Given the signal, CF allocated machine 47379 picks up the pace to cross Clink Road Junction with empties for ARC Whatley - 16/07/84

Volunteers working with the Flagstaff Ranger District brush crew were given an opportunity to work with some of the tools of the trade. Trail buiding experts Ron and Matt gave tips on removing branches, cutting down small trees, and working with the variety of saws used in hand-trimming and cutting.

The Coconino National Forest's Flagstaff Ranger District, Arizona Conservation Corps (AZCC), Recreation Equipment, Inc. (REI), and a fantastic group of volunteers met at Deer Hill Trail for a special National Public Lands Day trail project on September 30, 2017.

Deer Hill Trail is a 4.6 mile long trail running along the base of the eastern side of the San Francisco Peaks, devastated in the summer of 2010 by the Schultz Fire. The human-caused wildfire burned over 15,000 acres of forest in the area, and was followed by intense flash floods when monsoon storms arrived to dump heavy rainfall on the barren slopes. Deer Hill Trail, a favorite of equestrian riders who camp at the Little Elden Springs Horse Camp at the southern end of the trail, had been closed since the fire due to severe trail damage, hazardous conditions, and large fallen trees blocking the trail.

This final day of trail work was the culmination of over three years of effort by numerous volunteer organizations and sponsors, hundreds of local volunteers, and the Flagstaff Ranger District to clear and repair the trail to safe standards for equestrians, hikers, and mountain bikers. The many partner organizations who have helped coordinate trail repair efforts over the years are REI, Flagstaff Biking Organization, Seeds of Stewardship, Arizona Conservation Corps, and GORE.

Recreationists love this trail, the beautiful ponderosa pine forest it traverses, and its magnificent views of the San Francisco Peaks, Mount Elden, Sunset Crater, and surrounding area. Closed for over seven years, the trail was officially reopened immediately following this National Public Lands Day trail event. Flagstaff Ranger District trails coordinator Matt Engbring removed the "Trail Closed/Flood Damage" sign and presented it to the REI volunteer group leader Justin Ingles to commemorate the years of devotion and hard work to this project.

Photo taken September 30, 2017 by Deborah Lee Soltesz. Credit U.S. Forest Service Coconino National Forest.

Honors Given and Duties Done in Occupied Zone.

GENERAL PERSHING DECORATING BRIG. GEN. EDWIN B. WINANS WITH DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS AT DIERDORF, GERMANY.

AN AMERICAN INDIAN, CORPORAL GEORGE MINER, 128TH INFANTRY, ON GUARD AT THE MOST ADVANCED SECTOR IN THE BRIDGEHEAD ZONE.

ARTILLERY MEN OF THE AMERICAN ARMY OF OCCUPATION KEEPING IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND A HIGH STATE OF MILITARY EFFICIENCY BY DAILY DRILLS ON THE MEADOWS INLAND FROM THE RHINE.

=====================================================

The war of the nations: portfolio in rotogravure etchings: compiled from the Mid-week pictorial. New York: New York Times, Co, 1919. Book.

Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/19013740/. (Accessed November 08, 2016.)

Images from "The War of the Nations : Portfolio in Rotogravure Etchings : Compiled from the Mid-Week Pictorial" (New York : New York Times, Co., 1919)

Notes: Selected from "The War of the Nations: Portfolio in Rotogravure Etchings," published by the New York Times shortly after the 1919 armistice. This portfolio compiled selected images from their "Mid-Week Pictorial" newspaper supplements of 1914-19. 528 p. : chiefly ill. ; 42 cm.; hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/collgdc.gc000037

Subjects: World War, 1914-1918 --Pictorial works.

New York--New York

Format: Rotogravures --1910-1920.

Rights Info: No known restrictions on reproduction

Repository: Library of Congress, Serials and Government Publications Division, Washington, D.C. 20540

Part Of: Newspaper Pictorials: World War I Rotogravures, 1914-1919 (DLC) sgpwar 19191231

General information about the Newspaper Pictorials: World War I Rotogravures, 1914-1919 digital collection is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/collgdc.gc000037

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Recently given to me by an old friend, along with three other knives, this is the first Uncle Henry model to find a home in my modest accumulation of knives. It needs some TLC, in the form of a good cleaning and polishing, along with some time on the oilstone, but it is a well built and sound knife.

Uncle Henry... That name stirs some very fond memories of my early days of pocketknife use, loss, and acquisition.

When I was a boy of about seven, my family would travel to Minnesota every year or so, to visit relatives. It was always a special joy when we would visit Uncle Hank and Aunt Ginny. You see... my Uncle Hank (Henry) would lead my two older brothers and me into the other room and sit us down in front of his old desk. He would then open the two very large, and deep, bottom drawers (sometimes one of the upper drawers too), and he would say, "Boys, you look through those drawers, and you pick out one (and he emphasized one) knife each, to take home with you". Our little sister would be off playing with her dolls, or whatever little girls did when they were being totally ignored by their older brothers.

To understand this situation properly, one needs to understand that our Uncle Hank worked in a commercial laundry service, where they laundered uniforms and coveralls for various manufacturing firms. It seems that the workers would quite often leave their knife in the pocket of said uniform trousers or coveralls. Uncle Hank would then, naturally, pull them out and find a new home for them - there was just no way to possibly track down the owner.

Those lower desk drawers were likely ten inches deep and wide, by about eighteen inches from front to back, and most times, they were plum full, or nearly full of all sorts of folding knives. Well, the adults for once didn't need to worry about the three of us getting into mischief - we spent hours upon hours pouring over what seemed to be an unending supply of pocketknives.

I do remember clearly though, that I, being so young, was not allowed to choose a fishing knife. You know... the one with the really long and pointy blade - we just called them pig-stickers. That was almost heartbreaking, but hey, I always found just the perfect knife for my pocket before all was said and done.

When we left to go back to grandma's and grandpa's house, we weren't allowed to open our prized new possessions until we got there. But boy, when we did, the mumbly-peg, whittlin', cuttin', and general using and abusing of said knives began - and we had fun - plain and simple brotherly fun.

Those knives are but a fond memory of mine now, some 63 years later, but this Uncle Henry is now, and will be in the future, a prized possession of mine for the duration of time my faculties will allow. And it will always remind me of my Uncle Hank. This knife has synthetic Staglon (Delrin) handle scales, Nickel Silver bolsters, brass liners, and stainless steel (Schrade+) blades. Made in U.S.A.

If I were to purchase the most expensive collector knife out there today, it wouldn't mean nearly as much to me as a knife (new or used) given to me by a friend or family member.

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G Prime Lens

DSC_4670-E-S

Given all of the steel coil cars in its this eastbound Norfolk Southern train might have made a pickup at Burns Harbor, Indiana. It is shown in Porter.

Seen here at the top of Hollinwood Lane, heading for Halifax on the 576 Bradford to Halifax service is ex Halifax NCME Daimler Fleetline 3087. At the time of the photo, there were very few crews who used the via blind. However, there were always exceptions, I was one, and the fellow driving here, a certain John Bottomley was one of only a few others.

Recently of course, sacrilage has taken place, in that Bradford now operate the 576. From my experience on that route, it will be interesting to see if the drivers on the 576 are still followed by the local services down the road, as they are all from the same district now so it matters not a jot now!!!

ist der Horgner Bergweiher, CH

of Horgner mountain lake, CH

Better on black....

All rights are reserved, pls do not use my photos without my permission. Thanks

Thanks for all comments, faves and invites !

Sorry I am so busy like a monkey now, talk fast, move fast trying to do so many, many things within 24 hrs a day.. Guess couple of day, I will have a time to breathe fully and will vist yyour pages.

I walked upstair to the temple at Dumbulla in Sri Lanka. It was crowded with people so I had to walk in limited area and sometimes walked so near the monkey who sat along the wall..

This shot was shot very close almost face to face to the monkey and i felt quite cautious to be so near to the monkey.

Quite surprised, the monkey gave that pose as long as I wanted to take the shot. After that he still sat there but not in this pose.

I was about 30 cm far from the monkey..

Dumbulla temple

Sri Lanka

YORK, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 12: during an i2i Soccer Academy Training Session at Haxby Road on December 12th 2022 in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Appleby)

Bob Given Photography

c/n 41H-003314 (also given as 41H-693726).

Built 1958 for the RAF as XL576.

Registered as N576NL in 1989 to fly with the ‘Northern Lights’ team.

