View allAll Photos Tagged costliest
...and the Sun will Rise.
– Victor Hugo
Chattanooga Tennessee
The Second Battle of Chattanooga was a battle in the American Civil War, beginning on August 21, 1863, as the opening battle in the Chickamauga Campaign.
With 16,170 Union and 18,454 Confederate casualties in the three days of fighting, the Battle of Chickamauga was the second costliest battle of the Civil War, ranking only behind Gettysburg.
(Nikon Z6, 14-30/f4.0 @ 14 mm, 1/500 @ f/4.0, ISO 100, edited to taste)
The Battle for Chattanooga Tennessee
The Second Battle of Chattanooga was a battle in the American Civil War, beginning on August 21, 1863, as the opening battle in the Chickamauga Campaign.
With 16,170 Union and 18,454 Confederate casualties in the three days of fighting, the Battle of Chickamauga was the second costliest battle of the Civil War, ranking only behind Gettysburg.
Still on the road. Back Soon 😅
iPhone 13
Almost a year ago I made a tour through Japan and was there also during the typhoon 'Hagibis'. Fortunately we were in an area where it was fairly calm, although a lot of rain and wind, but that caused little damage there, unlike the east coast of Japan.
We had to leave in the middle of the night to reach our next destination. It was the very last bus that went before everything was shut down because of the typhoon.
More information from WiKi:
""Typhoon Hagibis, also known as the Reiwa 1 East Japan Typhoon (令和元年東日本台風, Reiwa Gannen Higashi-Nihon Taifū), was an extremely violent and large tropical cyclone that caused widespread destruction across its path, starting from October 6, 2019, up until October 13, 2019.
The 38th depression, 9th typhoon and 3rd super typhoon of the 2019 Pacific typhoon season, it was the strongest typhoon in decades to strike mainland Japan, and one of the largest typhoons ever recorded at a peak diameter of 825 nautical miles (950 mi; 1529 km).
It was also the costliest Pacific typhoon on record, surpassing Typhoon Mireille's record by more than US$15 billion (when not adjusted for inflation).
In addition, Hagibis was also the deadliest typhoon to hit Japan since Typhoon Tip in 1979. Its death toll is marginally higher than that of Typhoon Bess in 1982 and Typhoon Tokage in 2004.""
This image is of a 7 meter sandstone tower that was formed by nature, over perhaps thousands of years. The structure was called the "Teacup" and was tucked away on the north shore of Prince Edward Island. It was a popular spot for Instagrammers but also for nature lovers and only accessible after a short hike along the beach. I took this picture in Sept 2019 about 1 week after Hurricane Dorian ravaged PEI.
In Sept 2022, Hurricane Fiona hit the Canadian Maritime provinces and the Teapot is now gone forever. Also these red sandstone "cliffs" that frame the teapot in this image are gone forever. All that remains is flat sheet of sandstone on this edge of the North Atlantic to define the shoreline. All of the rubble was carried out to the ocean.
WIKIPEDIA - "Fiona is the deepest low-pressure system ever to be recorded on Canadian soil, with a pressure of 932.6 millibars.[94]
Teacup Rock, a rock formation and local tourist attraction on the coast near Thunder Cove, Prince Edward Island, was destroyed after Hurricane Fiona struck. Fiona also caused severe erosion to the province's dune system, particularly within Prince Edward Island National Park
Insured losses from Fiona in Canada are estimated to be between $300 and 700 million USD, which would make it the costliest hurricane in Canadian history."
A view of the Philip Ryan Building (left) and Elder Building (right) on the west side of the 400 block of N. Main St. in downtown Bloomington.
The Philip Ryan Building at 414 N. Main St. was constructed in 1887. The building was constructed for J.H. Bryant for $8,000 to house Philip Ryan Hardware and Store. The three-story masonry structure is a Victorian Romanesque design. Sadly, the name of the architect who designed t has sadly been lost to history. A restaurant by the name of Reality Bites now occupies the first floor.
Next to the Philip Ryan Building is the Elder Building at 416 N. Main St. Designed by Bloomington architect George H. Miller for Dr. W.A. Elder, the Elder Building is a three-story masonry structure deigned in Victorian Romanesque style. Upon its completion in 1884, the Elder building is said to have been the costliest store building that had been built up to that time in Bloomington. The Elder Building is now home to The Dapper Pet, a pet boutique and spa.
Both buildings are contributing architectural properties in the Bloomington Central Business District. The district was listed in 1985 on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and includes roughly twelve square blocks of the city and encompasses 140 buildings, 118 of which are contributing buildings to the district's historic character.
Bloomington is the seat of McLean County. It is adjacent to Normal, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area. Bloomington is 135 miles (217 km) southwest of Chicago, and 162 miles (261 km) northeast of St. Louis. The estimated population of Bloomington in 2019 was 77,330, with a metro population of 191,067.
Thanks to my Flickr friends who reached out when I stopped posting a couple of weeks ago. No problems, just needed a break.
I am in Oklahoma City this week. I took some time this afternoon to visit the memorial for the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995. Until 9-11 it was the costliest terrorist event on US soil.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing
I am still trying to get my thoughts together about it. I will post more on this later.
With two C&NW units and one UP, a westbound coal train rolls out of the tunnels at Thistle. These tunnels were built in 1983 after the "famous" Thistle Landslide wiped out the original railroad alignment through this area. Technically this would have been Thistle, Utah before the tunnels, but the landslide took out almost the entire town, so that town doesn't exist anymore except for a few ghost town type buildings that still stand. At one time the town was a junction as well as a helper base for trains that needed pushing over Soldier Summit. For whatever it's worth, government officials said it is the costliest landslide destruction in U.S. history.
Verdun was the site of a major battle, and the longest-lasting, of the First World War. One of the costliest battles in military history, Verdun exemplified the policy of a "war of attrition" pursued by both sides, which led to an enormous loss of life and very large casualty lists.
There are many French and German cemeteries throughout the battlefield. The largest is the French National Cemetery and Douaumont Ossuary near Fort Douaumont. Thirteen thousand crosses adorn the field in front of the ossuary, which holds roughly 130,000 unidentified remains brought in from the battlefield. Every year yields more remains, which are often placed inside the ossuary's vaults.
“Katrina” digital collage with AI, 2022. As a result of climate change hurricane Katrina (a category 5 status storm with peak sustained winds of 175mph) was the deadliest and costliest on record. An estimated 1,833 people died in the hurricane and the flooding that followed. Millions of people were left homeless along the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina caused approximately $161 billion in damage.
Early Morning, high fog image of the previous evening shot, this time of the whole car. The remarkable1934 Hispano Suiza J-12 Coupe de Ville was designed by 'Dutch' Darrin of later fame in the US (Darrin Packards & the unique Kaiser Darrin) of Fernandez et Darrin for Anthony Gustav de Rothchild of the British Banking arm of that amazing family. Interesting combination of extreme privacy, in a very public display of mid-depression open 'look at me' conspicuous wealth, and in fact NO expenses were spared on this huge example of rolling art. When you don't want to actually see the Hoi Paloi, as you are transported to the opera.....
Hispano-Suiza (Spanish for 'Spanish-Swiss') is a Spanish automotive–engineering company. It was founded in 1904 as an automobile manufacturer and eventually had several factories in Spain and France that produced luxury cars, aircraft engines, trucks and weapons. In 1898, a Spanish artillery captain, Emilio de la Cuadra, started electric automobile production in Barcelona under the name of La Cuadra. In Paris, Emilio de la Cuadra met the Swiss engineer Marc Birkigt and hired him to work for the company in Spain, thus the name Spanish-Swiss. Birkigt proved to be an engineering genius, and Hispano-Suizas were known for their advanced, reliable and powerful engines clear through both world wars, both in Cars, Trucks and Planes.
France was soon proving to be a larger market for Hispano-Suiza's luxury cars than Spain. In 1911, an assembly factory called Hispano France began operating in the Paris suburb of Levallois-Perret. Production was moved to larger factories at Bois-Colombes, under the name Hispano-Suiza in 1914 and soon became Hispano-Suiza's main plant for producing the largest, most costly models. It is ironic that the costliest, most luxurious French car......was named Spanish-Swiss.
AS ALWAYS....COMMENTS & INVITATIONS with AWARD BANNERS will be respectfully DELETED!
"Hurricane Irma hit Florida as a Category 4 storm the morning of Sept. 10, 2017, ripping off roofs, flooding coastal cities, and knocking out power to more than 6.8 million people. By Sept. 11, Irma weakened significantly to a tropical storm as it powered north toward Georgia and Alabama. At 11 p.m. later that day, it weakened further to a tropical depression, and by Sept. 13, it had dissipated over western Tennessee.
Irma is the fifth-costliest hurricane to hit the mainland United States, causing an estimated $50 billion in damage, according to the National Hurricane Center." www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/2017-hur...
This is an internet photo' I did not take it.
Neighbors with boats are using their personal boats to rescue Friendswood Health Care Center residents near FM 2351 and FM 518. Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Friendswood.,,Texas
"This disaster is going to be a landmark event." That's how the head of FEMA describes the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. "This is a storm that the United States has not seen yet," he adds.
This morning, a local official called the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey "an 800-year event." The National Weather Service describes the damage as "unprecedented" and "beyond anything experienced." According to the Insurance Information Institute, flood damage may equal that of Hurricane Katrina, the costliest natural disaster in United States history.
So, finally the lavender panorama that I wanted so badly for so long. I moved mountains to take this image and I was very pleased that the Gods presented me with this stunning display of colour as a reward.
This particular lavender farm, and probably the only lavender farm - Bridestowe Farm, in Australia is in a farm east of Launceston, a quaint little town in Tasmania. Tasmania is a 1.5 hour flight time away from Sydney and it is a beautiful little island off the coast of South East Australia.
After a very brash decision to travel (a crude reminder for the old adage haste makes waste), a trip worth remembering, and after meeting some fantastic people who made my trip successful, I was able to take home some good shots of the farm.
This is a pano of nine images. The sunrise was predicted to be beautiful and it sure was. They had already started to harvest the farms so there was this spot that was left for us photographers :D. Hope you like it. This is probably one of my costliest shots so far, in terms of the money I have spent only to get this (it's worth every penny though!).
Here is 'Bridestowe'...
The Roosevelt New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a 504-room hotel owned by Dimension Development and managed by Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts. The hotel was originally built by Louis Grunewald, a German immigrant, and opened in 1893 as "The Hotel Grunewald."
