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Cinematography (from ancient Greek κίνημα, kìnema "movement" and γράφειν, gràphein "to write").
Cinematography, the art and technology of motion-picture photography. It involves such techniques as the general composition of a scene; the lighting of the set or location; the choice of cameras, lenses, filters, and film stock; the camera angle and movements; and the integration of any special effects. All these concerns may involve a sizeable crew on a feature film, headed by a person variously known as the cinematographer, first cameraman, lighting cameraman, or director of photography, whose responsibility is to achieve the photographic images and effects desired by the director.
I have a much smaller "crew".
Dahlia has a rich symbolism: the flower stands for wealth and elegance, and also for love and involvement. For the Aztecs, Dahlia was a religious symbol.
The process involves applying designs to the surface of an egg using hot bees wax .This is my creation for this year
1.i have date night every friday night, even if no one else is here to share it.
date night involves me taking a bath and lighting about 50 candles in the living room.
i put on some groovy tunes and something satiny and drink something alcoholic and cuddle up to the softest
blanket ever and yeah, that is about it.
2.i have another date night every saturday night, with my best friend jessica.
it usually involves kung pao tofo and peppers and some crappy romantic comedy
and a crafty creative project.
3.i have 2 bathrooms in my place. one of them has doorknob issues. everyone who
has ever used it freaks out because they think they can't open the door. actually,
you just have to turn the knob the other direction ( to the left ) ... but trust me on this
... almost every doorknob is supposed to turn to the right.
4.i don't watch that much tv anymore but i have noticed that my favorite shows over the
years are ones that involve major sexual tension between the main characters ( i.e. moonlighting,
who's the boss, x files etc.)
5.i have temperature issues in bed.
i am usually naked or in a slip at night.
if i am really cold, i love tons of warm blankets
and if i am really warm, i love one super cold sheet wrapped around me.
6.i have a fascination with Starbucks Iced tea Lemonade concoction.
i have yet to find a barista make it the same way twice and i know they have
directions for all their drinks.
i finally found a man who made it perfectly
it used to be my favorite drink there
...
he quit and now no one makes it good anymore.
7.i have serious light bulb issues in this apartment.
with all my ceiling lights, bathroom lights, kitchen lights, bedroom lights, etc.
i probably manage to kill 2 light bulbs a week.
even on a step stool i can't reach them, so i have to wait until saturday night date night
to have my tall best friend change my bulbs.
i spoke to her earlier tonight and told her she needs to come over tomorrow
because if i wait any longer, i am going to be sitting here in the dark.
8.i've been thinking about quitting my job and moving.
something very unlike me but i really feel as if i need a change.
i don't know where i'd go. i have ideas, but not really.
all my friends and family are here.
i have a good job at a company i have been with now starting 8 years.
i just need something different somewhere else.
9.one of my favorite ice creams is Nestle's King Size Drumstick ice cream cones.
my friend just came by and i made him drive me to 7-11 to get one and i gobbled that fucker right up.
yum!
10.i've been really poopy all year.
i am not used to this feeling of gloom.
i find myself crying far too much and it kind of sucks.
i don't really have it in me to go on more about that, so pffft.
11.i have a magnetic dart board on the back of my front door.
i suck at it.
with practice i am sure i could get better.
these magnetic darts are what suck, not me.
12.which reminds me, i used to love to shoot pool.
i grew up with a pool table ( my parents own one)
and i used to frequent a coffee house in high school that had one.
sadly, the coffee shop table had this horrid tilt and i had to learn the tricks and secrets
of how to play on that table..but when new comers would play, i managed to kick and ass
or two.
13.i collect wrapping paper, but not in a Dyxie way :P
i have this tall clear glass vase with rolls of beautifully printed wrapping
paper sticking out of it. i use it as art or something.
once in a while, if i am feeling crafty, i cover a coffee can in it, or frame it, or cover
my refrigerator in it, or wrap a pringles can in it for my ttv contraption.
....
if you want more random things about me,
click here and
read more.
thanks for listening.
carry on with your bad selves.
xoxox
Highest position: 85 on Monday, December 31, 2007
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Dam
Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. Constructed between 1931 and 1936, during the Great Depression, it was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers, and cost over 100 lives. In bills passed by Congress during its construction, it was referred to as the Hoover Dam, after President Herbert Hoover, but was named Boulder Dam by the Roosevelt administration. In 1947, the name Hoover Dam was restored by Congress.
Since about 1900, the Black Canyon and nearby Boulder Canyon had been investigated for their potential to support a dam that would control floods, provide irrigation water, and produce hydroelectric power. In 1928, Congress authorized the project. The winning bid to build the dam was submitted by a consortium named Six Companies, Inc., which began construction in early 1931. Such a large concrete structure had never been built before, and some of the techniques used were unproven. The torrid summer weather and lack of facilities near the site also presented difficulties. Nevertheless, Six Companies turned the dam over to the federal government on March 1, 1936, more than two years ahead of schedule.
Hoover Dam impounds Lake Mead and is located near Boulder City, Nevada, a municipality originally constructed for workers on the construction project, about 30 mi (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The dam's generators provide power for public and private utilities in Nevada, Arizona, and California. Hoover Dam is a major tourist attraction, with 7 million tourists a year. The heavily traveled U.S. Route 93 (US 93) ran along the dam's crest until October 2010, when the Hoover Dam Bypass opened.
Source: hoover.archives.gov/hoovers/hoover-dam
85 years after its completion, Hoover dam is still considered an engineering marvel. It is named in honor of President Herbert Hoover, who played a crucial role in its creation.
For many years, residents of the American southwest sought to tame the unpredictable Colorado River. Disastrous floods during the early 1900’s led residents of the area to look to the federal government for aid, and experiments with irrigation on a limited scale had shown that this arid region could be transformed into fertile cropland, if only the river could be controlled. The greatest obstacle to the construction of such a dam was the allocation of water rights among the seven states comprising the Colorado River drainage basin. Meetings were held in 1918, 1919 and 1920, but the states could not reach a consensus.
Herbert Hoover had visited the Lower Colorado region in the years before World War I and was familiar with its problems and the potential for development. Upon becoming Secretary of Commerce in 1921, Hoover proposed the construction of a dam on the Colorado River. In addition to flood control and irrigation, it would provide a dependable supply of water for Los Angeles and Southern California. The project would be self-supporting, recovering its cost through the sale of hydroelectric power generated by the dam.
In 1921, the state legislatures of the Colorado River basin authorized commissioners to negotiate an interstate agreement. Congress authorized President Harding to appoint a representative for the federal government to serve as chair of the Colorado River Commission and on December 17, 1921, Harding appointed Hoover to that role.
