View allAll Photos Tagged methodical
A Blue-winged warbler snatches a nice morsel out of the leaves. The way in which this guy methodically worked its way down on the branches in search for breakfast was quiet astounding. This warbler also mates with the Golden-winged warbler producing the Brewester's and Lawrence's warbler
"They forage in deciduous canopies where they can be difficult to find among the green leaves. They move slowly and methodically, carefully scanning leaves above and below for their favored caterpillar prey. However, their habit of near-incessant singing in summer, even in the heat of midafternoon, helps draw attention to them." Cornell
Fall on our work-pocked farm was marked by fallen leaves skittering across fading lawns urged along by gusty fall winds. Early darkness ended our days and a season of change was in the air as large fields of soybeans were methodically combined and corn was harvested.
In the early 1960s in our part of Minnesota, corn pickers were still the main method of harvesting corn either by pickers that were pulled by a tractor and run by a power-takeoff or were mounted self-propelled units.
In a few short years, most two-row pickers were superseded by corn harvesters that not only removed the ears off of corn stalks but also shelled the kernels from the ear of corn, thereby saving a whole lot of work for individual farmers who no longer had to employ a corn shelling crew in springtime to get the corn ready to truck into the local co-op elevator to sell.
Today, few people recognize immediately who you are referring if you would say the name Louis Marshall Jones. But, mention a nickname given to him when he was 22, “Grandpa Jones”, and most folks recognize the entertainer who had a career that started when he was just a young fellow in a family of 10 kids on a tobacco farm in Kentucky in the early 1900s.
Older folks remember the television program “Hee Haw” that produced some amazing talented country music singers and songs. Grandpa Jones was a fixture on that program along with Minnie Pearl and others.
In 1964, Jones wrote a song called Falling Leaves that contained these lyrics: “Fallen leaves That lie scattered on the ground The birds and the flowers that were here now can't be found All my friends that I once had are not around They are scattered Like the leaves upon the ground ”
Deserted farm places, abandoned barns and silos along with fields without fences now dot the countryside where many of us were born and raised during our formative years.
Much of what we once experienced and those we experienced it with are now not around and are scattered like the leaves upon the ground.
(Photographed near Mora, MN)
First posted on September 25, 2012
- Parque das Nações, Lisbon, Portugal -
The building was under construction and behind a huge multi-story sheet of gauze (it is not a texture) used presumably to keep the debris and dust from falling on passers by. I watched her from a distance for a time as she methodically worked at polishing the brass railing. All the while she seemed lost in deep thought ... perhaps, I imagined, worrying about some troubles that she faced after work? It's a strong memory even though it is a photo from years ago.
Running into these tiny birds always make me happy. They always travel in flocks of a dozen or more and constantly make tiny lisping calls to one another to keep in touch. They specialize in eating small insects off of trees, and if you watch them for a while you'll see them methodically travel from one tree to the next, scouring each in turn.
The green oriole or Australasian yellow oriole, (Oriolus flavocinctus) is an inconspicuous inhabitant of lush tropical vegetation throughout New Guinea and northern Australia, including Cape York Peninsula, the Top End and the Kimberley.
Green orioles forage slowly and methodically through the mid and upper strata of dense forests, taking fruit in the main. Typically alone or in pairs, they sometimes form small flocks in the non-breeding season. They are often difficult to locate, as their yellow-green plumage blends with the foliage and only their deep bubbling musical calls can be heard. They are nevertheless common in suitable habitat: rainforests, mangroves, thickets along watercourses, swamps, and lush gardens.
… Continued from Part 1
He could hardly believe his eyes that morning when he saw her through his upstairs bedroom window. Young and beautiful she was with generous curves in all the right places, her hair sparkling and her flawless skin glowing in the morning sun. She looked breathtaking and she was perfect for the project he wanted to work on next.
He observed her from the shadows as she walked through his workshop and when she was engrossed going through a box of satin ribbons he pulled the lever that opened the passageway behind the curtain leading to his private laboratory. As soon as she noticed the beckoning glow of his machines and gave in to her curiosity, just as he hoped she would, he rushed to the entrance to his workshop and locked the door before placing an "Away On Business" sign in the shop window.
Now here she was in his arms into which she collapsed, and he carried her over to his workbench. He carefully laid her on top after elbowing a few stray tools out of the way and checked her vital signs. The special blend of narcotics that he injected her with was intended to keep her paralyzed and in a deep, coma-like sleep. Once he was satisfied that she was in no distress, he jumped to action and swiftly cut her garments away with a pair of sharp scissors, before grabbing a scalpel and with practiced hands went to work.
He's been laboring for hours, deeply focused on his task, ignoring the passing of time and the occasional distant sounds of brief knocking on the locked doors to his workshop. People never lingered once they noticed the sign. The large laboratory was filled with the sinister buzz of electricity and the rhythmic squelching sounds of the pump that was replacing her blood with the alchemical concoction he invented, which will keep her body from decaying and have it function indefinitely.
He methodically removed all her inessential organs like those used for food processing and kept only the ones meant to circulate, filter and recycle the new fluid. He also carefully removed both her eyes and then filled her eye cavities with the alchemical brew he knew would soak into her brain and the rest of the soft tissues of her head. With a few incisions on her cheeks and jawline, he changed her appearance, knowing that her new "blood" would repair her skin swiftly, and finally, he affixed a permanent mask to her face by sewing it to her head.
When after several long hours he was finished with his main task he stood back, powered up his workbench and watched as her newly saturated body quickened, her arms and legs twitched, bent at the elbows and knees and her head turned from side to side. "Marvelous!" he exclaimed turning the power back down before being galvanized into motion. He washed his hands then quickly put his waistcoat on to cover up his blood-spattered shirt. He gathered her discarded organs and belongings into a bundle and rushed off to his cellar to burn them in his massive coal furnace. Only after all evidence of her past life was destroyed, did he go back to stuff the cavities of her missing organs with a special blend of dried herbs and alchemical paste, and then sealed up her body.
Finally, he began to dress her.
To be continued…
DARK PURPLE - The Clematis Viticella (variety "Tuczka"?), commonly known as "Italian leather flower", "purple clematis" or "Virgin's bower", is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family of genus Clematis; it is native to Europe. The genus name is from Ancient Greek clématis, ("a climbing plant"). Over 250 species and cultivars are known.
The clematis, despite being present for thousands of years in European territory, appeared in our gardens only in the Middle Ages ... and right at the return of the crusaders. Probably the more or less professional growers (a nice piece of land was a coveted reward for those who retired from their arms) thought of reproducing the pavilions that were made with jasmine in the East with the clematis. Clematis is perfect and only shadows when needed, that is, in the middle of summer. So it was grown in abundance and the peasants got into the habit of cutting off its branches and adorning their fields, ensuring that this favored the crops. In England it was even nicknamed "joy of the traveler" because it also grew freely in the woods and at the edges of the roads.
Alpine clematis, also called blue, although the color tends to veer towards violet, is currently one of the most widespread, because the mountain dwellers were among the first to cultivate this flower in the garden, given that they used its leaves to treat the sores difficult to heal, ulcers and even ulcerated skin tumors, both for men and for pets. Too loved in the Middle Ages not to end up at the stake of witches in the so-called Age of Reason! By studying methodically it was found that the plant belongs to the ranunculacee family, and is therefore potentially poisonous.
The clematis that grow in our gardens today (which no one uses to treat wounds anymore), all come from America, from Siberia, if not even from China, because, after three abundant centuries of oblivion, they were reintroduced as exotic ornamental plants , exclusively for the suggestion of colors.
Sources: Wikipedia; Mary Falco, "The Garden of Astarte - Clematis".
Sony a6000 with Selp18105g and Polaroid CPL filter. Natural light. Minimum edit in Adobe Lightroom.
#flower; #violet; #purple; #green; #black; #dark; #bloom; #five; #star; #nature; #soft; #silky;
#fiore; #viola; #verde; #nero; #fioritura; #scuro; #cinque; #stella; #natura; #soffice; #setoso; #clematide; #medioevo;
Year 2088.