The Fairmont was known for the Sazerac Bar and the Sazerac Room for the finest dining (see also Peychaud's Bitters). Another restaurant in the Fairmont—"Bailey's"—was for decades known as one of the few places open all odd hours of the night and early morning serving food significantly better than cheap diners or bar food. The main lobby area was elaborately decorated each Christmas season, and many locals made visiting the Christmas display at "the Roosevelt" part of their yearly holiday tradition
Hurricane Katrina was the costliest natural disaster and one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States.
Remnants of Hurricane Ike, the costliest hurricane in Texas history 2008. This picture was taken at Clear Lake Area Park, Texas.
On my walk around the 'Ghostlands' as they are now being called. This area very badly affected by Liquefaction in the earthquakes and now the land is unable to be rebuilt on again. The house's have been abandoned. Some people are holding on but will need to move soon as they are going to start and pull them all down
Avonside, Christchurch January 14, 2012.
The February 2011 Christchurch earthquake was a magnitude 6.3 (ML) earthquake that struck the Canterbury region in New Zealand's South Island at 12:51 pm on Tuesday, 22 February 2011 local time (23:51 21 February UTC). The earthquake was centred 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of the town of Lyttelton, and 10 kilometres (6 mi) south-east of the centre of Christchurch, New Zealand's second-most populous city. It followed nearly six months after the magnitude 7.1 Canterbury earthquake of 4 September 2010, which caused significant damage to Christchurch and the central Canterbury region, but no direct fatalities.
The earthquake caused widespread damage across Christchurch, especially in the central city and eastern suburbs, with damage exacerbated by buildings and infrastructure already being weakened by the 4 September 2010 earthquake and its aftershocks. Significant liquefaction affected the eastern suburbs, producing around 400,000 tonnes of silt. The earthquake was reported to be felt across the South Island and the lower and central North Island.
In total, 182 people were killed in the earthquake, making the earthquake the second-deadliest natural disaster recorded in New Zealand (after the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake), and fourth-deadliest disaster of any kind recorded in New Zealand, with nationals from more than 20 countries among the victims. Over half of the deaths occurred in the six-storey Canterbury Television (CTV) Building, which collapsed and caught fire in the quake. The government declared a state of national emergency, which stayed in force until 30 April 2011.
It has been estimated that the total cost of rebuilding to insurers to be around NZ$20–30 billion, making it by far New Zealand's costliest natural disaster, and the third-costliest earthquake (nominally) worldwide.
The earthquake has been the most damaging in a year-long earthquake swarm affecting the Christchurch area. It has been followed by a large aftershock on 13 June (which caused considerable additional damage) and a series of large shocks on 23 December 2011.
When the Duesenberg Model J debuted at the New York Auto Show in late 1928, reviving the company name, it was the fastest and costliest American automobile on the market. With an $8,500 chassis—about $118,600 today—and an inline-8 based on the company’s prizewinning racecars, the 265 hp “Duesy” was built to compete with European luxury marques like Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce, and it won the attention of big shots and starlets alike, from William Randolph Hearst and Al Capone to Mae West and Marion Davies.
Source: robbreport.com/motors/cars/1929-duesenberg-model-j-murphy...
(Specs): 265 bhp, 420 cu. in. DOHC inline eight-cylinder engine, three-speed manual transmission, beam-type front and live rear axles with semi-elliptical leaf springs, and vacuum-assisted four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 142.5 in.
Note the "suicide doors".
Thanks for viewing.
A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a human dwelling. Some houseboats are not motorized, because they are usually moored, kept stationary at a fixed point and often tethered to land to provide utilities. However, many are capable of operation under their own power.
In Europe, some of the finest and costliest examples of houseboats can be seen along the canals of Amsterdam, which even has houseboat hotels. Houseboats are very expensive nowadays in Amsterdam because of the limited number of moorings; this expense has reduced the likelihood that the approximately 2,400 families that live on the inner waters of Amsterdam will find themselves confronted by new neighbor boats.
Phoenix-Talent Oregon
Low estimates place the number of homes & businesses destroyed during the 9/08/2020 Almeda Fire at 2,300. Revised numbers of destroyed structures go as high as 2,800. A small home we lived in within Talent, Oregon from 2002-2004 was also destroyed in this arson blaze. These images were taken in February of this year 2021. This blaze was the costliest fire in Jackson County history.
Manufacturer: Pontiac Division of General Motors, Detroit, Michigan - USA
Type: Bonneville 8 Series 28 Model 2839 4-door Vista 4-door Hardtop Sedan
Production time: 1959 - 1964
Production outlet: 260,137
Engine: 6364cc 389E Trophy V-8 valve-in-head
Power: 238 bhp / 3.600 rpm
Torque: 545 Nm / 2.000 rpm
Drivetrain: rear wheels
Speed: 165 km/h
Curb weight: 1900 kg
Wheelbase: 123 inch
Chassis: GM B-platform “wide-track” stance box frame with crossbars and all-steel body (by Fisher)
Steering: Saginaw recirculating ball
Gearbox: three-speed manual / all synchronized / floor shift
Clutch: 10.5 inch single dry palte disc
Carburettor: Carter 4-barrel downdraft
Fuel tank: 95 liter
Electric system: Delco-Remy 12 Volts 54 Ah
Ignition system: distributor and coil
Brakes front: 11 inch hydraulic drums
Brakes rear: 11 inch hydraulic drums
Suspension front: independent ball joint, trapezoidal wishbones (A-arm, control arm), sway bar, coil springs + hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers
Suspension rear: independent radius arms, lower arm, upper torque arm, Panhard stabilizer, semi-elliptic leaf springs + hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers
Rear axle: live semi-floating type
Differential: hypoid
Wheels: 6K x 14
Tires: 8.00 x 14
Options: 421HO Trophy V-8 Tri-Power engine (421 CID / 6899cc) with 405 bhp / 5.200 rpm, Hydramatic four-speed automatic transmission (1959-1964), Super Hydramatic four-speed automatic transmission (from 1965), 4-speed manual gearbox, "Safe-T-Track" differential, cruise control, vacuum power brakes (by Moraine or Bendix), Saginaw power steering, power seats, power windows, 8-lug aluminum wheels, Air Conditioning, pushbutton radio, two-tone colouring
Special:
- Its name “Bonneville” was taken from the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, the site of much early auto racing and most of the world's land speed record runs, which was named in turn after U.S. Army officer Benjamin Bonneville.
- It was Pontiac's costliest and most luxurious model throughout the 1960s.
- The Series 28, each year, with minor modifications (and extra cosmetic adjustments from model year 1963), was available as this 4-door 2839 Vista Hardtop Sedan, as 2-door 2867 Convertible Coupé (1959-1964: 113,809 units built), as 2-door 2837 Sport Coupé (1959-1963: 131,314 units built), as 2-door 2847 Sport Coupé (1964: 34,769 units built) and as 4-door 2835 Safari 2-Seat (1963-1964: 11,000 units built).
- This third generation Bonneville was assembled in Pontiac (Michigan), in Flint (Michigan), in Wentzville (Missouri) and in Ypsilanti (Michigan).
Shot with Canon EOS 400D + Canon 18-55mm
Black in Large
If the large view is larger than your browser page just press F11. This should help.
This is one of the costliest shots I have ever done. Normally I dont need much to shoot an image. Only a location and my camera. I can do everything on my own.
In this case I needed a bit more.
I had the idea for this shot and I had to hold my camera facing down the staircase.
Robert had the worst job. He stood down there, holding the umbrella. On the one hand he stood on very fragile ground and I would say that it was a bit dangerous.
On the other hand Henry kicked down those papers and a load of dirt with every kick. So Robert is really not to be envied. Henry also held down his flash so that I could get "frozen papers. He had to fire it per hand because its a nikon one (I use canon) and I dont have any flashes. We only did 3 shots but this one came out perfectly. Until now I did not really see the point of flashes (I am more of a nature light guy) but in this case it would have been impossible without.
So thanks for your patience guys. We're a really good team!
For many information and a look behind the scenes of my photography visit
Update on the massive wildfire in the Fort McMurray area:
"On May 1, 2016, a wildfire began southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. On May 3, it swept through the community, destroying approximately 2,400 homes and buildings and forcing the largest wildfire evacuation in Albertan history. As of May 17, it continues to spread across northern Alberta, consuming forested areas and impacting Athabasca oil sands operations. It may become the costliest disaster in Canadian history.
.... While the fire had moved away from Fort McMurray, explosions and poor air quality continued to prevent residents and rebuilding crews from returning to the town. The wildfire is still burning and is expected to take months to contain and extinguish." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Fort_McMurray_wildfire
www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/the-fort-mcmurray-di...
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This photo was taken on 6 May 2016, about two weeks ago. I didn't post it straight away, as I wanted to be certain that this owlet had managed to climb high up into a tree, where it would be safe.
Unfortunately, I had half a dozen errands to run before allowing myself to go out with my camera that day, so I didn't get to the park till part way through the evening, and the light was already beginning to quickly fade. This beautiful owlet had been on the ground for a while before I arrived. There were a few people there and more came and went. I didn't want to risk a large crowd turning up if I posted this photo immediately. However, I later heard that it had been able to claw and flap its way up one of the trees and was safely out of reach of most predators. Meanwhile, the other fledgling had been very high up in a different tree, along with Mom. I'm glad I did call in at this location when I did, as this beautiful little owl gave us a few chances for photos when it was up on a log or down on the ground, partly hidden by the plants and bushes. I don't know how it ended up on the ground, but obviously it fell from somewhere or misjudged flying distance when it finally left the nesting tree. An interesting world for it to explore, though it wasn't very steady on its feet yet : )
Things seem to have happened so fast this spring and I missed seeing the two owlets balancing on the rim of the nesting tree, exercising their wings before fledging. Also, I have been so busy that I've only been over to see the youngsters a handful of times. Looking on the more important side, this has meant one less person intruding on their area, of course, though I have to say that these owls are remarkably tolerant of humans. If a Canada Goose, on the other hand, should get anywhere near the nest or the little ones, Mom or Dad flies in for an immediate attack.
"With its long, earlike tufts, intimidating yellow-eyed stare, and deep hooting voice, the Great Horned Owl is the quintessential owl of storybooks. This powerful predator can take down birds and mammals even larger than itself, but it also dines on daintier fare such as tiny scorpions, mice, and frogs. It’s one of the most common owls in North America, equally at home in deserts, wetlands, forests, grasslands, backyards, cities, and almost any other semi-open habitat between the Arctic and the tropics.
