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SMHI informed us yesterday that Spring had arrived in Stockholm so earlier today I decided to see if that was true, and here is the proof.
Have been informed that is a 25 year outsourced contract to Trax for the MOD. Took over trucks from MOD, and all the drivers are employed by the company but also have to be Territorial army reservists so they can drive them into conflicts when it is quiet. The company can do private work (with civvy plates) and I think they are all based in Tilshead, Wiltshire.
These lovely folks informed me quite belatedly that April 14th has been designated Nika Day.
I don't want to infringe on Cinco De Mayo, but May 5th was totally Song for my Sister Day. My fingers hurt. Saul deserves a song too, but there are only so many chords I can make up in one sitting.
I was informed by a francophone contact that the Snowy Owl is called 'Harfang' in French he showed back up..a few times in fact..likely migrated back north by now!
Our Navajo guide informed us that the “Mittens” (there are two) represent the hands of an ancient giant. His head is represented by another butte as is the other mitten. If you look closely there is a red hogan near the base of the butte giving an idea of the scale of the butte. Monument Valley, Arizona.
Well, I am sure you have all seen the news!
My husband’ private jet exploded in mid-air on its way back from Marseille to Monte Carlo on Friday evening.
Everyone on board was killed: my husband Le Duc de d’or Baleine; his private nurse Lady Henrietta Bancroft; his Personal Assistant Contessa Claudia Fraunhofer; his stewardess Ms Tania Markova; and the pilot and co-pilot Captain Frank Eastwood and Lieutenant “Barney” Gates. The cause of the sudden explosion in mid-air - just a few minutes after take-off - is completely unknown.
I was, of course, intending to take the same flight back to Monaco with my husband - but I changed my mind at the last minute, after a call from my good friend Madame "Phlomis" Balomis, who informed me that the Duke of Burgundy wanted to see me that evening for a professional engagement. My husband was agreeable to me staying behind in Marseille to meet the Duke – he was always very supportive of my professional activities. My husband’s Chief of Security, Colonel Ezra Barrington, was also due to take the flight - but was detained by customs officers at Marseille airport, for reasons currently unknown.
This is obviously a major shock and a huge change in my personal circumstances, but I will be continuing to post new pictures and update you on matters as they develop.
Toodle Pip (as we say!)
Love and Kisses
xxxxxx
Lady Rebecca Lyndon
Duchesse de la Baleine D’Or
Well, the mystery deepens!! A property owner near the nest informed me this morning that there was a huge turn out of photographers over the weekend, laying on his lawn with their huge lenses to capture an unheard of phenomena. It has been confirmed by ornithologists, that the young chicks in this Bald Eagle nest are not eaglets, but Red-tailed Hawks!! Representatives of National Geographic were out to document this rare and never seen before case.
Not having seen very young eaglets myself before, I had assumed they were eaglets. After hearing this news, I googled images of young Bald eaglets and Red-tailed Hawk chicks, and even though I'm no expert, the differences are clear.
No one can fathom how this came to be. One theory is that the eagles brought back a female Red-tailed Hawk to eat...and that is how an egg came to be there....but then they only thought there was one Red-tailed hawk chick in the nest. Not even the property owner knew that there were two hawk chicks. (Usually, only one is up and visible at a time)!!
It will remain to be seen how long this facade will continue. Little time though I have, I will be carving out some more to check up on this site more frequently. (Roberts Bay, BC).
Published by Global BC News on the Six o' Clock News (June 8, 2017) and their website (June 8-9, 2017), and again during an update a few days later.
Published by Christian Sasse on his YouTube channel Sassephoto, in a documentary (Hawk raised by Eagles - The complete Story), using his extensive video footage (Nov. 8, 2017). This is the link to the news update link: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/baby-hawk-survive... This is a direct link to the documentary: www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0O1Dp2cocQ&feature=youtu.be
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs, etc. without my permission.
photo by chrissy abbott
© 2009 Chrissy Abbott. All rights reserved.
This photograph may not be used without written permission. chrissyabbott@gmail.com
After being informed by a man leaving the facility that there would be a train running today with coal empties and 30 loads, and after overestimating our time and looking at the Trona caboose in town, and after hearing the the classic wail of a 3 Chime growing evermore distant and scrambling into the car to see that our train left the plant in it's midst. It was only creeping past the siding just before the plant. We got out and shot it as it paused to pick up its 30 loads. The massive plant where the train originates from everyday around noon can be seen in the distance
I'm informed that many television watchers will recognise this Scarborough building, because it was used in a television drama about a hospital. Caught here on a rare morning of sunshine, this Yorkshire building really pops.
I was informed this would leave York on the down Normanton but no,Wcrc`s 35018 " British India Line " is seen passing the nature reserve at Bolton percy on the down Leeds with 1Z45 the 09.30 York to Carlisle ` The Waverley ` charter 08/09/2019.
I am informed by a local (new buddy-Rui + Carol)
that this Building in Olive Green is
a Government funded affordable Housing "Project" ....
(now-they-tell-me) and
unlike those in Chicago, has ZERO regular Police activity,
no visible signs of disrepair, No Excessive trash littering the building etc....
We are- in a New Part of The Planet, for sure!
I have an app on my smartphone called pUniverse. It informed me that the biggest tiny dot at the center of the sky is the planet Venus. The moon, of course, is in the upper left corner.
Seen on the main wall of the admin building at Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens. I have been reliably informed of this Website, which will give one some insight on the wonderful work of this creative artist.
www. lesley kendall.com
Best viewed large, the mural illustrates the beauty of Australian fauna and flora.
I was informed that while my boss ate, i was to stand outside the restaurant with my hand on my hip and pose like a prissy fairy princess for the entire time she was in there eating. She told me when she was done, she would come out and drive back to the office..but also told me " Of course I see no reason why you can't walk the mile back to the office.. you just can't start that walk until i come back lout and leave...start posing pretty little barbie decoration!"
A selection of shots from Arnot Hill Park, Nottingham.
Amazing Grey Heron.
This Grey Heron (Ardea Cinerea) resides a few short miles away but is a frequent visitor to Arnot Hill Park and stays for hours at a time, I was reliably informed.
Watch my short video on YouTube.
Grey Heron at Arnot Hill Park. May 2023
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No Group Awards/Banners, thanks
Ah - been informed below by r4 foto that it's a Gatekeeper Butterfly - many thanks!
I'm not sure what this butterfly is, but I'm delighted to see it in a rare visit to my garden!
The first year I moved here I saw one Peacock butterfly for a few minutes. It attached itself high up on the building brickwork and I managed to get some distant shots but that's the sum of my experience here!
On a Sunday night, after visiting a friend, I was informed that the METRA Chicago and Northwestern heritage unit was just a mile from me in Crystal Lake. I can't stay out late. Wait, there's now a dense fog advisory? Oh, yeah...I'm down for some noir!
I arrive at the Crystal Lake, IL METRA yard with Dan Frederickson, and we immediately go to work, capturing the scene. METX 90, in all of it's glory, is next to METX 148, the Northwestern Medicine (formerly Jimmy Johns) engine sits right next to it. I found it mildly ironic that both engines have "Northwestern" in their name, but one is about a railroad, and the other, hospitals and medical facilities.
They'll be working hard in the morning, but the fog and chilly air will give way to a brighter Monday. If I could have done this shot over, I would have put the camera even closer to the ground, to avoid having to chop off power lines. Yeah, I like my photos as natural as possible, But I did have to go monotone with this. It just brings out the fog and the mood so much better.
Mom informed me that her daughter was going to bring the flag that was draped over her grandfather's casket. I knew what kind of shot the senior was wanting. It had been raining all week and Friday was gray and overcast so I I decided to take both the AD360ii and AD200. I put the ad200 behind her hoping to make it look like the sun was shining through behind the trees while the ad360ii was on camera left. The ad200 was I believe either 1/4 or 1/2 power and the ad360ii was either at 1/2 or full power (with the clouds moving and sun peaking somewhat through had to change settings often).
