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HR Hare by Amanda Quelin
From the website:
I chose to do a royal Hare to mark the year of the Queens platinum jubilee, I thought it would be a fun way for children to relate to this historical event.
There is a new art trail in Southampton and Winchester this summer. For ten weeks Hares of Hampshire will bring thirty-two large hares and forty-two leverets to the streets, parks, galleries and shops of the two cities.
All money raised by donations and by the auction of the hares at the end of the summer will go to the Murray Parish Trust.
Of ossuaries that came to rest upon the platforms amongst the striking sky breaching stellar stone gnomons I would a history here be told,
and if you had the ears for such I could to you a tale of men and gods relate to you men in this age of differing gods their sacred store unfold.
I take it that you will not be taking me up upon my boast of an introduction to an oral exploration of the ways of men that compose level platforms to set in stone the land based embracement that watches Equinox and Solstice taking the light woven from The Sun and The Moon and in that returning weft adds the long lengthening warp of Stars and Star Shepherding Planets such that The Morning Star corrects our cyclical weft turned and turned about calendar and gives us the making of moments heard in the pulse of the astral divine whose breath brings warmth from ice and who in taught texture gifts inspiration to continuation of warp and voice in me with life enough to sing of the Cosmic Stirring and of the seeming endless muddling, mixing and making of all Life from Death and of seed aplenty to grow out of famine following the keening and of the kenning to dwell within waking and to prosper without dream.
Star light above and fire bright in the centre of us are not strictly necessary, but they do bring us closer in to form our listening and to forge our tale within a bounded boarded bonded ring...
© PHH Sykes 2026
phhsykes@gmail.com
These links set below provide a much better introduction to Machrie Moor than my song sung into the wind unsettling as a bardic prologue above.
Machrie Moor Standing Stones
Near Blackwaterfoot, Arran
www.historicenvironment.scot/visit/all/machrie-moor-stand...
History and stories, Machrie Moor Standing Stones
Near Blackwaterfoot, Arran
www.historicenvironment.scot/visit/all/machrie-moor-stand...
Machrie Moor
www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/161/machrie-moor
Machrie Moor
www.themodernantiquarian.com/forum/2/161/17743/194651
Site Name: Machrie Moor 1.
www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=439
Site Name: Machrie Moor 10 Alternative Name: Moss Farm Road, Machrie X
www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=1111
Machrie Moor the urban prehistorian
theurbanprehistorian.wordpress.com/tag/machrie-moor/
Arran, Machrie Moor, Trove Scotland
National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) ID: 39699
Over 200 digital images
Arran, Machrie Moor 2, Trove Scotland
www.trove.scot/place/39702?tab=images
Fingal’s Cauldron Seat, Machrie Moor, Kilmory, Arran
www.thenorthernantiquarian.org/2014/07/13/fingals-cauldro...
Machrie Moor Stone Circles
112 pictures in 2012, #29 Leap Day (any shot to be taken on, or relating to 29th Februari2012)
Explore, Highest position: #132 on Wednesday, March 7, 2012
It is truly difficult to effectively relate how graceful and ethereal Manta Rays are as they perform their nightly ballet in the warm waters near Kona Hawaii. This image perhaps does the work of hundreds of adjectives in relating the emotion you feel as these massive creatures glide inches from your face.
If you would like to read more about swimming with Mantas and see more photos of this adventure, check-out my blog article: www.firefallphotography.com/swimming-manta-rays-tips-phot...
Have a great day!
Jeff
My Website ¦ Facebook ¦ My Blog ¦ Google+
Explored 9/21/13
I am reposting this message and creation from my December 2019 post
Although this was written in 2019 I knew something big was going to take place on earth in the months ahead.
It is as relevant today as it was back in 2019 because it relates to today in 2021
I underestimated the severity of this message. In saying this I was extremely unsettled for many months and prayed as I knew something was going to happen but I did not know exactly what.
I had endured many months of suffering knowing. Through this process things became crystal clear to me and with that an understanding of the higher picture and ultimately a sense of surrendering to 'what is' and a sense of Peace and Calm came with this, along with so much gratitude for being guided and shown. A blessing and a curse
To add to this, many souls have sacrificed themselves - knowingly and unknowingly to wake up humanity.
We can never know the soul agreement that each of us has made when we birthed into this world.
I am eternally grateful to the many souls who have endured hell on earth, lost their lives to awaken the masses to the reality of this world.
There are many people at this time on earth who are struggling with all that is happening in our world.
I was guided with this message and design back in 2019 - it started many months before it was completed by December of that year.
I hope that this message will bring some understanding and comfort to anyone who is struggling right now.
Despite her name Black Winged Goddess, she does bring a message of Hope and Unity to humanity.
We are living in times of great destruction of the world as we know it, earth changes, fires, floods, earthquakes.
Here alone in Australia we sit in horror at the extent of the fires rampage across the country. Unprecedented fires and weather in the history of our existence (well what is on record)
Whilst horrific - the earth we live on has always been full of cyclic changes.
Ancient cities have been discovered under the sea, we are naive to think that the world as we know it will remain the same.
What continents exist now may no longer exist. What coastline exists now is slowly being swallowed up by the ocean.
Volcanic eruptions are changing the face of the planet as are earthquakes - the list is long.
We cannot stop the force of Mother Nature. We live on a planet that has always endured such destruction.
We have pole shifts taking place - all kinds of catastrophic events happening across the Globe. We are but a spit in the ocean to the wide Galaxies that we know of. Yet we think we are precious in some way.
I cannot help but wonder why I was so drawn to create this "Black Winged Goddess" let alone give her the name of Black Winged Goddess. But I was drawn, my soul was pushing me for weeks with a "slight vision" of what I needed to create. It now makes total sense to me why I was so drawn to create The Black Winged Goddess, given the state of our world and humanity.
My soul as always when I listen guides me with powerful messages and reminds me to just 'be' to accept 'what is'.
We may not like the current state of our world, but it is what it is and all we can do is stay strong within ourselves and hold the power of 'love' in our hearts despite seeing so much being played out on the planet.
Kali (Hindu) - was known as a deity of the Fearsome Demon destroying Goddess who represents death and rebirth - so her name means "Black One".
We can never truly comprehend or understand the power of mother nature - we have abused her for centuries, taken her for granted and she is a living breathing consciousness so powerful that we dare not go up against here.
In recent years we have seen the influence of the feminine energy on earth which for eons has been dominated by the male energy.
So it makes complete sense to me that we are witness to so much destruction on the planet.
We are witness to the destruction of our societies as we know it, breakdown of families, law, politics.
So much of humanity is at war with the 'system', the injustices, and the lack of balance within our society. The homeless, the abused, the forgotten souls, the mental health issues that seem to have become rampant, the rise of Corporate wealth while humanity is trapped in slavery. We have learnt nothing as a humanity over the past how many hundred years?
In order for rebirth, for new growth, a culling needs to take place - hence the energy of the Black Winged Goddess she is both the Destroyer and the Giver of New Life.
