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I love watching these eagles soar and maneuver through the sky with ease. I also love watching them perched in trees eating or calling out to each other. But, I must say, watching them fish is an absolute treat. Simply put, it is witnessing perfection of nature. www.troymarcyphotography.com
Dutch postcard by Int. Filmpers, Amsterdam, no. 363 / 817.
American actress Natalie Wood (1938-1981) was one of Hollywood's most valuable and wanted actresses in the early 1960s. At 4, she started out as a child actress and at 16, she became a star, when she co-starred with James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955). For this role, she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. In 1961, she played Maria in the hit musical West Side Story. She was nominated twice for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, for Splendor in the Grass (1961) and Love with the Proper Stranger (1963). Only 43, Wood drowned during a boating trip with husband Robert Wagner and Brainstorm (1983) co-star Christopher Walken.
Natalie Wood was born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko in San Francisco, USA, in 1938. Her parents were Russian immigrants. Her father Nikolai Stepanovich Zakharenko was a day laborer and carpenter and her mother Maria Zudilova was a housewife. Wood's parents had to migrate due to the Russian Civil War (1917-1923). Maria had unfulfilled ambitions of becoming an actress or ballet dancer. She wanted her daughters to pursue an acting career, and live out her dream. Maria frequently took a young Wood with her to the cinema, where Maria could study the films of Hollywood child stars. The impoverished family could not afford any other acting training to Wood. The Zakharenko family eventually moved to Santa Rosa, where young Wood was noticed by members of a crew during a film shoot. The family moved to Los Angeles to help seek out roles for her. RKO Radio Pictures' executives William Goetz and David Lewis chose the stage name "Natalie Wood for her. The first name was based on her childhood nickname Natalia, and the last name was in reference to director Sam Wood. Natalia's younger sister Svetlana Gurdin (1946) would eventually follow an acting career as well, under the stage name Lana Wood. Natalie made her film debut in the drama Happy Land (Irving Pichel, 1943) starring Don Ameche, set in the home front of World War II. She was only 5-years-old, and her scene as the 'Little Girl Who Drops Ice Cream Cone' lasted 15 seconds. Wood somehow attracted the interest of film director Irving Pichel who remained in contact with her family over the next few years. Wood had few job offers over the following two years, but Pichel helped her get a screen test for a more substantial role opposite Orson Welles as Wood's guardian and Claudette Colbert in the romance film Tomorrow Is Forever (Irving Pichel, 1946). Wood passed through an audition and won the role of Margaret Ludwig, a post-World War II German orphan. At the time, Wood was "unable to cry on cue" for a key scene. So her mother tore a butterfly to pieces in front of her, giving her a reason to cry for the scene. Wood started appearing regularly in films following this role and soon received a contract with the film studio 20th Century Fox. Her first major role was that of Susan Walker in the Christmas film Miracle on 34th Street (George Seaton, 1947), starring Edmund Gwenn and Maureen O'Hara. The film was a commercial and critical hit and Wood was counted among the top child stars in Hollywood. She received many more to play in films. She typically appeared in family films, cast as the daughter or sister of such protagonists as Fred MacMurray, Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, Joan Blondell, and Bette Davis. Wood appeared in over twenty films as a child actress. The California laws of the era required that until reaching adulthood, child actors had to spend at least three hours per day in the classroom, Wood received her primary education on the studio lots, receiving three hours of school lessons whenever she was working on a film. After school hours ended, Wood would hurry to the set to film her scenes.
Natalie Wood gained her first major television role in the short-lived sitcom The Pride of the Family (1953-1954). At the age of 16, she found more success with the role of Judy in Rebel Without a Cause (Nicholas Ray, 1955) opposite James Dean and Sal Mineo. She played the role of a teenage girl who dresses up in racy clothes to attract the attention of a father (William Hopper) who typically ignores her. The film's success helped Wood make the transition from child star to ingenue. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, but the award was instead won by Jo Van Fleet. Her next significant film was the Western The Searchers (John Ford, 1956), playing the role of abduction victim Debbie Edwards, niece of the protagonist Ethan Edwards (John Wayne). The film was a commercial and critical hit and has since been regarded as a masterpiece. Also in 1956, Wood graduated from Van Nuys High School, with her graduation serving as the end of her school years. She signed a contract with Warner Brothers, where she was kept busy with several new films. To her disappointment, she was typically cast as the girlfriend of the protagonist and received roles of little depth. For a while, the studio had her paired up with teenage heartthrob Tab Hunter as a duo. The studio was hoping that the pairing would serve as a box-office draw, but this did not work out. One of Wood's only serious roles from this period is the role of the eponymous protagonist in the melodrama Marjorie Morningstar (Irving Rapper, 1958) with Gene Kelly, playing a young Jewish girl whose efforts to create her own identity and career path clash with the expectations of her family. Wikipedia: "The central conflict in the film revolves around the traditional models of social behavior and religious behavior expected by New York Jewish families in the 1950s, and Marjorie's desire to follow an unconventional path." The film was a critical success, and fit well with other films exploring the restlessness of youth in the 1950s. Wood's first major box office flop was the biographical film All the Fine Young Cannibals (Michael Anderson, 1960), examining the rags to riches story of jazz musician Chet Baker (played by Robert Wagner) without actually using his name. The film's box office earnings barely covered the production costs, and film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer recorded a loss of 1,108,000 dollars. For the first time. Wood's appeal to the audience was in doubt.
