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Music: Please Right Click and select "Open link in new tab"

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UrjQSVbIkk

 

Compared to What (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival) · Les McCann · Eddie Harris

 

But where's that bee and where's their honey?

Where's my God and where's my money?

Unreal values, crass distortion

Unwed mothers need abortion

And it kind of brings to mind ol' young King Tut

He tried, tried, tried

Tried to make it real

Tried to make it real, yeah, but compared to what?

 

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****This frame was chosen on September 26th 2014 to appear on FLICKR EXPLORE (Highest Ranking: #196. This is my Fifty Sixth photograph to be selected, which for me is both amazing and exciting, as I never view my images as worthy compared to some of the awesome photography out there. EXPLORE is Flickr's way of showcasing the most interesting photos within a given point in time -- usually over a 24 hour period.

  

Flickr receives about 6,000 uploads every minute -- That's about 8.6 million photos a day! From this huge group of images, the Flickr Interestingness algorithm chooses only 500 images to showcase for each 24-hour period. That's only one image in every 17,000!..... so I am really thrilled to have a frame picked and most grateful to everyone who visited, favourite and commented on the frame*****

  

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Photograph taken at an altitude of Nine metres, in the magic of the Golden hour around sunrise at 05:41am, (sunrise was at precisely 06.15am) on Saturday 6th September 2014 off the Patricia Bay Highway 17, on Lochside Drive close to Frost Avenue and the Lochside Waterfront Park, in beautiful Sidney by the sea on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

  

Here, I am standing beside the wooden decked viewing platform, looking over towards Mt Baker in Washington State, USA from beautiful Sidney by the sea on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Also known as Koma Kulshan, she is an active glaciated andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States, standing 3,286 metres tall and was first ascended in 1868, her last eruption recorded in 1880.

  

These Canada Geese, along with many other small groups, fly across the lake from East to West every morning and back again every evening at Sunset, and I love to watch the classic Vee formations and listen to the honking as they pass me by.

 

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Nikon D800 70mm 1/1000s f/2.8 iso100 RAW (14 bit) Manual focus. Manual exposure. Matrix metering. Auto white balance.

  

Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G ED IF VRII. Jessops 77mm UV filter. Nikon MB-D12 battery grip. Two Nikon EN-EL batteries. Nikon DK-17M Magnifying Eyepiece. Nikon DK-19 soft rubber eyecup. Manfrotto MT057C3 057 Carbon Fiber Tripod 3 Sections (Payload 18kgs). Manfrotto MH057M0-RC4 057 Magnesium Ball Head with RC4 Quick Release (Payload 15kgs). Manfrotto quick release plate 410PL-14.Jessops Tripod bag. Optech Tripod Strap.Digi-Chip 64GB Class 10 UHS-1 SDXC. Lowepro Transporter camera strap. Lowepro Vertex 200 AW camera bag. Nikon MC-DC2 remote shutter release. Nikon GP-1 GPS unit.

  

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LATITUDE: N 48d 38m 15.77s

LONGITUDE: W 123d 24m 12.83s

ALTITUDE: 9.0m

  

RAW (TIFF) FILE SIZE: 103.00MB

PROCESSED (JPeg) SIZE: 15.02MB

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Processing power:

HP Pavillion Desktop with AMD A10-5700 APU processor. HD graphics. 2TB with 8GB RAM. 64-bit Windows 8.1. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. Nikon VIEWNX2 Version 2.10.0 64bit. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit

   

For the half-marathon (21.1 km) results, here are the local (Ottawa & area) participants -- sorted by cities and first name -- in the September 18, 2011, Canada Army Run held in Ottawa, Ontario. There were 6,397 runners in the 21.1 km race, an increase of about 900 runners compared to 2010.

 

Click here and enter the bib numbers (see below) for the full individual race results. Thank-you to Sportstats.

 

* Also, click here for race photos by Brightroom™, Inc.

 

Lists of local half-marathon race participants:

 

Part A. Ottawa, A-L (see below)

Part B. Ottawa, M-Z (Click here.)

Part C. Other Communities (Alexandria to Magog) (Click here.)

Part D. Other Communities (Maitland to Woodlawn) (Click here.)

 

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Part A: (Ottawa, bib number & name)

 

