CSX NF&G mine run R20214 slowly passes downgrade, utilizing assistance from retainers set for the steep grade between Duo and Anjean. The 2 engines have 75 loads of coal from the Clearco Prep Plant owned and operated by South Fork Coal Company. Greenbrier Smokeless, whose tipple is in the background was once a big time loader on the former Rupert Sub but has sat idled since 2019 when mining operations stopped. A combination of management and contractors continued to sporadically load remaining coal from of the pile off into the fall of 2022. There’s a healthy pile of coal still visible beneath the stacker tubes across the street. Perhaps there is hope for the loader reopening sometime in the future.!

I have long wanted to get a train on this rugged piece of railroad and finally managed it earlier this year. The emphasis on that things move "slow" here was an understatement. It took the railroad almost 5 full days to get the 75 cars up from the yard at Meadow Creek, WV, to the mine, loaded and returned. Seeing the big cuts railroads have made in recent years it really is remarkable they continue to load trains on the former C&O Rupert Sub.

Built for Sir Robert Shirley between 1653 and 1655 in Gothic style, the Chapel of Holy Trinity is the estate church at Staunton Harold, where the Shirleys, their retainers and estate workers lived for generations. It is one of the few churches built between the outbreak of the English Civil War and the Restoration period.

Over the past few years, the National Trust has undertaken essential building and repair works at the church to ensure this place of reflection can be enjoyed for many years to come.

looking North towards SF here...

there is a fisherman, close to the surf close in, couple of people walking in the distance, and the fishing pier can be seen further back... the retainer rocks the right tie in to the photo I posted earlier which I will add in the comments...

other than enlarging the photo, you can further enlarge it by stretching it like on iPhone images...

please see large :)

Sun-rays sneaking through a congested sky.

Cyclists ride right on by, seemingly oblivious to the beauty of the filtered light as it breaks through the cloud work.

Fraser River

BC

Canada

Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikk%C5%8D_T%C5%8Dsh%C5%8D-g%C5%AB:

Nikkō Tōshō-gū (日光東照宮) is a Tōshō-gū Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

Together with Futarasan Shrine and Rinnō-ji, it forms the Shrines and Temples of Nikkō UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 42 structures of the shrine included in the nomination. Five of them are designated as National Treasures of Japan, and three more as Important Cultural Properties.

Tōshō-gū is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. It was initially built in 1617, during the Edo period, while Ieyasu's son Hidetada was shōgun. It was enlarged during the time of the third shōgun, Iemitsu. Ieyasu is enshrined there, where his remains are also entombed. This shrine was built by Tokugawa retainer Tōdō Takatora.

During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate carried out stately processions from Edo to the Nikkō Tōshō-gū along the Nikkō Kaidō. The shrine's annual spring and autumn festivals reenact these occasions, and are known as "processions of a thousand warriors". Cedar trees line the roadway, termed the Cedar Avenue of Nikkō.

Five structures at Nikkō Tōshō-gū are categorized as National Treasures of Japan, and three more as Important Cultural Properties. Additionally, two swords in the possession of the shrine are National Treasures, and many other objects are Important Cultural Properties. Famous buildings at the Tōshō-gū include the richly decorated Yōmeimon (陽明門), a gate that is also known as "higurashi-no-mon". The latter name means that one could look at it until sundown, and not tire of seeing it. Carvings in deep relief, painted in rich colors, decorate the surface of the structure. The next gate is the karamon decorated with white ornaments. Located nearby is a woodcarving of a sleepy cat, "Nemuri-neko", attributed to Hidari Jingorō.

The stable of the shrine's sacred horses bears a carving of the three wise monkeys, who hear, speak and see no evil, a traditional symbol in Japanese culture that is derived from a quote in the Analects.

The original five-storey pagoda was donated by a daimyō in 1650, but it was burned down during a fire, and was rebuilt in 1818. Each storey represents an element–earth, water, fire, wind and aether (or void)–in ascending order. Inside the pagoda, a central shinbashira pillar hangs from chains[3] to minimize damage from earthquakes.

Hundreds of stone steps lead through the cryptomeria forest up to the grave of Ieyasu. A torii at the top bears calligraphy attributed to Emperor Go-Mizunoo. A bronze urn contains the remains of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

In 2008, Yuri Kawasaki became the first female Shinto priest ever to serve at Nikkō Tōshō-gū.

but I still have to wear retainers.

Explore #131

A loaded & heavy grain train arrives at the Nuevo Carnero Yard after going down the steep 3.7% EA Line; the yard crew will help them remove the retainers from all the hoppers so they can be set-off before proceeding to the Tehuacan yard as light power.

Nuevo Carnero, Puebla.

the newest puppy in not my family but my uncle's family. Shibas are over running our family tree, not like that's a bad thing. ;) Oh, and her name is Luxe and yes...her ears are like that!

well, to sum up my first few days of senior high school...it was plenty awkward and full of surprises. The most embarrassing part was probably when I was called upon to discuss a quote on the board and I totally blanked out for 10 seconds...just total silence in the class waiting for me to respond. I am not the best public speaker and on top of that, I had my retainer on so I was lisping pretty badly. welcome back to high school they said. senior year will be great...they said.

in high school, I just feel like an awkward person. Just call me the typical wallflower.

facebook

Excerpt from the plaque:

Hyakunin-bansho Guardhouse

A bansho was a guardhouse. This was the biggest guardhouse set up in front of the Ote-san-no-mon gate leading to Honmaru (inner citadel) and Ninomaru (second citadel), for inspection of visitors who entered from Ote-mon gate (main entrance) in the Edo Period. One hundred samurai guardsmen, chosen from among the Kinsmen and loyal retainers of each of the four main branches of the Tokugawa clan, had their quarters there and worked in shifts day and night.

Nikkō Tōshō-gū is a Tōshō-gū Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

Together with Futarasan Shrine and Rinnō-ji, it forms the Shrines and Temples of Nikkō UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 42 structures of the shrine included in the nomination. Five of them are designated as National Treasures of Japan, and three more as Important Cultural Properties.

It was initially built in 1617, during the Edo period, while Ieyasu's son Hidetada was shōgun. It was enlarged during the time of the third shōgun, Iemitsu. Ieyasu is enshrined there, where his remains are also entombed. This shrine was built by Tokugawa retainer Tōdō Takatora.

During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate carried out stately processions from Edo to the Nikkō Tōshō-gū along the Nikkō Kaidō. The shrine's annual spring and autumn festivals reenact these occasions, and are known as "processions of a thousand warriors". Also part of the beauty is the row of majestic trees lining the roadway, termed the Cedar Avenue of Nikkō.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikkō_Tōshō-gū

I got my septum pierced on April 11th. Since then, I've been wearing a retainer in it (sort of like a staple) so that no one knows. The intention was to wear that until it healed and then change it out with a pincher (kind of like a broken circle, or a C shape) but my piercer never ordered the jewelry for me no matter how many times I asked. Finally, on a trip home to Seattle this August, I got my old piercer at Slave to the Needle to order one for me and it just arrived today.

