The waves broke and spread their waters swiftly over the shore. One after another they massed themselves and fell; the spray tossed itself back with the energy of their fall. The waves were steeped deep-blue save for a pattern of diamond-pointed light on their backs which rippled as the backs of great horses ripple with muscles as they move. The waves fell; withdrew and fell again, like the thud of a great beast stamping.

Virginia Woolf, The Waves

This was immediately after the shot I posted yesterday - it appears that junior wasn't successful in receiving all the food, as the parent withdrew with the majority still in the beak.

Dayro d-Mor Hananyo (Turkish: Deyrulzafaran Manastırı, Syriac: ܕܝܪܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܚܢܢܝܐ; Monastery of Saint Ananias) is an important Syriac Orthodox monastery. The monastery is located in the Syriac cultural region known as Tur Abdin, and is located three kilometers south east of Mardin, Turkey. It is usually better known by its nickname, the "Saffron Monastery" (Syriac: ܕܝܪܐ ܕܟܘܪܟܡܐ, Dairo d-Kurkmo; Arabic: دير الزعفران, Dairu 'l-Za‘farān) which is derived from the warm color of its stone.

Dayro d-Mor Hananyo is located on the site of a temple dedicated to the Mesopotamian sun god Shamash, which was then converted into a citadel by the Romans. After the Romans withdrew from the fortress, Mor Shlemon transformed it into a monastery in 493 AD. In 793 the monastery was renovated after a period of decline by the Bishop of Mardin and Kfartuta, Mor Hananyo, who gave the monastery its current name.

The monastery was later abandoned and re-founded by the bishop of Mardin, John, who carried out important renovations and moved the see of the Syriac Orthodox Church here before his death on the 12th of July 1165. Therefore, From 1160 until 1932 it was the official seat of the patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, after which it was moved first to Homs and in 1959 to Damascus. However, The Patriarchal throne and many relics are still located in the Monastery, as well as the Tombs of various Patriarchs. The monastery has 365 rooms - one for each day of the year.

Ref: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mor_Hananyo_Monastery)

On July, 3, 1863, the armies of the Union and the Confederacy were engaged in battle at Gettysburgh, PA. The strategic goal of the rebel forces was to push eastward in order to surround Washington, DC, and cut off the capital from the rest of the Union.

Major General George Pickett was in command of the Confederate forces attack against the center of the Union Army. The rebels crossed the field in this photo under fierce artillery fire and briefly overran the Union line, but were beaten back. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, but the Confederates were devastated and withdrew to the south.

This spot is known as the high water mark of the Confederacy. Never again would the North be so profoundly threatened by Southern forces. On the same day, the Union Army prevailed at Vicksburg, MS, far to the west, and the South was fully engaged on two fronts.

La Verna Sanctuary is located in the Tuscan Apennines.

In the summer of 1224 St. Francis withdrew on the mountain for his ordinary spiritual exercises and silence.

This church was building in 1260 (34 years after St. Francis' death).

The grass danced wildly beneath the wind's merciless command, each feeble blade a slave unto its power, yet together the valleys rolled in such a way, they withdrew some of my sorrow and replaced it with a smile.

― Amelia Dashwood

Posted for Fence Friday

Click on image

Happy Fence Friday!!

HFF!!

The story of the Alamo is a strange story. General Houston told Co-Commanders, Bowie and Travis to abandon the Alamo. They didn't. Santa Anna, much like Napoleon and Waterloo, showed up without his artillery. Unfortunately, for the defenders of the Alamo, Santa's artillery showed up and it was on the 13th day..Hummm. Indeed, an unlucky number that day. If they disobeyed orders, than why are they looked upon as heroes. Because they took the blunt of the attack and slowed Santa Anna down while Houston was busy gathering men to make a stand. Which, is why I speak English and not Spanish..:)) Here's what the Internet says

he Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna launched an assault on the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar (modern-day San Antonio, Texas, United States), killing all of the Texian defenders. Santa Anna's cruelty during the battle inspired many Texians—both Texas settlers and adventurers from the United States—to join the Texian Army. Buoyed by a desire for revenge, the Texians defeated the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto, on April 21, 1836, ending the revolution.

Several months previously, Texians had driven all Mexican troops out of Mexican Texas. About 100 Texians were then garrisoned at the Alamo. The Texian force grew slightly with the arrival of reinforcements led by eventual Alamo co-commanders James Bowie and William B. Travis. On February 23, approximately 1,500 Mexicans marched into San Antonio de Béxar as the first step in a campaign to retake Texas. For the next 10 days, the two armies engaged in several skirmishes with minimal casualties. Aware that his garrison could not withstand an attack by such a large force, Travis wrote multiple letters pleading for more men and supplies, but the Texians were reinforced by fewer than 100 men.

In the early morning hours of March 6, the Mexican Army advanced on the Alamo. After repelling two attacks, the Texians were unable to fend off a third attack. As Mexican soldiers scaled the walls, most of the Texian soldiers withdrew into interior buildings. Defenders unable to reach these points were slain by the Mexican cavalry as they attempted to escape.

By the Sea

I started early, took my dog,

And visited the sea;

The mermaids in the basement

Came out to look at me.

And frigates in the upper floor

Extended hempen hands,

Presuming me to be a mouse

Aground, upon the sands.

