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Expertise welcomed. Spotted this Turkey Vulture cruising around with his family . I wanted to get as much detail as possible so intentionally I set the focal length to maximum. It came very close by and did not even fit in the frame, but this exciting encounter made my day. I believe it is a leucistic vulture. I have never seen one like this before.
Jill Endfield’s Glasshouse of Immigrants one of the outside displays of Photoville 2018 is actually 45 separate antique windows each of which showcases a glass portrait of contemporary immigrants to form a sing hours that “People Should Not Throw Stones”. The images which definitely have an old feel to them were made using wet-plate collodion, a 150 year-old photographic technique that Jill says einforces the precarious nature of immigration itself. The antique distressed windows represent the hardship of what it means to be an immigrant. Jill is a fine art photographer who expertise lies in old methods like collodion. See it on display at Photoville under the Brooklyn Bridge this weekend, Friday September 21 through Sunday September 23, 2018.
If you are in the New York metro area it's worth the trip to see some impactful and poignant photos in massive shipping containers and workshops by Leica and Adobe that is Photoville under the Brooklyn Bridge in DUMBO annually; I’ll be there volunteering a second straight weekend.
Image captured with Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ50, RAW image processed in Photomatix Pro and cleaned up in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
Victoria’s Inner Harbour and the Parliament Buildings sparkle in the early evening.
The construction of the Parliament Buildings (home of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly) began in 1893 and was led by architect Francis Rattenbury. Rattenbury made every effort to use local materials, resources and expertise. The Parliament Buildings of British Columbia, Canada were officially opened in February 1898. However details, refinishing, additions and upgrades were ongoing until 1915 (1).
The silhouette of the Legislature was illuminated with electric lighting in 1897 for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, one year before the building was completed, and has continued to be illuminated at night ever since (2).
1.https://www.tourismvictoria.com/see-do/activities-attractions/statues-landmarks/parliament-buildings
2.https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=1634
Last July I was invited to an air show, it was fantastic and I really enjoyed photographing the aircraft.
This is the AeroSuperBatic wing walking team. They have performed around the world and are the Guinness World Record holders, They were amazing to watch. Unfortunately one of the planes suffered technical problems and crashed into the sea at the Bournmouth Air Festival two months later. Miraculously the pilot and lady wing walker escaped serious injury and thanks to the pilots expertise the plane just missed hitting the harbour and boats. The Air Accidents Branch say it could be up to a year before they share its findings.
Brass is an alloy composed of copper and zinc, usually for sheet metal, and casting in the proportion of seven parts of the former to three of the latter. Such a combination secures a good, brilliant colour. There are, however, varieties of tone ranging from a pale lemon colour to a deep golden brown, which depends upon a smaller or greater amount of zinc. In early times this metal seems to have been sparingly employed, but from the Middle Ages onward the industry in brass was a very important one, carried out on a vast scale and applied in widely different directions. Source Wikipedia.
The Egyptian Knowledge of Metallurgy and Metalworking
The Egyptians learned how to work metals from an early period, and all agree that 5,000 years ago, the Ancient Egyptians had already developed the techniques of mining, refining, and metalworking.
Ancient Egypt did not have several kinds of mineral ores, such as silver, copper, tin, lead, etc., even though they produced large quantities of electrum (an alloy of gold and silver), copper, and bronze alloys. The Ancient Egyptians used their expertise to explore for mineral ores in Egypt and in other countries. Ancient Egypt had the means and knowledge to explore for needed mineral ores, establish mining processes, and transport heavy loads for long distances by land and sea.
Because it being was largest and richest population in the ancient world, Egypt imported huge quantities of raw materials; and in return exported large quantities of finished goods. The Ancient Egyptians’ finished metallic and non-metallic products are found in tombs throughout the Mediterranean Basin, European, Asiatic and African countries.
The Egyptians possessed considerable knowledge of chemistry and the use of metallic oxides, as manifested in their ability to produce glass and porcelain in a variety of natural colours. The Ancient Egyptians also produced beautiful colours from copper, which reflects their knowledge of the composition of various metals, and the knowledge of the effects produced on different substances by the Earth’s salts. This concurs with our “modern” definition of the subjects of chemistry and metallurgy.
egypt-tehuti.org/vibrant-ancient-egyptian-economy/egyptia...
TD : Agfapan 100 Professional 35mm film, developed in D-76 1+1 for 7 minutes. Exposure ISO 100 @35mm lens, natural daylight. Scanned with Alpha 6000 edited in ACR, inverted in CS6.
Le Nikkor Z 400 mm f/2,8 TC VR S est l’une des pièces maîtresses de la monture Z. La date de son lancement coïncide avec celle du Nikon Z9. Il vise à montrer tout le savoir-faire de la marque jaune et noire – comme l’attestent le fin liseré or à l’avant du fût et son appartenance à la série S.
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The Nikkor Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S is one of the centerpieces of the Z mount. Its launch date coincides with that of the Nikon Z9. It aims to showcase the expertise of the yellow and black brand – as evidenced by the thin gold trim on the front of the barrel and its membership in the S series.
