View allAll Photos Tagged estimation!
The Shock of the New
This is another series of my images, this time that show how Modern Architecture has inbedded itself with the more Traditional styles. Some successful, some not to my estimation. But we’re all different in our tastes, you may even like them yourselves.
M35 (ou NGC 2168) est un amas ouvert4,2 situé dans la constellation des Gémeaux. Il a été découvert par l'astronome suisse Jean Philippe Loys de Cheseaux en 1745. L'amas a été observé par Charles Messier le 30 aout 1764. NGC 2168 est à environ 816 pc (∼2 660 al) du système solaire et les dernières estimations donnent un âge de 95,3 millions d'années.
À ses côté, on peut apercevoir NGC 2158, un amas ouvert plus dense, plus ancien et plus éloigné (environ 16 500 années-lumière).
Messier 35 or M35, also known as NGC 2168 or the Shoe-Buckle Cluster, is a relatively close open cluster of stars in the west of Gemini, at about the declination of the Sun when the latter is at June solstice. It was discovered by Philippe Loys de Chéseaux around 1745 and independently discovered by John Bevis before 1750.
The compact open cluster NGC 2158 lies directly southwest of it.
(source : wikipedia)
= Acquisition =
William Optics Zenithstar 73ii (FL 430mm)
Risingcam IMX571 OSC
iOptron CEM26
WO UniGuide 50/200 + Touptek GPM462M
NINA & PHD2
= Séances photos =
17 octobre 2024
-- Filtre L-Pro 60sec x 195 (exp. 3h15)
@Astrobox 2.0 -- St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec -- Bortle 9
= Traitement/processing =
Siril & Affinity Photo 2
Temps d'exposition post-traitement : 2h45
AstroM1
Kodak Portra 160
120 format
1955 Foitzik Trier
6x6 Folding Camera
Foinar 1:4.5
75mm
Made In Germany
No Crop, No Filter, No Post Edit.
f8 1/60 Metering via Sunny 16 rule and my head.
Golden Hour
Handheld
Parallax viewfinder. Completely Manual (guessing) Focus by estimation of distance in feet from camera lens.
Developed in Bellini C41 Kit.
With particularly warm weather, the show of light on Horsetail Fall was far better on this night than on either of the two prior nights, which were supposedly more "peak" nights in someone's estimation. Nice of them to redirect crowds away from the actual peak nights, which are far more weather-driven than predictable by sun and rock geometry.
The sun starts to get too far north in late February to light Horsetail Fall through sunset. That's not entirely a bad thing, as the light almost entirely leaves the rock, leaving the brilliantly-lit water as a stream of light, hovering close to the rock face.
We have an uninvited guest in the little pond behind my home. This is the first gator to grace our neighborhood in 15 years. The little boys in the neighborhood are beyond excited. Their moms are not....
And poor Sammy the cat is temporarily confined to quarters. The Wildlife Department won't come get the gator (trap and release) unless he is a "threat to humans".......
He's about 4 feet long (hmmm, maybe 1.3 meters) in my estimation. Maybe we should invite the Wildlife Commissioner's kids over for a swim?
made for a good time choosing settings... so I let the camera decide 😋
The clouds in the background were giving flurries at Peggy's Cove by my estimation.
Quick field edit from our Yosemite Winter Workshop this week. We'll be back in the Park in April for moonbows!
The sun starts to get too far north in late February to light Horsetail Fall through sunset. That's not entirely a bad thing, as the light almost entirely leaves the rock, leaving the brilliantly-lit water as a stream of light, hovering close to the rock face.
With particularly warm weather, the show of light on Horsetail Fall was far better on this night than on either of the two prior nights, which were supposedly more "peak" nights in someone's estimation. Nice of them to redirect crowds away from the actual peak nights, which are far more weather-driven than predictable by sun and rock geometry.
This image has appeared in Flickr's Explore!
You can find the rest of my 350+ photos that have been selected for Explore via a search on Scout:
My 350+ Photos Selected for Explore. To find your own photos featured in Explore, substitute your screen name (or Flickr ID number) at that link.
Rock Dove (Columba livia, Gmelin 1789)
Family: Columbidae
Length: 31 to 35cm Wingspan: 63 to 70cm Weight: 250 to 350g. Lifespan: up to 10 years.
The Rock Dove is the ancestor of the domestic pigeon and is usually referred to as a “pigeon.”
Rock Doves have been domesticated for several thousand years.
The “True Rock Doves” scarcity today, is due to constant interbreeding with feral and domestic pigeons. They are natural coastal birds, feeding in nearby fields throughout the daytime, returning to the safety and shelter of the coastal caves and rock ledges at night.
Habitat: Wide ranging to the extreme, from coastline cliffs to city centres as well as open grass lands, arable land and in parks, foraging for most types of food in large and small flocks or individually. Feeding on seeds, berries, buds, also small invertebrates, usually taken from the ground. In cities and towns, human garbage is also a food source. Pigeons are able to continuously drink from the water’s surface, without having to tilt their heads back, like most birds have to do.
Wild Rock Doves are pale grey, with two black bars on each wing. Markings and colours vary considerably on the feral and domestic pigeon.
The True Rock Dove flocks are now only found in North West Europe, mainly along the coastlines. Even in these flocks, evidence of different plumage and colour pattern shows the infiltration of the feral, town and domestic pigeons.
Rock Dove’s, generally keep with their same partner throughout their breeding years, a female lays 2 eggs and have up to 3 broods a year. Nesting is usually constructed from sticks, straw and grasses, usually under cover on a ledge, or in a rocks crevasse, also nesting places can be found on or in various man-made structures. Both parents look after the eggs (incubation period, between 17 to 19 days) and rear the squabs (pigeon chicks are known as squabs and will fledge in about 30 days). Peak nesting times are spring and summer, although given mild-temperatures, Columba livia will breed all year round.
The escaped domestic pigeon (Columba livia domestica) has increased the populations of feral pigeons around the world, it is thought the population to be around 120 million birds, in Europe alone, estimations of up to 28 million pigeons exist.
Pigeons rarely fly far from their local and familiar surroundings.
The pigeon falls prey to many breeds of raptors, taken from the ground or while in flight. Nests are also raided by gulls and crows, for the eggs as well as young birds. Various climbing animals will also raid nests, including the feral and domestic cats.
Was the 1972 Chevelle SS 454 a true “muscle car”? You decide.
1972 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 Sport Coupe 4-speed (man. 4) (model since September 1971 for North America U.S.) car specifications & performance data review
1972 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 Sport Coupe 4-speed (man. 4) .
Specs datasheet with technical data and performance data plus an analysis of the direct market competition of Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 Sport Coupe 4-speed (man. 4) in 1972, the model with 2-door hardtop coupe body and V-8 7443 cm3 / 454.2 cui, 201.5 kW / 274 PS / 270 hp (SAE net) of power, 529 Nm / 390 lb-ft of torque, 4-speed manual powertrain offered since September 1971 for North America U.S.. According to the ProfessCars™ estimation this Chevrolet would accelerate 0-60 mph in 6.4 sec, 0-100 km/h in 6.7 sec and a quarter mile time is 14.9 sec. The overall dimensions are 5016 mm / 197.5 in of length, 1915 mm / 75.4 in of width (without mirrors) and 1340 mm / 52.8 in of height.
Cylinders alignment: V 8
Displacement: 7443 cm3 / 454.2 cui
Bore: 107.98 mm / 4.251 in
Stroke: 101.6 mm / 4 in
Compression ratio: 8.5 : 1
Horsepower net: 201.5 kW / 274 PS / 270 hp (SAE net)/ 4000
Torque net: 529 Nm / 390 ft-lb/ 3200
Quarter mile performance:
0-1/4 mile (s) 14.9
speed at 1/4 mile: 154 km/h / 96 mph
Source: www.automobile-catalog.com/car/1972/110555/chevrolet_chev...
…………the day the ‘muscle’ in muscle cars died………..
The giraffe has intrigued various cultures, both ancient and modern, for its peculiar appearance, and has often been featured in paintings, books, and cartoons. It is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as Vulnerable to extinction, and has been extirpated from many parts of its former range. Giraffes are still found in numerous national parks and game reserves but estimations as of 2016 indicate that there are approximately 97,500 members of Giraffa in the wild, with around 1,144 in captivity.
Giraffe's photographed roaming the vast open plains of Laikipia inside the Ol Pejeta Conservancy late in the evening.
The Shock of the New
This is another series of my images, this time that show how Modern Architecture has inbedded itself with the more Traditional styles. Some successful, some not to my estimation. But we’re all different in our tastes, you may even like them yourselves.
After moving several ideas trough my head, I took some photos of different subjects. The texture here is small part of the shoulder strap of my daypack from Deuter. The thickness of the shoulder belt is approx. 12 to 14 mm, gently measured with a caliber. But since the material is soft, it’s late at night and it’s very well within 3 inches, the estimation 12 – 14 mm is fine.
Other ideas, just to mentions them where chocolates actual fine pralines, some floweres past their prime time and my new checking tool with 75 x 75 mm inside, actually one of them is a approx. 75 x 75 mm on the outside. Stay tuned and have a look at my stream in the near future,
Other fotos, for these theme follow this link www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=19893353%40N00&sort=da...
Feel free to leave comments and constructive feedback. No P1/C1 or seen in group and similar.
I went down to Bull Shoals Lake on the southern border of MO with AR. It is the last of a four (or five depending) lakes that chain along the White River along its way to the Arkansas River. My intent was to photograph the Milky Way. Much to my chagrin, Bull Shoals is far too close to light pollution and my estimations of the MW position was off significantly.
The time was chosen to coincide with the new moon and a cold front that would drive away any clouds and smoke that had been present. I found instead that as the temperature drops below the dew point, duh-- the dew condenses everywhere, on and inside the tent, camera, tripod, occupants, et al. I was prepared for the temperature but not the wet. This shot of Jupiter and the southern horizon was early, before I noticed you have to dry the lens between each shot.