556…Aaron Auyeung

5174…Aaron Guzman

1386…Abbey Saunders

1387…Abdulhak Nagy

5177…Achint Sandhu

1397…Adam Dawe

5179…Adam Desjarlais

1390…Adam Hamilton

3743…Adam Harris

1394…Adam Orton

34107…Adam Struthers

1389…Adam Welcher

7617…Adria Patzer

3427…Adriana Zeleney

3404…Adrienne Mertin

1400…Ahsan Ahmed

572…Al Okroy

5998…Al Stewart

3352…Alain D'arbelles

147…Alain Gauvin

1404…Alain Gendron

116…Alain Therriault

588…Alain Vermette

867…Alan Chaffe

5055…Alan Chan

679…Alan Yeadon

5184…Alana Fong

3750…Alana Morin

1410…Alec Forbes

3752…Alec Wong

1415…Alex Bota

1416…Alex Burnet

5187…Alex Eloise

6103…Alex Havers

3755…Alex Ho

426…Alex Lavoie

5060…Alex Renwick

3758…Alexander Gribbon

6542…Alexandra Averbeck

4978…Alexandra Bushell

1419…Alexandra Gruca-Macaulay

1422…Alexandra Skupek

6105…Alexandra Vallianatos

5189…Alexandra Weirich

1425…Alexis Bosse

3764…Alexis Bunny Conrad

3765…Alice Donachey

6089…Alice Kwong

5193…Alice Retik

6547…Alicia Ch Nier

1427…Alison James

6548…Alison Mccray

3767…Alison Salhany

1021…Allan Crisford

3513…Allan Gauci

1430…Allan O'connor

6551…Allison Grimsey

1434…Allison Lainey

6107…Allison Mackenzie

3639…Allison Meek

6552…Allison Sephton

1440…Alp Oran

3772…Alyson Byrne

5202…Amanda Amaratunga

3781…Amanda Brown

3779…Amanda Macfarlane

5200…Amanda Robertson-Smiderle

5206…Amanda Sully

1339…Amanda Van Beinum

3776…Amanda Watson

3786…Amin Mirzaee

3787…Ammar Riaz

1447…Amy Hiltz

5208…Amy Hum

1446…Amy Plint

1452…Anabela Barreira

3472…Anais Lussier-Labelle

6564…Andr E Morin

1461…Andr St-Laurent

6116…Andre Boivin

1459…Andre Charbonneau

901…Andre Dion

1312…Andre Hiotis

1454…Andre Pharand

1465…Andrea English

1466…Andrea Ferrari

3797…Andrea Fitzgerald

1234…Andrea Holland

6562…Andrea Lau

1306…Andrea Letham

1090…Andrea Matthews

5212…Andrea Mccaffrey

7385…Andrea Mills

5214…Andrea Pietila

3796…Andrea Seaby

3798…Andree Deslauriers

1223…Andree-Anne Girard

7620…Andree-Anne Lamothe

155…Andrew Archibald

3802…Andrew Bellamy

7434…Andrew Buzza

3800…Andrew Chatham

16298…Andrew Colautti

1481…Andrew Feltham

1475…Andrew Ha

3357…Andrew Keleher

156…Andrew Leikucs

1470…Andrew Lenz

3806…Andrew Marble

976…Andrew Mendes

603…Andrew Ng

3803…Andrew Niefer

889…Andrew Parker

7621…Andrew Patzer

1482…Andrew Spurrell

3417…Andrew Staples

1473…Andrew Weekes

1490…Andy Wilson

3575…Angela Hardy

931…Angela Koskie

7397…Angela Lamb

6572…Angela Marcantonio

1121…Angela Scanlon

3809…Angela Steele

3810…Angelo Garcia

5111…Angy Dauth

5226…Anick De Sousa

762…Anika Clark

825…Anita Choquette

7438…Anita Portier

1145…Ann Gregory

6007…Ann Lanthier

3448…Ann Marie Fyfe

7440…Ann Mccaffrey

1497…Ann Piche

5229…Ann Walton

3817…Anna Aylett

1500…Anna Hardy

1289…Anna Hoefnagels

6576…Anna Pham

1502…Anne Bailliu

7624…Anne Biscope

6578…Anne Bowker

3820…Anne Francis

1504…Anne Houston

3449…Anne Mcnamara

1236…Anne Pearce

3821…Anne Strangelove

3826…Anne-Marie Desormeaux

1505…Anne-Marie Fraser

7625…Annie Corriveau

6583…Annie Oger

1507…Annie Plouffe

695…Ann-Marie Reid

5113…Anthea Garrick Menard

1510…Antoine Guimond

1511…Antonio Zappavigna

6123…Antoun Rahal

5232…Anya Pavlova

6588…April Dickson

158…Arif Aziz

4948…Arleigh Romyn

1515…Arthur King

1516…Arthur Winnik

6589…Ashlee Linton

3833…Ashley Brennan

1517…Ashley Browne

6590…Ashley Butcher

1518…Ashley Mulroney

5233…Ashley Proceviat

34117…Ashley Towns

693…Audrey Taylor

1523…Avdo Nalic

527…Aveta Graham

1524…Aydin Mirzaee

6593…Azhra Mcmahon

1526…Barbara Campbell

7428…Barbara Campbell

3461…Barbara Dundas

5062…Barbara Jovaisas

6034…Barbara Mingie

3839…Barnabas Fung

1529…Barry Le Grys

640…Bart Bakker

159…Ben Howe

406…Ben Lawson

6598…Ben Tobali

6601…Beno T Pag

3846…Benoit Goulet

905…Ben-Zion Caspi

1029…Bernard Charlebois

1540…Bernard St-Laurent

1542…Bernie Car

5242…Bernita Butler

727…Betty Bulman

3847…Betty-Jane Horton

6136…Bev Denison

3851…Bill Horne

908…Bill Mceachern

6604…Bill Salminen

6605…Bill Wilson

3852…Billie Hillis

5247…Blair Malcolm

3515…Blake Davis

161…Blake Poirier

6137…Bob Fraser

3585…Bob Mcculloch

927…Bob Mcgillivray

5248…Bob Moquin

6608…Bob Muise

3856…Bob Stevenson

5250…Bonita Martin

6610…Bonnie Mechefske

3859…Bonnie Nelson

5252…Brad Austin

7429…Brad Lobregt

5253…Bradley Fleming

1559…Brandon King

4976…Brenda Bethune

5258…Brenda Jenkins

1562…Brenda Makowichuk

6612…Brenda Primmer

1563…Brenda Quinlan

5256…Brenda Ryan

6525…Brent Burton

1568…Brent Edwards

1567…Brent Russell

1566…Brent Wakeford

3868…Brian Arscott

1580…Brian Berube

5262…Brian Bowering

3680…Brian Davis

1584…Brian Double

428…Brian Harding

1583…Brian Mcneill

3867…Brian Nolet

100…Brian O'higgins

1571…Brian Radey

1575…Brian Rolfe

3431…Brian Sanford

658…Brian Senecal

1572…Brian Tweedie

3346…Brianna Saunders

1585…Brianne Bota

5266…Brigit Jessup

1586…Brigitte Cossette

8…Brigitte Jackstien

1587…Brigitte Joly

6621…Brigitte Martel

5267…Brittany Gallant

1588…Brittany Hinds

1589…Brittany Leblanc

1590…Britt-Mari Sykes

3872…Brodie Fraser

6622…Bronwyn Burke

620…Bruce Jackson

3874…Bruce Moquin

1596…Bruce Moran

6094…Bruce Muise

1595…Bruce Squires

996…Bryan Morris

1599…Bryan Norrie

1597…Bryan Sirois

6145…Bryan Wright

1056…Byron Holland

7630…C Line Beaudoin

7450…C Line Houle

892…Caitlin O'higgins

6147…Caitlin Viitamaki

165…Caleb Walker

3878…Calvin Mak

3879…Calvin Reid

3573…Cameron Beare

3691…Cameron Fraser

1606…Candice Dandurand

343…Candice Hilder

1607…Cara Thibault

6150…Cari Minogue

1608…Carl Marcotte

3882…Carla Harding

1611…Carmen Vierula

1613…Carol Bennett

6154…Carol Doiron

3887…Carole Barabe

3886…Carole Chenard

1197…Carole Harrison

3888…Carolene Preap

3889…Caroline Glynn

5277…Carolyn Brown

5276…Carolyn Phillips

5278…Carolyn Tapp

3897…Carrie Johnston

6156…Carrie Roussin

6641…Carrie Stewart

3899…Carrie-Ann Pierce

3901…Casey Carswell

3900…Casey Thomas

990…Cassandra Chouinard

5997…Cassandra Lively

6074…Cassie Hodgins

7327…Catherine Beacher

1040…Catherine Caron

3678…Catherine Khordoc

3904…Catherine Lacroix

3906…Catherine Milley

5286…Catherine Nesbitt

903…Catherine Peirce

6645…Catherine St. Louis

5288…Catherine Yarker

1630…Cathlin Antonello

1632…Cathy Blanchard

3911…Cathy Gloade

3627…Cathy Takahashi

3913…Celeste Morley

172…Chad Wilson

5091…Chanel Huard

1224…Chantal Campbell

19…Chantal Evans

1637…Chantal Fallows

6651…Chantal Lacroix

3920…Chantal Lanthier

5294…Chantal Nault

1175…Chantal Pilon

7451…Chantal Proulx

5296…Charbel Choueiri

6653…Charlene Mathias

1644…Charlie Rate

6162…Chelsea Bull

6029…Chelsea Macdonell

3932…Cherinet Seid

3937…Cheryl Bateman

3516…Cheryl Birker

1649…Cheryl Giles

3936…Cheryl Kardish-Levitan

3935…Cheryl Mcgrath

5162…Cheryl Mcintyre

7453…Cheryl Perry

5300…Cheryl Shore

5301…Chiara Andrisani

6023…Chloe Macdonell

3946…Chris Bark

1659…Chris Bartholomew

3947…Chris Best

1664…Chris Bowen

130…Chris Bright

6512…Chris Campbell

1667…Chris Davies

6658…Chris Gardner

5306…Chris Garrioch

6075…Chris Hale

1653…Chris Hayes

1663…Chris Henderson

3944…Chris Hill

6659…Chris Liebenberg

3948…Chris Macdonald

5304…Chris Minogue

871…Chris Moule

906…Chris Nestor

1657…Chris Phelan

3954…Chris Rath

3945…Chris Reid

5074…Chris Renwick

5007…Chris Salter

1660…Chris Sliwka

5302…Chris Spiteri

1658…Chris Steele

6661…Chris Sutherland

6662…Chris Weicker

7454…Chris White

7455…Chris Wojcik

6664…Christene White

1674…Christian Boucher

99…Christian Del Valle

1672…Christian Maillet

6666…Christiane Laperri Re

6667…Christie Swann

6668…Christina Gubbels

6669…Christina Jutzi

1676…Christina Romanin

3964…Christine Atwood

3958…Christine Benne

7457…Christine Fortier

778…Christine Geraghty

1681…Christine Halliburton

3673…Christine Hodge

5320…Christine Leung

5315…Christine Marshall

3962…Christine Mayer

1684…Christine Racicot

3361…Christine Rivas

4961…Christine Robbins

3356…Christine Stilborne

1678…Christine Turmaine

934…Christopher Barber

1697…Christopher Cook

3967…Christopher Elliott

528…Christopher Fennell

1698…Christopher Hassall

1703…Christopher Jones

1700…Christopher Linton

3494…Cindy Maraj

6675…Cindy Mcalpine

1705…Cindy Qu

1709…Cindy Scott

1706…Cindy Warwick

5323…Claire Lehan

1713…Claire Millington

1173…Claire Samson

3503…Claude B Land

6680…Claude Papineau

791…Claudia Rutherford

3977…Clemence Allard

1721…Cliff Martin

1725…Colette Kenney

1724…Colette Nault

3978…Colin Baril

1730…Colin Kiviaho

1729…Colin Langille

1728…Colin Martel

1726…Colin Welburn

3563…Colleen Bigelow

1731…Colleen Crane

5992…Connie Acelvari

5330…Connor Grimes

3985…Conrad Kupniewski

816…Constance Craig

1734…Corey Crosby

1002…Cori Dinovitzer

6686…Corinna Simmons

6687…Cory Martin

1027…Court Curry

1737…Courtney Henderson

6688…Courtney Kalbfleisan

3988…Courtney Watson

1739…Craig Bascombe

1743…Craig Blair

106…Craig Carney

1745…Craig Crant

5004…Craig Mantle

3990…Craig Roberts

3383…Craig Rosario

4918…Craig Williams

1747…Cristina Santostefano

1749…Crystal Gottfried

3993…Currie David

1329…Curtis Mcgrath

1751…Cyndi Kennedy

5336…Cynthia Desnoyers

5337…Cynthia Larue

1758…Dale Pike

3999…Dalelle Mensour

1764…Dan Cowan

1762…Dan Dalby

6563…Dan Mcglinchey

4002…Dan Mclaughlin

4000…Dan Moore

1766…Dan Pihlainen

4001…Dan Rolfe

4003…Dan Seekings

6076…Dan Shea

1358…Dan St-Arnaud

178…Dan Steeves

16292…Dan Ziniuk

4005…Dana Van Gulik

1769…Dani Gaucher

7465…Danica Seguin

5340…Daniel Albahary

1777…Daniel Burke

499…Daniel Charlebois

4008…Daniel Gosselin

3595…Daniel Guerrette

5338…Daniel Leonard

4006…Daniel Minor

352…Daniel Pharand

1783…Daniel Reifler

4007…Daniel Suh

1776…Daniel Vincent

6699…Danielle Cote

3648…Danielle Halloran

5346…Danielle Hoegy

7467…Danielle Simard

1785…Danielle Wehbi

1786…Danny Gagne

1788…Darcia Bunny Kmet

6037…Darlene Hackett

697…Darlene Joyce

6707…Darlene Sabourin

6708…Darrell Williams

6503…Darren Boomer

1792…Darren Uchman

5028…Darryl Bilodeau

181…Daryl Howes

1112…Dave Bergeron

1806…Dave Bossmin

1302…Dave Goods

182…Dave Kary

1801…Dave Langlois

1804…Dave Morin-Pelletier

111…Dave Saville

1800…Dave Silvester

552…Dave Spagnolo

3533…Dave Yarker

1796…Dave Yarwood

1835…David Dawson

6188…David Delaney

1823…David Eggleton

6714…David Gagnon

1152…David Gregory

6716…David Gulas

4032…David Hennessy

1822…David Henry

935…David Jackson

1…David Johnston

4023…David Kirk

1829…David Leech

1816…David Liimatainen

1825…David Macquistan

1819…David Mccaw

5353…David Migicovsky

1826…David Nash

3600…David Perry

1242…David Rain

1831…David Rampton

1821…David Sproule

842…David Thomson

3698…David Tobin

1812…David Tuck

1837…Davina Gordon

4035…Davina Walker-Priebe

6190…Dawn Boudreau

1054…Dawn Montgomery

6723…Dawn Styan

1075…Dean Justus

3692…Deb Hogan

4037…Deb Quayle

4038…Debbie Bloom

6727…Debbie Carrick

5144…Debbie Ling

6729…Debby Duford

7470…Debby Simms

7472…Deborah Chamney

3517…Deborah Newhook

6730…Deborah Potter

1843…Deborah Taymun

5150…Dee Sullivan

5064…Deidre Kelly

6733…Demi Kotsovos

4047…Denis Binette

5365…Denis Niles

1846…Denis Thompson

6193…Denise Deschenes

6194…Denise Gillam-Gledhill

4051…Denise Plaa

3732…Denise Thibault

6734…Denise Walter

801…Dennis Bulman

1850…Dennis Waite

1853…Derek Dobson

1854…Derek Fildebrandt

1855…Derek Gledhill

4054…Derek Hille

5372…Derek Lanouette

184…Derek Mcmaster

1852…Derek Parent

504…Derek Smith

7475…Des Keon

1857…Desmond Gosse

1859…Devin Dreeshen

1858…Devin Harrington

6738…Devon Forde

5011…Diana Harrison

4058…Diana Schembri

5374…Diane Dupuis

6090…Diane Mackinder

4062…Diane St-Laurent

1866…Diane Wilson

7478…Dianne Panarella

649…Dick Gunstone

6746…Dillon Vahey

1868…Dion Edmonds

1870…Dj Roy

1874…Dominique Chiasson

4069…Dominique Keuthen

789…Don Andersen

7479…Don Evoy

1876…Don Moors

6749…Don Orr

5119…Dona Hill

7480…Donald Darrell

5966…Donald Henry

1879…Donald Mcfarling

1877…Donald Taylor

6200…Donald Tupper

1022…Donald Waldock

6201…Donna Dandele-Macnabb

7481…Donna Perry

5382…Doris Leung

5084…Doris Mclean

4077…Dorothy Dalton-Smith

1883…Dorothy Kessler

1014…Doug Eagle

4079…Doug Mirau

4080…Douglas Brecknell

1891…Douglas Carles

669…Douglas Cooper

6755…Douglas Loader

1886…Douglas Macaulay

1890…Douglas Mcginn

1887…Douglas Petryk

1889…Douglas Thomas

6757…Drew Clipperton

1893…Drew Dodington

1894…Drew Mcnair

187…Duaine Simms

5384…Duane Forward

1898…Duncan Bunny Shaw

1895…Duncan Mackintosh

1323…Dung Bui

6038…Dvora Rotenberg

4083…Dwayne Aylward

1901…Dwayne Lemon

1902…Dwight Obst

4084…Dylan Price

1136…Dylan Shields

1906…Ed Clouthier

5386…Edith Bostwick

4088…Edith Greenlee

753…Edith Knight

4087…Edith Tam

1913…Edward Fox

7483…Edward Jun

1914…Edward Livingstone

1244…Edward Vonk

5387…Eileen Vincent

1915…Eira Macdonell

5389…Elaine Petrie

5120…Elaine Yardley

7399…Eleanor Ford

7485…Eleanor Hastings

6763…Eleanore Brickell

4093…Eli Tannis

6764…Elisabeth Baechlin

4096…Elissa Renaud

5393…Elizabeth Burn

4101…Elizabeth Howe

1921…Elizabeth Kerr

4100…Elizabeth Murray

4098…Elizabeth Richards

4097…Elizabeth Rodgers

6766…Elizabeth Rose

3651…Elke Keating

4103…Ellen Bunny Campbell

5083…Ellen Carter

1923…Ellen Curtis

3601…Ellen Lamarre

6514…Ellen Nikonorova

5097…Ellen O'halloran

90…Elyse Pratt-Johnson

1925…Elysia Van Zeyl

3311…Emilee Lloyd-Krusky

6768…Emilie Lavigne

4104…Emilie Porlier

1926…Emilie Tougas

1932…Emily Burton

1928…Emily Gildner

3726…Emily Joyce

6769…Emily Larocque

1930…Emily Sharples

4107…Emma Doucet

4108…Emmanuelle Deaton

6770…Enjoli Stevens

6771…Eric Arnold

188…Eric Arseneault

5399…Eric Belchamber

339…Eric Bourlier

4110…Eric Bradbury

3469…Eric Burpee

123…Eric Charland

7423…Eric Sewell

680…Eric Weaver

4921…Erik Husband

3727…Erik Laflamme

6774…Erin Beasley

6213…Erin Beck

6775…Erin Collins

1955…Erin Enros

4122…Erin Ferraris

4119…Erin Holtby

6214…Erin Langton

5409…Erin Mutterback

1958…Etienne Goudreau

4124…Eva Burnett

6777…Evamarie Weicker

6778…Evan Clarke

3373…Evan May

5412…Evelyn Wheeler

1961…Faye Goldman

4126…Fern Lima

189…Fiona Johnston

4127…Flavia Pontes Nascimento

1969…Frances Enright

6783…Frances Muldoon