___________________________________________PdF_____
KCS Grain train with a pair of ACEs, is heading south out of Kansas City, MO.
We started the day in Slater, Mo., wanting to shoot the Slater local. But the railroad had other plans for us. They were short on crews, so they cabbed the Slater crew to Marshall, to take a grain train that was loading, to Kansas City. So we chased this grain train from Marshall, to Kansas City. Thanks to Wak for the expertise navigation on this mini trip.
Shot on 2-3-23
A female red-winged blackbird
It was hard to get a good focus on the red-winged blackbirds amongst the tall reeds. This female had a beakful of bugs. There is likely a nest nearby. More than once a red-winged blackbird flew at me while walking the trail, but not the two birds I took a photo of.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-winged_Blackbird/lifehistory
Red-winged Blackbirds eat mainly insects in the summer and seeds.
Both males and females defend nests from intruders and predators.
same dragonfly as this one. Don't her eyes look as if they were made of whole milk chocolate?
Thanks to the hints of blaumond and tr33lo and the expertise of Dave Appleton I know that it's most probably a young female of "Sympetrum vulgatum" (Vagrant Darter Dragonfly, Gemeine Heidelibelle).
Looking down from the Gwaith Powdwr nature Reserve. Looking up the Afon Dwyryd.
From 1865 until 1995 this corner of West Wales was world-renowned for its explosives expertise. The remote location and natural, steep-sided valleys made it the perfect place for a specialist factory which, at its height, employed over 500 people. During the Second World War, over 17 million grenades were produced at this site! The Wildlife Trust took over the site when it was decommissioned – since then, it’s nature that has exploded …
We have a mole hill on my pride and joy lawn building mole hills….(Bottom left)…..So I decided to call in a bit of expertise help……And yes…..I guess you could say that I might have gone in over kill in the numbers…..But they assure me that they are best in mole evictions in the district……. Apparently all it takes is a few well placed Sheltie yaps in the right place…..And that’s it, job done…..And like any canny businessman (Or dog)….These are all asking for half payment up front…..Which is just fine by me, as long as they get this mole to move on before it does any more damage to my lawn….And I very much doubt the Shelties would mind if I sneak in a photo just for you dear reader whilst I have their full attention ….Click…..There, that should do it….
Photographing some of the most remote and spectacular locations is our expertise. And our workshop participants absolutely love it! This particular evening was certainly one we will all remember. It was stormy and rainy as we made our way out to one of shooting locations on our Hidden Gems Workshop this year. When the storm started to break, we stopped momentarily to photograph a brilliant rainbow behind us. As we loaded back up, a large bull elk came running full speed right in front of us, rimmed by soft light and drizzle. It was almost magical! We then had so much fun rallying through mud puddles as water sprayed all around our 4x4 vehicle. When we got to the overlook, we knew sunset was going to be epic. Wouldn't you agree?
The Temple was built in the year 1338 A.D. The temple architecture is also an exhibition of the astronomical expertise of medieval south Indian temple builders. The main temple hall features 12 pillars designated for the 12 signs of the zodiac in their regular order, and arranged in such a manner that the rays of rays of the sun fall on each of them in the order of the twelve solar months.Each column's a lion, with a rolling stone in its mouth. At the edge of the temple, there are stone chains hanging to the roof.
I have been to False Kiva 4 times in the past year with every intention of doing a shot similar to this at night. I ran into 2 problems:
1) I did not have a lens wide enough for this. This scene was shot as a single row pano with my UWA. I shoot crop and my widest lens at 10 mm is still not wide enough to cover this scene in a single shot which would make photographing the Milky Way more difficult.
2) I own a star tracker to get exceptional Milky Way shots and wanted no less for this shot. However, those trackers need to be aligned with Polaris which is hidden once inside this location. It is probably possible to align the tracker without this star visible but I lack the expertise to do this with any degree of accuracy.
I am generally against compositing images but due to the limitations above I had no other options that would yield similar results. Interestingly it took me months before I finally around to creating this, but alas, it is finally done!
Foreground: False Kiva, Canyonlands
Milky Way: Shot outside of Grand Junction, CO
Taylorfrantaphotography.com
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Vintage Scotch PAPER BACKED audio recording tape for the Macro Mondays challenge: Tape. Area shown is about 57mm wide.
Happy Macro Monday!
Scotch 100 is the very first reel to reel magnetic recording tape. In 1947 Brush Development sought the expertise of 3M to create a tape for its BK-401 Soundmirror, the first American-made recorder. Created by a team headed by 3M's William Wetzel, the result was Scotch Type 100, a paper tape coated with black oxide.
3M was founded in 1902 as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, originally quarrying stone for grinding wheels and later turning to making sandpaper. Interestingly, the product that laid the groundwork for 3M's entry into the audio market was the development of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape under its "Scotch" brand in 1930, which provided the company with expertise in coated thin-film technologies. After World War II, the race was on to create tape recorders based on the German Magnetofon and with no magnetic tape manufacturing capability worldwide Scotch was well positioned to meet the need
-- Courtesy National Association of Music Merchants
People dismiss expertise and listen to know-nothing sweet talkers. He told me how difficult it was to reach his expert level. In just becoming a captain, he worked and apprenticed for over 720 days on a 100 ton ship. He then had to study and take a grueling test to get his captain's license. He knew the sea. He knew the ship. He knew the regulations. And man, did he know the shore and ocean contour around that lighthouse.