We have elected to be here at this time on the planet - despite the suffering we witness or endure - I know at a higher level it is absolutely necessary for real change to take place.
Our world is a very different place to the one we have known - and whilst we have believed we have had a safe and reasonable planet in which to live, the reality is much Evil has existed and people have been brainwashed to the point of being zombies. There has been so much suppression imposed upon humanity even to the extreme of vaccinations and fluoride to our water supply. All of these chemicals act as suppressants to our brain! It has been a deliberate agenda of the existing power on earth. Their agenda has always been to rule, control and suppress the populous.
Humanity is awakening and with this will be uproar, dis - ease, a culling if you like. It is time for humanity to step out of fear and into their true power which is within each and every one of us.
New growth, new beginnings but not before the dismantling of the old - it has to be this way.
These times we are living through were written in history.
So I have created "The Black Winged Goddess" she is available in different styles, inside a Dome with beautiful etched glass or stand alone. She will rotate or can be static.
She is available on MP in the Stand Alone version (rotating) or can be seen in world at my store.
****This POST IS NOT to promote my MP. I will not put my MP link here for this reason. If anyone does not have the money and would like a version of her please send me a notecard in world with your full name and I will happily send one to you. This is NOT about promoting my MP it is about assisting humanity at this time***.
I hope you enjoy and embrace 'The "Black Winged Goddess' and rather be in fear of her - understand she brings 'New Life" but first the old has to die for the new to be born.
How appropriate for a New Year of 2020 fast approaching.
Interestingly and unconsciously I created 4 of these Black Winged Goddesses.
The year 2020 equates to the number 4 in Numerology.
The #4 represents a Universal energy. (see below for a deeper understanding of the #4)
The # 2 - Is the most feminine and often underestimated when it comes to power and strength. She is always gentle, tactful, diplomatic, forgiving and understanding. She likes to keep peace and likes to avoid confrontation. # 2 is the survivor and extremely resilient force. Her shape looks as though she is bent back on a knee with head bowed in humility and service. However when enough pressure is applied to the # 2 energy. Some would perceive her as weak and powerless due to this servitude shape. However never underestimate the power behind #2 because she represents the power (double) #1 who is the all powerful warrior who will shake and destroy no matter what. So #2 brings the balance but never underestimate the power of 2 Energy.
The #4 Energy in more detail
The 4 is without a doubt masculine, reflecting strength and stability. His chief characteristics are dependability, productivity, punctuality and obedience. He is trustworthy, patient, conventional and a traditionalist.
Tend to be rule followers. 4 is the area of sciences, upholding the law (such as Government and the military). The #4 represents Disciplined, systematic, Dependable, Strong. Loyal
Four is the basis of all solid objects. Four points are used in constructing the simplest solid and thus four is the number symbolizing the way of construction. In many religions, four is seen as the number for earth, and representing the four elements, Air Earth, Water and Fire.
At its extreme 4's can tend to overreact to violence.
So 2020 seems to have more challenges ahead and I suspect we will be seeing more uprising across the planet (#2 energy) with totalitarianism (#4 energy) being played out like never before. Perhaps more of what the world has witnessed in Hong Kong this year.
It is as if the two energies Masculine & Feminine are battling against one another. But at the same time, I cannot help but feel and acknowledge UNITY - and this is what I will remain focused upon during the year ahead. We must stand united. We are after all 'one humanity'
We are without doubt living in very challenging times.
May peace be with you!
Copyright December 2019 Chant Lyric
Please share with anyone who you believe may take some comfort during these days - not because I want awards, in fact I do not want awards. This is for humanity and was given to me through the Grace of God
This post is NOT about promoting my MP - she is available there for anyone who wants to purchase her. For anyone who truly feels drawn to her and the strength and comfort she brings to me, and do not have the money to purchase her. Please contact me in world with a notecard, give me your full name and I will happily send her free of charge to you.
My original posts can be seen here www.flickr.com/photos/58903384@N04/49251189433/in/datepos...
www.flickr.com/photos/58903384@N04/49251186488/in/photost...
The burning crucifix's relate to local Christian internecine strife. The seventeen crosses remember the seventeen Protestant (Christian) martyrs executed by the Catholic (Christian) Queen Mary (aka "Bloody Mary") a long time ago. There are no racist connotations.
Images taken during the legendary Lewes Bonfire Night Celebrations on 5th of November 2007.
Can you relate? I got up early because I wanted to photograph some places in town at sunrise. Hoping for warm light and strong shadows.
Almost all the sites I visited had changed into construction sites though and I really got in a bad mood.
I decided to go on since I was there anyway and time can be precious.
Then I saw the light on this window. Diffused by the tree. It's shadows casted on the wall. It instantly changed my mood. I started to photograph other things than planned and got home with a really nice set of photos. You have got to stay open minded.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Olympus E-300, Zuiko Digital 40–150mm F3.5–4.5
Credits :
Blueberry - Can't Relate - Boots Flat & High Heels @ Main Store
Blueberry - Can't Relate - Fishnet Stockings @ Main Store
Blueberry - Can't Relate - Shorts & Belts @ Main Store
Blueberry - Can't Relate - Tops Alone @ Main Store
Blueberry - Can't Relate - Wrap Around Cardigan @ Main Store
Doe: Gabriella Hair @ Collabor88
Eyes : {S0NG} :: Crow Eyes Gacha - pale blue @ Epiphany
Doe: Monster Backpack (Hold) - Pink Gacha @ Main Store
Romazin - Earrings - Tori @ Sense
Romazin - Necklace - Tori 1 @ Sense
Romazin - Necklace - Tori 2 @ Sense
Romazin - Necklace - Tori 3 @ Sense
MINIMAL - Town Hall Backdrop -flower balcony-MINIMAL - Town Hall Backdrop @ Kustom9
SPELL : Bike -Mushrooms - RARE @ Main Store
ionic : Antique books & iron chair @ Main Store
ionic : Interior plant @ Main Store
ionic : Store Sign (Black & Gold) @ Main Store
ionic : Tea Store Sign @ Main Store
ionic: Fountain (tiled) @ Main Store
from Madras Fruit Stand Decor Gacha @ Main Store
Madras Green Apple Box
Madras Watermelon
Madras Raspberry Basket
Madras Mulberry Basket
Madras Purple Grapes
Madras Green grapes
Madras Cherry Tray
Madras Apple Box
Madras Fruit Table
Madras Banana Box
Madras Pineapple Boat rare
Blythe a Day - How to Sell a Haunted House (Bewitched) - 10/1/25
For Sale in Spookytown: Classic Haunted Beauty
About the Property:
Beautiful classic 4 bed 3 bath tri-level in coveted Spookytown. Original fireplaces and staircases. Hard wood flooring throughout. Old creaky windows, attic ghosts, furnace, updated electrical and much more!
Features:
Actual clawfoot tubs
2 ghosts
Secret staircase & door
Creaky floors
Large windows
Attic bats
Real skeletons in the closets
Call Drusilla, our expert relator, for a private tour.