From Wikipedia:
Ubehebe Crater is located at the north tip of the Cottonwood Mountains. The crater is half a mile (one kilometer) wide and 500 to 777 feet (152 to 237 m) deep. The age of the crater is estimated from 2,000 to 7,000 years old. In 2012, new evidence suggested that the crater may be as young as 800 years old, although this estimation was a lower bound, and it is still possible the crater is much older than that.
The crater was formed when magma migrated close to the surface and the heat of the magma caused groundwater to flash into steam, throwing large quantities of pulverized old rock and new magma across the stony alluvial fan draped across the valley floor. The magma rose through a fault that lies along the western base of Tin Mountain. Movement on this fault was responsible for uplift of the entire Cottonwood Mountains range.
Geologists call the resulting large steam explosions hydrovolcanic or phreatic eruption and the pits created are known as maars. Ubehebe was the last and largest in a series of similar eruptions in the immediate area (its eruption exceeded the tensile strength of the bedrock by 10 times). Earlier eruptions created a group of much shallower maars to the south and another to the west. Little Hebe is a spatter cone that grew in the middle of one of the largest maars in the south group. The only significant deposit of lava in the volcanic field is contained in Little Hebe.
All of the maar-forming eruptions sent out fallout debris that mantled a broad area around the volcanic field (dozens of steam explosions issued from Ubehebe alone).
Within Ubehebe small alluvial fans have been built on the crater wall along with talus slumps from debris flows. White silt covers the crater bottom of Ubehebe and some surrounding craters.
Osprey pair and two chicks. Dad is enjoying the catch and the Mom is starting to vocalize, perhaps asking about sharing with everyone else in the nest.
The chicks were being kept in Mom's shade.
And check out the materials in the nest - cord, reeds, sticks, fabric, grasses...
Since males are smaller than the females, that is my estimation on who's who.
On the DE River near Port Mahon, Delaware.
November 11th, 2024 - The water within the lock chambers at Monongahela River Lock & Dam 3 at Elizabeth, PA sits still, creating a near mirror like reflection. Only to be disturbed by the passing by of an empty CSX coal train on the near embankment above. Built in 1905 and opened in 1907, the last major modernization project here took place at the end of the 1970's. Lock and Dam No.3 is documented as being the 2nd oldest facility within the Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District.
The intention for the century old structure to still be open as late as 2024 was never meant to be a reality like it had become. Intention's of its removal dated back as early as 1992 with the announcement of the Lower Monongahela River project. Alas, due to annual government funding coming only in marginal amounts throughout the next 30 plus years, the project has only now reached the final stages which drastically ballooned in costs. Estimations in 1992 pegged the cost of the project’s entirety at $750M, only to have grown to $900M expenses to date in 2021, and an estimated final cost of $1.2B dollars (circa 2021 estimations) when completed.
Lock 3 was removed from service on December 19th, 2024, 32 years after the Lower Monongahela River Project was first proposed. This milestone achieved the full removal of the dam, creating a new, nonstop 30 mile channel of navigable waterway to bypass using the antiquated locks chambers. Numbers from the ACOE estimate that as a direct result of expedited shipping, it will create $200M annually in expenses saved on commerce throughout the Monongahela Valley region. With the river channel now open and unobstructed, work will soon begin in 2025 on removing the lock chambers and finish up sometime in 2027.
In the months leading up to this I had tried quite vigorously to capture a boat and rail meet here. Unfortunately due to the continuous decrease in coal traffic in the Mon Valley - both on river and by rail, I was never able to capture that. A harsh reality for this project that is 30 years too late to truly make a beneficial difference. 75% of the river traffic from 1992, which was overwhelmingly coal, is now gone.
Despite a steady rain the first 4-5 hours of the day (June 25,2022) members of the Buick Club of America delivered. An estimate of over 300 classic Buicks filled the Sheraton Lisle Hotel parking lot. Scheduled to begin at 9: AM and run until 3: PM, there was a rain delay but this did not deter the ardent Buick club members from “going on with the meet”. I did not get there until about 2:30 but there were still plenty of fine cars on display. It was a very well organized event with designated areas sectioned off by model year and category. Of course my attention was focused on the early years - the antique classic cars of the early 1900’s through the late 1930’s. Nearby were cars of the 1940’s era.
Moving on to the pictured car which I have titled, “Imposter”. Setting off to the side this exquisite car grabbed my eye. In fact I was in such a hurry to grab some pictures, it was only after my forth shot that I discovered, to my chagrin, that I had neglected to insert the memory card in my camera (DUH)! Once rectified, I managed to get several reasonably good pictures.
Now let me explained why I titled this car, “Imposter”. Although by all appearances, except the tires and wheels, this car’s body is an authentic 1934/35 Buick Series 60 Convertible Phaeton. Now let me pause and explain that to be classified as a “true classic” (according to CCCA rules) the car must be “original” in all aspects - right down to all trim and components. Upon further observation it could be seen this car did not adhere specifically to these guidelines - most notably its wheels and tires. This, I concluded, explained why the car was sitting off to the side, away from the main reviewing area…….. but hey, it was a beautiful car, it looked like a 1934/35 Buick Series 60 Convertible Phaeton……….and there were no people around!
It should be noted that I removed the image of this car from its background and placed it in a scene with a different background. Allow me to add, if this car is not a true classic under the guidelines of the CCCA, it is, in my estimation, a beautiful car.
There are really three ways to see Hallf Dome: from the west and south entyrances to Yosemite Park; to climb (now with reserveations) to the top, and from the valley floor. I had made reservations in 2015, but I was turned away at the "entrance" (two wire ropes to hang onto) because in the estimation of those who know better, but the times I did the four miles to get to the start, the ranger in charge told me point blank that I couldn't do the climb. And he was right. After 70, my fear of heights (7-8,000 feet) with two wires to hang onto double.
Half Dome did not split in half as many people think, and the very name implies that it might be been. But actually, it was created by erosion. Half Dome is a quartz monzonite batholith at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park, California. It is a well-known rock formation in the park, named for its distinct shape. One side is a sheer face while the other three sides are smooth and round, making it appear like a dome cut in half. It stands at nearly 8,800 feet above sea level and is composed of quartz monzonite, an igneous rock that solidified several thousand feet within the Earth. At its core are the remains of a magma chamber that cooled slowly and crystallized beneath the Earth's surface. The solidified magma chamber was then exposed and cut in half by erosion, therefore leading to the geographic name Half Dome.
Below are two shots taken a decade apart, and while I like the first the best, to see this monolith from the base is just awe inspiring. By the way, in the over 20 trips including two ten day vacations, I have only gotten clouds once (other than the shot below) and/or that was during my film days. The only disappointing thing about Yosemite (we avoided crowds of tourists and when we couldn't we'd drive through to the eastern entrance every time and starting at Mono Lake.)
"Blow flies are usually the first insects to come in contact with carrion because they have the ability to smell dead animal matter from up to 2 km (1 mi) away. Upon reaching the carrion, females deposit eggs on it. Since development is highly predictable if the ambient temperature is known, blow flies are considered a valuable tool in forensic science. Blow flies are used forensically to estimate the minimum post mortem interval (PMImin) for human corpses. Traditional estimations of time since death are generally unreliable after 72 hours and often entomologists are the only officials capable of generating an accurate approximate time interval. The specialized discipline related to this practice is known as forensic entomology.
In addition to being used to estimate the PMImin, assuming colonization occurred after death, blow fly specimens found infesting a human corpse are used to determine if the corpse was relocated or if the individual ingested narcotics prior to death."
Four of Minnesota Commercial's most popular locomotives, in my estimation, sit together in the yard while the company's GE locomotives do the heavy lifting for daily operations. I have always wanted to get a photo of MNNR 35, sitting in a dead line or otherwise, so I was pleased to have an ideal opportunity.
Would you believe that the image above, was shot on the same day as the preceding fog enshrouded image at Komo? Of the same train?
After shooting M311 at Komo, I headed back west towards home, with reminders of domestic tasks and obligations bringing my photography for the day to a close. I kept my scanner on, as much to fill the silence in my truck as to actually monitor any rail activity. As took the freeway exit for home M311 called their approach to Glen Valley. At this moment the sun appeared through the first gap in the clouds that I had seen all day. With the rest of the sky full of dark rainclouds, the suns rays were intense and direct to the ground, and not reflected from the rest of the ominous bank overhead. After a moment marvelling at this spectacle, a plan formed in my mind. I made a sharp turn down one of the back country roads, and sped away from suburban Vancouver towards Hydro, the nearest point on the line.
At track speed the train would intersect my route in under five minutes, while Google Maps' estimation for my arrival put me at six. In this time the light somehow gained intensity as the narrow window in the clouds began to close. The train called for a clear signal AT Hydro just as I pulled onto the straightaway to the control point. It was a race now! In a complete stroke of luck, the grade crossing at the control point was blocked off and out of service for replacement of the road pads. A freshly place pile of ballast was stacked neatly beside the line, providing a unique elevation source for a sight line above the lineside bramble mound. I slammed the truck into park, flung the door open, and sprinted to the pile. The train was already past my intended shot, approaching the venerable pair of searchlight signals, but nonetheless was a sight to behold as its approach continued. Moments after my shutter closed on the image above, the sun was hidden behind the cloudbank again.
According the online information,
the universe is all of space and time including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. According to estimation of this theory, space and time emerged together billion years ago, and the universe has been expanding ever since. While the spatial size of the entire universe is unknown, the cosmic inflation equation tells us that it must have a minimum diameter of 23 trillion light years, and it is possible to measure the size of the observable universe, which is approximately 93 billion light-years in diameter at the present day.