But no man moved me till the tide

Went past my simple shoe,

And past my apron and my belt,

And past my bodice too,

And made as he would eat me up

As wholly as a dew

Upon a dandelion’s sleeve –

And then I started too.

And he – he followed close behind;

I felt his silver heel

Upon my ankle, – then my shoes

Would overflow with pearl.

Until we met the solid town,

No man he seemed to know;

And bowing with a mighty look

At me, the sea withdrew.

~ Emily Dickinson

Visit this location at Mousehole in Second Life

I started Early - Took my Dog

And visited the Sea

The Mermaids in the Basement

Came out to look at me

And Frigates - in the Upper Floor

Extended Hempen Hands

Presuming Me to be a Mouse

Aground - upon the Sands

But no Man moved Me - till the Tide

Went past my simple Shoe

And past my Apron - and my Belt

And past my Bodice - too

And made as He would eat me up

As wholly as a Dew

Upon a Dandelion's Sleeve

And then - I started - too

And He - He followed - close behind

I felt His Silver Heel

Upon my Ankle - Then my Shoes

Would overflow with Pearl

Until We met the Solid Town

No One He seemed to know

And bowing - with a Mighty look

At me - The Sea withdrew-- Emily Dickinson

"...as the slow sea sucked at the shore and then withdrew, leaving the strip of seaweed bare and the shingle churned, the sea birds raced and ran upon the beaches. "

happy sliderssunday!

After eating its catch, the Heron continued to walk west along the river hunting. Soon the Buck posted to the right came to the river presumably for a drink. But they came to about the same spot in the river concurrently and neither knew what to do about the other. First they just looked at each other, then the Heron jumped and flew about 15 feet, scaring the deer in the process, which consequently withdrew into the vegetation. The Heron then resumed hunting and thus won bragging rights from the encounter.

Einst sicherte die Zuckerrüben-Saison mancher Nebenbahn das Überleben, wurden doch im Herbst an vielen Landbahnhöfen diese Agrarprodukte für den Weitertransport zur Verarbeitung verladen. In den 1990er Jahren zog sich die Deutsche Bahn aus diesem Geschäft zurück. Zuckerrüben wurden ausschließlich per LKW befördert. Inzwischen gibt es eine kleine Renaissance dieser Verkehre. Allerdings in sehr überschaubaren Umfang. Biologisch angebaute Feldfrüchte dieser Art werden von Bayern aus in die Schweiz transportiert. Am 01. Oktober 2021 verkehrte beispielsweise ein Zug von Nördlingen aus zum südlichen Nachbarn. Bis Lindau Reutin kam dabei die 1151 119 der BayernBahn zum Einsatz. Bei Ebermergen konnte ich die Leistung aufnehmen, das Ladegut war gut zu erkennen.

Once upon a time, the sugar beet season ensured the survival of many branch lines, as these agricultural products were loaded at many rural stations in autumn for onward transport for processing. In the 1990s, Deutsche Bahn withdrew from this business. Sugar beet was transported exclusively by truck. In the meantime, there has been a small renaissance of these transports. However, on a very manageable scale. Organically grown field crops of this kind are transported from Bavaria to Switzerland. On 01 October 2021, for example, a train ran from Nördlingen to the referred southern neighbour. Up to Lindau Reutin, the 1151 119 of the BayernBahn was used. At Ebermergen, I was able to photograph the service, and the load was clearly visible.

The real landmark of Macau is the Ruins of St. Paul,

the remains of the Church of the Mother of God - part of the College of Saint Paul founded in 1594 and lasting until 1762. Missionaries to spread Christianity in China and Japan were also trained here.

It was considered the first Western-style university here in the "Far East". St. Paul's Church, built in 1580, was destroyed twice (1595 and 1601). From 1602 to 1640 it was rebuilt by Chinese and Japanese craftsmen.

From 1762 the building was abandoned after the Jesuits withdrew.

From 1800 the church was used by the military.

It fell completely victim to a fire in 1835.

Only the facade, foundations and the front entrance steps are left.

Together with the historic center they were included in the UNESCO World Heritage in 2005.

Das Streit´s Haus am Jungfernstieg ist ein über die Stadtgrenzen Hamburg hinaus bekanntes Gebäude. Ab den 1930er-Jahren wurden in dessen Ballsaal gelegentlich Kinofilme vorgeführt. Den Zweiten Weltkrieg überstand das Hotel weitgehend unbeschadet und wurde von den britischen Besatzungstruppen als Offiziersquartier beschlagnahmt. Nach dem Abzug der britischen Truppen hätte das mittlerweile stark heruntergewohnte Hotel aufwendig renoviert werden müssen, was den Eigentümern nicht mehr wirtschaftlich erschien. Das Haus wurde zum Bürohaus und der Ballsaal zu einem hochwertigen Kino umgebaut. Am 02. April 2013 wurde der Spielbetrieb beendet, das Kino abgerissen und entsprechend den Plänen der Immobilieneigner umgebaut.

The Streit's house on Jungfernstieg is a building well-known beyond the city limits of Hamburg. From the 1930s, movies were occasionally shown in its ballroom. The hotel survived the Second World War largely unscathed and was confiscated by the British occupying forces as officers' quarters. After the British troops withdrew, the hotel, which had meanwhile become very run down, would have had to be extensively renovated, which the owners no longer considered economical. The house was converted into an office building and the ballroom into a high-quality cinema. On April 2nd, 2013, the theater was closed, the cinema was demolished and rebuilt according to the plans of the real estate owners.

