Mickey & Minnie Mouse

Happiness Is Here

Tokyo Disneyland

This is what happens when you do a little gardening in a flower pot!

MAMLESHWAR JYOTIRLING

Omkareshwar (Hindi: ओंकारेश्वर) is a Hindu temple dedicated to God Shiva. It is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. It is on an island called Mandhata or Shivapuri in the Narmada river; the shape of the island is said to be like the Hindu ॐ symbol. There are two temples here, one to Omkareshwar (whose name means "Lord of Omkaara or the Lord of theOm Sound") and one to Amareshwar (whose name means "Immortal lord" or "lord of the Immortals or Devas"). But as per the sloka on dwadash jyotirligam, Mamleshwar is the jyotirling, which is on other side of Narmada river.

Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga also has its own history and stories.Three of them are prominent. The first story is about Vindhya Parvat (Mount). Once upon a time Narada (son of Lord Brahma), known for his non-stop cosmic travel, visited Vindhya parvat. In his spicy way Narad told Vindhya Parvat about the greatness of Mount Meru. This made Vindhya jealous of Meru and he decided to be bigger than Meru. Vindhya started worship of Lord Shiva to become greater than Meru. Vindhya Parvat practiced severe penance and worshipped parthivlinga (A linga made from physical material) along with Lord Omkareshwar for nearly six months. As a result Lord Shiva was pleased and blessed him with his desired boon. On a request of all the gods and the sages Lord Shiva made two parts of the lingas. One half is called Omkareshwara and the other Mamaleshwar or Amareshwar. Lord Shiva gave the boon of growing, but took a promise that Vindhya will never be a problem to Shiva's devotees. Vindhya began to grow, but did not keep his promise. It even obstructed the sun and the moon. All deities approached sage Agastya for help. Agastya along with his wife came to Vindhya, and convinced him that he would not grow until the sage and his wife returned. They never returned and Vindhya is there as it was when they left. The sage and his wife stayed in Srisailam which is regarded as Dakshina Kashi and one of the Dwadash Jyotirlinga.

The second story relates to Mandhata and his son's penance. King Mandhata of Ishvaku clan (an ancestor of Lord Ram) worshipped Lord Shiva here till the Lord manifested himself as a Jyotirlinga. Some scholars also narrate the story about Mandhata's sons-Ambarish and Mucchkund, who had practiced severe penance and austerities here and pleased Lord Shiva. Because of this the mountain is named Mandhata.

The third story from Hindu scriptures says that once upon a time there was a great war between Devas and Danavas(demon), in which Danavas won. This was a major setback for Devas and hence Devas prayed to Lord Shiva. Pleased with their prayer, Lord Shiva emerged in the form of Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga and defeated Danavas. By Kailash Mansarovar Foundation Swami Bikash Giri www.sumeruparvat.com , www.naturalitem.com

Bob Carlisle

less is more, loafers, vanharen, lakloafers, instappers, fashionblogger, love at first bite, cupcakes4ever, cupcakes arnhem, maybelline fit me matte & poreless foundation, nars radiant creamy concealer, joëlle romita, hntm, hoeveel foundation aanbrengen, concealer, foundation, foundation deppen, poederloeder, roze blouse, mom jeans, video opnemen, maybelline youtube-kanaal

It bugs me that there is a piece of fluff on her eye.

Keomi is the third Siamese cat I have owned, the first one dating back to 45 years ago. They have all been so wonderful and loving.

The first Keomi would allow my very young daughter to dress her in doll clothes and then would lie in a doll carriage and be wheeled around.

The Keomi in this pet portrait is now 15 years old. I think her the sweetest cat in the world, but then I am prejudiced!

Our Daily Challenge-Group 3

This is my grandfather, my uncle George and some cousins. My grandfather was in the steel industry and brought to America a method of making seamless tubing that he learned in Germany. His company didn’t survive the depression and he died in 1938 when my dad was six years old.

I found this crinkled 4x6 negative in a box of old family stuff and was pretty blown away when I saw this scan, what an amazing link to the past. I don’t know if a pro took this photo but it sure is nicely made.

You really should look at the detail in the original size.

A3C3 -- yeah I know this is not really crappy but it's old...

This is Patrick. He is #5 of my 100 Strangers project.

I saw Patrick while I was down on Florida Ave. near downtown Tampa. A friend and I were there to cover a story about a man who helps the homeless.

Patrick was sitting on the sidewalk with a friend of his. A boombox on the ground next to him pumped out dance music. He saw my camera and asked me why I was there.

I explained what I was doing and he said that I should photograph some of the homeless people in the area.

I asked if I could photograph him.

"Hell yeah," he said.

This is the best shot I got. I hope he's not too cold tonight...

www.100strangers.com

Marrabel.

Marrabel is noted for its annual rodeo but its early history was based on the copper bullock teams. It also had a flour mill to process grain from the surrounding farms from the 1860s. The local miller was Mr. Robins. Although only a tin building it survived fire and depression only to be closed by the effects of WW2. It specialised in the production of soft wheat for biscuits. The mill was demolished in 1973. A small plaque behind the hotel commemorates the Robins family. On the way into Marrabel we will see the Odd Fellows Hall built in 1911, which has ill proportioned windows with classical style pediments above them. This architectural feature does not work well! We will also see the War Memorial which refers to the 1914-1919 war! Marrabel also has a fine Bible Christian Church dated 1867. It is a good sandstone building with half rounded Romanesque style windows.

Opposite the hotel, which dates from around 1900, is a statue of Curio, the black jumping rodeo horse. The first rodeo was held in 1935 and the wooden grand stand erected in 1945. Insurance problems led to the cancellation of the rodeo a few years ago. Pictured below is a Marrabel shop dated as 1903, now a residence.

Dionysus is the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness, fertility, theatre and religious ecstasy in Greek mythology. Alcohol, especially wine, played an important role in Greek culture with Dionysus being an important reason for this life style. His festivals were the driving force behind the development of Greek theatre. He is an example of a dying god.

Also known as Bacchus the name adopted by the Romans and the frenzy he induces, bakkheia. His thyrsus is sometimes wound with ivy and dripping with honey. It is a beneficent wand but also a weapon, and can be used to destroy those who oppose his cult and the freedoms he represents. He is also called Eleutherios, whose wine, music and ecstatic dance frees his followers from self-conscious fear and care, and subverts the oppressive restraints of the powerful. Those who partake of his mysteries are possessed and empowered by the god himself.