3384…Frances Ryan

3730…Francesca Craig

593…Francesca Macdonald

1970…Francesca Tauvette

6050…Francine Gaulin

5415…Francine Vachon

1972…Francis Ouimet

6784…Francisco Fernandes De Sousa

965…Francisco Salazar

1973…Franco Pasqualini

660…Francois Dumaine

1979…Francois Lavertu

1099…Frank D'angelo

4138…Frank Gelinas

393…Frank Maloney

4141…Frank Rayal

1985…Franz Ferraris

191…Franz Kirk

1984…Franz Kropp

4142…Fraser Cole

1987…Fraser Pearce

1988…Fred Pelletier

1989…Fred Smith

5420…Frederic Levesque

394…Frederic-Francois Desmarais

1996…Fuen Leal-Santiago

6789…Gabby Moser

6790…Gabe Batstone

763…Gabriela Balajova

6793…Gabrielle Nadeau

4143…Gaby Moreau

6092…Gail Baker-Gregory

6223…Garrett Maurstad

894…Gary Mckenna

84…Gary Wilkes

2004…Gaspare Mangiaracina

2005…Gavin Hunt

6225…Gavin Kelly

4146…Gavin Lemoine

194…Geb Marett

2006…Geneva Collier

2010…Genevieve Ashton

2008…Genevieve Butler

3420…Genevieve Le Jeune

4148…Genevieve Lemieux

5425…Genevieve Paris

2007…Genevieve Pineau

4150…Genevieve Tanguay

792…Gennifer Stainforth

582…Geoff Cooper

636…Geoff Dunkley

3717…Geoff Dunn

4151…Geoff Mroz

2013…Geoff Roth

1287…Geoffrey Dudding

7400…Geoffrey Ford

2017…George Condrut

1003…George Ferrier

975…George Garrard

6511…George Hajecek

5427…George Mcleod

2015…George Wehbi

6798…Georges Rousselle

5428…Georgette Demers

196…Gerald Aubry

4154…Gerry Clarke

2020…Gerry Nigra

6799…Gil Brunette

6226…Gilbert Lepine

1246…Gilbert Nkusi

2028…Gilles Beauparlant

2024…Gilles Lafleur

2030…Gilles Menard

860…Gillian Andersen

2034…Gillian Reid-Schachter

5124…Gillianne Beaulieu

3520…Gina Charos

2035…Gino Rinaldi

6229…Girard A-C

2037…Giuseppe Agnello

1059…Glen Gobel

2039…Glen Trevisani

2042…Glenn Boustead

16259…Glenn Cheney

6802…Glenn Cowan

5430…Glenn Franklin

2041…Glenn Poirier

719…Gloria Baeza

5431…Gloria Teague

674…Gord Baldwin

960…Gord Coulson

2043…Gordon Mcgillivray

2044…Grace Harju

1101…Grace Howland

2046…Graeme Hamilton

2045…Graeme Wardlaw

2051…Graham Acreman

2047…Graham Schuler

2052…Grant Macleod

5435…Greg Brockmann

4167…Greg Haspect

2056…Greg Hussack

6231…Greg Klump

2054…Greg Macdougall

2059…Greg Mcneill

2053…Greg Penner

6806…Greg Zinck

3636…Gregg Reddin

2060…Gregory De Knoop

2063…Guillaume Croisetiere

2062…Guillaume Proulx

2071…Guy Boyd

1017…Guy Pelletier

5437…Guy Warwick

4169…Guylain Thorne

2074…Gyro Inman

2075…Hai Nguyen

342…Harold Boudreau

909…Harold Geller

6812…Harry Fischer

7490…Hazel Ullyatt

1089…Hazen Harty

2081…Heather Bigelow

4170…Heather Carriere

4173…Heather Chew

4172…Heather Cudmore

6235…Heather D Wilson

995…Heather Dye

7491…Heather Gerrior

3375…Heather Mccready

6816…Heather Nixon

3500…Heather Paulusse

1102…Heather Watts

6817…Helen Francis

2084…Helen Wright

6818…Helene Boucher

7386…Helene Leduc

5075…Henri St-Martin

4953…Hidetaka Nishimura

3369…Hieu Nguyen

6819…Hilary Chaiton

2092…Hilary Mellor

6820…Hillary Rose

737…Hollie Anderson

3558…Holly Johnson

4180…Holly Skelton

4181…Holly Stoss

506…Howard Smith

2096…Hugo Whitfield

7493…Iaian Docherty

590…Iain Macdonald

9580…Ian Anderson

2108…Ian Bunny Joiner

6821…Ian Crawford

3699…Ian Graham

5447…Ian Iacovitti

554…Ian Krepps

1311…Ian Malcolm

2099…Ian Mcfarland

2106…Ian Pace

2104…Ian Pickard

500…Ian Roney

2101…Ian Shea

5448…Ian Siegert

2102…Ian White

1248…Ian-Guy Dupuis

6238…Ingrid Berljawsky

6824…Ingrid Neufeld

2109…Ione Jayawardena

1103…Ir Ne Dionne

597…Irvin Hill

5451…Iryna Abramova

2111…Iryna Karpova

2112…Isaac Wesley

6240…Isabelle Beach

5453…Isabelle Cantin

5454…Isabelle Carriere

4190…Isabelle Gosselin

4188…Isabelle Saint-Laurent

5455…Isagani Valencia

2116…Ivan Stefanov

4194…J Carson

5457…J Lahaie

1070…Jack Gilmer

5458…Jack Murta

3459…Jacki Sachrajda

5459…Jaclyn O'Brien

2119…Jacques Olivier

4198…Jaffer Majeed

2132…James Beaupre

2138…James Bunny Sauve

3629…James Campbell

2125…James Derosenroll

2131…James Harvey

2129…James Mcnamee

2130…James Price

6838…James Vannier

710…Jamie Bell

1125…Jamie Hurst

4205…Jamie Mccarthy

7499…Jan Riopelle

2146…Jana Veltheim

2150…Jane Anne Brown

1316…Jane Gibson

2147…Jane Hazel

2148…Jane Latham

5467…Jane Marie Obst

4207…Jane Morris

3531…Jane Rooney

6024…Jane Schofield

1344…Jane Spiteri

6839…Janelle Denton

3675…Janet Cooper

2154…Janet Curran

4981…Janet Hardcastle

4210…Janet Hart

3451…Janet Nuutilainen

542…Janet Perkins

6841…Janet Sol

4213…Janice Chan

6843…Janice Mccoy

2160…Janick Aquilina

113…Jared Broughton

2164…Jasmine Clancy

4224…Jason Adair

4219…Jason Arbuthnot

2167…Jason Baertschi

4221…Jason Bond

1110…Jason Chouinard

2173…Jason Downey

2179…Jason Gagnon

2174…Jason Haug

207…Jason Mah

2180…Jason Meahan

2171…Jason Moodie

2166…Jason Pantalone

6846…Jason Raymond

2168…Jason Riordon

3353…Jason Saunders

1113…Jason Stewart

781…Jason Verner

4222…Jason Walker

1391…Jaswant Singh

2181…Jay Lymer

1360…Jayme Pettit

2186…Jean Bouffard

2187…Jean Lacroix

2185…Jean Lapointe

4228…Jean Mcdonell

4229…Jean Wright

2189…Jean-Christophe Bund

2197…Jean-Francois Brideau

6851…Jean-Guy Perron

4234…Jean-Marc Gionet

2201…Jeanne Millons

4235…Jeanne Percival

389…Jeanne Robitaille

1159…Jeannie Daly

2202…Jeannine Bailliu

80…Jean-Philippe Dion

1249…Jean-Pierre Ch Nier

4236…Jean-Pierre Cote

2206…Jean-Pierre Morin

8019…Jean-Pierre Simard

3534…Jeff Bardell

2217…Jeff Frobel

5480…Jeff Hawn

5481…Jeff Hunt

214…Jeff Mccue

2208…Jeff Moore

6855…Jeff Ross

213…Jeff Smart

4238…Jeff Smart

4241…Jeff Stoss

217…Jeffery Vanderploeg

4243…Jeffrey English

4244…Jeffrey Lafontaine

2218…Jeffrey Macdonald

218…Jeffrey Smith

818…Jenna Blois

5484…Jenna Jessup

6856…Jenna Lacharity

606…Jenna Ladd

2231…Jennifer Adams

4258…Jennifer Balao

3712…Jennifer Balcom

6859…Jennifer Bergeron

711…Jennifer Beyak

2220…Jennifer Biondi

4964…Jennifer Blattman

1076…Jennifer Brenning

6001…Jennifer Bucknall

2222…Jennifer Clinton

4264…Jennifer Degouffe

6861…Jennifer Dumoulin

3616…Jennifer Fergusson

6862…Jennifer Harnden

2223…Jennifer Hartley

5046…Jennifer Hood

3718…Jennifer Leblanc

5493…Jennifer Lim

4265…Jennifer Mccabe

4263…Jennifer Moher

1349…Jennifer Moores

2228…Jennifer Morris

2229…Jennifer Morrison

6863…Jennifer Morse

4253…Jennifer Murphy

3539…Jennifer Nutt

4260…Jennifer Paul

2226…Jennifer Payne

5103…Jennifer Shortall

5485…Jennifer Stadler

2225…Jennifer Taillefer

6868…Jennifer Tighe

4262…Jennifer Tindale

4256…Jennifer Wenzel

16294…Jenny Koumoutsidis

4268…Jenny Lewis

219…Jeremy Irving

6872…Jeremy Kerr

2236…Jeremy Mansfield

2237…Jeremy Mcgee

5497…Jess Keller

4271…Jesse Blondin

4272…Jesse Craig

3559…Jessica Brown

2244…Jessica Devries

2250…Jessica Eamer

1252…Jessica Kight

5498…Jessica Lanouette

2243…Jessica Moss

2249…Jessica O'gorman

4275…Jessica Pancoe

6874…Jessica Roche

4273…Jessica Wilson

690…Jesula Drouillard

4278…Jez Fletcher

6877…Jf Fauteux

6878…Jian Wu

1026…Jill Ainsworth

5500…Jill Frook

4280…Jill Perry

4282…Jill Pomeroy

220…Jill Stapleton

4281…Jill Thompson

2253…Jill Turner

828…Jillian Osborne

120…Jim Carter

4287…Jim Hogan

2254…Jim Lothrop

6267…Jim Mcinnes

4285…Jim Steel

7643…Jimmy Cox

4304…Jo Lle Sabourin

4292…Joan Bard Miller

7380…Joan Carpini

5505…Joan Kam Cheong

6269…Joan Norgren

1181…Joan Tourangeau

6043…Jo-Ann Brault

6887…Joann Garbig

831…Jo-Anne Belliveau

6890…Joanne Bradley

5510…Jo-Anne Guimond

6271…Joanne Johnson

4298…Joanne Merrett

1155…Joanne Ritchie

2257…Joanne Schmid

3555…Jocelyn Kearney

71…Jodi Wendland

6895…Jodi Wilson

6896…Jody Bergen

2261…Jody Delwo

1132…Joe Gunn

2262…Joe Paraskevas

6898…Joel Allaert

2264…Joel Edwards

2265…Joel Elliott

2270…Joel Le Floch

6273…Joel Neuheimer

6900…Joel Pennycook

2267…Joel Weaver

668…Joel Westheimer

98…Joey Rogowy

6902…Johanne Dery

898…John Beaudoin

2281…John Bowen

3657…John Brady

2274…John Carson

2285…John Downey

2293…John Gillissie

2276…John Hamilton

5522…John Hawkins

3658…John Horvath

6280…John Leblanc

989…John Ledo

2273…John Lymer

2284…John Meikle

6904…John Mitchell

3709…John Oliver

4318…John Patrick Sloan

5519…John Pemberton

6905…John Rajman

2287…John Sobey

5520…John Sowiak

5518…John Swift

4312…John Sylvestre

222…John Timmermans

618…Johnathan Macdonald

3364…Jolene Savoie

4915…Jon Mcdougall

316…Jon Neill

2305…Jonathan Carreiro

2299…Jonathan Cox

4321…Jonathan Dawe

862…Jonathan Godin

226…Jonathan Moher

2298…Jonathan Murphy

4319…Jonathan Noynay

5024…Joni Ogawa

4325…Jonny Sullivan

2306…Jon-Rhys Evenchick

2307…Jordan Freed

6907…Jordan Mcleod

5524…Jordan Menzies

5527…Josee Boudreault

7510…Josee Bradley

628…Josee Picard

810…Josee Surprenant

2313…Joseph Kozar

2315…Joseph Smith

567…Josette Day

5964…Josh Larocque

6283…Josh Pringle

4330…Joshua Burrill

16271…Joshua Karanja

7511…Josip Basar

4332…Joy Halverson

2323…Joy Kim

390…Judah Leung

4937…Judy Patterson

7393…Judy Taylor

607…Julia Barss

2327…Julia Bernier

2330…Julia Bunny Fournier

6288…Julia Gardiner

5047…Juliann Castell

1198…Julie Burke

4341…Julie Croteau

2335…Julie Dale

3609…Julie Gourlay

5544…Julie Greenspoon

4344…Julie Laflamme

7392…Julie Lafleche

6923…Julie Laplante

3418…Julie Lefebvre

2331…Julie Murdock

2336…Julie Pickering

2333…Julie Rollwagen

1336…Julien Beauchamp

4346…Julien Bourgeois

7514…June Fawaz

602…Justin Ferns

964…Justin Laroche

6930…Kaari Hukkala

5548…Kaelen Bray

5549…Kaila Mctavish

4982…Kailena Van De Nes

2341…Kailey Mclachlan

5550…Kait Reeves

534…Kaitlin O'reilly

4348…Kammal Tannis

2345…Kara Meldrum

2344…Kara Mitchell

227…Karen Atkinson

5556…Karen Berrigan

6932…Karen Foss

2350…Karen Jardine

3697…Karen Jeffery

5558…Karen Ling

4945…Karen Marshall

5557…Karen Meades

4352…Karen Philpott

807…Karen Sauve

2347…Karen Streek

6938…Karen Timm

6939…Karen Welch

1220…Karine Circe

4362…Karl Blume

5562…Karl St-Hilaire

1182…Karyn Curtis

700…Kate Borowec

4365…Kate Corsten

4364…Kate Davis

5069…Kate Dickson

5026…Kate Lewis

2357…Kate Spellen

1303…Kate Swetnam

6058…Kate Thompson

4366…Katharine Chamberlain

822…Katharine Mullock

2360…Katherine Halhed

2361…Katherine Heath-Eves

6946…Katherine Liston

6947…Katherine Macdonald

5567…Katherine Venance

2366…Kathleen Beamish

2365…Kathleen Bright

2368…Kathleen Carter

2369…Kathleen Denny

2370…Kathleen Foran

2363…Kathleen Hart

5570…Kathleen Heap

7645…Kathleen Holloway Jun

5569…Kathleen Satterthwaite

6950…Kathlene Allen

3662…Kathryn Aubrey-Horvath

6951…Kathryn Burbridge

4368…Kathryn Galvin

5095…Kathy Lewis

6955…Kathy Norris

802…Kathy O'brien

4371…Kathy Suh

4372…Katie Mailhot

4374…Katie Stewart

6958…Katie Tottenham

1194…Katrina Isacsson

3529…Katy Harrison

3297…Kaveh Rikhtegar

6301…Kayla Gregg

6302…Kayt Render

91…Kazutoshi Nishizawa

2374…Keane Grimsrud

6960…Keiko Umemoto

5574…Keith Burnage

6963…Keith Mulligan

2376…Keith Pomakis

1291…Keith Savage

2380…Kel Doig

4379…Kelley Blanchette

6966…Kelly Boyko

6967…Kelly Cooper

2381…Kelly Debruyn

4385…Kelly Gray

4388…Kelly Hewitt

2384…Kelly Mckean

4381…Kelly Roberts

4386…Kelly Tchorewski

4382…Kelly Watters

2382…Kelly Whitty

5581…Kelsey Clark

6308…Kelvin Chan

2387…Ken Backer

6526…Ken Brough

2388…Ken Fong

671…Ken Gibson

229…Ken Grant

4392…Ken Macinnes

1009…Ken Mcnair

6309…Kendall Miller

5584…Kenneth Buajitti

6969…Kent Daboll

3505…Kerry Nolan

2407…Kevin Briggs

911…Kevin Dulude

6975…Kevin Germundson

2401…Kevin Huber

2410…Kevin Mercer

575…Kevin O'brien

2398…Kevin Semeniuk

118…Kevin Wickens

7519…Kezia Martin

2412…Khanh Huynh

6981…Khorina Ou

6982…Khorithy Ou

2413…Kia Goutte

2414…Kien Ly

2417…Kim Baars

6983…Kim Benjamin

5589…Kim Leach

1337…Kim Moir

2418…Kim St-Denis

6051…Kim White

6010…Kim Wilson

5164…Kimberly Rennie

7648…Kirstin Doull

4410…Kitdapawn E

750…Kiza Francis

3452…Kp Mcnamara

2424…Kris Bulmer

2425…Krishna Sharma

2429…Krista Campbell

2426…Krista Gifford

730…Krista Lewis

684…Krista Macdonald

2433…Kristen Beausoleil

4415…Kristen Cairncross

6990…Kristiana Stevens

95…Kristin Le Saux-Farmer

6991…Kristin Macrae

4418…Kristina Beauchesne

4983…Kristina Dyck

4999…Kristine Joan Proudfoot

6315…Kristine Lee

3354…Kristine Simpson

2436…Kristy Belanger

4420…Krystal Hess

4421…Krystel Carrier-Sabourin

2437…Kumar Saha

2438…Kyle Biggar

2439…Kyle Gibbens

6995…Kyle Villenuve

6996…Kym Martin

4423…Kym Shouldice

6997…Kymberlee Lightowlers

4424…L. Pelly

3445…Laen Hanson

5603…Lam Pham

7521…Lamar Mason

2442…Lana Hochman

1298…Larry Chamney

2446…Laura Bayne

6318…Laura Carlone

3436…Laura Cluney

7005…Laura Conway

5082…Laura Forbes

6321…Laura Gover

5606…Laura Griffin

6530…Laura Grohn

5609…Laura Jane Johnson

6320…Laura May

5014…Laura Nichols

5610…Laureen Robinson-Skilliter

2447…Lauren Eyre

3719…Lauren Gamble

5433…Lauren Gouchie

6324…Lauren Kappius

7010…Laurence Ahoussou

7011…Laurent Dutrisac

608…Laurent Potiez

1158…Laurent Roy

5977…Laurie Bouolet

859…Laurie Cairns

7…Laurie Gorman

2448…Laurie Hardage

4431…Laurie Macleod-Kyd

5611…Laurie Maybury

5612…Laurie Maynard

2449…Laurie Meaney-Tobin

4429…Laurie Shusterman

589…Lawrence Wong

7013…Leah Andrews

717…Leah Carson

5615…Leah Syrie

5971…Lee Mccambley

5616…Lee Trainer

7015…Lee Wyndham

7017…Leigh Ann Butler

745…Leigh Howe

7016…Leigh Perreault

344…Leila Ahad

738…Lena Maione

5169…Lenore Macartney

7019…Leo Kadota

2455…Leo Murphy

4437…Leon Sutherland

484…Leona Crabb

1218…Les Woolsey

5618…Lesley Grignon

3360…Lesley Mackay

2456…Leslie Anne Bailliu

4440…Leslie Ashton

7022…Leslie Dauncey

766…Leslie Robertson

994…Lester Mundt

4441…Lexy Scott

3296…Leyla Di Cori

7024…Lia Pirili

2457…Liam Cleary

1346…Liam Kennedy

954…Lidnina Rodriguez

2458…Liisa Vexler

6068…Lillian Serrouya Thibault

4442…Lily Lemay

6501…Lina Seto

5620…Linda Descarie

1169…Linda Doyle

4450…Linda Ferguson

4446…Linda Hamelin

2460…Linda Lewis

7524…Linda Yusak

1332…Lindsay Grace

6332…Lindsay Gracey

5622…Lindsay Harrison

2464…Lindsay Walker

848…Lindsey Gresham

7526…Line Gosselin

2467…Line Robitaille

3303…Linsey Hollett

72…Lisa Balerna

6334…Lisa Bambrick

7030…Lisa Butler

4456…Lisa Dalla Rosa

7031…Lisa Duffett

795…Lisa Gibson