When the commission assembled in Santa Fe in November 1922, the seven states still disagreed over the fair distribution of water. The upstream states feared that the downstream states, with their rapidly developing agricultural and power demands, would quickly preempt rights to the water by the “first in time, first in right” doctrine. Hoover suggested a compromise that the water be divided between the upper and lower basins without individual state quotas. The resulting Colorado River Compact was signed on November 24, 1922. It split the river basin into upper and lower halves with the states within each region deciding amongst themselves how the water would be allocated.
A series of bills calling for Federal funding to build the dam were introduced by Congressman Phil D. Swing and Senator Hiram W. Johnson between 1922 and 1928, all of which were rejected. The last Swing-Johnson bill, titled the Boulder Canyon Project Act, was largely written by Hoover and Secretary of the Interior Hubert Work. Congress finally agreed, and the bill was signed into law on December 21, 1928 by President Coolidge. The dream was about to become reality.
On June 25, 1929, less than four months after his inauguration, President Herbert Hoover signed a proclamation declaring the Colorado River Compact effective at last. Appropriations were approved and construction began in 1930. The dam was dedicated in 1935 and the hydroelectric generators went online in 1937. In 1947, Congress officially "restored" Hoover's name to the dam, after FDR's Secretary of the Interior tried to remove it. Hoover Dam was built for a cost of $49 million (approximately $1 billion adjusted for inflation). The power plant and generators cost an additional $71 million, more than the cost of the dam itself. The sale of electrical power generated by the dam paid back its construction cost, with interest, by 1987.
Today the Hoover Dam controls the flooding of the Colorado River, irrigates more than 1.5 million acres of land, and provides water to more than 16 million people. Lake Mead supports recreational activities and provides habitats to fish and wildlife. Power generated by the dam provides energy to power over 500,000 homes. The Hoover Compromise still governs how the water is shared.
Additional Foreign Language Tags:
(United States) "الولايات المتحدة" "Vereinigte Staaten" "アメリカ" "美国" "미국" "Estados Unidos" "États-Unis"
(Nevada) "نيفادا" "内华达州" "नेवादा" "ネバダ" "네바다" "Невада"
(Arizona) "أريزونا" "亚利桑那州" "एरिजोना" "アリゾナ州" "애리조나" "Аризона"
(Hoover Dam) "سد هوفر" "胡佛水坝" "हूवर बांध" "フーバーダム" "후버 댐" "Гувера" "Presa Hoover"
If one were to live in Portland in late May and early June, and they were to go downtown they would discover that the annual Rose Festival celebration would be in full swing. A portion of that celebration involves the "Fun Center", which may or may not actually be a euphemism for "overpriced stuffed Disney and Comic Book character knockoffs". Now in the middle of this "Fun Center" there is a generally a Ferris Wheel.
The Ferris Wheel was first built by an innovative chap named George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., who must have decided early on that with a name like that he was destined to do something spectacular. His Ferris wheel was over 260 feet tall (which I figure to be about 26 stories tall) and was built for the centerpiece of the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1892/1893, held to honor the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus. See where all this is going? That's ok, I don't either.
A few years before the Chicago Columbian Exposition, Paris had held an exposition of their own in 1889. It was at that expo that the Eiffel Tower was unveiled. Chicago wanted to out-Eiffel Eiffel, so they sent out a call for submissions around the world for some engineering marvel. Ferris of course submitted, never having actually built a wheel of that size, and quite predictably his design was dismissed. It was not believed to be possible. The whole structure he wanted to build weighed too much for the slender frame he claimed would support it.
So he submitted again. And was rejected again. I believe he actually submitted a third and a fourth time too, and finally on the fourth try he managed to convince the judges that this thing might actually be feasible. It is interesting to note that Eiffel himself submitted a proposal for what would have been a larger Eiffel tower. Obviously his design was not chosen.
Ferris' first wheel took about 20-30 minutes to make two revolutions, and instead of small cars to hold passengers, there were massive cabins that could hold 60 people each, including one cabin that held an entire marching band which played whenever the wheel was turning. There is actually a great story about a fellow who rode it for the first time, only to discover as the wheel started up that he had a latent fear of heights. He went uncontrollably crazy with fear, and tried to kick the solid metal door out of its hinge to escape the cab. It took several, with emphasis on several as the man's fear gave him almost superhuman strength, other passengers to hold him down until the wheel completed its circuit. As it started the descent the fellow progressively calmed down until they were able to let him up. Unfortunately they forgot that the wheel made two trips, so much to the fellow's horror, the cabin didn't stop at the bottom and instead went right on by and back up, and the whole scene was repeated near exactly.
Anyway, a year after the expo ended the White City, as it was called, burnt down and Ferris' wheel was moved to a new location. It was later seen again at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis before being demolished. Which was ok with Ferris. He had proved that the rotation of the structure constantly shifted the weight of the entire structure, allowing it to be much heavier than the frame should have been able to support. Think about that the next time you are riding on it, hearing it creak and groan. :-p
So, if you did manage to get down to the Rose Festival and found your way up on to the Morrison Bridge, this would be the view you would be rewarded with. I recommend enjoying this spot about dusk. The lovely blue twilight complements the light of the wheel wonderfully.
Of course, you could not have done so tonight. The Festival was closed and all the rides off. The reason I heard given was something about restocking and getting new animals.
I don't know what happened to the old animals.
Oh and if my brief history lesson piqued your interest on the Columbian Exposition or the Ferris Wheel, or heck, both of them, I highly recommend reading The Devil in the White City. Really really good read. It even has a sociopathic killer, but trust me, the best parts all deal with the building of the Ferris Wheel and the White City itself.
The main figures on the Val d'Osne Fountain in Launceston's Prince's Square involve a mythological tale around the sea. Here we see Poseidon (the god of freshwater and the sea; Neptune in the Roman pantheon) and his wife Amphitrite, the queen of the sea. These stories have come down to us primarily through Ovid the Roman poet's great masterpiece of ancient literature, "Metamorphoses" (AD 8).
When Poseidon wanted to marry Amphitrite, she fled to protect her virginity. Poseidon then sent out dolphins to find her. To reward the dolphin's help, Poseidon created the Delphinus constellation. [This may possibly be the link to the Terracotta Dolphin Fountain in the City Park which I showed you a few days ago www.flickr.com/photos/luminosity7/51937571910/in/datepost...
If so, then someone on the Launceston Municipal Council in the 1850s had an extensive knowledge of Greek mythology.]
Now we might still ask, what relevance Poseidon (or Neptune) had for the city of Launceston in the Antipodes. And here may be the clue and the genius of the selection of this particular fountain to celebrate the establishment of Launceston's reticulated water supply. You see the Romans celebrated the festival of Neptunalia in mid-summer, as Neptune (or Poseidon to the Greeks - remember that the Romans adopted almost the entire Greek pantheon), was the god of water supply. If sacrifices were made appropriately, Neptune's job was to supply Romans with a proper water supply through the long heat and drought of summer.