"Relentless" is the name of this huge yacht I spotted anchored in old Montreal port, summer of 2008. Actually, you can rent this boat!

© All rights reserved.

The Skogafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in the country with a width of 25 metres (82 feet) and a drop of 60 m (200 ft). Due to the amount of spray the waterfall consistently produces, a single or double rainbow which is normally visible on sunny days. According to legend, the first Viking settler in the area, Þrasi Þórólfsson, buried a treasure in a cave behind the waterfall. The legend continues that locals found the chest years later, but were only able to grasp the ring on the side of the chest before it disappeared again. The ring was allegedly given to the local church. The old church door ring is now in the Skógar museum.

At the eastern side of the waterfall, a hiking and trekking trail leads up to the pass Fimmvörðuháls between the glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull. It goes down to Þórsmörk on the other side and continues as the Laugavegur trail to Landmannalaugar. (wiki)

...the sea gave up some treasures for me! Check it out large or original...better detail!

have a delightful day....i am heading to the beach. another day in paradise...brain cells are regenerating!!

LAPTOP connection issues....hope to resolve over weekend :-( have a wonderful holiday weekend friends!

This shot was taken in very low light & the camera selected ISO 12800 to compensate. I didn't use any noise reduction, the new cameras are fantastic.

This is from a Sony A7III and I was using animal eye autofocus. It definitely locked on.

My older cameras result would have been so noisy as to be unusable even if it had managed to focus on anything, which would have been unlikely.

The Nemours Estate is a 300-acre country estate with jardin à la française formal gardens and a French neoclassical mansion in Wilmington, Delaware. Built to resemble a French château, its 105 rooms on five floors occupy nearly 47,000 sq ft. It shares the grounds at 1600 Rockland Road with the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, and both are owned by the Nemours Foundation.

Nemours was created by Alfred I. du Pont in 1909–10 as a gift for his second wife, Alicia. It was named for the north-central French town of Nemours, which was affiliated with his great-great-grandfather, Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours. Carrère and Hastings designed the mansion, which is in the Louis XVI style of French architecture.

The house contains rare 18th-century French furniture and an eclectic collection of notable antiques, works of art and tapestries. Artworks range from 16th-century religious works to paintings by the European masters to early works by Americans Frederic Remington and Sidney Lawrence.

Of particular interest is a rare Louis XVI musical clock, circa 1785, by David Roentgen and Peter Kinzing, which plays four tunes on a dulcimer and pipe organ. Another clock at the mansion with a connection to French royalty is one made for Marie Antoinette, which she never received.

The mansion also has a chair from the 1937 coronation of King George VI, an event which was attended by Alfred I. du Pont's third wife Jessie, and a chair from Independence Hall. Alfred I. du Pont's own portrait is also in the mansion.

The estate has the most developed and largest jardin à la française (French formal garden)-style landscape park and collection of individual gardens in North America. The design is patterned after the gardens of Versailles surrounding the Petit Trianon at the Château de Versailles. Their central axis extends ⅓ of a mile from the mansion facade, paralleling the main avenue leading to the house. The grounds are beautifully landscaped with plantings, fountains, pools, a carillon tower, statuary, and a pavilion surrounded by naturalized woodlands.

The named features include:

The Boxwood Garden – French parterre garden with boxwood edging and a central faun fountain.

The Colonnade (1926) – memorial to Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours and his son Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, designed by Thomas Hastings.

The Maze Garden – a maze garden with main hedges of Western Arborvitae 'Spring Grove', inner hedges of Japanese Barberry 'Crimson Pygmy', and central statue of Achievement, by Henri Crenier, atop a base with images of Triton and Neptune's face.

The Reflecting Pool (1 acre) – 40 feet in diameter, with 157 jets, backed by Japanese cryptomeria, pink flowering horse chestnut, and pin oaks.

The Sunken Gardens – designed by Alfred Victor du Pont and Gabriel Masséna. Features large lake, grottoes, and 1930 statue by Charles-Marie Sarrabezolles (1888–1971). A. V. du Pont (1900–1970) was the only son of the owner and an architect trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

The Temple of Love – in classical style, with life-sized statue of Diana (1780) by Jean-Antoine Houdon.

The Nemours mansion and gardens reopened its gates on May 1, 2008, after closing in 2005 for a 3-year, $39 million renovation. The work, commissioned by the Nemours Foundation, was performed by world-class conservators, artisans and craftspeople who refurbished furniture, fabrics, tapestries, interior finishes, paintings, and sculptures. The comprehensive reconstruction included replacing the entire electrical system, draining and repairing the 800,000-gallon reflecting pool, and landscape restoration of the extensive formal gardens plantings, constructed design elements, and statuary.

Krissy is a blast to shoot with; she is like a chameleon or a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get at a shoot. At the 2026 New Year's Day group shoot, she showed up looking rough and tough - but she is so sweet underneath. What a fun mini-shoot and I see more shoots with Krissy in 2026. Life is good!

This is my super simple "take on the road" studio for doing voice overs. I don't have to worry about the fan in my laptop kicking in or software crashing. The whole rig cost <$300.

Overall the setup works well. The pop filter might not be as effective as others but does the job. The edges are a bit dangerous though, be careful.

The Zoom H2 is very sensitive to handling noise. You can hear it when you touch the mic stand or rubber clip too. The base of the mic stand has a bunch of soft foam feet and is quite solid so it doesn't pick up noises from the desk.

