View allAll Photos Tagged Exploits
Exploitant : Transdev Conflans
Réseau : Conflans – Achères
Ligne : 5S
Lieu : Gaudines (Saint-Germain-en-Laye, F-78)
Lien TC Infos : tc-infos.fr/vehicule/52777
A deposit of copper bearing ore 14km southeast of Duchess at Trekelano was exploited by the Hampden Co for use at its Kuridala smelter. The ore body was one of the richer ones in the Cloncurry area, averaging around 13% copper and lesser amount of silver and gold. Trekelano ore was particularly valuable as a smelting aid.
The deposit was first worked in about 1906 in a small way, mostly for development work, and gradually increased its output of economical volumes by 1915. In time, the mine was equipped with a semi-marine type Babcock & Wilcox boiler, a Walker geared winding engine, Fraser & Chambers compressor, electric light from a 40hp Hornsby gas engine and wood producer, a picking plant, and ore bins. Narrow gauge tramways were used to move the ore to the dumps to the loading state and to fart firewood to the boiler house. Associated facilities were a change room, an engine room, a boiler shed, magazines, offices, stores, and staff quarters. At its peak, the mine employed 60 men. A school and post office were provided from 1918 and these remained viable until 1928.
When the railway was extended from Malbon to Duchess, the company began sending Trekelano ore to Duchess using a traction engine and wagons. This arrangement was not satisfactory in the long term so as soon as the railway was extended from Duchess to Dajarra, the company immediately took steps to lay a connecting tramway. The link was 12.3km in length.
The line was funded and built by the company under the Tramways Act. Engineering specifications were based on QR standards but were more economical in regard to the road bed and ballasting. The company sourced the rails and sleepers from QR and secured them on time payment based on a rebate from a premium placed on every ton carried. The company also paid the line maintenance fees.
Construction commenced on the 10th of September 1917 some 7.5km from Duchess at 553 miles and 21 chains, later known as Juenburra. Accommodation comprised a loop siding on the left from which was laid the branch proper which consisted of a curve to the southeast where another loop was placed on the right. From here the line continued southeast to the mine, which was 130 rail kilometres from Cloncurry.
A passenger service was offered but it was minimally supported because the Trekelano community had a road coach service to Duchess station. The coach departed Duchess at 7am on Monday and Friday for a same day return. Passenger rail journeys were around 200 per year to 1921 and then tailed off to virtually nothing, ceasing altogether soon after.
From 1941 the train day became a Monday and was worked by the Cloncurry-Dajarra-Cloncurry weekly mixed running on a Sunday-Monday overnight rest schedule. Ore loadings had dropped by half at this time to around 3500 tons due to shortages of labour and machinery spare parts. One train a week sufficed. Loadings diminished even further to less then 2000 tons by 1943. The mine closed that year and the train service ceased at this time. A small community remained until the end, and this included several school aged children who were driven to Duchess each day for their education.
The mine owners retired to the coast and after the war put the mine and tramway on the market. There were no takers for the assets as a going concern so the plant was sold for scrap. The rails were purchased by the North Eton Sugar Mill and were removed by 1947. The telephone pole line was dismantled at the same time. The sleepers had no value and were left in situ. The official closure of the tramway is the 14th of May 1947.
The original Trekelano mine produced 220 000 tons of ore over its lifetime to yield 20 000 tons of copper and 3000 oz of gold. In the 1990s the site was gone over by the drivers of Mineral Commodities NL to locate and estimated 400 000 tonnes of 2.2% copper and 0.6 grams/tonne of gold. The deposit was reopened in 2005 by Osborne Mines and worked as a massive pit, this development swallowing the remains of the original mine and tramway. The Trekelano ore was carted to a concentrating plant at Mount Osborne, south of Selwyn, and the treated ore despatched by rail through to Phosphate Hill.
The mine is no longer in use.
Source: Copper in the Curry by Norman Houghton.
"Incessant traffic"
Baie de Halong (Vietnam)
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"Copyright © – Patrick Bouchenard
The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained here in for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved."
Copyright © Heavenxxx89 2012 -2014 You may not, except with my express written permission, copy, reproduce, download,
distribute or exploit In any way Thank you
view my photostream here portfotolio.net/heavenxxx23
or here flickeflu.com/photos/heavenxxx23
0r here picssr.com/photos/heavenxxx23/?ref=user
In memory of my daughter heaven who was born sleeping on the 21.2.89 love you always and forever xxxx R.I.P
Each new life… No matter how fragile or brief… Forever changes the world.
What Makes a Mother
I thought of you and closed my eyes.
And prayed to God today.
I asked what makes a mother and
I know I heard him say,
A mother has a baby.
This we know is true.
But God, can you be a mother
when your baby's not with you?
Yes, you can, He replied
with confidence in His voice.
I give many women babies.
When they leave is not their choice.
Some I send for a lifetime
and others for a day.
And some I send to feel your womb
but there's no need to stay.
I just don't understand this. God,
I want my baby here.
He took a breath and cleared His throat
and then I saw a tear.
I wish I could show you
what your child is doing today.
If you could see your child smile
with other children and say,
"We go to earth to learn our lessons
of life and love and fear.
My Mommy loved me, Oh so much,
I got to come straight here.
I feel so lucky to have a Mom
who had so much love for me,
I learned my lesson very quickly.
My Mommy set me free.
I miss my Mommy, Oh so much,
but I visit her each day.
When she goes to sleep,
on her pillow's where I lay.
I stroke her hair and kiss her cheek
and whisper in her ear,
'Mommy don't be sad today,
I'm your baby and I'm here.'"
So you see, my dear sweet one,
your children are okay.
Your babies are here in MY home
and this is where they'll stay.
They'll wait for you with ME
until your lesson is through.
And on the day that you come home,
they'll be at the gates for you.
So now you see what makes a Mother—
It's the feeling in your heart.
It's the love you had so much of,
right from the very start.
Though some on earth may not realize you are a Mother,
until their time is done.
They'll be up here with ME one day,
and know you're the best one.
~Jennifer Wasik~
window frame absurdwordpreferred.deviantart.com/art/Window-transparent...
bird pandora-gold-stock.deviantart.com/art/bird-01-stock-65868768
model faestock.deviantart.com/art/Daenerys-288148123
png_fairy_wings_2_by_naughtygirlgraphics-d3hqdxv[1]
"Winter Forest Path"
Forêt de Chevigny-Saint-Sauveur (Côte d'Or)
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"City of old stones"
Alba la Romaine (Ardèche)
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Phnom Penh (Cambodge)
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Colchicum 'Dick Trotter'
The name of this exquisite Autumn crocus always reminds me of the smash-hit BBC TV comedy series, 'Fools and Horses.'
The show centered on the hilarious exploits of the Trotters, a South London Cockney family, staring Derek "Delboy" Trotter, and his, younger, hapless but taller brother, Rodney "Rodders" Trotter.
The must see Eighties' show achieved cult status with such famous catchphrases as, "He who dares – wins;" "This time next year we'll be millionaires;" "Lovely Jubbly!" and, "You know it makes sense."
Delboy, actor, David Jason, was also fond of calling, Rodders, actor, Nicholas Lyndhurst, "You Plonker!"
Must also mention Edward "Grandad" Trotter, actor, Lennard Pearce, famed for armchair boasts about his heroic wartime navel exploits. He'd drone on: "In the war..."
Decades later, I can still hear their voices to this day .... 😂😂😂
Re-telling the tale of Sherwood forest exploits of true love and out witting the nasty Sheriff of Nottingham and the slimy Sir Guy of Gisburn.