5625…Lisa Gorman

3547…Lisa Grison

3396…Lisa Hansen

7035…Lisa Julian

4457…Lisa Kawaguchi

4453…Lisa Murphy

2470…Lisa Phelan

5629…Lisa Pougnet

4452…Lisa Setlakwe

2474…Lisa-Marie Inman

7037…Lise Arseneau

3581…Lise Perrier

4459…Lissa Seymour

630…Lori Camilucci

5634…Lori Peckham

5633…Lori Swift

7528…Lorna Duguay

2481…Lorne Murdock

507…Lorne Schmidt

7045…Lorraine England

7530…Lou Descarie

2484…Louis Christophe Laurence

4465…Louis Jordon

232…Louis Tay

656…Louise Gresham

5976…Louise Morin

5640…Louise Rachlis

430…Luc Bentolila

638…Lucas Smith

3397…Luce Blouin

6344…Lucie Berthiaume

5643…Lucie Labelle

2488…Lucie Roberge

755…Lucie Villeneuve

997…Lucien Cattrysse

2489…Lucinda Jagger

7049…Lucy Macdonald

2494…Luvy Gonzalez

2495…Lydia Butler

7051…Lynda Cronin

7533…Lynda Weaver

2500…Lyndsey Hill

2502…Lynette Martin

3664…Lynn Diggins

3587…Lynn Marchildon

2504…Lynn Mclewin

5087…Lynn Nightingale

1086…Lynne Russell

2505…Lynne Smart

6346…Lyse Langevin

 

To my eyes very different but equally lovely.

I was able to get my hands on Clone Army Customs Orbital Armor, and Helmet, it's interesting, and even though I have my nick-picks I still think it's pretty cool. I'm comparing it with my Brickforge armored Master Chief (or what he looked like before).

Despite the cold and rainy spring, the plants are starting to look pretty nice. They're very far behind compared to last year (which was unseasonably warm for the same time of the year), but probably up to speed compared to normal years.

Zakouma is an unusual park when compared to the better-known national parks of East or Southern Africa, because on normal game drives through the park, you simply don’t see elephants, except for the handful of bulls, that hang around the airstrip and the park HQ in the area of the park that is actually called Zakouma, elsewhere you just don’t see them, not unless you are actively looking for them and know in advance where they are. You won’t drive around a corner and find a small herd feeding beside the road as you might in a park like say Ruaha in Tanzania, to understand why this is the case, you need to know the tragic history of Zakouma’s elephants.

 

For roughly 6 months of the year between June and November Zakouma National Park is almost entirely inundated with floodwaters, at this time elephants would often disperse into the surrounding area of what is now the Salamat Faunal Reserve. During this time Arab horsemen from the Darfur region of neighbouring Sudan would come to hunt the elephants, as they had done for perhaps several hundred years. Traditionally a group of up to 20 horsemen armed with lances would charge a herd aiming to separate out one of the elephants, picking one with good tusks. A single horseman would then ride in front of this elephant to draw its attention and get it to pursue him, allowing the other men to ride in and spear it from behind with their lances. They would aim for the elephant’s hamstrings in its hind legs, these if severed would bring the animal down and ensure it could not get up again. Huge numbers of elephants were killed this way and in response the surviving herds in the region, have learned that at the first sign of horsemen, their best defence is to bunch up into tight groups, to ensure that no individual can be separated out.

 

Today this is no defence, the horsemen are Janjaweed militiamen and members of the Sudanese armed forces and they come not with the lances used by their ancestors, but with AK47s, belt-fed machine guns and rocket propelled grenades. This habit of bunching up into a single large herd, has meant that the poachers can easily kill 50-60 elephants in a single attack by simply machine gunning the terrified animals as they try to escape. In 2005 an aerial count found 3,885 elephants in Zakouma and the surrounding area, in under a decade the population was reduced to just 430 and had stopped breeding due to the constant stress. Since African Parks took over Zakouma the poaching has been almost entirely stopped and the elephants are breeding again, they have not lost an elephant to poaching in 6 years at the last count in 2021 the population had reached 636.

 

Zakouma had become famous for what was often described as the largest elephant herd in Africa, simply because the majority of the park’s elephants were congregating together in a huge unnatural mega-herd, that would include bulls that would normally have been pushed out. Besides sticking together for protection, the elephants also like to remain in the thick bush and woodlands, avoiding open areas of the park, this is why you just don’t see them when driving around. Just in the last couple of years the elephant herd has started to split into several big herds instead of just one, but they still stay deep in the bush, doing their best to avoid people entirely.

 

The best chance of seeing them is at the Bahr Salamat, where they have to come every day to drink, if you can anticipate which part of the river they will come to, and position yourself so that they won’t be aware of your presence, you can have an amazing elephant experience. When we tried to find them, despite receiving tracking information from the park HQ, (some of the elephants are wearing tracking collars) and having a ranger to assist us, we were not lucky, instead of seeing the whole herd come to drink where we had chosen to wait, we just saw two single bulls. The herd did come to drink but at a different stretch of the Salamat, not too far away, unfortunately we missed them.

I wanted a more conceptual approach compared to the official.

Comparing my hand to the bark of a very large poplar tree growing in Seminary Fen Scientific & Natural Area in Chanhassen/Chaska, Minnesota.

 

This was originally the site of the Mudcura Sanitarium, a world-famous spa that was opened in 1909 and operated until 1951.

 

Per MNOpedia, in 1951, the sanitarium was sold to the Black Franciscans, Order of Friars Minor Conventual, from Louisville, Kentucky. They named it Assumption Seminary and the site became linked with both the Colleges of St. Catherine and St. Thomas in St. Paul.

 

The Seminary remained in operation until 1970 and then sat vacant for many years, becoming a popular hangout for teens and other thrill seekers. The main building burned and was demolished in 1997.

 

The land is now home to a Minnesota DNR Scientific & Natural Area that protects the rare calcareous fen that is now the star of the show here.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

History

United States

Name:Atlanta

Namesake:City of Atlanta, Georgia

Builder:Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey

Laid down:22 April 1940

Launched:6 September 1941

Sponsored by:Margaret Mitchell

Commissioned:24 December 1941

Struck:13 January 1943

Identification:Hull symbol:CL-51

Honors and

awards:

Silver-service-star-3d.png 5 × battle stars

Presidential Unit Citation

Fate:Scuttled after severe damage in Naval Battle of Guadalcanal by friendly fire from USS San Francisco, 13 November 1942

Notes:Approximate location of sinking: 9°23′S 159°58′E

General characteristics (as built)[1][2]

Class and type:Atlanta-class light cruiser

Displacement:

6,718 long tons (6,826 t) (standard)

8,340 long tons (8,470 t) (max)

Length:541 ft 6 in (165.05 m) oa

Beam:53 ft (16 m)

Draft:

20 ft 6 in (6.25 m) (mean)

26 ft 6 in (8.08 m) (max)

Installed power:

4 × Steam boilers

75,000 shp (56,000 kW)

Propulsion:

2 × geared turbines

2 × screws

Speed:32.5 kn (37.4 mph; 60.2 km/h)

Complement:673 officers and enlisted

Armament:

16 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 caliber Mark 12 guns (8×2)

12 × 1.1 in (28 mm)/75 anti-aircraft guns (3×4)

8 × single 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons

8 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes

Armor:

Belt: 1.1–3 3⁄4 in (28–95 mm)

Deck: 1 1⁄4 in (32 mm)

Turrets: 1 1⁄4 in (32 mm)

Conning tower: 2 1⁄2 in (64 mm)

USS Atlanta (CL-51) of the United States Navy was the lead ship of the Atlanta class of eight light cruisers. She was the third Navy ship named after the city of Atlanta, Georgia. Designed to provide anti-aircraft protection for US naval task groups, Atlanta served in this capacity in the naval battles Midway and the Eastern Solomons. Atlanta was heavily damaged by Japanese and friendly gunfire in a night surface action on 13 November 1942 during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. The cruiser was sunk on her captain's orders in the afternoon of the same day.

 

Atlanta, in some works, is designated CLAA-51 because of her primary armament as an anti-aircraft cruiser. Hence, all of the Atlanta-class ships are sometimes designated as CLAA. However, her entire battery of 5-inch (127 mm) guns were dual-purpose (DP) guns, and were capable of being used against both air and surface targets, able to fire anti-aircraft, high-explosive and armor-piercing shells.

 

The Atlanta-class ships were lightly armored, making them poor surface combatants compared to a typical light cruiser. In terms of armament, the Atlanta class was closer to a destroyer, being armed with 5-inch guns, than a light cruiser, which were generally equipped with 6-inch guns; but at well over 500 feet (152 m) in length, and combined with their large battery of sixteen 5-inch (127 mm) guns (reduced to twelve in number for later ships of the class), they were designated as light cruisers. Typical destroyers of the time only carried five or six 5-inch guns.[citation needed] Despite being under-armored for light cruisers, they had thicker armor than destroyers, which were notoriously underprotected.

 

Construction and commissioning

The first of the new class of ships was laid down on 22 April 1940 at Kearny, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., launched on 6 September 1941, sponsored by Margaret Mitchell (author of Gone with the Wind), and commissioned at the New York Navy Yard on 24 December 1941, Captain Samuel P. Jenkins in command.[3]

 

Armament

Atlanta was fitted with eight twin 5-inch gun turrets, placed in a unique configuration. She had three forward turrets and three aft turrets, mounted inline and increasing in height toward the midships, giving her a symmetrical appearance, with a "gap" in the middle superstructure. In addition, the aft battery also had one "wing-mounted" turret on each side, for a total of 16 five-inch guns. The firing arcs of the forward and aft batteries intersected at a very limited angle, giving her an arc of 60° in which she could fire all of her guns broadside (excluding the wing turrets). Because Atlanta was able to bring all her guns to bear only within that narrow arc, her ability to engage surface targets was limited. Her firing arcs were ideally suited to bringing her guns to bear on an aircraft, however, with a minimum of six guns available from any angle.

 

Service history

After fitting out, Atlanta conducted shakedown training until 13 March 1942, first in Chesapeake Bay and then in Maine's Casco Bay, after which she returned to the New York Navy Yard for post-shakedown repairs and alterations. Adjudged to be "ready for distant service" on 31 March, the new cruiser departed New York for the Panama Canal Zone on 5 April. She reached Cristobal on 8 April. After transiting the isthmian waterway, Atlanta then cleared Balboa on 12 April with orders to reconnoiter Clipperton Island, a tiny barren, uninhabited atoll about 670 mi (1,080 km) southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, in the course of her voyage to the Hawaiian Islands, for any signs of enemy activity. Finding none, she ultimately reached Pearl Harbor on 23 April.[3]

 

Battle of Midway

 

Punctuating her brief stay in Hawaiian waters with an antiaircraft practice off Oahu on 3 May, Atlanta, in company with McCall, sailed on 10 May as escort for Rainier and Kaskaskia, bound for Nouméa, New Caledonia. On 16 May, she joined Vice Admiral William F. Halsey's Task Force 16 (TF 16), formed around the aircraft carriers Enterprise and Hornet, as it steamed back to Pearl Harbor, having been summoned back to Hawaiian waters in response to an imminent Japanese thrust in the direction of Midway Atoll. TF 16 arrived at Pearl on 26 May.[3]

 

Atlanta again sailed with TF 16 on the morning of 28 May. Over the days that followed, she screened the carriers as they operated northeast of Midway in anticipation of the enemy's arrival. At the report of Japanese ships to the southwest, on the morning of 4 June, Atlanta cleared for action as she screened Hornet. Squadrons from the American carriers sought out the Japanese, and during that day, planes from Yorktown and Enterprise inflicted mortal damage on four irreplaceable enemy aircraft carriers. Japanese planes twice hit TF 17, and it took the brunt of the enemy attacks. Over the days that followed the Battle of Midway, Atlanta remained in the screen of TF 16 until 11 June, when the task force received orders to return to Pearl Harbor.[3]

 

Reaching her destination on 13 June, Atlanta, outside brief periods of antiaircraft practice on 21 and 25–26 June, remained in port, taking on stores and provisions and standing on 24-hour and then 48-hour alert into July 1942. Drydocked on 1–2 July so that her bottom could be scraped, cleaned and painted, the cruiser completed her availability on 6 July and then resumed a busy schedule of gunnery practice with drone targets, high-speed sleds, and in shore bombardment in the Hawaiian operating area.[3]

 

On 15 July 1942, Atlanta, again in TF 16, sailed for Tongatapu. Anchoring at Nukuʻalofa, Tonga on 24 July, where she fueled Maury and then took on fuel from Mobilube, the light cruiser pushed on later the same day and overtook TF 16. On 29 July, as all preparations proceeded for the invasion of Guadalcanal, Atlanta was assigned to TF 61.[3]

 

Screening the carriers as they launched air strikes to support the initial landings on 7–8 August, Atlanta remained there until the withdrawal of the carrier task forces on 9 August. For the next several days, she remained at sea, replenishing when necessary while the task force operated near the Solomons.[3]