Great Horned Owls are nocturnal. You may see them at dusk sitting on fence posts or tree limbs at the edges of open areas, or flying across roads or fields with stiff, deep beats of their rounded wings. Their call is a deep, stuttering series of four to five hoots." From AllAboutBirds.
I'm starting to fall behind a little, thanks to having to sort out a few things. Also, the day before yesterday, 9 February 2022, I had to remove my car from the parking lot for the day, while repairmen are working on damage caused during last July's awful hail storm, but covered by insurance. Apparently, "the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) released its report on the July 2 storm, saying it caused $247 million in insured damage in Calgary. The July 2021 hailstorm is nothing compared to one in Calgary in June 2020 that caused roughly $1.2 billion in damage, making it the costliest in Canada's history, according to the IBC." The 2021 storm was the storm that covered my car in almost invisible hail damage, that was discovered in Nov/Dec 2021 while my car was in for the peeling paint issue. Hail had damaged the roof and some people had broken windows, screens etc. Also, they have to do work on the eavestroughs and downpipes where needed. They have to come back and continue with this repair work, but haven't given a date yet. Anyway, as I don't have street parking, all I can do is take off somewhere for the day.
I ended up driving my usual area SE of the city and then driving to the Saskatoon Farm. I was lucky as, when I ordered a take-out meal, I was told that it was the first day that dining inside was being allowed. There were only about six other people there, in a huge dining room.
I did check to see if there was any sign of the two Snowy Owls I saw in the SE recently, but nothing. No problem, as a barn day is always good for me. The weather was glorious and I caught a few interesting clouds.
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World's costliest cities: Sydney and Melbourne ranked in top 10 by Economist magazine
Sydney and Melbourne rank among the top six most expensive cities in the world to live, according to the Economist's latest Worldwide Cost of Living Survey.
Singapore took the dubious honour of top spot, followed by Paris, Oslo and Zurich.
The bi-annual survey, carried out by the business magazine's intelligence unit, ranked Sydney as the fifth-most expensive city in the world, with Melbourne one spot behind in equal sixth.
By comparison, New York clocks in at the relatively modest position of 26th most expensive.
Buffalo City Hall is the seat for municipal government in the City of Buffalo, New York State. Located at 65 Niagara Square, the 32 story Art Deco building was completed in 1931 by Dietel, Wade & Jones.
The size of the building seems a little out of proportion to the size of the city.
City Hall was built by the John W. Cowper Company, the same firm who built the Statler Hotel and the Buffalo Athletic Club, also on Niagara Square. The cost of building City Hall was $6,851,546.85, including the architect's fees, making it one of the costliest city halls in the country.
This show could be the longest show of your life not to mention the costliest.
Image imagined in MidJourney AI and finished with Topaz Studio and Lightroom Classic.
Manufacturer: Pontiac Division of General Motors, Detroit, Michigan - USA
Type: Bonneville Series 62 / 26239 Vista 2-door Hardtop Sedan
Production time: 1965
Production outlet: 62,480
Engine: 6375cc 389E Trophy V-8 Valve-in-head
Power: 333 bhp / 5.000 rpm
Torque: 581 Nm / 3.200 rpm
Drivetrain: rear wheels
Speed: 183 km/h
Curb weight: 1898 kg
Wheelbase: 124 inch
Chassis: GM B-platform “wide-track” stance frame with crossbars (box frame at the convertibles) and all-steel body (by Fisher)
Steering: Saginaw recirculating ball
Gearbox: three-speed manual / fully synchronized / floor shift
Clutch: 11 inch single dry plate spring disc
Carburettor: Carter 4-barrel downdraft
Fuel tank: 100 liter
Electric system: Delco-Remy 12 Volts 53 Ah
Ignition system: distributor and coil
Brakes front: 11 inch hydraulic self-adjusting drums
Brakes rear: 11 inch hydraulic self-adjusting drums
Suspension front: independent ball joint, radius arms, lower arm, upper torque arm, trapezoid triangle crossbars, sway bar, coil springs + hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers
Suspension rear: lower longitudinal links and upper differential guiding sling core, coil springs + hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers
Rear axle: live semi-floating type
Differential: hypoid 3.23:1
Wheels: 6K x 14 inch steel discs
Tires: 8.55 x 14
Options: 421 CID (6899cc) V8 engine, four-speed manual gearbox, Turbo Hydramatic four-speed automatic transmission, Saginaw power steering, adjustable steering column, Delco-Moraine power brakes, power front disc brakes, 805 cm2 brake pads, differential brake, aluminum rear drums, power windows, power seats, aluminum 8-lug wheels, factory Air Conditioning, AM/FM pushbutton radio, low restriction dual exhaust, remote side mirror, pedal-operated parking brake on rear wheels, two-tone colouring
Special:
- Its name “Bonneville” was taken from the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, the site of much early auto racing and most of the world's land speed record runs, which was named in turn after U.S. Army officer Benjamin Bonneville.
- It was Pontiac's costliest and most luxurious model throughout the 1960's.
- It was Motor Trend Magazine's car of the year for 1965.
- The 1965 Bonneville Series 62 was available as this 2-door Vista Hardtop Sedan, as 2-door 26267 Convertible (21,050 units built), as 4-door 26237 Hardtop Sport Coupé (44,030 units built) and as 5-door 26235 Safari - 2 seat Station Wagon (6,460 units built).
- This fourth generation "Coke bottle" Bonneville (1965-1970) was assembled in Pontiac (Michigan), Flint (Michigan) and in Ypsilanti (Michigan).
Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about 130 kilometres (81 mi) southeast of Rome, Italy, c. 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the west of the town of Cassino (the Roman Casinum having been on the hill) and 520 m (1,706.04 ft) altitude. St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery, the source of the Benedictine Order, here around 529. The site has been visited many times by the Popes and other senior clergy, including a visit by Pope Benedict XVI in May 2009. The monastery is one of the few remaining territorial abbeys within the Catholic Church.
Shot with my Canon G7. This is an anothe old photo that I liked and that I wanted to share with you.
It is really a delight to visit the Abbey of Monte Cassino to admire some of its beautiful architecture splendor and remember its history. The Abbey was founded by St. Benedict and built over the site of the Apollo pagan temple where the sculpture of Apollo was destroyed along with the altar. Due to its significant location, this place has always been a target of historical attacks and different wars including the costliest Battle of Monte Cassino fought during the Second World War.
The Mullerian public baths
is an indoor swimming pool in Munich, which is operated by Stadtwerke München.
The neo-baroque Art Nouveau was the largest and costliest swimming pool in the world and the first public swimming pool in Munich when it is completed in 1901.
@Wikipedia
Phoenix-Talent Oregon
Low estimates place the number of homes & businesses destroyed during the 9/08/2020 Almeda Fire at 2,300. Revised numbers of destroyed structures go as high as 2,800. A small home we lived in within Talent, Oregon from 2002-2004 was also destroyed in this arson blaze. These images were taken in February of this year 2021. This blaze was the costliest fire in Jackson County history.
by Roy Grinnell
Ploesti, Romania, August 1, 1943
"Hell's Wench," a B-24 badly damaged by anti-aircraft artillery fire, led the 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) in its daring low-level attack on the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, which supplied two-thirds of Germany's petroleum production at that stage of World War II. Lt. Col. Addison E. Baker, an Ohio National Guardsman who commanded the 93rd, ignored the fact he was flying over terrain suitable for safe landing. He refused to break up the lead formation by landing, and led his group to the target upon which he dropped his bombs with devastating effect. Then he left the formation, but his valiant attempts to gain enough altitude for the crew to escape by parachute failed and the aircraft crashed. For their gallant leadership and extraordinary flying skill, both Baker and his pilot, Maj. John L. Jerstad, received the Medal of Honor, posthumously. The raid, nicknamed "Operation Tidalwave," was costly, with 54 of the 177 bombers lost and 532 of the 1,726 personnel engaged listed as dead, missing or interned. Baker's service epitomized the role of National Guard aviators during World War II. Because of their experience, most of them were transferred from their 29 pre-war observation squadrons after mobilization. As individuals, they helped train and lead the huge numbers of volunteer airmen who served in Army Air Force units during the war. Baker and other Guard aviators carried on a long tradition of dedicated service to the states and nation.
Source - National Guard
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Additional information - Operation Tidal Wave
Operation Tidal Wave was an air attack by bombers of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) based in Libya and Southern Italy on nine oil refineries around Ploiești, Romania on 1 August 1943, during World War II. It was a strategic bombing mission and part of the "oil campaign" to deny petroleum-based fuel to the Axis powers. The mission resulted in "no curtailment of overall product output.“
This mission was one of the costliest for the USAAF in the European Theater, with 53 aircraft and 660 air crewmen lost. It was proportionally the most costly major Allied air raid of the war, and its date was later referred to as "Black Sunday". Five Medals of Honor and 56 Distinguished Service Crosses along with numerous others awards went to Operation Tidal Wave crew members. A 1999 research report prepared for the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama concluded that the mission to Ploiești was "one of the bloodiest (and poorly planned) [editor] and most heroic missions of all time.”
The Ninth Air Force (98th and 376th Bombardment Groups) was responsible for the overall conduct of the raid, and the partially formed Eighth Air Force provided three additional bomb groups (44th, 93rd, and 389th). All the bombers employed were B-24 Liberators.
Colonel Jacob E. Smart planned the operation, based on HALPRO's experiences. HALPRO had encountered minimal air defenses in its raid, so the planners decided Tidal Wave would be executed by day, and that the attacking bombers would approach at low altitude to avoid detection by German radar.[citation needed] Training included extensive review of detailed sand table models, practice raids over a mock-up of the target in the Libyan desert and practical exercises over a number of secondary targets in July to prove the
viability of such a low-level strike. The bombers to be used were re-equipped with bomb-bay fuel tanks to increase their fuel capacity to 3,100 gallons.
Ed. Note: Despite the seemingly intensive planning described above, it should be noted that there was little to no air reconnaissance of German and Romanian ‘ground-to-air’ defenses in and around the Ploesti and surrounding areas. A tragic mistake.
The operation was to consist of 178 bombers with a total of 1,751 aircrew, one of the largest commitments of American heavy bombers and crewmen up to that time.
Given the large and unbalanced loss of aircraft and the limited damage to the targets, Operation Tidal Wave is considered a strategic failure of the American side.