It's a shame none of the anti heroes were present at this show. To see the Sheriff bang his fist on a trestle table and yell 'Cancel Christmas' would have been a touch of class I think!
Exploitant : Transdev TVO
Réseau : R'Bus (Argenteuil)
Ligne : 7
Lieu : Île-de-France (Argenteuil, F-95)
Lien TC Infos : tc-infos.fr/vehicule/35158
"In the early part of World War II, 110,000 persons of Japanese ancestry were interned in relocation centers by Executive Order No. 9066 issued February 19, 1942. Manzanar, the first of ten such concentration camps, was bounded by barbed wire and guard towers. It confined ten thousand persons, the majority of them American citizens.
May the injustices and humiliation suffered here as a result of hysteria, racism, and economic exploitation never emerge again."
California Registered Historical Landmark No. 850
- Plaque Placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Manzanar Committee and the Japanese American Citizens League, April 14, 1973.
Manzanar National Historic Site, California
United States of America
"Squabble"
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"Copyright © – Patrick Bouchenard
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Motrice B45
Motrice 45
Année de construction: 1915
Constructeurs: Ateliers métallurgiques de Nivelles et ACEC
Longueur: 10,55 m
Longueur de caisse : 9,82 m
Largeur de caisse : 2,12 m
Tare: 14.300 Kg
Voie : 1,435 m
Essieux: 2
Empattement: 2,500 m
Puissance : Moteurs TVf : 2 x 22 CV (puissance continue) - Controller T25
Frein : Frein Westinghouse
Nombre de places: assises: 24 - debout: 43 à 47
RAILWAYS ECONOMIQUES DE LIEGE-SERAING ET EXTENSIONS (R.E.L.S.E.)
Suite au prolongement en 1912 de la ligne de Flémalle jusqu’au PN de Flémalle-Haute (avec instauration en 1913 du service direct Liège-Flémalle toutes les 9 min) et en 1913, du prolongement de la ligne de Seraing jusqu’au Bois, un accroissement du parc de matériel roulant et surtout des motrices plus puissantes sont nécessaires pour gravir, avec des remorques, les hauteurs de Seraing.
La RELSE réalise 2 commandes en décembre 1913 (voitures) à « Ateliers Métallurgiques de Nivelles » et en janvier 1914 (équipements électriques de ligne) à ACEC.
Livraisons des voitures en septembre 1915 et montage des équipements électriques à l’atelier de Jemeppe de la RELSE.
Numérotation : 41 à 50 ; 50 devient 40 au 01.01.1926.
Mises en service en 1916.
Transformation en 1933 par l’atelier de Jemeppe : nouvelles plateformes allongées de 0,5m (de At. Métal. Nivelles), long-pans, leviers ACME de freins à main, indicateurs de lignes de Carl Brose à Eberfeld, nouveaux engrenages, carters, résistances.
La caisse 42 est soufflée par un bombardement en 1944.
Série mise hors exploitation en février 1967, après fermeture de l’antenne d’Ougrée et la suppression des trains spéciaux de football.
Démolition en septembre 1967.
La motrice 45 a circulé pour la dernière fois le 25 mars 1967.
Pont des Récollets, Largentière (Ardèche)
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"Copyright © – Patrick Bouchenard
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“For the only great men among the unfree and the oppressed are those who struggle to destroy the oppressor.”
— Walter Rodney, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (1972)
Walter Anthony Rodney (Georgetown, British Guiana, 23 March 1942 – Georgetown, Guyana, 13 June 1980) was a historian, professor, political activist, and one of the most powerful anti-colonial intellectuals of the twentieth century. He was not only a scholar: he was a voice that turned knowledge into liberation. Rodney proved that history is never neutral, and that the past can be used either to keep people obedient—or to make them free.
Origins and formation
Rodney was born in Georgetown, in what was then British Guiana (today Guyana), into a working-class family. His background shaped him profoundly: he understood inequality not as an abstract concept, but as lived reality. From early on he showed extraordinary intellectual talent, and he pursued education not as personal prestige but as a weapon against oppression.
He studied at the University of the West Indies, then completed a PhD in African History at SOAS (University of London), achieving academic excellence at a remarkably young age. Yet even within elite institutions Rodney remained focused on one question: why are some societies kept poor, dependent, and vulnerable—while others grow rich through their exploitation?
A scholar who spoke to the people
Rodney’s greatness lies in a rare union: rigorous scholarship and public courage. He refused the role of the distant academic. He spoke to students, workers, and ordinary people with the same seriousness he brought to research. His lectures were not comfortable: they were awakenings.
He became internationally respected as a historian of Africa and the African diaspora. He taught and worked in different countries, including Tanzania at the University of Dar es Salaam, a major intellectual center for liberation movements in Africa and beyond. There Rodney helped shape a generation of thinkers and activists who understood that colonialism did not end when flags changed—it continued through economic control, political manipulation, and cultural domination.
How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (1972): the book that exposed a system
Rodney’s most influential work is How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (1972), a book that remains one of the clearest and most devastating analyses of colonialism ever written. In that work, Rodney demonstrates that Africa’s poverty was not an accident, not a “failure,” and not the result of African inferiority. It was the consequence of a deliberate historical system.
He showed how Europe’s development was built directly upon Africa’s exploitation: the extraction of resources, the theft of labor, the destruction of local economies, the Atlantic slave trade, and the creation of dependency. Rodney’s thesis was revolutionary because it stripped colonial power of its moral mask. He made it impossible to speak of colonialism as “civilization.” He revealed it as organized theft.
Why he threatened power
Rodney was dangerous because he did what tyrants fear most: he educated. He dismantled colonial propaganda with evidence, history, and clarity. He exposed not only foreign domination but also the betrayal of post-independence elites when they reproduced oppression in new forms.
He helped people understand that exploitation is not fate. Once people become conscious, they become difficult to govern through fear. Rodney turned knowledge into collective dignity—and that is why authoritarian systems could not tolerate him.
Political struggle in Guyana
Rodney returned to Guyana and became deeply involved in democratic opposition and grassroots political organization. He stood against authoritarian rule and racial division, working for unity and justice. His activism was not comfortable, not symbolic, not “safe.” It challenged the structures of power directly.
Rodney was repeatedly harassed, surveilled, restricted, and attacked, because his presence alone threatened the stability of a system built on intimidation.
Assassination
On 13 June 1980, Walter Rodney was assassinated in Georgetown, Guyana, when a bomb exploded. He was only 38 years old. The method of the killing spoke the language of political terror: it was not only meant to eliminate a man, but to frighten everyone who might follow him.
His death has long been understood as political murder. The investigation and historical record point strongly toward state-linked involvement, and the case remains a symbol of how regimes silence those who expose the truth.
Legacy
Walter Rodney left more than a book. He left a model of what a true intellectual can be: someone who does not hide behind knowledge, but uses it to defend human dignity. He reminds us that oppression does not fear weapons as much as it fears ideas—especially ideas that reach the people.
Rodney was killed because he made history dangerous to power. He proved that education can be resistance, that truth can be liberation, and that a conscious people cannot be ruled by fear forever.
Dès le VIème siècle, le falun a été exploité par les habitants de Doué-la-Fontaine pour la fabrication de sarcophages. Au Xème siècle, les caves servirent de refuges pour se protéger des invasions vikings.