Since Australia is a hot dry land in summer, subject to droughts, this interpretation actually makes sense within the world of pagan Greek mythology. So here Poseidon and Amphitrite converse quietly in the shade of a hot Tasmanian summer, surrounded of course by water.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: I Do Not Condone Any Acts Of Vandalism Nor Do I Participate In Such Criminal Activity. I Am Simply An Observant and Take Photos Of This Graffiti You Have Come Across. ALSO I Will Not Condone Any Usage Of My Photos To Support Any Legal Matter Involving These Acts Of Vandalism Therefore YOU ARE NOT WELCOME TO VIEW OR TAKE THIS MATERIAL For ANY Purpose...
Taken only a few minutes before midnight, I had more ideas involving an overlay but I decided that simpler was better. I also had plans involving a kiddie pool but thanks to the ridiculous mosquitos it won't be happening until they drop dead.
Lately it's been so hot here, but not just hot, humid. Terribly humid. I normally don't complain about heat but it's come to the point that I step outside and cannot breathe. And it's not much better inside, therefore my incentive to take photos is minimal even if I am down to five days.
12 Spitfires followed by 4 Hurricanes.
A big wing aircraft formation typically involves multiple aircraft flying closely together in a symmetrical pattern. This formation is often used during air shows or military demonstrations to showcase precision flying skills. It requires extensive coordination and communication between pilots to maintain safe spacing and prevent mid-air collisions.
A Butterfly Kiss is a kiss that does not involve the lips. It is when two people put their eyes close to each other and flutter their eyelashes. Think blinking really fast while pressing your face to another person…
Shooting tips:
The question is, when to convert an image to black and white…
They’re many opinions on this subject… and I can talk about it in depth… I think the bottom line is, do you like it…
Yes they’re many guides to converting color images as it applies to what constitutes a good B/W shot… you see, we must first understand what is a good B/W shot… They’re very few shooters, shooting just B/W using a digital camera…
Having it in color gives the shooter more options… but just converting it to grayscale, is only the beginning process…
Honestly, this is a wonderful subject and maybe I will speak about it more in a different forum…
Then there’s my shot…
This is a stylized B/W shot, a whole different topic… Here I’m using black and
white with very little middle tones… Using CS Photoshop…
This is worthwhile repeating… “Learn Photoshop”
TIO
The modernization of Bilbao involves transforming old public buildings into modern architectural spaces. This particular one is the new cultural center, La Alhóndiga. I loved seeing the backlighting, the tones, and the materials chosen. The contrast between the modern interior design and the Art Nouveau facade is striking.
La modernizacion de bilbao pasa por convertir viejos edificios publicos en modernos espacios arquitectonicos. Este en concreto es el nuevo espacio cultural La Alhondiga. Me encanto ver los contraluces, los tonos y los materiales elegidos. El contraste del moderno diseño en los interiores y la fachada de estilo modernista.
After Friday and Sundays shenanigans involving both 56098 & 56049 on 6J37, 37405 Was summoned to drag the pair from Chester to Rectory Junction and subsequently Leicester L.I.P for 56098.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Dam
Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. Constructed between 1931 and 1936, during the Great Depression, it was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers, and cost over 100 lives. In bills passed by Congress during its construction, it was referred to as the Hoover Dam, after President Herbert Hoover, but was named Boulder Dam by the Roosevelt administration. In 1947, the name Hoover Dam was restored by Congress.
Since about 1900, the Black Canyon and nearby Boulder Canyon had been investigated for their potential to support a dam that would control floods, provide irrigation water, and produce hydroelectric power. In 1928, Congress authorized the project. The winning bid to build the dam was submitted by a consortium named Six Companies, Inc., which began construction in early 1931. Such a large concrete structure had never been built before, and some of the techniques used were unproven. The torrid summer weather and lack of facilities near the site also presented difficulties. Nevertheless, Six Companies turned the dam over to the federal government on March 1, 1936, more than two years ahead of schedule.
Hoover Dam impounds Lake Mead and is located near Boulder City, Nevada, a municipality originally constructed for workers on the construction project, about 30 mi (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The dam's generators provide power for public and private utilities in Nevada, Arizona, and California. Hoover Dam is a major tourist attraction, with 7 million tourists a year. The heavily traveled U.S. Route 93 (US 93) ran along the dam's crest until October 2010, when the Hoover Dam Bypass opened.
Source: hoover.archives.gov/hoovers/hoover-dam
85 years after its completion, Hoover dam is still considered an engineering marvel. It is named in honor of President Herbert Hoover, who played a crucial role in its creation.
For many years, residents of the American southwest sought to tame the unpredictable Colorado River. Disastrous floods during the early 1900’s led residents of the area to look to the federal government for aid, and experiments with irrigation on a limited scale had shown that this arid region could be transformed into fertile cropland, if only the river could be controlled. The greatest obstacle to the construction of such a dam was the allocation of water rights among the seven states comprising the Colorado River drainage basin. Meetings were held in 1918, 1919 and 1920, but the states could not reach a consensus.
Herbert Hoover had visited the Lower Colorado region in the years before World War I and was familiar with its problems and the potential for development. Upon becoming Secretary of Commerce in 1921, Hoover proposed the construction of a dam on the Colorado River. In addition to flood control and irrigation, it would provide a dependable supply of water for Los Angeles and Southern California. The project would be self-supporting, recovering its cost through the sale of hydroelectric power generated by the dam.
In 1921, the state legislatures of the Colorado River basin authorized commissioners to negotiate an interstate agreement. Congress authorized President Harding to appoint a representative for the federal government to serve as chair of the Colorado River Commission and on December 17, 1921, Harding appointed Hoover to that role.
When the commission assembled in Santa Fe in November 1922, the seven states still disagreed over the fair distribution of water. The upstream states feared that the downstream states, with their rapidly developing agricultural and power demands, would quickly preempt rights to the water by the “first in time, first in right” doctrine. Hoover suggested a compromise that the water be divided between the upper and lower basins without individual state quotas. The resulting Colorado River Compact was signed on November 24, 1922. It split the river basin into upper and lower halves with the states within each region deciding amongst themselves how the water would be allocated.
A series of bills calling for Federal funding to build the dam were introduced by Congressman Phil D. Swing and Senator Hiram W. Johnson between 1922 and 1928, all of which were rejected. The last Swing-Johnson bill, titled the Boulder Canyon Project Act, was largely written by Hoover and Secretary of the Interior Hubert Work. Congress finally agreed, and the bill was signed into law on December 21, 1928 by President Coolidge. The dream was about to become reality.
On June 25, 1929, less than four months after his inauguration, President Herbert Hoover signed a proclamation declaring the Colorado River Compact effective at last. Appropriations were approved and construction began in 1930. The dam was dedicated in 1935 and the hydroelectric generators went online in 1937. In 1947, Congress officially "restored" Hoover's name to the dam, after FDR's Secretary of the Interior tried to remove it. Hoover Dam was built for a cost of $49 million (approximately $1 billion adjusted for inflation). The power plant and generators cost an additional $71 million, more than the cost of the dam itself. The sale of electrical power generated by the dam paid back its construction cost, with interest, by 1987.