Ninth Air Force and Eighth Air Force order of battle
Ninth Air Force
______98th Bombardment Group (Heavy) ("Pyramiders"), Col. John R. Kane°
______376th Bombardment Group (Heavy) ("Liberandos"), Col. Keith K. Compton°°
Eighth Air Force
_______44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) ("Flying Eight Balls"), Col. Leon W. Johnson°
_______93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) ("Ted Timberlake's Travelling Circus"), Lt.Col. Addison E. Baker°, Maj. John L. Jerstad°
_______389th Bombardment Group (Heavy) ("Sky Scorpions"), Col. Jack W. Wood°°, 2nd Lt. Lloyd Herbert Hughes°
Hurricane Harvey wreaks historic devastation: By the numbers.
I have dear friends over there they are fine but without electricity as of today.
The remnants of Hurricane Harvey continued to dump rain on several southern states nearly a week after making landfall in Texas as the most powerful storm to hit the mainland in over a decade.
Harvey's torrential rain, devastating winds and widespread flooding have so far cost at least 39 lives, driven over one million people to evacuate their homes in Texas and caused extensive destruction that will likely make it one of the costliest storms in U.S. history.
Here is a look at the storm's historic devastation, by the numbers:
20 trillion gallons: That's the total amount of rain that fell on the Houston area after Harvey came ashore, a staggering deluge that represents enough water to supply New York City's needs for over five decades.
$125 billion: Texas Gov. Greg Abbot said his state will need federal relief money "far in excess" of that total. Moody’s Analytics has estimated $97 billion in destruction alone and some $108 billion in total damages counting lost output.
80 percent: Texans who don't have flood insurance.
51.88 inches: The amount of rain recorded at Cedar Bayou on the outskirts of Houston in just under five days, marking a new record for the heaviest rainfall for a storm in the continental U.S., according to the National Weather Service.
3: The number of times Harvey has made landfall since Friday -- once as a hurricane and twice more as a tropical storm.
185,149: Homes estimated to be damaged or destroyed by Harvey, according to Friday’s data from the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
364,000: People who have registered for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as of Friday, according to FEMA.
42,399 :People in shelters as of Friday, according to the Texas governor.
0,000: People rescued by federal forces as of Thursday, FEMA said, plus countless other Good Samaritan rescues.
200,000: Customers without power on Thursday, according to the Energy Department.
900: Calls that poured in per hour to call centers around Houston at the height of the disaster.
120,000: Residents without water in Beaumont, Texas, on Thursday.
24,000: The number of National Guard troops deployed to assist in relief efforts, including all of Texas' members as well as some from other states. The Texas governor said these troops will be needed for months to search homes and restore the state to order.
1.5 miles: The radius around the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, Texas, that was evacuated after a container of chemicals ignited due to floodwater knocking out the plant's power.
30 to 40 feet: Estimated height of the flame at the Arkema plant after the chemicals combusted, sending a plume of black smoke into the air. Several more containers holding similar chemicals remain at the site, according to the Associated Press.
10: Gulf Coast region refineries that remain shut down by Harvey. Together they account for over 3 million barrels per day of output, or nearly 17 percent of the total U.S. refining capacity, according to the Energy Department.
Over 1,900,000: Meals distributed by FEMA in Texas as of Friday.
Over 1,960,000: Liters of water distributed by FEMA in Texas as of Friday.
Tulips. Los Angeles. California.
Relaxing on the couch at Adam and Eve's with the lovely Sarah Jane, before hitting the bricks with the Brick Lane Posse!
Sarah has now gone back to Switzerland - it was lovely to spend time with her when she was over here. Come again soon, Sarah!!
Love and Kisses to All!
xxxxxx
Rebecca
BTW, the phrase 'Sweets of Sin' is an oblique reference to the cuckolding of the protagonist Leopold Bloom in James Joyce's novel 'Ulysses'. At one point in the narrative, Bloom flicks through an erotic novel in a bookstore (or perhaps a loan library?), as a possible gift for his cuckoldress wife. The title of the book he is attracted to is 'Sweets of Sin'...
***
Mr Bloom, alone, looked at the titles. Fair Tyrants by James Lovebirch. Know the kind that is. Had it? Yes.
He opened it. Thought so.
A woman's voice behind the dingy curtain. Listen: The man.
No: she wouldn't like that much. Got her it once.
He read the other title: Sweets of Sin. More in her line. Let us see.
He read where his finger opened.
-- All the dollarbills her husband gave her were spent in the stores on wondrous gowns and costliest frillies. For him! For Raoul!
Yes. This. Here. Try.
-- Her mouth glued on his in a luscious voluptuous kiss while his hands felt for the opulent curves inside her déshabillé.
Yes. Take this. The end.
-- You are late, he spoke hoarsely, eyeing her with a suspicious glare. The beautiful woman threw off her sabletrimmed wrap, displaying her queenly shoulders and heaving embonpoint. An imperceptible smile played round her perfect lips as she turned to him calmly.
Mr Bloom read again: The beautiful woman.
***
You may have noticed that 'Fair Tyrants' by James Lovebirch is recommended reading matter for the Ladies of the Sodality… I do like to raise the cultural tone whenever I can.
CSXT local B731 from Readville is curling off the Framingham Secondary on to the Keolis/MBTA Worcester Mainline (former CSXT/CR/PC/NYC nee Boston & Albany) and crossing over from Main 2 to 1 so they can head in to Nevens Yard at CP22 just behind me.
This view is from the modern station platforms looking toward the historic station that is now a Brazillian steakhouse.
A bit of history for those interested:
Beginning in 1881, the Boston & Albany began a massive improvement program that included the building of over 30 new stations along its main line as well as the Highland Branch, which it bought in 1883. Famed architect H. H. Richardson was hired to design nine of these stations, including South Framingham which was commissioned in October 1883. The $62,718 station, built in 1884–85 by the Norcross Brothers company, was the largest and costliest of the nine. The station is a prime example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style, built of rough-hewn granite with contrasting details. The dominant roofline, dormers, arched bow window, and wooden interior are typical of the style. Like many of Richardson's designs, the station was well-praised; Henry-Russell Hitchcock called it a "better and somewhat more personal work" in The Architecture of H. H. Richardson and His Time. A small square baggage room (still standing and used as an ATM) was built in the same style just east of the station, near the Concord Street grade crossing.
Framingham, Massachusetts
Thursday August 13, 2020
The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 1864 Overland Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the bloody but inconclusive Battle of the Wilderness, Grant's army disengaged from Confederate General Robert E. Lee's army and moved to the southeast, attempting to lure Lee into battle under more favorable conditions. Elements of Lee's army beat the Union army to the critical crossroads of the Spotsylvania Court House in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, and began entrenching. Fighting occurred on and off from May 8 through May 21, 1864, as Grant tried various schemes to break the Confederate line. In the end, the battle was tactically inconclusive, but both sides declared victory. The Confederacy declared victory because they were able to hold their defenses. The Union declared victory because the Federal offensive continued and Lee's army suffered losses that could not be replaced. With almost 32,000 casualties on both sides, Spotsylvania was the costliest battle of the campaign.
On May 8, Union Maj. Gens. Gouverneur K. Warren and John Sedgwick unsuccessfully attempted to dislodge the Confederates under Maj. Gen. Richard H. Anderson from Laurel Hill, a position that was blocking them from Spotsylvania Court House. On May 10, Grant ordered attacks across the Confederate line of earthworks, which by now extended over 4 miles (6.4 km), including a prominent salient known as the Mule Shoe. Although the Union troops failed again at Laurel Hill, an innovative assault attempt by Col. Emory Upton against the Mule Shoe showed promise.
The Conde B. McCullough Memorial Bridge, formerly the North Bend Bridge, is a cantilever bridge that spans Coos Bay on U.S. Route 101 near North Bend, Oregon. The bridge is outstanding for its attention to form and detail, and has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its design and cultural and economic importance. When the bridge was completed in 1936 it was the longest bridge in Oregon. It was also the costliest of the Oregon Coast bridges at $2.14 million.
The Silken whisper of Flickering Desires
A Chronicle
Adapted from the Final Entry Entitled:
Their Regal Gambit
Subtitled:
While Sherlock Holmes vacationed
The first score had been made, now for the Coup de Grace! So far their little operation had gone as smooth as silk, or in this case, satin. Now just to make sure the husband of the silken gowned brunette displaying the jewels in question was still safely out of the picture! Then Mollie would let her husband know that with the coast clear, freeing him to stage his approach of the lady in the long swishing satin gown he had been keeping an eye on all evening. The one who was wearing the exquisite necklace of fiery flickering diamonds, just daring someone to expertly slip it away the throat of its unsuspecting owner.
And therein lay the rub, She happily thought….
As Mollie made her way down the quiet corridor to the gentlemen’s smoking lounge, she lovingly played through her mind the series of unfortunate ( or fortunate?) events that had led her and her husband to this place. It had all began with an innocent one named Tabitha…….
Mollies’ Flash back
They had first come across Tabitha at a resort casino deep in the Catskills. Mollie and her husband had been there about three days, scoping out the grounds, and its wealthy clientele. At the casino they both spotted Tabitha at the same time. She was seated at a baccarat table, really standing out in an elegant dress of gold and black striped silk and velvet Her well-toned body displayed numerous pieces of expensive jewelry. A fat little purse dangled, unheeded by her side. Tabitha had held Mollie’s attention mainly due to the strong resemblance she had to herself. Tabitha’s jewelry, a flashy diamond journey style necklace, matching earrings, wide diamond tennis bracelet, and multiple gem encrusted rings, had held Mollies pickpocket husbands’.
Mollie went on to the bar and watched as her husband waited for the seat next to Tabitha to become vacant. Then he sat, asking for chips, while unobtrusively eyeing Tabitha’s bracelet. He began striking up a conversation with Tabitha, finding her to be an easy mark. He soon learned from the chatty girl that she was a divorced, upper executive for a well-known digital arts company servicing the movie industry. It was during this conversation that Tabitha babbled about the upscale, invitation only(you know), black tie formal ball she would be attending in England the next month. Now, as her husband was keeping Tabitha occupied Mollie had walked by the pair, ‘tripping’ into her husband, who palmed off to her , the diamond bracelet which had been ever so subtly slipped from around the unwary Tabatha’s’ wrist. Walking away with the bracelet secured in her purse, Mollie made her way to their small bungalow. Her husband did not break in his conversation with Tabitha; a mark would seldom suspect a friendly person of stealing from her.