- JVC HA-NC100 noise canceling headphones ($35)

- Nady metal pop filter (Guitar Center, online $15)

- cheap desktop stand, adjustable (Guitar Center, online $10)

- unbreakable rubber mic holder (Guitar Center, online $9)

- Zoom H2 recorder with included mic shaped thing ($200)

The Harrier is a British combat aircraft with V/STOL (vertical/short takeoff and landing) capabilities, designed in the 1960s at Hawker Siddeley company. In 1969 the first attack version GR.1 for the RAF entered production. Further development was the GR.3 version with improved avionics, capable of conducting reconnaissance tasks. A carrier based version FRS.1 was also developed for the Fleet Air Arm. --- Harriers of both of the latter versions made their successful combat debut during the Falklands War in 1982. US Marine Corps became interested in the Harrier as well, and as a result Harrier production was taken up by McDonnell Douglas under designation AV-8. Harriers were also purchased by India, Italy, Spain and Thailand. --- BAe Harrier GR.3 number XW 919 first flew on 23rd July 1971 and was subsequently delivered to no. 1 Squadron RAF in September 1971. It was while on duty in this unit that the plane went through a serious accident caused by a power loss in the engine. The pilot catapulted himself to safety. Subsequently the plane served in no. 4. Squadron RAF stationed at Gütersloh, Germany. Prior to its war episode, it was involved in filming BBC “Squadron” series. --- The Falklands War was undoubtedly the most interesting part of this plane’s history. In early May 1982, it was rebased to Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island in the Atlantic, where it provided air cover prior to the arrival of Phantom FGR.2 aircraft. On June 8th, supported by four Handley Page Victor K.1 tanker aircraft, the Harrier accomplished an almost 8-hour flight to HMS Hermes aircraft carrier. While in flight it suffered a navigation instruments failure, however it followed its wingman to safe landing at the carrier’s deck. --- On July 12th, 1982 while attacking Argentinian artillery positions on Sapper Hill with cassette bombs, XW 919 flown by Flt. Lt. Murdo McLeod came under heavy fire from 601. Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group (Grupo de Artillería Antiaérea 601 also known as GADA 601 Grupo de Artillería de Defensa Aérea 601). The plane was severely damaged by either a shrapnel or a Tigercat missile which, by the way, was of British origin. With the plane’s aft fuselage on fire, the pilot nevertheless succeeded in landing on HMS Hermes. Following the incident, the plane was sent back to Britain on MV Contender Bezant the next month. --- The plane was donated by the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom at Shrivenham thanks to efforts of the late gen. pil. Tadeusz Andersz.

The Box is Plymouth's new multi-million-pound cultural and heritage attraction

Experience stunning gallery displays, high-profile artists and wonderful art exhibitions, not to mention an unforgettable programme of exciting events and performances, and thousands of fascinating artefacts and archives.

One of the opening exhibitions is Mayflower 400: Legend and Legacy and is one of the highlights of the Mayflower year.

Work on The Box began in March 2017. When finished, it will maintain the wonderful architecture of the Grade II Listed former Museum and Art Gallery and Central Library buildings, while also expanding its facilities through a stylish and contemporary extension - which includes a brand new main entrance on Tavistock Place.

The £42m redevelopment plan has also included repairing, refurbishing and transforming St Luke’s Church into the largest single GIS-compliant gallery in the South West. It will even feature a beautiful stained-glass window, created by world-famous artist Leonor Antunes. The buildings will be linked by an outdoor public space that houses food, drink and retail outlets.

The Box redevelopment scheme has been led by Plymouth City Council, in partnership with the University of Plymouth and the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

It has also been supported by the City Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England, the Coastal Communities Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the University of Plymouth, the Wolfson Foundation, the British Film Institute and Interreg.

Kilimanjaro Safari

Baobab is the common name of a genus (Adansonia) containing eight species of trees, native to Madagascar (having six species), mainland Africa and Australia (one species in each). The mainland African species also occurs on Madagascar, but it is not a native of that island.

Other common names include boab, boaboa, bottle tree, upside-down tree, and monkey bread tree. The species reach heights of 5 to 30 metres (16 to 98 ft) and trunk diameters of 7 to 11 metres (23 to 36 ft). An African Baobab specimen in Limpopo Province, South Africa, often considered the largest example alive, has a circumference of 47 metres (150 ft) and an average diameter of 15 metres (49 ft).[1]

Some baobabs are reputed to be many thousands of years old, which is difficult to verify as the wood does not produce annual growth rings, though radiocarbon dating may be able to provide age data.

The Malagasy species are important components of the Madagascar dry deciduous forests. Within that biome, A. madagascariensis and A. rubrostipa occur specifically in the Anjajavy Forest, sometimes growing out of the tsingy limestone itself.

Beginning in 2008, there has been increasing interest for developing baobab as a nutrient-rich raw material for consumer products.

Walt Disney World-Animal Kingdom-Orlando Fl.

Aloha Wind is a Des Moines-based dance group that specializes in Tahitian, Hawaian and New Zealander dances. The girls were dancing as part of the White Eagle Multicultural Pow Wow at Antique Acres in Wakee, IA.

More information about Aloha Wind:

www.alohawindhula.com/index.htm

Every year since 2000, the Des Moines area hosts the "White Eagle Multicultural Pow Wow". It's held in memory of Ralph Moisa (aka White Eagle), a young Native American who lost his life in 1995 while rescuing a Red Tail Hawk. The Pow Wow was held at Antique Acres near Waukee, Iowa.

More information can be found here:

www.whiteeaglepow-wow.org/

Des Moines Flickr Friend photos from the 2011 event:

www.flickr.com/groups/1014797@N22/pool/www.whiteeaglepow-...

Canon 7d, 100-400L

This is currently on a SORN, so can't say when it was last taxed. Seen in Ipswich, probably sold new at the dealers that were in Kesgrave (photo of their former showroom to come) and likely to have come in via Volvo's import yard that was located at the end of Sandy Hill Lane in Ipswich.

We drove up to the old compound where they used to be based, bits of it are in use but otherwise it's just a sea of tarmac with weeds growing through it.

'is it because the sun is hiding?'

Hofburg Palace is a palace located in Vienna, Austria, that has housed some of the most powerful people in European and Austrian history, including the Habsburg dynasty, rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It currently serves as the official residence of the President of Austria. It was the Habsburgs' principal winter residence, as the Schönbrunn Palace was their preferred summer residence.

The Hofburg area has been the documented seat of government since 1279 for various empires and republics. The Hofburg has been expanded over the centuries to include: various residences (with the Amalienburg), the chapel (Hofkapelle or Burgkapelle), museums (the Naturhistorisches Museum & Kunsthistorisches Museum), the Imperial Library (Hofbibliothek now the Prunksaal), the treasury (Schatzkammer), the national theatre (Burgtheater), the riding school (Hofreitschule), the horse stables (the Stallburg and Hofstallungen) and the Hofburg Congress Center.

The Hofburg faces the Heldenplatz ordered under the reign of Emperor Francis Joseph, as part of what was to become a Kaiserforum that was never completed.

Numerous architects have executed work at the Hofburg as it expanded, notably the Italian architect-engineer Filiberto Luchese (the Leopoldischiner Trakt), Lodovico Burnacini and Martino and Domenico Carlone, the Baroque architects Lukas von Hildebrandt and Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach (the Reichschancelry Wing and the Winter Riding School), Johann Fischer von Erlach (the library), and the architects of the grandiose Neue Burg built between 1881 and 1913.