A revolutionary leap in advanced rocket propulsion had shattered old frontiers. Humanity, no longer bound by the confines of the Solar System, began reaching outward—toward the stars. The great powers turned their gaze to neighboring systems, launching expeditions with relentless ambition.
The Russian nuclear space fleet advanced methodically, planetoid by planetoid, laying down autonomous research outposts like breadcrumbs across the void. Each mission, another step into the unknown.
Sergey was just another crew member—an astronaut trained more by circumstance than destiny. He and a small team had been deployed to a nameless, rock-strewn world. It didn’t even earn the dignity of a name, only a five-character alphanumeric code. But it had an atmosphere—and in deep space, that alone was enough to warrant interest.
Above him, the sky ignited with the light of departing ships—bright arcs carving through the dark as the fleet accelerated toward the next target. Sergey trudged across the desolate stone wastes, unaware that just beneath his boots, something ancient and alive stirred.
Unaware that fate had chosen him—a quiet man from Bryansk—for a moment that would forever divide human history into two eras: Before Contact… and After.
[Twitter] -- [Website] -- [Facebook] -- [Blog] *NEW*
Canon 5DmkII + Canon 17-40mm f/4.0L USM
ISO640, 30sec, f/4.0 @ 17mm
I went to bed early last night, and for once I managed to wake up to my alarm at 2am. Of course, knowing that there was fog predicted for this intended destination does wonders for the motivation.
So I head out and start shooting by 3:15, the moon light keeping exposure down to a decent 8 minutes. methodically I work my way through a list of shots I'd already planned in my head. This shot, the one I liked the most from the morning, was simply a product of chance and opportunity. On another note, i really need to learn how to stay more still for these 30 second exposures.
We spent a lot of time on the beaches of Harris - it is an incredible landscape. This was taken predawn as I was searching for a good composition - the tide was coming in fast and in the end I left this location for another beach down the road. Some of the beaches have lovely white sand - I quite like this one as the sand has some texture and definition and adds a certain degree of balance to the shot. I am trying to become much more analytical and methodical when on location - this is an area I really need to work on throughout 2015. Two Key words I need to remember - "SLOW DOWN" !
I spent many hours waiting for low tide in the heat but it was worth it! Apparently five fledglings had left the nest a few days before but we only spotted two. First green heron for me and it was co-operative!
'These rather uncommon birds hunt for fish and other small aquatic creatures in dense marshes and along sheltered shorelines. They are slow, methodical hunters and therefore quite secretive. Green herons are superb stalkers who hunt around the clock. Adults are about 43cm (17") in size.'
Thanks for the visits!
The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is a photographer's playground. Yes, I specialize in landscapes, but sometimes it is fun to cut loose and do something completely different. Well, the Balloon Fiesta is certainly that.
During the early morning "Dawn Patrol" event back in 2022, I came upon this colorful scene. Now, if I were shooting landscapes, I would have done hours of research, set up my tripod, and methodically adjusted my settings. But in this case, I was just walking around with my camera, shooting handheld shots at 1/125th of a second with my ISO set to Auto. The result was this shot at ISO 8000, which I would have considered a travesty in my landscape work, but since I was shooting for fun, I just went for it. Thankfully, modern cameras and Topaz DeNoise can work wonders...even in situations like this.
To make it even better, this shot ended up winning 2nd place in one of the Fiesta's Photo Contests. Sometimes, a trip down an unfamiliar path has benefits!
Cheers!
Jeff
A small, dark heron arrayed in moody blues and purples, the Little Blue Heron is a common but inconspicuous resident of marshes and estuaries in the Southeast. They stalk shallow waters for small fish and amphibians, adopting a quiet, methodical approach that can make these gorgeous herons surprisingly easy to overlook at first glance. Little Blue Herons build stick nests in trees alongside other colonial waterbirds. In the U.S., their populations have been in a gradual decline since the mid-twentieth century.
Source: Cornell Lab of Orinthology
Kamera: Nikon FE2
Linse: Nikkor-O Auto 35mm f2 (1970)
Film: Kodak 5222 @ ISO 250
Kjemi: Rodinal (1:50 / 9 min. @ 20°C)
John Lennon: Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (1971)
A SONG FOR ALL YOU BASTARDS
***
HRF Files Criminal Complaint in Italy Against IDF Soldier Israel Yitzhki for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide
Brussels / Rome – 15 December 2025:
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a criminal complaint before the Italian judicial authorities against Israeli soldier Israel Yitzhki, a member of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), for his alleged involvement in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide committed during Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
The complaint was submitted to the Procura della Repubblica on the basis of universal jurisdiction, following confirmation that Yitzhki is currently present on Italian territory. Under international and Italian law, Italy is legally obliged to investigate and prosecute individuals suspected of grave international crimes when they are found on its soil.
Why Italy Has a Duty to Act
Italy is a State Party to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and the UN Convention Against Torture. These instruments impose a clear obligation on States to search for, investigate, and prosecute individuals suspected of grave breaches of international humanitarian law, regardless of nationality or where the crimes were committed.
The complaint explicitly invokes:
* Article 146 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which establishes mandatory universal jurisdiction over grave breaches;
* Article 5(2) of the Convention Against Torture, requiring prosecution when a suspect is present and not extradited;
* The principle of aut dedere aut judicare — extradite or prosecute.
As the filing makes clear, States cannot lawfully become safe havens for suspected perpetrators of international crimes.
The Context: Gaza as a Crime Scene
The complaint situates Yitzhki’s actions within the broader context of Israel’s campaign in Gaza, which UN bodies have repeatedly characterized as involving systematic violations of international law.
* Over 70,000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 20,000 children;
* More than 170,000 people have been injured;
* 92% of homes, 88% of schools, 81% of roads, and 80% of commercial infrastructure have been destroyed or damaged;
* Hundreds of civilians have died from starvation and malnutrition, caused by the deliberate obstruction of food and humanitarian aid.
UN agencies, the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court have all confirmed the seriousness of these crimes. Arrest warrants have already been issued by the ICC against Israeli leaders Benjamin Netanyahu (b. 1949) and Yoav Gallant (b. 1958) for crimes against humanity.
Alleged Crimes by Israel Yitzhki
According to HRF’s investigative findings, Israel Yitzhki served in the 432nd Battalion of the Givati Brigade and participated in operations involving:
* Extensive destruction of civilian property without military necessity;
* Attacks on undefended towns, residential buildings, and civilian objects;
* Arson and controlled demolitions of homes and shelters;
* Occupation and destruction of schools used as civilian refuges;
* Unlawful detention and humiliating treatment of Palestinian civilians, including the publication of images showing detainees blindfolded, handcuffed, and kneeling.
The complaint argues that these acts constitute war crimes under Article 8 of the Rome Statute, including:
* destruction of property not justified by military necessity;
* attacks against civilian objects;
* illegal detention of protected persons;
* outrages upon personal dignity and degrading treatment;
* and, potentially, torture and inhuman treatment.
Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide
Beyond individual war crimes, the filing asserts that Yitzhki’s actions may also qualify as crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute, including extermination, unlawful imprisonment, torture, and other inhumane acts committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against a civilian population.
Crucially, the complaint also addresses genocide. It argues that the systematic destruction of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure — homes, schools, water systems, healthcare facilities — amounts to:
* causing serious bodily and mental harm; and
* deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of the Palestinian population, in whole or in part.
These conclusions align with findings issued in September 2025 by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which determined that Israeli authorities are committing genocide in Gaza.
Request for Urgent Precautionary Measures
Given the gravity of the allegations and the risk that Yitzhki may leave Italy, HRF has requested that the Italian authorities consider urgent precautionary measures, including:
* seizure of passports and travel documents;
* preservation of digital evidence.
The filing also formally requests notification of any prosecutorial decisions, including extensions of investigations or potential dismissal, in accordance with Italian criminal procedure.
Abou Jahjah: No Safe Haven in Europe
This filing is part of HRF’s broader strategy to ensure that no European country becomes a refuge for perpetrators of atrocities committed in Gaza.
"International law is meaningless if it stops at borders", HRF General Director Dyab Abou Jahjah (b. 1971) stated.
"When those suspected of war crimes and genocide enter Europe, States must choose between impunity and justice. There is no third option", he added.