081/366,
For my video; youtu.be/HCPZPyT7Uts?si=F5_lLWGbQ4Dz1t6g
Woorim, Queensland, Australia
The Ford Fairmont is a full-size car that was built by Ford Australia as an upmarket model of the Ford Falcon from 1965 to 2008. It featured a higher level of standard equipment than corresponding Falcon models of the same series. As well as offering a more luxurious interior trim with additional comfort and convenience features, for much of its first 25 years the Fairmont also offered a higher mechanical specification; a larger capacity engine and refinements such as disc brakes, power steering and automatic transmission that were extra cost options for the Falcon were fitted as standard equipment for the Fairmont. It was available as a four-door sedan throughout its life, as a five-door station wagon from its introduction through to 2002, and as a two-door hardtop from 1972 to 1978.
351 V8 Cruisomatic (XB) in 1974, the model with 5-door station wagon body and V-8 5766 cm3 / 351.9 cui, 194 kW / 264 PS / 260 hp (SAE gross) for Australia . Specifications listing with fuel economy, top speed, performance factory data and ProfessCars™ estimation: this Ford would accelerate 0-60 mph in 8.8 sec, 0-100 km/h in 9.3 sec, reach a first kilometer from start in 30.4 sec and quarter mile time is 16.6 sec.
The Big Nasty Hillclimb is a competitive event that takes place over several days. The climb, by my estimation is appx 300 ft elevation gain on a fairly steep grade. (Big Nasty Hillclimb DSC_0362.jpg)
Ubehebe Crater is a large volcanic crater of the Ubehebe Craters volcanic field in the northern half of Death Valley, in Death Valley National Park, California, USA. The Crater (pronounced YOO-bee-HEE-bee) is located at the north tip of the Cottonwood Mountains. The crater is half a mile (one kilometer) wide and 500 to 777 feet (150 to 237 m) deep. The age of the crater is estimated from 2,000 to 7,000 years old. (Wikipedia)
In 2012, new evidence suggested that the crater may be as young as 800 years old, although this estimation was a lower one, and it's still possible the crater is much older than that.
Enlarge to see more detail (press L)
In Explore Mar 29/20
The river flows from the mountains down through the Halawa Valley to Halawa Bay. Island of Moloka'i.
For the most part, Moloka'i is not a very enchanting place. The windward side, that gets all of the rain water, is sheer cliffs down into the water. So it is largely uninhabitable, and accessible mainly by boat. The leeward side of the island gets little rain and is semi-arid.
Halawa Valley is a pleasant exception, at the boundary between the windward and leeward sides. But is a bit difficult to get to.
The island is thinly populated and has no traffic lights. Not even one. No fancy restaurants, and little in the way of grocery stores. Three or four gas stations. (Or maybe two or three.)
But it is where you want to go if your goal is to get away from it all. In my estimation, it lives up to the nickname as "the friendly isle."
1.) To this day I happen to think that Muhammed Ali is "THE GREATEST" boxer and finest Athlete of ALL TIME. there are 100's of other good fighters, but NOBODY else comes close in boxing.
("I don't have to be what you want me to be; I'm free to be what I want"), the poetry (his ability to compose rhymes on the run could very well qualify him as the first rapper)
Ali brought beauty and grace to the most uncompromising of sports....Floating, stinging, punching, prophesying, he transformed his sport and became the most adored athlete in the ENTIRE WORLD, living or dead.
"Master of "The Sweet Science"
mention his name and EVERYBODY knows who Ali is"
2.) Jackie Joyner-Kersee
In every revolution -- and surely the explosion of women's sport is nothing less -- there is a leader. Whether vocal or silent, whether by purpose or happenstance, there is a figure whose shadow falls across an era and whose footprints mark the path for others to follow. In ways that could be measured, Jackie Joyner-Kersee was one of the greatest Olympic athletes in history, and in ways that could not, she was a rare combination of courage and grace, of power and vulnerability. A generation of women looked into her face and saw something they had never before seen in sport, and they were drawn to it.
"You could see that she loved everything she did and that she invested every ounce of strength she had in it," says Mia Hamm, who was 12 when Joyner-Kersee narrowly missed winning a gold medal in the heptathlon at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. "You saw her and
you got the idea of what a woman athlete should be. At the time it seemed almost like she wasn't responsible for just her sport, but for all of women's sport."
Hamm's words ring true. Joyner-Kersee is Sports Illustrated For Women's Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century not just because she was one of the best performers in track and field history, but also because the energy of her athleticism and personality wrapped itself around all of women's sport at precisely the time when it began to grow.
she won a silver medal in the heptathlon in the 1984 Olympics and gold medals in the 1988 and 1992 Games. She also won a gold medal in the long jump in 1988 and a bronze at the 1992 Olympics. Joyner-Kersee is the heptathlon world record-holder and American record-holder in the long jump. Her sister-in-law is the late track star Florence Griffith Joyner. A sufferer of exercise-induced asthma, Joyner-Kersee officially retired from track and field in 2001 at age 38. After her retirement, she started the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth Center Foundation to encourage kids in her underprivileged hometown to play sports.
3.) Jim Brown will always be a MARVEL of mine....Jim Brown is to running backs what Superman is to cartoon heroes. Standing 6-foot-2 and packing 230 hard pounds on his square-shouldered frame, he was an explosive fullback, combining outstanding speed with awesome power.
Brown played only nine seasons for the Cleveland Browns -- and led the NFL in rushing eight times. He averaged 104 yards a game, a record 5.2 yards a pop. He ran for at least 100 yards in 58 of his 118 regular-season games.
And MOST IMPRESSIVE.... (he never missed 1 game in his Entire Career) LOL!!!!!
Amazingly, football might not have been Brown's best sport. Some say he was a more talented lacrosse player, and he is the only person to be inducted into the halls of fame for pro football, college football and lacrosse.
4.) Barry Bonds* Go Ahead, put an asterisk after his name if you want to.
To Me is The BEST BASESBALL SLUGGER OF ALL TIME" with or without steriods.....Bonds currently holds the all-time Major League Baseball home run record with 762, and is also the all-time career leader in both Walks (2,558) and intentional walks (688). He holds numerous other records, including the single-season Major League record for home runs (73), set in 2001, and a record Seven Most Valuable Player Awards.
5.) Tom Brady* His career is relatively young and the Man Stands so far Above any other NFL Quarterback its "ridiculous" LOL......:))
To Me Brady is one of the best quarterbacks of OUR era. He has won three Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX), two Super Bowl MVP awards (XXXVI and XXXVIII), and has been invited to four Pro Bowls, and has the most touchdowns in a season. Brady was named to the AP All-Pro Team, and as Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, in 2005. He also helped set the record for the longest consecutive win streak in NFL history with 21 straight wins over two seasons. PLUS Im nominating him as The MVP of this years Super Bowl with The Patriots going 16-0 in the regular season :))
He has already been named "Sportsman of the Year" This year, by The Sporting News for the second time in his career. He was also named Male Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press, the first time he has received that honor, and the first time an NFL player has been honored since Joe Montana won in 1990.
6.) Tiger Woods...."The king of swings on the green"
The son of an African American Army officer father and a Thai mother, he learned to play as a child. His father, Earl, served as his teacher and mentor. Around the age of eight, Woods showed off his skills. He grew Up to be The Best Golfer EVER!!!!!!
At the tender age of 21 Tiger became first African American to win the U.S. Masters at Augusta in 1997—with a record score of 270. He won six championships in 2005 and was voted the PGA Tour Player of Year for the seventh time in nine years.
He also won the World Golf Championship and US PGA Championship in August 2007. The next month, Woods’ winning ways continued, garnering the top spot at the BMW Championship and The Tour Championship. He was named Player of the Year by the other participants in the PGA Tour and won his eighth Arnold Palmer Award for being the lead money earner on the tour.
7.) Roger Federer has to be The Baddest Man on a Tennins Court!!!!
The undisputed king of tennis was in the news for bagging the 40th title of his career. For Swiss Champion Roger Federer there's no stopping. The show has just begun and he's here to stay.....In 1999, Federer was the youngest player (18 years, 4 months) in the ATP Ranking's year end Top 100.
He became the first player to win Grand Slam events (Wimbledon & US Open) the year after having won three Grand Slam events in the same year.
Federer is the first player to win four Tennis Masters Series titles in one season; he also is only the third player to have won all four North American ATP Masters Series events in a career. Federer became the first man to reach four consecutive Grand Slam finals since Andre Agassi reached four finals between 1999 (French Open) and 2000 (Australian Open), winning three titles. He bettered the result by reaching and winning the final of Wimbledon in 2006 to make it five consecutive Grand Slam finals (won four out of five).
Federer won four consecutive titles at one event for the first time on June 18th, 2006 at the Gerry Weber Open and tied Bjorn Borg's record of 41 straight grass-court wins with a 6-0, 6-7, 6-2 victory over Tomas Berdych. He repeated this feat by winning his fourth consecutive Wimbledon championship on July 9th, 2006, beating Rafael Nadal in the final.
8.) Micheal Jordan....c'mon say it..LOL...MJ..I wanna be like Mike!!!!
Did U ever drink "GATORADE"???? or lace Up a pair of Nike's????
Well in my Estimation Jordan is almost single handedly responsible for Us All doing these things.........What Kid growing Up anywhere in the WORLD has never heard of him????
By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time -- although a summary of his basketball career and influence on the game inevitably fails to do justice to the man. A phenomenal athlete with a unique combination of fundamental soundness, grace, speed, power, artistry, improvisational ability and an unquenchable competitive desire, Jordan single-handedly redefined the NBA superstar!!!!!
Jordan's individual accolades and accomplishments include five NBA MVP (Most Valuable Player) awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-Defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star Game appearances and three All-Star MVPs, ten scoring titles, three steals titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards, and the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He holds the NBA record for highest career regular season scoring average with 30.1 points per game, as well as averaging a record 33.4 points per game in the playoffs. In 1999, he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press's list of athletes of the century.