House photo I took on a fall drive and recolored
Daunting Drusilla Blythe
10 July 2021: In recent days the figures relating to the coronavirus pandemic in Belgium have taken a turn for the worse. The number of new infections has been rising for around a week now and yesterday (Friday) the average number of daily hospital admissions rose for the first time in weeks. During the week from 30 June to 6 July an average of 697 people tested positive for the coronavirus. This is 81% up on the figures for the previous week. The total number of patients with COVID-19 that are being cared for in the country’s hospitals stands now at 250. Of those hospitalised 95 are on intensive care wards. The basic reproductive rate for coronavirus in Belgium currently stands at 1.09. Since a large number of people have still not been fully immunized against COVID-19 and since there is no reason to believe that the figures will start falling again in a couple of weeks the situation is very worrying. Belgium is not alone. The number of coronavirus infections is increasing across Europe. In the Netherlands, the number of coronavirus infections is rising sharply, with 6,986 new cases in the past 24 hours. The Dutch government announced yesterday new restrictions to limit the hospitality industry and live events sectors. In summary until a very high % of the population is fully immunized we will need to remain cautious – Bruges, Belgium.
Triangularity - Relating to entities such as three people, objects, ideas,...…. And Tri... refers to the number 3 an odd number...
For the challenge = triangular shapes, three items on a scarf with three sided shapes,......
2019 05 14_6559.jpgh
There are plenty of things I could tell you about this image but what I am going to relate tonight is only going to involve the mistake I made.
One of the risks to habits is that you can come to rely on them overly much. A case in point would be that by an unofficial rule I generally keep my Hasselblad backs loaded with 400 ISO film, one back for color and the other for b&w. When I do load a different speed film in one of my backs I try to make a note because I am so used to 400 speed film in them that I have mis-exposed film before because of mistaken assumption.
Before this latest trip up to the Olympic Peninsula I had been working a lot and photographing only a little. As such by the time I got up there my black and white back was halfway through a roll of film I could not remember loading and so I could not remember which film was in it. Normally no note would mean 400 speed but something in my brain was tickling away that this was not true, that I had loaded something out of the ordinary in terms of film speed in this back.
So what are my options at this point with about six frames left to expose? Well I could trust my habits and expose at 400. I could attempt to second guess motives and backtrack through memory to deduce which film I might have loaded. I could meter somewhere in between. This latter is what I did. I figured the only other speed I would have loaded would have been 100 ISO film. So if I metered at 200 then I would only be wrong by a stop. If it was 100, I would be a stop under and considering that I normally overexpose by habit anyway, all would be ok. If it was 400, then I would be a stop over (or two with my usual overexposure). and film so readily forgives overexposure. Seriously, you can get away with three or four stops over and still produce reasonable images. Additionally I was going to be a bit less choosy with those six frames and try to blow through them quickly so I could confirm the film and if necessary backtrack to re-expose any images.
Thus I set off. Unfortunately it was sunny and clear and conducive to heavy ND shooting so "blowing through" half a roll takes on a slightly different meaning when shooting through 18 stops of neutral density. It took a few hours but I managed, wound the roll and unloaded it... to find a roll of Rollei RPX 25. Umm yeah. So metering for 200, maybe overexposing by design by a stop I was still going to be two stops under. That was a bit disappointing. Usually I defer to the decisions that past-Zeb makes. He often seems to think of things that present-Zeb appreciates. But this time I was wondering what in the heck that past me was thinking by loading a roll of 25 speed film in a camera that usually uses 400 speed and not putting a note on it to warn present-Zeb how to expose it properly. Sheesh.
So I had a bit of a sinking feeling in my stomach, figuring not even the forgiveness of film was going to save me this time. Luckily I was still on the same beach and did backtrack to re-expose the images I felt most strongly about. I debated having the roll pushed when I got back but then the first half had theoretically been exposed accurately and I couldn't really remember what was on it, so I didn't want to push process that stuff, so I just let it go, morbidly curious to see how thin the negs would be. Imagine my surprise when the stuff that came back turned out to be fairly usable... at least some of it. This image for example was metered somewhere around 100 to 200 ISO, which means I probably overexposed it to begin with due to the deep shadows in the frame. But that is ok, I wanted the cliffs to be black anyway.
So what to take from all this? I guess mostly that we all make mistakes. In fact you ought to find opportunities to make mistakes. They keep us sharp, they are opportunities to learn, they sometimes show us things we may not have discovered on our own, they remind us that we are fallible in our decision-making. And I tell you about this one in particular so that you know that I am not above making such silly errors. I tend to curate out most of the images I don't consider worth the time to post or your time to see. I edit down to the good stuff, which really means the stuff that I like for one reason and another. And I think with practice and by limiting how much I post I tend to only share the stuff that is noteworthy for good reasons. But that can easily lead to the mistaken perception that maybe I don't make the same mistakes you make. That I don't screw up my calculations or forget something simple and obvious. Well trust me, I do. And sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. On this case I got lucky, no thanks to my past self.
Hasselblad 500C
Rollei RPX 25
...relating to the first in comments!
A few things can be described about this. The location is Bingsjö in Sweden, Päckosgården to be more exact. Once the home of a musician...
This year I will try to stay away from the cruising nights and concentrate on this place ;) More to come on that...
Relating to my previous image, information board at WWT Slimbridge giving details about the Crested or Southern Screamer www.flickr.com/photos/juliek1967/35849656142/in/dateposted/ (hope this is OK for Wing Wednesday too Ash) HWW & HSS!
Wearing blue but not frrling blue ...
Credit
---Avatar---
Head : GENUS Project / Baby Face
Hair : Foxy / Whisper Hair (Essential)
Skin : a.b / Emily - vanilla
Lip : WarPaint* Parisian lipglass - set 1 & 2
Eye liner : WarPaint* / Gilded liner
Vines : Lizzie’s / Body Veins & Freckles (combined)
Tan linees : Izzie's / Swimsuit Tan Lines
Ears : Swallow / Rox Ears
Body : Maitreya / Lara V5.1
Tattoo : My own
Nails : NAILPLUG / Blk Butterfly Bento Set
---Style---
Ring : Yummy / Sweetheart RIngs - Maitreya
Bracelets & Ring : AvaWay / LOVE Bracelets & Rings
Necklace : Kibitz / Beautiful disaster necklace - silver
Belly Chain : AvaWay / LOVE Belly Chain
Apple Watch : My own
Bear Blouse : CandyDoll / Softy Blouse
Body suits : Rowne / Bex Corset Bodysuit
Pants & Shirts around waist : neve / huggieshorts - plaid
Stocking : Blueberry / Can't Relate - Stockings & Boots - Fat Pack
Chain wallet : Chain wallet : `M.BIRDIE / Dio look. BAG 3
VETEMENTS New Rock edition plat home trainers : Semller / Rock Boots Black
#secondlife #sl #secondlifeblogger #slblogger #secondlifefashion #slfashion #secondlifefashionblog #secondlifephotography #secondlifeavatar #secondlifestyle
The International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) a memorial relating the historical impact of and on Bomber Command during the Second World War. Located on Canwick Hill, overlooking the city of Lincoln in Lincolnshire.