Canon T6i, 70-200mm F2.8, 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 100.
On Monday a dear friend's husband phoned me and informed me that she had died quite suddenly while sleeping. I had planned to phone her that evening because I hadn't talked to her for quite a while. She had actually phoned the week before while I was sick with migraine and had left a message.... but I didn't return her call because..... now I'm so sorry. She was my next door neighbour for many years. We shared a huge corner yard with beautiful trees and no fences. We would meet at her house for morning tea each wearing a pair of blue fuzzy robes that resembled teddy bear fur and we would exchange the stories of our lives. Hers was so incredible, I could never figure out how she ended up in the little burg of Tsawwassen. She eventually moved to be closer to her grandchildren. I missed her terribly, but we would phone often. Her sense of humour was wicked and she always made me laugh even in the darkest times. Her health was poor and she was a heavy smoker but she kept plugging along, doing for everyone and ignoring her own pain. I can't believe I will never hear her voice again, she was like a sister to me. Anyways, all you out there, if you have a friend that you would like to talk to, do it now despite how busy you are because you just never know.....
just been informed that this picture will be published in 'Our Canada' magazine. Oct, Nov. issue
I've been published many times with them...always such an honour
Hasselblad has informed me that I was selected as a finalist in its annual "Hasselblad Masters" contest , has been a long journey for almost a year since beginning the selection, initially named 30 finalists and now we are only 10.
in case you are interested this is the link of the publication:
www.hasselblad.com/Masters/2010/SemiFinalists/moises-levy...
This is one of the images which are selected and brings me good memories, because the place where it was taken is really beautiful.
all the best.
Moises.
I'm reliably informed that the central peak is Sgurr an t-Searraich with a couple of the 5 Sisters just to the right.
Cavendish Mews is a smart set of flats in Mayfair where flapper and modern woman, the Honourable Lettice Chetwynd has set up home after coming of age and gaining her allowance. To supplement her already generous allowance, and to break away from dependence upon her family, Lettice has established herself as a society interior designer, so her flat is decorated with a mixture of elegant antique Georgian pieces and modern Art Deco furnishings, using it as a showroom for what she can offer to her well heeled clients.
Today however, we have followed Lettice southwest from her home, across St James’ Park to Hans Crescent in Belgravia, where the smart Edwardian four storey red brick and mock Tudor London home of the de Virre family stands. Two of Lettice’s Embassy Club coterie of bright young things are getting married: Dickie Channon, eldest surviving son of the Marquess of Taunton, and Margot de Virre, only daughter of Lord Charles and Lady Lucie de Virre. Lettice is visiting the home of the bride, which is a hive of activity in the lead up to the forthcoming nuptials.
Unusually, Lettice is ushered into the hall of the townhouse by a new maid rather than the de Virre’s butler, Mr. Geraldton. The maid is nervous and seems unsure of herself as she takes Lettice’s name and leads her up to the first floor to the gold drawing room where Lettice is informed the bride-to-be and her mother are.
“Miss Lettice Chetwynd, ma’am,” the maid mutters quickly before retreating back through the door and disappearing down the hallway.
“Lettice!” Margot gasps in delight, looking up from the cup of tea she holds in her lap.
“Oh Lettice!” Lady de Virre sighs. “Thank goodness! I might finally be able to speak to someone who has some sense.”
“What ever do you mean Lady de Virre?” Lettice asks, standing before her friend and her mother.
“I mean,” Lady de Virre suddenly falters as she sees Lettice clasping her green parasol with a black leather handle in her glove clad hand. “Oh. You aren’t stopping?” Her disappointment is palpable.
“Oh no, Lady de Virre! I mean, yes, Lady de Virre!” Lettice assures her hostess. “I came to see Margot, and of course you, although I can’t stay for too long. I have a potential client coming for afternoon tea.”
“Oh! That sounds exciting,” Margot enthuses. “Who?”
“Then if you are staying for tea: I assume you will stay for tea?” Lettice nods in assent to Lady de Virre’s question. “Why are you still holding your parasol?”
“Oh, the maid who answered the door didn’t take it, but really its…”
“Oh! That stupid, stupid girl!” mutters the older woman. “Can she never do anything right?” She picks herself up, out of the walnut salon chair she is comfortably sitting in and charges past Lettice to the door of the drawing room.
“Here Lettice, come sit by me,” Margot pats the gold brocade fabric next to her on the comfortable settee. “I could do with your support,” She giggles conspiratorially. “And your distraction.”
“Pegeen! Pegeen!” Lady de Virre calls shrilly down the hallway.
“Mummy, must you do that? You’re going to give me a headache,” Margot puts her cup on the low table before her and rubs her temples with her fingers. “Not that she hasn’t already.” she whispers to Lettice. “Mummy is really boring me to tears today. Who would ever have thought anyone could suck the joy and delight of organising a wedding? Lists of this, lists of that. Who will get offended sitting next to whom? And don’t get me started on my wedding dress.”
“I thought Gerald was designing it.”
“He is, but Mummy is trying to convince me that Lucile is a better choice.”
“Oh no, Margot. How dreadfully dull!”
Lady de Virre stalks back across the room, snatching Lettice’s parasol from where she has placed it leaning against the settee beside her and resumes her seat.
“Rather.” Margot replies to Lettice’s remark whilst glancing at her mother’s bristling figure.
A moment later the same nervous, mousy maid who let Lettice in appears through the door.
“You called, ma’am?”
“Pegeen, would you kindly take this,” Lady de Virre thrusts Lettice’s parasol towards the maid, the pointy end aimed dangerously at the young girl’s chest rather like a rifle in the titled lady’s hand. “And put it in the receptacle for which it was intended.”
“Ma’am?” The Irish maid looks alarmed, and glances awkwardly at Margot and Lettice installed comfortably on either end of the settee.
“She means, put it in the umbrella stand in the hallway, Pegeen.” Margot elucidates.
“Well why didn’t she say so?” Pegeen mutters as she grasps the offending end of the parasol which her mistress then releases from her steely grasp.
“And bring a third cup for Miss Chetwynd!” Lady de Virre bristles irritably.
The room falls silent until Pegeen closes the door behind her and her footsteps recede down the hallway.
“Oh it really is too tiresome!” huffs Margot’s mother.
“What is, Lady de Virre?” asks Lettice.
“Trying to find good staff in London. They all seem to be Irish halfwits these days, or girls who don’t know their place. I blame the war you know. Girls working in factories! Who would ever have thought?” Lettice and Margot glance at one another and try not to laugh. “Do you have the same problem, Lettice?”
“No, Lady de Virre.” Lettice smirks. “I have a very capable maid, and a charwoman, both of whom suit me very nicely.”
“Well, aren’t you the lucky one?” the older woman mutters sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
“I do have the card for the domestics agency in St James’ that I used to find my maid, if you’d like Lady de Virre.”
“Ah! You see Margot. Just as I was saying! Here is a girl who speaks sense and isn’t a flibbertigibbet like you.”
“Oh Mummy!”
“Ah, where is Mr. Geraldton, Lady de Virre?”
“He’s gone to Bournemouth.” Margot explains.
“His mother is quite unwell,” Lady de Virre chimes in. “Poor man! Now, perhaps you can talk some sense into my daughter, Lettice. I’m trying to get her to choose a wedding breakfast menu,” She picks up a sheath of papers from the small round tired table to her left and waves them in irritation at Margot. “Try as I might, she just won’t do it!”
“It’s not that I won’t, Mummy. I just want some time to look at them and think.” Margot looks at Lettice and rolls her eyes.
“Well we don’t have time Marguerite! The Savoy is always popular, as is Claridges.”
In the distance, a doorbell rings shrilly from somewhere below.
“Actually, Lady de Virre, that’s why I came here.”
“You’re going to throw a wedding breakfast for Marguerite and Richard?”
