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PS: please please please if you have bought 125 magazine (heroes edition) could you take a quick snap of the page on which i'm featured? i've looked allllll over for it (ireland and my area in the US) but can't find it, and asked the mag for a PDF of it but they didn't respond. I could be eternally grateful if someone sent me just that page of the mag!
New Years Resolutions:
1) don’t worry as much
2) don’t beat yourself up for things you did/can’t change
3) stop overthinking things, just do them. don’t second-guess yourself.
4) bake more to relieve stress
5) maintain a good report card, don’t obsess over grades
6) take the best photos ever
7) continue a comprehensive notebook with ideas
8) draft out the outline of your novel properly
9) stop obsessing over weight
10) be happier
11) be better to my family
12) stop cursing as much
13) keep things in perspective
14) get your driver’s license for god’s sake
15) be more self-reliant
16) stop having panic attacks, please.
17) write more
18) take things a day at a time
19) eat healthier
20) have more photoshoots
21) try to get a position as a photographer’s assistant/publishing house assistant over the summer
22) go outside more
21) look at colleges properly
22) use the internet less
23) have more slumber parties with loads of people
Ram Island Ledge Light visible in the background
"Portland Head Light is a historic lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The light station sits on a headland at the entrance of the primary shipping channel into Portland Harbor, which is within Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. Completed in 1791, it is the oldest lighthouse in Maine. The light station is automated, and the tower, beacon, and foghorn are maintained by the United States Coast Guard, while the former lighthouse keeper's house is a maritime museum within Fort Williams Park.
Construction began in 1787 at the directive of George Washington and was completed on January 10, 1791, using a fund of $1,500, established by him. Whale oil lamps were originally used for illumination. In 1855, following the formation of the Lighthouse Board, a fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed; that lens was replaced by a second-order Fresnel lens, which was replaced later by an aerobeacon in 1958. That lens was replaced with a DCB-224 aerobeacon in 1991. The DCB-224 aerobeacon is still in use.
In 1787, while Maine was still part of the state of Massachusetts, George Washington engaged two masons from the town of Falmouth (modern-day Portland), Jonathan Bryant and John Nichols, and instructed them to take charge of the construction of a lighthouse on Portland Head. Washington reminded them that the early government was poor, and said that the materials used to build the lighthouse should be taken from the fields and shores, materials which could be handled nicely when hauled by oxen on a drag. The original plans called for the tower to be 58 feet tall. When the masons completed this task, they climbed to the top of the tower and realized that it would not be visible beyond the headlands to the south, so it was raised another 20 feet.
The tower was built of rubblestone, and Washington gave the masons four years to build it. While it was under construction in 1789, the federal government was being formed, and for a while, it looked as though the lighthouse would not be finished. Following passage of their ninth law, the first congress made an appropriation and authorized the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, to inform the mechanics that they could go on with the completion of the tower. On August 10, 1790, the second session of Congress appropriated a sum not to exceed $1500, and under the direction of the President, "to cause the said lighthouse to be finished and completed accordingly." The tower was completed in 1790 and first lit on January 10, 1791.
During the American Civil War, raids on shipping in and out of Portland Harbor became commonplace, and because of the necessity for ships at sea to sight Portland Head Light as soon as possible, the tower was raised 20 more feet. The current keepers' house was built in 1891. When Halfway Rock Light was built, Portland Head Light was considered less important, and in 1883, the tower was shortened 20 feet (6.1 m) and a weaker fourth-order Fresnel lens was added. Following the mariners' complaints, the former height and second-order Fresnel lens were restored in 1885.
The station has changed little except for rebuilding the whistle house in 1975 due to its having been badly damaged in a storm. Today, Portland Head Light stands 80 feet (24 m) above ground and 101 feet (31 m) above water, its white conical tower is connected to a dwelling. The grounds and keeper's house are owned by the town of Cape Elizabeth, while the beacon and fog signal is owned and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard as a current aid to navigation. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Portland Head light (sic) on April 24, 1973, reference number 73000121. The lighthouse was designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2002." (wikipedia)
PLEASE, NO GRAPHICS, BADGES, OR AWARDS IN COMMENTS. They will be deleted.
Maintaining a recent tradition of posting a picture of a cemetery cross on Good Friday
John Nepomucene Cemetery
Barrington Hills, Illinois 42.186100,-88.238290
April 8, 2024
John of Nepomuk (or John Nepomucene) (c. 1345 – 20 March 1393) was a saint of Bohemia (western Czech Republic) who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia. Later accounts state that he was the confessor of the queen of Bohemia and refused to divulge the secrets of the confessional. On the basis of this account, John of Nepomuk is considered the first martyr of the Seal of the Confessional, a patron against calumnies and, because of the manner of his death, a protector from floods and drowning. Wikipedia
And here's a bit about the church and cemetery.
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The interior has maintained the original Romanesque Greek cross plan, with a nave and two aisles divided by piers and ending with an apse, but the decoration its largely from the 17th century Baroque renovation.
On the walls are tapestries, partly executed in Florence (1583–1586) under Alessandro Allori's design, partly of Flemish manufacture, depicting the Life of Mary. Over the tapestry of the Crucifixion (executed in Antwerp on Ludwig van Schoor's cartoons, 1698) is a painting by Luca Giordano, with the Passage of the Red Sea (1691).
Left to the entrance is the sepulchre of Cardinal Guglielmo Longhi, work by Ugo da Campione (1313–1320). On the rear wall are the tomb of the composer Gaetano Donizetti, by Vincenzo Vela (1855) and that of the latter's master Simone Mayr (1852). At the beginning of the left aisle is the Baroque confessional carved by Andrea Fantoni in 1704. A crucifix from the 14th century is on the presbytery's balustrade.
In the presbytery itself, housing six bronze candelabra from 1597, is a wooden choir designed by Bernardo Zenale and Andrea Previtali. The reliefs with Biblical tales were executed in 1524–1555 on designs by Lorenzo Lotto. They are characterized by a polychrome effect rendered through the use of different wood types.
The right transepts has Giottesque frescoes from an unknown artist, with Histories of St Aegidius, The Last Supper and the Tree of Life (1347), partially covered by a 17th-century fresco.