The city of Lincoln was selected for the location of the IBCC because 27 RAF Bomber Command stations (over a third of all Bomber Command stations) were based in the county during World War II. The large amount of airfields led to Lincolnshire being nicknamed the "Bomber County".
Located at Canwick Hill, the centre is just under two and half miles from RAF Waddington, which suffered the greatest losses of any Bomber Command station, and close to the former Avro aircraft production facility at Bracebridge Heath. A view of Lincoln Cathedral, a prominent landmark for aircrews, forms an important part of the vista from the centre of the Memorial Spire.
The aim of the IBCC is to tell the personal stories of members of the RAF Bomber Command, ground crew and civilians impacted by the bombing campaigns during the Second World War. The centre will also provide a comprehensive record of the role of Bomber Command's squadrons and to digitally display historical documentation and photographs relating to the activity of Bomber Command.
Within the grounds of the International Bomber Command Centre the Spire Memorial was erected on 10 May 2015. The memorial is a spire, reflecting the connection to Lincoln Cathedral. Created out of Corten A weathering steel, it is based on the dimensions of the wingspan of a Lancaster bomber, being 102ft high and 16ft at the base. The Spire was officially unveiled in October 2015 to an audience of 3,600 guests including 312 Bomber veterans.
The spire is encircled by walls carrying the names of all 57,871 men and women who gave their lives whilst serving in or supporting Bomber Command. This is the only place in the world where all these losses are memorialised.
Information Source:
The chapel features, on its three walls, frescoed scenes relating to the Universal Flood, the Entrance of the Animals into the Ark, the End of the Flood and Noah's Drunkenness. The compositions are characterised by outdoor visions marked by the presence of human figures and animals, both depicted on a small scale. The painter's attention seems to be focused on the description of the variety of animals and birds, without, however, failing to dwell on the more intensely dramatic scenes, such as the cases of those who drown, going as far as the cold analysis of the corpses strewn on the ground after the Flood. The stories of the Flood are linked to the fresco of the Baptism of Christ that faces them in the cloistered church, as a foreshadowing of that moment of salvation, according to what St Peter makes clear in the First Epistle (3:20-21): "God in his longsuffering waited in the days of Noah for the ark to be built, in which eight people in all found escape from the water, a figure, this one, of the Baptism that now saves us".
Historical-critical information: In these frescoes, Aurelio Luini displays an unprecedented propensity for storytelling and narration for its own sake, which results in a smug amusement directed above all at the descriptive rendering of the various animal species, rendered with an almost lenticular meticulousness. As the son of Bernardino Luini, who was active for many years in San Maurizio, Aurelio showed undisputed talent for painting, which led him to collaborate with his older brother Giovan Pietro from 1555 onwards. Here, as in other cases, Aurelio exhibits the peculiar characteristics of his painting, sustained by an exuberant expressive emphasis that is fully in line with contemporary 'Mannerism'. The naturalistic taste manifested in the frescoes of the Noah's Ark chapel also reflects the interest that Aurelio, a member of the Accademia della Val di Blenio (run by Giovan Paolo Lomazzo), had always shown in Leonardo's research.
June 25, 2011.
This is my sister
I'm only getting started. I won't blackout
Thank you so much Meggie for the testimonial :)
I've been thinking for a long while over the topic of meeting new people, and watching the previous ones leave as new ones enter.
Maybe everyone is meant to meet one monster in their lives, the ghost of their past that whispers in the haunting darkness, the one shadow that will never let them go. It awakens in the night, waiting for the hours to tick by so it can press its suffocating weight onto your shoulders. Insomnia keeps your eyes wide open, allowing you to feel the pressure from the shadow.
There's no escaping, because nightmares only materialise in pure silence, when your thoughts are fleeing in hurried bursts from your mind. When the only sound is the jagged edge of your breath catching in the ragged air. When your hands are clenched in tight little grips on the sheets, and you feel an inconsolable sense of grief.
All that you have lost, and the pain you have gone through, slowly collected in that one shadow, all weighing down on you. All the memories. All the recollections. They're all waiting in the dark to come back and haunt you.
Remembering a memory is akin to taking a blurred photograph and putting it in your pocket. You will always remember what happened in that instant, but not too clearly; yet clearly enough to know the general details. And try as you might, you will never be able to change the memory. Because it has already been printed, and it has become a fact of life.
I met this giraffe doing a feeding type of this and boy was he only there for the food and that’s it which is obviously pretty relatable I think
© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved
Candid eye contact street photography from Glasgow, Scotland. I can relate to the apparent tiredness as I go through periods of chronic sleep deprivation. Street photography in Glasgow is always an adventure with changing moods and atmospheres on the streets, and more often than not a predictable change in different areas of the city centre. Sauchiehall Street is a current favourite location of mine. Enjoy!
Relating to or denoting art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but rather seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, colors, and textures.
Banteay Srei or Banteay Srey is a 10th-century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Located in the area of Angkor, it lies near the hill of Phnom Dei, 25 km (16 mi) north-east of the main group of temples that once belonged to the medieval capitals of Yasodharapura and Angkor Thom. Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today. The buildings themselves are miniature in scale, unusually so when measured by the standards of Angkorian construction. These factors have made the temple extremely popular with tourists, and have led to its being widely praised as a "precious gem", or the "jewel of Khmer art."
The temple's modern name, Bantãy Srĕi—citadel of the women, or citadel of beauty—is probably related to the intricacy of the bas relief carvings found on the walls and the tiny dimensions of the buildings themselves. Some have speculated that it relates to the many devatas carved into the walls of the buildings. Apsaras, divine nymphs or celestial dancing girls, are characters from Indian mythology. Apsaras and devatas are ubiquitous at Angkor, but are most common in the foundations of the 12th century. Depictions of true (dancing) apsaras are found, for example, in the Hall of Dancers at Preah Khan, in the pillars that line the passageways through the outer gallery of the Bayon, and in the famous bas-relief of Angkor Watdepicting the churning of the Ocean of Milk.
Dvarapalas are human or demonic temple guardians, generally armed with lances and clubs. They are presented either as a stone statues or as relief carvings in the walls of temples and other buildings, generally close to entrances or passageways. Their function is to protect the temples. Dvarapalas may be seen, for example, at Preah Ko, Lolei, Banteay Srei, Preah Khanand Banteay Kdei. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banteay_Srei)
There are many rumors about the ship′s origins and how it got stranded on the beach. Most relate that the ship was used to smuggle cigarettes between Turkey and Italy. She was seized by the port authorities of Gythio and then deliberately released from the port and left to be dragged by the sea to the beach at Valtaki, about 5 kilometers (2.7 nautical miles; 3.1 miles) from the port of Gythio. She was then set on fire to hide the evidence of cigarette smuggling. Another, less common rumor speaks of a ghost ship of unknown origins.