"That’s quite an accomplishment," I said. "But I suspect programmers and engineers are going to fully automate the piloting of ships with artificial intelligence. Soon."
"They'll still need captains," he said.
"I'm not even sure they'll need lighthouses," said I. "Think of all the land and expenses that would be saved if you could just put a cyber lighthouse on an electronic GPS map."
"What if you don't have an electronic map, or the GPS signal goes out?" queried the captain.
"Then the ship stops."
HMC transports, installs, and removes all types of offshore facilities, including fixed and floating structures in shallow, deep, and ultra-deep waters. From its headquarters in Leiden, HMC commands the entire supply chain of offshore construction, from design through to completion. Our services include engineering, planning, logistics, project management, and execution of projects all over the world. We are proud of our top expertise in project management and engineering, our passionate workforce, and a fleet that includes formidable heavy-lift and construction vessels.
Looking down from the Gwaith Powdwr nature Reserve. Post Briwet river and rail bridge crossing the Afon Dwyryd.
From 1865 until 1995 this corner of West Wales was world-renowned for its explosives expertise. The remote location and natural, steep-sided valleys made it the perfect place for a specialist factory which, at its height, employed over 500 people. During the Second World War, over 17 million grenades were produced at this site! The Wildlife Trust took over the site when it was decommissioned – since then, it’s nature that has exploded …
All of the expertise behind Beleza Revelada did not develop overnight. Professional photographer Gina Stocco was raised in Canada and spent part of her childhood in the U.S.A. She pursued her creative passion by studying Art at Connestoga University where she developed her photography talent and graduated ready for a career with her camera. In 2001, Ms. Stocco was invited to work as a chief photographer for a leading lingerie company, Fruit de la Passion. Ms. Stocco has also worked as a photojournalist associated with Fenaj, Arfoc, International Press, and I.F.J. She has worked at Futura Press, Folha de Sao Paulo, Comercio Jornal and lately works for …….
Zutphen. Stationsplein. Gratis bewaakte fietsenstalling in twee lagen. Deze foto is beschikbaar gesteld door het kenniscentrum voor fietsbeleid: www.fietsberaad.nl. This photograph has been made available by the centre of expertise on bicycle policy: www.bicyclecouncil.org. [P7110061_fb]
Despite his lack of practical farm expertise, William Johnston (1848-1885) was the "founder" of the Ontario Agricultural College and its Principal from 1876-1879. It was his vision that led to the creation of a three-year degree program, affiliated with the University of Toronto, which began in 1887 and continued until 1964. Johnston Hall, built in 1932 as a student residence and administrative offices, is now one of the University's most recognized buildings.
Johnston Hall's stone tower is the University of Guelph's best-known landmark, and its spacious front lawn one of the most loved spots on campus. Administrative offices fill the lower floor, while 315 students live on the top three floors in large double and triple rooms. Built in 1932, Johnston Hall's traditional architecture and its spacious tower lounge make it a favorite with many students.
The clock is installed in a Renaissance arch crossing the Rue du Gros-Horloge. The mechanism is one of the oldest in France, the movement was made in 1389. Construction of the clock was started by Jourdain del Leche who lacked the necessary expertise to finish the task, so the work was completed by Jean de Felain, who became the first to hold the position of governor of the clock.
The clock was originally constructed without a dial, with one revolution of the hour-hand representing twenty-four hours. The movement is cast in wrought iron, and at approximately twice the size of the Wells Cathedral clock, it is perhaps the largest such mechanism still extant.[1] A facade was added in 1529 when the clock was moved to its current position. The mechanism was electrified in the 1920s and it was restored in 1997.
The Renaissance facade represents a golden sun with 24 rays on a starry blue background. The dial measures 2.5 metres in diameter. The phases of the moon are shown in the oculus of the upper part of the dial. It completes a full rotation in 29 days. The week days are shown in an opening at the base of the dial with allegorical subjects for each day of the week. (Wikipedia)
©Jane Brown2016 All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without explicit written permission
Peter has a cough and cold so stayed behind with Roxy while I picked up Elsie from school. She was very excited about an idea she had had - she wanted to make a rocket to go on her wall and she wanted us to make it in a play school setting. So that is what we spent our post real school afternoon doing. Here she is instructing me, 3 bears, a kangaroo, a doll, a polar bear, a wolf (that's probably it) in the art of drawing plans for making a rocket. Luckily I didn't have to draw a plan for each of the class, but could concentrate on my own rocket - making rockets is of course one of my areas of expertise . . .
back tomorrow . . .
Despite his lack of practical farm expertise, William Johnston (1848-1885) was the "founder" of the Ontario Agricultural College and its Principal from 1876-1879. It was his vision that led to the creation of a three-year degree program, affiliated with the University of Toronto, which began in 1887 and continued until 1964. Johnston Hall, built in 1932 as a student residence and administrative offices, is now one of the University's most recognized buildings.