Florida's Turnpike, designated as unsigned State Road 91 (SR 91), is a toll road in the U.S. state of Florida, maintained by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE). Spanning approximately 309 miles (497 km) along a northwest–southeast axis, the turnpike is in two sections. The SR 91 mainline runs roughly 265 miles (426 km), from its southern terminus at an interchange with Interstate 95 (I-95) in Miami Gardens to an interchange with I-75 in Wildwood at its northern terminus. The Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike (abbreviated HEFT and designated as unsigned SR 821) continues from the southern end of the mainline for another 48 miles (77 km) to US Highway 1 (US 1) in Florida City. The slogan for the road is "The Less Stressway". The mainline opened in stages between 1957 and 1964, while the extension was completed in 1974. The turnpike runs through Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, where it parallels I-95, and through Orlando, where it crosses I-4.
Tolls on the turnpike are an average of 6.7 cents per mile (4.2 ¢/km) for cars and other two-axle vehicles using SunPass. A trip on the entire turnpike (not including the Homestead Extension) would cost $22.59 with Toll-by-Plate, and $17.45 with SunPass.
The turnpike was originally entirely on the ticket system, but due to congestion in the Miami and Orlando metro areas, a coin system was implemented from the Three Lakes toll plaza north to the terminus at I-75, and from Lantana south to I-95, in the 1990s. In 2015, the portion between the Golden Glades toll barrier and I-595 in Davie was converted to a cashless toll system. Additional projects to convert the turnpike to an electronic collection system were completed between I-595 and Lantana in 2019, and from SR 429 north to I-75 in Wildwood in 2020.
The final stretch of the turnpike to use the ticket system ran between what are now electronic toll gantries at Lantana (mile 89.4 in Palm Beach County) and Three Lakes (mile 236.5 in Osceola County). This section was converted to a cashless system on November 8, 2021, removing the final cash-based toll collections and converting the entire length of the turnpike to electronic toll collection.
The SunPass electronic toll collection system, in use since 1999, has become the primary method of paying tolls on the turnpike, with 80% of customers using the electronic tolling as of October 2009. SunPass can be used on most Florida toll roads, in conjunction with other electronic toll collection systems in Florida (E-Pass and LeeWay). SunPass users benefit from an average of a 25% discount on tolls and access to SunPass-only exit ramps. SunPass transponders are available at the gift shop and gas stations at all service plazas, as well as Walgreens, Publix, and CVS stores statewide.[18] Since 2021, E-ZPass, which is used primarily in the Midwest and Northeast U.S., has also been accepted on Florida's Turnpike.
As the Turnpike and its system of roads are primary routes for emergency evacuations, tolls may be suspended, in cooperation with the state's emergency operations center and county governments, when a state or national emergency, most common being a hurricane watch, warrant rapid movement of the population.
Eight service plazas are located along the turnpike, spaced about 45 miles (72 km) apart. All eight plazas are open 24 hours a day and located on the center median of the turnpike for access from both directions and offer gasoline, diesel fuel, internet access, travel and tourism info and tickets, picnic areas, TV news, gift shops offering Florida Lottery, family-friendly restrooms, and pay phones. A convenience store/gas station is located at the Snapper Creek plaza on the Homestead Extension of the turnpike, while the remaining seven are full-service plazas, featuring a selection of franchised fast food restaurants. Three of the service plazas (Pompano, Port St. Lucie/Fort Pierce, Turkey Lake) also provide E85 ethanol. The Turkey Lake plaza also has a Tesla Supercharger for Tesla electric vehicles. Superchargers are also located at Ft. Drum plaza, and Canoe Creek and Okahumpa are scheduled to open Superchargers in 2021/22.
The operation of Sunshine State Parkway gas stations and service centers was originally bid out under separate contracts, and as a result, differing petroleum brands operated concurrently along the parkway, with varying levels of service and pricing. This practice was discontinued in 1995 when all service center operations were combined to improve supply and continuity of service; with Martin Petroleum, a Florida corporation, operating the stations with Citgo brand fuel at its stations. Since then, the Venezuelan government, under President Hugo Chávez, nationalized Citgo, and in 2006, political controversy resulted in a movement to remove the brand from the turnpike.
In 2009, Areas U.S.A. signed a 30-year contract for operation of food and retail concessions, taking over operations from Martin Petroleum and HMSHost. Florida Turnpike Services, L.L.C., Areas' partner, replaced the Citgo brand with Shell, the current brand for gas stations along the turnpike. Many of the restaurant brands were also changed over, with Dunkin' Donuts replacing Starbucks locations as well as KFC, Pizza Hut, Villa Pizza and Wendy's replacing most Popeyes and Burger King locations. The reconstruction and renovation of six of the service plazas began on November 1, 2010, to be completed in 2012. The Okahumpka and Ft. Pierce plazas will begin reconstruction when the other plaza projects are complete. Total renovation costs are estimated at $160 million.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida%27s_Turnpike
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
This one, definitely deserves a price......so well maintained........
and the view............awesome!!
The earliest written account of the city is the 10th Century Laguna Copperplate Inscription which describe an Indianized kingdom maintaining diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Medang and commercial exchanges with Ancient Japan and Song Dynasty China. The city was invaded by Brunei's Sultan Bolkiah and was already Islamized by the 15th century when the Spanish first arrived. Manila eventually became the center of Spanish activity in the Far East and one end of the Manila–Acapulco galleon trade route linking Latin America and Asia. This caused it to be called the "Pearl of the Orient". Several Chinese insurrections, local revolts, a British Occupation and a Sepoy mutiny also occurred thereafter. Later, it saw the rise of the Philippine Revolution which was followed by the arrival of the Americans who made contributions to the city's urban planning and development only to have most of those improvements lost in the devastation of World War II. Since then the city has been rebuilt.
Manila was first known as Ginto (land of gold) or Suvarnadvipa by its neighboring provinces, and was officially the Kingdom of Maynila. The Kingdom of Maynila flourished during the latter half of the Ming Dynasty as a result of trade relations with China. Ancient Tondo was maintained as the traditional capital of the empire. Its rulers were equivalent to kings and not mere chieftains, and they were addressed as panginuan or panginoon ("lords"), anak banwa ("son of heaven") or lakandula ("lord of the palace"). During the 13th century, the city consisted of a fortified settlement and trading quarter at the shores of the Pasig river, on top of previous older towns. There is also early evidence of Manila being invaded by the Indianized empire of Majapahit, due to the epic eulogy poem Nagarakretagama which inscribed its conquest by Maharaja Hayam Wuruk.Saludong or Selurong which is a historical name for the city of Manila is listed in Canto 14 alongside Sulot, which is now Sulu, and Kalka.