Même si l'exploitation du falun a débuté très tôt, c'est au XVIIIème siècle que celle-ci va connaître un fort essor. Le falun est alors utilisé sous forme de pierre à bâtir, de sable ou pour la chaux. Avec le développement économique de Doué-la-Fontaine lié à la culture des rosiers, de nombreuses familles sont venues travailler et s'y installer. La nécessité de construire des logements et des bâtiments agricoles a incité les douessins à produire de la pierre à construction.
En raison de la topographie de la région, l'extraction ne fut pas possible à flanc de coteau. Ainsi, les carriers ont imaginé l,extraction verticale, à partir d'une tranchée réalisée dans le champ, afin de garder le terrain accessible et cultivable. Au XXème siècle, l'arrivée du béton a mis fin à l'extraction du falun.
Certaines carrières ont été remployées en prisons ou chachettes pendant les différents conflits qui se sont déroulés sur le territoire.
Ensuite les caves sont devenues des lieux de stockage pour le vin, champignonnières, abris pour les jeunes plans des pépiniéristes, lieux de visites, restaurants et même hébergements touristiques.
On envisage même de créer des Data Centers dans certains sites troglodytiques car la température constante de 12-13 degrés permettrait de faire pas mal d'économies pour le refroidissement des ordinateurs.
From the sixth century, the falun was exploited by the inhabitants of Doué-la-Fontaine for the manufacture of sarcophagi. In the Xth century, the cellars served as refuges to protect themselves from Viking invasions.
Even though the exploitation of falun began very early, it is in the eighteenth century that it will experience a boom. The falun is then used in the form of building stone, sand or lime. With the economic development of Doué-la-Fontaine linked to the cultivation of roses, many families came to work and settle there. The need to build housing and farm buildings prompted the churches to produce building stone.
Because of the topography of the area, extraction was not possible on the hillside. Thus, the quarrymen imagined the vertical extraction, from a trench made in the field, to keep the land accessible and cultivable. In the twentieth century, the arrival of concrete ended the extraction of falun.
Some careers were used in prisons or bunches during the various conflicts that took place on the territory.
Then the cellars became storage places for wine, mushrooms, shelters for young nursery plans, places of visits, restaurants and even tourist accommodations.
It is even envisaged to create data centers because the constant temperature of 12-13 degrees would make a lot of savings for cooling computers.
After my Dr Doolittle exploits with the sheep,I thought I'd try it with some seagulls.They were very co-operative except the grumpy fellow at the front.See him being really angry here www.flickr.com/photos/19886474@N04/2899178127/in/photostr...
Canon EOS 77D ,+ Sigma 105mm macro + tube allonge 12mm. Focus stacking 3 prises exploitables Modified by CombineZP. Dijon, France 2025
Réseau : Idélis (Pau, SMTU)
Transporteur : Keolis Transports Palois Réunis
Type : Mercedes-Benz Citaro C2 hybrid
Parc : 1987
Immatriculation : FK-768-WJ
Mise en service : 15 octobre 2019
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Date de la photographie : Mai 2021
Lieu de la photographie : Pau, 64 Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France
Auteur : © Olivier MEYER
Ligne 53 - Arrêt : Tertre
Exploitant : RGO Mobilités
Réseau STAR - Rennes
Véhicule de Keolis Rennes prêté à RGO Mobilités
Dans le bois de Boulogne. Le contraste m’a frappé entre la beauté poétique face à moi et ce symbole du libéralisme pur et sans âme en toile de fond.
Mis en service à Aurillac (15) en novembre 1995, ce PR112 à été sauvé par l'association APATBM en février 2017. En effet, beaucoup de PR112 circulaient sur le réseau CGFTE.
Modèle : RENAULT VI PR112
Numéro de parc : 9564
Immatriculation : BZ-717-FS
Mise en service : novembre 1995
Exploitant : APATBM
Lieu : BORDEAUX Quinconces
Infos complémentaires : VF6PS08A1PX104873 ex-Aurillac
Together we’re building a new identity ecosystem, a globally recognized universal biometric ID blockchain system. It will be a biometric smartchip ID that will be tracked worldwide by AI to solve the 17 sustainable development goals.
The Mark of the Beast is a Certification Mark of authentication (the new global standard), affirming that all who are involved with this new global biometric digital ID blockchain are compliant with the core principles of the 17 Sustainable Development goals, which have been adopted by all the United Nations Member States. No one will be able to buy or sell or do anything in society without this Certification Mark. This Mark will now become mandatory for all. Without it, you will be arrested.
Through the means of a microchip implant we will be able to eradicate human trafficking (we cause the crisis, and then we offer you the solution). Every kind of supposed virtuous cause will be exploited to promote the 666 Beastchip. Climate change…take the smartchip…blah, blah, blah. Refugees…take the smartchip…blah, blah, blah. Human rights…take the smartchip…blah, blah, blah. Fight poverty…take the smartchip…blah, blah, blah. For the sake of equality, inclusiveness, and sustainability…take the smartchip…blah, blah, blah.
www.accenture.com/us-en/services/blockchain/digital-identity
En 1965, Peter Wolkonsky achète les vieux bâtiments de ferme d'une exploitation agricole et recompose façades et toitures dans le style d'un ancien logis manorial du XVIIe siècle. Il creuse les différentes pièces d'eau, bâtit et décore des constructions annexes, fontaine ou pavillons et grotte italienne ornés de coquillages.
Les tempêtes de 1987 et 1999 causent de grands dégâts. Après la mort de Peter Wolkonsky en 1997, sa fille Isabelle et son mari Timothy Vaughan, paysagiste, restaurent le jardin et poursuivent l'œuvre de son créateur. Le paysagiste meurt en août 2025.
En 2021, les jardins sont achetés par le créateur de chaussures de luxe Christian Louboutin.
En mai 2025, ce jardin est considéré comme l'un des vingt-cinq plus beaux du monde, selon une liste publiée par le New York Times. Le paysagiste Louis Benech est à l'origine du classement du jardin à la 18e place.
Les jardins de Kerdalo s'étendent sur 18 hectares, le long d'un vallon encaissé qui descend en pente douce vers la rivière du Jaudy. Ce jardin-paysage à l'anglaise emprunte différents éléments d'inspiration italienne ou exotique.
lesjardinsdekerdalo.com/?lang=en
In 1965, Peter Wolkonsky purchased the old farm buildings of a working farm and redesigned the facades and roofs in the style of a 17th-century manor house. He created various water features, built and decorated outbuildings, a fountain, pavilions, and an Italian grotto adorned with seashells. Storms in 1987 and 1999 caused extensive damage. After Peter Wolkonsky's death in 1997, his daughter Isabelle and her husband, landscape architect Timothy Vaughan, restored the garden and continued his work. The landscape architect died in August 2025. In 2021, the gardens were purchased by luxury shoe designer Christian Louboutin. In May 2025, this garden was ranked among the twenty-five most beautiful in the world, according to a list published by The New York Times. Landscape architect Louis Benech is responsible for the garden's 18th place ranking.
The Kerdalo gardens extend over 18 hectares, along a narrow valley that slopes gently down to the Jaudy River. This English-style landscape garden incorporates various elements of Italian and exotic inspiration.
The carved house posts supporting the beams inside the Tlingit clan house symbolize the exploits of Duk-toothl, a man of Raven phratry wearing a weasel skin hat who showed his strength by tearing a sea lion in two.
Totem Bight State Historical Site, Ketchikan, Alaska.
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Below are 11 pages of the 50 that make up the document titled "National Register of Historic Places - Inventory Form" dated October 27, 1971, for what was then called Mud Bight Village, the former name for what is known today as Totem Bight State Historical Park in Ketchikan, Alaska.