The Hind Rajab Foundation will continue to pursue accountability across jurisdictions until those responsible for crimes in Gaza — perpetrators, accomplices, and inciters alike — are brought before competent courts.
Source: Hind Rajab Foundation - HRF Files Criminal Complaint in Italy Against IDF Soldier Israel Yitzhki for War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, and Genocide (Publ. 15 Dec. 2025)
***
HRF Seeks Arrest of Israeli Soldier in Spain Over the Destruction of Beit Hanoun
Barcelona / Brussels – 3 December 2025:
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a criminal complaint in Spain against Israeli soldier Benayau Nahum for his alleged responsibility in genocide and serious war crimes committed during Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip, particularly in the northern town of Beit Hanoun.
The complaint was submitted after confirming that the suspect was present on Spanish territory, triggering Spain’s obligations under international law to investigate and prosecute grave international crimes. HRF has formally requested the urgent arrest of the suspect to prevent his departure and to ensure accountability.
The Accused and His Military Unit
Benayau Nahum served as a soldier in the 97th Netzah Yehuda Battalion of the 900th Kfir Brigade. This unit has a long record of serious human rights violations, including:
* The killing of unarmed civilians,
* Abuse and torture of detainees,
* And the systematic destruction of Palestinian property.
The battalion has previously been implicated in internationally condemned cases and has repeatedly operated in occupied Palestinian territory with near-total impunity.
*** [ [Personal note: I can confirm this based on what I personally saw during my 2007-2011 UN-affiliated service in the Occupied West Bank. The worst criminal Israeli IDF "military" units by far are certainly the Kfir Brigade and the Nahal of the Nahal brigade.
These two units in particular - their history and all their members ought to be intensively investigated all the way back to 1967 and beyond. Consisting of predominantly jewish fundamentalists, religious zealots, zionists, criminals, kahanists, no-goods and madmen they certainly would be akin to any former member of the Nazi Waffen-SS in my eyes.
You have to be quite oblivious to history if you cannot see the similarities between Nazi Germany and these Israeli paramilitary / military groups represented by the Kfir, the Gadna and the Nahal. Israel is through and through a jewish supremacist militaristic fascist society.] ] ***
Its presence in Gaza formed part of Israel’s large-scale ground operations in the north of the Strip.
Destruction of Beit Hanoun
Between late 2024 and early 2025, Beit Hanoun was subjected to near-total destruction as part of a broader military strategy aimed at emptying northern Gaza of its population. Entire neighborhoods were set on fire, leveled by heavy machinery, and erased from the map.
The evidence in HRF’s possession places Benayau Nahum directly on the ground during these operations. It shows his participation in systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure, including homes and public buildings, at a time when Beit Hanoun was already largely depopulated and defenseless.
The scale of destruction in northern Gaza during this period rendered vast areas uninhabitable and made return impossible for most of the displaced population.
Legal Qualification of the Crimes
The complaint accuses Benayau Nahum of:
* Genocide, for contributing to conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of part of the Palestinian population;
* War crimes, including:
- Extensive destruction of civilian property not justified by military necessity;
- Attacks against civilian buildings and undefended towns;
- Participation in the forcible displacement of a protected civilian population.
Under international humanitarian law, civilian objects are strictly protected. The large-scale, methodical destruction documented in Beit Hanoun cannot be justified by any lawful military objective.
Spain’s Obligation to Act
Spain is bound by international law, including the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute, to either prosecute or extradite individuals suspected of committing genocide and war crimes when they are found on its territory.
Given the presence of the suspect in Spain and the lack of genuine proceedings elsewhere, HRF has requested:
* The opening of a criminal investigation;
* The immediate detention of the suspect;
* And the adoption of urgent measures to prevent his escape.
Breaking the Wall of Impunity
This complaint is part of HRF’s broader effort to dismantle the system of impunity protecting perpetrators of crimes against the Palestinian people. It sends a clear message that:
Participation in genocide and war crimes carries personal criminal responsibility, wherever the perpetrator may attempt to hide.
HRF continues to pursue similar cases across multiple jurisdictions and will not relent until justice is served.
Source: Hind Rajab Foundation - HRF Seeks Arrest of Israeli Soldier in Spain Over the Destruction of Beit Hanoun (Publ. 5 Dec. 2025)
***
Why Bar Associations Must Act: The Dutch Debate on Complicity and the Responsibility of Lawyers in International Crimes
3 November 2025:
On 2 December, the Dutch Bar Association (NOvA) [Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten] will hold an extraordinary assembly to address a question that is rapidly becoming unavoidable across the global legal profession:
What is the responsibility of lawyers when their work intersects with a state committing international crimes?
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) welcomes the participation of its co-founder, Haroon Raza, a criminal defence attorney with more than twenty years of experience, in this meeting. Mr. Raza's contribution focuses on a reality many in the profession have long avoided confronting — that legal advice, corporate structuring, and financial facilitation can play a direct role in sustaining Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The Professional Environment: A Legal System Intertwined with Global Capital
The Netherlands stands at the centre of a dense network of financial and corporate structures. Tens of billions of euros connected to Israeli entities — including companies tied to the military, surveillance, technological development, and settlement expansion [ *** Personal note: For instance American Airbnb and Dutch Booking.com - just to mention a few! *** ] — flow through Dutch holding companies, investment funds, and advisory firms.
Lawyers are involved at every step: drafting corporate agreements, approving investments, advising on compliance, structuring acquisitions, and legitimising transactions.
When these structures are linked to a state perpetrating mass killing, starvation, forced displacement, and systematic destruction of civilian life, the role of the legal profession must be examined with honesty rather than ritualised neutrality.
Motion 3: An Attempt to Define Professional Boundaries
At the centre of the upcoming assembly is Motion 3, a proposal seeking to address precisely this challenge. The motion calls for the establishment of an independent committee within the Dutch Bar Association to evaluate the responsibilities of lawyers involved in high-risk transactions — particularly those connected to situations where there is a serious risk of contributing to war crimes, crimes against humanity, apartheid, or genocide.
Its purpose is straightforward:
* to articulate clear due-diligence requirements in high-risk contexts,
* to identify warning signs of potential complicity,
* to define professional standards of conduct, and
* to provide guidance on when lawyers must decline or withdraw from engagements.
Motion 3 is not a political statement. It is an attempt to bring the profession’s established principles — independence, integrity, and the duty to avoid unlawful conduct — into alignment with the realities of modern global practice. Comparable standards already exist for sanctions regimes, anti-money-laundering responsibilities, and other areas where legal services intersect with international harm.
The question is why similar principles have not yet been applied to Israel’s actions in Gaza, despite the scale and severity of the crimes.
A Profession Confronted With Its Own Infrastructure
Large law firms and corporate practices in major financial centres — London, New York, Paris, Frankfurt, Singapore, Dubai, Toronto — routinely advise clients with direct or indirect links to Israeli institutions, military industries, and settlement enterprises.
[ *** Personal note: A huge amount of these settlements are funded directly from the USA and needs to be examined most thoroughly - Example: The US 501(c) tax-exempted Hebron Fund ! Like WTF!? ]
In many cases, risk assessments are superficial or absent. The assumption that “legal advice is neutral” has become a shield against accountability.
This assumption is no longer tenable.
Speaking ahead of the assembly, Mr. Raza addressed the profession with unusual clarity:
"When a legal opinion, a contract, or a corporate structure helps sustain a system committing genocide, the lawyer involved cannot hide behind claims of neutrality. Our profession must recognise that routine legal work can become a vehicle for atrocity. Motion 3 is about safeguarding the integrity of the law — and ensuring we do not enable Israel’s crimes in Gaza."
His statement reflects a broader shift: lawyers are beginning to acknowledge that their professional activities can contribute materially to the functioning of systems responsible for mass violence.
The Broader Context: Accountability Beyond the Battlefield
The Hind Rajab Foundation’s work has repeatedly demonstrated that atrocity crimes do not occur in isolation. They are supported by corporate supply chains, financial networks, investment portfolios, digital infrastructure, and legal advice. Israel’s genocide in Gaza is no exception.