Written off in a non-fatal crash on 17th November 1999, following engine failure during take off at Williams Gateway Airport, Mesa, AZ.

The remains are stored outside at the Yanks Air Museum, Chino, California, USA.

28-2-2016

It's been over a decade since the release of MP-8, otherwise known to you and me as Masterpiece Grimlock. For whatever reason, Grimlock remains the only Dinobot to have been given a glorious Masterpiece form. While you can argue about how well the toy has held up, this was pretty much the only good G1 style Grimlock for the longest time.

No.. the Titans Return one was terrible, as was that.. thing that came out of the Energon series.

As part of the Studio Series line (which I guess is Hasbro/Takara's "whatever I feel like" line), a subline known as "Studio Series '86" was created, with what looks like sole purpose of creating figures from the 1986 movie. I mean, some of the characters have received new interpretations since 1986, but the modern engineering is a welcome touch.

I personally eagerly await a proper Galvatron, but for now, there's been no announcement. But, there's been a few interesting gems, one of which is Grimlock, who comes packed with Wheelie, everyone's favourite character in the movie.

The Studio Series Grimlock marks a return to form for the character. Chunky, loveable robot to chunky, lovable T-Rex, then back. No filler or anything exotic.

It's hard to say if this toy is a watered down MP like with some of the other recent figures,. After all, it's been a decade. However, I can definitely see the influences, as well as appreciate the improvements made.

So the figure retails for $69.99 CAD, or I believe $49.99 USD. Contents are... kind of sparse. You of course get Grimlock himself. Accessory wise, you get his twin barreled gun, a semi fixed pose Wheelie and a cardboard backdrop. His sword doesn't make an appearance here, sadly., let alone all the other fun weapons the 80s toy had.

While I recognize that Wheelie and Grimlock were effectively an item in the movie... screw Wheelie.

I would have preferred Grimlock to be properly armed.

Might as well get Wheelie out of the way. He comes basically ready to either sit, get down Gangnam style, or back his ass up. He's goa slingshot in one hand and his other hand in an accusatory point. He's got five points of six points of articulation - shoulders, hips, waist, and head. So yeah.. he's basically there.

Lets talk about the king himself, Grimlock.

The robot mode for Grimlock is about the height of MP 44, so just under 10 inches standing. Proportionally, Grimlock looks like a bruiser,, with broad shoulders (inherited from his MP form) and stocky feet (new to the formula). Overall, I'd say this is the MP proportions if they widened his feet and shortened his upper legs. Whether or not this floats your boat is preference, but from a show accuracy perspective nobody really wins, though fortunately they did include the multi coloured shins. Gold chest is as prominent and blocky as ever, and the sculpt is.. well, it's not exactly a hard sculpt to get right. Eyes are blue because, well that's what was in the animation model.

Articulation wise, the figure is pretty typical for a mainline Leader figure. Posing wise, tou get ankle side tilts, single jointed knees, thigh twist, standard hips, waist, standard shoulders, bicep swivel, single jointed elbows, wrist, and ball jointed head. An nice improvement to the MP I've see is that Grimlock's "wings" are connected to the body via a double joint, which not only improves durability, but also allows for more posing options when it comes to this part of the body.

While we're on the subject of bot mode, those who get upset at hollowness of the figure should be relatively content, as the only hollow spot I can see is the cavity where the fists rotate into.

Transformations into T-Rex us pretty straight forward, as was the MP version if I'm being honest. If you've ever handled a G1 Grimlock, this is pretty much the same thing with a few small twists thrown in, One example would be how the tail is now concealed within the back of the leg (from the MP again).

T-Rex itself is pretty good. Simplified, colour wise, just like the show model. The dino arms could have used an extra joint or two, especially wrists, but the introduction of the ball jointed shoulders is nice. Like the MP, this T-Rex has the rocket pack moulded into the back. No tail articulation is present, and due to the way the bicep snap out of the shoulders to form the knees of the T-Rex, holding some poses in dino mode may prove to be troublesome. On the plus side, his dino head has been beautifully created, and given an opening mouth and a turning neck.

Paint wise, the set actually isn't bad. As usual, there isn't much actual paint - on Grimlock you've got the golds, the multi coloured shins, the blues of the eyes and a red stripe on the outside of the wings. Wheelie, strangely, has much more paint cover, with basically anything that isn't black, matte grey, or that slingshot being covered in paint. Actual paint apps themselves aren't going to win any awards, but they are clean and crisp. I am especially happy with how smooth the gold paint applications on Grimlock are. Tampos (limited to the Autobot sigils) are sharply printed and applied.

While Grimlock doesn't look hollow, he certainly feels it. In a way it helps as this probably allows for easier posing. Wheelie, on the other hand, feels very solid. Still, Grimlock gets the job done, and it isn't like he feels fragile or can't take play testing. It's probably the same stuff everything else is made from these days, and is stiff enough to allow for some nice mechanical detailing. Joints are solid and will get the job done. There are no rough finishes on the parts nor did I encounter anything that I would call a QC issue, though there are instances where the thinness of the parts makes holding things in place a bit challenging. All-in-all what you'd expect from something you can get at your local big box store.

It's nice to see that the Studio Series continues to exhibit the generally good production values of the mainline , and it's especially nice to finally get a competent G1 Grimlock that can be played with, albeit under armed. Hopefully Hasbro/Takara will finish the line off and give us all five Dinobots and wash the terrible aftertaste of the combiner out of my mouth.

Whyalla. Population 21,200.

Hummock Hill was sighted and named by Matthew Flinders in 1802 and soon after given French names by Captain Baudin. The first pastoral runs were taken out here in the 1850s as it had the Middle Back ranges, coastal access and Port Augusta not too far distant. One of the early pastoralists was James Patterson who took out the Iron Knob leasehold of over 160 square miles in 1854 near Iron Knob. To the north and west of his leasehold was that of James Loudon who took out Caroona station in 1862. Other leaseholds in the region of Whyalla were Point Lowly, Pandurra and Middleback. In the early 1870s Loudon sold Caroona to Sir Samuel Davenport and Sir John Morphett and it was Davenport, with his interest in minerals and mining, who sent the first ore samples to England in 1878 for analysis. This resulted in a mining lease taken out in 1880 by Ernest Siekman. The lease lapsed as he did not pay the annual rental. BHP took out nine mining leases in 1896 and the future of iron Knob and the future Whyalla began. BHP began taking iron ore for smelting to Port Augusta in 1899 which took bullock drays two days. The Hundred of Randell which covered this area was declared in 1895 as interest in the ore deposits increased.

In 1896 the government released land fronting Spencers Gulf for lease. One of the first to take up land where Whyalla stands was Humphrey Cowled who leased 30,000 acres on the gulf which he called Nonowie. The town of Hummock Hill emerged in 1900 after BHP developed their ore leases. The ore was used for flux in the Port Pirie smelter and it was shipped across Spencers Gulf. Most of the early settler families at Hummock Hill also came by ship across the gulf from Port Pirie. These families remained the backbone of the Whyalla population until World War Two. In 1900 BHP proposed to the government of SA to enact a bill that would allow them to build a tramway from Iron Knob to Hummock Hill on the coast with a permanent leasehold of the route. Port Augusta Council opposed this as they wanted the tramway built to Port Augusta and its already existing port. There was some logic in this opposition as a tramway to Port Augusta would be 46 miles in length whereas the tramway to Hummock Hill was about 35 miles, not a significantly shorter distance. The government enacted legislation for a BHP tramway to Hummock Hill in 1901 and BHP had developed a small jetty and port by 1903. At the same time the town of Hummock Hill emerged partly on BHP leasehold land. By 1905 the settlement had its first school, a general store and a tin Institute in which the school was conducted. Church services were also held in the hall. In 1903 the community was pleased when Mr Delprat, the general manager of the Broken Hill mine visited Hummock Hill and Iron Knob. The first hotel opened in 1905 on the site that later became the Whyalla Hotel 20 or so years later. The beer was shipped to the hotel from Port Pirie. The isolation of Hummock Hill was reduced when a telephone service began in 1911. Gradually stone houses replaced early tin and timber houses and the town took shape. The government officially surveyed and changed the name of the town to Whyalla in 1914 which means “sound of the sea” in a local Aboriginal language. The new solid Institute was opened in 1920 by Mr Delprat the BHP manager in Broken Hill. At the time Whyalla had a population of around 1,000 people with sporting clubs, RSL, banks, and commercial enterprises. Water was shipped from Port Pirie when necessary. BHP established a dairy to provide milk for the residents and a small desalination plant was built to provide additional fresh water. The impressive red ironstone buildings, often in the Art Deco style were erected in the late 1930s or early 1940s as the city’s industrial base expanded to steel making and ship building. The iron stone Whyalla Hotel opened in 1933. It was enlarged in 1940. This was a company town run by BHP with the exception of the Post Office, the School and the Police Station run by the government and the commercial enterprises of the town. BHP was a paternalistic employer and during the Depression of the 1930s as work slowed BHP found other jobs for married male employees such as re grading the tramway from Iron Knob etc.