They're worth reading for an overall description of the site as written by historic-preservation professionals. Where else would one find a Northwest Coast clan house described as "almost Romanesque"?
In Hindu society, fire walking is an important ritual, practiced by certain sections of Hindu society and considered as a physical and spiritual exploit; the ceremonial involves walking over a bed of coals, an act of self purification performed by men and women of all ages; the ritual is known as thimithi and dedicated to ‘Draupadi Amman of Mahabharata’ – an important female deity associated with Shakti cult in Tamil Culture and also to numerous other village deities found in South India, which are directly or indirectly related to Shakti cult; for some devotees it is part of a vow in which they promise to walk on fire in exchange for a wish granted by Amman, believing that if they are blessed by Amman then they will come out unscathed; I even saw some people carrying their children on their shoulders as part of the rite; Men can walk on fire because coal from wood has less thermal capacities, which means that less heat is transferred to the feet while crossing on fire; the period of contact between burning coals and feet is for a very short moment, but even with those scientific explanations, you need a lot of courage to enter the inferno as temperature rises all around; after the walk on fire, the family comes to the devotee and bless him
© Eric Lafforgue
"Rainfall"
Pointe du Minou (Finistère)
"Copyright © – Patrick Bouchenard
The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained here in for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved
2015 : 150ème anniversaire de la première ascension du Cervin.
Le Cervin (Cervino en italien, Matterhorn en allemand) est un sommet alpin de 4 478 mètres d'altitude, situé sur la frontière italo-suisse, entre le canton du Valais et la vallée d'Aoste.
L'ascension de la face nord fut considérée comme le dernier des grands exploits de l'alpinisme dans les Alpes, avec celle de l'Eiger et celle des Grandes Jorasses qui forment ensemble les trois grandes faces nord des Alpes.
2015: 150th birthday of the first ascent of the Matterhorn.
The Cervin (Cervino in Italian, Matterhorn in German) is an alpine summit 4 478 meters in height, situated on the Italian-Swiss border, between the canton of Valais and the Aosta Valley.
The ascent of the north face was considered as the last one of the big exploits of the mountain climbing in the Alps, with that of Eiger and that of Grandes Jorasses which form together three big north faces of the Alps.
Fifth picture of the series Canes & Mud.
(For this time a Self-portrait, evoking ancient past fishermen. A very difficult picture to execute as it got very windy and I had to remain immobile for 30 seconds of exposure)
Magical sunrise in this beautiful place that is the Albufera of Valencia.
The image title is because during the photoshoot, surrounded by all this beauty, calm water, boat, reeds, mud, tranquility, flying birds ... every moment reminded me a lot to the great novel "Cañas y Barro" of the great Valencian writer Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, set in rural Valencia (Albufera) of the early twentieth century, the novel observes and portrays the social reality of the time and place with absolute precision.
Would like to thank this picture to my friend Javier Girbés, which helped me a lot with the location and encouraged me to know this magnificent spot.
On the technical side, say that I only used a screwed ten steps filter combined with a neutral gradient three steps filter.
I hope you like it. Have a nice Wednesday. :)
My galleries:
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Captured beneath High Neb looking South East down Stanage Edge. The stone in the foreground has laid there incomplete for centuries.
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© Copyright 2014 Philip Hunter, All Rights Reserved.
You do NOT have the right to copy, reproduced, download, or exploit any of my images without my permission.
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Exploitant : Cars Lacroix
Réseau : ValParisis
Ligne : 30-05
Lieu : La Plaine (Cormeilles-en-Parisis, F-95)
Lien TC Infos : tc-infos.fr/vehicule/25134
"Curiosity"
Singe Capucin à tête blanche - Parc national Cahuita - Puerto Viejo (COSTA RICA 2019)
Website : www.fluidr.com/photos/pat21
"Copyright © – Patrick Bouchenard
The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained here in for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.
"Women stories"
Tokyo (JAPON 2008)
<Website : www.fluidr.com/photos/pat21
"Copyright © – Patrick Bouchenard
The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained here in for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved
Test with a used barrel of an old lens, with built in aperture and different simple lenses (exchangeable). Nothing to notice, but some are quite funny. So enjoy them and excuse the humble quality of them.
Kavala (Greek: Καβάλα) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos. Kavala is located on the Egnatia motorway and is a one and a half-hour drive to Thessaloniki (160 kilometres (99 miles) west) and a forty-minute drive to Drama (37 km (23 miles) north) and Xanthi (56 km (35 miles) east). Its nickname is The cyan city (Η γαλάζια πόλη).
History
Antiquity
The city was founded at about the end of the 7th century BC by settlers from Thassos, who called it Neapolis (Νεάπολις; "new city" in Greek). It was one of the colonies that the Thassians founded along the coastline in order to take advantage of the rich gold and silver mines of the territory, especially those located in the nearby Pangaion mountain (which were eventually exploited by Phillip the Second of Macedonia).
The worship of "Parthenos", a female deity of Greek–Ionian origin, is archaeologically attested in the archaic period. At the end of the 6th century BC Neapolis claimed its independence from Thassos and cut its own silver coins with the head of Gorgo (γοργὀνειο) on the one side. At the beginning of the 5th century BC a large Ionic temple made from thassian marble replaced the archaic one. Parts of it can now be seen in the archaeological museum of Kavala.
In 411 BC, during the Peloponnesian War, Neapolis was besieged by the allied armies of the Spartans and the Thassians but remained faithful to Athens. Two Athenian honorary decrees in 410 and 407 BC rewarded Neapolis for its loyalty.
Neapolis was a town of Macedonia, located 14 km (9 mi) from the harbor of Philippi. Neapolis was a member of the Athenian League; a pillar found in Athens mentions the contribution of Neapolis to the alliance.
Roman Era
The military Roman road Via Egnatia passed through the city helped commerce to flourish. It became a Roman civitas in 168 BC, and was a base for Brutus and Cassius in 42 BC, before their defeat in the Battle of Philippi. (Appian, B.C. iv. 106; Dion Cass. xlvii. 35.). The Apostle Paul landed at Kavala on his first voyage to Europe (Acts, xvi. 11).
Byzantine Era
In the 6th century, Byzantine emperor Justinian I fortified the city in an effort to protect it from barbaric raids. In later Byzantine times the city was called Christoupolis (Χριστούπολις, "city of Christ") and belonged to the theme of Macedonia. The first mention of the new name is recorded in a taktikon of the early 9th century. The city is also mentioned in the "Life of St. Gregory of Dekapolis". In the 8th and 9th century, Bulgarian attacks forced the Byzantines to reorganize the defense of the area, giving great care to Christoupolis with fortifications and a notable garrison. In 926 the Byzantine general (strategos) Basil Klaudon reconstructed the fallen walls of the city, ("τα πριν φθαρέντα και πεπτωκότα τείχη") according to an inscription that is now in the archaeological museum of Kavala. Due to the location of Christoupolis, the city experienced an economic resurgence, securing the contact between Constantinople and Thessaloniki. During the Norman raid of Macedonia in 1185, the city was captured and burned. In 1302, the Catalans failed to capture the city. In order to prevent them from coming back, the Byzantine emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos built a new long defensive wall ("το παρά την Χριστούπολιν τείχισμα"). In the 13th century the Byzantine Greek historian George Akropolites writes that the city and the area around the city is highly populated with Bulgarians and this makes it more difficult to keep the city as a part of Bizantium.[2] In 1357 it is mentioned that the Byzantine officers and brothers Alexios and John controlled the city and its territory. Recent excavations have revealed the ruins of an early Byzantine basilica under an old Ottoman mosque in the old part of the city (Panagia peninsula). This Christian temple was used until the late Byzantine era, as the also recently revealed small cemetery around it shows. The Ottoman Turks first captured the city in 1387 and completely destroyed it in 1391, as a Mount Athos chronicle testifies.
