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My daily routine always seems to involve the river in some way, much like the city of London itself. Whether I'm crossing it on the river boat (captured above in the light trails) to get to work, or running along the Thames path at the weekend, the river somehow manages to find a way impact my day to day life.
"The Church of St John the Baptist is a well-preserved example of timber Gothic Revival architecture, built during the latter stages of Church Missionary Society (CMS) involvement in New Zealand.
"Erected in 1870-1871, the church sits within one of New Zealand's earliest churchyards, and is associated with two previous churches built on the site in 1831 and 1839.
The churchyard and those earlier chapels formed an integral part of the CMS station at Te Waimate which had been established in 1830 as the first inland mission in New Zealand.
The station was important for conveying new ideas on farming, education and religion to Maori in the Far North, and subsequently witnessed an early signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on the 10th February 1840." ***
However...
It should be noted that whilst the hopes and dreams of the Rev'd Samuel Marsden and the London-based CMS might have been good, the cold hard 'crunch' is that as European settlement of New Zealand picked up speed, disease, greed, cheating and lies led to major breakdowns and ultimately bloody wars between Settlers and Maori.
The Treaty Of Waitangi might have promised much for Maori, but there were two versions of the document - one in English, the other in Maori - and they differed quite considerably...!
There isn't the time or the space to detail what went so wrong, but some of the wrongs are still being settled with financial grants to affected Tribes to this day...!
*** Taken from www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/64
Thanks for visiting, and thanks for taking the time and trouble to leave a Comment. It's always nice to hear from you...!
1.i have date night every friday night, even if no one else is here to share it.
date night involves me taking a bath and lighting about 50 candles in the living room.
i put on some groovy tunes and something satiny and drink something alcoholic and cuddle up to the softest
blanket ever and yeah, that is about it.
2.i have another date night every saturday night, with my best friend jessica.
it usually involves kung pao tofo and peppers and some crappy romantic comedy
and a crafty creative project.
3.i have 2 bathrooms in my place. one of them has doorknob issues. everyone who
has ever used it freaks out because they think they can't open the door. actually,
you just have to turn the knob the other direction ( to the left ) ... but trust me on this
... almost every doorknob is supposed to turn to the right.
4.i don't watch that much tv anymore but i have noticed that my favorite shows over the
years are ones that involve major sexual tension between the main characters ( i.e. moonlighting,
who's the boss, x files etc.)
5.i have temperature issues in bed.
i am usually naked or in a slip at night.
if i am really cold, i love tons of warm blankets
and if i am really warm, i love one super cold sheet wrapped around me.
6.i have a fascination with Starbucks Iced tea Lemonade concoction.
i have yet to find a barista make it the same way twice and i know they have
directions for all their drinks.
i finally found a man who made it perfectly
it used to be my favorite drink there
...
he quit and now no one makes it good anymore.
7.i have serious light bulb issues in this apartment.
with all my ceiling lights, bathroom lights, kitchen lights, bedroom lights, etc.
i probably manage to kill 2 light bulbs a week.
even on a step stool i can't reach them, so i have to wait until saturday night date night
to have my tall best friend change my bulbs.
i spoke to her earlier tonight and told her she needs to come over tomorrow
because if i wait any longer, i am going to be sitting here in the dark.
8.i've been thinking about quitting my job and moving.
something very unlike me but i really feel as if i need a change.
i don't know where i'd go. i have ideas, but not really.
all my friends and family are here.
i have a good job at a company i have been with now starting 8 years.
i just need something different somewhere else.
9.one of my favorite ice creams is Nestle's King Size Drumstick ice cream cones.
my friend just came by and i made him drive me to 7-11 to get one and i gobbled that fucker right up.
yum!
10.i've been really poopy all year.
i am not used to this feeling of gloom.
i find myself crying far too much and it kind of sucks.
i don't really have it in me to go on more about that, so pffft.
11.i have a magnetic dart board on the back of my front door.
i suck at it.
with practice i am sure i could get better.
these magnetic darts are what suck, not me.
12.which reminds me, i used to love to shoot pool.
i grew up with a pool table ( my parents own one)
and i used to frequent a coffee house in high school that had one.
sadly, the coffee shop table had this horrid tilt and i had to learn the tricks and secrets
of how to play on that table..but when new comers would play, i managed to kick and ass
or two.
13.i collect wrapping paper, but not in a Dyxie way :P
i have this tall clear glass vase with rolls of beautifully printed wrapping
paper sticking out of it. i use it as art or something.
once in a while, if i am feeling crafty, i cover a coffee can in it, or frame it, or cover
my refrigerator in it, or wrap a pringles can in it for my ttv contraption.
....
if you want more random things about me,
click here and
read more.
thanks for listening.
carry on with your bad selves.
xoxox
Highest position: 85 on Monday, December 31, 2007
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: I Do Not Condone Any Acts Of Vandalism Nor Do I Participate In Such Criminal Activity. I Am Simply An Observant and Take Photos Of This Graffiti You Have Come Across. ALSO I Will Not Condone Any Usage Of My Photos To Support Any Legal Matter Involving These Acts Of Vandalism Therefore YOU ARE NOT WELCOME TO VIEW OR TAKE THIS MATERIAL For ANY Purpose...
‘Flood and Flow’ is a two-year research project funded by the Leverhulme Trust involving the universities of Leicester, Nottingham, Southampton, and Wales.
Flooding is the most serious environmental challenge currently facing the UK. It is estimated that 1:6 (5.2 million) homes in England alone are at risk from flooding, whether from river floods, coastal flooding, or surface run-off. Public and political concern over flooding and its impact has never been greater.
Place-names (particularly those that are over a thousand years old) might feel a strange place to start to look for answers and solutions to modern flooding. But place-names were originally designed to say something about the places they were attached to; and very often what place-namers chose to describe was the local environment. These names, many familiar to us but which we rarely stop to think about, are one of the most valuable records we have when it comes to mapping the presence, characteristics and behaviour of water in the landscape.
Water Milk and Xanthan Gum are the mediums used in this Splash Art Photo. This shot involves the collision of two drops of liquid. Flash Guns are used to stop the high speed action of the collision at the critical moment.
Working with the Fuji G617 is such a deliberate process. Usually it involves really evaluating the scene, thinking over if it warrants one of four exposures you will get on a roll and if it will fit the 6x17 aspect ratio. This is a fairly decent bar to clear, in fact. Then if it the idea has this much merit there is the setting up of the tripod, the setting of shutter and aperture, checking the focus to make sure it is at infinity and hasn't gotten maladjusted in the bag, making sure the shutter preview lever is closed before removing the lens cap, calculating exposure and then compensating exposure for the center spot ND filter. Threading in the cable release, arming the shutter, firing and advancing. Often I pair this camera with strong ND filters for really long exposures so that requires additional calculations and a few more steps. Suffice it to say that usually each image requires enough time and thought that I have a pretty good memory of each of them, even by the time I get home, have the film developed and then scanned - a process that can take days or weeks. Having said all that, I don't remember making this image at all. It makes me chuckle because I really like this image and I am glad I made it but this one escapes my memory. I don't remember this scene in general, which doesn't surprise me much since we spent a lot of time amongst various rolling, green hills. But including Angela in the scene, right where she is, caught me by surprise. The Fuji G617 viewfinder is not 100% accurate. Far from it, in fact. So it is possible I did not see her there when I was framing. And I did do more work on this trip with the camera handheld since I had enough light and fast enough film and wasn't going for super long exposures. So maybe I handheld this, intending to get the road leading into the hills and didn't notice her down there. But the framing strikes me as too deliberate to be coincidental. So apparently I made this and then plain forgot about it. That is a bit unlike me but also not unheard of either. Then again, I was so often completely enraptured by the landscape that I had a lot on my mind at any given moment, so I can give myself a bit of a pass if I don't remember every photo I made on this past trip to the Palouse.
Fuji G617
Fuji Pro 160C
A shot involving a window, at this hour. This is one of the shots I got
Shot a f/1.4, 8sec exposure
View on black "L"
#acuarela #aquarelle #art #arte #artist #newmexicoartist #drawing #dibujo #fineart #painting #paint #pen #penandink #sketch #sketchbook
#watercolor_involve #watercolorpainting
A quick snap of my stats, because I want to know what is going on! I know lots of you think these stats are a waste of time and money, but I am taking my photography seriously, and I see these as a measure of improvement, though I accept that they don't really measure anything other than my actual involvement with Flickr. It's the rather large blip I would like to have explained?
This Canadian built Sea Hurricane first flew in January 1941. Originally built as a Hurricane Mk.I, it was shipped to the UK and converted to Sea Hurricane IB standard, involving the fitting of catapult spools and an arrester hook.
Restored to flight in 1995, it is owned by the Shuttleworth Trust based at Old Warden, Bedfordshire. Seen here at Shuttleworth Military Air Show 2024.
PIRENÓPOLIS - GOIÁS - BRAZIL
Pirenópolis is a town located in the Brazilian state of Goiás. It is well known for its waterfalls and colonial architecture, and a popular festival involving mounted horses called Festa do Divino Espírito Santo which takes place 45 days after Easter.
Contents
1 History
2 Etymology
3 Historic site
4 Climate
5 Economic information
6 Education and Health
7 Tourism
7.1 Waterfalls
8 External links
9 See also
10 Sources of data
History
The history of Pirenópolis begins in 1727 when it was founded with the name of Minas de Nossa Senhora do Rosário de Meia Ponte, Meia Ponte (half a bridge) because half of the bridge over the Almas River was swept away in a flood. The first colonizers were Portuguese who came for the gold easily found in the Rio das Almas. From 1750 to 1800 there was a golden age when four churches were built and Pirenópolis competed with Vila Boa (present day Cidade de Goiás) as the richest town in the province. After 1800 a downturn over gold mining was set and the part of the population emigrated. With the change of commercial routes to Anápolis, the city became economically isolated. The first newspaper in the province, the Matutina Meiapontense, was published in Meia Ponte in 1830 by Joaquim Alves de Oliveira. In 1890 the city changed its name from Meia Ponte to Pirenópolis, the city of the Pireneus, the mountains located nearby. In 1960 with the construction of Brasília there was an intensive exploitation of the famous Pedra de Pirenópolis (quartzite-micáceo). In the 1980s the hippies arrived with their alternative communities and production of handicrafts. Pirenópolis was born again with a huge influx of tourists, especially from Brasília. Churches were restored and all the electrical wiring was put underground.
Etymology
Pyrenópolis (archaic orthography), later Pirenópolis , means “the City of the Pireneus”. Its name comes from the mountain range that surrounds the city, that is Mountain range of the Pireneus . According to local tradition, the mountain range received this name for having in the region immigrant Spaniards, probably Catalans. Because of some similarity with their native Pyrenees of Europe, a mountain chain situated between Spain and France, they had then given this mountain range the Latin name of Pireneus.
Historic site
A church at Pirenópolis.
Listed as an architectural, urbanistic, landscape and historical heritage for IPHAN - the Institute of National Historic and Artistic Heritage, in 1989, the city has a Historical Center with large, ornate houses and churches of the 18th century, such as: First Church of Our Lady of the Rosary (1728–1732), Churches of Our Lady of the Carmo (1750–1754) and the Church of Our Lord of the Bonfim (Pirenópolis) (1750–1754), and buildings such as the Theater of Pirenópolis, a hybrid style between colonial and neo-classic, of 1899, and the Cine-Pireneus, built in the art-deco style, of 1919 and the House of Chamber and Jail constructed in 1919 as an identical restoration of the 1733 original.
Climate
The climate is humid sub-tropical with two well-defined seasons: the rainy season, which goes from October to March, and the dry season, which goes from April to September. Parts of the municipality are mountainous and maintain some climatic variations due to altitude.
Economic information
The economy is based on agriculture (coffee, citrus fruits, soybeans, and corn), cattle raising (130,000 head in 2006), services, public administration, and small transformation industries. There are several small food, clothing, and furniture industries.
Agricultural data 2006
Farms: 1,765
Total area: 191,778 ha.
Area of permanent crops: 1,920 ha.
Area of perennial crops: 4,185 ha.
Area of natural pasture: 125,908 ha.
Area of woodland and forests: 52,775 ha.
Persons dependent on farming: 4,300
Number of tractors: 177
Cattle herd: 144,700 IBGE
Education and Health
Higher education: Campus of the State University of Goiás
Adult literacy rate: 84.4% (2000) (national average was 86.4%)
Hospitals: 2 with 66 beds
Infant mortality rate: 27.52 (2000) (national average was 33.0).
Human Development Index: 0.713
State ranking: 191 (out of 242 municipalities)
National ranking: 2,748 (out of 5,507 municipalities) Frigoletto
Tourism
The Waterfall Vargem Grande in Pirenópolis.
Major attractions include Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário de Meia Ponte, the oldest church in Goiás, and the church Igreja Nosso Senhor do Bonfim. It also has a hippie-like colony which markets clothing and silverwork.
Today Pirenópolis is known all over Brazil for its popular festivals, especially the "Cavalhadas", introduced in 1826, in which horsemen representing Moors and Christians recreate a battle fought by Charlemagne. This tradition, part of the Festival for the Holy Spirit (Festa do Espírito Santo), was brought to the town by Portuguese settlers.
The Festas de Cavalhadas feature a parade beginning with a bugle fanfare announcing the knight's pages, then the mounted knights displaying their colors. Wearing fantastic papier-maché helmets, the Christian knights wear blue, the Moors wear red.
