Working hard(!) on the pavements about Lancashire

19:15

I've been thinking -- the first aid kit I found in the kitchen, it's new. Brand new, and very well-stocked. It has the construction company logo on it, so I guess that's who provided it -- in case a worker was injured. Which makes sense, but...

It just seems...damn convenient. I can't tell if I'm being unreasonably paranoid. I like to keep my paranoia reasonable. I want to go up to the third floor for the best chance at cell reception, but I don't want to leave Ramirez alone.

I wish I knew whether to feel sorry for him, and protective, or smug and self-righteous about what happened to him.

If he's NOT involved, and he WAS actually attacked -- I guess I can feel extra crappy, later, if it turns out he has nothing to do with any of this.

I'm making us something to eat. At least the wood burning appliances haven't yet been replaced by electric ones or we'd be down to breakfast bars and trail mix.

20:03

Soup, crackers, and coffee have warmed and relaxed us. Ramirez is using the brandy for a painkiller, but I'm going to steer clear and stay clear. Someone might try to get in here and I need to be ready.

20:45

Ramirez isn't feeling much pain, now. He's starting to consider the cool factor of the eventual scar. He's pretty darn cute when he's helpless and tipsy.

I need to focus.

When he's like this, I feel guilty for thinking he might be involved in this scam -- IF it is a scam. That's not to say I believe the house and estate are haunted, but there could be odd... things going on, mixed in with the direct, human involvement. I don't dismiss "odd" out-of-hand.

I'd like for Ramirez to not be involved in this, obviously, but I can't believe blindly. He's asked me to read aloud to him from some of the journals. He says working on that will take his mind off the pain and help to pass the time. I pointed out that he probably didn't feel any pain already, but that I could use the distraction too.

21:48

We've been going through all of the diaries, journals, and notes; jotting down points of interest and dates, or guesses at dates, putting together a timeline of events. There are inconsistencies, glaring ones.

The stillborn baby seems to be the focal point, things are relatively normal until that event. Well, American Gothic normal, I suppose.

There's talk of rats, a lot of talk, and some property disputes with locals, but it was after the baby's death that things got "out of control odd." Supposedly, the wife was sent abroad to recover after the stillbirth, but the maid writes about her downward spiral in health and spirits like she never left, and also remarks on the husband's health deteriorating. He apparently became obsessed with the spirit world of the Native Americans in the area, the same ones with whom he was having the property disputes.

The husband's new spiritual interest is apparently what brings the Native American man in the painting, to the estate.

Oddly, though the husband's journals indicate he sent his wife away almost immediately after the death of their child, the maid's diaries suggest that some time passes -- maybe as much as a year. Ramirez has begun adding the Latin translations to our timeline. These journals were kept by the family friend, the doctor, and he had another opinion about things.

He insists the infant's death was unpreventable and even "a blessing." He says the child was "imperfectly made" and that those imperfections caused the infant's death. He must have meant some kind of terrible birth defects.

Ramirez isn't sure if the doctor's delicate description of the infant's condition was a product of the era, or an effort to spare the husband and wife's sensibilities, in the event they were ever to lay eyes upon his notes.

Whatever the case, he didn't allow either of them to view the body, and there's a suggestion that the coffin that was buried was empty, that the baby was buried in an unmarked grave to prevent anyone from seeing its condition.

Ramirez said that might have been done, not only to protect the emotions of the family, but to keep "freak collectors" from stealing and preserving the body to peddle for sideshow exploitation.

Something about the unmarked grave, and Ramirez' remarks struck a cold chord in me, and I quickly looked through the paintings for one in particular -- the gardener at night.

I thought it was a depiction of a gardener because he was digging in the garden.

Digging.

(This story originally appeared on my main page. Archived here. The rest of the original story, with new images, will follow.

Original comments are below.)

-:|:- Brit 💋 Applewhyte -:|:-, Elite Fashion Model - Vicky Macnelly and 38 more people faved this

Alex Allen

9y

nice shot

Teddi Beres

9y

Alex Allen (hugs) Thank you!

cold pail (deleted)

9y

I should have left you some cake!

Teddi Beres

9y

Mmmm, cake! (giggles)

belladonna quixote

9y

I love this story! (If you ever need an extra, let me know!)

Teddi Beres

9y

belladonna quixote Thank you, and you know I will! (hugs)

Chatwick Harpax

9y

The Brandy seems to be coming in quite handy? Maybe you need to investigate that angle a little bit more In-depth ;)

Teddi Beres

9y

Chatwick Harpax (giggles) SOMEbody has to stay sober! We're in danger!

-:|:- Brit 💋 Applewhyte -:|:-, Candy Rinq [mabelcnls Resident] and 28 more people faved this

belladonna quixote

9y

Ted, pick his pocket while he's passed out. lol

Teddi Beres

9y

belladonna quixote There is NO way I'm sticking my hand into his pocket. That's EXACTLY his plan. (giggles)

-:|:- Brit 💋 Applewhyte -:|:-, Candy Rinq [mabelcnls Resident] and 29 more people faved this

belladonna quixote

9y

OMG! That's a RAT! (jumps on a table)

Teddi Beres

9y

belladonna quixote (falls over, giggling)

-:|:- Brit 💋 Applewhyte -:|:-, ARnnO PLAneR and 41 more people faved this

Erebus Darkfold

9y

Hey, I look super sinister! Excellent work!

belladonna quixote

9y

Dark and creepy. You guys scare me. lol

Art Dreamed Award

Art Dreamed Award ;

Teddi Beres

9y

Erebus Darkfold Just captured the inner you. (giggles) Thank you!