The raison d'être of Indian dance is expression. The body seems turned into a life-size puppet. All is alive but highly codified at the same time. This is to make the dancer look transformed. And he or she not only looks transformed but also does become intimately altered. Expression is all the stronger when his or her body can use only a restricted set of gestures instead of the usual everyday movements. All gestures have a symbolic weight and can have a precise meaning. Expression is in the arms, in the legs, hands, every part of the body, from toes to head. Costume and decoration also take part in the expression.

The dancer's center of expression is his or her face. It is like a concentrate of all the dance's expression. As regards expression, the whole body can also be considered as the extension of the face. The dancer's face is subdivided into parts, each controlled independently. There are many possible movement combinations on the face because it has many parts and many muscles. In everyday life, the face is important for expressions. Here, all the movements and their combinations are extremely codified. Like for the body, this makes the face's expression more powerful. The face seems turned into a mobile mask. Facial movements and expressions take an important part in the dancer's training.

The face's center of expression are the eyes. The expression's essence resides in the dancer's eyes. They are the last touch without which the dance would be lifeless, meaningless. Like the necklace's gem, the candle's flame, or the tree's flowers, they give that special brightness to the dance. It is a supernatural brightness showing that the dancer is possessed by his character. The sole eyes of a true dancer tell everything : gestures, rhythm, expressions, story. They reflect the whole dance. Body and eyes are the outer and inner manifestations of the same expression. Both have to match each other for the dance to be coherent. Without the eyes, the dance would be uninteresting. This expressiveness in the eyes makes Indian dance look Indian. Also in Indian sculpture and painting, the eyes of the represented figure are the last part to be painted. The statue or painting gets alive when the eyes are opened at the end, and can then receive the descending deity. It is like the gong stroke concluding a musical phrase. Like such visited statue, the dancer becomes a puppet operated by the character.

Venue : Freedom Park, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Date : 19-12-09

Time : Evening

Camera : Canon 450D

Lens : Sigma 70-300mm F4-5.6 APO DG Macro

Shooting Mode : Aperture Priority

Shutter Speed : 1/125

Aperture Value : 6.3

ISO : 800

Focal Length : 300.0 mm

Lenno is located on one of the most beautiful inlets of Lake Como with a unique view of the lake and Bellagio. It has a lovely promenade to walk along with restaurants and cafés where you can stop for a drink enjoying gorgeous views. This area of the lake is also well known for its lush shrubs, trees and azaleas.

In the main square (piazza XI Febbraio), you can visit the church and the Roman baptistery of the eleventh century. In the centre of the square is the war memorial. Lenno is in fact one of the Italian cities decorated to the Military Valour during the Liberation War, for the sacrifices of it’s’ people to fight partisan during the Second World War.

The boys are beautiful.

Muskegon Heights, Michigan

St Cuthbert's parish church in Wells, Somerset, is one of those churches which would invite uneviable comparison with the huge cathedral which dominates the other end of the city of Wells. But, despite the presence of its bigger neighbour, St Cuthbert's manages to establish itself as a splendid building in its own right.

While the cathedral plays with architecture as a massive concept, the builders of St Cuthberts achieved a delicacy - both inside and out - which the cathedral does not. If the cathedral is shouting the Christian message then St Cuthbert's is a quiet yet authoritative whisper. The church's crowning glory is a superb painted ceiling in the nave which would put some cathedrals I have visited to shame.

www.flickr.com/photos/barryslemmings/sets/72157629185113870/ to view the full set.

Wearing my film geek hat for a moment, St Cuthbert's appears extensively in the 2007 British action comedy 'Hot Fuzz' as the parish church of the mythical town of Sandford. The film's director Edgar Wright came from Wells and chose his home town for many scenes in Hot Fuzz including the 'Hollywood style' epic shoot-out in the town square. Wright said of Wells: "I love it but I also want to trash it".

In the film Britain's most effective police officer (Simon Pegg) is exiled from London to Sandford for having a 400% arrest record in the belief that a quiet country town will crimp his style. Instead he discovers the town is under the thumb of a murderous neighbourhood watch scheme run by actors Edward Woodward, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, Kenneth Cranham and Billie Whitelaw.

St Cuthbert's churchyard is used as the setting for the church fair (see above) while the church tower is used for the murder of the town's local newspaper reporter - his crime was too many misprints and factual errors. Timothy Dalton even comes to grief on a scale model of St Cuthbert's in the film's finale. Actor Paul Freeman portrayed the vicar of 'Sandford parish church'.

See also: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Fuzz

The church is believed to have Saxon origins but the Saxon church may have been located further up the hill than the present site. The only traces of the Norman church are a damaged piscina and all later major developments are 13th to 16th century. Until 1561 the church had a central tower but, as encountered in other British churches, this was unstable and either collapsed or was removed around that date.

The Dekum Building is an eight-story, Richardsonian Romanesque edifice constructed between 1891 and 1892. Frank Dekum commissioned the Portland architectural firm of McCaw & Martin to design the building in 1890. Located at 519 Southwest Third Avenue in Portland, the Dekum Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Frank Dekum, who was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1829, immigrated with his family to the United States in 1837 and settled in Illinois. He moved to San Francisco in early 1852 and relocated to Portland the following year. Along with Fred Bickel, in 1853 he established Dekum & Bickel, the city’s first confectionary business, and later became a successful realtor, banker, and insurance and railway executive. He oversaw the construction of many buildings in Portland, including an earlier Dekum Building, an 1871 cast iron structure at Front Avenue and Washington Street. Dekum died in 1894.

The firm of McCaw & Martin, a partnership of William F. McCaw and Richard H. Martin, Jr., completed plans for the Dekum Building in January 1891. In June 1891, Frederick Manson White, who had been a draftsman and foreman for the firm, became a partner. Some historians have attributed the building’s design to McCaw, Martin & White, since that was the firm’s name when the building was constructed.

The firm was one of the most prominent architectural firms in Portland in the late nineteenth century. Among its surviving designs in Portland are the New Market Annex, the Portland Armory Annex, Waldschmidt Hall at the University of Portland, and the Kenneth A. J. Mackenzie House. White left the firm in June 1892 and began his own practice, and the partnership between McCaw and Martin dissolved in 1897.

