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Given the heavy mining industry which Laxey was so well known for in the past. Blacksmiths played a key role and so were located close by. This local workshop is still running and providing services, but maybe not as blacksmiths once did.
Located on the east coast of the Island of the Isle of Man in the village of Laxey, the Laxey Blacksmith was founded by Allan King in the early 1990s, his speciality being the design, forging and creation of both functional and artistic ironwork.
Allan has more than 30 years experience working with steel, wrought iron, cast iron, copper and aluminium, and uses traditional hammer, anvil and forge alongside twenty-first century technology.
Laxey is a village who's name derives from the Old Norse Laxa meaning 'Salmon River'. Its key distinguishing features are its three working vintage railways and the largest working waterwheel in the world. It is also the location of King Orry's Grave.
The village lies on the A2, the main Douglas to Ramsey road, and on the vintage Manx Electric Railway, and Snaefell Mountain Railway. Laxey Glen is one of the Manx National Glens; another glen, Dhoon Glen, is about 1 1⁄4 miles away. The Raad ny Foillan long distance coastal footpath, opened in 1986, runs along the coast of Laxey Bay through the village.
www.iomguide.com/laxey/laxey-blacksmith.php
©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®
No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams). No image may be used as source material for paintings, drawings, sculptures, or any other art form without permission and/or compensation to ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)
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I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 47.908+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.
***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on Friday 12th April 2024
CREATIVE RF gty.im/2148253973 MOMENT ROYALTY FREE COLLECTION**
This photograph became my 6,498th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.
©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)
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**** This frame was chosen on Wednesday 13th April 2024 to appear on FLICKR EXPLORE (Highest Ranking: #255. This is my 232nd photograph to be selected.
I am really thrilled to have a frame picked and most grateful to every one of the 47.920+ Million people who have visited, favourited and commented on this and all of my other photographs here on my FLICKR site. *****
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Photograph taken at 11:19am on Wednesday 10th April 2024 at an altitude of Sixty one metres in the Grounds of Warnham Nature Reserve in Horsham, West Sussex.
Here we see a Peacock (Aglais io) butterfly, with amazing eyespots which have evolved to confuse predators. From family Nymphalids, this is a medium to large butterfly with a wingspan up to 69mm that is commonly found in Northern parts of Britain and Ireland.
Nikon D850 Single-lens reflex digital camera F Mount with FX CMOS 35.9mm x 23.9mm Image sensor 46.89 Million total pixels Focal length: 600mm Shutter speed: 1/250s (Mechanical shutter) Aperture f/13.0 Auto iso400 Image area Full Frame FX (36 x 24) NEF RAW L 45.4Million pixels (8256 x 5504) 14 Bit uncompressed Hand held with Tamron VC control enabled AF-C Priority Selection: Release Nikon Back button focusing enabled 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points Exposure mode: Manual mode Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Natural light Auto, 0,0 Colour space: Adobe RGB Picture control: (SD) Standard (Sharpening +3.00/Clarity A+1.00)
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup. Black Rapid Curve Breathe strap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon EN-EL15a battery.
LATITUDE: N 51d 4m 60.0s
LONGITUDE: W 0d 19m 31.30s
ALTITUDE: 61.0m
RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 92.5MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 33.60MB
PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.21 (8/12/2022) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (16/01/20) LF 1.00 Nikon Codec Full version 1.31.2 (09/11/2021)
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with Windows 10 Home edition AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. My Passport USB 3.0 2TB portable desktop hard drive. Nikon NX STUDIO 64bit Version 1.2.2 (08/12/2022). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.16.0 (08/12/2022). Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
Given her habitat in the wild, I suppose a wee drop Aberdeenshire rain wasn't going to bother her much.......
Optare Spectra YG52CFK has recently been acquired from Hiltons Travel of nearby Newton-le-Willows as a direct replacement for former MP Travel Spectra Y123HOW, which has unfortunately given up the ghost.
New to Arriva Yorkshire at Wakefield, the bus is seen at Amazon after undertaking the evening workers service on its first day in service with Howards, complete with a nod to its original operator on the destinations.
Tamlaghtard, "the high plague monument ", is situated on an exposed, windswept site, on the slopes of Benevenagh Mountain, overlooking the Magilligan peninsula at the north-eastern tip of Lough Foyle. The church is said to have been founded by St Patrick. Patrick's work was continued by the patron saint of the parish, Cadan, who lived around the beginning of the sixth century, and whose tomb is supposed to lie close to the old church. The ruins of this church are adjacent to St Aidan's Roman Catholic Church nearby, the site of which was given to their congregation by the Earl Bishop when Tamlaghtard church was built.
The Pleiades (also known as the Seven Sisters, the Little Hen, or by the acronym M45 in Charles Messier's catalog) is an open cluster visible in the constellation of Taurus. This cluster is quite close (440 light years) and has several stars visible to the naked eye. In urban environments, only four or five of the brightest stars can be seen, in a darker place even twelve. All the components are surrounded by light reflection nebulae, observable especially in long exposure photographs taken with telescopes of considerable size.
It is noteworthy that the stars of the Pleiades are really close to each other, have a common origin and are linked by gravity.
Given their distance, the stars visible between the Pleiades are much hotter than normal, and this is reflected in their color: they are blue or white giants; the cluster actually has hundreds of other stars, many of which are too far away and cold to be seen with the naked eye. The Pleiades are a young cluster, with an estimated age of about 100 million years and a predicted life of only another 250 million years, since the stars are too far apart.
Because of their brightness and proximity to each other, the brightest stars of the Pleiades have been known since ancient times: they are mentioned, for example, by Homer and Ptolemy. The Nebra disk, a bronze artifact from 1600 BC found in the summer of 1999 in Nebra, Germany, is one of the oldest known representations of the cosmos: in this disk the Pleiades are the third clearly distinguishable celestial object after the Sun and the Moon.
Since it was discovered that stars are celestial bodies similar to the Sun, it was hypothesized that some were somehow linked to each other. Thanks to the study of proper motion and the scientific determination of the distances of the stars, it became clear that the Pleiades are indeed gravitationally linked and that they have a common origin.
The Pleiades cluster is located north of the celestial equator, therefore in the Northern Hemisphere; its declination is about 24°N, so it is close enough to the celestial equator to be observable from all populated areas of the Earth, up to the Antarctic Circle. North of the Arctic Circle they appear circumpolar, while one degree north of the Tropic of Cancer they can be observed at the zenith. In the Northern Hemisphere the cluster dominates the evening sky from mid-autumn to early spring, in the Southern Hemisphere it is typical of the summer sky.
9 hours of shooting with a color camera, l-pro filter and apochromatic triplet
title.
The sun surely rises. (iPhone 7 shot)
"This hatred will never disappear"
Iris Mendes (from Argentina)
"The light of my chest will never disappear"
Rain Makinen (from Finland)
Image of the next novel.
Still would stand all time. (Unforgettable '2)
Kujukuri Beach. Chiba Prefecture. Japan. November 15th. 2018. shot ... 1/3
(Today's picture. That's unannounced.)
( ( iPhone 7 shot ) )
Images.
Miles Davis - Flamenco Sketches
Do you want to hear my voice?
:)
I updated Youtube.
It is only in Japanese.
I explained comments on photos etc.
If your time is permitted, please look.
:)
1
About the composition of the picture posted to Flicker. First type.
2
About the composition of the picture posted to Flicker. Second type.
3
About when I started Fotolog. Architect 's point of view.
Four
Why did not you have a camera so far?
Five
What is the coolest thing? The photo is as it is.
6
About the current YouTube bar. I also want to tell, I want to leave.
7
About Japanese photographers. Japanese YouTube bar is Pistols.
8
The composition of the photograph is sensibility. Meet the designers in Milan. Two questions.
9
What is a good composition? What is a bad composition?
Ten
What is the time to point the camera? It is slow if you are looking into the viewfinder or display.
11
Family photos. I can not take pictures with others. The inside of the subject.
12
About YouTube 's photographer. Camera technology etc. Sensibility is polished by reading books.
13
About the Japanese newspaper. A picture of a good newspaper is Reuters. If you continue to look at useless photographs, it will be useless.
14
About Japanese photographers. About the exhibition.
Summary. I wrote a novel etc. What I want to tell the most.
_________________________________
_________________________________
Profile.
In November 2014, we caught the attention of the party selected to undertake the publicity for a mobile phone that changed the face of the world with just a single model, and will conclude a confidentiality agreement with them.
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2018/03/tokyo-big-s...
youpic.com/photographer/mitsushironakagawa/
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Interviews and novels.
About my book.
I published a book in old days.
At that time, I was uploading my interview on the net on the net.
That Japanese and English.
I will make it public for free.
Details were explained to the Amazon site.
How to write a novel.
How to take pictures.
Distance to the work.
They all have a common item.
I made a sentence about what I felt, and left it.
I hope that my text can be read by many people.
Thank you.
Mitsushiro.
1 Interview in English
「interview_eng.pdf」
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2018/08/interviews-...
2 novels. unforgettable 'English version.(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
「novel_unforgettable_eng.pdf」
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2018/08/interviews-...
3 Interview Japanese version
drive.google.com/file/d/1w5l2hrV5a6lraDiC_Lz2tG_HqatqUCO5...
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2018/08/interviews-...
4 novels. unforgettable ' JPN version.
「novel_unforgettable_jpn.pdf」
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2018/08/interviews-...
5 A streamlined trajectory. only Japanese.
「streamlined_trajectory.pdf」
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2018/08/interviews-...
_________________________________
_________________________________
iBooks. Electronic Publishing. It is free now.
0.about the iBooks.
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2017/03/about-digit...
1.unforgettable '(ENG.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216576828?ls=1&...
2.unforgettable '(JNP.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216584262?ls=1&...
3. Streamlined trajectory.(For Japanese only.)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/%E6%B5%81%E7%B7%9A%E5%BD%A2%E3%8... =11
_________________________________
_________________________________
My Novel >> Unforgettable'
(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
Mitsushiro Nakagawa
All Translated by Yumi Ikeda .
images.
U2 - No Line On The Horizon Live in Dublin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related
There are two reasons why a person faces the sea.
One, to enjoy a slice of shine in the sea like children bubbling over in the beach.
The other, to brush the dust of memory like an old man who misses old days, staring at the shine
quietly.
Those lead to only one meaning though they do not seem to overlap. It’s a rebirth.
I face myself to change tomorrow, a vague day into something certain.
That is the meaning of a rebirth.
I had a very sweet girlfriend when I was 18.
After she left, I knew the meaning of gentleness for the first time and also a true pain of loss. After
she left, how many times did I depend too much on her, doubt her, envy her and keep on telling lies
until I realized it is love?
I wonder whether a nobody like me could have given something to her who was struggling in the
daily life in those days. Giving something is arrogant conceit. It is nothing but self-satisfaction.
I had been thinking about such a thing.
However, I guess what she saw in me was because I had nothing. That‘s why she tried to see
something in me. Perhaps she found a slight possibility in me, a guy filled with ambiguous, unstable
tomorrow. But I wasted days depending too much on her gentleness.
Now I finally can convey how I felt in those days when we met.
1/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24577016535/in/dateposted...
2/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24209330259/in/dateposted...
3/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/23975215274/in/dateposted...
4/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24515964952/in/dateposted...
5/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24276473749/in/dateposted...
6/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24548895082/in/dateposted...
7/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24594603711/in/dateposted...
8/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24588215562/in/dateposted...
9/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24100804163/in/dateposted...
Fin.
images.
U2 - No Line On The Horizon
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related
_________________________________
_________________________________
Title of my book > unforgettable'
Author : Mitsushiro Nakagawa
Out Now.
ISBN978-4-86264-866-2
in Amazon.
www.amazon.co.jp/Unforgettable’-Mitsushiro-Nakagawa/dp/...
_________________________________
_________________________________
The schedule of the next novel.
Still would stand all time. (Unforgettable '2)
(It will not go away forever)
Please give me some more time. That is Japanese.
_________________________________
_________________________________
An exhibition in 2019.
spring.
theme.
Silence Is the Way. (Tentative title)
place. Tokyo Big Site.
Sponsoring. Design festa.
2020.
Date unknown.
DIC Kawamura Memorial Art Museum attached gallery.
place. Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture.
theme.
From that day, forever ...
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flickr.
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/
_________________________________
_________________________________
YouTube.
_________________________________
_________________________________
instagram.
www.instagram.com/mitsushiro_nakagawa/
_________________________________
_________________________________
Pinterest.
_________________________________
_________________________________
YouPic
youpic.com/photographer/mitsushironakagawa/
_________________________________
_________________________________
fotolog
_________________________________
_________________________________
twitter.
_________________________________
_________________________________
facebook.
www.facebook.com/mitsushiro.nakagawa
_________________________________
_________________________________
Do you want to hear my voice?
:)
I updated Youtube.
It is only in Japanese.
I explained comments on photos etc.
If your time is permitted, please look.
:)
1
About the composition of the picture posted to Flicker. First type.
2
About the composition of the picture posted to Flicker. Second type.
3
About when I started Fotolog. Architect 's point of view.
Four
Why did not you have a camera so far?
Five
What is the coolest thing? The photo is as it is.
6
About the current YouTube bar. I also want to tell, I want to leave.