With her career in decline following this failure, Natalie Wood was seen as "washed up" by many in the film community. But director Elia Kazan gave her the chance to audition for the role of the sexually-repressed Wilma Dean Loomis in Splendor in the Grass (Elia Kazan, 1961) with Warren Beatty. The film was a critical success and Wood for first nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. The award was instead won by rival actress Sophia Loren. Wood's next important film was West Side Story (Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise, 1961), where she played Maria, a restless Puerto Rican girl. Wood was once again called to represent the restlessness of youth in a film, this time in a story involving youth gangs and juvenile delinquents. The film was a great commercial success with about 44 million dollars in gross, the highest-grossing film of 1961. It was also critically acclaimed and is still regarded among the best films of Wood's career. However, Wood was disappointed that her singing voice was not used in the film. She was dubbed by Marni Nixon, who also dubbed Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady (George Cukor, 1964), and Deborah Kerr in The King and I (Walter Lang, 1956). Wood's next leading role was as burlesque entertainer and stripper Gypsy Rose Lee in the Biopic Gypsy (Mervyn LeRoy, 1962) alongside Rosalind Russell. Some film historians credit the part as an even better role for Wood than that of Maria, with witty dialogue, a greater emotional range, and complex characterisation. The film was the highest-grossing film of 1962 and well-received critically. Wood's next significant role was that of Macy's salesclerk Angie Rossini in the comedy-drama Love with the Proper Stranger (Robert Mulligan, 1963). In the film, Angie has a one-night-stand with musician Rocky Papasano (Steve McQueen), finds herself pregnant, and desperately seeks an abortion. The film underperformed at the box office but was critically well-received. The 25-year-old Wood received her second nomination for the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role, but it was won by Patricia Neal. Wood continued her successful film career and made two comedies with Tony Curtis: Sex and the Single Girl (Richard Quine, 1964) and The Great Race (Blake Edwards, 1965), the latter with Jack Lemmon, and Peter Falk. For Inside Daisy Clover (Sydney Pollack, 1965) and This Property Is Condemned (Sydney Pollack, 1966), both of which co-starred Robert Redford, Wood received Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress. However, her health status was not as successful. She was suffering emotionally and had sought professional therapy. She paid Warner Bros. 175,000 dollars to cancel her contract and was able to retire for a while. She also fired her entire support team: agents, managers, publicist, accountant, and attorneys. She took a three-year hiatus from acting.
Natalie Wood made her comeback in the comedy-drama Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (Paul Mazursky, 1969), with the themes of sexual liberation and wife swapping. It was a box office hit. Wood decided to gamble her 750,000 dollars fee on a percentage of the gross, earning a million dollars over the course of three years. Wood was pregnant with her first child, Natasha Gregson (1970). She chose to go into semi-retirement to raise the child, appearing in only four more theatrical films before her death. These films were the mystery-comedy Peeper (Peter Hyams, 1975) starring Michael Caine, the Science-Fiction film Meteor (Ronald Neame, 1979) with Sean Connery, the sex comedy The Last Married Couple in America (Gilbert Cates, 1980) with George Segal and Valerie Harper, and the posthumously-released Science-Fiction film Brainstorm (Douglas Trumbull, 1983). In the late 1970s, Wood found success in television roles. Laurence Olivier asked her to co-star with him in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Robert Moore, 1976). After that, she appeared in several television films and the mini-series From Here to Eternity (Buzz Kulik, 1979), with William Devane and Kim Basinger. For From Here to Eternity, she received a Golden Globe Award and high ratings. She had plans to make her theatrical debut in a 1982 production of 'Anastasia'. On 28 November 1981, during a holiday break from the production of Brainstorm (1983), Natalie Wood joined her husband Robert Wagner, their friend Christopher Walken, and captain Dennis Davern on a weekend boat trip to Catalina Island. The four of them were on board Wagner's yacht Splendour. On the morning of 29 November 1981, Wood's corpse was recovered 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) away from the boat. The autopsy revealed that she had drowned. Wikipedia: "The events surrounding her death have been the subject of conflicting witness statements, prompting the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, under the instruction of the coroner's office, to list her cause of death as 'drowning and other undetermined factors' in 2012. In 2018, Wagner was named as a person of interest in the ongoing investigation into Wood's death." Natalie Wood was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. Her would-be comeback film Brainstorm (Douglas Trumbull, 1983) was incomplete at the time of her death. It was ultimately finished and released, but Wood's character had to be written out of three scenes while a stand-in and changing camera angles were used for crucial shots. Natalie Wood was married three times. Her second husband was the British film producer and screenwriter Richard Gregson (1969-1972). She was twice married to actor Robert Wagner, from 1957 till 1962 and from 1972 till her death in 1981. She had two daughters, Natasha Gregson Wagner (1970) with Richard Gregson, and Courtney Wagner (1974) with Robert Wagner. The 2004 TV film The Mystery of Natalie Wood chronicles Wood's life and career. It was partly based on the biographies 'Natasha: the Biography of Natalie Wood' by Suzanne Finstad and 'Natalie & R.J.' by Warren G. Harris. Justine Waddell portrays Wood.
Sources: Dimos I (IMDb), Wikipedia, and IMDb.
And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.
Thiepval a été l’un des principaux théâtres de la Bataille de la Somme. La colline - ainsi que le village lui-même et le château aujourd'hui disparu - fut avec Hamel l'un des piliers de la défense allemande sur la partie nord du secteur britannique. Le site constituait en effet une forteresse naturelle protégée à sa base par les marécages de l'Ancre et par de nombreux et très profonds souterrains.
Elle constituait le « saillant de Leipzig » ou « redoute Schwaben », qui pouvait recevoir cinq cents officiers et dix mille hommes de troupe, et était parcourue par vingt-cinq rues.
Thiepval fut, le 1er juillet 1916, l'un des principaux champs de bataille de l'aile gauche britannique. Ayant perdu 58 000 soldats (dont 20 000 tués), la Grande-Bretagne y connut la plus grande tragédie militaire de son histoire.
