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Otago Peninsula, New Zealand
15:33 3 January 2020
Class:Mammalia
Order:Carnivora
Clade:Pinnipedia
Family:Otariidae
Arctocephalus forsteri
"Before the arrival of humans in New Zealand, the species bred around all the New Zealand mainland and its subantarctic islands. There are now established and expanding colonies around the entire South Island, on Stewart Island and all of the New Zealand subantarctic islands. There are also newly established breeding colonies on the North Island." - Wikipedia
You can see the entire collection of fashion posts at my personal blog, located here:
I hope you enjoy your visit! ❅
Put together like so:
Head: Lelutka EvoX Avalon 4.0
Body: Maitreya Lara X 1.1
Skin: Amara Beauty
Eyes: Avi-Glam
Hairstyle: Truth Collective - Mistral - Brunette Pack
Hairbase: Angel Eyes
Shape: Mine - Laurna - Lara X 1.1 - 2024
Enhancements by:
Cazimi, Izzie's, addon+, OYI, Tutti Belli, Eventyra
Apparel:
Outfit: Valentina E. - Giovanna Ensemble - Berry
Hosiery: Aleutia - Black Tights (BOM)
Footwear: KC Couture - Britney Boots - Fatpack
Jewelry:
Earrings: AvaWay - Mia Earrings - Gold
Bracelets: Michan - Edna Bracelets - Champagne Gold
Gemstone Ring: Orsini Jewel Care - Christina Ring - Fatpack/Gold
Poses:
Loel - Beloved & Endless Autumn
Liparis liliifolia, the Lily-leaved Twayblade Orchid
A photograph of the entire plant and its namesake pair of large lily-shaped basal leaves.
This was quite a thrill to see in flower: a 'life' species for me.
Virginia, United States of America.
IMG_0349-rev-liparis
Murales, Mural drawing inside the Miele swimming pool-ludroom in Milan created by artist Elena Conti
Entirely handmade by me.
For Catalina Hackney
Material: wood, paint, fabrics
Credits: Mandy chan (apple)
Illustrations: Mary Cicely Barker, Chuck Groenig, Kate Mason, Kunisaki, Jewelwing, Lumpalinda, Lindsay Vu, Rebecca Dautremer, Sarah Mensinga, Tasha, Val Webb, Warwick Goble.
It has come to my attention that some folks may see a homeless person in this pic. I saw and felt something else entirely. Clean, neat, shiny shoes, no other belongings with her, definitely not begging. I just see a dignified little old lady resting.
►►► Explore the world of HDR with me at farbspiel-photo.com - View. Learn. Connect.
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About | HDR Cookbook | Before-and-After | Making-of | Pics to play with
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(Hit 'f' to fave this image)
Watch the Before-and-After Comparison to see where this photo comes from!
The story of this photo:
This is the main room at the seat of the Consulate of the Sea in Valencia, Spain. This is where the important judicial decisions concerning the Mediterranean sea were taken since 1498. Of course, at that time the chairs and the projector have not been in here. ;-)
This was quite a tricky shot to process. The original source files were a bit on the dark side and had more noise than usual because I shot with an exposure compensation of -1EV (thought it would be a good idea at that time). So, I had to work with different intensities of noise reduction of different areas of the shot. Still, I like the result.
Enjoy!
Take a look at my "HDR Cookbook"! It contains some more information on my techniques.
How it was shot:
> Taken handheld [details]
> Three exposures (0, -2, +2ev)
> Camera: Nikon D90
> Lens: Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm 1:3,5-5,6G ED VR
> Details can be found here
How it was tone-mapped:
> Preparation: developed the RAW files with ACR mainly in order to reduce the CA [details]
> Resulting TIF images were then used as input to Photomatix
> Tone-mapping: Photomatix Pro 4.0 (Detail Enhancer)
How it was post-processed:
> Post-processing was done in Photoshop
> Topaz Adjust on the entire image to get back the colors and the details [details]
> Topaz Denoise on the entire image (different intensity in different areas) [details]
> Topaz Infocus on the entire image for sharpening
> Saturation layers on the floor, the curtains , and the projector (desaturation)
> Curves layer on the floor (more contrast)
> Saturation layer on the ceiling (toned down a bit)
> Levels layer on the ceiling (more contrast)
> Levels layers on the candleholders and the projector (more contrast)
> Sharpening using the high-pass filter [details]
> Vignette effect using a masked fill layer [details]
> Watermarking
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Learn these techniques at farbspiel-photo.com - View. Learn. Connect.
- Thanks for viewing!
Here is a shot from a year ago on my first visit to Devon Tower. This is just such a cool place that I always wanted to visit so I figured it was time to get a few of these up on Flickr too.
Anyway, while waiting for the P&W freight that was the reason for this trip I also saw a parade of Amtrak and commuter train. I know you may find this hard to believe but until this day I'd never shot a moving Metro North train! Despite being the busiest railroad in New England and the third busiest commuter railroad in the nation I'd never photographed them out on the line.
I suppose the fact that almost all their trains are electric multiple units just didn't excite me, but now I kind of regret never shooting the old Budd M2s and now have to settle for the new Kawaski M8s of which over 400 are in service.
The New Haven line ranks as the single busiest commuter line in the nation with an average of 125,000 daily weekday riders on the 74 mile mainline and its three branches. To put it in perspective the entire nearly 400 mile MBTA commuter system where I work hauls about that same number daily on the entire network!
In addition to Amtrak three MTA trains passed while hanging out here at Naugatuck Junction next to old New Haven Devon Tower (SS71). First up was an eastbound for New Haven in the shadows, then train 1916 a branch shuttle headed to Waterbury behind a Brookville BL20GH seen here, and then a Westbound for Grand Central in brilliant sunshine.
Milford, Connecticut
Friday November 8, 2019
The Skeena River is the second-longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada (after the Fraser River). Since ancient times, the Skeena has been an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan—whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River," respectively. The river and its basin sustain a wide variety of fish, wildlife, and vegetation; and communities native to the area depend on the health of the river. The Tsimshian migrated to the Lower Skeena River, and the Gitxsan occupy territory of the Upper Skeena.
During the Omineca Gold Rush, steamboat services ran from the sea to Hazelton, which was the jumping-off point for the trails to the goldfields. The Hudson's Bay Company established a major trading post on the Skeena at what became called Port Simpson, British Columbia (Lax Kw'alaams), where nine tribes of the Tsimshian nation settled about 1834. Other tribes live elsewhere in BC, and descendants of one group in Metlatkala, Alaska.
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The Valentine & Sons' Publishing Co., Ltd.
The earliest Canadian postcards published by Valentine & Sons were uncoloured collotypes of scenery along the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway north of Lake Superior and in the Rocky Mountains. Typically, Valentine postcards have a 6-digit serial number (###,###) on the view side with the initials “J.V.” in a circle adjacent to that number. The main series of numbering begins with a Halifax card as no. 100,000 and ends (as far as we know) with a postcard of Toronto as no. 115,981. There are also two short runs of numbers in the 400,000 range that are found on some cards from the Yukon Territory and a longer run of views from various parts of Canada that begins at 600,000 and continues past 602,000.
106,000 – 1911 (January)
107,000 – 1911 (December)
108,000 – 1912 (August)*
Link to everything you wanted to know about the - Valentine & Sons Publishing Co. - torontopostcardclub.com/canadian-postcard-publishers/vale...
The entire grounds of the Thien Vuong pagoda are filled with surprises. Beautiful murals peek through the trees, drums are heard and if you are very quiet you can hear the beautiful chimes when you walk through the gardens. Monks and nuns lead a quiet life here and engage in meditation and other intellectual pursuits. What a lovely oasis inspired by the ethnic Chinese to enjoy the joys of nature and the Buddhist religion.
The River Witham in Lincoln, Lincolnshire.
The River Witham is a river almost entirely in the county of Lincolnshire in the east of England. It rises south of Grantham close to South Witham, passes Lincoln and at Boston, flows into The Haven, a tidal arm of The Wash, near RSPB Frampton Marsh. The name "Witham" seems to be extremely old and of unknown origin. Archaeological and documentary evidence shows the importance of the Witham as a navigation from the Iron Age onwards.
From Roman times it was navigable to Lincoln, from where the Fossdyke was constructed to link it to the River Trent. The mouth of the river moved in 1014 following severe flooding, and Boston became important as a port. From 1142 onwards, sluices were constructed to prevent flooding by the sea, and this culminated in the Great Sluice, which was constructed in 1766.
It maintained river levels above Boston and helped to scour the channel below it. The land through which the lower river runs has been the subject of much land drainage, and many drains are connected to the Witham by flood doors, which block them off if river levels rise rapidly.
The river is navigable from Brayford Pool in Lincoln to Boston, with Locks only in Lincoln, at Bardney and at the Grand Sluice. Passage through the Grand Sluice lock is restricted to short periods when the tidal levels are suitable.
The river provides access for boaters to the Witham Navigable Drains, to the north of Boston, and to the South Forty-Foot Drain to the south, which was reopened as part of the Fens Waterways Link, a project to link the river to the River Nene near Peterborough. From Brayford Pool, the Fossdyke Navigation still links to the Trent.
Information Source:
Check out the Entire Album of "Mahamaham | SouthIndianKumbamela 2016" for more pictures.
Mahamaham is a Hindu festival celebrated every 12 years in the Mahamaham tank located in the South Indian town of Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, India. Hindus consider taking a holy dip at the Mahamaham tank on the day of Mahamaham as sacred. The last Mahamaham was celebrated on February, 2016 with more than 10 lakh people from various places taking the holy dip in the Mahamaham tank.
Astronomically, maham or magha is a nakshatra (constellation) in Leo sign (Simha Rasi). Since Sun takes a year to go round (as viewed from earth, as if earth is stationary), this festival is celebrated in the month when full moon occurs as moon is passing Magha nakshatra (Leo sign) and Sun is on the other end in the opposite Acquarius sign (Kumnha Rasi). Jupiter or Guru takes twelve years to go around to complete one full revolution and during this sojourn, it spends one year in Leo once every twelve years. Mahamagham occurs once in twelve years when when the planet Jupiter's residence in Leo co-incides with full-moon in Leo. This is also considered a powerful astrological combination since Jupiter and Moon will be on the same constellation with Sun on the other side, which is considered very auspicious and highly beneficial. On the day of the festival, it is believed to bring all water bodies together and enrich the tank with minerals.
People are washing their sins and earning puniyam on the holy rivers like Ganges, Yamuna, Sarasvati River, Sarayu, Godavari River, Mahanadi River, Narmada River, Pavoshnl and Kaveri River. These rivers wanted to get rid of their sins and approached Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma advised these rivers if you meet together and take bath in Mahamaham would wash off all the sins. Hence, during the time of Mahamaham festival, it is also believed that taking bath in the holy stream of water from the famous rivers like Ganges, Yamuna, Sarasvati River, Sarayu, Godavari River, Mahanadi River, Narmada River, Pavoshnl and Kaveri River, which are mixed together in Mahamaham tank, would get rid of sins according to beliefs. The images of the deities indicating the legend, is housed in the nearby Kasi Viswanatha Temple.