7
About Japanese photographers. Japanese YouTube bar is Pistols.
8
The composition of the photograph is sensibility. Meet the designers in Milan. Two questions.
9
What is a good composition? What is a bad composition?
Ten
What is the time to point the camera? It is slow if you are looking into the viewfinder or display.
11
Family photos. I can not take pictures with others. The inside of the subject.
12
About YouTube 's photographer. Camera technology etc. Sensibility is polished by reading books.
13
About the Japanese newspaper. A picture of a good newspaper is Reuters. If you continue to look at useless photographs, it will be useless.
14
About Japanese photographers. About the exhibition.
Summary. I wrote a novel etc. What I want to tell the most.
_________________________________
_________________________________
Japanese is the following.
_________________________________
_________________________________
タイトル。
太陽は必ず昇る。 ( iPhone 7 shot )
『この憎しみは、決して消えない』
アイリス メンデス （アルゼンチン出身）NYで注目されているアーティスト。
『胸の明かりは、決して消えない』
レイン マキネン （フィンランド出身）レストランのウェイトレス。 アーティストを目指している。
次の小説のイメージ。
Still would stand all time.(unforgettable'2)
（いつまでもなくならないだろう）
九十九里浜。千葉県。日本。１１月１5日。２０１８年。 shot … 1 / 3
(Today's picture. That's unannounced.)
( ( iPhone 7 shot ) )
Images.
Miles Davis - Flamenco Sketches
あなたは僕の声を聞きたいですか？
:)
僕はYoutubeを更新しました。
日本語だけです。
僕は写真などの解説をしました。
もしも、あなたの時間が許されれば、見てください。
:)
1
フリッカーへ投稿した写真の構図について。１種類目。
2
フリッカーへ投稿した写真の構図について。２種類目。
3
Fotologを始めた時について。 建築家の視点。
4
なぜ、今までカメラを手にしなかったのか？
5
何が一番かっこいいのか？ 写真はありのままに。
6
現在のユーチューバーについて。僕も伝え、残したい。
7
日本人の写真家について。日本のユーチューバーはピストルズ。
8
写真の構図は、感性。ミラノのデザイナーに会って。二つの質問。
9
良い構図とは？ 悪い構図とは？
10
カメラを向ける時とは？ ファインダーやディスプレイを覗いていては遅い。
11
家族写真。他人では撮れない。被写体の内面。
12
ユーチューブの写真家について。カメラの技術等。感性は、本を読むことで磨く。
13
日本の新聞について。良い新聞の写真はロイター。ダメな写真を見続けるとダメになる。
14
日本の写真家について。その展示について。
まとめ。僕が書いた小説など。僕が最も伝えたいこと。
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_________________________________
プロフィール。
2014年11月、たった1機種で世界を塗り替えた携帯電話の広告を請け負った選考者の目に留まり、秘密保持同意書を結ぶ。
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2018/03/tokyo-big-s...
youpic.com/photographer/mitsushironakagawa/
_________________________________
_________________________________
インタビューと小説。
僕の本について。
僕は、昔に本を出版しました。
その際に、僕のインタビューをPDFでネット上へアップロードしていました。
その日本語と英語。
僕は、無料でを公開します。
詳細は、アマゾンのサイトへ解説しました。
小説の書き方。
写真の撮影方法。
作品への距離感。
これらはすべて共通項があります。
僕は、僕が感じたことを文章にして、残しました。
僕のテキストが多くの人に読んでもらえることを望みます。
ありがとう。
Mitsushiro.
１ インタビュー 英語版
「interview_eng.pdf」
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2018/08/interviews-...
２ 小説。unforgettable’ 英語版。
「novel_unforgettable_eng.pdf」
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2018/08/interviews-...
３ インタビュー 日本語版
drive.google.com/file/d/1w5l2hrV5a6lraDiC_Lz2tG_HqatqUCO5...
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2018/08/interviews-...
４ 小説。unforgettable’ 日本語版。(この小説は未来のアーティストへ捧げます)
「novel_unforgettable_jpn.pdf」
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2018/08/interviews-...
５ 流線形の軌跡。 日本語のみ。
「streamlined_trajectory.pdf」
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2018/08/interviews-...
_________________________________
_________________________________
iBooks.電子出版。（現在は無料）
0.about the iBooks.
stealaway.cocolog-nifty.com/stealaway/2017/03/about-digit...
1.unforgettable’ ( ENG.ver.)(This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216576828?ls=1&...
For Japanese only.
2.unforgettable’ ( JNP.ver.)(この小説は未来のアーティストへ捧げます)
itunes.apple.com/us/book/unforgettable/id1216584262?ls=1&...
3.流線形の軌跡。
itunes.apple.com/us/book/%E6%B5%81%E7%B7%9A%E5%BD%A2%E3%8...
_________________________________
_________________________________
僕の小説。英語版
My Novel Unforgettable' (This book is Dedicated to the future artist.)
Mitsushiro Nakagawa
All Translated by Yumi Ikeda .
1/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24577016535/in/dateposted...
2/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24209330259/in/dateposted...
3/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/23975215274/in/dateposted...
4/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24515964952/in/dateposted...
5/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24276473749/in/dateposted...
6/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24548895082/in/dateposted...
7/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24594603711/in/dateposted...
8/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24588215562/in/dateposted...
9/9
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/24100804163/in/dateposted...
Fin.
images.
U2 - No Line On The Horizon Live in Dublin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKwnkYFsiE&feature=related
_________________________________
_________________________________
Title of my book > unforgettable'
Author : Mitsushiro Nakagawa
Out Now.
ISBN978-4-86264-866-2
in Amazon.
www.amazon.co.jp/Unforgettable’-Mitsushiro-Nakagawa/dp/...
_________________________________
_________________________________
次の小説の予定。
Still would stand all time.(unforgettable'2)
（いつまでもなくならないだろう）
もう少し時間をください。それは日本語です。
_________________________________
_________________________________
２０１９年の展示。
春。
テーマ。
Silence Is the Way.(仮題)
場所。東京ビッグサイト。
Sponsoring. Design festa.
２０２０年。
日時未定。
DIC川村記念美術館付属ギャラリー。
場所。千葉県佐倉市。
テーマ。
あの日から、ずっと…
_________________________________
_________________________________
flickr.
www.flickr.com/photos/stealaway/
_________________________________
_________________________________
YouTube.
_________________________________
_________________________________
instagram.
www.instagram.com/mitsushiro_nakagawa/
_________________________________
_________________________________
Pinterest.
_________________________________
_________________________________
YouPic
youpic.com/photographer/mitsushironakagawa/
_________________________________
_________________________________
fotolog
_________________________________
_________________________________
twitter.
_________________________________
_________________________________
facebook.
www.facebook.com/mitsushiro.nakagawa
_________________________________
_________________________________
あなたは僕の声を聞きたいですか？
:)
僕はYoutubeを更新しました。
日本語だけです。
僕は写真などの解説をしました。
もしも、あなたの時間が許されれば、見てください。
:)
1
フリッカーへ投稿した写真の構図について。１種類目。
2
フリッカーへ投稿した写真の構図について。２種類目。
3
Fotologを始めた時について。 建築家の視点。
4
なぜ、今までカメラを手にしなかったのか？
5
何が一番かっこいいのか？ 写真はありのままに。
6
現在のユーチューバーについて。僕も伝え、残したい。
7
日本人の写真家について。日本のユーチューバーはピストルズ。
8
写真の構図は、感性。ミラノのデザイナーに会って。二つの質問。
9
良い構図とは？ 悪い構図とは？
10
カメラを向ける時とは？ ファインダーやディスプレイを覗いていては遅い。
11
家族写真。他人では撮れない。被写体の内面。
12
ユーチューブの写真家について。カメラの技術等。感性は、本を読むことで磨く。
13
日本の新聞について。良い新聞の写真はロイター。ダメな写真を見続けるとダメになる。
14
日本の写真家について。その展示について。
まとめ。僕が書いた小説など。僕が最も伝えたいこと。
_________________________________
_________________________________
Japanese is the following.
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~The Dreaded Dandelion~
The flower heads mature into a spherical "clocks"containing many single-seeded fruits called achenes. Each achene is attached to a pappus of fine hairs, which enable wind-aided dispersal over long distances. This wind aided invasion is a war we fight each spring.
3 exposure HDR with the 100mm EF Macro
Thanks for Looking!
Publication History
Mongul is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Writer Len Wein and artist Jim Starlin created the first version of the character, who debuted in DC Comics Presents #27 (November 1980).
Jerry Ordway created the second version, who first appeared in The Adventures of Superman #454 as the lord of Warworld. He was later embellished by Peter Tomasi and Scot Eaton in Showcase '95, #8.
He is based on the Mongol Empire's founder Genghis Khan and his successors, hence his name. The character was given an origin story in Green Lantern #23.2 by his co-creator Jim Starlin and artist Howard Porter, as an homage to the writers who helped develop the character
Starlin often receives credit as creator of the character, but Wein in an interview stated: "Well, [Mongul] had Starlin visuals, but he was my creation". Wein said he conceived Mongul specifically as a villain to physically challenge Superman.
Starlin commented on the character as well stating, "When I went over to DC... I went over and created Mongul and he was definitely supposed to be Thanos in the DC universe".
He has become one of Superman's most enduring enemies, belonging to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery. Mongul and his successors also became enemies with the Green Lantern Corps.
Debuting in the Bronze Age of Comic Books, Mongul has been featured in other DC Comics-endorsed products such as animated series, video games, a direct-to-DVD film, and merchandise such as action figures and trading cards.
Fictional character biography
Mongul the Elder
Mongul the Elder first appeared in DC Comics Presents #27 and is created by Jim Starlin and Len Wein. Not to be confused with his son Mongul.
Character History
Mongul was the ruler of his people, until a revolution occurred and he was forced into exile. In Mongul's first appearance he kidnapped Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Steve Lombard and threatened to kill them unless Superman gave him the key to Warworld.
He retrieved the key and mentally linked to Warworld's controls. He attempted to kill Superman and Supergirl, but he was ultimately rendered unconscious due to the mental strain of hooking his mind up to Warworld. Mongul manages to escape before Warworld is destroyed.
Mongul then attempts to conquer Prince Gavyn's homeworld, Throneworld. Mongul kills Prince Gavyn's sister and forces the prince's love to marry him so he can take the thrown.
He blackmails the resident planets to submit to him with Throneworld's planet-destroying weapon. Superman arrives and battles Mongul while in the meantime Gavyn shuts down the weapon, forcing Mongul to retreat.
After this defeat Mongul desires revenge against Kal-El. He kills a Controller and steals the Sun-Eater to devour Earth's sun. The Legion of Superheroes and the Justice League battled Mongul, but it was futile until Superman finally defeated Mongul while the Legion of Superheroes destroyed the Sun-Eater.
Mongul then attacks the kryptonian on his birthday and ensnares him with a Black Mercy. In the end he is a victim of the Black Mercy himself and dreams of a universe where he is its ruler.
Modern Age
In the Modern Age Mongul was reintroduced as the ruler of Warworld and entertained himself and his citizens with gladiator like games.
Mongul captures Superman to participate in his gladiator games, but Superman joins forces with another warrior named Draaga causing Mongul to flee.
Mongul was then forced by Cyborg Superman to serve him and turn Earth into another Warworld. In the process of making Earth another Warworld Coast City was destroyed which lead to Hal Jordan helping Superman and his allies defeat Mongul.
He was arrested for his crimes and is imprisoned in a jail for intergalactic criminals, but broke out during a riot.
He planned his revenge against Green Lantern and found that the one he was facing was not Jordan, but actually a new Lantern named Kyle Rayner. Rayner defeats Mongul and he is re-imprisoned.
Mogul once again breaks out of prison and is teleported to a planet and saved. In gratitude Mongul takes over the planet and the inhabitants die of a virus leaving Mongul one of last inhabitant of the planet.
He then finds two alien babies who are immune to the virus; these children grow up to be Mongal and Mongul II.
Mongul returns to Earth only to be defeated by Wally West. During Underworld Unleashed he is offered a deal by Neron, but Mongul refuses the deal and threatens Neron. In the end Neron kills Mongul.
Powers - Pre-Crisis
Super Strength: Mongul had physical strength greater than Silver-age Superman*; in fact Superman was only able to beat him in a fight once, while Mongul himself overwhelmed Superman numerous times. Mongul has also beaten Hal Jordan + Supergirl & Martian Manhunter with just pure brute force, and broke out of inertron; the hardest material in the universe with ease.
*SAS feats just before the Mongul fight: Planet level attack (shakes off), faster than Infinity, survived near the explosion of a White Dwarf sized Warworld (this version has Planet vaporizing lasers & city dwarfing nukes, the latter of which Super-man experiences personally).
Nigh-Invulnerability: Mongul The Elder was all but invulnerable to nearly all types of harm. Wonder Woman hurt her own hands just punching the War Lord's face. Even Superman's & MMH's best efforts often left them swatted away & Starman's most powerful blasts were treated as fodder (Starman blocked blasts that could carve lesser moons & tanked energy from miniature Suns. He also has melted crystal capable of tanking a star's core)
SuperSpeed
Super Stamina
Super Agility
Super Leaping
Energy Manipulation: Mongul also had energy discharge capabilities able to bursts capable of stunning silver age superman from his eyes and hands.
