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Ever since I got interested in bird photography three years ago it seems like everyone I talked to about Bald Eagles inevitably asked "Have you been to Conowingo Dam?" My answer has always been "not yet." That changed on 31 October 2018, and now I see why everyone asked that question. In late autumn and winter Conowingo Dam commonly plays host to a large congregation of Bald Eagles, sometimes more than 100. The day I was there (a weekday) there were more photographers than eagles, and I'm sure that is often the case (I cannot imagine how many go there to see the eagles on a weekend). And though it was supposedly a "slow day," it was still spectacular. I'd estimate there were between 25 - 40 eagles there that day.
Multiple spillway gates on the far side of the dam were opened during my visit, that kept several rock outcrops where eagles often perch inundated, and also lured most of the eagles very far away from where photographers have access. There were only 3-4 times when an eagle made a hunting pass on the near side of the dam, so most of my shots were more of a scenic nature than close-up action. The cascading water and spray from the spillway did provide a dramatic background for those distant shots. FYI, the dam is 94-ft tall and almost 4,700 feet long.
Note: Photo - 5 in this series was EXPLORED on 19 Nov 2018
Churlish Stories for Curious Children
The Remisier Caper
Acte Two
Quickly the two women move from the kitchen and up the back stairs, moving past the locked, still-silent, study, reaching the dimly lit corridor in the wing where the guest bedrooms are located
Lightening flashes outside, adding an ominous feeling to the already electric air.
As the pair stalked down the hall, Emilee instructed her friend as to where Cecelia hides her jewelry case.
Her diamond tiara is locked in the hidden safe inside Sir Reginald’s study.
Much to her dismay, Emilee will not be helping rob this room. Cecelia must not be made aware the French maid has had any part in this.
So Emilee asked a favour.
“In the wardrobe, a long-sleeved white satin blouse with the ruffles. Please Mon Ami?”
The thief had winked, pulling out the torch from her kit.
Reaching the target, the maid stands guard outside in the hallway as the thief carefully opens the door and slips inside.
Inside the room, turning on her torch, the thief sweeps the interior.
Cecelia is fast asleep in her bed, elegant in a long white satin nightgown, as she lays out upon the purple satin sheets.
Her pretty evening gown is over a high-backed velvet-covered chair.
Fire flashed from the diamonds hanging around the sleeping girl's throat. The rest of her diamonds lay in blazing glory, invitingly sprawled out upon the room’s vanity.
The thief approaches the bed, and the wind outside shrieks as a crack of lightning illuminates the room, waking the sleeping girl.
Her eyes sleepily open, then go wide as she sees the masked intruder at her bedside. The thief puts a finger to her lips, and motions the girl to come off the bed.
Cecelia, still not fully awake, limply obeys, and the thief leads her to the chair. There, using one of her victim’s long satin gloves, she is gagged and with a rope, her satin-clad figure is quickly tied up.
As the victim watched, paralyzed with fear, the thief pulls off a satin pillowcase and going to the vanity sweeps off her glittering diamonds down inside it.
Then, as Cecelia whimpered, the masked thief leans down and opens the drawers of her vanity.
Of course, looking back at her captive as she does, not wishing her snooty victim to miss the show.
Reaching the bottom drawer, the thief see’s Cecelia uneasily struggling against her well-tied ropes.
Smiling, the thief quickly pulls out the silky clothes on top. At the bottom lies the prize.
Quickly several velvet-covered cases are extracted and opened with their shimmery contents dumped out inside the pillowcase. Then the cases are carelessly discarded off to the side, adding to the silky underthings already littering the floor.
Hearing the tied-up Celia trying to talk with muffled unclear words, the thief turns and faces the poor girl.
“Don’t worry luv, after I’m done cleaning you out, I’m sure that maid I saw in the dining room will be in to clean it up for you.
Turning back, the thief opens the last, and by far, largest velvet case, a royally dazzling display of large emeralds and diamond set jewellery almost blinds the thief’s eyes.
The case is closed and then added to the loot.
Holding the pillowcase, the masked intruder goes to the wardrobe. Opening it she reached and begins pulling out and checking over the designer dresses and gowns inside. Casually casting them off to the side as she goes do.
Coming to the white ruffled satin blouse she sees there is a black onyx pin holding the high-necked satin bow in place. Perfect.
She takes it to a full-length mirror and holds the blouse up, seeing Cecilia’s wretchedness reflected behind her in the mirror.
She doesn’t feel sorry for the bound and gagged lass.
The thief, in planning this little caper, had learned about the spoiled Cecilia’s tyrannical attitude towards, well, everyone and everything. Her personal servants, as well as her horse, and the family pets, have the scars, both real and emotional, to prove it.
Stuffing the blouse inside the pillow case the thief moves over to the tied-up girl and lifts the diamonds hanging down around her throat. The thief sees the pricy gems sparkling in Cecelia’s wide-open eyes.
The thief then reached back with her free hand and undid the clasp. Saying to her squirming victim as she pulls off the necklace.
“Very nice my haughty lady. I doubt any of the other guest rooms will have anything this nice. Hopefully, I’m wrong.”
She tweaks the poor girl's cheek, then pats thoroughly down her satin-clad, totally compliant figure, deliberately feeling along every bump and bulge for any more of the young lady’s valuables. Nothing is found, but the thief is by no means disappointed.
The thief cuts off the torch’s beam. Pulling off the satin pillowcase from a second pillow, the thief leaves the room as another flash of lightning ominously lights up the bedroom.
Giving poor Cecelia a backside view of the departing thief carrying away the pillowcase full of her heirloom quality jewellry.
The weak-minded girl finally passes out cold from all the anxiety.
The masked thief heads out the door into the hallway where Emilee keeps watch, standing along the wall beside the door.
The thief nods as Emily licks her lips looking at the small bulge at the bottom of the satin pillowcase.
The thief opens it up, and Emilee gives a squeal seeing the blouse she had so coveted while seeing Cecilia wearing it the day before, as well as the bewitching jewelry piled inside the pillowcase.
The thief gently chided her partner in crime, saying as she jovially rubs her shoulder.
“Quit your droolin lass, plenty of work ahead of us this evening.
Lightening again flashes as they begin to scurry down the hallway.
Quickly the pair then enters each of the occupied guest rooms located down the hallway. With a methodical determination, each room is picked clean of any jewels, money, and small valuable items.
It is quick work, with the upstairs maid Emilee pointing out where the lady guest’s better jewels are kept, they both make a fast, quite accurate, job of it.
Like Cecelia, Rose Buxton had her valuable jewels hidden away at the bottom of a vanity drawer full of lingerie.
Lady Susan Macready had her better baubles in a soft-sided jewelry case under her bed’s Pillow.
Diane, Spencer’s fiancé, had a private room, and her good jewelry was in a case conveniently left open on her vanity.
Mrs. Marlene Cabot—Hinny’s overly expensive ‘borrowed’ diamonds from the jewelry shoppe, were found tucked inside a suitcase hidden under the bed.
Emilee grins as the jewels are located and added to the growing loot being added to the satin pillowcase she is holding, her mind going to the ladies in the Parlour downstairs, totally oblivious as to the robbing of their valuables that is occurring above their high held heads.
Cases of sparking jewels are located and dumped into the satin pillowcase. Purses are riffled, bedside drawers checked, and looted of valuables.
Each room entered is left picked clean with expert prowess.
Finishing plundering the last guest room, the pair slink past the study, to the master bedroom next door.
Both enter the stately outfitted room.
Standing as the thief sweeps her torches’ beam. All the light touches conveyed a sense of glamour and very upper-class level wealth.
As with the guest rooms, the pilfering is methodically fast and easy with the Maid’s help.
Quickly the thief is shown the large jewelry amour, and it is opened, showing off a massive collection of jewelry in all styles, and shapes, made with pricey metals and some set with mesmerizing gems. No costume jewelry here. Two pairs of hands begin pulling off from hooks and emptying small drawers, brim full of expensive baubles.
Madeline’s good jewels are kept in the study safe. Next on the list.
The vanity is also ransacked.
A gold mirror, brush and several silver compacts are taken. Several wallets are found, then quickly emptied of cash.
Everything is placed in the same pillowcase.
Last is lord Reginald’s nightstand. Cases of watches, rings, and cuff links are found and emptied. A gold clip with folded notes is found, as well as four billfolds containing notes. All added to the growing pile of loot.
The thief looks around, itching to be done here and tackle the study.
The lightning flashes outside, coming a little more frequently, are adding a feeling of impending foreboding to the thief’s intoxicating “cat burglar’s dance” this evening.
“Anything else? what about the closets, worth it in this room?”
“Oh yes, I Bet there are Lovely things in there that were not in the others… Here
Let me show you”
Emilee opens a double door exposing gowns dresses and other fine designer apparel of all makes and material
Emilee starts on one end, her partner on yet other. Feeling for any broaches or pins. They are treated for their efforts by finding a solid gold broach set with dripping pearls and a pair of diamond clips from a very pretty satin evening gown.
“That’s it then?”
Emilee nods her head yes.
“The rest is in the study safe, mon ami”
Her partner grins…
“Not safe for long then…”
They leave and head to the study next door.
Emilee unlocks the study door, opening it. The pair blink in the brightness of the room as they survey the scene displayed in front of them.
The thief smiled, picturing Emilee and herself as a pair of vultures, eagerly waiting to pick through the carcasses that were the bodies of the sleeping rich men strewn about the room.
Emilee showed her partner where the safe was.
It was actually a small vault, a full meter tall and half that wide, hidden in the wall behind a sliding bookcase.
Crouching down, the thief began the task of opening it.
Emilee took the now weighty satin pillowcase and went to each of the passed-out cold gentlemen in turn.
She skillfully began searching their figures. Almost like using a practice dummy, slipping her hands inside theri breast pockets, extracting handsome leather billfolds.
So it was a rather enjoyable, as well as profitable, undertaking going through pockets and searching in their clothes. Taking anything else of value, along with wallets… watches, rings, precious metal cigar /cigarette cases, tie pins , and cuff links were also nicked from the knockout-drugged male victims.
Emilee quickly located with methodical precision all of the unconscious males valuables, reliving the items from their persons, and plopping them inside the pillowcase.
To the man who had ordered “tea”, Emilee went to last, taking extra time over.
She slid him from the chair he was on and dragged him over to the open part of the bookcase. She place one hand on the lever that opened the bookcase to access the safe. Then she unzipped his trousers and stuck his other hand (after removing a gold signet ring) deep down inside his boxers. He did not stir during the entire ordeal.
None of them did, the knock-out drops that had been added to the gift bottle of brandy would keep them all out for hours.
The thief in the meantime had opened the safe and was stacking the contents on the floor beside her. Piles of banded notes, bonds, and 2 score of jewellery cases. Including 3 that held gem-encrusted tiaras, had all been found inside.
Emilee came to her partner's side and began opening the cases and spilling the contents inside the pillowcase. The notes, bonds. And a few other selected items were added on top.
As she was working on this, the thief moved off Lord Reginald’s desk and pilfered the drawers.
From behind her Emilee instructed.
“Bottom drawer, right. “
That drawer was opened, exposing a black military pistol.
The thief unloaded the cartridges, keeping one loaded in the chambre. She then stuck it in her belt.
The thief looked at Emilee...
“Done?”
She nodded
“Done, for the now we have coup de grâce… we go downstairs to the kitchen, then to the parlour…”
The thief nodded.
Emilee licks her lips. Tossing the masters keys to her partner
Catching them, the thief turns out the lights and locks the study door behind them as they leave
They head to the servants' stairs. As the pair reached them, Emilee puts a hand on her partner's shoulders.
“Juste une seconde..”