The battle lasts for three days and attracts thousands of visitors to the town. The Cavalhadas take place in medieval costume, with the highlight being the mock battle, performed in the city's bullring. The Moors, of course, are defeated and convert to Christianity. For information on the cavalhadas (in Portuguese) see Cavalhadas
The town has been restored artistically with its stone paved streets and colonial houses (casarões). The Almas River, a tributary of the Tocantins River which flows north to form the Serra da Mesa artificial lake, passes near the town and is crossed by a restored wooden bridge. There is an old theater, cinema, and a museum of the cavalhadas.
Waterfalls are the primary tourist attraction for Pirenopolis and Corumba. Around the town, in a distance of 15 km., there are more than twenty spectacular waterfalls with pristine water. Some of them are enormous such as the Salto de Corumba (which disappeared for decades when prospectors diverted the waters for dredging). Other waterfalls are formed by a series of cascades. Many are on private property and are operated as a business. Other falls can be found on hiking trails. One of the longest rivers in the state of Goiás, the Corumbá River has its source near Pirenópolis.
A new attraction to Pirenopolis is the small ecovillage and permaculture design institute located a few kilometers outside of town called the IPEC or The Institute of Permaculture and Ecovillage of the Cerrado. Bringing in foreign students through study abroad programs such as Living Routes, visitors get a first-hand account of the possibilities of sustainable living.
By WIKIPEDIA informations.
AB FAV for today…
www.facebook.com/groups/1148438991917313/
Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer and men's suicide.
A retired policeman of the old kind, his name is Bill.
What a character, so full of stories... He brewed his own beer
On grainy 400 b&w film, white on white, OOOOHHH, I DO LIKE A CHALLENGE, lol!!!I took another image of 'his moustache', not a crop, it was used for the cover of a book.
thanx for your time and comments, greatly appreciated, M, (*_*)
And for more of my other work or if you want to purchase, visit here: www.indigo2photography.com
IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
Of course...
Gotham News reports multiples homicides, all involving bite marks and scratches on an Arkham Asylum security guard and multiple other citizens, and Manbat's cell just so happens to be in pieces and empty.
I knew it wouldn't be long until he broke out, but i expected it to be longer than a week. Oh well, that's Arkham. No time, for that right now, though. Alfred says i need to get out of the house. Says people are starting to worry that something's happened to me. He's not wrong. It has been a while since I've been in public. Alot longer than the usual amount of time that people mourn a death. But i haven't been mourning...I've been seeking vengeance. Joker's going to pay for his crimes against Gotham, and against me. Oh right, gotta smile for the cameras.
When i get outside, the flashes are almost blinding. So many of them all at once. Alfred holds them back to the best of his ability as i walk to the Black Bentley that's waiting in the driveway. The chauffeur starts driving once i get situated.
After a couple minutes, when we are driving through a wooded area, the car slows down to a stop and three guys get in the car.
"What are you you doing?! Who are you guys?"
"Shut up," one guy says.
And before i know it, i get sprayed with something...crap...it's c-it's chloro--chlorof.....
________________________________
I wake up in complete darkness, when a bright screen lights up in front of my face, about 20 feet or so away. I can now see that I'm in a giant concrete box, sitting in a metal chair, with my hands locked to the arms by metal cuffs. And then i realize that I'm in an electric chair.
On the screen, i see a man in a white smiley face mask with spiked shoulder plates and tech body armor. I can only see that far down. And then i notice the symbol on his chest. A cracked red skull. Anarky.
//"Hello Mr. Grayson. Or should say Nightwing?"//
"What do you want Anarky? I don't have time for this."
//"Aw, no time for me? That hurt my feelings. You need to be taught a lesson about manners!"// Suddenly i begin to feel extreme volts of electricity shocking me. The pain is unbearable.
"AAAAAGGGHHHH!!!"
//"Now, have we learned some manners?"//
"..."
//"HAVE WE learned some manners, Mr. Grayson?"//
"Yes, sir."
//"Good. Now I'm going to tell you where you need to go, and you-"//
"If you think I'm going to listen to a word you say, then-"
//"I WAS TALKING!"//
There's that shock again. "AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!"
//"As i was saying, I am going to tell you where i want you to go and you will go there."//
"And why the heck would i do that?"
//"Because i left you a little...present there. *chuckles* The location of your gift is Gotham Bank. You better get there fast because there isnt much time before someone else gets it!"//
*Video turns to static*
Suddenly, the cuffs unlock and I can get up from the chair. Just then, a piece of the floor opens up in the far left corner of the room and a metal latter rises to the ceiling, leading to a manhole cover. I climb out of the room and find myself in the middle of a street. The bank is two blocks away. Great. So, i run the whole two blocks to Gotham Bank.
When i walk up to the doors, i start hearing screaming. Not just one person, lots of people. But then i hear a sound that's out of the ordinary. Almost like a giant...bat. Then i realize, someone else got my present.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for reading guys! im so glad that i am able to write this, and that i came up wuth this idea, because its already so much fun. If you'd like me to tag you guys when issues are released, then comment poopydoo below! Yes, poopydoo.
~FANTXTIK
On the recent art events that involve to some degree concept of invisibility.
Various artist do a one-shot attempt at the invisible concept. As a rule it happens one time in the given artist’s career. (Rest assured that nobody except Paul Jaisini had their life time spent in the Invisible creativity premises).
The Invisibility one-shooter artist would not continue in this direction to be repetitive or simple do the same gig unable to develop further as the original attempt failed to be profitable or even promising.
© 2014 Frank van Dongen
FB | 500px | FLICKEFLU | WERKAANDEMUUR | My Website | Getty Images
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Carnival (often spelled Carnaval) is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnival typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party. People often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations, which mark an overturning of daily life. In Germany and the Netherlands, the Carnival season is traditionally opened on 11/11 (often at 11:11 a.m.). This dates back to celebrations before the former longer Advent season (40 days now reduced to about four weeks), or with harvest celebrations of St. Martin's Day.
Carnival is traditionally held in areas with a large Catholic and to a lesser extent, Eastern Orthodox makeup. Protestant areas usually do not have Carnival celebrations or have modified traditions, such as the Danish Carnival or other Shrove Tuesday events. Conversely, the Philippines, though a predominantly Roman Catholic country, does not have Carnival celebrations because it has been culturally influenced by neighboring Asian nations, which do not have Carnival celebrations.
The Lenten period of the Liturgical year Church calendar, being the six weeks directly before Easter, was marked by fasting and other pious or penitential practices. Traditionally during Lent, no parties or other celebrations were held, and people refrained from eating rich foods, such as meat, dairy, fats and sugar. The forty days of Lent, recalling the Gospel accounts of the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness, serve to mark an annual time of turning. In the days before Lent, all rich food and drink had to be disposed of. The consumption of this, in a giant party that involved the whole community, is thought to be the origin of Carnival.
While it forms an integral part of the Christian calendar, particularly in Catholic regions, many carnival traditions date back to pre-Christian times. The Italian Carnival may be derived from the ancient Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Bacchanalia. The Saturnalia, in turn, may be based on the Greek Dionysia and Oriental festivals. While medieval pageants and festivals such as Corpus Christi were church-sanctioned celebrations, carnival was also a manifestation of medieval folk culture. Many local carnival customs are based on local pre-Christian rituals, for example the elaborate rites involving masked figures in the Swabian–Alemannic Fastnacht.
Some of the best-known traditions, including carnival parades and masquerade ball masquerading, were first recorded in medieval Italy. The carnival of Venice was, for a long time, the most famous carnival. From Italy, carnival traditions spread to the Catholic nations of Spain, Portugal, and France. From France, they spread to the Rhineland of Germany, and to New France in North America. From Spain and Portugal, they spread with Catholic colonization to the Caribbean and Latin America. In 1823 the first worldwide carnival parade took place in Cologne, Germany.
There's a whole funny photo reel but it involves other people in the limo getting in on the act. I'm not going to post those until I get their permission.
Disclaimer: The contents of this chapter include very sensitive subject matter involving of death of family and the PTSD that comes with it and may be triggering to some individuals.
...
Vincent lifted his gaze from the picture and leaned his head back against the pillow propped up behind him and closed his eyes. Right now, he was very grateful to his cousin and her bhang concoctions. If not for that, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to get through this today. Honestly he was still uncertain if he still actually could do this.
But as Vincent settled in, a slight smile drew upon his lips as he began to speak as he let him go back four years ago. And as he did, Aiden relaxed more beside him and listened to his story.
"I suppose this story began with my promotion to Captaincy. My uncle is very much a generous man as much as he is proud. He threw a ball to celebrate me. After all, I was the son he never had and it was expected of us. I was to greet and receive endless congratulations by many Captains and their wives, several Lords and Ladies and the worst ones of all." There was a dramatic pause. "Marriage-minded mothers and their daughters."
Vincent actually shuddered which made Aiden laugh softly. But at the same time, it put Vincent in a somewhat new perspective for him: Vincent was not just any ship's captain. He came from a wealthy family; perhaps even possibly related to a Lord or Lady! He supposed he should have realized that last week when Vincent mentioned being required to attend a huge event such as the coming masquerade ball.
"So a couple of hours into my endless parade of greetings and congratulations I happened upon a conversation of a small group discussing horror novels."
"Sounds like something you could get into."
"Indeed. Shh."
"Sorry."
"As I approached, the main speaker turned out to be a woman elaborating about a book she'd read. It turned out to be by the same author who wrote the book you gave me. Her audience had been quite shocked as she spun the summarized tale of how a scorned witch took bloody revenge on all those who'd wronged her. And trust me, it was absolutely tame compared to the novel itself. No one seemed to know what to say. And so when I announced that I knew the novel she was speaking of and that I'd enjoyed it, myself, she'd turned in excitement with such a brilliant smile. She promptly took my arm and, I quote, 'Now HERE'S someone worth talking to! Hello, good Sir, my name is Miss Emily Fenton. It's a pleasure to meet you. Shall we grab some lemonade together?' And as I escorted her away she mentioned the party had been dull until I arrived and that I was right on time."
Both men chuckled softly and Aiden thought to himself that Vincent's wife must have been a very interesting woman. He was very amused that Vincent imitated an enthusiastic young woman's voice quite well.
"She really turned my world upside down. I remember thinking to myself, how did I not notice her before? As it turned out, she was a visiting cousin of an acquaintance of the family. I remember the details of her eyes, those little flecks of green that encircled her iris. How she smelled of lilies which happened to be her favorite flower. She had this sly smile which was so full of mischief and had the most twisted sense of humor which I adored. But you'd never know the depth of her by looking at her. Oh, she would smile and act as a lady should be in public. Well....mostly. She was sharp, witty, and very well-read. She was a scholar and loved to delve into book after book. But her mind and the things that would come out of her mouth! And she'd do it with a straight face too! And you'd never see it coming!"
And Vincent was laughing! Aiden grinned and he listened, painting this picture in his head of the eventual Mrs. Emily Dubois. She seemed quite the character! She sounded like someone Vincent could easily get along with and clearly did.
Vincent's laughter quickly settled and he licked his lips before reaching for the cup of bhang tea beside him and drained the rest of it. He knew by the end of this, he was going to need it in his system. It had been a couple of years since he'd really talked about any of this. The last time had been to Damien and it hadn't given him as much closure as he'd have liked. Of course, Damien had been there to witness the majority of it all and hadn't needed explanations. He'd simply been there as a shoulder for Vincent to lean on. Sure, talking to Damien HAD helped and eventually he was able to get through each day again but...something about this time was different. He was able to let it flow differently this time as he got to tell the actual whole story to someone for the first time. It felt good to finally talk about it.
"You have to know something about me. Well, about who I was. I was married to my career. I loved everything about my life in the sky and had everything I wanted. I had no need for marriage at the time. I was young; only twenty-three. I wasn't expected to look for a wife for several years and even so I didn't have to. I was a captain! I could live my life completely in the air if I wanted to! And it was what I did want. My thirst for knowledge paired beautifully with my love of travel and I could chart any course and go anywhere and learn anything I wanted when I wanted. I knew what my life would be. That was until I met Emily.
"I hadn't realized how much sharing the joys of sharing one's life with another person could be until I found myself in her presence nearly every day. She was a fascinating woman and very knowledgeable and well read. She was always happy to hear about places and things I've seen. In turn, I was happy to listen to her talk about her novels and things she'd learned in her studies and we shared deep, intellectual conversations. We became fast friends, but I knew it was more than that. I found myself waking every day with her in my thoughts. She had quickly become someone I had to keep in my life and she seemed to fit perfectly somehow. I felt alive in a new, different way.
"Of course it was perfectly possible for me to have a wife and live my life too. After all, I had grown up watching the love between my uncle and aunt and they had married young as well. My uncle was gone most of the time; home during Summers and occasionally throughout the year for important holidays and still does it to this day. And every time they are together, you can see the love and happiness they share together. It's as clear as day. And they are more in love than the day they married. And even then, I knew it. So I knew I could make it work with Emily if she were willing. Of course, fate would have it that I found out that Emily was due to return home and would be leaving the capitol the following week. It would be a long time before we would see each other in person. After all, she didn't live in a major port and I was due to start my first trip as captain soon. I was expecting to subject myself to written correspondence with her. But when I saw that forlorn look in her eyes and how she admitted that she'd miss seeing my face? Well, what else could I do but ask her to marry me?"
Vincent blinked and tears slid down his cheeks in memory of Emily as he saw her in her bridal gown and how she'd glowed that day. "We were happy. I knew my life would be perfect. Emily understood me and the expectations of my life. No, we wouldn't be together every day but we'd see each other more often than if she was going back to her hometown. She was happy and eager to get our lives started together. She'd made friends with my cousins and had her own cousin in town as well. She'd have a happy life here and once we had children, her days would be more joyful. She was looking forward to becoming a mother one day."