During the reign of Sultan Bolkiah in 1485 to 1521, the Sultanate of Brunei decided to break the Dynasty of Tondo's monopoly in the China trade by attacking it and establishing the state of Selurong (now Manila) as a Bruneian satellite-state.[8] A new dynasty under the Islamized Rajah Salalila. was also established to challenge the House of Lakandula in Tondo. Islam was further strengthened by the arrival to the Philippines of traders and proselytizers from Malaysia and Indonesia.The multiple states that existed in the Philippines simplified Spanish colonization. Manila was temporarily threatened by the invasion of Chinese pirate-warlord Limahong before it became the seat of the colonial government of Spain.
In 1571 Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi founded the Manila in what today is Intramuros. Manila was made the capital of the Philippine Islands, which Spain would control for over three centuries, from 1565 to 1898. The city was occupied by Great Britain for two years from 1762 to 1764 as part of the Seven Years' War. The city remained the capital of the Philippines under the government of the provisional British governor, acting through the Mexican-born Archbishop of Manila, Manuel Rojo del Rio y Vieyra and the captive Real Audiencia. However, armed resistance to the British persisted, centered in Pampanga, and was led by Oidor Don Simón de Anda y Salazar.
Manila also became famous during the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade which lasted for three centuries and brought goods from as far as Mexico and Peru all the way to Southeast Asia. Silver that was mined in Mexico and Peru were exchanged for Chinese silk, Indian gems, and the spices of the East Indies.
In 1898, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States. Under the American control, the new government invited Daniel Burnham to plan a modern Manila. The Burnham Plan was a project that attempted to create Manila as Paris on the Prairie, with a vision of a government center occupying all of Wallace Field, which extends from Luneta to the present Taft Avenue. The Philippines Capitol was to rise on the Taft Avenue end of the field, facing toward the sea, and would form, with the buildings of different government bureaus and departments, a mighty quadrangle, lagoon in the center and a monument to Rizal at its Luneta end. Of Burnham’s proposed government center, only three units were built: the Legislative Building and the building of the Finance and Agricultural departments, which were completed on the eve of the War. By then, President Manuel L. Quezon had doomed the Burnham Plan by creating a new capital outside Manila, which was named after him, Quezon City.
Manila was the site of the most fierce battle in the Pacific theater during the war. During the battle, Manila became a city of bloodbath in Asia where 100,000 civilians were killed. It was the second most devastated city in the world after Warsaw during the Second World War. Since then the city has been rebuilt.
With Arsenio Lacson becoming the first elected mayor (prior to this all mayors were appointed), Manila underwent The Golden Age, Manila was revitalized and became once again the pearl of the orient, which Manila has earned before the outbreak of World War II. During the Marcos dictatorship, the region of the Manila metropolitan area was enacted as an independent entity in 1975 encompassing several cities and towns, being as a whole the seat of government of the Philippines.
On 1992, Alfredo Lim became the mayor, and was known for his anti-crime crusades. When Lim ran for the presidency during the 1998 presidential election, his vice mayor Lito Atienza was elected as city mayor. Atienza was known for renovating most of the city's plaza, and projects that would benefit the populace. He was the Mayor of Manila for 3 terms (9 years); barred for seeking a fourth consecutive term. Lim defeated Atienza's son Ali in the 2007 city election and immediately reversed all of Atienza's projects claiming the projects made little contribution to the improvements of the city. On July 17, 2008, councilor Dennis Alcoreza, filed human rights complaints before the Commission on Human Rights, against Lim, and other Manila officials. Twenty four Manila officials also resigned because of the maltreatment of Lim's police forces.
While the eastern part of Manila faced a catastrophe during the flooding of Tropical Storm Ketsana in 2009, the only major inconvenience in the city was the flooded Quezon Boulevard underpass which took two days to clean up and the district of Santa Mesa, the most flooded area within the city. During the 2010 city elections, Alfredo Lim won against secretary Lito Atienza. After a few months of taking office, Lim was harshly criticized on the bloody resolution of the Manila hostage crisis, one of the deadliest hostage crisis in the Philippines.
Not all Postautos were bright yellow with a red stripe.
Another example of a lovingly maintained veteran.
in the last several months I've been seeking inspiration in other various forms of art such as performance art, fashion and costume design, and dance to name a few. my friend Ken suggested I write down this name: Pina Bausch. You should too. I found a copy of the film Pina by Wim Wenders at the library and was amazed at what I saw. an incredible blend of theater and modern dance. I was inspired to create this image based on one of the pieces from the film where many chairs were being stacked and also crawled through at the same time. I was very taken by the form of everything and that at any moment the chairs could come tumbling down...
Dance, dance... otherwise we are lost.
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I have sometimes wondered why birds feet don't freeze in the winter. Plagiarised from All About Birds.
Songbirds do get very cold feet: the surface temperature of their toes may be barely above freezing even as the bird maintains its core body temperature above 100°F (38°C). But most birds don’t succumb to frostbite because there is so little fluid in the cells of their feet, and their feet are mostly tendons and bones with little muscle or nerve tissue.
Birds also have a countercurrent heat exchange system in their legs and feet—the blood vessels going to and from the feet are very close together, so blood flowing back to the body is warmed by blood flowing to the feet. The newly cooled blood in the feet lowers heat loss from the feet, and the warmed blood flowing back into the body prevents the bird from becoming chilled. And because bird circulation is so fast, blood doesn’t remain in the feet long enough to freeze.
What did we do before the internet, I would have had to spend days in the library to find this out!
This service part replaced service 33 between Birkenside and the Royal Infirmary. It appears to have maintained its busy loads to and from the hospital as well as onward to Fort Kinnaird, and at times standing loads are common.
Females maintain territories which may overlap somewhat, and males occupy larger territories covering those of several females.
The breeding season lasts from Late April to September. Females appear to prefer dominant males and may actively avoid other vagrant males. The gestation period averages 21 days, being longer if the female is still lactating from a previous litter. A litter can be up to ten pups but the average number is four to eight.
Females sometimes kill pups in burrows in adjoining territories and males sometimes kill pups before mating with their mother, perhaps as a tactic to ensure his offspring are advantaged.
The pups are naked and helpless and their eyes open at about nine days. They are weaned at 20 to 25 days and the females become sexually mature by six weeks with the males reaching maturity by eight weeks.
There may be up to four litters per year and as the youngsters start to breed, numbers quickly build up over the summer months.
The bank vole lives for up to two years.
(Wikipedia)
Uniondale Cemetery in Pittsburgh. In every season a picturesque landscape that is well maintained and includes wonderful trees.
This beautifully maintained DH.82A Tiger Moth was built in 1940 by the de Havilland Company of Australia and delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force with the serial A17-48.