“Well, not exactly.” Lettice explains. “I actually came to see in Margot and Dickie would be interested in having a celebratory pre-wedding cocktail party at my flat. Would you Margot?”
“Oh really Lettice? Darling! You are a brick!” Margot enthuses. She embraces her friend and smiles broadly. “Of course we would!”
“Excellent, then I’ll,”
“S’cuse me ma’am,” Pegeen nudges open the door of the drawing room with the heel of her shoe, struggling under the weight of an enormous carboard box.
“Pegeen,” Lady de Virre gasps. “I thought I told you to bring a cup for Miss Chetwynd.”
“Can’t ma’am,” the maid replies. “Not when I’ve got this enormous box in ma hands.” She lowers it with a groan onto a vacant footstool where it lands with a thud. “Lord it ain’t half heavy ma’am.”
Lady de Virre crumples her nose in distaste as she peers at the box. “Well, what is it?”
“Don’t know ma’am. It’s for Miss de Virre.”
“Oh! It must be another wedding gift!” the older woman exclaims with an excited clap of her hands, her frustrations forgotten.
“I do hope it isn’t more linen. New parcels of it arrive every day! Gifts from unimaginative relatives!”
“It’s mighty heavy if it is linen, miss,”
“Ah! Another teacup, Pegeen!” Lady de Virre says commandingly. “Or have you already forgotten?”
“No ma’am,” Pegeen replies, looking curiously at the box. “I was just waitin’ for Miss de Virre to open her gift.”
“Out girl! And fetch a teacup for Miss Chetwynd! Now!”
The maid jumps at her mistress’ raised voice and retreats, closing the door behind her. Lettice and Margot cannot help themselves as they try to stifle giggles of mirth.
“You should be more appreciative of people’s generosity, Marguerite!” Lady de Virre wags a finger admonishingly at her daughter. “When you have your own household to manage, you’ll be grateful for every last stich of that linen.”
“Do you know, Lettice, we even received a mounted stag’s head as a gift from one of my Scottish cousins?” Margot laughs.
“No!” Lettice giggles.
“Yes! Goodness knows where we shall put it!”
“I could think of somewhere.” Lettice tries to control her peals of laughter.
“So could I!”
The pair tumble into fits of giggling.
“Oh, did you receive my gift Margo darling?” Lettice asks when she has finally composed herself enough to ask.
“Yes darling, I did, and I love it!”
“See Marguerite! I told you that you need to reply to all these cards that are mounting up!” Her mother waves her hand towards the top of the secretaire behind her, the surface of which is covered in wedding and congratulations cards.
“Oh good!” Lettice smiles.
“And we received your parent’s gift too, thank you Lettice.” Lady de Virre adds. “Marguerite will write a thank you card to them soon. Won’t you Marguerite?”
“Yes Mummy, I will! Such a beautifully modern tea set,” Margot says with a smile. “I never knew your parents knew my taste so intimately.” She winks conspiratorially at Lettice.
“Who is this gift from?” Lady de Virre asks.
Taking out a beautiful card of a young bride looking angelically at a cake, Margot scans the message inside. “Lady Ponting, whoever she is.”
“She’s the Marquess’ widowed younger sister.” Lady de Virre remarks knowingly. “You’ll need to brush up on your new family history before the wedding!”
“Yes Mummy! I know!” Margot acknowledges her mother’s sharp remark. Turning to her friend she continues, “Now that I’m marrying into the upper echelons of the aristocracy, Mummy has become a walking,” She sighs. “And talking, Debrett’s*.”
“Well, aren’t you going to open it?” Lady de Virre asks her daughter, looking at the box on the footstool with eyes glistening with excitement.
Margot removes the twine from around the box and opens it, a froth of white tissue paper spilling forth in soft whispers. Within the box she withdraws a delicate white china gravy boat decorated with roses with a gilt rim. Her mother reaches across the table with her bejewelled hand and seizes the piece from her. Turning it over she nods with approval.
“Hhhmm. Royal Doulton. An excellent choice.” she remarks.
“Come on Margot darling!” Lettice interrupts purposefully. “Let’s talk about your pre-wedding cocktail party before I have to go. Who would you like to invite? Gerald of course because he’s making your wedding dress.” She glances up at Lady de Virre to see whether she has heard and acknowledged her remark. “Celia, Peter, Leslie,”
At that moment, Pegeen returns with a teacup for Lettice. “Cor!” she says, eyeing the Royal Doulton china nestled amongst the cushions of white tissue paper. “If I’d known that box was full of china, I wouldn’t of bothered bringin’ another cup!”
*Debrett's is a British publisher and authority on etiquette and behaviour, founded in 1769 with the publication of the first edition of The New Peerage. The company takes its name from its founder, John Debrett.
Although perhaps a little cluttered and somewhat old fashioned by 1920s standards, the de Virre’s Edwardian style drawing room is very elegant and would have been typical of such a room in an established upper-class household during the inter-war period. The upper classes, whether titled or not, tended to enjoy their opulent and lavish interiors. Only the brave or modern thinker would have swept away the accumulation of antiques over the generations for the clean lined, stripped back Art Deco interiors fashionable in the new houses, flats and hotels being built around Britain and the world. This upper-class domestic scene is different from what you might think, for it is made up entirely of 1:12 size dollhouse miniatures, some of which come from my own childhood.
Fun things to look for in this tableaux include:
The gold satin upholstered settee and the Hepplewhite chair with the lemon satin upholstery were made by the high-end miniature furniture maker, Bespaq. The coffee table in the foreground is made by the high-end miniature furniture maker, Creal.
On the coffee table stands a silver serving tray on which are a silver coffee and tea set, a porcelain sugar bowl and milk jug and a glass bowl featuring a selection of biscuits. The galleried silver serving tray is engraved and was made by Warwick Miniatures in Ireland, who are well known for the quality and detail applied to their pieces. The tea and coffee pot are also made by them. The glass bowl of biscuits was made by Beautifully Handmade Miniatures in Kettering, who specialise in 1:12 size foods and glassware with amazing realism and attention to detail. The porcelain tea set, which has two matching cups and saucers, one on the coffee table and one on the two tier Regency table, were part of a job lot of over one hundred pieces of 1:12 chinaware I bought from a seller on E-Bay. The pieces are remarkably dainty and the patterns on them are so pretty. In front of the tea set stands a wedding card of an Edwardian bride looking at a wedding cake. It is a 1:12 size replica of a real Edwardian wedding card and was made by Little Things Dollhouse Miniatures in Lancashire.
Behind the settee stands a walnut grand piano covered in family photographs and bibelots. The piano I have had since I was around eleven years old. Like a real piano, its lid does prop open on an angle. It has a matching piano stool. The de Virre’s family photos are all real photos, produced to high standards in 1:12 size on photographic paper by Little Things Dollhouse Miniatures in Lancashire. The frames are from various suppliers, but all are metal. The three prong candelabra behind the photograph frames is an artisan piece of sterling silver made in Berlin and is actually only 3 centimetres in height and 3 centimetres in width. The vase of red roses on the piano is beautifully made by hand by the Doll House Emporium.
The Georgian revival bureau to the left of the picture comes from Town Hall Miniatures. Made to very high standards, each drawer opens and closes. It is covered in Edwardian wedding cards made by Little Things Dollhouse Miniatures in Lancashire. On the writing surface of the bureau sit some papers also made by Little Things Dollhouse Miniatures, and a miniature ink bottle and pen made by the Little Green Workshop in England who specialise in high end, high quality miniatures. The ink bottle is made from a tiny faceted crystal bead and features a sterling silver bottom and lid. The pen is also sterling silver and features a tiny pearl in its end.
The floral arrangement in the farthest corner of the room is made by hand by Falcon Miniatures in America who specialise in high end miniatures. The vase of orange roses on the tall Bespaq stand to the right of the photo is beautifully made by hand by the Doll House Emporium.