Johnston Hall's stone tower is the University of Guelph's best-known landmark, and its spacious front lawn one of the most loved spots on campus. Administrative offices fill the lower floor, while 315 students live on the top three floors in large double and triple rooms. Built in 1932, Johnston Hall's traditional architecture and its spacious tower lounge make it a favorite with many students. 2
Magento is an open source e-commerce platform that anyone can install itself, so why would you hire a Magento development company? People rarely want a defective installation, so each project is special. Customized functionality and unique design, integrated with the business process of the customer. We have already implemented several hundreds of online stores so we are particularly skilled with the program and we can apply our expertise to your project.
Horace wanted us to take him to explore a location he had googled so he could check out if it would be a suitable bungee jump venue.
You may ask where was Hoof, well following Lewis Hamiltons failure to clinch the formula one world championship last weekend due to a bit of a botched pit stop strategy, Toto Wolff (owner of Lewis’s team) called him up to fly out to Mexico so that Hoof could input his technical expertise and get this job sorted.
Hoof comes from a very distinguished background in motor sport think of the Ferrari Badge and what do you see, yes the prancing horse and the initials S F.
The horse is actually Hoof, and as Hoof is rather shy he did not want his name emblazoned on the side of the badge, he was happy with just S F meaning Shy, and the last letter of his name being the F. If you don’t believe me look on the badge of a Ferrari.
Back to Horace he was very impressed with this as a possible jump site, but was worried about dinosaurs muscling in on the act as this is part of the Jurrassic coast, can’t be to careful these days, call security. So it is back to Cornwall.
Thank you for looking, as always your comments and views are so appreciated.
Go Lewis, bring it home, Vroom vroom🐎🐷🏆😎😂😂
The eerie blue exhaust trail of an ion thruster during a test firing. A quartet of these highly efficient T6 thrusters is being installed on ESA’s BepiColombo spacecraft to Mercury at ESA’s ESTEC Test Centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
The Mercury Transfer Module will carry Europe’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Japan’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter together to Sun’s innermost planet over the course of 6.5 years.
“BepiColombo would not be possible in its current form without these T6 thrusters,” explains ESA propulsion engineer Neil Wallace.
“Standard chemical thrusters face a fundamental upper limit on performance, set by the amount of energy in the chemical reaction that heats the ejected propellant producing the thrust.
“Ion thrusters can reach much higher exhaust speeds, typically an order of magnitude greater, because the propellant is first ionised and then accelerated using electrical energy generated by the solar panels. The higher velocity means less propellant is required.
“The down side is that the thrust levels are much lower and therefore the spacecraft acceleration is also low – meaning the thrusters have to be operating for long periods.
“However, in space there is nothing to slow us down, so over prolonged periods of thrusting the craft’s velocity is increased dramatically. Assuming the same mass of propellant, the T6 thrusters can accelerate BepiColombo to a speed 15 times greater than a conventional chemical thruster.”
The 22 cm-diameter T6 was designed for ESA by QinetiQ in the UK, whose expertise in electric propulsion stretches back to the 1960s.
It is an scaled-up version of the 10 cm T5 gridded ion thruster, which played a crucial role in ESA’s GOCE gravity-mapping mission by continuously compensating for vestigial atmospheric drag along its extremely-low orbit.
Credit: NASA/JPL
Number: Protector -118
Name: Mako
Rank: Lieutenant
Expertise: Tactics, black ops, urban warfare
Weapons: custom T-21B heavy rifle
Equipment: advanced intercom, fireproof cape
So this is war. Finally, we are able to show, what we are made for. The first victory on Geonosis, despite all our losses, did prove what I knew all along: This army is ready. I am ready! I am now in charge of a small squad and we’re about to ship out to the outer rim soon. These men are at the top of their game and together we’ll bring the fight to the separatists! Oya manda!
Number: CT-3031/1199
Name: Linx
Rank: Private
Expertise: Scouting, hacking
Weapons: standard DC-15, tactical headlamp
Linx is one of the regular troopers that fought along us Raysh’olan on Geonosis and surprisingly, he kept up with us very well. He’s an outstanding scout, spotting targets long before the scanners do and his hacking skill is a reliable bypass to most security doors. I’m glad to have him on my squad now.
Number: CT-8787/0055
Name: Bruiser
Rank: Private
Expertise: explosives
Weapons: standard DC-15, tactical headlamp
Bruiser was assigned to Talon squad immediately after Geonosis. Apparently command thinks, we need more firepower, so he was the natural choice. True to his name, he’s an expert at inflicting damage to any target, be it through the use of explosives or else. He’s said to have torn apart a dozen droids with his bare hands. I’m eager to see this spectacle for myself!
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Here’s the newly formed Talon Squad for the re-launch of the 253rd Elite Legion.