During World War One Mr Delprat had suggested a steel furnace and steel works in Whyalla but this did not happen. The steel industry in Australia began with a small furnace and plant at Lithgow in the Blue Mountains in 1901. This plant was superseded by the bigger steel works in Newcastle in 1915 and Whyalla jetty was then expanded to ship iron ore direct to Newcastle. The third steel plant in Australia was established at Port Kembla (Wollongong) in 1928 and Iron Knob ore was also shipped there. With the rise of Hitler and Third Reich in Europe in 1933 and the ominous threat of world war Australia began to be concerned about its future as it was clear we were no longer isolated from the rest of the world. In 1937 the SA government passed legislation for the Morgan to Whyalla Murray River water pipeline to ensure water reliability for Whyalla and this was an essential for the first production of steel by BHP. The 1937 act set aside 1,000 acres for BHP to establish the plant and adjacent harbour. Progress was not hasty and the furnace and harbour began in 1939. After the outbreak of World War Two work progressed quickly. The first steel was produced in 1941 and called pig iron. Port Kembla also produced pig iron or steel and its export to Japan in 1938 led to the Attorney General Robert Menzies being called Pig Iron Bob by striking wharf unionists. The union slogan at the time was “No scrap for the Jap.” At that time Japan was fighting the Sino-Japanese War and needed more steel. The industrial dispute at Port Kembla ended in January 1939 when the waterside workers loaded the ships at Port Kembla. In 1940 the Royal Australia Navy asked BHP if they could build ships in Whyalla and this became urgent with the war and work began in 1940 on the hulls of several ships before the steel blast furnace was completed. The town grew rapidly with an influx of new workers and the construction of the hospital, an abattoirs, the Spencer Hotel, and the establishment of a Whyalla newspaper in 1941/42. During the War the population rose from 1,350 in 1937 to 7,900 in 1944. During most of World War Two BHP employed around 2,500 men and women with a peak of 2,750 employees in 1941. During the War BHP also established an ammunitions annex to produce shells for war arms. In a couple of years Whyalla produced 748,000 shell cases. The Combined Unions Council negotiated with BHP for workers’ wages and conditions. The newly employed women to offset the war time labour shortage were employed in the war effort in the shell annex, the tool room and in ship building. The women received 90% of the men’s wages for the same job.

The first ship was launched in 1941 and named the HMAS Whyalla (650 tonnes) which is now part of the Information Centre and Maritime Museum. It was one of four corvettes made in Whyalla for the Royal Australia Navy and they mainly worked as minesweepers and surveillance. During and after World War Two Whyalla built 36 ships for the Australian Navy, four for Indian navy and 20 for the British Admiralty. After the War most of the ships built in Whyalla shipyards were mainly cargo and iron ore carriers. A total of 63 ships, one oil rig and two barges were built in Whyalla by 1978 when shipbuilding was closed down. Most of the corvettes manufactured in Whyalla had South Australian town names- Whyalla, Gawler and Pirie. Whyalla also built the Kalgoorlie corvette for the Royal Navy. Other SA named corvettes built interstate were the Kapunda, the Glenelg and the Wallaroo. After the war BHP built commercial ships and eventually in 1958 they decided to build an integrated steel works in Whyalla (completed 1965) to process the ore into steel. Railway lines and ships were among the steel products produced.

As a shipbuilding site and producer of ammunition shells Whyalla needed special consideration and defence during World War Two. Defence installations were erected on Hummock Hill during the Second World War (1942) as Whyalla was a potential Japanese bombing target. Four anti-aircraft guns were on the ready at Hummock Hill. Other defence installations were built south of Cowell at Port Gibbon to forewarn of a Japanese attack. Complacency about war threats was overturned when German shipping mines were discovered in Spencers Gulf in 1940 designed to impede BHP ore carriers to Newcastle and Wollongong. Across the Gulf Port Pirie produced half of Britain’s lead so it too needed special protection. A survey recommended special defences for both Iron Triangle cities but only Whyalla got special protection. As the threat of Japan increased anti-aircraft guns were sent to Hummock Hill and arrived on 4 February 1942. Ten days later (14 th February) Singapore fell to the Japanese and on 19th February 1942 Darwin was bombed and partially destroyed by the Japanese. The hummock Hill anti-aircraft guns were operational by 23rd March. One Royal Navy ship guarded the entrance to Whyalla for most of the War until 1944. Search lights were installed at Hummock Hill late in 1942. But no threat emerged during the War. Air raid practices were conducted by BHP from time to time warning people to take cover when the BHP siren sounded. Despite the practices and preparations no raid occurred but the need for precaution was not unfounded. Three of BHP’s merchant ships were sunk off the coast of NSW on their way to or from Whyalla with a total loss of 85 lives. By early 1944 Australia’s home defences were known to be out of danger but gunners at Whyalla had been withdrawn in August 1943 and their tasks taken over by civilian defence.

By 1943 Whyalla had a population of 5,000 people and people began to query the lack of local government as the city was run by BHP. Local government was instituted in 1944 with three elected and three BHP appointed councillors. 1944 was also the year the Morgan to Whyalla water pipeline was completed. In 1960 Whyalla became a city as it had around 14,000 residents. The Commission system of local government was ended in 1970 when locals could finally elect all councillors to their city. By 1976 Whyalla had 33,000 residents, the largest city outside of Adelaide but with the loss of shipbuilding in 1978 the city’s population declined to about 20,000. BHP sold their Whyalla works to OneSteel in 2000 which changed its name to Arrium. Sanjeev Gupta bought the insolvent Arrium steelworks in 2017 and has revitalised it albeit with recent difficulties. The Whyalla steel works are critical to the whole of Australia as steel is only made at Whyalla and Port Kembla. Whyalla is the only plant to make steel rail for all sorts of uses not just railways. In late 2024 Whyalla steel works employed 4,800 people directly and countless more indirectly in other firms. (Port Kembla employs around 3,000 people.) Perhaps the future of the city will be revitalised even more if the hydrogen hub proceeds. Whether that happens or not billions of dollars of investment are needed to move Whyalla steel works away from coal fired furnaces to gas or hydrogen fired furnaces. On the way to Hummock Hill lookout in Gay St. we pass the Whyalla Institute with a classical façade with the date as 1920. This was also the site of the first timber Institute opened in February 1905. The first Whyalla School opened in this Institute in April 1905.The current port of Whyalla exports iron ore and steel mainly. Port Bonython 16 kms north of Whyalla mainly exports crude oil and liquid gas from South Australia’s Cooper basin.

Some historic buildings in Whyalla.

Starting at the corner of Horwood Street and Darling Terrace.

1. On the corner is the Art Deco Courthouse and next to it in Darling St the original 1930s neo Georgian style Courthouse with two roof ventilators on it. The newer part was built in 1944 and the single storey part was built around 1930.

2. Opposite in Darling St is the former Whyalla Hotel with massive scale opened in 1933 by the SA Brewing company. Enlarged in 1940. Now the Whyalla Playford Apartments.

3. At the next corner turn right into Forsyth St. On the corner is the red iron stone and cement rendered brick Spencer Hotel with a clock tower. Look carefully at the frieze below the parapet roof line as they have indented sculptures of the steelworks, the port and the HMAS Whyalla corvette etc. The Hotel Spencer was completed in 1939 so the frieze with the Whyalla corvette was made a bit later

4. Next on the left is Lutine House in red ironstone with pilasters and a classical façade. This became chambers for local lawyers but it began life as a bank. Built around 1940.

5. On the next corner left is the Bay View Hotel also built in Art Deco style but in brick in 1941. Rounded corners, small tower.