Psionic Manipulation: Mongul had limited telepathy and telekinesis.
Teleportation: He had the ability to teleport, though for a long time was unknown whether it was an actual ability or own caused by technology, until after a battle with Superman & Starman damaged his costume; he managed to get away from them by teleporting.
(While gloating to Superman, he confesses to besting a Controller in battle to obtain the Sun-Eater. A noteworthy feat.)
Powers - Post Crisis
Super Strength: Mongul was strong enough to engage superman in a physical fight and survive.
Super Speed
Super Stamina
Super Agility
Super Leaping
Super Durability
Energy Projection: Mongul had an energy cannon within his chest with which to fire potent blast
Abilities
Tactical Genius: Mongul Sr. was also a very intelligent and cunning foe capable of using the hatred, anger or underlying aggression and negative emotions of others to serve his purposes.
Psychological Mastery: Mongul is, was and forever will be a master manipulator of conscious and subconscious minds. Able to incorperate incredulous fear tactics in order to move a populated planets ruling powers, citizenry or even national armies to his advantage.
Xenoherbology Expertise: Despite being a brutal warlord Mongul happens to have a softer touch to him, being a gifted gardener he has an expedited understanding of certain alien horticulture to which he can use to further his own goals.
Expert Combatant: Mongul Sr. was also a superb combatant able to take on entire teams of heroes alone and still come out on top.
Equipment
War World: He commanded numerous arrays of technology along with the many items of interest within his countless arsenal, Mongul had the planet-sized engine of destruction. He lost his ultimate weapon when sinestro used bits of one of his shattered rings to jettison him into deep space.
Anti-Matter Cannons
Emotional Energy Siphons
Mass Teleportation Systems
Cache's of Alien Weapons & Equipment
Warmoon orbital Satellites
Dimensional Inversion Cubes (Formerly): Devices capable of growing, capturing and shrinking their prisoner along with it, to pocket size to keep on his person or crush them within the cube, said devices also repel any force exerted upon them by warping their interior reality and absorbing any power used against them from within. One of it's settings inlcuded the appliance of red solar energy within it's own distorted physics to weaken superman.
Chest Cannon Module: Throughout all of Mongul's appearances he usually has an armament affixed to his broad chest that can discharge destructive energy waves to which he can incinerate even the mightiest of adversaries. In the old days it used to be equipment used in his armor, in the modern age however it became a jewel tied to his physical state of being that if removed forcefully would lead to his demise. Mongul used it not only as a means to assault his adversary as a lethal blast cannon but as a form of control beacon to command War World with.
Black Mercy's: Parasitic plants which leech onto a host and project the victims deepest fantasy's onto their minds as they feast on both their physical and psychic energy for sustenance. In new continuity the warlord has altered these alien flowers to project ones most deepest desires just before sampling their most horrid nightmares afterward trapping the host within a perpetual horror factory until death.
Golden Fury's: A genetically modified version of the mercy, these mutated variants secrete bright burning golden spores which served to increase the amount of rage and aggression within all those who inhaled the pollen. Leaving the afflicted in a constant state of burning rage it was so potent it could even effect superman.
Sinestro Corps Ring (Formerly): For a time Mongul wielded a fear power ring when he was chosen to be a member of the dreaded Sinestro Corps, his skill with the ring was unknown but appears to have been vast considering he used it to take it over and rechristen it the Mongul Corps before his expulsion from it.
Mongul the Younger
Mongul II first appeared in Showcase '95 #8 and is created by Peter J. Tomasi and Scot Eaton. Not to be confused with Mongul the Elder.
When ever his father would leave Debstam IV Mongul Jr. would sneak out of the castle and journey to the media center to watch old "digis" of his father's battle with the heroes of earth. Through these, he perceived his father as the hero and these Earthlings' as the villains.
After watching for hours he'd recreate some of the battles using dead bodies as the earthlings. Then one day a small space ship crashed and Mongul Jr. enslaved its crew. He had them build a monument to him and he dress them up as the members of the Justice League and spar against them. After a while his father caught him.
Mongul Sr was not pleased and killed the aliens, claiming there is only being on the planet worthy of being worshiped. Then with one punch he destroyed his son's monument. After his father left, Mongul Jr rebuilt the monument believing he too will have the power of his father.
Perfect Life
Mongul's son (also named Mongul) went to Earth to get revenge for his father. He battled Hal Jordan and the Green Arrow but was interrupted by his older sister, Mongal. They were sent back to their home planet of Debstam IV where Mongul killed his sister, citing family as a weakness.
Mongul then comes across the injured Sinestro Soldier of Sector 2809 when the alien's ship crashes down on Debstam IV, located in Sector 2811. Mongul enters the wreckage and finds the fallen Sinestro Corps member. The injured man offers Mongul the power ring and Mongul breaks his neck, taking the ring anyway. Mongul's first act was to order his ring to inform him of all it's capabilities. He then spent the next 96 hours learning all of the capabilities of his new weapon. After the ring is finished, Mongul asks it how many rings are currently seeking a bearer. After receiving the information, and the coordinates of said rings, he proceeds to berate his sister's skull before flying off to put his plan into motion.
Mongul next travels to Sector 226 and arrives at Clementia; the home planet of the Black Mercy plants. While taking time to remember his father, he sets about gathering some of the plants. He then heads off into space. Mongul sets about tracking down the rings that are seeking new bearers. As Duel Eknham is chosen by a ring, Mongul bursts into the hospital. He then proceeds to give the newest member of the Sinestro Corps the options of joining him, or relinquishing his ring in exchange for a Black Mercy. He has presumably encountered 5 other Sinestro's based on the fact he is now sporting 6 rings, and taking note of this fact Duel chooses to side with him. The two then proceed to slaughter the inhabitants of the hospital, sticking around long enough afterwards to ambush Sodam Yat and Arisia and take them hostage.
Black Mercy
Mongul returns to the planet of the Mercies, with Duel, Sodam, and Arisia. He then begins to use his rings to dig to the center of the planet. He then began using them to change the Black Mercies, so that instead of showing a person's greatest joy, they would show them their darkest fears. He was forced to expend energy blasting Duel when the former ignored him about touching the Green Lanterns. He then proceeded to launch his altered seeds into the atmosphere towards other waiting planets. Mongul then, leaving the Lanterns behind under the influence of his altered Black Mercies, left for another part of the planet to collect more seeds.
While he was collecting seeds to further his plans, Mongul's attention was grabbed by his ring informing him in a change of the gravity of the planet. He almost wrote it off as feeding time for the Mercies, before he realized that it was localized to one area. Going to investigate he found not only more Lanterns, but Mother Mercy herself. He manages to ambush the Lanterns, blasting all of them with Mercies. Mongul then confronts Mother Mercy, angered by her "betrayal", he orders her to finish off the Lanterns. He then informs Duel he wants him to stay behind, causing yet another argument. Tired of their squabbling, he separates the two and leaves one behind, and brings the other with him. He then heads off into space to finish enacting his plan. He doesn't even make it out of the system before the Lanterns manage to confront him, having been set free by Mercy. He then proceeds to battle them to a standstill. Just as Mongul readies himself for another assault, he convulses. Bzzd bursts forth from his eye, having attacked him internally. The other Lanterns then proceed to blast him back into Mercies gravity well, who begins to feed him to her children.
Daxam
Mongul later manages to escape the grasp of Mother Mercy, though his arm has been severed in the process. He flies away from the planet. He doesn't stop until he runs into a private ship carrying Kered and Miri Riam, blasting through it's shield and boarding it. He then proceeds to raid the available rations, before blasting his way out of the ship and continuing on his journey, leaving the two occupants to die in space. Mongul's next stop was a pleasure planet, when the owner of the establishment protested to his plans to enjoy their services, Mongul wasted no time in killing him. He then spent the night enjoying the women's company, and good food. He then continued on, making his way to the planet Daxam, though his plans for the people are unknown.
Mongul transformed the planet Daxam in the new base of operations of the Sinestro Corps. Mongul announced that he was now their leader.
However Arkillo challenged him to single combat without their rings (the winner of this battle will be the new leader of the Sinestro Corps). Arkillo is a tough opponent for Mongul, but in the end Mongul wins (Ripping Out Arkillo's tongue) - After the match against Arkillo, Mongul gains complete mastery over the planet Daxam and the Sinestro Corps.
Sodam Yat and Arisia decided to investigate the situation. Sodam Yat kills some members of the Sinestro Corps. Sodam Yat frees his father and decides to fight Mongul. Sodam Yat surprises Mongul and fight bravely. In the end, Sodam Yat decides to enter Daxam's Red Sun
Sodam Yat turns Daxam's Red Sun in a yellow star, giving super powers to all the inhabitants of the planet Daxam. Mongul leaves the planet Daxam along with the other members of the Sinestro Corps (Mongul says that "things got more interesting"). After his defeat on the planet Daxam, Mongul installs itself on Planet Korugar.
Indigo-1 carries Sinestro to Korugar to defeat Mongul. Mongul and Sinestro are fighting for control of the Sinestro Corps. Mongul took the advantage in combat, Mongul says to Sinestro that he is a being of Action. And proceeds to beat Sinestro. But in the end, Sinestro overrides his ring thus finally defeating Mongul. Sinestro then imprisons Mongul in The central power battery (Green Lantern #46). Mongul's fate remains unknown.
Powers
Mongul has physical strength to fight on equal terms against Superman. Mongul has enough physical strength to defeat Wonder Woman (Infinite Crisis #1, Mongul defeats Wonder Woman effortlessly).
Mongul also has a magnificent durability (Mongul withstood several blows from Superman).
Mongul has a powerful energy cannon (the cannon is located in the chest). This cannon fires powerful bursts of energy.
After the Sinestro Corps War, Mongul got a Qwardian Power Ring. Mongul killed several members of the Sinestro Corps which to Mongul getting more rings. Mongul also seems to be very talented with the rings, as he able to battle nine veteran Lanterns at the same time and still hold the advantage. Aside from his physical prowess and power rings Mongul is a very skilled combatant.
⚡ Happy 🎯 Heroclix 💫 Friday! 👽
_____________________________
A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Secret Identity: N/A
Publisher: DC
First appearances
Mongul the Elder: DC Comics Presents #27 (November 1980)
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/52297506048]
Mongul the Younger: Showcase '95 #8 (September 1995)
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/51822747988]
Created by
Mongul the Elder:
Len Wein (writer)
Jim Starlin (writer/artist)
Mongul the Younger
Created by: Peter J. Tomasi (writer)
Scot Eaton (artist)
Cartoon Network's Justice League and Justice League Unlimited are some of our very favorite all-time animated series, and even television overall.
While we enjoy all the episodes and rewatch the seasons regularly, when we recommend one episode to watch, it's always Season 1 Episode 2 of Justice League Unlimited, "For the Man Who Has Everything"
The story features Mongul using a Black Mercy on Superman and it is quite poignant.
When you are given the gift of a great cloud day in September, you take it. Photo made on the grounds of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center located on the campus of the Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania on Labor Day.
Technical details:
Intrepid MK3 4x5 wooden large format field camera.
120mm F5.6 Schneider Symmar-S lens. Tiffen Yellow # 12 glass filter on lens.
Ilford HP5+ 400 ISO B&W film, shot at ISO 400.
Developed in Pyrocat HD at 1:1:100 dilution for 14 minutes @ 20 degrees Celsius in Jobo Multitank 5 with 2509N sheet film reels with drum placed on Unicolor Uniroller 352 auto-reversing rotary base.
Negative scanned with Epson 4990 on holders fitted with ANR glass.
Any given Sunday
Paseo de la reform Mexico City
If you like this shot please go see my ALBUM "Street Shots"
www.flickr.com/photos/luajr/albums/72177720295921392
or Any given Sunday in Mexico City
Given the length of the Port Germein Jetty, you'd need to have a rest at the halfway point. Port Germein, Mid North, South Australia.
Built in 1939, the Cardozo South Beach is a landmark of Art Deco architecture located at 1300 Ocean Drive in Miami Beach.
Architectural Significance
Design: Designed by architect Henry Hohauser, the hotel is a premier example of "Streamline Moderne" style, featuring curved lines similar to a vintage Studebaker's fender and keystone trim made from dyed porous limestone.
Accommodations: 41 guest rooms and suites distributed across the three floors.
Penthouse: A signature penthouse suite spanning the entire width of the hotel is located on the third floor.
Dining: The first floor houses the on-site restaurant, BiCE Cucina.
Naming: The hotel was named after Benjamin Cardozo, one of the first Jewish justices of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Historic Status: It is part of the Miami Beach Art Deco District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Historical Timeline
1940s: During World War II, the hotel was repurposed as a barracks for the Air Force.
Post-War: Following the war, it served as a retirement home.
1980s: The Cardozo became the headquarters for the Miami Design Preservation League and served as the official pilot project for the restoration of the Art Deco District.
1992–Present: Internationally renowned musicians Gloria and Emilio Estefan purchased the hotel.
2019 Renovation: After a four-year, $15 million renovation, the hotel reopened with modernized interiors, including a new penthouse and soundproofed rooms, while maintaining its original 1930s exterior.
Cinematic Legacy
The hotel’s distinct exterior has made it a popular filming location for major feature films, including:
A Hole in the Head (1959), starring Frank Sinatra.