Spring at its best! Patches of colour pop up everywhere, gradually taking over the grey and beige hues that have dominated since winter withdrew.

DSC00962

************************************************************

... und die Seele spannte weit ihre Flügel aus,

flog durch die stille Nacht

und schwebte dem Licht entgegen.

***********************************************************

Meine lieben Flickr Freunde.

Ich habe mich aufgrund eines schmerzlichen Verlustes von einem Angehörigen, kurz zurückgezogen.

Ich danke für das Verständnis, dass ich in dieser Zeit nicht auf ihre Kommentare eingegangen bin . Besonders möchte ich mich bei all jenen bedanken, die mir tröstende Worte haben zukommen lassen , unter Anderem auch per E-Mail .

In Kürze werde ich wieder hier sein.

Meine besten Wünsche und Grüße an euch allen.

Tauras Caio.

************************************************************************

*... and the soul spread its wings wide,

flew through the silent night

and floated toward the light.

************************************************************************

My dear Flickr friends.

I briefly withdrew due to a painful loss from a relative.

Thank you for understanding that I have not responded to their comments during this time. I would especially like to thank all those who have given me consoling words, among others also by e-mail.

I will be back soon.

Best wishes and greetings to you all.

Tauras Caio.

This island in the Seine was once the original centre of Paris.

In 275 AD the island was provided with a city wall and the inhabitants of the surrounding area withdrew behind this, were they were safe from the attacks of the Franks and the Allemans.

In a later period the island was connected to the mainland by bridges of which the Pont Neuf is the most famous.

On the island are many medieval buildings, of which the Notre Dame Cathedral is the most famous.

In 1672 Louis XIV of France together with his allies assaulted the young Dutch Republic with all the devastation such warfare wreaks. Weesp was also attacked but French forces soon withdrew; the so-called European Treaties of Nijmegen (1678-1679) put an end to French attempts on northern Dutch lands; until the age of Napoleon, of course.

Regardless, a great set of protective forts was built throughout the Republic, also in Weesp. To that end an island with two fortifications was constructed in the Vecht River next to the town. It was called the Ossenmarkt and a bridge was built to connect to the town. A map of the late seventeenth century gives a good indication.

In a peaceful setting, this photo shows the Lange Vechtbrug from the island on the fort side.

Dassault Mirage 2000D of the French Air force Team Coutreau Delta performing at RIAT 2018 after the other aircraft withdrew from the display following a birdstrike.

Added to Flicks July 2022 a few days before this years Airshow!

And the stream like a sonatina

of minor flourishes, glistens with sky

and silver light, air cooler

where I wade in, standing in the flow

of time, amidst drift twigs, minnows

in little puckers of water, wind caressing

summer leaves. Listen with me

for the great silence behind everything—

but I am so easily distracted by this mosquito

which requires the nectar of my blood, and just think:

nothing in this moment will exist beyond memory,

not the stream’s soft muck, the startled frog

which leaps into his splash, not the clouds nor

those water striders skating past. Let us seek,

my friend, the center of a stillness

where some truth might finally be revealed

though I have only meager virtue

and insufferable desires and deserve nothing

but this red welt the mosquito left as it withdrew

and rose noiselessly and vanished in the shadows.

--M deO

Inverary, Argyll and bute, Highland, Scotland, UK

VITAL SPARK, (ex-EILEAN EISDEAL, ex-ELSEDA, ex-VIC 72), was built by Brown's Shipyard, Hull, in 1944, and was sold out of naval service at Devonport Dockyard (where she had been a stores carrier) in 1968, and was then motorised and renamed ELSEDA, based at Troon as a cargo vessel. In 1972, she was bought by an owner based on the Isle of Mull, and worked around the islands dredging coal from sunken vessels. In 1984, she was sold to an owner of Easdale Island, near Oban, and was renamed EILEAN EASDEAL to run a inter-island cargo service around the Western Isles until 1994 (when the Scottish Office withdrew its subsidy for Scottish Shipping). In 2001, she was brought to the Inveraray Maritime Museum, where she still is, and in 2006, she was re-registered as VITAL SPARK, the name of the ficitional puffer that appeared in the Para Handy books by Neil Munro.

VITAL SPARK, (ex-EILEAN EISDEAL, ex-ELSEDA, ex-VIC 72), was built by Brown's Shipyard, Hull, in 1944, and was sold out of naval service at Devonport Dockyard (where she had been a stores carrier) in 1968, and was then motorised and renamed ELSEDA, based at Troon as a cargo vessel. In 1972, she was bought by an owner based on the Isle of Mull, and worked around the islands dredging coal from sunken vessels. In 1984, she was sold to an owner of Easdale Island, near Oban, and was renamed EILEAN EASDEAL to run a inter-island cargo service around the Western Isles until 1994 (when the Scottish Office withdrew its subsidy for Scottish Shipping). In 2001, she was brought to the Inveraray Maritime Museum, where she still is, and in 2006, she was re-registered as VITAL SPARK, the name of the ficitional puffer that appeared in the Para Handy books by Neil Munro.