The aircraft was sold in May 1948 and put on the Australian civil register as VH-BLX, but a crash in January 1949 saw her grounded until September 1951. Based in New Guinea, she had another accident in November 1956 but was flying again by May 1958. In 1967 she was sold to the USA, registered N48DH and painted silver with yellow fuselage bands. In January 1989 she was British registered as G-BPHR and now flies in genuine Royal Australian Air Force colour scheme and markings.
From an architectual point of view Vigoleno castle consitutes a fortified complex of great interest which has maintained almost intact its original character. The castle and hamlet are to be considered as a whole defensive system and from the point of view of architectual defence, represent one of the most precious and interesting monuments that you can encounter.
The castle was constructed in the tenth century, and many times destroyed (in medieval terms "destroyed" means "made unsuitable for defence"), and was reconstructed in its present form on preceding boundaries in 1389. The formidable "rivellino", with it powerful entrance tower on quadrangular plan remains a rare example of a fortified access point.
With mixed fortunes, it was conquered on subsequent periods by the Pallavicino, the Visconti, the Farnese and (at the time of Duca Ottavio) by the Scotti.
Between the two world wars, Vigoleno welcomed famous people and reached international fame due to the duchess Maria di Grammont, born princess Ruspoli, who restored the castle and welcomed in it actors, poets, writers and the "bel mondo" of those roarin years. Amongst the people which were welcomed here were, the pianter and master of surrealism Max Ernst , the multiform genius Jean Cocteau, the 'prima donna' of the cinema Mary Pikford, the writer Elsa Maxwell, D'Annunzio and the pianist Arthur Rubinstein.
The cemetery at Montrose, Nebraska is well maintained. It has stood among the prairie grasses since the 1880s, and might continue to stand as the remaining parishioners, their children and grandchildren pass away.
The stones are placed just so. There are even lines and rows; plots holding small families. And there are spaces between.
Homesteaders to this land were mostly farmers. Some were better off than others, those few having stones more ornate than the average. But many were like Richard Rose, father of Barbara.
He lived for 73 years and was buried here at the end. The date of his birth, as well as the date of his death, are unknown. Buried beside him is the same Barbara, his daughter, her name etched into the same stone. She was 43. Like her father, the dates of her birth and death are lost.
This stone is placed at an angle. While most others face directly east, and others directly west, this faces southeast. It is the only one to do so, and does so without explanation.
But there is no stone for her child, just as there was no name for them. They lay next to their mother, their grandfather, unseen and forgotten in all but the cemetery registry.
It reads: "307B INF/BARBARA JACOBS". Within the same plot is the Ruffing infant. Nameless and sexless, with no mother or father denoted.
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'Fear, but Love'
Camera: Chamonix 45F-2
Lens: Steinheil Rapid Antiplanet 6,5; 27cm
Film: Agfa CP-BU M X-Ray Film; 50iso
Exposure: f/16; 2sec
Process: Rodinal; 1+100; 5ish mins
Nebraska
July 2023
I unintentionally spent most of the second of my three afternoons on the Seligman Sub around milepost 380, just west of Williams, AZ.
After maintaining good location discipline on the trip to that point, I had fallen into a bit of a trap. All of my pretrip research had indicated that the most convenient entrance to the Crookton Cutoff was gated off, and therefore I hadn't spent any time planning shots on that part of the line. After shooting an eastbound at Williams Jct, the line had gone eerily quiet, and I recognized that this was one of the daily lulls in traffic. Somewhere out there, a MOW gang must have eked out a an hour to 90 minutes of track and time from the DS, and the ripple effect of that was now being felt in my area. I decided to scout north of town, along the ROW of the Grand Canyon Railway, in preparation for the southbound return of that train in a few hours. Driving up Airport Road, I passed under the BNSF mainline, and saw the infamous gate to the access roads of the Crookton Cutoff ...in the open position. Curiosity got the better of me, and I ventured west down the access road until I arrived at the double S curves and cutting at MP380.
I didn't realize at the time how close I was to the angle rich area at East Perrin, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered at MP380. In my blissful ignorance though, I was content with this westbound in cloud filtered light, with some snow covered hills behind.
....Or is it pink?
Taken in our garden earlier this spring....
The tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, of which around 75 wild species are currently accepted and which belongs to the family Liliaceae.
The genus's native range extends west to the Iberian Peninsula, through North Africa to Greece, the Balkans, Turkey, throughout the Levant (Syria, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan) and Iran, North to Ukraine, southern Siberia and Mongolia, and east to the Northwest of China. The tulip's centre of diversity is in the Pamir, Hindu Kush, and Tien Shan mountains. It is a typical element of steppe and winter-rain Mediterranean vegetation. A number of species and many hybrid cultivars are grown in gardens, as potted plants, or as cut flowers.
Tulips are spring-blooming perennials that grow from bulbs. Depending on the species, tulip plants can be between 4 inches (10 cm) and 28 inches (71 cm) high. The tulip's large flowers usually bloom on scapes with leaves in a rosette at ground level and a single flowering stalk arising from amongst the leaves.Tulip stems have few leaves. Larger species tend to have multiple leaves. Plants typically have two to six leaves, some species up to 12. The tulip's leaf is strap-shaped, with a waxy coating, and the leaves are alternately arranged on the stem; these fleshy blades are often bluish green in color. Most tulips produce only one flower per stem, but a few species bear multiple flowers on their scapes (e.g. Tulipa turkestanica). The generally cup or star-shaped tulip flower has three petals and three sepals, which are often termed tepals because they are nearly identical. These six tepals are often marked on the interior surface near the bases with darker colorings. Tulip flowers come in a wide variety of colors, except pure blue (several tulips with "blue" in the name have a faint violet hue).
The flowers have six distinct, basifixed stamens with filaments shorter than the tepals. Each stigma has three distinct lobes, and the ovaries are superior, with three chambers. The tulip's seed is a capsule with a leathery covering and an ellipsoid to globe shape. Each capsule contains numerous flat, disc-shaped seeds in two rows per chamber. These light to dark brown seeds have very thin seed coats and endosperm that does not normally fill the entire seed.
Etymology
The word tulip, first mentioned in western Europe in or around 1554 and seemingly derived from the "Turkish Letters" of diplomat Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, first appeared in English as tulipa or tulipant, entering the language by way of French: tulipe and its obsolete form tulipan or by way of Modern Latin tulīpa, from Ottoman Turkish tülbend ("muslin" or "gauze"), and may be ultimately derived from the Persian: دلبند delband ("Turban"), this name being applied because of a perceived resemblance of the shape of a tulip flower to that of a turban. This may have been due to a translation error in early times, when it was fashionable in the Ottoman Empire to wear tulips on turbans. The translator possibly confused the flower for the turban.