Emilee scurried done the corridore. Reaching Cecelia’s room she gives a polite knock.
“Maid, Mademoiselle Ceceylia?, ne vouliez-vous pas plus de sherri ?… more sherri Mademoiselle?”
Emilee turns to face her partner waiting patiently by the stairs. With a smirk, she shrugs her shoulders and scurries back. Passed the thief with a grin, then headed downstairs.
Grinning also, she follows Emilee down the back stairs to the kitchen.
Emilee takes the empty cart and heads down the hallway to the parlour
The thief lays the full pillowcase by the pantry door. With the other, still empty pillowcase, hanging on her arm, she leaves the kitchen and, from a distance, follows the maid down the hall.
The thief waits out in the corridor.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Back in calm maid mode, Emilee wheels in the cart and starts to collect dishes
Lady Madeline is talking about how hard it’s been this weekend being down to just a cook and their worthless slag of a maid, due to the bloody holidays. The fact that Emilee was trained to be an upstairs maid and not a sever is completely not a considerate issue here.
The hostess looks up at Emilee, knowing full well the maid heard every word. She gives her maid a lecture before issuing a command:
“Emilee, I’ve rung you 3 times now. Clear the glasses Then tell the men we would like them to join us at the conservatory .”
“Yes Mum, and Sorry, I was checking on jeune femme Cecelia upstairs. ”
Lady Madeline is clearly still not happy…
“No matter. I think you should pack your things tonight. I probably will want you out of here in the morning. “
Emilee nods dejectedly, then begins collecting the empty wine bottles and glasses.
Lady Madeline’s mother Marlene then arose and says she needs to go to her room and get her wrap since she finds the conservatory chilly.
Marlene adds, looking at Emilee, as she walks out the door
“Your maid shouldn’t be bothering Miss Cecelia, I will check on her myself.”
Marlene no sooner walked out, than she came back in.
Walking backward, hands raised as the thief had the gun trained on the broach hanging from her shiny gown’s midriff.
Over Marlene’s head, The thief snarled a command to the rest of the occupants in the room.
“All right ladies, all of you line up against that wall…NOW!”
The startled ladies obey, their long gowns fluttering along their figures as they miserably line up along the far wall by the windows.
Here now, I’ll have that. Using her free hand the thief unfastened the heavy diamond broach wedged between Marlene’s bulging breasts.
She tried to protest, but in shock, words failed her, and she only managed a high-pitched squeaking noise.
Marlene is then boldly told to turn around.
Given no choice, with the pistol now poking her in the back, Marlene is pushed to go to the end of the line.
Outside lightning cracked, illuminated the gardens outside, casting an eerie light inside the Parlour.
The thief takes a step back into the center of the room, facing the elegantly dressed ladies wearing valuably shimmering jewels, lined up against the wall, all with their gloved hands stretched up.
“Now listen to me you miserable lot. I don’t want you on my tail as soon as I leave. So let’s begin by having all of you strip off those lovely frocks and only your frocks. You too maid, lose that pretty outfit.”
As a group, the ladies begin protesting, including Emilee. The thief points the pistol at the mirror over Marlene’s head and fires the pistol
The loud report, and cracking glass, made everyone jump.
“That was not a request, Strip out of the bloody things …now.”
Then, as if on a movie director’s cue, another bolt of lightning streaks outside, followed by a flash and loud retort, literally making every one of the victims jump again.
The ladies, getting the ugly message, begin undoing their luxurious gowns, letting them drop to their feet.
Emilee has to help a few of them unzip and undress.
Soon their elegant silk nickers, other rich shiny undergarments, as well as a bit of naked flesh, are all exposed.
The thief motions the pistol at the gawking maid stripped down to her bra and nickers.
“You, collect those gowns and pile them underneath the window. Move it.”
Emilee quickly moved to the beginning of the line, and reaching down begins to pick up the discarded finery. Taking the pile to the end of the room, she threw them all down on the floor in front of the window in a slickly shiny heap.
Emilee, then turned around to face the room.
Seeing the thief motioning to her with a finger, she hesitantly approached.
The thief tossed the empty satin pillowcase to Emilee, pointing her pistol at Susan, only wearing a two-piece thin blue see-through slip and top, and is first in line.
“Here maid, take this, stand in front of the bluebird.”
Emilee catches the case and goes to Lady Susan Macready, holding open the pillowcase.
The thief addressed all of her richly jewelled-up victims. Pointing the pistol with menacing intent at each of the semi-naked, satin glove-wearing ladies lined up against the wall in turn.
“ In case it has not seeped in, this, ladies is a robbery. I’ll be having your jewels handed over. This will be over quickly as long as you lot don’t quibble. Your maid is holding the bag in front of you, I want you each to remove all, and I mean all, of your valuables. I’ve been watching from outside. So I know what jewels each of you fine ladies is wearing. Keep your hands up where I can see them until the maid reaches you.”
The thief waves the pistol along the line of desolate, rich ladies, ending up back Susan.
“Go one bluebird, time to pluck off those glittery feathers. Stop that whining. Let’s get going!”
Hands shaking, Lady Susan Macready begins removing her splendidly shimmering sapphire and diamond set jewels. Ears, throat, and wrists are all soon bare. As her last of four rings are pulled off, she steps back as the thief looks her dead in the eyes, the ugly black pistol pointed at her.
The thief speaks, looking at Susan
“Nicely done lady, now get those hands back up.”
Next in line is ravishing red-haired, impossibly large, emerald green-eyed, Diane, who is now only elegantly clad in an ankle-length crimson red half slip…and nothing above!
Standing there, half-naked, she sighs deeply, her face crestfallen.
The thief looks at her as if just noticing her condition of being half-dressed for the first time…
“You now, my perky red-breasted chick, I’ll be having those pearls.”
Diane lowered her hands and began slipping off her ropes of pearls and sadly dropping them inside the pillowcase.
As she was removing her necklace and working off her long earrings, then bending down to let them plop inside the open satin pillowcase, her naked breasts put on a show worthy of any French burlesque tease.
“And what is it about real pearls against naked skin that makes them look so sensuous ?”
Undoing her pricey bracelet last, she miserably watched it disappear inside.”
The thief calls out, startling everyone.
“I thought I said everything. The ring hunny bunny, now.”
Sadly Diane struggled, then finally managed to pull free her vulgarly large diamond ring, letting it drop inside the bag.
Emilee managed not to let her glee show, keeping her mouth tight, her eyes emotionally empty.
As Diane reassumed her position, raising her hands back up, points high and perked. The thief then turned the pistol to Lady Madeline.
Madeleine, wearing a full mint green taffeta slip, started to protest but was abruptly cut off by the thief.
“Zip it, don’t start lady, or I’ll remove those delicious emeralds your so richly wearing me self…”
lady Madeleine, use to being the one giving orders, not being ordered about, feels insulted.
Thinking any minute the men should be coming to their rescue. She says with a snarly voice only the very rich seem to be able to pull off
“My husband will be down any minute, let’s see how Insouciant you will be then…”
Annoyingly, the thief does not answer, only gives her a haughty look, and motions to the hanging satin pillowcase her maid is holding.
So with a sigh, she drops her hands, then begins to unhappily remove her emerald bracelet and rings from her green satin opera-length gloves, huffily tossing them into the pillowcase Emilee is holding.
She then pulls out her earrings, and finally, reaching up behind her neck, unfastened her long dripping-down necklace, plopping them all inside the makeshift bag in turn.
The thief points the pistol at her head.
“The diamond hairpiece, please. “
lady Madeleine tried to reason
“But it’s not real, surely you can see that..”
“Then I’ll take a chance on being a fool by taking it. Be a good rich girl and it over…”
Reluctantly the expensively flashy real diamond hairpiece is pulled out and added to the unseen collection inside the pillowcase.
Lady Madeline pulls her fallen hair back with an evil glare.
Rose is next to last in line.
Her petite necklace of diamonds flashes with a beckoning brilliance as her figure is tightly outlined by her stylish blue thin silk lingerie, her thinly covered breasts heaved up and down with the anguish she is feeling.
Emilee moved in from of her, and the thief also moved in behind, keeping the pistol trained on Lady Madeline.
The thief then moved the pistol to point at Rose. She begins addressing Rose, though her eyes never leave the stern-faced Madeline’s eyes. Much like a teacher keeps an eye on an insolent child as she resumes her lecture after being rudely interrupted.
“Okay my lady, remove those delicious diamonds and make it quick now.
Rose lowers her hands and begins working off all her lovely precious jewels. Plopping them piece by glittering pieces into the open pillowcase.
As she does, The thief spied Lady Madeline taking a glance towards the door.
The thief points her pistol toward her.
“Lady, I told you, helps not coming.”
Then points the pistol back at Rose
“Let’s hurry off with those rings, trust me, you don’t want me helping you!”
With a sigh, Rose pulled off the last ring from her sleek blue satin dinner gloves, then steps back and puts her hands up.
The thief, with unabashed attention, looks over Rose, her figure perked, points nicely outlined by thin blue silk.
“Thanks, lady, it looks to me like you are feeling a bit chilled. No worries, it’s almost over.
The thief then finally points the pistol at Marlene, clad in a stretched-out purple bra and knee-length half slip.
“Now as for you my plump purple bird, ripe for the plucking, so let’s prune off some of your shiny trimmings shall we…”
Marlene desperately pleads.
“The other’s jewels are real, mine are not. You already have my broach, The rest is worthless. Can’t you see? Don’t you have enough already? You’ll let me keep them then?”
The thief grins:
“Like I told the green bird, I’ll be the fool then, now be a luv and remove them.”
Marlene snaps;
“You’ll never get away with this.”
The thief walks up to her, leaning over Emilee’s shoulder she picked up Marlene’s long shimmery necklace.
The yanks it off her throat, dropping it In the pillowcase as the thief hisses with a snarky tone of voice:
“I do believe mum, I already am….”
Whimpering, Marlene stands stone-still. Shocked to the core
The thief snaps out an order.
“You, Maid, help the lady off with the rest. That’s the girl…”
Then, struggling not to show her glee over doing this, Emilee reached up with one hand and pulled free each of Marlene’s diamond earrings, plopping them one by one inside the pillowcase. She then went for Marlene’s glittering bracelet, slipped it off, and dropped it into the pillowcase. Then taking Marlene’s white satin gloves hands, works off the lady’s rings. Some of which were actually her own, and not “borrowed”.
Emilee looks back to the thief as she finishes. Thinking to herself how she would have loved to have done a bit of poking and prodding along priggish Marlene’s figure while removing her jewellery.
The masked thief, still training the pistol on the whining Marlene, beckons to Emilee with a free hand
“Good girl, now Maid, hand over the bag.”
Emilee did a neat little act of not wanting to give it to the thief. She looks at Lady Madeline as if for instructions.
The thief clicks her tongue.
“Don’t worry about your mistress, Let’s be a good girl now, hand it to me.”
Emilee hands it over, her back is to the ladies, and she winks as she does.
The thief keeps a stone face. Grabbing the dangling bag, she looks over the maid's head.
“Ok, Maid. Open that window.”
The thief, looking back down, spots the thin gold chain and cross the maid was wearing under her frock.
Come, come, now Maid…No holding out. I’ll have that gold crucifix of yours.
Unhappily Emilee removed it and reverently hands it over. The thief placed it on top of the loot inside the satin pillowcase.
Pouting, Emily turns and goes to open the window.
The thief then addresses them all, pointing the(now empty) pistol at the ceiling.
“Now maid, throw them clothes all out the window. And no shenanigans for the rest of you. I may or may not be a good shot. “
They all start to protest, but the thief waved the pistol at them, and they immediately shut up.
The Maid is forced to throw all the gowns and her outfit out the parlour window. The windows of the parlour are higher than the dining room windows, 3 full metres from the ground.