Les combats pour la prise de Thiepval, commencés le 1er juillet 1916, se termineront le 26 septembre 1916.
Mémorial franco-britannique
le Mémorial, inauguré en 1932, représente le plus important des mémoriaux britanniques au monde. Cet imposant monument de brique et de pierre s'élevant à 45 mètres de hauteur est visible à des kilomètres à la ronde. Il est l'œuvre de l'architecte Sir Edwin Lutyens. Les seize piliers en pierre blanche de Portland soutenant cet édifice sont gravés des noms des 73 367 disparus britanniques et sud-africains, tombés pendant la Bataille de la Somme (juillet 1915-février 1918) lors de la Première Guerre mondiale, et n'ayant pas de sépulture connue. Au-dessus des noms sont dessinés des couronnes de lauriers avec le nom des lieux de bataille de la Somme. Le cimetière situé derrière le mémorial se trouve à l'emplacement des lignes de front du 1er juillet 1916, premier jour de la Bataille de la Somme2
Cimetière militaire franco-britannique
Il abrite les dépouilles de 300 militaires français et de 300 militaires britanniques et du Commonwealth. Sa construction fut décidée en 1932 afin de symboliser l’alliance de l’Empire britannique et de la République française3. Il fut inauguré en 1932 par le Prince de Galles, en présence du président de la République Française, Albert Lebrun.
Source Wikipedia
Senator Johnson, what were you thinking? This isn’t an exclamation. I really want to know.
In one of the most recent iterations of tone-deaf statements made by politicians, Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said this on Joe Pag’s conservative radio talk show (emphasis mine):
“Even though those thousands of people that were marching to the Capitol were trying to pressure people like me to vote the way they wanted me to vote, I knew those were people that love this country, that truly respect law enforcement, would never do anything to break the law, and so I wasn’t concerned.”
“Now, had the tables been turned—Joe, this could get me in trouble—had the tables been turned, and President Trump won the election and those were tens of thousands of Black Lives Matter and Antifa protesters, I might have been a little concerned.”
It was both shocking and amazing to hear someone—an elected Senator, no less—say such a thing without realizing the impact of his words. This is the definition of institutional racism: thought patterns so embedded in society, some see nothing wrong in expressing them, let alone thinking them. Did you say them to gain political currency, or do you believe them? As Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. recently said, “Republicans and conservatives have used culture wars as a way of encouraging working-class voters to cast their ballots on the basis of social, religious, and racial issues rather than on economic questions.” Your comments, shocking as they are to me, are chum, thrown into political waters to rile up your Republican base. In the feeding frenzy, they ignore the economic precipice they live on and, worse, don’t even realize how unimportant their lives are to the GOP.
The Justice Department’s mounting evidence against those who stormed the Capitol doesn’t correlate with your sentiments. In response to criticism about your statement, you replied, “There were no racial undertones to my comments.” You’re right, Senator. These weren’t undertones; these were overt. Here are some facts that should interest you.
In an interview with 60 Minutes, federal prosecutor and former acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Michael R. Sherwin, said they were now in the process of prosecuting over 400 cases involving the January assault on the Capitol. “The bulk of those cases are federal criminal charges and significant felony charges: five, ten, twenty-year penalties…. Of those 400, we have over 100 who have been charged with assaulting federal officers and local police officers. Ten percent of the cases, I’ll call them more complex conspiracy cases—we do have evidence, it’s in the public record—where individual militia groups from different facets, Oath Keepers, Three Percenters, Proud Boys, did have a plan—we don’t know what the full plan is—to come to D.C., organize, breach the Capitol in some manner.” The investigation is only getting started.
Sherwin was an eyewitness to the insurrection. Dressed in his running clothes, he followed protesters from Donald Trump’s rally to the Capitol. “As the morning progressed, I noticed that some people were in tactical gear,” he said. “Those individuals, I noticed, left the speeches early. You could see it was getting more riled up. And it became more aggressive.” Prosecutors have charged many with obstruction of official government proceedings (the Electoral College count). Convictions could result in twenty-year felony sentences. The government has arrested two men for assaulting Capitol police officer Brian D. Sicknick, who later died of his injuries. If his autopsy shows their actions resulted in his death, they will be charged with murder.
Do you think, Senator, these people “truly respect law enforcement [and] would never do anything to break the law,” as you stated?
Covered live on TV, hundreds of thousands of Americans witnessed this breach. Rioters posted their own videos and photographs of their actions. Others proudly texted their involvement. The people you described as loving their country put members of Congress, the military, and police at risk. What’s so loving about that?
Politicians have been spinning their versions of events since the dawn of our country. During both the Reagan and George H. Bush administrations, Lee Atwater’s noxious tactics are the contemporary antecedent for the misleading hyperbole we experience today. Truth became malleable. Atwater’s support for making furloughed felon Willie Horton’s armed robbery and rape charges an issue during the 1988 presidential campaign against Democrat Michael Dukakis was instrumental in Bush overcoming a 17-point deficit to win the presidency. Atwater stated he would “strip the bark off the little bastard” and “make Willie Horton his running mate.” Trump’s “alternative facts” were the culmination of bending the truth for political gain. What’s fascinating is the traction these lies generate.
In 1987, the Federal Communications Commission rescinded the Fairness Doctrine, which required media outlets to present controversial issues fairly and balanced. “The Fairness Doctrine required that those who were talked about be given a chance to respond to the statements made by broadcasters.” The FCC believed this safeguard impinged on a person’s First Amendment rights, and they did away with it. Political discourse has digressed ever since.