The paintings around the wall are all made by Amber’s Miniatures in the United States, except the small gilt painting of a sailing boat in the upper left-hand corner of the photo. It was made by Marie Makes Miniatures in the United Kingdom.
The Royal Doulton style dinner set featuring roses in the carboard box came from a miniature dollhouse specialist on E-Bay.
The miniature Persian rug in the foreground of the photo was made by hand by Mackay and Gerrish in Sydney, whilst the one in the back beneath the piano was hand woven by Pike, Pike and Company in the United Kingdom.
The gold flocked Edwardian wallpaper is beautiful hand impressed paper given to me by a friend, which inspired the whole “Cavendish Mews – Lettice Chetwynd” series.
I'm not a particularly big fan of boats. I sort of have a slightly irrational fear of the ocean--i used to vacation as a kid on Martha’s Vineyard and was informed once while swimming off a chartered boat in opaque waters that Jaws was filmed there...like right where I was floating--and my experiences on boats haven't been particularly enjoyable either. I guess they generally feel a bit claustrophobic and there's really no fast way off. However, having the ability to ride off into the sunset and then watch the stormy skies and sunset fight for position seems pretty amazing. Don't get me wrong, if I was on this boat and fell off the side, I'd probably have a heart attack before I hit the water but that view...
I mentioned a bit that during the dark and gloomy day at Venice at the end of last month, there wasn't much of a sunset and even after looking at this photo a bunch of times I stand by that proclamation, despite how it may appear. The sky remained gray or blue the entire time facing the ocean and it had the feel of a pending storm, even if nothing materialized and the winds stayed reasonably calm. I know there was plenty of sunshine hidden under the mask of clouds because occasional breaks in the sky would reveal a blinding burst of golden light. This was the case most of the time I was there and unlike every other trip, I did hope the clouds would diminish a bit as it approached the sunset. The clouds and sunlight seemed to be jockeying for position all evening, but the only real evidence of the sunset was the fiery reddish orange glow in the tiny gap between the horizon and the bottom of the cloud cover.
Most of my shots on the day were probably closer to 18mm-35mm since I was going for big reflections and 2 and 3 frame panoramas and at this range, the sunset was almost impossible to see. It looked like a child drew a hasty horizontal line using an orange crayon. From the naked eye, it wasn't that much more impressive. The contrast was nice and the color was vivid but it never really grew into anything memorable at the time. I was shooting a lot of the waves at this point and when I saw this sailboat out of the corner of my right eye, I zoomed into 110mm, manually focused right where the water and sky met, and then slowly waited for the boat to come into frame and cross by the sliver of sunset. I could still manage a shutter speed at this light that could let me get the boat in focus and took a series of shots hoping that 1 or 2 were either timed properly or had interesting waves in the foreground. I mainly chose to post this one first because it had the most sunset in frame and was one of the only curling waves to have a golden reflection on it. I have some others from this series I intend to eventually post that have crashing waves and a more dramatic feel, but they do partially obscure both the boat and horizon which is a bit of a tradeoff.
I can really only imagine what this would have looked like to those boaters considering how it looked zoomed in to 110mm. I can't say I've ever been on a boat at sea during a sunset and I have no clue how the scale and perspective changes but I'm at least intrigued now to check it out some time. I don't even know if a boat like this would be steady enough to use a tripod, regardless of shutter speed. Perhaps this is too close to see the full scale and scope of the view and maybe it loses something as a result, but it would be nice to know either way. I have to believe though, that the view from that boat was pretty incredible and those aboard won't soon forget it.
WHEN & WHERE
Venice Beach
Venice, California
October 30th, 2016
SETTINGS
Canon T4i
EF-S 18-135mm IS STM
@110mm
ISO 100
f/8
1/25th second
CPL
I was recently informed by my wife that, of all the flowers I photographed last year, this was her favorite. Well, she's as capable as I am at photographing flowers, but she always goes for the whole plant. So, since it's our anniversary, and after 58 years (60 if you include the engagement), there are no more material things to be swapped - and cards are so lame nowadays - so here's the Alyogyne you've always wanted.
All the books say that any anniversary over 50 is diamond, but we know that the books were written by jewelers. Diamonds are forever says De Beers. I'm asking them to send my wife something nice in an uncut 50 ct. I'll take it from there.
Honolulu, HI
6/22/15
While I was on a vacation in Hawaii, I decided to take a trip to Rolloffs Hawaii on my last night in the Aloha state. At the time Rolloffs was the second largest Solid Waste company in Oahu behind Honolulu Disposal. While at the yard I saw equipment from The KNG Group, including a ex Amrep demo ASL still in KNG colors. In 2010 Rolloffs acquired The KNG Group which at the time was the third largest Solid Waste company in Oahu. I knew KNG had the residential contact for the Military bases in Oahu so I asked Doug from Rolloffs about that and he informed me Rolloffs runs Curotto Cans there. Unfortunately I had to be at the airport the next morning or else I would have filmed a video of Rolloffs Curotto Cans on route.
Big Thank you to Doug for letting me take pictures of Rolloffs awesome fleet, I had a great time at the yard.
As of January 2017 West Oahu Aggregate “WOA” acquired Rolloffs Hawaii. www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2017/01/05/bankruptcy-sa...
I was reliably informed that the room bells are still in perfect working order and they are linked up to the corresponding rooms.
The National Trust. Nostell Priory, Wakefield, West Yorkshire. A Grade I Listed Building.
From money made through the London textile industry to the construction of a Georgian masterpiece, generations of the Winn family created this Yorkshire treasure house to advance their social status.
Nostell is one of the great houses of the north of England. It was created not simply as a home, but also to send out an important message about the Winn family who owned it.
The Winns originally made money from the London textile trade during the Tudor period. During the following century the family used their wealth to invest in property and land. This included the Nostell estate in Yorkshire, which was bought in 1654. Owning land brought the family new and regular income. In a society that valued land ownership above all else, it also brought status.
By the early 18th century the family had been knighted and were firmly members of the gentry class. They now wanted to replace their existing home with a fashionable new house that could show off and add to this status.
The results were spectacular. The cost was huge.
--
No Group Banners, thanks.
The most informed creature in the woods catching some pretty sweet light. Pays to wait it out...spent an hour with this Great Grey owl before I captured this shot. Surprisingly, the next morning it was on my power pole close to my house...I rushed in to get my camera then it swooped effortlessly to a nearby tree where the snow was thigh-high deep. The skies were grey and my pajama pants (with long johns) were wet and cold so after a few shots I gave up and put the camera away only to come back out to do chores to see it once again on the same power pole. Seems my messenger has a sense of humour. I wonder what wisdom It was trying to share with me. My heart remains open 😉 (And no, I never feed the local wildlife, shame on you to think that!)
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” —Mark Twain.
I've been informed that this is in fact an adult male in moult and not a juvenile.
I've also used a new lens for this picture. I've upgraded to a Canon EF 400 mm F/5.6 USM. It's as sharp as a razor (cheers Paul!).
So, after being 'reliably' informed that the Starlings are roosting on '70 acre' at Shapwick. I, along with several tens of other would be watchers poodled up the track in anticipation of a good show as the sunset was lookin' grand, perfect in fact for a lovely colourful shot (see next image)... Well they did look like they were going in the right direction for a good ten minutes, but then turned tail and all flew back towards Ham wall away from the sunset. Grrr....
Teach 'em young, teach 'em to stand up for their rights, teach 'em that politicians can't be trusted to do the right thing, and that it takes informed and activist citizens to hold their feet to the fire...
Taken at an anti-bigotry rally in Federal Plaza only two months...but oh so long ago.
I have been reliably informed, by the lady who knows about such matters, that Venice will feature in our 2024 travels. We last visited for a few days in October 2017 and it is one of the few places that we left and said we would definitely return to.
As the weather cools, it's always nice to have something to look forward to.