Floodwaters of the river Rhine near Düsseldorf. As the flood withdrew, a little pond remained reflecting the bridge pillar. (Rheinhochwasser)

The fourth tallest skyscraper in New York City for now as something is coming to that Central Park tall corridor that will eventually push it down one position is the One Vanderbilt which from this perspective is not visible but is adjacent to Grand Central Terminal as captured from Bryant Park just shy of 42nd Street. An interesting structure that drew much protest that former Mayor Michael Bloomberg tried to change the strict Grand Central corridor air rights to allow this and other buildings at the end of his last term in 2013, the local residents, preservationist and politicians strongly opposed so Mayor Bloomberg withdrew his rezoning petition. It was his successor Mayor Bill de Blasio who finally worked the compromises despite strong resistance and opposition from the Historic District Council and Society for Architecture of the City by getting the builder to include 210 million dollars towards transit improvements to sweeten the pot. I have still not been up to its summit called ironically The Summit a unique series of high observation viewing area with amazing views, had a young friend and his fiancé share some lovely images, viewing images online/social media has piqued my curiosity, maybe be considering doing visit to the Summit at sunset on one of my trips back east to see my daughters, parents and specialist. - [x] #developportdev @gothamtomato @developphotonewsletter @omsystem.cameras #excellent_america #omsystem @bheventspace @bhphoto @adorama @tamracphoto @tiffencompany #usaprimeshot #tamractales @mpbcom @kehcamera @one_vanderbilt @nycurbanism @nycprimeshot #nycprimeshot @nybucketlist #omd #microfourthirds #micro43 #micro43photography

Elizabeth Castle sits on a tidal island within the parish of Saint Helier, Jersey. Construction was started in the 16th Century when the power of cannon meant that the existing stronghold at Mont Orgueil on the island’s east coast was insufficient to defend the island and the port of St. Helier was vulnerable to attack by ships armed with cannon.

It is named after Elizabeth I who was queen of England around the time the castle was built.

The tidal island called L'Islet lying in St Aubin's Bay became the site of the Abbey, later Priory, of Saint Helier. The Crown confiscated the monastic buildings at the Reformation. Surviving buildings were used for military purposes.

Construction of the earliest parts of the castle, the Upper Ward including the Queen Elizabeth Gate, began in 1594. This work was carried out by the Flemish military engineer Paul Ivy. Governors of Jersey then moved their official residence from Mont Orgueil to Elizabeth Castle.

The British government withdrew the garrison and relinquished the castle to the States of Jersey in 1923. The States then opened it to the public as a museum.

During the Second World War the Germans, who occupied the Channel Islands, modernised the castle with guns, bunkers and battlements. After the Liberation, the castle was repaired and was eventually re-opened to the public.

This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.

In 1813 3,000 US troops tried to invade Upper Canada and set-up camp. In return, 700 British Regulars left their encampment in Burlington Heights to attack the enemy. While both sides suffered great losses, the Americans were ultimately defeated and withdrew. This particular battle is credited with saving Upper Canada from being overrun in 1813.

ROA is the pseudonym of an anonymous, contemporary street art artist from Ghent, Belgium. He is believed to have been born in 1976. His works have been painted on buildings in various cities in Europe, the United States, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. He regularly participates in street art festivals and collaborates with galleries worldwide from time to time. However, very little is known about this anonymous artist. He believes that his work speaks for itself. He invariably avoids any form of contact with the media and is hardly attracted to interviews. In this way he says he keeps his work and mind free. ROA gained international fame in 2010 when he painted a giant 3.5m high rabbit on the side wall of a recording studio in Hackney, London. Despite the fact that the work was commissioned by the owner, it was discredited. The Hackney local council found that the mural detracted from the streetscape and decided that the mural should be removed. Both the owner of the recording studio and various residents of the building contested this decision. A campaign called "Save The Rabbit" was launched to protest the decision. This campaign was widely acclaimed and attracted media interest. Ultimately, the council withdrew its decision. To this day, the rabbit can still be found at the recording studio. (Wikipedia) Vaartstraat, Hasselt, Belgium

Das Streit´s Haus am Jungfernstieg ist ein über die Stadtgrenzen Hamburg hinaus bekanntes Gebäude. Ab den 1930er-Jahren wurden in dessen Ballsaal gelegentlich Kinofilme vorgeführt. Den Zweiten Weltkrieg überstand das Hotel weitgehend unbeschadet und wurde von den britischen Besatzungstruppen als Offiziersquartier beschlagnahmt. Nach dem Abzug der britischen Truppen hätte das mittlerweile stark heruntergewohnte Hotel aufwendig renoviert werden müssen, was den Eigentümern nicht mehr wirtschaftlich erschien. Das Haus wurde zum Bürohaus und der Ballsaal zu einem hochwertigen Kino umgebaut. Am 02. April 2013 wurde der Spielbetrieb beendet, das Kino abgerissen und entsprechend den Plänen der Immobilieneigner umgebaut.

The Streit's house on Jungfernstieg is a building well-known beyond the city limits of Hamburg. From the 1930s, movies were occasionally shown in its ballroom. The hotel survived the Second World War largely unscathed and was confiscated by the British occupying forces as officers' quarters. After the British troops withdrew, the hotel, which had meanwhile become very run down, would have had to be extensively renovated, which the owners no longer considered economical. The house was converted into an office building and the ballroom into a high-quality cinema. On April 2nd, 2013, the theater was closed, the cinema was demolished and rebuilt according to the plans of the real estate owners.