However, according to a book written by the Honorary Chief of the Hellenic Coast Guard, Vice Admiral Christos Ntounis (1935–2010), Ta Navagia stis Ellinikes thalasses (translated as The shipwrecks of the Greek seas) there is more to be said about the true history of the ship.
The Dimitrios in 2008.
In Ta Navagia stis Ellinikes thalasses (Volume B 1950-2000), Ntounis writes that the ship made an emergency docking at Gythio on 4 December 1980 because her captain needed access to a hospital due to a serious illness. However, after the ship′s docking, financial problems arose with the crew, as did various engine problems, coupled with insurance measures imposed by various lenders. The crew was then fired and the task of safeguarding the ship was assigned to Georgios Daniil and Vasilis Parigoris.
The ship was docked at Gythio until June 1981, when she was declared unsafe due to wear on the docking ropes and starboard list due to water entering her hull. The port authorities asked for her to be moved to an anchorage outside the port for safety reasons, but the owners did not respond until November 1981. The book states that "at approximately 12:30 p.m. on the 9th of November 1981 the ship was swept about 2 [nautical?] miles [2.3 miles; 3.7 km] away due to severe weather conditions and it was temporary anchored". But the temporary anchorage did not last for long, as the ship was swept away again and finally stranded at its current location on the beach at Valtaki on 23 December 1981. The ship was then simply abandoned there and no attempts were made to recover her.
HDR, 10 stop ND
Eidetic: relating to or denoting mental images having unusual vividness and detail, as if actually visible. Gainesville Florida 9/8/24
La vie de Martha Desrumeaux est relatée par exemple dans cette video :
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdFB2fYszg8
Pour les amateurs de street art en Ile-de-France, il faut faire un tour place du colonel Fabien à Paris. Devant le bâtiment symbole et siège du parti communiste français sont affichés 11 grands portraits de figures résistantes du parti, portraits réalisés par le street artiste C215, pour fêter à sa façon le centenaire du PCF (le parti communiste français fut créé à l'issue du congrès de Tours qui se déroula du 25 au 30 décembre 1920...).
C'est plutôt l'aspect "résistants de la seconde guerre mondiale" qui est mis en avant, plutôt que l'aspect communiste. Le PCF est malgré tout très visible puisque les portraits sont réalisés sur des fac-similés de pages de l'Huma de 1945, un temps alors fort stalinien.
Elysian (E•ly•sian): relating to, or characteristics of heaven or paradise. | Model: @ktmkvi
So I'm finally posting personal work. Took this awhile ago with my friend. I really really wanted to get out and go explore. We decided to go check out these waterfalls by my house & do a shoot. It was super cold. So cold that nobody was even at this park. We climbed down to the base and walked right over the ice. Large portions of the water was frozen so it made it easy getting over by the waterfall. After a while we both started getting cold and packed up.
The 'smugglers' who shared the cabin with me on the Trans Siberian always placed a generous cash gratuity into our passports as we were to be searched. Andre 'the elder' would assert his authority as the head smuggler and collect all four of the passports... including mine... and he would give them to the officials with a mischevous smile and a nod that said 'this is my gift to you.' This is my business. This is what I do.
Andre always put the American passport on the bottom... I think he thought it would draw less attention there...and then he always shushed me with a stern and piercing look as he prepared for these most critical transactions. The first thing the official would do is put the American passport on top. I began to realize that although we shared that cabin and the comraderie of the rails... or confinement thereof... that Andre 'the elder' didn't really think that having an American in his cabin was all that much good for business. It seemed to bring a little 'extra special' attention and scrutiny to his little clandestine smuggling operation. Maybe he had to bump up the bribes a notch or two to insure the safe passage of his valuable contraband. Either way you could just tell by watching him that Andre was a bottom line kind of guy.
By the end of the journey though Andre had invited me to live with him and his family in Poland... to work at his store... and to marry his daughter who he assured me had the bluest of eyes and breasts that were the national pride of Poland. Although I never saw him again I came to love Andre as a father in law even though I never met his daughter... somehow I feel like I know her.
It's no joke either about Polish womens breasts being an object of national pride. Somehow Andre 'the elder' seemed capable of working it into any conversation relating to his motherland... to which Andre 'the younger' and their female companion would invariably agree with.
This usually led to a toast... a clanking of the glasses... the tipping of a bottle and a slurred chorus of 'nasdorovia's.'
Whenever the merits of Polish breasts were agreed on, indeed that meant it was time to drink some more vodka. Even to this day... when I think of Andre or Polish womens breasts... it makes me want to knock back a shot of vodka... but I don't drink anymore and really I am more of an ass man... but still. I never had the heart to tell Andre that... I mean, talking about Polish womens breasts really seemed to make him so happy. I didn't want to take that way from him. You've just never seen a guy so filled with joy as Andre was whenever his favorite subject was being discussed or debated... it really lit him up from the inside.
Anytime you want to make a Polish national feel good... or homesick... just bring up the fact that Polish women have the best breasts. It's been good for a lot of free drinks for me.
I had just left Asia... everyday I travelled closer to Europe. With the passage of time and distance Andre's observations were indeed verified though... the closer I got to Poland... the larger breasts became. I'm not kidding. Andre was right.
The first Russian I met... the man smiling in the photograph... was like most Russians it seemed...named Sergei. A few were named Alexander or Andre. I think Russians have only three names... except for politicians or people of fame. I might have met a couple of Victors and a handful of Igor's as well. Somebody once said they'd heard of a Russian named Nikolai too. Still... most men in Russia are named Sergei. That's just the way it is there.
Seconds after I took this photograph Sergei slipped into his pocket without flinch or hesitation the currency that Andre had stashed in his passport. I knew it was coming and I was watching closely for it. I barely caught it. And I grew up in Chicago.
Living on that train with those smugglers was like taking an advanced college course in the subtleties and techniques of graft. It was Andre 'the elder' who taught me that you need to keep variable amounts of currency in each of your four pockets... like five in one, ten in the next, then twenty and a hundred...and that you must properly size up the person you are attempting to bribe and choose from one of your pockets the minumum amount you are betting it will take to pacify that official.
That's helped me more than once in life since then.
Andre also showed me that it was really important to telegraph the bribe... to look the mark right in the eyes and demonstrate that one... you were about to bribe him and two... that you were going to reach into your pocket and take out all of the money you had available to you for this transaction. It was really deep psychology according to Andre. The man had an ethic and he was a perfectionist. It's always remarkable to watch such a master at work.
Andre pointed out that it was good form to allow your pocket to turn slightly inside out so that the mark could see that indeed you really emptied it. This he noted made them feel really special. Like you went all the way for them. He also taught me that a bribe is never to be peeled off of a larger wad of bills or taken from a wallet... unless you had done business with the mark before but in his opinion it was still a bad idea.
