U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich hosts U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke on a horseback ride into Canyon Largo with U.S. Senator Tom Udall, local sportsmen, public land advocates, and community leaders to discuss the Sabinoso Wilderness in New Mexico. The Sabinoso is the only legally inaccessible wilderness area in the entire nation. Surrounded by private land and without a legal road or trail to get there, the public has effectively been locked out of this stunning landscape that we all own. Located on just over 16,000 acres in San Miguel County, the scenic Sabinoso Wilderness is home to a variety of wildlife, including mule deer, elk, and wild turkey. Its dramatic landscape includes the 1,000-foot tall Canyon Largo and striking rock formations. For years, Senator Heinrich has worked with the community to unlock the Sabinoso Wilderness to the public. In 2016, he welcomed the announcement that the Wilderness Land Trust purchased a 4,176-acre property neighboring the Sabinoso, with the purpose of donating the land to the Bureau of Land Management so it could be added to the existing wilderness. In addition, the property includes a legal road easement allowing access to the edge of Largo Canyon and by extension the entire Sabinoso Wilderness. Local sportsmen’s groups as well as the San Miguel County Commission have enthusiastically endorsed this proposal, which represents a major economic opportunity for Las Vegas and the surrounding communities. July 29, 2017.

It's all here in one puzzling page-turner of a novel: conspiracy, codes, secret societies, UFOs, ancient mysteries, the prophetic Mayan calendar end-date of 2012, alternative interpretations of Biblical events, mystifying metaphysics, good guys, bad guys, murder most foul and, yes, even a touch of romance. All of this, and more, is intricately woven into the multifaceted storyline of THE EZEKIEL CODE.

Gary Val Tenuta - former contributing writer for Fate Magazine (U.S.) and Beyond Magazine (U.K.) and a guest on numerous radio programs (including Dreamland, hosted by best selling author Whitley Strieber and The X-Zone hosted by Rob McConnell) - has crafted a provocative mystery novel with an esoteric edge that may upset certain segments of the population while at the same time enthralling others with it's alternative perspective on reality and its vision for the future.

From its cryptic prologue to its dramatic climax, THE EZEKIEL CODE is a skillful blend of fact and fiction with likable, vividly developed characters:

Zeke Banyon is a handsome Catholic seminary dropout who now runs a homeless shelter in Seattle's old waterfront district and Angela Ann Martin is an attractive young widow who just wants a simple part-time job at the shelter. But a single twist of fate turns their simple lives upside down when together they stumble onto a mysterious code and a rumor about a lost scroll penned by the prophet, Ezekiel, thousands of years ago. They soon find themselves thrust deep into a world of secret societies, metaphysics, mystery and murder as they jet across continents in a race to understand the code that will lead them to an ancient artifact of profound importance. Dodging rogue Jesuit priests at every turn and unaware that the Illuminati are ever-present in the shadows, Zeke and Angela soon discover it's not just their own lives that are in danger but also the lives of everyone on the planet.

Is Zeke Banyon the Chosen One of an obscure ancient prophecy? And if so, can he successfully accomplish the mission fate has in store for him? Nothing in seminary school could ever have prepared him for this.

2012 is coming...The clock is ticking…The code must be deciphered…And only one man can save the planet...If he can just figure out how - before it's too late.

"The plot is intriguing and interesting to the point of being bestseller material."

- Red Adept's Kindle Book Review Blog

"Entertaining and enlightening. A course in high strangeness."

–– Jay Weidner, documentary producer and co-author of Mysteries of the Great Cross of Hendaye

"The most gripping and informative book I have read in ages."

–– Robert Tulip, independent reader

"High-concept fiction. An unforgettable book."

–– Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands

"I have read it twice and thinking about a third time.

There aren't many books I read more than once. For me it had the WOW factor."

–– L. Sue Durkin, author of Life is Like Making Chocolate Chip Cookies

"An impressive feat."

–– Peter A. Gersten, editor, PAG eNews

"Highly Recommended!"

–– Michael Tsarion, internationally renown divination scholar, author and lecturer

THE EZEKIEL CODE, an EVVY Award nominee, is available in paperback and Kindle.

Watch the video trailers, read the first 12 chapters (free!) and full reviews at www.ezekielcode.com.

The Ezekiel Code

By Gary Val Tenuta

ISBN: 978-1-4327-0650-0

676-Page Paperback (6x9)

Published by Outskirts Press (www.outskirtspress.com)

Contact the author: TheEzekielCode@aol.com

One of the many carvings adorning the wall arcading in the north aisle. Late 14th century carving in the north aisle of Beverley Minster portraying the Devil abducting two nuns. The subject is either a warning against idle gossip in church or a depiction of a poem from the tale of Reynard the Fox (who is portrayed in the adjoining carving) which tells of two 'naughty nuns' unwittingly communing with the Devil. The nuns' arms and the Devil's goat-head are 19th century restorations, but the latter is consistent with his description in the poem.

There is a danger of running out of superlatives when trying to describe Beverley Minster. It is not only the second finest non-cathedral church in the country but is architecturally a far finer building than most of our cathedrals themselves! It will come as a surprise to many visitors to find this grand edifice simply functions today as a parish church and has never been more than collegiate, a status it lost at the Reformaton. What had added to its mystique and wealth was its status as a place of pilgrimage housing the tomb of St John of Beverley, which drew visitors and revenue until the Reformation brought an end to such fortunes and the shrine was destroyed (though the saint's bones were later rediscovered and reinterred in the nave). That this great church itself survived this period almost intact is little short of a miracle in itself.

There has been a church here since the 8th century but little remains of the earlier buildings aside from the Saxon chair near the altar and the Norman font in the nave. The present Minster's construction spans the entirety of the development of Gothic architecture but forms a surprisingly harmonious whole nevertheless, starting with Early English in the 13h century choir and transepts (both pairs) with their lancet windows in a building phase that stopped at the first bays of the nave. Construction was then continued with the nave in the 14th century but only the traceried windows betray the emergent Decorated style, the design otherwise closely followed the work of the previous century which gives the Minster's interior such a pleasingly unified appearance (the only discernable break in construction within can be seen where the black purbeck-marble ceased to be used for certain elements beyond the eastern bay of the nave). Finally the building was completed more or less by 1420 with the soaring west front with its dramatic twin-towers in Perpendicular style (the east window must have been enlarged at this point too to match the new work at the west end).

The fabric happily survived the Reformation intact aside from the octagonal chapter-house formerly adjoining the north choir aisle which was dismantled to raise money by the sale of its materials while the church's fate was in the balance (a similar fate was contemplated for the rest of the church by its new owners until the town bought it for retention as a parish church for £100). The great swathes of medieval glass alas were mostly lost, though seemingly as much to neglect and storm-damage in the following century than the usual iconoclasm. All that survived of the Minster's original glazing was collected to form the patchwork display now filling the great east window, a colourful kaleidoscope of fragments of figures and scenes. Of the other furnishings the choir stalls are the major ensemble and some of the finest medieval canopied stalls extant with a full set of charming misericords (though most of these alas are not normally on show).

There are suprisingly few monuments of note for such an enormous cathedral-like church, but the one major exception makes up for this, the delightful canopied Percy tomb erected in 1340 to the north of the high altar. The tomb itself is surprisingly plain without any likeness remaining of the deceased, but the richly carved Decorated canopy above is alive with gorgeous detail and figurative embellishments. There are further carvings to enjoy adorning the arcading that runs around the outer perimeter of the interior, especially the north nave aisle which has the most rewarding carved figures of musicians, monsters and people suffering various ailments, many were largely restored in the 19th century but still preserve the medieval spirit of irreverent fun.

To summarise Beverley Minster would be difficult other than simply adding that if one enjoys marvelling at Gothic architecture at its best then it really shouldn't be missed and one should prioritise it over the majority of our cathedrals. It is a real gem and a delight to behold, and is happily normally open and welcoming to visitors (who must all be astonished to find this magnificent edifice is no more than a simple parish church in status!). I thoroughly enjoyed this, my second visit here (despite the best efforts of the poor weather!).

beverleyminster.org.uk/visit-us-2/a-brief-history/

Famed for its dramatic rapids and canyons, the Colorado is one of the most desirable whitewater rivers in the United States A section of the river above Moab, known as the Colorado "Daily" or "Fisher Towers Section", is the most visited whitewater run in Utah, with more than 77,000 visitors in 2011 alone.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_River

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_...

well i have a busy day ahead

so i figured since im still up & its near 1am

might as well get my picture done :]

& i really like it.

its dramatic haha.

i really like the lighting in my living room.

*update*

today was pretty weird,

swim meet was pretty interested,

yum half naked men ahaha

but as of now im listening to

"up against the wall" by boys like girls

on repeat, for like the past hour

& im pretty upset, i miss cuddling

i miss feeling complete with someone.

day 3 of the maine songs theme week

[[ into your arms - the maine ]]

12/1/08

7 weeks down! 45 to go! =D

All Saints in Pavement, York is distinguished by its dramatic octagonal tower, a major landmark of the city and masterpiece of late medieval architecture. The church itself is of mainly 14th/15th century date, though lost its chancel in the following centuries. The west window contains reset late 14th century panels depicting the Passion.

This church is generally open and welcoming to visitors.

REFORD GARDENS | LES JARDINS DE METIS

Dwarf Morning Glory | Tricolour Convolvulus

Beautiful flowers at Reford Gardens.

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

Visit : www.refordgardens.com/

From Wikipedia:

Elsie Stephen Meighen - born January 22, 1872, Perth, Ontario - and Robert Wilson Reford - born in 1867, Montreal - got married on June 12, 1894.

Elsie Reford was a pioneer of Canadian horticulture, creating one of the largest private gardens in Canada on her estate, Estevan Lodge in eastern Québec. Located in Grand-Métis on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, her gardens have been open to the public since 1962 and operate under the name Les Jardins de Métis and Reford Gardens.

Born January 22, 1872 at Perth, Ontario, Elsie Reford was the eldest of three children born to Robert Meighen and Elsie Stephen. Coming from modest backgrounds themselves, Elsie’s parents ensured that their children received a good education. After being educated in Montreal, she was sent to finishing school in Dresden and Paris, returning to Montreal fluent in both German and French, and ready to take her place in society.

She married Robert Wilson Reford on June 12, 1894. She gave birth to two sons, Bruce in 1895 and Eric in 1900. Robert and Elsie Reford were, by many accounts, an ideal couple. In 1902, they built a house on Drummond Street in Montreal. They both loved the outdoors and they spend several weeks a year in a log cabin they built at Lac Caribou, south of Rimouski. In the autumn they hunted for caribou, deer, and ducks. They returned in winter to ski and snowshoe. Elsie Reford also liked to ride. She had learned as a girl and spent many hours riding on the slopes of Mount Royal. And of course, there was salmon-fishing – a sport at which she excelled.

In her day, she was known for her civic, social, and political activism. She was engaged in philanthropic activities, particularly for the Montreal Maternity Hospital and she was also the moving force behind the creation of the Women’s Canadian Club of Montreal, the first women club in Canada. She believed it important that the women become involved in debates over the great issues of the day, « something beyond the local gossip of the hour ». Her acquaintance with Lord Grey, the Governor-General of Canada from 1904 to 1911, led to her involvement in organizing, in 1908, Québec City’s tercentennial celebrations. The event was one of many to which she devoted herself in building bridges with French-Canadian community.

During the First World War, she joined her two sons in England and did volunteer work at the War Office, translating documents from German into English. After the war, she was active in the Victorian Order of Nurses, the Montreal Council of Social Agencies, and the National Association of Conservative Women.

In 1925 at the age of 53 years, Elsie Reford was operated for appendicitis and during her convalescence, her doctor counselled against fishing, fearing that she did not have the strength to return to the river.”Why not take up gardening?” he said, thinking this a more suitable pastime for a convalescent woman of a certain age. That is why she began laying out the gardens and supervising their construction. The gardens would take ten years to build, and would extend over more than twenty acres.

Elsie Reford had to overcome many difficulties in bringing her garden to life. First among them were the allergies that sometimes left her bedridden for days on end. The second obstacle was the property itself. Estevan was first and foremost a fishing lodge. The site was chosen because of its proximity to a salmon river and its dramatic views – not for the quality of the soil.

To counter-act nature’s deficiencies, she created soil for each of the plants she had selected, bringing peat and sand from nearby farms. This exchange was fortuitous to the local farmers, suffering through the Great Depression. Then, as now, the gardens provided much-needed work to an area with high unemployment. Elsie Reford’s genius as a gardener was born of the knowledge she developed of the needs of plants. Over the course of her long life, she became an expert plantsman. By the end of her life, Elsie Reford was able to counsel other gardeners, writing in the journals of the Royal Horticultural Society and the North American Lily Society. Elsie Reford was not a landscape architect and had no training of any kind as a garden designer. While she collected and appreciated art, she claimed no talents as an artist.

Elsie Stephen Reford died at her Drummond Street home on November 8, 1967 in her ninety-sixth year.