Mahamaham bathing festival is concentrated on a single day, the concourse of pilgrims being all the more. During this festival, thousands of Hindu devotees come to Kumbakonam, and take bath in a tank named Mahamaham tank, generally followed or preceded by a dip in the kaveri river at Kumbakonam. The tank has 20 holy wells. These wells are named after 20 holy rivers flowing across India. People get themselves drained in these wells. These wells are also called as "Theertham" (Holy water).
On the Mahamaham day people start with praying these Siva temples. This is continued by dips in the 20 wells, visit to Kumbeswarar Temple, dip in the holy tank and finally in Kaveri river to complete the process.
Source:Wiki
For more Info.
After showering almost entire day, finally the rain had gone.
I had been waiting for 2 hours in the shower until Machu Picchu appeared to my eyes. It is very fantastic moment. What a great place on our Earth.
This entire bowl is a made of ridges of concentric circles. Added a little blue tissue paper underneath for color and my close-up lens filters. Natural low-light.
This bowl belonged to my first grade teacher. She also taught me piano. Hubby and I bought our first house right next door to her. When she passed, her son allowed me to keep this bowl. One of my prized possessions. Saw it, and couldn't think of a better choice for my "circles"
Thank you for our visit, faves and comments.
44% of the entire Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad Roster is seen here working the interchange with Norfolk Southern. This is the east end of the historic shortline extending 47 miles across the rolling sand hills of central North Carolina from Aberdeen.
The A&R is the rarest of shortlines. It is neither a former Class 1 line spun off nor is it part of a large shortline holding company. It is still a locally owned and independent railroad headquartered out of a tidy historic two story Federal Style brick building built in 1904 in Aberdeen. Chartered in 1892 it was two decades later before the rails finally reached this point, their furthest extent, and they have remained in service since.
I will not go into too much more history here, but this road is worthy of more study. If you're interested check out the road's own web site: www.aberdeen-rockfish.com/html/a_r_history.html
For you locomotive fans here this consist is particularly special. It includes four distinct models of EMD units three of which were bought New by the road and have been on the property their entire lives. In order:
400 is a GP38 built June 1968
300 is a low nose GP18 built August 1963
2486 is a CF7 acquired from the Blue Mountain & Reading. It was originally an F7A built in August 1959 as Santa Fe 259C. It was rebuilt in the AT&SF's Cleburne Shops in 1975.
205 is a GP7 built September 1951. Reportedly this is the ONLY GP7 still owned and in service with its original purchaser.
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Friday May 29, 2015
Monds Roller Mill.
Built in 1824 by Tasmanian miller Thomas Monds this imposing stone building operated as a mill until 1924.
For almost the entire time of its operation the mill was operated by Thomas Mond and his family consortium.
At the time of its demise the mill was the last water powered flour mill operating in Tasmania.
In the intervening years the mill has undergone many and varied business ventures.
Today it is empty and awaiting to be re-invented into another venture.
Carrick, Tasmania.
The entire journey of an A-Z Doll Photography Challenge cycle is so fun, but the collective collage photos at the end of the cycle is truly one of my favorite parts! I know some of you have already created yours, and I'm excited to view them and comment on them. If you played cycle 3.0 and haven't created a collage yet, I hope you will consider creating one! Please tag me and submit them to the A-Z group if you do. I'd love to see them! Even if you were only inspired to play a few themes this cycle, feel free to play along. :)
If anyone is curious, my personal top three favorites here are my "Doppelganger" with Patrick Stewart as Professor X and Captain Picard, "Jewelry Junkie" with Polaris, and "Moody Photography" with Mystique. Tell me yours! I'm so curious!
I also want to thank everyone who participated in this A-Z Doll Photography Challenge 3.0 challenge. Many of you have voiced that you would be interested in doing another A-Z challenge in the future. Although I love this group and the challenge, I'm ready for a little bit of a break. Leslie (Bogostick) and I will be sure to keep everyone posted if/when we decide to start a new cycle. Thank you so much for making the A-Z group so fun, interactive, and inspiring. You all are amazing!
Leslie (Bogostick), THANK YOU for everything you’ve done throughout this and every A-Z cycle. You do so much to keep this group running so smoothly and to keep it interesting and inspiring. You are a true inspiration and talent in the dolly community, and I wholeheartedly believe your presence and leadership in the group is what draws dolly photographers into the group. I just can’t thank you enough for being my co-pilot. ❤️
Here are links to each of the photos above, if you are interested. :)
A - Apple www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/48952259318/in/album-7...
B - Bathtub/ Bath Time www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/48952827586/in/album-7...
C - Camouflaged www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/48952903816/in/album-7...
D - Doppelganger www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49107880171/in/album-7...
E - Everything '80s www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49111183041/in/album-7...
F - Frozen www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49149360242/in/album-7...
G - Going Green www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49464180836/in/album-7...
H - Havana www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49468416701/in/album-7...
I - Indulge www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49467926613/in/album-7...
J - Jewelry Junkie www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49543204791/in/album-7...
K - Knot www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49590568846/in/album-7...
L - Long Legs www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49592821873/in/album-7...
M - Moody Photography www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49700895531/in/album-7...
N - Numbers www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49719148587/in/album-7...
O - Orange Overload www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49721173476/in/album-7...
P - Pointed www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49802190817/in/album-7...
Q - Quilted www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49805087273/in/album-7...
R - Relationship Goals www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49837336307/in/album-7...
S - Something Sheer www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49934956501/in/album-7...
T - Tools of the Trade www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49935227658/in/album-7...
U - Upside Down www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/49936746737/in/album-7...
V - Voluminous Hair www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/50021997698/in/album-7...
W - Weathered www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/50026653563/in/album-7...
X - X-Large Prop www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/50056211513/in/album-7...
Y - Yearbook www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/50156693163/in/album-7...
Z - Zoom! www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/50178521812/in/album-7...
Bonus Theme - Redo www.flickr.com/photos/63559873@N06/50181963307/in/album-7...
Last year I was invited to exhibit at the Imagine Film Festival in Amsterdam. Unfortunately the event could not take place, but I still took the chance to recreate some vehicles from iconic movies. This is one of them: The Spinner from the original Blade Runner from 1982.
The Spinner has been tackled many many times by unbelievably talented LEGO builders and there are some fantastic versions that inspired parts of the model. The front end and the proportions are largely influenced by Calin's version, while the overall colour scheme is inspired by Tyler's model.
One aspect I payed particularly close attention to was designing the back in a way that would allow the yellow and red stripes to be completely brick-built. The "44" and the small yellow warning stripes are achieved via decals, the rest is entirely made with LEGO pieces.
I hope you like this new interpretation!
photography: Mami Liên
Pic: Ảnh gốc toàn bộ [The entire original image]
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Flick phụ Click vào bạn thấy nhiều hình khác of Linh
Flick 1 www.flickr.com/photos/53742511@N06/ Linh.Tolly
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Mein Herz schreit: Wo bist Du?
Mein Herz weint: Nicht hier!
Mein Herz sagt: Ich vermisse Dich!
Mein Herz flüstert: Ich liebe Dich!
View the entire Winter Landscapes Set
View the Entire - Idaho Set
View my - Most Interesting according to Flickr
get the entire story behind the enigmatic and Londons most prolific artist who inspired the crowd:
UR SO PORNO BABY! if u want it
Mr. Fahrenheit: Die wahre Geschichte
276 pages
as book and e-book
now available on
amazon.de- amzn.to/2jUhdvk
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San Bernardino, California
As most of you know, with LA Franchising going on, Waste Management replaced pretty much the entire Sun Valley fleet within a few short weeks. The last remaining Diesels were sent out of service at the end of June just as the new contract started. Kevin spotting 203030 driving (not being towed) down the 210 on June 30th, and that same day, I went to the shop to check the status of all the old Sun Valley trucks. I noticed that almost every single old truck was still listed as "active" or "flagged for disposal", meaning that they were still around somewhere and not scrapped.
Yesterday, I was informed by WM's area fleet director that they were in fact sending the old Sun Valley units to UTE in San Bernardino, where they are being assessed, and the ones that can still be used will be refurbished and sent to other sites. Excited to see that, Kevin, Bryan, and I made a last minute trip out here to see what was at UTE. It was like seeing a mini Sun Valley yard!
Only trucks missing from here that haven't been scrapped are:
- 205455 (WXLL/Wittke)
- 403899 (WhiteGMC Road Commander/Spartan)
-205975 (WX42/Wittke)
-207757 (MR/Leach)
Thanks to Kevin and Bryan for tagging along for the trip!
Now this looks entirely like Boulder - a rock with a hole in it visibly on display. That is enough for a guy to start scratching his head. If this were painted orange, it would be highly representative art.
eDDie, Olivia and I were on the way to the Boulder County hills for an eDDie autumn trek. We stopped at Boulder Falls on the way to Nederland, a hippie and biker community that used to be in a silver and tungsten mining area. I stuck around and snapped what I saw, even a rock with a hole in it, kinda like our orange president's head. It looks like this might have been a water-sculpted that broke from the the side of the waterfall and fell beneath the falling water for final sculpting.
Eddie called me this morning way early to tell me he had a photo excursion in his head and for all who know him, he can't fit anything else in his head. I have no idea why he has to roust me so early in the morning. I could just as easily studied my eyelids for a few hours more. I knew he was trying to kill his competition off, ME!
I grabbed my camera and monopod and met him outside. He wasn't letting any grass grow under his feet. After I guided him through Boulder and got him onto Canyon Boulevard he headed west up Boulder Canyon. I had to reiterate that he only needed to keep heading west on Canyon Boulevard! Sheesh... Did I say Eddie? He claimed he wanted to get up "Boulder Canyon" to Boulder Falls.
Times Square seems to give the pace for the entire globe and there is almost no other place in the world more known for cityscape photography. It is hard to capture this atmosphere in a unique photograph beside the mainstream. I was happy to find this new vantage point, that combines nicely the busy street scene with the strolling passengers and the oversized billboards. via WordPress ift.tt/28KyBi7 ------------------------------------------------ for the technique behind this shot and more, please visit my website: www.bit.ly/wernersworld !!! ------------------------------------------------ creative commons: Feel free to use photos with credits and links. No commercial use without permission. For commercial use, please contact me on my website and we will find an agreement for the permission!!! via ift.tt/28Mg2st
Panorama Grid Part 3. View my profile on Grid to check the entire panorama
Now I've learned the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, that some songs don't mean anything and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end.