Ottoman Era
Kavala was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1387 to 1912. In the middle of the 16th century, Ibrahim Pasha, Grand Vizier of Suleiman the Magnificent, contributed to the prosperity and growth of Kavala by the construction of an aqueduct.[3] The Ottomans also extended the Byzantine fortress on the hill of Panagia. Both landmarks are among the most recognizable symbols of the city today.
Mehmet Ali, the founder of a dynasty that ruled Egypt, was born in Kavala in 1769. His house has been preserved as a museum.
Modern Kavala
Kavala was briefly occupied by the Bulgarians during the first Balkan War in 1912, but was finally captured by Greece in 1913 during a successful landing operation by the Greek Navy that was commanded by the famous admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis. During World War I Kavala suffered from the Bulgarian military occupation with many victims among its Greek population.[citation needed] After the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, the city entered a new era of prosperity because of the labour offered by the thousands of refugees that moved to the area from Asia Minor. The development was both industrial and agricultural. Kavala became greatly involved in the processing and trading of tobacco. Many buildings related to the storage and processing of tobacco from that era are preserved in the city.
During World War II and after the fall of Athens, the Nazis awarded Kavala to their Bulgarian allies in 1941, causing the city to suffer once again, but finally was liberated in 1944.
In the late 1950s Kavala expanded towards the sea by reclaiming land from the area west of the port.
In 1967, King Constantine II left Athens for Kavala in an unsuccessful attempt to launch a counter-coup against the military junta.
Etymology
In antiquity the name of the city was Neapolis. During the Middle Ages it was Christoupolis. The etymology of the modern name of the city is disputed. There are some explanations, either from the Italian cavallo (=horse), or from the Hebrew Kabbalah due to the large Jewish population of the city.
Climate
Kavala has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification "Cfa") that borders on an semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification "BSk" or "BSh" depending on the system used) with annual average precipitation of 460 mm (18.1 in). Snowfalls are sporadic, but happen more or less every year. The humidity is always very high
The absolute maximum temperature ever recorded was 38.0 °C (100 °F), while the absolute minimum ever recorded was −5.8 °C (22 °F).
Education/Research
The Technological Educational Institute (panoramic view).TEI of Kavala: The Technological Educational Institute of Kavala (Greek: ΤΕΙ Καβάλας) is a public institute providing education at university level in the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. The main campus of the institute located in St. Lukas, Kavala and is approximately 132,000 m2 with buildings covering an area of 36,000 m2.The campus is home for 2 faculties (Faculty of Engineering Sciences and Faculty of Business and Economics) with totally 9 departments.
Fisheries Research Institute:[5] Fisheries Research Institute (F.R.I) is one of the five specialized research institutes of N.AG.RE.F, being responsible to conduct research and to promote technological development in the fishery sector. The Institute is located 17 km (11 mi) away from Kavala, in Nea Peramos, at the centre of a marine area with rich fishery grounds and high biodiversity in the surrounding lagoons, lakes and rivers.
Institute of Mohamed Ali for the Research of the Eastern Tradition (I.M.A.R.E.T.):[6] I.M.A.R.E.T. is a registered NGO with the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was established several months ago by concerned citizens in Kavala, Greece. Its aims include the study of the Egyptian influence in Greece and vice versa. The intra-cultural exchange and dialogue, as well as the promotion of art as a means of intra-cultural understanding. The first major co-operation partner is Cultnat of Bibliotheca Alaxandrina with the aim of documenting and digitizing the architectural heritage of the Mohamed Ali era in Egypt and Greece. Most important event that take place every year at the institute is the International Roman Law Moot Court Competition.
Historical & Literary Archives of Kavala:[7] It is purely a non-profiteering, public utility foundation. The foundation of the Historical & Literary Archives of Kavala is not subsidized by the Greek State, neither by any other enterprise of the private sector. Its operational cost is covered only by its founders and by infrequent aids of the local self-government.
Egnatia Aviation:[8] It is a private training college for pilots that started training in Greece in July 2006. The facilities of Egnatia Aviation mostly located in the former passenger’s terminal of the Kavala International Airport "Alexander the Great".
Culture
Festivals and events
Kavala hosts a wide array of cultural events, which mostly take place during the summer months. The top festival is the Festival of Philippi,[9] which lasts from July to September and includes theatrical performances and music concerts. Since 1957, it has been the city's most important cultural event and one of the most important of Greece.
Cosmopolis is an International Festival held in the Old Town of Kavala that offers an acquaintance with cultures around the world through dancing and musical groups, traditional national cuisines, cinema, and exhibits at the kiosks of the participant countries.
Giannis Papaioannou’s Festival includes concerts and music seminars.[10]
Ilios ke Petra (Sun and Stone)(July): a Festival held in “Akontisma” of Nea Karvali. The event is of folkloric character, with the participation of traditional dancing groups from all over the world.
Wood Water Wild Festival:[11] Wood Water Wild is an outdoor activities festival, inspired by nature. It includes live bands & DJ sets, body&mind activities, a book fair, outdoor theatre, ecology, camping, and debates.
Kavala AirSea Show:[12] An annual air show, which takes place during the last days of June
Besides, various cultural events are held in all municipalities of Kavala during the summer months.
Cuisine
Fish and sea food, as well as the products of the local livestock breeding and agricultural sectors are the prevailing elements of Kavala courses. In Kavala, the traditional local recipes have been influenced by the cuisine of the refugees from Pontos, Asia Minor and Kappadokia. Fresh fish and sea food, salted food, mackerel "gouna" (sun dried mackerel on the grill), sardine pantremeni, mussels with rice, herring saganaki, anchovies wrapped in grape leaves, Stuffed eggplant: these are some very renowned recipes in Kavala and the coastal settlements of the region. The grapes, wine and tsipouro produced in the area, as well as the kourabiedes (sugar-coated almond biscuits) from Nea Karvali are particularly famous.
Municipality
The municipality of Kavala was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 2 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[13]
Municipal units (former municipalities):
Kavala
Filippoi
Municipal unit
Kavala 58,790
Filippoi 11,711
The population of the new municipality is 70,501 and the area is 350,61 km2. The seat of the municipality is in Kavala. Some of the most important communities inside new municipality are:
Population
Kavala 56,371
Krinides 3,365
Amigdaleonas 2,724
Nea Karvali 2,225
Zygos 2,057
Subdivisions
Kavala is built amphitheatrically, with most residents enjoying superb views of the coast and sea. Some of the regions inside Kavala are:
Agia Varvara Agios Athanasios Agios Ioannis Agios Loukas Chilia
Dexameni Kalamitsa Kentro Neapolis Panagia
Perigiali Potamoudia Profitis Ilias Timios Stavros Vyronas
Province
The province of Kavala (Greek: Επαρχία Καβάλας) was one of the provinces of the Kavala Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality Kavala, and part of the municipal unit Eleftheroupoli.[14] It was abolished in 2006.
Transport
Highway Network
European route E90 runs through the city and connects Kavala with the other cities. The Egnatia Motorway (A2) lies north of the city. One can enter the city from one of two Junctions; 'Kavala West' and 'Kavala East'.Kavala has regular connection with Interregional Bus Lines (KTEL) from and to Thessaloniki and Athens.