McCaw & Martin designed the Dekum Building in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, made prominent by American architect Henry Hobson Richardson. Elements typical of the style include rough cut stone on the base of the building, red brick in the upper stories, terra cotta ornamentation, and the prominent use of massive stone-block arches. The style was popular in Portland from 1889 to 1895.

The firm was responsible for the design of the city’s first example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, the 1889 New Market Annex. Many architectural historians consider the Dekum Building the best example of the style in Portland. The first three floors feature rusticated stone, including ashlar and Siskiyou sandstone quarried in Oregon. The arched entryways include elaborate stone carvings. The upper floors are faced in brick made in Newberg, decorated with unglazed terra cotta in organic floral patterns. The exterior has undergone little change since construction, while the interior has been remodeled and renovated over time.

When the Dekum Building opened in 1892, the department store Lipman, Wolfe & Co. occupied the first two floors. The company remained in the building until 1912. McCaw & Martin and Frederick Manson White opened offices in the Dekum, as did physicians, dentists, and lawyers.

The building faced a threat of demolition in early 1973, when owner Stan Terry announced he would raze the structure to make room for a high-rise parking garage. The building was soon purchased by Norcrest China Company, which declared that it would not demolish the building. The Dekum was rehabilitated in the 1970s and 1980s. Various tenants have occupied by the building since, with Wieden + Kennedy being one of the best known occupants in the late twentieth century.

The Dekum Building is one of the oldest buildings still standing on Southwest Third Avenue. The intersection of Southwest Washington Street and Third Avenue contains a high concentration of architectural styles, including two examples of Second Renaissance Revival Style, the Postal Building (1900) and the Hamilton Building (1893), both designed by Whidden & Lewis, and the Twentieth Century Classical styled Spalding Building (1910), designed by Cass Gilbert.

The stark contrast in style between the Dekum Building and the Hamilton Building, built one year apart, shows the shift in architectural aesthetic in Portland away from Richardsonian Romanesque and toward classic detailing.

www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/dekum_building_portla...

The St. Joseph's Church in Speyer is a Catholic church and the center of a whole complex of buildings of the parish of St Joseph. In the cathedral parish Pax Christi comprising the whole city area it serves as a place of common parish worship, while the cathedral is the parish seat. The church in its extraordinary size and splendid furnishings was built in response to the construction of the neighboring Protestant Memorial Church of protestation.

History

View into the nave to the southern side altar

Right after the Protestants began their collection for the Memorial Church, founded in 1887 a Catholic church building association. As the Association for the construction of the Memorial Church acquired its building site at the former suburbs, the Catholics made efforts to get a building site in the immediate vicinity. The original building site was opposite to today's church, but was later exchanged. A large part of the site the St Magdalena monastery made available. The original plan provided a completion of the church to the then turn of the century; however, the start of construction due to lack of money repeatedly had to be postponed.

The laying of the foundation stone on June 9, 1912 in the presence of bishop Michael von Faulhaber by cathedral minister Josef Schwind in his sermon was seen as "Feast of the Catholic religion" and "commitment to the Ancient God".

Already in 1914, the church could be consecrated to the patron of the Palatinate and the patron saint of workers Saint Joseph. According to the Chronicle of Joseph Church it was understood as a "sign of love for Bavarian homeland and fidelity to the Bavarian royal house." Due to the approaching war the church was not completed. The entrance stairway was not as planned built with intermediate landings up to the road but merely provisionally as steep flight of steps of concrete. Even after the war, the church was not completed. For this reason, it is still possible in some places, especially above the windows next to the front door, to see the rectangular protruding stones which originally still should be processed. Also unfinished remained the east side of the church where originally, similar to the rectory on the west side, a building should arise. There stands today, partly on to the remains of the church of the Monastery of St Giles, the Ägidienhaus (house of St. Giles).

The church of St. Joseph arose out of a situation of confessional rivalry. Today there are very excellent ecumenical relations of the parish of St. Joseph towards the Memorial Church community which culminated in the fact that during several months of renovation work on the Joseph Church Catholics could celebrate their services in the Memorial Church.

Die Sankt-Josephs-Kirche in Speyer ist eine katholische Kirche und Zentrum eines ganzen Komplexes von Gebäuden der Gemeinde St. Joseph. In der das ganze Stadtgebiet umfassenden Dompfarrei Pax Christi dient sie als Ort der gemeinsamen Pfarrgottesdienste, während der Dom Sitz der Pfarrei ist. Die Kirche in ihrer außerordentlichen Größe und prachtvollen Ausstattung wurde erbaut als Reaktion auf den Bau der benachbarten evangelischen Gedächtniskirche der Protestation.

Geschichte

Blick ins Hauptschiff zum südlichen Seitenaltar

Gleich nachdem die Protestanten ihre Sammlung für die Gedächtniskirche begannen, gründete sich im Jahr 1887 ein katholischer Kirchenbauverein. Als der Verein zur Erbauung der Gedächtniskirche seinen Bauplatz am damaligen Stadtrand erwarb, bemühten sich die Katholiken um einen Bauplatz in unmittelbarer Nähe. Der ursprüngliche Bauplatz lag gegenüber der heutigen Kirche, wurde später aber eingetauscht. Einen großen Teil des Geländes stellte das Kloster St. Magdalena zur Verfügung. Der ursprüngliche Plan sah eine Fertigstellung der Kirche bis zur damaligen Jahrhundertwende vor; jedoch musste der Baubeginn aufgrund Geldmangels immer wieder aufgeschoben werden.

Die Grundsteinlegung am 9. Juni 1912 in Anwesenheit des damaligen Bischofs Michael von Faulhaber wurde vom Dompfarrer Josef Schwind in seiner Predigt als „Fest der katholischen Religion“ und als „Bekenntnis zum alten Gott“ gesehen.

Schon im Jahr 1914 konnte die Kirche dem Patron der Kurpfalz und dem Schutzpatron der Arbeiter, dem Heiligen Joseph, geweiht werden. Sie wurde laut Chronik der Josephskirche als ein „Zeichen der Liebe zur bayerischen Heimat und der Treue zum bayerischen Königshaus“ verstanden. Aufgrund des heranziehenden Krieges wurde die Kirche nicht vollendet. Die Eingangstreppe wurde nicht wie geplant mit Zwischenpodesten bis an die Straße gebaut, sondern lediglich provisorisch als steile Treppe mit Betonstufen ausgeführt. Auch nach dem Krieg wurde die Kirche nicht vollendet. Daher kann man heute noch an einigen Stellen, besonders über den Fenstern neben dem Vordereingang, die rechteckig hervorstehenden Steine sehen die ursprünglich noch bearbeitet werden sollten. Ebenso unvollendet blieb die Ostseite der Kirche, wo ursprünglich ein, dem Pfarrhaus auf der Westseite ähnliches, Gebäude entstehen sollte. Dort steht heute, zum Teil auf den Resten der Kirche des Klosters St. Ägidius, das Ägidienhaus.