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I may not be able to travel the world, I hope one day, I will. For now, if you love your city, your town, the places you've been to, please share it to me so we can share it to the world. If you have any panoramas to share, please DM and I will reply soonest. 🙏🙏🙏 This photo is just part of a my panorama. Please do check out my profile to check how it exactly looks. Comments and likes are much appreciated
______________________________________________________ ❤️💗💜💛💚💙 ❤️💗💜💛💚💙 ❤️💗💜💛💚💙 #art #colors_of_day #planets #bestofsingapore#tagsforlike #insta_world_life_ #instalike #clouds #bestoftheday#panoramaoftheday #japan #nature #sun#beautiful #summer #happy #instasg#picoftheday #magic #📷oftheday #creativeshots #panorama #shotoniPhone6 #loveofpanorama #iPhonePanorama #colors #igpowerclub ❤️💗💜💛💚💙 ❤️💗💜💛💚💙
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I had a premonition. Whenever I thought about our upcoming riverboat cruise on the Blue Danube two images came to mind: Bratislava and my father-in-law John suffering a heart attack while we were there.
12 April, Friday 2013
We set sail from Vienna at midnight and arrive in Bratislava at six in the morning.
7:00 a.m.
I am the first to leave our cabin on the ship and when I see that John's door is open and his clothes are on the floor by the bathroom I am alarmed and alert Chris who is not far behind me. But, I carry on to the lounge to finish writing post cards - there are only two days left on the cruise - we are due to return from Budapest, Hungary after breakfast on Sunday morning. The end of an eight day trip.
When I am done I climb downstairs to the dining lounge to look for Chris and John. After I walk around the entire room I joke to the last couple seated by the door that it is not like my husband and father-in-law to skip a meal.
The first thing I see is John's empty bed and when I realize that he has lost control of his bodily functions I know this is serious. John, who is wearing white boxer shorts and a white tee-shirt, is sitting in a chair by the bed and Chris is standing by. Chris tells me that his father has had a really bad night and that he needs to go to the hospital. The staff has been alerted and the paramedics are on their way.
John is sweating profusely and struggling to breathe,. He remembers me opening the window. I move to his side and ask him if this is all right. “Yes,” he says, “I’m dying.” Doctor’s have a name for this conviction: Angor animi, Latin for ‘anguish of the soul’. According to Dr. Gavin Francis, “as a sensation it carries great predictive power”. In the emergency room a patient’s belief that they are about to die is taken seriously.
I place my right hand on the nape of his neck and my left hand on his forehead while I assess the situation. John is drenched in sweat. I race to the bathroom sink and wet two wash cloths and place one behind his neck and he takes the other to wipe his face and head. Then he returns to bed, which is one step away, but he does not slide down far enough and his head is in an awkward position.
Most people know not to lay someone with breathing problems flat and John is struggling. I show Chris, who is about to pull his father forward, how to reposition John by reaching under his armpit and grasping his back. This works and together we are able to move his upper body forward. I place a pillow so that John is able to sit up.
Again I place my right hand on the nape of his neck and my left hand on his forehead. “I'm dying," he repeats "No you're not," I say this as though it is a ridiculous thing to do. I'm thinking, we’re on a cruise! John says that he can’t breathe and that he has water on the lungs. We can hear what doctors call the death rattle, when saliva accumulates in the throat.
I am loathe to tell my father-in-law what to do and when he mentions that he quit taking his diuretic as prescribed I do not say a word. But, now I remind him, “Once you receive your medication you will feel all right again”. I say this reassuringly.
I encourage Chris to make John’s bag of prescription drugs available - the doctors will want to know the names and the dosages. I grab fresh towels from the cart in the hall and cover John and the bed.
The Prestige is due to set sail at noon and I know it is going to leave without us so I suggest we start packing. First I send Chris across the hall to our room. I watch through the open door as our things are hastily thrown together. I call him back and suggest he pack for John - that way he can stay by his father’s side.
We are all set to go when the paramedics arrive with Peter, the twenty-five year old Slovakian waiter from the dining room who serves as our translator. As the paramedics work their magic I move partially onto the bed, close to John’s right ear, and explain what is happening. “There are three paramedics here and a doctor,” I tell him. This turned out not to be completely true - there was no doctor. John opens his eyes for a moment and smiles. "Good" he says. "I like a lot of attention." This is true.
Chris later told me that when he first saw his father John was seated on the toilet. He told Chris that he needed a minute - he had a bad night - and he said that he needed to go to Stanford Hospital right away.
Chris told a cleaning staff member who was in the hallway that his father needed a medical doctor. Wesley, the activities coordinator, came and told Chris that there was not a doctor available who could come to the ship, he had two choices. John could have an appointment with the doctor at 11 a.m. or he could go to the emergency room. Chris asked Wesley to call for an ambulance - John needed to go to the emergency room.
By this time John had made his way to the chair where Chris had placed a towel. He told Chris that he thought he had died last night. He woke up sweating, he could not urinate, he was in pain and he had difficulty walking and breathing. He said he was very uncomfortable and he just wanted to die.
John leaves the ship in a sling chair, as he is being wheeled through the lobby Artur, (this is not a typo) the Portuguese manager, tells me not to worry about the cost - Viking will take care of it. “Keep on thinking positive,” he says, “and everything it will be okay.”
7:54 a.m.
Two ambulances - sirens wailing - John and Peter in one, and Chris and I in another arrive at the University Hospital Old Town (Univerzitná Nemonica Staré Mesto). We are in the medieval center of Bratislava.
8:18 a.m.
After a brief stay in the emergency room John is wheeled to the coronary care unit (Interná Klinika Koronárna Jednotka). As he is about to enter the elevator he turns to Chris and says, "Remember what I said earlier about wanting to die, well I changed my mind."
10:17 a.m.
Dr. Papinčák, who is studiously calm and attentive, does not take his eyes off me as he speaks, his gaze is piercing. He informs me that John may be able to fly home on Monday with a medical assistant. He is concerned about the high altitude. John suffers from congestive heart failure (CHF).
“One of the most important problems for travelers with congestive heart failure is altitude... All patients should be able to walk 100 yards and climb 12 steps if they are to attempt a long plane flight. Heart failure patients may also be particularly susceptible to the symptoms of altitude sickness, which may include shortness of breath and profound fatigue. In general, patients with congestive heart failure should avoid traveling to locations at high altitudes.” - Internet Scientific Publications. The Internet Journal of Health ISSN: 1528-8315 Travel Concerns For Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Patients.
10:30 a.m.
Chris uses the hospital’s computer to email his sisters. Typists beware, the z and the y are reversed and the apostrophe and the @ symbol are no where to be found.
“Dad maz have had a heart attack last night. He is okaz now, in the hospital... if it will help with medical evacuation.... I would like to get him to Stanford... I think he had a heart attack in his sleep earlz this morning. It is fridaz at ten thirtz here and I§m using the computer at the hospital. I will also trz to make phone calls and e=mail, but communications are difficult right now.” - Chris’ email
11:00 a.m.
While Chris is typing Dr. Papinčák comes out to the hall to tell me that John is asleep. As we leave the hospital with our bags a grounds worker Feró, points us in the direction of the Hotel Saffron. This four star hotel is located just around the corner from the hospital and the Staré Město (Old Town) is a fifteen minute walk in the other direction. There are shops, markets, ATM’s, restaurants and cafe’s in between. Everything is within walking distance.
At this point we feel tremendous gratitude. First of all, we are grateful that we are docked when the heart attack happens, secondly that the paramedics respond quickly, and thirdly that Chris has family to help with the logistics. And, we feel grateful to be in a position where we are able to stay in Bratislava for as long as it takes for John to recover and deemed fit to fly. We see nothing but the positives and we are excited. Exploring medieval Bratislava will serve as a good distraction and our eight day trip has turned into an indefinite adventure - my favorite kind.
2:45 p.m.
I skip lunch but as Chris orders the Pakistani behind the counter seriously wonders, “What are you doing in Bratislava?”
3:30 p.m.
Back at the hospital I monitor the activity in the hallway while I give Chris and John time alone. If there are any last words that need to be spoken now is the time.
4:15 p.m.
Despite the double expressos and the warm overcast spring afternoon (good for photography) once we settle into our room we are unable to leave the hotel. For the first time ever we decide to settle in early.
While Chris figures out how to call his sister using FaceTime I watch racy and fast paced MTV videos on the television. When the rain starts to fall softly I soak in a hot bath. Our large window opens wide - we do not realize that we are facing southwest until the moon sets. It does not get dark until 9:30 p.m.
13 April, Saturday
The big questions are; how much damage was caused to John’s already congested heart, what are John’s chances of recovering from pneumonia, which we just learn he has, and when is he going to be well enough to travel home? There are no immediate answers forthcoming as the doctors need information on John’s previous condition.
While Chris sits with his father I visit an ancient who is laying in the bed closest to the door. I am pleased to learn that she speaks German, all the older people do she tells me - that was until the communists came to rule in 1945 and stayed until 1989 - now that generation speaks Russian as a second language. This woman, who has two sons, tells me that she has an uncle and relatives who live in “cosmopolitan” Canada, Toronto.
14 April, Sunday
We learn that ejection fraction measures how much volume the heart pumps with each beat, 55% to 6o% is considered normal and 20% is too low. John’s ejection fraction in his left ventricle, is 20-25% , it was 35%. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a blood protein that indicates inflammation of the arteries. Levels rise in response to inflammation. You are at high risk for heart disease if your CRP level is higher than 3.0 mg/L. John’s levels reach 140mg/L. And, his leucocyte levels, which measures the number of white blood cells and indicates infection, are high.
I have a private talk with Dr. Kašperová. I would like to know what are John’s chances of survival. She tells me that culture is growing in lab - soon they will know specific antibiotic to give him. The doctor thinks a two week stay is optimistic. What is most essential at this point besides hydration is for John to be optimistic. She believes his survival depends on this.
Today John is NOT feeling optimistic, he wants out by weeks end. He does not know that he is looking at a two week minimum stay and we are not going to tell him. And, he is concerned that he has no appetite. This does not bode well for John. “Your body is trying to heal,” I tell him. This is what I told my friend Carol when she expressed the same concern a week before she died of congestive heart failure on 23 May 2012. But, we just brought him hot soup and he is eating after two days of no food. It is not until later that we learn restaurant soup is verboten - too much salt.
Today is my mother’s 79th birthday. It does not occur to me until now that I can send her emails using Chris’ iPhone. I write: Father-in-law John had a heart attack on Friday and he is in the hospital in Bratislava. We will stay in Slovakia until John is well enough to travel. In hindsight, emailing my mother would have been a good opportunity to write and keep track of our adventures. Viking had kept us busy starting early every morning. It was a great trip while it lasted, in fact, everything was much better than we expected and we only missed the last two days.