Airport
The Kavala International Airport "Alexander the Great" (27 km (17 mi) from Kavala) is connected with Athens by regularly scheduled flights and with many European cities by scheduled and charter flights.
Port
Kavala is connected with all the islands of the Northern Aegean Sea with frequent itineraries of various ferry lines.
Bus
The city is connected with all of the large Greek cities such as Thessaloniki and Athens. All of the local villages are also connected via bus lines. The cost of tickets is very cheap. There is also a shuttle bus in Kavala with these lines : 1. Vironas - Kallithea 2. Dexameni 3. Cemetery 4. Kipoupoli - Technological Institute 5. Agios Loukas 6. Profitis Ilias 7. Stadium 8. Kalamitsa - Batis ( only in summer ) 9. Agios Konstantinos 10. Neapoli 11. Hospital - Perigiali
Sports
Kavala F.C.: AO Kavala (Greek: Athlitikos Omilos Kavala, Αθλητικός Όμιλος Καβάλα), the Athletic Club Kavala, is a professional association football club based in the city of Kavala, Greece.The club plays in the Municipal Kavala Stadium "Anthi Karagianni".[15]
Kavala B.C.: Enosi Kalathosfairisis Kavalas (Greek: Ένωση Καλαθοσφαίρισης Καβάλας - Basketball Union of Kavala) is a Greek professional basketball club that is located in Kavala, Greece. The club is also known as E.K. Kavalas. The club's full Greek name is Ένωση Καλαθοσφαίρισης Καβάλας. Which means, Kavala Basketball Union or Kavala Basketball Association in English. The club competes in the Greek League.
Kavala '86: A women football club, founded in 1986, with panhellenic titles in Greek women football.
Kavala Chess Club:[16] Chess is very popular in Kavala and the local chess club ranks top in Greece, enjoying plenty of success both domestically and internationally. The highlight has to be the club's annual International Open, that takes place every August in Kavala and attracts the biggest names in chess from all over the globe
Nautical Club of Kavala (1945, Ναυτικός Ομιλος Καβάλας, ΝΟΚ). Sports of sea (swimming, yachting,water-polo,diving e.t.c.)
Kavala Titans (2009, Τιτάνες Καβάλας). Rugby Union
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Kavala is twinned with:
Bulgaria Gabrovo, Bulgaria (1975)
Bosnia and Herzegovina Gradiška, Bosnia and Herzegovina (1994)
Germany Nuremberg, Germany (1998)
Partnerships
Morocco Agadir, Morocco (2001)
Armenia Martuni, Armenia (2001)
Turkey Tekirdağ, Turkey (2003)
Bulgaria Gotse Delchev, Bulgaria (2003)
Serbia Vranje, Serbia (2009)
Postage stamps
Austria opened a post office in Kavala before 1864.[18] Between 1893 and 1903, the French post office in the city issued its own postage stamps; at first stamps of France overprinted with "Cavalle" and a value in piasters, then in 1902 the French designs inscribed "CAVALLE".
Historical population
1961 44,517 44,978 -
1971 46,234 46,887 -
1981 56,375 56,705 -
1991 56,571 58,025 -
2001 58,663 63,293 -
2011 54,027 58,790 70,501
Notable figures
Muhammad Ali Pasha of Kavala, the Albanian Wali (governor) of Egypt between 1805–1848 and founder of the modern state of Egypt
Theodore Kavalliotis, Greek Orthodox priest, teacher and a figure of the Greek Enlightenment
Vassilis Vassilikos, Greek writer and diplomat
George Georgiadis, Greek footballer
Giorgos Heimonas (1938–2000), writer and translator
Nikos Karageorgiou, (born December 9, 1962) Manager of Greek football team Ergotelis, based in Heraklion, Crete
Anthi Karagianni, silver medalist in the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games; the city's Municipal stadium is named after her
Vasilis Karas, Greek singer
Nikos Kourkoulis, Greek singer
Mitsos Partsalidis, first elected "red" (communist) mere in modern Greek history, back in 1.4.1934
Antigone Valakou, actress
Despina Vandi, a Top Greek singer
Thanasis Euthimiadis, a Greek actor
Anna Verouli, 1982 Gold Medalist, European Championship, javelin thrower
Zisis Vryzas (born November 9, 1973), former footballer, currently vicepresident of PAOK FC
Theodoros Zagorakis (born October 27, 1971), former footballer, captain of national team of Greece-European champion 2004, currently president of PAOK FC
Anna Gerasimou, a Greek tennis player
Kleon Krantonellis, Αrchitect
--------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------
© Copyright 2014 Philip Hunter, All Rights Reserved.
You do NOT have the right to copy, reproduced, download, or exploit any of my images without my permission.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------
NEW RELEASE!!
AVAILABLE NOW @ALPHA EVENT
Compatible with KARIO, GIANNI, BELLEZA JAKE & LEGACY Mesh bodies.
Fatpack includes hud with 8 COMBINABLES COLORS
3 customizables faces (Only the fatpack)
LAND: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ACCESS%203/203/131/1000
I was looking for subjects to exploit when I came across this old bucket that has holes in the bottom, that my wife was looking to get rid of. I thought that it would make an interesting still life, and I took pictures of it empty, but I thought it needed something else, so I grabbed this little piece of driftwood that she had collected from some beach in Baja, and put them together.
Lighting sutff. I wanted side lighting to create the shadows that reveal shapes and textures so I put a YN560-III in a 24 inch soft box at camera left, and then used a hand mirror at camera right for fill. The strobe and my tripod mounted camera were triggered by a Yongnuo RF-603N.
Other still life images that I've attempted are in my Still Life album. www.flickr.com/photos/9422878@N08/sets/72157635247182331/
"Agricultural exploitation"
Dachstein Village (Bas-Rhin)
Website : www.fluidr.com/photos/pat21
www.flickriver.com/photos/pat21/sets/
"Copyright © – Patrick Bouchenard
The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained here in for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved."
HMS Exploit is an Archer-class (or P2000) patrol vessel of the British Royal Navy, built in Woolston by Vosper Thornycroft and commissioned in 1988.[1][2] She is assigned to the Royal Navy Coastal Forces Squadron, carrying out a range of activities both in the U.K. and overseas.
Pictured here operating in the Solent, off Portsmouth, Hampshire UK
We appreciate the courtesy of Chatwick University Archives for letting us use the journals in our research, and for permission to use parts for the genesis of “Dare’s Game”.
Dare’s Game
Beth, eagerly looking for Dare, walked straight into Seth’s cunning snare…..
Suffix, circa 1910?. It was during this time a fanciful young lady, whom we will call Beth, started a journal which she would faithfully keep over the course of almost 50 years. She led quite an adventuresome life for a lady of that time, and her journals were filled with many tales and observations of her exploits. The following story is derived from events that she penned down in the early years in her journal.
******************************************************************************
Beth had known Dare since their childhood. Dare was a handsome free spirited youth only two years her senior, who lived for the games his life had to offer. As his cherished nickname inferred, Dare was always trying to find the thrill out of anything he could think up, relishing to go beyond the pale in anything he attempted. Dare always a little different, harboring feelings and ideas way beyond his years, almost as if he had lived a previous life and retained something from it in his being.
Beth would remember times playing dress up with Dare’s sister Diana in some old gowns of their mothers. It was always then that Dare and his friends seemed to appear and talk them into playing hide n seek, tag or cops n robbers. Dare seemed to take pleasure in cajoling the girls into playing with them in this manner. Eyeing them as they played with a far off look that suggested the game they were playing had more meaning to him than he could ever venture to say. It was hard for Beth to explain it, but she did find it pleasurable (almost erotic using a word whose term she would learn much later) to be observed by him in this way.