In 1995, the Reford Gardens ("Jardins de Métis") in Grand-Métis were designated a National Historic Site of Canada, as being an excellent Canadian example of the English-inspired garden.(Wikipedia)

Visit : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_Reford

Visit : www.refordgardens.com

LES JARDINS DE MÉTIS

Créés par Elsie Reford de 1926 à 1958, ces jardins témoignent de façon remarquable de l’art paysager à l’anglaise. Disposés dans un cadre naturel, un ensemble de jardins exhibent fleurs vivaces, arbres et arbustes. Le jardin des pommetiers, les rocailles et l’Allée royale évoquent l’œuvre de cette dame passionnée d’horticulture. Agrémenté d’un ruisseau et de sentiers sinueux, ce site jouit d’un microclimat favorable à la croissance d’espèces uniques au Canada. Les pavots bleus et les lis, privilégiés par Mme Reford, y fleurissent toujours et contribuent , avec d’autres plantes exotiques et indigènes, à l’harmonie de ces lieux.

Created by Elsie Reford between 1926 and 1958, these gardens are an inspired example of the English art of the garden. Woven into a natural setting, a series of gardens display perennials, trees and shrubs. A crab-apple orchard, a rock garden, and the Long Walk are also the legacy of this dedicated horticulturist. A microclimate favours the growth of species found nowhere else in Canada, while the stream and winding paths add to the charm. Elsie Reford’s beloved blue poppies and lilies still bloom and contribute, with other exotic and indigenous plants, to the harmony of the site.

Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

Gouvernement du Canada – Government of Canada

© Copyright

This photo and all those in my Photostream are protected by copyright. No one may reproduce, copy, transmit or manipulate them without my written permission.

We did the tour of the Parliament building, and it has to be said, it looks absolutely stunning inside – far nicer than the outside. This is the Parliament chamber with its dramatic beams dominating the roof.

St Lawrence, Brundall, Norfolk

The Broads begin at Brundall. This is furthest outer Norwich; Brundall, and particularly adjoining Brundall Gardens, is Norwich's Metroland. How Betjeman must have loved it. And I liked it a lot too. The first time I came here was on a day in the summer of 2011. I had been cycling in nearby parishes which had, for Norfolk, a somewhat unenlightened attitude to church-opening, so it was a pleasure to come here and be able to step inside this lovely space.

But first, I had to find it. St Lawrence is a long, towerless church set back from the road and hidden in a garden-like churchyard with its rectory and parish hall. You step through a pretty thatched lychgate which serves as the parish memorial to the local boys lost in the mud and blood of Flanders and France. The path takes you to the east of the church and onto the south side, where the neat graveyard slopes down towards the river. Many churchyards have benches, but here was the first time that day I was unable to resist sitting down and soaking up the sunshine and the birdsong. It was idyllic.

It was good to be back here. They were doing building work to the north of the church, but the south was as idyllic as ever. St Lawrence is a curious building. There probably never was a tower. A tall bellcote sits about a third of the way down the nave, level with the porch. As Pevsner notes, it appears to be medieval. The north aisle you see as you walk from the lych gate dates from as recently as 1900, but everything you see from the south side is apparently 13th Century, except that, in reality, the bellcote sits above the medieval western gable; early in the 20th Century, the nave was extended westwards. if you stand to the south you can see that the building must get darker inside the further east you go.

You step into what is essentially an Edwardian era interior, that period of High Church triumphalism and gravitas between the end of the 19th Century and the First World War. It is the Church of England at its dramatic peak. But there are plenty of medieval survivals here, including East Anglia's only lead font. it is contemporary with the church building, its design depicting a repeated motif of the crucifixion and fleur-de-lys. It seems curiously primitive compared with lead fonts found elsewhere in the country, for example Low Halstow and Brookland in Kent.

There is good glass by Clayton and Bell, less good by Kempe & Co, but they both let coloured light fall across the dark wood furnishings, which is very atmospheric. In the north aisle, and probably installed here as part of the restoration in 1900, there is a fine roundel of continental glass depicting the church's patron Saint with his grid iron. It is probably 18th Century, I should think, unless it is one of those clever copies by the King workshop. Certainly of the 20th Century is the set of royal arms above the south door, because it is for Elizabeth II, one of several sets in East Anglia but probably the only one which appears to be painted on a fibre glass panel.

The view eastwards is to the early 20th Century roodscreen and the darkness of the chancel beyond. You can see that St Lawrence was restored for shadowy, incense-led worship. The memorials either side of the sanctuary are worth a look. The one on the south side is to Charles Leath, Midshipman of the British Navy... who died at sea in 1804. The memorial features his sword and sextant in relief at the top.

Even more striking is the relief on the memorial on the opposite wall. It dates from half a century later, and remembers Robert Cubitt and his wife Henrietta. The relief depicts a schooner with its sails furled, basking on a choppy sea. Under the relief are the words Such is Life.

The Colorado River is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The 1,450-mile-long (2,330 km) river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. and two Mexican states. Starting in the central Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the river flows generally southwest across the Colorado Plateau and through the Grand Canyon before reaching Lake Mead on the Arizona–Nevada border, where it turns south toward the international border. After entering Mexico, the Colorado approaches the mostly dry Colorado River Delta at the tip of the Gulf of California between Baja California and Sonora.

Known for its dramatic canyons, whitewater rapids, and eleven U.S. National Parks, the Colorado River and its tributaries are a vital source of water for 40 million people. The river and its tributaries are controlled by an extensive system of dams, reservoirs, and aqueducts, which in most years divert its entire flow for agricultural irrigation and domestic water supply. Its large flow and steep gradient are used for generating hydroelectric power, and its major dams regulate peaking power demands in much of the Intermountain West. Intensive water consumption has dried up the lower 100 miles (160 km) of the river, which has rarely reached the sea since the 1960s.

Beginning with small bands of nomadic hunter-gatherers, Native Americans have inhabited the Colorado River basin for at least 8,000 years. Between 2,000 and 1,000 years ago, the watershed was home to large agricultural civilizations – considered some of the most sophisticated indigenous North American cultures – which eventually declined due to a combination of severe drought and poor land use practices. Most native peoples that inhabit the region today are descended from other groups that settled there beginning about 1,000 years ago. Europeans first entered the Colorado Basin in the 16th century, when explorers from Spain began mapping and claiming the area, which became part of Mexico upon its independence in 1821. Early contact between Europeans and Native Americans was generally limited to the fur trade in the headwaters and sporadic trade interactions along the lower river.

After most of the Colorado River basin became part of the U.S. in 1846, much of the river's course was still the subject of myths and speculation. Several expeditions charted the Colorado in the mid-19th century – one of which, led by John Wesley Powell, was the first to run the rapids of the Grand Canyon. American explorers collected valuable information that was later used to develop the river for navigation and water supply. Large-scale settlement of the lower basin began in the mid- to late-19th century, with steamboats providing transportation from the Gulf of California to landings along the river that linked to wagon roads to the interior. Starting in the 1860s, gold and silver strikes drew prospectors to parts of the upper Colorado River basin.

Large engineering works began around the start of the 20th century, with major guidelines established in a series of international and U.S. interstate treaties known as the "Law of the River". The U.S. federal government was the main driving force behind the construction of dams and aqueducts, although many state and local water agencies were also involved. Most of the major dams were built between 1910 and 1970; the system keystone, Hoover Dam, was completed in 1935. The Colorado is now considered among the most controlled and litigated rivers in the world, with every drop of its water fully allocated.

The environmental movement in the American Southwest has opposed the damming and diversion of the Colorado River system because of detrimental effects on the ecology and natural beauty of the river and its tributaries. During the construction of Glen Canyon Dam, environmental organizations vowed to block any further development of the river, and a number of later dam and aqueduct proposals were defeated by citizen opposition. As demands for Colorado River water continue to rise, the level of human development and control of the river continues to generate controversy.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_River

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_...

© All rights reserved, don't use without permission

Fourth pillar rock, Stolby Nature Reserve

Stolby Nature Reserve is a Russian strict nature reserve located 10 km south of the city of Krasnoyarsk and known for its dramatic complexes of rocks.

www.chrisibbotsonphotography.com

www.facebook.com/chrisibbotsonphotography

Under a clear starry night sits the majestic Dunluce Castle on the North Antrim Coast. It is located in its dramatic position close to a headland which plunges straight into the sea. First records of its existence date back to 1513 when it belonged to the MacQuillans though it was built in the 13th century. A village surrounding the castle was destroyed by fire in 1641. It is famous for part of it falling into the sea one stormy night in 1639 and was abandoned shortly afterwards.

St Abbs, Scotland - a coastal gem steeped in history and natural beauty. Once known as Coldingham Shore, this fishing village took its name in the 1890s from nearby St Abb’s Head, itself named after the 7th-century Saint Æbbe, who founded a monastery here in 635. The village grew from humble beginnings, with fishermen hauling gear down the rugged Creel Path, to a bustling harbour community thanks to 19th-century improvements by whisky magnate Andrew Usher.

Today, St Abbs enchants visitors with its dramatic cliffs, thriving seabird colonies, and world-class diving spots. It’s a haven for nature lovers, history buffs, and even Marvel fans—it starred as New Asgard in Avengers: Endgame

#StAbbs #ScottishBorders #HistoryByTheSea #NewAsgard

Central Coast, California.

©Dale Haussner

Big Sur is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of the U.S. state of California between Carmel Highlands and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur has been called the "longest and most scenic stretch of undeveloped coastline in the contiguous United States," a "national treasure that demands extraordinary procedures to protect it from development" and "one of the most beautiful coastlines anywhere in the world, an isolated stretch of road, mythic in reputation." The stunning views, redwood forests, hiking, beaches, and other recreational opportunities have made Big Sur a popular destination for tourists from across the world. The region receives about the same number of visitors as Yosemite National Park, which often leads to lengthy traffic back-ups and parking issues, especially during summer vacation periods and holiday weekends.

Source and for more info, see:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Sur

Llyn Llech Owain Country Park is is a stunning 158-acre expanse of woods and lakeland near Cross Hands with nature trails, an adventure area and visitor centre. At the heart of this spectacular park is its dramatic lake which is surrounded by peat bog and there’s a lovely myth associated with Llyn Lech Owain. Legend has it that Owain Lawgoch ("Owain of the Red Hand" - who led an army of French mercenaries against the English in the Hundred Years' War), was entrusted to look after a well on the mountain named Mynydd Mawr. Each day, after extracting enough water for himself and his horse, Owain was always careful to replace the stone but on one occasion he forgot and a torrent of water poured down the side of the mountain. The resultant lake was hence named Llyn Lech Owain - the lake of Owain’s slab. Today, specially constructed paths allow for safe access over the bog and around the lake. The paths are well-surfaced and accessible to wheelchair-users. A forest track provides a longer walk or cycle ride around the country park and there’s a rough mountain bike trail for the more adventurous cyclist. Much of the park consists of coniferous woodland, planted by the Forestry Commission during the 1960s and there are also areas of dry heath and broad-leaved woodland.

Crane Flower

Strelitzia reginae, commonly known as the crane flower, bird of paradise, or isigude in Nguni,[3] is a species of flowering plant native to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. An evergreen perennial, it is widely cultivated for its dramatic flowers. In temperate areas it is a popular houseplant.

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Vorder Glärnisch (2,327 m)

Location: Vorder Glärnisch is part of the Schwyzer Alps, in Switzerland, situated near the town of Netstal and visible from various parts of the region.

Key Features:

Vorder Glärnisch is the easternmost peak of the Glärnisch massif.

Its rugged limestone cliffs make it a striking sight when viewed from the Linth Valley.

Despite its dramatic appearance, it is considered more accessible than some of its neighboring peaks, making it a favorite among intermediate hikers.

Hiking and Climbing:

The typical route starts in Glarus or nearby Klöntal.

Trails lead through lush meadows and forests before reaching steeper, rocky terrain.

The summit rewards climbers with panoramic views of Lake Klöntal, the Linth Valley, and the surrounding Glarus Alps.

Significance: Its imposing form often serves as a natural landmark for travelers and a popular subject for photographers in the region.

Rautispitz (2,283 m)

Location: Rautispitz is a prominent peak situated near Netstal and Lake Klöntal, also in the Glarus Alps.

Key Features:

Known for its steep slopes and pointed summit, Rautispitz is a dramatic presence in the landscape.

It is surrounded by pristine alpine meadows and dense forests at lower elevations.

Hiking and Climbing:

The ascent is moderately challenging and often starts near Netstal or through trails from Lake Klöntal.

Popular routes pass through Obersee or Näfels, offering hikers a combination of serene lakeside views and rugged alpine landscapes.

The final approach involves steep paths and some scrambling, requiring proper equipment and good physical condition.

Views from the Summit:

Spectacular vistas of Lake Klöntal, Vorder Glärnisch, and the distant peaks of the Glarus Alps.

On clear days, hikers can also see parts of the Linth Plain and other landmarks in eastern Switzerland.