Today the Hoover Dam controls the flooding of the Colorado River, irrigates more than 1.5 million acres of land, and provides water to more than 16 million people. Lake Mead supports recreational activities and provides habitats to fish and wildlife. Power generated by the dam provides energy to power over 500,000 homes. The Hoover Compromise still governs how the water is shared.
Additional Foreign Language Tags:
(United States) "الولايات المتحدة" "Vereinigte Staaten" "アメリカ" "美国" "미국" "Estados Unidos" "États-Unis"
(Nevada) "نيفادا" "内华达州" "नेवादा" "ネバダ" "네바다" "Невада"
(Arizona) "أريزونا" "亚利桑那州" "एरिजोना" "アリゾナ州" "애리조나" "Аризона"
(Hoover Dam) "سد هوفر" "胡佛水坝" "हूवर बांध" "フーバーダム" "후버 댐" "Гувера" "Presa Hoover"
📍 Blast Beach is a striking stretch of coastline near Dawdon, just south of Seaham in County Durham. Once buried under millions of tonnes of colliery waste from nearby mines, it’s now a dramatic and rejuvenated landscape that’s part of the Durham Heritage Coast.
🌊 What makes it special?
It was famously used as a filming location for Alien 3 and The Last Kingdom, thanks to its eerie, otherworldly terrain.
The beach was transformed through the Turning the Tide project (1997–2002), which restored wildlife habitats and cleaned up decades of industrial pollution.
You’ll find limestone cliffs, red-tinged rock pools, and even a WWII pillbox tucked into the scenery.
🚶♂️ Getting there involves a short but steep walk from Nose’s Point, crossing remnants of old slag heaps—a reminder of its gritty past. But at the bottom, you’re rewarded with a wild, rugged coastline that feels like stepping into a post-apocalyptic movie set.
On the recent art events that involve to some degree concept of invisibility.
Various artist do a one-shot attempt at the invisible concept. As a rule it happens one time in the given artist’s career. (Rest assured that nobody except Paul Jaisini had their life time spent in the Invisible creativity premises).
The Invisibility one-shooter artist would not continue in this direction to be repetitive or simple do the same gig unable to develop further as the original attempt failed to be profitable or even promising.
The European robin (Erithacus rubecula), known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in the British Isles, is a small insectivorous passerine bird, specifically a chat, that was formerly classified as a member of the thrush family (Turdidae) but is now considered to be an Old World flycatcher. About 12.5–14.0 cm (5.0–5.5 inches) in length, the male and female are similar in coloration, with an orange breast and face lined with grey, brown upperparts and a whitish belly. It is found across Europe, east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa; it is sedentary in most of its range except the far north.
The robin is diurnal, although has been reported to be active hunting insects on moonlit nights or near artificial light at night. Well known to British and Irish gardeners, it is relatively unafraid of people and drawn to human activities involving the digging of soil, in order to look out for earthworms and other food freshly turned up. Indeed, the robin is considered to be a gardener's friend and for various folklore reasons the robin would never be harmed. In continental Europe on the other hand, robins were hunted and killed as with most other small birds, and are more wary. Robins also approach large wild animals, such as wild boar and other animals which disturb the ground, to look for any food that might be brought to the surface. In autumn and winter, robins will supplement their usual diet of terrestrial invertebrates, such as spiders, worms and insects, with berries and fruit. They will also eat seed mixtures placed on bird-tables.
Male robins are noted for their highly aggressive territorial behavior. They will fiercely attack other males and competitors that stray into their territories and have been observed attacking other small birds without apparent provocation. Such attacks sometimes lead to fatalities, accounting for up to 10% of adult robin deaths in some areas.
Because of high mortality in the first year of life, a robin has an average life expectancy of 1.1 years; however, once past its first year it can expect to live longer and one robin has been recorded as reaching 19 years of age. A spell of very low temperatures in winter may also result in significant mortality.
For more information, please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_robin
Taken with a Hoya R72 infrared filter. Haven't tried this for a while and have now mastered the manual focus on my kit lens and tried a different method of post processing involving Adobe DNG editor.
Cusworth Hall is an 18th-century Grade I listed country house in Cusworth, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire in the north of England. Set in the landscaped parklands of Cusworth Park, Cusworth Hall is a good example of a Georgian country house. It is now a country house museum.
The house is constructed of ashlar with slate roofs. The rectangular 6 x 5 bay plan main block is linked to 5 x 2 bay service wings.
The Wrightson family had held the lordship of Cusworth since 1669.
The present house was built in 1740–1745 by George Platt for William Wrightson to replace a previous house and was further altered in 1749–1753 by James Paine. On William's death in 1760 the property passed to his daughter Isabella, who had married John Battie, who took the additional name of Wrightson in 1766. He employed the landscape designer Richard Woods to remodel the park. Woods was one of a group of respected landscape designers working across the country during the 18th century and Cusworth was one of his most important commissions in South Yorkshire, another being at Cannon Hall. Woods created a park of 250 acres with a hanging and a serpentine river consisting of three lakes embellished with decorative features such as the Rock Arch and the Cascade.
The estate afterwards passed to John and Isabella's son, William Wrightson (1752–1827), who was the MP for Aylesbury from 1784 to 1790 and High Sheriff of Yorkshire for 1819–1820. He was succeeded by his son William Battie-Wrightson (1789–1879), who at various times was MP for East Retford, Kingston upon Hull and Northallerton. He died childless and Cusworth Hall passed to his brother Richard Heber Wrightson, who died in 1891.
The property was then inherited by his nephew William Henry Thomas, who took the surname Battie-Wrightson by Royal Licence and died in 1903. He had married Lady Isabella Cecil, eldest daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Exeter. Between 1903 and 1909 Lady Isabella made further alterations to the house. She died in 1917, leaving an only son Robert Cecil Battie-Wrightson (1888–1952). On his death in 1952, the estate descended to his sister, a nurse who had married a Major Oswald Parker but later was variously known as Miss Maureen Pearse-Brown and as Mrs Pearce. She was obliged to sell the contents of Cusworth Hall in October 1952 to meet the death duties levied at Robert Cecil's death. She subsequently sold the hall to Doncaster Council.
Cusworth Estate Cusworth was first mentioned as ‘Cuzeuuorde’ in the domesday survey of 1086 but there has been a settlement here for centuries dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. Many different families had held the lands and manor but they did not always live at Cusworth.
‘Old Hall’ A large house is first mentioned in 1327. Robert Wrightson bought the lands and manor of Cusworth in 1669 from Sir Christopher Wray. The first surviving map of Cusworth is that of Joseph Dickinson's 1719 plan which shows the hall and gardens covered only 1 acre with the orchards a further 2 acres. What is most significant at this time was the ‘Parke’ of some 25 acres. The ‘Old Hall’ was next to the walled gardens in the centre of Cusworth village. In 1726 the ‘Old Hall’ was expanded including altering the gardens between 1726 and 1735. This expanded the kitchen garden into the size and form we know today with the Bowling Green and Pavilion.