Except for the ubiquitous and jumbo sized chocolate chip cookies (yes, there is such a thing) I like the small portions of food Viking serves, although John informs me that not everyone is of the same opinion. And, not being a big meat eater, I look forward to the hot rueben sandwich which is on the menu for tomorrow’s lunch. “You know I’m not supposed to eat that,” John tells me, “Too much salt, but I’m going to, I eat whatever I want.” This is not the first time John brags about his see-food diet. The last time it happened he ended up in the hospital with a heart attack. I predicted that would happen. The body keeps count.
The first few days we stay with John only briefly as he is tired and sleeps most of the time. We start the routine of dropping off a decaf latte in the morning which progresses to one in the afternoon, and everyday we bring him food and the International Herald Tribune.
Near the end, as a treat, we buy him a New Yorker 12.50 € ($17.00) which John has subscribed to for almost sixty years, and a Time magazine which features the 100 most influential people in the world. When we are not hunting for food and gathering reading material for John we explore the medieval city center of Bratislava and I start to learn the Slovakian language.
The Slovakian word for thank you is Ďakujem. I have one of the nurses on my voice recorder repeating this word over and over again. I admit that it took me one long week to learn how to say ďakujem without thinking - that is how difficult this word is to pronounce and why the locals are so appreciative when we make the effort. The Slovakians and the Slovenians use ‘Prosím' for please and there are some other similarities, but the Slovakian language uses diacritics that I have never seen before. My curiosity is piqued.
15 April, Monday
It is a huge relief to see that John is feeling much better this morning after he briefly lost his optimism. For the first time yesterday we saw the possibility of darkness settling in. But, I notice that the right side of his body is bloated.
“We visited Dad this morning and he is doing noticeably better than yesterday. He is more alert and energetic, and his appetite is better. He has bronchial pneumonia in the right lung which is being treated with two antibiotics. He appreciates everyone's concerns and good wishes. Once the pneumonia clears up and he is stronger we can go home. Although he wants to go home he realizes that he is too weak to travel.” - Chris’ email
“Dr. Papinčák says it’s too soon for Dad to walk, that he needs to start by spending more time sitting up, physical therapy will start tomorrow. When we visit in the morning we will have him sit up with his legs over the side of the bed and his feet on the floor. He said that Dad is improving, responding to the antibiotics as measured by a lower CRP number. He also said that his heart was not damaged that much more by this heart attack as measured by the EF number. Finally he said that Dad may be ready to travel by Friday or Saturday. We brought him OJ, salad, decaf latte, a blueberry muffin and the Herald Tribune, everything he wanted. Things are going as well and as fast as they can go for now. We are optimistic. - Chris’ email
16 April, Tuesday
We wake up to the news that terrorists attacked the Boston Marathon. We feel safe in Bratislava.
John is definitely making progress. He is one tough Greek and I tell him so, but he is not convinced. “Wait until we’re in the air,” he says not realizing the potential danger that lies ahead. I notice that he is not coughing. The double dose of two different antibiotics must be working and the right side of his body is not as swollen.
“We are going to get an update from the doctor in the morning and hopefully an approximate timeline for when Dad might be able to travel. He is very much hoping to leave Friday, but I don't know about that. While he is clearly improving each day he still has pneumonia and is very weak.” - Chris’ email
Today I discover that Dr. Kašperová understands every word of the German language but, like her English, she struggles to speak. The first thing she tells me, without any prompting on my part, is that John is not going anywhere in a hurry.
17 April, Wednesday
This morning Dr. Kašperová introduces us to her daughter Julia a blonde medical student who speaks English well. This is a teaching hospital and Julia is studying to become a cardiologist just like her parents. Her grandfather Julius was one of the founders and the main cardiologist in the Slovak Cardiovascular Centre in the former Czecho-Slovakia. In two years she will complete her studies. Julia is twenty-three years old.
10:00
Chris buys a disposable telephone at T-Mobile on Ivánska cesta 12, John’s daughters are eager to speak with him. This turns out to be a good call as John’s spirits lift and for the first time he sits up in bed with his feet flat on the floor.
It is a little after 4 p.m. when the first call is made. Church bells are chiming, sirens are wailing and John is coughing, a dry hacking cough that does not let up. “ It’s bad.” he tells them. He would like to go straight to Stanford hospital when he arrives in San Francisco.
Chris wonders how I know that to call abroad from Slovakia one must dial 00 - the exit code.
Today we learn that we must pay the hospital bill in full and in cash on the day we leave. The University Hospital does not accept credit cards. Dr. Kašperová will give us an estimate after she speaks with the billing department.
The first option we look into is a money transfer. Western Union is surprisingly expensive, so we go next door to the bank, the only one in the area that deals with money transfers. For a surprisingly small amount we are able to open an account. But, we think this is too complicated, and the bank does do not open until 9 a.m. Instead, John gives us his password and twice daily we withdraw the cash limit from both of our accounts.
A few days later Dr. Kašperová tells us that the daily cost of staying in the University Hospital is 113€ ($150.00) plus medicines and procedures such as x-rays and electrocardiograms. We will not know the final cost until the day we leave.
John urges Chris to build-up a cash reserve of $3,000€ and then changes it to $4,000€. Chris is hesitant, he thinks this is too much. I want that Chris should take his father’s advice as I am not convinced that John is going to make it home alive. This will not be the first in flight death we will have experienced. Once we had to make an emergency landing in Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada. I wonder how complicated it will be to have John cremated, how much it will cost and in which country it will happen. We are told, by someone who knows, not to tell the airlines that we are traveling with a high risk passenger.
18 April, Thursday
John continues to make great strides. Today he walked across the room and back and he was wheeled outside into the sunshine to the radiology department to be x-rayed (antiquated is the word he used) and his catheter was removed. We are all happy about this.
This morning Dr. Kašperová tells me that John, who is eager to leave, can go home whenever he wants. I think this is good reverse psychology and I was going to use it on him. When I tell him that he can go home whenever he wants, John says, "Let's wait and see what the doctors say.”
More drama today when we find out that John’s eighty-nine year old brother, Spiro, has passed away. We suspect that, if not for John’s pacemaker, he and his brother would have died one day apart.
Poor Chris, there have been some difficult moments for him. We are on the street in Bratislava when his sister calls to tell him the news. This is not easy for Chris as he loves his uncle Spiro.
I am a little surprised this afternoon when John asks what else was said during this conversation - I was not expecting Chris to tell him unless he asked the specific question. John had made it clear that he did not want to hear anything about Spiro while he was on the trip. Chris finds this moment too difficult so, just like a scene in a movie, I lean in close, gently place my hand on John’s right shoulder and whisper in his ear, “Spiro died.” John, staring off into space, does not say a word. “That’s why we looked so glum when we arrived,” I tell him “I hadn’t noticed.” John replies taking a quick glance over his right shoulder. This is where I stand.
Two years ago John threw an eighty-fifth birthday party for himself and invited his close family and friends. At the end of the bash one of the questions I was asked was, who is this woman, a mother of two, with the same last name. John, a psychologist who spent twenty-five years in analysis, never thinks to introduce his children.
“You might have introduced your children, “ I say to John as we all pile into the car early the next morning. “People were wondering why …” I get cut-off as everyone agrees. A good idea too late, but it makes no difference, no one feels slighted.
John, who lives in Palo Alto, California feels grateful that he flew to New York City the week before our Danube cruise to reminisce with Spiro after he refused further treatment for lung cancer.
Near the end of his life Spiro was engulfed by blindness. In part, his obituary read, “Even while struggling with his blindness, Spiro could not be deterred. Throughout the rigorous training at the Guide Dog Foundation, Spiro rallied his classmates, transforming a tense and strenuous course into one filled with laughter and friendship. In appreciation, his classmates named him the honorary “Chief” of the fictitious [Where the?] Fugawe Tribe. It was one of his proudest achievements.” - The Suffolk Times
Uncle Spiro worked on the Manhattan project. It says so in the Suffolk Times. Chris says he’s known all along, but he does not know more.
We were told that Spiro died in peace and he was joking up to the end. The service was last Wednesday, the church was full and it was a gloriously beautiful day. Aunt Joan, who also has lung cancer, won’t last another three months.
I tell Dr. Kašperová in private and in my limited German, that John's brother Spiro died. And, I tell her that he had requested that he not be told, but since he had asked about him the other day and if he were to ask again we were going to tell him. I want her to know just in case John finds the news too depressing - she can knock him out. The doctor agrees, John should know, and she wants to know how he died. Then she tells me that every day when she comes to work she wonders if John is still alive. Dr. Kašperová explains the obvious: John ist alt und er ist krank mit schlechten Herz. John is old and he is sick with a bad heart.
4:00 p.m.
Chris is exhausted and he would like to return to the hotel, but I discourage this with wide-open eyes. This is not a good time to leave, John has just learned that his brother has died. Chris agrees and sits back down.
We spend the next three hours by John's side as he reminisces. I mention that he is the last of three brothers to survive. John tells me this is something he is going to think about. The eldest Mary, died of pneumonia at the age of two. John’s father showed him a photo of her of one day in his flower shop in the Bronx. John did not learn that he had a sister until he was ten years old.
As we get up to leave I tell John that if he gets too sad to ask the doctor to put him to sleep. “Juliana,” he says leaning forward from a sitting position. He takes an unflinching look into my eyes, “I don’t mind being sad,” he tells me emphatically. Then he repeats this for emphasis. Of course I know this already, but who wants to use the words “too depressed”. Now I learn to speak even more plainly with John.
Seven days after John is admitted to the hospital he says, “It’s ME time, tell the extended family about ME.” They do not know that John is in a hospital in Slovakia.
19 April, Friday
Today the doctors start preparing the paperwork, this is a good sign. If, after the weekend, Dr. Papinčák tells us, John continues to improve we can go home on Tuesday.
This morning we leave the hotel and walk right past the public park, also known as the medical garden (Medická záhrada) on our way to the Ondřejská Cemetery. This is a pleasant surprise, a green oasis in medieval Bratislava. I would like to stay longer and photograph all the angelic tombstones, but Chris, who practices moderation to the excess, is hungry, and like his father, he takes his food seriously.
We are in the eastern part of the Staré Město and on the way back Chris takes us to see the Catholic Church of St. Elizabeth, also known as the Blue Church. It sits on the corner of Bezručova street and Groslingova. This is another surprise, art nouveau in medieval Bratislava. Built between 1907-1908 everything about the Blue Church is astonishingly blue - inside and out.
Chris has been a vegetarian for 34 years now so the lunch menu is somewhat limited. But, this fact is rarely a problem especially in cosmopolitan Bratislava. The restaurant he chooses is owned by Jordanians and our server is an Afghan. While Chris eats his falafel I eat a delicious bowl of vegetable soup made by an Indian chef. When we are done a Slovakian waitress prepares a gyros for John. While we wait I watch CNN with three Jordanians males and learn that the terrorists who blew up the Boston marathon are two young brothers from the Russian Caucasus area.