6. Return to the Spencer Hotel and turn right into Darling Tce again and on next corner is the old Whyalla Primary School. Parts still date from its origin in 1915 but with many later additions. Opposite is the Catholic Convent (1942) and the Catholic High School – Samaritan College. St Theresa’s Catholic Church was here too. It was built in 1929 and became the Parish hall when the new church as built in 1941. About 3 minutes’ walk along Darling Tce you come to a roundabout

and the street ahead is Broadbent Tce. On the corner is the Whyalla High School. This impressive building was built in 1943 during the War and its central wing has an unusual wooden weather vane/vent. Return to the Main Street.

Mount Laura homestead dates from the origins of Hummock Hill. An earlier owner M Goode started building the homestead in 1910 completing the main homestead in 1922. The Nicholson family took out a 288 square mile leasehold in 1919 near Whyalla. After they purchased Mt Laura homestead in 1933 from the Goode family they

built the bungalow style stone front section of the homestead in 1933. The Nicholsons lived here until 1954 when the state government acquired it and the land around it for expansion of the city. The government donated the homestead to the National Trust in 1969. It is now their museum which includes the first BHP galvanised iron Office from 1914 which was located in Gray Street.

The new standard gauge line from Port Augusta to Whyalla opened on 6 October 1972. The Iron Triangle train service, using American Budd cars was initiated in 1975 by the Commonwealth Railways and Sth Australian Railways. The Budd car trains were made in Philadelphia and introduced by Commonwealth Railways in 1951 for the service between Woomera and Adelaide. The passenger service from Adelaide to Whyalla began in 1972 and the service closed in 1975. The 1972 to 1975 trains left Adelaide Monday to Friday at 12:30 pm and reached Whyalla at 1:15 am with an extra service Fridays leaving Adelaide at 7:35 am and reaching Whyalla at 3:25 pm. Another service operated from Adelaide on Sunday evenings from 4:45 pm reaching Whyalla at 11:15 pm. Trains departed Whyalla Monday to Friday at 10:20 am and on Sundays at 2:50 pm and on Fridays at 3:50 pm. There was also an overnight service on Fridays departing Whyalla at 10:15 pm and reaching Adelaide at 6:40 am. The train service to Whyalla re-opened eleven years later in April 1986 with refurbished American Budd rail cars with the service known as the Iron Triangle Limited. When the refurbished Budd car trains started in 1986 the timetable was more efficient and fast. Trains left Adelaide Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays at 5:30 pm arriving in Whyalla at 10:25 pm. Trains left Whyalla on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays at 5:00 am and reached Adelaide at 10:00 am. What a pity this train service ceased on 31 December 1990. Budd cars were taken out of service in 1990 after 39 years of service. Australian National rail closed down all passenger services in South Australia in 1990.

LOS ANGELES – A 14-year-old teen who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and was given life-saving emergency medical treatment will re-unite at a Venice fire station with the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Firefighter/Paramedics who saved him.

The survivor, 14-year-old Jacob Perez, experienced this dire medical emergency while on a baseball field in Venice on March 13. An LAFD Firefighter/Paramedic dispatcher provided initial bystander CPR instructions over the phone to the 911 caller and quickly dispatched EMS resources to the incident. Upon their arrival, LAFD Firefighter/Paramedics implemented advanced life support measures and Jacob eventually regained consciousness and was transported to a local hospital. After a short stay, he made a full recovery.

Jacob and his family met and thanked his LAFD rescuers at Fire Station 63 in Venice, California at a press conference on Saturday, April 17, 2021.

Photo Use Permitted via Creative Commons - Credit: LAFD Photo | Kevin Johnson

LAFD Incident: 031121-0713

Connect with us: LAFD.ORG | News | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit | Twitter: @LAFD @LAFDtalk

19/05/2023. Ladies European Tour 2023. Aramco Team Series Presented by Public Investment Fund, Trump International, West Palm Beach, Florida, United States of America. -19- 21 May. Ellie Givens of England during the first round. Credit: Tristan Jones/ LET

Bob Given Photography

Given the choice this older gentleman eyes two beauties but it appears youth wins out over age

1935 Ford roadster

1931 Ford A coupe

Beach Hop Whangamata New Zealand

For my video; youtu.be/y9S_S3bV6zs

I've been given, over time, about three different names for this plant/flower. Can someone give me a definite answer, please?

Thank you to Plantaholic Sheila for the ID:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fumaria_officinalis

Better viewed large and thank you for your favourites.

Photo given to me showing the aftermath of the collision between 37416 and 47464 taken in Elgin yard. On 23/09/86 47464 working 1H27 0935 Aberdeen - Inverness failed near Lhanbryde, 37416 was taken off 1A48 1025 Inverness - Aberdeen to assist the failed train but approached too fast.

You know when you get old in life things get taken from you.

That's, that's part of life.

But, you only learn that when you start losing stuff.You find out that life is just a game of inches.

So is rugby.

Because in either game life or rugby the margin for error is so small. I mean

one half step too late or to early you don't quite make it.

One half second too slow or too fast and you don't quite catch it.

The inches we need are everywhere around us.

They are in ever break of the game every minute, every second.

On this team, we fight for that inch On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us

to pieces for that inch.

We CLAW with our finger nails for that inch. Cause we know when we add up all those inches

that's going to make the fucking difference between WINNING and LOSING between LIVING and DYING.

I'll tell you this in any fight it is the guy who is willing to die who is going to win that inch.

And I know if I am going to have any life anymore it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch because that is what LIVING is.

The six inches in front of your face.

Now I can't make you do it. You gotta look at the guy next to you.

Look into his eyes. Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you.

You are going to see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team because he knows when it comes down to it, you are gonna do the same thing for him.

That's a team, gentlemen and either we heal now, as a team, or we will die as individuals.

That's rugby guys.

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Cuando te haces mayor en la vida hay cosas que se van; son cosas de la vida. no obstante solo te das cuenta de ello cuando empiezas a perder esas cosas. Es entonces cuando descubres que la vida es cuestión de centímetros. y eso es el rugby, porque en ambos juegos, tanto en el rugby como en la vida, el margen de error es mínimo. Medio paso antes de tiempo o un poco tarde y no ensayas. medio segundo demasiado lento, o demasiado rapido y no consigues placarlo.

Los centimetros que siempre nos faltan son los que estan alrededor, los que cambian cambian cada parte del partido, cada minuto, cada segundo del juego. cuando jugamos al rugby luchamos por ese centimetro, destrozamos y machacamos con nuestras propias a cualkiera, por ke sabemos que cuando estamos en lo mas alto sabemos ke ese centimetro va a marcar la diferencia entre ganar y perder, entre vivir o morir.

Y os digo esto: en toda agrupacion hay un hombre dispuesto a morir, que va a ganar ese centimetro, y sé, que si sigo viviendo aun, es porque sigo dispuesto a morir por el centimetro, porque es mi razon de vivir.

Diez centimetros frente a vosotros, y debeis mirar a ese hombre a vuestro lado, mirar a sus ojos. Creo que vais a ver a un hombre dispuesto a ganar ese centimetro contigo, a un tio que se sacrificara por el equipo, por que sabe que dado el momento vosotros, el equipo, haréis lo mismo por él.

Esa es la definicion de un equipo. Asi que o jugamos como un equipo o morimos como individuos!!!

ESO ES EL RUGBY

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Rammstein - Ich Will

I was given this excellent looking Super 8 movie camera a while ago, and when I put batteries in it everything seemingly worked. It even had a film in it, but I stupidly threw it out as at that point I had no idea expired film could still sometimes be usable. It just sits around the place as my unimaginative mind can't think of anything interesting enough to film that would justify the expense, but someday I'll use it.

Hogenakkal literally means "The Smoking Rock". While not really an original name, given the hunbdreds of other "smoking rock" names in the world, Hogenakkal actually lives up to its expectations. Hogenakkal is the spot for one of the most spectacular waterfalls in India. Dubbed India’s Niagara, Hogenakkal is where the Cauvery hurtles through the Western Ghats and enters the plains of Tamil Nadu. The Eastern side of the river is Tamil Nadu, while the Western is Karnataka. This lovely little village is located close to Bangalore (approx 180 km) and about 350km from Chennai. The nearest railhead is at Hosur. Hogenakkal is well connected via Dharmapuri on the NSEW corridor and the Major District Roads (MDR) between Darmapuri and Hogenakkal and Hosur and Hogenakkal are beautiful, the latter being more scenic. The Hosur – Hogenakkal road goes through dense forests and steep ghat roads (not all of them in good condition), but allows a sense of adventure and allows a good look at the Western Ghats. Hogenakkal itself is now extremely commercialized with thousands of tourists visiting the place during weekends for picnic and a shower at the falls. Oil massage followed by a fresh cooked meal by the riverside is the main attraction. Fishermen will catch fresh water fish and there are people who will cook traditional fish curry-rice-sambar-rasam meal for you under the open skies. The taste of that simple meal is phenomenal. While the main tourist spot is quite dirty (despite the town panchayat collecting funds from visitors for keeping the town clean), the rest of the place is beautiful. One can take a “basket” ride down the Cauvery which is a unique experience in itself. The boatmen will charge approx Rs. 500 for a 2 hour trip which will involve quite a bit of trekking through fantastic forest roads next to the river, a trip to the main falls and chance of seeing some wonderful flora and fauna. The hanging bridge spans one of a falls and is a major attraction. You can stay at the Tamil Nadu Tourism Guest House which is basic but clean, and cheap. Else you can book the Forest Rest House. Trekking and cycling through the forests is a major attraction in Hogenakkal. Avoid summer, but its beautiful and shows different moods at different times of the year.