Die Kirche St. Joseph entstand aus einer Situation konfessioneller Rivalität heraus. Heute bestehen ganz ausgezeichnete ökumenische Beziehungen der Gemeinde St. Joseph zur Gedächtniskirchengemeinde, die darin gipfelten, dass während mehrmonatiger Renovierungsarbeiten an der Josephskirche die Katholiken ihre Gottesdienste in der Gedächtniskirche feiern durften.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Joseph_(Speyer)

DO NOT use my pictures without my written permission, these images are under copyright. Contact me if you want to buy or use them. CarloAlessioCozzolino© All rights reserved

Salento is a town and municipality in the north-east of the department of Quindío, Colombia. The municipality covers an area of 377.67 km2.[2] It was the first settlement in Quindío of the modern era, and the first municipality founded in the department. The town of Salento itself is located 24 km northeast of the departmental capital Armenia. In 2005 the municipality of Salento had an estimated population of 7247, of which 3597 lived in the main urban zone. (WIKIPEDIA)

Water cabbage is an aquatic monocot herb in the Arum family. It is the only single species in the genus Pistia. Its native distribution is across the tropics. It is now found in nearly all tropical and subtropical fresh waterways. It grows like a weed in rivers, lakes and ponds forming large dense mats making boating, fishing and all other water activities, impossible.

Etymology: The generic name is derived from a Greek word pistos meaning water and refers to aquatic nature of the plant. Stratiotes again means a water plant.

It floats on the surface of the water and its roots hang inside the water beneath the leaves.

Leaves: Its thick soft leaves are formed in rosettes, with no leaf stems. Light green leaves with wavy leaf margins have parallel veins, covered in short hairs which trap air bubbles, increasing the plant's buoyancy..

Flowers: Inconspicuous, nearly hidden in the center among the leaves. They are dioecious meaning male and female flowers are on different plants.

Fruits: Small green berries.

Caution: Mosquitoes of the genus Mansonia complete their life cycle only in the presence of aquatic plants such as Pistia, laying their eggs under the leaves. The emerging larvae fall into the water within 24 hours and stay attached to the Pistia root (which is rich with air sacs) and develop into pupa. The pupa is also attached to the pistia root. The egg to adult mosquito development is completed within 7 days.

Source: Wikipedia and Centre for aquatic and invasive plants

This is one of my favorite hats, and one of my signature "rockstar" items. Only very special pieces get my "rockstar" designation. These are items that I imagine would be worn by the lavish hedonistic rockstars of the romantic steam powered era, if there had ever been such a thing. So, if you've packed your steam-powered guitar and are heading out on a time-traveling trip, this is the cap to pack!

It just oozes charisma and neo-victorian rockstar elegance. Made from eco-friendly cotton canvas, this newsboy style hat is a dark olive green, and fully lined with black cotton. The hat is fitted with a super-comfortable elastic band on the inside brim, so the hat fits a wide range of adult heads. Made with ultra-durable construction, and a high quality brim.

This stunning hat is adorned with three striped natural brown cruelty-free pinion feathers. The feathers are accented at the base with a dark tea-colored braided rope applique and an antique star pendant. The decorated portion of the brim is made from a subtly fantastic diamond print ribbon in olive green and antique gold colors, with a slight metallic sheen. This ribbon is framed on the top and bottom with braided antique gold wire ribbon. The texture effect is really cool and gives the hat and added level of super-fantastic-awesomeness.

I am currently working on a line of steampunk style decorated newsboy hats. If you are interested in a custom creation of your very own, let's talk! I would love to hear your ideas!

www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_1&listing_...

IPACA is sorry to hear about the loss of Lynne and we express our sincere sympathy to her family. The picture featured on the Echo website today shows Lynne supporting our inspired writing day at Southwell Campus last year. We couldn't agree more with Cllr Sandy West, Mayor of Portland, when she said: “She was an absolute jewel – friendly and funny. She really was one of the nicest people you could ever meet".

Remembrance Sunday, 11 November 2018

In the United Kingdom, Remembrance Sunday is held on the second Sunday in November, which is the Sunday nearest to 11 November, Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of hostilities in the First World War at 11 a.m. on 11 November 1918. Remembrance Sunday is held to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts.

Remembrance Sunday is marked by ceremonies at local war memorials in most cities, towns and villages, attended by civic dignitaries, ex-servicemen and -women, members of local armed forces regular and reserve units, military cadet forces and uniformed youth organisations. Two minutes’ silence is observed at 11 a.m. and wreaths of remembrance poppies are then laid on the memorials.

The United Kingdom national ceremony is held in London at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. Wreaths are laid by principal members of the Royal Family, normally including the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of Sussex, the Duke of York, the Princess Royal, the Earl of Wessex and the Duke of Kent, the Prime Minister, leaders of the other major political parties, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Commonwealth High Commissioners and representatives from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets and the civilian services, and veterans’ groups.

In 2017 Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, for the first time, did not lay wreaths themselves but viewed the parade from the Foreign and Commonwealth balcony. In 2018 the Queen again viewed the parade from the balcony whilst Prince Philip did not attend. Other members of the British Royal Family watched from the balcony of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

11 November 2018 marked the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. The President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier laid a German wreath at the Cenotaph for the first time. Normally wreaths are only laid by British persons and organisations and Commonwealth governments. Wreaths have been laid by leaders of Commonwealth and Allied countries when they attended as guests. In 2003 the Prime Minister of Australia, in 2006 the Prime Minister of New Zealand and in 2015 the King of the Netherlands laid wreaths.

Two minutes' silence is held at 11 a.m., before the laying of the wreaths. This silence is marked by the firing of a field gun on Horse Guards Parade by the King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, to begin and end the silence, followed by Royal Marines buglers sounding Last Post in Whitehall.