“Cancel culture” has become our most recent ad hoc policing system to control the cacophony of voices and opinions on traditional and social media. But it’s often harsh and indiscriminate. A few months back, a Facebook friend wrote about some stress in their life, posting a sizeable animated emoji showing a round yellow face grinding its teeth. I responded to that emoji by saying, “relax” (I know firsthand the pain of bruxism—teeth-gnashing). A few minutes later, a well-known woman writer admonished me for telling any woman to relax. I only knew my friend via Facebook. And her handle was gender-neutral, so I didn’t realize she was a woman. I was going to clarify my response, but when I saw that 27 people had already liked her retort, I thought better of it. I felt ganged up upon and ridiculed unfairly. A simple question, “What did you mean?” would have cleared everything up quickly. Instead, I deleted my comment. But the feeling of being misunderstood without recourse stayed with me the rest of the day. Seeking context is a rare commodity. So that’s why I’m asking you, Senator, despite the facts, why did you say what you said?
Ultimately, it’s the responsibility of your Wisconsin constituents to judge your words and deeds. But that doesn’t mean the rest of us will stand by when you pass your judgments. They’re deadly.
And, yes, Senator Johnson, you are a racist.
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Follow the history of our country's political intransigence from 2010-2020 through a seven-part exhibit of these posters on Google Arts & Culture.
I stood in the middle of a baseball field hoping that the sun would kiss the underside of the clouds that had seemed to stall above me. As the sun slowly reached the horizon and found the cloudcover gap I noticed in the distance, those clouds above me were more than merely glanced- they were buried in the burning red light of a sun just waking up. This was the sight I was blessed with. It was intoxicating.
After witnessing Aiden and Charlotte together on the street, Vincent went straight home. He locked himself in his flat with the lights off, sat on his bed, and immediately sank into a depression. When Damien came knocking fifteen minutes later Vincent simply rolled over on his side and pretended not to be home.
The entire next day was a repeat of the evening before. He spent his day sitting on his bed while staring at the wall. No books. No music. No herb. No tea. Nothing. He wasn't even hungry. And as the day shifted towards evening, his depression was layered on with a deep, growing brood. Even the weather seemed to reflect his mood with dark skies, heavy rain, and loud thunder that had intensified as the day dragged on.
Earlier in the day, there had been a knock at the door. He'd ignored it and thankfully whoever it was got the message and left shortly afterwards. He was not ready to face anyone yet.
The following day, Sunday, was meant to be a special and important one. With his uncle's long-awaited return there was going to be a huge family feast in celebration! Vincent had been looking forward to tonight very much! But even that felt ruined for him now. Yet, he felt obligated to attend. Besides, he'd not eaten in nearly two days. Perhaps the lure of Mrs. Faris' incredible cooking would encourage his hunger.
So, after dragging ass all morning, Vincent finally bathed and started getting himself ready for a celebratory evening with his family. He still did not feel ready to be in anyone's company. He was growing more and more uncertain about his decision to attend by the minute. Besides, what if Charlotte had invited Aiden? He didn't think he could handle that. BUT WHY?!
And then the memory came of the night when Aiden had walked Vincent home from the tavern. Aiden had smiled so sweetly just for him all because Vincent thought it was cute that he had dimples at the corner of his mouth. Then another memory came of Aiden as he grinned so hugely and cheered Leon's Claw on as the ship climbed the skies during their moonlit flight together. He liked it when Aiden was happy. That's how he should always be.
'So, you DO know how to laugh after all! Don't worry, Captain, I won't tell anyone.'
Aiden had said that after he'd made Vincent laugh for the first time in three years! And how many times since then? Aiden always managed to get him to smile and laugh so easily! Aiden made him feel safe to come out of his shell. He'd always been there for Vincent since the very beginning. Memories began to play back as he remembered all those wonderful times he'd shared together with Aiden.
The memories were still playing in his mind a minute later as Vincent sat on the edge of his bed and dragged over his boots. He was moving slowly and had a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he began to pull the first one on. He was just thinking about how Aiden looked so perfect as he stood there in the fading sunlight; how his hand extended out to Vincent and spoke such beautiful words that never failed to make his heart flutter with joy whenever he thought about it: "Fly with me, Vincent."
"Oh shit..."
Vincent's head snapped up with wide eyes. He dropped his boot to the floor with a loud thunk. He didn't even care he'd dropped it on his foot! All that he cared about...all he could think about...was Aiden.
A soft chuckle escaped him as a touch of giddiness bubbled up inside of him. He began to realize that maybe he HAD started growing feelings for Aiden after all. Was...was this really happening?! And as he sat there, it began to sink in that yes, this was really a thing! Yet, seconds later that giddy, elated feeling came crashing down around him as in its place a deep feeling of dread began to fill him. He began to rub his face anxiously.
"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit."
How did this happen?! Hell, WHEN did this happen?! What was he supposed to do?! The last thing he fucking wanted was this! He'd gone and allowed himself to fall in love once before and look where that got him: a broken heart, an empty house, and years of crippling depression! He didn't want to risk falling in love again!
What if he wasn't able to work through these feelings after all? What if, after the ball, Aiden decided to stay here to be with Charlotte? Not only would he be losing someone he apparently had feelings for but that also meant he would lose his best engineer! And what if Damien found out? Something told him Damien wouldn't be so receptive to the idea of Aiden potentially becoming such an important figure in Vincent's life...
In the end, Vincent gathered up what little courage he had left and finished pulling on his boots and set off for the Dubois Manor. By now, he desperately did not want to go tonight, but he respected and loved his uncle too much to miss such an important occasion. And while Vincent was upset with the situation with his cousin, he did love Charlotte very much. Deep down, he wanted her to be happy. If Aiden chose her as his intended then what right did he have to come between their happiness?