Taken with my digital Fujifilm X20
It also reminds me that I really should post up some more of my 2017 Venice pics! My attention span varies between that of a goldfish and a puppy, so I probably got distracted and moved on to something else!
My wife informed me that I had crashed my Phantom 4 drone for the last time in October. so I took alittle drone break til DJI came out with this cheaper Mavic Mini in December. So I got one and today was the 1st day out to see if this drone was going to be "you get what you pay for!"
On the way to Dubuque we followed this loaded grain train bound for the Gulf loaded at Knierim, IA. East of Peosta the train has the brakes set as they drop downgrade 13 miles into the Mississippi River Valley into Dubuque. Here the train snakes around as they pass a barn near MP 195.
... I wish!
The camera just came back from the repair shop after 30 years of disuse. However, the lab informed me that the film advance is still erratic, so another repair would be due. At this point I feel I am through with this camera, which I never liked in the first place, so I decided to sell it. I may keep the lens, which is very sharp, and use it on my Pentacon Six TL, but I'm not even sure about that.
Exakta 66
Lens: Schneider Kreuznach Xenotar 80 km f/2.8 MF
Kodak Ektar 100 professional grade colour negative film
Developed and scanned by www.meinfilmlab.de
Upon my return from my cycling trip my wife informed me that Cooper our Standard Poodle was not doing well and that we should go to the vet. Long story short, his heart was failing and he was in much pain due to an accumulation of fluid on it.
After consultation with the vet, it was decided that at almost 15 years old, the humane thing to do was to peacefully end his pain. This was taken in the vet comfort room spending our last moments with him before calling the vet to administer the shot.
He’s been part of our family, no sorry, he was family!! Like all dogs he gave so much back, but asked little in return. He was an key contributor to all my 365 projects. He will be missed.
Vincent's fever continued to burn throughout the afternoon and everyone was on edge because of it. After Vincent had woken for those few seconds earlier, Bernadette had brewed an extra strong bhang tea to help him sleep harder. Thankfully he continued to be able to hold down liquids and medicine so Bernadette deemed that it was a good sign. She didn't want to give Damien and Aiden false hope but it was looking like Vincent might just pull through after all.
It was evening, only a few hours later, when the fever finally broke! With a fresh change of bandages and bedding Vincent was finally resting better than he had in the near day and half since his capture.
Around his bed stood Bernadette, Damien, and Aiden; all breathing a sigh of relief as they gazed down at him. Damien could see that Bernadette and Aiden were beyond exhausted; Aiden even more so due to his efforts of rescuing Vincent but at least he'd taken a nap earlier. Bernadette had not. Damien's attention turned to Bernadette and gave her a meaningful look and asked, "Will you rest now?"
"Yes," she agreed with a huff. "But after we get something to eat. I'm famished!"
The mention of food sent all of their stomachs grumbling loudly. None of them had eaten today and it had been even longer for Bernadette and Aiden. Since Aiden didn't know where the food vendors were and Bernadette was clearly exhausted, Damien agreed to the errand of picking up some dinner. Aiden and Bernadette made sure to thank him enthusiastically as he made his way out the door with a small chuckle and promise of being quick.
Once Damien was gone, Bernadette informed Aiden that she was going outside for some fresh air and to write a note to her mother to update her on Vincent's condition. Aiden was glad to let her take some time for herself and sent her off with an encouraging smile. He turned and found himself wandering back towards Vincent's bedroom where he sat down beside his bed on the chair.
The mention of writing made Aiden think of his own correspondence with his father. Aiden had already eagerly sent off a letter to update him on everything that had happened up to their arrival in the capitol, with the promise of another letter to follow this week. It was to include their scheduled stops now that Aiden knew where his captain was sending them. But now, all of that was going to change. With Vincent's injuries as bad as they were, surely they wouldn't be back in the air anytime soon. So much had changed and happened in the last week since he'd sent that letter that he wouldn't even know where to start!
That line of thought suddenly yanked Aiden away from thoughts of the not yet written letter to the realization of what he had done. Now that he was relaxing and coming down from the adrenaline of trying to keep Vincent alive, the realizations of everything that had happened suddenly started to sink in; things that he couldn't tell his father.
"Oh God," Aiden breathed in shock as he sat there and stared at his hands with wide eyes. He'd killed a man just last night! Not only that, but he'd aided in the death of another and proceeded to dump their bodies in a cell to rot and took their keys as if he were some hooligan or pirate! And he'd done it all without a second thought! His ONLY hesitation had been during his disagreement with Vincent. But his argument had really been about Vincent's declining health and not over the principle of going after Thorn. In fact, Aiden had gone along with it as soon as Vincent assured him that was what he wanted.
That was another thing that boggled his mind a bit. There always seemed to be more to Vincent than met the eye. Vincent had actually asked him to do such an awful thing and told him exactly how to do it just after killing a man himself! And to top it all, Aiden followed orders without question!
'...and I'd do it again,' he thought to himself as he sat there. 'All of it. And if Vincent couldn't kill Thorn, I'd have done it myself; once I found out why the Hell he did this in the first place anyway!'
Aiden was shocked by his own thoughts! Yet as he sat there thinking about it, he had to concur with his earlier sentiment: Yes, he'd do it again. He waited for the horror and guilt to come but as seconds turned into minutes he found that there was none. Aiden never would have considered himself to be a murderer so what the Hell did THAT mean?! It wasn't as if he wanted to go out and murder someone else!
But as he turned his gaze upon his captain sleeping there on the bed so worn out and exhausted, Aiden felt all those uncertainties about himself start to seep out of him. No, he realized, it had been because of Vincent; for Vincent. He was alive and would see another day. No matter how scary and uncertain the whole situation had been he knew that if it meant saving this man's life he'd do it again and again. He was worth it. And despite the secrets and a dangerous side lurking beneath his surface, Aiden found he was still not swayed by Vincent in the least.
And hadn't he already proven it before? This wasn't the first time he'd been here for Vincent: there was last week when he'd come across him at the tavern. The memory of walking him home brought a tiny smile to Aiden's face as well as a small blush as he remembered how adorable Vincent had been, pointing out the dimples at the corner of Aiden's mouth and making him smile and doing little things that had made him feel good about himself. And he'd been there for Vincent all night until morning where he had been there for him during his breakdown. No, Aiden hadn't known for sure the cause of it until today, but he wanted to hear the story from Vincent. And he knew he'd be there for him when he was ready.
In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to keep being here. Not just for him but with him; to find the pleasures in life and fight side by side each and every day with him. Aiden couldn't pinpoint when exactly it had happened or even how, but in such a short time Vincent Dubois had become someone so important to him and he couldn't just let him go.
'I couldn't let him go. I need him,' he thought to himself as he gazed longingly at Vincent with a soft smile. 'I love him.'
Then everything in his mind halted. Love?
At nineteen years old, Aiden had never been in love before. He'd spent most of his life learning and experimenting with his craft and dreaming of far away places. It wasn't that he didn't have a social life or wasn't open to finding it. The young ladies of his hometown had eyed Aiden and dreamed that he'd look their way. He'd simply never found anyone appealing enough to steal him away from his dream of adventure. And yet the adventure had been brought to him by Vincent in more ways than he could have imagined in just a few short months...and he knew he craved more.
Aiden felt warmth spread through him starting from his chest and spreading outwards as he thought about how Vincent made him feel. Vincent had a way about him that made Aiden feel more whole and fulfilled each day without the longing for anything else.
...but at the same time he had to admit that wasn't completely true.
Aiden had acknowledged some time ago that Vincent had attractive qualities about him. He had been open to the idea of being with a man but he'd never found one attractive. Not until he met Vincent, anyway. He didn't know what it was about the man but there was just something about him that captured Aiden's attention. Even now as he contemplated how he felt about Vincent, Aiden could still feel the electric warmth of Vincent's touch as upon his dimpled cheek. Hell, that very night he'd fantasized about his drunk captain beckoning him enticingly into bed! Then the very next morning, Aiden had gotten to see more of Vincent's tattoo which dipped further below his waist line out of sight as he'd walked around shirtless. He distinctly remembered wondering just how far down that tattoo went. But after last night? Well now he knew EXACTLY how far down Vincent's tattoo went.