The parade consists mainly of an extensive march past by veterans, with military bands playing music following the list of the Traditional Music of Remembrance.

After the ceremony, a parade of veterans and other related groups, organised by the Royal British Legion, marches past the Cenotaph, each section of which lays a wreath as it passes. Only ticketed participants can take part in the march past. In 2018 this was followed by a "people's procession" of some 10,000 people who streamed past the Cenotaph in honour of the war dead.

From 1919 until the Second World War remembrance observance was always marked on 11 November itself. It was then moved to Remembrance Sunday, but since the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 1995, it has become usual to hold ceremonies on both Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.

Each year, the music at the National Ceremony of Remembrance remains the same, following a programme finalised in 1930:

Rule, Britannia! by Thomas Arne

Heart of Oak by William Boyce

The Minstrel Boy by Thomas Moore

Men of Harlech

The Skye Boat Song

Isle of Beauty by Thomas Haynes Bayly

David of the White Rock

Oft in the Stilly Night by John Stevenson

Flowers of the Forest

Nimrod from the Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar

Dido's lament by Henry Purcell

O Valiant Hearts by Charles Harris

Solemn Melody by Walford Davies

Last Post – a bugle call

Beethoven's Funeral March No. 1, by Johann Heinrich Walch

O God, Our Help in Ages Past – words by Isaac Watts, music by William Croft

Reveille – a bugle call

God Save The Queen

Other pieces of music are then played during the march past and wreath laying by veterans, starting with Trumpet Voluntary and followed by It's A Long Way To Tipperary, the marching song of the Connaught Rangers, a famous British Army Irish Regiment of long ago.

The following is complied from press reports on 11 November 2018:

“The Prince of Wales has led the nation in remembering those who gave their lives in the First World War as he laid the wreath at the Cenotaph.

For the first time ever he was joined the German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, marking a historic act of reconciliation between the two nations.

The Queen watched from the balcony of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office along with the Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Cornwall.

Remembrance services have been taking place all over Britain and Europe, which is an hour ahead, to mark the Armistice that ended the hostilities 100 years ago.

It is estimated that nine million military personnel were killed between 28 July 1914 and 11 November 1918.

The armistice, which was signed by German and Allied generals at 5am GMT, came into effect six hours later at 11am. Every year since then the country has paused at 11am for two minutes to remember the men and women who lost their lives in the conflict.

The Palace announced this morning that the Duke of Edinburgh could not attend the service and a wreath was laid on his behalf by an equerry.

Later this evening, the Queen, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend a special service at Westminster Abbey, alongside Mr Steinmeier.

As part of event, two B-type buses which served as military vehicles between 1914 and 1918 - and are the last surviving models from the period - will be on The Mall. This will mark the contribution of bus drivers during the First World War and will be the first time they have appeared in an Armistice Day parade since the 1960s.

As well as the parade, civilians across the country will ring church bells in unison across the country on Sunday; it is expected that 1,700 people will take part in the event. Church bells across the UK remained restricted throughout the course of the war and only rang freely once Armistice was declared on November 11, 1918.

At that moment, bells erupted spontaneously across the country, as an outpouring of relief that four years of war had come to an end.

The French President, Emmanuel Macron, led the ceremony in Paris to mark the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day.

Around 70 world leaders were in attendance, including Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Jean-Claude Juncker, for a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe.

President Trump and his wife Melania arrived in the French capital yesterday, and were greeted at the Elysee Palace in Paris by the French President and his wife Brigitte.

The President of Germany made history today appearing at the Cenotaph.

Following the Prince of Wales who laid a wreath on behalf of the Queen, Frank Walter-Steinmeier laid a wreath at the foot of the Cenotaph and stood with his head bowed.

He is the first German dignitary invited to the Cenotaph and was watched by his wife Elke Budenbender who accompanied the Duchess of Sussex on the Foreign Office balcony.

The Queen was accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall and Duchess of Cambridge although the Duke of Edinburgh was absent having retired from official duties last year.

Commemorations had begun before dawn, as beach drawings and bag pipers added to the beautiful ways the centenary has been marked around the country.

In Paris, the leaders of France, Germany, Russia and the USA joined together for a special international service.”

Ramazan is a month of blessings for Muslims world over, at HU it’s even more special as the University arranges an Iftari for All every day during the holy month. About a thousand people gather at HU Main Campus from surrounding areas and break fast together, followed by Magrib jamaat and Dinner. It's almost magical to view the sight of so many people enjoying Ramzan together at HU.

Corporate Social Responsibility is a foundation stone of Hajvery University, we believe charitable causes complete us a Human beings, therefore during the holy month the University Management increases it’s efforts to help the less privileged cope with the ongoing tough socio economic times in Pakistan.

Members of the Faculty, and Students are welcome to join the Management & Staff of the University to take this opportunity to serve the communities we work in. May Almighty Allah accept our humble efforts and give us the strength to increase our efforts multifold, inshAllah.

Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me

I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed

And all that glitters is gold

Only shooting stars break the mold

www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_jWHffIx5E

This is a shorter statured (e.g., about 1 m or less tall) and more slender grass (e.g., leaf blades about 5 mm wide or less) compared to Spartina pectinata. The erect lateral branches (spikes), which are firmly appressed to the main inflorescence axis, is distinctive of this genus. Alopecurus arundinaceus (creeping meadow foxtail) is the grass in the left background with inflorescences that are shattering (disarticulating below the glumes).

Well, here it is... bench Monday, again. This session includes "the chicken" played by Don Knotts, in the classic Halloween movie "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" If you have never seen it before I highly recommend it! I kinda thought about not uploading one this week.. but decided to go ahead and do it. Still not completely up to speed, but trying to get there! This week Chickie's friend, Mr. Quackers came by for his 10 minutes of fame..lol

"Celebrate the lives of those that have enriched your own!"

Jerry 2009

Clickitt here to View On Black

Try Clicking here to View a slideshow of my pics

Carmel Valley in California is a sublime pastoral river valley nestled into the towering Santa Lucia range, and is one of the finest wine growing regions in California. The main artery is Carmel Valley Road, which starts at Scenic Highway 1 and meanders eastward, winding along Carmel River past endless opportunities for recreation, entertainment, sumptuous food and premier wine tasting. In Carmel Valley you will also find three championship golf courses, several world-class resorts as well as quaint country inns.