Everyone is watching Emilee. As the last shiny gown is dropped from the window sill, they all turn back to face the thief, only to discover she was already at the door, leaving the room with the pillowcase containing all of their nicked jewellery.
As the silent group watched. The thief turned off the lights, casting the room in darkness as she closed the door.
She then Locked the parlour door, turned, and made her way down the hallway to the kitchen.
In passing, she tossed the pistol and the keys on the cutting tables, then heads into the pantry.
She takes the empty Remisier brandy bottle, and adds it to the pillowcase she is holding.
Then picking up the first satin pillowcase, heavy with the upstairs haul, she heads outside into the yard. With the dark umbrella of rain-swollen clouds threatening overhead.
Outside by the door, the thief retrieved her rucksack.
Stuffing the pair of now full pillows inside she sprints around to the parlour window. Looking up she sees the shadows of her semi-naked victims moving about in the now-lit room above.
The thief quickly packs up the gowns, including the maid's costume, piling them inside her rut sack on top of the satin pillowcases. It fills up nicely.
Keeping an eye on the window as she does, but as earlier, no faces appear.
Flipping the happily full rut sack onto her shoulders she sprints from the shadows of the hedges and races across the yard as a bolt of lightning rips across the black swirling cloud-filled sky.
Rain starts pouring down as she reaches the treeline
The thief keeps a quick pace as she makes her way through the woods along the riding path she now knows by heart, having snuck up it several times over the last few months. Good thing too, since the dark sky and pelting rain are making visibility harder. She dared not lite up her torch. Going with the occasional lightning strikes to lite her way.
She safely made the almost 5-kilometer hike back to her hidden rental car without incident.
The journey of her escape had given the thief plenty of time to mull over the robbery…
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Little chance Emilee would be a suspect, she was a mere maid after all.
The thief thinks over the plan that had been put into motion for this evening, it had gone like clockwork.
She had bought the expensive Remesier brandy through a dealer and poured it into a secure decanter to celebrate with it later, just her and Emilee.
She had drugged a much cheaper high-quality brandy and poured it inside the empty Remesier bottle, resealing it. She wasn't going to waste good brandy on that lot.
Then had packaged it, written the note, and sent it to Sir Reginald.
They had also learned of how the unhappy upstairs maid was being treated by Lady Madeline and had paid her, through an intermediary, to give notice a week before the ball.
Emily applied and was accepted immediately.
She estimated that the entire takings from the robbery would be well over 8 mills.
By the end of the week, she would be out of the country, the mansion haul placed in her Swiss bank safety deposit box. Giving the hot ice time to chill.
As for the gowns, what she and Emilee didn’t want for themselves, would find their way to an OXFAM Shoppe Bin.
She was already planning on picking up a pretty leather skirt for Emilee to go with the lovely white satin blouse, imagining what a sexy outfit it would be as a distraction while on a future pickpocketing spree. That would be a delicious treat to help and watch her at “play” lifting fat wallets from leering males.
After Switzerland, the thief would then continue on vacation in Germany, Italy, and finally, France, where in a fortnight she and Emilee had already planned to meet up.
For it was in France that she had first met Emilee, actually more of an encounter…
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Our Thief, a few years before, had been in France to attend a wedding. The fact that she had not been invited was a trivial matter.
A few days before the weekend wedding, She had been walking down a street located in a busy shopping district. A well-dressed lady came out of a store carrying a large bag in her arm, talking to a female companion. On the wrist of the arm coddling the bag, was a fancy gold bracelet. As the lady’s head was turned to her companion, the thief had “bumped up against the lady, her fingers slipping easily up the long sleeve of her silk blouse, reaching the bracelet, and whisking it off her wrist in the process of apologizing to her in broken French.
As the thief had walked no more than a block away, a young long haired girl in a bohemian-style silk dress bumped into her. Realizing the trademark, the thief felt her pocket and realized the gold bracelet had been lifted. The stalker had been stalked herself.
The young stinker made her living robbing pickpockets.
The thief quickly caught up to the young girl, and keeping in step, began a guarded conversation, dropping enough hints to let this young version of herself know that there was a kindred spirit.
It worked and lunching over déjeuner woyj, wine, and Salade Niçoise, discussed their similarities. At first, the conversation was very guarded between the two, but by the end, it was one that fast friends would have.
Emilee had begun working the streets at a very young age. Using her looks and long fingers she found pickpocketing to be a pleasing and profitable profession to pursue.
Then she took it a level up and began robbing pickpockets of the items they had lifted from unwary victims. She soon was able to pick out the more professional thieves, accurately figuring out that they would be lifting from a richer class of persons.
Then she leaned the skills to be an upstairs maid. Using this to not only make a living but for herself to also level up into a better class of victims to use her nimble fingers on, discreetly of course.
For when a wealthy married male wanted a romp with an attractive, witty servant. Emilee played the seductress perfectly. And after a night satisfying the crétine (Pratt), if his wallet disappears, along with some of his wife’s jewels, well who was going to risk exposure by pointing a finger at her?
So over the course of a few months, as their lier (bond) grew, the thief introduced Emilee into her world of rich society, fancy dances, selections of wealthy victims, lifting of precious jewelry and wallets, as well as collecting information to rob mansions and other fancy dwellings of the ultra-rich.
Soon the pair as a team was doing quite well. Their adventure’s proving quite profitable. Emily only needed to work as a maid when the situation required it. Otherwise, she was the outside watcher for the inside cat burglar thief.
So how had tonight’s manor heist materialized?
^^^^^^^^^^^
While out on her own devices one evening, Emilee had taken a liking to a gold pendant worn by a boorish old lady she had spotted while “working” a reception.
She got close and as she watched the mesmerizing pendant, overheard what the lady was loudly droning on about, not caring who listened in, as long as they were impressed.
It appeared that she was claiming to be closely related to royalty, though her clothes and manner did not entirely back her story up.
But, smelling an opportunity, Emilee rolled the dice, changed tactics, and walking past the lady, easily lifted the wallet from the boorish lady’s designer purse.
She had contacted her cat burglar friend from wales to look into this, to see if this was a lead into something big.
It turned out it was the whole crux that lit the kindling which flamed up into the manor robbery scheme.
The boastingly boorish lady wearing the gold pendant's name?
Marlene Cabot-Hinny
And that would be the rest of the story.
Fini
Description: This composite image contains X-ray data from Chandra (green and blue) that show heated material in the center of a shell generated by a supernova explosion. Optical data from Hubble show the glowing pink rim, which is ambient gas being shocked by the blast wave from the supernova, as well as the surrounding star field. The Type Ia supernova that resulted in the creation of this remnant would have been visible from Earth some 400 years ago.
Creator/Photographer: Chandra X-ray Observatory
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, which was launched and deployed by Space Shuttle Columbia on July 23, 1999, is the most sophisticated X-ray observatory built to date. The mirrors on Chandra are the largest, most precisely shaped and aligned, and smoothest mirrors ever constructed. Chandra is helping scientists better understand the hot, turbulent regions of space and answer fundamental questions about origin, evolution, and destiny of the Universe. The images Chandra makes are twenty-five times sharper than the best previous X-ray telescope. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the Chandra program for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory controls Chandra science and flight operations from the Chandra X-ray Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Medium: Chandra telescope x-ray
Date: 2010
Persistent URL: chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2010/snr0509/
Repository: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Gift line: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/J.Hughes et al, Optical: NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Accession number: snr0509_469
Please forgive me for revisiting this saga so soon. For the thoughts of that witnessed moment in time which planted a seed for a story, still remains, still ticklingly entices my imagination..
And I think most of us know what a bugger an inkling like that can be...!
And the Chatwick in me had a yearning, actually no, a compelling, need to appease, so to tell the same story in a bit different take on the observed actions of the young lad I called the Hugger Mugger… had to be forthcoming post haste …
And So we Have.....
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The Importance of paper mache Princesses
Lucidity of Providence
I first noticed the lass whom I came to call the paper mache princess, as she slithered and swished about in the quite devastatingly pretty gown she was so winningly wearing along her youthful, but yet well appointed figure.
The gown was dyed the shade of fresh spring lavender, the satiny material, probably soft as a new borne downy chick, freshly shimmering and glistening as she stunningly exhibited it whilst wriggled in from the serving room.
My fancy was tickled by this, for my Sister had once worn a very similar dress , and I carried quite pleasant memories of the fun we had had shared that particular evening…..
But I only noticed this new lass’s apparel briefly though, for once I had her properly in my sights, her adorning jewels(rhinestone?) totally commanded my full and undivided attention.
For, see in my humbled opinion, it was silly for one so obviously saturnine, so quite gullibly young, to be wearing such shimmering sparklers! Though to truthfully admit, I had no real issues along those lines!
The sparkling jewels consisted of a thin silver plated necklace, matching dangling earrings and a thin bracelet worn around her satin gloved clad wrist.. , all were set with the fiery brilliance of (rhinestone?) diamonds.
Twas a pity someone darkly moody like that would be in possession of jewels so pretty.. She obviously had no inkling or care about em, in my observation of her, she probably could care less that she was wearing them, and probably had whined miserably about putting them on!
A hallowed mockery of all that is truly feminine.
An aloof paper mache princess who deserved to look more of a pauper in me own personal opinion...!
And that thought, I found to be quite enticingly entertaining on a personal level! Admittedly though, at that time, I was finding a great deal of my surroundings to being quite vexing.
But there was also a reason for my interests, for I will have to admit to possessing a bit of a rascally bird like, Magpie keen, interest in all things shiny!
And my curiosities had already been at peek height due to several other observations I had made upon my first arrival at the wedding reception: Including one subject in particular!
First off, the wedding was definitely upscale, and the wealthy Bride had chosen a rather unique venue for her reception.
Located in a rather daringly wrong side of the tracks area. The place was the site of an old brick, eel tinning factory that someone had cunningly restored and was princely offering as a uniquely posh reception venue for those rich enough to pay out the nose for something out of the ordinary. To me it looked like someone had extravagantly decorated up an old slummy red brick alleyway.
And as to why I was there..?
Well my friends, that’d be another whole tale in the tellin....
So, only tellin one tale at a time then......
Anyhows, there I was, dressed up in my best, and starting to do a bit of visually opportunistic prowling about amongst the well heeled guests who were making merry in the venues’ rather dubious surroundings…. When I saw him...
Him, the laddie, a young male of about 13, scampering happily about at the reception hall .
Something about his mannerisms drew my mind to him, so I discreetly asked around.
I soon found out he was the son of a single mother, both the bride’s sister and maid of Honour. So he was pretty much being left to himself, which explained things a bit.
The lad was also obviously across the threshold of young puberty: as was witnessed by some of his antics, not only with the touchy teasing of the younger girls present, but also in the way he was treating certain poshly dressed adult females, especially in sneaking up and giving his darling grandmother hugs from behind.
She though, thought it was cute and just laughed, and squealed happily, “look another drive by hugging”, or “thanks for the warm hugging honey, just lovely”, encouraging to no end the youth to keep his voyeuristic advances up.
But the grandmother was a short lady, his size, and I knew what was going on, even if the silly twit didn’t have a bloody clue.
The Lads arms, as he hugged his grandmother’s warm figure before running off, were brushing just under her perk breasts, molded nicely by the tight fitted mother of the bride gown she was attired in.
I also knew that , along with copping a titillating feel, he was also enjoying the tingling sensation from the slick thicke material of the lengthy, swishing gown the rather youngish ,stylish grandmother was wearing…
I watched, the lad as he performed this trick several times, holding onto the warm sweaty figure of his still perky, grandmother, before I would finally admit to the fact, I was jealous!