How wonderful Vincent made it seem! Of course, Aiden knew how this story would end. But it was important, he realized, for Vincent to talk about this...about her and their life. Something told him he'd not told this story before. Not like this. Aiden felt his heart go out to Vincent and he continued to listen to Vincent's story.
"As you can imagine, it was a very short engagement and a small wedding. I'd gotten us a place big enough for us and a little one for when we were ready. With all the excitement of a ball held in my honor, wooing my lady, and becoming a husband, I'd taken time off from work for quite some time. But it was time for me to get back into the swing of life and provide for my wife and our home together. So the day finally came where Damien and I were to set off for our first cargo trip on Leon's Claw. And that's when she gave me this."
Vincent leaned over and reached for the compass and brought it to his lap and opened it up. He held it along with the picture frame and just stared for a long moment. Aiden gazed at the compass over Vincent's shoulder with new appreciation. He'd noticed the slight smoothness of the spots where Vincent's fingers had rubbed it when he'd repaired it a few months ago. It was a well loved piece to have so much wear in such a short amount of time. And he'd certainly not forgotten Vincent's distraught expression when it had broken.
"'Though pleas`d to see the dolphins play, I mind my compass and my way,'" * Vincent recited the inscription inside the compass. "She said that it was to help me remember to stay my course; to seek to enjoy life and all it has to offer and to always help me find my way home. She was worried I'd find it silly and corny but I loved her for it."
"It was a thoughtful gift."
"It really is. I was touched."
Vincent closed the compass and held it tight in his hand for a long moment. He licked his lips and then glanced up at Aiden who gave him a small encouraging smile. But Vincent saw that something was off about Aiden and how he was smiling. A small part of him wanted to turn and reassure Aiden...but what was there to reassure him about? He wasn't sure what was wrong but he just seemed a little...despondent. Perhaps it was because he knew it was a sad story? Or was there something else bothering him?
"So what happened next?" Aiden inquired softly, not realizing that Vincent was reading him so well. Vincent gazed at him for another long moment, blinking a couple of times as he allowed himself to tuck this mental inquiry about Aiden away to think about later.
"What happened next? Well, I started my new life as Captain. I felt like I was living my best life! I was having a grand time with one of my best friends and got to live my dream every day. It was everything I hoped it would be. Though, I admit that for somewhat selfish reasons, we didn't stray too far from home." Vincent chuckled slightly to himself which drew a small smirk from Aiden. "Damien was pretty annoyed with me, I think. I had made him wait and wait while I courted my wife and then we were only gone not even a full two months before we came home again. And that's when I found out that I was to become a father." Aiden could see the joy through the sadness and tears that were forming in Vincent's eyes.
"Six months or so later my daughter was born: Lily. She...she had my eyes and hair and her mother's nose and mouth. Lily was so small but she was healthy and perfect. She was my pride and joy." The tears spilled down Vincent's face as he let out a soft sob and yet he still managed a bittersweet smile as he gazed up at Aiden. "I wish I could show you...she was so beautiful and sweet. She never cried and loved being held. I never realized that I could be that happy. And then...then much too soon it was time for me to go."
And here Vincent's smile faded and he drew his knees up a little and his shoulders sunk. His gaze returned to the photograph. Aiden knew what was going to happen next. This was where Vincent's world would be ripped from him.
"There had been talk of illness in neighboring countries with major air and sea ports. In my line of work, I was at risk but it wasn't like I could stop with a family to provide for. And we lived in a city of massive commerce. She was scared of never seeing me again but I still chose to go."
Beside him, Aiden felt his heart suddenly clench even worse. He remembered all too well when that happened just over three years ago. There had been rumors and people were scared. But it never seemed to come and people began to wonder if maybe it was just a hoax. Then suddenly it hit with ferocity everywhere that had air and sea ports, rumored to have come thanks to commerce and the critters that resided on the ships. Aiden's hometown was a city of commerce and sure enough it had claimed many lives there including that of his own mother who was prone to illness more easily than others.
"It was the hardest farewell I'd ever had to make," Vincent continued painfully. "I kissed my wife and baby and went on my way." Vincent inhaled deeply and let it out sharply before swallowing hard and gave a small nod. Aiden had a feeling he was having to push himself to keep talking at this point.
"Then 'this,'" Vincent grumbled and gestured aggressively towards his blind and damaged eye, "happened." He inhaled slowly and deeply through his nostrils as fresh tears began to pool in his eyes. "While Damien and I were recovering, news came that the capitol had been ravaged by the illness; especially in the poorer parts of town. I prayed that my family would be safe, all of them. But then that's when I got the letter from Emily. Our little Lily was sick, but it had been dated a couple of weeks earlier! I wanted to get home right away but no one was flying or sailing out; especially to the capitol. And, of course, mail was not getting out nearly as quickly anymore.
"We weren't far from here but it wasn't close at all if you traveled on land. And, of course, Leon's Claw needed repairs and Damien had suffered a severe trauma with losing his arm saving me. I was stuck! It took a week to get the proper repairs done so I could fly home myself. Thankfully Damien was fitted for his arm and I could get home to my wife and daughter! I prayed to whatever powers may be that Lily would be okay. I STILL hadn't heard from anyone even though I'd sent letters! Not Emily, my cousins, nor my aunt. Nothing. All I knew was my baby was sick! And when we arrived at the capitol, my cousin Abigail was waiting for me. I knew it the moment I saw it was her waiting there for me; not Emily. I was too late!"
At this point, Vincent was just letting it all out. Now that he was talking and crying, he just couldn't seem to stop! Aiden felt like he couldn't breathe as his heart kept breaking more and more for Vincent.
"It wasn't only my little Lily that I'd lost! I'd lost Emily, too! Emily died the day before I arrived home and Lily three days before! It's not fair! I lost them BOTH!!! Lily and Emily died ALONE while I was stuck two cities away! I wasn't there with them! She asked me to stay but I didn't! What kind of a man am I?! I should have stayed!"
Aiden cried silently beside Vincent as he gazed at the distraught man. What could he say? What could he do? What could possibly console Vincent with something as heartbreaking as this?
So this was why Vincent had spoken to him the way he had when they had met, Aiden realized. He was remembering as he repaired the compass Vincent had spoken to him about Aiden's convictions and determination to leave home. Vincent had tried to convince him that it would be better to stay home with his family. But Aiden had been determined that he wanted this. The feelings and reasonings that Aiden had come back with that had apparently convinced Vincent to hire him seemed like they would be something the late Emily would have encouraged. And quite possibly, it seemed, Vincent had seen a bit of himself in Aiden at the time.
Aiden swallowed hard as the realizations hit him. It took him a minute but he finally got his thoughts together before he spoke softly.
"But at least you have that final memory of them. Of kissing them goodbye and-"
"NO! I DON'T! Just...don't even! You have NO idea!"
Aiden had jumped at Vincent's strangled, sudden outburst! Then Vincent suddenly gave a wrenched sob as he pressed his hands to his face and sobbed even harsher than Aiden had heard thus far. Seconds later, he wrapped his arms around his knees and pulled them quite painfully towards his chest. In his agonized state of being, as well as the intoxication from the bhang, Vincent didn't care about the physical pain flaring to life in his abdomen! Aiden wanted to stop him but right now he didn't dare say or do anything as he stared wide eyed at Vincent.
"You just don't know, Aiden!" Lifting his gaze, he stared up into Aiden's eyes desperately. Aiden had the impression that Vincent was almost pleading with him to understand.
"I wanted to remember them forever like that. Of my wife's smile and my daughter looking so perfect in her arms as I kissed them farewell. I would have that memory and all our happy memories to sustain me. I felt like I was in a daze as I made my way home. Then that's...that's when..."
Vincent closed his eyes and tears slid down his cheeks as the memory came back so painful and fresh as if it happened just yesterday. When he opened them, he was gazing back at Aiden and continued, this time his voice more calm but every bit as heart-wrenching as he said in a near whisper, "I came home as their bodies were being carried out of the building and tossed onto the cart with the other corpses. And the workers they...they just were talking so casually about them and the way they tossed their bodies onto the pile I- I just-"
And he cut himself off and buried his face in his knees and sobbed. He found that he just couldn't stop. Beside him, Aiden sat in shock as all this unfolded. Vincent was inconsolable, but he needed this. Who knew how long he'd kept this torment inside? Surely, he'd never broken down like this before! This seemed too fresh. Aiden wasn't sure what to say to any of that. What could someone say to that?
"And every time I sleep, the dreams always end the same way! I kiss them goodbye and then I see their corpses like that! EVERY! TIME! And I know how alone she was! How miserable and scared she must have been! I should have been there with them! What did I do to deserve this?! I don't want to do this anymore, Aiden! I should have died with them! I don't want to be here anymore! I want to die but I'm too much of a coward to end it all myself!"
And suddenly Vincent was wrapped in the warmth of Aiden's strong embrace before he was gently but firmly held close.
"Shh...shh..."
"Let go!"
At first Vincent started to push him off, but as he felt Aiden's hand come to cup the back of his head, he felt all his walls break down as he allowed himself to lean against Aiden's chest and actually clung to his shirt. The sobs came all over again, but this time they just did not stop coming. Aiden simply held him and pressed his nose and lips to the top of Vincent's head and closed his eyes. He didn't know what else to do but let him get it all out.
Some time had passed. Neither man had paid attention to the time, but eventually Vincent's sobs quieted and he hiccupped as he just leaned against Aiden in a quiet daze as he came down from all that. Aiden gently slid his hand down and rubbed Vincent's back. He wasn't in a hurry to let Vincent out of his arms right now. Once Vincent's breathing was back to normal, Aiden lifted his head and pressed his chin gently atop his head.
"I'm glad you're here, Vincent," he told him softly. "I'd miss you terribly if you were gone."
"Bet you wouldn't miss days like this."
"I'd not be anywhere else."
"You can't really mean that."
"Look at me."
And Vincent did. He sniffed and lifted his head from Aiden's chest and gazed up into his eyes. In a slightly bold move, Aiden reached up and gently brushed away Vincent's tears before stating calmly, "I'd not be anywhere else but here. I will always be here no matter what; whether that be a shoulder to lean on or-... or if you need a poking to lighten up and laugh once in a while. You are important to me, Vincent. You're my best friend."
Vincent's eyes widened and he felt his stomach flutter to life with butterflies. Aiden must truly feel strongly about their bond! Of course, Vincent knew of friendships like this. He had a small group of people he trusted and he was so thankful that Aiden was part of that circle now. And he had to admit that he loved that Aiden could speak his thoughts so freely with him and threw caution and vulnerability to the wind. And Vincent felt like he could as well and it felt liberating each and every time. He felt more free to do so around Aiden than...well, he couldn't even remember!
"You're one of my closest friends too. I'm lucky to have you in my corner, Aiden. I don't know what I did to deserve you. but thank you."
"Of course. I'll always have your back. Always."
Aiden wanted to tell Vincent the truth of his romantic feelings. He truly did. However, he knew that right now was not the time for it; especially not after Vincent's awful breakdown over his dearly missed wife. And as for Aiden, when he'd asked Vincent to talk about Emily, he hadn't expected to compare himself to her the way he unintentionally had. It was hard not to feel a touch of doubt considering he wanted to win Vincent's heart, himself. Aiden and Emily were quite different people. Would Vincent even want him, a man? Would he be open to finding love again to begin with?
Aiden still had every intention of wooing Vincent and telling him the truth one day. He just needed to go about things differently now that he understood how deeply Vincent was hurting.
However, Vincent still needed him as his friend, so romance was not an option right now, but perhaps one day, Aiden thought. He'd just have to be part of his life and hopefully one day things would work out so that Vincent would come to feel he needed Aiden the same way that Aiden needed him.
A very short time later once Vincent was more settled, Aiden released him from his arms and they moved back into the positions they had been in before Bernadette's departure. Vincent was grateful for Aiden's help shifting around before the young man settled in, himself. Vincent had wrenched his body around during his breakdown and now his ribs ached badly. Though thankfully soon after, he wasn't even paying attention to anything else but his new book as his body settled down from all the excitement and the pain became more bearable again.
When Bernadette returned from her errands, she found the men where she'd left them: content and happy beside each other with Vincent nose-deep into his book and Aiden scribbling in his notebook. And she thought silently to herself with a smile, 'Is it just me or are they sitting closer than before?'
At one point very soon after, Vincent needed a moment of privacy to use the bedpan. But as soon as he was done and the bedpan cleaned? Well Aiden was back on the bed beside his best friend and enjoying his company. But what really gave Aiden a reason to smile was when Vincent actually refrained from opening his book and turned to ask Aiden what he was doing in his notebook.
"I'm designing upgrades for Pete!"
"Pete?"
"Pete the Spider Lantern! You met him already."
"Wait. Are you talking about that lantern that came with you to find me?"
"That's the one!"
And that was when Aiden launched into an explanation about Pete and showed him the sketches he'd made of Pete with little added parts to enhance him. Vincent had almost forgotten about the lantern that had come to the tower with Aiden. He remembered now that Aiden had come back from one of his shopping trips a while back with the lantern and declared that he had a project he wanted to work on with it. That was the last Vincent had seen or heard of it until last week when Aiden came to rescue him with it as at his side.
A couple of minutes later there was a knock at the front door to which Bernadette went to answer it. She wasn't expecting anyone else today so who could it be? Surely, not Damien. It was Aiden's turn this evening to babysit Vincent with her tonight. However, it DID turn out to be Damien after all and in his arms were two bags of groceries!
"Damien! We weren't expecting you but thank you! You're spoiling us." She grinned up at him and closed the door behind him.
"You're welcome. And what do you mean? I'm helping out with dressings tonight, remember?"