Later that evening, Mollie wore the pricy bracelet while mutually admiring it over a bottle of merlot with her husband. They discussed the high-class affair Tabitha had been bragging about. Wistfully, Mollie admitted it was a shame they had not received an invite. Her husband smiled, and pulled a thickly embossed and crested envelope from his pocket. Easily adopting a British accent, he said “The silly little twit was carrying this in her purse!” The envelope revealed a pair of invitations to the Princess’s Jubilee Royal Ball. As the pair continued to empty the bottle of fine merlot, what had started as speculation, turned towards reality, and soon plans had been laid.
As they lay in bed later that night, Mollie turned to her husband, just think about the jewels that will be worn at the English Ball, she shivered with the delightful thoughts. Do you remember the last time we were in England? Mollie looked at her husband slyly, you remember, the Wriggling Whelp Whispering Wisk! She stated teasingly. Mollie knew the quickest way to get her husband’s goat was coming up with silly phrases to describe his more outlandish endeavors. Such phrases like The Tingling Touch Ice Melt, The Slippery Slick Taffeta Pull, The Glossy Gowned Dangling Peel, or her personal favorite, The Ticklish Wedge Clam Dip, never failed to get a response. In this case the response was a brief pillow fight leading into a romantic interlude, ending up with them in bed as they reminisced about the last time they had “visited” England a few years back…..
It had proven a fairly profitable venture with the jewelry alone netting almost 100,000 pounds. It all had culminated quite nicely at one of the posh events they had crashed that final weekend. Their final score had come about from a rambunctious doe eyed Fourteen year old in a shiny dress who had been oblivious to the valuably delicious gold pendent studded with small rubies and emeralds that sparkled ever so invitingly as it swung from her throat. A pair of matching dangling earrings dripped from her ears as she has run around unminded by her elders. Mollie had indignantly stated to her husband that the antique trinkets were simply just too expensive for a child so squirminly young to be trusted with. Her husband then went about the task to prove his wife correct in her statement.
After talking a bit about the English Girls parents reaction to the unsolved disappearance of their daughters ultra-pricey pendent , Mollie came back to the present and asked if the lady in the maroon silk that her husband pointed out the previous evening would be wearing the same jewels to the dance tomorrow night? Or better her husband replied sleepily, good Mollie pronounced, I did like her emeralds.
In Merry Ole England
They had arrived in England several weeks before the Royal Ball and began the preparations.
In an irony of fate, the profit they had realized from poor Tabitha’s bracelet had paid for a large chunk of their little excursion. Keeping his accent, and adding a trim beard, Mollies husband looked radically different from the man Tabitha had encountered. During the weeks following their arrival, the pair had practiced like they always did before undertaking a new venture. But this time it was with a more daring edge, they quite simply could not afford being caught red handed in a foreign country. Mollie assumed her practice the role. That of the richly dressed, well jeweled quarry. Her husband would stalk and attempt to relieve her of a piece of her jewelry as she went about her business, shopping! The idea being that, If he was able to do so without being caught by an obviously aware Mollie, than he should have no problem at the Royal Ball. As it usually happened when they practiced in this manner, her husband did incredibly well. Mollie had had several pieces of jewelry vanish from her person during the week, without her noticing how or when.
The final night of practice Mollie decided to dress to kill. Looking quite devastating in a glossy gold halter and a long brown velvet skirt with gold stiletto heels clicking as she moved. A diamond heart pendant hung down from her neck, swaying provocatively out from between her breasts. A bracelet, similar to Tabitha’s purloined diamonds, was wrapped around her wrist.
She left their penthouse and made her way to the street outside. Some type of festival was going on as she waded through the crowded streets to the nightclub. Her rings sparkled as they kept rhythm with her swaying diamond waterfall earrings. Just daring her husband to make a move for any of them.
Mollie drank and danced the night away with no hide or hair of her husband until she returned late that evening to their apartment. She found him in the hot tub, smirking. She undressed and joined him. Okay, how did u do it she demanded? I felt nothing, no one bumped or brushed against me all evening that I was not aware of. He opened his fist, allowing her heart diamond pendant to dangle freely in front of her. A magician never reveals his tricks my little cat, he purred, as the pendant swayed in a sparkling arch.
Cat was short for “Cat Lady”, a moniker he had placed upon her when she had broken into a sleeping woman’s room and removed the jewels from her gold case, and even managed to slip off a ring she was wearing. The fact that she was passed out in a drunken stupor, still dressed in her long party gown, didn’t count , or so her husband teased.
You should have been a surgeon! , my dear, Mollie exclaimed with pride. Then she leaned towards him, her green eyes gleaming in earnest, time for a real practice run Mon Cherie, she said in dead seriousness. Then Her eyes opened wide, I got it she exclaimed, I’ll call it The Slinking Sneaky Shearing Snag she pronounced joyfully, getting a face full of water in reply to her effort. Okay Cat, let’s get down to business he retorted, I know just the affair. Mollie listened intensively as her Husband described their next plans, derived while eavesdropping on a couple of ladies shopping in a jewelers.
The next weekend (two weeks to the evening before the Royal Ball) Mollie found herself at a quaint upscale wedding reception held in the large gardens of a country church. She was attired in the same bewitching ensemble that she had been wearing on the final night of practice. Her only jewels were a recently acquired pair of sparkly cascading earrings set with emeralds and diamonds. The affair of the plump piqued peacock plucking she had mused while getting dressed. The only other exception was that the long fiery red hair she had inherited from her Irish namesake grandmother had been cut and dyed blond. Blue contacts had also been added to the disguise to hide her vivid green eyes.
They soon targeted an older jewel laden snob at the reception. An older lady , well jeweled, of the arrogant know it all, obey me totally type whom everyone tries to avoid. While Mollie engaged the mark in a mostly one sided conversation(the older ladies) the lady had become so deeply engrossed about talking about herself and her ties with royalty, that she never detected being relieved of a heirloom antique gold chain and jeweled pendent by Mollies husband who had approached her unnoticed from behind.
It was all Mollie could do no to bring attention to it by looking at the wickedly expensive piece as it was slipped up and away from the Dowager’s ruffled heavy satin blouse.
This time it was mollies turn to keep chatting as her husband headed to the door. He had almost made it when two youths ran into him as they scurried away from a rather sullen looking tween girl they had been teasing, and now were in possession of her purse. Mollie stole a look as she saw her husband topple onto the chasing girl. He managed to extracted himself from the girls long slinky gown that she had probably been forced into by an overly conceited mother. He apologized, and left the girl to go after her antagonizes. Later, when Mollie had caught up to him she teased him about his clumsiness. He just smiled, and pulled out from his vest pocket the most exquisitely matched pearls that the youth had been openly displaying from around her throat and wrist at the reception!
They were, most definitely, ready. The fated evening could not come soon enough. But it finally did.
They had had no problem with using the fancy invitations to gain entrance. Security was heavy, as expected, but with a very lax atmosphere. Mollie was wearing the salmon coloured gown she had had especially made for such occasions, her new blond hair style and the blue contacts. In a coup foray of sorts, Mollie wore the pearls that had been taken by her husband during his run in with the sullen girl at the wedding reception. Her husband was wearing his usual tux with a hand tied bowtie. His ruffled sleeves easily moved up and down along his wrists.
Mollie and her husband split up, each spending the first few hours mingling solo, and taking it all in as they thoroughly enjoyed the Ball and all its many stimulating attractions. It had gone smooth as silk. Spending the first few hours prowling while the guests liquored up Mollie scoping out exactly the right candidates. Dangling jewels with easy clasps were everywhere!, it was surprising how the best of jewel makers skimped on the clasps required to keep the expensive pieces in place. Clothing also made a difference. Silks and satins were quiet and slipped easily. Taffeta could be whispery, more of a challenge. Velvet could easily snag as a piece was being lifted. But these were the costliest of materials, and the wearers would logically be wearing the costlier of jewelry.
Mollie and her husband regrouped several hours later, unobtrusively under the pretense of dancing. Gently discussing their plans. They settled on three likely prospects amongst the almost three hundred present. The first was an older spinster type wearing a luxurious dress of embroidered navy silk and displaying jewelry studded with diamonds and sapphires. The second was a middle aged snotty blonde wearing a shamelessly low cut green silk taffeta gown (which Mollie secretly liked)wearing a thick gold bracelet studded with vulgarly large rubies surrounded by a sea of small sparkly diamonds. She was alone, and a heavy drinker. The third was a longshot. A lanky , flighty brunette wearing immensely valuable jewels of blindingly sparkling Diamonds. Her necklace alone was in the upper hundred thousand range, with a clasp that was one of the easiest to coax open. The only problem was that she came with an obviously newlywed husband who doted on her every move. Both were heavy drinkers, and if he would only leave his wife’s side for, say about fifteen minutes, the necklace would be theirs!
They had decided that any one of the three would produce results worth a king’s ransom, appropriately enough, all things considered. The plan was for her husband to take his time selecting the easiest jewel to acquire from amongst the ones the three marks were displaying , make his move, and pass it off to Mollie who would leave forthwith, while her husband stayed a little while longer to make sure everything remained calm before making his exit stage right via the hallway.
As Mollie went to her station, she saw the Blue silken lady, along with her sapphires and diamonds, leaving with a rather unsavory looking male, eyeing her with a look Mollie knew all too well. Mollie decided to follow them, thinking to herself that some women are just prone to being victimized. Good luck with that one Mollie thought unkindly, as she stole one last look at the ladies glistening sapphires, hope he leaves her with something she sarcastically wished wickedly to the couple’s backside as they went out the exit at the end of the hall. One down and out she thought. Then she spied the husband of the newlywed pair heading down the hall towards her with an older, grey bearded man. Getting close she heard them talking about the Gentlemen’s smoking lounge. Mollie decided to give her husband a signal, but when she found him he was already in the arms of the blond. Molly immediately noticed the absence of the jeweled bracelet from his partners’ wrist. She went back to her table. Immediately she was set upon by some drunken snob asking her to dance. She allowed herself to be taken up into his arms. Spending a few unenchanting minutes with Mr. two left feet, before her husband tapped him on the shoulder cutting in. They danced, Mollie placing a hand into his pocket and feeling something cold and metal wrapped her hand around it. Looking him in the eyes she told him about the now unguarded bride, as she palmed the willowy blonde’s bracelet. They decided to go for it, and as the music ended, Mollie made her way to the hall, where she secreted the blondes bracelet safely away
One down, one more to go! An exquisite necklace of flickering diamonds waiting to be nimbly slipped away from the throat of its unsuspecting wearer. Now just to make sure the husband of the silken gowned brunette displaying the jewels in question was still safely out of the picture! Then to let her husband know that with the coast clear, he was free to stage his approach of the lady in the long swishing satin gown he had been keeping a drooling eye on all evening. The one wearing the exquisite necklace of flickering diamonds waiting to be so expertly slipped away from the throat of its unsuspecting wearer.