Finally finally finally I can see myself with my septum ring as it was meant to look. I love it. And that's why I took an absurd number of photos of myself right after I put it in. Deal with it.

Neckbrace? Butt-ugly retainer? Yeah, that's a sucky prom... or an even worse after school special.

A detail from a suit of retainer armour of a Kamon (Heraldic badge) in the form of the Japanese character KI, meaning 'Tree'. The KImura, Aoki, and Tagaki clans all used this mon,thus making it difficult to accurately determine the family heritage of this armour.JAPAN 1850.

Japanese traditional formal attire generally displays the mon of the wearer. Commoners without mon often used those of their patron or the organization they belonged to. In cases when none of those were available, they sometimes used one of the few mon which were seen as "vulgar", or invented or adapted whatever mon they wished, passing it on to their descendants. It was not uncommon for shops, and therefore shop-owners, to develop mon to identify themselves.

© ALL RIGHT RESERVED©

All material in my gallery MAY NOT be reproduced, copied, edited, published, transmitted or uploaded in any way without my permission.

Old John, the folly atop the hill in Bradgate Park, Leicester.

Built in 1786, in memory of an estate keeper who died in a fire, the folly was originally built as a viewing tower for horse-racing. The arch which gives the tower it's mug-like shape was build later in memory of a beer-loving family retainer.

Taken with a Pentax Optio S, on a walk with the NTUchaplaincy.

More of my photos can be found here..

Wanted to try something a little out of my comfort zone and play with some shadows! I think it turned out pretty well and I'm thrilled with all the new skills I'm learning on SL!

Credits ♥︎

Sponsored:

Palette: Foodie Tee Fatpack NEW @ ACCESS

BERAS: Kris Static Pose Set @ Mainstore

Rest of Credits:

LeLUTKA: Avalon Head 3.0 NEW @ Skin Fair

Glam Affair: Selly Skin NEW @ Kustom9

M.BIRDIE: Lozo Look - Skirt 2 & Eye Retainers 1 NEW @ Kustom9

hive: Pink Drink on the go NEW @ Kustom9

Stealthic: Clarity Hairstyle @ Mainstore

BREATHE: Takeko Wedges - Powder Pink NEW @ C88

cheezu: daily wool beret @ Mainstore

Kibitz: Joelyn's Choker @ Mainstore

Location:

New York City ~ Visit HERE! ♥︎

For taxi links to stores & events, visit my blog ♥︎

Okazaki Castle was originally constructed as a wooden fort in 1455 by the shugo-dai (deputy military governor) of Mikawa, Saigō Tsugiyori ,on a different spot from where the current castle keep stands today. Eventually, Mikawa fell into the hands of the Matsudaira clan, and Ieyasu's grandfather, Matsudaira Kiyoyasu, rebuilt the castle in it's current location. After Ieyasu's father, Hirotada was killed, young Ieyasu became a hostage of the Imagawa clan and they took control of Okazaki Castle. After the battle of Okehazama in 1560, Ieyasu regained his freedom and possession of his family's castle until 1590, when Ieyasu was granted the 5 provinces of the Kanto region by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Following Ieyasu's move to Edo, Okazaki was given in fief to Tanaka Yoshimasa, an ally of Hideyoshi. However, after the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603, the castle and 50,000 koku (unit of wealth measured in rice) domain of Okazaki was awarded to the Honda Yasushige, who was a direct retainer of the Tokugawa. The Honda clan held the castle for 44 years until it was handed to the Mizuno clan for a 117 year duration. After that, one of the Matsudaira clans held it for 8 years until the castle was again awarded it to the Honda clan, who held it for the remaining 102 years of the feudal system in Japan.

Tanaka added the moats, established the castle town, and built a road with many turns in it for defensive purposes. Honda Yasushige extended the road, which became part of the Tōkaidō, and his successor, Yasunori, built the castle's 3 story tenshu (keep) and added a basement.

When the feudal era officially came to an end in the 1870s, the Meiji government ordered the castle destroyed as it was a symbol of feudal power. However, in 1959, Okazaki Castle was reborn in the form of concrete.

So yeah, I got my Dahlias done about...3 weeks ago and then I got my job at Walmart and lost my other job..walmart wouldn't let me use retainers and they closed up, so...I'm sad once again, but they were crooked anyways :/

This prominent corner location has been used for a variety of purposes. Originally occupied by the "Federal Store" and then replaced by a very substantial building constructed by Donaldson, Coburn and Knox Limited in 1899, it became a very important hardware store servicing the port of Wilcannia during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Commonly known as Knox & Downs, it became the ultimate country general store, and their slogans were Service for the Back Country and Knox and Downs for Everything. The landmark buiding became the commerical hub of the western district, where one could buy everything from a boiled lolly, a Southern Cross Windmill, sheep dip, or even a Chevrolet. The ornate sandstone building, with a full cellar and jarrah staircase burnt down in 2002, but the original stables and storage shed were preserved.

The Knox & Downs building was revitalised as the Baaka Cultural Centre which is a keeping place for Barkindji artefacts, language, and memories. The Aboriginal community of Wilcannia have fond memories of using and working at the Knox & Downs Building, so it was retained in the redevelopment. The new aspect of the building was made of rammed earth, enabling it to reflect and integrate the heritage of Knox and Downs' store.

Aboriginal History of Wilcannia:

Wilcannia is located on the Darling River, about halfway between Bourke and Wentworth. The river is known as Barka by the local Aboriginal people or Barkandji, literally people belonging to the Barka, and it is surrounded on all sides by Barkandji speaking people. The people from along the Barka and varying distances either side from near Bourke down to Wentworth all recognised the Barkandji language as their primary language, but they were divided into subgroups with different dialects of this one language. The Barkandji language is very different from all the neighbouring languages including the adjoining Ngiyampaa/Ngemba to the east, the Kulin, and Murray River languages to the south, and the Yardli and Thura-Yura language groups to the west and north.

Barkandji have a unique culture and depended heavily on the grinding or pounding of seeds on large grinding dishes or mortars and pestles, such as grass, portulaca, and acacia seeds. In the riverine areas, there is a strong emphasis on aquatic plant food tubers and corms, and fish, yabbies, turtles, mussels, and shrimps as well as water birds and their eggs. Insect foods were also important, such as parti or witchetty grubs along the rivers and creeks, and termite larvae in the Mallee country. Large and small canoes were cut out, necessitating ground edge axes, and string manufacture for fish nets, hunting nets, bags, and belts was an important part of the culture. The Wilcannia area still shows tangible evidence of traditional life in the form of canoe trees, coolamon trees, middens, heat retainer ovens, ashy deposits, stone tool quarries and artefacts.