The Birdcage (1996), starring Robin Williams.
There’s Something About Mary (1998).
Any Given Sunday (1999).
Marley & Me (2008).
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.google.com/search?q=history+of+the+cardoso+hotel+ocea...
www.google.com/search?q=how+many+floors+does+the+cardoso+...
www.google.com/search?q=does+the+cardoso+hotel+on+ocean+d...
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Given the dearth of variety on the NS roster now, outside of one of the heritage units that doesn't look terrible now these SD70ACCs are about as good as it gets for mainline leaders in 2021. The last of the group of 52 leads 378 across the fill at Alexander City on the first morning of August.
We were given this as a wonderful and undeserved present the other day. The flower spikes were unopened but have quickly opened in spectacular fashion!
the body of the cactus is 30cm in height so it is a very impressive plant. I am not sure that the picture conveys the size well.
the instruction we have is to keep it outside in a sunny spot for the summer and to bring it inside into the sunroom in September and keep it dry for the winter.
The man that gave us this has about 5 of them all this size and all flowering simultaneously.
I am not sure how to start identifying cacti. Can anyone help identify it for me?
I am hoping a honeybee will find it tomorrow (apiary is about 25m away) and I'll get pictures of an honeybee on a cactus ...in County Down. That would be very cool indeed!
I think it is possible that this is Echinopsis oxygona from a "match the picture" approach but I am not sure if there are other species that are similar
Pixies - Cactus
I've certainly given my full support to science by donating my brain to the best minds here in my lovely home. Sector G4, to be precise. Cell 15C. Just past the I scream parlour. Can't miss it. Very noisy.
Anyway... I digresss.
Since I've donated my brain, I hear they're making great progress in jigsaws, concrete and parsnip purée. I'm expecting to hear of some major breakthrough in something knobble prize worthy, but it's only been a few years - still plenty of time before I need my brain back to control my most important bodily functions...
Maybe you’d like to buy Mr Flibble’s book too? That would be splendid.
idrinkleadpaint.com/buy-the-book/
Also...er maybe you'd love to:
Strobist:
Bowens Gemini Pro 500 through beauty dish camera left at 45 degrees set on 3.4. Two Bowens Gemini Pro through softboxes set on 5 at camera left and right 90 degrees. Triggered by PC cord cable.
What was that? I think I saw something move.
----------------------------- JESUS ✝️ SAVES-------------------------------
SALVATION THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST - ALONE!
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
❤️❤️ IT'S ALL JESUS AND NONE OF OURSELVES! ❤️❤️
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the SALVATION of everyone WHO BELIEVES: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD IS REVEALED, a righteousness that is by FAITH FROM FIRST TO LAST, just as it is written: "THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH." (Romans 1:16-17)
16 KNOW that a man is NOT justified by observing the law, but by FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be JUSTIFIED BY FAITH in CHRIST and NOT by observing the law, BECAUSE BY OBSERVING THE LAW NO ONE WILL BE JUSTIFIED. (Galatians 2:16)
1. Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2. BY THIS GOSPEL YOU ARE SAVED, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4. that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5. and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8. and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
7. Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9. I am the gate; whoever enters through me WILL BE SAVED. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10. The thief comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY; I have come that they may have LIFE, and have it to the FULL. (John 10:7-10)
1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them." 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:1-13)
Jesus came to bring spiritual LIFE to the spiritually dead and set the captives FREE! FREE from RELIGION, ERROR and outright LIES, so WE might serve THE LIVING GOD! In SPIRIT and in TRUTH!
So you'll KNOW, and not think you're to bad for God to love. The Christian LIFE isn't about how good WE are, because NONE of us are! It's about how GOOD JESUS IS! Because JESUS LOVES US, so much he died in our place and took the punishment for all of our sins on himself. The wages of sin is DEATH, and Jesus took the death WE so richly deserved for us and died in our place. The good news is, there's no more punishment for sin left. WE, you and I were all born forgive as a result of the crucifixion of God himself on the cross that took away the sins of the whole world. All we have to do is believe it, and put your Faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. That my friends is REAL UNCONDITIONAL LOVE! YOU ARE LOVED. ❤️ ✝️ ❤️
For the best Biblical teaching in the last 2 centuries! Please listen to and down load these FREE audio files that were created with YOU in mind. It's ALL FREE, if you like it, please share it with others. ❤️
archive.org/details/PeopleToPeopleByBobGeorgeFREE-ARCHIVE...
CLICK ON THE LETTER "L" TO ENLARGE.
My THANK'S to all Flickr friends who fave and/or commented on my photos, I very much appreciate it! ❤️
© All Rights reserved no publication or copying without permission from the author.
Back in the late 1940s, due to some problems with water seepage, the Elgin Diner was given a new foundation, which raised the structure about two feet higher.
During that time a small shed was added to the back of the building which allowed provisions to be bought in bulk and stored more easily. Other changes included a metal awning, screen doors, along with larger roof ventilators which made the summer months more tolerable.
The DART Moving and Storage Company building, behind the diner, was sold in the late 1950s and became the regional Sears distribution center.
The times are changing in Elgin Park, yet the diner still does a brisk business, even though the structure is now 35 years old and needs some major repairs.
An interesting note about the Hot Rod seen in this photo: The owner of the diner bought this car new back in 1932 and kept it his daily driver up until the late 1950s. He then gave it to his son, who immediately tarted it up.
The son helps at the diner, but doesn't want this to become his permanent job - life is calling and he has places to go and people to meet.
One last item of interest...I know for a fact, the trees behind the diner are slated to be taken down and a strip mall
will be built within a year.
Here comes suburbia!
Two other photos that illustrate the arc of the diner's life can be seen at the following links:
www.flickr.com/photos/24796741@N05/36159799846/in/datepos...
www.flickr.com/photos/24796741@N05/35749707982/in/datepos...
Mister sun, rising at my back, chose orange to paint the towers that morning, other days he will choose pink, purple or red, some days just grey or yellow/
©All photographs on this site are copyright: DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2020 & GETTY IMAGES ®
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**** This frame was chosen on March 24th 2020 to appear on FLICKR EXPLORE (Highest Ranking: #33. This is my 178th photograph to be selected.
I am really thrilled to have a frame picked and most grateful to every one of the 35.500+ Million people who have visited, favourite and commented on this and all of my other photographs here on my FLICKR site. *****
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This Six seconds long exposure was taken standing in the River Cray at an altitude of Twenty two metres at 05:17am on Sunday 22nd March 2020, in the golden hour around sunrise, (Sunrise was at precisely 05:56am),off Rectory Lane in the grounds of Foots Cray Meadows, over the River Cray in Bexley, Kent, England.
The COVID-19 Coronavirus has seen myself and many others adopting self isoaltion for a number of weeks due to being on the Government and NHS register for 'Severely at risk', due to underlying health issues. So this was my last foray into the freedom of a sunrise shoot with nobody else around.
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Nikon D850 Focal length 24mm Shutter speed: Thirty seconds long exposure. Electronic front curtain. Aperture f/11.0 iso125 Image area FX (36 x 24) NEF RAW L (8256 x 5504). NEF RAW L (14 bit uncompressed) Image size L (8256 x 5504 FX). Focus mode AF-C focus. AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled. AF-S Priority selection: Focus. 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points.AF-Area mode single point & 73 point switchable. Exposure mode: Aperture priority. Matrix metering. Auto ISO sensitivity control on (Max iso 800/ Miniumum shutter speed 125). White blance on: Auto1. Colour space: RGB. Actve D-lighting: Normal. Vignette control: Normal. Nikon Distortion control: Enabled.
Nikkor AF-S 16-35mm f/4.0G IF ED VR. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee 100 77mm adapter ring. Lee SW150 0.9 (3 stops) ND Grad soft resin. Lee SW150 Filters field pouch.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Matin quick release neckstrap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Manfrotto 055Xprob Carbon Fiber Tripod 3 Sections. Neewer 9750 Gimbal tripod head with Arca Swiss standard quick release plate. Jessops Tripod bag.
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LATITUDE: N 51d 25m 18.85s
LONGITUDE: E 0d 7m 15.77s
ALTITUDE: 22.0m
RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF: 93.0MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 37.70MB
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PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
A Deep Hug and Hearfelt thank you to my Friend Emma for playing along
www.flickr.com/photos/193415394@N05
Masquerade Ball
“Raffles” Pitch
“Cheerio” A J Raffles at your service. Don’t know if any of you have ever heard of me, but I’ve been accused of being a man of many talents, but by no means was that always said as a compliment.
Also, I do love playing cricket.
Batting in a cricket match produces for me the same flow of adrenaline as that of my secret game: Jewel Thievery.
A J Raffles is a fictional character whom I admire for the introduction above. For I am, like him, a professional Jewel Thief.
And tonight was no exception as far as any adrenaline flow Raffles would have felt, for I was experiencing what I can imagine was the same exhilaration.
This evening I was attending a surprisingly posh masquerade ball being held at a large venue in Wales.
It was a very elegant affair, with the many ladies present putting on their most pretty attire and wearing out that evening, their most expensive vault kept baubles.
The venue seated about 500 guests with a raised dance floor at one end, next to a fully stocked bar and a large outside balcony overlooking some rose gardens lined by old woods.
I had decided to attire myself as said Raffles for a tongue-in-cheek tribute to what I hoped to gain this evening.
Mostly to gain some jewels by parting some of the ladies from the lovely ones they were wearing. Which, here tonight, presented a plethora of opportunities.
I would try and make it as pleasant as it possibly could be for my chosen female victims as my fingers worked over their exquisitely clad figures while removing their valuable jewels.
I find that a few kind words, some attention, and possibly dancing produced a little sugar that helps with the bitter pill I am giving them to swallow
This evening I was wearing all black attire of tails, vest, shirt, and tie. Since it was a masquerading affair, I wore a black phantom of the opera half mask. Since this was business as well as pleasure I was wearing no gentlemanly gloves, needing my nimbly flexible fingers to be free.
After I entered I made several slow rounds to learn the layout, doing some light mingling along the way.
The odd thing about this masquerading ball was that there were no fancy costumes. Everyone was dressed in their best evening out attire, with masks just added.
I made a catch right away as I impressed an older matronly lady enough that she called over her 30 something daughter to meet me.
It was now my turn to be impressed.
The daughter, Celcia, was dressed in a very elegant long-sleeved dress of silver satin. Her jewels were all set with diamonds. Her silver half mask is set in rhinestones.
We went off alone to look over the gardens from the balcony.
We guess what each other is “masked” as. I told her she must be “Lucy”
“Lucy?” she questioned
I laughed lifting her silky hair up and then running my fingers down the side of her long swaying diamond earrings, as I said. “lucy in the sky with diamonds. “
“Good guess, but I'm just Cecelia, not anyone else. And you sir, are you an undertaker?”
I chuckled. “ Not quite as dark as that, I'm shooting for a Raffles image tonight.”
“Well Mr. Raffles, not sure who you are, but it is my pleasure to meet you.”
We chatted for a bit more, then Celcia was called back inside by her mother who stood by the balcony entrance.
I took her hand, rings flashing. “ the pleasure is all mine dear ‘only Ceclia’l said grinning.
She rewarded me for my praise with a clingy hug.
I watched her leave with clenched fists, her gown swishing along down her figure quite provocatively. I opened one of my fists and admired the diamond bracelet that lay there. Her now naked wrist was covered up by the silver satin cuffed sleeve of the lovely Cecilia's dress, hiding her loss.
£23,000
I slipped it inside a hidden pocket of my vest, and patting it, went back inside.
The band had started playing and the dance floor was fast filling up.
I spied a group of ladies wearing feathery masks who were huddled at one end of the floor, blocking an aisleway, watching the assembling dancing couples. I approached and overheard that they were waiting for their partners to come back from the bar.
Since they were blocking my path, I went up and asked if I could cut through. They obligingly parted and as I went in between them one of the ladies tripped against another as I ‘accidentally’ stepped on her satin gowns’ long train as she moved to make way. I caught her and apologized as I held her, my fingers freely feeling along down her figure. I helped her back on her high heels, steadying her. Helping myself at the same time to the leaf-shaped diamond studded clip that was pinned to the side of her chocolate brown gown.
The diamond-studded clip soon joined the pocketed diamond bracelet.
£18,000
My third score that evening almost literally fell into my lap.
I had ordered a brandy at the bar figuring to take a brief respite. There were two ladies next to me chatting away. The one immediately next to me kept bumping against me as she laughed at almost everything the other lady was saying.
I didn't mine, for her thicke wine-colored silk blouse was a pleasure to feel rubbing up against me. Also, a pleasure to see where the magnificently large rings she was wearing on her fingers as well as the diamonds wrapped around her wrist.
Then it happened. The laughing lady’s friend knocked their drinks over. Some of which happily splashed on my arm.
As apologies were given and received, with much giggling, I came to the rescue with my silk handkerchief.
Lending it to them I allowed them to wipe themselves up. As we chatted, the lady next to me finished with it and handed it back. I took up her fingers as she did, and holding them down lifted and kissed the back of her hand. I also was running my damp handkerchief over her still wet fingers as I did, easily slipping of her largest flashy cocktail ring in the process.