Jordan is also noted for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today. Jordan also starred in the 1996 feature film Space Jam. He is currently a part-owner and Managing Member of Basketball Operations of the Charlotte Bobcats in his home state of North Carolina.
9.) Wilma Rudolph
The first American woman ever to win three gold medals in the Olympics, Wilma Rudolph overcame major obstacles to make her mark in the record books and in life.
She was named United Press Athlete of the Year (1960), the AP Woman Athlete of the Year (1960, 1961) and received the Sullivan Award as the nation's top amateur athlete (1961). She has been inducted into the Women's Sports Hall of Fame and named one of five sports stars selected as America's Greatest Women Athletes by the Women's Sports Foundation, she is in the Black Sports Hall of Fame and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Rudolph gave women's track a strong boost in America.
10.) Billie Jean King
One of the best female tennis players in history, she brought women's tennis - and women's sports in general - into prime time. In the 1970s, during the infancy of the Equal Rights Amendment, she helped establish a player's union and professional women's tour and fought for equal pay.
In 1967 she was selected as "Outstanding Female Athlete of the World". In 1972 she was named Sports Illustrated "Sportsperson of the Year", the first woman to be so honored; and in 1973, she was dubbed "Female Athlete of the Year".
She was the first female athlete to win over $100,000 prize money in a single season. Billie Jean King spoke out for women and their right to earn comparable money in tennis and other sports. Her constant lobbying and commitments have broken many barriers.
Billie Jean King established the first successful women's professional tennis tour. She founded tennis clinics for undeprivileged children. For her contributions to tennis as President of Tennis-America, Billie Jean King was awarded the National Service Bowl.
11.) Martina Navratilova
Perhaps the greatest women's tennis player of all time who set a new standard for women's achievement in sports. In addition to revolutionizing physical training in her sport, she courageously became one of the first star athletes to publicly disclose her homosexuality.
Nobody, ever, has had such a glittering trove of numbers. As a pro since 1973, she played the most singles tournaments (380) and matches (1,650), and won the most titles (167) and matches (1,438) with a won-lost mark of 1,438-212. She won more prize money, $20,344,061, than all but Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras.
Her doubles feats, attesting to a grandeur of completeness, were as sparkling: played the second most tournaments (286) and the most matches (1,111), and won the most titles (162) and matches (989) with a won-lost mark of 989-122. Throw in infrequent but very positive mixed doubles: played 27 tournaments, won 8 with a won-lost of 94-19. Overall for this three-way stretcher: played the most tournaments (693) and matches (2,874); won the most titles (337) and matches (2,521) with a 2,521-353 won-lost. Thus she battled .872 in singles, .890 in doubles, and .832 in mixed--.877 for everything. It means she won 48.6 percent of all the tournaments she entered. Whew Weeeeee, she a Bad Girl!!!!! :))
12.) Kobe Bryant......"The Golden Boy"
Bryant rose to national prominence in 1996 when he became the first guard in league history to be drafted out of high school, and led a wave of high school basketball players skipping college for the NBA. Bryant and then-teammate Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. Since O'Neal's departure following the 2004 season, Bryant has become the cornerstone of the Lakers' franchise, and was the NBA leading scorer during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.
Bryant's individual scoring accomplishments posted resulted in the finest statistical season of his career. The season included many spectacular individual performances including a game on December 20 in which Bryant scored 62 points despite playing only three quarters against the Dallas Mavericks. Entering the fourth quarter Bryant had, by himself, outscored the entire Mavericks team 62-61, the only time a player has done this through three quarters since the advent of the 24-second shot clock. When the Lakers faced the Miami Heat on January 16, 2006, Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal made headlines by engaging in handshakes and hugs before the game, signifying the end of the feud that had festered between the two players since O'Neal's acrimonious departure from Los Angeles. A month later, at the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, the two laughed and joked together on several occasions. On January 22, Bryant scored 81 points in a 122-104 victory against the Toronto Raptors, who finished with a 27-55 season record and were among the worst defensive teams in the league. In addition to breaking the previous franchise record of 71 set by Elgin Baylor, his point total in that game was the second highest in NBA history, surpassed only by Wilt Chamberlain's legendary 100-point game in 1962.
Also in January, Bryant became the first player since 1964 to score 45 points or more in four consecutive games, joining Chamberlain and Baylor as the only players ever to do so. For the month of January, Bryant averaged 43.4 per game, the eighth highest single month scoring average in NBA history, and highest for any player other than Chamberlain. By the end of the season, Bryant had also set Lakers single-season franchise records for the most 40-point games (27) and most points scored (2,832), among others. Bryant won the league's scoring title for the first time, posting a scoring average of (35.4). Bryant finished in fourth-place in the voting for the 2006 NBA Most Valuable Player Award, but also received 22 first place votes — second only to winner Steve Nash, and by far the highest number of first-place votes Bryant had ever received in his career.
Late in the season, it was reported that Bryant would change his jersey number from 8 to 24 at the start of the 2006-07 NBA season. 24 was Bryant's first high school number, before he switched to 33. After the Lakers' season ended, Bryant said on TNT that he wanted 24 as a rookie, but it was unavailable, as was 33, retired with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bryant wore 143 at the Adidas ABCD camp, and chose 8 by adding those numbers. He had also worn number 8 as a child in Italy, as a salute to Mike D'Antoni, who was one of his early idols and wore number 8 as a professional basketball player in Italy.
13) Randy Moss The Best Damn Wide Reciever of All Time!!!!
I could say a million things about this man, but his play speaks for Itself :))
He finished 2007 with 98 catches and 1,493 yards receiving....He is TRULY #1 at his position in the NFL.
He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 1998, and played the first stage of his career in Minnesota before a trade in 2005 brought him to the Oakland Raiders. On April 29, 2007, Moss was traded to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round draft pick.
[WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY SMOKING???? LOL]
Rookie record 17 TD catches.
He is third only to Anquan Boldin and Bill Groman for most rookie receiving yards with 1,313.
Moss has caught 120 TD passes through 10 seasons, 5th most in NFL history. He trails Jerry Rice, Cris Carter, Terrell Owens, and Marvin Harrison, all of whom have played more seasons than Moss.
Has caught 13 or more TDs in a season 5 times. He trails only Terrell Owens and Jerry Rice in such seasons.
Is the only player other than Jerry Rice to catch 17 or more TDs in a multiple seasons (Moss accomplished the feat in 1998, 2003 and 2007).
Moss has had 4 seasons in which he averaged at least one receiving TD a game: 1998 (17 TDs in 16 games), 2003 (17 TDs in 16 games), 2004 (13 TDs in 13 games), and 2007 (23 TDs in 16 games). He is the only wide receiver in NFL history to do so.
He had back-to-back 100 catch seasons, in 2002 and 2003. He joined Sterling Sharpe, Jerry Rice, Herman Moore, Cris Carter, Marvin Harrison, and Rod Smith as the only receivers to accomplish this feat.
At the end of the 2006 season, Moss averaged approximately 11.2 receiving TDs per season, an NFL record.
He had 1,000+ yards in each of his first 6 seasons, setting an NFL record.
In 2003, Moss became the second player in NFL history to average 100 yards and one TD per game in a 16 NFL game season, scoring 17 touchdowns and 1,632 yards.
In 2007, Moss became the only player in NFL history to record four 100+ yard games in his first four games with a new team.
Moss has eclipsed the 1,000 yard receiving mark 8 times in his career. He is tied for 3rd all-time in that statistic.
Also in 2007, Moss set a record with 16 touchdowns in his first 10 games with a new team.
In 2007 he set the a NFL record for most touchdown receptions in a regular season, with 23.
Cicindela limbalis -- female
The clay bank in the road ditch 1/2 way between our house and the hwy has a population, by my estimation, of about 10-20 clay bank tiger beetles of two different species. This species is much less common of the two and it's been 2 years since I saw the last one. With a 2 year life cycle it was high on my priority list to find one this year.
I did find this beetle the day before but being quite wary I wasn't able to come away with a very good photo. Here captured under cloudy shade.
Found one in Mar 2019. Every 2 years.
From early Wednesday morning. Colder and windier than forecast, but my estimation of the lighting from the early sun was about right giving some nice effects.
The Shock of the New
This is another series of my images, this time that show how Modern Architecture has inbedded itself with the more Traditional styles. Some successful, some not to my estimation. But we’re all different in our tastes, you may even like them yourselves.
As a young photographer out in the snow storm on purpose to test the weather-seal of my camera and look for any good street scenes, I stumbled upon an old lady who looked unable to see the ever growing snow pile on the side of the road, as she tried to cross the road. Seeing was one problem, walking was another. She was close to 90 years old by my estimation.
I lend her my hand and tried comforting her in a situation where anyone could feel lost. I made sure she got over the road safely but stubborn as she was, not further help was needed to get to her destination. This shot was taken few moments later.
Macro Monday theme "The Blues".
I Got the Key (Key to the Highway) by Blues Artist John Lee Hooker on Modern Hollywood Records; 1952 on a 78. He was born in Tutwiler, Mississippi, the youngest of 11 children. Actually no one really knows for sure the date of his birth, this is just an estimation. He died on June 21, 2001 and was between 83-88 years old.
My husband gave me the idea this week. I knew he listened to blues music, so this is a dual effort.
Happy Macro Monday!
🇫🇷 Un point d'eau est situé sur le bord de la côte ouest du marais salé ,au nord de Okaukuejo …De nombreux animaux s’y rendent …. un beau terrain de chasse pour les lionnes et leur lion.
Un lion doit manger en moyenne 10,5 kg de viande par jour. Dans le parc, l'estimation est de 500 lions.......le calcul est vite fait .