In the period 1740–1745 William Wrightson employed George Platt, a mason architect from Rotherham, to build a new hall – the current Cusworth Hall – high on a scarp slope on the Magnesian Limestone removing the Hall, and the family, from the village of Cusworth. The ‘Old Hall’ was largely demolished in the process, many components from the old building re-used in the new.
Cusworth Hall Cusworth Hall itself and its outbuildings are at the centre of the park enjoying ‘prospect’ over the town of Doncaster. The Grade I-listed eighteenth century hall was designed by George Platt in the Palladian style. Cusworth Hall is handsome, well proportioned, with wings consisting of a stable block and great kitchen. Later additions by James Paine include a chapel and library. It has decorative outbuildings including a Brew House, Stable Block and Lodge. In addition it has a decorative garden called Lady Isabella's Garden on the west side adjacent to the chapel. On its eastern flank the stable block and gardeners' bothy. Attached to the bothy is a decorative iron enclosure known as the Peacock Pen.
Cusworth Park Cusworth Park is an historic designed landscape with a Grade II listing in the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens. It was designed and created by the nationally known landscape architect Richard Woods to ‘improve’ the park in the style made famous by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown now termed ‘The English Landscape Park’. Work started in 1761 laying out the ‘grounds and the serpentine river’.
The land forming the existing park is 60 acres (25 hectares) – 250,000m, and was part of the much larger parkland (250 acres) and estates (20,000 acres) of the Battie-Wrightson family who owned Cusworth Hall.
The walled garden The earliest description of the layout of the park and walled gardens is that shown on Joseph Dickinson's 1719 plan. In 1761 Richard Woods altered areas within the walled gardens. Together ‘woods’ Kitchen Garden and Green House Garden occupy the site of the orchard shown on Dickinson's plan.
The purchase of bricks from Epworth for the construction of the walled gardens is recorded in the New House Accounts.
The garden was a compartmentalised space, however with focus on domestic production in some sections, exotics in another, an orchard, and formal flower gardens in the rest.
The kitchen gardens included pine pits (pineapple house), later to become stove houses and mushroom houses.
The Entrance Terrace (Upper Terrace) Old plans show a narrow walled enclosure or ‘entrance terrace' running east–west. The walls of this enclosure may well have been of stone or stoned faced and still, in part survives. To the south are the main components of the walled garden. Access from the terrace down to the bowling green is via a flight of stone steps.
Bowling Green Described on Richard Woods plans of 1760. This is a roughly square, walled enclosure where the bowling green is surrounded by an earthed banked terraced walk. The enclosure is defined by a brick wall, which was lowered along its western side to give a view over to the Green House Garden.
Summerhouse / Bowling Pavilion Built 1726. The summerhouse is the main architectural feature of the walled garden. It is of two stories with the upper storey accessed from the Bowling Green. There is an impression of more carefully shaped quoins at the corners but it is probable that the walls were originally rendered and lime washed externally. There are windows giving views across the Bowling Green from the upper chamber and across the Flower Garden from the lower chamber.
During restoration in the 1990s the upper chamber was decorated with Trompe-l'œil. showing views of imagined walled gardens at Cusworth.
Flower Garden The garden was designed to be viewed principally from the higher position of the bowling green. It was subdivided by cross-paths and furnished with four formal beds. Although one of the smallest compartments, the flower garden was the most highly ornamental and tightly designed. It would have created a formal, colourful architectural space contrasting with the simplicity of the bowling green
Hall Garden The function of the Hall Garden is not clear but appears to have been an extension of the decorative scheme of the flower garden. The Hall Garden has a perimeter walk and is then divided into two plots by a further, central path.
Peach House This whitewash wall indicates the position of the peach house.
Melon Pits Melon pits ran east–west along this area.
Orchard Through the 18th century the orchard was not enclosed and remained open until the late 19th century. It was double its current size extending back up to Cusworth Lane until the northern half was sold off for housing in the 1960s.
Kitchen Garden (No longer existing) The west, south and this east boundary wall(s) of the garden still exist but the plot of land was sold off for housing in the 1960s. There was an access gate between the Hall Garden and the kitchen garden (this can be seen bricked up in the northwest corner). This garden had a perimeter walk and was planted with trees arranged in parallel lines orchestrated around a small building at the northern end of the compartment.
Green House Garden (No longer existing) The kitchen garden represents the greater part of the area occupied by the original orchard shown on Dickinson's 1719 plan. The remaining area was described on Woods’ plan as the Green House Garden and was shown divided into two unequal parts. Both parts of the garden appear to have been planted with trees, probably fruit trees. A building abuts the bowling green in roughly the position as the one shown on the Dickinson plan but there is an additional building, roughly square in plan, to the northwest corner of the enclosure. This was probably the Dovecote for which Wrightson paid £9 15s 0d in 1736.
The west boundary wall still exists and this low (east) wall that runs along the length of the bowling green but the plot of land was sold off for housing in the 1960s.
In 1961 Doncaster Rural District Council purchased Cusworth Hall and the adjoining parkland from the Battie-Wrightson family. The Council undertook an initial restoration of the grounds and also recreated what is now the tearooms within the former stable block. The former reception rooms and spacious galleries now house the Museum of South Yorkshire life, officially opened on 30 September 1967.
Cusworth Hall and Park underwent an extensive £7.5 million renovation between 2002 and 2005, involving essential conservation repairs to the Hall and extensive restoration of the landscape gardens. Within the hall external repairs to the stonework and roof were undertaken to ensure that the exterior was watertight, whilst internal works upgraded internal services and enabled new displays to be installed.
The restoration of the designed landscape have been greatly influenced by a comprehensive analysis of available archive material, among which are the original written memoranda and sketches produced by Richard Woods for his site forman Thomas Coalie. An integrated archaeological programme also formed a key aspect of the restorations, recording in detail landscape features such as the Rock Arch, Cascade, and Bridge. This restoration has not 'recreated' the 18th century scheme, although elements are still incorporated within a 'living' amenity garden that is now thriving as a result of the recent work undertaken in partnership with the Friends of Cusworth Park.
The Hall reopened to the public on 23 May 2007 and the new displays document the history of South Yorkshire and it is a valued resource for local residents, students and school groups alike.
Cusworth Hall Museum and Park is the venue for a varied program of seasonal exhibitions, events and activities linked to the history of the area. including Country Fairs, vintage vehicle rallies, historic re-enactments, wildlife sessions and a range of seasonally themed events. A free, weekly, 5 km parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9 am in the grounds of Cusworth Hall. The first event was held on Saturday 5 October 2019 and was hosted by the staff at Cusworth in collaboration with the local community.