One warm fall day Diana and Beth headed down to an old shack located near some railroad tracks at the back of a cornfield. Diana was dressed in a long satin play gown with her mother’s jewelry, which Dare had called rhinestones. Beth, herself dressed in a long flowing dress, loved the way Diana’s jewels twinkled and sparkled as she walked. They were going to pretend the shack was a ballroom and they were one their way to a fancy dance, like Beth’s and Diana’s parents had recently attended. Diana wasn’t supposed to be wearing her mother’s jewelry outside the house, but as a result of Dare’s teasing, had done so anyway.
They had reached the shack, an old white brick building with a wooden roof half fallen in, when a man’s voice suddenly said behind them, what are you two ladies up to? Turning they were confronted by a happily sneering drifter. The grubby man looked around, alone is we, and advanced towards them. The two girls stood petrified, he reached out and probed Diana along her side, pretty dress missy, he said, sparsely toothed mouth grinning like a pumpkin. He suddenly reached up and tore the necklace away from Diana’s throat, sending her falling backwards. Beth screamed bloody murder, as the vagrant turned heel, running off towards the tracks. Suddenly Dare appeared, and Beth, meaning to yell for help, exclaimed instead “help honey” to Dare. Dares eyes took on a very different look, almost of a burning yearning. Beth told him what had happened and he took off down towards the tracks in hot pursuit. For Beth, the look he had given her and the way he had dashed off excited her beyond measure. Even for someone that young, Beth now knew what Dare meant to her. From then on, playing games with Dare took on a heightened meaning for Beth.
But, nothing really changed in their relationship until Beth’s sophomore year of high school. Beth was sixteen at the time, a whimsical being, passionate, innocent, not particularly attractive, but radiating with a love of life. A living free spirit, developing into a very sexual being by the time her and Diana decided to attend their schools prom in their sophomore year. Beth dressed in a fuchsia coloured satin dress with dangling rhinestone earrings that had been” borrowed” from Diana’s Mother, the same ones Diana had been wearing when they had run into the drifter at the shack. Diana slipped into the slinky blue spaghetti strap gown and matching cover-all that she had worn as her cousin’s bridesmaid. She was wearing sapphire costume jewels patterned after the hope diamond. Their parents had given them a hard time when they saw their made up girls in their gowns and finery , admonishing them for looking way too mature. They smiled, consoling their parents fears, and went off on their adventure.
Their eyes were dazzled by the display of lights, the cheerfully student filled room, the band. They had stopped and were letting it all sink in, when Beth felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and came face to face with Dare, who once again had the same yearning fire in his eyes as on that fateful day at the old shack. A veil was lifted from between the two, and Beth spent the whole evening encompassed in Dare’s arms. Soon after that the two had begun seeing much more of one another. Their relationship was still going strong eight years later.
*****************************
8 Years Later
*****************************
Come on Dare, let’s go to the Riverside, it will be fun she urged. She had been trying to get her fiancé’ to take her to the exclusive five star resorts for some time. And now she had a free overnight room card she had won at work! Dare looked into Beth’s wide, hope filled eyes, knowing her passion for attending these types of affairs. Ever hopeful she would see someone rich. Dare knew how to use this to his advantage. Finally he buckled, all right, only if we play the game afterwards he bargained. She squirmed inwardly with passion, nodding her agreement. Beth found the game exciting, though she would never let on to Dare. And, you must wear the gold bridesmaid gown and jewels you wore to your friend’s wedding last week , he added, a wistful smile lighting up his thin face.. Okay she agreed, trying to sound reluctant, but truthfully feeling multiple tingles of delight.
Dare was handsome, in a scrawny, thin bearded, sort of way ( From an old photo that survives he resembled a young Johnny Depp… the eds), with a witty writers imagination and a playful disposition. He could always make Beth laugh, feeling his excitement as he drew her into his stories and games. She would never admit to it, but found the game delightfully erogenous. She smiled to herself, so Dare had liked the satin gown after all, he had not shown any interest in her wearing it since the wedding. And the jewelry, the small rhinestone pendent and earrings had been pretty, but Beth soon came up with another idea. She would knock his socks off by wearing the glittering diamonds and emeralds that had been inherited from her grandmother. The set had laid collecting dust in a safety deposit box all these years, unworn. She had never told Dare about them, waiting for the perfect occasion. She could just imagine the look in his eyes when he saw her wearing them. Okay then, game on, Beth thought, wickedly sending shivers up and down her spine.
Dare’s Game was based on role playing:
Dare would give Beth money to purchase a new outfit, something rich and shiny, like silk or satin. With the new outfit, Beth would wear the good gold jewelry she had received from Dare on her birthdays. The idea was to acting like a bored rich girl out for a good time, alone and vulnerable.
Dare would be at the hotel bar, waiting for Beth to make her entrance, then make her acquaintance , playing a debonair, suited gentleman with a mysterious past and a hidden agenda. They would make a date later, usually to dance and have drinks.
Then that evening, she would go down to the bar. Dressed in one of the long gowns Dare favored, fitting in with the usual spillover from a wedding reception that had been held in one of the Ballrooms. Sometimes she would wear the rhinestone jewelry they had purchased together at various antique stores. Then Beth would wait for Dare to make his entrance, signaling the time for Dare’s game. He would assume one of several roles, or possibly a new one that Beth had never seen. In the past Dare had played:
A spy who would dance with Beth, then disappear. Sending a note to Beth via a third person that would have her meet him clandestinely in a remote location…
A highwayman who would come across Beth on the castle grounds , usually the resorts empty gardens at night….
A rich millionaire looking for romance…
A kidnapper hired by an evil uncle, who after tying up Beth and removing her valuables would have a change of heart….
A Jewel thief who would be cunningly after her valuables…
A handsome prince rescuing Beth’s damsel in distress ….
Or Dare’s favorite, centered on their old childhood game of cops and robbers. Dare would play the thief, and steal something from Beth, usually while dancing. He would then leave preset clues around the grounds that she would have to follow to catch him.
All of the games usually led to some playful groping and then escalating into the upper echelons of erotic pleasure. Sometimes they never made out of the woods, or barely out of the ballroom. Beth shivered at these thoughts, wishing she didn’t have to wait….
**********************************************************************
Three weeks later at the Riverside Resort.
**********************************************************************
In the Bar:
At the bar, Dare smiled to himself, pleased. He had dropped Beth off to check in by herself. She would change into her new outfit and wear it down to the bar for lunch. She would come in acting like a complete stranger to the area. Dare would make her acquaintance, invite her to lunch, and make plans to see her that evening at the resorts dance room. There were two wedding receptions going on, and that dance room should be filled with well-dressed patrons. Beth would fit right in; clad that pretty gown she had promised to wear.
Dare had been sitting at the bar, thinking about ways to play out the game that evening, when the answer came to him, in the form of a stranger who had come with his drink and sat next to him. The stranger introduced himself as Seth, and shaking Dare’s hand sat on the stool next to him. After they had had couple of drinks, they had become quite chummy. Seth explaining he had come up for one of the weddings, and assumed Dare was doing the same. Seth did not fail to observe Dare’s secretive smile, but did not question it. Their conversation was distracted only when a newcomer appeared at the entrance. Beth walked in, a long flowing silky skirt swishing down to her leather sandals. A shiny, long sleeved satin top fitting tightly along her perky figure, with bright gold jewelry complementing the ensemble. Real gold, Seth observed silently to himself.