Sir William Bruce of Kinross, 1st Baronet (circa 1630 – 1 January 1710) was a Scottish gentleman-architect, "the effective founder of classical architecture in Scotland," as Howard Colvin observes.[1] As a key figure in introducing the Palladian style into Scotland, he has been compared to the pioneering English architects Inigo Jones and Christopher Wren,[2] and to the contemporaneous introducers of French style in English domestic architecture, Hugh May and Sir Roger Pratt.[1]
Bruce was a merchant in Rotterdam during the 1650s, and played a role in the Restoration of Charles II in 1659. He carried messages between the exiled king and General Monck, and his loyalty to the king was rewarded with lucrative official appointments, including that of Surveyor General of the King's Works in Scotland, effectively the "king's architect". His patrons included John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale, the most powerful man in Scotland at the time, and Bruce rose to become a member of Parliament, and briefly sat on the Scottish Privy Council.
Despite his lack of technical expertise, Bruce became the most prominent architect of his time in Scotland. He worked with competent masons and professional builders, to whom he imparted a classical vocabulary; thus his influence was carried far beyond his own aristocratic circle. Beginning in the 1660s he built and remodelled a number of country houses, including Thirlestane Castle for the Duke of Lauderdale, and Hopetoun House. Among his most significant work was his own Palladian mansion at Kinross, built on the Loch Leven estate which he had purchased in 1675. As the king's architect he undertook the rebuilding of the Royal Palace of Holyroodhouse in the 1670s, which gave the palace its present appearance. After the death of Charles II Bruce lost political favour, and later, following the accession of William and Mary, he was imprisoned more than once as a suspected Jacobite. However, he managed to continue his architectural work, often providing his services to others with Jacobite sympathies.
Little is known of Bruce's youth, and his date of birth is unrecorded. He was probably born at Blairhall in western Fife, in around 1630, the second son of Robert Bruce of Blairhall and Katherine Preston. He may have attended St Andrews University in 1637-1638, which would suggest that his birth date was as early as 1625.[3] The Bruces were a well-connected Episcopalian family, strongly loyal to the king, and descended from Thomas Bruce a cousin of King Robert II, who had been granted lands in Clackmannan and Fife.[4] Bruce's first cousin Edward Bruce was created Earl of Kincardine in 1643.
Letters in the Earl of Kincardine's papers show that William Bruce was in exile in Rotterdam during the 1650s with his cousin, Alexander Bruce, brother of the Earl of Kincardine. As Episcopalians, William and Alexander would have sought refuge from the Puritan Commonwealth established by Oliver Cromwell. In Rotterdam, they were in contact with Sir Robert Moray, a soldier and natural philosopher close to Charles II, who then resided at Maastricht. William Bruce was a merchant, based in the Scottish community in Rotterdam, but travelling widely. He owned a ship with Alexander Bruce and John Hamilton of Grange, and was involved in the trade of wine, coal and timber between Norway, France, England, Scotland and the Low Countries. He is recorded as having a house and a mistress in La Rochelle. In 1658, William and Alexander travelled together from Bremen overland to Maastricht to meet Moray. Alexander Bruce and Moray were founder members of the Royal Society in 1660, and it is likely that architecture featured in their discussions, particularly the new town hall in Maastricht that Moray had recently advised on.
In 1659 Bruce acted as a messenger between General Monck, Cromwell's commander-in-chief in Scotland and the exiled King Charles II. A passport survives, issued to Bruce by Monck in September 1659, and giving him permission to remain in Scotland until his "returne to Holland,"[6] and it appears that the messages he brought from Charles persuaded Monck to march his army to London, a decisive event in the Restoration.[7] The nature of their communications is not known, although it would appear that Moray selected him for the task.[5] Sir Robert Douglas stated that Bruce "painted the distress and distractions" of Scotland before the General, and suggested to him "the glory that would be acquired in restoring the royal family."
Following the restoration, William Bruce was appointed Clerk to the Bills in 1660,[9] and Clerk of Supply to the Lords in Council in 1665. Both were lucrative positions, involving collection of fees, from Parliament in the first case, and from petitioners to the Court of Session in the latter. Meanwhile, Sir Robert Moray had established himself as a courtier and scientist at Whitehall, London, and employed Bruce as a trusted messenger between Whitehall and the Duke of Lauderdale, Secretary for Scotland.[5]
Moray later served on the Treasury Commission for Scotland, as did Alexander Bruce, now Earl of Kincardine. Bruce reported to this Commission as a revenue collector, and benefited from the patronage of its members.[5] The Commission had responsibility for the King's Works, and in 1667 Bruce was appointed Superintendent and Overseer of the Royal Palaces in Scotland. Four years later he was made Surveyor General of the King's Works in Scotland, with a salary of £3600 Scots (£300 Sterling), for the purpose of rebuilding Holyroodhouse.[1] In March 1671, Bruce was part of a syndicate which bought the rights to collect taxes over a five-year period, paying £26,000 Sterling for the privilege. As such, it would appear that Bruce was not only the architect of Holyroodhouse, but one of the principal financiers of the £21,000 project.[5]