Aiden blushed deeply and brought his hand up to run through his hair awkwardly as he turned away from Vincent in embarrassment. He chuckled nervously to himself. Up until now he'd viewed Vincent's nudity as if he were a doctor treating a patient. But now that he had a moment to really think about it? Bloody Hell! The man was literally right in front of him, hardly even out of his death bed, and here Aiden was, sitting here fantasizing about Vincent's physique! Had he no shame?! But he couldn't help the damn smirk that perked his lips. He just couldn't help it! God, he was grateful nobody else was in the room!
But Aiden did have to admit that he was attracted to Vincent. Even at the top of the tower when Vincent stood bloodied over his kill, his power and strength and confidence poured off of him in such a way that Aiden had found it oddly attractive and stirred something deep inside him.
Pushing the brushes of his internal arousal aside, Aiden finally turned back in his seat to face Vincent again. The smirk had since faded and was replaced with a soft smile as he gazed upon him.
And as he did, it felt like all the world around him seemed to fade and suddenly all that existed, all that mattered was Vincent. Aiden didn't know a lot of things but he did know one thing: He was in love with Vincent. There were apparently more secrets and perhaps a much darker side to this man that Aiden had yet to know but he was not intimidated by it. He was looking forward to discovering it and knowing more about him. He looked forward to making each day an adventure as he intended to woo the man he loved.
...
Once Vincent had passed out from the combination of excruciating pain and exhaustion, he stayed out. There was nothing, not even the white hot burn of alcohol to his open wounds, that could wake him. The fever that gripped him had also brought on the night terrors which only added to the tension in his poor body.
When some relief eventually came, Vincent was able to physically relax more as the dreams quieted. There were points where he struggled to tell if he was dreaming or not. He could hear distant voices; familiar ones. His vision could never seem to form a complete picture. That was until at some point where he was so sure it was real. It had to be...
Vincent could smell the fresh morning dew and the lake in the air mixing with the scent of hot engine oils that he found he loved so much. Every city had its own scent. But this was one was home. The smell of the capitol's docks as it sat above the vast lake always made him feel calm. And he could see her right there: his beloved Emily and their little Lily in her arms, so tiny and new to this world. And then it was time for him to go.
Wait. No...it couldn't be! He wanted to cry out because he knew what was going to happen next. He couldn't watch it again! Please no. No!
"Em-Emily...don't go..."
Vincent tried to reach for her. It had to be real! She was right there! He could even feel the warmth of her fingers! So soft and warm. If he could just reach her...
"Oh Vincent, no. It's me, Bernadette..."
Bernadette? He blinked and stared up at her with dazed and confused eyes. For a moment his cousin came into his view but then things went a bit blurry again. So he was awake? Where was he? Bernadette was insisting he sleep. But he didn't want to sleep and relive that awful dream again. It always ended the same way. Always. He didn't want to see it again! He didn't want to do this anymore!
"Do I..have...to..?"
"Oh sweetheart..."
And Vincent was out cold again, taken under for who knew how long?
...
The next thing Vincent was aware of was that he felt uncomfortable. Something felt very off and he wasn't sure what it was. With a groan, he tried to shift but found that his muscles felt weighed down as if he'd tripled in weight overnight. Even more uncomfortably, as he shifted, a dull ache began to grow in his side.
"Mmnnf..." he groaned in pain as he settled once again. That had felt unpleasant. Eyes still closed, Vincent reached up slowly for his abdomen and found it wrapped in an odd fabric that felt a lot like bandages. As he began to feel around more, a gentle but firm touch halted his progress.
"Hey now, don't mess with that."
Vincent gave a very slight huff and slowly cracked open his eyes. At first the world was blurry and kind of bright. Where was he? How long had he been asleep? He could feel his hand being moved for him to lay at his side as a gentle voice spoke beside him.
"Good morning, sleepy-head."
Vincent blinked again and a moment later he was focusing on Aiden and his beautiful, relieved smile. Aiden was here. Then was he home? Or perhaps at the hospital? He blinked again and glanced around slightly and quickly realized he was home. That's right. He was starting to remember now.
Still feeling groggy, Vincent groaned softly and yawned before suddenly gasping and wincing as pain pierced through the dull ache in his side. Beside him, Aiden quirked his mouth and glanced around before starting to shift so he could stand.
"Let me wake up Bernadette. It's almost time for your next dose of medicine anyways."
"Not yet. Stay."
Aiden sat back down, his eyes meeting Vincent's as his heart beat a touch harder in his chest. Vincent was awake! He was alive and talking to him! He was going to be okay! He felt so happy he could cry! Aiden smiled softly again as he took in the sight of Vincent.
Vincent gazed back up at Aiden almost as if he couldn't believe he was actually still here. After everything he'd put Aiden through, a part of him wouldn't have been surprised to find out that Aiden had abandoned them and taken the first airship straight home!
"You're still here."
Aiden blinked and then broke out into a bigger smile and replied, "Of course I'm still here. You couldn't get rid of me that easily."
"You thought that was easy?"
"Ah ha ha! Vincent, you're funny."
Aiden's chuckle softened and he actually shifted off the seat and moved to sit carefully on the edge of the mattress. He reached out and gently brushed his fingers along Vincent's brow and inspected the bandage. But really, it was just an excuse to sit closer and touch him.
Vincent remained still and allowed Aiden to inspect the bandage, closing his eyes as he struggled to push himself to wake up more. Why Aiden had to sit on the bed to do it was beyond him but he wasn't complaining much right now. He had to admit, silently to himself of course, that Aiden's touch was rather soothing and welcome. Subconsciously, he was even leaning into Aiden's touch.
"How long have I been asleep?" Vincent murmured as he finally opened his eyes to look at his friend. Aiden wet his lips and resisted the urge to brush his fingertips through Vincent's loosely pulled back hair. Instead he brought his hand down to Vincent's abdomen to inspect those bandages as well as he thought about it. Really, it all felt like a blur and he had to really think for a moment.
"Since the night before last," he finally answered. "So Wednesday night. It's Friday morning."
Vincent laid still as Aiden carefully inspected his bandages and let himself process that. Friday morning? Well damn. Naturally, he'd never made it to that meeting with Mr. Mason. His mind was already piecing things together quickly as it always did despite feeling groggy from all the medicine he'd been given. There were a few missing pieces to all this still but he'd get to that.
"I'm sorry," Vincent apologized out of nowhere. Aiden was already sitting up and giving him a mildly shocked look.
"What do YOU have to be sorry for?"
Vincent looked off to the side slightly and no longer met Aiden's eyes as guilt flooded him. Because of him, Aiden had put himself in danger. Even worse: he could have been killed! Vincent had put him through some terrible things just by association that no man of nineteen years should go through! Aiden didn't deserve all the drama and stresses of being associated with him. He felt responsible and loathed himself just on principle.
"For...for you getting dragged into all this. For causing you to worry. For...for everything, I suppose. It's my fault."
"Don't be ridiculous! It's NOT your fault!"
Vincent blinked and his attention snapped back to Aiden in surprise who was looking at him in earnest now.
"I came of my own accord! As soon as I-!" Aiden wet his lips and lowered his voice. "As soon as I found out where you were, I came as soon as I could. No one forced me. No one asked me. I came for you because I wanted to. Like...like you said to me that night: you knew without a doubt you were going to make it up those stairs, right? Well, I knew without a doubt I was going to get you back."
"You did?"
"Absolutely."
Vincent, as exhausted and groggy as he'd felt seconds ago, was suddenly feeling quite awake as he stared back at the man who'd saved his life. Well, that answered a few of his questions, but also brought on an onslaught of new ones.