Back at the hospital I wait outside and explore the grounds while I give Chris and John time alone. I know that my behavior is suspicious and that I am being watched when I take notes and speak into my voice recorder. But, it is when I start to take photos that the security guard comes over and asks me not to photograph. “Nerorazumiem,” (I don’t understand) I tell him understanding fully. I want to practice my Slovakian on him. “Razumien.” (I understand).
Okay, so there is no soap in the bathroom and the hospital could use a paint job and some Spackling paste and I will not get into the elevator - still it is a solid structure with a set of surprisingly elegant and dilapidated stairways that face each other in the biochemistry and molecular genetics building. John is laying under cathedral ceilings next to two large arched wooden windows that he is free to open. He feels the breeze and he has a view of a Linden tree, Slovakia’s national tree that is measured in centuries, and he can see the church steeple. Like us, he is on the fourth floor. John continues to be amazed that the doctors are working to identical standards and he has a favorite nurse, Anna, who bathes him in the early morning light.
This evening I notice that John’s dry hacking cough has returned, I think that this cannot be good. We wait and wonder: What will the doctors have to say about John leaving the hospital on Tuesday morning?
20 April, Saturday
I am sure that Chris feels like we abandoned his father this morning but I insist on changing the routine. I think that since John is not sleeping as much he would prefer to receive his newspaper in the morning instead of the afternoon. And, what if they sell out! Plus, I am drawn to the the medieval city centre. I want to walk there and I want to walk fast. On our way I talk just as fast, in part to distract Chris from his uneasy feeling. I think that I have Chris convinced that the doctors are stringing him and John along. Everyday the doctors tell them only a few days more when in private they tell me how dire the situation really is, which is obvious to me.
After we buy the newspaper at Interpress Chris relaxes enough to take a detour to the Bratislava Information Service (BIS). He would like to climb atop Michael's Tower before we leave Bratislava. Chris is sure our trip is about to end.
It is here, at the information center, that we see the beginnings of what promises to be an even more exciting day. This year Bratislava is celebrating 20 years of independence from Czecho-Slovakia. The Gentle Revolution, also called The Velvet Divorce, took effect on 1 January 1993. The Slovak Republic, also called Slovakia or Slovensko, is Europe’s newest country.
As we race back to the hospital with John’s coffee and newspaper we agree to make a dash for the exit, but first Chris would like to make sure that his father is going to be all right. Of course, John gives us the okay and like little children we run out the door and down the street to the Square (Primacialne Namestie). It is 11:00 a.m. and the parade has just begun.
We follow thirty professional actors dressed in period costumes, horsemen, drummers, and soldiers, men and women, carrying long rifles, swords, flags and banners. Together we march up to Michael's Gate (Michalska Brana) built around 1300 and the only surviving of four gates that were used to enter the mediaeval city. A large banner depicting St.George slaying the dragon and the message Bratislava Pre Všetkych (Bratislava For All) bars the entrance.
Here we watch performances so arresting that I put down my camera. After a four rifle salute declarations are made by someone who looks like the mayor of Bratislava, Milan Ftáčnik, and the banner is raised signaling the unsealing of the city gates.
We follow the parade back to the square where we watch a soldier stand on his horse, drape the horse’s leg over his shoulder, lie underneath the horse and place the horse’s foot lightly on his chest while he is laying flat on his back. In the square we are joined by a king and queen. This year Bratislava is celebrating the 450th anniversary of the first royal coronation.
Formerly known as Pozsony by the Hungarians and Pressburg (in reference to the castle) by the Germans, Bratislava, became the new capital of Royal Hungary in 1536 after the Ottoman Turks, under the leadership of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, swept into Hungary and overtook Buda at the battle of Mohacs in 1526. Bratislava, the official name since 1919 when it was made the capital of Slovakia in the newly created Czecho-Slovakia, was honored to be the city of coronation and it lasted for almost three hundred years. Ten Habsburg kings and nine queens were crowned in the gothic St. Martin’s Cathedral using the crown of St. Stephen the first king of Hungary who was crowned on Christmas Day in the year 1000.
The medieval Crown of St. Stephen, also called the Holy Crown of Hungary, is the symbol of Hungarian nationhood. People from far and wide will come to watch the authentic coronation ceremony which follows the exact same ritual based on historical documents.
Nota bene: The coronation ceremony is held every year during the last weekend of June in honor of Maria Theresa who was crowned on 25 June 1741.
12:31 p.m.
We are on a mission to find the closest thing we can to a Greek Orthodox church to light three candles for Chris’ deceased kinfolk. At John’s request. On the way up to St. Nicholas, which sits under the walled castle and is in the old Jewish Quarter we stop on Židovská 1 (Jewish) to visit the Museum of Clocks. I see a clock with engravings of the different phases of human life. A poignant reminder of how time affects all of us.
It is a steep climb up the stone stairs to St. Nicholas which is hidden behind a row of buildings. Built in 1661 the entrance to this nondescript baroque church is flanked by trees. A statue of St. Nicholas stands in the niche above the door and above a coat of arms which is partly obscured by leafy branches. When we walk in through the open door we are stunned into silence. There are no pews only chairs lining the south and east walls. The adherents are standing in the center gathered around three heavily bearded Orthodox priests dressed in black cossack robes and wearing pectoral crosses. It feels as though we have just stepped into the Middle Ages.
“We found a beautiful, old Orthodox Church today, St. Nicholas, and lit three candles… and gave them a donation as Dad had requested. We took lots of pictures to show him, and he was pleased. They were in the middle of a ceremony with singing and prayers, the Church was full, and 40 minutes later everyone left and the Church was locked up so we just made it.” - Chris’ email
2:16 p.m.
I do not have a voracious appetite during our sojourn in Bratislava, I only eat two full breakfast’s and three main meals, one of which is a delicious bowl of goulash soup mit dunkel Brot at the Pivnica U Kozal on Panská 27.
We sit outside. When I am done I walk through an archway and climb down a broad set of stairs to the restaurant/bar deep underground. Who can believe this place with its low arched ceiling and dim lights. There is only one group of men sitting at a table immediately to my left as I enter and a lone man sits on my right a few tables over. I pay them no heed and carry on. I feel uncomfortable as I try to open the door to the WC (water closet) and realize that someone is in there and I have to wait. But, I think it is only a case of nerves and after I calm myself down by looking at the art on the wall I ask the lone figure if there is anyone in there as I try to open the door once again. This time it opens.
I find my fear curious and take some time to soak in the atmosphere in this most unusual restaurant underground. I am looking at a vintage tin beer sign across from the men when one of them orders me to, “COME, SIT!” I am paralyzed by fear. Then I am ordered to “DRINK BEER!”
What happens next to my field of vision is interesting. All I see as I turn around is someone pushing something aside and patting down a place for me to sit and I see a table topped with huge glasses and a pitcher filled with pivo (beer) which one of the men is holding aloft. I never see the men themselves, but I know by how they sound that they are big burly types who have been sitting here for a while.
I find the thought of joining them and drinking beer, in this cave, in the middle of the afternoon so ludicrous that I laugh out loud and in the same loud and commanding voice I reply, “THAT is NOT going to happen." There is dead silence. Released from my paralysis I take this opportunity to escape and run up the stairs without ever looking at the men.
Once outside I tell Chris about the unique restaurant/bar below and still curious about my fear I follow him downstairs and hang out while he uses the WC - still never looking at the men. But, as we are walking out I lift up my camera and take a photograph. In the photo one of the men is lurching drunkenly towards me. I count a total of six big celebrating Slovaks. It is not until we arrive home that I learn that Pivnica means cellar.
Today John walks across the room and when he arrives at the sink he shaves himself. Talk is still about returning Tuesday and for once I believe that if John continues to make progress we will indeed return sooner rather than later.
21 April, Sunday
10:07 a.m.
No matter how many times we mention the festivities taking place in Bratislava this weekend John does not let us go. Instead of music, dance shows, and horse races this morning we wheel John outside for some fresh air and we walk the length of the corridor, twice.
This whole thing feels surreal - we’re in medieval Bratislava, Chris is pushing his father in a wheel chair and I’m looking over my shoulder every time I want to take a photograph.
10:48 a.m.
Dr. Soña Kiñová tells us that John’s cough will last for a couple of weeks. And, she tells us that John is good to go home on Tuesday. But, this is not her decision to make - still we prepare ourselves mentally.
Dr. Soña speaks fluent English. We pepper her with questions about Bratislava and Slovakia. Then she tells us about the students who study at this University Hospital. They come from all over the world, she explains, because it is relatively inexpensive to study here. Twice she mentions that the Greeks are the laziest students and she explains why. In Greece, in order to own a pharmacy, one must be educated as a doctor. The Greek students do not want to learn, but they want to own pharmacies.
At first I think it is interesting that the Greeks are the laziest students, but after she mentions it a second time I start to feel uncomfortable and I look at Chris and John, but neither say a word. I think Dr. Soña knows that John is a Greek but Chris tells me this is not so. I think she knows by the name - Beletsis. Anyone with any experience with Greeks knows that a family name ending in "sis" hails from mainland Greece.
1:16 p.m.
Michael’s Tower, also called Michael’s Gate because it is a combination of the two, was built around 1500 and it is more than 50 meters high (seven floors, I counted). Climb the narrow circular staircase for a postcard view of Bratislava.
Only so many people are allowed entrance at a time and there is a guard on every level and a military museum with a collection of medieval arms and military uniforms. The enthusiastic guard on the top level insists that Chris take a photo of me from the inside looking out. Since he speaks no English he gestures wildly for me to step outside and come around to the window. He thinks this is an excellent idea. I photograph them from the outside looking in. The guard poses but he does not smile.
When we visited the Czech Republic in the spring of 2000 I read that the people complained that the playwright president Vaclav’s Havel’s new wife since 1997, the actress Dagmar Veškrnova, smiled too much.
5:02 p.m.
John, who is wearing a hospital gown, leans out the window. I too lean out the window. He comments on the good weather. I quote Chris. “We arrive in winter and stay until spring.“
22 April, Monday (Eleven days later)
12:36 a.m.
Our airline Lufthansa is on strike. Hopefully it will last for one day only. I lay awake and wonder, what will Dr. Kašperová say about John leaving the hospital on Tuesday morning?
There is good news and there is bad news. The good news is that we can leave tomorrow and the bad news is that a medical escort will not be available for one more day. Will his father play it safe? I make Chris a bet and I lose. John is adamant about leaving the hospital tomorrow.
John is sitting up in his hospital bed munching on a gyros - not looking at anyone. Chris is standing on John’s left leaning against the wall and I am standing to the right of John. We are near the foot of the bed where Dr. Kašperová stands deep in thought - she is looking down. There is silence.
