor-arch with decorative buttresses. When originally built the entrance was flanked by two bulb lamps that stood from the concrete step and the bolts for the lamps can still be seen today. A decorated parapet surrounds the flat roof and there is a single chimney that projects on the left side of the building. The exterior of the building is a dark discoloured rough brick. Surrounding the building is a light coloured stone frieze located below the diamond shaped stone decorations in the brickwork. The numerous windows allow a great deal of natural light into the building. Surrounded by wooden mullions, the windows repeat primarily in sets of three.

Excerpt from www.centralelgin.org/en/recreation-and-culture/Heritage/H...:

Kettle Creek Inn

216 Joseph Street, Port Stanley

Built as a summer home for the local Port Stanley Justice of the Peace in 1849, the main building first became an inn in 1918. The buildings was significantly restored in 1983 and 1990 by the present owners. English style gardens, a folksy gazebo, and the two cozy dining rooms all provide old world charm.

Tagajo was founded as the local government and the military site in 724.

Now the historic area is designated as the national special historic spot.

I introduce th photos I took at a cloudy day.

多賀城は西暦724年に、地方政治の中心地として、また軍事基地として創建されました。

現在、史跡は国の特別史跡となっています。

ある曇った日に撮影した写真を紹介します。

Location : goo.gl/7YnJEV

Reeds designate a biotope and a plant community in the shallow water and bank edge area of bodies of water. It consists of tall, reed-like plants (reed plants) such as common reeds (Phragmites australis), bulrushes (Typha spec.), porcupines (Sparganium spec.), canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) and water swaths (Glyceria maxima); also from calamus (Acorus calamus), flag iris (Iris pseudacorus), swan flower (Butomus umbellatus), frog spoon (Alisma spec.) and other species.

Röhricht bezeichnet ein Biotop und eine Pflanzengesellschaft im Flachwasser- und Uferrandbereich von Gewässern. Es besteht aus großwüchsigen, schilfartigen Pflanzen (Röhrichtpflanzen) wie Schilfrohr (Phragmites australis), Rohrkolben (Typha spec.), Igelkolben (Sparganium spec.), Rohr-Glanzgras (Phalaris arundinacea) und Wasser-Schwaden (Glyceria maxima); ferner aus Kalmus (Acorus calamus), Sumpf-Schwertlilie (Iris pseudacorus), Schwanenblume (Butomus umbellatus), Froschlöffel (Alisma spec.) und aus weiteren Arten.

Wiki

~ Intellectual Gatherings ~

Georgian Squares in Edinburgh & a Poetry Garden in the City of Literature.A Square with Vibrant Colours & Verses ...

*The Grandeur of St Andrew Square & The designated Poetry Garden * UNESCO city of literature *

*St Andrew Square was built in 1770 and is part of the New Town design.The centrepiece of the Garden is the fluted column of the Melville Monument,commemorating Henry Dundas,1st Viscount Melville,a politician described as the uncrowned king of Scotland.

Its construction has a literary link as the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson,the world-famous author and poet, was a lighthouse engineer,and he was consulted about the foundations for the 150ft monument when it was built in 1823.

*In the 1780’s, during the Scottish Enlightenment period,St Andrew Square was free from the inconveniencies of the old city and was the most fashionable address in the New Town.

On 4th April 2008,the Garden with the wonderful pool and the pathways around,opened to the public for the first time in 230 years and dedicated space to Poetry.

*Richard Holloway,once Chairman of the Scottish Arts Council,said that the wonderful thing about having a Poetry Garden in a famous square,in a beautiful city,is the way it will help people to pause for a minute and let Poetry into their lives.

"Wring the Scottish Rain Clouds Dry ...

the summer's sun slowed down

to pearl-sheen dusk on hillsides and on lochs at midnight.

And, most of all, take the years that have already run to dust,

the dust we spill behind us…

All this,distill,and cask,and wait ...

The senselessness of human things resolves

to Who we Are and our Present Fate.

Let's taste,let's savour and enjoy ...

Here's life! Here's courage to go on ... " Ron Butlin

"A Recipe for Whisky" ~ Without a Backward Glance & a 'wee dram' just to calm me heid ... Aye All Good ‘N Fine ... ♥

♥ * Grateful Thanks my Friends for your visits & comments * ♥

Himeji Castle is a hilltop Japanese castle complex located in Himeji, in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.

The castle is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network of 83 buildings with advanced defensive systems from the feudal period. The castle is frequently known as Hakuro-jō ("White Egret Castle") or Shirasagi-jō ("White Heron Castle") because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a bird taking flight.

Himeji Castle dates to 1333, when Akamatsu Norimura built a fort on top of Himeyama hill. The fort was dismantled and rebuilt as Himeyama Castle in 1346, and then remodeled into Himeji Castle two centuries later. Himeji Castle was then significantly remodeled in 1581 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who added a three-story castle keep. In 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu awarded the castle to Ikeda Terumasa for his help in the Battle of Sekigahara, and Ikeda completely rebuilt the castle from 1601 to 1609, expanding it into a large castle complex.

Several buildings were later added to the castle complex by Honda Tadamasa from 1617 to 1618. For over 400 years, Himeji Castle has remained intact, even throughout the extensive bombing of Himeji in World War II, and natural disasters such as the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake.

Himeji Castle is the largest and most visited castle in Japan, and it was registered in 1993 as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country. The area within the middle moat of the castle complex is a designated Special Historic Site and five structures of the castle are also designated National Treasures. Along with Matsumoto Castle and Kumamoto Castle, Himeji Castle is considered one of Japan's three premier castles. In order to preserve the castle buildings, it underwent restoration work for several years and reopened to the public on March 27, 2015. The works also removed decades of dirt and grime, restoring the formerly gray roof to its original brilliant white color.

Snowbirds- 11-Ct-114 Tudors starting up the engines

Boundary Bay Air Demonstration

British Columbia

Canada

The Snowbirds, officially known as 431 Air Demonstration Squadron are the military aerobatics or air show flight demonstration team of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The team is based at 15 Wing Moose Jaw near Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The Snowbirds' official purpose is to "demonstrate the skill, professionalism, and teamwork of Canadian Forces personnel". The Snowbirds are the first Canadian air demonstration team to be designated as a squadron.

The show team flies 11 CT-114 Tutors—nine for aerobatic performances, including two solo aircraft, and two as spares, flown by the team coordinators. Approximately 80 Canadian Forces personnel work with the squadron full-time; 24 personnel are in the show team that travels during the show season. The Snowbirds are the only major military aerobatics team that operates without a support aircraft.

The Snowbirds continue the flying demonstration tradition of previous Canadian air force aerobatic teams, which include the Siskins, the Blue Devils, the Golden Hawks, and the Golden Centennaires.

Number 431 Squadron formed on 11 November 1942, at RAF Burn (in North Yorkshire), flying Wellington B.X medium bombers with No. 4 Group RAF Bomber Command. The squadron moved to RAF Tholthorpe in mid-1943 as part of the move to bring all RCAF squadrons into one operational group – No. 6 Group RCAF – and converted to Halifax B.V four-engined heavy bombers. In December 1943 the squadron moved to RAF Croft where it was re-equipped with Halifax IIIs and later, Lancaster B.X aircraft. The squadron moved to RCAF Station Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, after the war, disbanding there on 5 September 1945.

Info: Wikipedia

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGyOaCXr8Lw

A special shout-out to all my Flickr friends and visitors, for taking the time to view and acknowledge my photography.

I appreciate your visits & kind words of support.

~Christie by the River

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*** No part of this image may be copied, reproduced, or distributed outside Flickr, without my express written permission. Thank-you