🇬🇧 A waterhole is located on the edge of the west coast of the salt marsh, to the north of Okaukuejo ... Many animals go there .... a good hunting ground for lionesses and their lion.
A lion eats an average of 10.5 kg of meat a day. There are an estimated 500 lions in the park........
🇩🇪 Ein Wasserloch befindet sich am Rand der Westküste der Salzpfanne ,nördlich von Okaukuejo ... Viele Tiere kommen dorthin .... ein schönes Jagdgebiet für die Löwinnen und ihre Löwen.
Ein Löwe muss durchschnittlich 10,5 kg Fleisch pro Tag fressen. Im Park liegt die Schätzung bei 500 Löwen.......die Rechnung ist schnell gemacht.
🇪🇸 Una charca se encuentra en el borde de la costa oeste de la marisma salada, al norte de Okaukuejo ... Muchos animales van allí .... un buen coto de caza para las leonas y sus leones.
Un león come una media de 10,5 kg de carne al día. Se calcula que hay unos 500 leones en el parque........
Caspar David Friedrich (1774 - 1840)
Der Mönch am Meer | Monk by the Sea (1808-1810)
Alte Nationalgalerie - Berlin
With Monk by the Sea (1808-1810) and The Abbey in the Oakwood (1809-1810) by Caspar David Friedrich, the Nationalgalerie in Berlin is the custodian of perhaps the most famous pair of paintings from the period of German Romanticism. Since Heinrich von Kleist’s first essay, the paintings have inspired many different interpretations, and to this day are one of the central attractions on the Museumsinsel.
Technical aspects and the condition of the paintings
Caspar David Friedrich uses a very fine, primed canvas for both paintings with several layers of ground. The paint was applied in one to two very thin layers. Because of this, the paintings were immediately exceptionally prone to damage, affecting the paintwork as well as mechanical damage and the results of ageing. The condition of the paintings had already deteriorated considerably by 1900. From 1906, they were subjected to intensive restoration work of varying quality. The loss of the original substance of the paintings was considerable. Large, discoloured patches of retouching, overpainting and extremely discoloured layers of varnish detracted from the appearance of the paintings as well as further damage caused by transport and lining.
Conservation and restoration project
In 2013 it finally became possible to realise our long-term goal of restoring and conserving both works through the generous support of the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung. The paintings underwent comprehensive analyses and examinations. The technical research on Caspar David Friedrich’s painting techniques in particular delivered fascinating and important information on the materials he used and how they have changed, providing a basis for rethinking the colour compositions. The signatures on both works also led to new and astonishing findings. A detailed conservation and restoration plan was devised from the findings of these analyses. The objectives of these measures were to secure what remains of the original substance, to make the closest possible estimation of the paintings’ original state and to subsequently reconstruct the legibility of the artworks. Upon the completion of this work in January 2016, the restored works were put on display along with the technical and conservational findings as part of the exhibition The Monk Has Returned (22.1. – 24.07.2016) in the Caspar David Friedrich Hall of the Alte Nationalgalerie. In January 2017, a catalogue was published with the same title.
Source: www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/alte-nationalgaler...
These are the residential high-rise buildings around the Indian Nations Park, a noble area of Campo Grande, capital of Mato Grosso do Sul, a central-western state of Brazil in the "cerrado" area. The city is nicknamed "Cidade Morena" in Portugueses ("Swarthy City") in English because of the reddish-brown color of the region's soil. It has a population of 906,092, according to a 2020 IBGE estimate, On the Metropolitan Area, probably around 1 million people. Very hospitable people.
Estes são os prédios residenciais no entorno do Parque das Nações Indígenas, área nobre de Campo Grande, capital do Mato Grosso do Sul, estado do centro-oeste do Brasil na área do cerrado. A cidade é apelidada de "Cidade Morena" em português ("Cidade Swarthy") em inglês por causa da cor marrom-avermelhada do solo da região. Tem uma população de 906.092 habitantes, segundo estimativa do IBGE para 2020, na Região Metropolitana, provavelmente em torno de 1 milhão de pessoas. Pessoas muito hospitaleiras.
Estos son los edificios residenciales de gran altura alrededor del Parque de las Naciones Indias, una zona noble de Campo Grande, capital de Mato Grosso do Sul, un estado centro-occidental de Brasil en el área del "cerrado". La ciudad es apodada "Cidade Morena" en portugués ("Ciudad morena") en inglés debido al color marrón rojizo del suelo de la región. Tiene una población de 906,092, según una estimación del IBGE 2020, en el Área Metropolitana, probablemente alrededor de 1 millón de personas. Gente muy hospitalaria.
Ce sont les immeubles résidentiels de grande hauteur autour du Parc des Nations Indiennes, une zone noble de Campo Grande, capitale du Mato Grosso do Sul, un État du centre-ouest du Brésil dans la région du « cerrado ». La ville est surnommée « Cidade Morena » en portugais (« Swarthy City ») en anglais en raison de la couleur brun rougeâtre du sol de la région. Il a une population de 906 092 habitants, selon une estimation de l’IBGE de 2020, sur la région métropolitaine, probablement environ 1 million de personnes. Des gens très hospitaliers.
Dit zijn de residentiële hoogbouw rond het Indian Nations Park, een nobel gebied van Campo Grande, de hoofdstad van Mato Grosso do Sul, een centraal-westelijke staat van Brazilië in het "cerrado" -gebied. De stad heeft de bijnaam "Cidade Morena" in het Portugees ("Swarthy City") in het Engels vanwege de roodbruine kleur van de bodem van de regio. Het heeft een bevolking van 906.092, volgens een 2020 IBGE-schatting, Op de Metropolitan Area, waarschijnlijk ongeveer 1 miljoen mensen. Zeer gastvrije mensen.
Si tratta dei grattacieli residenziali intorno all'Indian Nations Park, zona nobile di Campo Grande, capitale del Mato Grosso do Sul, stato centro-occidentale del Brasile in zona "cerrado". La città è soprannominata "Cidade Morena" in portoghese ("Swarthy City") in inglese a causa del colore bruno-rossastro del suolo della regione. Ha una popolazione di 906.092, secondo una stima IBGE del 2020, sull'area metropolitana, probabilmente circa 1 milione di persone. Persone molto ospitali.
Dies sind die Wohnhochhäuser rund um den Indian Nations Park, eine noble Gegend von Campo Grande, der Hauptstadt von Mato Grosso do Sul, einem zentral-westlichen Bundesstaat Brasiliens im "Cerrado"-Gebiet. Die Stadt trägt den Spitznamen "Cidade Morena" auf Portugiesisch ("Swarthy City") auf Englisch wegen der rötlich-braunen Farbe des Bodens der Region. Es hat eine Bevölkerung von 906.092, nach einer 2020 IBGE Schätzung, Auf der Metropolregion, wahrscheinlich rund 1 Million Menschen. Sehr gastfreundliche Leute.
هذه هي المباني السكنية الشاهقة حول حديقة الأمم الهندية، وهي منطقة نبيلة في كامبو غراندي، عاصمة ماتو غروسو دو سول، وهي ولاية وسط غرب البرازيل في منطقة "سيرادو". ويطلق على المدينة اسم "سيدادي مورينا" باللغة البرتغالية ("مدينة سوارثي") باللغة الإنجليزية بسبب اللون البني المحمر تربة المنطقة. يبلغ عدد سكانها 906,092 نسمة، وفقا لتقديرات IBGE لعام 2020، في منطقة العاصمة، ربما حوالي مليون شخص. أناس مضيافون جدا
これらは、インド諸国の国立公園、カンポグランデの高貴なエリア、マトグロッソ・ド・スルの首都、ブラジルの中西部の「セラード」地域の高層ビルです。この都市は、この地域の土壌の赤褐色のため、ポルトガル語(「スワーシーシティ」)で英語で「シダーデ・モレナ」の愛称で親しまれています。2020年のIBGEの推定によると、人口は906,092人で、首都圏では、おそらく約100万人です。 非常に親切な人々。
Αυτά είναι τα οικιστικά πολυώροφα κτίρια γύρω από το Πάρκο των Ινδικών Εθνών, μια ευγενή περιοχή του Campo Grande, πρωτεύουσα του Mato Grosso do Sul, μιας κεντροδυικής πολιτείας της Βραζιλίας στην περιοχή "cerrado". Η πόλη έχει το παρατσούκλι "Cidade Morena" στους Πορτογάλους ("Swarthy City") στα αγγλικά λόγω του κοκκινωπού-καφέ χρώματος του εδάφους της περιοχής. Έχει πληθυσμό 906.092, σύμφωνα με εκτίμηση της IBGE για το 2020, στη Μητροπολιτική Περιοχή, πιθανώς περίπου 1 εκατομμύριο ανθρώπους. Πολύ φιλόξενοι άνθρωποι.
The Shock of the New
This is another series of my images, this time that show how Modern Architecture has inbedded itself with the more Traditional styles. Some successful, some not to my estimation. But we’re all different in our tastes, you may even like them yourselves.
In my estimation, Kathleen Lake has to be one of the most picturesque fresh water lakes in the world. Southwestern Yukon is awesome!
Photo taken with the Canon EOS R and RF 24-105mm f/4.0 L hand held. The finished photo was processed from raw in Adobe Lightroom.
Lower Moor Farm NR, Wiltshire, UK
Family : Corduliidae
Sub-Family : Corduliinae
Species : Cordulia aenea aenea
A medium-sized dragonfly with a total body length of 50-55mm and a wingspan of around 70mm. Widely distributed throughout much of Europe spreading eastwards through Russia to Korea and Japan. Flying time for this beautiful species is from May to early July. Although it likes sunny locations this dragonfly is often active in overcast weather, unlike many other species that 'go to ground' as soon as the sun disappears.