So Aiden had found out where he was? Now that he mentioned it, it HAD been only Aiden who had come. In all the excitement, Vincent hadn't thought about that. At the time, he'd simply been grateful for a friend to fight alongside him. It was just that he hadn't expected it to be the grinning, passionate, and goofy Aiden. He hadn't expected Aiden to have it in him to kill a man in cold blood; especially for someone as unimportant as him.
Vincent had thought Aiden a good friend before; a loyal one even. Now he knew that he trusted him quite literally with his life. There were just some things people went through together that changed how they felt about each other. After all he'd learned and discovered about Aiden, he found he appreciated the man more and more. It certainly seemed Aiden felt strongly about their friendship as well!
Finally, after several seconds of silence, Vincent finally broke into a small, tired smile as he relaxed a little bit. He wanted to say the right thing here. He really wasn't sure what to say and didn't know where to start so he said just let himself say the first thing that came to mind.
"Thank you. I...have no words to truly convey how I feel. But thank you, Aiden, truly, for everything"
"You're welcome. I'll always have your back."
"And I'll have yours."
Perhaps no more words needed to be spoken; not now anyway. The men smiled at each other until a second later pain throbbed in Vincent's side and he grimaced with a groan. A moment later, he grunted, "You said Bernadette is here? As in my cousin?"
"Yes," Aiden explained. "She's been here with me since right after we got back. She came in the doctor's stead and has been religiously giving you medicine and tea. Lots of tea." A small smirk appeared on his face. Something told him that tea would turn out to be a family passion of theirs.
"That would explain why my bladder is screaming at me," he said dryly. "Is anyone else here?"
"Damien was here, but he's due back soon. And there's a bedpan under you so you don't have to get up. I'll give you some privacy and go wake Bernadette while you relieve yourself. You're due for your medicine anyways."
He had a bedpan under him? He supposed that meant he was probably naked under the blanket. It would make sense with all the bandages needing to be changed and not being able to get up. Being in an emergency situation, he understood, but it was still a bit embarrassing, he felt.
"Thank you."
Vincent watched as Aiden stood carefully from the bed. Aiden seemed to go a little slower, almost lingering an extra moment longer than necessary. Was he waiting for something? Vincent wondered. Was he going to speak? He simply waited patiently. After a long moment, Aiden instead gave Vincent a small smile and turned to give him his privacy to do his business. He needed to wake Bernadette. Vincent was awake!
"I'll be back soon!"
Once Aiden was gone, Vincent relieved himself with a sigh. Now that he had a moment alone he began to think over what had transpired between them the last few days. Why did Aiden do all this though? Why? While he was exceedingly grateful for Aiden, it still puzzled him how the man had managed to wedge himself into his life the way he had. And Vincent had just let it happen! Something about Aiden brought down his defenses. It made him feel nervous as much as it secretly relieved and excited him to know that he could reveal a deeper side of himself to someone new.
One thing for sure was that their friendship had reached a whole new level of trust and understanding. He trusted him nearly as much as he trusted Damien! And that was saying something! He really appreciated the man that Aiden was; from the loyal comrade at arms to his newest close friend to the joking, grinning naïve adventurer that he was.
And it wasn't just that. There was more to Aiden than he'd realized. The more he got to know, the more he liked and appreciated him. As annoying and childlike as he could be, it was also part of his charm. He could make you want to roll your eyes and yet you couldn't help but smile and genuinely feel happy too. His excitement over the littlest things could be adorable, just like his smile.
Vincent leaned his head back against the pillow with a soft groan and closed his eyes. Yeah, Aiden was adorable. Handsome to be sure and he had a masculine beauty about him that Vincent couldn't deny was pleasing to the eye. But more so, it was his soul, he felt, that was most beautiful.
However, the possibility that Aiden could have any romantic feelings for him didn't even really cross Vincent's mind. Aiden had never shown any indication that he was feeling anything other than friendship or any inclination that he felt that way about men at all. So why should he consider that?
"Vincent!"
Vincent's eyes opened and he glanced over at her and offered a tiny smile as she strode in with a relieved smile and tears in her eyes. He was very happy to see her, too, despite his exhausted demeanor. A moment later she was swooping down to gently hug him to which Vincent managed to gently pat her arm and give a gentle squeeze.
"It's okay, Bernie. I'm going to be fine."
"Not if Mama gets a hold of you first..."
From the doorway, Aiden stood there and leaned against the jamb with a small smile, arms crossed over his chest. He could hear them talking quietly but he wasn't paying too much attention to their words. He mostly was enjoying the simple sight of watching Vincent awake and interacting with his cousin.
Behind him the front door opened, which caught his attention. Glancing over his shoulder, he watched Damien enter, who had returned with fresh bread and fruits for breakfast for them all. He flashed Damien a grin as the door closed and he made it fully inside.
When Damien saw Aiden's grin, his eyes widened and set down the bag of groceries with a silent question in his eyes. Aiden smiled a little more and jerked his head for Damien to come over.
Aiden had expected Damien to rush to Vincent's side. Instead, he slowly approached as if he were scared it was too good to be true. As soon as he drew up beside his crewmate, his eyes rested on Vincent and cleared his throat to announce his presence.
As soon as Vincent realized it was Damien, he smiled a little bit in greeting. Aiden could feel the shift in Damien's demeanor as he relaxed and sighed in relief. He glanced at Aiden with a small grin, himself, and gave him a small nod before heading inside to greet Vincent and see how he was doing for himself.
Aiden's grin faded to a soft smile as he watched Vincent try to sit up a little more to greet Damien a little more enthusiastically. It resulted in Bernadette's fussing at him trying to sit up on his own too fast and helping prop him up a little more with the extra pillow.
It was a heart-warming moment and it made him feel good to see that Vincent really did have people who loved and cared about him. Damien was chuckling and Bernadette was smirking a little while she rolled her eyes good naturedly. And from what he heard about the Dubois family, they seemed pretty close.
As Aiden rejoined the trio at the bed, Vincent gazed up at the three of them and felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude to the three of them. They had saved his life. He smiled at them then suddenly broke out into a yawn and mumbled, "Sorry. I guess I'm more tired than I thought."
Bernadette chuckled and replied, "You're still recovering from illness, Cousin. Rest. Listen to your body. I'll be right back with the next dose. Did you use the bedpan?"
"Yes."
"Alright. Let me get your medicine and I'll get that taken care of."
"Thank you."
To be honest Vincent was feeling a little pathetic laying here. He knew he needed to rest. The sooner he did, the sooner he could be back on his feet and back to normal. He hated having to depend on others. But soon he'd be able to get up and tie up those loose ends. Until then, he'd do well to listen to Bernadette and get some rest.
Bernadette soon returned with Vincent's next dose of medicine and tea. Vincent took it and thanked her and asked how bad his injuries were. Bernadette sent Aiden out to empty the bed pan for her then she sat down and began to explain to Vincent just how much his body had undergone. It was bad but not any worse than he'd suspected. He'd endured two broken ribs, possibly another, a concussion, and had several lacerations including the severe one at his abdomen all on top of being ill from the infection. He'd need to rest a lot and to do breathing exercises regularly. But mainly he was not to do any physical labor for a while; up to two months which meant until after the ball coming up. God, he was not looking forward to all the bed rest!
"What do you mean a week?!"
Aiden blinked as Vincent's exclamation carried in from the other room. As he walked in with the freshly cleaned bedpan, he looked around at them curiously as Bernadette was responding to her cousin.
"If I had it my way, you'd be laying in bed even longer. This is me compromising. Don't you huff at me, Vincent Dubois! I know you! You never liked keeping your feet on the ground, but you need to let your body heal! I mean it!"
Oh, how Vincent scowled at her! Vincent knew she was right but he didn't like it! If it were just broken ribs he'd be up and around quick! But damn it all, he had to get sick from his injuries, too. He really hated this situation he was in! Finally Vincent slumped completely back against his pillow in resignation and gave a sigh.