"Oh!" She paused as she reached to help with the groceries as she thought about it, arms outstretched. "Wait...are you sure?"
At that second, there was a burst of laughter from the other room that belonged to Aiden. Damien glanced towards the room then looked back at Bernadette with a slight smirk and handed her both bags and replied, "Of course I am! You must be tired. Don't worry, Bernie. I'm sure you'll be able to catch up on rest soon." Damien patted her on the shoulder and turned to head towards the bedroom to see what was going on in there.
Bernadette blinked and stood there with the bags of groceries as she stared at his departing backside. She opened her mouth then closed it before looking at the weighty bags in her arms. Feeling a bit confused and a touch irritated, she turned and made her way towards the kitchen and grumbled, "Asshole."
Then a moment later...
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Aiden jumped and blinked as he looked up and around to see who shouted. It was Damien at the door and he looked pretty upset! Why was Damien here anyway? Today was his day off, wasn't it? Aiden opened his mouth but beside him, Vincent was faster to respond with a slightly stern tone, "What's the problem?"
Damien kept his eyes on Aiden and elaborated, "You shouldn't be on the bed! What if Vincent gets hurt worse because of your jostling!"
"Damien, I'm fine!" Vincent cut in before Aiden could even respond and rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Relax! Here, have some bhang tea."
"I don't want tea!"
Damien scowled and folded his arms over his chest as he glared at the two of them. Vincent narrowed his eyes at Damien and sat up a bit straighter and gave him an even stare. Beside him, Aiden shrank where he sat. He wasn't going to get in the middle of this.
"What's really the problem?"
"I already told you!"
"No, you didn't but fine. Do you trust me?"
"Vincent-"
"Do. You. Trust. Me?"
"Well, yes, but-"
"Then trust me when I say I am fine! I'm not fragile! And in case you haven't noticed, Damien, I can handle a little bit of jostling." Vincent sarcastically gestured towards his beaten body. Then after a moment his gaze softened and he smiled a bit as he gestured towards Aiden's notebook. "Besides, Aiden is showing me his sketches! And he brought me a present! See?"
Instead of looking at whatever Vincent was holding up, Damien's gaze shifted towards Aiden who went a deep shade of red and brought his hand up to run through his hair with a shy chuckle and smile. Damien stared at him for a long moment before turning to look at what Vincent was holding out to him impatiently. Upon seeing what it was, Damien scoffed and chuckled, "Another book. Heh. Well, isn't that nice of him?"
Aiden blinked and made a slight face as he was feeling a little offended. And honestly? A little surprised. 'Another book?' he wanted to ask. Did he not know his own supposed best friend enough to know how much he loved and valued books? Surely, he had to! But even Aiden (who didn't enjoy novels the way Vincent did either) understood and appreciated what it meant to the man. And thankfully, it seemed, Vincent was of the same mind and jumped in his defense!
"It is, in fact! Look at it! Look! See who it's by?!" Vincent exclaimed eagerly with a grin. "It just released today!" In his excitement, Vincent had already brushed aside the intensity of Damien's arrival. He was used to Damien's worrywart personality by now and wanted to show off his present!
Aiden however, hadn't brushed it off yet. He knew he'd get over it, but right now he was still feeling a little sour towards Damien. 'What's with this guy?' he wondered silently as he watched Damien approach and ruin their alone time.
Damien finally took a seat on the chair beside Vincent. Even though he was looking at Vincent and listening to what he was saying, his mind was processing what he'd happened upon and the realizations that came with it.
So, Vincent had a brand new book and he hadn't shoved Aiden out the door? Not only that, he wasn't nose deep into it like Damien was used to him doing. His experiences had always taught him that Vincent liked to be left alone while reading, especially with a new book. So, why the Hell was Aiden allowed to be here? Damien certainly wasn't allowed to be! And wasn't this the second time Aiden had brought him a gift?
...was there something else going on between them that he didn't know about?
* "Though pleas`d to see the dolphins play, I mind my compass and my way." - Matthew Green
Inscription on the 'Madpea Compass' by MadPea which you can find on Marketplace!
---
Shout out to Stephen King and his book 'Carrie' for inspiring the book that Emily and Vincent were discussing during their meet-cute!
...
NEXT PART:
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To start from the beginning or to read another chapter, here's the album link:
www.flickr.com/photos/153660805@N05/albums/72157717075565127
***Please note this is a BOY LOVE (BL/yaoi/gay) series. It is a slow burn and rated PG13!***
***
Special thank you to Vin Aydin Raven-Mysterious for collaborating with me on this series and co-starring as The Captain!
And a special thank you to our guest star: Khetas Nova as our spunky Emily Dubois!
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Hi everyone, this painting is dedicated to all those people working everyday busting their asses just to put a little food on the table, some of the hardest jobs out there is working in the fields .There are many kinds of jobs in the fields most involve back breaking work, I have never worked in the fields myself, the hardest kinds of jobs I have ever done were laying shingles and roof work, and trust me that is back breaking work you also have to fight the sun beating down your neck,Another job that was a back breaker was when I did tree work . But this isn't about me its about the ones who do this for years perhaps a lifetime everyday going out to the fields because its the only way they know ,or could be many other circumstances, I know some will say what about the people busting their asses in the offices of the world? and yes I agree that can be back busting work doing the many different office jobs or whatever out there , But that is another painting for another time,but for now my friends this painting is for those waking up tomorrow before the sun, and getting ready to meet once again, the thing called (Toil) steve
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a nice evening last night on New Year's Eve and day today no matter what you decided to do! I wanted to take a moment to share all of the favorite books I read last year and, as always, I'd love to hear about your favorites too!
As I always preface these end of year book lists, many of these books came out in previous years and I didn’t read them when they came out. These just happen to be the best books I read this year. I consider myself an avid reader and one year I actually read a book every day. I haven’t been able to top that since 2019 but I read somewhere between 160-200 books each year. It’s actually hard for me to keep track of the combined total between books I read on my Kindle while traveling and working out on my elliptical and books I read in the bathtub that are the old fashioned type involving paper (remember those?). I successfully did not drop any books in the bathtub this year, which is a real feat seeing as how I am fond of creating bubble monsters that float around from the tub to the ceiling and eat words. You have to watch out for the bubble monsters!
All this being said, here are some of my favorites from this year:
1. Fruiting Bodies by Kathryn Harlan
Harlan could just be my favorite living short story author. Her ideas are not just creative but incredible. This is finely crafted weirdo stuff but exactly what I am looking for in a short story with just the right amount of length and balance between character development and plot. My favorite of the stories, “Fiddler, Fool Pair” was one I resisted at first because I am not as into a certain type of fiction that gets into magical creatures and such but it ended up being not only my favorite but one that I literally weeped at. I’m still getting a little teary now. These are not sad stories, however, but point to the ability of the human spirit to be creative. A couple more things I’ll tell you about this book so that you read it:
-I read it twice this year because I loved it so much.
-My mom read it and loved it so much that she bought a copy for her local library so others could also read it (They didn’t have a copy already).
-This was a Pen/Faulkner 2023 Longlisted book and I’m pretty sure it’s better than anything Faulkner ever wrote.
-If aliens were to come and ask me for one reason why they shouldn’t destroy Earth, I’d shrug and hand them Fruiting Bodies.
2. The Morning Star by Karl Ove Knausgaard
About a decade ago, I read Knausgaard’s My Struggle series and I hadn’t read anything by him since then. Sometimes, I actually veer away from male authors just because throughout history they have been over-represented. That’s not to say there aren’t some fantastic works out there, though and this is one of them. Knausgaard is a very purposeful sort of author and will take his time. This novel is over 600 pages and Wolves of Eternity, which I also read this year and enjoyed, is a whopping 800 pages!
I should also be clear that if I had read Wolves of Eternity first, I may as well have liked it better than The Morning Star. I think my issue with the two novels and reading them so close together was that there was a lot of philosophical overlap about death concepts especially. I enjoyed the characters in both books quite a lot, though, as well as the meandering sense of pondering. I wouldn’t necessarily say Knausgaard is too intellectual, either. He’ll definitely appeal to deep thinkers and the more introspective type of reader but, at the same time, you don’t have to have a philosophy degree to really comprehend the thought processes the characters go through. So, if you’re looking to start this year with a really long novel you can just delve right into, choose one of these. I should also say a main difference between The Morning Star and The Wolves of Eternity is that the Wolves of Eternity gives you some idea of what Russia might look like through a Norwegian perspective *and* gets a little more into human responsibility for choices in this modern world.
Again, I would highly recommend both books. Make time for reading and your life will change.
sprintsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/letter-to-self
3. The Wolf Hunt by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen
I would recommend all three novels I’ve read by this author (Waking Lions and the Liar are her other two) that I’ve read. She is an incredible weaver of stories and cognizant of the complex layers of humans and the inter-weaving of human lives and conflicts..the multiple weights we carry and work through. The Wolf Hunt is no exception and explores everything from racism to homophobia with a few plot twists I never saw coming. This is incredibly riveting book also gives insights into violence and the torn feelings American Jews may have when comparing their lives and choices to their relatives in Israel. Finally, this book is important to read in the sense that it explores how violence begets violence and how quickly paranoia gets out of control. In light of the horror of what is happening between Israel and Palestine in the past and present, I did look up Goshen’s views. I could only find something from a few years ago but she has protested against Israeli violence in Gaza and worked at one time for the Israeli Human Rights Association. She’s also a trained psychologist so perhaps that is also helpful in creating realistic and meaningful characters. Here’s a couple of links featuring a review and an interview.
www.theguardian.com/books/2023/aug/22/the-wolf-hunt-by-ay...
www.thejc.com/life-and-culture/books/interview-ayelet-gun...
4. Greek Lessons by Han Kang
In the past few years, I have noticed more experimental fiction coming out of South Korea and have been very impressed with what I have read. Greek Lessons was one of my favorites this year and I had started the book with a great deal of trepidation as I really hadn’t enjoyed The Vegetarian nearly as much. Greek Lessons is very much so about language and features a very striking sense of experiential inner monologue and sense of philosophizing. It is a real poetic wonder and, though I suppose it would meet some tenants of experimental fiction, it is also possibly to just read it in a certain way where the words intermix with you thoughts and provide a meaningful dialogue and interesting viewpoints.
www.theguardian.com/books/2023/apr/11/greek-lessons-by-ha...
5. The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda
I tend to crave Japanese novels more than any other type and I read A LOT of novels coming out of Japan. Some of them are cute like the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Yes, I read the newest fourth book Before We Say Goodbye of the series and liked it) and some of them are much much darker like The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura which I also read this year. Of course, I have read everything by the famous authors Haruki Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto but I increasingly have gone back and re-read Mishima’s novels as well as Kenzaburō Ōe. All this is just to say that I have some admitted preferences for Japanese fiction in particular and so I may even be considered a little biased.
Some people get massages when they need to slip into a different head space. I usually just read Japanese fiction. That typically does the trick from the first page forward. In fact, I have gone through phases where I can literally only rad Japanese literature and reading anything else makes my stomach feel sick. The words just don’t work right on the page and travel differently into my mind. It’s an odd fit and I detest it. In contrast, from the first page on, every time I open up a Japanese novel, I hear the lyrics “I put a spell on you and now you’re mine!” in my head quite prominently.
The Aosawa Murders is no exception and it put me in quite a trance so that I devoured it like a chocolate cake with mousse filling. I could not stop reading this book I was so transfixed. What’s crazy is I can’t even really put into words or describe my addiction fully and what it is about the writing that had me hooked but the story line was incredible and the way that Onda ventures forth into the event of a mass poisoning by her examination of the characters present was really spectacular. I don’t tend to read a ton of thrillers or mystery novels but Onda’s novel here has some similar characteristics to other books in this genre and surely elevates it in a big way.
www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/riku-onda/the-aosawa-m...
6. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
I read both this book and Deacon King Kong in the same timespan (possibly even in the same week) and I liked them both but this one left an even greater impression, perhaps because of the way McBride gets into the treatment of a boy with a disability in the book. McBride has a way of writing characters with humor even when they are dealing with multiple conflicts and I enjoy that quite a bit. This book also shows a community and ties between African Americans and Jews in small town Pennsylvania in the 1930s, which I think many people might not know about. McBride is a fantastic author and I’ve read many of his novels and enjoyed them! You can tell there’s a side of him that is empathetic and kind to his characters and real people.
www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/09/23/heaven-earth-groc...
7. Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura
I get the feeling that this book is rather popular in Japan and I just saw that it was made into an animated film. I really liked it for it’s vivid imagination and sense of problem solving for a group of isolated teenagers who don’t fit into their high schools at all and so have stopped going because of deep school anxieties. They manage to escape into this castle space and find each other and become friends and there’s an interesting sense of their personalities and how Tsujimura explores what has brought them to this point in their lives. I thought this book was really important for all educators to read to try to understand school anxieties as well as remember what it was like to be a teenager and have these strong feelings. I related quite a bit myself to not feeling like I fit in and wanting to just avoid school altogether. I didn’t end up staying home for any length of time but middle school and high school filled me with a deep dread socially. I didn’t want to enter my school building on most days because I just felt like a true misfit. I battled my first depressions in these years and struggled so much with understanding what I would even have to do to make friends or be popular. Of course, my parents had also moved out to a rural place from the city of Rochester after I finished 6th grade and so I found myself surrounded by farmer kids vs. city kids and I had literally nothing in common with them (On Friday and Saturday nights, they would tip cows for fun and I was a staunch vegetarian even at this age). These kids had all known each other for so many years and I was the new one and relentlessly picked on. The way children can be cruel to each other is something that is troubling to me and I still observe it today. In any case, if you felt like this too a little or if you work with children or have children, you might want to read this one!
www.tor.com/2022/10/20/book-reviews-mizuki-tsujimura-lone...