Joshua Tree National Park wilderness area. I heard a loud hissing sound and thought there might be a snake near by. Turned out it was the sound of air being expired as this tortoise withdrew into its shell. Otherwise I likely would have hiked by without seeing him (her?). I waited quietly for about 10 minutes to see if he would come out of his defensive posture, but he never did. I continued on my way.

Kessenich is the oldest of the five villages of Kinrooi. It was founded as a Celtic settlement, then close to the Meuse. In the 18th century was Kessenich like whole Limburg the battlefield of the various wars. When the Dutch-British troops withdrew from the region under the leadership of the Duke of Malborough during the Spanish Succession War, Kessenich was plundered in 1714, besieged the castle and the countess captured. In the whole region is still the annually tradition to burn a straw doll, which the Duke of Marlborough should propose.

texture by lenabemanna

History

The Saint Paul Hotel in the heart of St. Paul, Minnesota, began whimsically as a passion project of a man named John Summers who let travelers from all over the world stay in his home. His house, eventually known as the Greenman House, became a 60 room hotel built in 1871 but was tragically destroyed by fire in 1878.

Summers wasted no time in enlisting John Baugh, an Eastern hotelier, to construct a more modern, fireproof building called The Windsor Hotel, which became known as one of the finest in St. Paul. Eventually, both men, for various reasons, withdrew their stake and ownership of the hotel and a man by the name of Charles J. Monfort took over as President and Manager until his death in 1904

"St. Paul’s Million-Dollar Hotel" opened with much enthusiasm and ceremony on April 18, 1910. The downtown landmark featured a grand ballroom, fine dining room, roof garden, and guestrooms with scenic views. 194

He confronted me and was ready for a fight. I just took his photo and silently withdrew.

"The waves broke and spread their waters swiftly over the shore. One after another they massed themselves and fell; the spray tossed itself back with the energy of their fall. The waves were steeped deep-blue save for a pattern of diamond-pointed light on their backs which rippled as the backs of great horses ripple with muscles as they move. The waves fell; withdrew and fell again, like the thud of a great beast stamping."

- Virginia Woolf, The Waves

Lake Superior waves crash against the ancient lava flows at the Cascade River State Park picnic grounds near Grand Marais, Minnesota.

If you ever get up this way, the falls on the Cascade River, here, are a must see, but this CCC-made picnic area among the ancient lava flows and cedar trees is often passed by. Check it out! There is a big sign on the highway. You will need a daily or annual State Park Permit to enter, but believe me - it's worth it.

This was a film shot taken in 1982 with my old Honeywell Pentax Spotmatic SP-1000 35mm SLR camera.

My Great Grandparents were Victorians, and after a dinner party, my Great Grandfather used to enjoy sitting with his male guests in the dining room, after the ladies withdrew to the drawing room, where they drank port, brandy and muscatel, smoked cigars and were treated to a slice of Stilton from a large cheese wheel. Stilton is an English cheese, produced in two varieties: blue, which has Penicillium roqueforti added to generate a characteristic smell and taste, and white, which does not. My Great Grandfather only ever ate Blue Stilton. Even on nights when they weren’t entertaining, my Great Grandfather used to indulge in a snifter or brandy and a slice of Blue Stilton in his study after dinner. I remember him doing so, and it is he that I have to thank for my love of Blue Stilton and other blue varieties of cheese to this day. He used to indulge me, in an effort to teach me about cheese and broaden my palate, by giving me a small slice to eat. The more time that passed, and the cheese wheel reduced in size, the stronger the taste and aroma of the cheese became!

The theme for "Looking Close on Friday" for the 13th of June is "cheese". Now, I know you are going to say that this should be a macro shot: and it is. What might surprise you is that everything in this photograph, from the flowers to the cigars, the bottle and glasses to the paintings on the wall, and even the cheese itself are all in fact 1:12 miniatures from my extensive collection which I use for photography purposes. Although not exact, this image very much reflects what the sideboard in my Great Grandparent’s dining room looked like when I was a child: very much of that Victorian and Edwardian era. My Great Grandfather was a cigarette smoker more than a cigar smoker, but he always had a box of them to offer to guests. Anyone who follows my photostream knows that I love and collect 1:12 size miniatures which I photograph in realistic scenes. The artifice of recreating in minute detail items in 1:12 scale always amazes me, and it’s amazing how the eye can be fooled. I hope you like my choice of this week’s theme, and that it makes you smile!

Fun things to look for in this tableau include:

As the main focus of my image, the cheese wheel of Blue Stilton came from Beautifully Handmade Miniatures in Kettering. The knife, gilded white plates and stained wooden box of cigars also came from there.

The vase of red roses on the sideboard is beautifully made by hand by the Doll House Emporium.

All the brandy snifters on the silver tray in the background I have had since I was a teenager. I bought them from a high street stockist that specialised in dolls’ houses and doll house miniatures. Each glass is hand blown using real glass. The carafe on the same tray I bought at the same time. The tray was made for me from silver metal by my Grandfather, who was very clever and gifted with his hands. The 1:12 artisan bottle of brandy was made by Little Things Dollhouse Miniatures in Lancashire, and is made from glass and the label is a copy of a real brandy label.