 

Battle of the Eastern Solomons

Further information: Battle of the Eastern Solomons

As the Americans consolidated their gains on Guadalcanal, the critical need for reinforcements prompted Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto to send the Combined Fleet south to cover a large troop convoy. American scout planes spotted the Japanese forces on the morning of 23 August. With the enemy reported to the northwest, Enterprise and Saratoga launched search and attack planes, but they failed to make contact because of deteriorating weather and the fact that the Japanese, knowing that they had been spotted, reversed course.[3]

 

Throughout the day on 24 August, Atlanta received enemy contact reports and screened Enterprise as she launched a strike group to attack the Japanese carriers. The sighting of an enemy "snooper" at 1328 sent Atlanta's sailors to general quarters, where they remained for the next 5½ hours. At 1530, the cruiser worked up to 20 knots (23 mph; 37 km/h) as TF 16 stood roughly north-northwestward "to close [the] reported enemy carrier group." At 1637, with unidentified planes approaching, Atlanta went to 25 knots (29 mph; 46 km/h). Enterprise then launched a strike group shortly thereafter, completing the evolution at 1706.[3]

 

In the meantime, the incoming enemy bombers and fighter aircraft from Shōkaku and Zuikaku prompted the task force to increase speed to 27 knots (31 mph; 50 km/h), shortly after Enterprise completed launching her own aircraft, the Japanese raid, estimated by Captain Jenkins to consist of at least 18 Aichi D3A1 "Val" dive bombers, came in from the north northwest at 1710. Over the next 11 minutes, Atlanta's 5 in (127 mm), 1.1 in (27.9 mm) and 20 mm batteries contributed to the barrage over Enterprise, as the light cruiser conformed to Enterprise's every move as she maneuvered violently to avoid the dive bombers.[3]

 

Despite the heavy antiaircraft fire, Enterprise took one hit and suffered some shrapnel damage from an estimated five near hits. Captain Jenkins later reported that his ship may have shot down five of the attackers.[3] Atlanta was not damaged in the engagement.[3]

 

Reporting to TF 11 for duty the following day, Atlanta operated with that force, redesignated TF 61 on 30 August, over the next few days. When I-26 torpedoed Saratoga on 31 August, the light cruiser screened the stricken flagship as Minneapolis rigged a towline and began taking her out of danger. The force ultimately put into Tongatapu on 6 September, where Atlanta provisioned ship, fueled from New Orleans, and enjoyed a period of upkeep.[3]

 

Underway on 13 September, the light cruiser escorted Lassen and Hammondsport on 15 September. After seeing her charges safely to their destination at Dumbea Bay, Nouméa, on 19 September, Atlanta fueled, took on stores and ammunition, and sailed on 21 September as part of Task Group 66.4 (TG 66.4). Becoming part of TF 17 on 23 September, the light cruiser was detached the following day to proceed in company with Washington, Walke and Benham to Tongatapu, which she reached on 26 September.[3]

 

Underway with those same ships on 7 October, Atlanta briefly escorted Guadalcanal-bound transports from 11–14 October, before putting into Espiritu Santo for fuel on the afternoon of the 15th. Assigned then to Rear Admiral Willis A. Lee's TF 64, the ship sailed after dark that same day to resume operations covering the ongoing efforts to secure Guadalcanal. Returning briefly to Espiritu Santo for fuel, stores and provisions, the warship stood out from Segond Channel on the afternoon of 23 October.[3]

 

Two days later, with a Japanese Army offensive having failed to eject the Americans from Guadalcanal, Admiral Yamamoto sent the Combined Fleet south in an attempt to annihilate the American naval forces doggedly supporting the marines. Atlanta operated in TF 64, along with Washington, San Francisco, Helena and two destroyers, as the opposing forces engaged in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands on 26 October. That day, Atlanta patrolled astern of the fueling group supporting the two American carrier task forces. On 27 October, when I-15 attacked TF 64, the force maneuvered at high speed to clear the area.[3]

 

On the morning of 28 October, Atlanta brought on board Rear Admiral Norman Scott from San Francisco, and became the flagship of the newly designated TG 64.2. After fueling from Washington, Atlanta, screened by four destroyers, headed northwest to shell Japanese positions on Guadalcanal. Reaching the waters off Lunga Point on the morning of 30 October, Atlanta embarked Marine liaison officers at 0550, and then steamed west, commencing her bombardment of Point Cruz at 0629 while the destroyers formed a column astern. Provoking no return fire, TG 64.2 accomplished its mission and returned to Lunga Point, where Atlanta disembarked the liaison officers. She then proceeded, in company with her screen, to Espiritu Santo, where she arrived on the afternoon of 31 October.[3]

 

Naval Battle of Guadalcanal

Main article: Naval Battle of Guadalcanal

Convoy escort

 

Atlanta on 25 October 1942.

Atlanta served as Admiral Scott's flagship as the light cruiser, accompanied by four destroyers, escorted Zeilin, Libra and Betelgeuse to Guadalcanal. The cruiser and her consorts continued to screen those ships, designated TG 62.4, as they lay off Lunga Point on 12 November unloading supplies and disembarking troops.[3]

 

At 0905, the task group received a report that nine bombers and 12 fighters were approaching from the northwest, and would reach their vicinity at about 0930. At about 0920, Atlanta led the three auxiliaries to the north in column, with the destroyers spaced in a circle around them. 15 minutes later, nine "Vals" from Hiyō emerged from the clouds over Henderson Field, the American airstrip on Guadalcanal. The American ships opened fire soon after, putting up a barrage that downed "several" planes. Fortunately, none of the primary targets of the attack, Zeilin, Libra and Betelgeuse, suffered more than minor damage from several close calls, though Zeilin sustained some flooding. The three auxiliaries returned to the waters off Lunga Point as soon as the attack ended and resumed working cargo and disembarking troops.

 

A little over an hour later, at 1050, Atlanta received word of another incoming Japanese air raid. 15 minutes later, Atlanta led the three auxiliaries north with the destroyers in a circle around the disposition. The "bogeys", 27 Mitsubishi G4M "Bettys" from Rabaul, closed, sighted bearing west by north, approaching from over Cape Esperance in a very loose "V" formation. Although the destroyers opened fire, the planes proved to be out of range and the ships checked fire. The "Bettys", for their part, ignored the ships and continued on to bomb Henderson Field. Upon the disappearance of the planes, TG 62.4 resumed unloading off Lunga Point.[3]

 

On 12 November, Atlanta was still off Lunga Point, screening the unloading, as part of TF 67 under Rear Admiral Daniel J. Callaghan in San Francisco. At about 1310, Atlanta received a warning that 25 enemy planes were headed for Guadalcanal, slated to arrive within 50 minutes. The light cruiser went to general quarters at 1318 and received the signal "prepare to repel air attack...."[3]

 

Within six minutes, Atlanta and the other combatants of the support group formed a screen around the transport group (TG 67.1), and the two groups steamed north together at 15 knots (17 mph; 28 km/h). At about 1410, the Americans sighted the incoming raid, consisting of what appeared to be 25 twin-engined bombers ("Bettys") which broke up into two groups after clearing Florida Island, and came in at altitudes that ranged from 25 to 50 ft (8 to 15 m). Juneau opened fire at 1412. Atlanta did so a minute later, training her guns at planes headed for the gap in the screen between San Francisco and Buchanan. Atlanta claimed to have shot down two "Bettys", just after they dropped their torpedoes, at about 1415, only three minutes before the attack ended. Once the last Japanese plane had been splashed, the work of unloading the transports and cargo ships resumed. One "Betty", crippled by antiaircraft fire, crashed into the after superstructure of San Francisco, inflicting the only damage on the force.[3]

 

Night attack

The abrupt end of the air attack gave Atlanta and her colleagues only a brief respite, however, for trouble approached from yet another quarter. A Japanese surface force, made up of two battleships, one cruiser and six destroyers, was detected steaming south toward Guadalcanal to shell Henderson Field. Admiral Callaghan's support group was to "cover [the retiring transports and cargo vessels] against enemy attack." TG 67.4 departed Lunga Point about 1800 and steamed eastward through Sealark Channel, covering the withdrawal of TG 67.1. An hour before midnight, Callaghan's ships reversed course and headed westward.[3]

 

Helena's radar picked up the first contact at a range of 26,000 yd (13 nmi). As the range closed, Atlanta's surface search radar, followed by her gunnery radars, picked up a contact on the enemy ships.[3]

 

Admiral Callaghan's order for a course change caused problems almost at once, as Atlanta had to turn to port (left) immediately to avoid a collision with one of the four destroyers in the van, the latter having apparently executed a "ships left" rather than "column left" movement.[3] As Atlanta began moving to resume her station ahead of San Francisco, the Japanese destroyer Akatsuki illuminated the light cruiser; and immediately suffered the consequences. Atlanta shifted her main battery to fire at the enemy destroyer, opening fire at a range of about 1,600 yd (1,463 m) and, along with other US ships that concentrated on Akatsuki's searchlights, simply overwhelmed the hapless destroyer.[4]

 

As two other Japanese destroyers crossed her line, Atlanta engaged both with her forward 5-inch (127 mm) mounts, while her after mounts continued to blast away at the illuminated ship. An additional, unidentified assailant also opened up on the light cruiser from the northeast.[3] At about that time, at least one torpedo plowed into Atlanta's forward engine room from the port side, fired almost certainly by either Inazuma or Ikazuchi[5] (Akatsuki's destroyer consorts). Atlanta lost all but auxiliary diesel power, suffered the interruption of her gunfire, and had to shift steering control to the steering engine room aft. Meanwhile, Akatsuki drifted out of the action and soon sank with heavy loss of life. Michiharu Shinya, Akatsuki's Chief Torpedo Officer, one of her few survivors, was rescued the next day by US forces and spent the rest of the war in a New Zealand prisoner of war camp.[6] He later stated unequivocally that Akatsuki had not been able to fire any torpedoes that night before being overwhelmed by gunfire.[7]

 

Soon after being torpedoed, Atlanta was then hit by an estimated nineteen 8-inch (203 mm) shells when San Francisco, "in the urgency of battle, darkness, and confused intermingling of friend or foe", fired into her. Though almost all of the shells passed through the thin skin of the ship without detonating, scattering green dye, fragments from their impact killed many men, including Admiral Scott and members of his staff. Atlanta prepared to return fire on her new assailant, but San Francisco's own gun flashes disclosed a distinctly "non-Japanese hull profile" that resulted in a suspension of those efforts.[3] San Francisco's shells, which passed high through Atlanta's superstructure, may have been intended for a Japanese target further beyond her from San Francisco's perspective.[8]

 

After the 8-inch (203 mm) fire ceased, Atlanta's Captain Jenkins took stock of the situation, and, having only a minor foot wound, made his way aft to Battle II. His ship was badly battered, largely powerless, down by the head and listing slightly to port, and a third of his crew was dead or missing. As the battle continued, the light cruiser's men began clearing debris, jettisoning topside weight to correct the list, reducing the volume of sea water in the ship, and succoring the many wounded.[3]

 

Sinking

Daylight revealed the presence nearby of three burning American destroyers, the disabled Portland, and the abandoned hulk of Yūdachi, which Portland summarily dispatched with three salvoes. Atlanta, drifting toward the enemy-held shore east of Cape Esperance, dropped her starboard anchor, and her captain sent a message to Portland explaining the light cruiser's condition. Boats from Guadalcanal came out to take her most critically wounded. By mid-morning, all of those had been taken off the ship.[3]

 

Bobolink arrived at 09:30 on 13 November, took Atlanta under tow, made harder by the cruiser's still lowered anchor, and headed toward Lunga Point. During the voyage, a "Betty" bomber neared the disposition, and one of the two surviving 5 in (127 mm) mounts—which was powered by a diesel generator—fired and drove it off. The other manually-rotated mount could not be trained on the target in time.[3]

 

Atlanta reached Kukum about 14:00, at which point Captain Jenkins conferred with his remaining officers. As Jenkins, who was later awarded a Navy Cross for his heroism during the battle, later wrote, "It was by now apparent that efforts to save the ship were useless, and that the water was gaining steadily." Even had sufficient salvage facilities been available, he allowed, the severe damage she had taken would have made it difficult to save the ship. Authorized by Commander, South Pacific Forces, to act at his own discretion regarding the destruction of the ship, Jenkins ordered that Atlanta be abandoned and sunk with a demolition charge.[3]

 

Accordingly, all remaining men except the captain and a demolition party boarded Higgins boats sent out from Guadalcanal for the purpose. After the charge had been set and exploded, the last men left the battered ship. Ultimately, at 20:15 on 13 November 1942, Atlanta sank 3 mi (5 km) west of Lunga Point in about 400 ft (120 m) of water. Her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 13 January 1943.[3]

 

Exploration of the wreck

The wreck of USS Atlanta was discovered in 1992 by an expedition led by Dr. Robert Ballard using a remotely operated underwater vehicle, (ROV). Dr. Ballard was famous for leading the expeditions that discovered RMS Titanic and the German battleship Bismarck. Unfortunately, strong ocean currents and poor visibility prevented the expedition from thoroughly exploring Atlanta. In 1994, two Australian technical divers Rob Cason and Kevin Denlay travelled to Solomon Islands with the intention of being the first scuba divers to dive Atlanta but this was unsuccessful because of the lack of a suitable surface support vessel and strong surface currents; this was also the first mixed gas scuba diving expedition to Guadalcanal. However, they did manage to dive one of the two other, deepest diveable wrecks; the Japanese transport Azumasan Maru, which is almost 90 m (295 ft) deep at the stern and Sasako Maru, which Denlay dived in 1995 at over 90 m (295 ft) in the collapsed debris field of the bridge. Many other World War II wrecks discovered by Dr. Ballard in Iron Bottom Sound are beyond the current technical limit for scuba and are only accessible by ROVs or submersibles. Dr Ballard gives an account of this in his book The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal. In the same year, Denlay returned with American Terrance Tysall and made the first successful scuba dive on USS Atlanta, which was at the time the deepest wreck dive by free swimming divers in the southern hemisphere.[citation needed]

 

In the following years, Denlay and Tysall mounted several larger expeditions to survey Atlanta, exploring and videoing the wreck in detail to a depth of 130 m (427 ft) at the bow.[9] The civil unrest in Solomon Islands from late 1998 prevented further diving around Guadalcanal for several years. However, on the final expedition that year, the then deepest wreck dive by a woman was made by Kevin's wife, Mirja, on Atlanta. Denlay's last visit to the wreck was in 2002 using a closed circuit rebreather or CCR, the first CCR dive on Atlanta.[10] Since then, very few dives have been conducted on Atlanta, although in May 2011 a very experienced deep diving team from Global Underwater Explorers successfully videoed the wreck for documentary purposes, the first survey of the wreck since Denlay's expeditions up to 1998.[11]

 

Awards

Atlanta was awarded five battle stars for her World War II service and a Presidential Unit Citation for her "heroic example of invincible fighting spirit" in the battle off Guadalcanal on 13 November 1942.[3]

Canon 40D

EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

I prefer this one,

because the little bird pass through top of roof.

makes me feel lonely but hopeful.