Given that these were taken through dirty, double-glazed train windows they give a fair idea of my view on Friday as I headed west into the sunset on the line from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh.

Wikipedia says:

Kuntur Wasi (Quechua kuntur condor, wasi house, "condor house") is the name given to the ruins of a religious center with complex architecture and stone sculptures, located in the Andean highlands of Peru.

It is believed the inhabitants had a link with the Chavín culture.

Kuntur Wasi is located in the Northern Mountain Range of Peru, specifically at the headwaters of the Jequetepeque River, in the region of the city of Cajamarca near the small town of San Pablo. The Jequetepeque valley provided a transportation corridor between the coastal region and the highlands.

Kuntur Wasi was a center where people congregated.

It is thought to have been constructed around 1000-700 BCE, during the Initial Period. The architecture consists of a hill-top temple, quadrangular platforms, a sunken courtyard, and series of rooms.

In the floor of one room there is an anthropomorphic figure made of clay, about 30 inches (75 cm) in height. It is painted with cinnabar red, malachite green, and black, yellow, and pink. Its face has big square eyes and a wide mouth with prominent canine teeth. There are also stepped platforms and funeral structures.

Lithosculptures have been found, similar to the Chavín style.

Kuntur Wasi was occupied between the years 1200-50 BC.

It was first discovered in 1945 by Julio C. Tello. In 1989, scientists from the University of Tokyo excavated four tombs at Kuntur Wasi. Valuable items, such as pectoral necklaces (decorative breastplates), gold crowns, ornamental stone beads, earrings, sets of dishes and iconographies of people were discovered in the burial area.

Since the beginning of the University of Tokyo's archaeological mission, eight tombs have been found in the area.

The Kuntur Wasi Museum, managed by local citizens, opened in 1994.

---------------

Según Wikipedia:

Kuntur Wasi es un sitio arqueológico que data del Formativo Inferior, se encuentra ubicado en el centro poblado del mismo nombre, en la provincia de San Pablo, en el departamento de Cajamarca, en el Perú.

En la lengua quechua Kuntur Wasi significa "Casa del Cóndor". Según el arqueológo japonés, Yoshio Onuki, estudioso principal de este sitio arqueológico, Kuntur Wasi es una expresión prechavín pero que posteriormente posee una gran influencia no solo de Chavín sino también de Cupisnique especialmente en la orfebrería y la cerámica.

Kuntur Wasi pasó por los siguientes periodos:

Fase Ídolo: Construcción del centro ceremonial con pisos enlucidos con cal de color blanco. En esta fase hay una cierta relación con Huacaloma y Pacopampa.

Fase Kuntur: Construcción de un nuevo complejo ceremonial en forma de U. Se desarrolla la cerámica fina y la orfebrería.

Fase Copa: Modificación del complejo arquitectónico ceremonial y la renovación del sistema de canales de drenaje.

Fase Sotera: Existe una relación con la Fase Layzón del valle de Cajamarca.

Corresponde a la decadencia de Kuntur Wasi.

Bob Given Photography

LOS ANGELES – A 14-year-old teen who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and was given life-saving emergency medical treatment will re-unite at a Venice fire station with the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Firefighter/Paramedics who saved him.

The survivor, 14-year-old Jacob Perez, experienced this dire medical emergency while on a baseball field in Venice on March 13. An LAFD Firefighter/Paramedic dispatcher provided initial bystander CPR instructions over the phone to the 911 caller and quickly dispatched EMS resources to the incident. Upon their arrival, LAFD Firefighter/Paramedics implemented advanced life support measures and Jacob eventually regained consciousness and was transported to a local hospital. After a short stay, he made a full recovery.

Jacob and his family met and thanked his LAFD rescuers at Fire Station 63 in Venice, California at a press conference on Saturday, April 17, 2021.

Photo Use Permitted via Creative Commons - Credit: LAFD Photo | Kevin Johnson

LAFD Incident: 031121-0713

Connect with us: LAFD.ORG | News | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit | Twitter: @LAFD @LAFDtalk

Big Boy was the name given to the Union Pacific Railroad's twenty-five 4000 class 4-8-8-4 articulated steam locomotives built between 1941 and 1944 by Alco. No. 4012 is on display at the Steamtown National Historic Site at Scranton, PA.

A világ legnagyobb gőzmozdonya a Union Pacific vasúttársaság Big Boy artikulált (csuklós) 4-8-8-4 tengelyelrendezésű mozdonya. A 4012-es sorozatszámú egyik túlélő mozdony a pennsylvaniai Scranton vasúttörténeti emlékhelyén van kiállítva, távolról sem tökéletes állapotban - nekem viszont óriási élmény volt a monstrum megérintése, alapos megszemlélése, miután annyi mindent olvastam róla különböző könyvekben.

The Big Boys were the only locomotives to have the 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, combining two sets of eight driving wheels with both a four-wheel leading truck for stability entering curves and a four-wheel trailing truck to support the large firebox.

The Big Boys were specifically designed to pull a 3,600 short ton (3,300 t) freight train over the long 1.14% grade of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah. Before their arrival, helpers were needed. Adding and removing helpers from a train slowed them down. For such locomotives to be worthwhile, they had to be faster and more powerful than slow mountain luggers tried after World War I. To avoid locomotive changes, the new class would need to pull long trains at sustained speed—60 miles per hour (100 km/h)—once past the mountain grades. Towards the end of the 4000's career (in the late 1950s) it was found that they could still pull more than their rated tonnage - they regularly pulled 4,450 short tons (4,040 t) up the Wasatch grade, unassisted.

They were designed for stability at 60 miles per hour (100 km/h). They were built with a heavy margin of reliability and safety, as they normally operated well below that speed in freight service. Optimal horsepower was achieved at about 35 mph (56 km/h); optimal tractive effort, at about 10 mph (16 km/h).

25 Big Boys were built, all were coal burning, with large grates to burn low quality Wyoming coal from mines owned by the railroad. Postwar increases in the price of both coal and labor and the efficiency of diesel-electric motive power foretold a limited life for the Big Boys, but they were among the last steam locomotives taken out of service. The last revenue train hauled by a Big Boy ended its run early in the morning on July 21, 1959. Four of them remained in operational condition at Green River, Wyoming until 1962. Their duties were assumed by diesels and turbines.

Bob Given Photography

Capitola, California

Given that two years ago we underwent a major revamp of our living quarters and did a massive declutter, it may seem odd that I've filled up a tiny space of our tiny home with a canvas. The reason for this is that when I was given a voucher for a canvas of Rhossili for our Charity Dinner Auction earlier in the month, I was also given an extra voucher to use at the same place. It also feels very self indulgent to put a photo I took myself onto the wall, but my OH insisted although I got to choose which one. I rarely if ever put full photos of our home on Flickr either unlike many but I've made an exception because it puts it into context.

Original pic in comments.