The paintings on the wall are from Amber’s Miniatures in America, and the flocked wallpaper is beautiful hand embossed paper given to me by a friend to use with my miniatures.

The Queen Anne sideboard I have had since I was six years old.

As part of the continuing modernisation of British Railways, the Southern Region completely withdrew steam traction in 1967 with the final passenger service leaving London's Waterloo Station on 9th July.

Between 5th and 8th October 2017 the Great Central Railway in Leicestershire held a 50th Anniversary Commemorative Steam Gala with two former Southern Region Pacific Locomotives as guest engines.

Pictured approaching Swithland Sidings, in glorious early afternoon Autumnal Sun, on Friday 6th October 2017 sees one of them - Bulleid Designed 'Battle of Britain' Class 7P5F No. 34081 92 Squadron, in very early British Railways Livery, with a vans freight train for Rothley Brook.

Not only does this image show the 'Exemplary' restoration work undertaken on the steam locomotive but also the goods wagons too.

The Tomb Of The Holy Queen Of Krudhyn by Daniel Arrhakis (2021)

With the music : All the Best Memories Are Hers · Hans Zimmer · Benjamin Wallfisch / Blade Runner 2049 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

℗ 2017 Alcon Sleeping Giant (ASG) Records

youtu.be/2QCecWuOC18

Not far from the Monastery Of Leukhan, in the old Cathedral of Asghardhya, a female figure with a scarlet velvet cloak approaches the Tumule richly ornamented and flanked by sculptures of angels.

Carbisdale Castle was built in 1907 for the Duchess of Sutherland on a hill across the Kyle of Sutherland from Invershin in the Scottish Highlands. From 1945 to 2011 it was used as a youth hostel, operated by the Scottish Youth Hostels Association. The castle is situated north of Culrain, and around 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north-west of Bonar Bridge. It lies within the civil parish of Kincardine and Community council of Ardgay and District.

The castle is in the Scottish baronial style, it has 365 windows, is 41,433 square feet (3,849.3 m2) and is protected as a category B listed building. The hostel closed for repair in 2011, and was put up for sale in 2014. Until its closure, the castle had a large collection of art, with some pieces dating back to 1680, as well as Italian marble statues. It was purchased in 2016 but offered for sale again in 2021; in 2022 it was again sold and is now a private residence. As of June 2025 it is again on the market.

The castle was built between 1905 and 1917 for Mary Caroline, Duchess of Sutherland, the second wife of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland, whom she married in 1889. She is better known as "Duchess Blair" because of her first marriage to Captain Arthur Kindersley Blair of the 71st Highland Light Infantry, who died in a hunting accident in 1883 near Pitlochry. The marriage was not well-liked in the Sutherland family. When the Duke died in 1892 his will, in favour of the Duchess, was contested by his son and heir Cromartie. In a court process that followed, the Duchess was found guilty of destroying documents and was imprisoned for six weeks in Holloway Prison.

Eventually, the Sutherland family came to an agreement giving Duchess Blair a substantial financial settlement. Furthermore, the family agreed to build a castle for the Duchess, as long as it was outside of the Sutherland lands. The Duchess employed a firm of Ayrshire builders and the castle was built between 1906 and 1917 just outside the Sutherland lands in Ross-shire. It was located on a hillside to be visible to a large part of Sutherland, especially the main road and rail line which the Sutherland family would have to use to travel south. Thus it became known as the "Castle of Spite" as it was widely considered that the Duchess located the castle there to spite her husband's family and the settlement agreement. The castle's tower only has clock faces on three of its four sides; the side facing Sutherland is blank, supposedly because the Duchess did not wish to give her former relatives the time of day.

Colonel Theodore Salvesen, a wealthy Scottish businessman of Norwegian extraction, bought the castle in 1933. He made it available as a refuge for King Haakon VII of Norway and Crown Prince Olav, who would later become King Olav V, during the Nazi occupation of Norway in World War II. During that time the castle was also used to hold important meetings; at the Carbisdale Conference on 22 June 1941 it was agreed that should Russian forces enter Norwegian territory, they would not stay there after the war. On 25 October 1944, the Red Army entered Norway and captured thirty towns, but the Russian forces later withdrew under the terms of the agreement. After the Colonel died his son, Captain Harold Salvesen, inherited the castle and gave its contents and estate to the Scottish Youth Hostels Association. Carbisdale Castle Youth Hostel opened to members on 2 June 1945.

Following frost damage, the hostel closed for repairs in February 2011. Further structural damage was discovered during repair work. Because of the cost of completing the repairs, the SYHA advertised the castle for sale in 2014, for £1.2 million. In addition they auctioned 17 marble sculptures and 36 paintings in May 2015, raising a further £1 million. In September 2016, the castle was purchased by FCFM Group Ltd, who planned to make it "a world-class private residence".

The castle was put up for sale again in April 2021, priced at £1.5 million. It was sold in October 2022 to the barrister Samantha Kane and has since undergone restoration. Kane, now known as Lady Carbisdale, uses the castle as her residence but intends to partially open it to the public. As of June 2025, it is again on the market, with a guide price of £3.5 million.

The castle is rumoured to be haunted by a ghost called Betty.

This hawk flew right over my head. I think he had his nest in the barn and wanted to defend it.