Tulips are called laleh (from Persian لاله, lâleh) in Persian, Turkish, Arabic, and Bulgarian. In Arabic letters, "laleh" is written with the same letters as Allah, which is why the flower became a holy symbol. It was also associated with the House of Osman, resulting in tulips being widely used in decorative motifs on tiles, mosques, fabrics, crockery, etc. in the Ottoman Empire
Cultivation
Tulip cultivars have usually several species in their direct background, but most have been derived from Tulipa suaveolens, often erroneously listed as Tulipa schrenkii. Tulipa gesneriana is in itself an early hybrid of complex origin and is probably not the same taxon as was described by Conrad Gesner in the 16th century.
Tulips are indigenous to mountainous areas with temperate climates and need a period of cool dormancy, known as vernalization. They thrive in climates with long, cool springs and dry summers. Tulip bulbs imported to warm-winter areas of are often planted in autumn to be treated as annuals.
Tulip bulbs are typically planted around late summer and fall, in well-drained soils, normally from 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) deep, depending on the type. Species tulips are normally planted deeper.
Propagation
Tulips can be propagated through bulb offsets, seeds or micropropagation. Offsets and tissue culture methods are means of asexual propagation for producing genetic clones of the parent plant, which maintains cultivar genetic integrity. Seeds are most often used to propagate species and subspecies or to create new hybrids. Many tulip species can cross-pollinate with each other, and when wild tulip populations overlap geographically with other tulip species or subspecies, they often hybridize and create mixed populations. Most commercial tulip cultivars are complex hybrids, and often sterile.
Offsets require a year or more of growth before plants are large enough to flower. Tulips grown from seeds often need five to eight years before plants are of flowering size. Commercial growers usually harvest the tulip bulbs in late summer and grade them into sizes; bulbs large enough to flower are sorted and sold, while smaller bulbs are sorted into sizes and replanted for sale in the future. The Netherlands are the world's main producer of commercial tulip plants, producing as many as 3 billion bulbs annually, the majority for export.
For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania
Clydebuilt is a sculpture to celebrate the important role Clydesdale horses played in the success of rural life, in particular around Boonah in Queensland where it stands with pride and the surrounding Fassifern Valley. It is lit at night and makes for a wonderful photograph but as we were there on a grey and wet day, I have done a little editing to ensure that the demanding intent of the sculpture is fully demonstrated.
"Clydebuilt”
“Clyldebuilt” stands tall, towing over 3metres high, a sculpture by internationally acclaimed artist Andy Scott, stands at the entrance to the town of Boonah as a tribute to the Clydesdale Horse. It is recognised by the Queensland National Trust as an icon to our National heritage. And consequently is the much-recognised logo of the Clydie Spectacular. The statue was built in a local Butter Factory workshop and a local economic development committee raised the funds to buy it after it had been displayed at the Swell Sculpture by the Sea festival in Sydney.
The “Clydebuilt” statue and the Scenic Rim Clydesdale Spectacular are examples of how heritage and art combine to not only maintain the history of a region but develop an event which brings together a community. The Scenic Rim community has taken ownership of this event and takes great pride in its delivery as well as the increased economic development it generates for the town by celebrating traditions and heritage created over generations".
Shown: 1929 Sunbeam Model TT90
Sunbeam Cycles made by John Marston Limited of Wolverhampton was a British brand of bicycles[1] and, from 1912 to 1956 motorcycles. On John Marston's death after the First World War it was bought by Nobel Industries, Nobel became ICI. Associated Motor Cycles bought it in 1937 then BSA bought Sunbeam in 1943. Sunbeam Cycles is most famous for its S7 balloon-tyred shaft-drive motorcycle with an overhead valve in-line twin engine. Many John Marston Sunbeam motorcycle models were produced.The first was a 350 cc in 1912 followed by a range of 500 cc singles and some v-twins. In 1924, a new model numbering system was introduced; Sunbeam Models 1 through 11. Other higher-numbered models were produced in later years. The majority had single-cylinder engines developing relatively low power, though winning the TT races often, the last time in 1929. A hallmark of all Marston Sunbeams was the superb quality and finish in black with gold-leaf pinstriping. [Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunbeam_Cycles#Sunbeam_motorcycles]
The Canadian Automotive Museum is an automobile museum located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum features many Canadian-made cars as the automobile industry, specifically the Canadian division of the General Motors, known as General Motors Canada, which has always been at the forefront of Oshawa's economy. The museum was founded in 1962 by a group of Oshawa businessmen through the Oshawa Chamber of Commerce. The venture was initiated mainly to preserve the automotive history of Canada and to present this history in an educational and entertaining manner. Canadian Automotive Museum Inc is a charitable corporation and has been in operation since 1963. The museum is housed in a 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m2) building in downtown Oshawa that was originally the location of Ontario Motor Sales, a local car dealership, in the 1920s. The building maintains its original period architecture right down to the original elevator used to move cars to the second floor. The Museum is affiliated with: CMA, CHIN, and Virtual Museum of Canada. [Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Automotive_Museum]
Website: www.canadianautomotivemuseum.com
This "Canadian Automotive Museum" tells the story of the 'Canadian Automotive Industry' through its many displays and original artifacts. It is located in the 'Canadian General Motors' town of 'Oshawa' since 1961 and features cars from 1898 to 1930s.
It's difficult for a photo to demonstrate the scale of the steep slopes lining the upper end of Carlin Gill (and most other Howgill valleys), but those trees beside Carlingill Beck are indeed tree-sized – they're not huge, but they're not bushes!
I suppose they have a sheltered, well-water location, with thin glacial soil improved by nutrients washed downhill.
Maybe statistics express it better. The very flat slope to the left of the trees ascends ~125 m from the Beck to the ridgetop, maintaining a 1-in-1.76 incline for a horizontal distance of 220 m. No wonder the sheep walk single-file on narrow terraces.
Even then, the end of the flat section isn't the top, which is beyond a further, teasingly convex slope.
The furthest ridge on the left descends rightwards from Knowles (461 m) towards Back Balk. The nearer ridge is simply on the side of Carlin Gill, between the tributary gulleys of Small Gill and Heskaw Gill. The right bank is the sparser-vegetated Screes of Black Force.