Bob Given Photography

Date given of this assembly line production area is February 28th, 1936. (Jennifer Guest collection)

Kikyo is a powerful Priestess who is given the task of guarding the Shikon Jewel.She falls in love with InuYasha and considers using the jewel to turn him from a half-demon into a full human; this would cause the Shikon Jewel to vanish, allowing her to live as an ordinary woman by his side. However, Naraku disguises himself as InuYasha to attack her village, mortally wounding her. With her last strength, Kikyo shoots a charmed arrow into the real InuYasha to seal him to a sacred tree, then orders the Shikon Jewel to be burned with her on her funeral pyre. The jewel disappears and is apparently destroyed, but is reborn 500 years later in the body of Kagome Higurashi, her spiritual reincarnation.After Kagome travels back through time and reappears fifty years after Kikyo's death, an ogress tries to pull her reincarnated soul into a clay body made with Kikyo's bones and ashes. Kagome appears to suffer no permanent harm, but a small part of her soul detaches and reanimates the new body with Kikyo's memories, personality, and human appearance. Although Kikyo retains some of her old powers in this form, she remains technically "dead" and must absorb the souls of dead women in order to move. At first, she wants to vengefully drag InuYasha to hell and kill Kagome to recover the rest of her soul. However, Kikyo gradually returns to her former compassionate nature and learns the real circumstances of her death. She protects Kohaku, saving his life, and finally dies in InuYasha's arms after being attacked by Naraku.

Ah, Ukraine! When I first visited Rusfurrence in 2013, and was given a tour of Moscow by my excellent hosts, I thought I’d fallen in love with Russian cuisine – only to discover that nearly everything I’d devoured was in fact Ukrainian. Therefore, I knew I would one day have no choice but to visit the source, and boy howdy, was it worth it.

Our hosts and dear friends took such excellent care of us, with ‘us’ including a surprising number of foreigners, most of whom had never been to Ukraine before. My boyfriend Rush joined me, as did our friend Bostitch, and we met up with Oatcake and Fox Amoore and far, far too many other friends to mention.

The convention itself was fantastic, marked by the lively, can-do spirit the Ukrainians are known for, though I regrettably saw far too little of it. We’d wanted to take a quick look at Kiev while we were in the country but it wound up taking us three hours to get back, and it also didn’t help that I’d caught a bug that left me too tired to partake of many of the events – including a party bus!

Still, there was plenty of fun to be had in the evenings. The Tiger Bar set up in the corridor of the fourth floor, the Stone Soup bar in the suite and balcony of room 107, and of course the traditional picnic and barbecue in the woods, which I was told was how WUFF had originally started. It started raining rather fiercely immediately after the campfire got started, but the Ukrainians proved themselves indomitable, putting together a shovel team to dig emergency trenches and build dams around the fire, which never went out!

Words can’t describe the warmth and fun of the con. We’ll certainly be back.

For more WUFF ’16 photos, check out the gallery here: www.flickr.com/photos/alexfvance/albums/72157668089241926

As always, share and enjoy.

- Alex "Khaki” Vance

If you want to say hi, you can find me on Twitter @khakidoggy, or drop me an email at khakidoggy@me.com

[ If you appear in any of the photos you're free to use them; if you know anyone in a photo, please do share it with them! ]

For even more con photography: www.flickr.com/photos/alexfvance/albums/

SmartEdu Computer Education - First Year Anniversary - Best Performance Award to Ms.Kavitha (Senior Faculty), Given by Mr.Jai Shankar

Bob Given Photography

LOGIE-BUCHAN, a parish, in the district of Ellon, county of Aberdeen, 2 miles (E. by S.) from Ellon; containing 713 inhabitants.

The word Logie, expressive of a low-lying spot, was given to this place on account of its applicability to the tract in which the church is situated; while the affix is descriptive of the position of the parish in that part of the county called Buchan.

Logie-Buchan Parish Church is located on the southern slope of the River Ythan valley, in gently rolling countryside with small fields, rough grazing and enclosures of trees. There is a narrow trackway and footbridge across the river a short distance to the north. The church stands in a sloping graveyard, bounded by a rubble wall. The large former manse is positioned to the south and the church itself closed recently and a new use had not been found when it was visited (2012).

A church here was granted to Aberdeen Cathedral by David II in 1361, while the current church was built in the late 18th century with later additions and alterations.

Description (exterior)

The church is a small, simple building with little architectural detailing. It is aligned roughly east-west and has harled, rubble walls and a slate roof. There are narrow strips of granite stone around the windows and doors. The church is rectangular on plan, with a small, gabled porch and a lean-to vestry at the west end.

The east elevation has a hipped or piended roof rather than a gable. There are two rectangular windows with simple timber tracery and small panes of leaded glass. There has clearly been alterations carried out at this end of the church, shown by two blocked openings, a doorway and window, in the centre of the east elevation.

The north elevation of the church has four equally-spaced rectangular windows, each with simple tracery and latticed glazing. The opposite south elevation has two larger rectangular windows, towards the centre, again with tracery and latticed glazing.

The west end of the church has a small, gabled porch with a rectangular doorway on the south side, which is the main entrance into the church. There is a rectangular window in the west gable of this porch and a tall chimney rises from the apex, serving a fireplace in the small lean-to vestry extension to the north of the porch. The church has a tall gable at the west end, topped by an ashlar-built bellcote, which has a stone ball finial.

Description (interior)

Some of the fittings remain in the church but are likely to be removed if and when a new use is found for the church, which is no longer in use.

People / Organisations:

Name RoleDates Notes

William RuxtonRecast the interior 1912

Robert MaxwellMade the church bell1728

Events:

Church built on site of older church (1787)

Porch and vestry added to west (1891)

Interior recast (1912)

Logie-Buchan is separated on the east from the German Ocean by the parish of Slains, and is intersected by the river Ythan.

The river abounds with various kinds of trout, also with salmon, eels, lounders, and mussels; and pearls are still occasionally found.

It has a ferry opposite the parish church, where its breadth at low water is about sixty yards; and two boats are kept, one for general passengers, and the other, a larger boat, for the conveyance of the parishioners to church from the northern side.

A tradition has long prevailed that the largest pearl in the crown of Scotland was obtained in the Ythan; and it appears that, about the middle of the last century, £100 were paid by a London jeweller to gentleman in Aberdeen, for pearls found in the river.

Most of the inhabitants of the district are employed in agricultural pursuits, a small brick-work recently established being the only exception.

The great north road from Aberdeen passes through the parish, and the mail and other public coaches travel to and fro daily. On another road, leading to the shipping-port of Newburgh, the tenantry have a considerable traffic in grain, lime, and coal, the last procured from England, and being the chief fuel.

The river Ythan is navigable for lighters often or twelve tons' burthen at high water. The marketable produce of the parish is sent to Aberdeen. Logie- Buchan is ecclesiastically in the presbytery of Ellon, synod of Aberdeen, and in the patronage of Mr. Buchan.

The church was built in 1787, and contains 400 sittings.

Cemeteries - Presbyterian / Unitarian

Logie Buchan Parish Church, Logie-Buchan, Church of Scotland

The church of Logie-Buchan was dedicated to St Andrew.

St Andrew's Church was built in 1787 and has been much altered. It contains a 1728 bell.

Logie-Buchan (Aberdeen, Buchan). Also known as Logie Talargy, the church was granted by David II in 1361 to the common fund of the canons of Aberdeen cathedral, and this was confirmed to the uses of the canons by Alexander, bishop of Aberdeen in 1362, both parsonage and vicarage fruits being annexed while the cure was to become a vicarage pensionary.

Although possession was obtained by the dean and chapter, this was subsequently lost, and the church had to be re-annexed in 1437, the previous arrangement being adhered to, with both parsonage and vicarage remaining annexed.

St Andrew's Kirk, 1787. Undistinguished externally, porch 1891, inside original ceiling with Adam-like centrepiece and two-light Gothic windows, part of 1912 recasting, William Buxton. Pulpit was originally in the centre of the N wall with a horseshoe gallery bearing the Buchan coat of arms (George Reid, Peterhead, carver). Monuments to Thomas (d. 1819) and Robert (d. 1825) Buchan.

Bell, 1728, Robert Maxwell. Church bought by Captain David Buchan to ensure access and survival.

Kirkyard: plain ashlar gatepiers and rubble walls; some table tombs.

YORK, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 06: during an i2i Soccer Academy Training Session at Haxby Road on October 6th 2022 in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Appleby)

If given half a chance to get more photos of this - you can guarantee that you'll see more. Having had the opportunity to have a proper look at this bus in person it's become a firm favourite just by virtue of being such a fantastic bit of engineering.

Looks the part too I reckon.

It's seen here when the preparatory work was pretty much complete for its use over the 2011 Festive period on the free weekend shopper service funded by the Aberdeen Business Improvement District. Despite it being freezing cold (there's no heating in the passenger saloon - and naught in the cab aside from a windscreen demister), I very much enjoyed the few trips I managed to catch on it. Would be great to see how it rode about 5mph as well...sadly on Union St in the run up to Christmas that's not really going to happen.