Andre's bribes never failed or produced even the slightest trace of hesitation. The man was truly a master. Andre 'the elder' was the maestro of bribery. And he taught me well. Halfway through the journey he announced that he was getting sick of the train and that he and his cohorts were getting off at Irkusk and flying on to Moscow.
He gave to me a case of vodka and an envelope with additional bribes in it and told me that he would meet me in Moscow with the 'goods' next week.
I was proud and honored that Andre 'the elder' trusted me with the 'stuff.'
I was officially a smuggler now.
When I went through Japanese customs they even pulled me right out of line... took me to this little office where I presumed I was going to learn what a rough rectal exam was like. They never even looked in my bags though... they just wanted to know if I slept with any prostitutes in Bangkok... it was a real interrogation too... they didn't believe me when I said I hadn't... they even tried to say I must be gay then. the fact that I didn't seem to take much offense at their calling me gay really seemed to disturb them because thry had a little conference among themselves... in Japanese... so I had no way of knowing what they were saying.
I told them that i did get a killer massage at the James Bond Turkish Bath and Massage House... but there was no happy ending if you know what I mean. I only went in because of the James Bond motiff. I'm a sucker for that stuff... like the cosmonaut cigarettes on the train in Russia.
Still they didn't believe me but they let me go with a warning... a reminder to call them if I wanted to change my story and they gave me this pamphlet that described all of the symptoms one might have after a hedonistic weekend in the city of angels... Bankok. Reading the brochure it made me really glad I just stuck with the massage. The pictures, even though they were in black and white, they were especially disturbing.
Bangkok... really the only reason I went there is because I loved that song by Murray McMurray... you know the one... 'one night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble.' I wanted to see what the inspiration for that song was... and I thought I could use some humbling. Murray was correctamundo... I was indeed humbled.
I dealt with smugglers before in Japan... Nigerians... but dealing with the Nigerians always made me feel dirty. And that was before they became famous on the internet.
Those Nigerians... they are a resourceful bunch though. And the colorful clothing... you haven't partied until you've partied with a Nigerian man wearing a yellow daishiki with a matching hat. I couldda stared at those intricate psychadellic patterns forever. I still felt dirty though. But as a rule, if you ever want anything illegal, if you want to find the corruption or a cities dark underbelly... look for the Nigerians... you can't miss them the way they dress. Or you can just find cab drivers... who are often Nigerian anyway. Cab drivers are also a valuable resource when you are looking for some sin in a new city. I never once got into one of those three wheeled cabs in Bangkok called "Tuk-tuk's" without being offered a "massagy-massagy," Not once.
When I was in high school and I wanted some beer or alcoholoc beverages... I'd just call for a cab... and when the guy got there... I'd tell him to go get me a twelve pack or something... then I would do that "rip the twenty dollar bill in half" trick and tell him he'd get to keep the other half when he came back. They loved that. It always produced for me. It's one of the most secret agent like things you could do... ripping a bill in half like that... it's an all or nothing move... it's like saying neither one of us trusts the other but this twenty... that's what it's all about. Of course you gotta figure in the cab fare too.
I think Nigeria has the worlds biggest cab driver school or something. Most Nigerian guys grow up to be cab drivers... the ones with more education do internet scams... white collar work. From what I've seen... those are your only two career paths if you're from Nigeria. Smuggling and dealing in hashish is just a very common side gig. And they had this scam where they used a computer to alter prepaid phone cards and increase their value. Nigerians can be geniuses.
It was a Nigerian that taught me that if you took the local train long distance in Japan you could have a friend get on at the station before your destination and give you an extra ticket he bought there for like a buck and you could save hundreds because if you over rode your fair they didn't check on the train... you just had to pay when you inserted your ticket at the exit. Those Nigerians.
The Japanese didn't have much an apetite for the devils weed... they preferred amphetamines... something I never did. I always thought it would be pretty hillarious to hang out with some really stoned Japanese people. I wondered what their eyes could possibly look like when they were smoking pot.
The other gaurd in the picture... the mean looking one... noted the transaction as if to say 'I had better get my cut' and the money quickly dissapeared with all of the magnificence of a Las Vegas slieght of hand magician.
You could see it in the officers eyes... and he didn't appreciate my shutter happy finger either. I thought this would be another precious roll of thirty five millimeter lost to the angry hands of the authorities. That stuff is hard to come by in Siberia you know.
It was obvious these men were used to being treated to such gratuities. Probably they sent word ahead... there is a man in the rear cabin who treats security officials very well.
It reminded me of the consulate officer at the Russian embassy in Beijing who informed me that they were 'all out of visas' until I produced my last eight american dollars... and even then he motioned for me to show him the inside of my bag because I'm sure he wanted to make it an even ten. That's why you keep your money in different pockets. Miraculously the rubber stamp that made visas was rejuvenated and after a strong smack on the stamp pad was good for just one more visa.
Our cabin and our bags were never searched. Not anywhere on the entire journey. They could have contained a ton of heroin or four chinese children set out to work in the kitchens of europe.
At this time I didn't know what the two Andres and their female cohort were smuggling, but I had hoped that it was indeed something that would make the journey more pleasant.
My passport was taken from me there at Manzhoulli and I was issued Russian travel papers that I carried for the duration of the trip. Papers that were stamped with a radiation symbol the morning after we tore ass through the radiated zone caused by the disaster at Chernobyl. To this day I wonder how the passport was returned to me as I departed Russia at the Polish border.
Later Sergei 'the compensated' and I sat outside the Manzhoulli station where he smoked a cigarette and asked me questions about America. It wasn't small talk... Sergei had a deep interest in the way things were there... why our countries grew up in this diabolic situation of mutual assured nuclear destruction. What was so different about us his words seemed to say in a meandering way. I saw then that Sergei was raised too on the same diet of propoganda that I was... just the other end of the spectrum. I remember it seemed as if we both realized that right at the same time... his deep basso Russian laughter overwhelmed mine and carried beyond our immediate confines to precede me into Siberia.
I uncapped the pewter whiskey flask in my bag... the one decorated with the golfers on it that I shoplifted from Carson Perie Scott's in high school and we shared a sip. The same one the port official in Shanghai uncapped to smell but never dared to partake of. I crushed that flask when I had it in my back pocket when I fell off the back of a moving truck... the flask was empty... which undoubtably had something to do with me falling off of the back of a moving truck... but I was crushed too because I loved that flask. I ended up filling it with water and freezing it repeatedly until the crushed metal expanded outward. Plus I think it's realy the only thing I've ever shoplifted... except for candy and stuff like that. I just fell in love with that thing the first time I saw it. I knew then that I had to have it and I carried it around the whole world.
In Siberia vodka was golden... but whiskey... even the cheap Japanese stuff I carried...Suntory I think... it produced a reaction in my Russian friends like nothing I had ever seen. One sip... savored as if it were sent from heaven above and there were kisses and bear hugs. One sip of whiskey to a Russian then always opened up an immediate and strong friendship. Sometimes it even lasted longer than the fire it produced in your stomach and the burn in your throat.