The hill in the background is Greyrigg Pike, 4 km away.
The gardener did their job of maintaining the greens well but the condition of the structure, fountain, waterworks and formworks were poor. Looks like they need to repaint the place and do a better maintenance job otherwise the millions spent on this structure will definitely be a sore point. The view shown here was the opposite side of the view as shown below.
This is a HDR panorama consisting of 3 sets of 3 frames.
Date & Time: 5-Nov-2010 @ 5:17pm
Lens: Canon EFS 18-135 IS
EXIF: f11, 1/200 +/- 1.33EV, ISO-100, 18mm, Pattern, no flash, Manual
HDR: Photomatix v3.2 using Details Enhancer
Panorama: PhotoShop PhotoMerge did a good job of stitching.
Editing: PS CS5E
Click picture to view large of press 'L' to enjoy the panorama.
Established in 1880, the Taiping Lake Garden is one of the oldest garden in Malaysia. The huge lake was formerly a tin mine but was since transformed into a beautiful well used and well maintained park where flowers, birds, insects, animals and lush greenery thrive.
Once we turned around and went around the swamp we happened upon this lovely maintained trail complete with these arbors to support the growth over the path.
The well-maintained Kensington Palace gardens are always a beautiful place to walk in the morning.
View the entire London Set
View my - Most Interesting according to Flickr
I am trying to maintain a rosy outlook on life!
I had nearly finished setting up the new computer yesterday when I knocked my laptop onto the floor and broke it! This was my only work computer which I had to have on Monday so I was forced to buy a new one before the shops closed yesterday. Now I am having to spend all the rest of the weekend preparing THAT computer for work!! It could have been much much worse if I didn't back up my work every day......disastrous in fact!
So once more I have to apologise for not doing enough commenting.......there is light at the end of the tunnel I believe!
Best viewed ORIGINAL!
The Pontifical Swiss Guard
is a small force maintained by the Holy See that is responsible for the safety of the Pope, including the security of the Apostolic Palace. The Swiss Guard serves as the de facto military of Vatican City. Established in 1506 under Pope Julius II, the Pontifical Swiss Guard is among the oldest military units in continuous operation.
La Guardia Suiza Pontificia
es una pequeña fuerza mantenida por la Santa Sede que es responsable de la seguridad del Papa, incluida la seguridad del Palacio Apostólico. La Guardia Suiza sirve como el ejército de facto de la Ciudad del Vaticano. Establecida en 1506 bajo el Papa Julio II, la Guardia Suiza Pontificia se encuentra entre las unidades militares más antiguas en operación continua.
The pilot of XS718 - 'Teasin' Tina' opens the throttles wide past us at Bruntingthorpe.
As I'm new to military aircraft, I never thought I'd see one of these beautiful machines in operation.
She is a real testament to those who maintain her.
En 2003 con la puesta en servicio de la nueva variante ferroviaria entre Castellón y Oropesa del mar, los trenes dejaron de pasar por aquí y el trazado de vía única proyectado a finales del S.XIX quedó en desuso dejando abandonadas obras de fábrica como la que vemos el la imagen...
"Es curioso ver como el viejo puente continua conservando su vía"
En.
Old railway bridge in Las Villas de Benicasim.
__________________________________
In 2003, with the commissioning of the new railway bypass between Castellón and Oropesa del Mar, trains stopped passing through here and the single-track layout planned at the end of the 19th century fell into disuse, leaving abandoned factory works like the one we see in the image...
"It's curious to see how the old bridge still maintains its track."
Old Mediterranean Railway Corridor.
Chassis n° 12283
- Owned by Mr Fornas since December 2014
- Maintained by Ferrari specialists Dino Sport
- Engine rebuilt in August 2017 (bills and photographs available)
- 26,652 kilometres recorded
Bonhams : The Zoute Sale
Important Collectors' Motor Cars
The Zoute Grand Prix Gallery
Estimated : € 200.000 - 220.000
Sold for € 258.750
Zoute Grand Prix Car Week 2025
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2025
By the mid-1960s, 50 percent of all Ferraris produced were being built with four seats, and following on from the success of its first such model, the 250 GTE of 1960, Ferrari introduced the 330 GT 2+2 in January 1964. The newcomer's steel tube chassis was 2" longer in the wheelbase than that of its predecessor and featured independent front suspension and a live rear axle. Beneath the 330's more-spacious Pininfarina coachwork was a 300bhp, 4-litre V12 coupled to a four-speed overdrive gearbox. Its replacement, the 365 GT 2+2, was launched at the Paris Salon in October 1967. Sleekly styled in the manner of the limited edition 500 Superfast, the 365 GT 2+2 was the most refined Ferrari to date.
Based on that of the contemporary 330 GTC, the chassis was made up of Ferrari's familiar combination of oval and round steel tubing, and as well as featuring independent suspension all round (for the first time on a Ferrari 2+2) boasted Koni's hydro-pneumatic self-levelling system at the rear. Further refinements included mounting the engine and drivetrain in rubber bushes to insulate the car's occupants from noise and vibration, and offering ZF power-assisted steering and air conditioning as standard equipment. Developing 320bhp in its 365 GT incarnation, the well-proven 4.4-litre V12 engine was coupled to a five-speed gearbox, while the car's blistering performance - top speed 150mph, 0-60mph in 7.0 seconds - was restrained by Girling ventilated discs all round. A total of 800 cars had been completed by the time production ceased in 1971.
Endowed with fine handling and a supple ride, the 365GT 2+2 was rated by Car magazine as "the most civilised Ferrari yet". Impressed by the car's build quality, Car & Driver reckoned it, "prototypical of the new Ferraris where everything fits and falls together accurately, as needs must if Ferrari is to survive in the US market". The respected American motoring magazine found the overall effect to be "one of a very real and serious, ultra luxurious, high-speed touring machine," yet no compromises had been made in the handling department: the 365 GT 2+2 remained very much a driver's car in the traditional Ferrari manner. Road & Track agreed: "Out on the open road this car really comes into its own, as does any Ferrari; the power steering makes it seem light on its feet and the giant Michelin XVR tyres furnish high cornering power with little fuss."