Thomas Mitchell led the first exploring party to reach Wilcannia and gave the Barkandji their first unpleasant taste of what was to come. Mitchell travelled via the Bogan to the Darling River near Bourke and then down the river to Wilcannia then Menindee, reaching it in July 1835. Mitchell was harassed by Barkandji as he did not understand that he had to properly negotiate permission for use of water, grass, land to camp on etc., and in addition his men were abusing women behind his back and breaking all the rules. He gave them names such as the Fire Eaters and the Spitting Tribe as they tried to warn him off. His comments show that the Barkandji groups he met occupied "different portions of the river", and that they owned the resources in their territories including the water in the river. The exclusive possession enjoyed by the Barkandji and the need to obtain permission before using any of their resources is demonstrated by the following comment about the "Spitting Tribe" from the river near Wilcannia:

"The Spitting Tribe desired our men to pour out the water from their buckets, as if it had belonged to them; digging, at the same time a hole in the ground to receive it when poured out; and I have more than once seen a river chief, on receiving a tomahawk, point to the stream and signify that we were then at liberty to take water from it, so strongly were they possessed with the notion that the water was their own"

A hill 15 kilometres north of Wilcannia was named Mount Murchison by Mitchell and this became the name of the very large original station that included the location that was to become Wilcannia township.

In 1862 the area northwest of Mount Murchison Station was still frontier country with continual conflict. Frederic Bonney was based at Mount Murchison homestead and then nearby Momba homestead from 1865 to 1881 and he bluntly states in his notebooks that in this period "natives killed by settlers - shot like dogs"

Bonney recorded extensive detail about the lives, language, culture, and personalities of the Aboriginal people at Mount Murchison/Momba and left us with extremely significant series of photos of Aboriginal people taken in this period. He does not elaborate about the way the station was set up except for his comment above. Frederic Bonney not only respected and looked after the local people but he sympathised with them, worked with them, and respected them. The Bonney papers and photographs are a treasure of information about the Aboriginal people living there between 1865 and 1881. Bonney published a paper in 1884 but long after he had returned to England to live he campaigned for the better treatment of the Aboriginal people, and he tried to educate the public about the complexity of Aboriginal culture.

Bonney names about 44 individual Aboriginal people living at Momba in this period, and one group photo from the same period shows a total of 38 people. Descendants of some of the people Bonney describes still live in Wilcannia and surrounding areas today.

Aboriginal people worked on Moomba and Mount Murchison Station, and from very early times fringe camps grew up around Wilcannia. The land straight across the River from the Wilcannia post office was gazetted as an Aboriginal Reserve, and this became the nucleus of a very large fringe camp that grew into a substantial settlement spaced out along the river bank in the 1930s to the 1970s. By 1953 the Aboriginal Welfare Board had built a series of 14 barrack-like and inappropriately designed houses in an enlarged reserve, now an attractive tree lined settlement known as the Mission (although never a mission it was beside a Catholic School and clinic, thus the name). Today Aboriginal people are the majority of the population of the vibrant, creative, and culturally active town of Wilcannia, and the main users of the post office facilities.

Wilcannia History:

The first secure pastoralists at Mount Murchison were the brothers Hugh and Bushby Jamieson of Mildura Station on the Murray, who in 1856 took up Tallandra and Moorabin blocks, later extended with other blocks and named Mount Murchison Station. Captain Cadell's paddlesteamer Albury was the first to travel up the Darling, landing flour and other stores for the Jamiesons at Mount Murchison in February 1859. The Albury then loaded 100 bales of wool from their woolshed and brought it down to Adelaide. At this time there were no other stations on the Darling between Mt Murchison and Fort Bourke. A little later:

"An enterprising attempt has just been made by Mr. Hugh Jamieson, of Mount Murchison, to bring fat sheep speedily to Adelaide. Mr. Jamieson having chartered Captain Cadell's steamer, Albury, that vessel was prepared, and received on board at Mildura 550 fine fat sheep. These were landed at Moorundee last Tuesday, after a rapid passage of two days, all the sheep being in splendid condition when put ashore"

Jamiesons sold in 1864 to Robert Barr Smith and Ross Reid from Adelaide. The brothers Edward and Frederic Bonney were leasing some adjacent blocks and possibly worked at Mount Murchison for these owners. In 1875 they bought the Mount Murchison/Momba complex, one of the largest stations in New South Wale. In 1865 it was known as Mount Murchison, in 1881 it was all known as Momba, later splitting into smaller stations. The original Mount Murchison Station homestead block was also known as Head Station or Karannia, the Barkandji name for the area just north of the town near where the Paroo River comes into the Barka. The original Mount Murchison woolshed was located on what is now Baker Park, Wilcannia, which is adjacent to the current Post Office.

The site of Wilcannia was selected on Mount Murchison Station in 1864 by John Chadwick Woore, who was appointed Commissioner of Crown Lands of the Albert District in 1863 and was based at Wilcannia. The town was proclaimed in 1866 and in the 1870s it became a coaching centre for prospectors exploiting the region's gold, copper, silver, and opal resources, and the administrative, service, and shipping centre for the pastoral industry. Wilcannia was incorporated as a municipality in 1881, and around this time it became New South Wales biggest inland port and Australia's third largest inland port (after Echuca Victoria and Morgan South Australia). 'The Queen of the River' or 'Queen City of the West'. At the height of its prosperity around 1880, the town boasted a population of 3,000. According to the Register of the National Estate, during 1887 alone, 222 steamers took on 26,550 tonnes of wool and other goods at Wilcannia wharves. The value of goods coming down the Darling River in 1884 was 1,359,786 pounds, and included over 30,000 bales of wool. The customs house, another Wilcannia stone building now demolished, located immediately between the Post office and the river bank and wharfs, took 17,544 pounds in customs duties in 1889. Paddlesteamers gradually declined, particularly after the 1920s, although a few continued to trade up and down the river into the 1940's, still remembered by elderly Wilcannia residents.

Wilcannia in the 1870s and into the 1900s was the centre of the pastoral and mining boom of the far west of New South Wales, and it was the centre of the paddlesteamer river trade from the Upper Darling to the Murray River and outlets such as Adelaide and Melbourne. The frequent dry seasons and lack of water in the river led to other methods of transporting goods being used, such as camel trains, but when the water came down the river trade always returned. The river trade built Wilcannia's fine buildings, but it was also its undoing, as the New South Wales government intervened to reduce the river trade because goods were moving to and from Adelaide and Melbourne, not Sydney.

Plans to improve navigation on the river were suggested in 1859 after Captain Cadell's first successful voyage up the Darling that was followed by other paddlesteamers. Cadell gave evidence at a New South Wales Select Committee that the Darling would be become reliable for boats if a system of locks were built at very reasonable cost that would hold back water during the drier seasons. The plans to build locks along the Darling River to make navigation more consistent were investigated again and again, but were not realised because the New South Wales government believed trade would benefit Victoria and South Australia.

After the opening of the Sydney to Bourke railway line in 1885, Wilcannia lost its status as the major commercial centre of the Darling River. The trade from the far North West New South Wales then tended to go to the railhead at Bourke and straight to Sydney. There were plans in the 1880s for the railway to be run from Cobar to Wilcannia, however this plan was continuously put off. Plans for a railway to Wilcannia continued to be made throughout the 1890's and early 1900's, and including a proposal from Cobar to Broken Hill then linking to South Australia as the Great Western Railway. In 1907 "a large petition was forwarded to Sydney from Wilcannia for presentation to the Premier urging immediate construction of the Cobar-Wilcannia Railway, and subsequent extension to Broken Hill".