Jealous, for she was wearing some rather pretty jewelry of diamonds, real ones too judging by the fiery pinpricks of flashes they was giving off. Grandad must have spent a bloody mint on them.. For an Anniversary or an apology? There laid the rub..
And I would have given anything for a closer gawk at the ladies finer points, if one gets my drift, eh ?
Nudge, nudge... as they say...
It was while watching the lad yet again going and performing his hugger mugger routine from a bar stool, that my I first laid my eyes on the young paper mache princess in the lavender gown and wearing her own set of diamonds( rhinestone?). I don’t know when she had entered the reception’s proverbial stage, but she was one of the last lot to be leaving the room where the food service was laid out.
She was all of 16 years old, probably bitter sweet, and most definitely, caustically, immature!
She was with a second girl, 14 years I would guess, possibly a younger sister, clad in a thin dress of red silk that poured out dancingly below a matching jacket of velvet. She was wearing a glistening set of, faux?, pearls, and a (rhinestone?) brooch on her jacket, the bauble shaped like a colourful humming bird set with coloured gemstones.
They both stopped at the doorway, watching the dance floor with a peaking interest .
The live band had started up, and a group was upon the floor, swishing and swirling about in a quite pretty display of both colour and glitter that was being caught up in the dim incandescent lighting of the olde re-imagined factory.
I allowed my interest to follow this action for a bit, before curiously allowing my eyes to again seek out the pair of lasses.. Sneaking in close by the bar for a better, keener look over as I did so.
When I found them I saw that they had been joined by the huggy strap of a lad. He was standing close to them, and I caught him gingerly sliding his hand up behind the paper mache princess , chubby fingers tentatively rubbing along the waistline of the slick lavender gown being worn so winningly by the vixen of a sixteen year old.
She giggled and turned to him, her eyes giving an “oh, its you” look to the lad. Oblivious to the look, he started talking the pair up, and I saw them both shake their heads no at whatever he must have been suggesting.
Both girls petite earrings’ swaying in the light as their heads moved side to side . The Paper Mache Princess’s inset diamonds of her earrings sparkling madly, while her smaller friends bobbling earrings of Faux pearl gleamed a glistening pure white.
The pair turned dismissively back to the dance floor, and he stared them down from behind their glimmery sleek dresses for a few seconds, before he walked away, head bent down like something of an admonished puppy!
I felt sorry for the young git, red faced, as he was walking away,.
Then I suddenly realized that his course was taking him right past me.
Not sure why at the time, but suddenly I wanted to capture this lad’s attention. For I was Bored and feeling peevishly mused to try and do something to quell those copious desires I had been mulling..!
So I played it by ear... Something which in my profession that I tend to do a lot of!
Now, since, sleight of hand and misdirection are a couple of me talents, I reached into my pocket , thoughtfully fingering one of my ever-present coins of the realm.
As the lad , sad head down, sauntered droopily by me, I caught his attention by dropping a penny.
He obligingly retrieved it for me, and as he handed it back, I turned down my wrist, then took my hand to his ear, appearing to change the penny into a twenty pee piece… Which I handed the coin to the amazed lad for keeps. Thereby also gaining his full and undivided attention.
“Want to see another?” I asked, and he shook his head yes eagerly. I pulled out an also ever-present deck of cards, and had him ruffle them up a bit. Talking it up to him as I did.
The simple card trick would allow me to banter and hopefully my words would thus stoke the id of his sexually driven impulses whilst the ego thoughts in the lad’s head where following the cards. With my intents to flaring up the lad’s super – located in the deep recesses of his mind were certain male thoughts are often guiltily , forcibly, kept alone to themselves.
The first trick was an easy one that had him picking his own card from a group laid out on the bar. It was as I went through the motions, and watching his focus on the cards, I mentioned how pretty I had thought some of the dresses worn by the girls here were.
That opened him up royally...
I soon had him chatting away, eating out of my hand as I told him a subtly suggestive story of my youth, centering around the true enough episode where I had danced with my sister who had been wearing a dress very similar to the one worn by the paper mache princess....
A tid bit of a description that I knew would send his little pubescent desiring mind whirling .
I then, also with casual finesse, asked him quite a few questions about himself, about the reception, and particularly centered around finding out a bit more about the paper mache princess.
He readily came out with the fact that the paper mache princess, the one I had truthfully said was dressed like me sister had been , was nothing more than his cousin. He also volunteered tid bits about her that led me to believe that she could be a bit fey, but liked to pretend and daydream.
He also chimed in that he liked to play games like hide an seek with her and her friend’s, when she allowed him to!
Not playing now I asked? Seeing a light opening up at the end of a certain tunnel of my thoughts.
No he said, she said that she did not want to get dirty, her friend either.. Too interested in acting like proper ladies, dancing and watching, he added sadly..
“Quite boring.. he also added quite drearily ..”
That was all I needed to hear! So, agreeing with the boring part, I drew him close in the confidence of a co-conspirator.
Tells you what kiddo, let me explain how we used to play tag games when I was your cousins age.
I bet she will change her mind to play this version with you today! ( Actually, I know she would have no choice but to play his game once we were done with her!)
Really, he said, his eyes wandering and latching onto the two swaying young vixens, looking them up and down as I spoke.
Certainty ‘Mon garçon’ I said, and began to explain, taking certain inventive liberties with the details to ensure capturing this young man’s burgeoning lusting fantasies !!
I explained that as lads we would play tag by having the crooks steal something, then the person who was robbed would chase us like a copper until we either got away, or placed in “prison”
Cops and robbers see.. ever hear of the game.?
He nodded his head assuredly that of course he knew the game..!
I could also see I had grasped a craving interest within him, so I then happily continued on
“Now, the girls in our group would sometimes dress up and wear ‘cheap’ play jewelry, like your cousin and her friend over there. “ I lied convincingly.
He turned to watch the pair of proper appearing princess wanna-bees, both with eye appealing resplendence in their gowns, jewels and fine frills..
“Then us boys would sneak up and try to distract them, so we could teasingly come away with some of their play jewels without them catching on to what we were on about.
Then we would point out their loss after a bit, and the girls would give chase to us trying get them jewels back !”
He smiles, liking the idea.
I could see he was chewing on my words while still Drooling over the two pretty young lasses and their shiny frocks and ample shimmering jewels.... rather convenient having the real thing in sight when telling my stories I devilishly thought.
I had captivated his interest, and could see that he was earnestly watching his cousin ( whose necklace I should mention, was quite invigoratingly rippling small sparkles of fire around her throat as she was swaying to the music.)
I began with renewed relish, allowing the seed I had planted to grow, by explaining in detail how to draw his pretty lass of a cousin into the “Game”!
Both his and mine!
Using as an example, a story on how I had played this same game I was proposing on, while dancing with me own lavender gown wearing sister for reference. Actually it was a true enough story, only the young lass I had played it out on had not been me sister, and the gown, which most definitely had been soft as a new borne downy chick, had been of a shiny ripe peach colour!
I explained in simple detail how to approach his cousin, and what words would work best in convincing her that a dance was in order.
Then once they were into the dance, I explained in easy detail, the next steps to be taken to ensure his cousin would be a player for the next phase of the game, namely the catchy, touchy, tag part of it.
I could see the laddie was doing quite well, grasping the rudimentary idea of it all. And as he shook his head vigorously yes when I asked if ready. I gently pushed his back, propelling his quite noticeably Horney figure loose towards his innocent victim.
Go get em tiger....
I watched with growing anticipation as the lad moved in, eagerly approached his victim, then again sliding a hand on along her waist, successfully prying and fully capturing his cousins attention away from the dance floor. He started talking affably and I could see her dart a look back to the dancers,then to her 14 year old friend, then finally back to her cousin. Her jewels nicely sparkling in the low lights as she carried out this performance.
Then, bless the faux pearl laden pixie, for as I watched, the paper mache princess’s young friend most advantageously helped out our cause. Chirpily chiming in her two cents worth. saying something excitedly as she tugged at the cousins dress whilst pointing to the lad and the dance floor!
And ‘Bob’s your uncle!’ a few minutes later the pair of them were on that polished wooden dance floor, looking exceptionally cute as a couple, as they danced to a romantic slow tune whose name has since slipped my mind. The young darlings mimicked the adults around them by embracing closely against one another.
I waited and watched with baited breath, so many things could go wrong, and there was no good reason they shouldn’t. I began to think my ideas had been quite folly. Draining my drink, I made my plans for a quick get away to avoid any attention and have to answer rather awkward questions if things went awry.
But they didn’t!
As he had been directed, he bided his time, no hurry.
I watched with baited breath as finally his hand cunningly started the process of snaking up along the back of her sensuous dress, a bit quick perhaps, but maybe his partner was feeling his hormones actively running wild and was responding in kind.
For she had no issues dancing close, and no notice of the shenanigans of the creeping male fingers nimbly reaching up her back. I could see that her own gloved hands were firmly grasping her dance partners waist. The diamonds on her thin bracelet merrily winking back at me!
She seemed so happy, her eyes closed shut as she was into what ever fantasies young sixteen year old paper mache princesses, wearing pretty gowns and flashy jewels, have going on!
But I was also fairly certain that those fantasies of hers did not dwell any where’s near the reality of what was being played out on her in real life at that moment!
I looked around, Nor were any of the adults paying the pair any heed..
Even the Sixteen year old’s young Faux pearl wearing pixie of a friend was watching something away from the dance floor, her own fingers idly playing with the shimmery rhinestone brooch on her velvet jacket as she, with no shyness, was ogling a bloke in a tux snogging with one of the bridesmaids in a secluded corner!
I perked up, setting my empty glass down, casually picking out a handful of pub nuts from a jar at my elbow, I thought, this trick may actually bloody work!!
His fingers finally reached the victim’s primed objective, the one I had suggested, namely the thin gem studded necklace. The pretty jewels that laid flickering around the high, glossy neckline of his victims gown. That fiery necklace had been dangling and moving about with an easy sliding fluidity along down the smooth satin of its’ wearers gown, making it a fairly easy pluck for any amateur’s game!
The gem stones were set in a finely woven silvery chain, there should be no telltale snagging, no matter how jerky the chubby fingers were in making the attempt the lift them!
Obviously I had been thinking this through as I had been carefully watching my pretty paper mache princess. And just as obviously I was now vicariously living those day dreams through the lads antics!
So it was with an unabashed delight, that I watched as his fingers glided along the pretty baubles chain till the necklaces hook in eye clasp was located, and pulled up ever so lightly!
He did fumble a bit with the clasp,( his first time after all) but I saw him carefully peeking over her shoulder for a better look, and using one hand he managed to delicately unhook the two ends on his second attempt.
The fraternal twin ends lay loose there, glimmering for a few seconds, as they hung freely unclasped down her back. His fingers slipped back over her shoulder and slyly lifted a sparkly end up.
He then methodically began to slide the long necklace up along the front of his dance partners rich, lubricious, satin gown! It was easily slipped away, slither inly over her shoulders’ satin sleeve and free fell down behind her back where it dangled for a few precious seconds in his chubby fingers, before the lad secreted the shimmering thing of beauty into his pocket ..
I released my breath not realizing I had been holding it.. He had gotten away with it, pretty as one pleases. His fantasizing, gorgeously dressed cousin, hadn’t a bloody clue as to what had just transpired as she and her glittery necklace were naughtily being parted!
And just as important, no one else had noticed my little hugger mugger in action either!
His victim still had her eyes blissfully closed, and was leaning her head back in what can be best described as dreamy happiness.
Her earrings and bracelet sparkled on, as noticeable in their positions, as the place her necklace had been, now was not!