8. A Living Remedy by Nicole Chung
I’ve read a few memoirs this year but this one was especially impressive to me. Chung was adopted by white parents in Oregon but, unlike many children who have been adopted, her parents were poor and became even more impoverished when they experienced health issues and a failing US healthcare system or, I should probably call it a no care system because that’s basically what it is. Chung explores her life and the processes of handling illness and grief with a disarming honesty and adeptness. She is a fantastic author and her previous memoir, All You Can Ever Know is also recommended. These are heavy topics but I highly believe books like these are so necessary, especially if you happen to be going through these things yourself.
www.npr.org/2023/04/10/1168941141/living-remedy-review-ni...
9. The Aquarium by Yaara Shehori
I think it’s perhaps because I am an only child that I tend to love reading about books that explore the relationships between siblings, especially sisters. It’s fascinating to me, especially when it is done this well. This book is another really poetic marvel and it features a family who is deaf living in an isolated space in poverty and I loved how their thoughts were explored as well as their communications. It also gets into hearing aids and the psychological impact as well as the sensory experience of using them. I was really quite impressed by the way Shehori explored the lives of these sisters!
www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/aquarium-novel
10. Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung
I tend to love speculative fiction and this collection of short stories is super imaginative and fun. I loved the unpredictability of each of them and the collection as a whole and felt like Chung’s voice was very creative and stood out strongly from many other short stories I’ve read. This is just another example of how South Korean authors, especially female authors, are creating great and sometimes preposterous stories and, thankfully, are also being translated into English. Many of these stories had me reeling and laughing in the same span of pages.
www.npr.org/2022/12/11/1142119424/bora-chung-on-her-colle...
More books that I loved reading this year (Honorable Mention)
Monstrilio: A Novel by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
Lydia Davis short story collection Our Strangers
The Memory of Animals a novel by Claire Fuller
The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer collection edited by Janelle Monáe
Seeking Fortune Elsewhere stories by Sindya Bhanoo
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
Groundskeeping by Lee Cole
The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa by Stephen Buoro
The Overstory a novel by Richard Powers
Entangled Life nonfiction by Merlin Sheldrake
Leslie F*cking Jones a memoir
The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto
Oh, William! by Elizabeth Strout
The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez
Evil Eye by Etaf Rum (Palestinian Author)
The New Naturals a novel by Gabriel Bump
The Future a novel by Naomi Alderman
Land of Milk and Honey novel by C. Pam Zhang
Chlorine by Jade Song
Zone One by Colson Whitehead (re-read of my favorite zombie book of all time)
Yellow Face a novel by R.F. Kuang
Disorientation a novel by Elaine Hsieh Chou
Minor Detail a novel by Adania Shibli (Palestinian Author)
The Centre a novel by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi
A note about the above photo: This was taken in late summer when it was over 90 degrees Farenheit, which is too hot for me to be biking in tights and looking good as you can tell. My face looks extraordinarily large with this camera angle but that's how it goes and I am squinting into the sun so to me it looks very strange. Then again, bodies are always a little weird and very silly. My partner, Cinchel, took this photo of me covered in mushrooms lying down near a forest preserve 10 miles NW of where we live. He recently asked me what I would want for an anniversary present (It will be 25 years coming up!) and I replied, "Don't divorce me or die."
**All photos are copyrighted**
... this time involving not one, but two motor scooters. --> see here
Seen near the university library, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany
Konica IIIa with Hexanon 1:1.8 / 50 mm
Kodak Ektar 100 professional grade colour negative film
Developed and scanned by www.meinfilmlab.de
Primavera, is a large panel painting in tempera paint by the Italian Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli made in the late 1470s or early 1480s (datings vary). It has been described as "one of the most written about, and most controversial paintings in the world", and also "one of the most popular paintings in Western art".
The painting depicts a group of figures from classical mythology in a garden, but no story has been found that brings this particular group together. Most critics agree that the painting is an allegory based on the lush growth of Spring, but accounts of any precise meaning vary, though many involve the Renaissance Neoplatonism which then fascinated intellectual circles in Florence. The subject was first described as Primavera by the art historian Giorgio Vasari who saw it at Villa Castello, just outside Florence, by 1550.
Although the two are now known not to be a pair, the painting is inevitably discussed with Botticelli's other very large mythological painting, The Birth of Venus, also in the Uffizi. They are among the most famous paintings in the world, and icons of the Italian Renaissance; of the two, the Birth is even better known than the Primavera. As depictions of subjects from classical mythology on a very large scale, they were virtually unprecedented in Western art since classical antiquity.
The history of the painting is not certainly known; it may have been commissioned by one of the Medici family, but the certainty of its commission is unknown. It draws from a number of classical and Renaissance literary sources, including the works of the Ancient Roman poet Ovid and, less certainly, Lucretius, and may also allude to a poem by Poliziano, the Medici house poet who may have helped Botticelli devise the composition. Since 1919 the painting has been part of the collection of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.
The painting features six female figures and two male, along with a cupid, in an orange grove. The movement of the composition is from right to left, so following that direction the standard identification of the figures is: at far right "Zephyrus, the biting wind of March, kidnaps and possesses the nymph Chloris, whom he later marries and transforms into a deity; she becomes the goddess of Spring, eternal bearer of life, and is scattering roses on the ground." Chloris the nymph overlaps Flora, the goddess she transforms into.
In the centre (but not exactly so) and somewhat set back from the other figures stands Venus, a red-draped woman in blue. Like the flower-gatherer, she returns the viewer's gaze. The trees behind her form a broken arch to draw the eye. In the air above her a blindfolded Cupid aims his bow to the left. On the left of the painting the Three Graces, a group of three females also in diaphanous white, join hands in a dance. At the extreme left Mercury, clothed in red with a sword and a helmet, raises his caduceus or wooden rod towards some wispy gray clouds.
The interactions between the figures are enigmatic. Zephyrus and Chloris are looking at each other. Flora and Venus look out at the viewer, the Cupid is blindfolded, and Mercury has turned his back on the others, and looks up at the clouds. The central Grace looks towards him, while the other two seem to look at each other. Flora's smile was very unusual in painting at this date.
The pastoral scenery is elaborate. There are 500 identified plant species depicted in the painting, with about 190 different flowers, of which at least 130 can be specifically identified. The overall appearance, and size, of the painting is similar to that of the millefleur ("thousand flower") Flemish tapestries that were popular decorations for palaces at the time.
These tapestries had not caught up by the 1480s with the artistic developments of the Italian Renaissance, and the composition of the painting has aspects that belong to this still Gothic style. The figures are spread in a rough line across the front of the picture space, "set side by side like pearls on a string". It is now known that in the setting for which the painting was designed the bottom was about at eye level, or slightly above it, partly explaining "the gently rising plane" on which the figures stand.
The feet of Venus are considerably higher than those of the others, showing she is behind them, but she is at the same scale, if not larger, than the other figures. Overlapping of other figures by Mercury's sword and Chloris' hands shows that they stand slightly in front of the left Grace and Flora respectively, which might not be obvious otherwise, for example from their feet. It has been argued that the flowers do not grow smaller to the rear of the picture space, certainly a feature of the millefleur tapestries.
The costumes of the figures are versions of the dress of contemporary Florence, though the sort of "quasi-theatrical costumes designed for masquerades of the sort that Vasari wrote were invented by Lorenzo de' Medici for civic festivals and tournaments." The lack of an obvious narrative may relate to the world of pageants and tableaux vivants as well as typically static Gothic allegories.
Various interpretations of the figures have been set forth, but it is generally agreed that at least at one level the painting is "an elaborate mythological allegory of the burgeoning fertility of the world." It is thought that Botticelli had help devising the composition of the painting and whatever meanings it was intended to contain, as it appears that the painting reflects a deep knowledge of classical literature and philosophy that Botticelli is unlikely to have possessed. Poliziano is usually thought to have been involved in this, though Marsilio Ficino, another member of Lorenzo de' Medici's circle and a key figure in Renaissance Neoplatonism, has also often been mentioned.
One aspect of the painting is a depiction of the progress of the season of spring, reading from right to left. The wind of early Spring blows on the land and brings forth growth and flowers, presided over by Venus, goddess of April, with at the left Mercury, the god of the month of May in an early Roman calendar, chasing away the last clouds before summer. As well as being part of a sequence over the season, Mercury in dispelling the clouds is acting as the guard of the garden, partly explaining his military dress and his facing out of the picture space. A passage in Virgil's Aeneid describes him clearing the skies with his caduceus. A more positive, Neoplatonist view of the clouds is that they are "the benificent veils through which the splendour of transcendent truth may reach the beholder without destroying him."
Venus presides over the garden – an orange grove (a Medici symbol). It is also the Garden of the Hesperides of classical myth, from which the golden apples used in the Judgement of Paris came; the Hellenistic Greeks had decided that these were citrus fruits, exotic to them. According to Claudian, no clouds were allowed there. Venus stands in front of the dark leaves of a myrtle bush. According to Hesiod, Venus had been born of the sea after the semen of Uranus had fallen upon the waters. Coming ashore in a shell she had clothed her nakedness in myrtle, and so the plant became sacred to her. Venus appears here in her character as a goddess of marriage, clothed and with her hair modestly covered, as married women were expected to appear in public.
The Three Graces are sisters, and traditionally accompany Venus. In classical art (but not literature) they are normally nude, and typically stand still as they hold hands, but the depiction here is very close to one adapting Seneca by Leon Battista Alberti in his De pictura (1435), which Botticelli certainly knew. From the left they are identified by Edgar Wind as Voluptas, Castitas, and Pulchritudo (Pleasure, Chastity and Beauty), though other names are found in mythology, and it is noticeable that many writers, including Lightbown and the Ettlingers, refrain from naming Botticelli's Graces at all.
Botticelli's Pallas and the Centaur (1482) has been proposed as the companion piece to Primavera.
Cupid's arrow is aimed at the middle Grace — Chastity, according to Wind — and the impact of love on chastity, leading to a marriage, features in many interpretations. Chastity looks towards Mercury, and some interpretations, especially those identifying the figures as modelled on actual individuals, see this couple as one to match Chloris and Zephyrus on the other side of the painting.
In a different interpretation the Earthy carnal love represented by Zephyrus to the right is renounced by the central figure of the Graces, who has turned her back to the scene, unconcerned by the threat represented to her by Cupid. Her focus is on Mercury, who himself gazes beyond the canvas at what many believe hung as the companion piece to Primavera: Pallas and the Centaur, in which "love oriented towards knowledge" (embodied by Pallas Athena) proves triumphant over lust (symbolized by the centaur).
The basic identification of the figures is now widely agreed,but in the past other names have sometimes been used for the females on the right, who are two stages of the same person in the usual interpretation. The woman in the flowered dress may be called Primavera (a personification of Spring), with Flora the figure pursued by Zephyrus. One scholar suggested in 2011 that the central figure is not Venus at all, but Persephone.
In addition to its overt meaning, the painting has been interpreted as an illustration of the ideal of Neoplatonic love popularized among the Medicis and their followers by Marsilio Ficino. The Neoplatonic philosophers saw Venus as ruling over both Earthly and divine love and argued that she was the classical equivalent of the Virgin Mary; this is alluded to by the way she is framed in an altar-like setting that is similar to contemporary images of the Virgin Mary. Venus' hand gesture of welcome, probably directed to the viewer, is the same as that used by Mary to the Archangel Gabriel in contemporary paintings of the Annunciation.
Punning allusions to Medici names probably include the golden balls of the oranges, recalling those on the Medici coat of arms, the laurel trees at right, for either Lorenzo, and the flames on the costume of both Mercury (for whom they are a regular attribute) and Venus, which are also an attribute of Saint Laurence (Lorenzo in Italian). Mercury was the god of medicine and "doctors", medici in Italian. Such puns for the Medici, and in Venus and Mars the Vespucci, run through all Botticelli's mythological paintings.
The origin of the painting is unclear. Botticelli was away in Rome for many months in 1481/82, painting in the Sistine Chapel, and suggested dates are in recent years mostly later than this, but still sometimes before. Thinking has been somewhat changed by the publication in 1975 of an inventory from 1499 of the collection of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici.
The 1499 inventory records it hanging in the city palace of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici and his brother Giovanni "Il Popolano". They were the cousins of Lorenzo de' Medici ("Lorenzo il Magnifico"), who was effectively the ruler of Florence, and after their father's early death had been his wards. It hung over a large lettuccio, an elaborate piece of furniture including a raised base, a seat and a backboard, probably topped with a cornice. The bottom of the painting was probably at about the viewer's eye-level, so rather higher than it is hung today.
In the same room was Botticelli's Pallas and the Centaur, and also a large tondo with the Virgin and Child. The tondo is now unidentified, but is a type of painting especially associated with Botticelli. This was given the highest value of the three paintings, at 180 lire. A further inventory of 1503 records that the Primavera had a large white frame.
In the first edition of his Life of Botticelli, published in 1550, Giorgio Vasari said that he had seen this painting, and the Birth of Venus, hanging in the Medici country Villa di Castello. Before the inventory was known it was usually believed that both paintings were made for the villa, probably soon after it was acquired in 1477, either commissioned by Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco or perhaps given to him by his older cousin and guardian Lorenzo de' Medici. Rather oddly, Vasari says both paintings contained female nudes, which is not strictly the case here.
Most scholars now connect the painting to the marriage of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici. Paintings and furniture were often given as presents celebrating weddings. The marriage was on 19 July 1482, but had been postponed after the death of the elder Lorenzo's mother on 25 March. It was originally planned for May. Recent datings tend to prefer the early 1480s, after Botticelli's return from Rome, suggesting it was directly commissioned in connection with this wedding, a view supported by many.