£ 9500
Then the dancing began in earnest.
I was now sitting at a table on the outside balcony, watching the crowded dance floor and the amazing show of the ladies flowing attire, and their flickering jewels, that were being showcased there.
Also in my view was a table where a handsome bearded male was enviably sitting alone with not one, but two attractively attired and ornamented lades.
One lady was wearing a black satin blouse with a long thicke red velvet skirt. She was wearing rubies and diamonds around her throat and wrists that were just a treat to look at, and covet.
The other was fashionably wearing a slick satin high necked gown of deep red that spilled down along her figure in a most scintillating manner. Her jewellery was a winning collection of diamonds worn seemingly everywhere from her figure. Of those, I would award a purple ribbon to the dangling necklace that lay around and fell from her throat that dripped columns of diamonds down the front of her sheer red gown, as the best in the show.
I saw the man rise, and pull out the chair of the lady wearing the rubies. He then led her off to the upper dance floor, unknowingly leaving the lady in red vulnerably alone.
I saw the remaining lady stand up and with what I imagined to be a whimsical manner, walked to the edge of the balcony.
I started to rise.
But a gold mask-wearing bloke from another table approached her before I had half risen and began talking to her. I learned then that her name was Emma.
What was odd is that the man had been sitting at a table with a lady wearing a sky blue satin dress, black satin jacket, and pearls. She looked very sad watching her gold mask-wearing tablemate talking to Emma.
I had dejectedly sat back down, watching with curious interest.
The gold masked bloke took Emma by the hand and led her to the dance floor.
I saw the lady in sky blue satin, and the pricey pearl slowly rises and follow.
As then, did I.
The lady in blue was standing in the side of the dancefloor, her posture told me she was both sad and dejected.
I went up and stood next to her. Without looking at me the lady in sky blue sleek satin said...
“Why are men such idiots?” then she looked at me, and blushed apologetically “I am so sorry.”
I held up my hand. “Apology accepted, a dance though would help ease the pain.”
She eagerly went with me and taking her warm, soft figure in my arms we joined in.
She did not appear to want any conversation from me. I let her hold tightly against me. We danced in silence, both lost in our own respective thoughts.
I had decided that a dance would not be enough to ‘ease my pain’ and as she distractedly looked around for the gold masked bloke dancing with Emma, I allowed my hand the move up to her shoulder, then over to the single strand of glistening pearls that lay around her throat.
Easily locating, then slipping open, the hinged silver clasp, I gently pulled the slippery smooth necklace away from around her neck and quickly pocketed it.
£ 8700
I had no sooner done so than I felt her shake, and saw that we were now close to the gold masked male dancing with Emma. One would need a crowbar to separate him from her. I could tell Emma was not enjoying herself.
I was watching, with melancholy interest, Emma’s diamonds dripping down from the necklace that lay low along the high neckline of her luxurious red satin gown, just dangling below her breasts.
A desiring fire was starting to stir from deep within, my fingers felt like curling. So close and yet so far...
I turned my partner around so we were facing away. I started to say something when I felt an unexpected, firm tap on my shoulder.
Well, one could imagine where my mind went as I turned my head.
Relieved, I saw that it was not one of the rental security men.
It was the gold masked table partner of the lady in blue satin I was dancing with.
I saw his more recent partner, Emma, the one in red whose dazzling necklace was a stirring lure, standing there in the middle of the dance floor, alone and confused.
“Switch partners.” He told me, it was not a question.
I looked at mine and she nodded ok.
I left her to be grasped up in his arms and went to Emma, the lady in red, who willingly came into mine.
“What then, was that all about? I asked smiling.
Emma answered with a giggle. “ He was telling her he wanted to see other women. But she is not supposed to he dancing with other men, especially handsome ones like you!”
With a shy nod of my head I thanked her, telling her that I thought she looked extraordinarily beautiful this evening.
Sweetly smiling she turned her head down with blushing cheeks, thanking me.
My hand meanwhile, which had been resting motionless along her shoulder, moved to her throat, my fingers blindly seeking and locating the clasp of her necklace.
My partner felt none of that.
It was as she nodded after my words of praise that I flicked apart the jewelled chains’ clasp that my fingers had fiddled open.
As she looked back up I began to delicately slip the diamond chain up over her shoulder, watching as the diamonds hanging from its’ centre were gliding up effortlessly from along the front of her red satin gown, then up and around the gowns’ slick high neckline, before disappearing from my view.
She smiled most fetchingly into my eyes, oblivious to the fact her heavily jeweled diamond necklace had been disappearing over her shoulder.
£ 58000
The music was ending and I happened to look over by the double oak doors of the main entrance on the opposite side of the mammoth hall.
Who did I spy but the lady in the sleek sky blue satin dress and smooth black jacket being led out by the gold mask-wearing bloke who had cut in on us? I saw an opportunity to plant a seed.
I pointed it out to Emma. “Wonder where they are off too in such a hurry?”
“They do appear to be on a mission,” said Emma watching.
“I hope they weren't up to something?” I said suspiciously.
“Like what ?” Emma asked watching the couple scurrying out the door.
“Oh, nothing. I guess I read too many mystery novels. I answered stealing a look at the now bare neckline of Emma’s gown.
The music ended and I walked Emma back to the balcony. Her table was deserted so I took her over and seated her before taking my leave.
I began to make another round of the tables inside. On the lookout for fresh prey amongst the beautifully attired female guests.
I soon snagged a young damsel who had been deserted by her friends and looked bored. Not boring were the collection of rubies she was wearing with her elaborate maroon taffeta puffy ball gown that would have shamed a princess.
I asked and got permission to dance with her. She asked me who I was this evening. When I mentioned Raffle’s name she, unfortunately, caught on to who he was.
“Oh a thief, will make sure to lock my rubies up this evening to keep them safe! She giggled touching her handsome ruby and diamond necklace
I thought to myself... “Well, they are now.” while saying. “ I was thinking of him being a cricket player, not a thief.”
We both laughed over that, but I knew this one was a dead end. I could not wait until the dance was through so I could resume the hunt. I really had thought none of the younger ones would have ever read about AJ Raffles and that it would be my inside joke.
We parted after the dance, she headed off happily back to her friends.
I was watching her, deciding what to do next, when a soft gloved hand unexpectedly rested on my shoulder.
Turning, my eyes took in a young lady in downy soft, flowy peach chiffon over a shiny pink silk number, along with a row of sparkling matched diamonds around her throat. And earrings to match, as well as a thin band of diamonds holding back her freshly washed chestnut coloured hair. She wore a striking blue mask with ostrich feathers.
She shyly asked if I was available for the next dance. And I happily told her I was. She put her head down blushing. And I was able to savor her delectably pretty matched diamond stone necklace.
I whisked her off to the upper dance floor as the music began.
When the inevitable questions came up as to who I was this evening I answered...”The cricket player Raffles, at your service.”
She laughed with a Twitter. “Quite pleasant to meet you cricket player Raffles.” then she moved her hand higher up my back and came in a little closer.
I followed suit, feeling her hot figure slip in against my own. My fingers at her waist kept moving up until I reached the back of her neck. Carefully undoing her necklace I gave it a slight tug, figuring her soft smooth gown would allow the rest of my trick to work. It did, slipping off easily from around her throat, slithering like a glimmering snake up over her shoulder, out of my sight, and into my waiting hand behind her back.
My pretty dance partner felt nothing, as I then pocketed her expensive necklace.
£42,000
I then calmly began to finish the dance.
It was then, as I was looking down at the area below the raised platform of the dance floor, that I spotted something shiny, then a flashing brilliant fire erupted, all coming from one of the tables below the dancing areas raised platform.
I maneuvered us in closer for a better peek.
I made out a lone female sitting at a side table.
It was the vivid deep green of her shiny party dress that then first caught my eye.
It was the amazingly brilliant sparklers she was sporting from various points of interest along her delightful figure, especially the fiery necklace she was playing with, that finished the capture.
Only real jewels, or a remarkably good set of imitations, would produce that kind of bright gleaming shimmer!
I was betting they were real.
She was vulnerable, sitting there quite remarkably alone at her side table, drinking slowly from a small goblet of wine. Sitting there wearing in all appearances to be a collection of diamond sparklers that would easily be worth a cool £50 to £75 thousand of what the London ruffians would call “ice”.
They would also be rudely calling her “that loaded bird”. But to me, she was a rather fetchingly adorned Lass who needed some company, and perhaps just a wee bit of trimming.
The dance ended and I calmly led my partner back to her table before taking my leave. Though trying not to appear in a hurry. I still politely declined her offer to join in a drink at her table.
Then with eager anticipation, circled about hoping that the girl I had spotted was still there, and still alone.
When I got there I saw to my dismay that the bird had flown the coup. The table was deserted
I waited a few long minutes, eyeing around for other opportunities in the area, then my eyes lit up as I saw her coming back, alone.
I observed her for a satisfying few long minutes from a shadowy corner. She was younger than anyone I had yet met, but it was impossible to determine how young.
And she obviously was bored.
Intriguingly I could still not truly tell about the authenticity of her amazing collection of diamonds from my vantage.
The set was decidedly quite lovely, consisting of a dangling chain set with I guess were diamond chips and ending with a swaying diamond heart-shaped pendant, matching long earrings, a wide bracelet, and numerous shimmering rings.
The earrings were brilliant, falling from her ears in sheets of (synthetic/real ?) diamonds, larger stones were set at the earrings clasp, and they shone like the real thing.
They all contributed to making up the shimmer that surrounded her figure like some wickedly glittering halo.
She was wearing a black bandits mask, which I felt added to the mystic.
This young chick was certainly jeweled up, calling out to be looked into further.
I approached her from behind, placing a hand delicately upon a plushly soft shoulder, and daringly gave a greeting as I felt her startled figure flinch.
I cheerfully said, “Hello Samantha.”
She turned and said apologizing,
“I’m not Samantha, wrong girl.”
I answered back, disappointed “ No, you certainly are not my friend Samantha.”
I then carefully looked her over, up and down… before saying.
“Far prettier, if I dare say.”
I had ascertained by now that she was quite a bit younger than 20. And that most of her jewelry was quite good imitation’s. Her heart shaped pendent contained real diamonds, but not valuable enough for my attention. The only fly in the ointment was her earrings. They appeared to be worth quite a bit actually.
I decided to hold off judgment and went on playing her on. Much like a fly fisherman will play a trout, not sure if he still wants to actually land it.
I went on…
“Well stranger, How do you do, Hold anyone up lately?”
I had taken her off guard and she did not answer back right away.
She gulped., obviously making a decision.
She sweetly raised a hand. “How do you do sir, my name is Nancy, and no, despite the mask, I'm not a thief.”
Taking her hand I kissed it with much pageantry. “Pleasure is all mine, glad my watch and wallet are safe”. I chuckled merrily, looking down at her thoughtfully.
Then, still holding her hand, I boldly asked…” May I sit for a bit, rather tuckered out at the moment?”
She nodded her head without hesitation. Her flash earrings swayed with a beckoning motion.
I slipped in the seat in front of her, my back to the dance floor. She was looking at me with a curious smile.
I smiled back, asking…
“So Nancy, what then, does your character do for a living if she is not a thief?”
“ I am an amateur detective.”
I nodded before asking….
“ Well, that is quite interesting indeed, what kind of cases do you like working on?”
She did not know how to answer that and squirmed as I watchers her face turn red, really making the freckles show up on her cheeks.
I saved her discomfort by saying…
“ I bet you are really clever at catching thieves. And that is why you are here this evening? Or are you taking the night off?”
Taking the cue, She nodded saying in a low voice.
“No thieves here tonight.”
I laughed in what I hoped would be a winning manner while answering. “ I guess not, probably no reason for one to be here. So miss Nancy, you've not asked whom I am playing this evening.”
”Let me see, an Undertaker ?” ”Nancy,” said teasingly.
I chuckled..”Not even close. A.J. Raffles, cricketer, at your command my lady.”
She had no idea who A.J.Raffles was, I could see that. And I decided to enlighten her a bit by telling a story.
He chuckled. “Never heard of him? Well, Raffles loved to play cricket, as well as several other hobbies. And there is a story behind that, as a lad, that helped him choose his course as an adult. Care to hear it?”
She eagerly nodded yes, while taking a sip of wine.
I began my tale…
“When A.J. Raffles was a lad of ten he attended a wedding where his parents were both best man and maid of honor. A.J sat at a table with an older Great Auntie who paid him no heed.
He soon fell in with a group of bored older boys who had been throwing dice in a makeshift crown and anchor board. The game had been broken up by one of the servers and they had all been chased away
AJ was huddled in with that group as they watched the dressed-up wedding guests up on the dance floor. They began talking amongst themselves, commenting over the scene before them.
Look at dem jools the birds are wearing. Bet they'd be worth a lot. One of the lads said. Another quipped back that too bad those dames weren't their age. Yeah, like that would mean anything. What would you do, lift their jools? Came the teasing retort. Hell yeah, I would say a cocky lad. And someone else said I like to see you do it. AJ was taking all this in, squirming a bit because he had always had a secret desire to somehow make a collection of the pretty jewellery he'd seen ladies wearing. Tonight was no different.
“Nancy” smirked “Sounds like my brother.”
“There you go then, you know how he felt also “ I answered smiling curiously before continuing...