Her male partners eyes were wide, and darting around. I was worried that he may end up alarming the girl, so I rose, and managed to catch his gaze, and smiled giving a thumbs up. This made him grin, and settling down a bit, grasped his partner close and twirled on.
I smiled, feeling rather excited meself, for watching the lad in action had been like reliving the somewhat similar, long past, incident that I had used as an example, lying to him that I had played the game on me sister!
^^^^^^
Well , they finally finished the dance, it seemed like an eternity, but it was thrilling to try and catch glimpses of the cousins’ now bare neckline!
Finally they broke apart and he walked off with her to the opposite edge of the dance area from where they had started. I held my breath again, but he seemed to inherently realize that as part of the game, he didn’t want her suspicions raised by being quick to leave. God bless his natural budding adult male like deviousness!
When he finally left her and came over , he was grinning ear to ear like some Cheshire Cat.
“Well done lad, you played that brilliantly! Fun Like I said it would be” I praised and questioned?
He nodded , quite pleased with himself, and that pleasure was evident in more places than just his face!!
He most definitely was getting a “titillating feel” for the playing the game. A feeling I could very well understand from me own personal experiences!
I turned him around to face his cousin, his back now to me.
The young paper mache princess was back to aloofly standing, watching, on the outer rim of the dance floor. As we watched, we saw her young friend returning, regaining a position up alongside her
I gripped my hand upon the lads shoulder, speaking into his ear as he conveniently faced away from me..
I explained that he needed to go up and do next ..
Sneak up and hug his cousin from behind( I could tell he liked that!) , then as you tickle her a bit, say something like “now catch the tickle thief” , and then, see that door just off the loo?
He turned his head over to where I was pointing.
I knew that the door was an exit, leading upstairs, then outside to a small park.
“Break away before she can catch you,, and RUN! through that door, then out into the park .”
I turned him back around to face me , I wanted to really drive home the last bit…
I was smiling mischievously in his eyes, which brightened up as he warmed up to the ideas I was planting.
“Then in the woods you can hide and touch tag as she tries to get her necklace back!”, and I tapped his pocket with my free hand, jingling the contents.
“But remember laddie, the trick is not to show her what you took. Make her chase you, and if she finally catches you, make her search you for it, or have her cry Uncle before handing it over!”
“And as she is so occupied, try for an earring or bracelet to keep the game on. Or if her friends is close enough then snatch…..”
But I stopped, I could see all too well in his wide eyed glazed over look, that he had caught onto the gigs gist, and there was no need to say more with out risking my hugger mugger to become too prematurely excited before playing it out.
I looked up over his head to make sure the stage was still set…
I suddenly stiffened....
Ere now, look lad, I think your game is beginning, she is noticing the loss.
We both looked, the young friend of the sixteen-year-old was pointing to the paper mache princess’s bare throat. No need to hear the question.
Then as We both gawked ,the cousins gloved hand shot immediately up to her throat ,fruitlessly feeling around as her face contorted up in a horrifying gasp.
“Now lad I said turning him back around so he was facing the dance floor., quickly toddle up behind and give your cousin that hug to start it off! That’s a good lad!”
“I guarantee you she is going to play into your game now.” I said, sending the words off after him as he scurried stiffly off.
He was definitely carrying off with him a quite “hard” vested interest in the game at hand.
He approached the pair, both of whom were now looking about their feet for the missing necklace.
I saw him readily grasp, then pull up his Cousin into a slippery hug..
She jumped a bit ,alarmed!
But no blaming the sullen looking lass. Worries about her missing necklace combined with someone unexpectantly grasping her from behind, then feeling something hard being pressed up against her, would cause a bit of inherent distress for any poshly attired damsel!
Startled as she was, she stood stiffly in her fast waning shock, as her male cousin whispered into a bejeweled ear, then letting her go, the lad dashed off towards the exit as planned.
The two girls looked at each other questioningly, the pixy was holding her faux pearled necklace, the cousin a hand to her bare throat. They then stared at the fleeing cousin, before, in a shimmering, swishing, fluttering, flurry, taking off after the escaping lad.
I turned away and watched as he disappeared through the exit door by the loo.
The female cousin and her similarity dressed young friend, were following almost upon the lad’s heels, gowns whirling , and they too slipped through the closing door. I, probably for the last time, admired her taunting bracelet, as it flashed and sparkled, while she gripped to hold open the closing exit door..
All three had now disappeared from the venue without anyone a noticing.
I believe free booze, and the length of drinking time that the adult guests had been imbibing played a rather big part in that the trio of escapees were not paid any heed!
Babes in the woods, going beyond the security of the pale. I thought, making my way through the thronging crowd of merry guests .
I headed out towards the main exit located on the opposite side of the building from the restrooms.
Just before taking my permanent leave I looked around the venue again. The dim lighted red brick lined walls of the old ell tinning factory did indeed resemble an olde alleyway. And one can just imagine the types of mischief that would be going on in olde alleyways!
Reaching the outer walk I forced meslf to meander on till I had safely gained some distance, stopping as I came up to a patch of woods.
Where, next to an ancient Wytch Elm tree with its grotesquely reaching branches, started a thin path leading off amongst the trees towards the other side of the olde eel tinning factories building..
I stood there, and after checking around me, Pulled a chrome flask from a vest pocket.
I took a good long swig of ginger brandy in celebration of the moment!
“The path less travelled today mate! .”
Replacing the flask, I reached a hand in my suit coats pocket for me pipe and tobacco, .
Feeling as I did the now cold hardness of the quite genuine, quite expensive, diamond necklace that I had so quite easily lifted from the youths jacket pocket ( pickpocketing - another of my skills)
As I packed my pipe and then cupped my fingers as I struck a match to get it going, I allowed my mind a quick remembrance….
I played out how pretty that young lass had been in her peach satin gown. We both had been around 14 years, socially awkward as youths that age can be.. She had suggested the dancing, and I was amazed at the feel of her in my arms. Never had I felt anything so warm, so incredibly soft. And how sparkling her necklace had been. As we danced, and as I secretly admired her necklace, I remember meself subtly lifting the pretty thing up from her throat. Then it had suddenly unclasped, and I found meself pulling it off from around her throat and stuffing it in a pocket. She had had no clue, and I and me mates had used it’s loss to tease her before giving it back.
It had been a most satisfying newly acquired feeling for me at that age.... Which I had gambled would be the same feelings my young hugger mugger lad would also feel.
With a wry smile I wondered what my hugger mugger lad’s reaction would be as he would finally was made to give back the necklace. And what the overall reaction of the group would be when instead of the paper mache princess’s pricey diamonds in his pocket, he finds the small bits of pub nuts I had switched out with the necklace.
What I would have given to be able to witness that moment in time I thought , as I threw away the match and began puffing smoke from the lit pipe. I imagined what the three youths puzzled, gasping expressions would be like..!
Indeed, whose game had they been playing at?
I wondered if anybody would ever figure it out, or would it remain a mystery?
After a few puffs I looked in the direction of the park.. where I imagined the three were have gleeful adventures, for a bit anyways., and hopefully no further mis adventures...
I gave another long , thoughtful pull at me pipe...
Now, Just down that path would be that very park where at that very moment, a young lady clad in sleek lavender satin and sporting the remains of her dazzling collection of expensively brite sparkling diamonds ,was running about willy nilly in the woods.
Her eye catching gown and glistening, baiting jewels unsuspectingly openly exposed to the wilds outside, and fully unprotected by any observable means...
Not to mention there is also a spare, herself fetchingly attired in red silk and velvet. Herself wearing spiffen faux pearls and a glistening rhinestone hummingbird brooch!
It could very well be like taking away the proverbial candy from silken clad Babes...
Hmmm, a rather treasure trove of an opportunity indeed!
After a few minutes ponderings, I finally Let out an exasperated puff of smoke, as I regrettably shook my head NO..., no teasing my recently bestowed acte of providence, not by this Bloke.... and certainly not this evening !!
One in hand, I scolded meself ..
So, let it be Cheerio, I thought nodding down the side path of the woods towards the park in a solemn’ fare thee well’ salute..
And walking out into the glooming twilight of the evening, strode down the side walk to disappear into the misty aire..
Taking the smoking pipe from me mouth, I began Whistling the tune ...
‘Who put “Bella in the Wytch Elm”?
After all, who does not like coming up across a mystery?
“vade ad victor spolia”
Fini
The land mass of this island shrank by 50% in one year. Environmentalist were going crazy trying to figure what was happening. Turns out, a bunch of old geezers with metal detectors where digging up the island at night.
Raft Island, Washington 2017
Actually, I sent the request to authorities of our city about this problem (absence drainage system on Moscow's roads), but authorities answered me, that the rain water flows by itself through the natural slope, and that's fine (such is prescribed by normative documents).
Я писала запрос в мэрию Москвы по поводу отсутствия дренажной системы на дорогах, но получила ответ, что вода сама стекает по естественным склонам, и это нормально (так предусмотрено нормативными документами).
Though the eyes, the heart, the exhausted soul crave them...
Downtown Brooklyn,
New York.
September 2012
© Sion Fullana
All rights reserved
This lone clubmoss plant caught my eye on a segment of the Ice Age trail. It took a while for me to get the right composition and light, but it was worth it.
© all rights reserved
Please take your time... and enjoy it large on black
The Königssee is a lake located in the extreme southeast of the German state of Bavaria, near the border with Austria. It's all part of the Berchtesgaden National Park. Located at a Jurassic rift it was formed by glaciers during the last ice age. It stretches about 7.7 km. The lake similar to a fjord is surrounded by steeply rising flanks of mountains up to 2700 m. The lake is noted for its clear water and is advertised as the cleanest lake in Germany. For this reason, only electric driven passenger ships, rowing and pedal boats have been permitted on the lake since 1909. Due to its picturesque setting, the lake and surrounding parklands are very popular with tourists and hikers. In addition, the lake's position surrounded by sheer rock walls creates an echo, which is known for its clarity. St. Bartholomä, a famous pilgrimage church with a small inn nearby, is located on a peninsula about halfway down the western lakeshore. It named for Saint Bartholomew the Apostle Bartholomäus in German. A first chapel at the lake was built in 1134 from 1697 onwards it has been rebuilt in a Baroque style with a floor plan modelled on Salzburg Cathedral, two onion domes and a red domed roof. St. Bartholomä and the southern edge can only be reached by boat or via hiking trails up the surrounding mountains.
"Mirror, mirror on the wall, what lake's the fairest of them all?" Lake Königssee is what most of our visitors would answer. Hardly surprising, with its crystal-clear emerald-green water and mystifying atmosphere. Innumerable fish swim its depths and its surface reflects the rocky walls of the Watzmann massif. A beautiful place for a hike and after a long walk what is better than feet paddling?