Significance:

The Rautispitz is a beloved hiking destination and is well-known for its relatively untouched nature, making it a quieter alternative to some of the busier peaks in the region.

Both Vorder Glärnisch and Rautispitz are iconic peaks of the Schwyzer Alps, offering a mix of accessibility and challenge to outdoor enthusiasts, with breathtaking scenery that captures the essence of Switzerland’s alpine beauty.

Corfe Castle is an iconic medieval fortification situated above the village of the same name on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, England. Today, its dramatic ruins—nestled in a gap within the Purbeck Hills—stand as a poignant reminder of centuries of turbulent history in southern England .

Built shortly after the Norman Conquest, Corfe Castle is one of the earliest examples of stone fortifications in England. Its strategic location, controlling a narrow gap on the route between Wareham and Swanage, made it a key military stronghold from the outset.

Over the 12th and 13th centuries, the castle underwent significant expansion and modification. In the 17th century, amid the upheavals of the English Civil War, the castle was one of the last Royalist bastions in southern England. Lady Mary Bankes notoriously led its defense against Parliamentarian forces, but by 1645 the castle fell, and Parliament ordered it to be slighted—deliberately rendered unusable as a military fortification .

Djupalonssandur is a beautiful pebbled beach, with a series of rocks of mysterious form emerging from the ocean.

It is one of the few areas that lead down to the sea along this coast with its high dramatic cliffs. Watch out for the famous ghosts roaming the place!

The rests of a shipwreck can be seen on the beach. On the beach there are also big stones which people tried to lift and test their strength in the days of the fishing stations: Fully Strong 154 kg, Half-Strong 100 kg, Weakling 54 kg and Bungler 23 kg. Weakling marked the frontier of wimphood, any man who couldn't lift it was deemed unsuitable for a life as a fisherman. (west.is)

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is a region in western Iceland known for its dramatic landscapes. At its western tip, Snæfellsjökull National Park is dominated by Snæfellsjökull Volcano, which is topped by a glacier. Nearby, a trail leads through lava fields to black-pebble beach (wiki)

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is a region in western Iceland known for its dramatic landscapes. At its western tip, Snæfellsjökull National Park is dominated by Snæfellsjökull Volcano, which is topped by a glacier. Nearby, a trail leads through lava fields to black-pebble Djúpalónssandur Beach. In Stykkishólmur fishing village, the 19th-century wood-frame Norwegian House is a regional museum with a craft shop.

Redmond, Oregon

Listed 10/30/2013

Reference Number: 13000859

Petersen Rock Garden, which has state-wide significance, is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C in the areas of Art and Landscape Architecture, as a folk art environment, for its significance as an exceptional work of art that combines architecture, landscape, art, and sculpture in a unified whole. Located approximately eight miles southwest of Redmond, Oregon, the work recalls European and American grotto traditions, juxtaposed with American iconography and vernacular folk art traditions, through the creativity and artistry of Danish immigrant Rasmus Christian Petersen. Petersen, who began constructing the garden after finishing his education in Danish and American culture at Nysted Folk High School in Nebraska and three successful decades of farming, was also influenced by his homestead's setting in central Oregon, with its dramatic views of the Cascade range . Creation of the garden represents the last chapter in Petersen's life. The gardens are all the more remarkable for their unexpectedness in the desert landscape and their lack of precedent in their creator's life. The Period of Significance for the site is 1927, the date of construction of the Petersen's residence, to 1952, the date of Petersen's death. The gardens and property as a whole retain excellent integrity and easily convey the reasons for their significance.

National Register of Historic Places Homepage

Petersen Rock Garden Description Page

National Register of Historic Places on Facebook

St Lawrence, Brundall, Norfolk

The Broads begin at Brundall. This is furthest outer Norwich; Brundall, and particularly adjoining Brundall Gardens, is Norwich's Metroland. How Betjeman must have loved it. And I liked it a lot too. The first time I came here was on a day in the summer of 2011. I had been cycling in nearby parishes which had, for Norfolk, a somewhat unenlightened attitude to church-opening, so it was a pleasure to come here and be able to step inside this lovely space.

But first, I had to find it. St Lawrence is a long, towerless church set back from the road and hidden in a garden-like churchyard with its rectory and parish hall. You step through a pretty thatched lychgate which serves as the parish memorial to the local boys lost in the mud and blood of Flanders and France. The path takes you to the east of the church and onto the south side, where the neat graveyard slopes down towards the river. Many churchyards have benches, but here was the first time that day I was unable to resist sitting down and soaking up the sunshine and the birdsong. It was idyllic.

It was good to be back here. They were doing building work to the north of the church, but the south was as idyllic as ever. St Lawrence is a curious building. There probably never was a tower. A tall bellcote sits about a third of the way down the nave, level with the porch. As Pevsner notes, it appears to be medieval. The north aisle you see as you walk from the lych gate dates from as recently as 1900, but everything you see from the south side is apparently 13th Century, except that, in reality, the bellcote sits above the medieval western gable; early in the 20th Century, the nave was extended westwards. if you stand to the south you can see that the building must get darker inside the further east you go.

You step into what is essentially an Edwardian era interior, that period of High Church triumphalism and gravitas between the end of the 19th Century and the First World War. It is the Church of England at its dramatic peak. But there are plenty of medieval survivals here, including East Anglia's only lead font. it is contemporary with the church building, its design depicting a repeated motif of the crucifixion and fleur-de-lys. It seems curiously primitive compared with lead fonts found elsewhere in the country, for example Low Halstow and Brookland in Kent.

There is good glass by Clayton and Bell, less good by Kempe & Co, but they both let coloured light fall across the dark wood furnishings, which is very atmospheric. In the north aisle, and probably installed here as part of the restoration in 1900, there is a fine roundel of continental glass depicting the church's patron Saint with his grid iron. It is probably 18th Century, I should think, unless it is one of those clever copies by the King workshop. Certainly of the 20th Century is the set of royal arms above the south door, because it is for Elizabeth II, one of several sets in East Anglia but probably the only one which appears to be painted on a fibre glass panel.

The view eastwards is to the early 20th Century roodscreen and the darkness of the chancel beyond. You can see that St Lawrence was restored for shadowy, incense-led worship. The memorials either side of the sanctuary are worth a look. The one on the south side is to Charles Leath, Midshipman of the British Navy... who died at sea in 1804. The memorial features his sword and sextant in relief at the top.

Even more striking is the relief on the memorial on the opposite wall. It dates from half a century later, and remembers Robert Cubitt and his wife Henrietta. The relief depicts a schooner with its sails furled, basking on a choppy sea. Under the relief are the words Such is Life.

Itsukushima (厳島) a/k/a Miyajima (宮島), which in Japanese means "Shrine Island”, is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. Frequent ferry services operates to carry traffic between the island and the mainland. The trip takes about ten minutes. There is also an hourly express passenger ferry to Hiroshima Harbor. The island is one of Hayashi Gahō 's “Three Views of Japan” specified in 1643. Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. The island was part of the former town of Miyajima before the 2005 merger with Hatsukaichi. Itsukushima is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to records, the shrine was established in the time of Empress Suiko. The warrior-courtier Taira no Kiyomori gave the shrine its present form. In 1555, Mōri Motonari defeated Sue Harukata at the Battle of Miyajima. Toyotomi Hideyoshi built a large building, the Senjō-kaku, on a hill above the shrine. Itsukushima has a number of shrines and temples [in Japan, the term "shrine" implies a Shinto religious structure and "temple" implies a Buddhist one], including Toyokuni Shrine with a five-storied pagoda and Daiganji Temple - one of the three most famous Benzaiten temples of Japan. The island is also famous for its upper hill side cherry blossoms and maple leaf autumn foliage. The island, including the waters around it (part of the Seto Inland Sea), are within Setonaikai National Park. This sea is affected by strong tides. At low tide, the bottom of the sea is exposed past the island's torii – [a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred]. At high tide, the sea covers all the previously exposed seabed mud and fills areas underneath the shrine boardwalk. Miyajima's maple trees are renowned throughout Japan and blanket the island in crimson in the autumn. Momiji manjū, pastries filled with azuki jam or custard, are popular souvenirs and carry maple-leaf emblems. Many other varieties such as chocolate and cheese are available. Because the island is seen as sacred, trees may not be cut for lumber and Deer roam freely. Deer are thought of as sacred in the native Shinto religion because they are considered messengers of the gods. They walk the streets of the city, not afraid of the tourists / Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社 Itsukushima-jinja) is a Shinto shrine best known for its "floating" torii gate. The Itsukushima shrine is one of Japan's most popular tourist attractions. It is most famous for its dramatic gate, or torii on the outskirts of the shrine , the sacred peaks of Mount Misen, extensive forests, and its aesthetic ocean view. The shrine complex itself consists of two main buildings: the Honsha shrine and the Sessha Marodo-jinja, as well as 17 other different buildings and structures that help to distinguish it. The complex is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and six of its buildings and possessions have been designated by the Japanese government as National Treasures. Five-Tiered Pagoda (Gojunoto) at Itsukushima Shrine was constructed in 1407 (thus predating Senjokaku) enshrined Yakushi Nyorai Zazo, the Buddha of Medicine said to have been made by Kobo Daishi himself, accompanied by Fugen Bosatsu (Mercy Buddha) and Monju Bosatsu (Wisdom Buddha). The three images were moved to the Daiganji Temple during the Meiji reformation. Daiganji Temple, next to the Itsukushima Shrine is dedicated to Goddess Benzaiten as well as three Buddhas important to Shingon Buddhism. Benzaiten Goddess in Japan has been traced to Goddess Saraswati of Hinduism in India. She is the Goddess of eloquence, music, arts, wealth and knowledge. The three Buddha in the temple are Gautama Buddha, Wisdom Buddha and Mercy Buddha. Daiganji Temple is one the three most famous Benzaiten Temples in Japan, along with Enoshima Benzaiten (Kanagawa) and Chikubujima Benzaiten (Shiga). The Benzaiten is opened to the public only once every year on June 17. On this day, Miyajima holds a big festival, and people of the region visit the temple to offer their prayers. The construction date of Itsukushima-jinja and Daiganji temple is estimated to be 6th century or later, and the existence of Itsukushima-jinja is confirmed by ancient Japanese texts from the early 9th century. The Nihon Koki confirms the sacredness of these Miyajama structures during the Heian Period (794-1184).

St Lawrence, Brundall, Norfolk

The Broads begin at Brundall. This is furthest outer Norwich; Brundall, and particularly adjoining Brundall Gardens, is Norwich's Metroland. How Betjeman must have loved it. And I liked it a lot too. The first time I came here was on a day in the summer of 2011. I had been cycling in nearby parishes which had, for Norfolk, a somewhat unenlightened attitude to church-opening, so it was a pleasure to come here and be able to step inside this lovely space.

But first, I had to find it. St Lawrence is a long, towerless church set back from the road and hidden in a garden-like churchyard with its rectory and parish hall. You step through a pretty thatched lychgate which serves as the parish memorial to the local boys lost in the mud and blood of Flanders and France. The path takes you to the east of the church and onto the south side, where the neat graveyard slopes down towards the river. Many churchyards have benches, but here was the first time that day I was unable to resist sitting down and soaking up the sunshine and the birdsong. It was idyllic.

It was good to be back here. They were doing building work to the north of the church, but the south was as idyllic as ever. St Lawrence is a curious building. There probably never was a tower. A tall bellcote sits about a third of the way down the nave, level with the porch. As Pevsner notes, it appears to be medieval. The north aisle you see as you walk from the lych gate dates from as recently as 1900, but everything you see from the south side is apparently 13th Century, except that, in reality, the bellcote sits above the medieval western gable; early in the 20th Century, the nave was extended westwards. if you stand to the south you can see that the building must get darker inside the further east you go.

You step into what is essentially an Edwardian era interior, that period of High Church triumphalism and gravitas between the end of the 19th Century and the First World War. It is the Church of England at its dramatic peak. But there are plenty of medieval survivals here, including East Anglia's only lead font. it is contemporary with the church building, its design depicting a repeated motif of the crucifixion and fleur-de-lys. It seems curiously primitive compared with lead fonts found elsewhere in the country, for example Low Halstow and Brookland in Kent.

There is good glass by Clayton and Bell, less good by Kempe & Co, but they both let coloured light fall across the dark wood furnishings, which is very atmospheric. In the north aisle, and probably installed here as part of the restoration in 1900, there is a fine roundel of continental glass depicting the church's patron Saint with his grid iron. It is probably 18th Century, I should think, unless it is one of those clever copies by the King workshop. Certainly of the 20th Century is the set of royal arms above the south door, because it is for Elizabeth II, one of several sets in East Anglia but probably the only one which appears to be painted on a fibre glass panel.

The view eastwards is to the early 20th Century roodscreen and the darkness of the chancel beyond. You can see that St Lawrence was restored for shadowy, incense-led worship. The memorials either side of the sanctuary are worth a look. The one on the south side is to Charles Leath, Midshipman of the British Navy... who died at sea in 1804. The memorial features his sword and sextant in relief at the top.