Legal professionals occupy a crucial position within these systems. Without their services, many transactions linked to military procurement, settlement construction, surveillance systems, or economic extraction simply cannot proceed.
The question for bar associations worldwide is not whether their members have political opinions. The question is whether their work strengthens — knowingly or unknowingly — the machinery of genocide.
A Necessary Evolution in Professional Self-Regulation
Motion 3 offers a model of what serious professional self-governance can look like. Bar associations across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia should consider similar mechanisms:
* independent oversight bodies,
* mandatory due-diligence frameworks,
* explicit standards on complicity,
* and training on international criminal liability for legal advisors.
Such measures are not symbolic. They reflect the reality that the legal profession is now deeply embedded in the structures that make international crimes possible.
The Moment Ahead
Israel’s actions in Gaza — mass killing, destruction of civilian infrastructure, systematic starvation, and the targeted annihilation of families — constitute genocide. In this context, the legal profession’s responsibilities cannot remain undefined.
The debate within the Dutch Bar Association is a signal to bar associations everywhere:
The age of pretending that legal work exists outside the world’s worst crimes is over.
The credibility of the profession depends on its willingness to recognise this moment — and to act accordingly.
Source: Hind Rajab Foundation - Why Bar Associations Must Act: The Dutch Debate on Complicity and the Responsibility of Lawyers in International Crimes (Publ. 24 Nov. 2025)
***
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen!
We expect a strong reaction from the world to today's Russian terror. We expect the reaction of partners. We expect the reaction of friends - not just observers. We expect the reaction of all those who really recognize the UN Charter.
We are doing everything possible. Ukraine presented the Peace Formula. The world heard it.
10 points - how to restore the full power of the UN Charter violated by Russia, and guarantee the safety of Ukraine, the safety of Europe and all the peoples of the planet who suffer from the consequences of Russian aggression.
In response to our Peace Formula, Russia is following the steps of its formula of terror.
The very next day after I proposed the Ukrainian Peace Formula at the G19 summit in Indonesia, we received ten Russian missiles per each point of the Peace Formula.
The strikes continued.
We liberated Kherson - and as soon as the Russian army fled from there, it began to methodically destroy this city. Strikes every day.
This night – another missile attack on the Zaporizhzhia region, on the hospital – on the buildings where the maternity ward was located. Russian terrorists took the life of a baby - the child was 2 days old when it was killed by a Russian missile!
And then again - dead, dead, dozens of wounded. In the city of Vyshhorod this afternoon, a residential building was hit, 35 people were injured, 4 were killed.
This is one of the main points of the Russian formula of terror - missiles.
Only today - almost 70 missiles. Against our energy infrastructure.
Unfortunately, a residential building was also hit.
Hospitals, schools, transport, residential areas - everything was affected.
Russian terror led to a blackout – and not only in Ukraine. The light also went out in neighboring Moldova.
But the understanding of what Russia wants to achieve with such strikes should not disappear anywhere in the world.
Energy terror is an analogue of the use of weapons of mass destruction.
When the temperature is below zero outside, and tens of millions of people are left without electricity, heat and water as a result of Russian missiles hitting energy facilities, this is an obvious crime against humanity.
Ladies and Gentlemen!
Among you are representatives of a state that offers nothing to the world except terror, destabilization and disinformation. Any Russian formulas do not provide for anything else.
And that's why I emphasize once again - it's time to support the Ukrainian Peace Formula!
There must be no opportunity left for terror in the world!
That is why we are turning to our partners for support to protect our skies. We need modern and effective air defense and missile defense systems, and I thank everyone who is already helping.
What can a representative of a terrorist state tell you now? That civilians do not suffer from their missiles? Everything is obvious. It's all too obvious.
And I urge you to take concrete steps to protect humanity and life!
Russia has long been trying to turn the UN Security Council into a platform for rhetoric. But the Security Council was created as the world's most powerful platform for decisions and actions. This is what we can demonstrate.
The Security Council should provide a clear assessment of the actions of the terrorist state in accordance with Chapter Seven of the UN Charter. Ukraine proposes that the Security Council adopt such a resolution condemning any forms of energy terror.
Let's see if anyone in the world will be able to say, along with Russia, that terror against civilians is supposedly a good thing.
I confirm the invitation from Ukraine regarding the mission of UN experts to critical infrastructure facilities of our country that have been or may be hit by Russian missiles.
It is necessary to give a proper assessment of damage and destruction. It should be stated that these are strikes against the very infrastructure that ensures the lives of tens of millions of people.
And finally, justice must be restored within the UN structures themselves.
The terrorist state should not participate in any voting on the issues of its aggression, its terror.
It is a stalemate when the one who caused the war, the one responsible for the terror, blocks any attempt by the UN Security Council to fulfill its mandate.
This is nonsense that the veto right is reserved for the one who is waging a criminal war.
It is necessary to lead the world out of this impasse.
It is absolutely possible.
The world should not be held hostage by one international terrorist.
Russia is doing everything to make the electric generator a more powerful and necessary tool than the UN Charter. We must and can return real meaning to all things - and above all to the UN Charter.
Your decisions are needed!
Thank you for the opportunity!
Thank you for your attention!
Glory to Ukraine!
A Tea for the Tillerman
Acte 4
A Most Curious Conclusion
A slow sinking feeling came over me as I saw the distraughtly gutted look in Ginny’s eyes as she realized the fancy necklace she had been wearing had somehow fallen away and had been lost.
We both immediately began to look down around her feet.
Finding nothing Ginny looks up at me with worried eyes, her fingers still stroking her sheath dress’s high neckline. I tell her soothingly…
“Need to retrace your steps luv, since the last time you knew it was still there. That’s probably the best course of action.”
“I don’t remember…” she said panic-stricken.
I thought hard, not an easy thing to do with the after-effects of a bit too much alcoholic drink. Then my eyes lit up as I hit upon it.
You still had it on when I left you at the pagoda to visit the loo.
“I left there when I started looking for you, Cade. Cor Blimey, been back to the house, and everywhere in between since haven’t I?” She told me this with a miserably unhappy sigh. “I would really hate to have lost that .”
Taking her arm we then began retracing her steps in backorder, searching the ground in vain until we finally, now quite dejected, made it back to the still deserted pagoda.
We began to search the area in a now desperate manner. But nothing sparkled that would have given away the lost
necklaces hiding spot.
Ginny came over to me.
I watched, her black satin Qipao sheath dress with the green lining flowing elegantly along her figure, the rhinestone dragon with the emerald eyes shimmering. It was a shame that someone looking that pretty should be so sad I thought with pity.
“Would Cleo have gone off with it?” I pondered aloud as I squatted, peering under the steps.
“That Estella scared him off,” Ginny said from the other side of the pagoda.
“Estella?” I asked
“ She was with Claire, and that odd lady who I told you was taking to Cassie.”
“Estella had intentionally scared away poor Cleo and then went chasing after the poor thing.
What about” Wood Bead Lady? I asked
Ginny half-heartedly snickered. “ I like that name.”
Then went on…
“She sat down, literally right next to me. Claire reached over wanting me to hold her. Which I did. We chatted for a bit. Estella came back alone, and stood behind me teasing Claire.”
“It was then I decided to head off to find you. Leaving your “Wood Bead Lady, whom I handed Claire back to, and Estella there.
“That lady sure is an odd one, Dontcha think?” Ginny commented.
I arose, agreeing with her, my mind racing. Something was nagging at it, but for the life of me, I couldn’t think of what it was. All I could focus on really was trying to help my friend find that errant necklace of hers.
“It’s not here, is it?” Ginny said with a miserable tone of voice.
I went over and reassuringly hugged her.
“ Let’s go find my mum. Maybe someone found it and turned it over to her. Wouldn’t it be funny if we spent all this time looking and she had it all the while?”
This cheered her up, and we began to walk back, a bit more happy and hopeful.
==========================
We passed the lady in purple silk who was drinking wine as she chatted away with several other ladies.
Gone was the “Wood Bead Lady” and her gang of followers.
The ladies turned to us as we passed.
I stared with an open mouth…
Gone also was the lady in purple silk’s diamond and sapphire necklace!