Upon his arrival at his family's home, Vincent was relieved to discover that Aiden was not going to be making an appearance at tonight's gathering after all. With that weight off his shoulders, Vincent was able to put on a more genuine smile and welcome his uncle home in celebration. He tried his best to stay in the moment and enjoy this time with his family. He avoided spending too much time around Charlotte, though he'd managed to give her a hug and smile pleasantly upon greeting her as if nothing were bothering him.
Vincent stayed the night in his old bedroom. But instead of sleeping, he found himself staring up at the ceiling for hours upon hours. What was he going to do? How was he going to handle this? Unfortunately, the answers did not come to him.
After the Sun rose the following morning, Vincent, feeling grumpy from not getting any sleep, headed downstairs for a quick breakfast of leftovers from last night's dinner. Meanwhile the kitchen staff began to make breakfast for the rest of the family who were mostly not yet awake but would be soon.
An hour later, upon Vincent's departure he was walking the hallway towards the entrance hall while the rest of the family began to gather for breakfast. That's when he overheard his aunt coming down the adjacent hallway with the family butler, Mr. Faris.
"...will surely be very busy the next couple of days. Speaking of which, we will be having company this afternoon. Mr. Anderson will be coming back over to practice with Charlotte again. I am certain he will be staying for dinner."
"Very good, Ma'am."
"Mm, there is still so much to do before we- Oh, Vincent!"
Vincent didn't have a chance to duck and circle back before his aunt and Mr. Faris came around the corner. Aunt Jennifer smiled before she turned and said, "Thank you, Mr. Faris. That will be all for now." And once they were alone she turned to look up at her nephew and straightened his tie with a satisfied smile before smoothing it out for him.
"You know we're about to have breakfast, yes? Are you sure you don't want a bite to eat before you go?"
"No, thank you. I've already eaten."
"Hm. Your friend will be coming by this afternoon."
"So I've heard."
"Will you be joining him?"
"Not tonight, Auntie. I already have plans."
"Hm...Are you well? You know you can always talk to me, right?"
"Of course. But I'm fine. Everything's fine. I promise."
While he gazed back at her with what he thought was a convincing smile she gazed right back up at him with a look that showed that she, the woman who had raised him as her own son, knew he wasn't quite telling the whole truth. He was so sure she was going to call him out on his bullshit! But instead, she simply patted his chest in a motherly sort of way and nodded.
"Very well, then. I will see you on Wednesday. I love you."
"I love you, too. I'll see you then."
Vincent kissed her forehead then made his departure straight back to his flat. He had two days until the masquerade. Two days to get his shit together. Two days until Aiden and Charlotte would be going to the ball together...
Upon his arrival home Vincent was surprised to discover a piece of paper folded up and wedged into the crack in his door. He blinked and took the paper out before letting himself inside and opening the folded letter to see what was written inside:
Vincent,
I came by yesterday but we seem to keep missing each other! It feels like a month since I last saw you. I am eager to see you again. I hope you are well. Let me know when you want to meet before the ball.
Yours truly,
Aiden
Aiden had come to see him? Maybe he had been the mysterious knocker! This note wasn't here yesterday evening so he must have come back again while Vincent was out. They did seem to keep missing each other, didn't they? But perhaps that was for the best. But unable to help himself, Vincent smiled softly as he read over Aiden's scribbled note once again.
'It feels like a month since I last saw you. I am eager to see you again.'
Was Aiden missing him too? He needed to respond to this and let Aiden know he'd be over Wednesday to help him get ready for the masquerade. But until then he had a lot to think about...
---
NEXT PART: (Soon to come!)
To select another chapter (or even start from the beginning), here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (LGBTQ+) series. It is a slow burn and is rated YOUNG ADULT!***
Special thank you to my husband Vin for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!
He also made the pose so EXTRA thank you....and for also noticing that I originally had Vincent putting on the wrong shoe. X'D
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Captured in Los Padres National Forest, near Mt. Pinos, July 18, 2020. Made from 10 light frames by Starry Landscape Stacker. Processing in Lightroom and Photoshop.
Huddled under blankets, a group of early risers watches the sunrise at Wynnum, Brisbane, Australia. Winter officially ends tomorrow, but the last couple of mornings have been quite cool (for semi-tropical Brisbane at least!)
I hope it's not too late to wish everyone happy holidays..
for friends and contacts who celebrated Christmas, I hope you guys had a wonderful celebration..
again... Happy holidays..
Dedicated to my dear and lovely friend Roland
Ananuri....it is a Castle on the Aragvi River, about 45 miles from Tbilisi. It is a typical feudal stronghold dating from the XVII century. Within the walls encircling the stronghold are civil, military and religious constructions...the place was witness of many bloody tragedies during long period...
Another view of this beautiful place, you can see here
Wish you strength and hope... have blessed days, my dear friends! :-)
Bride Andrea, her witness to a marriage Marion und Make-Up-Artist B.B., just minutes before they went outside for the First Look.
Schnann, Tyrol, Austria, June 17th, 2017
“Stand beside a horse at dusk and you’ll learn what the light was trying to say all day.” - Silas Crowley
September 27, 2025 • Red Deer County, AB
Part of the set "Another Reality".
href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zespiral/albums/72157667516759853">(click here to see it).
Subjects are rare to come for me, I don't feel comfortable in dealing with human element in my frames. Thanks to my friend here for his cooperation (with some reluctance) :)
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Unashamedly I will shout it from the rooftops.
I LOVE CARRION CROW.
There, I've said it. Words I use to describe these amazing birds would include stunning, beautiful, bold, magnificent, intelligent and fantastic, loving, tender, victimized...... oh yes, and sometimes they can be brutal (Let's face it, Mother nature often is).