De Königssee is een meer in het uiterste zuidoosten van de Duitse deelstaat Beieren, nabij de grens met Oostenrijk. Het is het diepste meer van Duitsland, met een maximale diepte van 190 m. De Königssee is 7,7 km lang. Vrijwel heel het meer ligt in het Nationaal Park Berchtesgaden. Het landschap is vandaag de dag nog net zo onberoerd en betoverend als in de tijd van de koningen. Omgeven door hoge rotswanden ligt de smaragdgroene Königssee als een fjord temidden van de Beierse Alpen. De bedevaartskerk St. Bartholomä met zijn rode koepeldaken, het symbool van de Königsee, is enkel per electroboot bereikbaar. Wanneer de stuurman tijdens de overtocht op zijn trompet blaast, klinkt de wereldberoemde echo van de Königssee, de melodie wordt enkele seconden herhaald – verder heerst hier een heerlijke rust. De rode koepeldaken en uivormige torenkoepels sieren de buitenkant, het interieur van de barokke kerk is een weerspiegeling van de Salzburger Dom. Als in een prentenboek ligt de bedevaartkerk voor het bergpanorama van de Watzmann op een landtong in de smaragdgroene Königssee. De berg als legende omgeven van sagen. De fascinatie van de bergen is zelden duidelijker als bij het symbool van het Berchtesgadener Land. De beroemde oostwand van de Watzmann, die met zijn 1800m - vertikaal de hoogste rotswand van de Alpen is. De wand is steeds opnieuw een uitdaging voor veel bergbeklimmers. Het water van de Königssee is het schoonste meer van Duitsland en voldoet aan de kwaliteiten van drinkwater. Steile rotsen, donkere wouden, wilde ravijnen en gletsjers, maar ook bekoorlijke almen en liefelijke dalen. Flora en fauna worden in Duitsland's nationaalpark aan hun lot overgelaten. De bezoeker beleeft een andere bijna vergane wereld, die hier in stand gehouden en wetenschappelijk onderzocht wordt. Zo bewaren ze hier het heden een stuk verleden voor de toekomst. Het is wat mij betreft vrijwel het mooiste meer van de Alpen en zeker het mooiste van Duitsland.
Alternate London living.
Picture yourself in a boat on a river
With tangerine trees and marmalade skies
Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly
A girl with kaleidoscope eyes
Cellophane flowers of yellow and green
Towering over your head
Look for the girl with the sun in her eye's
And she's gone
Lucy in the sky with diamonds
Lucy in the sky with diamonds
Lucy in the sky with dianonds
Aaaahhhhh
Words & Music, Lennon & McCartney (1967).
LR2706
Damrak... I love this place more than anything else in Amsterdam. It was the place of my first staying here in Amsterdam. Many years ago I arrived to the Amsterdam Centraal by the train from Germany, where I’ve been by my Berliner friends... I had my booked hotel on Damrak but didn’t know how to find it. It was rainy, cold weather but a lot of people on the streets... My first impression was that so many bees with a noise got into left or right beehive... of course coffeeshops and restaurants. When I asked someone from the people I traveled together from Berlin, may be he knows where is my hotel - I got an answer: I have to figure out where I’m myself right now... It’s Amsterdam, city for everyone, who always can find here every thing he wants...
By the way Damrak, the street where located my hotel was very close to the train station and I found it pretty soon. After that, I’m staying in a same hotel Amsterdam on Damrak right near the restaurant De Roode Leeuw (Red Lion) every time I'm coming here . My memory stays with me up to now, especially the weather was the same, like my first time in this city...
The Damrak is a partly filled in canal at the centre of Amsterdam, between Amsterdam Centraal railway station and Dam Square, running north-south. It is the main street where people arriving at the station enter the centre of Amsterdam. Because of the former stock exchange building, the monumental Beurs van Berlage (now used for other purposes), and several other buildings related to financial activities erected there in the early 20th century, the term "Damrak" has come to be a synonym for the Amsterdam Stock Exchange in the same way "Wall Street" is synonymous with the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ.
The street was located on a rak (reach), a straight part of the Amstel river near a dam; hence the name. In the 19th century, a section of it was filled in.
Much better viewed large View On Black
Explore #290, 02/04/2011
Sometimes I think you just have to get away from all the modern stuff, and wander amongst the trees...down to the basics...
Gracie was at Elizabeth and Claude’s table, researching for her business opportunity.
“Do you still plan to open Fast French in Room 2?” Gracie asked Claude.
“Oh, yes,” Claude answered, “but it’s so much work to go through the structure approval process and have the funds to build the structure.. You know my father will not help me as he did Pierre.”
“Well, since all signs point to Boolster’s leaving the coffeeshop niche, it'll be up to me to cater to the younger crowd in Room 2.”
“Well, I like it here,” Elizabeth interrupted, defending her favorite handout.
“Newsflash, Elizabeth,” Gracie said: “You’re not the young crowd anymore.”
Feeling a bit insulted, Elizabeth exited the conversation and returned to her tomato soup.
“So you and I will be fighting for the same customers?” Claude asked anxiously.
“No worries there: The Don Buzzles of our town are always going to need somewhere to eat in Room 2 – let's just say I'm aiming for a different crowd.”
Pittsburgh city bus route Y46 on W Carson Street turning north to Smithfield Street Bridge.
xxxxx
Back to the Pittsburgh series. Last week (2020-08-06), in a re-run of a vintage episode of Jeopardy! (an American game show) from 2002-05-06, the Final Jeopardy was in the U.S. Cities category.
The question was "Founded in 1758, it’s named for a British Prime Minister who was a noted defender of the American colonists."
The answer to that is of course Pittsburgh, which is named after British statesman William Pitt the Elder.
229/365
No reproduction of this image is allowed without prior permission of the photographer. Ninguna reproducción de esta imagen está permitida sin el previo permiso del fotógrafo.
© PaolaSuárez
All rights reserved
Todos los derechos reservados
The brief and questions I gave myself for this project were:
if I truly had to design my very own craft what would I want it to look like?
As a pilot, what kind of tech would I want to see in the cockpit?
What real life scenario could I incorporate making it a unique experience?
If I needed it repaired/ refueled, would I have the correct gear?
Could I build in real safety features?
What if I crashed in a remote place and needed to survive?
Can I challenge myself from a builders persepctive using parts that hardly ever come out to play?
Could I revisit my stickering techniques on such a small build?
My answers were:
I wanted something that visually had a very aerodynamic shape that looked like it was moving even when stationery, it had to have a unique "skin" that set it apart from any of my previous builds. Plus been a Starfighter, it had to be equipped with lots of weapons, that could shoot any enemy in any direction. If I wanted to be able to end a mission I could just inject and still tell the tale to my mates. My wishlist for this very personal project was, make it truly mine!
Over 80 hours of building and experimental phases was a challenge, only as its 16 x 35 studs and 9-in height, made it rather difficult to integrate not only the many play features but the final balance display stand. Ive truly enjoyed the Jam, guys you are all my hero`s, such a wonderful creative bunch. Thank you kindly to the organization of this great contest! Over &-Out
Play features on FXX (-number of features after the # )
·Front pronge shooters rotate 180° (left & right) #2
·Hidden frontend loading slot for missiles #2
· Squeeze side panels to release main missiles to fire (left and right) #2
·Open side panels to release the drop target bombs (left and right) #2
·Trigger the side decoy flares (left & right) #2
·Swivel hydrolysis pipe for regas when in servcie (left & Right) #2
·Fully opened bottom panels reveal computer charger panel and refuelling ports which are numbered from 1·3: 1) is jet fuel 2) is for hydrogen and 3) us for oxygen #5
·Removable engine covers on rear mechanism, access to batteries and cooling refuelling ports #2
·Removable quantum batteries #2
·Refuelling connection port for cooling #2
·Swivel side panel opens hatch (left):
Contains 9 items that can be removed and used: Hammer, spanner, ice hammer, screwdriver, GPS unit, emergency sky flare, galaxy neutral passport card, tablet and first aid kit #10
Swivel side panel opens hatch (right):
Contains 6 items whuch can be removed and used: main laser shotgun, Handheld tazer gun, a pack of Hero Bullets, camo face paint cream, 2 meters carbon rope, 1.5m bugee card hidden in the door #7
·Under carriage features frontend full foldable landing gear integrated into body#1
·Turn nob switch activates light inside cockpit to show pilot landing gear is activated (for real) #2
·Fold down panel fires a rear bomb disc #1
·Once pushed into full lock it automatically fires without the need to finger fire #1
·Swivel and folable landing rear gear #2
·Fully removable cockpit screen #1
·Wind screen holder for pilot entry and exit #1
·Pilot has own personal storage unit #1
·Datacard used to release Drone, which automatically falls from craft #2
·Drone folds open and has adjustable antennas #3
·Hidden side lazer guns can swivel up to 172° (left & right) #2
·Injectable pilot seat release #1
·Pilot has flying seat once fully activate folded for flight #1
·Fold down display stand #1
·Removable steering /-navigator tablet for pilot #1
· can come in/ out #1
Are we healthy in either respect? He just asked the question... Are we brave enough to answer truthfully?
Even though water hyacinth is a rampant invasive, it sometimes makes for a good subject in the low angled sunlight of evening.
In 2019 I drove from Columbus, Ohio to Toronto, Ontario Canada. I hate flying so I was happy to drive. I spent an amazing week with professional photographer Spencer Wynn. He is a brilliant photographer and outstanding teacher. In planning for this trip, I was so excited because I had just gotten a passport for the first time in my life, and I was looking forward to getting it stamped. Other than a cruise, I had never been out of the country. So, off I went! When I got to the Canadian border, I answered a few questions and proudly displayed my brand new passport. The man looked at it and handed it back. I asked if he was going to stamp it and he said that they don’t stamp passports when coming from the US. Damn! I asked him if he would stamp it anyway, and he said no. So I still have a passport with no stamps. I took this picture to prove I actually left the country at least once in my life. Otherwise, nobody would believe I did it.
Here's the answer to my recent abstract post. Simply a glass of water, refracting sunlight onto a vitamin D tablet at lunchtime. Not set up, I just noticed it when I put the glass down. Thanks to all those who had a guess. Happy New Year to you all :-)
Some things feel like they take forever when they really come faster than we realize. He asked, she said yes.. well, she said 'Holy biscuits.' For her, that means yes.
"I'm re-reading the letters you wrote me
I'm searching and scanning for answers
In every line
For some kind of sign"
Yes, this is a quote from the same song as the one which inspired the photo where I was burning a letter (it wasn't an actual private letter though, rather a public post addressed to me, but I think it counts, and anyway I was going to burn that particular "letter" because it's author was wrong on so many levels and doing it I was basically replying "go to hell"). The song is about a different story, but I think that one quote fits here as well, because, yeah, I do know really well what it's like to re-reading letters like a detective trying to solve a mystery when this is almost the only option left to connect (and this option IS NOT ENOUGH to understand the reason behind, because it's one-sided).
Those tiles I bought for a totally different photo a long time ago (and still didn't take it). Never have I ever thought I will use it in a context like this but I think it's much better than an original intention. Though it's still sad...
Snow, snow and more snow, no matter where I go. So given the circumstances, pulled out the fastest lens I could, the f0.95 50mm on the Canon 7 and ventured out into the sub-freezing temps. I was a bit worried that the rangefinder was going to seize up at some point, or the film would snap (at one point it was about 4 degrees F) but no issue. Was smarter about gloves this time - I guess I can learn when there's (significant) discomfort involved. Thanks to all those flickeranians who continue to inspire us!
It's been so long...
For all you who've been lost, not knowing who you are or what you're doing, here's the answer.
If you're coming to BFVA, go couch dive, mow some lawns, or jump in a fountain, and get yourself some extra coin.
DBG and a small amount of ODG will be present at BFVA, anything left, goes on the site.
*MRU does not encourage or promote the jumping into fountains for change.*
talk, it's only talk
arguments, agreements, advice, answers,
ariculate announcements
it's only talk
talk, it's only talk
babble, burble, banter, bicker bicker
brouhaha, boulderdash, ballyhoo
it's only talk, back talk
talk talk talk, its only talk
comments, cliches, commentary, controversy
chatter, chit-chat, chit-chat, chit-chat,
conversation, contradiction, criticism
it's only talk, cheap talk
talk, talk, it's only talk
debates, discussions
these are words with a D this time
dialogue, dualogue, diatribe,
dissention, declamation
double talk, double talk
talk, talk, it's all talk
too much talk
small talk
talk that trash
expressions, editorials, expugnations,
exclamations, enfadulations
it's all talk
elephant talk, elephant talk, elephant talk
A Curious Vigilance
Part Two
Tickling Dragons
The story Concludes
Acte 6
Ginny whispered :
"There is a man watching us from outside the gate A car parked behind your brother’s. Could it be a night watchman?”