As a key figure of the Restoration administration, he became close to other Stuart loyalists, who included such powerful patrons as the Duke of Lauderdale, Lord Haltoun, and the Earl of Rothes.[10] In 1667 he undertook his first building work for Lord Rothes, overseeing the extensions to Leslie House, and later worked on several of Lauderdale's properties, concurrently with Holyroodhouse.[5] In 1668 he was created a Baronet of Nova Scotia.[1]
From 1669 to 1674 Bruce sat in the Scottish Parliament as shire commissioner for Fife, and from 1681 to 1682 as a shire commissioner for Kinross.[11] From April 1685 to May 1686 he reached the peak of his political career, as a member of the Privy Council of Scotland.[11] But, in 1674, he became embroiled in factional rivalry between his patron Lauderdale, and his rivals the Duke of Hamilton and the Earl of Tweeddale. His actions, which apparently included passing information to Hamilton, invoked the fury of the Duchess of Lauderdale, who tried to persuade her husband to deprive Bruce of his offices. Bruce survived, although his relationship with his patron was damaged.[5] Lauderdale described him as "the bitterest factionalist partie man of his quality in all Scotland".[12] This breakdown resulted in Bruce's eventual dismissal as Surveyor General of the King's Works, on the false pretext that Holyroodhouse was finished.[5]
Bruce's earnings from his offices had made him a wealthy man, even by the standards of his patrons.[13] This wealth allowed him to purchase the Balcaskie estate in 1665, and to extend the house and gardens. In 1675 he purchased the larger estate of Loch Leven, Kinross, from the Earl of Morton, which brought him the hereditary sheriffdom of Kinross-shire.[11] In the late 1670s Bruce took on his first architectural projects for entirely new houses.[5]
Following the accession of James VII in 1685, Bruce gradually fell from favour, and was distrusted by the new regime.[1] After the Revolution of 1688, and the accession of William of Orange as King, he was once again at odds with his Protestant rulers, and he refused to take up his seat in Parliament. As a staunch Episcopalian, Bruce was considered a potential Jacobite threat.[14] In 1693 he was briefly imprisoned in Stirling Castle for refusing to appear before the Privy Council. He was incarcerated again at Stirling in 1694, and from 1696 in Edinburgh Castle.[15] Bruce was expelled from parliament in 1702, his seat passing to his son John Bruce. Despite these imprisonments, he continued his architectural work, indeed the 1690s and 1700s were his most prolific years.[3] Bruce was imprisoned at Edinburgh Castle again in 1708 and was only released a short time before his death, at the beginning of 1710.[15] He was buried in the family plot at Kinross Kirk, the ruins of which still stand beside Kinross House.[1]
Bruce's surviving account books show purchases of books on music, painting and horticulture, as well as numerous foreign-language works, suggesting that Bruce was a learned man. He studied horticulture extensively, and applied his knowledge of the subject in his own gardens at Kinross. He was a friend of James Sutherland of the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, and may have known John Evelyn and other English horticulturalists.
Around 1660 William Bruce married Mary Halkett, daughter of Sir James Halkett of Pitfirrane, Bt. They had two surviving children:
* Sir John Bruce, 2nd Baronet of Kinross, (before 1671 – 19 March 1710) married Christian Leslie, widow of the Marquess of Montrose and daughter of the Duke of Rothes. He left no issue.
* Anne, upon whom Sir William had entailed his estates if her brother failed to leave issue. She married twice, with issue to both husbands.[16]
After the death of his first wife, Sir William Bruce married Magdalen Scott, widow of an Edinburgh merchant called George Clerk, in 1700. They had no issue. Magdalen lived until 1752, and gained a reputation as a Jacobite, establishing a Jacobite cell at her home in Leith Citadel.
The pride of lions at Yorkshire Wildlife Park were rehomed from Oradea Zoo in Romania where due to lack of funds and expertise they were kept in very poor conditions. At the time, Lion Rescue was the largest big cat rescue in Europe. They now live happily, roaming their seven acre reserve at Yorkshire Wildlife Park.
At the time, YWP was a new park and did not have the funds to rehome and care for the lions but with the help of the News of the World launched a massive campaign `Lion Rescue’. The public rallied for the cause and raised £150,000 which helped bring the lions back to Yorkshire. A team of big cat experts from zoos around the UK travelled to Romania to help load the 13 lions. The snow did not help! The lions arrived in February 2010 – Jet2.com donated the use of a plane and with special permission, they were allowed to land at Doncaster Airport. The pilot began his descent from Amsterdam in order to mitigate the effect of the pressure on the lions’ ears! The world’s media was watching and the lions became world famous overnight.
The 13 lions included two cubs, Dani and Simba who were then aged just eight months old, and Jonny Senior who was 27 years old. All the lions rediscovered their health and have been a favourite with visitors here at YWP in the purpose built Lion Country Six years on, there are 8 lions in Lion Country: Simba, Maria, Carla, Crystal, Julie, Allis, Adel and Ares.
I don't normally go in for fantasy pictures or "creativity" as I believe it's sometimes called but, if there's nothing better to do for a few minutes, it's good fun to try out my very shallow knowledge of and feeble expertise with my post-processing software.