Recently I had a resident pair of Carrion crows who decided that my garden was theirs, playing a game of cat and mouse with a pair of cheeky Magpies (Pica pica) for dominance and food rights. The male crow actually flew in and 'winged' the magpies to make them leave, an incredible sight to witness. It was an honour and a privilege to be able to win their trust and they have given me so much pleasure this year being able to get within a few feet of them, and their three youngsters, to photograph and feed them, and they have reinforced my already deep admiration for a bird that is brimming with beauty, intelligence, confidence and also surrounded by myths, legend and prejudice.
So let's begin with a look back over history.
LEGEND AND MYTHOLOGY
Crows appear in the Bible where Noah uses one to search for dry land and to check on the recession of the flood. Crows supposedly saved the prophet, Elijah, from famine and are an Inuit deity. Legend has it that England and its monarchy will end when there are no more crows in the Tower of London. And some believe that the crows went to the Tower attracted by the regular corpses following executions with written accounts of their presence at the executions of Anne Boleyn and Jane Gray.
In Welsh mythology, unfortunately Crows are seen as symbolic of evilness and black magic thanks to many references to witches transforming into crows or ravens and escaping. Indian legend tells of Kakabhusandi, a crow who sits on the branches of a wish-fulfilling tree called Kalpataru and a crow in Ramayana where Lord Rama blessed the crow with the power to foresee future events and communicate with the souls.
In Native American first nation legend the crow is sometimes considered to be something of a trickster, though they are also viewed positively by some tribes as messengers between this world and the next where they carry messages from the living to those deceased, and even carry healing medicines between both worlds. There is a belief that crows can foresee the future. The Klamath tribe in Oregon believe that when we die, we fly up to heaven as a crow. The Crow can also signify wisdom to some tribes who believe crows had the power to talk and were therefore considered to be one of the wisest of birds. Tribes with Crow Clans include the Chippewa (whose Crow Clan and its totem are called Aandeg), the Hopi (whose Crow Clan is called Angwusngyam or Ungwish-wungwa), the Menominee, the Caddo, the Tlingit, and the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico.
The crow features in the Nanissáanah (Ghost dance), popularized by Jerome Crow Dog, a Brulé Lakota sub-chief and warrior born at Horse Stealing Creek in Montana Territory in 1833, the crow symbolizing wisdom and the past, when the crow had became a guide and acted as a pathfinder during hunting. The Ghost dance movement was originally created in 1870 by Wodziwob, or Gray Hair, a prophet and medicine man of the Paiute tribe in an area that became known as Nevada. Ghost dancers wore crow and eagle feathers in their clothes and hair, and the fact that the Crow could talk placed it as one of the sages of the animal kingdom. The five day dances seeking trance,prophecy and exhortations would eventually play a major part in the pathway towards the white man's broken treaties, the infamous battle at Wounded knee and the surrender of Matȟó Wanáȟtaka (Kicking Bear), after officials began to fear the ghost dancers and rituals which seemed to occur prior to battle.
Historically the Vikings are the group who made so many references to the crow, and Ragnarr Loðbrók and his sons used this species in his banner as well as appearances in many flags and coats of arms. Also, it had some kind of association with Odin, one of their main deities. Norse legend tells us that Odin is accompanied by two crows. Hugin, who symbolizes thought, and Munin, who represents a memory. These two crows were sent out each dawn to fly the entire world, returning at breakfast where they informed the Lord of the Nordic gods of everything that went on in their kingdoms. Odin was also referred to as Rafnagud (raven-god). The raven appears in almost every skaldic poem describing warfare.Coins dating back to 940's minted by Olaf Cuaran depict the Viking war standard, the Raven and Viking war banners (Gonfalon) depicted the bird also.
In Scandinavian legends, crows are a representative of the Goddess of Death, known as Valkyrie (from old Norse 'Valkyrja'), one of the group of maidens who served the Norse deity Odin, visiting battlefields and sending him the souls of the slain worthy of a place in Valhalla. Odin ( also called Wodan, Woden, or Wotan), preferred that heroes be killed in battle and that the most valiant of souls be taken to Valhöll, the hall of slain warriors. It is the crow that provides the Valkyries with important information on who should go. In Hindu ceremonies that are associated to ancestors, the crow has an important place in Vedic rituals. They are seen as messengers of death in Indian culture too.
In Germanic legend, Crows are seen as psychonomes, meaning the act of guiding spirits to their final destination, and that the feathers of a crow could cure a victim who had been cursed. And yet, a lone black crow could symbolize impending death, whilst a group symbolizes a lucky omen! Vikings also saw good omens in the crow and would leave offerings of meat as a token.
The crow also has sacred and prophetic meaning within the Celtic civilization, where it stood for flesh ripped off due to combat and Morrighan, the warrior goddess, often appears in Celtic mythology as a raven or crow, or else is found to be in the company of the birds. Crow is sacred to Lugdnum, the Celtic god of creation who gave his name to the city of Lug
In Greek mythology according to Appolodorus, Apollo is supposedly responsible for the black feathers of the crow, turning them forever black from their pristine white original plumage as a punishment after they brought news that Κορωνις (Coronis) a princess of the Thessalian kingdom of Phlegyantis, Apollo's pregnant lover had left him to marry a mortal, Ischys. In one legend, Apollo burned the crows feathers and then burned Coronis to death, in another Coronis herself was turned into a black crow, and another that she was slain by the arrows of Αρτεμις (Artemis - twin to Apollo). Koronis was later set amongst the stars as the constellation Corvus ("the Crow"). Her name means "Curved One" from the Greek word korônis or "Crow" from the word korônê.
A similar Muslim legend allegedly tells of Muhammad, founder of Islam and the last prophet sent by God to Earth, who's secret location was given away by a white crow to his seekers, as he hid in caves. The crow shouted 'Ghar Ghar' (Cave, cave) and thus as punishment, Muhammad turned the crow black and cursed it for eternity to utter only one phrase, 'Ghar, ghar). Native Indian legend where the once rainbow coloured crows became forever black after shedding their colourful plumage over the other animals of the world.