“Nightwatchman? “I answer, looking at Ginny as her eyes are still staring past me at the newcomer.
“We have never seen one here before. I guess we just need to go and ask him.”
I turned, and Ginny, her long dress making swishing sounds from behind, as we both approached the gate.
He didn’t look anything like a watchman, didn’t even have a flashlight.
And I suppose I should have been warier of a stranger.
But he appeared to be a very affable chap by the way he smiled at us, hands casually place in his pockets as he watched us approach.
Rugged good looks as they say, and he was dashing in a turtleneck and trousers. I did feel he should have been smoking a pipe to complete his look.
“He looks like a spy,” I said over my shoulder to Ginny, who giggled.
“Cheers.”
Ginny said in greeting as we reached the open gate.
He nodded.
It’s amazing how telling a little nod can be. If a person nods a certain way as you greet him, you know thinks your looney. Or if he is suspicious, you can also tell by the way he nods his head. No words were necessary.
But this chaps nod, told me he was obviously intrigued by something, probably by us two and why we were here, all dressed up?
So of course he asked us:
“What in the world are you ladies up to.”
His words come out easy. I was right, he appeared to be indeed affable in an urbane manner.
Ginny starts to tell him right off, explaining how we had left a wedding reception to come to one of our haunts to drink and indulge in a little role-play, then how we thought he was some type of watchman.
He seemed quite interested, and when Ginny had finished, asked:
“I would very much like to learn more. Perhaps even join in if you two lovely ladies would be game?”
Acte 6
We invited him over to the pagoda stairs and talk it over with him
Ginny handed him the whiskey. He took a sniff, then a small sip swished it in his mouth before swallowing.
“That’s lovely .” He said handing the bottle back.
Ginny took a small swig and handed it to me, I did the same and handed it to the newcomer.
He held onto the bottle, as he started to explain himself.
“I was passing by, slowed down as a fox, coming from the cemetery, crossed the road in front. I looked over and saw two rather well-dressed ladies dancing up on a platform, in a cemetery?”
“The sight rather piqued my curiosity. You both looked too alive to be ghosts. The reception explains how you two are dressed.”
His eyes were on Ginny, Admiring her sleek satin high shoulder sleeve sheath dress, the glittery silver rhinestone Dragon decoration very shimmery, but not quite so as her dazzling pendant, now in my pocket, had been. I was sorry he wasn’t able to see it.
Then he turned his eyes onto me.
I myself knew how my purple silk dress and black satin jacket presented themselves, for I cannot lie, I practiced walking up to mum’s full-length mirror, admiring the flowing, swirling effect of the purple silk skirt pouring down from my covering black satin jacket.
Clearing his throat, almost sounding like he was gulping, the newcomer went on as his eyes went back to Ginny:
“Not sure if I should disturb, I then saw this one(pointing to me) lifting your necklace.”
Ginny’s hand shot to her throat, looking at me with a giggling smile:
“You devil.”
I pulled it out of my pocket and gave it back to her to put in. He might as well see the scintillating show it puts on.
He noticed… I saw his eyes open very wide as he simply said:
“Pretty.”
Before continuing, his eyes now glued to Ginny:
“Then as you two finished dancing, I was deciding if I should just leave or give you a warning.”
Ginny cut in:
“ I lifted her bracelet, you must have missed that bit?”
He nodded.
“I see, there was more going on than I had first realized. Because then I saw your friend holding you up to nick your bracelet and hair barrette.”
Looking at us both curiously, he asked:
“So is this something you do for fun, or are the two of you rehearsing for a play, a movie, or …something else? Could you tell me cause it’s killing me not knowing?”
Ginny answered him:
“No lad, this is something our friends and us do for fun. Have been doing it since we were little ones.”
He looked at us thoughtfully, lifting the bottle he finally took a mouthful, then handed it off to Ginny.
Swishing it thoughtfully around in his mouth he swallowed, then said:
“I might then ask if either of you have actually done anything before like this, for real I mean?”
I answered, cutting Ginny off:
“No, always just for play, never for keeps.”
He sighed, but the reason for him doing so was not clear to me.
“So then, I have seen the pair of you in action, and I sure was impressed with your deft light-fingered skill… I'd like to ask you if you'd be willing to show me a thing or two?”
I looked over at Ginny. She nodded that we accept him in.
For my part, I was down deep thinking. he would do for the male parts like my brother would have been playing if he had been here with us instead of throwing pointy things at a board.
Ginny turned her deliciously made-up eyes from me to the newcomer:
“Sorry luv, We never introduced ourselves…
My name is Ginny, this is Cadence, Cade for short. What’s your name?
Just call me ‘Watchman’ he said with a sly smirk.
Acte 7
I stand up. Proud that I wasn’t wobbling too very much from all the straight whisky we had been drinking.
Going over to my cell, I select a few slow dance songs and start them off.
Coming back I see that Ginny was already up on the platform, swaying to the music.
The ‘Watchman’ was at the bottom of the steps. waiting for me.
Okay, lad. This is me being your first victim
“Lesson 1 .”
I hold up my wrist, exposing my remaining bracelet.
“Wow, that’s sparkly!”
Lesson one, in lesson one..." I giggled
“ luv, make sure you never remark upon the jewels your potential mark is wearing
He cleverly pulled an invisible zipper over his lips
“Examine my bracelets’ clasp. This is a common slip-in clasp. Simply push down here and it releases. Ginny’s is the same way. Feel it and try undoing it with one hand.”
He does so, smiling
“I feel like a real thief, though this is not real, right, just play?”
I just smiled mysteriously, then said encouragingly.
“You can see it as play, or pretend in your mind it is real. Now you did great, practice refasten it and undo its clasp a couple more times.“
He did as instructed.
I then tell him…
“ I’m going to walk past you. “
“As soon as my back is to you. Come up and tap the opposite shoulder of the arm where I’m wearing the bracelet you want to nick from me. As you do take your other arm and reach down and undo the bracelet. Then hold it behind your back as you apologize for mistaking me for someone else.”
I went up aways, turned around, and walked past.
He was standing in the shadows.
I pulled up my cuffed sleeve, making sure he saw my bracelet as it now dangled freely.
He pulled it off without a hitch.
Coming up behind me, tapping me on the shoulder.
Even though I knew it was coming, I did automatically turn in that direction.
I felt him go for my wrist, doing a passable job of lifting off my rhinestone bracelet.
I turned and saw him dangling it in front of me.
I held up my wrist and as he replaced it, I called up to Ginny.
“Your turn girl, as this gentleman approaches, walk down the stairs and smell the flowers.“
I turn to the ‘Watchman’, eagerly eyeing Ginny.
“As your victim walks down, walk up behind her bumping her as she is bending over. Nick her bracelet as you do so.
Ginny made it easy as she held the hand with the bracelet up over her back as she bent down ( necklace dangling) and lifted up a flower to smell with her other hand
He walked up and with one hand lifted another flower to her nose, while his right hand's fingers easily undid the emerald bracelet and slipped it from her wrist.
I walked up as he helped Ginny back on with her bracelet:
“Ready for lesson two?”
He nodded to both of us.
Acte 8
“Ok then. Onto Lesson two…Necklaces.”
I could ‘feel’ his eyes studying ours, smiling wistfully he said:
“This should prove interesting, I’ve seen some very pretty necklaces being worn in my time.”
I smiled, lifting mine as a glimmering teaser…
“You may be surprised at how easy it can be, sir.”
He gave me his boyishly handsome grin:
“You are on, surprise me.”
I tell the ‘watchman’ that Ginny and I will start dancing. You observe us, then come up and cut in, take me first.
Ginny and I walked up to the platform. There we began dancing around the platform of the pagoda, twirling and swirling about in the fast falling dusk.
He watched us from down below for maybe a minute before coming up.
He taps Ginny on the shoulder.
“May I?”
Ginny breaks off and dances to herself as she watched over us
He took me up in his arms, dancing like he was no stranger to it, it was rather lovely I had to admit.
I began the second lesson.
The one that would have him target the diamonds and sapphires that hung down glittery from around my neck.
“Now lad, take your hand from my waist and gently caress your way up to the back of my jacket to my throat.”
He did so, my figure prickling under his touch, and over what I was having him do.
“Now with a bit of a caress, lift my necklace and pull it down, gently now, that’s it. Once you have it laying on the back of my jacket, you're free to snap open the clasp…very good, I did not feel that!”
He grinned at my praise, I could happily tell he was enjoying this. His eyes had the same look that my twin brother gets when doing this.
“Nod when you are ready.”
He did so with enchanting enthusiasm.
“So lift up one end of the necklace, then twirl me around, using the motion to pull off my necklace and hide it in your fist.”
He then executed a twirling of me with such perfect precision that I never felt a thing. “
“Good show!“ I complimented him
He had enjoyed it so much, that he shyly asked if we could do it again.
I replaced my necklace and went back into his arms.
This time he needed no prodding, and before I was aware of anything amiss, I felt his fingers depositing my necklace into my satin jacket’s side pocket.
Ginny was giggling, then beckoned him over.
“Try it on me next.”
She said, holding up her necklace.
He took her into his arms.
I couldn’t really hear over the music, but he was saying things to Ginny that were making her blush. Though I’d imagine the whiskey had a lot to do with it.
His hand whisked easily up the rich satin backside of her gown. I saw it disappear underneath her let-down silky soft hair.
I saw her pendant begin to unnaturally move up in between her breasts. Then suddenly, effortlessly, effectively, being pulled up by one end slipping up her sleekly covered front till it disappears over her shoulder.”
The dance ended, and our ‘Watchman’ kissed Ginny on the backside of her hand, the other hand clutching her jeweled pendant.
He came over and deposited Ginny’s necklace in my pocket, as I took him into my arms.
Seeing his eyes were curiously closed, I whispered, surprisingly, a bit hoarsely .”
“I think you are ready for the third lesson, earrings.”
His eyes opened wide…
“You are joking, aren’t you?”
I shook my head, feeling my earrings bouncing out, giggling.
“Follow along my suave thief, I know you have been desiring to nick them from us.”
Acte 9
We took the second dance a bit slower this time and I talked him through it:
I then began to teach him how to lift a lady’s dangling earrings.
“Really it can be done,” I tell him as he still looks unconvinced.
“You dance with your chosen victim. Tell her how pretty she is. Keep your eyes on the mark's eyes, make sure they are concentrating on anything but your hands until you are ready to make your start.
If her hair is down take your hands and lift her hair. Like that now as you do place your pinkie finger behind my ears and lift up on the back of the prongs, not all the way.”
He did so, clumsily at first, but I generously give him a few tries, until He managed to do it with little effort.
“Perfect…
Now tell her how gorgeous she looks as you drop her hair back down. As you reach my ear lobes, both hands at the same time, take your fingers and press up against each ear, then caress my earlobes lifting my earrings.
Then palm them and put your fists to my waist. Then drop them into a pocket .”
He appeared genuinely to be surprised by just how easy it was. And the way he caressed was very nice also, one might add.
I nod towards an eagerly waiting Ginny...
“You can have a go at hers next. If you would like?”
I could see it in his eyes, he very much would.
He moves over to Ginny and takes her in his arms. Swirls her around a few times till I can see she is dizzy.
“What a smashing idea.”
I whispered to myself, sending a compliment to his backside.
He lifts Ginny’s recently let-down hair, holding it there as he says something that made her blush a brite red.
Then he moves his hands back down, and the next time Ginny comes into my view, gone are her emerald earrings.
I go up behind her, like an accomplice, and he hands them to me. I pocket them and move off downstairs to have a bit of a cool down, and a drink from the bottle.