"A week. You have my word."
"Thank you. Oh! And thank you, Aiden."
"You're welcome," Aiden said as he handed the bedpan to her. He went automatically to the opposite side of the bed than her. He was so used to helping her the last couple of days that he hadn't had to think twice about it. As he drew up along Vincent's side, he grinned a bit and said, "Hold on tight. Going to roll you over this way. Ready, Bernadette?"
"Ready!"
"Ready, Vincent?"
Vincent clenched his teeth and gave a small nod and braced for pain. He thought silently, 'This is so humiliating.' He was determined to get up out of bed and go to the loo on his own as soon as possible! There was only so much of this he was going to be able to take. He just knew it.
A moment later he was being leaned over by the much larger Aiden who reached for the sheet underneath him. At the movement, Vincent was grateful to discover the opium had taken effect and he wasn't caring so much about the pain anymore. Then he was being rolled over towards Aiden who released the sheet. He gently slid his arms around Vincent and was sort of holding his body to his now. Behind Vincent, the sheet fell away and Bernadette quickly went to work sliding the bed pan under him. However, he wasn't thinking much about what she was doing.
Instead, Vincent's senses were brought into all that was Aiden as his chest and abdomen came into his view and the warmth of his arms enveloped him in a firm but gentle hold. Vincent's body relaxed as he exhaled and somehow felt like he was melting into Aiden's arms. Even at the awkward angle they were at, it did feel nice. And as Vincent inhaled, he was expecting to be hit with that natural scent of Aiden's that he'd liked so much. Was it as good as he remembered?
"All done! Roll back this way," Bernadette was saying a second later and held up the sheet for Aiden. Aiden released Vincent carefully against the sheet and helped roll him back over. Though, as Vincent was rolled back onto the bedpan, he stared right up at Aiden and narrowed his eyes with a slight scowl. It was a look that clearly indicated that he wasn't very pleased with him. Aiden immediately caught the look and blinked before staring back at him in confusion.
"What?!" he finally exclaimed with wide, innocent eyes. He couldn't help how his voice rose just a touch higher in pitch. Already, he felt guilty and he didn't even know what for! Even Bernadette and Damien were staring with intrigue.
Frowning deeper, Vincent huffed at him. He could feel himself getting more disoriented thanks to the medicine, but damn it all if he was going to let this go!
"Are those the same clothes you wore the other night?"
"Um." Aiden blinked, clearly taken aback by this unexpected question. He looked down at himself then guiltily looked back at him. Vincent hadn't even raised his voice. He didn't have to. This was his captain's tone of voice and he'd know if Aiden was lying without having to ask anyone else. Finally he admitted hesitantly, "Yes?"
"So you have been here this whole time?"
"Yes, Sir."
"And you haven't bathed or changed your clothes at all since then?"
"I-... what?"
"Have you done ANYTHING to take care of yourself since we got back?"
"Does eating dinner last night count?"
There was a long pause.
"You're going to go back to Leon's Claw this instant!"
"I am?"
"Yes, you are! And you are going to take a bath and REST! You need to take care of yourself, damn it! Do I need to get out of this bed and march your ass back there myself?"
Stunned, Aiden stared back at him and noticed Damien's smug smirk turning in his direction through the corner of his eye. Not wanting to look at Damien right now, he instead turned his nose towards his shoulder and sniffed only to make a slight face at himself. Bloody Hell! Vincent was right! He smelled awful! Aiden glanced back at Vincent who was still staring up at him expectantly awaiting his answer.
"Fine. I'll go, but you better keep YOUR ass right there!"
Aiden half expected Vincent to yell at him. He'd never spoken to a superior like that! It didn't matter what they'd been through together! Vincent, however, just stared back at him for a long moment and held his gaze as if committing him to a silent promise. Aiden realized as they gazed in each other's eyes that....well, Vincent was just worried about him.
"Fine. And I'm assuming YOU have been here this whole time too?"
Vincent had turned his attention to Bernadette, who folded her arms over her chest and scolded, "I'm your nurse! I don't think you are in any position to be scolding me considering YOU are the one in the bed!" Vincent's eyes softened as he gazed up at his cousin who he loved as a little sister. He responded, "And you know your help means the world to me, but I couldn't live with myself if you dropped from exhaustion."
'Damn that man!' Bernadette cursed silently as she felt herself deflating already. Vincent always knew what to say to calm her down. She sighed softly and gently took a seat on the bed beside him.
"It's easier if I stay."
"I agree, and you can stay. But, for now, go home and take a hot bath, please. You deserve it. Get a good meal in you and then go see your mother. Damien will stay here and make sure I stay in bed, right Damien?"
"Right!" Damien chimed in not even a breath later. "Why don't the two of you go do as he says? I'll keep an eye on things here. Go on."
Bernadette looked back at Vincent with a furrowed brow before she finally sighed and nodded. "Very well. Aiden, would you be so kind as to see me out?"
"Of course."
"Thank you," she said before returning her attention to Vincent. "I'll see you in a few hours. Get some rest, okay? We'll do your dressing changes when I get back."
Vincent gave a small nod which was followed by a yawn. He could feel the drowsiness pulling him back under. Yet he kept himself awake long enough to watch Bernadette head for the door with Aiden following behind her. At the last moment, Aiden paused and placed his hand on the door jamb and glanced back over his shoulder. Their eyes met and Aiden's lips curved into a small smile. Vincent began to return the smile. However, he was hit hard with the exhaustion of being awake and all his exertions while doing so. The last thing he saw was Aiden before sleep pulled him back under.
...
Next Part:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/52358844375/in/datepo...
To start from the beginning or to read another chapter, here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
***
Special thank you to Vin Aydin Raven-Mysterious for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!
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From a distance this pigeon looks real. Our guide informed us that most street art painted on walls are painted over as the City doesn't appreciate the art. This pigeon and another next to it on a drinking fountain have been deemed acceptable and not been painted over ...
I was recently informed by snjscuba - doing a Cnut that substances such as the above may be effective as a prophylactic against the current COVID-19 pandemic. In these uncertain times anything is worth a try. Thus, the first dose was taken last night. So far, so good, with no obvious side effects. However, I realise that the recommendation was purely anecdotal and that no conclusions can be drawn from a single data point and without randomised double-blind trials. Therefore, to properly assess the efficacy of this medicine and to determine its pharmacokinetics, more research is needed. I shall carry out this work as a public service, taking meticulous notes, and report back prior to submitting a paper to the Lancet.
At the end of May, my landlord informed me that his son is going to live in this apartment after our lease expires at the end of August, so I have to move out before the deadline.
It's a little bit sad. Actually, I was going to renew the lease even if he required a raise of price, because after a long preparation, the porcelain dolls project finally starts to pay back and I really need to settle down to finish the Queen of Hearts fullset, which I have been planning for over 5 years. However life always strikes you in surprise...
What makes me sadder is that after 5 years hard working, I can't even afford to rent a similar apartment nearby because the rent has risen so quickly and so high. The price of this 75 squares, one bed room apartment was about 0.43 million USD in 2014, which was already quite expensive, now it is almost double, costs about 0.8 million USD. So the rent follows.
It took me some time to accept that I have to move far away from the area that I have been living in for 25 years and yesterday I finally made the decision to rent a apartment 12km away. It's larger and cheaper, but the most important thing is it is suitable, I could see myself living&working in it. I even started to think of how to decorate the furnitures and buying new appliance. HOWEVER! After the agent told the new landlord that I am going to teach class in the apartment, the landlord refused me for the reason 'disturb neighbors' and didn't give me a chance to explain. I felt being insulted a little, which he accused me was never true. My current neighbor is quite happy with me and I only teach for a few days in an entire year! Well, it's his lost.
Therefore, I returned back to the zero point and feel lost. Don't know where to go, don't know where I will be. But anyway, I will have a place to go, a place to live. Hope it has a better view from the window. :)