In China the Crow is represented in art as a three legged bird on a solar disk, being a creature that helps the sun in its journey. In Japan there are myths of Crow Tengu who were priests who became vain, and turned into this spirit to serve as messengers until they learn the lesson of humility as well as a great Crow who takes part in Shinto creation stories.
In animal spirit guides there are general perceptions of what sightings of numbers of crows actually mean:
1 Crow Meaning: To carry a message from your near one who died recently.
2 Crows Meaning: Two crows sitting near your home signifies some good news is on your way.
3 Crows Meaning: An upcoming wedding in your family.
4 Crows Meaning: Symbolizes wealth and prosperity.
5 Crows Meaning: Diseases or pain.
6 Crows Meaning: A theft in your house!
7 Crows Meaning: Denotes travel or moving from your house.
8 Crows Meaning: Sorrowful events
Crows are generally seen as the symbolism when alive for doom bringing, misfortune and bad omens, and yet a dead crow symbolises potentially bringing good news and positive change to those who see it. This wonderful bird certainly gets a mixed bag of contradictory mythology and legend over the centuries and in modern days is often seen as a bit of a nuisance, attacking and killing the babies of other birds such as Starlings, Pigeons and House Sparrows as well as plucking the eyes out of lambs in the field, being loud and noisy and violently attacking poor victims in a 'crow court'....
There is even a classic horror film called 'THE CROW' released in 1994 by Miramax Films, directed by Alex Proyas and starring Brandon Lee in his final film appearance as Eric Draven, who is revived by a Crow tapping on his gravestone a year after he and his fiancée are murdered in Detroit by a street gang. The crow becomes his guide as he sets out to avenge the murders. The only son of martial arts expert Bruce Lee, Brandon lee suffered fatal injuries on the set of the film when the crew failed to remove the primer from a cartridge that hit Lee in the abdomen with the same force as a normal bullet. Lee died that day, March 31st 1993 aged 28.
The symbolism of the Crow resurrecting the dead star and accompanying him on his quest for revenge was powerful, and in some part based on the history of the carrion crow itself and the original film grossed more than $94 Million dollars with three subsequent sequels following.
TAKING A CLOSER LOOK
So let's move away from legend, mythology and stories passed down from our parents and grandparents and look at these amazing birds in isolation.
Carrion crow are passerines in the family Corvidae a group of Oscine passerine birds including Crows, Ravens, Rooks, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Treepies, Choughs and Nutcrackers. Technically they are classed as Corvids, and the largest of passerine birds. Carrion crows are medium to large in size with rictal bristles and a single moult per year (most passerines moult twice). Carrion crow was one of the many species originally described by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (Carl Von Linne after his ennoblement) in his 1758 and 1759 editions of 'SYSTEMA NATURAE', and it still bears its original name of Corvus corone, derived from the Latin of Corvus, meaning Raven and the Greek κορώνη (korōnē), meaning crow.
Carrion crow are of the Animalia kingdom Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Corvidae Genus: Corvus and Species: Corvus corone
Corvus corone can reach 45-47cm in length with a 93-104cm wingspan and weigh between 370-650g. They are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in the United Kingdom with a Green UK conservation status which means they are of least concern with more than 1,000,000 territories. Breeding occurs in April with fledging of the chicks taking around twenty nine days following an incubation period of around twenty days with 3 to 4 eggs being the average norm.
They are abundant in the UK apart from Northwest Scotland and Ireland where the Hooded crow (Corvus cornix) was considered the same species until 2002. They have a lifespan of around four years, whilst Crow species can live to the age of Twenty years old, and the oldest known American crow in the wild was almost Thirty years old. The oldest documented captive crow died at age Fifty nine. They are smaller and have a shorter lifespan than the Raven, which again is used as a symbol in history to live life to the full and not waste a moment!
They are often mistaken for the Rook (Corvus frugilegus), a similar bird, though in the UK, the Rook is actually technically smaller than the Carrion crow averaging 44-46cm in length, 81-99cm wingspan and weighing up to 340g. Rooks have white beaks compared to the black beaks of Carrion crow. There are documented cases in the UK of singular and grouped Rooks attacking and killing Carrion crows in their territory. Rooks nest in colonies unlike Carrion crows. Carrion crows have only a few natural enemies including powerful raptors such as the northern goshawk, the peregrine falcon, the Eurasian eagle-owl and the golden eagle which will all readily hunt them.
Regarded as one of the most intelligent birds, indeed creatures on the planet, studies suggest that Corvids cognitive abilities can rival that of primates such as chimpanzees and gorillas and even provide clues to understanding human intelligence. Crows have relatively large brains for their body size, compared to other animals. Their encephalization quotient (EQ) a ratio of brain to body size, adjusted for size because there isn’t a linear relationship is 4.1. That is remarkably close to chimps at 4.2 whilst humans are 8.1. Corvids also have a very high neuronal density, the number of neurons per gram of brain, factoring in the number of cortical neurons, neuron packing density, interneuronal distance and axonal conduction velocity shows that Corvids score high on this measure as well, with humans scoring the highest.
A corvid's pallium is packed with more neurons than a great ape's. Corvids have demonstrated the ability to use a combination of mental tools such as imagination, and anticipation of future events. They can craft tools from twigs and branches to hook grubs from deep recesses, they can solve puzzles and intricate methods of gaining access to food set by humans., and have even bent pieces of wire into hooks to obtain food. They have been proven to have a higher cognitive ability level than seven year old humans. Communications wise, their repertoire of wraw-wraw's is not fully understood, but the intensity, rhythm, and duration of caws seems to form the basis of a possible language. They also remember the faces of humans who have hindered or hurt them and pass that information on to their offspring.