Preferred habitat is a freshwater pond situated within, or close to, deciduous woodland. Sparse emergent vegetation, scattered bankside trees, and a carpet of leaf litter on the pond floor offers the best conditions for breeding. Other habitats include gravel pits, slow-moving rivers, canals, and in southern Europe around alpine lakes. The larval period lasts from two to three years and the survival rate is extremely low. The number of larvae that develop into adults can be less than 1% according to some estimations.
All my insect pics are single, handheld shots of live insects.
Belated tribute to Bob Dylan, on the occasion of his Nobel Prize award. The only other literature laureate I knew before the award was Sartre, who turned it down. I could hardly believe it, and reduced my estimation of Sartre for that reason. Dylan hasn't yet acknowledged the news, apparently. Hope he doesn't stiff the Swedes. I'd like to hear his acceptance speech.
_1821P
Le Colisée (Colosseo en italien), à l'origine amphithéâtre Flavien, est un immense amphithéâtre ovoïde situé dans le centre de la ville de Rome, entre l'Esquilin et le Cælius, le plus grand jamais construit dans l'Empire romain. Il est l'une des plus grandes œuvres de l'architecture et de l'ingénierie romaines.
Témoignage monumental de la propagande flavienne, sa construction, juste à l'est du Forum Romain, a commencé entre 70 et 72 apr. J.-C., sous l'empereur Vespasien, et s'est achevée en 80 sous Titus. D'autres modifications ont ensuite été apportées au cours du règne de Domitien (81-96)2. Le nom d'amphithéâtre Flavien dérive du nom de famille de l'empereur Vespasien et ses fils Titus et Domitien.
Pouvant accueillir probablement 50 000 spectateurs (les estimations plus anciennes de 80 000 spectateurs, soit un douzième de la population romaine, étant exagérées), le Colisée, témoin de l'évergétisme impérial, a été utilisé pour les venationes (combats d'animaux sauvages), les munera (combats de gladiateurs) et autres spectacles publics, tels que des exécutions de condamnés à mort, des reconstitutions de batailles célèbres et des drames basés sur la mythologie romaine. Il est resté en service pendant près de 500 ans, les derniers jeux se prolongeant jusqu'au vie siècle. Pour l'inauguration du Colisée, en 80 apr. J.-C., Titus donne une naumachie dans le Colisée transformé en bassin reconstituant la bataille navale de Corinthe contre Corcyre. Le bâtiment a finalement cessé d'être utilisé au cours du haut Moyen Âge. Il a plus tard été réutilisé pour des usages variés tels que des habitations, des ateliers d'artisans, le siège d'un ordre religieux, une forteresse, une carrière et un sanctuaire catholique chrétien.
The Colosseum (Colosseo in Italian), originally a Flavian amphitheater, is a huge ovoid amphitheater located in the center of the city of Rome, between the Esquiline and the Cælius, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering.
A monumental testimony to Flavian propaganda, its construction, just east of the Roman Forum, began between 70 and 72 AD. BC, under the emperor Vespasian, and ended in 80 under Titus. Further modifications were then made during the reign of Domitian (81-96)2. The name Flavian Amphitheater derives from the family name of the emperor Vespasian and his sons Titus and Domitian.
Possibly accommodating 50,000 spectators (older estimates of 80,000 spectators, or a twelfth of the Roman population, being exaggerated), the Colosseum, a witness to imperial euergetism, was used for venationes (wild animal fights ), munera (gladiator fights), and other public spectacles, such as executions of death row inmates, reenactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Roman mythology. It remained in use for almost 500 years, with the last games lasting into the sixth century. For the inauguration of the Colosseum, in 80 AD. BC, Titus gives a naumachia in the Colosseum transformed into a basin reenacting the naval battle of Corinth against Corcyra. The building eventually ceased to be used during the early Middle Ages. It was later reused for various uses such as housing, artisan workshops, the seat of a religious order, a fortress, a quarry and a Catholic Christian sanctuary.
Lower Moor Farm NR, Wiltshire, UK
Order : Odonata
Family : Corduliidae
Sub-Family : Corduliinae
Genus : Cordulia
Species : Cordulia aenea aenea
A medium-sized dragonfly with a total body length of 50-55mm and a wingspan of around 70mm. Widely distributed throughout much of Europe spreading eastwards through Russia to Korea and Japan. Flying time for this beautiful species is from May to early July. Although it likes sunny locations this dragonfly is often active in overcast weather, unlike many other species that 'go to ground' as soon as the sun disappears.
Preferred habitat is a freshwater pond situated within, or close to, deciduous woodland. Sparse emergent vegetation, scattered bankside trees, and a carpet of leaf litter on the pond floor offers the best conditions for breeding. Other habitats include gravel pits, slow-moving rivers, canals, and in southern Europe around alpine lakes. The larval period lasts from two to three years and the survival rate is extremely low. The number of larvae that develop into adults can be less than 1% according to some estimations.
All my insect pics are handheld single shots of live animals, usually in the wild.
there'll always be a "black sheep" ;)
Strange how peaceful the world appears, while chaos is caused everywhere.
We're so self-absorbed, that things go down in our estimation. We're going to lose our eye for the little pleasures of life. We're strolling around blind through our surrounding and watch to sunsets on screens, while the sun goes down all around us, directly in front of our eyes. If my day feels bad, I cut across country and soak up the impressions like a sponge - bliss in reserve.
We're running 'round through a filled daily life, as we're searching for something important -
'It's gotta be around here between all this bored and stressed faces!' -And in the end it's enough to leave the crowd of people and stop searching. Then you stand somewhere in the nowhere and find "somewhat",
and it's regardless how long you had to walk and if you was alone, then it's a little moment, this little picture that makes you smile...
☕You're the cream in my coffee 😉
You have a great way
An up-to-date way
Of telling me you love me
It gives me such a thrill
I know it always will
My head is turning
And just from learning
Your estimation of me
And as for you, I'll say
I feel the self same way
You're the cream in my coffee
You're the salt in my stew
You will always be my necessity
I'd be lost without you
You're the starch in my collar
You're the lace in my shoe
You will always be my necessity
I'd be lost without you
Most girls tell love tales
And you'll find each phrase dovetails
You've heard each known way
This way is my own way
You're the sail of my love boat
You're the captain and crew
You will always be my necessity
I'd be lost without you
You are the cream in my coffee
And you are the salt in my stew
You will always be my necessity
I'd be lost without you
You are the starch in my collar
And you are the lace in my shoe
You will always be my necessity
Oh, I'm wild about you
You give life savor
Bring out its flavor
So this is clear, dear
You're my worcestershire
You're the sail of my love boat
You're the captain and crew
You will always be my necessity
I'd be lost without you
August 5 was the 54th anniversary of the release of Revolver, the seventh studio album by The Beatles. The album has been regarded as one of the greatest and most innovative albums in the history of popular music, with recognition centered on its range of musical styles, diverse sounds, and lyrical content. Revolver has surpassed Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in many critics' estimation as The Beatles' best album. It was ranked first in the 1998 and 2000 editions of Colin Larkin's book All Time Top 1000 Albums and third in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".
August 7 is the 72th birthday of my dad. He is an absolute beatlemaniac. Since I was a child, he has taught me the love for music and books, for sports, specially fútbol. I wish I could visit him more often, but due to this lockdown, this is not possible.
Here's to you, viejito!!
Happy anniversary to you, both!!
"Good day sunshine, good day sunshine, good day sunshine
I need to laugh and when the sun is out
I've got something I can laugh about
I feel good in a special way
I'm in love and it's a sunny day..."
AIR POLLUTION CAUSES MORE DEATH THAN 2ND HAND TOBACCO SMOKE;
...so why does the University of Victoria ban smoking on campus, and not cars?
...and why does this medicinal marijuana smoker have to gimp along on bad knees and medicate next to a parking lot full of cars and traffic, often standing in the rain?
.: (̅_̅_̅_̅(̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅̅_̅()ڪے~~~~
WHO estimates more than 2 million people die every year from breathing in tiny particles present in indoor and outdoor air pollution.
The main findings contained in the new compilation are:
•Persistently elevated levels of fine particle pollution are common across many urban areas. Fine particle pollution often originates from combustion sources such as power plants and motor vehicles.
•The great majority of urban populations have an average annual exposure to PM10 particles in excess of the WHO Air Quality guideline recommended maximum level of 20 µg/m3. On average, only a few cities currently meet the WHO guideline values.
•For 2008, the estimated mortality attributable to outdoor air pollution in cities amounts to 1.34 million premature deaths.
insciences.org/article.php?article_id=10373
.: (̅_̅_̅_̅(̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅̅_̅()ڪے~~~~
Pollution Statistics
in the United States alone, car emissions single-handedly cater for well over 30,000 deaths.
www.topenvironmentalissues.com/pollution-statistics.shtml
.: (̅_̅_̅_̅(̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅̅_̅()ڪے~~~~
interesting findings of recent study on air pollution in US cities
The annual death toll from particle pollution may be even greater than previously understood. An agency’s estimation of premature deaths in California is tripled from particle pollution to 18,000 annually .
iipalbanjary.net/7-interesting-findings-of-recent-study-o...
.: (̅_̅_̅_̅(̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅̅_̅()ڪے~~~~
the National Cancer Institute
Cigarette smoking causes an estimated 443,000 deaths each year
...approximately 49,400 deaths due to exposure to secondhand smoke
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/tobacco/statisticssnapshot
.: (̅_̅_̅_̅(̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅̅_̅()ڪے~~~~
Secondhand Smoke and Cancer - the National Cancer Institute
Approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths occur each year among adult nonsmokers in the United States as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke.