Number: CT-4554/1606
Name: Sakana
Rank: Sergeant
Expertise: Tactics, melee weapons
Weapons: DC-17m, beskade (mandalorian sword)
Equipment: Katarn armor, macrobinoculars, EMP grenades, kama, pauldron, riot control energy shield
The campaign on Vandos Prime did prove to be more of a challenge than I expected before. Those 253rd boys are really giving it their all. I am not sure I have integrated well yet, but I am still alive, which means I can’t have done too bad. Yet, there’s always something to improve. As a first step, I requested some extra gear. EMP grenades have proven to be useful against the droids on Vandos, so I’ll be carrying more of them now. The new mission briefing states that we’ll be deployed for crowd control on Corellia, so I ordered an energy shield, too. You can never know what these protestors are up to and I’d rather not have them scratch my armor. We’ve been instructed to use none-lethal weapons primarily, but I’m not giving up my DC, no matter what. If push comes to shove, I can use it as a baton or use my sword to keep these protestors at arms length.
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Number: CT-7007/2828
Name: Koi
Rank: Private
Expertise: Explosives, lock picking, stand up comedy
Weapons: DC-15, energy pike
Koi has proven to be a capable fighter and loyal comrade on Vandos Prime. He does not question direct orders, but still has enough of a brain not to get himself killed right away. I said whoever survived this hell out there was worth fighting by my side and I am keeping this promise. That’s why I requested for Koi to be transferred to Mizu Squad, the newly formed unit under my command. And with his new armor, he has some signature blue stripes to show for it. For this mission he has traded his trusty DC for an energy pike. Wouldn’t be my weapon of choice, but he demonstrated some impressive skill in our short training session. I’m sure he’ll do well.
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My squad for mission 17 of the 253rd Elite Legion. I gotta get some more of these half blue arms for additional troopers now…
DC Rebirth is such a fantastic celebration of both nostalgia and novelty - it builds off of the freshness of the New 52 continuity while infusing it with a certain reverence of the Post Crisis universe.
Here is the Rebirth League in all of its glory, with Shazam as a plus-one since he's my favorite DC superhero.
On another note, I've started to retake some of my old photographs to update them to my current style and level of technical expertise. Check out my Black Lightning photo a while back to see one of the preliminary retakes!
"You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance." - Psalm 65:11
“Bouquet de Railroad”
This image has been shared before, but it was never one to be considered “good.” I shot it in the summer of 1974 in the L&N Railroad Cumberland Valley Division depot in Pennington Gap, Va. (the L&N referred to the place simply as “Pennington”). The fellow in the photo was Willard Ayers, who was then the agent/operator. It was July 1974 (specific date not recorded) when I stopped by to see Willard and “visit” for a few minutes. I had my Yashica 35mm with me, and it was loaded with K64 color film. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a tripod or a cable release.
I was quizzing Willard on the uptick of coal traffic on the CV’s “south end,” and how there was some discussion of adding a second and third shift at Pennington to handle the increasing need for the dispatcher to issue orders to more trains. At the time, the “rights of trains” operating system prevailed here, which meant timetable and train orders. The double three-position semaphore signals above the station were getting a more frequent workout as the Corbin dispatcher rang up Willard to copy orders for either northbound or southbound trains.
Just then the “DS” rang up Pennington, and Willard pulled the scissors phone close to his mouth and put on the headset. “Pennington….copy four 19 south…” At that moment he got up and grabbed the long steel handle of the Saxby and Farmer signal controller and pulled it back. A pipe that connected the lever through two fulcrums and long pipes with the heavy signal high atop the mast above the operator’s bay moved the signal for southbound trains to a 45-degree angle. When the midway notch was reached, the spring-loaded pistol grip lock snapped into the void. This act immediately advised any approaching southward train that it could not pass the depot without checking for orders or messages. Retaking his seat and pulling the phone close again, Willard began copying the order.
I had already put myself in place to get an image, although the lighting conditions (particularly for very slow slide film) were terrible. I needed a slow shutter speed (maybe 1/8th of second) and a wide aperture—which would mean a shallow depth of field. The worst photo is the one you don’t try, so I framed Willard on the phone with the pistol-grip signal lever in the foreground. The lever wouldn’t be in focus at such a wide-open aperture setting, but without a tripod, and more time to set up a better shot, I had no choice but to immediately choose my exposure settings, frame the shot, hold my breath, and slowly press the shutter release. He who hesitates loses.
I was looking for some old shots earlier today and this one came up in a folder. It was a raw high-resolution scan of the original color slide, so it hadn’t been “messed with” using Photoshop or any of the other more recent digital post-processing gizmo programs. I thought it was time to try to salvage something more presentable, and this time in color. Some new Topaz software, plus dodging and burning here and there yielded a far better image. It still suffers from the limitations of the era (and my lack of photographic expertise), but there’s no denying it takes us back to another time in US railroading.
A very small black and white version of this shot appeared in my Trains Magazine story, “Is Anything Close?” in the November 2020 issue. My goal in that anecdotal piece was to illustrate, through words and images, the experiences of visiting an operating depot or tower back in the days when these outposts were essential components of operating trains. Although the story and all the photos (except this one) happened in May 1968, the shot of Willard was a good fit as a “filler” shot. Here’s a short excerpt of that story to explain just why these places were so special to many of all of us “of a certain age” who followed the railroad industry. The photo at Pennington in 1974 was the inspiration for this general description of such places:
“…When you walked into the depot or tower door almost anywhere in America, it was instantly familiar. It seemed most every such structure in America had the same scent—a mixture of slowly molding wood, mildewed paper and cloth, tobacco smoke, and a blend of cleaning concoctions and mysterious bacteriological matter. This was all incubated by a coal stove in winter or the natural heat of summer in subdued light for decades. It produced a singularly unique olfactory signature: “Bouquet de Railroad.”