Another older theory, assuming an early date, suggests the older Lorenzo commissioned the portrait to celebrate the birth of his nephew Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici (who later became Pope), but changed his mind after the assassination of Giulo's father, his brother Giuliano in 1478, having it instead completed as a wedding gift for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco.
It is frequently suggested that Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco is the model for Mercury in the portrait, and his bride Semiramide represented as Flora (or Venus). In older theories, placing the painting in the 1470s, it was proposed that the model for Venus was Simonetta Vespucci, wife of Marco Vespucci and according to popular legend the mistress of Giuliano de' Medici (who is also sometimes said to have been the model for Mercury); these identifications largely depend on an early date, in the 1470s, as both were dead by 1478. Simonetta was the aunt of Lorenzo's bride Semiramide. Summarizing the many interpretations of the painting, Leopold Ettlinger includes "descending to the ludricous – a Wagnerian pantomime enacted in memory of the murdered Giuliano de' Medici and his beloved Simonetta Vespucci with the Germanic Norns disguised as the Mediterranean Graces."
Whenever this painting and the Birth of Venus were united at Castello, they have remained together ever since. They stayed in Castello until 1815, when they were transferred to the Uffizi. For some years until 1919 they were kept in the Galleria dell'Accademia, another government museum in Florence. Since 1919, it has hung in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. During the Italian campaign of World War Two, the picture was moved to Montegufoni Castle about ten miles south west of Florence to protect it from wartime bombing.
It was returned to the Uffizi Gallery where it remains to the present day. In 1978, the painting was restored.[66] The work has darkened considerably over the course of time
i've been busy working on a project involving photography, so the last thing i want to do lately is take pictures. sorry, flickr friends!
Lightning photography involves a certain amount of serendipity, and this exposure, just one second, illustrates this. I saw the flash about the same time as my brain registered the sound of the shutter opening, so I closed it as fast as I could to avoid any partial flashes in the frame should another bolt come along sooner than later. Seeing it on my LCD screen was very satisfying; I knew this one would be one of the night’s better results and it is my first upload from the 2015 monsoon season.
A brief moment, forever held still.
Lightning, 2015.07.06, 2651.
Thoughts?
Our hike on the second day of backpacking the High Sierra Trail (HST) ended at Precipice Lake. This lake became one of the best lakes Iâd seen. The sheer drop of the cliff into the lake is just mind boggling to look at. It is definitely one of those things where you have to actually see it to believe it. The hike to the lake involving over 2,100 feet elevation gain from Hamilton Lakes wore me out quite a bit with the heavy pack that I was carrying. I had wanted to jump into the lake prior to when I got there, but the lake at 10,384 feet was icy cold. Even some patches of snow still lingering right at the shore kept me out of the water. Instead, I just relaxed while soaking in the almost surreal beauty of the precipice dropping right into the lake.
Photo 5 of a mini-story involving Elizabeth and Poppy.
(See the whole story uploaded in my stream or click on the album "Let's do Lunch") :)
Theme Rules: Food brings people together, and the more the merrier! Show us two or more of your dolls enjoying a midday meal. Are they sharing a romantic meeting at a Parisian café or at the newest burger joint? Are friends gathering for a picnic at the park or beach? Perhaps your dolls are learning how to prepare a yummy, healthy lunch together at home. There are many ways to spend a lunch date, so let's eat!
This photo: Poppy and Paul finish a quick hot dog lunch in the park on a beautiful summer day.
Poppy's dress, causing much jealousy on Elizabeth's part, is by Olgaomi (etsy.com/shop/olgaomi)
Happiness is… eating chocolate. Lots of it. :D
“It is true that money doesn’t buy happiness. But it does buy chocolate which is kind of the same thing.” – Unknown.
“Your hand and your mouth agreed many years ago that, as far as chocolate is concerned, there is no need to involve your brain.” – Dave Barry.
Soul Control – Chocolate (Choco Choco) ♫ youtu.be/krC3w2iF7sQ
Photo edited with PicMonkey.
Uyuni Salt Flat
Sud Lipez
Bolivia
I couldn´t get a better comp here cause i was on a tour with all the limited time that involves, although it was a photogenic place.
Tsavo lions are a distinct variety of Masai lions and are notable for their lack of mane and smooth pelt, their size, and that they actively participate in hunting.
Tsavo males have been known as man-eaters, particularly involving an incident during the building of the Uganda Railway in the late 19th century.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsavo_lion
This was taken in 1983 using kodachrome. I drove around a bend and nearly hit the lion as it just appeared from the bush. I quickly picked up the camera and snapped it. Always wondered why it's earlobe had a split.
The hanami (flower viewing) celebrations usually involve eating and drinking, and playing and listening to music. Some special dishes are prepared and eaten at the occasion, like dango and bento, and sake is commonly drunk as part of the festivity.
Hanami was first used as a term analogous to cherry blossom viewing in the Heian era novel The Tale of Genji. Although a wisteria viewing party was also described, the terms "hanami" and "flower party" were subsequently used only in reference to cherry blossom viewing.
Sakura was originally used to divine that year's harvest as well as announce the rice-planting season. People believed in kami (spirits) inside the trees and made offerings. Afterwards, they partook of the offering with sake.
photo rights reserved by B℮n
Wat Si Phan Ton is known for its beautiful architecture and the use of gold-colored sheet metal to cover the buildings and structures. This gives the temple its distinctive shiny golden appearance, which contributed to its nickname Golden Temple. Buddhist monks live in Wat Si Phan Ton, including the venerable monk Chao Abbot. In Thai temples such as Wat Si Phan Ton, monks perform several roles: Prayer and Meditation, Buddha's Teachings, Community Service, and Almsgiving. Monks may be involved in community service, such as providing spiritual guidance to those in need, attending ceremonial events, and providing moral support. They follow a strict set of precepts and devote their lives to the pursuit of spiritual development, meditation and spreading the Buddha's teachings. Monks spend a significant portion of their time in prayer and meditation. This enables them to achieve inner peace and gain profound insights. Monks can be involved in community service, such as providing spiritual guidance to those in need, attending ceremonial events, and providing moral support. In Buddhism, it is considered virtuous to give food and donations to monks. Monks often enter the community early in the morning to receive alms as a way to promote spiritual connection. Monks lead a simple lifestyle and have minimal material possessions. They wear traditional orange robes and shave their heads as a sign of renunciation of worldly vanity. Wat Si Phan Ton is not only a place of worship, but also a cultural and historical site.
Wat Si Phan Ton is a striking Buddhist temple located in Nan, Thailand, and it is sometimes affectionately referred to as the Golden Temple because of its dazzling golden appearance. The temple is an important spiritual and cultural site in Nan. It is not only a place of worship and meditation, but also a symbol of the region's rich Buddhist tradition and cultural heritage.
Wat Si Phan Ton staat bekend om zijn prachtige architectuur en het gebruik van goudkleurige bladmetaal om de gebouwen en structuren te bedekken. Dit geeft de tempel zijn opvallende glanzende gouden uiterlijk, wat heeft bijgedragen aan zijn bijnaam Golden Temple. Er wonen boeddhistische monniken in Wat Si Phan Ton zo ook de eerbiedwaardige monnik Chao Abt. In Thaise tempels zoals Wat Si Phan Ton, vervullen monniken verschillende rollen: Gebed en Meditatie, de leer van Boeddha, Gemeenschapsdienst en Aalmoezen. Monniken kunnen betrokken zijn bij gemeenschapsdienst, zoals het bieden van spirituele begeleiding aan mensen die dat nodig hebben, het bijwonen van ceremoniële gebeurtenissen en het bieden van morele ondersteuning. Ze volgen een reeks strikte leefregels en besteden hun leven aan het nastreven van spirituele ontwikkeling, meditatie en het verspreiden van de leer van Boeddha. Monniken besteden een aanzienlijk deel van hun tijd aan gebed en meditatie. Dit stelt hen in staat om innerlijke vrede te bereiken en diepgaande inzichten te verwerven. Monniken kunnen betrokken zijn bij gemeenschapsdienst, zoals het bieden van spirituele begeleiding aan mensen die dat nodig hebben, het bijwonen van ceremoniële gebeurtenissen en het bieden van morele ondersteuning. In het Boeddhisme wordt het als deugdzaam beschouwd om voedsel en donaties te schenken aan monniken. Monniken gaan vaak in de vroege ochtend de gemeenschap in om aalmoezen te ontvangen als een manier om spirituele verbondenheid te bevorderen. Monniken leiden een eenvoudige levensstijl en hebben minimale materiële bezittingen. Ze dragen traditionele oranje gewaden en scheren hun hoofd als teken van verzaking van wereldse ijdelheid. Wat Si Phan Ton is niet alleen een plek van aanbidding, maar ook een culturele en historische plek.
Not so prolific, compared to other years, but then, a lot of projects involving bricks were not mocs and weren't shared on any kind of social media. So in the end, 2015 was a good year.
Some of my encounters with strangers involve time spent getting acquainted but some are fleeting. I had just finished lunch with a friend who asked how I choose the people I photograph and I didn’t have a clear answer. A flip answer would have been that anyone moving slower than me is at risk. In reality, while there is always something that attracts my attention, I don’t always know offhand what it is. Such was not the case with this man. I had just retrieved my bicycle to head for home when I saw him across the street with his neon shades and Mickey Mouse t-shirt. Ok, I'm interested. Curious, I crossed the street and caught up with him on the sidewalk.
When I introduced myself and explained my wish to photograph him for my project I thought he was going to ignore me because he kept walking. Suddenly he turned around and said “You want a photo of me, go ahead and take it.” Caught off guard, I explained I had to dump my bicycle and get out my camera. I asked him if he could step out of the sun and stand in front of the charcoal-colored wall near the subway station and he did. Two quick clicks and that was it. I told him I really liked his look with the shades and Mickey Mouse t-shirt. “Thanks” he said. He was a man of few words. I showed him his photo on my camera display and he said “Yep. That’s me” and turned to leave. I asked if he wanted my card and a copy of his photo and he said “Don’t need it.” I asked his name as he rejoined the pedestrian traffic and he said over his shoulder “I’m Dave.”
I liked the contrast between his no-nonsense manner and his great, funky sense of style which I hope he never loses.
I had another one minute photo session two days ago on Yonge Street snd this was my one minute photo session on Bay Street. It surprises me that such a transitory encounter can produce enough connection between complete strangers to produce a photo and an experience that I will not soon forget.
Thank you Dave, today’s man of mystery, for taking this brief moment to participate in my Human Family photography project. I will never know your story but I won’t forget your unexpected willingness to help a stranger doing a photo project. I wish you well.
This is my 27th submission to the Human Family group.
You can view more stranger portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.
Prior to his involvement in the War of the Rough Wooing, Sir John Home of Cowdenknowes became embroiled in the feud between the Kerrs and the Scotts. This feud arose when James V, attempting to escape from the supervision of the Earl of Angus, enlisted the help of the Scotts of Buccleuch. They, with 600 men from Liddesdale and Annandale, attacked the royal train near Melrose. Their attempt to liberate the king failed and Kerr of Cessford was killed during the attack. Twenty-six years later, in 1552, the Kerrs had their revenge when a group of Kerr supporters waylaid Scott of Buccleuch in the High Street of Edinburgh, Buccleuch being slain by - Sir John Home of Cowdenknowes.
Following the death of Sir John Home in 1573 Cowdenknowes was inherited by his eldest son, Sir James Home of Synlaws. He was clearly a man of parts, being appointed Warden of the East March (1573); a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to James VI (1580); Baillie of the Earldom of the March, and a Privy Councilor. During the Earl of Arran’s regime, Sir James was imprisoned in Blackness Castle and ordered to give up the house and fortalice of Cowdenknowes, however on Arran’s fall, he was rewarded with the Captaincy of Edinburgh Castle.
Sir James Home greatly added to whatever work his father carried out, however only the ground floor of what he built survives, as the ground floor of the centre section of the current house as viewed from here - ie the section covered in wisteria and the wings to either side of it. This part of the house still retains 5 vaulted chambers - a sure sign that it dates back to the fortified era. There appear to have been two entrances, one in each of the wings. That in the wing to the left is surrounded by some nice stone carving and defended by a quatrefoil-shaped gunloop to the left (seen better in the previous photo). The other door was in the re-entrant of the right-hand tower and has a decorative panel above it with the initials S.I.H. in monogram for Sir James Home.
Above first floor level in the small wing to the right (east) of the main block, the walling is projected slightly on a course of corbelling, over which runs an inscription that reads:
"FEIR . GOD . FLEE . FROM . SYNNE . AND . MAK . FOR . YE . LYFE . EVERLASTING".
The ornate door was in the wing to the left (which is actually a stair-tower) has the initials S.I.H, and V.K.H. above it, for Sir James Home and his wife Katherine Home (V = U and stands for the Latin word uxorem, which translates into English as wife), daughter of John Home of Blackadder.
Sir James Home died in 1595.
Melasti procession to the Tanah Lot temple or spring involves all community members. Children and adolescences march neatly while bringing along the long pennant, spear and ritual umbrella while women balance offerings and other ritual paraphernalia. Meanwhile, adult men in Tanah Lot carry jempana or sedan chair of the effigies and many kind of hallowed representations like barong and rangda.
On the Clyde for Joint Warrior 2017-1
Joint Warrior is a UK tri-Service multinational exercise that involves numerous warships, aircraft, marines and troops.