The New South Wales government attempt to stop trade leaking out of the state resulted in their refusal to build a railway to Wilcannia (as goods tended to go to Wilcannia and down the river), or to extend the railway to South Australia for the same reasons. The bend in the river on the north side of town celebrates this government intransigence by its name "Iron Pole Bend", the iron pole said to have been placed at the surveyed location of the proposed railway bridge. New South Wales eventually built a railway through the low population Ivanhoe route to the south of Wilcannia reaching Broken Hill in 1927, and even then it stopped at Broken Hill and did not join the South Australian line until 1970. The link between Broken Hill and the South Australian railway was provided from 1884 to 1970 by the narrow gauge private railway 'the Silverton Tramway', which also took trade from Wilcannia.

The combination of missing out on the railway and locking of the river, the severe drought on 1900 - 1901, and the damage to the pastoral economy by drought, rabbits, and over grazing, led to a down turn in Wilcannia's prospects, leaving the fine stone buildings such as the post office languishing as tangible reminders of a time when Wilcannia was known as the "Queen City of the West" and was the largest inland port in New South Wales and the third largest inland port in Australia.

Source: New South Wales Heritage Register & Central Darling Heritage Trail.

You like to play house

You like to make out

When I put in my retainer

You still lay me down

Put on a vinyl

You look delightful

There's no need to hit the town

When we play house

Baby let's play play play house

~Devon Cole

youtu.be/2Xm5wMeqm_Q?si=1z0M9AeRlyEzLftu

On either bank of the River Leach in the English Cotswolds are two Norman churches. A medieval footbridge, a Clapper Bridge, and a 19th Century stone bridge spans the divide with the settlement of Eastleach Martin on the east and the village of Eastleach Turville on the west side of the river.

One of two Eastleach churches that face each other on opposite banks of the River Leach in the heart of the Gloucestershire Cotswolds, St Andrew's is a lovely country church dating to the early 12th century and on the west side of the river in the village of Eastleach Turville.

An apocryphal tale suggests that the churches were built by two sisters who argued, and each put up their own church. Unfortunately, the truth is less dramatic. The estates of Eastleach Martin and Eastleach Turville were always separate, and each church was built by the lord of the manor for use by his family and retainers.

The most striking exterior feature of Eastleach church is the saddleback west tower, built in the late 13th or early 14th century, with finely shaped windows. In the churchyard is the base of a medieval cross.

...but it stays for the faves. No rebloggin', please.

Originally:

[60/365] What (used to be) In My Bag

(8/17/2008)

I've always loved the idea of those photos where all of the contents of your bag are presented. I just decided that mine should be taped to my wall, because I'm cool like that.

The legend of the Old Boatman of Cruggleton is set in the years following the death of David I in 1153, when the Norsemen tried to recover their supremacy in Galloway.

This is a story of an attempt to recapture the castle by supernatural means. Knowledge of the intended attempt had been received by the MacCairills through a retainer, once a prisoner in Norway and familiar with the language. He had discovered the plot during his diplomatic errands between the Chief of the MacCairills and King Haco of Norway.

The dreaded Reafen, an enchanted standard woven out of a lions mane, with a raven on its field and supplied with blood at midnight to preserve its terrible powers, was entrusted to an old Norse Boatman, who arrived at night at the foot of the cliffs below the castle. He began his ascent of the path up to the castle. The success of his mission depended on him gaining entrance within the walls to unfurl the Reafen, when the castle would revert to his nation, and, amid the astonishment, and doubtless the terror of its holders, the prepared ambush would rush in and complete the conquest by massacre.

Forewarned, the MacCairils, strong in Christian faith, were prepared. They watched the Boatman climbing towards the castle. When a challenge was shouted out, the Boatman replied he was the bearer of a message for the Chief of the MacCairills from King Haco. Permitted to enter he was seized, the standard wrenched from him and dragged to the gallows awaiting him.

The prisoner declared his allegiance to Norway and the subjugation of the castle by the presence of the standard within. Then, with an invocation to the Scandinavian deities, he ended with the prophecy that on every anniversary, to the end of time, he would return with the standard to unfurl it over the castle walls. Wrestling a hand free, he took a dagger and plunged it into his own chest before his captors could hang him. The ambush failed and the Norsemen left, never to return.

The terrifying standard remained in the castle until it was decided that it should be burned in the courtyard. A peal of thunder shook the castle and a female form of ‘gigantic proportions’ snatched it from the pyre, and soaring aloft, was lost in the bosom of the clouds. The Boatman is said to have lived up to his promise and continued to his annual visit, the last recorded being in the eighteenth century.

This story is a short extract from a longer article on the history of Cruggleton Castle, which can be found on our website here: darkgalloway.wordpress.com/2022/11/06/cruggleton-castle-t...

For more stories visit our website: darkgalloway.wordpress.com/

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Lots of yummy bugs under those wet leaves.

Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)

Garland, Tx

My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com

Happō-en, located in the Shirokane area of Minato-ku, Tokyo, is a beautiful place known more for hosting an endless stream of weddings and formal banquets. Happō-en has a history dating to the early 1600s, when it was the villa for Okubo Hikozaemon, a trusted confidant and retainer of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who unified Japan, as well as his two successors. Afterwards, the villa served as a residence for the Shimazu clan from the domain of Satsuma in Kyushu and then served as a villa for Saigō Takamori for a period of time. Happō-en means “eight gardens” in Japanese and its main garden is truly a delight, especially in early April, when the cherry trees are in bloom.

This is where the 47 Rōnin of Akō, along with their lord, Asano Naganori, are interred. Sengaku-ji is located in the Takanawa are of Minato-ku, Tokyo, near Shinagawa Station.

Ōishi Kuranosuke was the chief retainer of the Asano clan during the turmoil associated with the 47 Rōnin incident, in which the feudal lord, Asano Naganori, attacked and wounded Kira Yoshinaka within Edo Castle. As drawing a weapon within the shogun's castle was a capital offence, Asano was sentenced to commit seppuku the same day.

As a result of Asano's impulsive behavior, the Shogunate disbanded the Asano clan and seized their lands. Ōishi and 46 other former Asano retainers waited and unleashed their misguided revenge on Kira, attacking his home in the dead of night in December 1703, killing his body guards as well as taking his head and placing it in front of Asano's tomb in Sengaku-ji Temple in Takanawa, Tokyo.

All the Akō rōnin were sentenced to death by seppuku (harakiri). Actually, recent scholarship is saying that the rōnin may have not been allowed the honor of death by seppuku, but were actually beheaded like common criminals. The promise of the right of death by seppuku may have been a sugar-coated lie told by the shogunate to help the public more easily swallow the death sentence imposed on the Akō rōnin.

Anyway, the loyalty that these guys showed to their foolish lord by committing what can only be described as what me and some of my friends refer to as a feudal "drive-by"- Japanese style, has been lauded by the Japanese public ever since. The facts behind the actual events have been buried in the countless puppet and kabuki plays as well as movies that have been made about this.