Additionally, Doncaster Museums' Education Service offers a range of learning sessions to schools and educational establishments. Specialist and experienced Education Officers deliver learning workshops to schools across a broad range of topics as well as out-of-school-hours activities for families and local communities.
Road works, involving blasting, calls a holt and provides a chance to photograph the road workers continuing about their business filling pot holes.
Dave: Hey Eva, where are we off to?
Eva: This way.
Dave: Any reason?
Eva: Does a dog ever truly have a reason for doing anything that it does?
Dave: Some do, and some don't. I have a feeling that you're more one of the former than the latter category.
Eva: True that.
Dave: I notice that you're being a bit evasive with the question.
Eva: One might say that I'm ducking it.
Dave: Is the phrase ducking it a clue?
Eva: Either that or it could be a red heron.
Dave: I think the real idiom is red herring?
Eva: Maybe amongst humans, porpoises and walruses. For us Brits it's red heron.
Dave: I could see that. Does this mean we may be on a bit of a wild goose chase?
Eva: Nope. Not goose. Definitely duck. I saw them paddle by earlier and I can still smell them on the water.
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Eva in the water - just doing her thing. I follow closely along to make sure her thing doesn't bring her too far away from us. And that her thing does not involve eating goose poop.
This involves analysis, watching yourself and seeing where real deep bliss is -- not the quick little excitement , but the real deep, life-filling bliss.
Joseph Campbell
Dating from the late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age, it is thought the two upright stones of Men-an-tol were part of a stone circle consisting of 19 stones. The original location and function of the holed stone is unknown but was in a different position to the present day when it was investigated by William Borlase in 1749.
Many legends have grown up around the site over the centuries usually involving healing cures, spells and divination.
Fimmvörðuháls is the area between the glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull in southern Iceland. The route between Skógar and Thórsmörk goes through this pass and is one of the most popular walking routes in Iceland, despite being 22 km long and involving 1,000 m of climbing.
At Fimmvörðuháls, there is a comfortable, modern mountain hut owned by Útivist, one of the Icelandic hiking associations. Also nearby is an older, less well-equipped hut called Baldvinsskáli. The route from Skógar is particularly beautiful, as numerous waterfalls are passed along the way.
The route is only accessible between mid-June and late-August. On the night of 16 May 1970, three travellers died in the mountain pass in a snowstorm.
It is also possible to combine the Fimmvörðuháls route with the Laugavegur trek between Landmannalaugar and Thórsmörk to make a trip of 4–6 days in length.
(Wikipedia)
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I returned to Iceland for my third time there to hike the world’s famous Laugavegurinn trek combined with its Fimmvörðuháls hiking neighbour; we went in the south-to-north direction starting in Skógar and finishing our journey in the colorful Landmannalaugar area.
The itinerary was rather straightforward and not surprising: Skógar -> Fimmvörðuháls -> Þórsmörk -> Emstrur (Botnar) -> Álftavatn -> Hrafntinnusker -> Landmannalaugar.
We were quite lucky with the weather except for Emstrur -> Álftavatn part when we experienced the most horrible weather I have ever encountered during my hiking trips – really strong wind and constant rain made from this part a “survival” odyssey. It is often said weather is a crucial factor in this hike and our experience from this particular day (and also from the other – beautiful – days) just confirmed that.
This is a shot taken during our journey up and along the Skogá river to the Fimmvörðuháls pass where we stayed overnight.
"involvement in these other things means that she is not so exposed to fear. But occasionally she wonders if she is being irresponsible because she is ‘not in touch with reality’. But immediately she has questioned herself over this, she is clear about her response: ‘I don’t think so … To me the greatest reality is still the sun on the hyacinths, the rabbit, the chocolate pudding, Beethoven, the grey hair at his temple..."
-Etty Hillesum: A Life Transformed by Patrick Woodhouse
Topic: “Classic Still Life”
This week’s assignment involves taking a photo that imitates an old style,(oil painting?), still life involving the requisite components associated with this type of composition. ie. bowl of fruit, wine bottles, candles etc. Flower arrangements were a popular subject matter. An attempt should be made to replicate the type of lighting an old master may have encountered, often natural and one source.
Restrictions: Not many actually, it’s more of going for the mood with the lighting and of course the composition having different shapes interact with each other.
Dare: Sepia or B/W image with some objects colored may add a different slant to the project.
What it took: Backdrop (recognize the witch's robe from my Harry Potter costume???), fruit bowl assorted fruit, wine bottle. Minimal post-processing to fix:
1. upper corners (the backdrop was slightly too narrow)
2. reduce shine/highlights of backdrop material
3. slight alteration of exposure (darken a touch).
The effect I wanted was a style similar to this painting:
www.1artclub.com/categoryart-Style-25-20-1-Still+Life:+Fr...
("Grapes Peaches and Plums " ) Enlarged version :www.1artclub.com/photo.php?image=/uploads/27-0003.jpg
Landscape in gelderland, The Netherlands. It feels timeless to me, this view. I'm glad I captured it on a polaroid.
I don't feel like new uploads or taking pictures. I haven't felt very good lately, out of place. (I have to take photos on Saturday for school, those I will share.)
Perfect time to upload some archive photos, then.
I've got a little project coming up involving polaroids. I'll keep you posted.
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No group images or (admin) invites wanted in my comments. I will delete your comments.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Copyright © Karin Elizabeth. All rights reserved. This photo is public only so you ("the public") may view it; it is not to be used as free stock. Use without written consent by the author (that would be me) is illegal and punishable by law; I will take action. This goes for blogging, as well. So, contact me beforehand if you are interested in using this image or any of my others (non-)commercially.
I block assholes
involves sleeping in, back-to-back DEAL OR NO DEAL on mute at the gym, a hot fudge sundae, and, oh a listing for my upcoming show in Time Out New York!
so, yeah - art opening this weekend! click the link for deets, and I hope to see you there.
Warm colours adorn a pair of Class 37 locomotives, as Network Rail loco 97304 'Rheilffordd Talyllyn Railway' and HN Rail loco 37405 pull into Chester station from Saltney Junction. The pair arrive double heading the 6C56 loaded timber from Aberystwyth to Chirk, which involves both locos running round and heading back towards Saltney Junction in order to gain access to Chirk Kronospan
The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (French: Cathédrale de l'Immaculée-Conception de Mobile) is a cathedral serving Roman Catholics in the U.S. city of Mobile, Alabama. It is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile. The cathedral is named for Mary, mother of Jesus, under her title, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the Church Street East Historic District and Lower Dauphin Street Historic District and is listed on the Historic Roman Catholic Properties in Mobile Multiple Property Submission.
Mobile’s Cathedral Parish was established on July 20, 1703, by Jean-Baptiste de la Croix de Chevrières de Saint-Vallier, Bishop of Quebec. Bishop de Saint-Vallier named Father Roulleaux de La Vente, first pastor of the parish church, which was located at the French settlement of Mobile at the citadel of Fort Louis de la Louisiane. The parish is the first established on the Gulf Coast.