Hopefully I'll cross paths with this bus later in the year at some point again. I do have one or two other photos I'll be uploading later too.

given in Memory of the Borstall and Sutcliffe families of this parish by John Sutcliffe Borstall of Melbourne, Australia, 1885 by Clayton and Bell.

Given the near hit Puerto Vallarta took yesterday from Hurricane Patricia, I thought I'd post an image I captured there back in 2013.

Pinkas synagogue in Prague

The synagogue and the name Pinkas is first mentioned in 1492. It is probable that a prayer house or synagogue already existed at this point. Excavations between 1968 and 1990 have given rise to this presumption, but further evidence must follow.

The synagogue in today's street Široká ulice was the property of the Horovsky family. Isaiah Horovsky the synagogue in 1519 passed on to Aron Meschullam Horovsky who had the synagogue rebuilt in 1535. Horovsky was a grandnephew of the original founder of the synagogue, a certain rabbi of Pinkas. In the historical records there are quarrels between the "rebellious" family of the Pinkas with the long-established of the Old-New-Synagogue suspected who for this reason in 1472 on a wasteland near the church of Saint Valentin founded a synagogue. Parts of this old synagogue have survived. Between 1607 and 1625, occurred an extension of a Renaissance meeting room with cross vaults, with flat stone ribs and domed windows decorated with a lisene on the outside. There also arose the nave of the women and a gallery open with arcades into the hall of the main prayer room. The architect of the reconstruction, Judah Goldschmied de Herz, is buried in the adjoining old Jewish cemetery. On his tomb stands: "On Tuesday, the 2nd Tischri 5386 (1625). Here rests the wise and skillful man Judah Goldschmied de Herz. He was always cautious and did his prayers godly, he nursed himself by his handwork, and according to his plans the whole construction of the Pinkas Synagoge and a part of the Maisl Synagogue was carried out. Glory be to him".

An idea of the size of the prayer room in the Pinkas Synagoge gives the number of seats. In its lower part there were 177, in the female part 100, and in the gallery, which was intended exclusively for women, 143 seats. The Pinkas Synagoge over the centuries over and over again became a victim of floods (most recently in 2002). As a result of flood catastrophes in the 17th and 18th century, She sank deeper and deeper into the ground and had to be renovated again and again.

At each renovation, original decorations were lost and modifications were made. Up until the 19th century, in the Pinkas Synagoge souvenirs of the Jew Schlomo Molcho who had been burned on the pyre in Spain in 1432 were kept, who held on to his Jewish faith and was therefore burned.

In the years 1922-1925, the foundation walls of the medieval synagogue were exposed, in the years 1950 - 1953 also the original plaster; a ritual bath, a mikwe, was found in the seventies and further renovations were carried out later.

In 1960 a memorial for the Jewish victims of Nazifascism coming from Bohemia and Moravia was founded here. 77,297 names were recorded on the walls of the main nave as well as of the adjoining premises. The names of the Prague Jews are recorded in the main nave. The names, the date of birth and the date of the deportation to the east are named in alphabetical order. In the neighboring rooms are the names of the Jews from other communities of Bohemia and Moravia. On the wall where the Thora shrine once stood one reads the names of the concentration and extermination camps in which those people were killed. Source: 636)

Pinkas-Synagoge in Prag

Die Synagoge und der Name Pinkas wird erstmals im Jahr 1492 erwähnt. Es ist wahrscheinlich, daß es an dieser Stelle bereits vorher ein Bethaus oder eine Synagoge gab. Ausgrabungen zwischen 1968 und 1990 haben zu dieser Vermutung Anlass gegeben, weitere Belege müssen jedoch folgen.

Die Synagoge in der heutigen Široká ulice war Eigentum der Familie Horovsky. Jesaja Horovsky vererbte die Synagoge im Jahr 1519 an Aron Meschullam Horovsky, der die Synagoge im Jahr 1535 umbauen ließ. Horovsky war ein Urneffe des ursprünglichen Gründers der Synagoge, eines gewissen Rabbiners Pinkas. In den historischen Unterlagen werden Streitigkeiten zwischen der „rebellischen“ Familie der Pinkas mit den Alteingesessenen der Alt-Neu-Synagoge vermutet, die deswegen im Jahre 1472 auf einer Brachstelle unweit der Kirche des hl. Valentin eine Synagoge gründeten. Von dieser alten Synagoge sind Teile erhalten geblieben. Zwischen 1607 und 1625 kam es zum Anbau eines Renaissance-Sitzungssaales mit Kreuzgewölben, mit flachen steinernen Rippen und Kuppelfenstern, die außen mit einer Lisene geschmückt sind. Es entstand auch das Frauenschiff und eine mit Arkaden in den Saal des Hauptbetraumes geöffnete Galerie. Der Architekt des Umbaues, Juda Goldschmied de Herz, ist auf dem nebenan liegenden alten jüdischen Friedhof bestattet. Auf seinem Grabmal steht: „Am Dienstag, den 2. Tischri 5386 (1625). Hier ruht der weise und geschickte Mann Juda Goldschmied de Herz. Er war immer vorsichtig und verrichtete gottesfürchtig seine Gebete, er nährte sich durch seiner Hände Arbeit und nach seinen Plänen wurde der ganze Bau der Pinkassynagoge und eines Teils der Maislsynagoge durchgeführt. Er sei gepriesen.“

Von der Größe des Betsaals in der Pinkassynagoge zeugte die Zahl der Sitze. In seinem unteren Teil befanden sich 177, im Frauenteil 100, und auf der Galerie, die ausschließlich für Frauen bestimmt war, 143 Sitze. Die Pinkassynagoge wurde im Laufe der Jahrhunderte immer wieder Opfer von Überschwemmungen (zuletzt 2002). Als Folge von Hochwasserkatastrophen im 17. und 18. Jhdt. sank sie immer tiefer in den Boden ein und musste immer wieder renoviert werden.

Bei jeder Renovierung gingen ursprüngliche Verzierungen verloren, wurden Änderungen vorgenommen. Bis ins 19. Jahrhundert hinein wurden in der Pinkassynagoge Andenken an den 1432 in Spanien auf dem Scheiterhaufen verbrannten Juden Schlomo Molcho aufbewahrt, der an seinem jüdischen Glauben festhielt und deswegen verbrannt wurde.

In den Jahren 1922 – 1925 wurden die Grundmauern der mittelalterlichen Synagoge freigelegt, in den Jahren 1950 – 1953 auch der ursprüngliche Putz; in den siebziger Jahren wurde ein rituelles Bad, eine Mikwe, gefunden, später wurden weitere Renovierungsarbeiten durchgeführt.

Im Jahr 1960 wurde hier eine Gedenkstätte für die aus Böhmen und Mähren stammenden jüdischen Opfer des Nazifaschismus gegründet. 77.297 Namen wurden an den Wänden des Hauptschiffes als auch der anliegenden Räumlichkeiten verzeichnet. Im Hauptschiff sind die Namen der Prager Juden festgehalten. In alphabetischer Reihenfolge werden die Namen genannt, das Geburtsdatum und das Datum der =>Deportation in den Osten. In den Nachbarräumen stehen die Namen der Juden aus anderen Gemeinden Böhmens und Mährens. An der Wand, an der einst der Thoraschrein gestanden hat, liest man die Namen der Konzentrations- und Vernichtungslager, in denen diese Menschen ums Leben kamen. Quelle: 636)

www.ghetto-theresienstadt.info/pages/p/pinkas.htm

At the end of World War II, the victorious Allies captured both German scientists and research papers in aerodynamics which had given the Germans a slight edge in technology during the war. Among this was research into swept wings, which promised better handling at high speeds, a feature used successfully in the Messerschmitt Me 262. All the combatant nations had been developing jet fighters at the end of the war, and the Soviet Union was no different: like the Western Allies, it found the swept wing concept to be a perfect solution to add speed without sacrificing stability; unlike the West, the Soviets could not take advantage of it due to a lack of adequate jet engines. Soviet metallurgy was simply not up to the task, and experimental jet fighters were severely underpowered. Engine designer Vladimir Klimov, however, came up with a novel idea: he asked the British in 1946 if they could provide a few examples of their latest engine. To the stunned surprise of Klimov, the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau, and Josef Stalin, the British complied, providing Klimov with the plans for the Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet, one of the most successful jet engines in history. Klimov quickly reverse engineered it as the VK-1, and just like that, the Soviets had the perfect engine for their planned jet interceptors.