She was able to see the groom in windowed room, the husband and his friend were smoking a pair of long cigars and drinking brandy in large glass snifters. Mollie passed unnoticed as she mad e her way to the ladies powder room. He was still there, only halfway through a long stogie as she passed again on her way back. Neither time was she observed. Mollie mad her way back to the Ballroom. She sat down at one side of the room, once again allowing the sights of so many bejeweled women to soak in. Her husband was dancing with a lady in a flowing red ball gown, jewels sparkling in abundance, not aware of the danger so close at hand, nor that even with her husband and his particular skill set so close to them, that at that moment nothing could be safer from his fingertips. Finally she caught her husband’s eye. Mollie innocently rubbed a finger along the side of her nose, a subtle signal that it was safe for him to precede.
Mollie was now uncharacteristically having butterflies in her stomach; it was a huge gamble, trying to get away with a pair of thefts in this inhospitable atmosphere. She kept second guessing herself, Bird in hand she kept thinking. But the lure was too great, and it was with a heavy sigh of relief when Mollie saw her husband finally kiss the hand of the young bride after their dance. Mollie could see that she was no longer sporting the thin silver necklace and its row of at least two caret diamonds that had been encircling her throat with their rippling flashy brilliance all evening. Molly stayed put, not daring to leave until her husband had brushed by her in passing and made his way out the hallway to the exit. She waited for a long fifteen minutes, then curling her hand around the necklace that had been dropped into her lap as he had passed; she gained the safety of the hallway. Just in time. For coming down the hallway was none other than the lady in the long luxurious gown and now bare throats groom and his distinguished looking friend. She passed by them, feeling the men eyeing her with roving wolfish gazes. Then she passed them, and proceeded unhindered to once again enter the ladies’ powder room where the necklace soon joined with the Blondes bracelet in its hiding spot.. Than calmly Mollie left, walking past two security Bobbies, virtually unnoticed. The Groom had been absolutely ignorant to the fact that his young Bride’s ridiculously valuable necklace had walked right past him out the door.
Mollie did not let herself really breathe until she had gained the safety of the street. She allowed herself to imagine the commotion as the news of the missing jewels were circulated around the cavernous Ballroom. There would be a flurry of activity, flashes and sparkles as the women checked themselves reassuringly that they were still in possession of their trinkets. Mollie would have loved to have stayed and watched, but obviously could not do so. She rejoined her husband at their meeting place and they drove off. They made their way to Ireland where they spent a cautious week touring before leaving for the states.
Once the profit was realized from their haul that eventful evening, including obnoxious Dowagers the jeweled antique pendent, and was added in to the modest amount they had already accumulated from previous adventures, Mollie and her husband were able to retire to Ireland and live quite an unpretentious life together in a small stone manor in the woods.
Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives
Tea Garden of Darjeeling. The world famous and costliest tea are produced in Darjeeling. Now it has a G I Patent.
CEILING OF COUNCIL ROOM;
Buffalo City Hall is the seat for municipal government in the City of Buffalo, New York State. Located at 65 Niagara Square, the 32 story Art Deco building was completed in 1931 by Dietel, Wade & Jones.
City Hall was built by the John W. Cowper Company, the same firm who built the Statler Hotel and the Buffalo Athletic Club, also on Niagara Square. The cost of building City Hall was $6,851,546.85, including the architect's fees, making it one of the costliest city halls in the country.
NRHP Reference#:
98001611
This bronze statue of General Warren reportedly stands in the same place he stood 150 years ago, on a boulder at Little Round Top, surveying the woods and farms at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, site of the bloodiest and costliest battle of the American Civil War.
This year, 2013, the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg should attract enormous crowds to watch the nearby re-enactor armies commemorate the historic events. The reeanactments are not permitted within the actual battlefields of the National Historic Park, as they are trying to preserve the area much as it looked 150 years ago.
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Meleah Reardon | Google+ | 500px | Twitter
Caernarfon is the most famous and perhaps the most beautiful castle in Wales, which is just what its builder, King Edward I, intended. The castle and town of Caernarfon were constructed as a part of Edward's bid to encompass the kingdom of Gwynedd (North Wales) within a chain of fortifications. This crowning glory of medieval fortress-building took nearly fifty years to construct, and proved the costliest of Edward's castles. Following the master plan of James of St.George, craftsmen were summoned from all over England to work on the castle and Caernarfon's magnificent, still unbroken town walls.
Update on the massive wildfire in the Fort McMurray area:
"On May 1, 2016, a wildfire began southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. On May 3, it swept through the community, destroying approximately 2,400 homes and buildings and forcing the largest wildfire evacuation in Albertan history. As of May 17, it continues to spread across northern Alberta, consuming forested areas and impacting Athabasca oil sands operations. It may become the costliest disaster in Canadian history.
.... While the fire had moved away from Fort McMurray, explosions and poor air quality continued to prevent residents and rebuilding crews from returning to the town. The wildfire is still burning and is expected to take months to contain and extinguish." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Fort_McMurray_wildfire
www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/the-fort-mcmurray-di...
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Yesterday, 18 May 2016, I went to what was most likely my last volunteer shift. I have been volunteering there for about 18 years and it has been a wonderful experience. However, as the number of clients constantly rises, even more so with the poor state of the economy, the problem of parking has become a real issue. Though we have to park on the nearby street, usually at the very far end of it, I now find that each time I go, I have to park further and further away. There is no sidewalk on which to walk and there are many huge trucks coming and going all the time. Makes for a dangerous walk. In winter, it will be even worse. I always walk in pain and yesterday was, I think, the final straw, when I had to park even further away. I have been volunteering at several places for the last 36 or so years, so I know I will miss it, but I was just not enjoying the long walk and always wondering if I was even going to be able to find a parking spot. I know I will miss good friends there, terribly.
Anyway, after my shift, I thought I had better call in at the Reader Rock Garden, in case I don't get over there for a long time. I wasn't sure about the weather and I did feel the odd raindrop, plus it was rather windy. However, the scent around the garden was wonderful - I could have stayed there for hours, just breathing it in. Plenty of flowers to enjoy. The few workers do such a great job of keeping this place looking beautiful. If you visit and you happen to see one of the staff or volunteers, do let them know how much you appreciate all their hard work and care. I know they would appreciate it.
I always drive slowly through the adjoining Union Cemetery, keeping my eyes open for one of the Jackrabbits, in particular. I was in luck yesterday with one brief sighting, and also enjoyed watching American Robins flying from gravestone to gravestone. Most of the stones are covered in lichen, especially the bright orange kind, and I liked the way this Robin matched the lichen. A distant shot and rather fuzzy, but thought I would still post it.
In 1983 a massive landslide dammed the Spanish Fork river and water backed up and flooded Thistle, Utah, once a railroad town. It was the costliest landslide in US history. There was once a roadside interpretive area where the ruins of Thistle could be seen, but now willows have obscured most of the ruins and the interpretive signs have been removed. This is one of the few structures remaining in the strange ghost town.
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1929 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Roadster
The picture of this fine specimen was initially recorded in 2018 at the Milwaukee Concours d’Elgance. You might note I had previously posted a picture of this car in its original form on the grounds of the Milwaukee Concours. You might also note that in this creation, the black Duesenberg is “wearing” gleaming white wall tires. This is my doing - not its owner’s. I feel the white walls gives the car a classier appearance.
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The car - a repeat of the same information I provided in my original posting flic.kr/p/Yp8N5m
When the Duesenberg Model J debuted at the New York Auto Show in late 1928, reviving the company name, it was the fastest and costliest American automobile on the market. With an $8,500 chassis—about $118,600 today—and an inline-8 based on the company’s prizewinning racecars, the 265 hp “Duesy” was built to compete with European luxury marques like Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce, and it won the attention of big shots and starlets alike, from William Randolph Hearst and Al Capone to Mae West and Marion Davies.
Source: robbreport.com/motors/cars/1929-duesenberg-model-j-murphy...
(Specs): 265 bhp, 420 cu. in. DOHC inline eight-cylinder engine, three-speed manual transmission, beam-type front and live rear axles with semi-elliptical leaf springs, and vacuum-assisted four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 142.5 in.
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The Earhart Mansion - Ann Arbor, Michigan
In viewing the house, constructed in 1936 one may find it somewhat unremarkable. I should probably add, this entire composition is somewhat unremarkable, however, it is intended to be merely a point in time. A time of “status”.
In its day the H.B. Earhart home was considered a “mansion". Perhaps not so much for its somewhat blasé exterior architecture but as I will explain, for many of its innovative construction components and its interior refinements that even by today’s standards, would be considered technologically impressive.
The mansion was designed by Detroit architects Smith, Hinchman, and Grylls, with input from the Olmsted firm. Its classic, simple proportions were enhanced with elegant details that included a slate roof, copper eaves and detailing, and a Pewabic ceramic fountain. Outwardly traditional, the house incorporated the latest in modern technology. Beneath the limestone exterior (hand-chiseled to simulate age), its structure was steel and concrete. It boasted what is believed to be the first residential air-conditioning unit outside of New York City, showers with ten heads, and vented closets with lights that went on when the door opened. There were bells everywhere--Carrie Earhart never had to go more than ten feet to summon a servant.
The Earharts' 400-acre estate along the Huron River included a small golf course for "H. B." to practice his swing, forty acres of woods where he went horse-back riding, and formal gardens and a greenhouse where Carrie indulged her love of flowers.
H. B. filled the library with history books. On the walls of the library the Earharts displayed their art collection, which included originals by Velazquez, Picasso, Millet, and Goya. Carrie enjoyed music, so the living room was dominated by a grand piano. She often hired members of the Detroit Symphony to perform for guests.
Today, most of the estate has disappeared, when in 1960 the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod bought most of the land and allocated it into Concordia College and the Waldenwood subdivision. But the stone-walled mansion the Earharts built in 1936 still stands on Geddes Road near US-23.