Soon Ginny and ‘Watchman’ join me.
Acte 10
As We passed the bottle back and forth again. The slow dance music continues, keeping the mood mellow and a bit, I’ll admit, swooning.
I then started really feeling flush, like Ginny had been looking on the dance floor.
Ginny giggles, teasing.
“Cade, You look hot, and I don’t mean in a sexy way. “
“Thank you, Ginny”
I said failing to have it come out as being sarcastic.
Our ‘Watchman’ murmured:
“No girl, your flush. Here let’s take that pretty jacket off you for a bit and get you cooled down.”
He went behind me as I stood up.
“Here allow me. “
I wriggle out of it. He takes it down and lays it by our purses and then taking off his suit coat, lays, it across the back of the marble bench.
“Such a gentleman…”
Ginny sighs.
He comes back. Lifting Ginny’s hand, then kissing it on the backside, her fingers down, he says.
“I heard that, thank you for that lovely compliment and, for such a jolly fun time.”
He then kissed my hand.
“I thank you also, for taking me under your wing, my pretty one.”
Now it was my turn to close my eyes as my face turned an even deeper shade of red.
Taking up the bottle, he stepped down to the ground
“Thank you both, I had great teachers.”
He then saluted us and took a drink from the bottle. Handing it back to us.
He looked us both over.
“Forgive me, but You know I really do find it hard to believe that you’ve never been tempted to do this in real life.”
Both Ginny and I answered together.
“But of course we have !”
I added:
“How can one not feel tempted?”
I continued, explaining:
“There is always a desire, almost a yearning, to nick the jewels we see others wearing out. But our moral compass would never allow it, and I can vouch for all of us, right Ginny?”
Ginny nodded, taking a sip of the whiskey.
“We simply just play those thoughts out amongst ourselves.. or I write them in a story.”
The Watchman’ nodded his head in apparent agreement.
Then looking at me…
“You write stories?”
I nodded…
“Not very good ones I’m afraid. My brother does also. Mainly just for our group, but we have posted some up on various internet avenues.”
The ‘Watchman’s’ eyes were still fixed on me, as he thoughtfully stroked his chin.
“That’s very interesting. Sounds like you all make the most of this. I would never have imagined any of this would be actually going on. And here it is going on, in this corner of Wales.”
As we both take pulls at the fast emptying bottle of whiskey, he looks around, then back at Ginny and I…
“You know what I think would top off this evening for me? That would be me being escorted by a pair of lovely ladies around this cemetery and having you both recount the many stories I’m sure you have at different places here.”
Ginny looked at me nodding.
We take the bottle and lead him off.
Acte 11
We continued taking sips from the bottle telling about our adventures here, as we strolled about the cemetery. Relating to him numerous stories. He listened very attentively. Asking a lot of questions.
I will mention a few stories that appeared to really grab his interest:
Passing a grove of trees inside the cemetery, I told him that it was here we played cops and robbers.
He said he could remember playing that game also.
“Not like our version.” Ginny chimed in with a giggle…
“One of us girls would be standing blindfolded at the pagoda dressed up and wearing jewels. The thief would be given a head start to hide in the trees before the cops gave chase. The thief had to elude the police and sneak up on the blindfolded girl without being caught by her. Then tag her. If successful, he can rob her, taking all her jewelry. He then tried to make it back to base without the cops capturing him, or her.”
He bowed in mock jest.
“No, nothing as fun and inventive as that.”
We stopped up on a higher area overlooking the pagoda down below.
As the ‘Watchman’ looked downhill he said:
“So, there are more of you that do this? But they didn’t come with you this evening?”
Ginny giggles:
“No the lads are playing at darts tonight. But we were all here a fortnight ago .”
He turned and winked at Ginny
“But not tonight. So did you all practice lifting off each other?”
I answered with a self-satisfied smile:
“We did, then we did a little bit of play-acting. Didn’t we Ginny?”
Ginny laughed cheerily:
“You can say that!”
She turned to our companion.
The ‘Watchman’ nodded eagerly.
“I would love to have you tell me about it.”
“So Cade and I were both wearing old satin bridesmaid's dresses and rhinestones. Brian and Craig were in suits. We had been practicing Picking pockets and lifting jewels when I said we should play a game. And Brian came up with a brilliant one to end the night off.”
I nudged Ginny:
“You were the prey, and I was the thief for that one.”
I took over the storytelling:
“Actually there were two for the first game, thieves I mean. A couple, Man and Lady. I took off some of my jewellry and added it to what Ginny was already wearing. Then Brian played her husband dancing on the pagoda. Craig and I were the thieves watching and plotting from below. Brian came down for drinks and I lured him off.”
Ginny giggled taking the bottle from me and handing it to our companion.
“Cade even handcuffed him to a tree, searched him, taking his watch, ring, tie clasp, and wallet.”
I nodded:
“Meanwhile Craig went up and started dancing with Ginny. Then, when the worried wife missed her husband, her dance partner went with her to look.
He lured her off to the grove of trees we just were at. I laid in wait and well, her wealthy husband had a front row seat as his gullible wife unwittingly fell into some unforgiving thievery.
I took a sip from the bottle;
“Then we reset up, played a few more games along similar lines.”
Ginny said, to us both:
“When we get back we can put on our jewels and maybe end with a little role play? Wouldn’t that be delicious?”
The ‘Watchman’ looked thoughtfully away from us down to the pagoda:
He then turned back to us, taking the bottle, tipping it to his mouth before saying.:
“Food for thought ladies, food for thought. If I could be the thief, and you two my prey, I may have gone for it at that. No handcuffs though. Speaking of which I bet your lads are going to wish they had been here tonight. Shall we continue on first, I’m enjoying this?”
Ginny giggled:
“I’d forgotten about the handcuffs. I have…”
I nudged her in the back, silencing her.
Acte 12
Going on aways, walking the grown-over paved path amongst rows of gravestones. I stopped before a circle of gravestones.
“We call this the witches circle. We like to sit in this circle and tell ghost stories. In between playing. As we got older we came down and told stories in the dark.
“That would creep me!” The ‘Watchman’ said.
Circling around to head back, Ginny stopped him by a tall, narrow crypt
“Craig used to tell us, girls, a real-life cat burglar was entombed here. And sometimes ladies passing by this spot would have their jewels vanish
Of course, he had already taken something off one or both of us, so when he told the story..,
The ‘watchman apologizes for cutting Ginny off, hold that thought luv. But all this whiskey, I really need to, sorry ladies, have a pee... Any chance of a loo nearby?”
We both nod no, giggling at the thought.
“Then I suppose the grove of trees it is. Be back in a sec., wait here, I want to hear the whole story on the spot where it happened.”
With that, he walked off with some haste to his step.
Acte 13
“Bloody men.”Ginny giggles.
“Can do their business anywhere.”
We both took a couple of swigs.
Ginny romantically sighed:
I think he is charming, and his touch is heaven. What did you think of him, Cade…Cade?”
I had been watching Ginny holding the bottle. The coolness of the night along my bare back had lifted a bit of the fog my brain had been experiencing as we had been walking.
I suddenly look down upon my fingers
Then up at Ginny, waving them in front of her.
“That bloody slick devil. I think he is far more deftly fingered than he wanted us to believe. He slipped our rings off as he was kissing our hands. Yours too luv.”
Ginny looked down at her fingers, her eyes lighting up as she finally was able to register in her mind that her’s had been nicked also.
Then she grabbed her wrist, then mine!
“Our bracelets are gone also?”
Shocked I hadn’t noticed, I exclaimed looking at her bare wrist, then my own now bare of the glittering bracelet I had had him practice lifting from me.
“That was ball’sy of him. I have no idea when he pulled that lift off! Do you Ginny?”
Ginny shook her head after thinking a minute:
“Haven’t a clue. I don’t remember him coming close enough to me that he could have done it.”
I was stunned as I said:
“Nor do I. Apparently, we are that good as instructors.”
Ginny giggled
“We taught him well. We’ll have to let him know it was Well played. When he returns.“
Suddenly I am aware that the music that had been playing in the distance was stopped.
“Ginny …”
I started to say…
But then we hear tyres screeching off from the parking lot.
Looking with horror into each other’s eyes, we turn towards the sound.
We both then desperately fly back to the pagoda, our dresses fluttering along our now prickling figures, starting to sweat.
Acte 14
We reach the pagoda.
As we stand by the pagoda steps, we make the unsettling discovery that the marble bench was empty. Our purses, my black satin jacket, its pockets loaded down with the rest of our jewels, and my cell, all were gone! Along with our rings and beautiful bracelets that he had lifted off from us. The scoundrel!
And the car that had been parked behind my brother’s roadster, gone!
We were absolutely cut off from seeking any quick help.
I hear Ginny behind me.
“He was entirely too subtle and charming.”
I murmured…
“He played us all right. We fell right into his hands.”
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Since the keys to the roadster had been in my purse, along with Ginny’s cell in hers, we had no choice but to walk home.
We still had the last vestiges of the bottle of whisky and we finished it off before we began walking the over 2 kilometers home.
At least we were not pissed enough to start walking in the right direction, otherwise, a bunch of celibate seminarians would have had a treat in store for them!”
“The bloody wanker!”
I said in silent condemnation to the sneaky ‘Watchman’ and his far too gifted touch.
I began to have some unsettling thoughts.
Had we inadvertently given him the idea of robbing us by telling him our role-playing stories?
What would have happened if he had agreed to Ginny’s suggestion of Putting back on all our jewelry and him playing a jewel thief?
Had he found that distasteful, but planted a seed of nicking the jewels he had lifted from us, which was not as distasteful to him? His trophies?
Would he have just gone back with us otherwise, and if we hadn’t noticed he had taken our rings and fancy bracelets, took his leave of us with just those in his pocket?
Or
“Here Cadence, you look cold” then help me out on my jacket as he picked my pockets while doing so.
Then would he have given everything back?
And speaking of lifting, when had he managed to lift my bracelet? Like Ginny could just not remember him even touching my wrist.
I shook my head to clear those now jumbling thoughts, well aware of my missing earrings. Hell, my missing everything!
What was done, is done.
That’s what happens sometimes when one dares to “Tickle a Dragon”.
And if the ‘Hobbit’ taught us anything, it’s that dragons love jewels…
Fini
Epilogue
Thirty minutes later, as we were still a ways off from the village, we saw a car on the parked hill, facing us from the opposite side.
I had an odd inkling that someone was inside, waiting for us
Sure enough, the headlights came blindingly on, a door opened and a black figure leaned on the door, watching us approach
Ginny turned to me…
“Should we be worried?”
Me
“We have already tickled one dragon tonight, I suppose we can do it again. Just hopefully not with the same results.
Ginny nodded
“Tally ho then…”
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
By the way, to all you ‘Watchman
(or Woman)’ who has read this? I hope you have enjoyed it. Please feel free to leave your comments.
Pete and I are parting ways..
A bitter-sweet cappuccino toasting moment indeed..
- I HAVE FINISHED AT LAST!! -
Yup...
I am no longer a paramedic working for Yorkshire Ambulance Service..
I have finally retired - again!
So that's 46 years done in the ambulance service. All on the front line answering 999 calls..
Three years in London and the rest here in Sheffield.
I qualified as a paramedic in 1991, that's 23 years in that role!
It's been a blast!! A privilege indeed to have been able to do the job for that length of time..
I just felt that it was the right time to stop now.
So I have!!
I am gunna miss it and the people very much but have plenty of things going on to occupy me and my time..
Yikes! No more ambo pictures or toasting you from the cab of my Fiats or Mercs!!
I feel bad for Pete my regular mate who worked with me on my two shifts a week..
But he will get another paramedic to train up, hopefully a good one!!