Even more striking is the relief on the memorial on the opposite wall. It dates from half a century later, and remembers Robert Cubitt and his wife Henrietta. The relief depicts a schooner with its sails furled, basking on a choppy sea. Under the relief are the words Such is Life.

Itsukushima (厳島) a/k/a Miyajima (宮島), which in Japanese means "Shrine Island”, is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. Frequent ferry services operates to carry traffic between the island and the mainland. The trip takes about ten minutes. There is also an hourly express passenger ferry to Hiroshima Harbor. The island is one of Hayashi Gahō 's “Three Views of Japan” specified in 1643. Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. The island was part of the former town of Miyajima before the 2005 merger with Hatsukaichi. Itsukushima is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to records, the shrine was established in the time of Empress Suiko. The warrior-courtier Taira no Kiyomori gave the shrine its present form. In 1555, Mōri Motonari defeated Sue Harukata at the Battle of Miyajima. Toyotomi Hideyoshi built a large building, the Senjō-kaku, on a hill above the shrine. Itsukushima has a number of shrines and temples [in Japan, the term "shrine" implies a Shinto religious structure and "temple" implies a Buddhist one], including Toyokuni Shrine with a five-storied pagoda and Daiganji Temple - one of the three most famous Benzaiten temples of Japan. The island is also famous for its upper hill side cherry blossoms and maple leaf autumn foliage. The island, including the waters around it (part of the Seto Inland Sea), are within Setonaikai National Park. This sea is affected by strong tides. At low tide, the bottom of the sea is exposed past the island's torii – [a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred]. At high tide, the sea covers all the previously exposed seabed mud and fills areas underneath the shrine boardwalk. Miyajima's maple trees are renowned throughout Japan and blanket the island in crimson in the autumn. Momiji manjū, pastries filled with azuki jam or custard, are popular souvenirs and carry maple-leaf emblems. Many other varieties such as chocolate and cheese are available. Because the island is seen as sacred, trees may not be cut for lumber and Deer roam freely. Deer are thought of as sacred in the native Shinto religion because they are considered messengers of the gods. They walk the streets of the city, not afraid of the tourists / Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社 Itsukushima-jinja) is a Shinto shrine best known for its "floating" torii gate. The Itsukushima shrine is one of Japan's most popular tourist attractions. It is most famous for its dramatic gate, or torii on the outskirts of the shrine , the sacred peaks of Mount Misen, extensive forests, and its aesthetic ocean view. The shrine complex itself consists of two main buildings: the Honsha shrine and the Sessha Marodo-jinja, as well as 17 other different buildings and structures that help to distinguish it. The complex is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and six of its buildings and possessions have been designated by the Japanese government as National Treasures. Five-Tiered Pagoda (Gojunoto) at Itsukushima Shrine was constructed in 1407 (thus predating Senjokaku) enshrined Yakushi Nyorai Zazo, the Buddha of Medicine said to have been made by Kobo Daishi himself, accompanied by Fugen Bosatsu (Mercy Buddha) and Monju Bosatsu (Wisdom Buddha). The three images were moved to the Daiganji Temple during the Meiji reformation. Daiganji Temple, next to the Itsukushima Shrine is dedicated to Goddess Benzaiten as well as three Buddhas important to Shingon Buddhism. Benzaiten Goddess in Japan has been traced to Goddess Saraswati of Hinduism in India. She is the Goddess of eloquence, music, arts, wealth and knowledge. The three Buddha in the temple are Gautama Buddha, Wisdom Buddha and Mercy Buddha. Daiganji Temple is one the three most famous Benzaiten Temples in Japan, along with Enoshima Benzaiten (Kanagawa) and Chikubujima Benzaiten (Shiga). The Benzaiten is opened to the public only once every year on June 17. On this day, Miyajima holds a big festival, and people of the region visit the temple to offer their prayers. The construction date of Itsukushima-jinja and Daiganji temple is estimated to be 6th century or later, and the existence of Itsukushima-jinja is confirmed by ancient Japanese texts from the early 9th century. The Nihon Koki confirms the sacredness of these Miyajama structures during the Heian Period (794-1184).

Itsukushima (厳島) a/k/a Miyajima (宮島), which in Japanese means "Shrine Island”, is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. Frequent ferry services operates to carry traffic between the island and the mainland. The trip takes about ten minutes. There is also an hourly express passenger ferry to Hiroshima Harbor. The island is one of Hayashi Gahō 's “Three Views of Japan” specified in 1643. Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. The island was part of the former town of Miyajima before the 2005 merger with Hatsukaichi. Itsukushima is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to records, the shrine was established in the time of Empress Suiko. The warrior-courtier Taira no Kiyomori gave the shrine its present form. In 1555, Mōri Motonari defeated Sue Harukata at the Battle of Miyajima. Toyotomi Hideyoshi built a large building, the Senjō-kaku, on a hill above the shrine. Itsukushima has a number of shrines and temples [in Japan, the term "shrine" implies a Shinto religious structure and "temple" implies a Buddhist one], including Toyokuni Shrine with a five-storied pagoda and Daiganji Temple - one of the three most famous Benzaiten temples of Japan. The island is also famous for its upper hill side cherry blossoms and maple leaf autumn foliage. The island, including the waters around it (part of the Seto Inland Sea), are within Setonaikai National Park. This sea is affected by strong tides. At low tide, the bottom of the sea is exposed past the island's torii – [a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred]. At high tide, the sea covers all the previously exposed seabed mud and fills areas underneath the shrine boardwalk. Miyajima's maple trees are renowned throughout Japan and blanket the island in crimson in the autumn. Momiji manjū, pastries filled with azuki jam or custard, are popular souvenirs and carry maple-leaf emblems. Many other varieties such as chocolate and cheese are available. Because the island is seen as sacred, trees may not be cut for lumber and Deer roam freely. Deer are thought of as sacred in the native Shinto religion because they are considered messengers of the gods. They walk the streets of the city, not afraid of the tourists / Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社 Itsukushima-jinja) is a Shinto shrine best known for its "floating" torii gate. The Itsukushima shrine is one of Japan's most popular tourist attractions. It is most famous for its dramatic gate, or torii on the outskirts of the shrine , the sacred peaks of Mount Misen, extensive forests, and its aesthetic ocean view. The shrine complex itself consists of two main buildings: the Honsha shrine and the Sessha Marodo-jinja, as well as 17 other different buildings and structures that help to distinguish it. The complex is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and six of its buildings and possessions have been designated by the Japanese government as National Treasures. Five-Tiered Pagoda (Gojunoto) at Itsukushima Shrine was constructed in 1407 (thus predating Senjokaku) enshrined Yakushi Nyorai Zazo, the Buddha of Medicine said to have been made by Kobo Daishi himself, accompanied by Fugen Bosatsu (Mercy Buddha) and Monju Bosatsu (Wisdom Buddha). The three images were moved to the Daiganji Temple during the Meiji reformation. Daiganji Temple, next to the Itsukushima Shrine is dedicated to Goddess Benzaiten as well as three Buddhas important to Shingon Buddhism. Benzaiten Goddess in Japan has been traced to Goddess Saraswati of Hinduism in India. She is the Goddess of eloquence, music, arts, wealth and knowledge. The three Buddha in the temple are Gautama Buddha, Wisdom Buddha and Mercy Buddha. Daiganji Temple is one the three most famous Benzaiten Temples in Japan, along with Enoshima Benzaiten (Kanagawa) and Chikubujima Benzaiten (Shiga). The Benzaiten is opened to the public only once every year on June 17. On this day, Miyajima holds a big festival, and people of the region visit the temple to offer their prayers. The construction date of Itsukushima-jinja and Daiganji temple is estimated to be 6th century or later, and the existence of Itsukushima-jinja is confirmed by ancient Japanese texts from the early 9th century. The Nihon Koki confirms the sacredness of these Miyajama structures during the Heian Period (794-1184).

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REFORD GARDENS | LES JARDINS DE METIS

Beautiful flowers at Reford Gardens.

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Visit : www.refordgardens.com/

From Wikipedia:

Elsie Stephen Meighen - born January 22, 1872, Perth, Ontario - and Robert Wilson Reford - born in 1867, Montreal - got married on June 12, 1894.

Elsie Reford was a pioneer of Canadian horticulture, creating one of the largest private gardens in Canada on her estate, Estevan Lodge in eastern Québec. Located in Grand-Métis on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, her gardens have been open to the public since 1962 and operate under the name Les Jardins de Métis and Reford Gardens.

Born January 22, 1872 at Perth, Ontario, Elsie Reford was the eldest of three children born to Robert Meighen and Elsie Stephen. Coming from modest backgrounds themselves, Elsie’s parents ensured that their children received a good education. After being educated in Montreal, she was sent to finishing school in Dresden and Paris, returning to Montreal fluent in both German and French, and ready to take her place in society.

She married Robert Wilson Reford on June 12, 1894. She gave birth to two sons, Bruce in 1895 and Eric in 1900. Robert and Elsie Reford were, by many accounts, an ideal couple. In 1902, they built a house on Drummond Street in Montreal. They both loved the outdoors and they spend several weeks a year in a log cabin they built at Lac Caribou, south of Rimouski. In the autumn they hunted for caribou, deer, and ducks. They returned in winter to ski and snowshoe. Elsie Reford also liked to ride. She had learned as a girl and spent many hours riding on the slopes of Mount Royal. And of course, there was salmon-fishing – a sport at which she excelled.

In her day, she was known for her civic, social, and political activism. She was engaged in philanthropic activities, particularly for the Montreal Maternity Hospital and she was also the moving force behind the creation of the Women’s Canadian Club of Montreal, the first women club in Canada. She believed it important that the women become involved in debates over the great issues of the day, « something beyond the local gossip of the hour ». Her acquaintance with Lord Grey, the Governor-General of Canada from 1904 to 1911, led to her involvement in organizing, in 1908, Québec City’s tercentennial celebrations. The event was one of many to which she devoted herself in building bridges with French-Canadian community.

During the First World War, she joined her two sons in England and did volunteer work at the War Office, translating documents from German into English. After the war, she was active in the Victorian Order of Nurses, the Montreal Council of Social Agencies, and the National Association of Conservative Women.

In 1925 at the age of 53 years, Elsie Reford was operated for appendicitis and during her convalescence, her doctor counselled against fishing, fearing that she did not have the strength to return to the river.”Why not take up gardening?” he said, thinking this a more suitable pastime for a convalescent woman of a certain age. That is why she began laying out the gardens and supervising their construction. The gardens would take ten years to build, and would extend over more than twenty acres.

Elsie Reford had to overcome many difficulties in bringing her garden to life. First among them were the allergies that sometimes left her bedridden for days on end. The second obstacle was the property itself. Estevan was first and foremost a fishing lodge. The site was chosen because of its proximity to a salmon river and its dramatic views – not for the quality of the soil.

To counter-act nature’s deficiencies, she created soil for each of the plants she had selected, bringing peat and sand from nearby farms. This exchange was fortuitous to the local farmers, suffering through the Great Depression. Then, as now, the gardens provided much-needed work to an area with high unemployment. Elsie Reford’s genius as a gardener was born of the knowledge she developed of the needs of plants. Over the course of her long life, she became an expert plantsman. By the end of her life, Elsie Reford was able to counsel other gardeners, writing in the journals of the Royal Horticultural Society and the North American Lily Society. Elsie Reford was not a landscape architect and had no training of any kind as a garden designer. While she collected and appreciated art, she claimed no talents as an artist.

Elsie Stephen Reford died at her Drummond Street home on November 8, 1967 in her ninety-sixth year.

In 1995, the Reford Gardens ("Jardins de Métis") in Grand-Métis were designated a National Historic Site of Canada, as being an excellent Canadian example of the English-inspired garden.(Wikipedia)

Visit : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_Reford

Visit : www.refordgardens.com

LES JARDINS DE MÉTIS

Créés par Elsie Reford de 1926 à 1958, ces jardins témoignent de façon remarquable de l’art paysager à l’anglaise. Disposés dans un cadre naturel, un ensemble de jardins exhibent fleurs vivaces, arbres et arbustes. Le jardin des pommetiers, les rocailles et l’Allée royale évoquent l’œuvre de cette dame passionnée d’horticulture. Agrémenté d’un ruisseau et de sentiers sinueux, ce site jouit d’un microclimat favorable à la croissance d’espèces uniques au Canada. Les pavots bleus et les lis, privilégiés par Mme Reford, y fleurissent toujours et contribuent , avec d’autres plantes exotiques et indigènes, à l’harmonie de ces lieux.

Created by Elsie Reford between 1926 and 1958, these gardens are an inspired example of the English art of the garden. Woven into a natural setting, a series of gardens display perennials, trees and shrubs. A crab-apple orchard, a rock garden, and the Long Walk are also the legacy of this dedicated horticulturist. A microclimate favours the growth of species found nowhere else in Canada, while the stream and winding paths add to the charm. Elsie Reford’s beloved blue poppies and lilies still bloom and contribute, with other exotic and indigenous plants, to the harmony of the site.

Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

Gouvernement du Canada – Government of Canada

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Mt Difficulty winery and restaurant where we had lunch. March 6, 2014 South Island, New Zealand.

Mt Difficulty Wines is located in Bannockburn and the Cellar Door at Mt Difficulty Wines is known as much for its dramatic views of rugged rock and thyme landscapes as it is for its stylish wine and food.

All wines that carry the Mt Difficulty Bannockburn Estate label are subject to two strict criteria: they have to be sourced from vineyards situated in a very specific area – Bannockburn, south of the Kawarau River – and they are to be under the umbrella of the Mt Difficulty management team. The reasons for these self-imposed constraints are that we believe this to be an area with very special qualities for growing grapes, and that the management of the vineyard is reflected in the quality of the ultimate product.

For More Info: www.mtdifficulty.co.nz/vineyards/bannockburn-map.html

Llyn Llech Owain Country Park is is a stunning 158-acre expanse of woods and lakeland near Cross Hands with nature trails, an adventure area and visitor centre. At the heart of this spectacular park is its dramatic lake which is surrounded by peat bog and there’s a lovely myth associated with Llyn Lech Owain. Legend has it that Owain Lawgoch ("Owain of the Red Hand" - who led an army of French mercenaries against the English in the Hundred Years' War), was entrusted to look after a well on the mountain named Mynydd Mawr. Each day, after extracting enough water for himself and his horse, Owain was always careful to replace the stone but on one occasion he forgot and a torrent of water poured down the side of the mountain. The resultant lake was hence named Llyn Lech Owain - the lake of Owain’s slab. Today, specially constructed paths allow for safe access over the bog and around the lake. The paths are well-surfaced and accessible to wheelchair-users. A forest track provides a longer walk or cycle ride around the country park and there’s a rough mountain bike trail for the more adventurous cyclist. Much of the park consists of coniferous woodland, planted by the Forestry Commission during the 1960s and there are also areas of dry heath and broad-leaved woodland.

Itsukushima (厳島) a/k/a Miyajima (宮島), which in Japanese means "Shrine Island”, is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. Frequent ferry services operates to carry traffic between the island and the mainland. The trip takes about ten minutes. There is also an hourly express passenger ferry to Hiroshima Harbor. The island is one of Hayashi Gahō 's “Three Views of Japan” specified in 1643. Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. The island was part of the former town of Miyajima before the 2005 merger with Hatsukaichi. Itsukushima is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to records, the shrine was established in the time of Empress Suiko. The warrior-courtier Taira no Kiyomori gave the shrine its present form. In 1555, Mōri Motonari defeated Sue Harukata at the Battle of Miyajima. Toyotomi Hideyoshi built a large building, the Senjō-kaku, on a hill above the shrine. Itsukushima has a number of shrines and temples [in Japan, the term "shrine" implies a Shinto religious structure and "temple" implies a Buddhist one], including Toyokuni Shrine with a five-storied pagoda and Daiganji Temple - one of the three most famous Benzaiten temples of Japan. The island is also famous for its upper hill side cherry blossoms and maple leaf autumn foliage. The island, including the waters around it (part of the Seto Inland Sea), are within Setonaikai National Park. This sea is affected by strong tides. At low tide, the bottom of the sea is exposed past the island's torii – [a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred]. At high tide, the sea covers all the previously exposed seabed mud and fills areas underneath the shrine boardwalk. Miyajima's maple trees are renowned throughout Japan and blanket the island in crimson in the autumn. Momiji manjū, pastries filled with azuki jam or custard, are popular souvenirs and carry maple-leaf emblems. Many other varieties such as chocolate and cheese are available. Because the island is seen as sacred, trees may not be cut for lumber and Deer roam freely. Deer are thought of as sacred in the native Shinto religion because they are considered messengers of the gods. They walk the streets of the city, not afraid of the tourists / Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社 Itsukushima-jinja) is a Shinto shrine best known for its "floating" torii gate. The Itsukushima shrine is one of Japan's most popular tourist attractions. It is most famous for its dramatic gate, or torii on the outskirts of the shrine , the sacred peaks of Mount Misen, extensive forests, and its aesthetic ocean view. The shrine complex itself consists of two main buildings: the Honsha shrine and the Sessha Marodo-jinja, as well as 17 other different buildings and structures that help to distinguish it. The complex is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and six of its buildings and possessions have been designated by the Japanese government as National Treasures. Five-Tiered Pagoda (Gojunoto) at Itsukushima Shrine was constructed in 1407 (thus predating Senjokaku) enshrined Yakushi Nyorai Zazo, the Buddha of Medicine said to have been made by Kobo Daishi himself, accompanied by Fugen Bosatsu (Mercy Buddha) and Monju Bosatsu (Wisdom Buddha). The three images were moved to the Daiganji Temple during the Meiji reformation. Daiganji Temple, next to the Itsukushima Shrine is dedicated to Goddess Benzaiten as well as three Buddhas important to Shingon Buddhism. Benzaiten Goddess in Japan has been traced to Goddess Saraswati of Hinduism in India. She is the Goddess of eloquence, music, arts, wealth and knowledge. The three Buddha in the temple are Gautama Buddha, Wisdom Buddha and Mercy Buddha. Daiganji Temple is one the three most famous Benzaiten Temples in Japan, along with Enoshima Benzaiten (Kanagawa) and Chikubujima Benzaiten (Shiga). The Benzaiten is opened to the public only once every year on June 17. On this day, Miyajima holds a big festival, and people of the region visit the temple to offer their prayers. The construction date of Itsukushima-jinja and Daiganji temple is estimated to be 6th century or later, and the existence of Itsukushima-jinja is confirmed by ancient Japanese texts from the early 9th century. The Nihon Koki confirms the sacredness of these Miyajama structures during the Heian Period (794-1184).

Detail of the 'Pilgrim Window' by Helen Whittaker, installed in 2004 as part of the enhancement of the retrochoir.

www.helenwhittakerart.com/portfolio/beverley-minster-east...

There is a danger of running out of superlatives when trying to describe Beverley Minster. It is not only the second finest non-cathedral church in the country but is architecturally a far finer building than most of our cathedrals themselves! It will come as a surprise to many visitors to find this grand edifice simply functions today as a parish church and has never been more than collegiate, a status it lost at the Reformaton. What had added to its mystique and wealth was its status as a place of pilgrimage housing the tomb of St John of Beverley, which drew visitors and revenue until the Reformation brought an end to such fortunes and the shrine was destroyed (though the saint's bones were later rediscovered and reinterred in the nave). That this great church itself survived this period almost intact is little short of a miracle in itself.

There has been a church here since the 8th century but little remains of the earlier buildings aside from the Saxon chair near the altar and the Norman font in the nave. The present Minster's construction spans the entirety of the development of Gothic architecture but forms a surprisingly harmonious whole nevertheless, starting with Early English in the 13h century choir and transepts (both pairs) with their lancet windows in a building phase that stopped at the first bays of the nave. Construction was then continued with the nave in the 14th century but only the traceried windows betray the emergent Decorated style, the design otherwise closely followed the work of the previous century which gives the Minster's interior such a pleasingly unified appearance (the only discernable break in construction within can be seen where the black purbeck-marble ceased to be used for certain elements beyond the eastern bay of the nave). Finally the building was completed more or less by 1420 with the soaring west front with its dramatic twin-towers in Perpendicular style (the east window must have been enlarged at this point too to match the new work at the west end).

The fabric happily survived the Reformation intact aside from the octagonal chapter-house formerly adjoining the north choir aisle which was dismantled to raise money by the sale of its materials while the church's fate was in the balance (a similar fate was contemplated for the rest of the church by its new owners until the town bought it for retention as a parish church for £100). The great swathes of medieval glass alas were mostly lost, though seemingly as much to neglect and storm-damage in the following century than the usual iconoclasm. All that survived of the Minster's original glazing was collected to form the patchwork display now filling the great east window, a colourful kaleidoscope of fragments of figures and scenes. Of the other furnishings the choir stalls are the major ensemble and some of the finest medieval canopied stalls extant with a full set of charming misericords (though most of these alas are not normally on show).

There are suprisingly few monuments of note for such an enormous cathedral-like church, but the one major exception makes up for this, the delightful canopied Percy tomb erected in 1340 to the north of the high altar. The tomb itself is surprisingly plain without any likeness remaining of the deceased, but the richly carved Decorated canopy above is alive with gorgeous detail and figurative embellishments. There are further carvings to enjoy adorning the arcading that runs around the outer perimeter of the interior, especially the north nave aisle which has the most rewarding carved figures of musicians, monsters and people suffering various ailments, many were largely restored in the 19th century but still preserve the medieval spirit of irreverent fun.

To summarise Beverley Minster would be difficult other than simply adding that if one enjoys marvelling at Gothic architecture at its best then it really shouldn't be missed and one should prioritise it over the majority of our cathedrals. It is a real gem and a delight to behold, and is happily normally open and welcoming to visitors (who must all be astonished to find this magnificent edifice is no more than a simple parish church in status!). I thoroughly enjoyed this, my second visit here (despite the best efforts of the poor weather!).

beverleyminster.org.uk/visit-us-2/a-brief-history/

Situated over a thousand metres above sea level 30km northwest of Antalya, the ancient site of Termessos is one of Turkey’s prime attractions. Indeed, its dramatic setting and well-preserved ruins, tumbling from the summit of the mountain and enclosed within the boundaries of a national park – the Güllük Dağ Milli Parkı – merit a journey.

Despite its close proximity to Lycia, Termessos was actually a Pisidian city, inhabited by the same warlike tribe of people who settled in the Anatolian Lakeland, around Isparta and Eğirdir, during the first millennium BC. The city’s position, commanding the road from the Mediterranean to the Aegean, gave Termessians the opportunity to extract customs dues from traders; a wall across the valley is believed to be the site of their customs post. Later, in 70 BC, Termessos signed a treaty with Rome, under which their independence was preserved – a fact the Termessians proudly expressed by never including the face or name of a Roman emperor on their coinage. The city must have been abandoned quite early, probably after earthquake damage in 243 AD, and has only been surveyed, never excavated.

Source/Read more: www.roughguides.com/destinations/europe/turkey/mediterran...

Generic doesn't have to be a dirty word in the world of diecast collecting as long as the models are either believable in their styling or look imaginative and well designed. This aptly titled Silver Wolf is one such vehicle which veers on the right side of fantasy with its dramatic and daring design but one which looks as though it could have been made by a real car manufacturer. Made by Auldey it is part of a range of 11 similar themed models all given their own dramatic sounding names and all which have respectable levels of quality to finish, construction and detailing even down to opening doors. Part of a three vehicle set bought from Boyes back in July 2016. Mint and boxed.

The Range Rover Evoque marks a bold evolution of Range Rover design. With its dramatic rising beltline, a muscular shoulder running the length of the car, and a distinctive taper to the floating roofline, the Range Rover Evoque adopts a very dynamic profile with a powerful and athletic stance,.” said Land Rover Design Director, Gerry McGovern.Interior quality. The cabin of the Range Rover Evoque is lavishly appointed with premium quality materials and an elegance befitting of a Range Rover interior.See More Range Rover Evoque Pictures

Some other upcoming cars in India which are going to be launched this year are Chevrolet Beat Diesel ,Mahindra Verito,Chevrolet Spark,Toyota Innova,Range Rover Sport, Hyundai Accent, Volkswagen Vento,Toyota Etios,Volkswagen Polo,BMW X6 and Hyundai Avante.

Saltwell Park, Gateshead

former home of the stained glass designer/manufacturer William Wailes.

"At the turn of the 19th century, Gateshead, with the exception of a couple of industrial hubs at Sherriff Hill and the quayside, was mostly made up of substantial agricultural estates.

The largest of these was Saltwell Estate which consisted of around 500 acres of land between Team Valley, Bensham and Low Fell. In 1805 this estate was broken up into a number of smaller areas including Saltwell Cottage.

Newcastle born William Wailes who was one of the19th century’s leading stained glass designers bought this area of land in 1850. He lived in South Dene Towers before it was demolished which was on the site now occupied by Gateshead Crematorium.

By 1856 Saltwell Cottage had become the Saltwellside estate and Wailes commissioned the design of a grand Victorian mansion for his family to live in. He employed builder George Brown and this was probably his biggest project. He began work on the mansion in 1859 and continued until 1871 when Saltwell Towers was finally complete.

Saltwell Towers (listed grade II) was a large mansion of striking design with red brickwork and Gothic turrets, but its dramatic exterior masked what was essentially a flawed building. It was built without foundations, with only basic sanitation and a variety of miss matched roofing levels and guttering.

While Brown was building Saltwell Towers, Gateshead was expanding and industrialising. As a result, the air pollution, poor social conditions and general shortage of clean drinking water in the town led to concern about public health and gave rise to calls for the creation of a public park.

William Wailes’s dream didn’t last long and he sold Saltwellside Park and Towers for £35,000 to the Gateshead Corporation in November 1875 when he ran into financial difficulties.