Over the decades, Concordia has grown from a two-year college to a four-year college with an enrollment of 600 students. Now, thanks to a gift from Fred Schmid of Jackson, who donated the money as a memorial to his father, the college has the resources to restore the Manor, the name it uses for the Earharts' house. "We don't have to tear down a lot to bring it back to its former glory," says Chris Purdy of Architects Four. Most of the design features, such as the Pewabic tiles in the bathrooms and the carved wood in the dining room, are still there. The room layout will remain the same except for the addition of an elevator, necessary to make the house handicapped accessible.
Born in 1870, H. B. Earhart made his fortune in the gasoline business. He was the Detroit agent for the White Star Refining Company, a faltering oil company based in Buffalo, New York. Earhart bought the company in 1911 and moved its headquarters to Michigan--just as the automobile industry was taking off. Under his direction, White Star grew into a major enterprise, with a chain of gas stations and its own refinery in Oklahoma. Earhart eventually sold out to Socony Vacuum, later Mobil.
H. B’s wife, Carrie Earhart died in 1940 at age sixty-eight after a short illness. A private funeral was held in the home.
H. B. Earhart stayed on in the house after his wife died, keeping busy with his many interests and charities. With more time on his hands, he would frequent the greenhouse lounge, reading or talking to Grant, who had become the greenhouse manager after Carrie Earhart's death. Grant described Earhart at this time as a "tall, stately man, very upright, very deliberate in what he said, and what he said he meant. He wasn't a man who spent time gossiping, he was very serious."
H. B. Earhart died in 1954 at age eighty-three after suffering a heart attack. He was buried beside his wife in Botsford Cemetery on Earhart Road. His obituary, like hers, was front-page news. Among other accomplishments, the obituary mentioned his support for industrial education and his role as a prime mover in the creation of the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority, which is responsible for the string of parks still enjoyed today. The Earhart Foundation, which he started in 1929, is still in existence, mainly funding educational projects. After Earhart's death, his son Richard ran the foundation; it is now headed by David Kennedy.
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Credits:
Author: Grace Shackman
Ann Arbor Real Estate Association
I probably spent more time editing this back ground narrative than I did, editing the composite picture.
Hope you’all enjoy……………..
The Silken whisper of Flickering Desires
A Chronicle
Adapted from the Final Entry Entitled:
Their Regal Gambit
Subtitled:
While Sherlock Holmes vacationed
The first score had been made, now for the Coup de Grace! So far their little operation had gone as smooth as silk, or in this case, satin. Now just to make sure the husband of the silken gowned brunette displaying the jewels in question was still safely out of the picture! Then Mollie would let her husband know that with the coast clear, freeing him to stage his approach of the lady in the long swishing satin gown he had been keeping an eye on all evening. The one who was wearing the exquisite necklace of fiery flickering diamonds, just daring someone to expertly slip it away the throat of its unsuspecting owner.
And therein lay the rub, She happily thought….
As Mollie made her way down the quiet corridor to the gentlemen’s smoking lounge, she lovingly played through her mind the series of unfortunate ( or fortunate?) events that had led her and her husband to this place. It had all began with an innocent one named Tabitha…….
Mollies’ Flash back
They had first come across Tabitha at a resort casino deep in the Catskills. Mollie and her husband had been there about three days, scoping out the grounds, and its wealthy clientele. At the casino they both spotted Tabitha at the same time. She was seated at a baccarat table, really standing out in an elegant dress of gold and black striped silk and velvet Her well-toned body displayed numerous pieces of expensive jewelry. A fat little purse dangled, unheeded by her side. Tabitha had held Mollie’s attention mainly due to the strong resemblance she had to herself. Tabitha’s jewelry, a flashy diamond journey style necklace, matching earrings, wide diamond tennis bracelet, and multiple gem encrusted rings, had held Mollies pickpocket husbands’.
Mollie went on to the bar and watched as her husband waited for the seat next to Tabitha to become vacant. Then he sat, asking for chips, while unobtrusively eyeing Tabitha’s bracelet. He began striking up a conversation with Tabitha, finding her to be an easy mark. He soon learned from the chatty girl that she was a divorced, upper executive for a well-known digital arts company servicing the movie industry. It was during this conversation that Tabitha babbled about the upscale, invitation only(you know), black tie formal ball she would be attending in England the next month. Now, as her husband was keeping Tabitha occupied Mollie had walked by the pair, ‘tripping’ into her husband, who palmed off to her , the diamond bracelet which had been ever so subtly slipped from around the unwary Tabatha’s’ wrist. Walking away with the bracelet secured in her purse, Mollie made her way to their small bungalow. Her husband did not break in his conversation with Tabitha; a mark would seldom suspect a friendly person of stealing from her.
Later that evening, Mollie wore the pricy bracelet while mutually admiring it over a bottle of merlot with her husband. They discussed the high-class affair Tabitha had been bragging about. Wistfully, Mollie admitted it was a shame they had not received an invite. Her husband smiled, and pulled a thickly embossed and crested envelope from his pocket. Easily adopting a British accent, he said “The silly little twit was carrying this in her purse!” The envelope revealed a pair of invitations to the Princess’s Jubilee Royal Ball. As the pair continued to empty the bottle of fine merlot, what had started as speculation, turned towards reality, and soon plans had been laid.
As they lay in bed later that night, Mollie turned to her husband, just think about the jewels that will be worn at the English Ball, she shivered with the delightful thoughts. Do you remember the last time we were in England? Mollie looked at her husband slyly, you remember, the Wriggling Whelp Whispering Wisk! She stated teasingly. Mollie knew the quickest way to get her husband’s goat was coming up with silly phrases to describe his more outlandish endeavors. Such phrases like The Tingling Touch Ice Melt, The Slippery Slick Taffeta Pull, The Glossy Gowned Dangling Peel, or her personal favorite, The Ticklish Wedge Clam Dip, never failed to get a response. In this case the response was a brief pillow fight leading into a romantic interlude, ending up with them in bed as they reminisced about the last time they had “visited” England a few years back…..
It had proven a fairly profitable venture with the jewelry alone netting almost 100,000 pounds. It all had culminated quite nicely at one of the posh events they had crashed that final weekend. Their final score had come about from a rambunctious doe eyed Fourteen year old in a shiny dress who had been oblivious to the valuably delicious gold pendent studded with small rubies and emeralds that sparkled ever so invitingly as it swung from her throat. A pair of matching dangling earrings dripped from her ears as she has run around unminded by her elders. Mollie had indignantly stated to her husband that the antique trinkets were simply just too expensive for a child so squirminly young to be trusted with. Her husband then went about the task to prove his wife correct in her statement.
After talking a bit about the English Girls parents reaction to the unsolved disappearance of their daughters ultra-pricey pendent , Mollie came back to the present and asked if the lady in the maroon silk that her husband pointed out the previous evening would be wearing the same jewels to the dance tomorrow night? Or better her husband replied sleepily, good Mollie pronounced, I did like her emeralds.
In Merry Ole England
They had arrived in England several weeks before the Royal Ball and began the preparations.
In an irony of fate, the profit they had realized from poor Tabitha’s bracelet had paid for a large chunk of their little excursion. Keeping his accent, and adding a trim beard, Mollies husband looked radically different from the man Tabitha had encountered. During the weeks following their arrival, the pair had practiced like they always did before undertaking a new venture. But this time it was with a more daring edge, they quite simply could not afford being caught red handed in a foreign country. Mollie assumed her practice the role. That of the richly dressed, well jeweled quarry. Her husband would stalk and attempt to relieve her of a piece of her jewelry as she went about her business, shopping! The idea being that, If he was able to do so without being caught by an obviously aware Mollie, than he should have no problem at the Royal Ball. As it usually happened when they practiced in this manner, her husband did incredibly well. Mollie had had several pieces of jewelry vanish from her person during the week, without her noticing how or when.
The final night of practice Mollie decided to dress to kill. Looking quite devastating in a glossy gold halter and a long brown velvet skirt with gold stiletto heels clicking as she moved. A diamond heart pendant hung down from her neck, swaying provocatively out from between her breasts. A bracelet, similar to Tabitha’s purloined diamonds, was wrapped around her wrist.
She left their penthouse and made her way to the street outside. Some type of festival was going on as she waded through the crowded streets to the nightclub. Her rings sparkled as they kept rhythm with her swaying diamond waterfall earrings. Just daring her husband to make a move for any of them.
Mollie drank and danced the night away with no hide or hair of her husband until she returned late that evening to their apartment. She found him in the hot tub, smirking. She undressed and joined him. Okay, how did u do it she demanded? I felt nothing, no one bumped or brushed against me all evening that I was not aware of. He opened his fist, allowing her heart diamond pendant to dangle freely in front of her. A magician never reveals his tricks my little cat, he purred, as the pendant swayed in a sparkling arch.
Cat was short for “Cat Lady”, a moniker he had placed upon her when she had broken into a sleeping woman’s room and removed the jewels from her gold case, and even managed to slip off a ring she was wearing. The fact that she was passed out in a drunken stupor, still dressed in her long party gown, didn’t count , or so her husband teased.
You should have been a surgeon! , my dear, Mollie exclaimed with pride. Then she leaned towards him, her green eyes gleaming in earnest, time for a real practice run Mon Cherie, she said in dead seriousness. Then Her eyes opened wide, I got it she exclaimed, I’ll call it The Slinking Sneaky Shearing Snag she pronounced joyfully, getting a face full of water in reply to her effort. Okay Cat, let’s get down to business he retorted, I know just the affair. Mollie listened intensively as her Husband described their next plans, derived while eavesdropping on a couple of ladies shopping in a jewelers.
The next weekend (two weeks to the evening before the Royal Ball) Mollie found herself at a quaint upscale wedding reception held in the large gardens of a country church. She was attired in the same bewitching ensemble that she had been wearing on the final night of practice. Her only jewels were a recently acquired pair of sparkly cascading earrings set with emeralds and diamonds. The affair of the plump piqued peacock plucking she had mused while getting dressed. The only other exception was that the long fiery red hair she had inherited from her Irish namesake grandmother had been cut and dyed blond. Blue contacts had also been added to the disguise to hide her vivid green eyes.
They soon targeted an older jewel laden snob at the reception. An older lady , well jeweled, of the arrogant know it all, obey me totally type whom everyone tries to avoid. While Mollie engaged the mark in a mostly one sided conversation(the older ladies) the lady had become so deeply engrossed about talking about herself and her ties with royalty, that she never detected being relieved of a heirloom antique gold chain and jeweled pendent by Mollies husband who had approached her unnoticed from behind.