  

btw, I bought a xa2 already!

thank you my friend vignlio ! :)*

Humboldt County, California

 

Compare with yesterday's Opalescent Nudibranch, notice how the cerata (finger like projections) are red compared to the more brown of the individual I saw in Cayucous.

I always thought the Marine camo pattern was one of the coolest uniforms from the GI Joe line. (Including the Land Adventurer from the AT series.)

 

I never owned a marine style uniform until...well..until the Masterpiece reproduction Joes came out in the late 1990's. However, I took advantage of the fact that over the next 5 years or so Hasbro released a lot of sets that included the classic marine camo uniform!

 

WIth all of those sets, I've noticed quite a variance in color and pattern, so here I'll show a comparison of the variations that I have. To give a baseline to the camo variations, the figures are holding a vintage marine tent.

 

You can see the biggest difference between the uniforms if you look at the uniform pants across the photo.

 

From Left to right we have....

 

1 - Starting from the left is a 40th Anniversary Marine with the 'mint' colored background on his uniform.

 

2 - 40th Anniversary Marine with a medium green uniform base for the camouflage. This also seems to be the closest match to the original uniform.

 

3 - 40th Anniversay Marine with an olive uniform base. Also notice that the pattern is a bit denser, with more black flecks. (Or is it just that the green painted flecks stand out better on this lighter material, making it look like a denser pattern?)

 

4 - Masterpiece GI Joe Marine uniform. The base color on this uniform is closer to tan. Uniform is displayed on a Timeless Collection GI Joe.

 

5 - This is the uniform from the Spy Island Timeless Collection figure. The uniform base color shows a heavy yellow influence under a lot of lighting conditions.

 

6 - The rightmost figure is wearing the uniform from the Timeless Green Beret Machine Gun outpost. The base color for this uniform is tan, and the camouflage pattern is fairly loose.

 

I just wanted to share these observations, since there seems to be so much variation in the reproduction uniforms that Hasbro released from 1998-2003.

A wide shot of First Devon and Cornwall solos YJ06 YSK and YJ56 AOT.

 

This pair were not at the Hamilton Road today, so it is best guessed that they will be returning to Cornwall shortly

 

53503, 53504, Hamilton Road, Taunton, 28/02/15.

Many thanks to Chris Firth for suggesting a comparison of old and new Ordnance Survey maps on my last post concerning a Dorset drove road.

 

The older map above was published between 1888 - 1892, whilst the newer edition dates from 2007. By the way, the area covered is approximately one mile / 1.5 kms from north to south and roughly 2.5 kms / one and a half miles west to east.

 

My previous post was taken from the southern, highest point of Sandy Drove. I'll start things off by pointing out that the start, finish and line of Sandy Drove looks unchanged over some 130 years!

 

Edit : Scroll down for an even older map of the same location found courtesy of Dave G.B!

Inside Passage- Not far from Juneau, Alaska...Tracy Arm tidewater glaciers are a dynamic and unpredictable powerful force of nature. These glaciers are the result of centuries of snowfall in the Stikline Coastal Range and a predominantly colder climate. Glaciers are born when when gravity causes the build up ice to flow slowly downhill. Rocks and debries caught in the massive flow of ice gives the glacier its tremendous grinding power.

Comparing notes about the great jump in the lake. The guy on the left was a buddy of the three jumpers, who was recording all the fun – here comparing and exchanging videos taken of the spectacle.

 

If we had continued with our walk all the way around the lake, we would have missed all this fun. We got about half way but decided to come back because we hadn't yet checked out of our hotel (the Schweizerhof), and weren't sure about how long the whole walk-around would take. Once checked out, we were then free to do other things before catching our mid-afternoon train on to Zürich.

 

The St Moritz experience was topped off with the first banana splits since Austria in 2011, sitting under an umbrella in a village plaza, as the last thing before heading to the railway station ... as you do!

Best friends or worst enemies?

In Part 2, I discussed how the Serpent was used as a symbol for not only initiation into the mysteries and immortality but also a symbol for sexuality, generation, death and rebirth due to the creature’s ability to shed its skin of the old to reveal a shiny new skin underneath. The mythologized Serpent, of course, does appear in almost every culture around the world over. Genesis 3 relays how the Serpent offers knowledge in the form of a fruit grown from the Tree of Knowledge (the “Good ” and “Evil” part may have have been added later as a gloss.) Like the Serpent, the Tree of Knowledge is sometimes considered to be a phallic symbol. This Fruit along with the Tree also were used to signify the result or effect of some cause, having both a positive and a negative effect and origin.

 

The Two Trees.

 

The Tree of Knowledge and digesting the forbidden fruit in Genesis according to Jewish tradition represented the primeval mixture or intermingling of good and evil, light and darkness in an almost Manichean fashion. Eating the fruit forbidden set off a chain reaction where humanity developed a “yeitzer hara” or “evil inclination.” Unlike the earlier Hebrews, who blamed themselves for their woes, the Jewish Rabbis believed God had implanted in the ‘heart’, the Hebrew place of the unconscious of each individual, at his birth or conception. The yezer was not hereditary. It was intrinsically good and the source of creative energy, but had a strong potential for evil through appetite or greed. Only strict observance of the Law could keep the strong, irrational passions it engendered under control. To the commentators in the five centuries before Christ, Adam’s death was due to his own “sinful actions”, and not to the Augustine-authored “original sin nature” or “ancestral sin” inherent in the DNA in the race of man because of the disobedience of the primal parents. The Zohar claims that Adam and Eve lost their immortality by ingesting the fruit which is ironically enough compared to the occult:

 

Hear what saith scripture when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree by which death entered into their souls or lower nature, ‘And when they heard the voice of the Lord of the Alhim walking in the garden’ (Gen. iii-8), or, as it ought to be rendered, had walked (mithhalech). Note further that whilst Adam had not fallen, he was a recipient of divine wisdom (hochma) and heavenly light and derived his continuous existence from the Tree of Life to which he had free access, but as soon as he allowed himself to be seduced and deluded with the desire of occult knowledge, he lost everything, heavenly light and life through the disjunction of his higher and lower self, and, the loss of that harmony that should always exist between them, in short, he then first knew what evil was and what it entailed, and, therefore, it is written, ‘Thou art not a God that approveth wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee’ (Is. v-5); or, in other words, he who implicitly and blindly follows the dictates of his lower nature or self shall not come near the Tree of Life.

 

According to the Babylonian Talmud, Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden for just twelve hours before being unceremoniously thrown out. This is half a day in Paradise. That snake sure was a fast worker! Yahweh gave Adam and Eve the tour round Eden, told them what they could or couldn’t do and had no sooner turned his back than they were disobeying him and he had to expel them and sentence them, and the whole human race to come, to hell-fire for all eternity. Is that not the biggest (pardon this author’s french) fuck up of all time? It takes a spectacular degree of incompetence to screw things up that badly, so quickly. And yet the source who engineered this monumental disaster is supposed to be the Creator of the Universe, all-knowing and all-powerful, incapable of error! It is any wonder why the Gnostics called the creator god of Genesis as a dark and brutal god who was also given names such as: Samael (Blind One) and Saklas (idiot-retard)?

 

The Catholic Church Father Irenaeus mentions in Adv. Hear. 1, 29, 3, that the Barbelognostics revered the classic Qabalistic symbol of the “Tree, which itself they call Knowledge (gnosis).” This Tree is generated by two more primordial entities or “Aeons” called “Man” and “Knowledge.” It is hard to know just what his source for this passage may have been, for the kabbalistic symbol of the Tree does not figure in any of the surviving versions of the Apocryphon of John. There is, however, a passage in the Church Father Origen’s description in Contra Celsum of the diagrams of the cosmos envisaged by the Ophites:

 

And everywhere there, the Tree of Life, and the resurrection of flesh from the Tree …

 

This passage suggests that the form of the Tree had been imposed on the whole diagram. The Church Father Origen also gives a number of “ten circles”, the traditional number of the emanations or “sefiroth” associated with the cosmic spheres in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life – though roughly only seven of them can have planetary names. This image of the spiritual powers circling in the heavenly spheres, which the Jewish scholar, Gershom Scholem has suggested entered Jewish esoteric teaching from Hellenistic-Egyptian traditions in the centuries before Christianity (or at least Christian gnosticism) arose bears also upon the enigma of the seven-headed form of Iao in the fourth sphere (as discussed in the Apocryphon of John), that of the Sun.

 

This idea of the Archons situated upon the astral “aerial toll houses” of Eastern Orthodoxy (and of course Gnosticism, especially in the First Apocalypse of James) does indeed seem to originate in ancient Egypt where the the Book of the Dead lists protective spells learned by initiates to guard against the dangerous “judges” during the post-mortem journey of the soul. Speculation in Christian and in Gnostic circles concerning the order of the celestial hierarchy hinged upon a few passages in the Pauline literature, which seem to imply, however, different sequences as Colassians 1:16 states:

 

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

 

The names of the authorities are as follows, featured and listed in the Ophite doctrine, refuted by Celsus in Contra Celsum:

 

Michael – lion, Souriel – bull, Raphael – serpent, Gabriel – eagle, Thauthabaoth – bear, Erathaoth – dog, Taphabaoth/Onoel – ass.

 

The sequence was composed using the figures of four biblical Cherubim, to whom three new personages were added. The animal forms are derived from the biblical story of the famous vision of Ezekiel as is the iconography of the four evangelists. Ezekiel had seen four monstrous beings in the shape of winged men with four faces: of a man, a lion, a bull and an eagle, on each of the four sides. Jerome connects this tetramorph with the Four Evangelists, being Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

 

05200

 

In the Trimorphic Protennoia, the Archons claim that they also were derived from a tree:

 

For as for our tree from which we grew, a fruit of ignorance is what it has; and also its leaves, it is death that dwells in them, and darkness dwells under the shadow of its boughs. And it was in deceit and lust that we harvested it, this (tree) through which ignorant Chaos became for us a dwelling place.

 

As mentioned in Part 1, the Gospel of John 15, 1-2 equates Christ with the vines and fruit of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden, which also sounds vaguely Dionysian. Dionysus was also called the surname Dendritês, the god of the tree, which has the same import as Dasyllius, the giver of foliage.

 

The Gospel of Truth also equates the cross to the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden:

 

He was nailed to a tree (and) he became fruit of the knowledge of the Father. It did not, however, cause destruction because it was eaten, but to those who ate it, it (cause) to become glad in the discovery, and he discovered them in himself, and they discovered him in themselves.

 

The Gospel of Philip also makes the connection between the Tree of Life, the resurrection via the chrism (anointing) and Jesus Christ, explicit:

 

Philip the apostle said, “Joseph the carpenter planted a garden because he needed wood for his trade. It was he who made the cross from the trees which he planted. His own offspring hung on that which he planted. His offspring was Jesus, and the planting was the cross.” But the Tree of Life is in the middle of the Garden. However, it is from the olive tree that we got the chrism, and from the chrism, the resurrection.

 

Elsewhere in the Gospel of Philip, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is identified with the flesh and the Law (the lower natures as opposed to the pnuematic one). Using a riff from the Epistle to the Romans 7:7-11, the author says:

 

“It has the power to give knowledge of good and evil. It neither removed him from evil, nor did it set him in the good. Instead it created death for those who ate of it. For when it said, ‘Eat this. Do not eat that.’ it became the beginning of death.”

 

The pseudepigraphic Jewish-apocalypse Book of Enoch 31:4, describes this tree of knowledge in the midst of the “Garden of Righteousness”:

 

It was like a species of the Tamarind tree, bearing fruit which resembled grapes extremely fine; and its fragrance extended to a considerable distance. I exclaimed, How beautiful is this tree, and how delightful is its appearance!

 

Irenaeus’ pupil, Hippolytus would write in Against All Heresies (VI, 27) on how the Valentinians compared the Logos to the fruit of the Tree of Life:

 

This (one) is styled among them Joint Fruit of the Pleroma. These (matters), then, took place within the Pleroma in this way. And the Joint Fruit of the Pleroma was projected, (that is,) Jesus,— for this is his name—the great High Priest. Sophia, however, who was outside the Pleroma in search of Christ, who had given her form, and of the Holy Spirit, became involved in great terror that she would perish, if he should separate from her, who had given her form and consistency.

 

He also writes that the Father projected a warrior Aeon as a defense mechanism to protect the Aeonic realm of the Pleroma from the shapeless void created by the fallen Sophia, who is often shaped in a Cross:

 

Now this (Aeon) is styled Horos, because he separates from the Pleroma the Hysterema that is outside. And (he is called) Metocheus, because he shares also in the Hysterema. And (he is denominated) Staurus, because he is fixed inflexibly and inexorably, so that nothing of the Hysterema can come near the Aeons who are within the Pleroma.

 

This description also matches with Irenaeus’ account (Against Heresies 1.3.5) on how the Valentinian Christians viewed the hidden, metaphysical meaning and nature of the Cross:

 

“They show, further, that that Horos of theirs, whom they call by a variety of names, has two faculties,-the one of supporting, and the other of separating; and in so far as he supports and sustains, he is Stauros, while in so far as he divides and separates, he is Horos. They then represent the Saviour as having indicated this twofold faculty: first, the sustaining power, when He said, “Whosoever doth not bear his cross (Stauros), and follow after me, cannot be my disciple; ” and again, “Taking up the cross follow me; ” but the separating power when He said, “I came not to send peace, but a word.” They also maintain that John indicated the same thing when he said, “The fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge the floor, and will gather the wheat into His garner; but the chaff He will burn with fire unquenchable.” By this declaration He set forth the faculty of Horos. For that fan they explain to be the cross (Stauros), which consumes, no doubt, all material objects, as fire does chaff, but it purifies all them that are saved, as a fan does wheat. Moreover, they affirm that the Apostle Paul himself made mention of this cross in the following words: “The doctrine of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.” And again: “God forbid that I should glory in anything save in the cross of Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world.”