I watched the sunset there that evening in Manzhoulli. Alone at the side of the rails I wished that someone would have walked over... sat next to me... and even in the silence of those who speak no common language... just appreciated that Manzhoulli sunset with me.
If I could have found one...I would have paid a prostitute just to sit next to me and enjoy that there. But I've heard that prostitutes always make you pay extra for weird stuff like that. I did after all have a bag of Yuan's that I worked out of the black market in China. The ones that I was left with after they wouldn't let me buy booze with them. The ones only chinese citizens are supposed to carry. Foreigners in China are supposed to carry a different money than the Chinese... they're called foreign exchange certificates. I called them 'fecks' because I like to come up with acronyms or slang names for things. It makes me sound smarter... like I been around the block a time or two.
Chinese money confused me... they rarely used coins... I'd break a one yuan note... worth maybe twenty cents and about the size of a buck... and for change I'd get a bunch of smaller notes of differing sizes. It was like some of their cash was as small as a postage stamp. After a week I had so much of the stuff and couldn't figure out how to use it... I'd just open my hip bag and let the bus driver or shop keeper help themselves.
It was the hearbreak of the solo traveller... that I should be in a place of such significance and see something of extraordinary beauty and have no one there to even draw breath with in in the way one does when confronted with such magnificence. The sigh of beauty.
Envy was the emotion I always felt as I watched others hold hands or share the entwinement of a lovers arms... those who whispered to each other at these moments... them who had someone stand on the pier or at the station to wish them bon voyage... even more so they who met someone to welcome them to their destination.
I always stepped off of my conveyance alone.
I was there alone as the sun set on Asia... I said goodbye as it was dropping low over Mongolia and casting a gorgeous and firery reflection off of the steppes and the deserts miles distant.
It would be to me my last sunset of Asia.
And my last stupid thought. Possibly it was the vodka the Andres forced upon me there... but I clasped my hands behind my head and layed back on my backpack as the sun rounded the earth... and I entertained myself with a promise that if I were ever to become filthy rich that I would buy my childhood home... the one I grew up in... have it taken apart piece by piece and put into shipping containers where I would then have them shipped here... or maybe to the Steppes of Mongolia in front of me... and reassembled exactly as it was. I didn't care where... I just thought it would be loads of fun to take my childhood home apart and rebuild it somewhere really far away.
That I might live in my house and look out the window at this place.
Practically, most humans ears merely relate far less than 20% of truth through listening and our highly regard window of souls, the dependent eyes only sees 60% of absolute truth. Fundamentally, our weakest, disturbant mind render and analyse close to 20% of unrational facts in many circumstances incorrectly.
Sadly, we human being prefer to act 100% according to our unbalance, misery brain chemical signal, our separated left and right brain cell sent out very contradicting wave signal and therefore our final independent heart is determine to react accordingly in final stage. even 90% of great scientist miss out emphasize our critical functionality of heart incorrectly with mistake
In reality with all such complex human senses aid, we can only be less than 90% certain correct at most times as the other negative balance remain 10% was distributed and affect by our much prejudice, emotional core ownership - human solitude heart that stay much farther away from eyes ears and the brain. As a matter of fact, heart, eyes, mind and ears solely function individually and selfishly according to days and night different basically cause by the atmospheric transition of changing light phantom . Is still a mystical to scientist but much connected with your previous Karmathic field records why we are here. To argue, fight and destroy for own justice with the five distratrous senses we own from pass mistake.
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Two photos today relate to an exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, in 2011. This first one is of a replica poster in our own collection. It is one of the costume designs by Russian artist Léon Bakst (1866-1924) for Sergei Diaghilev's Les Ballet Russes production of Shéhérazade (1910). The music was written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
nga.gov.au/exhibition/balletsrusses/default.cfm?MnuID=4&a...
The costume was to be worn by the character Shah Zeman, the brother of the ruler of Persia, in one of the stories from "The Arabian Nights". nga.gov.au/exhibition/balletsrusses/Default.cfm?IRN=74158...
Sergei Diaghilev (1872-1929) was the impresario who founded Les Ballet Russes.
I don't know how that title relates to the picture but it's what came to mind.
And, as always, view large!!!
Also, what is your opinion of getty images? I got a message about it a long time ago inviting me to join but I feel like I don't know enough about it to participate. If anyone could give me more insight about it or, if they are/did use it, what they thought about it. If I do add some of my photos to the sight, I'm afraid of where they will end up..
Today I was thinking where would often trip graphic today, God forbid that relates to one of close friends
( photographer Abdullah Alfoudry ) www.flickr.com/photos/xnuzha/
to be a companion on a journey graphic ,and decided to be in a place that has never gone to him earlier, it is certainly a very beautiful place and deserves photography, and particularly the presence of constellation of vessels destroyer, which has ended its administration and its owners away, leaving a devastating impact, and beautiful to us as photographers ..
Doha ( Kuwait ) .. I have photographed this picture, in the hope that looms on the viability and I am pleased to see constructive criticism and thank you .. : )
And I Called it ( in the past I was a leader )
Finally, I thank my dear brother Abdullah Alfoudry on this journey, and I hope you are always brother and teacher ... And much pleasure, accompanied by this great man .
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ISO 200
F6.3
Shutter Speed 1\125
lens 12-24mm Ultra wide angle
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January 16 2008
Nikon .. always .. Super Nikon
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Remember always that all rights and publishing, distribution and printing reserved photographer ( Mishari Mohammed )
If you want to use one of my photos please authorization to me and I would be happy to give you my work and I am fully satisfied with satisfaction and Thank you for your kind cooperation .
The 1890 Empress Flour Mill on Queen Street is category C industrial heritage building, which means that its removal is a permitted activity. There are two plaques on the front of the building, one relating to the 118 year old structure and the other to the 1921 grain silos. With a height of 35 metres the category B listed heritage silos are the town's most prominent landmark. They're still in use and will not be demolished.
Relating to a blog I posted today about how I'm fine taking my clothes off in abandoned buildings yet totally afraid to pose clothed in public view, I went outside to take a photo. Granted, it was just on the corner of my street, but someone even walked by while I was setting up the camera and nothing bad happened! Baby steps. That's what it's all about.
Falcon 9 second stage impact
Credit: Giuseppe Donatiello (Oria Amateur Astrophysical Observatory - OAAO)
Final analysis of the data relating to the impact of the Falcon 9 upper stage on August 5, 2026.
1 - This is a raw stack without any contrast filtering.
2 - Increased contrast on the black and white points.
3 - Gamma adjustment.
4 - Equalization.
5 - Equalization with curves.
6 - Composite image (1, 5).
As already communicated immediately after the event with the summary analysis, the captured images exhibited some "noise" in the affected area. In the stack of three captured videos, the signal-to-noise ratio improves significantly, and with appropriate equalization, very low-contrast structures emerge. In fact, it is the same technique I use to investigate tidal stellar streams in galactic halos, which has been applied here to the planetary field.