Teddi Beres

9y

belladonna quixote Hooray! It's working! (huggles) Thank you bunches!

Chatwick Harpax

9y

Cannot wait till the next installment, on pins n needles ;)

Teddi Beres

9y

Chatwick Harpax Yay! Thank you lots and lots! I'm so glad you're enjoying it and...the wait is over! (There's a new Bluff image up.) hugs you

Precious Note (deleted)

9y

This is my favourite so far!! I love the concept and composition!

Teddi Beres

9y

Precious Note That's super terrific to hear! I was trying to create a sense of depth, along with the darkness and I'm all bouncy-happy that you like it! (hugs)

Strobist info:

Nikon D300

SB800 in the hole with colored gel, bounced off white garbage bag to spread light. SB900 on stand with reflecting umbrella to the upper left of subject. Lighting equipment was removed in post production.

Washed acrylic// random painting

Noah and Cody dug for hours. I like the depth of field here...comes from shooting with my telephoto lens from my viewpoint flat on my belly on a beach blanket!

- for cables so I can control the rig from the relative warmth of the cabin next door.

This was taken at Nash Point yesterday - I've no idea what the man was looking for but in my imagination thought it might be gold!!!

Creuseurs trying their luck along the road

All photos should be credited to Fairphone

Under Creative Commons license "Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC BY-NC-SA."

This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as you credit us and license our new creations under the identical terms.

creativecommons.org/licenses

Maya is digging again near the river:)

Pendleton, Indiana (01-28-09) The snow storm that swept across Indiana and much of the Midwest Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning left Pendleton, as well as the rest of Indiana, digging out much of Wednesday.

Many businesses and all of the area schools were closed because of the road conditions. Devon Price and George Price, for the Pendleton-Gazette, were out Wednesday morning and captured what the snow storm left behind.

Black-capped Chickadee

Cadent seem to be quite successful in their quest to find gas on Maidenhall Approach.

Here is Abel using an attachment on the tractor for digging holes for grow bags. We continually try to automate the more laborious tasks in the nursery to become more efficient and keep our crew safer.

This echidna was busy trying to protect itself from us by digging into the clay , under a fallen tree .

The photo lets us see the line outlining the spine area .. this 'valley' is seen because both sides of the echidna are lifted up & out, to let those very powerful 'spade-tipped' legs & feet dig freely , while acting as a shield.

80th birthday cake with two interests, gardening and bowls. Redeemed voucher from a ladies night at Mitre 10. Proceeds towards youth suicide, they raised several thousand dollars

Digging to get access to the other side of the duct work in a dirt crawlspace with an entrenching shovel

Saw at the wet lands.

Got a video of its feeding as well.

Digging out of the turn during the pole bending event. The Georgia High School Rodeo Association event at the QC Arena in Gay, Georgia.

Nikon D7000 -- Nikon 80-200mm F2.8 ED

100mm

F4@1/500th

ISO 4,000

Cropped

(DSC_7008 - 2)

©Don Brown 2016

Be careful what you wish for, we got the big snow storm that I wanted and a bit more... 21 inches worth! For the first time in 27 years I missed a shift because of weather. Good thing, it snowed harder this afternoon than I can remember including the blizzard of '93. I would be stranded at the tower... without beer :-)

This was after the 2nd shoveling !

A bee at work on a thistle; must be a risky job.

Lovely new embroidery pattern for the April 2014 issue of the Bustle & Sew eMagazine - original design by Flapdoodledesigns.

Hit 'L' to view on large.

Abandoned quarry somewhere local to us in Wales. A nice hour of mostly macro photography and detail work just to get out for a fix.

Full set here: www.flickr.com/photos/timster1973/sets/72157633121349941/

Also on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TimKniftonPhotography

Digging this setup

derek.broox.com/photos/maiden-voyage-at-lake-red-rock/40985/

ODC - Down on the farm

Common snipe (Gallinago gallinago)

Toronto City Hall, viewed from the 17th-floor observation deck of the Canada Life Building during Doors Open.

Erecting columns for a new advertising sign.

Work to build a permanent Sounder train station in Tukwila includes construction of a new parking lot by contractor Absher Construction; the parking lot should open in December. New train platforms nearby are being built in phases to allow uninterrupted passenger service. The project is slated for completion next spring.

anthropology of the beach

Bella digging a hole, what more can I say, it's a "Springer thing".

Digging out the side of the mountain on Spitsbergen that will house the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

Credit: Mari Tefre/Global Crop Diversity Trust

visit us online: www.croptrust.org

Jeune blaireau étonnamment sorti de son terrier en plein milieu de la journée

Probably digging a hole to the other side of the earth, probably trying to link up the one I tried to dig about 18 years ago!! (0:

Digging for geoducks in the Hood Canal, 1973. From the EPA Documerica archive.

Men at work with theodolite and excavator.

Mrs WJ's video of the digging sand wasp. She sounds like a high pitched hammer drill (the more continuous droning are Green Eyed Flower Bees, the low frequency sound is the lens stabiliser)

I happened to noticed this guy on other side of the area at the Tuba Fest doing a lot of squirming. Then I seen why, it was cold this day.