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Tobacco/ETS
.: (̅_̅_̅_̅(̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅̅_̅()ڪے~~~~
Marijuana Two-Minute Truths: Lung Cancer
"Marijuana has never been proven to have killed a single person, through over-dose or illness, in 5000 years of recorded history while, in the next hour, approximately 50 Americans will die from a tobacco related illness."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW6TU2vZe_Y
.: (̅_̅_̅_̅(̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅_̅̅_̅()ڪے~~~~
I smoke two joints in the morning.
I smoke two joints at night.
I smoke two joints in the afternoon, it makes me feel alright
I smoke two joints in time of peace, and two in time of war
I smoke two joints before I smoke two joints,
And then I smoke two more
.
This was taken the same day as my previous post from Patagonia, but further north up the inimitable Valle Francés. My companions and I spent the previous night listening to ice crash down the southern face of the Cerro Paine Grande from the safe redoubt of the pleasant but crowded Campo Italiano. However, we were compelled to push northward because several days previous to this, we had been advised by John Garner himself that a jaunt to the headwalls of the Valle Francés would be a foolish opportunity to miss, as in his estimation, the upper reaches of the Valle contain the most spectacular scenery in the Torres del Paine National Park. If this photo is anything to go by, he is not wrong.
The mouth of the Valle Francés is fairly narrow, but the upper reaches broaden out into a truly awesome horseshoe of fins and peaks, some granite and some darker shales, that have been wrought by glaciers over the past 10s of thousands of years. It has been a climber's mecca for several generations, and it is currently also a more generalized mecca for backpacking tourists like myself - though most folks on the trail seemed about 20 y younger than our group. Other than my recent kid-friendly hikes in Glacier National Park, and the Grand Tetons, the trail up the Valle Francés was one of the more well-traveled routes I've trod. The heavy tourist traffic was made all the more impressive by the fact that the trail is actually fairly demanding for the average tourist, rising approximately 2000 ft. in a little over 3 miles. At the end of the trail lies the Mirador Británico - a rocky outcrop with outstanding views located near the camp that British climbers established as far north up the valley as was still sensible. Or perhaps marginally sensible, given the trek required to re-supply.
Here, we are looking at the western wall of the Valle, and the granitic intrusion that marks much of the Park's geology is beautiful to behold. From left to right is the northern face of the Cerro Paine Grande, El Cerro Castillo, El Catedral (the pointed, tooth-like granitic formation near the middle), La Punta Negra, and on the far right, a portion of the Aleta de Tiburón (Shark's Fin). Would have been a fine spot to watch the sunrise, but the late-morning sun and the incomparable vista combined to make a pretty fabulous lunch spot. A sentiment that was shared by perhaps most of the dozens of other people there as well.
The Shock of the New
This is another series of my images, this time that show how Modern Architecture has inbedded itself with the more Traditional styles. Some successful, some not to my estimation. But we’re all different in our tastes, you may even like them yourselves.
My freckles look like spots. That's kinda gross. & I no longer have a pro account & it's weird because I haven't had to look at ads on flickr for aaages (one whole year, actually), & now there's a limit to only 200 photos on my stream, & only 100MB of photos per month. Oh & I can't see what weird stats I've been getting (I always get weird ones). It's very strange.
I couldn't decide whether to upload or not. But I don't want to fall behind on my diary. I spent like the whole day with Hannah, & we didn't take a single picture - actually, I took a few of my Mom when she was on stage - but otherwise it was a picture free day. & it was a nice day too. =)
This is when Max & I when we were on the terraces yesterday.
---
I'm actually really tired & it's only 2.20am, but I will write this entry tomorrow. Before my Mom went to sleep I thanked her for the lovely day, & told her how much I enjoyed it.
---
Soooo, it's really irritating when you're waking up & you can hear your Mom coming closer & closer to your room, talking on the phone to someone who is obviously your friend, & is telling them that you have been lying around in bed & should be awake by now. I said I would get up at 10am. I check the clock. It's 9.40am. So I'm not even late. But my Mom is still spouting this bull. She comes in & gives me the phone. It's Hannah, I start talking to her as my Mom exits the room. Except she doesn't. She stands at the door and says very, very loudly "GET UP! GET UP! GET UP!" I only just managed to refrain from telling her to fuck right off, & instead stopped half-way through talking to Hannah & yelled "MOM!" She left then. I was just really irritated because I'd said when I was getting up, & I wasn't late, I was actually awake before that, & yes okay, Hannah called me & if I hadn't been awake it would have been necessary for her to wake me, but I was already awake so there was no need to stand at my door being annoying.
But anyway. Hannah said she'd come by for 11.45pm, & we discussed what we were wearing. I only have one dress I like at the moment (last year I had 4 or 5) so that was pretty much sorted for me. I got dressed at a steady pace & then got some breakfast & read the paper. Well, Jane talked to me a lot too. My Mom had to pop out to try on her outfit for the make over today, but she came back with her friend Maggie in tour. I was eating breakfast at this point, & genuinely thought my Mom was about to ditch her friend with me & make us talk. I pointedly said "I'm eating breakfast" & then my Mom said that no they weren't going to disturb me. So that was okay. Maggie was still in the hall, so my Mom went upstairs quickly to get all her things, & then they chatted in the hall while waiting for my Mom's other guests to arrive. When everyone had arrived my Mom said they were going over there & that I could wait here for Hannah. Hannah then called moments after they left to say she'd was running a bit late & would be there in 5 or 10 mins. She offered to meet me there, but I figured it'd be easier to just meet at my house. I continued to read the paper until she got here, & then we left her car keys at my house & went out. Oh, & she showed me her new tattoo. It's of a snowdrop, & she designed it herself in memory of her grandma. It looks like a henna tattoo. I couldn't get a tattoo - too painful. & I'm just not really a fan of tattoos.
Last year I'm pretty sure we walked round the outside, but this year it was pretty windy so we walked through the school. We saw Hazel outside the reception area - well, the inbetween area between reception & the way out to the terraces, & she told us that for the time being we had to walk the whole way round the tent to enter. She also told us she wanted us to make ourselves known to the photographer, so that they had photos of younger people, & the fact that we were OEs was just an added bonus.
As we got ourselves a glass of free pink champagne I told Hannah that I was drinking more - but only wine. Actually, just Lambrusco, Buck's Fizz, & white wine spritzers. But still. I'm getting past my complete fear of it (thank you very much, American) though I still thinking getting drunk is ridiculous. We moved into the tent, but there were a lot of women crowding up the entrance, making it hard to squeeze through. I thought about checking our table seating on the board in the entrance but my Mom had mentioned we were right by the stage, so I figured we'd find it or she'd show us. && so we squeezed through the crowds & looked around the stalls - I noticed the Age Concern one (my Mom's somehow involved with them) - & we checked out what everyone was wearing & who was here. We saw the photographer, but didn't say anything. Also, last year there were these 2 women who were basically goth twins. Well, they're super tanned (totally over the top) & have suuuch black hair, (always worn really elaborately), way too much make up, & odd dresses. The dresses would probably look nice if they just toned it down a bit. Anyway, we figured out one of the goth women was the mother of a girl in choir who would be singing today. I really dislike the mother because she is very pushy, & was rude towards me because I got the main solo at the Christmas services, not her daughter. But her daughter does have a lovely voice.
While we were looking around we saw the woman I wrote about after this event last year, & Hannah burst out laughing & said she'd been telling someone about it just the other day. It was quite funny, & anyone I've told the story to has agreed with what I was saying. But it's probably best if I don't repeat it. My Mom came over to talk then & said she was worried because they were putting her in skinny white jeans for the make over. I'm sure she'll be fine. Though I usually think of skinny white jeans as a young people thing. Then, my Mom went & introduced us to two of her friends who were running the Age Concern stall, & basically ditched us there. I can't remember the name of one of the women, but the other was Maggie. Her son works in the theatre & TV, & she saw my production last week. So we had a quick talk about the arts, & then she asked me my favourite author. Samuel Richardson was the first person to pop into my head, & I really do love 'Pamela' so I said him. I'm not sure if she actually knew who he was. Kudos if she did. && she said she preferred seeing Arthur Miller plays to Shakespeare. I couldn't entirely agree. I see them as 2 different types of theatre, which yes you can compare, but you could also argue that they're very different. So, um, yeah. I let her move onto Hannah then, & she quizzed her about art, & then said Hannah & I would probably be friends for life. I've never really labelled my friendship with Hannah, so I felt a teeny bit awkward then. We were looking for a way to escape this dwindling conversation, when Maggie said we mustn't let her keep us, so we were just about to say goodbye when she continued talking. Uggh. I hate it when I get caught in conversations, & totally can't get out of them. We started talking about how our feet were hurting, & were going to sit down, when Maggie said her feet were hurting too . . . & the conversation continued. Eventually Hannah just said her feet were really hurting & that she just had to sit down, so we said our goodbyes. I felt rude, but some people I just don't gel with. Maggie seemed nice, but I don't really like to talk about the things I'm interested in. Which sounds silly, but I have my passions, & I usually have friends who are not interested in there areas, or if they are, it's just a minor thing, & there are things they're more interested in. So when someone else comes along & tries to talk to me about these things I'm like "Woah, back off." I don't mean anything by it. I just rarely feel comfortable talking about it. I know. I'm weird.
We saw my Mom then, & she showed us to our table, which really was right by the stage. There were a few of my Mom's friends sitting there already, but I could only remember one of their names. Awkward. They all said hi to me, so I didn't have to remember their names in the end. The woman next to Hannah was quite old, & as we were talking she caught my eye. I felt it would be rude not to say hi, so we both did. And then the woman basically told us her life story. I really had no idea how to react when she told us her husband left us with her 2 year old son for another woman, & then died about three years later after suffering from Parkinsons. Obviously her son has all grown up now (this story came up when she started telling us her son used to go here) so these events happened a while ago, but I still didn't know what to say. The school's music scholars were singing & playing & the sound was blasting from the speakers, which also made it really hard to hear. After we finished our conversation with this woman Hannah said she hadn't known how to react to her story either. So then we just chatted. My Mom got some wine for her table, so I had some. It wasn't to my liking, but I drank it anyway. Must keep up appearances of normality.