The falcon was absolutely right, I had no business there.

I immediately withdrew and left him in his territory, as it should be.

The german airbase was built in the 1930s for the "Luftwaffe". After the end of the Second World War, the airfield was taken over by the Soviet occupation forces and continued to operate, first with aircraft, later with helicopters. Finally only the barracks were used until they were vacated when the Russian troops withdrew in the early 1990s. Now abandoned.

A photo taken from a cafe on the riverside street over a can of Angkor Beer. Rejuvenation of Kampot seems to be on track finally, but it was a long way. The mountain in the upper right is a slope of Phnom Bokor or Bokor Mountain, on which ruins of a French hill station and a Chinese-run casino hotel are located.

Khmer Rouge was ousted from Phnom Penh and major cities including Kampot by the Vietnamese invasion in 1979. Pro-Vietnamese Heng Samrin (1934 -) administration was installed, and the country was renamed to Peoples’ Republic of Kampuchea.

Hun Sen (1952 -), who speak Vietnamese fluently, had been Prime Minister from 1985 to 1993 under the Hen Samrin administration.

The Vietnamese troop withdrew from Cambodia in 1989, and the United Nations intermediated the peace process that was completed by the election in 1993. Based on the result of election, Sihanouk's son, Norodom Ranariddh (1944 - 2021) became First Prime Minister with Hun Sen as Second Prime Minister. The country was renamed back to Kingdom of Cambodia in 1993 by restoring Norodom Sihanouk as King of the constitutional monarchy.

Hun Sen was not happy with the UN ruling and staged a coup in 1997 to dismantled Ranariddh and came back as Prime Minister in 1998.

Khmer Rouge finally surrendered in 1999 near Preah Vihear, which finally paved the way for Cambodia to concentrate on economic development.

“Acceptance is not a sign of weakness. It's not a question of giving up or giving in. It is an acknowledgement that we all have our crosses to bear … our human struggle. What we choose to do about it is up to us. We have the gift of free will. As a child I was very accepting of the abuse and losses that I suffered. I knew no different. As a teenager I withdrew into myself and then I rebelled and fought against it all, but what I am learning now is that acceptance causes me less personal pain … it baffles those who seek to destroy my composure and in turn makes them question everything they thought they knew. In truth, if we discard everything we think we know and focus only on what we know to be true, we find we know so very little. There is much to learn and each of us has a different purpose … a personal spiritual journey. I believe we are here to learn from others and others may learn from us. In this quiet way we may arrive at mutual understanding and as my dearest Friend, Khaled, once told me, understanding is the first step towards love.” - AP

Soundtrack : www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ0kh3k0LKE

THE PROMISE – TRACY CHAPMAN

I promise I will return. For now I say au revoir, but not goodbye, all my love, Poppy xo

The purest heart among us

can play sweet music on a harp

with variations and vibrations

an angel's tenderness imparts

The smallest flower or tiny creature

can stay forever in our minds

with connotations and abstractions

impressing us with ideas kind

The lovingness of all mankind

seeps through our veins and warms the coals

with tremors and delicious trickles

it stokes our fires; our embered souls

The steps of time; the parallels

are drawn before we're born

the plan is made; the cavalcade

storms the castle and leaves us torn

The outcome is not always foretold

there's often something we can do

no need to suffer or seal our fate

the life that comes; it's up to you

The two things that spring to my mind

are patience and compassion

to exercise and exorcise

the former to practice; the latter not rationed

Love and only love my friends

can stop disease and hate

I want to give it unconditionally

Love is infinite; intelligence is not necessarily innate.

- AP - Copyright © remains with and is the intellectual property of the author

Copyright © protected image please do not reproduce without permission

La fábrica de Mackenzie o Port Victoria, conocida habitualmente como Casamar, fue un fuerte costero levantado en 1882 en Cabo Juby, actual Tarfaya.

El edificio fue construido por el fundador de la Compañía Británica del Noroeste de África, Donald Mackenzie, quien se posicionó allí a principios de 1879 con el objetivo de comerciar con caravanas comerciales provenientes de Tombuctú. Tras un ataque a la fortaleza en 1888, la empresa se retiró cediendo el edificio.

Casa Mar, con una superficie de seiscientos metros Cuadrados y dos plantas, fue construida por albañiles canarios con piedra traída de Lanzarote y cemento de Inglaterra.

Disponía de unos depósitos de agua metálicos con capacidad para subsistir durante nueve Meses. En la parte superior, de superficie plana, se asentó una batería de artillería para su defensa y apoyo a los edificios de la orilla. Además, se construyó un muelle para facilitar la carga y descarga de las mercancías.

The Mackenzie Factory or Port Victoria, commonly known as Casamar, was a coastal fort built in 1882 at Cape Juby, present-day Tarfaya.

The building was constructed by Donald Mackenzie, founder of the British Northwest Africa Company, who established himself there in early 1879 to trade with trade caravans from Timbuktu. Following an attack on the fortress in 1888, the company withdrew and handed over the building.

Casa Mar, with an area of six hundred square meters and two floors, was built by Canarian masons using stone brought from Lanzarote and cement from England.

It had metal water tanks capable of sustaining water for nine months. An artillery battery was installed on the upper, flat surface for defense and support of the buildings on the shore. A dock was also built to facilitate the loading and unloading of goods.