When the Mobile settlement was relocated to its present site in 1711, a new parish church was built and was known as Notre Dame de la Mobile (Our Lady of Mobile). In 1781, during the Spanish occupation of Mobile, the parish took its current name, Immaculate Conception.
Mobile was elevated to a diocese in 1829, and Frenchman, Michael Portier, was named its first bishop. Bishop Portier’s first “cathedral” was a small wooden structure located in the Old Spanish Burying Ground, site of the present cathedral. Portier soon set out to construct a "real" cathedral.
The cathedral, designed in 1833, by Claude Beroujon, a former seminarian turned architect, is laid out in a Roman basilica design. Construction began in 1835, but the Panic of 1837, caused a shortage of funds and delayed progress. The cathedral was consecrated for public worship in 1850, by Bishop Portier, though Beroujon’s design was not yet fully realized. The portico and towers were to come later.
The classical portico, with eight massive columns of the Roman Doric order, was added in the 1870s, under the direction of Bishop John Quinlan. The two towers were completed in 1884, during the watch of Bishop Jeremiah O'Sullivan.
Located on South Claiborne Street in downtown, it is bounded by Dauphin Street on the north, Franklin Street on the west, and Conti Street on the south. The front of the church faces east, toward the Mobile River, and overlooks Cathedral Square.
The building, laid out in an east-west axis, is 164 ft (50 m) long and 90 ft (27 m) wide. The ceiling is 60 ft (18 m) at its highest point, and its twin towers rise to 103 ft (31 m).
One of the cathedral’s finest attributes is its stained glass windows. The windows were made in Munich, Germany by Franz Mayer & Co., and installed beginning in 1890. The last window was installed in 1910, during the time of Bishop Edward Patrick Allen.
The twelve main windows, six on the south wall and six on the north wall, are approximately 8 feet (2.4 m) wide and 23 feet (7.0 m) tall. Each window depicts an event involving Mary in the life of her son, Jesus. The subjects of the south wall windows are Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Presentation of Mary at the Temple, the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity of Jesus, and the Holy Family. The themes of the north wall are the Finding of the Child Jesus at the Temple, the Marriage Feast of Cana, the Crucifixion of Jesus, Pentecost, the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, and the Coronation of Mary, Queen of Heaven.
Two large windows flank the portico, one under each of the two towers. The Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, by John the Baptist is the subject of the window in the Reconciliation Room, under the north tower. The window under the south tower, in the stairway to the choir loft, appropriately depicts St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians.
Smaller windows are found in each of the eight doors in the foyer, behind the cathedral’s main doors, at the church’s front entrance. These depict, from left to right, St. Augustine of Hippo, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Presentation of Mary at the Temple, St. Louis IX, King of France, St. Patrick, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, St. Agnes of Rome, Virgin & Martyr , and the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Above the four middle doors is the Holy Spirit window.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Basilica_of_the_Immaculat...(Mobile,_Alabama)
Any time you get a new lens there is a learning curve. For me, the new Nikon 500mm F5.6 PF is a great lens, especially given its small size and light weight. It is easily hand holdable. It focuses well in low light and the VR seems to work great. For me, the learning curve involves improving my hand holding skills as the narrow view angle on the lens makes it susceptible to hand shake, movement, etc. I think I am getting better at it. This little fellow, a male house finch, sat still for a portrait or two. It was raining (see the little streaks of raindrops) and the light was fading rather quickly. I was able to get a fairly crisp shot at 1/320 second. The 500mm lens coupled with the D500's crop sensor gave me an effective focal length of 750mm. I could not fit the entire bird into the frame and the image is slightly cropped to get rid of some dead space at the top. The background colors are the browns and reds of scrub oak taking on their fall colors. I love the tiny little water droplets on his head.
Thanks so much for your views, faves and comments!
© 2018 Craig Goettsch - All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use without permission is prohibited.
Meditative reflections.
Meditative involves thinking of certain facts or phenomena, perhaps in the religious sense of “contemplation,” without necessarily having a goal of complete understanding or of action.
Find More of Your Inner Self When Viewed Large On Black!
See My Most Interesting Photos here!
Breathe deep the gathering gloom,
Watch lights fade from every room.
Bedsitter people look back and lament,
Another day's useless energy spent.
Impassioned lovers wrestle as one,
Lonely man cries for love and has none.
New mother picks up and suckles her son,
Senior citizens wish they were young.
Cold hearted orb that rules the night,
Removes the colours from our sight.
Red is grey and yellow white,
But we decide which is right.
And which is an illusion?
-Moody Blues
Sometimes a "trip" to take a pic, just involves walking to the backyard.
Shot 2:35 on a cloudy afternoon. Used Neewer Vision5 strobe at full power with a 60cm x 60cm Softbox. Nikon D800, Tamron 28-75 @44mm. ISO 200, 1/800 @ f/8
Many thanks for the visits, faves and comments. Cheers
Brolga
Scientific Name: Grus rubicund
Description: The Brolga is a large grey crane, with a featherless red head and grey crown. The legs are grey and there is a black dewlap under the chin. Females are shorter than males. The energetic dance performed by the Brolga is a spectacular sight. Displays may be given at any time of the year and by birds of any age.
Similar species: The Sarus Crane, G. antigone, another species of crane found in Australia, can be identified by its dull pink legs and the red of its head extending down the neck.
Distribution: The Brolga is found across tropical northern Australia, southwards through north-east and east central areas, as well as central New South Wales to western Victoria.
Habitat: The Brolga inhabits large open wetlands, grassy plains, coastal mudflats and irrigated croplands and, less frequently, mangrove-studded creeks and estuaries. It is less common in arid and semi-arid regions, but will occur close to water.
Seasonal movements: Outside the breeding season, Brolgas form large family groups and flocks of up to a hundred birds. These groups may be partially nomadic or may stay in the same area. Some birds also migrate northwards.
Feeding: Brolgas are omnivorous (feeding on both vegetable and animal matter), but primarily feed upon tubers and some crops. Some insects, molluscs, amphibians and even mice are also taken.
Breeding: Brolgas probably mate for life, and pair bonds are strengthened during elaborate courtship displays, which involve much dancing, leaping, wing-flapping and loud trumpeting. An isolated territory is established, and is vigorously defended by both partners. The white (blotched with brown and purple) eggs are laid in a single clutch. The nest is a large mound of vegetation on a small island in a shallow waterway or swamp. Both adults incubate the eggs and care for the young birds. The Brolga is one of Australia's two crane species, and is known for its spectacular dance displays by both sexes during breeding season.
Calls: The Brolga's call is a loud trumpeting 'garooo' or 'kaweee-kreee-kurr-kurr-kurr-kurr-kurr-kurr', which is given in flight, at rest or during courtship.