Lunch was served, & Maggie was really nice & said because I didn't eat chicken I could have her slice of the asparagus quiche, but I really didn't need it. She was really be nice & insisting I have it, but I was fine. I had another brief conversation with her while Hannah was caught talking to the woman next to her. She asked me if I liked contemporary music. I said yes. I didn't know how to elaborate. I told her I didn't like screamo and country & western. I probably should have asked her what music she liked, but I just found talking to her so awkward. I don't know why. She said her son always told her to tell people who wanted to go into his industry that it was very hard, & that he'd been struggling. She was trying to be kind, but I figured that I was 19, & have been focusing on this for over 10 years, so of course I knew the industry was hard. But I'm being overly critical here. She was probably just looking for common ground. I felt even more awkward when my Mom asked Maggie if she'd told me about her son. She had. We still had very little to talk about.
Hannah & I were originally going to get Eton Mess for pudding, but my Mom chose this vanilla turrine & it looked so good that we went for it too. I thought it would taste better than it did, but the raspberry sauce was lovely. && then the speaker for this year started. She ran 'Save Our Souls', which teaches women how to dress better, & for their shape & colour palette. My Mom is on the Parent's Society, so had been asked to be one of the models, along with another woman. The other woman went first, & was told she was an autumn palette (warm colours). When the palettes were both held against her skin the warm ones obviously looked better. Then my Mom was up on stage. It was harder to tell with her, but I would say the cool palette (spring) was a little more striking against her. I don't think my Mom was pleased, as she wears very warm colours, but she's lucky because they all look good on her really. Maggie said she thought the warm looked best, & I said I thought they both looked good, but the cool possibly just won for me. Then she went back stage to get her new outfit, while the woman talked to us about the clothes best for us. I didn't necessarily agree when she talked about how to dress with big boobs. As someone who probably has some of the biggest natural boobs in the country I had to totally disagree. She said wear long necklaces - they just hang off my boobs like a shelf. She said to wear very deep v-necks - whenever I do people just look at my boobs even more & say I'm trying to raw attention to them. There were a few other things she said which I had to say from experience were totally wrong. Hannah agreed. Then they were ready to show us the clothes. The woman who went before my Mom came out in a green maxi dress, (which was quite nice), a coral pashmina, & a big brown belt just under her chest. Oh, & a long necklace. The dress was nice, but the belt & necklace pushed everything weirdly, & made it quite unflattering. Then my Mom came out. Her legs looked soooo skinny (well, she does have very skinny legs), but she was wearing this polka dot mac which bulked her out & hid her shape. Apparently they'd lost the blazer they'd picked out for her. She looked better without the mac, & had a purple sleeveless top with a blue cardi on. Then the woman fastened the cardi, which was unflattering. But the jeans looked good. & they also found the blazer, which looked nice with the rest of the outfit. I took some photos on her camera for her - shocked at the quality, I must say I've been quite spoiled by my cameras. One of my Mom's friends commented that she'd never realised just how skinny my Mom was. That was nice - I've got to remember to tell her that.
When my Mom came to sit down Maggie told her that she thought both colours looked good on her, & I said I liked everything but the mac & the blue cardi. Hannah said she liked everything, & my Mom said that a far as she was concerned what I'd said was high praise coming from me. =p
The woman finished her talk, & my Mom got some beautiful flowers as a thank you for taking part. They really were lovely. Hannah & I just stayed at the table & chatted, until she said she had to put some more cream on her tattoo. We exited the tent from the far side just as the raffle started, & Hannah took off her heels to walk across the grass. The queue in the bathroom was quite long, but she only needed to wash her hands. We headed back but were a little too nervous to walk through the tent while everyone was focusing on the raffle. We passed the musicians still sitting at a table by the entrance, & when we got back to the table Hannah asked me why they were still here. I replied that they probably had nothing better to do with their time. Mary McCarthy, who was helping out with the raffle right in front of her table, laughed & said she'd heard what I said (thinking I'd meant it about the people running the raffle). I felt mortified, & said I hadn't been talking about her, but I'm not sure if she believed me. She said she didn't mind though. Mary really is very sweet, & I wouldn't say that about her even if I did think the raffle people had nothing better to do with their time. Which isn't true anyway.
After the raffle everyone started dispersing, & Maggie got up to go. I tried to catch her eye to say goodbye, but she didn't look at me. I'm not sure if she was purposefully ignoring me, or just thought I wasn't worth the bother. I felt a twinge of guilt then, but I really hadn't know what to say to her. After she left my Mom asked me how she was, & I admitted that I hadn't really had much to say. My Mom reprimanded me then & said she was grieving for her husband, which made me feel awful, until I asked when it had happened. She said it happened seventeen years ago, which made me feel less bad. My Mom said it shouldn't make any difference that it had happened seventeen years ago, but it does, even if just a little bit. If it had just happened very recently then I would have admired her for being able to come out to an event like this, because I certainly wouldn't be able to. But after seventeen years I probably would have been able to leave the house. So that's the difference.
Hannah & I flipped through the magazine that we'd been given for free (last year we got free hair care) & I pointed out the shots I wanted to do. She said she could do those poses, & we just needed to find the locations & then voila. My Mom came back & said the jeans were only £8, so she'd probably get them, & maybe the tops too. She also very kindly gave us money for afternoon tea - I'm sure it was free last time. Hannah got a piece of chocolate cake, while I went for a piece of Victoria Sponge cake, & we both had tea. Jean was serving, so I said hey. Oh & Hannah called her mum to ask if she had the money to pay for the ticket, but Elaine was at the LS swimming gala, so my Mom said she'd write a check for her now & Hannah would pay her back at the party tonight. I thought that was very nice of her.
We headed back to our table, & I remembered to reply to a text I'd gotten from Vicky about the cast meal. Boffey had a tennis match, so she was asking if we were still having the meal. I said it was up to them. Hazel came over & asked if Hannah's tattoo was real or henna. Hannah think that Hazel's estimation of her has gone down now. After finishing our afternoon tea we headed outside the tent. The weather had been so up and down - cool, windy, hot, humid. We were hot now, & right above the tent there were blue skies & white clouds, but above the benches we were going to sit down on there were grey clouds that looked like they might burst at any moment. Before we got to the benches 2 boys went & sat there, so we just sat on the little steps & took our heels off & talked some more. Alex approached to ask me if we were having the cast dinner & I said it was up to them, so she said we were having it. We then saw Dave AR walking over to talk to the boys on the benches. He's back from UCLA to go to the ball with his girlfriend. He didn't acknowledge us at first, but at one point we both looked up at the same time, so he had to wave & smile (it was more of a grimace). I waved back & told Hannah, so she looked up & waved too. He returned the wave & showed teeth when he smiled. Hannah said he was being weird, & that even though we weren't close, he should still have come over to at least say hey. He left, & it started to spit a little bit, so we headed over to my house.
She wanted to see my new laptop & camera, so I showed them & we went through facebook profiles of people we knew. I think she was a bit pissed off with the girls we used to hang out with at school, so we were looking at what they'd been doing recently. Hugh came in & got cereal & I just thought it was nice how he got on with Hannah. Her mum called & asked Hannah to pick her up for the Leaving Drinks at my house (for the teachers leaving at the end of this year) so I told my Mom we'd be back in 10mins & that I had my phone with me. Hannah had All Time Low's CD playing, & I'm not sure what I think of it. It's the type of music I used to listen to all the time, but over the last year or so - probably more - it's become a bit samey to me. I do like their single 'Lost in Stereo' though.
Hannah changed out of her heels at her house & showed me the photos on her camera from her night out last night. Her mum finished getting ready - after being a bit annoyed at Hannah for the mess she'd left her room in - & we got back to my house. (Max called me on the way home to apologise for not seeing me today. He said he'd been in school for the last four hours, but he'd just been so busy. I thought it was nice of him to actually call & apologise, but it wasn't as if I'd been waiting around for him today. He said he might see me tomorrow, but he probably won't.) But anyway, Hannah & I went out into the garden when we got back, where my Dad told us that actually my Mom was wrong to invite us to this party, as it was a Common Room party, & that we should leave. First I showed Hannah our new patio area, & then we went & got food from Jean. We tried this tomato sticks & cranberry with cheese puffs. They were particularly nice.
We headed in then & wondered what the hell to do. Usually we take photos, or watch movies, or bake. We couldn't exactly bake now. So it was either movies or photos. We headed up to my room (stopping on the way to show Hannah my brother's drawing, before he rushed in & grabbed them & said they weren't good enough to be seen, although Hannah assured him that wasn't true) & lay on my bed for a bit before deciding to go & look at photos taken over the years on my laptop. We decided we'd have to put up some of the really bad ones of people we knew. After we'd finished Hannah wanted to look through the photos on my flickr & decide which ones to sell, so we started doing that until her mum said it was time to go after an hour and a half. I then read until the party finished about an hour later. There were no cranberry puffs left. Great sadness.
I read some more until my parents called me up to watch TV with them all. I had 3 lemon sherbets left from a packet we got back at Christmas, so I gave one to my brother & my Dad. My Mom said she couldn't have them because of her teeth, so I had the last one. My Mom started to fall asleep, & after BB was finished my Dad told Hugh & I to go to bed. My Mom was still partially awake, so I told her how lovely this day had been. I enjoyed my evening, & the routine of spending time with my family. I felt a bit sad that my Dad basically tentatively asked me if I wanted to watch it with them. I don't mean to be stroppy about watching it. Just it's annoying to watch it so late usually, & usually when I won't watch it I've just had a fight with my Mom, so am upset. But really I like spending time with them all. =)