A second tour around the network involving the 1938 stock was arranged for Sunday 17th March and whilst the tickets sold out far too quickly for me to even consider getting on board, conveniently enough the tour started at my local station so snapping shouldn't have been too difficult, even if my phone decided a quality image would be! They really aren't built for this stuff I suppose.
Nonetheless, a picture is better than none at all and the train, fully seated, passes through South Ealing one stop after the start of a long journey to Upminster.
There is barely any color left in this 56 year-old 3.5x5 inch photograph of me and my brother.
Photos of that era had a tendency to start fading after a few years. Our Dad snapped this shot but I can't remember what type of camera or film he used, probably Kodak or Polaroid. A few years ago my brother scanned this photo and produced a digital image which I tweaked using photo editing software to bring that moment back to life. A little bit of color is all you need if your editing software offers a large "color saturation" adjustment.
I remember how dry and crispy the grass was on that day. It must have been late summer. I know it was hot. The shrubs had a perfume and I recall the faint odor of freshly painted shutters on the windows. Mom and Dad were proud of our place and kept it spic n span.
Mom kept a watchful eye on newspaper ads. Occasionally, Sears or Montgomery Ward would offer a 2 for 1 deal on boys clothing. Mom and Dad taught us what it meant to be frugal and thrifty. Dad's DIY burr haircuts and home maintenance projects showed us how to save money. I still cut my own hair. It ain't pretty but it feels good when I think of the money I've saved over the years.
We received those bikes (Huffy Cheater Slick) the previous Christmas and spent the summer of '69 polishing our fenders with Dad's Turtle Wax. I used my allowance to purchase a speedometer for my bike at the local Western Auto store and I'm not exactly sure why 😜 since I never reached more than 20 mph. I guess I thought it was cool. Back then, our world consisted of a few blocks within our neighborhood in Lexington, Kentucky. We would meet with our friends and see who could lock their brakes and lay down the longest skid-mark, or ride down to Southland Shopping Center to get an ice-cream cone, a comic book and some bubble gum.
I never watched CBS News-man Walter Cronkite (or Waller Crank-Tight as Dad called him) who appeared each evening on 1 of our 4 TV channels, but I remember watching Neil Armstrong plant his feet on the Moon.
Years later, I discovered how many headlines made history that year, how time has changed the world, and how some things never change.
Space
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins performed the first successful manned moon landing and Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. The Mariner 6 Mars probe was launched from the United States and Soviet space probes Venera 5 & 6 arrived in Venus' atmosphere and were able to transmit information about the planet for 50 minutes before the Soviets lost contact.
Project Blue Book, the United States Air Force’s investigation into unidentified flying objects known as UFOs, officially came to an end on December 17.
Music
The Woodstock Festival was held near White Lake, New York, attracting 350,000 music fans. Woodstock featured some of the top rock musicians of the era including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Joe Cocker, and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. In England, the Isle of Wight Festival attracted an audience of approximately 150,000 to watch 26 performers including Bob Dylan, The Who, Blonde On Blonde, Joe Cocker, The Moody Blues and Free. A free concert organized by the Rolling Stones was held at Altamont Speedway in Livermore, California with problems caused by the use of Hells Angels as Bouncers resulting in a number of deaths.
The Beatles released their Abbey Road album and gave their last public performance from the roof of Apple Records in London. John Lennon and Yoko Ono were married at Gibraltar, and had their honeymoon "Bed-In" for peace in Amsterdam. The John Lennon Album "Two Virgins" featuring John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the nude were confiscated at Newark Airport. Brian Jones, former Rolling Stones Guitarist drowned after a drinking and drug binge.
Led Zeppelin released Led Zeppelin II to critical acclaim, Pink Floyd released their Ummagumma album, The Rolling Stones released their Let It Bleed album and The Who released their Tommy album featuring the hit classic Pinball Wizard. Elvis Presley scored his final number one hit with the song Suspicious Minds.
Popular Songs: The Rolling Stones -- " Honky Tonk Woman ", The Beatles -- " Get Back" and "Come Together ", Johnny Cash -- "Daddy Sang Bass", Zager and Evans -- "In The Year 2525", The Archies -- "Sugar Sugar" and The Fifth Dimension -- "Aquarius".
Politicians
Richard Nixon was sworn in as the 37th U.S. president and Golda Meir became the first female prime minister of Israel. Moammar Gadhafi, a military captain at the time, deposed King Idris and assumed control of Libya. Charles de Gaulle Resigned as French President. Former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower died after a long illness at the age of 79 and Ho Chi Minh, the president of North Vietnam also died at the age of 79.
US Senator Edward M. Kennedy drove off a bridge into a tidal pond after leaving a party on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, killing passenger Mary Jo Kopechne who was trapped inside the vehicle. Kennedy did not report the accident for nine or ten hours.
Sea
Robin Knox-Johnston became the first person to sail around the world solo without stopping. Donald Crowhurst's sailing trimaran Teignmouth Electron was found drifting and unoccupied in mid-Atlantic; it was presumed that Crowhurst committed suicide (or fell overboard) at sea earlier in the month having falsified his progress in the solo Sunday Times Golden Globe Race.
John Fairfax landed in Hollywood Beach, Florida near Miami and became the first person to row across an ocean solo. The SS United States, the last active United States Lines passenger ship, was withdrawn from service and the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 was entered into service.
The Australian light aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne sliced the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans in half killing 82 of her crew.
Flight
The Boeing 747 "jumbo jet" was flown for the first time, taking off from the Boeing airfield at Everett, Washington. The 747 also made its first passenger flight carrying 191 people, most of them reporters and photographers, from Seattle to New York City.
In Toulouse, France, The Concorde made its first successful flight with a maximum cruising speed of 2,179 km (1,354 miles) per hour, more than twice the speed of sound and The Hawker Siddeley Harrier known as the "Jump Jet" was entered into service with the Royal Air Force.
Despite temperatures of -43C at altitudes of 29,000 ft. 22-year-old Cuban refugee Armando Socarras Ramirez survived in the wheel well of a DC-8 from Havana, Cuba, to Madrid, Spain, wearing only light clothing.
Medicine
On 4 April 1969, Domingo Liotta and Denton A. Cooley replaced a dying man's heart with a mechanical heart inside the chest at The Texas Heart Institute in Houston as a bridge for a transplant. The man woke up and began to recover. After 64 hours, the pneumatic-powered artificial heart was removed and replaced with a donor heart.
A teenager known as 'Robert R.' died in St. Louis, Missouri, of a baffling medical condition. In 1984 Robert R's condition was identified as the earliest confirmed case of HIV/AIDS in North America.
Doctors at Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, made medical history on April 22nd, when they performed the first human eye transplant on 54-year-old John Madden. Because the donor eye had not been preserved enough to keep it viable, the procedure failed to restore Madden's sight.
Weather
During the last week of February a snowstorm hit the Northeastern U.S. region. The storm had a Regional Snowfall Index (RSI) of 34.03 making it a Category 5 storm. Mt. Washington in New Hampshire had over 8 feet of snow during the storm. On February 25 alone, Mt. Washington had over 4 feet of snow: 49.3 inches, which is still the one-day record.
Category 5 Hurricane Camille, the most powerful tropical cyclonic system at landfall in history, hit the Mississippi coast, killing 248 people and left $1.5 billion dollars in damage (1969 dollars).
Crime
Michael Mageau and Darlene Ferrin were shot at Blue Rock Springs Park in Vellejo, California. They were the second (known) victims of the Zodiac Killer. Mageau survived the attack but Ferrin was pronounced dead-on-arrival at Richmond Medical Center. Two months later, The Zodiac Killer stabbed Bryan Hartnell and Cecilia Shepard at Lake Berryessa. Hartnell survived but Shepard died. During the following month, The Zodiac Killer shot and killed taxi driver Paul Stine in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, marking the infamous serial killer's last known slaying.
Members of the Manson Family invaded the home of actress Sharon Tate and her husband Roman Polanski in Los Angeles. The followers killed Tate (who was 8.5 months pregnant), and her friends: Folgers coffee heiress Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and Hollywood hairstylist Jay Sebring. Also killed was Steven Parent, leaving from a visit to the Polanskis' caretaker. More than 100 stab wounds were found on the victims, except for Parent, who had been shot almost as soon as the Manson Family entered the property. The following day the Manson Family killed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, a wealthy Los Angeles businessman and his wife.
Police raid Stonewall Inn on June 28th a gay club located in New York City ending The Stonewall Riot.
In a Los Angeles court, Sirhan Sirhan admitted that he killed presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy. In Memphis, Tennessee, James Earl Ray pled guilty to assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. (he later retracted his guilty plea). The trial began of the "Chicago Seven" accused of inciting a riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
Boxing champion Muhammad Ali was convicted of evading the draft after he refused to be inducted into the U.S. Army. Arrest warrants were issued by a Florida court for Jim Morrison on charges of indecent exposure during a Doors concert.
The Unexplained
Six-year-old Dennis Martin disappeared while camping in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Dennis was last seen by his father going behind a bush to hide, intending to surprise the adults with the other children. After not seeing him for about five minutes and when the other children had returned to the campsite, his father became concerned and began searching for him. His father ran down the trail for nearly two miles, until he was sure he could not have gotten any farther. After several hours, they sought help from National Park Service rangers. The search effort was the most extensive in the park's history, involving approximately 1,400 searchers and a 56-square-mile (150 km2) area. Dennis was never found.
While campaigning in Leary, GA, future president Jimmy Carter and several other guests at a Lion's Club Meeting witnessed an Unidentified Flying Object. Carter later filed the incident with the International UFO Bureau and in 1977 he became the first U.S. President with an official record of a UFO sighting.
Business
The first automatic teller machine (ATM) in the United States was installed in Rockville Centre, New York. Samsung Electronics was founded in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Donald and Doris Fisher opened the first Gap store on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco and Wal-Mart incorporated as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
New Products
Seiko Astron - world’s first commercial quartz wristwatch
Capri-Sun, juice concentrate drink
Charms Blow Pops
Fla-Vor-Ice popsicles
Kelloggs Frosted Mini Wheats
Funyuns Onion Flavored Rings by Frito-Lay
Gain detergent by Proctor & Gamble
Hawaiian Tropic Suntan Lotion
Manwich canned sloppy joe sauce by ConAgra and Hunts
Nerf Brand Toys by Parker Brothers
Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Cookies
Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn by Chester Inc.
Tic Tac mints by Ferrero
Restaurants
Dave Thomas opened his first Wendy's restaurant in a former steakhouse in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Captain D's was founded as "Mr. D's Seafood and Hamburgers" by Ray Danner with its first location opening in Donelson, Tennessee. The Long John Silver's restaurant chain opened its first store on Southland Drive in Lexington, Kentucky (I was there) and Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips was founded by S. Robert Davis and Dave Thomas with its first location in Columbus, Ohio.
Dan W. Evins opened the first Cracker Barrel Old Country Store on Highway 109 in Lebanon, TN. By 1977 he had opened 13 stores from Kentucky to Georgia. In 2020 there were 664 stores in 45 states.
Sports
San Francisco Giant Willie Mays became the first major league baseball player since Babe Ruth to hit 600 career home runs. The New York Mets defeated the Baltimore Orioles four games to one in one of the greatest World Series upsets in baseball history. The Montreal Expos became the first Major League Baseball team to be founded outside the U.S., Mickey Mantle retired from baseball and professional footballer Pelé scored his 1,000th goal.
Mario Andretti won the Indy 500, the only victory in the "Great American Race" for the legendary Andretti family as a driver.
War
The Battle of Dong Ap Bia, also known as Hamburger Hill, began on May 10th. Although the heavily fortified Hill 937 was of little strategic value, U.S. command ordered its capture by a frontal assault, only to abandon it soon thereafter. U.S. losses during the ten-day battle totaled 72 killed and 372 wounded.
Persons who were born during the years from 1944 to 1951, and who celebrated their birthdays on September 14, marked the occasion without being aware that their birthday would be the first date selected in the new U.S. draft lottery on December 1.
Independent investigative journalist Seymour Hersh broke the My Lai Massacre story, the mass murder of unarmed South Vietnamese civilians by U.S. troops in the Sơn Tịnh District of South Vietnam.
Negotiators from the Soviet Union and the United States met in Helsinki, to begin the SALT I negotiations aimed at limiting the number of strategic weapons on both sides.
250,000 people marched on Washington in protest of the Vietnam War and the very first U.S. troop withdrawals were made from Vietnam.
Hollywood
Several blockbuster and now classic films were released in 1969. 20th Century Fox released Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Katharine Ross. Columbia Pictures released Easy Rider starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson. Paramount Pictures released True Grit starring John Wayne, Glen Campbell and Kim Darby. Midnight Cowboy starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight was released and won three Academy Awards.
Other notable film releases of 1969: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Funny Girl, The Love Bug, Hello Dolly!, Where Eagles Dare, and Paint Your Wagon.
At 24 years old, a young and nude Helen Mirren established her first major film role in Age of Consent starring James Mason and directed by Michael Powell.
Best known for her role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, American actress and singer Judy Garland died while in London of an accidental barbiturate overdose less than 2 weeks after her 47th birthday.
Television
The first episode of Hee Haw aired on the CBS network with guest stars Loretta Lynn and Charlie Pride. Scooby-Doo also aired its first episode on the CBS network. The Brady Bunch was broadcast for the first time on ABC. Monty Python's Flying Circus first aired on BBC One and Sesame Street aired its first episode on the NET network. The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) was established and The Galloping Gourmet with host Graham Kerr debuted in the U.S.
NBC aired the last episode of the original Star Trek series "Turnabout Intruder" Starring Leonard Nimoy (Spock) and Majel Barret (Nurse Chapel) the only actors to appear in both the series finale and the first pilot Star Trek: The Cage (1966).