In 1876 garden designer Edward Kemp was invited to submit designs to the Corporation for the existing gardens and an area of open fields to the north. Kemp's plans were implemented over a period of years by borough surveyor James Bowyer at a cost of around £11,000.

In the Spring of 1876 there was a buzz in the year as the Park was prepared for its grand opening. The hedges enclosing the four fields were rooted out and the whole area was ploughed by a steam plough. The town Surveyor ordered one dozen metal plates marked "please keep off the grass"; and police supervision of the Park was arranged. The formal opening was planned for Whit Monday, but it never actually went ahead. Nonetheless, the public were allowed to use the park by the end of 1876 and it became the People’s Park.

In its early years, Saltwell Park showed signs of being transformed into a zoo. In June 1877 the park was home to swans, peacocks, peahens, pheasants, bantam cocks, bantam hens and ducks.

In 1880 the Chief Constable of Gateshead, John Elliott paid for the construction of an aviary, supplied birds, and in the same year he built a monkey house and provided monkeys. These, however, were not a success and in October 1880 the male monkeys were ordered to be removed ’forthwith’.

Around this time, Lord Ravensworth also presented two deer to the Park and it may have been one of these which involved the Corporation in litigation and expenses of £650 when a visitor to the Park in 1889 was attacked by a stag.

Wailes carried on as a private tenant in the Towers at a cost of £140 per year until his death in 1881. While Wailes was prepared to put up with the building problems, others were not, and there were continuing complaints about the sanitation, heating and the inconvenient size of the larger rooms.

The first tenant after Wailes was Hugh Clayton Armstrong, a Newcastle timber merchant who surrendered his tenancy when his original five year lease was up. At this time, Joseph Ainsley Davidson Shipley, a Newcastle based solicitor, approached the Council with a view to leasing the Towers.

Shipley lived in the mansion until his death in 1909 and the following year, the Towers was leased to John Henry Rowell, a local brewer, for five years for an annual rent of £120 and the Council agreed to have electricity installed at a cost of £445.

After Rowell died in August 1913, his widow kept the tenancy on until 1915 after which the house was used temporarily as a billet for soldiers and then, between 1916 and 1920, it was used as an army hospital attached to the nearby Whinney House Hospital.

There was only to be one further documented tenant and this was Harold Svendsen, a garage owner who moved into the house in 1920, again on a five year tenancy, but within two years had left, unable to pay the rent.

Around this time, Sarah’s Great Grandma went to live in the Towers to work as a nanny to care for the two sets of twins who lived there. She had been known to say it was a wonderful place to live and it was a very happy time in her life.

Sarah’s Great Grandma met her husband to be John Roberts while she was working there. John ran a business with his sister supplying agricultural feed. John was described as having perfect manners, very articulate and quite well to do. Even his own family nicknamed him Lord John.

John’s sister lived in Balmoral Terrace which was her week day town house and she spent the weekends with her younger brother who lived at the building which is now the Shepherd and Shepherdess at Beamish.

John married Sarah’s Great Grandma at Lamesley church and they moved to John Street and raised their own family there. There are memories that there was a family rift on John’s side as it was seen that he had “married out”, meaning he had married out of his class, but this didn’t stop him marrying the love of his life.

It is believed that they called their children Brenda and Pat after the children she looked after at Saltwell Towers. Sarah’s Great Grandma worked all the hours she could and Brenda, her first born became fretful, so much so, the doctor took her away and gradually weaned her back to the family once she was settled.

As business became more prosperous John tried allsorts to get Sarah’s Great Grandma to move to a new house but she liked the community she lived in and her neighbourhood and wanted to stay where she was.

Just a life was treating them well, John died suddenly at the age of 42 from a heart defect. Unbeknown to them, Brenda, their first born had the same defect and she tragically died at the tender age of 16. Sarah’s Mam was born the same year and was named Brenda after her.

Attempts to lease Saltwell Towers following Mr Svfendsen’s departure were unsuccessful and the house remained unoccupied for over ten years. Eventually, and after some debate, it was decided to turn the house into a museum.

On 8 July 1933, Saltwell Towers opened up as the Gateshead Municipal Museum and it was re-named several times to Gateshead local and Industrial Museum, Saltwell Towers Museum and Saltwell Park Museum.

Saltwell Towers had dry rot and a serious damp problem that was first identified in 1932. It never really got fixed and was only superficially resolved for the opening a year later.

The condition of building gradually declined and gradually the rooms that held the exhibits were systematically closed, due to a fear that the ceilings would collapse.

In February 1969 the Saltwell Park Museum’s closure happened quickly and very suddenly and the collection that remained in the closed building could not be moved to safer storage for another five years in 1974 when Tyne and Wear Museums was set up.

In 1999 the Towers was refurbished as part of a £9.6 million restoration project, funded collaboratively by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Gateshead Council and re-opened in 2005 as a café and visitor centre which plays host to around two million visitors each year. " www.sarahmains.com

REFORD GARDENS | LES JARDINS DE METIS

Beautiful flowers at Reford Gardens.

Visit : www.refordgardens.com/

From Wikipedia:

Elsie Stephen Meighen - born January 22, 1872, Perth, Ontario - and Robert Wilson Reford - born in 1867, Montreal - got married on June 12, 1894.

Elsie Reford was a pioneer of Canadian horticulture, creating one of the largest private gardens in Canada on her estate, Estevan Lodge in eastern Québec. Located in Grand-Métis on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, her gardens have been open to the public since 1962 and operate under the name Les Jardins de Métis and Reford Gardens.

Born January 22, 1872 at Perth, Ontario, Elsie Reford was the eldest of three children born to Robert Meighen and Elsie Stephen. Coming from modest backgrounds themselves, Elsie’s parents ensured that their children received a good education. After being educated in Montreal, she was sent to finishing school in Dresden and Paris, returning to Montreal fluent in both German and French, and ready to take her place in society.

She married Robert Wilson Reford on June 12, 1894. She gave birth to two sons, Bruce in 1895 and Eric in 1900. Robert and Elsie Reford were, by many accounts, an ideal couple. In 1902, they built a house on Drummond Street in Montreal. They both loved the outdoors and they spend several weeks a year in a log cabin they built at Lac Caribou, south of Rimouski. In the autumn they hunted for caribou, deer, and ducks. They returned in winter to ski and snowshoe. Elsie Reford also liked to ride. She had learned as a girl and spent many hours riding on the slopes of Mount Royal. And of course, there was salmon-fishing – a sport at which she excelled.

In her day, she was known for her civic, social, and political activism. She was engaged in philanthropic activities, particularly for the Montreal Maternity Hospital and she was also the moving force behind the creation of the Women’s Canadian Club of Montreal, the first women club in Canada. She believed it important that the women become involved in debates over the great issues of the day, « something beyond the local gossip of the hour ». Her acquaintance with Lord Grey, the Governor-General of Canada from 1904 to 1911, led to her involvement in organizing, in 1908, Québec City’s tercentennial celebrations. The event was one of many to which she devoted herself in building bridges with French-Canadian community.

During the First World War, she joined her two sons in England and did volunteer work at the War Office, translating documents from German into English. After the war, she was active in the Victorian Order of Nurses, the Montreal Council of Social Agencies, and the National Association of Conservative Women.

In 1925 at the age of 53 years, Elsie Reford was operated for appendicitis and during her convalescence, her doctor counselled against fishing, fearing that she did not have the strength to return to the river.”Why not take up gardening?” he said, thinking this a more suitable pastime for a convalescent woman of a certain age. That is why she began laying out the gardens and supervising their construction. The gardens would take ten years to build, and would extend over more than twenty acres.

Elsie Reford had to overcome many difficulties in bringing her garden to life. First among them were the allergies that sometimes left her bedridden for days on end. The second obstacle was the property itself. Estevan was first and foremost a fishing lodge. The site was chosen because of its proximity to a salmon river and its dramatic views – not for the quality of the soil.

To counter-act nature’s deficiencies, she created soil for each of the plants she had selected, bringing peat and sand from nearby farms. This exchange was fortuitous to the local farmers, suffering through the Great Depression. Then, as now, the gardens provided much-needed work to an area with high unemployment. Elsie Reford’s genius as a gardener was born of the knowledge she developed of the needs of plants. Over the course of her long life, she became an expert plantsman. By the end of her life, Elsie Reford was able to counsel other gardeners, writing in the journals of the Royal Horticultural Society and the North American Lily Society. Elsie Reford was not a landscape architect and had no training of any kind as a garden designer. While she collected and appreciated art, she claimed no talents as an artist.

Elsie Stephen Reford died at her Drummond Street home on November 8, 1967 in her ninety-sixth year.

In 1995, the Reford Gardens ("Jardins de Métis") in Grand-Métis were designated a National Historic Site of Canada, as being an excellent Canadian example of the English-inspired garden.(Wikipedia)

Visit : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_Reford

LES JARDINS DE MÉTIS

Créés par Elsie Reford de 1926 à 1958, ces jardins témoignent de façon remarquable de l’art paysager à l’anglaise. Disposés dans un cadre naturel, un ensemble de jardins exhibent fleurs vivaces, arbres et arbustes. Le jardin des pommetiers, les rocailles et l’Allée royale évoquent l’œuvre de cette dame passionnée d’horticulture. Agrémenté d’un ruisseau et de sentiers sinueux, ce site jouit d’un microclimat favorable à la croissance d’espèces uniques au Canada. Les pavots bleus et les lis, privilégiés par Mme Reford, y fleurissent toujours et contribuent , avec d’autres plantes exotiques et indigènes, à l’harmonie de ces lieux.

Created by Elsie Reford between 1926 and 1958, these gardens are an inspired example of the English art of the garden. Woven into a natural setting, a series of gardens display perennials, trees and shrubs. A crab-apple orchard, a rock garden, and the Long Walk are also the legacy of this dedicated horticulturist. A microclimate favours the growth of species found nowhere else in Canada, while the stream and winding paths add to the charm. Elsie Reford’s beloved blue poppies and lilies still bloom and contribute, with other exotic and indigenous plants, to the harmony of the site.

Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

Gouvernement du Canada – Government of Canada

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Itsukushima (厳島) a/k/a Miyajima (宮島), which in Japanese means "Shrine Island”, is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. Frequent ferry services operates to carry traffic between the island and the mainland. The trip takes about ten minutes. There is also an hourly express passenger ferry to Hiroshima Harbor. The island is one of Hayashi Gahō 's “Three Views of Japan” specified in 1643. Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. The island was part of the former town of Miyajima before the 2005 merger with Hatsukaichi. Itsukushima is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to records, the shrine was established in the time of Empress Suiko. The warrior-courtier Taira no Kiyomori gave the shrine its present form. In 1555, Mōri Motonari defeated Sue Harukata at the Battle of Miyajima. Toyotomi Hideyoshi built a large building, the Senjō-kaku, on a hill above the shrine. Itsukushima has a number of shrines and temples [in Japan, the term "shrine" implies a Shinto religious structure and "temple" implies a Buddhist one], including Toyokuni Shrine with a five-storied pagoda and Daiganji Temple - one of the three most famous Benzaiten temples of Japan. The island is also famous for its upper hill side cherry blossoms and maple leaf autumn foliage. The island, including the waters around it (part of the Seto Inland Sea), are within Setonaikai National Park. This sea is affected by strong tides. At low tide, the bottom of the sea is exposed past the island's torii – [a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred]. At high tide, the sea covers all the previously exposed seabed mud and fills areas underneath the shrine boardwalk. Miyajima's maple trees are renowned throughout Japan and blanket the island in crimson in the autumn. Momiji manjū, pastries filled with azuki jam or custard, are popular souvenirs and carry maple-leaf emblems. Many other varieties such as chocolate and cheese are available. Because the island is seen as sacred, trees may not be cut for lumber and Deer roam freely. Deer are thought of as sacred in the native Shinto religion because they are considered messengers of the gods. They walk the streets of the city, not afraid of the tourists / Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社 Itsukushima-jinja) is a Shinto shrine best known for its "floating" torii gate. The Itsukushima shrine is one of Japan's most popular tourist attractions. It is most famous for its dramatic gate, or torii on the outskirts of the shrine , the sacred peaks of Mount Misen, extensive forests, and its aesthetic ocean view. The shrine complex itself consists of two main buildings: the Honsha shrine and the Sessha Marodo-jinja, as well as 17 other different buildings and structures that help to distinguish it. The complex is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and six of its buildings and possessions have been designated by the Japanese government as National Treasures. Five-Tiered Pagoda (Gojunoto) at Itsukushima Shrine was constructed in 1407 (thus predating Senjokaku) enshrined Yakushi Nyorai Zazo, the Buddha of Medicine said to have been made by Kobo Daishi himself, accompanied by Fugen Bosatsu (Mercy Buddha) and Monju Bosatsu (Wisdom Buddha). The three images were moved to the Daiganji Temple during the Meiji reformation. Daiganji Temple, next to the Itsukushima Shrine is dedicated to Goddess Benzaiten as well as three Buddhas important to Shingon Buddhism. Benzaiten Goddess in Japan has been traced to Goddess Saraswati of Hinduism in India. She is the Goddess of eloquence, music, arts, wealth and knowledge. The three Buddha in the temple are Gautama Buddha, Wisdom Buddha and Mercy Buddha. Daiganji Temple is one the three most famous Benzaiten Temples in Japan, along with Enoshima Benzaiten (Kanagawa) and Chikubujima Benzaiten (Shiga). The Benzaiten is opened to the public only once every year on June 17. On this day, Miyajima holds a big festival, and people of the region visit the temple to offer their prayers. The construction date of Itsukushima-jinja and Daiganji temple is estimated to be 6th century or later, and the existence of Itsukushima-jinja is confirmed by ancient Japanese texts from the early 9th century. The Nihon Koki confirms the sacredness of these Miyajama structures during the Heian Period (794-1184).