It was all Mollie could do no to bring attention to it by looking at the wickedly expensive piece as it was slipped up and away from the Dowager’s ruffled heavy satin blouse.
This time it was mollies turn to keep chatting as her husband headed to the door. He had almost made it when two youths ran into him as they scurried away from a rather sullen looking tween girl they had been teasing, and now were in possession of her purse. Mollie stole a look as she saw her husband topple onto the chasing girl. He managed to extracted himself from the girls long slinky gown that she had probably been forced into by an overly conceited mother. He apologized, and left the girl to go after her antagonizes. Later, when Mollie had caught up to him she teased him about his clumsiness. He just smiled, and pulled out from his vest pocket the most exquisitely matched pearls that the youth had been openly displaying from around her throat and wrist at the reception!
They were, most definitely, ready. The fated evening could not come soon enough. But it finally did.
They had had no problem with using the fancy invitations to gain entrance. Security was heavy, as expected, but with a very lax atmosphere. Mollie was wearing the salmon coloured gown she had had especially made for such occasions, her new blond hair style and the blue contacts. In a coup foray of sorts, Mollie wore the pearls that had been taken by her husband during his run in with the sullen girl at the wedding reception. Her husband was wearing his usual tux with a hand tied bowtie. His ruffled sleeves easily moved up and down along his wrists.
Mollie and her husband split up, each spending the first few hours mingling solo, and taking it all in as they thoroughly enjoyed the Ball and all its many stimulating attractions. It had gone smooth as silk. Spending the first few hours prowling while the guests liquored up Mollie scoping out exactly the right candidates. Dangling jewels with easy clasps were everywhere!, it was surprising how the best of jewel makers skimped on the clasps required to keep the expensive pieces in place. Clothing also made a difference. Silks and satins were quiet and slipped easily. Taffeta could be whispery, more of a challenge. Velvet could easily snag as a piece was being lifted. But these were the costliest of materials, and the wearers would logically be wearing the costlier of jewelry.
Mollie and her husband regrouped several hours later, unobtrusively under the pretense of dancing. Gently discussing their plans. They settled on three likely prospects amongst the almost three hundred present. The first was an older spinster type wearing a luxurious dress of embroidered navy silk and displaying jewelry studded with diamonds and sapphires. The second was a middle aged snotty blonde wearing a shamelessly low cut green silk taffeta gown (which Mollie secretly liked)wearing a thick gold bracelet studded with vulgarly large rubies surrounded by a sea of small sparkly diamonds. She was alone, and a heavy drinker. The third was a longshot. A lanky , flighty brunette wearing immensely valuable jewels of blindingly sparkling Diamonds. Her necklace alone was in the upper hundred thousand range, with a clasp that was one of the easiest to coax open. The only problem was that she came with an obviously newlywed husband who doted on her every move. Both were heavy drinkers, and if he would only leave his wife’s side for, say about fifteen minutes, the necklace would be theirs!
They had decided that any one of the three would produce results worth a king’s ransom, appropriately enough, all things considered. The plan was for her husband to take his time selecting the easiest jewel to acquire from amongst the ones the three marks were displaying , make his move, and pass it off to Mollie who would leave forthwith, while her husband stayed a little while longer to make sure everything remained calm before making his exit stage right via the hallway.
As Mollie went to her station, she saw the Blue silken lady, along with her sapphires and diamonds, leaving with a rather unsavory looking male, eyeing her with a look Mollie knew all too well. Mollie decided to follow them, thinking to herself that some women are just prone to being victimized. Good luck with that one Mollie thought unkindly, as she stole one last look at the ladies glistening sapphires, hope he leaves her with something she sarcastically wished wickedly to the couple’s backside as they went out the exit at the end of the hall. One down and out she thought. Then she spied the husband of the newlywed pair heading down the hall towards her with an older, grey bearded man. Getting close she heard them talking about the Gentlemen’s smoking lounge. Mollie decided to give her husband a signal, but when she found him he was already in the arms of the blond. Molly immediately noticed the absence of the jeweled bracelet from his partners’ wrist. She went back to her table. Immediately she was set upon by some drunken snob asking her to dance. She allowed herself to be taken up into his arms. Spending a few unenchanting minutes with Mr. two left feet, before her husband tapped him on the shoulder cutting in. They danced, Mollie placing a hand into his pocket and feeling something cold and metal wrapped her hand around it. Looking him in the eyes she told him about the now unguarded bride, as she palmed the willowy blonde’s bracelet. They decided to go for it, and as the music ended, Mollie made her way to the hall, where she secreted the blondes bracelet safely away
One down, one more to go! An exquisite necklace of flickering diamonds waiting to be nimbly slipped away from the throat of its unsuspecting wearer. Now just to make sure the husband of the silken gowned brunette displaying the jewels in question was still safely out of the picture! Then to let her husband know that with the coast clear, he was free to stage his approach of the lady in the long swishing satin gown he had been keeping a drooling eye on all evening. The one wearing the exquisite necklace of flickering diamonds waiting to be so expertly slipped away from the throat of its unsuspecting wearer.
She was able to see the groom in windowed room, the husband and his friend were smoking a pair of long cigars and drinking brandy in large glass snifters. Mollie passed unnoticed as she mad e her way to the ladies powder room. He was still there, only halfway through a long stogie as she passed again on her way back. Neither time was she observed. Mollie mad her way back to the Ballroom. She sat down at one side of the room, once again allowing the sights of so many bejeweled women to soak in. Her husband was dancing with a lady in a flowing red ball gown, jewels sparkling in abundance, not aware of the danger so close at hand, nor that even with her husband and his particular skill set so close to them, that at that moment nothing could be safer from his fingertips. Finally she caught her husband’s eye. Mollie innocently rubbed a finger along the side of her nose, a subtle signal that it was safe for him to precede.
Mollie was now uncharacteristically having butterflies in her stomach; it was a huge gamble, trying to get away with a pair of thefts in this inhospitable atmosphere. She kept second guessing herself, Bird in hand she kept thinking. But the lure was too great, and it was with a heavy sigh of relief when Mollie saw her husband finally kiss the hand of the young bride after their dance. Mollie could see that she was no longer sporting the thin silver necklace and its row of at least two caret diamonds that had been encircling her throat with their rippling flashy brilliance all evening. Molly stayed put, not daring to leave until her husband had brushed by her in passing and made his way out the hallway to the exit. She waited for a long fifteen minutes, then curling her hand around the necklace that had been dropped into her lap as he had passed; she gained the safety of the hallway. Just in time. For coming down the hallway was none other than the lady in the long luxurious gown and now bare throats groom and his distinguished looking friend. She passed by them, feeling the men eyeing her with roving wolfish gazes. Then she passed them, and proceeded unhindered to once again enter the ladies’ powder room where the necklace soon joined with the Blondes bracelet in its hiding spot.. Than calmly Mollie left, walking past two security Bobbies, virtually unnoticed. The Groom had been absolutely ignorant to the fact that his young Bride’s ridiculously valuable necklace had walked right past him out the door.
Mollie did not let herself really breathe until she had gained the safety of the street. She allowed herself to imagine the commotion as the news of the missing jewels were circulated around the cavernous Ballroom. There would be a flurry of activity, flashes and sparkles as the women checked themselves reassuringly that they were still in possession of their trinkets. Mollie would have loved to have stayed and watched, but obviously could not do so. She rejoined her husband at their meeting place and they drove off. They made their way to Ireland where they spent a cautious week touring before leaving for the states.
Once the profit was realized from their haul that eventful evening, including obnoxious Dowagers the jeweled antique pendent, and was added in to the modest amount they had already accumulated from previous adventures, Mollie and her husband were able to retire to Ireland and live quite an unpretentious life together in a small stone manor in the woods.
Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives
Designed by renowned firm Arquitectonica and interiors inspired by Yoo By Philippe Starck, iconbrickell rests on a ten-acre enclave on the edge of a 1000 foot Biscayne Bay waterfront and is surrounded by lush green parks and walking paths on either side.
A mix totaling over 1,800 units (1,648 residential, 162 hotel) in two residential towers and one condo-hotel; studios to three bedrooms and measuring 495 square feet to more than 2,600 square feet, iconbrickell is one of Southern Florida’s largest condominium developments and also one of the costliest in the history of South Florida with development costs exceeding $1 Billion, located on the prestigious Brickell Avenue, at the intersection of downtown Miami and Brickell. iconbrickell unites Miami’s urban metropolitan areas and has views of the Miami River, Downtown Miami, Miami Beach, Key Biscayne, Biscayne Bay and city views.
From the time that you set foot at iconbrickell, it is clear this is a uniquely special place. Arriving guests are greeted by a spectacular two story entrance, lined with 100 columns throughout the driveway, some with lit “eyes” that glow to guide your way and “watch over each arriving guest.” The gigantic columns, estimated at 5 million dollars, are modeled to resemble Moai Statues of Easter Island heads that embrace your journey into Starck’s world of playful spirit, sophistication, urban-chic style and luxurious waterfront living.
Floor plans at iconbrickell range from studios, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 3-bedroom with layouts ranging in price from $325,000 to over a $1 million.
Throughout Miami’s cityscape are sumptuous luxury condominiums, with lavish finishes, spectacular views and sophisticated design… but iconbrickell is so unique, that it stands out among the rest.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.iconbrickell.com/about_iconbrickell/
www.emporis.com/buildings/233251/icon-brickell-south-towe...
Buffalo City Hall is the seat for municipal government in the City of Buffalo, New York State. Located at 65 Niagara Square, the 32 story Art Deco building was completed in 1931 by Dietel, Wade & Jones.
City Hall was built by the John W. Cowper Company, the same firm who built the Statler Hotel and the Buffalo Athletic Club, also on Niagara Square. The cost of building City Hall was $6,851,546.85, including the architect's fees, making it one of the costliest city halls in the country.
NRHP Reference#:
98001611
I finally made it out to Bolivar Peninsula. Bolivar has always been my place to relax, whether bird-watching, photographing or enjoying the sunrises and sunsets. The area was decimated last September when Hurricane Ike, the third costliest hurricane to hit the US, made landfall. This is all that remains of my friend's family's home. It just wasn't salvagable.
Strange, so much sadness and human loss associated with Hurricane Ike, but...the sunsets are still beautiful on the peninsula and the birds are making their way back to the sanctuary. Hopefully, one day, sooner, rather than later, the area will return to its pre-hurricane glory -- as a sleepy little fishing, boating and birding community.