Dr. Kašperová is in charge, she is the one who must determine when John is fit to fly and she has just received the news that John has decided to return home tomorrow without a medical assistant. Chris and I look at each other and together we look at John who refuses to look at anyone. We look at Dr. Kašperová who is still deep in thought and looking down at the floor. This goes on for some time - around and around Chris and I look while John continues to munch refusing to look at anyone and the doctor continues to thinks things through.
I tell Dr. Kašperová that John has an option - stay one more day and return with a medical assistant. Dr. Kašperová does not take her eyes off me as she digests this information. John, who is adamant about returning tomorrow, looks up at Dr. Kašperová and with great cheer says, "I'm fine! “ Then he tries to explain that he lives in an independent and assisted senior living retirement community. Dr. Kašperová demands more silence as she looks to the floor once again for answers. Around and around we go again. Chris and I look at each other, then we look at John who continues to munch and refuses to look at anyone. This makes us smile.
Dr. Kašperová looks up and tells me that she had made it clear on Friday to those responsible that John could go home on Tuesday and that she had ordered a medical assistant. Earlier in the day Dr. Papinčák had also made this clear to us - arrangements were made on Friday. I acknowledge this and express our frustration with with those who are responsible for our predicament. We all prefer that John return with a medical assistant by his side.
Finally, Dr. Kašperová says that it is fine for John to travel home tomorrow and she suggests that he have a drink - whiskey. This makes me laugh and I feel relief that John will be able to leave without a medical assistant and with the doctor’s blessing. Dr. Kašperová explains that she will give us medicine if Johns blood pressure should rise and if he has difficulty breathing. She gives Chris her email address and her mobile telephone number and asks that we contact her when we arrive in Frankfurt.
This is our last night in Bratislava. John is in high spirits as we prepare his clothes for a 7:15 a.m. departure. Piece by piece I hold them up for his approval. When I come to his boxer shorts I hold them high. John exclaims, "Aren't those cute Juliana!" After eleven days in the coronary care unit John is excited and ready to return home.
Bratislava, located in southwestern Slovakia, is the only European capital that borders two countries - it is within walking distance to the Austrian and Hungarian borders. The trip west to the Vienna airport by private car will take one hour. Unbeknownst to us at the time, the driver we hire is the hotel receptionist’s boyfriend, Matej.
Back at the hotel we pack, one small backpack each. We have reservations, but no tickets. It is not until late into the nights that we learn that all the arrangements have been made. Lufthansa will fly us from Vienna to Frankfurt and United Airlines will fly us direct to San francisco.
23 April, Tuesday morning
7:00 a.m. Sharp
Matej is waiting for us in the hotel lobby. He greets us with a smile. He drives what seems a long way out of the way as the hotel is just around the corner. But, he explains that the car must take a different route. While the hospital guard and Matej figure out where to park Chris jumps out of the car and I miss my opportunity to say goodbye to the doctors and nurses.
Chris said that when he went to pick up his father it didn’t look like anything was happening. The curtain around John’s bed was closed and the staff was busy. Chris drew the curtain aside and there was John, he was laying down, fully clothed and ready to go. Dr. Kašperová came over and John’s favorite nurse, Anna, helped him into a wheelchair, but not before he surprised her by giving her a big hug. It took only a few minutes to pull it all together.
When John is wheeled into the daylight he calls my name. I turn to look at him and in the excitement of the moment I clap my hands and give him two thumbs up. This is indeed an exciting time.
On our way out Matej, a compassionate humanitarian, tells me that our kindness made the old man with the cane cry. While we waited we helped him to his seat on the bench. “Dobrý!” (Good) I exclaim with a big smile once he is settled. I see that his eye is red and teary, but I do not make the connection. I think this is due to his condition.
Matej, who was once a tour guide, takes us on the scenic route to the Vienna airport. Along the way he tells us that, “Socialism has good sides and the bad sides. Bad thing is, the bad sides stayed and the good ones are gone.”
8:53 a.m.
As we check in to special assistance the attendant says to John, “Good children, you are flying business class.” John replies. “I feel very special.” She does not know that we came directly from the hospital.
Because he can, Chris sends Dr. Kašperová an email. She promptly replies, “Dear Chris and Juliana, it is nice to hear from you, thank you for the message. We wish you good luck and a lot of strength for Mr. John. Kind regards, Viera Kašperová”
We arrive early and the Frankfurt gate reads destination Brindisi. I happen to know that this is where one catches the ferry to Greece. I am ready to keep moving and ask John a spirited traveler. I can see us heading south and me racing him around in a wheelchair.
In flight, Chris and I check on John several times. I ask the flight attendant to keep her eye on him and I explain that John is a high risk passenger. John later says that the flight back was really difficult for him, but he shows no signs of distress. He just looks like a worn-out traveler.
In San Francisco we hand over John to his daughters and son-in-law who take him home and we catch our flight to San Diego. We sit by the emergency exit doors. The flight attendant would like to know if we are willing and able to help in case of an emergency. She would like that all the passengers see that we are reading the instruction manual.
On our way to our car I quiz Chris. “In what position do you place your arms when you slide down the emergency chute?” Chris holds his arms high in the air and says “Whee!” It feels good to laugh again.
It is not until we are on the I5 (Interstate 5) heading north that it hits me. I sure am glad that things worked out well as they did, after all, it was me who suggested we invite him on this trip. John said that he was glad that we made the best of being in Bratislava and that we did all the right things. He thinks that we saved his life.
It turns out that my father in-law did not suffer a heart attack after all. Although, what he did experience, a heart exacerbation, a sudden worsening of an already bad condition, is just as serious. John did all the right things. He ate a salty lunch which is verboten, he drank alcohol which is verboten and he stopped taking his diuretic as prescribed.
Complicated times (his words, not mine) for John indeed. The difference between the photo taken of him on 7 April about to embark on the ship in Passau, Germany where the trip started and 7 May, two weeks after he arrived home, is astonishing. John came back an old man leaning on a cane. His doctor tells him that it will take at least six weeks for John to feel well rested and to regain his strength.
The Danube Waltz
My father-in-law was lucky, his last trip abroad nearly cost him his life and travel insurance covered his flight home and trip interruption. The hospital bill, which we paid in full and in cash the day before we left, amounted to only 1,889.36 € ($2,500.00) and that was covered by his medical insurance and Travel Guard.
John, who would like me to make him look heroic, spends eleven nights and twelve days recovering in the oldest teaching hospital in medieval Bratislava. During his stay Boston is shutdown by a manhunt, the death toll rises when a Texas fertilizer plant implodes and his last remaining brother Spiro dies. John loses his sense of humor only once when he is hungry and it is brief. His unshakeable optimism and indomitable spirit saves us all.
I have an easy time with it all, in part, because I do not concern myself with the logistics. I provide moral support and look to my late friend Count Alfonso de Bourbon for words of wisdom, “Don’t make it any more difficult than it already is.” Chris agrees, “It is what it is.” Plus, the doctors are really nice and they think we are “awesome people”. They “threaten” to come and visit us when they come to California, but not this year.
We are somewhat of a novelty in Bratislava. Most tourists come for a single day, riverboat walking tours last two hours. We stay in Bratislava for twelve days and for the most part we frequent the same markets, cafe’s and news stands. The Bratislavs are curious.
Free wireless and John’s cafe latte’s are not the only reason to go to The Green Tree Cafe on Obchodná ulica (street). It is helpful that Chris has a sob story to share with the staff - father is in the hospital, we’re going home soon, I’m buying the coffee’s for him. These girls are young and they are sweet, but they never ask about John, it is me they wonder about. “Where is your wife?” they ask when I am missing. They are curious and they are always smiling.
What to expect if your father-in-law has a heart attack In Bratislava, Slovakia and the ship leaves without you? Expect the doctors and nurses in the University Hospital Old Town to be ”exceptional” - John’s word.
“Not only were they competent, but how much they cared about me, how concerned they were about my getting home safely and how Dr. Kašperová wanted to know, after I got home, by email or a phone call, that all is okay. Most people complain about doctors, that they're very impersonal, they don't pay any attention to them, they don't really care about you they just want to get doing what they have to do, and get rid of you, These doctors and nurses were so different. It was very special and unusual to have that kind of care shown by anybody and we after all we were strangers too - which makes it even more important." - John Beletsis
U2
"Exit"
June 25, 2017
Gillette Stadium
Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA
The Joshua Tree Tour 2017
The entire set of my Foxborough photos can be found here:
get the entire story behind the enigmatic and Londons most prolific artist who inspired the crowd:
UR SO PORNO BABY! if u want it
Mr. Fahrenheit: Die wahre Geschichte
276 pages
as book and e-book
now available on
amazon.de- amzn.to/2jUhdvk
amazon.co.uk- amzn.eu/cTmEGzJ
amazon.com- a.co/gWFWbyU
I spent my entire AP film photography class working with 35mm pinholes and the ways you could tweak movement with such a long exposure time. I haven't touched the idea of motion in a while with a digital camera and have really been wanting to do so recently now that I know my camera a lot more. This was my first experimental photo of that idea. I definitely plan to revisit this concept.
The Kalonaser Staatsmarine was in dire straights in the year 1927; the capture of nearly the entire gunboat and torpedo boat fleet in the Engagement of the Indian Gap in 1923 had been bad enough. It didn't help that the heavy cruiser Thunderchild, flag ship of both the Republikeinsmarine and the Staatsmarine, had foundered in a storm off Kaap Vrijdag in the April storms of 1926. Her sister, Lighteningchild, had never been constructed further than her keel; what little there was of her rusted on the slipway for a year until she was ordered scrapped in early 1925. Grootmaarschalk Barentsz, an army man by trade, had never dedicated much funding to the Staatsmarine. All these factors meant that when, in 1927, the Kalonaser Staat purchased two islands in the Pyumon chain from the Kingdom of Zingaburi (sold in order to fund the quelling of a rebellion in the west), the Kalonaser Staatsmarine found themselves tasked with the impossible job of patrolling sealanes over two thousand kilometers long through the Pyu Sea.
It was at this point that the Grootmaarchalk finally saw that the Staatsmarine would have to get some money; islands so far away could not be protected by a couple old coastal gunboats and some floatplanes. With funding finally acquired, the Staatsmarine began the first phase of Plan KM: the construction of several avisos. In olden days, the word "aviso" had referred to small dispatch boats that ran between ships and shore and the like delivering messages. The old term was re-coined by Kalonaser shipwrights for a small ship, lightly armed and armored, designed to keep peace in the colonies and provide communications between the colonies and the Kalonaser mainland.