The floor was well worn by the foot traffic of many thousands of railroad employees, passengers, and freight customers. What tobacco tar remnants that hadn’t built up on the ceiling and walls remained as poorly aimed expectoration stains on the floor around where spittoons were once located. The walls were plastered with calendars, notices, and bulletin orders. Writing instruments, string for the train order forks, rubber bands and paper clips littered the operator’s desk. Pigeonholes were crammed full of blank train order pads, timetables, carbons, switch lists, waybills, and reports of all kinds. The man-made light came from shaded bulbs hanging from drop cords. The windows all had pull-down shades, yellowed from age, to minimize the invasion of the sun’s rays. Natural light was a stranger here. Presiding over everything was the incessant ticking of a Seth-Thomas Standard Clock, its pendulum swinging left and right, seemingly for as long as the railroad company had existed. A manual typewriter was always ready, awaiting the dispatcher’s dial-up….”
It was all fun and games yesterday until we got back from the Flower Show and had to dig our car out of the train station parking lot and drive home.
It took 20 tense minutes to get up the hill and out of the parking lot at the station, onto the road that leads home, and another 1/2 hour of navigating around cars that were spun out all over, an 18 wheeler that got stuck in front of us, and another tree that was lying in the road right before our driveway.....to travel the couple of miles back home. ( a trip that on a normal day would take about 5 minutes if you make all the lights)
Thanks to Larry's expertise driving in this stuff, our trusty 4 wheel drive Subaru, and what I'm sure was a LOT of divine intervention, we made it back to the house without incident!
Took this picture from the car during our harrowing excursion..
A perfect shot since I was anxiously praying my brains out!
A Black Falcons Collectible Minifig Series.
Top Row
Bladesman Heavy Infantry
Deployed in small skirmishing units these skilled axemen target high value heavily armored elite enemies. They receive special training to neutralise Cavalry with matador like expertise.
Sentinel
Royal guardsman armoured in ceremonial gear their heavy shields and Long Halberds make them slow but enduring fighters.
Half Ogre Ramhead
Unlike their larger dumber ogryn cousins, the Half ogre shows a fair amount of cunning and can remember even detailed tactical orders. their strength and size see them fight in the Vanguard.
BannerMan
Only the bravest and strongest fighters are offered the chance to carry the heraldry of the Falcon legion. Heavily armoured the Bannerman will fight til his last breath to keep the colours safe at the very front of the Vanguard.
Row 2
Deathshead Archer
Not averse to using poison to incapacitate their enemies even a knick from one arrow can be fatal! Deployed as scouts these eagle eyed infantry are a boon to the falcon legion.
Chaplain
The Wisest head in the Falcons army, with tales of battles long forgotten by most, the Chaplain can offer insight across many battlefields. His mace is also used to administer the last rites to those who won't make it back to the field hospital.
Headsman
The Executioner keeps the troops in check acting as unofficial enforcer for the falcons upper echelons. He can take a head with a single deft strike, or if he is told otherwise can make it messy and drawn out...
Quarter Master
This grizzled veteran keeps the army equipped and moving. With enough time, he can acquire you anything from a powdered unicorn horn to 10 minutes you won't forget with a saucy wench. Rum is his favourite currency!
Row 3
Bladed Fury
A lethal combination of enthusiasm and martial prowess beware the whirling web of death! trained from infancy these unpredictable weapon masters are a real wildcard in the Falcons pack.
Tribal Bezerk - From the Skylands mountain pass. The most savage of the bezerks eschew armour in favour of agility. Calling on the power of the wild they froth at the mouth and literally go Berserk!
Bucaneer
These flamboyant characters are expert florentine fighters who love the cut and thrust of combat. Often the buccaneer is a successful retired pirate who has made his fortune and is looking to transition into the nobility by proving his worth on the battlefield.
Herald
These artisans can be found across the battlefields although most consider them blowhards they are not averse to sticking the knife in when an opponent is not looking.
Bottom Row
Lester the Jester
his repertoire is mainly limited to fart jokes but his sense of humour is generally as cruel as the knife he wields in combat.
The Duchess
Plucked from the Mountain tribes the duchess is Lady to Erasmus the black, an expert with blades and poisons, not just a pretty face. Many a man has underestimated her and paid the ultimate price.
Paladin Duke Erasmus the Black
The present Falcons Master General. He is a fearsome soldier and expert fighter - he fights without mercy! heavily armoured his sword carries a blessed purity seal which deals extra damage to chaotic or evil creatures.
Brody the Squire
He carries his spare weapons and maintains the Dukes armour and equipment. Although not a proficient swordsman he is lethal with "Old Faithful" which is Erasmus trusty Mace.