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Famed for its dramatic rapids and canyons, the Colorado is one of the most desirable whitewater rivers in the United States A section of the river above Moab, known as the Colorado "Daily" or "Fisher Towers Section", is the most visited whitewater run in Utah, with more than 77,000 visitors in 2011 alone.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_River

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_...

REFORD GARDENS | LES JARDINS DE METIS

Rosa Fabulous | Floribonda Rose | Rosier Floribonda

Beautiful flowers at Reford Gardens.

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

Visit : www.refordgardens.com/

From Wikipedia:

Elsie Stephen Meighen - born January 22, 1872, Perth, Ontario - and Robert Wilson Reford - born in 1867, Montreal - got married on June 12, 1894.

Elsie Reford was a pioneer of Canadian horticulture, creating one of the largest private gardens in Canada on her estate, Estevan Lodge in eastern Québec. Located in Grand-Métis on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, her gardens have been open to the public since 1962 and operate under the name Les Jardins de Métis and Reford Gardens.

Born January 22, 1872 at Perth, Ontario, Elsie Reford was the eldest of three children born to Robert Meighen and Elsie Stephen. Coming from modest backgrounds themselves, Elsie’s parents ensured that their children received a good education. After being educated in Montreal, she was sent to finishing school in Dresden and Paris, returning to Montreal fluent in both German and French, and ready to take her place in society.

She married Robert Wilson Reford on June 12, 1894. She gave birth to two sons, Bruce in 1895 and Eric in 1900. Robert and Elsie Reford were, by many accounts, an ideal couple. In 1902, they built a house on Drummond Street in Montreal. They both loved the outdoors and they spend several weeks a year in a log cabin they built at Lac Caribou, south of Rimouski. In the autumn they hunted for caribou, deer, and ducks. They returned in winter to ski and snowshoe. Elsie Reford also liked to ride. She had learned as a girl and spent many hours riding on the slopes of Mount Royal. And of course, there was salmon-fishing – a sport at which she excelled.

In her day, she was known for her civic, social, and political activism. She was engaged in philanthropic activities, particularly for the Montreal Maternity Hospital and she was also the moving force behind the creation of the Women’s Canadian Club of Montreal, the first women club in Canada. She believed it important that the women become involved in debates over the great issues of the day, « something beyond the local gossip of the hour ». Her acquaintance with Lord Grey, the Governor-General of Canada from 1904 to 1911, led to her involvement in organizing, in 1908, Québec City’s tercentennial celebrations. The event was one of many to which she devoted herself in building bridges with French-Canadian community.

During the First World War, she joined her two sons in England and did volunteer work at the War Office, translating documents from German into English. After the war, she was active in the Victorian Order of Nurses, the Montreal Council of Social Agencies, and the National Association of Conservative Women.

In 1925 at the age of 53 years, Elsie Reford was operated for appendicitis and during her convalescence, her doctor counselled against fishing, fearing that she did not have the strength to return to the river.”Why not take up gardening?” he said, thinking this a more suitable pastime for a convalescent woman of a certain age. That is why she began laying out the gardens and supervising their construction. The gardens would take ten years to build, and would extend over more than twenty acres.

Elsie Reford had to overcome many difficulties in bringing her garden to life. First among them were the allergies that sometimes left her bedridden for days on end. The second obstacle was the property itself. Estevan was first and foremost a fishing lodge. The site was chosen because of its proximity to a salmon river and its dramatic views – not for the quality of the soil.

To counter-act nature’s deficiencies, she created soil for each of the plants she had selected, bringing peat and sand from nearby farms. This exchange was fortuitous to the local farmers, suffering through the Great Depression. Then, as now, the gardens provided much-needed work to an area with high unemployment. Elsie Reford’s genius as a gardener was born of the knowledge she developed of the needs of plants. Over the course of her long life, she became an expert plantsman. By the end of her life, Elsie Reford was able to counsel other gardeners, writing in the journals of the Royal Horticultural Society and the North American Lily Society. Elsie Reford was not a landscape architect and had no training of any kind as a garden designer. While she collected and appreciated art, she claimed no talents as an artist.

Elsie Stephen Reford died at her Drummond Street home on November 8, 1967 in her ninety-sixth year.

In 1995, the Reford Gardens ("Jardins de Métis") in Grand-Métis were designated a National Historic Site of Canada, as being an excellent Canadian example of the English-inspired garden.(Wikipedia)

Visit : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_Reford

Visit : www.refordgardens.com

LES JARDINS DE MÉTIS

Créés par Elsie Reford de 1926 à 1958, ces jardins témoignent de façon remarquable de l’art paysager à l’anglaise. Disposés dans un cadre naturel, un ensemble de jardins exhibent fleurs vivaces, arbres et arbustes. Le jardin des pommetiers, les rocailles et l’Allée royale évoquent l’œuvre de cette dame passionnée d’horticulture. Agrémenté d’un ruisseau et de sentiers sinueux, ce site jouit d’un microclimat favorable à la croissance d’espèces uniques au Canada. Les pavots bleus et les lis, privilégiés par Mme Reford, y fleurissent toujours et contribuent , avec d’autres plantes exotiques et indigènes, à l’harmonie de ces lieux.

Created by Elsie Reford between 1926 and 1958, these gardens are an inspired example of the English art of the garden. Woven into a natural setting, a series of gardens display perennials, trees and shrubs. A crab-apple orchard, a rock garden, and the Long Walk are also the legacy of this dedicated horticulturist. A microclimate favours the growth of species found nowhere else in Canada, while the stream and winding paths add to the charm. Elsie Reford’s beloved blue poppies and lilies still bloom and contribute, with other exotic and indigenous plants, to the harmony of the site.

Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

Gouvernement du Canada – Government of Canada

© Copyright

This photo and all those in my Photostream are protected by copyright. No one may reproduce, copy, transmit or manipulate them without my written permission.

The rains seemed to follow me right from Xi'an and I landed at my next destination, Guilin, in pouring rain. This section of the tour was a private one as well, and I was met at the airport by a lovely young lady called Yang. 'You Yang? Hi, I'm Ying, pleased to meet you', I joked! She did not get the joke, (or chose to ignore it). Guilin turned out to be a refreshing change of scene. Sure I'd experienced the big bad city Beijing, and the mountains at the Badaling Great Wall and the relatively smaller town of Xi'an so far, but Guilin felt decidedly rural in comparison. The town itself is large-ish, but it was surrounded by limestone karsts, so the scenery was decidedly greener and more rugged. Guilin is a city in southern China known for its dramatic landscape of limestone karst hills. This is my first glimpse of the limestone karsts, taken out of a darkened and wet window of a fast moving car as we sped towards my hotel from Guilin airport in pouring rain. At the centre of Guilin are two lakes, Shanhu (Cedar) and Ronghu (Banyan), remaining from a medieval-era moat that once surrounded the city. Boats travel through these and other lakes via connected rivers. On Cedar Lake’s shore, twin pagodas, the Sun and Moon, light up the sky at night. We did not visit these, as Guilin was to be a hop off points for the next two tours- the Li River cruise and the Longji rice terraces. (separate albums coming up). (Guilin, China, May 2017)

The redness in the sky to the west was now alarming, although I knew the reason, it felt like something supernatural.

Palgrave was just a few miles from Hepworth, and one I hoped to find open, and at just after four in the afternoon, but nearly dar, it was.

It was really very gloomy inside the church, even with the lights on, shots were difficult to take. I was on a mission to snap all I could as soon as possible before the light failed altogether.

Church features a splendid Norman font, modern glass, and the remains of a spiral staircase leading to a room over the south porch, the floor of which has long since vanished. The stairs now a broom cupboard.

Wonderful painted roof, I thought maybe done in the last century, but might be much, much older than that.

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2015: I've visited Palgrave church several times since this account first appeared, most recently to take the photographs here. However, I hope I will be forgiven for retaining the original text from 2003, if only for its freshness, and perhaps also for what may be viewed at this distance as its charm.

2003: I arrived at Diss railway station in that gentle sunshine for which we’ll remember the Spring of 2003. Diss is in Norfolk; I had just crossed the border on my train journey from Ipswich, but I was bound for Diss's southern suburb, the Suffolk village of Palgrave. I cycled off from the station. I headed under the railway line, and over the infant Waveney. At this point, I entered Suffolk again, but there were no county signs in either direction. To be honest, it didn’t feel that different, apart from the way that the road surface improved, the schools came off special measures, the police force became efficient, and so on.

The countryside opened out into golden oilseed rape fields under a wide sky. It was good to be home. Soon, I was coming into Palgrave village, which seemed very pleasant indeed.

In medieval times, Palgrave was actually two parishes; the westerly one, Palgrave St John, has been subsumed into this one, and that church has completely disappeared. However, this pretty church is walled neatly into its graveyard at the heart of the village, which spreads neatly around it. As this was my first church of the day, I hoped it would be open; it always puts a crimp in a trip if the first one is a lock-out. I was not disappointed; St Peter is a friendly parish that knows that part of its Christian mission is to welcome strangers and pilgrims.

I stepped through the elaborate arch of the late 15th Century south doorway. An angel and a dragon contended in the spandrels, and there were characterful heads carved in the entrance arch. Inside, a very nice lady was busy with the flowers, and took time out to show me around. All the while, I was conscious that above my head the lovely painted roof of Palgrave. Marian monograms and symbols punctuate the whitewash; once, many small Suffolk churches must have been like this. Perhaps someone can explain to me why this one hasn’t faded like many of the others; I don’t think it has been redone.

The other famous treasure here is the font. It is unlike anything else in Suffolk. Clearly Norman, but much more elaborate than most, its most outstanding features are the faces in each corner. Again, this is a more intimate experience of the faces we normally see as corbels; but Palgrave has these too, stunning medieval characters along the lines of the arcades.

While we are on the subject of treasure, there were two modern features that were obviously loved by the locals. Firstly, Surinder Warboys has her studio nearby at Mellis, and here is one of her windows in the south aisle. The light flooded through it. The lady told me that everybody liked it, but that it was very hard to do a flower arrangement in front of it! I thought that they had done very well. Secondly, up in the chancel is the benefice millennium banner – people from all the parishes came together and produced this amazing patchwork cross. On the back, there are panels depicting the mission of the Church. Apparently, it is shared around the benefice churches for display for a few weeks at a time.

In the place where many churches now display the coat of arms, Palgrave has part of a suit of armour. I have seen an explanation in several books that it was from the parish armoury, which was once stored in the upper room of the porch, as at Mendlesham. This upper room has now gone, and the armoury has, as in most churches, been dispersed. However, I could find no evidence for this story, and it seems to be based on one of Arthur Mee’s fancies. I don't think it is even real armour; rather, it is similar to the mock plate armour behind the Bacon memorial at nearby Redgrave. It seems likely to me that this is also part of an old set of armour associated with a memorial of some kind, which the Victorians swept away. I don’t suppose we’ll ever know.

Back outside again, I took time out to photograph the famous grave of carter John Catchpole, with its relief of a wagon and horses – you can see it in the left-hand column. It seems a modern fashion to decorate headstones with symbols associated with the deceased; nice to know it was happening in the mid-18th century.

I turned, and looked back at the neat tower, the splendid porch with its dramatic niches. You can see that there was once an upper room, but it has now gone.

And it was time for me to be gone, too. Waving cheerily, I headed off in the direction of Thrandeston, all the road back to Ipswich open in front of me in the sunshine.

Simon Knott, August 2003, updated July 2015

www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/palgrave.htm

The Westmorland Dales In The Yorkshire Dales National Park

This is an area of tremendous history and there are stone circles, remains from the romans and medieval villages to be found.

In the Mallerstang valley you will find the atmospheric ruins of Pendragon Castle with its reputed connection to Uther Pendragon – the father of King Arthur. Towering over the castle is Wild Boar Fell where Sir Richard de Musgrave is thought to have killed the last wild boar in Britain. There could be something in this as his tomb is in Kirkby Stephen church and, when it was examined, in addition to his bones there were two wild boar tusks.