The other two were surprisingly not wearing necklaces either, and one, wearing an old satin and lace wedding dress, I could have sworn had been wearing a rather handsome pearl choker!?
“Cheers, “ they said to us
“Cheers” Ginny answered back half-heartedly
But I didn't answer. My attention had been pulled away, as the several things I had observed recently tried to click together in my mind, but it was like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces.
We were almost at the table when Cassie caught up with us and greeted Ginny. I was looking away, watching mum straighten a few things at the tables. Her necklace sparkled as she bent over.
Then I spotted Estella carrying Claire over to mum.
Claire reached out her arms to be picked up. Mum stopped what she was doing, reached down, and lifted her. Then she was hugged and patted by my mum as she spoke to the caterer. While sneaky Estella watched from alongside them.
Claire’s mother Clarice had just then come up to join them.
I gasped upon seeing that little Clair had that quickly unclasped and was now holding the ends of mum’s diamond necklace in one hand.
As her mother pulled her away, Claire let go and I saw the necklace fall inside the front of my Mum’s dress. She was wearing a full silk slip which must have prevented her from feeling it siding down.
I saw it plop out and fall to the ground between her shimmery silver sandals.
With relief, I saw Estella bend down to the ground behind mum to retrieve it.
Relief turned to horror as I then saw Estella, instead of handing the diamond necklace over, quickly walking off with it, unnoticed by the others.
I gasped, hand to my throat, too frozen in disbelief to act.
Estella disappeared behind a tall hedge that blocked the portable toilets the guests were using, from sight.
It was then I saw the “Wood Bead Lady” coming from around the side corner of our house. And also disappeared behind the same hedge.
Then, that quickly the Wood Bead Lady appeared from the hedge on the side Estella had entered.
Remembering the game, I assumed that Estella had handed the diamond necklace off to her. The lady’s actions appeared to confirm that.
She had stopped, and I could see her looking at Mum, who was still chatting away, clueless as to what was going on.
Then the “Wood Bead Lady” saw me gaping at her.
With a start, she held up her skirt turned, and moved off across the green towards the gardens. I knew then she was heading for the thicker ring of woods that borders our property on the other side.
No one except me has been paying any attention to what was happening.
Wood Bead Lady” had almost entered the gardens before I finally was able to give a warning voice to Ginny over the situation.
“Hurry, she may be getting away with them” I snapped, grabbing a puzzled Ginny by the arm.
I started to apologize to Cassie that we had to go when suddenly I was gobsmacked. Cassie no longer was wearing a necklace either!
From behind me, I heard a bewildered Ginny ask...
“Who is getting away with what?”
I turned and nodded in the direction of the fleeing lady.
“Wood Bead Lady, No time to explain” I yelled behind me as I pulled Ginny away.
We began weaving in and out of quests, leaving bewildered ladies in our wake.
I saw Mrs. Shannon directly ahead and gently moved her away.
“Hello Cade, what's up?”
“Explain later” I called out over my shoulder
I looked back at her and gulped, Mrs. Shannon was no longer wearing what had been her rather expensive ruby necklace. Nor was Gabriella wearing hers…
I swore under my breath as I remembered what I had seen by the wrought iron bench in my secret garden. I pictured the lady we were pursuing, Estella, and little Claire playing what I had thought was a game of keep away using their necklaces...
“Bloody hell am I a twit, it had not been a game played merely to amuse a young child.” Claire had been a pawn, groomed to be the necklace-lifting “Finger Smith” to use an old pickpocketing term. I was now swearing to myself not to have caught on sooner.
“Perfect gambit. If wee Claire was caught removing your necklace, the assumption was merely a young child playing and accidentally undoing my necklace. . The victim would twitter to the tyke teasing her as you silly dickens, while the necklace was retrieved and the young miss Claire would be hugged for being so precious.
Buggers, if I haven’t seen them play acting in the secret garden, I’d have thought the same if it had been me. But I probably would not have been one to catch on, and have lost my necklace as a result, as Ginny had.“
I thought all this as Ginny and I was scurrying our way through the garden as fast as our heels would let us.
We reached the outer edge of the garden, a green space of about 28 meters, only to see the thief had run into the woods ahead. I caught a glimpse of her using the well-worn dirt path that led through them. The path would eventually be ending up in an old cemetery with the road(Abbots Chase Lane)on its outskirts.
When we finally reached that path and entered the cool woods, all was quiet. No sound or sign of the lady thief. We removed our heels and slowed to an uncomfortable walk...
I warned Ginny as she walked beside me.
“Keep your eyes open”
“So could you at least tell me now what's going on? She asked
“I think that Wood Bead Lady has mum's necklace, and I strongly suspect she has yours also. Along with the Shannons and who knows how many other necklaces she got that Mum’s guests were wearing. I told her in between gasps of now quite labored breaths.
Ginny stopped me with a gasp, a hand to her breast...asking...
“Cadence, are you saying my necklace was not lost but nicked?”
I nodded, “ By the Wood Bead Lady I repeated.”
“ How did she manage all that?” Ginny asked, her turn to be gobsmacked.
“She had a helper. “
I moved Ginny on, continuing the pursuit, slow as it was. I explained in a hushed voice what all I had observed, as we walked on.
================
After what felt like an hour, but only had really been ten minutes, we finally reach the cemetery. Looking around we see nothing moving. All is eerily still and silent.
We had just begun moving in along the path when suddenly Ginny swore very loudly and grabbed my shoulder. “Bloody well twisted an ankle!” She wailed quite loudly.
I led her off to the side of the path. “Here sit on this bench,” I instructed her as I helped her down.
“Go on..” she screeched aloud, wincing In pain massaging her ankle.
I went on alone, cautiously, leaving my whimpering friend behind.
I felt a bit more vulnerable now that some of the excitement of the chase appeared gone, and I was now alone. Though my adrenaline was still making my heart beat fast.
I passed by a mausoleum, catching my reflection in the mirror.
“All dressed up and alone.” I thought fearfully to myself. “What a wicked turn of events.”
Reaching an open gate on the other side I go out onto a small parking lot.
Which lets out on the paved road that intersects the road our house is on. I hear a car's tyres screech off in the distance.
Miserably I admit to myself
“I think we lost her”
And with her had gone mums diamonds Ginny's pendent, Mrs. Shannon's and her daughter rubies, that innocent lady's sapphire necklace, Cassie’s diamond garnet necklace, and who knew what other guests had lost their expensive necklaces to Claire's seemingly innocent hugs...
If only I had been quicker on the uptake I sighed as with my mind's eye I pictured little Claire hugging mum and the terribly unsettling aftermath.
Now totally feeling both dejected and depressed, I turn and make out way back to Ginny waiting alone in the cemetery.
>>>>>>>>
I made it back to the stone bench, only to find it empty
I hear a familiar voice whimper close by…
It was Ginny!
I move off and from behind a tree saw down into a small gully
There I see the “Wood Bead lady” holding a knife to Ginny's chest as her free hand was eagerly removing my friend's remaining emeralds.
She had already taken Ginny's emerald earrings and was now gleefully stuffing her emerald bracelet, down inside her purse. As I saw them. She then began working off Ginny's pretty ring, saying wickedly to her victim in the process.
“ Find the catered private parties, I always say, they have nice stuff with easy pickings, like this one, wouldn't you agree dearie?
Heard about this one from two school girls flapping their whiney lips on a city double-decker about having to work here as caterers.
Then I found that simply precious little one and her gullible sneaky friend, who I was able to use in acquiring several of these rich twits necklaces. Yours was the first my sweet. Didn’t feel a thing did you? Well, none of ‘em did, so engrossed in playing with the young ‘un weren’t they now. When I finished that game by playing it on that Shannon broad, I left the tyke in the hands of Estella. Then I paid a “visit” inside the house to find the ladies' bedrooms. That’s where the good stuff usually can be found. Pity the Hostess was wearing the good diamonds, but I found enough in her jewel case to compensate, and in her cheeky daughters also. Cleaned them both out., did it I ” she cackled with delight.
I gasped inwardly, heart sinking, remembering I had left my case open. All my jewellery, including the rings and bracelet I had taken off, had been stolen. And all of my mum’s pretties also….