This elegant Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 was purchased by Mr Fornas in December 2014 from the well-known French classic car specialist, Cecil Cars (see bills on file). Since purchase Mr Fornas has had the car regularly maintained by Ferrari specialist Dino Sport in Bezons, France (bills on file). At 23,410 kilometres the following components were replaced: rear shock absorbers; fuel pumps; fuel lines; electrical wiring (for the fuel pumps); and radiator fans. In September 2016, the gearbox was overhauled, and a new clutch installed. In August 2017, the engine was dismantled for a full overhaul, in the course of which new pistons were fitted, for a total of €46,781.96 (bills and photographic record on file). Also, some minor cosmetic work was undertaken by Cecil Car's workshop with some attention to the wiring. Since then, the car has been regularly maintained by Mr Fornas' local specialist. The current odometer reading is 26,652 kilometres. As well as the aforementioned documentation, the Ferrari comes with a detailed and copiously illustrated Rapport d'Expertise from Michel Gicquel, which was commissioned by Mr Fornas in November 2016. A wonderful opportunity to acquire a very well cared for example of this highly desirable Ferrari Gran Turismo.
I've heard of a poker face among card players, but from the front, Banded Sphinx remind me of a stack of poker chips....LOL
Anthurium recavum in situ, espèce endémique (exclusive) de Colombie. Quand la nature fait son spectacle, c'est pour attirer les pollinisateurs, se reproduire et maintenir les populations sauvages en bon état, pas pour satisfaire les humains ou pour les fournir en plantes comme certains semblent encore penser... Vu durant un tour de 11 jours que je viens de guider. dans les départements du Valle del Cauca et du Cauca, Colombie.
Anthurium recavum in situ, endemic (exclusive) species from Colombia. When nature puts on a show, its is to attract pollinators, reproduce and maintain wild populations alive and well, not to please humans or provide them with plants although some still seem to think... Seen during an 11 days tour I guided in Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments, Colombia.
Anthurium recavum in situ, especie endémica (exclusiva) de Colombia. Cuando la naturaleza se muestra espectacular, es para atraer a los polinizadores, reproducirse y perpetuar a las poblaciones silvestres, no para satisfacer a los humanos o proveer los en plantas aunque algunos siguen pensando esto al parecer... Vista durante un tour de 11 días que acabo de guiar en los departamentos del Valle del Cauca y del Cauca, Colombia.
This well maintained Land Cruiser was parked at a rest area along the highway where we had a short break.
The Toyota Land Cruiser J60 series was produced along side the J40 series for four years, when it finally replaced this series. The J60 offered more comfort than the J40.
The Land Cruiser series is very reliable, and can be used in all kinds of rough conditions.
4230 cc L6 petrol engine.
Performance: 120 bhp.
1920 kg.
Production Toyota Land Cruiser Series: 1951-present.
Production Land Cruiser J60 Series: 1980-1992.
Original first reg. number: Febr. 28, 1983 (estimated).
New Dutch reg. number: Nov. 8, 2016 (private import).
Since Febr. 19, 2019 at current owner.
Near Holten, car park Boermark along Motorway A1, March 28, 2025.
© 2025 Sander Toonen Halfweg | All Rights Reserved
Minièresbunn Doihl e.V.: forming part of the "MinettPark" Railway and Industrial Park, this association (founded in 1990) has recovered and maintains in operation a part of the mining railway of the old MMR-A company. After opening a first operation between Fond-de-Gras (where it connects with the tourist trains of the AMTF TRAIN 1900) and Doihl, little by little it has been extending the lines and the fleet of rolling stock. Currently, in coordination with the TRAIN 1900, it offers several trains on Sundays between May and September, which include a guided tour of part of the mine.
The network, with a gauge of 700 mm, is operated in two sections. The first between Fond-de-Gras and Doihl, in the open, usually with steam traction. The second between Doihl and Lasauvage or Saulnes, with part of the underground route along the mining lines, with electric traction.
The ARBED 12 electric locomotive, built by AEG in 1924 (type U28).
An absolute delight to visit this establishment. As ever, a step back in time. So interesting to embrace its history and take some shots on a warm Spring day.
The National Trust's Norbury Manor is a 15th-century Elizabethan manor house and the adjoining 13th-century stone-built medieval Norbury Hall, known as The Old Manor in Norbury near Ashbourne, Derbyshire. It is a Grade I Listed Building.
A Low, stone-built medieval hall, set in the picturesque countryside of Derbyshire.
Norbury Manor, former seat of the Fitzherbert family. The hall is a very rare example of a medieval hall built on the first floor, once forming part of the private apartments of the Fitzherbert family.
The later 17th century red brick farmhouse which was built in front of the hall is available as a holiday cottage. The only surviving part of the original early medieval hall offers a rare king post, Tudor door and 17th-century Flemish glass. Visitors can also find a beautifully maintained small garden space which includes a knot garden, as well as a short walk into the woodland, and path which leads down to the river.
Buildings in downtown Sweet Springs, Missouri, including the Sweet Springs Historical Society. While the outside of the buildings have been maintained, downtown was deserted when I was there.
The Pokot (or Pokhot) live in the Baringo district and in the Western Pokot district in Kenya. They are also inhabitants of Uganda.There are two main sub-groups depending of their location and way of life. The first group consist of the Hill Pokot who live in the rainy highlands in the west and in the central south, and are mainly farmers and pastoralists. The second group is made up of the Plains Pokot who live in dry and infertile plains, with their cattle. A homestead is composed of one or more buildings for a man, his wife and children; the prospective co-wives live in separate houses. Teaching children ethical rules is extremely important. Most of the Pokot are nomadic and thus have interacted with different peoples, incorporating their social customs.The Pokot are very proud of their culture. The songs, storytelling, and decorative arts, in particular body decoration, are very appreciated among the Pokot. They adorn the body with beads and hairstyling, and proceed to scarifications and the removal of the lower central incisors. Pokot girls wear a beaded necklace made of the stems of an asparagus tree. Most Pokot have some knowledge of herbal medicine, so they often use these treatments along with those of the hospitals. They belong to the Kenya's Nilotic-speaking peoples.For the Pokot, the universe has two realms: the above is the realm of the most powerful deities—Tororot, Asis (sun), and llat (rain); and the below is the one where live humans, animals, and plants. Humans are responsible for the realm that they inhabit, but they rely upon divinities to achieve and maintain peace and prosperity. They worship many deities like the sun, moon and believe in the spirit of death.The Pokot communicate with their deities through prayer and sacrifice. They perform it during ethnic festivals and dances. Oracles are responsible for maintaining the spiritual balance within the community. They are superstitious and believe in sorcery, so sometimes they call on shielding lucky sorcery. They have prophets, either male or female, who foresee and advise, usually by the means of animal sacrifices. Their abilities are considered as a divine gift. Clan histories recount the changes of location, through poetry and song, emphasizing the vulnerability of human beings and the importance of supernatural powers that help them overcome hunger, thirst, and even death. Ceremonies mark the transitions in the people's social lives. Among these are: the cleansing of a couple expecting their first child; the cleansing of newborn infants and their mothers; the cleansing of twins and other children who are born under unusual circumstances; male and female initiation; marriage; sapana, a coming-of-age ceremony for men; and summer-solstice, harvest, and healing ceremonies. The most important rite of passage for most Pokot is circumcision for boys and clitoridectomy for girls. These rites consist of a series of neighborhood-based ceremonies, emphasizing the importance of having a good behavior. When boys are circumcised, they acquire membership in one of eight age sets. Women do not belong to any age-set. After excision, for several months, girls have a white painting on their face and wear a hood made of blackened leather with charcoal and oil. This means they are untouchable until the lepan ceremony, that marks the passage to womanhood. Unlike other tribes, the Pokot keep the affiliation to their clan throughout their lives, there is no disruption with marriage. Surprisingly, the agreement before marriage is made by gift giving, from the groom and his family to the bride and her family (and not the contrary), often over a period of years. It often implies the gift of a combination of livestock, goods, and cash to the bride's family, and the allotment of milk cows and rights to land to the bride. The bond between a husband and wife lasts for 3 generations, after what marriages can take place again between the two groups. Polygamy exists but is not prevalent among men before 40. The spirits of the elder anticipate reincarnation in their living descendants: when a child is said to resemble the elder, the same name is given. Disputes are resolved in neighborhood councils and in government courts. Some of the sanctions include shaming, cursing, and bewitching.