The Haan-class fits this criteria perfectly well: she carries a light armament of three 5.5-inch main guns, five 25mm autocannon, and fifty naval mines. Her armor is even lighter: her decks are plated in 6mm armor, and her turrets in only 3mm armor. She also carries a float plane for scout and communication duties. Her great range and versatility are her biggest assets. It should be noted that she is not designed for ship-to-ship combat for any length of time; her primary duties are to "show the colors" in the Pyu coaling stations and to maintain communications with the mainland. Many a time have vessels of the Haan-class proved useful in driving off foreign trawlers and supporting landings of Korps Mariniers.
----------
issa bote
And a pretty basic one at that. I reckon I just wanted to have another go at one. Haven't done one in a while. Took like a week to build, and it's not perfect, but I think it came out pretty nice so whatevs B)
Goofing off in an attempt to distract myself from watching CNN and worrying about the fact that the entire world is headed down the cosmic toilet.
Entirely handmade by me,
for Patrick Yeung.
Credits: Mandy Chan (cupcakes)
Illustrations: Miss Led , Ariana Perez, Esther Bayer, Midori Yamada
...on Wingstem.
The Monarch is probably the most well-known and beloved of North American butterflies. Its wings when open feature an easily recognizable orange and black pattern, with a wingspan of 3.3 - 4.9 inches (8.5 - 12.5 cm) . The females have darker and thicker veins on their wings while the males have a spot in the center of each hindwing from which pheromones are released, and which also helps to easily distinguish them from females.
In North America, the Monarch ranges from southern Canada to northern South America. It rarely strays to western Europe (sometimes as far as Greece) from being transported by U. S. ships or by flying there if weather and wind conditions are right. It has also been found in Bermuda, Hawaii, the Solomons, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Australia, New Guinea, Ceylon, India, the Azores, and the Canary Islands.
Monarchs are especially noted for their lengthy annual migration. In North America they make massive southward migrations starting in August until the first frost. A northward migration takes place in the spring. The Monarch is the only butterfly that migrates BOTH north and south as birds do on a regular basis. But no single individual makes the entire round trip. Female monarchs deposit eggs for the next generation to complete the journey during these migrations. How the offspring know where to go remains one of nature's unsolved mysteries.
In eastern North American the Monarch population begins the southward migration late summer - early autumn and can cover thousands of mile from the United States and southern Canada to Mexico. The western North American population, west of the Rocky Mountains, most often migrates to sites in California, but have been found overwintering in Mexico.
Besides Mexico and California, overwintering populations of Monarchs are also found along the Gulf Coast, year-round in Florida, and in Arizona where the habitat provides the specific conditions necessary for their survival. The overwintering habitat typically provides access to streams, plenty of sunlight (for body temperatures that allows flight), appropriate vegetation on which to roost, and is relatively free of predators. Overwintering, roosting butterflies have been seen on sumacs, locusts, basswood elm, oak, osage orange, mulberry, pecan, willow, cottonwood, and mesquite.
ISO400, aperture f/8, exposure .003 seconds (1/400) focal length 420mm
get the entire story behind the enigmatic and Londons most prolific artist who inspired the crowd:
UR SO PORNO BABY! if u want it
Mr. Fahrenheit: Die wahre Geschichte
276 pages
as book and e-book
now available on
amazon.de- amzn.to/2jUhdvk
amazon.co.uk- amzn.eu/cTmEGzJ
amazon.com- a.co/gWFWbyU
Thanks to Brick Print I was able to add these printed bricks to the Stoom Stichting Nederland LEGO 01 1075.
This entire model is made in scale 1:45. It's powered by 2 L-motors in the boiler which gives it a realistic and propper steam locomotive speed. The locomotive is controlled by a Pfxbrick which has a XL speaker for sounds effects. The locomotive is 67 studs long and 8 studs wide.
The reall one is currenly at rhe SSN in Rotterdam near my home village. It is the fastest steam locomotive in the Netherlands. It's able to reach speed up to 140 km/h.
The model took my around a year to built. I did have a older version which was 98% Habricks.com design. That model has now been scraped and completly rebuild into this monster.
The costum driving rods are from Bricks-on-Rails.com.
The entire set finished!
A-Z: Northwest Natives Alphabet
I would like to make a print of this set available for sale... maybe even a postcard collection of the entire set? I will keep you guys updated!
Blogged:
tinyhaus.blogspot.com/2013/08/northwest-natives-alphabet-...
RP/story by Ahn and myself.
Photo done entirely with greenscreen in Photoshop.
There was no way to tell how much time had passed, or how far he had traveled when he had finally come up on something resembling land. The storm had made it far too dangerous for him to continue at full speed, and the GPS was all but worthless, especially considering he couldn’t find it through all the waves crashing in on him. Even he was amazed he had managed to keep the boat upright thus far. A light? A sound other than waves? A bright bolt of lightning illuminated the overwhelming clouds for a brief enough time that he could see an old fashioned light house in the distance. He fought to set his course towards it as the lightning and thunder began their arguments of which was more ominous. When he was a kid, he would have thought thunder to be the victor given the way it shook the threadbare walls of the motel room or the van they lived out of at any given moment. As if the lightning had known his thoughts, it struck at the boat’s bow in a sizzling hiss of electricity followed by the massive boom of destruction as pieces of the boat exploded and flew in every direction. Hunter attempted to shield his eyes with his forearm but it made no difference, especially when the waves finally had enough and overtook the boat completely. The last thing he saw was the wall of water coming at him, the last thing he felt being his head smacking on what was left of the boat floor.
Bracing his back against the lighthouse wall, Roman let the storm. sea spray and the rain buffet and lash at him. He was cold and soaked thru, but exhilarated at being in the center of all this raw energy and nature. A flash of forked lightning flashed down into the waves, illuminating the sky like day for a moment and that is when he saw it, a small ship, being tossed hard by the waves, but only for a moment. The second bolt destroyed and he watched in horror as the wounded craft vanished into the darkness again.
Head pounding, he flailed in full panic mode, struggling to keep himself above water even as the currents churned beneath him in violent attempts to pull him under. His body aching and his chest burning, he knew he was done for and began a litany of apologies to a god he was now too scared not to believe in. When his last confession and beg of forgiveness left him, he felt his body give way and just….let go.
(to be continued)
These are OCs. I have either updated the design/story or made entirely new characters. Most of these are brand new characters.
From Left-Right:
Liberator:
Real Name: Marcus Sawyer
Equipment: Uniform
Powers/Abilities: Flight, Super-Strength, Superhuman Durability, and Speed (Speed only when he flies).
Weaknesses: More powerful beings.
Backstory: (this is improved, kinda)
The Origin Story: (skip this stuff if you want to see something new)
As a child, Marcus always wanted to be a soldier. When Marcus was 16, he dropped out of school with his friend Oscar (Overkill) and joined the U.S. Army. Marcus was one of the best soldiers through this strengths and his abilities. Sadly, Oscar was dishonorably discharged. Marcus was tempted to leave the army, but he didn't. In order to get over the fact that Oscar was discharged, he joined the U.S. Experimentation Program. Marcus and a few other colleagues gained superhuman powers, most of which were the standard increased strength, speed, endurance, and agility. However, Marcus got lucky with his dose of the experimental serum, Marcus got the highest score out of his group along with the ability to fly. Soon after Marcus gained his powers, the U.S. Government asked Marcus and his colleagues to be superheroes. Most declined, the only 3 that accepted were Marcus, Dutch Garret and Richard Moss. Those three men would go off as Superheroes to the public with Marcus becoming the American Hero, Dutch becoming the Super-Soldier, and Richard becoming the Mossberg. Unfortunately, Marcus had a problem with other people so the team never worked out with all of them leaving Marcus alone. Marcus would soon realize his problems and try to fix them. He donned a new suit and called himself the Liberator.
The New Stuff: (Read this new stuff)
As the Liberator, he gained tons of attention. He was everyone's favorite superhero. The Liberator soon tracked down Oscar Kilroy, one of Marcus's friends during his Army service. They regained their friendship until Marcus realized what Oscar was doing. Marcus was then shot at by Kilroy, forcing Marcus to knock him out. Marcus flew away to stop more bigger crimes. Due to Marcus's popularity he gained interest by other superhero, Nightshift. Nightshift stalked Marcus, until Marcus grabbed the hero by the neck. Nightshift told him what he was doing (See Nightshift's page for more info), and Marcus let go, apologizing for his actions. After realizing that the US Government was keeping secrets from him, was caught and attacked by the Superhero team, the Saints. The Liberator was brutally beat up and nearly killed by the Saints. It was only when the team, Saviors chimed in to the fight and saved Liberator. Liberator finally accepted the offer to join the Saviors and the Liberator's problem with people soon disappeared.
______________________________________________
Freezer:
Real Name: Unknown, goes by the name Fridge or by his Superhero name.
Aliases: Fridge, Freezer
Equipment: Uniform with Built in Heater.
Powers/Abilities: Can change the temperature of water vapor, commonly freezes vapor, but sometimes heats it up to make steam.
Weaknesses: Fridge isn't actually resistant to his powers, meaning he can die from frostbite or burn up.
Backstory:
Fridge was born in an unstable household. He always moved schools and he was used to change. However, when he met a new friend right before moving day. Fridge ended up deciding to stay, so he deserted his family and moved in with his new friend, Choi. Fridge then found a questionable lab in a room underneath Choi's bed. He took a pill he found thinking it was a piece of candy and gained super powers. Then, Choi walked in. They got into an argument and soon a fight, Choi quickly realized the pills he gave Chandler (Titan) gave people super powers. Choi quickly gobbled one down and he too now has super powers. Fridge and Choi soon joined the Saints, until leaving realizing their true goal.
_____________________________________________
Red Volcano:
Real Name: Daniel Choi
Aliases: Red, and Red Volcano
Powers/Abilities: Can turn into solid Magma, Increased Endurance and Increased Strength when in his rock form.
Weaknesses: More stronger beings, hates Titan
Backstory:
Daniel was just your average student, a punching bag, decent grades, but he and several kids had enough. They made pills for the school bully, Chandler. The pills accidentally gave Chandler powers and he became Titan. Daniel also became great friends with Fridge. Together, they discovered that the pills gave super powers. He and Fridge took the supplements and joined the Saints. After realizing the Saints’ true plan, they left and joined the Saviors.
______________________________________________
Radiohead:
Real Name: William “Willy” Woods
Alias: Radiohead
Powers/Abilities: Technopathy (Control over electronic devices), can understand any language, and can learn any martial art/hand to hand combat technique.
Weaknesses: Willy isn’t flexible and doing certain kicks can exhaust him.
Backstory: Willy was the type of kid who didn’t plan ahead, he would quit school sometimes and play video games during his free time. His family was quite poor, so he had to take the left overs of old consoles. He reconstructed an NES and found a mysterious game. He inserted the game into the slot and started playing. The game was secretly coded by a suicidal man and it was meant to kill whoever played the game. Instead, Willy found this out and quickly destroyed the NES. Unfortunately, Willy took some of the game’s powers and he became a super villain wreaking havoc across the city. The Saviors apprehended him, and have since lifted the curse within the game. Willy is now in the Saviors as a reserve member as well as being their eyes in the sky.