More modern history was created by the building of railways. The Settle to Carlisle railway cuts through the Westmorland Dales as part of its dramatic journey through the Dales with its stunning examples of Victorian engineering. There was also Stainmore Railway which was built to bring coal from the Tees Valley over to Cumbria for use in making iron. Although this railway closed in the 1960s it has left some tremendous reminders of its existence such as the viaducts over Podgill and Smardale and the station at Kirkby Stephen East.

Hitasaki (Front Lantern) / Itsukushima (厳島) a/k/a Miyajima (宮島), which in Japanese means "Shrine Island”, is an island in the western part of the Inland Sea of Japan, located in the northwest of Hiroshima Bay. Frequent ferry services operates to carry traffic between the island and the mainland. The trip takes about ten minutes. There is also an hourly express passenger ferry to Hiroshima Harbor. The island is one of Hayashi Gahō 's “Three Views of Japan” specified in 1643. Itsukushima is part of the city of Hatsukaichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. The island was part of the former town of Miyajima before the 2005 merger with Hatsukaichi. Itsukushima is famous for the Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to records, the shrine was established in the time of Empress Suiko. The warrior-courtier Taira no Kiyomori gave the shrine its present form. In 1555, Mōri Motonari defeated Sue Harukata at the Battle of Miyajima. Toyotomi Hideyoshi built a large building, the Senjō-kaku, on a hill above the shrine. Itsukushima has a number of shrines and temples [in Japan, the term "shrine" implies a Shinto religious structure and "temple" implies a Buddhist one], including Toyokuni Shrine with a five-storied pagoda and Daiganji Temple - one of the three most famous Benzaiten temples of Japan. The island is also famous for its upper hill side cherry blossoms and maple leaf autumn foliage. The island, including the waters around it (part of the Seto Inland Sea), are within Setonaikai National Park. This sea is affected by strong tides. At low tide, the bottom of the sea is exposed past the island's torii – [a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred]. At high tide, the sea covers all the previously exposed seabed mud and fills areas underneath the shrine boardwalk. Miyajima's maple trees are renowned throughout Japan and blanket the island in crimson in the autumn. Momiji manjū, pastries filled with azuki jam or custard, are popular souvenirs and carry maple-leaf emblems. Many other varieties such as chocolate and cheese are available. Because the island is seen as sacred, trees may not be cut for lumber and Deer roam freely. Deer are thought of as sacred in the native Shinto religion because they are considered messengers of the gods. They walk the streets of the city, not afraid of the tourists / Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社 Itsukushima-jinja) is a Shinto shrine best known for its "floating" torii gate. The Itsukushima shrine is one of Japan's most popular tourist attractions. It is most famous for its dramatic gate, or torii on the outskirts of the shrine , the sacred peaks of Mount Misen, extensive forests, and its aesthetic ocean view. The shrine complex itself consists of two main buildings: the Honsha shrine and the Sessha Marodo-jinja, as well as 17 other different buildings and structures that help to distinguish it. The complex is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and six of its buildings and possessions have been designated by the Japanese government as National Treasures. Five-Tiered Pagoda (Gojunoto) at Itsukushima Shrine was constructed in 1407 (thus predating Senjokaku) enshrined Yakushi Nyorai Zazo, the Buddha of Medicine said to have been made by Kobo Daishi himself, accompanied by Fugen Bosatsu (Mercy Buddha) and Monju Bosatsu (Wisdom Buddha). The three images were moved to the Daiganji Temple during the Meiji reformation. Daiganji Temple, next to the Itsukushima Shrine is dedicated to Goddess Benzaiten as well as three Buddhas important to Shingon Buddhism. Benzaiten Goddess in Japan has been traced to Goddess Saraswati of Hinduism in India. She is the Goddess of eloquence, music, arts, wealth and knowledge. The three Buddha in the temple are Gautama Buddha, Wisdom Buddha and Mercy Buddha. Daiganji Temple is one the three most famous Benzaiten Temples in Japan, along with Enoshima Benzaiten (Kanagawa) and Chikubujima Benzaiten (Shiga). The Benzaiten is opened to the public only once every year on June 17. On this day, Miyajima holds a big festival, and people of the region visit the temple to offer their prayers. The construction date of Itsukushima-jinja and Daiganji temple is estimated to be 6th century or later, and the existence of Itsukushima-jinja is confirmed by ancient Japanese texts from the early 9th century. The Nihon Koki confirms the sacredness of these Miyajama structures during the Heian Period (794-1184).

The Snæfellsnes Peninsula is a region in western Iceland known for its dramatic landscapes. At its western tip, Snæfellsjökull National Park is dominated by Snæfellsjökull Volcano, which is topped by a glacier. Nearby, a trail leads through lava fields to black-pebble Djúpalónssandur Beach. In Stykkishólmur fishing village, the 19th-century wood-frame Norwegian House is a regional museum with a craft shop.

White Sands National Monument is in the northern Chihuahuan Desert in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It's known for its dramatic landscape of rare white gypsum sand dunes. Trails through the dunes include the raised Interdune Boardwalk and the Dune Life Nature Trail, dotted with interpretive exhibits on wildlife and other features. Dunes Drive is a looped road from the White Sands Visitor Center to the dune field. Read the blog post - www.dvrawfiles.com/white-sands-new-mexico Watch the vlog - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhwKZVqNfiU

Quebrada de Humahuaca is a narrow mountain valley in northern Argentina. It's known for its dramatic rock formations and hills, and its indigenous Quechuan villages. In the south, the rocky, multihued slopes of the Seven Colors Hill rise above the Spanish colonial village of Purmamarca. The village is known for the centuries-old Santa Rosa de Lima church and surrounding desert landscapes.

Purmamarca is a village in the Jujuy province of northwest Argentina. It's set at the base of a striking, multi-hued mountain called the Seven Colors Hill. From the village, the Paseo de los Colorados trail leads into the surrounding desert landscapes for views of the mountain. Adobe houses line the streets, and 9 de Julio Square hosts a popular crafts market. Nearby is the centuries-old Santa Rosa de Lima church.

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Interesting place for a short stop, the village of Purmamarca is stunningly set just below the unusual colourful mountain massive.

Submitted by Brian S.

“Chicago Remembers” is engraved above the granite waterwall of nearly 3,000 names of Illinois veterans who were killed in action in Vietnam. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, located along the Chicago River between State and Wabash, is a stirring and dignified validation of a time so turbulent in this country’s history that it sets off a longing to undo the losses––to somehow find an acknowledgement of justice.

Nearly 3,000 names of Illinois veterans––one name for 1962, two in 1963, building to 16 columns of names for 1968, then thankfully lessening to five names for 1973. On the walk below the wall is an engraved timeline of the major events of those days.

Commemorative plaques of service emblems of the Armed Forces are on another wall.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is an important public space and is a reminder of the obligation of remembering. Yet the memorial also is comforting with its dramatic terracing for taking a rest or for children to climb, and the water splashing along the wall exerts a rhythm of its own. Though historically sad, watching a toddler trying to maneuver the terrace while chubby legs would not cooperate, one concludes that the memorial is a space for much that is worthy.

The memorial was dedicated November 11, 2005 by Mayor Richard M. Daley, and built by the Chicago Department of Transportation, with valuable help from the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Veterans Affairs. Viewing it from eye level or above, it is strikingly optimistic in design and function. And it is a reminder of the complexities of a particular time––it is a space that tells a story.

To vote for this photo, visit www.placemakingchicago.com/places/vote-for-your-favorite-...

Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah is known for its dramatic desert landscape carved by the Colorado River. Island in the Sky is a huge, flat-topped mesa with panoramic overlooks. Other notable areas include the towering rock pinnacles known as the Needles, the remote canyons of the Maze and the Native American rock paintings in Horseshoe Canyon. Whitewater rapids flow through Cataract Canyon.

Visit : www.refordgardens.com/

MECONOPSIS BETONICIFOLIA

From Wikipedia:

Elsie Stephen Meighen - born January 22, 1872, Perth, Ontario - and Robert Wilson Reford - born in 1867, Montreal - got married on June 12, 1894.

Elsie Reford was a pioneer of Canadian horticulture, creating one of the largest private gardens in Canada on her estate, Estevan Lodge in eastern Québec. Located in Grand-Métis on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, her gardens have been open to the public since 1962 and operate under the name Les Jardins de Métis and Reford Gardens.

Born January 22, 1872 at Perth, Ontario, Elsie Reford was the eldest of three children born to Robert Meighen and Elsie Stephen. Coming from modest backgrounds themselves, Elsie’s parents ensured that their children received a good education. After being educated in Montreal, she was sent to finishing school in Dresden and Paris, returning to Montreal fluent in both German and French, and ready to take her place in society.

She married Robert Wilson Reford on June 12, 1894. She gave birth to two sons, Bruce in 1895 and Eric in 1900. Robert and Elsie Reford were, by many accounts, an ideal couple. In 1902, they built a house on Drummond Street in Montreal. They both loved the outdoors and they spend several weeks a year in a log cabin they built at Lac Caribou, south of Rimouski. In the autumn they hunted for caribou, deer, and ducks. They returned in winter to ski and snowshoe. Elsie Reford also liked to ride. She had learned as a girl and spent many hours riding on the slopes of Mount Royal. And of course, there was salmon-fishing – a sport at which she excelled.

In her day, she was known for her civic, social, and political activism. She was engaged in philanthropic activities, particularly for the Montreal Maternity Hospital and she was also the moving force behind the creation of the Women’s Canadian Club of Montreal, the first women club in Canada. She believed it important that the women become involved in debates over the great issues of the day, « something beyond the local gossip of the hour ». Her acquaintance with Lord Grey, the Governor-General of Canada from 1904 to 1911, led to her involvement in organizing, in 1908, Québec City’s tercentennial celebrations. The event was one of many to which she devoted herself in building bridges with French-Canadian community.

During the First World War, she joined her two sons in England and did volunteer work at the War Office, translating documents from German into English. After the war, she was active in the Victorian Order of Nurses, the Montreal Council of Social Agencies, and the National Association of Conservative Women.

In 1925 at the age of 53 years, Elsie Reford was operated for appendicitis and during her convalescence, her doctor counselled against fishing, fearing that she did not have the strength to return to the river.”Why not take up gardening?” he said, thinking this a more suitable pastime for a convalescent woman of a certain age. That is why she began laying out the gardens and supervising their construction. The gardens would take ten years to build, and would extend over more than twenty acres.

Elsie Reford had to overcome many difficulties in bringing her garden to life. First among them were the allergies that sometimes left her bedridden for days on end. The second obstacle was the property itself. Estevan was first and foremost a fishing lodge. The site was chosen because of its proximity to a salmon river and its dramatic views – not for the quality of the soil.

To counter-act nature’s deficiencies, she created soil for each of the plants she had selected, bringing peat and sand from nearby farms. This exchange was fortuitous to the local farmers, suffering through the Great Depression. Then, as now, the gardens provided much-needed work to an area with high unemployment. Elsie Reford’s genius as a gardener was born of the knowledge she developed of the needs of plants. Over the course of her long life, she became an expert plantsman. By the end of her life, Elsie Reford was able to counsel other gardeners, writing in the journals of the Royal Horticultural Society and the North American Lily Society. Elsie Reford was not a landscape architect and had no training of any kind as a garden designer. While she collected and appreciated art, she claimed no talents as an artist.

Elsie Stephen Reford died at her Drummond Street home on November 8, 1967 in her ninety-sixth year.

In 1995, the Reford Gardens ("Jardins de Métis") in Grand-Métis were designated a National Historic Site of Canada, as being an excellent Canadian example of the English-inspired garden.(Wikipedia)

Visit : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_Reford

Visit : www.refordgardens.com/

LES JARDINS DE MÉTIS

Créés par Elsie Reford de 1926 à 1958, ces jardins témoignent de façon remarquable de l’art paysager à l’anglaise. Disposés dans un cadre naturel, un ensemble de jardins exhibent fleurs vivaces, arbres et arbustes. Le jardin des pommetiers, les rocailles et l’Allée royale évoquent l’œuvre de cette dame passionnée d’horticulture. Agrémenté d’un ruisseau et de sentiers sinueux, ce site jouit d’un microclimat favorable à la croissance d’espèces uniques au Canada. Les pavots bleus et les lis, privilégiés par Mme Reford, y fleurissent toujours et contribuent , avec d’autres plantes exotiques et indigènes, à l’harmonie de ces lieux.

Created by Elsie Reford between 1926 and 1958, these gardens are an inspired example of the English art of the garden. Woven into a natural setting, a series of gardens display perennials, trees and shrubs. A crab-apple orchard, a rock garden, and the Long Walk are also the legacy of this dedicated horticulturist. A microclimate favours the growth of species found nowhere else in Canada, while the stream and winding paths add to the charm. Elsie Reford’s beloved blue poppies and lilies still bloom and contribute, with other exotic and indigenous plants, to the harmony of the site.

Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

Gouvernement du Canada – Government of Canada

© Copyright

This photo and all those in my Photostream are protected by copyright. No one may reproduce, copy, transmit or manipulate them without my written permission.