The “Wood Bead Lady“ continues as she finished working off the emerald ring from Ginny’s finger and plopped it into her purse. She began to methodically paw a shaking Ginny over checking that nothing had been missed as she happily smirked to herself…
“Was quite hard to pass up the opportunity of acquiring that far too lovely diamond necklace the Hostess was so alluringly wearing, just begging to be plucked off. Funny, when I was going through her bedroom, I was fantasizing that she would have to come into the house for something so I could…but she didn’t. So I had to have one more look at the pretty things before leaving…Didn’t I?… Wait now….What was that?”
As I listened in, with a deep sinking feeling, I move back, my expression shows that I’m desperately thinking of a way out of this.
I end up stepping on a twig in the process, the sharp crack it makes giving me away.
The Wood Bead Lady” stopped talking and immediately looked towards the source of the sound she had heard.
Seeing me, “Wood Bead Lady” grabs Ginny. Pulling my struggling friend tightly up against her, now holding the knife to Ginny’s throat.
“Wood Bead Lady” snarls at me, her lip raising like a bulldog. Her words dripping with a coveting wickedness
“Welcome here my pretty one. Should have let me go. Come down now and join your friend my sweet and let me have
another close peek of your pretty party dress.”
She beckons me to come down with the knife.
“Then I'll make you a bit more comfortable. It must be hot walking around weighed down with all those lovely jewels your a wearin! “
I took a step back, Ginny smirks, giving me a wink as the “Wood Bead Lady” continues.
“Don't run away love. I have your friend, and if you don’t want any harm to befall her…”
She left her sentence dangling, her focus now entirely on me, and off from her now still captive.
A bit encumbered by the tight-fitting Qipao dress, Ginny had slowly positioned her legs. I saw her take a deep breath, and in a fluid motion grabbed the lady's arm and with a yell that resounded loudly through the cemetery, neatly backflipped her, In a perfectly executed jit Jitsu move.
The knife had flown from the thief's hand clattering against the side of a gravestone.
Not at all surprised, I had kept my wits, As I quickly moved down into the gully and quickly snatched it up.
Walking over to her prone, dazed figure, I spit out my words with a great deal of relief and satisfaction as I pick up her weighty purse...
“Wood Bead Lady’s” eyes were opened wide, watching me while she lay sprawled out on the ground. as I spoke.
“If you hadn't been such a greedy bitch, luv, you would have gotten clean away with your little scheme. You went “a bridge too far” as the saying goes by having Estella going for me Mum’s diamonds. That’s when My cheeky ass finally caught on, otherwise, you would have got away scot-free with the jewels!”
Ginny comes over and hugs me. I opened the “Wood Bead Lady’s” purse and hearing the lady thief moan, I continued…
And really ‘DEARIE’ was it worth it being unscrupulous enough to take the jewellery from innocent children like Claire and Gabriella! Ginny figured you would hide like the coward you are, and came up with the idea to fake the hurt ankle. Figuring she would present an easy-looking victim, the kind you obviously prefer, whose shiny emeralds would be a far too tempting lure to bring you out of hiding. Ginny is a pretty damn good actress wouldn't you say!?”
The lady just moans more. I open the purse so Ginny and I can have a look.
Our eyes bulged as we take in the not small pile of expensively glistening jewelry inside.
At that moment We all hear the tyres of a car crunching in the parking lot. Soon I hear the welcome voices of papa and my brother calling out.
It must have been his car I head heard the screeching of it’s tyres off in the distance.
It was a happy reunion, and a relief to see the “Wood Bead Lady” being led off wearing papa’s cuffs.
As an addendum, I have to admit I had it wrong.
It was discovered that the weaselly Estella, had indeed been helping the “Wood Bead Lady” with her scheme by standing behind a lady holding Claire, waiting to snatch up the dropped necklace.
But, when the “Wood Bead Lady” had disappeared after taking Mrs. Shannon’s rubies ( to break in and pilfer our bedrooms) Estella then started to use Claire’s game to her own advantage. First to acquire Gabrielle’s ruby necklace, then apparently boldly upping her game by going for Mum’s diamonds.
This became clear after it was discovered that Mum’s Diamond necklace was not inside the “Wood Bead Lady’s “ handbag.
Estella was questioned, caught in a lie, and eventually admitted she had sold both necklaces in a pawn shop for £25. They were both recovered.
So it was just a coincidence that the two passed by each other behind the Hedge.
A coincidence that I happened to have seen, and was probably the only reason the “Wood Bead Lady” was caught red-handed with the jewels.
Fini
Outside of my comfort zone. Photographing people and events isn't my forte'. I am mainly into the slow and methodical landscape photos. Living close to DC my wife and I sometimes like to go downtown and witness history. We wanted to see the happenings around the White House. This is the day after the media announced Biden the winner. This isn't meant to be a political statement, just a moment in time.
American Crows are familiar over much of the continent: large, intelligent, all-black birds with hoarse, cawing voices. They are common sights in treetops, fields, and roadsides, and in habitats ranging from open woods and empty beaches to town centers. They usually feed on the ground and eat almost anything – typically earthworms, insects and other small animals, seeds, and fruit but also garbage, carrion, and chicks they rob from nests. Their flight style is unique, a patient, methodical flapping that is rarely broken up with glides.
El Oro Parakeet (Pyrrhura orcesi) - Buenaventura Reserve, Ecuador
While easy to hear and see when they were flying when the El Oro parakeets would settle into a tree they would seem to disappear! As you can see here they are actually quite well camouflaged and we frequently lost sight of them among the foliage as soon as they settled down into a tree. When they fly they almost always fly as a group and they all call to each other for the duration of the flight, for this reason they are easy to see and hear from far away. When they settle into a tree they usually stop vocalizing, instead they focus on eating, preening, reproducing, or just taking a break. I followed this group of parakeets to the tree in which you see this individual now, they flew to the tree to feed. It was interesting watching them move about the branches they would crawl around using their beak as an anchor and dragging their feet up to the same position and then continue on, there was no hooping or flying from branch to branch it was all a very methodical crawl. This is an endangered species with only approximately a 1000 individuals left, this species needs forest with a variety of food trees about, unfortunately much of its habitat has been cleared to make room for pastures and cows.
Two birds working the shoreline like it’s a daily appointment. Heads down, methodical, not much fuss. Beaches are full of these quiet routines if you hang around long enough.
This little female hummer was methodically doing the rounds of the zinnias in the late afternoon. Surrounded by color, it would sample a pale yellow, move on to an orange and then these bright red zinnias as if sampling an efflorescent smorgasbord.
After three days and nights of high winds and rain this Barn Owl was desperate to get hunting again. A sense of urgency about his flight as he frantically, but methodically, quartered the marshes searching for Voles.
Well, here it is. At last. My F-4J MOC, in the VF-74 "BEDEVILERS" Naval Fighter Squadron. It took loads of work and lots of hours, but I'm so glad I can say I finally did a Phantom.
Initially designed with the U.S. Navy in mind, the McDonnell aircraft company -- creator of the F-4 Phantom -- of the early 1950s tirelessly and methodically analyzed the Navy's needs and desires. They determined that the jet ideal for current and future carrier operations was an aircraft that was quick, technologically advanced, and able to fill multiple roles (i.e., dogfighting, ground attacks, etc.). Initially, designers from McDonnell wanted to modify their F3H Demon aircraft to simply be faster, more modular (to perhaps have different nose or cockpit variations), and more efficient. However, while beginning to proceed with this idea, many Naval officers consented that they had the role of an attack fighter already fulfilled by emerging aircraft from other companies. Eventually, McDonnell started working on a highly-requested all-weather defensive interceptor that would become the F-4 Phantom. Though this was a tall order to fill, F-4 deliveries began in the early 1960s to the U.S. Navy, and, proving highly versatile, eventually was given to the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force.