 

In the above paragraph, Horos or Stauros (the cross of John) is the limit (X) of Plato’s Timaeus. Simon Magus taught this same exact thing as we will see below. The cross symbolizes the separation of powers and realms. It represents the apokatastasis, the Stoic conflagration, the baptism by fire. Paul the Apostle speaks of this fire that purifies and tries men’s works in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. To be crucified to the world is to bear the symbol of the cross which is a flat-out denial of YHWH and the Elohim archons’ creation. It is to spit in the face of the Greek gods of fate like Socrates. It is hemlock to the flesh and to the spirit it is immortality.

 

It is the Cross of Christ, which in the Gnostic interpretation separates God from the manifest world, the uncreated, transcendent World of Forms from the Creator and the created realm, constituting a Separate and Hidden God. This limit in essence separates the “wheat from the tares”. At the same time, it also serves as a bridge between the saved sparks of light into the realm above. The extremely esoteric Sethian text, Allogenes, mentions a power or aeon by the name of “Kalyptos”, which can mean either “hidden” or “that which covers,” which may derive from the conception of the veil parting the higher from the lower realm. This power derives from the Aeon of Barbelo, which is also a state of being in which a spiritual power descends into matter. The position of Kalyptos comes very close to that of the Valentinian Horos, Stauros or Limit that separates the highest deity Bythos (Depth or Abyss) from the other Aeons that derive from him. This limit also functions though a second barrier between the “hysterema” of the material cosmos and the realm of the Aeons. Sophia also functions as a veil in On the Origin of the World.

 

lightning-flash-on-tree

 

All of these concepts are also reflected in Origen’s Contra Celsum (6, 33) in which he states that that on the diameter of one of the circles a sword of fire was depicted, the same one that had driven Adam and Eve from the earthly Paradise. This flaming sword guarded the Tree of knowledge (gnosis) and of life (zoe). If the sword was above the black line of Tartarus, then the tree of knowledge and of life has to be the series of circles starting from Gnosis and Sophia and leading through the circle of Life to the Father. This could be similar to the Kabbalistic number of 777 being the sum the paths that the Lightening Path of Creation travels down through the Tree of Life. It is through this channel that the Luciferian motif of bringing the light of heaven to the World of Action becomes apparent.

 

In Contra Celsum, Origen reports Celsus’ comments on the Christians (the Ophite-Sethian Gnostics in reality), who called their baptismal rite “seal” (recalling the Five Seals of the Sethians); the person who placed the seal was called “father”; the one who received it was called “son” and “young man”, answering: “I am anointed with the white chrism of the tree of life”. Celsus further down describes the Christian belief of “tree of life” being both synonymous with Christ and the resurrection in 6:34:

 

And in all their writings (is mention made) of the ‘tree of life’ (τό της ζωης ξύλον), and a resurrection of the flesh by means of the ‘tree’ (από ξύλου), because, I imagine, their teacher was nailed to a cross (σταυρω ένηλώθη), and was a carpenter by craft (τέκτων τήν τεχνην)…

 

Celsus connects a so-called “tree of life,” and a resurrection by means of the “tree,” to Jesus’ execution: that he was nailed to an execution pole and his trade being carpenter, joiner. The relevant point Celsus is making here is that Jesus was suspended on some kind of pole, and secured to it with nails. Clearly, the parallels between the Ophite diagram and the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, with the circles shown to have numerical values, are there.

 

The Trimorphic Protennoia and the hermetic Discourse on Eighth and Ninth in the Nag Hammadi library pre-suppose numerical values for the manifestations of God, as does the system of Valentinus as described by his enemy, Irenaeus, which envisioned the theoretical attainment of 10 divine Aeons. He also develops a system consisting of about thirty Aeons, which would suggest that he had taken the simpler Ophite system and expanded it until it was almost uncontrollable. Even more interesting is in the Sethian text, Melchizedek, it portrays Adam and Eve defeating the guardians of the Tree of Life with their own weapon!

 

For when they ate of the tree of knowledge, they trampled the Cherubim and the Seraphim with the flaming sword.

 

Fludd Sephirothic Tree web

 

The Sephirothic Tree by Robert Fludd

 

The Qabalah or Kabbalah itself has many similarities with Gnosticism in their closely related teachings of the hidden God and hypostatization of God’s attributes. The Sephirot (or Enumerations, which also means “book” in Hebrew) are the ten emanations of God (or infinite light: Ein Sof Aur) into the universe. These emanations manifest not only in the physical part of the universe, but also in the metaphysical one. Kabbalah distinguish four different worlds or planes: Atziluth, or World of Emanations, where the Divine Archetypes live; Beri’ah or World of Creations, where Highest Ranking Angels are; Yetzirah or World of Formations is the astral world; and Asiyah or World of Actions, is the physical plane and “low astral” plane. Each of these worlds are progressively grosser and denser (one can see the strong Kabbalistic influence on Neo-Platonic thought here as well), but the ten Sephiroth manifest in all of them.

 

The Kabbalah is rooted in the Merkavah and Assyrian traditions, and the Kabbalah defines Sefirot is also based on the great visions described by Ezekiel. The Sephiroth constitutes the “Tree of Life”, and is aligned in three columns, each headed by a Supernal. The names of the Sephirot are: Kether (Crown), Chochman (Wisdom), Binah (Understanding), Chesed (Mercy), Gevurah (Severity), Tiphareth (Redeemer), Netzach (Victory), Hod (Majesty), Yesod (Foundation), Malkhuth (Kingdom). Some clear Christian and Gnostic associations on the Tree of Life is down the middle path, with Keter relating to the Father, which emanates into Tipharet relating to the Holy Ghost, and Christ as the Solar Logos and Savior, which emanates to Yesod, relating to the Son. This being the path by which God emanates into Malkut, the physical world

 

The Manichean Psalm CCXX illustrates the theme of matter receiving the spiritual Light rather well by using Tree imagery:

 

They rose, that they belong to Matter, the children of Error, desiring to uproot thy unshakable tree and plant it in their land. Matter and her sons divided me up amongst them, they burnt me in their fire, they gave me a bitter likeness.” … “I am the sweet water that is beneath the sons of Matter.

 

SophiaInTree

 

Alchemical image of the Divine Sophia as a Tree of Learning and source of the Elixir of Life.

 

In Jewish Wisdom literature, it was Khokhmah who personified the female Divine. She is understood as an emanation of God, yet she resonates with the Hebrew Goddess who is otherwise assailed in the Old Testament, by Jehovah especially Asherah, the Queen of Heaven. Proverbs 3:18 calls up an image of Khokhmah that originates in the oldest core of Jewish culture: “She is a Tree of Life to all who lay hold of her.” In the same book, Khokhmah sings, “The one who finds me, finds life.” A similar aretalogy can be found in the Sethian text, Thunder-Perfect Mind. The creation story of the 2nd, Century Gnostic, Valentinus of Alexandria, the greatest of Sophia’s devotees, describes the origin and essence of the matter composing this world as emotionally and psychically consubstantial with Sophia as indicated by Irenaeus in Against Heresies, 5, 4:

 

This mother they also call Ogdoad, Sophia, Terra (Gaia), Jerusalem (cf. Gal. 4:26), Holy Spirit, and, with a masculine reference, Lord. Their mother dwells in that place which is above the heavens, that is, in the intermediate abode; the Demiurge in the heavenly place, that is, in the hebdomad; but the Cosmocrator in this our world. The corporeal elements of the world, again, sprang, as we before remarked, from bewilderment and perplexity, as from a more ignoble source. Thus the earth arose from her state of stupor; water from the agitation caused by her fear; air from the consolidation of her grief; while fire, producing death and corruption, was inherent in all these elements, even as they teach that ignorance also lay concealed in these three passions.

 

Furthermore, she knows:

 

the beginning and end and middle of times, the alternations of the solstices and the changes of the seasons, the cycles of the year and the constellations of the stars, the nature of animals and the tempers of wild animals, the powers of spirits and the thoughts of human beings, the varieties of plants and the virtues of roots… (Wisdom 7:15-22)

 

The imagery of the tree is also included in Simon Magus’s cosmology, as reported by Hippolytus of Rome, is a powerful model that describing some rare concepts that Simononians in the early third century work described in the Philosophumena, as the “Great Declaration” or “Great Announcement”. Simon very much describes a tree of fire that consumes itself. This is a third century Simonian document, positing that the root of all existence is infinite, and abides in man, who serves as its dwelling-house. The Logos or the Word is projected down by the luciferian Lightening Flash through the Aeons and into the manifest world and man. From the original root, the hidden principle, spring three pairs of manifestations of: Mind and Thought, Voice and Name, Reasoning and Reflection.

 

The Father is, moreover, “He that hath stood” in relation to premundane existence; “He that standeth” in relation to present being; and “He that shall stand” in relation to the final consummation. Man is simply the realization of “boundless power,” the ultimate end of the cosmic process in which the godhead attains self-consciousness. This infinite power works in all of the aeons as a compound name: He who stands, has stood, and will stand; a term alluded to in the Clementine Homilies and Recognition’s which say, that Simon Magus considered himself as the “Standing One” along with the “that power of God which is called Great”.

 

The Simonian author employs very Stoic language in describing what is hidden and revealed in the divine Fire, the original Boundless Power that is the stuff that the original Ineffable God is made of—the equivalent of the Qabalistic Ein Sof or Kether—the Crown. In this above entry (linked above) by Hippolytus, he refers to Simon’s theology of the “fruit from the Tree” as being the quintessential product of the human incarnation. The tripartite division of spirit, psyche and matter are simply manifest expressions of the original Stoic-like Divine Fire. This concealed fruit or “Hidden Power” which is another term that he used, requires a key in the conscious process of imagining or beholding a power to form mental images.

 

The Simonian author interestingly uses the term “imagining” as a reference of becoming divinized or be initiated into the mysteries. But this can only be manifested “if its imagining has been perfected and it takes the shape of itself.” Later, the text mentions a “storehouse” which is a room, located adjacent to a royal chamber within a palace where the gold, jewels and other wealth are stored. Here, the Simonian author is referring to the treasure-house and the storehouse, both concepts that are found within the Pistis Sophia that refer to a location within the “House of Many Mansions” of John 14:2.

 

Simon Magus also appealed to Matthew 12:33, as Hippolytus writes in Refutations of All Heresies VI, 11:

 

If, however, a tree continues alone, not producing fruit fully formed, it is utterly destroyed. For somewhere near, he says, is the axe (which is laid) at the roots of the tree. Every tree, he says, which does not produce good fruit, is hewn down and cast into fire.

 

This, of course, was also Marcion’s (and much later in Mani’s theological two principle system) main scriptural justification for his radical dualism in Christ’s maxim that a good tree does not bear evil fruit, nor does an evil tree bear bad fruit. So if we also interpret that in terms of origins, then the evil god could not possibly have originated from the good god, because good things do not produce evil things, and vice versa. The Gospel of Thomas says something very similar:

 

(45) Jesus said, “Grapes are not harvested from thorns, nor are figs gathered from thistles, for they do not produce fruit. A good man brings forth good from his storehouse; an evil man brings forth evil things from his evil storehouse, which is in his heart, and says evil things. For out of the abundance of the heart he brings forth evil things.”

 

The fact is Simon had a similar doctrine that condemned false religion and predicted a final dissolution of the cosmos, presumably dissolved in fire, so that Simon’s elect can be redeemed, viz. the Great Announcement; Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies, 6:14; Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 1.23.3.

 

These words from Simon and John resonate with a key saying of Jesus in Matthew 7:17-20,

 

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

 

This was a key saying used by the Gnostics and Marcionites. Could it be that this metaphor originated from John the Baptist, from whom Simon also learned this same metaphor?

 

Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, that you have Abraham for your father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” (Cf. John 8:39, 44; 1:17-18)

 

4D6E857E98

 

In the text On the Origin of the World, it states that the tree of life and the tree of gnosis are situated “to the north of Paradise” and is identified as Epinoia. The Greek name Epinoia carries the meaning of “understanding” or “thought” or “purpose”. She is sent to dwell within Adam, her role being to give him consciousness of his divine origins and the way to return to the Pleroma. The author of On the Origin of the World makes a positive evaluation of the Garden of Eden:

 

And the tree of eternal life is as it appeared by God’s will, to the north of Paradise, so that it might make eternal the souls of the pure, who shall come forth from the modelled forms of poverty at the consummation of the age. Now the color of the tree of life is like the sun. And its branches are beautiful. Its leaves are like those of the cypress. Its fruit is like a bunch of grapes when it is white. Its height goes as far as heaven. And next to it (is) the tree of knowledge (gnosis), having the strength of God. Its glory is like the moon when fully radiant. And its branches are beautiful. Its leaves are like fig leaves. Its fruit is like a good appetizing date. And this tree is to the north of Paradise, so that it might arouse the souls from the torpor of the demons, in order that they might approach the tree of life and eat of its fruit, and so condemn the authorities and their angels.

 

This depiction is in stark contrast with how the the Apocryphon of John depicts Eden as more of a zoo-like prison of the authorities:

 

And the archons took him and placed him in paradise. And they said to him, ‘Eat, that is at leisure,’ for their luxury is bitter and their beauty is depraved. And their luxury is deception and their trees are godlessness and their fruit is deadly poison and their promise is death. And the tree of their life they had placed in the midst of paradise.

 

The Apocalypse of Moses is primarily an account about Adam’s death, its cause and cure. Seth is procured along with Adam’s many other children which leads Adam to recount briefly the story of the temptation, the fall, and the the first parents’ punishment in chapters 7-8. Adam’s narrative explains the reason for his present plight. Adam then subsequently sends his wife Eve and son Seth to paradise in search of the oil of mercy that will bring him relief. (9:3) On the way to the garden, Seth is attacked by a beast (in chapters 10-12) which seems to be evidence that God’s curse in Genesis 3:15 is in effect. Adam’s request to be saved is subsequently denied.