Aesop's fable of 'The Crow and the Pitcher, tells of a thirsty crow which drops stones into a water pitcher to raise the water level and enable it to take a drink. Scientists have conducted tests to see whether crows really are this intelligent. They placed floating treats in a deep tube and observed the crows indeed dropping dense objects carefully selected into the water until the treat floated within reach. They had the intelligence to pick up, weigh and discount objects that would float in the water, they also did not select ones that were too large for the container.
Pet crows develop a unique call for their owners, in effect actually naming them. They also know to sunbathe for a dose of vitamin D, regularly settling on wooden garden fences, opening their mouths and wings and raising their heads to the sun. In groups they warn of danger and communicate vocally. They store a cache of food for later if in abundance and are clever enough to move it if they feel it has been discovered. They leave markers for their cache. They have even learned to place walnuts and similar hard food items under car tyres at traffic lights as a means of cracking them!
Crows regularly gather around a dead fellow corvid, almost like a funeral, and it is thought they somehow learn from each death. They can even remember human faces for decades. Crows group together to attack larger predators and even steal their food, and they have different dialects in different areas, with the ability to mimic the dialect of the alpha males when they enter their territory!
They have a twenty year life span, the oldest on record reaching the age of Fifty nine. Crows can leave gifts for those who feed them such as buttons or bright shiny objects as a thank you, and they even kiss and make up after an argument, having mated for life.
In mythology they are associated with good and bad luck, being the bringers of omens and even witchcraft and are generally reviled for their attacks on baby birds and small mammals. They have an attack method of to stunning smaller birds before consuming them, tearing violently at smaller, less aggressive birds, which is simply down to the fact that they are so highly intelligent, and also the top of the food chain. Their diet includes over a thousand different items: Dead animals (as their name suggests), invertebrates, grain, as well as stealing eggs and chicks from other birds' nests, worms, insects, fruit, seeds, kitchen scraps. They are highly adaptable when food sources grow scarce. I absolutely love them, they are magnificent, bold, beautiful and incredibly interesting to watch and though at times it is hard to witness attacks made by them, I cannot help but adore them for so many other and more important reasons.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE PAIR IN MY GARDEN
Crows have been in the area for a while, but rarely had strayed into my garden, leaving the Magpies to own the territory. Things changed towards the end of May when a beautiful female Carrion crow appeared and began to take some of the food that I put down for the other birds. Within a few days she began to appear regularly, on occasions stocking up on food, whilst other times placing pieces in the birdbath to soften them. She would stand on the birdbath and eat and drink and come back over the course of the day to eat the softened food.
Shortly afterwards she brought along her mate, a tall and handsome fella, much larger than her who was also very vocal if he felt she was getting a little too close to me. By now I had moved from a seated position from the patio as an observer, to laying on a mat just five feet from the birdbath with my Nikon so that I could photograph the pair as they landed, scavenged and fed. She was now confident enough to let me be very close, and she even tolerated and recognized the clicking of the camera. At first I used silent mode to reduce the noise but this only allowed two shooting frame rates of single frame or continuous low frame which meant I was missing shots. I reverted back to normal continuous high frames and she soon got used to the whirring of the frames as the mirror slapped back and forth.
The big fella would bark orders at her from the safety of the fence or the rear of the garden, whilst she rarely made a sound. That was until one day when in the sweltering heat she kept opening her beak and sunning on the grass, panting slightly in the heat. I placed the circular water sprayer nearby and had it rotating so that the birdbath and grass was bathed in gentle water droplets and she soon came back, landed and seemed to really like the cooling effect on offer. She then climbed onto the birdbath and opened her wings slightly and made some gentle purring, cooing noises....
I swear she was expressing happiness, joy....
On another blisteringly hot day when the sprayer was on, she came down, walked towards it and opened her wings up running into the water spray. Not once, but many times.
A final observation came with the male and female on the rear garden fence. They sat together, locked beaks like a kiss and then the male took his time gently preening her head feathers and the back of her neck as she made tiny happy sounds. They stayed together like that for several minutes, showing a gentle, softer side to their nature and demonstrating the deep bond between them. Into July and the pair started to bring their three youngsters to my garden, the nippers learning to use the birdbath for bathing and dipping food, the parents attentive as ever.
Corvus Corone.... magnificently misunderstood by some!
Paul Williams June 4th 2021
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Photograph taken at an altitude of Sixty two metres at 10:25am during a brief passing rain shower on a beautiful summer morning on Thursday 3rd June 2021, off Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.
Here we see a large adult Female Carrion crow (Corvus corone), a passerine bird of the family Corvidae and the genus Raven (Higher classification: Corvus), which is native to western Europe and eastern Asia. It can grow to twenty inches in length with a wingspan of up to thirty nine inches.
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Nikon D850 Focal length: 340mm Shutter speed: 1/200s Aperture: f/7.1 iso250 Hand held with Tamron VC Vibration control set to ON (Position 1) 14 Bit uncompressed RAW NEF file size L (8256 x 5504 pixels) FX (36 x 24) Focus mode: AF-C AF-Area mode: 3D-tracking AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points Exposure mode: Manual exposure mode Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Auto1 (4960k) Colour space: RGB Picture control: Neutral (Sharpening +2)
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee SW150 95mm screw in adapter ring. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter.Lee SW150 Filters field pouch. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Black Rapid Curve Breathe strap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag.
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LATITUDE: N 51d 28m 28.67s
LONGITUDE: E 0d 8m 10.54s
ALTITUDE: 62.00m
RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF FILE: 90.4MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 57.90MB
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PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.