Well as fate would have it, two young teenage girls came walking past, purposefully close. They threw the group of boys a rather coy look while passing.
One was dressed in a slick satin high necked gown of deep red with a long rhinestone necklace and earrings. Her companion was wearing a sky blue sleek satin party dress, smooth black jacket, and strands of imitation pearls.
No sooner had they passed than the inner circle of boys began to dare and double dare. Money was put up in bets that enticed two of the lads to take up the challenge. That being to come away with the girl’s necklaces.
The two lads left, and as the others looked on, went up to the two young lassies and began to converse. The giggling girls finally allowed themselves to be led to the dance floor
As they began to dance, more bets were made amongst the remaining lads, with young AJ joining in. Spending his only farthing on blue satin losing her pearls, and doubling that it would be done without her noticing.
Both of the dancing boys made several amateur attempts upon their female partner’s jewels.
Blue satin, misinterpreting why her partner had his hand high up on her backside, giggled and fled away. Red satin ran off after her friend, but not before the wily lad who had been holding her had given even her a hug, nicking her shimmering necklace off from around the high collar of her slick gown as she struggled free.
He came back triumphantly to collect his winnings. Though some argued that seeing her necklace had not been touching skin it was not a real contest. He got his winnings in the end and the group wandered off, the prized necklace being passed around with envy.
AJ stayed behind contemplating. he watched as the lads stopped by a table where a young girl sat alone. She was wearing a long bridesmaid's gown of silk dyed in several shades of teal and green. A single string of real pearls hung down from her bare neck. Expensively swinging down elegantly. He knew what the group of lads was discussing in their private huddle. AJ moved off not wishing to see anymore.
“Those poor girls, I am glad your character walked away from that instead of embarking on a life of crime, “ said “Nancy” to me.
“Yes indeed. “ I answered, looking at my pretty partner. Her shiny emerald green blouse was mesmerizingly beautiful, but not quite as mesmerizing as the hanging rhinestone diamond chain and pendent she still wore due to my hesitation overtaking it.
My fingers curled seeking opportunity, cursing that I may have missed it.
“Nancy, out of curiosity, if I’m not prying, you mentioned your brother would like my Raffles’s story?”
Oh! I could see I hit a pleasant nerve, as she smiled excitedly at me, her hand playing with her pendant as she spoke, a bit hoarsely I noticed.
“Yes he would, your Raffle story is similar to a game he likes playing.”
“Please tell me more, it sounds like you have fun playing it,” I said, with curious intentions.
She giggled. “Well, we play it in the woods. I wear a play dress and play jewelry. My brother plays a thief who tries to rob me of my jewels. Then if he does, he hides and I play the detective trying to find him. I know it sounds rather odd.”
That really opened my eyes, and thoughts started to race through my head.
“I took her hand. “No, not at all odd, sounds rather exciting.”
So they like to play games of jewels stolen. Right up my alley. I thought to myself while eyeballing her necklace.
“No,” I said to myself. Not the necklace. If anything the earrings.”
But I could not see how It could be done. So I chased the teasingly tempting thought out of my head.
A silence ensued for a minute, and as I watched,” Nancy” was looking over my shoulder up at the raised platform of the dance floor behind me, watching something.
I turned around, following her eyes.
A man with a green cummerbund was dancing with an attractive redhead.
She was wearing an elegant eye-catching blue taffeta gown with a scooped neckline, ruffled half sleeves, and knee-length skirt. She was wearing what was probably her best jewels, a sapphire and diamond jewelry set that sparkled deliciously under the ceiling lights of the great banquet hall. The necklace was especially pretty. A heavy gold v shape set with large pear-shaped sapphires interspersed with smaller round diamonds. She wore a deep blue mask that covered her eyes and nose.
I turned back, and Nancy” dropped her eyes back onto mine.
I asked thoughtfully…
“I see you are looking at that lady, pretty in blue, with the sparkly sapphire jewels”
She guiltily nodded yes,
“If you wait a bit, you will meet them. That’s my mum and father.
I complimented her…
“You both are very pretty, if I may be so bold?”
Taking up her hand and I kissed it…
“But now, I must be toddling off, taken up too much of your time I’m afraid .”
We both stood up to say goodbye.
Shen then. Quite cheerfully, held out her hands for a friendly hug.
I did so willingly and my fingers securely patted up along her back. it felt very nice and I became aware of a rather pleasant prickling sensation causing a rise in my feelings.
“Well “Nancy” I hope you liked my Raffles story.
“Nancy” nodded yes, then asked me
“Do you think Raffles regretted not playing the games those boys were up to?”
Holding her hand, I patted down along her sleeve reassuringly… as I said
“I think Raffles is the type never to regret anything, what do you think?”
“Nancy” nodded her head happily satisfied. Her dazzling earrings flickered quite beautifully.
I smiled at myself broadly.
“Here “Nancy” allow me to get you seated.”
She sat. And as I gripped my fingers supportively along her arms as I slid the chair forward.
I then again lifted and kissed her hand.
“Righto” I nodded and was off.
I headed back around to the bar, when whom did I spy? “Nancy’s” mother, standing alone by the bar. I saw some drunken sod bump hard against her from behind, almost causing her to lose balance.
A handsome red-headed man was turning away from the bar holding a brandy and she fell against him.
It was her husband. The man she has been dancing with.
Laughing, the pair moved off.
Grabbing a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, I followed them out to the outside balcony. There I took a seat at my table and kept watch.
I watched as from another table, where a 40ish lady wearing a wedding ring was sitting alone, rise and began walking towards me.
She was resplendent in a long black sleeveless plush velvet gown, wearing long black satin gloves. Her pearl jewelry shone like do many small bright moons. Earrings, triple strand necklace, and a very wide bracelet set with not only valuably real pearls, but expensively with purple amethyst stones also.
The bracelet fits snugly around her shiny gloved wrist. And anyone in my profession knows a snug bracelet is a far simpler item to remove than a loose-fitting one.
The purple satin half-face mask she wore added much to her winningly pretty look.
She gave me the eye as she walked past and I rose to follow.
We ended up dancing. Her name, real name(and that of her character from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's) was Holly.
Holly, like “Nancy”, had never heard of the Raffles character either.
I left her after we had danced, holding her heart.
The hand which she placed had placed over her heart, no longer sporting her expensively wide pearl and amethyst bracelet.
£ 23000
She then suddenly had to go to the loo and darted off. I looked back at her table and saw a man in a tiger-striped mask was pulling out a chair to sit there.
I also figured it was time to scurry off. I had gotten me one more score.
I went down the steps leading off the raised dance floor, running right into “Nancy’s” mum swishing her way around at the bottom of the platform
“Seize the day-old chap”
My thoughts of leaving were put on hold as I looked her pretty, and expensively attired, figure over.
I held her up, saying I needed to apologize.
She looked into my face, her eyes twinkling like her daughters. Her sapphire and diamond jewellery also twinkling. But unlike her daughter’s, these she was wearing were very real.
“Apologize for what?” she asked in all innocence. I could also tell she was a bit tipsy from drink. Which considerably lowered her guard with me.
“ I saw that twit rudely bumping against you at the bar earlier, without apologizing. So I am for him.” I said with a neat little bow.
“Aren't you just a dear." she gushed, blushing. Just like her daughter, she had freckles also.
“Would you husband mind if I offered a dance as a consolation?” I asked with daring.
“Oh, I think a quick one would be ok,” she said smiling, accepting my offer.
I placed my arm around her glossy taffeta sleek waist and led her to the lower dance area.
It was a slow dance, and I took her into my arms with a delightfully delicious feeling of anticipation. Her sleekly taffeta-covered figure was a pleasure to warmly hold in my arms, and her twinkling jewels a pleasure to watch.
I, with real curiosity, asked who she was playing at this evening. She replied,” miss Moneypenny” then asked who I was.
Not wishing to jinx my good fortune, I lied. “ I am an undertaker, here to collect souls”
She laughed looking sassily into my eyes.
“Liar”
“Ok then, I'm really a bad cricket player.”
“Really, bad as in naughty?” she asked pleasantly vexed.
This one is fun, I thought to myself. I wondered mischievously if she was the catalyst if her children’s play game ideas had been inherited from her?
But I asked no questions along those lines. Instead, I decided to test the water with a story.
I then went into a similar story that I had told “Nancy” except to her mother I changed to arena from a wedding reception to a cricket match, and the group of lads was trying to steal kisses, not jewels, from their chosen victims.
My partner listened with a deep reflective interest.
So intent was she in my tale, that I was able to easily undo her necklaces ‘clasp and watch the shimmering beauty being slipped away by me from up her front, then around her throat, finally to be pulled out of sight behind her back. All skillfully done without the cheerfully happy lady feeling absolutely anything amiss.
Just like her daughter I thought. Innocent and as trusting as a lamb before being fleeced for the first time by a mock shepherd.
And reflectively, both had been dressed as soft as downy chicks when they had both caught the eye of the same wiley gilded feather plucking fox.
These were the thoughts in the back of my mind as I stowed my dance partner's glittering sapphire and diamond necklace away...
£6300
I finished my story just a few seconds after the music ended. We broke apart only once I had finished.
She hugged me and gave me a peck on the cheek for being so nice
“Here is a stolen kiss,” she whispered
She then, (of course after nicking her necklace) mentioned that her husband was also a cricket player. With his bloody police station’s team!
I was stunned. Half wishing she had told me her husband was a “copper” before I had nicked her jewels.
Figuring I had now finally worn out my luck, and welcome, I made up an excuse of my own and watched as her shiny evening dress swished and swayed all along with her lovely figure while she made her way back towards the unseen table where I knew her pretty daughter was sitting.
“Bloody fool, I had taken the necklace off a copper’s wife...“
I murmured this, chastising myself, shaking my head at my folly as I stared off in disbelief.
Understandably I think, I then decided I should probably best be on my way home.
I had already planned my exit earlier, not knowing when I would be needing it.
Deciding to avoid at all costs leaving by the main doors by which I had come in, I had earlier discovered a small set of stone stairs that led off the balcony.
The stairs were narrow and hidden from the view of the balcony. A simple rope with an “Off Limits” sign guarded the entrance. They led down to the small patch of woods that lined the rose gardens.
On the far end of the woods was a small cemetery, next to which I had discreetly parked my 61 Lotus elite sports car.
I made my way to the balcony and looked around. There weren't that many guests left out there. A group of men smoking cigars and drinking brandy stood at one end. I could make out the rather stout form of “Nancy’s” father in with them. His back was to me.
In a corner sat Emma with her tablemates. The male was telling a very animated story.
A few other tables were occupied, about 1/3 of them. None near the hidden stairway.
I made my way there. Reaching it, I again surveyed the area. I could see the 3 people sitting at Emma’s we're laughing. Emma had a hand to her chest. Suddenly a look of alarm crossed her face as she felt around, obviously not finding her diamonds. Her friends were asking what was wrong. I saw her look back at the empty table where the gold masked bloke had sat, the one who had cut in on me as after her deserting Emma on the dance floor.
As I disappeared unseen from view I remember thinking I was glad that I had sowed that seed of thought to Emma while we had watched the couple leaving the ballroom.
€€€€€€€€€€€
I got to the bottom of the stairs and made my way to the wooded path the ran the length of the gardens.
Thinking I was alone, made me feel safe to quickly begin to stroll away along the path, throwing the caution I had had all evening to the wind.
Suddenly I froze in step.
I had caught the unmistakable sight of a lady's sparkly jewels as she was walking through the gardens to the left of my path.
I was not out here alone?
And I could not believe lady would not be out here alone either.
I snuck up, cloaked by the shadows of the trees, to get a better look
Shocked I saw it was “Nancy”, out of her, apparently alone.
I watched “Nancy” as she moved about. My mind traveled into the realms of speculation.
What if my young friend had indeed been wearing jewels worth £75,000?
And I find her like this, vulnerably alone.
Would I be tempted to break character, and ….
I shook my head. I would probably not. Especially now that I knew her father was a policeman of some sort.
But someone who did not know her father was a “copper”, and perhaps thought the diamonds she was were real… well they may not feel the same about letting her be.
Suddenly a rabbit jumped from the judge, startling both of us. I see her have a gasp, hand shooting up to her chest.
As her jewels flickered in a mad frenzy, a thought popped in my head, making me grin with expectations.
“Time to give “Nancy” a taste of my games. I thought wickedly. “
I snuck up behind her, and placing my hands over her eyes, pulled her soft figure back up against my own.
“ Hello, Samantha, fancy meeting you here.”
“Raffles!” She blurted with relief…
I pulled my hands away, allowing them the liberty to feel through her hair, examining also her earrings, feeling along the hinged clasps to get a feel for what I was about to do...
I then stepped back, as she, with a deep sigh of relief, quickly turned around.
“Not playing a game alone, are ye Lass?” I asked, looking down into her pretty green eyes.
“No.” She said shaking her head, hair flying…
I smiled, placing my hands inside my pockets, as I watched her with interest.
She giggled while trying to lecture me…” you gave me quite the start sir. “
He placed a finger under my chin, lifting it so I was looking up into his eyes.
“Stand still,” I commanded and moved around behind her.
“Good thing I didn’t do what first popped into my devious mind...
I felt his knuckle go into my back…
”Stick ‘ em up miss .”