The highlighted plume is in excellent agreement with other published images, however, it does not represent its evolution but rather a sort of summation over the course of approximately 15 minutes after the event at 06:35:12 UTC (08:35:12 Italian time).
Crops from the full image with an ED127mm f/9. MOV video obtained with Canon EOS 4000D DSLR. Raw data is available for study and upon reasonable request.
Kinoptik 32mm 1.9
I always feel bad for artists who do not like their own work, I can relate to that. And a critical review can be harsh
My goal for the year was to have at least one image for every week and write some sort of background story relating it to what was going on in my life. A journal of sorts.
I did manage to pick up a camera every week but one - the worst week of the fires in September, when the air was extremely hazardous and seeping into the house, work was crazy etc etc. I suppose I could have shot a self portrait in front of my taped up front door, holding Conor ready to attack since he couldn’t go outside...but, I didn’t :)
I was more motivated with the project in the beginning. At the start of the pandemic it was somewhat inspiring to think of ways to express what was going on while stuck at home. I had a lot of ideas and played around with them a little, but my attention span was short and eventually, they didn’t seem so exciting to me.
My focus went more internal, and my camera became more of a side project. I started studying the enneagram, which I had heard about but always assumed was some stupid online personality test. People would ask me what my number was and I immediately rejected the whole thing. I’m not a “Number”. Haha. Having gone to astrology school for many years, it made me think of how people try to characterize someone by their sun sign, when really it’s so much more than that. People are complicated and this number thing seemed way too simple. But it turned out, there’s more to that too... And it led me to think a lot about my childhood and certain behavior patterns that had always been present. And That led me to think about things that were very important to me when I was younger and that had slipped away. And That led me to remember how passionate I once was about animal rights and the environment.
I’ve been a vegetarian since I was 15, and vegan for a number of years now. But in terms of lifestyle, I was not living a vegan life. So I decided to change this. I started looking at the ingredients of every single product I use. I started looking at the companies who made every single thing I own or buy. I started to switch things out and make a conscious choice as to who I was supporting and what I was using. It’s been incredibly life changing and the main focus of my year.
I also let my natural hair (now gray) grow out for the first time since I was a teenager. It really feels like the pandemic allowed my true self to emerge, in ways that definitely would not have happened if life had continued to be ‘normal’.
2020 was not an easy year, for anyone, but it wasn’t all bad. I am most definitely changed for the better. :)
Ottawa City Hall - Lunch time
I often walk through City Hall during my lunch time walks. The biggest reasons that I include it in my noon hour walks relate to the open airy architecture, the regular art exhibits, and the fact that it is a public gathering space - always filled with people. If I’m being completely honest, however, I should also add that I appreciate the cool air conditioning on a hot summer day as well. It’s interesting to read exactly how architect Raymond Moriyama envisioned city hall, and to appreciate how successful he was in creating this vision.
“One night, in the late 1980s, architect Raymond Moriyama came to a vacant lot in the heart of downtown Ottawa and traced footsteps in the freshly fallen snow. He was there to envision a new regional government headquarters, where citizens felt welcome and politicians from 11 different municipalities could somehow come together as one. He had been asked to design such a building on Laurier Avenue West. It would be bounded by the Cartier Drill Hall and Lisgar Collegiate to the east and by the provincial courthouse and a former teacher’s college to the west.
The tracks, made after the first snowfall of the season, revealed where people were coming from, where they were going. And, to Moriyama’s eyes, they offered a glimpse of the shape his new project would take. It was here that the idea of a main street — a thoroughfare, with side streets extending in all directions, to all the key buildings and places nearby — came to him.
“If you listen carefully enough, you find the answer,” Moriyama says. “I was amazed how clear it was.” He tells the story today from the atrium of his building, which is now known as Ottawa City Hall. His silver hair is slicked back and his Order of Canada pin adds a pop of colour to the lapel of the master architect’s navy suit. All around him, people hustle to and fro, paying him little mind as he explains his vision for the building that first opened 25 years ago this month [now just over 29 years ago] to house the former Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton.
Moriyama might be better known in Ottawa as the man behind the angular, emotional Canadian War Museum, but city hall should not be dismissed. Its modesty belies an airy openness. Thousands of people pass through its doors each week. Some are just passing through, or only stay long enough to play a tune on the polished baby grand in the atrium. But countless others come to participate in the political process that ultimately gives the place its purpose.”
Source: Matthew Pearson, (May 2015), Ottawa Citizen. ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ottawa-city-hall-turns-...
The name Eilean Donan, or island of Donan, is most probably called after the 6th century Irish Saint, Bishop Donan who came to Scotland around 580 AD. There are several churches dedicated to Donan in the area and it is likely that he formed a small cell or community on the island during the late 7th century.
Eilean Donan ruin
The first fortified structure was not built on the island until the early 13th century as a defensive measure, protecting the lands of Kintail against the Vikings who raided, settled and controlled much of the North of Scotland and the Western Isles between 800 and 1266. From the mid 13th century, this area was the quite seperate “Sea Kingdom” of the Lord of the Isles where the sea was the main highway and the power of feuding clan chiefs was counted by the number of men and galleys or “birlinns” at their disposal. Eilean Donan offered the perfect defensive position.
Over the centuries, the castle itself has expanded and contracted in size. The medieval castle was probably the largest, with towers and a curtain wall that encompassed nearly the entire island. The main keep stood on the island’s highest point. Around the end of the 14th century the area of the castle was reduced to about a fifth of its original size and, although the reason is unclear, it probably relates to the number of men required to defend the structure. By the 16th century a hornwork was added to the east wall to offer a firing platform for the newly introduced cannons.Eilean Donan - cannon balls
Eilean Donan also played a role in the Jacobite risings of the 17th and 18th centuries, which ultimately culminated in the castle’s destruction…
In 1719 the castle was garrisoned by 46 Spanish soldiers who were supporting the Jacobites. They had established a magazine of gunpowder, and were awaiting the delivery of weapons and cannon from Spain. The English Government caught wind of the intended uprising and sent three heavily armed frigates The Flamborough, The Worcester, and The Enterprise to quell matters. The bombardment of the castle lasted three days, though met with limited success due to the enormity of the castle walls, which in some places are up to 14 feet thick. Finally, Captain Herdman of The Enterprise sent his men ashore and over-whelmed the Spanish defenders. Following the surrender, the government troops discovered the magazine of 343 barrels of gunpowder which was then used to blow up what had remained from the bombardment…
For the best part of 200 years, the stark ruins of Eilean Donan lay neglected, abandoned and open to the elements, until Lt Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap bought the island in 1911. Along with his Clerk of Works, Farquar Macrae, he dedicated the next 20 years of his life to the reconstruction of Eilean Donan, restoring her to her former glory. The castle was rebuilt according to the surviving ground plan of earlier phases and was formally completed in the July of 1932.