I'm not a terribly big fan of Asano Naganori, nor do I think the Akō rōnin were particularly "brave" by carrying out a night attack after a party and fighting a small group of drunk bodyguards and taking the head of a feeble old man. But, this perspective is from modern, western eyes. In reality, night attacks of this nature have always been a staple of samurai warfare, being documented since the Heian period. As much as I don't partake in the 47 Rōnin Kool Aid drinking parties, I do admit to enjoying watching a good fictional film or kabuki play about these guys.

CSX mine run R202 has 60 loads of fresh coal from Clearco Mine making the steep descent towards the New River mainline at Meadow Creek, WV. Along with setting retainers on 30% of the train and using two horseshoes in an attempt to ease the gradient its still a stiff slope that reaches 3.8% in places.

When I rode bikes I always had a spare chain link in the toolkit because I was caught out once. When fitting the spring retainer the closed end must point in the direction of drive, but I'm sure some will know that already!

As you can tell from the condition of the link I haven't been using it for quite a while!

The link is 29mm long and 15mm wide and high, and was composed of three stacked images merged in photoshop, but looking at it here I should have taken a few more shots particularly for the bottom edge which is a little soft! Will do better the next time!

A trio of Ferrosur B23-7's get a quick rest in the middle of switching the Nuevo Carnero yard as they wait for the arrival of a loaded unit grain train that would soon block the entire yard.

The yard crew will help them set off retainers on all the hoppers and setting off the DPU's so the road crew can proceed light power to the Tehuacan yard.

Nuevo Carnero, Puebla

Architect : - (設計：－).

Completed : 1597 (竣工：1597年).

Height : 190ft (高さ：58m).

Location : 1-1 Osakajo, Chuo Ward, Osaka City, Osaka, Japan (所在地：日本国大阪府大阪市中央区大阪城1-1).

Hideyoshi Toyotomi's retainers was constructed a big castle Osaka-jo. It is held many events in now. It is popular one, 3D projection mappings.

Tōshō-gū is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. It was initially built in 1617, during the Edo period, while Ieyasu's son Hidetada was shōgun. It was enlarged during the time of the third shōgun, Iemitsu. Ieyasu is enshrined there, where his remains are also entombed. This shrine was built by Tokugawa retainer Tōdō Takatora.

The shrine is an UNESCO world heritage site.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikkō_Tōshō-gū

With retainers set, a pair of CN SD40-2Ws leads U736 down the grade and towards Two Harbors on the evening of July 7, 2015. While the SD40-2Ws are old, the real relics here are the Missabe ore cars trailing behind carrying BFT (Blast Furnace Trim) from Minntac. While the SDs are about 35 years old, they have nothing on the ancient ore cars that are almost twice their age.

These ore cars have to be the oldest cars serving on a Class I in revenue service. I didn't think CN was still using these, but this train was all old DM&IR regular ore cars, most with build dates of 1948, making the cars 67 years old. Amazing to think they were pulled by Missabe steam engines for over a decade when they were delivered, but still survive running revenue miles for successor CN on the original tracks they plied. Quite the bit of rolling Minnesota rail history.

CN 5317 and CN 5362, on U736, pulling 65 cars, at MP6, Stewart, MN.

Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shukkei-en:

Shukkei-en (縮景園) is a historic Japanese garden in the city of Hiroshima, Japan. The Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum is located adjacent to the garden.

Construction began in 1620 during the Edo period at the order of Asano Nagaakira, daimyō of the Hiroshima han. Shukkei-en was constructed by Ueda Sōko, who served lord Asano as chief retainer (karō) of the domain and as a tea master.

Since the Meiji period, the garden served as the villa of the Asano family. When under Emperor Meiji the Imperial General Headquarters were relocated to Hiroshima, the emperor briefly lodged at the villa. The gardens were opened to the public, and in 1940 the Asano family donated them to Hiroshima Prefecture. Being a short walk from ground zero of the nuclear attack on Hiroshima, Shukkei-en suffered extensive damage, and then became a refuge for victims of the war. After renovations, it reopened in 1951.

We are inveterate pickers-up (and retainers) of interesting looking pebbles and 'things' ie seashells, pine-cones, conkers, there's a crab shell here and a whittled wine cork souvenir from a cruise etc etc

After stopping to set retainers on their train of loaded LPG tanks, T59 begins the trek down Balsam Mountain

location : Rakuhoku Renge-ji temple Kyoto city,Kyoto prefecture,Japan

京都　洛北 蓮華寺

Rakuhoku Renge-ji temple :

This temple belongs to the Tendai sect of Buddhism cowned with the mountain name of Kinyozan.

Shigenao imaeda( 今枝重直),a retainer of the Maeda Clan in Kaga,present Ishikawa pref.,entered the priesthood around period from 1661 to 1673. He built a residence here and spent his later years associating with such people as Jozan Ishikawa 石川丈山and Tanyu Kano狩野探幽.His groundson Chikayoshi今枝民部近義,who admire the virtuous Shigenao, transfered a temple from Hachijo-Shiokoji(元西八条塩小路附近)to this place in order to pray for the repose of his grandfather.　He made it as a sub-temple of the Enryakuji Jitsuzobo Temple延暦寺実蔵坊.

The principal statue enshrined in main hall is of Shakamuni Tothagata.Unique Rengeji temple-style tone lanterns with hexagonal shades and a monument commemorating Shigenao inscribed Tehsho-style calligraphy written by Jozan Ishikawa on top and passage composed by Jun-an Kinoshita are found on the grounds beautifully covered with moss.

The garden woth crane stone and turtle islands in the lake,an excellent example from Edo period(1603-1867)　　-Kyoto city

以下パンフレットより抜粋

蓮華寺は、元西八条塩小路附近（今の京都駅附近）にあった浄土教系の古寺で、応仁の乱後荒廃していたのを１６６２年（寛文2年）加賀前田家の老臣今枝民部近義が祖父今枝重直の菩提の為に、この地に移し再興したものである。(蓮華寺造営記、帰命山寺記）

再興の際に、石川丈山、狩野探幽、木下順庵、黄檗の隠元禅師木庵禅師等の著名文化人が協力している。（諸堂の様式碑文、什物等）

尚、本堂、鐘楼堂、井戸屋形、庭園は創建当時のままであり、小規模であるあがいずれも文人の残した貴重な文化遺産である。

Canon EOS M5/ EF-M22mm f/2 STM/ƒ/8.0 22.0 mm 1/15sec ISO200/handheld/ manual exposure/auto white balance /manual focus

This temple has an explicit no-tripod policy, so tripods, including monopods, are usually prohibited.

Tōshō-gū is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. It was initially built in 1617, during the Edo period, while Ieyasu's son Hidetada was shōgun. It was enlarged during the time of the third shōgun, Iemitsu. Ieyasu is enshrined there, where his remains are also entombed. This shrine was built by Tokugawa retainer Tōdō Takatora.

The shrine is an UNESCO world heritage site.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikkō_Tōshō-gū

Old John, the folly atop the hill, in Bradgate Park, Leicester. On the left is the War Memorial, built more recently.