Beth went to a table, both men going silent as they watched her move through the room. Good-looking one, that, Seth commented, looking at Dare who was deep in thought as his eyes were fixed on the sexy newcomer. Seth teasingly offered Dare a penny for his thoughts. Dare smiled mischievously, letting lose his plans. Seth listened to the young man, smiling as a light went on in his steal grey eyes. When Dare finished he offered up a suggestion as to how Dare could make it really interesting for Beth. The two co-conspirators worked it out: Seth told Dare about a stone hut and wall that was located on the back nine of the resorts golf course. He suggested that he, Seth, would meet Beth that evening and pass a note onto her from Dare saying that he was in trouble and needed her help, with directions to the spot. Dare liked the idea, and wrote the note on a cocktail napkin, cementing the plan by handing it to Seth.
Off you go old chap, let Uncle Seth take care of his end, he said grinning, giving Dare a sporting clap on the back. With a wink, Dare left his fellow collaborator, and went over to Beth, who had since been seated by a male waiter, now standing drooling over her shoulder as she looked at the menu.
Later that same evening, inside the crowded club:
Seth had stopped by the bar for a last drink. His business venture had been concluded earlier than he had expected. With the change in his plans, he had checked out early, his kit packed, boot loaded and the car ready. He now sat at the bar Causley watching young lass of about seventeen who had literally ran into him at one of the receptions. He watched her flirting about the club, weaving in and out of the guests. With a long swishing gown flowing provocatively along her lithe figure, abundant, solid white gold chains swinging out in an alluringly eye catching manner as she scurried about. A diminutive gold ring its half caret diamond flickered playfully from the petite pinky it loosely surrounded once again welcomed his contemplation. The lass presented quite an intriguing gold feathered fledgling, just begging to be plucked. He looked around, spying her parents on the dance floor. The father/husband, despite being an excellent dancer, gave him no interest. It was his partner, the wife/ mother, decked out in a iridescent suit and long swishing satin skirt upon which he now was reexamining. He again studied under the bright dance floor lights her fine pearls dangling from her ears, throat, and wrists. But it was the Ladies’ two rings that stole the show for him; an engagement ring with a rock of at least 2 carets surrounded by numerous shimmering half caret stones and a pinky ring similar to her daughters, that proudly displayed a single white solitaire diamond of at least one caret that had garnered his consideration. He also reconsidered the facts that he had been able to garnish about the lady who wore them, and her husband. The wife/mother was a heavy drinker who would not be expected to make any kind of appearance before noon. Hubby was a golfer, who would be out for breakfast at five am before being on the links at 6 am the next morning . At 5 :15 Seth was planning to pay a visit to his suite, and relieve his two ladies of their expensive trinkets. It should be an easy straight forward caper, that had Seth bristling with anticipation at the prospect.
As he was tossing down the last of his drink he remembered about Dare and the note he still had in his pocket. Setting down the empty glass, he pulled the note out and looked at it, kids he smirked, and was preparing to crinkle toss it on the bar and leave, when his eyes caught sight of Beth. He had felt his breath taken away when he saw her. Not at all what he had expected, he would say to Beth much later in the evening. He looked over the note, stirrings of a plan began formulating. All thoughts of the dancing couple and his plans fled his mind, as He rose, throwing a fiver on the bar and went off to intercept Beth.
Seth held Beth in his arms, she was a vivacious little thing he thought, while smiling charmingly into her eyes. She seemed a little apprehensive at first, but had settled right in when he had told her this had been set up by Dare, remember me at the bar with him this afternoon he had consoled her, she had smile brightly into his eyes in answer. He relished in the feel of her warm satin gown, and allowed himself to be mesmerized by the shimmer of her diamonds.
It reminded him of the diamonds that had been worn by one of his dance partners earlier that evening at a reception. He had forgotten her name, but not her diamonds, one of which now resided in a hidden compartment of his roadsters boot, along with the diamond pin he had slipped off the satin cape he had cordially help a well-dressed lady put on. He had also shelved his plans for his 5:15 am “meeting” at the golf playing husbands hotel room, Beth’s jewels were a much more lucrative prospect.
When the dance had ended he took her to the bar and sat her down, ordering her a drink. She seemed a little perplexed, Seth kissed her gloved hand; wait for it he told her mysteriously, winking into her eyes. Beth had winked back, the fire in her heart reflecting deep in her eyes. Seth left, smiling cleverly to himself as he took in his surroundings. He looked around as he walked away, now where had the little imp gotten off too?
He had decided that the seventeen year old in the long flirting gown would play a very different role in his plans. He approached her, with Dares note and a twenty. Thought for a moment about the pair of thick platinum gold chains dangling from her throat down the open neckline of the girl’s glossy gown, then banished the though, he had bigger fish to filet. The twenty caught her attention and she eagerly listened as he explained to her what to do, pointing out Beth sitting, waiting in earnest at the bar. Wait until she finishes her drink, Seth told her as she listened eagerly. She took the twenty into her hand, the half caret diamond on her pinky ring flashing, and her gold chain bracelets jangled as she grasped it. Seth left, figuring he had about twenty minutes to stop at his car, get a few items from the boot, and put his plan in motion.
Beth had curiously received the note from the attractively shy young lady, clad a slinky gown that made her appear years older. Reading it she folded it and was just getting up when a man wearing a suit came up to her and offered to let her dance with him. It took her some time, before she was finally able to ward him off and leave the brilliantly lit clubroom for the dark, forbidding grounds outside.
Now, a thoroughly excited Beth walked up the hill. Her senses becoming more prickling alert with each step. Innocently unaware that she was no longer playing a role in Dare’s game!
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Epilogue:
As Seth walked away admiring the shimmery necklace, his thoughts travelled back to the gold burdened impish youngster in the swirling gown, and her pearl and diamond laden mother. Revisiting his original plans he decided that he liked the odds, especially since they would be against him. With the father leaving early to meet his cronies for breakfast the Mother should be still sleeping off her drink induced stupor, the hyperactive girl should still be out cold, but presented no risk if she awoke, he had more rope. The ladies jewels should be lying about in the apartment, or handedly on their persons( the pairs of diamond pinky rings, as well as the multi-diamond engagement ring flashed once again across his memory with all their brilliant glory),as he caught fire with the vision. There could be a safe he reasoned, but with a tied up daughter and a knife in his hand, the mother should have no issue opening it for him, or disclosing anywhere else her jewels may have been hidden . But if there was no safe, and the rings, pearls and solid white gold chains were somewhere in the room, he knew he would be able to noiselessly break in, find and slip the jewels from wherever they were perched, and be safely on his way without even causing the slightest stir from the sleeping woman and her daughter. It was a road Seth had travelled down many times. He prickled at the thought, as he foresightedly tallied up the potential haul while making his way to the car. The Mother/wife’s diamond rings, would easily fetch him at least three grand, probably close five with her pearls and the whelp’s jewelry added in. About a quarter of what he probably would get for the jewels now in his procession, so he mused inquisitively to himself, so ,was it worth the risk of his 20,000 bird in hand? Yes he answered himself, as all too familiar and welcome tingling sensation overwhelmed Seths muscular body. Like Dare, Seth like to play risky games, especially those which promised to be somewhat profitable. It would be a tantalizingly chancy gamble of his own; to wait a safe distance away while things cooled down and then return to break into the un protected sleeping ladies chamber.. He knew just the place to hide , and it would be a perfect spot to watch events unfold around Beth and Dare, while making his plans! It also afforded a nicely secret hiding nook for the ill-gotten gains collected so far that evening in case something went wrong, which it wouldn’t..
Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives
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