“Good thing you didn’t I would have peed myself... I giggled.
“Raffles” chuckled:
“Stay in character miss .” Was what I heard from behind me
I raised them up, imagining like I was actually being held up. My heart began to race again with a feeling of delicious danger as I spoke.
“What do you want from me?”
Raffles, still holding his knuckle into my back …reached out his other hand with an open palm as he spoke.
”Put your hands down, I’ve taken a fancy to that bracelet of yours. So please hand it over. “
I shivered, saying smartly. “I don’t believe a real thief would say please …”
My friend “Raffles” responded.
“Would my real victim ask that? Try a different tack.”
Trembling again, with delicious delight. I played along.
“No sir, not my bracelet, anything but that …”
“That’s better, a bit of heartfelt pleading can never heart.
After a second the hand withdrew.
Raffles laughed amiably…
“Ok miss, keep your bracelet then. “
He chuckled from behind, removing his knuckle….
“It was only a thought I had when I saw you out here walking alone, remembering the story of the games you play with your brother, did I do ok?”.
“Smashing .” I giggled gleefully “Spot on.”
She put my hands down to my sides as I placed a hand on her smooth satin-covered shoulder and ran it down her satin blouse’s sleeve as I came back around to face her.
“All kidding aside, you really shouldn’t be out here alone “Nancy” someone less inviting as me may have been about. And I don’t mean your brother let’s see you back safe Lass.”
I nodded.
He lifted my hand and pulled my back to him. Coddling along against his warm figure, Raffles led me back along the path to the stairway.
“I’ll be leaving you here “Nancy” I was on my way home.
I looked up into his face. “it was fun meeting you, sorry you have to go. “
“So am I Lass.”
As I looked down in her upturned face I realized by the look in her eyes, that I had her lulled into such a state of complacency that I found myself unable to control any longer my thieving impulse.
Police parent or not, those earrings “Nancy” was wearing deserved to be plucked.
My fingers began to curl as I pulled her to me, with wicked intent…
We for the second time, hugged goodbye, a deeply fulfilling embrace it was by all standards, as well as presenting a perfect opportunity to set myself in position.
We broke apart and I tickled my fingers up her smooth satin-clad sides, then lifted her hair high up over her head.
I let her hair back down, letting its silken strands spill over my fingers fingers
She giggled as it tickled. My fingers reached her dangling, desirable earrings.
I spoke, my eyes locked in hers, my fingers ready…
“A Very pretty one you are, and don’t ever let anyone say differently.”
I felt her squirm with excitement, her chin up, looking deep within my eyes.
I took the opportunity given me to curl my fingers around her old-fashioned hinged clasped earrings. I gently applied pressure to the backside of the hinges and in unison slipped off both danglers from her earlobes. As her shivering figure greatly aided my endeavor.
I let my hands drop to my vest pocket as I watched her shoulder-length red hair fall back into place, covering my dirty deed.
£2200
I had been holding my breath. For this type of maneuver was as tricky as stealing the diamond collar from around the neck of a sleeping Persian cat without waking her. “Nancy”, relishing in my praise, never felt a prick as I had taken them from her ears.
Releasing my breath I took a step back complimenting that her hair was much prettier when down.
As she looked up at me with those doe wide adult-looking mascara brushed eyes, I felt a flicker of unease over filching her earrings.
She suddenly propelled herself again in my arms and gave me a very smothering, very long hug.
We broke apart.
“Go now, you before I change my mind about playing games.”
I let her go with a chuckle, holding my ground as I watched her pretty green satin party dress swishing merrily along with her figure.
She started up the stairs, then stopping raised up her hands.
I froze, then saw she was merely blowing me a kiss.
Pulling my hands from my vest pocket as I deposited her earrings, I pretended to catch her kiss and added it to my collection.
“My second this evening,” I said mysteriously…
Then turning away, I went off down along the path.
Quickly reaching my car, I opened a secret compartment inside the boot, emptied my pockets of the purloined jewels, and stashed them safely away.
Then hopping in on the right, I fired the engine to life and drove away in the opposite direction.
Addendum
Several weeks after securely hiding the over £188,000 in jewels I had gotten away with, I was flabbergasted to read in their local paper that the robbery was believed to have been committed by a gang of thieves. With none of the descriptions given really matched mine...
Probably not so shocking was the statement giving the total value of the stolen jewellery, as reported to the insurance agencies from the 0ver 30 females claiming to be victims, coming in to a bit over...
£325,000!
To Read the story from ‘Nancy Drew’s “ Perspective
Click Below
Given the age of the Goffs Schoolhouse Museum and the artifacts as well as the isolation of this rural area, some of these insulators were used for electricity rather than communications. This collection was on the periphery of the Outdoor Mining Museum. The Goffs Schoolhouse Museum was established by Dennis Casebier while he was researching the Old Mojave Road which was the far western end of the Old Spanish Trail. The Old Mojave Rd. began on the banks of the Colorado River and proceeded west to Los Angeles.
My Side of the Story Down below.
babycatslair.wordpress.com/2020/05/14/no-fucks-given/
I will list credits here, because it is not in the blog.
Credits:
Hair: Doux Shy - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Secrets/163/154/23
Head: Lelutka Nova - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LeLutka/128/128/2
Body: Legacy Perky Edition - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Shops/97/32/26
Skin: Tres Beau Aisha as the face applier & Deetalez Celtic tone as my body. - Since S.E doesn't have Baked on mesh yet i had to improvise!. Tres beau - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Petit%20Coeur/131/84/544 & Deetalez - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/DeeTaleZ/154/80/63
Shirt: ...:::Beautiful Dirty Rich:::... No FKs Given -Tank Top-
Shorts : ...:::Beautiful Dirty Rich:::... King -Shorts- maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Beautiful%20Dirty%20Rich/1...
BabyCat Face Tattoo - Not for Sale, A Custom.
Broken Heart Face Tattoo: Well.. this is by the store Tragic! it is called Tragic .- Broken Hearthttps://marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/116953
and the tiny letter Face Tattoo if you can see it that says Cute AF - Lunchbox Kitty's Tattoo maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Urban%20Dream/163/155/602
Chest Tattoo : Ever Gypsy - Runes & Triple Moon Tattoo - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Plumhill/28/121/21
Makeup shall be my secret but will be happy to answer if you ask.
----------------------------- JESUS ✝️ SAVES-------------------------------
SALVATION THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST - ALONE!
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
❤️❤️ IT'S ALL JESUS AND NONE OF OURSELVES! ❤️❤️
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the SALVATION of everyone WHO BELIEVES: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD IS REVEALED, a righteousness that is by FAITH FROM FIRST TO LAST, just as it is written: "THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH." (Romans 1:16-17)
16 KNOW that a man is NOT justified by observing the law, but by FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be JUSTIFIED BY FAITH in CHRIST and NOT by observing the law, BECAUSE BY OBSERVING THE LAW NO ONE WILL BE JUSTIFIED. (Galatians 2:16)
1. Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2. BY THIS GOSPEL YOU ARE SAVED, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4. that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5. and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8. and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
7. Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9. I am the gate; whoever enters through me WILL BE SAVED. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10. The thief comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY; I have come that they may have LIFE, and have it to the FULL. (John 10:7-10)
1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them." 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:1-13)
Jesus came to bring spiritual LIFE to the spiritually dead and set the captives FREE! FREE from RELIGION, ERROR and outright LIES, so WE might serve THE LIVING GOD! In SPIRIT and in TRUTH!
So you'll KNOW, and not think you're to bad for God to love. The Christian LIFE isn't about how good WE are, because NONE of us are! It's about how GOOD JESUS IS! Because JESUS LOVES US, so much he died in our place and took the punishment for all of our sins on himself. The wages of sin is DEATH, and Jesus took the death WE so richly deserved for us and died in our place. The good news is, there's no more punishment for sin left. WE, you and I were all born forgive as a result of the crucifixion of God himself on the cross that took away the sins of the whole world. All we have to do is believe it, and put your Faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. That my friends is REAL UNCONDITIONAL LOVE! YOU ARE LOVED. ❤️ ✝️ ❤️
For the best Biblical teaching in the last 2 centuries! Please listen to and down load these FREE audio files that were created with YOU in mind. It's ALL FREE, if you like it, please share it with others. ❤️
archive.org/details/PeopleToPeopleByBobGeorgeFREE-ARCHIVE...
CLICK ON THE LETTER "L" TO ENLARGE.
My THANK'S to all Flickr friends who fave and/or commented on my photos, I very much appreciate it! ❤️
© All Rights reserved no publication or copying without permission from the author.
The original palace was given to Edward II in 1305 by the Bishop of Durham, Anthony Bek, and used as a royal residence from the 14th to the 16th century. Edward IV built the Great Hall in the 1470s, and this is the only sustantial part of the medieval palace that remains today.
In 1933, Stephen Courtauld and his wife Virginia "Ginie" Courtauld (née Peirano) acquired the lease of the palace site and restored the Great Hall (adding a minstrels' gallery to it) while building an elaborate home, internally in the Art Deco style.
Given the size of the thing, it’s hard to believe this is a metre gauge steam loco! There were over 1000 YGs produced. YG 3415 is seen here at Rewari and apparently is operational, although with gauge conversion there’s nowhere left to run it these days! 23rd March 2025
Given the freezing conditions and several days of snow, the state of the roads has no doubt contributed to the appearance of RM 105 at Barking Garage on 26 January 1979. Probably an instruction not to wash buses that would be parked outside was in force.
Of an imposing size given the modest proportion of the church is this two-tier memorial. On the lower level it commemorates Francis FitzHerbert who died in 1619 and above, Sir John FitzHerbert, who died in 1643.
The FitzHerbert baronetcy was created in 1784 for William FitzHerbert, of Tissington Hall, which has been the family seat since the 15th century. They seem to have had the crest since at least the early 17th century, however, which consists of a clenched fist in armour above three lions.
On the north side of the nave, it's in quite a dark corner, and actually overlaps the Norman chancel arch.
The mountain pass Jokulhals touches the eastern edge of the Snaefell’s Glacier on the Snaefell’s Peninsula,connects the hamlet of Arnarstapi and the fishing village Olafsvik. When iceland gives youra mountain pass to use , YOU USE IT . . When your graced with a moment to embrace , capture it . .
----------------------------- JESUS ✝️ SAVES-------------------------------
SALVATION THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST - ALONE!
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
❤️❤️ IT'S ALL JESUS AND NONE OF OURSELVES! ❤️❤️
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the SALVATION of everyone WHO BELIEVES: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD IS REVEALED, a righteousness that is by FAITH FROM FIRST TO LAST, just as it is written: "THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH." (Romans 1:16-17)
16 KNOW that a man is NOT justified by observing the law, but by FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be JUSTIFIED BY FAITH in CHRIST and NOT by observing the law, BECAUSE BY OBSERVING THE LAW NO ONE WILL BE JUSTIFIED. (Galatians 2:16)
1. Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2. BY THIS GOSPEL YOU ARE SAVED, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4. that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5. and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8. and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
7. Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9. I am the gate; whoever enters through me WILL BE SAVED. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10. The thief comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY; I have come that they may have LIFE, and have it to the FULL. (John 10:7-10)
1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them." 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:1-13)
Jesus came to bring spiritual LIFE to the spiritually dead and set the captives FREE! FREE from RELIGION, ERROR and outright LIES, so WE might serve THE LIVING GOD! In SPIRIT and in TRUTH!
So you'll KNOW, and not think you're to bad for God to love. The Christian LIFE isn't about how good WE are, because NONE of us are! It's about how GOOD JESUS IS! Because JESUS LOVES US, so much he died in our place and took the punishment for all of our sins on himself. The wages of sin is DEATH, and Jesus took the death WE so richly deserved for us and died in our place. The good news is, there's no more punishment for sin left. WE, you and I were all born forgive as a result of the crucifixion of God himself on the cross that took away the sins of the whole world. All we have to do is believe it, and put your Faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. That my friends is REAL UNCONDITIONAL LOVE! YOU ARE LOVED. ❤️ ✝️ ❤️
For the best Biblical teaching in the last 2 centuries! Please listen to and down load these FREE audio files that were created with YOU in mind. It's ALL FREE, if you like it, please share it with others. ❤️
archive.org/details/PeopleToPeopleByBobGeorgeFREE-ARCHIVE...
CLICK ON THE LETTER "L" TO ENLARGE.
My THANK'S to all my Flickr friends who've favored and/or commented on my photos, I very much appreciate you're kindness! ❤️
© All Rights reserved no publication or copying without permission from the author.
People in Mexico city love to come out and enjoy there city and every sundry you can se people all over the public spaces of the city parks streets and special on Paseo de la Reforma every Sunday it is close to traffic so that people can ride there bikes walk or just take a nice stroll true one of the most beautiful avenues of the world. I have found my self fascinated by this and I can never stop photographing it.
You can se more of this photos in my album "Any given Sunday in Mexico city"
Shot for Week 40 of my "52 Weeks of 2022" flickr group project given the theme "Infrared".
This was my first time trying IR photography. I used an plastic 720nm lens filter to try and get a result similar to what I reviewed from other IR photographers. I am not sure if I was doing something wrong, but I really did not care for the results. I decided to make an image that looks IR using Lightroom. I am pretty happy with the way this turned out.