Built in memory of an estate keeper who died in a fire, the folly was originally built as a viewing tower for horse-racing. The arch which gives the tower it's mug-like shape was build later in memory of a beer-loving family retainer.

Taken with a Pentax Optio S on a walk with the NTU chaplaincy.

More of my photos can be found here.

The firts Kakegawa Castle was built by Asahina Yasuhiro in the Bunmei era [1469-1487] , a retainer of the warlord Imagawa Yoshitada to consolidate his holdings over Totomi Province .The castle remained in the hands of the succeeting generations of the Asahina clan .Afther the defeat of the Imagawa clan at the Battle of Okehazama , the former Imagawa territories were divided between Takeda Shingen of Kai and Tokugawa Leyasu of Mikawa.Kakegawa Castle was surrendered to Tokugawa forces in 1568 by Asahina Yasutomo without resistance .The surrounding area remained a territory contested between the Tokugawa and Takeda for many years ,however ,Kakegawa Castle remained in Tokugawa hands until the fall of the Takeda clan .

On the morning of Sunday, September 5th, 2021, DMIR402 leads a trio of EMDs hauling a heavy taconite train south past Hermantown, Minnesota on its final leg of the journey to Proctor Yard. DMIR402 is one of the many SD45T-2s that currently reside on the former Duluth Missabe & Iron Range Railway “Iron Range.” Although control of the Duluth Missabe & Iron Range was acquired by Canadian National in 2004, they kept a number of SD40-3 “tunnel motor” units for use in the area as they already had straight air equipped, which was a secondary braking system used due to the weight of the ore trains mainly up and down Proctor Hill. With straight air, you can recharge the reservoirs on the automatic system, yet keep a set on the train, which can be adjusted, making coming down big hills with heavy trains easier and safer than turning retainer valves. Now, Canadian National is rumored to replace the older power on the “Iron Range” using newly rebuilt AC44C6Ms, meaning all of the C40-8s will be sent off to storage/scrap will most of the EMDs will be displaced. Although no AC44C6M is straight air equipped as of now, things may change in the near future. Additionally, Canadian National is replacing most of their older ore cars which were built in the 1940s and 1950s. Soon, this scene of an EMD trio hauling older ore cars such as the U-30 and U-31 class cars will be gone.

Tōshō-gū is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. It was initially built in 1617, during the Edo period, while Ieyasu's son Hidetada was shōgun. It was enlarged during the time of the third shōgun, Iemitsu. Ieyasu is enshrined there, where his remains are also entombed. This shrine was built by Tokugawa retainer Tōdō Takatora.

The shrine is an UNESCO world heritage site.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikkō_Tōshō-gū

We gained elevation for this shot across the field as we approached LaVeta on County Road 430. On both days that we photographed this train it stopped here, backed up about a train length, stopped for a minute or two, and then proceeded forward at its usual 10 mph pace. We suspect it had something to do with releasing the brakes or retainers. Any railroaders out there have an explanation?

Eilean Donan is a small tidal island where three sea lochs meet, Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Alsh, in the western Highlands of Scotland. A picturesque castle that frequently appears in photographs, film and television dominates the island, which lies about 1 kilometre from the village of Dornie. Since the castle's restoration in the early 20th century, a footbridge has connected the island to the mainland.

Eilean Donan is part of the Kintail National Scenic Area, one of 40 in Scotland.

Eilean Donan, which means simply "island of Donnán", is named after Donnán of Eigg, a Celtic saint martyred in 617. Donnán is said to have established a church on the island, though no trace of this remains.

The castle was founded in the thirteenth century, and became a stronghold of the Clan Mackenzie and their allies the Clan MacRae. In the early eighteenth century, the Mackenzies' involvement in the Jacobite rebellions led in 1719 to the castle's destruction by government ships. Lieutenant-Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap's twentieth-century reconstruction of the ruins produced the present buildings.It is possible that an early Christian monastic cell was founded on the island in the 6th or 7th century, dedicated to Donnán of Eigg, an Irish saint who was martyred on Eigg in April 617. No remains of any Christian buildings survive, though fragments of vitrified stone, subjected to very high temperatures, have been discovered indicating the presence of an Iron Age or early medieval fortification.

In the earlier thirteenth century, during the reign of Alexander II (ruled 1214–1249), a large curtain-wall castle (wall of enceinte) was constructed that enclosed much of the island. At this time the area was at the boundary of the Norse-Celtic Lordship of the Isles and the Earldom of Ross: Eilean Donan provided a strong defensive position against Norse expeditions. A founding legend relates that the son of a chief of the Mathesons acquired the power of communicating with the birds. As a result, and after many adventures overseas, he gained wealth, power, and the respect of Alexander II, who asked him to build the castle to defend his realm.

At a later date, the island became a stronghold of the Mackenzies of Kintail, originally vassals of William I, Earl of Ross. At this early stage, the castle is said to have been garrisoned by Macraes and Maclennans, both clans that were later closely associated with the Mackenzies. Traditional Mackenzie clan histories relate that Earl William sought advantage from the Treaty of Perth of 1266, by which King Magnus VI of Norway ceded the Hebrides to Scotland, and demanded that his kinsman Kenneth Mackenzie return the castle to allow his expansion into the islands. Mackenzie refused, and Earl William led an assault against Eilean Donan that the Mackenzies and their allies repulsed.

The Mackenzie clan histories also claim (with little, if any, supporting contemporary evidence), that Robert the Bruce sheltered at Eilean Donan during the winter of 1306 to 1307; the castle escaped any other involvement in the Wars of Scottish Independence. In 1331 Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, sent an officer to Eilean Donan to warn the occupants of his forthcoming visit. In preparation 50 wrongdoers were rounded up and executed, their heads being displayed on the castle walls to Moray's approval. By the middle of the 14th century the Mackenzies are said to have been on the losing side in the ongoing feuding with the Earls of Ross. William III, Earl of Ross granted Kintail to Raghnall Mac Ruaidhrí in 1342. With the assistance of Leod Macgilleandrais, the Earl allegedly apprehended Kenneth Mackenzie, 3rd of Kintail, and had him executed in 1346 at Inverness. Through this period Eilean Donan is said to have been held by Duncan Macaulay for the Mackenzies, against the Earl and his allies. Kenneth's young son Murdo Mackenzie supposedly evaded the Earl's attempts to eliminate him, and on the return of David II from exile Murdo Mackenzie was allegedly confirmed in the lands of Kintail and Eilean Donan by a charter of 1362 (of which, however, no trace survives to the present day). At some point in the earlier 14th century it is thought that the Clan Macrae began to settle in Kintail as a body, having migrated from the Beauly Firth, and there gained the trust of the Mackenzie lairds through possible kinship and an advantageous marriage. The Macraes began to act as Mackenzie's bodyguards, acquiring the soubriquet "Mackenzie's shirt of mail".