Technology
The first message was sent over ARPANET, the forerunner of the internet and the first ARPANET link was established (the progenitor of the global Internet).
The Microprocessor ( a miniature set of integrated circuits ) was invented opening the door for the computer revolution that followed.
UNIX was developed by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs.
Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith developed the charge-coupled device (CCD) while working at Bell Laboratories, producing the world's first solid-state video camera just a year later.
Cars
Pontiac Firebird Trans Am the epitome of the American muscle car was introduced. Chevrolet produced 3,675 Pace Car Edition Camaro Z11's and Ford offered the new Capri in everything from the basic 1.3-litre to the meaty 3.0-litre V6.
The Plymouth Road Runner captured the spotlight as Motor Trend's Car of The Year. Engine options included the standard 383 and optional 426 Hemi with the mid-year introduction of the 440 A12 Six Pack performance option.
U.S. Cost of Living 1969 vs 2023 (updated 5/21/2023)
yearly income 1969: $9,400 (2023 dollars: $77,700)
yearly income 2023: $53,490
new house 1969: $25,600 (2023 dollars: $211,610)
new house 2023: $436,800
new car 1969: $3,400 (2023 dollars: $28,104)
new car 2023: $47,000
1 gallon of gas 1969: 35 cents (2023 dollars: $2.89)
1 gallon of gas 2023: $3.54
1 loaf of white bread 1969: 23 cents (2023 dollars: $1.90)
1 loaf of white bread 2023: $2.50
Stocks are devices used internationally, in medieval, Renaissance and colonial American times as a form of physical punishment involving public humiliation. The stocks partially immobilized its victims and they were often exposed in a public place such as the site of a market to the scorn of those who passed by.
The stocks are similar to the pillory and the pranger, as each consists of large, hinged, wooden boards; the difference, however, is that when a person is placed in the stocks, their feet are locked in place, and sometimes as well their hands or head, or these may be chained.
With stocks, boards are placed around the ankles and the wrists in some cases, whereas in the pillory they are placed around the arms and neck and fixed to a pole, and the victim stands. However, the terms can be confused, and many people refer to the pillory as the stocks.
Since stocks served an outdoor public form of punishment its victims were subjected to the daily and nightly weather. As a consequence it was not uncommon for people kept in stocks over several days to die from exposure.[citation needed]
The practice of using stocks continues to be cited as an example of torture, cruel and unusual punishment. Insulting, kicking, tickling, spitting and in some cases urinating and defecating on its victims could be applied at the free will of any of those present. The hapless feet were also taken advantage of by such savage cruelties as inserting burning materials between the toes or by such nuisances as carefully rubbing feces all over the feet and hair.
One of the earliest reference to the stocks in literature appears in the Bible. Paul and Silas, disciples of Jesus, were arrested. Their treatment by their jailer was detailed in the Book of Acts: "Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks." The Old Testament's book of Job also describes the stocks, referring to God: "He puts my feet in the stocks, he watches all my paths."
The stocks were also popular among civil authorities from medieval to early modern times, and have also been used as punishment for military deserters or for dereliction of military duty. In the stocks, an offender's hands and head, or sometimes their ankles, would be placed and locked through two or three holes in the center of a board. Offenders were forced to carry out their punishments in the rain, during the heat of summer, or in freezing weather, and generally would receive only bread and water, plus anything brought by their friends.
The stocks were popular during the Colonial days in America. Public punishment in the stocks was a common occurrence from around 1500 until at least 1748. The stocks were especially popular among the early American Puritans, who frequently employed the stocks for punishing the "lower class."
In the American colonies, the stocks were also used, not only for punishment, but as a means of restraining individuals awaiting trial.
Photo taken at Bewdley Museum, Bewdley Worcstershire.
VE22 GOX
2022 DAF XG+ 480 FT
Involvement Packaging, Hyde, Greater Manchester
Buckingham, 16 November 2022
Cusworth Hall is an 18th-century Grade I listed country house in Cusworth, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire in the north of England. Set in the landscaped parklands of Cusworth Park, Cusworth Hall is a good example of a Georgian country house. It is now a country house museum.
The house is constructed of ashlar with slate roofs. The rectangular 6 x 5 bay plan main block is linked to 5 x 2 bay service wings.
The Wrightson family had held the lordship of Cusworth since 1669.
The present house was built in 1740–1745 by George Platt for William Wrightson to replace a previous house and was further altered in 1749–1753 by James Paine. On William's death in 1760 the property passed to his daughter Isabella, who had married John Battie, who took the additional name of Wrightson in 1766. He employed the landscape designer Richard Woods to remodel the park. Woods was one of a group of respected landscape designers working across the country during the 18th century and Cusworth was one of his most important commissions in South Yorkshire, another being at Cannon Hall. Woods created a park of 250 acres with a hanging and a serpentine river consisting of three lakes embellished with decorative features such as the Rock Arch and the Cascade.
The estate afterwards passed to John and Isabella's son, William Wrightson (1752–1827), who was the MP for Aylesbury from 1784 to 1790 and High Sheriff of Yorkshire for 1819–1820. He was succeeded by his son William Battie-Wrightson (1789–1879), who at various times was MP for East Retford, Kingston upon Hull and Northallerton. He died childless and Cusworth Hall passed to his brother Richard Heber Wrightson, who died in 1891.
The property was then inherited by his nephew William Henry Thomas, who took the surname Battie-Wrightson by Royal Licence and died in 1903. He had married Lady Isabella Cecil, eldest daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Exeter. Between 1903 and 1909 Lady Isabella made further alterations to the house. She died in 1917, leaving an only son Robert Cecil Battie-Wrightson (1888–1952). On his death in 1952, the estate descended to his sister, a nurse who had married a Major Oswald Parker but later was variously known as Miss Maureen Pearse-Brown and as Mrs Pearce. She was obliged to sell the contents of Cusworth Hall in October 1952 to meet the death duties levied at Robert Cecil's death. She subsequently sold the hall to Doncaster Council.
Cusworth Estate Cusworth was first mentioned as ‘Cuzeuuorde’ in the domesday survey of 1086 but there has been a settlement here for centuries dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. Many different families had held the lands and manor but they did not always live at Cusworth.
‘Old Hall’ A large house is first mentioned in 1327. Robert Wrightson bought the lands and manor of Cusworth in 1669 from Sir Christopher Wray. The first surviving map of Cusworth is that of Joseph Dickinson's 1719 plan which shows the hall and gardens covered only 1 acre with the orchards a further 2 acres. What is most significant at this time was the ‘Parke’ of some 25 acres. The ‘Old Hall’ was next to the walled gardens in the centre of Cusworth village. In 1726 the ‘Old Hall’ was expanded including altering the gardens between 1726 and 1735. This expanded the kitchen garden into the size and form we know today with the Bowling Green and Pavilion.
In the period 1740–1745 William Wrightson employed George Platt, a mason architect from Rotherham, to build a new hall – the current Cusworth Hall – high on a scarp slope on the Magnesian Limestone removing the Hall, and the family, from the village of Cusworth. The ‘Old Hall’ was largely demolished in the process, many components from the old building re-used in the new.
Cusworth Hall Cusworth Hall itself and its outbuildings are at the centre of the park enjoying ‘prospect’ over the town of Doncaster. The Grade I-listed eighteenth century hall was designed by George Platt in the Palladian style. Cusworth Hall is handsome, well proportioned, with wings consisting of a stable block and great kitchen. Later additions by James Paine include a chapel and library. It has decorative outbuildings including a Brew House, Stable Block and Lodge. In addition it has a decorative garden called Lady Isabella's Garden on the west side adjacent to the chapel. On its eastern flank the stable block and gardeners' bothy. Attached to the bothy is a decorative iron enclosure known as the Peacock Pen.
Cusworth Park Cusworth Park is an historic designed landscape with a Grade II listing in the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens. It was designed and created by the nationally known landscape architect Richard Woods to ‘improve’ the park in the style made famous by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown now termed ‘The English Landscape Park’. Work started in 1761 laying out the ‘grounds and the serpentine river’.
The land forming the existing park is 60 acres (25 hectares) – 250,000m, and was part of the much larger parkland (250 acres) and estates (20,000 acres) of the Battie-Wrightson family who owned Cusworth Hall.
The walled garden The earliest description of the layout of the park and walled gardens is that shown on Joseph Dickinson's 1719 plan. In 1761 Richard Woods altered areas within the walled gardens. Together ‘woods’ Kitchen Garden and Green House Garden occupy the site of the orchard shown on Dickinson's plan.
The purchase of bricks from Epworth for the construction of the walled gardens is recorded in the New House Accounts.
The garden was a compartmentalised space, however with focus on domestic production in some sections, exotics in another, an orchard, and formal flower gardens in the rest.
The kitchen gardens included pine pits (pineapple house), later to become stove houses and mushroom houses.
The Entrance Terrace (Upper Terrace) Old plans show a narrow walled enclosure or ‘entrance terrace' running east–west. The walls of this enclosure may well have been of stone or stoned faced and still, in part survives. To the south are the main components of the walled garden. Access from the terrace down to the bowling green is via a flight of stone steps.
Bowling Green Described on Richard Woods plans of 1760. This is a roughly square, walled enclosure where the bowling green is surrounded by an earthed banked terraced walk. The enclosure is defined by a brick wall, which was lowered along its western side to give a view over to the Green House Garden.
Summerhouse / Bowling Pavilion Built 1726. The summerhouse is the main architectural feature of the walled garden. It is of two stories with the upper storey accessed from the Bowling Green. There is an impression of more carefully shaped quoins at the corners but it is probable that the walls were originally rendered and lime washed externally. There are windows giving views across the Bowling Green from the upper chamber and across the Flower Garden from the lower chamber.
During restoration in the 1990s the upper chamber was decorated with Trompe-l'œil. showing views of imagined walled gardens at Cusworth.
Flower Garden The garden was designed to be viewed principally from the higher position of the bowling green. It was subdivided by cross-paths and furnished with four formal beds. Although one of the smallest compartments, the flower garden was the most highly ornamental and tightly designed. It would have created a formal, colourful architectural space contrasting with the simplicity of the bowling green
Hall Garden The function of the Hall Garden is not clear but appears to have been an extension of the decorative scheme of the flower garden. The Hall Garden has a perimeter walk and is then divided into two plots by a further, central path.
Peach House This whitewash wall indicates the position of the peach house.
Melon Pits Melon pits ran east–west along this area.
Orchard Through the 18th century the orchard was not enclosed and remained open until the late 19th century. It was double its current size extending back up to Cusworth Lane until the northern half was sold off for housing in the 1960s.
Kitchen Garden (No longer existing) The west, south and this east boundary wall(s) of the garden still exist but the plot of land was sold off for housing in the 1960s. There was an access gate between the Hall Garden and the kitchen garden (this can be seen bricked up in the northwest corner). This garden had a perimeter walk and was planted with trees arranged in parallel lines orchestrated around a small building at the northern end of the compartment.
Green House Garden (No longer existing) The kitchen garden represents the greater part of the area occupied by the original orchard shown on Dickinson's 1719 plan. The remaining area was described on Woods’ plan as the Green House Garden and was shown divided into two unequal parts. Both parts of the garden appear to have been planted with trees, probably fruit trees. A building abuts the bowling green in roughly the position as the one shown on the Dickinson plan but there is an additional building, roughly square in plan, to the northwest corner of the enclosure. This was probably the Dovecote for which Wrightson paid £9 15s 0d in 1736.
The west boundary wall still exists and this low (east) wall that runs along the length of the bowling green but the plot of land was sold off for housing in the 1960s.
In 1961 Doncaster Rural District Council purchased Cusworth Hall and the adjoining parkland from the Battie-Wrightson family. The Council undertook an initial restoration of the grounds and also recreated what is now the tearooms within the former stable block. The former reception rooms and spacious galleries now house the Museum of South Yorkshire life, officially opened on 30 September 1967.
Cusworth Hall and Park underwent an extensive £7.5 million renovation between 2002 and 2005, involving essential conservation repairs to the Hall and extensive restoration of the landscape gardens. Within the hall external repairs to the stonework and roof were undertaken to ensure that the exterior was watertight, whilst internal works upgraded internal services and enabled new displays to be installed.
The restoration of the designed landscape have been greatly influenced by a comprehensive analysis of available archive material, among which are the original written memoranda and sketches produced by Richard Woods for his site forman Thomas Coalie. An integrated archaeological programme also formed a key aspect of the restorations, recording in detail landscape features such as the Rock Arch, Cascade, and Bridge. This restoration has not 'recreated' the 18th century scheme, although elements are still incorporated within a 'living' amenity garden that is now thriving as a result of the recent work undertaken in partnership with the Friends of Cusworth Park.
The Hall reopened to the public on 23 May 2007 and the new displays document the history of South Yorkshire and it is a valued resource for local residents, students and school groups alike.
Cusworth Hall Museum and Park is the venue for a varied program of seasonal exhibitions, events and activities linked to the history of the area. including Country Fairs, vintage vehicle rallies, historic re-enactments, wildlife sessions and a range of seasonally themed events. A free, weekly, 5 km parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9 am in the grounds of Cusworth Hall. The first event was held on Saturday 5 October 2019 and was hosted by the staff at Cusworth in collaboration with the local community.
Additionally, Doncaster Museums' Education Service offers a range of learning sessions to schools and educational establishments. Specialist and experienced Education Officers deliver learning workshops to schools across a broad range of topics as well as out-of-school-hours activities for families and local communities.
...Involves Genie® Telescopic Booms.
MOCpage (Includes breakdown, for the inveitable person who wants it.)