Les Pokot vivent dans le district de Baringo et à l’ouest du district de Pokot au Kenya. Ce sont aussi des habitants de l’Ouganda.Il existe deux principaux sous-groupes selon leur localisation et mode de vie. Le premier groupe est constitué des Pokot des collines qui vivent dans les hautes terres humides dans l’ouest et dans le centre sud, et sont surtout des agriculteurs et pasteurs. Le second groupe est composé des Pokot des plaines qui vivent dans les plaines sèches et infertiles, avec leur bétail. Chaque propriété familiale est composée d’une ou plusieurs bâtiments pour un homme, sa femme et ses femmes, les éventuelles autres épouses vivent dans des maisons séparées. Enseigner aux enfants les règles éthiques est extrêmement important. La plupart des Pokot sont nomades et ont donc interagi avec différents peuples, incorporant leurs coutumes sociales. Les Pokot sont très fiers de leur culture. Les chants, contines, et arts décoratifs, en particulier la décoration du corps, sont particulièrement appréciés chez les Pokot. Ils parent leur corps de perles et coiffures originales, et procèdent à des scarifications et au retrait des incisives centrales inférieures. Les filles Pokot portent un collier de perles fait de tiges d’asparagus. La plupart des Pokot a des connaissances des médicaments à base de plantes, et ils utilisent donc souvent ces traitements avec ceux des hôpitaux. Ils appartiennent aux peuples parlant les langues nilotiques du Kenya.Pour les Pokot, l’univers a deux royaumes : celui d’en haut est le royaume des déités les plus puissantes –Torotot, Asis (soleil), et Ilat (pluie) ; celui d’en bas est celui où vivent les humains, animaux, et plantes. Les humains sont responsables du royaume qu’ils habitent, mais ils reposent sur les divinités pour atteindre et maintenir la paix et la prospérité. Ils vouent un culte à de nombreuses déités tels que le soleil et la lune et croient dans l’esprit de la mort. Les Pokot communiquent avec leurs déités par la prière et le sacrifice. Ils les accomplissent lors de festivals ethniques et de danses. Les oracles sont responsables du maintien de l’équilibre spirituel à l’intérieur de la communauté. Ils sont superstitieux et croient aux sortilèges, c’est pourquoi parfois ils invoquent des sortilèges de chance protecteurs. Ils ont des prophètes, hommes ou femmes, qui voient dans le futur et conseillent, habituellement au moyen de sacrifices d’animaux. Leurs capacités sont considérées comme un don divin. Les histoires claniques racontent les changements de leurs lieux de vie, à travers des poèmes et chansons, mettant en avant la vulnérabilité des êtres humains et l’importance de pouvoirs supernaturels qui les aident à surpasser la faim, la soif, et même la mort. Les cérémonies marquent les transitions dans la vie sociale des individus. Parmi celles-ci on compte : la purification d’un couple attendant leur premier enfant ; celle d’enfants nouveaux-nés et de leurs mères ; la purification de jumeaux et d’autres enfantgs qui sont nés dans des circonstances inhabituelles ; l’initiation pour hommes et femmes ; le mariage ; le sapana, une cérémonie pour la majorité chez les hommes ; le solstice d’été ; la moisson ; et les cérémonies de soins. Le rite de passage le plus important pour la plupart des Pokot est la circoncision pour les garçons et la clitorectomie pour les filles. Ces rites consistent en une série de cérémonies basées sur le voisinage, soulignant l’importance d’avoir une bonne conduite. Lorsque les garçons sont circoncis, ils deviennent membres de l’une des huit classes d’âge. Les femmes n’appartiennent à aucune classe d’âge. Après l’excision, pour plusieurs mois, les filles portent une painture blanche sur le visage et une capuche fait de cuir noirci au charbon de bois et à l’huile. Cela signifie qu’elle sont intouchables jusqu’à la cérémonie lepan, qui marque le passage à l’état de femme. Contrairement à d’autres tribus, les Pokot gardent l’affiliation à leur clan toute leur vie, il n’y a aucune rupture lors du mariage. De façon surprenante, l’accord avant le mariage est réalisé grâce à des cadeaux de la part du futur époux et de sa famille, à la fiancée et sa famille (et non le contraire), souvent pour une période donnée d’année. Cela implique souvent le don d’une association de bétail, biens, et argent à la famille de la mariée, et l’attribution de vaches à lait et des droits fonciers à la mariée. Le lien entre le mari et la femme dure pendant 3 générations, après quoi les mariages peuvent de nouveau avoir lieu entre les deux groupes. La polygamie existes mais ne prévaut pas chez les hommes de moins de 40 ans. Les esprits des plus vieux anticipent la réincarnation chez leurs descendants vivants : quand on dit d’un enfant qu’il ressemble à son aîné, le même nom lui est donné. Les disputes sont résolues dans des conseils de voisinage et dans les tribunaux du gouvernement. Certaines des sanctions incluent le déshonneur, la malédiction et l’ensorcellement.
© Eric Lafforgue