James I, determined to pacify the Highlands, journeyed to Inverness in 1427 and invited the principal chiefs to meet him there. Allegedly among them was the young Alexander Mackenzie, 6th Earl of Kintail. James then arrested him, along with the other chiefs, on their arrival. Mackenzie clan histories relate that, although several chiefs were executed or imprisoned, Alexander, due to his youth, was instead sent to Perth to attend school. Alexander's uncles attempted to seize control of Kintail, but the constable Duncan Macaulay continued to hold Eilean Donan on his behalf. Fionnla Dubh mac Gillechriosd, considered by clan historians to be the founder of the Clan Macrae in Kintail, was dispatched to fetch the young laird back. During his lairdship Alexander appears to have supported the monarchy against the MacDonald Lords of the Isles and was allegedly rewarded by another charter of Kintail in 1463. Alexander died in about 1488 at a great age, and was succeeded by Kenneth Mackenzie, 7th of Kintail who won the Battle of Blar Na Pairce against the MacDonalds. Kenneth died a few years later and was succeeded first by his eldest son, then on his death in 1497 by his second son, John of Killin, who was still a minor. His uncle, Hector Roy Mackenzie, attempted to usurp the Mackenzie lands and installed his own constable in Eilean Donan, Malcolm Mac Ian Charrich Macrae. Hector's lawless activities caused the Mackenzies to be branded rebels, and in 1503 the Earl of Huntly offered to deliver Eilean Donan to the king, and to hold it on his behalf. James IV supplied a ship to support the enterprise. Eventually, John compelled his uncle to relinquish his claim, and Hector agreed to hand over Eilean Donan. The constable refused however, and John's supporters laid siege. Malcolm Mac Ian Charrich was eventually persuaded by Hector to relinquish the castle, after which he was dismissed as constable and Christopher Macrae (Gillechriosd Mac Fionnlagh Mhic Rath) was appointed in his place in around 1511. John of Killin obtained a further charter of Kintail and Eilean Donan in 1509.

In 1539, Donald Gorm Macdonald of Sleat ravaged the lands of MacLeod of Dunvegan on Skye, and then attacked the Mackenzie lands of Kinlochewe, where Miles (Maolmure), brother of Christopher Macrae, was killed. After a series of retaliatory raids, Donald Gorm learned that Eilean Donan was weakly garrisoned and launched a surprise attack. In fact, only two people were in the castle: the recently appointed constable Iain Dubh Matheson and the warden. Duncan MacGillechriosd of the Clan Macrae, son of the former constable, arrived at the start of the attack and killed several MacDonalds at the postern gate. Arrows launched by the attackers killed Matheson and the warden, but MacGillechriosd managed to hit Donald Gorm with his last arrow, fatally wounding Gorm, and the Macdonalds retreated. Duncan MacGillechriosd expected to be appointed as the new constable but was considered too headstrong: the local clergyman John MacMhurchaidh Dhuibh (John Murchison) was appointed as a compromise between rival Macrae and Maclennan interests. Furious at this treatment, MacGillechriosd left Kintail and joined the service of Lord Lovat, though he eventually returned to settle at Inverinate. Meanwhile, an aggrieved Maclennan apparently shot MacMhurchaidh in the buttocks with an arrow.

MacGillechriosd's son Christopher Macrae became constable of Eilean Donan in turn, and held the castle during yet another clan feud, this time between the Mackenzies and the MacDonalds of Glengarry. Feuding broke out in 1580 and continued for almost 25 years. In around 1602 Eilean Donan was the base for a sea skirmish at the narrows of Kyle Rhea led by Christopher's son Duncan. During the action the MacDonalds were driven on to the Cailleach Rock at the eastern tip of Skye and Angus, son of MacDonald of Glengarry, was killed. Christopher was succeeded as constable by the Rev. Murdoch Murchison, minister of Kintail.

Kenneth Mackenzie, 3rd Earl of Seaforth, was brought up at Eilean Donan by Rev. Farquhar Macrae

The Rev. Farquhar Macrae, son of Christopher Macrae, was born at the castle in 1580. After attending Edinburgh University and taking holy orders, in 1618 he was appointed constable of the castle and minister of Kintail on the death of Murdoch Murchison. Colin Mackenzie of Kintail was created Earl of Seaforth in 1623. He lived mainly at Chanonry of Ross in Fortrose, but made regular visits to Eilean Donan where the constable was required to entertain him and his retinue of between 300 and 500 retainers, as well as the neighbouring lairds. In 1635 George Mackenzie, 2nd Earl of Seaforth, appointed Farquhar as tutor to his six-year-old son Kenneth, who was subsequently raised at Eilean Donan.

In the civil wars of the mid 17th century, the Earl of Seaforth sided with Charles I. In 1650, after the king's execution, the Parliament of Scotland ordered a garrison to Eilean Donan. The local people did not welcome the garrison. When a party of 30 soldiers came out from the castle to request provisions from the local people, a band of 10 men who opposed their demands met the occupiers. An argument broke out, which led to the garrison men being driven off with several casualties. Shortly thereafter the garrison departed. The following year the Earl's brother, Simon Mackenzie of Lochslin, gathered troops for the royalist cause around Eilean Donan. For reasons unrecorded, he fell out with Farquhar Macrae and demanded his removal from the castle. Farquhar initially resisted, and despite interventions by the young Kenneth, had to be marched out by Lochslin and George Mackenzie (later Earl of Cromartie). He was finally persuaded to leave without violence, stating that he was too old to dwell in the cold castle. Farquhar was thus the last constable to dwell in Eilean Donan until its reconstruction, although he retained the ministry of Kintail until his death in 1662, at the age of 82.

After this time, the castle was briefly occupied by the Earl of Balcarres and his wife, who were in the Highlands in support of the Earl of Glencairn's royalist uprising, although Balcarres later disagreed with Glencairn and departed. In June 1654 General Monck, Oliver Cromwell's military governor in Scotland, marched through Kintail while suppressing the uprising. His troops destroyed much property, and stole 360 of Farquhar Macrae's cattle, though only one man was killed.

In 1689, King James VII of the House of Stuart was declared to have to forfeit the throne, and the crown was offered to William of Orange, in the so-called "Glorious Revolution". The revolution also established Presbyterianism in Scotland, although the Highlands generally remained Roman Catholic and loyal to the Stuarts. A series of Jacobite risings followed, leading to an increased military presence in Scotland as government forces attempted to penetrate and subdue the Highlands. In 1714 while surveying fortifications for the government, the military engineer Lewis Petit made the only surviving drawing of Eilean Donan. The sketch-elevation and carefully drawn plan show a dilapidated castle, largely roofless but for a small building by the entrance.

A major Jacobite uprising took place in 1715. Led by the Earl of Mar, it was an attempt to restore the exiled James Stuart, the "Old Pretender", to the throne. William Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Seaforth, joined the Jacobite army, leading out men of the Clan Mackenzie and Clan Macrae. The Macraes mustered at Eilean Donan, and are said to have danced on the roof of the castle before setting out to the Battle of Sheriffmuir where 58 Macraes were among the Jacobite dead. The battle was indecisive and the rising collapsed soon after.