 

(The oil of Mercy) will not be yours now, but at the ends of the times. Then will arise all flesh from Adam to the great day …. , and then all the joy of paradise will be given to them. … (13:2-4)

 

Adam knows he is going to die and later on in Chapters 22-29, God appears in paradise on his chariot while accompanied by his angels. His throne is fixed, and he indicts and sentences his creatures from the consequences of the fall being spelled out in detail in chapters 24-26. Adam seeks the oil of mercy but God commands the angels to get on with the expulsion (27:4-28:1). Again Adam pleads, this time for access to the Tree of Life (28:2). God’s response to Adam’s plea is met with a reproof:

 

You shall not take from it now … if you keep yourself from all evil, as one about to die, when again the resurrection comes to pass, I shall raise you up. And then there shall be given to you from the tree of life. (28:3-4)

 

Another time, Adam pleads with God for herbs from Eden to offer incense and seeds to grow food. God is kind enough to grant this request before Adam and Eve are kicked out from the garden in Chapter 29. The text concludes on a solemn yet promising note which expands on Genesis 3:19:

 

I told you that you are dust, and to dust you will return. Again I promise you the resurrection. I shall raise you up to the last day, in the resurrection, with every man who is of your seed. (41:2-3)

 

In the concluding portion of the book, it describes Eve’s death and her burial by Seth, who is commanded to bury in this fashion everyone who dies until the day of the resurrection. These ideas are also reflected in the apocryphal the Book of the Cave of Treasures, where the dying Adam assembles his sons, including Seth for a request to embalm him with myrrh, cassia and balsam and to leave his body in the Cave of Treasures, situated at a side of a high mountain but below paradise.

 

Seth himself was also considered to be the archetypal father and savior of the Gnostics, resulting from the Jewish exegesis and combination of various biblical themes: (1) that of “the sons of God” in Gen 6:4 (LXX), (2) that of Seth as “another seed” appointed by God in place of the slain Abel in Gen 4:25, who (3) was fathered by Adam as a son in his own likeness and image according to Gen 5:3.

 

These themes, in combination with Gen 1:26, concerning the god “Man” created in the image and likeness of God, implied the divine nature of Seth, the “planter” of the heavenly seed (Gen 4:25). Seth would recover from “the great aeons” the glory that had left Adam and Eve at their Fall, caused by the Ialdabaoth. Seth would preserve his seed against the repeated attempts of Ialdabaoth to steal it by keeping it separate from the lustful seed of Cain which came from the Archons. At the end of time, Seth (or Sophia in On the Origin of the World) would destroy Ialdabaoth and his followers in a Revelations-styled apocalypse and reinstate his seed, the part of mankind untainted by lust, into its original glory. The strongest instant that we see Seth as a Gnostic Savior is in the Apocalypse of Adam, where Adam tells his son Seth:

 

And the glory in our hearts left us, me and your mother Eve, along with the first knowledge that breathed within us.

 

Later, Adam called his son “by the name of that man who is the seed of the great generation as a planter of the righteous seed”, recalling 1 Corinthians 15: 35-49 by Paul the Apostle, who compared the resurrection to a seed. Paul states that when a plant sprouts forth from the seed, and the remnants of the seed whither away. The plant came from the seed, but the plant isn’t the seed, and the seed isn’t the plant. They’re two distinct things, and the plant doesn’t come to life until the seed dies. So what Paul is saying is that spirit is deposited as a seed in the body, and it remains a seed until the body dies and decomposes. Then the spirit sprouts forth from the body, and the body is transmuted into a spiritual body, which also recalls the Parable of the Sower in Matthew, Mark and Thomas. It isn’t reanimation of a corpse at all as Catholic Church Fathers such as Irenaeus and especially Tertullian, have maintained (Against Heresies, 5.12.1, De Resurrectione Carnis). Paul’s theology concerning the spiritual resurrection isn’t so far removed from the ideas expressed in the Great Announcement:

 

…the manifested side corresponds to the trunk, limbs, leaves, and encasing bark. All these members of the tree are set ablaze from the all-consuming flame of the fire and destroyed. But as for the fruit of the tree, if it’s for is perfect and it assumes the true shape, it is gathered into the storehouse, not thrown into the fire.

 

Here, the vegetation and tree motifs are evident. Returning to the Gnostics—is it from Seth’s descendants who would possess the Gnosis. The Apocryphon of John suggests that Sophia prepared a place for the souls in heaven, where Jesus, the incarnation of the aeon Christ would disclose the true knowledge of how to return to their true home in with the Spirit (in Pleroma), where they would ascend past the rulers (archons) and their astral spheres and be healed of all deficiency and become holy and faultless. To gain these higher realms, one must ascend above the Seven Heavens of Chaos into the Aeons as stated in the Gospel of the Egyptians:

 

Then there came forth from the great aeons four hundred ethereal angels, accompanied by the great Aerosiel and the great Selmechel, to guard the great, incorruptible race, its fruit, and the great men of the great Seth, from the time and the moment of Truth and Justice, until the consummation of the aeon and its archons, those whom the great judges have condemned to death.

 

The Apocryphon of John spells it out in a more concise manner:

 

And he placed seven kings – each corresponding to the firmaments of heaven – over the seven heavens, and five over the depth of the abyss, that they may reign. And he shared his fire with them, but he did not send forth from the power of the light which he had taken from his mother, for he is ignorant darkness.

 

Origen, despite being one of the Church Fathers (and theological enemies of the Gnostics), he actually had a doctrine very much influenced by Platonism (but stood firmly against groups like the Valentinians and Marcionites). Origen also did not accept the historicity of the Bible nor did he interpret it literally. One example of this can be taken from De Prinicipiis, 4.1.16, where he discusses the Genesis creation myth more as an allegory:

 

No one, I think, can doubt that the statement that God walked in the afternoon in paradise, and that Adam lay hid under a tree is related figuratively in Scripture, that some mystical meaning may be indicated by it.” And “those who are not altogether blind can collect countless instances of a similar kind recorded as having occurred, but which did not literally take place? Nay, the Gospels themselves are filled with the same kind of narratives; for example, the devil leading Jesus up into a high mountain, in order to show him from thence the kingdoms of the whole world, and the glory of them.

 

Likewise, the Valentinians viewed scripture as allegorical on three different levels that corresponded to the three natures. The earlier Gnostics viewed the Old Testament as a symbolic record of the struggle between Yaldabaoth-Jehovah and Sophia as testified in Irenaeus’ account in Against Heresies, VII, 3:

 

They maintain, moreover, that those souls which possess the seed of Achamoth are superior to the rest, and are more dearly loved by the Demiurge than others, while he knows not the true cause thereof, but imagines that they are what they are through his favour towards them. Wherefore, also, they say he distributed them to prophets, priests, and kings; and they declare that many things were spoken (7) by this seed through the prophets, inasmuch as it was endowed with a transcendently lofty nature. Themother also, they say, spake much about things above, and that both through him and through the souls which were formed by him. Then, again, they divide the prophecies [into different classes], maintaining that one portion was uttered by the mother, a second by her seed, and a third by the Demiurge. In like manner, they hold that Jesus uttered some things under the influence of the Saviour, others under that of the mother, and others still under that of the Demiurge, as we shall show further on in our work.

 

As we can see, the Tree was an important universal symbol for not only the Gnostics, Simonians, Valentinians, etc, but to groups like the Jewish-Kabbalists, alchemists and many occult groups throughout the ages. The Tree is highly associative with the idea of the descent and crucifixion (and eventual ascent and resurrection) of spirit into and from matter as seen in Sophia-Achamoth’s fall from the celestial world and into the prima materia which parallels the Genesis account of the fall of Eve, the “mother of the living”. In Plato’s Timaeus, do we find the account of the Fall of Atlantis, (as strange as it might sound) which could be read as symbolic of the Divine tragedy and catastrophe so predominant in Gnostic cosmology and theology.

 

In Part 4, we will investigate a possible Gnostic exegesis of the Atlantis myth and other Greek tales, the Gnostic science of human physiology and the mind relating to Genesis, where and how exactly Orthodox theology developed from and ultimately became victorious as a common religious Christian doctrine, along with some concluding final thoughts on this series.

 

theaeoneye.com/2013/05/14/forbidden-fruit-in-the-midst-of...

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The Museum of Tomorrow (Portuguese: Museu do Amanhã) is a science museum in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was designed by Spanish neofuturistic architect Santiago Calatrava, and built next to the waterfront at Pier Maua. Its construction was supported by the Roberto Marinho Foundation

The building attempts to set new standards of sustainability in the municipality. Compared with conventional buildings, designers say it uses 40% less energy (including the 9% of its power it derives from the sun), and the cooling system taps deep water from nearby Guanabara Bay. The structure looks set to be one of Rio’s most famous tourist sights. Its solar spines and fan-like skylight have been designed so that the building can adapt to changing environmental conditions.

 

The museum has partnerships with Brazil’s leading universities, global science institutions and collects real-time data on climate and population from space agencies and the United Nations. It has also hired consultants from a range of related fields, including astronauts, social scientists and climate experts. It sits waterside in a port area that was left abandoned for decades, and is now being renovated with new office blocks, apartments and restaurants. The museum is part of the city's port area renewal for the 2016 Summer Olympics. (wikipedia)

 

Watch a video of Tomorrow Museum by clicking HERE

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There are 205 days until the Olympics Rio 2016

Faltam 205 dias para a Rio 2016

  

Foto: Museu do Amanhã - Praça Mauá - Rio de Janeiro

 

Conforme a Lei 9.610/98, é proibida a reprodução total ou parcial ou divulgação comercial ou não sem a autorização prévia e expressa do autor (artigo 29). ® Todos os direitos reservados.

 

According to Law 9.610/98, it is prohibited the partial or total commercial reproduction without the previous written authorization of the author (article 29). ® All rights are reserved.

LADY COMPARE WEARING A BRIGHT SUMMER DRESS MAKING ANNOUNCEMENT'S ABOUT THE PERFORMERS IN THE ARENA AT A MUSIC FESTIVAL IN AN EAST LONDON BOROUGH PARK VENUE ENGLAND DSCN1886

Comparing wide open versus stopped down with a Super-Takumar 85mm f1.9.

compare the Dutch painter PIET BREUGHEL / Pieter Breughel the younger: "WINTER"

www.globalgallery.com/enlarge/028-39245/ no shadow or sunlight - like Breughel chose: EXIF data at www.flickr.com/photos/frizztext/3198031551/meta/ = 0.02 sec = 1/50. / beginning dark, clouds, time 17:23

Lignano lungomare Kechler

In the Medina. Marrakech

 

Wandering around with my X-Pro 2 and 27mm pancake lens trying to be inconspicuous. Then again a 6ft+ Northern European is never going to just merge with the locals....

Hasselblad with Zeiss Distagon 40mm f4, compared to Lomo LCA-120 (38mm f4.5)

 

I love my Hassy and wide 40mm and I will never give it up, but boy it's a heavy package. I just wanted to see how different the little plastic LCA-120 was in comparison.

 

It's hard to know what settings the LCA uses, it's an automatic point and shoot with distance scale focussing. The Hassy was set to sunny f16, 1/125 in both shots. In hindsight I should have used 1/250 as the bright white reflections were extreme. The LCA has some background blur in the dragon shot so I am not entirely sure what f stop it was using. I would have thought it would pick f16, but maybe the LCA prioritises a fast shutter and opened up the aperture a little.

 

I am surprised how sharp the little 5 element glass lens is on the Lomo, it's pretty darn close to the Distagon. I am also surprised there appears no difference in distortion between the two lenses, I guess if I shot a brick wall it might be a different story. The one major difference is the pretty massive vignette the Lomo gets, it's even more noticeable with colour film. Anyway I'm glad I did this test, the Lomo is the perfect bike riding 120 camera.

 

Both rolls developed in the same tank, rodinal stand, I admit there is a bit of uneven development here with the bright sky. I used a tripod for both shots, the parallax on the Lomo viewfinder messed me up a little for the close dragon shot.

My Daughter and youngest Son having a 'welly' discussion on the beach.February, 2016.

Look at the salonchairs and compare them to the one I have here at home ( in fact I am sitting in it right now )

 

My pink ladiessalonchair .. from an other angle

 

What do you think of that all? Please comment , thanks

(per gentile concessione di due cari amici)

I was chuffed to see the swans I photographed last year have had another successful brood .. 8 little cygnets, all fit and well !!

 

More below ...

Two young spotters on a BRUTE at Crewe, 2 September 1974

 

Fujica ST701/135mm

Ilford FP4

North Etna - "Monte Nero" from the eruptive fissure of the 2002 eruption.

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|| View On Black || || Music: Nothing compares to you ...||

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2011 Parks, 2011 10-Pack, 2011 Classic and 2012 Classic Tiana 12'' Dolls compared.

 

Ranking by feature:

 

Face:

 

Hair:

 

Outfits:

 

Shoes:

 

Articulation:

 

Overall Ranking:

 

Comparing various versions of the Disney Princess 12'' poseable dolls, from the years 2011 through 2012. They are all from my collection, and for each of the 10 Disney Princesses, the different models are posed side by side in group photos. They are viewed from the front, the back and with their skirts lifted to show their legs and shoes or feet (for those with skirts). I also include short reviews of the dolls.

 

The models shown are:

 

2011 Disney Parks Collection Princess Dolls (Pocahontas and Mulan not included). $18.95

2011 Disney Store Classic Film Collection Princess Dolls - 10 Doll Set for $99.50

2011 Disney Store Classic Princess Dolls - $12.50

2012 Disney Store Classic Princess Dolls - $14.50

 

The 10 Disney Princesses and their movies are:

 

Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937)

Cinderella (Cinderella, 1950)

Aurora (Sleeping Beauty, 1959)

Ariel (The Little Mermaid, 1989)

Belle (Beauty and the Beast, 1991)

Jasmine (Aladdin, 1992)

Pocahontas (Pocahontas, 1995)

Mulan (Mulan, 1998)

Tiana (The Princess and the Frog, 2009)

Rapunzel (Tangled, 2010)

 

Taken this wid full framed... but my Oly can do this :)

Sent from Samsung Mobile

compare my daily wordpress blog flickrcomments.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/cupboard/ - a friend walked through our apartment and shot series of interior ideas, which maybe are a sort of clothing, dressing our souls, maybe a museum of personal history, result of shopping robberies ... - note added: me (the cat) and my wife (the bear)

Part remembering Tanzania, part dealing with differences.

 

So what if it is the same post as the goat below.

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