MiG OKB already had a jet fighter in service, the MiG-9, but it was a poor performer. By modifying a MiG-9 into the I-310 prototype, with VK-1 propulsion and swept wings and tail surfaces, the resultant aircraft was superb: it was very manueverable and fast. It was placed into production as the MiG-15. This in turn was superseded by the more advanced and reliable MiG-15bis, which added airbrakes and a few minor avionics changes. Though pilots hated the cramped cockpit, which forced them to fly without heated or pressurized flight suits—a real concern in frigid Russian winters—they loved its responsiveness and speed. Though the MiG-15 was designed to intercept the B-29 Superfortress, hence its heavy cannon armament, it could quite easily hold its own in a dogfight. It rapidly replaced most propeller-driven fighters in the Soviet inventory, and was quickly supplied to Soviet client states.

The MiG-15 would get its first taste of action during the Chinese Civil War, when Russian-flown MiG-15s flew on behalf of the Communist Chinese against the Nationalists; a P-38L was shot down on 28 April 1950 for the type’s first victory. By far, however, it would be Korea where the MiG-15 would see the most action.

After starting out well, the North Korean armies were, by fall 1950, in full rout from South Korea, pursued by United Nations forces. The World War II-era North Korean People’s Air Force had been annihilated by UN aircraft, and though China intended to intervene on behalf of North Korea, it lacked trained pilots. Stalin agreed to secretly provide both MiG-15s and the pilots to fly them, operating from bases in China across the Yalu River from North Korea. The pilots, under command of Soviet top ace Ivan Kozhedub, were instructed to speak in what little Korean they knew, and never fly over territory where they might be captured. The former was rarely heeded in the heat of combat, while the short range of the MiG-15 limited pilots to flying in and around the Yalu valley in any case. This rapidly became known as “MiG Alley.” By November 1950, Russian-flown MiG-15s were in combat against American and British aircraft, both sides fielding pilots who had already flown combat in World War II. Both sides were to find they were close to evenly matched as well: the Russians claimed the first jet-to-jet victory on 1 November, when a MiG-15 shot down a USAF F-80C; four days later, they suffered their first loss, to a US Navy F9F Panther. Most engagements were to occur between the F-86 Sabre and the MiG-15.

Once more, the two were closely matched. The MiG-15 had a better rate of climb, was superior above 33,000 feet, and had harder hitting cannon armament. The F-86’s six machine guns were often ineffective against the rugged MiG, but it was more manueverable, especially at low level, and if the machine guns did not cause as much damage, they fired at three times the rate of the MiG-15’s cannons, and usually hit what they aimed at, due to a superior radar-ranging gunsight. Both sides had to deal with instability at high speeds: if the MiG pilot got into trouble, he would climb out of danger, whereas the Sabre pilot would dive. The pilots were evenly matched, though the Russians would later admit that the Americans were better trained. Both sides overclaimed during the war, with both Soviet and American pilots claiming 12 to 1 kill ratios: the truth may never be known, though 40 Russians were awarded the title of ace during the war. The MiGs did succeed in one task, driving the B-29s into night attacks, after six were shot down or badly damaged on a single mission in October 1951.

Interestingly enough, the F-86 was as much a surprise to the Soviets as the MiG-15 was to the West, and both sides attempted to procure an example of the other. The United States’ Operation Moolah, offering $100,000 to any Eastern Bloc pilot who defected with a MiG-15, resulted in three MiG-15s arriving in the West, two flown by Polish pilots to Denmark and the third by North Korean pilot No Kum-Sok.

After the end of the Korean War, the MiG-15 remained in service, though it slowly began to be replaced by the MiG-17 and MiG-19. Nonetheless, MiG-15s were involved in eleven separate incidents during the Cold War, shooting down several US and British reconnaissance aircraft and an Israeli airliner. By the mid-1950s, however, the MiG-15 was beginning to show its age, and in combat with Sidewinder-equipped F-86s of Taiwan and Israeli Super Mysteres, it came off second best. Gradually, single-seat MiG-15s were retired from active service, though hundreds of two-seat MiG-15UTI “Midget” trainers remained in service; the MiG-15UTI is still flown by several air forces to this day. About 16,000 MiG-15s were produced in the Soviet Union, Poland, and Czechslovakia, and a good number remain in existence today in museums and numerous flyable examples, including 43 in the United States.

This MiG-15UTI was originally built as a Lim-1--a MiG-15bis built under license by Poland. It entered service with the 29th Fighter Regiment at Orneta, Poland in 1953. In 1968, it was converted to a MiG-15UTI and used as a trainer, with the Bort (nose number) of 6029. It was used even after the Cold War ended, and was acquired by warbird collector and air racer Jim Good in the late 1990s. Bort 6029 would find a new home at Good's hangar in Casper, Wyoming, and would be flown at airshows and air races. Today, it's part of the Good Aviation Veterans Museum, though it is very much flyable.

6029/N29JG may not be painted anything remotely accurate--its all black scheme and hammer and sickle on the nose are more reminiscent of a Top Gun "MiG-28". Nonetheless, it looks very good and sinister, especially with silver trim on the wings and Bort number. When it's your warbird, you can paint it however you like!

The Good Aviation Veterans Museum is a small museum in a hangar at the Casper Municipal Airport. It is worth a stop, if it's open--the mechanics doing some checks on their aircraft were kind enough to open it for us--and although there's not a lot of aircraft on display, there is a great deal of air racing memorabilia. Jim Good passed away a few years ago, but he was a regular at the Reno Air Races and elsewhere.

Bob Given Photography

Given that walls down at Leake Street last for just about long enough to grab a photo before someone throws up another piece or they're relentlessly tagged we thought we'd make the most of the ceiling space we had to do a little tagger baiting. If you're good enough and can get up to the ceiling to throw your tag up then you’re in, it’s as simple as that! We don’t mess about. This is ironclad!

As a side note I'm not entirely sure why we thought it would be at all easy to put lettering on a curved ceiling. But at least we managed to get there in the end. It's pretty tricky to get a decent photo though...

Cheers

id-iom

In 2018, USAID launched the second-annual Digital Development Awards (the “Digis”) to recognize USAID projects that harness the power of digital tools and data-driven decision making. The FlaveDor activity, funded by USAID’s Moldova Competitiveness Project and led by Chemonics, was one of five winners chosen out of the 140 applicants.

Moldova’s growing wine industry is threatened by Flavesence dorée (F. dorée), a contagious, incurable pathogen that impacts approximately 20 percent of vineyards in the region. While the contagion can be isolated, the manual process of inspecting and testing each vine is long and laborious, giving the pathogen time to spread and spoil the crop that so many in Moldova depend on as their source of income.

The FlaveDor activity uses drones and GIS data to digitize the vineyard inspection process, allowing farmers to quickly identify and isolate vines infected by F. dorée. Through the use of a specially designed drone and software system, the program can quickly scan all vines in a given area. This process has been proven to save time and money, reduce pesticide use, and increase the accuracy of detection, with an 85 percent success rate in neighboring countries.

Photos by Colby Gottert for USAID / Digital Development Communications

A Personal Project

At the start of this semester i got given a grid square in Stoke-On-Trent in which i could do a project on what ever i wanted, i could also change my mind, the square i had in the end was very empty just being green field, images can be seen at (on.fb.me/15muAVO),

I did enquire about changing my grid square to this one my house mate found this location on a walk and said it was very beautiful and interesting, i really wanted to take images of the location due to my heritage of my Nan and grandad AKA Pap were brought up on the boats and worked to supplying coal to factories and mainly because Pap recently passed away a couple of weeks before.

At the end of the semester i went to the location because i really wanted to take the images due to my feeling to the area, i told my nan about yeah i was taking images in stoke of the canal lovely place explained it and she told me a couple of storys about cruising up the potteries. A couple of weeks later when i go to see my nan she gets out some photos, which i normally look at when i go around to see if theres any more added or anything, she pulls out the photos which i looked at not just a week before and goes

"Is this where your on about'" See picture - (www.dropbox.com/s/x0mc5z7u5dcyjnt/img145.jpg)

I look in the background of the photo and was astonished just a week before i was at the same location.

It's brought a more close and an emotional feel to these pictures when I've been recently editing them.

Forget-Me-Not

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Photo given to me by bride. She made me do a profile of a dulha (groom) and dulhan (bride) in the middle of each hand. In retrospect, I shouldn't have drawn the faces...