Following the failure of the rising of 1715, the Jacobites found new support from Spain, now opposing both Britain and France in the War of the Quadruple Alliance. The Duke of Ormonde led the main invasion fleet from Spain, while an advance party of 300 Spanish soldiers under George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal, arrived in Loch Duich in April 1719, and occupied Eilean Donan Castle. The expected uprising of Highlanders did not occur, and the main Spanish invasion force never arrived. At the beginning of May, the Royal Navy sent ships to the area. Early in the morning on Sunday 10 May 1719 HMS Worcester, HMS Flamborough and HMS Enterprise anchored off Eilean Donan and sent a boat ashore under a flag of truce to negotiate. When the Spanish soldiers in the castle fired at the boat, it was recalled and all three ships opened fire on the castle for an hour or more. The next day the bombardment continued while a landing party was prepared. In the evening under the cover of an intense cannonade, a detachment went ashore in the ships' boats and captured the castle against little resistance. According to Worcester's log, in the castle were "an Irishman, a captain, a Spanish lieutenant, a serjeant, one Scotch rebel and 39 Spanish soldiers, 343 barrels of powder and 52 barrels of musquet shot." The naval force spent the next two days and 27 barrels of gunpowder demolishing the castle. Flamborough then took the Spanish prisoners to Edinburgh. The remaining Spanish troops were defeated on 10 June at the Battle of Glen Shiel.

Between 1919 and 1932, the castle was rebuilt by Lt. Col. John MacRae-Gilstrap. The restoration included the construction of an arched bridge to give easier access to the island. Macrae-Gilstrap also established a war memorial dedicated to the men of the MacRae clan who died in the First World War. The memorial is adorned with lines from John McCrae's poem "In Flanders Fields", and is flanked by grey field guns from the war. Eilean Donan was opened to the public in 1955, and has since become a popular attraction: over 314,000 people visited in 2009, making it the third-most-visited castle in Scotland. In 1983 ownership of the castle was transferred to the Conchra Charitable Trust, established by the Macrae family to maintain and restore the castle, and a purpose-built visitor centre was opened on the landward side of the bridge in 1998.

Clan MacRae Roll of Honour inside Eilean Donan Castle grounds, added during the restoration.

The castle is regularly described as one of the most photographed monuments in Scotland, and is a recognised Scottish icon, frequently appearing on packaging and advertising for shortbread, whisky and other products. Eilean Donan has made several appearances in films, beginning with Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1948 and The Master of Ballantrae in 1953. The castle was the setting for the 1980 short film Black Angel, filmed to accompany screenings of The Empire Strikes Back in cinemas. It featured prominently in Highlander (1986) as the home of Clan MacLeod, was backdrop to a dance scene in the Bollywood movie Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998, and served as the Scottish headquarters of MI6 in The World Is Not Enough in 1999. In Elizabeth: The Golden Age Eilean Donan stood in for Fotheringhay Castle in England. In the movie Made of Honor Eilean Donan can be seen as home of the groom's family.

Tōshō-gū is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. It was initially built in 1617, during the Edo period, while Ieyasu's son Hidetada was shōgun. It was enlarged during the time of the third shōgun, Iemitsu. Ieyasu is enshrined there, where his remains are also entombed. This shrine was built by Tokugawa retainer Tōdō Takatora.

The shrine is an UNESCO world heritage site.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikkō_Tōshō-gū

location : Rakuhoku Renge-ji temple Kyoto city,Kyoto prefecture,Japan

京都　洛北 蓮華寺

Rakuhoku Renge-ji temple :

This temple belongs to the Tendai sect of Buddhism cowned with the mountain name of Kinyozan.

Shigenao imaeda( 今枝重直),a retainer of the Maeda Clan in Kaga,present Ishikawa pref.,entered the priesthood around period from 1661 to 1673. He built a residence here and spent his later years associating with such people as Jozan Ishikawa 石川丈山and Tanyu Kano狩野探幽.His groundson Chikayoshi今枝民部近義,who admire the virtuous Shigenao, transfered a temple from Hachijo-Shiokoji(元西八条塩小路附近)to this place in order to pray for the repose of his grandfather.　He made it as a sub-temple of the Enryakuji Jitsuzobo Temple延暦寺実蔵坊.

The principal statue enshrined in main hall is of Shakamuni Tothagata.Unique Rengeji temple-style tone lanterns with hexagonal shades and a monument commemorating Shigenao inscribed Tehsho-style calligraphy written by Jozan Ishikawa on top and passage composed by Jun-an Kinoshita are found on the grounds beautifully covered with moss.

The garden woth crane stone and turtle islands in the lake,an excellent example from Edo period(1603-1867)　　-Kyoto city

Canon EOS M5 EF-M22mm f/2 STM （no image stabilization)手ブレ補正機能なし

ƒ/9.0 22.0 mm 1/10sec ISO200 manual exposure/focus

This temple has an explicit no-tripod policy, so tripods, including monopods, are usually prohibited.

A fun shipment just arrived - the window retainer (high-temp Inconel-X superalloy) and glass from the record-setting 4,520 MPH X-15 rocket plane, #2 in the series of three X-15s that were built.

#3 was destroyed in a final crash, and #1 is at the Smithsonian (nozzle photo).

The X-15 was carried aloft by B-52 and released at 45,000 feet and 500 mph. The rocket engine then fired for the first 1-2 minutes of flight. The remainder of the 10-11 minute flight was powerless and ended with a 200 MPH glide landing on a dry lake bed.

As I work this evening on a rocket that will go Mach 3, I look in awe at this windscreen that protected the pilot at Mach 6.7

From spaceaholic: This front windshield was removed in 1967 from X-15A-2. This Oval window design was only found on X-15A-2 (air frame tail number 66671) and this was a modification following its landing accident in 1962. The rebuild included additional tanks and performance enhancements exclusive to the X-15A-2, which enabled it to fly higher and faster then its siblings. The oval window was incorporated to better handle higher thermal/shock loads.

The inconel also has signatures of two X-15 pilots and Chris Kraft (better known for his involvement with Apollo). Because the window was pulled off the air frame in ‘67 it was most likely flown during the fastest flight ever (Pete Knight: 4,520 MPH in Oct 1967). After that flight and the fatal X15A-3 crash, the X-15 program was terminated. This may be the largest intact flown X-15 artifact outside of the Smithsonian and National Museum of the Air Force.

Sometimes it is easier to find old Edo at night, when the spirits from days long ago gather to enjoy sake and laughter together....

Perhaps ghosts do walk the gardens and the rooms of Happō-en. Who knows? Located in the Shirokane area of Minato-ku, Tokyo, Happō-en is a beautiful place known more for hosting an endless stream of weddings and formal banquets.

Happō-en has a history dating to the early 1600s, when it was the villa for Okubo Hikozaemon, a trusted confidant and retainer of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu as well as his two successors. Afterwards, the villa served as a residence for the Shimazu clan from the domain of Satsuma in Kyushu and then served as a villa for Saigō Takamori for a period of time. Happō-en means “eight gardens” in Japanese and its main garden is truly a delight, especially in late March to early April, when the cherry trees are in bloom or in late November-early December, when its maples turn a fiery red.