Carmel Valley is home to Garland Ranch Regional Park's 4,000+ acres, open for day-use activities, known for excellent mountain trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding along the willow-lined banks of the Carmel River. In Carmel Valley one sees working horse ranches, many offering clinic English and Western riding, Hunter/Jumper and Dressage, Sulky and Carriage Driving.

Thirteen miles up Carmel Valley from Highway 1 is the quiet country Carmel Valley Village with its fine dining, wine tasting, antique shops and art galleries. This is where folk singer Joan Baez led the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s from her nearby Miramonte ranch. Celebrities galore have visited the Carmel Valley dating back to the 1890s when the Del Monte Lodge used the old Rancho Los Laureles as a guest lodge.

Until WWII, many millionaire sportsmen built mansions in the Carmel Valley and invited their Hollywood friends to hunt boar in the hills, play polo and golf, and attend horse shows and fiestas. To this day several luminaries have made their homes here including actress Doris Day and entertainer Merv Griffin. Celebrity weddings and receptions are also the norm in the Valley.

"Sunny" Carmel Valley enjoys moderately warm temperatures year round, with an average high of 71 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, 61 in the winter, and 78 in September and October (Indian Summer--the best weather of the year). Carmel Valley has earned its "Sunny" name because its neighbors to the west, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Pacific Grove, and Monterey are known for dense fog when the weather warms up. Families have found Carmel Valley an ideal place to raise their children because of the weather, good schools, and the fact that it is considered a "safe" environment away from urban crime.

The Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most visited castles in Germany and one of the most popular tourist destination in Europe.

The castle is located in Bavaria, near the town of Fussen. It was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, also known as the “Fairytale King”. See our Neuschwanstein Castle Tour page.

King Ludwig was a great admirer and supporter of Richard Wagner, the world - renowned composer.

Neuschwanstein Castle was built in his honor and many rooms in the castle's interior were inspired by Wagner's characters.

The third floor particularly reflects Ludwig's admiration of Wagner's operas.The Singers Hall, which occupies the entire fourth floor of Neuschwanstein also contains characters from Wagner's operas.

Neuschwanstein literally means “New Swan Castle” referencing of “the Swan Knight” one of the Wagner’s characters.

The Neuschwanstein Castle really looks like a fairytale castle. Neuschwanstein is a castle of the paradox. It was built in the 19th century in Bavaria, in a time when castles no longer had strategical and defensive purposes.

While Neuschwanstein's look is that of a medieval castle, it was equiped inside with state of the art technology at that time. For example on every floor of the castle there were toilets with automatic flushing system, as well as an air heating system for the whole castle. Water was supplied by a nearby spring situated at only 200 meters above the castle.

Neuschwanstein's positioning is also a fairytale one. It is located in the Alps in Bavaria, Germany, in a magnificent landscape, on the top of a hill. Neuschwanstein overlooks the Hohenschwangau valley. If you come to visit this castle, you will be amazed by the extremely beautiful landscape that surrounds it.

Also, Neuschwanstein lies very close to the town of Fussen, which is also a popular tourist destination in Germany.

The construction of the Neuschwanstein castle began in 1869, and originally it was projected to last three year. But Ludwig II wanted the castle to be perfect, so the immense building was not finished even at Ludwig's death in 1886.

Neuschwanstein Castle has a very beautiful inner garden surrounded by a walled courtyard. It even has an artificial cave. Neuschwanstein's interior is as beautiful as its outside. Though only 14 rooms were finished before Ludiwg II's sudden death in 1886, these rooms were majestically decorated.

The two story throne room was designed in Byzantine style, with wall paintings depicting angels. Ironically, there is no throne in the Throne Room, as Ludwig died before it was completely finished.

This fairytale look of the Neuschwanstein castle inspired Walt Disney to create the Magic Kingdom. Today, Neuschwanstein is the most visited castle in Germany, and one of the most popular tourist destination in the world. Every year over 1.300.000 people crosses its gate.

Bath is a city in the ceremonial county of Somerset in the south west of England. It is situated 97 miles (156 km) west of London and 13 miles (21 km) south-east of Bristol. The population of the city is 83,992. It was granted city status by Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth I in 1590, and was made a county borough in 1889 which gave it administrative independence from its county, Somerset. The city became part of Avon when that county was created in 1974. Since 1996, when Avon was abolished, Bath has been the principal centre of the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES).

The city was first established as a spa with the Latin name, Aquae Sulis ("the waters of Sulis") by the Romans in AD 43, although verbal tradition suggests that Bath was known before then. They built baths and a temple on the surrounding hills of Bath in the valley of the River Avon around hot springs. Edgar was crowned king of England at Bath Abbey in 973. Much later, it became popular as a spa town during the Georgian era, which led to a major expansion that left a heritage of exemplary Georgian architecture crafted from Bath Stone.

The City of Bath was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1987. The city has a variety of theatres, museums, and other cultural and sporting venues, which have helped to make it a major centre for tourism, with over one million staying visitors and 3.8 million day visitors to the city each year. The city has two universities and several schools and colleges. There is a large service sector, and growing information and communication technologies and creative industries, providing employment for the population of Bath and the surrounding area.

My name is Gina and I am 27 years old.

I so proud to say that I am down 5 dress sizes and lost over 40lbs!!! After putting on a tremendous amount of weight on my small 5'3 frame, I finally got to the point where I had to do something about it.

Like so many people out there I vowed on December 31, 2007 that my New Year’s Resolution for 2008 would be to join a gym, get healthier, and lose weight.

So I joined Lucille Roberts on January 2, 2008 and started my weight loss journey.

I signed up for the gold card and loved the fact that I could go to a Lucille Robert's location near my home (Bay Ridge, Brooklyn) and by my job (Wall Street, NYC). No room for excuses!!!

I enjoyed taking all the different classes (especially the cardio kickboxing), and I looked forward to the pumped-up high energetic instructors!! I was also using the treadmill and elliptical machines to burn mega calories whenever I didn't make the classes.

Lucille Roberts in combination with a healthy diet has allowed me to totally change my lifestyle. I am not on a so-called "diet". I have adapted a new way of eating, thinking and living and I love it!

I enjoy working out and feel so much healthier and confident now that I have lost all this weight.

To anyone one else out there who is down about their weight, or maybe isn't seeing results as quickly as they'd like, just know that "slow and steady always wins the race!"

You can do it!

Following Lucille Roberts on Twitter or friending Lucille Roberts on Facebook can help keep you updated with the latest news from the Lucille Roberts community.