The entire fleet of Fairmanns Travel came out for the Fully Charged Live UK South 2023 show in Farnborough in late April 2023 assisting with the car park shuttles on the Friday of the 3-day show. GX53MWU is a Transbus (Dennis) Dart SLF with Transbus (Plaxton) Pointer 2 B38F body new to Stagecoach as their 34450 in 2004, and RIG3819 is an Alexander-Dennis Dart SLF with East Lancs Myllennium B40F body new to First Beeline as their 43927 (LK56JKV) in 2007.
Housing in Broken Hill is as interesting and varied as the public buildings and ranges from simple cottages to more substantial residences built in stone, brick, or iron. The need for lightweight, easily transported building materials resulted in an almost universal use of galvinised iron for roofing, and galvanised iron or rarely weatherboard for cladding of more modest houses. Entire buildings were also relocated - Silverton buildings were moved to Broken Hill after the decline of the mining there in 1885. Galvanised iron was also used for fencing. The earliest cottages were often built without verandahs, but the need for protection from the heat meant they were soon added. Roofs are generally at a 30 - 35° pitch with either straight, concave, or bull-nose verandahs at the front of the houses.
There is a variety of configurations in house plans and elevations. The typical modest cottage - a transformation of a simple tent - had one or two rooms with rear skillions added as required. The more substantial double fronted houses were two or three rooms deep and sometimes had projecting front rooms or bays. In some cases, iron cladding on front elevations was pressed to appear like stone in order to provide a greater air of solidarity to an otherwise lightweight construction. Interiors were lined with timber panelling, pressed metal ceilings, lath and plaster wall, and ceiling linings, sometimes Hessian, newspaper, and wallpaper. Usually only the front and backs of iron houses were painted, leaving the sides and roofs in unpainted galvanised iron finish.
As these iron houses were extended, the roof from the top ridge to the rear wall continued; often a single skillion slope resulted in a low ceiling at the back of the house. This long slope of the rear roof is a unique and sometimes startling element of the extension of houses in Broken Hill. Some modest homes had been clad over with "fake brick" or "plastic timber" to conceal their humble corrugated iron origins, but in more recent times, these later changes have been reversed and original details have been reinstated.
Much of Broken Hill's housing was constructed prior to World War I (WWI). The most common style was the corrugated iron "tinny" but there were also more substantial houses constructed in stone with brick dressings based on the South Australian residential vernacular style. Some of these were houses built as church rectories or for senior mining officials. The mines provided a range of company housing including the BHP flats at Proprietary Square which were added in 1938 to the offices built in 1919. The mining companies provided low interest loans for employee housing, established housing co-operatives, and constructed housing for senior staff. Community amenities and recreational facilities were also provided.
The Rainbow Avenue dwellings in South Broken Hill date from the 1920s and other company housing, often with extensive landscaping and communal facilities, was erected during the boom period at Broken Hill in the 1940s and 1950s. Examples include the residences at Junction Circle, North Mine, Zinc Mine, and NBHC Mine.
Housing built in the city between the two world wars adopted the styles used elsewhere in Australia such as the Californian Bungalow, Neo-Tudor, and Spanish Mission. However, each style was often expressed in galvanised iron with pressed metal facades that created a unique Broken Hill character.
In the 1940s and 1950s, removal of original timber verandah posts from early cottages and replacement with elaborate concrete columns was common. In the 1960s, wrought metal posts replaced the timber posts. Many of these modest houses have now been upgraded and lovingly restored by re-exposing original corrugated iron cladding and in some cases reinstating timber verandah detailing, thereby contributing to the revival of the housing areas of Broken Hill.
Source: Broken Hill: A Guide to the Silver City by Elizabeth Vines with Photography By Bruce Tindale.
This reproduction aircraft was built entirely by volunteer members of Northern Aeroplane Workshops to original plans and delivered to Old Warden in June 1990. On seeing the quality and accuracy of the workmanship Sir Thomas Sopwith declared it to be a late production aircraft rather than a replica (and he should have known!). It’s powered by an original Clerget 130hp rotary engine.
The aeroplane first flew on 10th April 1992 and, following a full testing programme, made its first public display appearance at Old Warden on 27th June 1992. It suffered a minor landing accident in 2014 and was repaired in our workshops during 2015.
On Monday 13 March 2017 the Sopwith Triplane underwent both engine run and successful test flights and has returned to the 2017 display line-up.
Performed entirely by Hammond's Senior Musical Theatre students, an international award-winning musical based on the movie, Legally Blonde. Elle Woods appears to have it all, but her life is turned upside-down when her boyfriend dumps her so that he can start getting serious about his life and attend Harvard Law. Determined to get him back, Elle uses her charm to get into Harvard Law. She tackles stereotypes, snobbery and scandal to realise her potential and prove herself to the world. This action-packed production explodes on the stage with memorable songs and dynamic dances; equal parts hilarious and heart-warming, it is so much fun it should be illegal!
For more information about The Hammond see:
#ChesterCulture
Made entirely of pre-primed cardboard 2 mm in thickness, with minor metal and wooden parts. The size is roughly 17 cm high; 14 cm wide; 5,5 cm deep (6,5 X 5,5 X 2 inches).
All the latches are fully functional.
The main task was to make a window with a wide "real" window-sill, while the room-box has wooden walls 1 cm in thickness (''0,4). So, basically you have a rectangular hole in a very flat surface, and that doesn't look very realistic as a window.
I'll upload the photos in three or four portions.
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I rarely do architecture and when I did, i ruefully failed...So it's time to make an new attempt and to start a new series on this - in my eyes - very difficult subject of photography.
This first pic is a rear/side view of the Paul Klee Zentrum in Bern, Switzerland, which consists of three undulations blending seamlessly into the landscape. And it's the first pic I took with my new 5D Mark II.
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The Zentrum Paul Klee is a museum dedicated to the artist Paul Klee, located in Bern, Switzerland and designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano. It features about 40 percent of Paul Klee’s entire pictorial oeuvre.
Livia Klee-Meyer, Paul Klee's daughter-in-law, donated her inheritance of almost 690 works to the city and canton of Bern in summer 1997. Additional works and documents donated and loaned by the family and the Paul-Klee-Foundation and a further 200 loans from private collections contributed to creating a very large collection of works by the artist. The decision to build the museum in the Schöngrün site on the eastern outskirts of the city was made in 1998, and renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano was contracted the same year. A preliminary project was elaborated in 2000. The building was completed in 2005. It takes the form of three undulations blending into the landscape.
Paul Klee (18 December 1879 – 29 June 1940) was born in Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland, and is considered both a German and a Swiss painter. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. He was, as well, a student of orientalism. Klee was a natural draftsman who experimented with and eventually mastered colour theory, and wrote extensively about it; his lectures Writings on Form and Design Theory (Schriften zur Form und Gestaltungslehre), published in English as the Paul Klee Notebooks, are considered so important for modern art that they are compared to the importance that Leonardo da Vinci's A Treatise on Painting had for Renaissance. He and his colleague, the Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky, both taught at the German Bauhaus school of art, design and architecture. His works reflect his dry humour and his sometimes childlike perspective, his personal moods and beliefs, and his musicality.
[Source: Wikipedia]
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM
Aperture: f/8
Exposure time: 1/250s
Focal length: 105mm
ISO Speed: 100
Processed with PS CS5
The entire Mono Basin used to be quite active with volcanoes. In fact, the last eruption was only about 350 years ago when it gave rise to Paoha Island in the middle of Mono Lake. Down south and north of Bishop, a plateau called Volcanic Tablelands was formed over 700K years ago. You can find huge volcanic boulders scattered on top and along the side of the plateau. The local Paiute Indians have have been treating this plateau as a spiritual place. Their rock art has reflected a rich history of the Paiute culture. In this picture, as I was walking down from the Volcanic Tablelands, I saw this big cloud from behind. I was half way down when the sun was completely blocked by the cloud. I then took this shot.
Not *technically* the entire north america, I just decided to point my telescope at a semi-random patch of Cygnus. Turns out it [overlaps slightly](i.imgur.com/2GM8qBg.png) with my photo of the Cygnus Wall from last year. Probably gonna mosaic them together with a 3rd panel in the near future. Also ran the [final image through starnet](i.imgur.com/M7fr0jy.jpg) for the hell of it. Captured over 7 nights in August and September 2021 from a Bortle 6 zone. (only did this for like an hour per night while waiting for the helix nebula to get above trees
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**[Equipment:](i.imgur.com/6T8QNsv.jpg)**
* TPO 6" F/4 Imaging Newtonian
* Orion Sirius EQ-G
* ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
* Skywatcher Quattro Coma Corrector
* ZWO EFW 8x1.25"/31mm
* Astronomik LRGB+CLS Filters- 31mm
* Astrodon 31mm Ha 5nm, Oiii 3nm, Sii 5nm
* Agena 50mm Deluxe Straight-Through Guide Scope
* ZWO ASI-120MC for guiding
* Moonlite Autofocuser
**Acquisition:** 15 hours 12 minutes (Camera at Unity Gain, -15°C)
* Sii- 52x360
* Ha- 44x360"
* Oiii- 56x360"
Calibration frames:
* Darks- 30
* Flats- 30 per filter
**Capture Software:**
* Captured using [N.I.N.A.](nighttime-imaging.eu) and PHD2 for guiding and dithering.
**[PixInsight Processing](i.imgur.com/RKxuwvV.png):**
* BatchPreProcessing
* StarAlignment
* [Blink](youtu.be/sJeuWZNWImE?t=40)
* ImageIntegration
* DrizzleIntegration (2x, Var β=1.5) (per channel)
**Linear:**
* AutomaticBackgroundExtraction
* EZ Decon (Ha only)
> the data didnt really benefit from noise reduction
* EZ Soft Stretch per channel to bring nonlinear
**Combining Channels:**
* Channel Combination to map Sii, Ha, and Oiii to RGB respectively
**Nonlinear:**
* SCNR green > invert > SCNR > invert
> Didn't run SCNR at 100% for this, just wanted to pull back the overpowering greens and magentas a little
* LRGBCombination with Ha as luminance
* Shitloads of CurveTransformations to adjust lightness, saturation, contrast, hues, etc.
* LocalHistogramEqualization
> two rounds of this, one at size 16 kernel for the finer 'feathery' details, and one at 130 for larger structures
* More Curves
* EZ Star Reduction
* NoiseGenerator to add noise into reduced star areas
* DarkStructureEnhance
* even more curves
* Resample to 60%
* Annotation
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