Minimum Size: 100cm
Maximum Size: 125cm
Average size: 112cm
Breeding season: September to December in the south; February to May in the north
Clutch Size: 2 eggs
Incubation: 32 days
(Source: www.birdsinbackyards.net)
© Chris Burns 2016
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All rights reserved.
This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.
Some of my encounters with strangers involve time spent getting acquainted but some are fleeting. I had just finished lunch with a friend who asked how I choose the people I photograph and I didn’t have a clear answer. A flip answer would have been that anyone moving slower than me is at risk. In reality, while there is always something that attracts my attention, I don’t always know offhand what it is. Such was not the case with this man. I had just retrieved my bicycle to head for home when I saw him across the street with his neon shades and Mickey Mouse t-shirt. Ok, I'm interested. Curious, I crossed the street and caught up with him on the sidewalk.
When I introduced myself and explained my wish to photograph him for my project I thought he was going to ignore me because he kept walking. Suddenly he turned around and said “You want a photo of me, go ahead and take it.” Caught off guard, I explained I had to dump my bicycle and get out my camera. I asked him if he could step out of the sun and stand in front of the charcoal-colored wall near the subway station and he did. Two quick clicks and that was it. I told him I really liked his look with the shades and Mickey Mouse t-shirt. “Thanks” he said. He was a man of few words. I showed him his photo on my camera display and he said “Yep. That’s me” and turned to leave. I asked if he wanted my card and a copy of his photo and he said “Don’t need it.” I asked his name as he rejoined the pedestrian traffic and he said over his shoulder “I’m Dave.”
I liked the contrast between his no-nonsense manner and his great, funky sense of style which I hope he never loses.
I had another one minute photo session two days ago on Yonge Street snd this was my one minute photo session on Bay Street. It surprises me that such a transitory encounter can produce enough connection between complete strangers to produce a photo and an experience that I will not soon forget.
Thank you Dave, today’s man of mystery, for taking this brief moment to participate in my Human Family photography project. I will never know your story but I won’t forget your unexpected willingness to help a stranger doing a photo project. I wish you well.
This is my 27th submission to the Human Family group.
You can view more stranger portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.
Prior to his involvement in the War of the Rough Wooing, Sir John Home of Cowdenknowes became embroiled in the feud between the Kerrs and the Scotts. This feud arose when James V, attempting to escape from the supervision of the Earl of Angus, enlisted the help of the Scotts of Buccleuch. They, with 600 men from Liddesdale and Annandale, attacked the royal train near Melrose. Their attempt to liberate the king failed and Kerr of Cessford was killed during the attack. Twenty-six years later, in 1552, the Kerrs had their revenge when a group of Kerr supporters waylaid Scott of Buccleuch in the High Street of Edinburgh, Buccleuch being slain by - Sir John Home of Cowdenknowes.
Following the death of Sir John Home in 1573 Cowdenknowes was inherited by his eldest son, Sir James Home of Synlaws. He was clearly a man of parts, being appointed Warden of the East March (1573); a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to James VI (1580); Baillie of the Earldom of the March, and a Privy Councilor. During the Earl of Arran’s regime, Sir James was imprisoned in Blackness Castle and ordered to give up the house and fortalice of Cowdenknowes, however on Arran’s fall, he was rewarded with the Captaincy of Edinburgh Castle.
Sir James Home greatly added to whatever work his father carried out, however only the ground floor of what he built survives, as the ground floor of the centre section of the current house as viewed from here - ie the section covered in wisteria and the wings to either side of it. This part of the house still retains 5 vaulted chambers - a sure sign that it dates back to the fortified era. There appear to have been two entrances, one in each of the wings. That in the wing to the left is surrounded by some nice stone carving and defended by a quatrefoil-shaped gunloop to the left (seen better in the previous photo). The other door was in the re-entrant of the right-hand tower and has a decorative panel above it with the initials S.I.H. in monogram for Sir James Home.
Above first floor level in the small wing to the right (east) of the main block, the walling is projected slightly on a course of corbelling, over which runs an inscription that reads:
"FEIR . GOD . FLEE . FROM . SYNNE . AND . MAK . FOR . YE . LYFE . EVERLASTING".
The ornate door was in the wing to the left (which is actually a stair-tower) has the initials S.I.H, and V.K.H. above it, for Sir James Home and his wife Katherine Home (V = U and stands for the Latin word uxorem, which translates into English as wife), daughter of John Home of Blackadder.
Sir James Home died in 1595.
Created for Digitalmania group
Digitalmania is a challenge group the members of which participate and learn from challenges. These involve taking inspiration and learning from the work of artists in many styles and, from time to time, creating collages and art journal pages. All artwork submitted is required to refer to the weekly challenges.
This task is to create an artwork inspired by Angi Sullins and Silas Toball. Their amazing work can be seen here
With thanks to….
Model - Marcus Ranum
Textures - Darkwood67 & Skeletal Mess
Wings - Bansidhe
Flames - Free Images
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Hong Kong authorities on Tuesday announced a cull of more than 2,000 pets in response to a Covid cluster involving hamsters at a pet shop in Causeway Bay.
A worker at the Little Boss store and a customer she briefly came into contact with have come down with the virus and officials say 11 hamster samples taken from the shop have tested positive, as well as environmental samples taken from the firm's warehouse in Tai Po.
Anyone who bought a hamster anywhere in Hong Kong since December 22 last year is now being "strongly advised" to hand it over so it can be tested for Covid.
Regardless of the test result, the hamster will be killed.
If the test comes back positive, the owner will be quarantined, while all those surrendering their pets will also have to take Covid tests of their own.
The hamsters already found to be infected were recently imported from the Netherlands and these animals, rabbits and other pets at the shop in question, as well as at the company's warehouse, are also going to be killed.
A deputy head of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), Thomas Sit, said although there's no literature in the world showing that pets can transmit Covid-19 to humans, they have made the decision to cull the animals out of caution.
"Now [the hamsters] are infected with the virus, they can infect other animals, other hamsters and other human beings. So, we don't want to cull all the animals, but we need to protect public health and animal health, we have no choice, we have to make a firm decision," he told reporters at a press conference.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it's shocked by the decision to cull the animals.
In a statement, the SPCA called on the authorities to review their approach, accusing them of failing to take animal welfare and the bond between people and their pets into consideration.
The SPCA also urged pet owners not to panic or abandon their animals, never kiss their pets and thoroughly clean their hands before and after contact with their pets.
(20220118 RTHK News)
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#The_Days_We_Wear_Masks 20220118
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: I Do Not Condone Any Acts Of Vandalism Nor Do I Participate In Such Criminal Activity. I Am Simply An Observant and Take Photos Of This Graffiti You Have Come Across. ALSO I Will Not Condone Any Usage Of My Photos To Support Any Legal Matter Involving These Acts Of Vandalism Therefore YOU ARE NOT WELCOME TO VIEW OR TAKE THIS MATERIAL For ANY Purpose...