The assignment inspired me to review other IR photographs, which look really cool, so I decided to have my old digital camera converted for IR shooting. It should be here in a couple weeks and I am excited to give it a try...
Press "L" on your keyboard to get the full effect...
Given I had a lot less time to complete this pic than the other participants (only found out this episode was launched last Thursday due to being absent for 2 1/2 weeks), I went with the first (basic) idea that popped into my head - Kali dancing at a night club. I tried to cover all the requirements as much as I could, so hope you like it (:
Any given Sunday
Paseo de la reform Mexico City
If you like this shot please go see my ALBUM "Street Shots"
www.flickr.com/photos/luajr/albums/72177720295921392
or Any given Sunday in Mexico City
given the frigid temperature and snow conditions in the midwest which are both moving east, the ducky decided to dress in his warmest fleece :)....
btb, my SILdearheart sent me a great texture for an overlay for tomorrow
127/365 aDaD "a duck a day" day114
the whole aDaD album is here:
©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®
No license is given nor granted in respect of the use of any copyrighted material on this site other than with the express written agreement of ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams). No image may be used as source material for paintings, drawings, sculptures, or any other art form without permission and/or compensation to ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)
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I would like to say a huge and heartfelt 'THANK YOU' to GETTY IMAGES, and the 42.458+ Million visitors to my FLICKR site.
***** Selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on July 20th 2021
CREATIVE RF gty.im/1328859551 MOMENT ROYALTY FREE COLLECTION**
This photograph became my 5,590th frame to be selected for sale in the Getty Images collection and I am very grateful to them for this wonderful opportunity.
©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)
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**** This frame was chosen on Thursday 9th June 2022 to appear on FLICKR EXPLORE (Highest Ranking: #396. This is my 215th photograph to be selected.
I am really thrilled to have a frame picked and most grateful to every one of the 42.458+ Million people who have visited, favorited and commented on this and all of my other photographs here on my FLICKR site. *****
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Photograph taken at an altitude of Sixty two metres at 12:31pm on an overcast summer afternoon on Thursday 15th July 2021, off Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.
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THE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PIGEONS
The Feral pigeon (Columba livia) gets a really bad name thanks to a whole bunch of popular misconceptions. Labelled as sky rats, flying ashtrays, rats with wings, there is even a name for extreme fear of them, peristerophobia.
Some say they spread communicable disease to humans, a myth banded by pest control companies making money out of extermination, and although they can naturally carry some disease like tuberculosis (just like many other bird species), being able to breed up to six times per year and being so commonly seen has lead to the belief that they cause damage and drive other species away (again, no scientific evidence supports this). Seen as a plague by mankind, who is... er... the biggest plague on the planet after all and more likely to infect pigeons with his own germs!
Being common these days seems to make some animals less appealing than others, and yet the pigeon is culturally and historically significant and utterly beautiful in terms of plumage. When was the last time you took the time to spend a few moments in the company of these gorgeous, fascinating birds, or talked to one.... Well do so soon, your life will be all the better for such interactions.
In world terms, Pigeons represent peace and good, symbolizing Prosperity and fertility, luck, fortune, peace and harmony, love and devotion and beauty and piety. It is believed that the Pigeon totem as your animal spirit guide will enter a good persons life after a period of suffering or hurt, restoring faith and the good in their world. It will symbolize Love and kindness, sacrifice and devotion, calmness and tranquility.
Their presence in dreams can have significant meaning if the dream is of catching one, killing one, a pigeon falling in the sky, finding a dead pigeon etc. Pablo Ruiz Picasso's 1949 lithograph on paper 'La Colombe', shows a white dove on a black background, widely considered a sign of peace. It was used to illustrate a poster at the 1949 Paris Peace Congress, and is now house in the Tate Gallery, London. The Lithograph went on to become a renowned international iconographic image referred to as 'The dove of peace'. The dove was in fact a Milanese pigeon which had been gifted to Picasso by friend and fellow artist Henri Émile Benoît Matisse.
They are a wild ancestor of domestic world pigeons. A common sight in UK gardens, and traditionally seen on London postcards of Piccadilly circus until the feeding of pigeons was banned around the year 2000, they can weigh up to 370g (8-13oz) with a wingspan of 34cms. There are approximately 550,000 breeding pairs in the UK, and they are protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and happily on the Green status for conservation
With a name taken from the Latin word for Dove, there are around 350 recorded types of pigeon, the commonest being the Feral pigeon with an estimated European population of around 15 million. Feral pigeons are also called city doves, city pigeons, or street pigeons. They make up part of the group of columbiformes which includes the now extinct Dodo to which they are closely related. Wild pigeons live in coastal areas, whilst feral pigeons are more urban, and more often than not found in close proximity to mankind. Feral pigeons have a lifespan usually of between three to five years, much longer in captivity. Pigeons have an incredibly close link to mankind
Technically they are: Kingdom:Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class:Aves Order: Columbiformes
Family:Columbidae Genus:Columba Species:C. livia Subspecies:C. l. domestica
In the UK, Pigeons are covered under the "General Licences" and therefore it is illegal to kill them or destroy pigeon nests for any reason other than those listed under the general licences. They can be humanely culled by the land owner or their agent for a variety of reasons (mainly crop protection). At commercial premises where I worked for many years, Pigeons and babies were professionaly killed on a regular basis, shot with high powered air rifles and then heads dippeds into an acid substance... it was very bloody and extremely unpleasant to witness!
They are possibly the first domesticated animal in history and Charles Robert Darwin was one of the first and most famous pigeon breeder, who recognised their beauty and abilities and place in the natural order of things. On board HMS Beagle, he sailed from Plymouth Sound on 27th December 1831 under the command of Captain Robert FitzRoy. Scheduled for a two year voyage, it actually returned on 2nd October 1836. He published his work, 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life', in 1859 and it has long been considered the foundation of evolutionary biology. In the opening of the work, Darwin began with 'fancy pigeons' which were becoming fashionable to own and exhibit in London at the time.
By crossbreeding the many different species of fancy pigeon, Darwin showed that, contrary to a commonly held belief that there were two different species which spawned the multitude of domestic pigeons, they actually all came from one wild species: the Rock Dove (Columba livia).
Nathan Mayer Rothschild developed a system of communication faster than those of most governments at that time. It is believed that he used carrier pigeons and semaphore to communicate across the English Channel. Following the Battle of Waterloo he used this system to stunning effect. Through a clever stratagem, and foreknowledge of the outcome at Waterloo, Rothschild made an immense fortune by manipulating the London stock market.
Then In the early 1800s the Rothschild family set up a network of pigeon lofts throughout Europe using homing pigeons to carry information between its financial houses. This proved to be the fastest and most efficient method of communication at that time, and the speed of the service and the ability to send and receive information ahead of the competition helped the Rothschild family amass a fortune, which still exists today. There are medals from 1870 commemorating the pigeon post in Paris.
Pigeons are highly intelligent, one of the few birds who can actually recognise themselves in a mirror, tests proving that they were capable of identifying themselves over other pigeons in photographs even with a five to seven second delay and they could even recognize humans in photographs as well. Proving that their self cognitive abilities were higher than a three year old child (who struggled with photographic recognition of a two second delay), pigeons were trained to discriminate real-time self-image using mirrors as well as videotaped self-image, and proved that pigeons can recognize video images that reflect their movements as self-image.
They proved themselves capable of being able to learn the alphabet in trials. They have been used to predict the weather with hearing far superior to that of humans in the very low frequency range that allows them to detect incoming storms not yet on the radar. They can assist in message delivery, help in search and rescue missions and even carry wartime messages across enemy lines, dating back to Greek and Roman times, and then forwards to both World Wars by the British Intelligence.
During the first world war, pigeons were dropped from an aeroplane in batches in harnesses with parachutes in order to send and retrieve messages from the resistance. A male pigeon in 1918 named Cher Ami was awarded the Croix de Guerre, an honour bestowed on foreign troops by the French Army, after saving 194 US troops who were pinned down by enemy fire. Despite being shot several times, he still managed to deliver the message attached to him. In history pigeons have been recorded as far back as 3000BC and records show that in the 5th Century AD, both Egypt and Syria used them to send and receive messages. Greek poet Anacreon wrote poems of his tame pigeon over 2000 years ago in which he described the bird's role in carrying a love letter to the poet's lover and how the bird drank from his cup and ate from his hand.
Some scholars believe that man's connections with pigeons go as far back as Neolithic man 10,000 years ago. An archaeological discovery of lifelike pigeon images beside the figurines of the Mother goddess, dating from the Bronze Age (2400-1500 BC) in Sumerian Mesopotamia, links to worship also in Crete where the Goddess was depicted with Doves upon her head. Pigeons were also sacrificed to Aphrodite (Venus), the Goddess of love in Greco-Roman culture. The Dove was also the symbol of Demeter (Ceres). Astarte, goddess of fertility and love was often times depicted with a pigeon in ancient Phoenician tradition and Ishtar, mother to the Sumerian people also. Goddesses Aphrodite and Venus from Greek and Roman culture were similarly often depicted with symbolic pigeons. They are highly revered in religions including Hindi where it was believed that pigeons were messengers of deity of death, Yama.
Also in Muslim and Sikh traditions as well as Christianity. Some Sikhs will ceremoniously feed pigeons in honour of Guru Gobind Singh, a high priest who was renowned as a friend to pigeons. The Old Testament dove of Noah and the New Testament dove of the Holy Spirit are the ancestors of the dovecote birds of the past and today’s urban pigeons. In China, it is believed that with the coming of Spring, a Sparrow hawk would transform into a pigeon and vice versa, repeating the opposite transformation at the end of the season.
Pigeons have been recorded flying at more than 92mph and the average speed is around 78mph, they can also reach altitudes of 6,000 feet. Contrary to the rumour mill, pigeons are very clean birds and very little evidence exists to show that they can spread disease to humans.
Generally pigeons mate for life and are monogamous, both incubate and care for their young, and they are amazingly social creatures found in large groups. Pigeons have also saved lives on sinking ships by being released to alert nearby people, and some pigeons have received honours and awards for their part in saving lives. They have been trained to save lives at sea by recognising the red and yellow life jackets of victims, and even being able to view the UV spectrum. They can use landmarks to recognise and retrace routes, and use the sun as as a guide and an internal magnetic compass.
During a study in 2016, four pigeons built up a vocabulary of between 26 and 58 written English words, they could identify visual patterns and therefore tell them apart. The birds could even identify words they hadn't seen before.
Researchers at University of California Davis Medical Center put 16 pigeons in a room with magnified biopsies of potential breast cancers. If the pigeons correctly identified them as either benign or malignant, they got a treat, Once trained, their percentages of correctly identifying the biopsies was between 85-99% accurate.
Pigeons have been recorded regularly using the subway in the United states of America, hoping on and off subway cars and seeming to understand the direction of the journey. They also on occasions perform aerial backflips, seemingly just for fun. They see the world with five spectral bands, a kaleidoscope of colour compared to humans triple system of colour perception.
These are magnificent birds that so often fall victim to mankind's prejudice and dislike. Take a look at their ornate, beautiful plumage, the many markings and differences in coloration, and think about their history and the incredible journey they have made through the centuries.
Give them some love, they have certainly earned it!
Paul Williams May 2021
©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams)
Nikon D850 Focal length: 600mm Shutter speed: 1/500s Aperture: f/8.0 iso500 Hand held with Tamron VC Vibration control set to ON (Position 1) 14 Bit uncompressed RAW NEF file size L (8256 x 5504 pixels) FX (36 x 24) Focus mode: AF-C AF-Area mode: 3D-tracking AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points Exposure mode: Manual exposure mode Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Auto1 (4480k) Colour space: RGB Picture control: Neutral (Sharpening +2)
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee SW150 95mm screw in adapter ring. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter.Lee SW150 Filters field pouch. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Black Rapid Curve Breathe strap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag.
LATITUDE: N 51d 28m 28.24s
LONGITUDE: E 0d 8m 10.20s
ALTITUDE: 62.00m
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PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
Given the epic-scale ghost sign in this photo, and given that my last two posts were sunset in Lawrence, Mass., you might reasonably infer that I came back to photograph the fair city at sunrise. Wrong! This is nearby Lowell, Massachusetts.
Bracelet was given to me it comes from the sierra of Zacatecas, Mexico made from native indians that live in the sierra.
Strobist: Canon 430ex rtiii behind camera left with snoot. Second Canon 430 ex rtiii front right for fill.
And given the very mild winter we've had so far, I bet they get a lot of use out of this outdoor Christmas-y seating area.
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"I won't believe it's Christmas
'Til you make it home to me
The snow isn't white
The stars aren't bright
And lights don't belong on the tree
I'll stay up all night waiting
For you on Christmas Eve
The sleigh bells won't ring
Bing Crosby won't sing
It's not Christmas
'Til you come home"
- It's not Christmas 'til you come home, Norah Jones
open.spotify.com/track/5DoGwwQAlYumpSSlDNMOwY?si=f40c0afe...
Any given Sunday
Parque la bombilla San Angel Mexico City
If you like this shot please go see my ALBUM "Street Shots"
www.flickr.com/photos/luajr/albums/72177720295921392
or Any given Sunday in Mexico City