The F-4J is one, later variant of the Phantom family, and with modifications to the airframe, engines and weapons systems, it was certainly one of the more advanced models. In fact, it was the first fighter in the world to incorporate a look-down/shoot-down targeting system. Among the Naval Fighter Squadrons that recieved the F-4Js, the VF-74 "BEDEVILERS" were certainly some of the finest that received them. Transitioning from their F-4Bs to the new F-4Js in the early 1970s, they partook in aerial combat in Vietnam, and didn't lose a single aircraft to enemy forces. They were also successful elsewhere, winning many awards during peacetime -- one of which was the Admiral Joseph Clifton Award, rendering them as the top Naval Fighter squadron in 1976. My F-4J is in a typical, later skin they'd use on the USS Forrestal (CV-59) aircraft carrier.
My model itself features dual, opening canopies, room for two minifigures in their respective tandem cockpit arrangement, functioning landing gear, and a simulated loadout of two AIM-7 Sparrows and four AIM-9 Sidewinders. I worked very tirelessly on both the diorama and the jet, and I do hope you like it. Comments, faves, and constructive criticisms, as always, are greatly appreciated!
The organ of the Sint-Bavokerk (the Christiaan Müller organ) is one of the world's most historically important organs. It was built by the Amsterdam organ builder Christian Müller, with stucco decorations by the Amsterdam artist Jan van Logteren, between 1735 and 1738. Upon completion it was the largest organ in the world with 60 voices and 32-foot pedal-towers. In Moby-Dick (1851), Herman Melville describes the inside of a whale's mouth:
"Seeing all these colonnades of bone so methodically ranged about, would you not think you were inside of the great Haarlem organ, and gazing upon its thousand pipes?"
Many famous musicians played this organ, including Mendelssohn, Händel and the 10-year-old Mozart, who played it in 1766.
The American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is one of North America’s largest birds, with a 9-foot wingspan, they are also among the heaviest flying birds in the world. They are superb flyers and often travel long distances in large flocks by soaring. When flapping, their wingbeats are slow and methodical. American White Pelicans feed from the water’s surface, dipping their beaks into the water to catch fish and other aquatic organisms. They often upend, like a very large dabbling duck, in this process. They do not plunge-dive the way Brown Pelicans do. During the breeding season, breeding adults grow an unusual projection or horn on the upper mandible near the tip of the bill. I was able to photograph this young American White Pelican bathing in the waters of White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas.
Click on the link below to explore your options. Select from fine art prints, canvas, acrylic or metal prints for your home or office. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out on updates, sales, and new blog posts.
Sibley & I went to Leadville over the weekend, for our first try at a nosework trial, & Sibley qualified & earned a new title. This was NACSW, Level 1, & took place at an intermediate school. To qualify, the dog has to find a hide -- essential oil of birch at Level 1 -- for each of the 4 elements: containers (which are rows of cardboard boxes at Level 1), vehicles, interiors & exteriors. And the handler has to recognize the dog's alert signal & make the call -- that's where the teamwork comes in, as the handler needs to trust the dog.
Sibley worked extremely well, very methodically with super clear & definite alert signals. (She typically puts a paw on the box or spot -- some of the hides were on the underside of a bench or a car bumper, none of them visible to the handler.) Her consistency earned her a ranking of #5 among the 10 dogs who titled (out of some 30 entered). And she got "pronounced" on the exterior hide, which means the judge thought her work was exceptional.
A fun weekend, as Sibley really enjoys this activity -- though exhausting for both of us. Focused sniffing is hard work!
LINK to 3 of Sibley's runs (they don't film interiors so as not to interfere with the dog working), filmed by Mountain Dogs LLC : drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kpc9Sg9LOQuPq09pQBct4fDYu...
As I enter the 23rd year of my existence today, something I plan to pursue photographically this year are these antenna towers. The methodical blinking of these beacons scattered throughout the country is something that has always been home for me. Sadly these guys are becoming a bit outdated due to the advances of technology and the internet. One such example of this recently.
-
Beaverdam, Virginia
Hasselblad 500C/M
SketchingNow foundations
Lesson 11: Working from a Focus, indoor prompt - living room scene
My usual pace is slow, methodical, with acute attention to every detail. But I knew my dog would roll over if I didn't sketch quick, soooooo... Two scribbles later and a dash of color and here's my pooch! (Not sure he'd approve...)
The American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is one of North America’s largest birds, with a 9-foot wingspan, they are also among the heaviest flying birds in the world. They are superb flyers and often travel long distances in large flocks by soaring. When flapping, their wingbeats are slow and methodical. American White Pelicans feed from the water’s surface, dipping their beaks into the water to catch fish and other aquatic organisms. They often upend, like a very large dabbling duck, in this process. They do not plunge-dive the way Brown Pelicans do. During the breeding season, breeding adults grow an unusual projection or horn on the upper mandible near the tip of the bill.
A captured this young American White Pelican
preparing to land at White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas.
Click on the link below to explore your options. Select from fine art prints, canvas, acrylic or metal prints for your home or office. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out on updates, sales, and new blog posts.
This composite image, taken at a distance of 2.5 km, shows a typical crow flight style. The following image shows that in essentially windless conditions a crow can fly across the wide scene towards its roosting site, with definite purpose, in an amazingly straight path and nearly constant altitude and speed, without navigational instruments other than its biological senses. Each bird shots in the second picture are shown at constant time intervals, and because the spacing between each bird shots are essentially equal, it can be inferred the bird is moving at a relatively constant speed. In the third image, several crows are flying across the field of view with only a couple of birds making significant changes in their flight plan by dipping its altitude. Interestingly, all the birds in the latter picture are descending pretty well at the same rate. I like the apparent banding displayed by the birds-in-flight, although this may just be a coincidence and brought about by the small sampling size. It appears that the commutes to the roosting sites are not free-for-all routines, they are structured. These crow flight attributes are tough to discern and appreciate when live watching as our brains cannot interpret the details of all that movement. This is further complicated by crows taking collision avoidance paths or interacting with one another in midair. Once they get to their roosting location in large gatherings, all bets are off with respect to describing the flight of any individual as it becomes mostly erratic in crowded three-dimensional space without air traffic controllers. However, in the end they all gradually and somewhat methodically land safely on city’s treetops where they will spend the night roosting.
This is one eating machine. Seen here chowing down on our fennel. It turns later on into a Blue Swallowtail Butterfly. It was very methodical in its relentless pursuit of food... we were worried about the fennel but in the end let it eats to its hearts content... I have noticed Blue Swallowtails of late...maybe?
This picture is #12 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page. www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/pool/
Sorry this is so long winded. Please do not feel the need to read it all.
Everything I have read suggests the photographer should head out with a specific goal and the best results can be accomplished.
In the case of the 100 strangers project I guess that would be having your patter ready to approach people, knowing where to find the people you want to shoot and scouting around for suitable backdrops.
While some, maybe even most may try to be methodical in the way they work, it is not always possible.
When I photographed Warwick Davis I was not expecting to take any portraits.
I arrived at college for my photography class & we were taken to Leicester Square.
The brief was to take photos in landscape view and produce a set of around six to ten images with a theme.
I see Leicester Square a lot in my day to day life, I’d love to visit London as a tourist and see it with fresh eyes but its just Leicester Square! I found it difficult to get into the swing of things but did come up with a theme.....
So while working on my theme I was walking along one of the small roads that runs into the square and noticed someone who looked like he worked in the security industry. Not like a close protection type but more of a bouncer/nightclub doorman.
I then noticed walking between us was Warwick Davis.
I promised myself I would not go all paparazzi on celebs but I did think he would be a great addition to my 100 strangers. He has a warm, friendly, characterful and interesting face.
So, I said hello and as we walked I told him about my class project and the 100 strangers project. I asked if he would be happy to pose for a portrait & he kindly agreed, promptly stopped and posed.
I only took one shot and he sounded surprised when he asked “Is that it?”
I still have this thing of not wanting to hold people up & it is something I am getting really hung up on.
While Warwick was not in an obvious rush he was clearly walking with a deliberate pace & heading somewhere.
I didn’t ask specifically about putting him on this page but he was made aware of it prior to taking his photo and he had stopped to pose, so, I’m taking that as his consent.
I didn’t really get to have much of a chat with him because once he had stopped for me; the world and its wife then wanted to take selfies with him.