Here, diatoms, sponges and coral reefs lived 150 million years ago in the former Jurassic sea. After withdrew and due to tectonic uplift, the remaining highly rugged ridge developed by weathering to today's Kuppenalb. Center is Velburg, a town in the district of Neumarkt in Bavaria, Germany. Around Velburg, one does find a lot of neglected grassland and a lot of limestone in the bushes.....

Central Railroad of New Jersey SD35 2507 idles on one of the turntable tracks in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This is possibly the first and only return to Bethlehem Engine Terminal for the 1965 EMD since the CNJ withdrew from Pennsylvania in 1972.

Rain covered shot of the 1959 Aston Martin DBR1 (chassis DBR1/5) in the paddock at Goodwood.

This car was built for Graham Whitehead in 1959, and was entered into Le Mans that year but crashed out. Whitehead withdrew the car from the Tourist Trophy to free up his pit for the works team who had suffered a fire in theirs rendering it unusable.

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Dave Adams Automotive Images

I had written a little story to go along with this picture. Finally , I withdrew it. Believe me, you better visit Drune Diesel City and imagine your own story!

Location: Drune Diesel City

jmsdbg.com/estambul/index.html

La noche dota a la Mezquita Azul de una magia especial que todavía realza más su belleza. Me senté en un banco y planté el trípode con la cámara, cuando aún era de día —por supuesto, después de tomar un té—, dispuesto a ver cómo lentamente el cielo y los muros de la mezquita comenzaban a cambiar, mientras disfrutaba con las fotos que iba sacando. El sol se retiraba sin prisa, y los colores se transformaban con una delicadeza hipnótica. Poco a poco, empezaron a insinuarse suaves tonos dorados en los minaretes, al ir encendiéndose los focos que preparaban la escena.

Un rato después, el edificio entero resplandecía como un dibujo de luz dorada, recortado con nitidez sobre el cielo azul violáceo del anochecer.

De repente, algo cambió. Los focos dorados se apagaron sin aviso y fueron sustituidos por otros blancos, fríos, casi quirúrgicos. La mezquita se volvió entonces algo distinto: una visión extraña, fantasmal, como si flotara en una dimensión paralela.

No lo dudé un segundo y apreté rápido el disparador. Duró muy poco. Apenas unos segundos. Por suerte, algo más que los 30 segundos que duró la exposición de esta foto. Lo suficiente para atraparla, aunque fuera una sola vez.

Pensé entonces que quizá todo fuese una metáfora de esta ciudad que respira entre dos luces.

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At night, the Blue Mosque takes on a special kind of magic that enhances its beauty even more. I sat on a bench and set up the tripod with my camera — it was still daylight, of course, and only after having a tea — ready to watch as the sky and the mosque's walls slowly began to change. I enjoyed every shot I took while the light shifted gently around me. The sun withdrew slowly, and the colors transformed with hypnotic delicacy. Bit by bit, soft golden tones began to appear on the minarets, as the lights that set the scene started to come on.

A little while later, the entire building shone like a sketch drawn in golden light, sharply outlined against the violet-blue sky of dusk.

Then suddenly, something changed. The golden lights went off without warning, replaced by others — white, cold, almost surgical. The mosque became something else entirely: a strange, ghostly vision, as if it were floating in a parallel dimension.

I didn’t hesitate — I pressed the shutter quickly. It lasted only a few seconds. Fortunately, just a bit longer than the 30 seconds the photo exposure required. Long enough to capture it, just once.

And I thought, maybe it was all a metaphor — of a city that breathes between two lights.

La fábrica de Mackenzie o Port Victoria, conocida habitualmente como Casamar, fue un fuerte costero levantado en 1882 en Cabo Juby, actual Tarfaya.

El edificio fue construido por el fundador de la Compañía Británica del Noroeste de África, Donald Mackenzie, quien se posicionó allí a principios de 1879 con el objetivo de comerciar con caravanas comerciales provenientes de Tombuctú. Tras un ataque a la fortaleza en 1888, la empresa se retiró cediendo el edificio.

Casa Mar, con una superficie de seiscientos metros Cuadrados y dos plantas, fue construida por albañiles canarios con piedra traída de Lanzarote y cemento de Inglaterra.

Disponía de unos depósitos de agua metálicos con capacidad para subsistir durante nueve Meses. En la parte superior, de superficie plana, se asentó una batería de artillería para su defensa y apoyo a los edificios de la orilla. Además, se construyó un muelle para facilitar la carga y descarga de las mercancías.

The Mackenzie Factory or Port Victoria, commonly known as Casamar, was a coastal fort built in 1882 at Cape Juby, present-day Tarfaya.

The building was constructed by Donald Mackenzie, founder of the British Northwest Africa Company, who established himself there in early 1879 to trade with trade caravans from Timbuktu. Following an attack on the fortress in 1888, the company withdrew and handed over the building.

Casa Mar, with an area of six hundred square meters and two floors, was built by Canarian masons using stone brought from Lanzarote and cement from England.

It had metal water tanks capable of sustaining water for nine months. An artillery battery was installed on the upper, flat surface for defense and support of the buildings on the shore. A dock was also built to facilitate the loading and unloading of goods.

The waves crashed loudly and the clouds moved dramatically. All the while, the sun gracefully withdrew. Lawrencetown Beach, Nova Scotia.