The shot was taken in Landscape view because that was our brief for the Leicester Sq. project. I had also set the lens to 35mm & intended to use that focal length to add further uniformity to the images.
When Warwick agreed to me taking his portrait I was a bit surprised, actually I’m not sure who was more surprised, me at him agreeing or him at actually being asked rather than just papped.
Anyhow, I ended up taking the portrait with the settings I was already using but I had been adjusting these as I was walking around.
On this occasion I think it worked using the focal length and not turning the camera to portrait view.
I had a quick peek at the image on the camera and noted the histogram looked okay. Confident I had the shot I thanked Warwick & abandoned him in a sea of fans & tourists.
Warwick if you read this, I hope you didn’t get held up too much and thank you for allowing me to take your portrait.
As always, hints, tips, general thoughts and constructive critique is always welcome.
Thanks for viewing and if you read all of the above, sorry there was so much waffle.
This summer I have spent considerable amount of time over the week-ends near Burlington Lift Bridge to observe and photograph a family of Peregrines. Besides two adults there were three chicks in that nest. All three have successfully fledged in early June and as far as I can tell only two are seen in recent times, one is presumably lost. Given their high mortality rate there's no surprises there. The juveniles are on their way to independence and is hard to find them all at the same location. They still depend on their parents for food. One morning I observed an interesting skill of the adult male. When a juvenile came flying begging for food, he took off from his perch and went to look for food. Interestingly food is right under their feet. The Burlington Lift Bridge, where these Peregrines hang around, hosts multitude of pigeon nests in the cavities of the frames. The same goes with the nearby Skybridge. The adult male was seen systematically searching for pigeon squab in these cavities by flying in and out. Soon he found one nest with chicks in it, grabbed one chick and flew away. What an easy meal. What impressed me most was his methodical approach in the whole affair.
After eating part of the prey, the male returned to where the juvenile was sitting and did a mid-air transfer of the half eaten pigeon chick to the juvenile. Given their natural hunting habit of pursuing a prey in flight, this newly acquired skill of searching for food in nest cavities has definitely put this Peregrine in a class of its own. The urbanized Peregrines are developing new skills for survival for sure. Interestingly the adult female hasn't learnt this particular skill set and still prefers capturing a pigeon in flight. She is very successful at that. Unlike the nest invasion, catching a prey in flight requires a lot of energy. It was interesting to see the fastest animal in the world is resorting to thievery. Here's a composite of three frames of the incident where the adult male is seen going inside a pigeon nesting hole and stole a pigeon squab from the nest (left to right). Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
A storm clears the Friendship and the nearby Pedrick House. This building is the original building that was built in 1770 in Salem and at some time moved to Marblehead. In 2003 a local historian noted that this was not a building orignally in Marblehead but a Salem building. The park service managed to get the building transferred to them and Salem and then a labor of love began as it was taken apart very methodically and brought to Salem. It was then piece by piece put back together and it sits much as it had in the 1700s.
This female Blackburnian Warbler, Setophaga fusca, was methodically checking the branches of a tall bush. These warblers are fairly common in Ecuador which is at the southern end of their wintering grounds.
Pasochoa Wildlife Refuge, Ecuador. October 15, 2019.
when there are road signs
all over your mind,
haphazardly telling you which path to take;
the signs that only you can see in your cerebral imprisonment.
the paths are so worn now, that you don't even need to look down to walk through those menacing places.
it is all rote. methodical.
the furrows are set.
so worn.
so tired.
no thought is needed to follow the path that your mind now requires of you.
but that doesn't make it easy to scale its walls
escape its boundaries
and finally reach the end or the beginning
(or whatever it is that this zone is called)
in which the people on the outside
have no idea
what you just went through
to turn on a light
Outside of my comfort zone. Photographing people and events isn't my forte'. I am mainly into the slow and methodical landscape photos. Living close to DC my wife and I sometimes like to go downtown and witness history. We wanted to see the happenings around the White House. This is the day after the media announced Biden the winner. This isn't meant to be a political statement, just a moment in time.
The Great Gallery in Utah's Horseshoe Canyon is huge, gorgeous, and impressive.
As a photographer, I also found it to be intimidating.
Many talented photographers have well documented the Gallery and as I stood before it, I wondered how I could possibly craft an image of my own.
At first, I just photographed the individual figures. They are detailed and captivating and I found that an hour quickly slipped by as I methodically documented them one by one.
But as cool as the pictographs are as stand alone pieces of art, I really wanted to capture them as a group. So walked to the center of the panel, put on a wide-angle lens, and started shooting panoramas. I shot dozens of them. But as I scrolled through the shots, I couldn't help but notice that although they were technically fine, they seemed dry and 'soul-less.'
Frustrated, I walked down near the dry streambed and sat down in the shade under a tree.
As I sat there in my self-induced funk, I finally noticed the sound of the cottonwood leaves rustling above me. It made me look up. As I did, the brilliant red color of the flowers on the Scarlet GlobeMallows on the streambed caught my eye. It slowly dawned on me that I had in front of me one of the fundamental tenets of landscape photography...a killer foreground.
The shot above is the result.
It was a long day. A long hike. A long drive.
Worth every second.
Cheers!
Jeff
PS: Shout out to Alan Vandendriessche whose photo of the entire panel inspired me to keep at it until I was able to come up with this shot.
Check out my portfolio of Native American Rock Art here: www.firefallphotography.com/rock-art-gallery/
"Down on the left a busy little digging mechanism had come into view, emitting jets of green vapour and working its way round the pit, excavating and embanking in a methodical and discriminating manner. This it was which had caused the regular beating noise, and the rhythmic shocks that had kept our ruinous refuge quivering. It piped and whistled as it worked. So far as I could see, the thing was without a directing Martian at all..."
Martian machine from Jeff Wayne's The War of Worlds, 1998 PC strategy game. Reference image.
Render by P681.
Follow me on Instagram
Following up with my last post, here is another one from Seattle’s 12th Street Bridge.
In the past, I preferred to shoot ultra wide but I’ve caught a niche for panoramas. Because shooting a panorama image is more methodical and the process is more complex, I find it far more rewarding when things go right. I mentioned this in a previous post, but I’ve been using the Panning Clamp from Really Right Stuff and it makes setting up a panoramic shot, very easy.
Setup was pretty simple; camera was mounted on tripod, image stabilization was turned off. Camera was mounted in vertical position with 17mm lens and four shots were taken using a panning clamp. Then the images were stitched together in Photoshop CS6 and developed in Lightroom 4.
All the gear is listed below:
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M5
Lens: Olympus M.ZUIKO Digital 17mm f/1.8 Lens
Aperture: f/5.6
Exposure: NA
Focal Length: 17mm
ISO Speed: 200
Tripod: Gitzo GT-2531 + Markins Q3t + RRS Panning Clamp + RSS BOEM5 Set: Base + L-Plate + Grip
Photographed in San Jose, California
The three birds in the photo were in a flock of 20+ birds that were methodically moving though and feeding in an open field.
AB2A0774-1_fCAFlkr
A Tea for the Tillerman
Acte 4
A Most Curious Conclusion
A slow sinking feeling came over me as I saw the distraughtly gutted look in Ginny’s eyes as she realized the fancy necklace she had been wearing had somehow fallen away and had been lost.
We both immediately began to look down around her feet.
Finding nothing Ginny looks up at me with worried eyes, her fingers still stroking her sheath dress’s high neckline. I tell her soothingly…
“Need to retrace your steps luv, since the last time you knew it was still there. That’s probably the best course of action.”
“I don’t remember…” she said panic-stricken.
I thought hard, not an easy thing to do with the after-effects of a bit too much alcoholic drink. Then my eyes lit up as I hit upon it.
You still had it on when I left you at the pagoda to visit the loo.
“I left there when I started looking for you, Cade. Cor Blimey, been back to the house, and everywhere in between since haven’t I?” She told me this with a miserably unhappy sigh. “I would really hate to have lost that .”
Taking her arm we then began retracing her steps in backorder, searching the ground in vain until we finally, now quite dejected, made it back to the still deserted pagoda.
We began to search the area in a now desperate manner. But nothing sparkled that would have given away the lost
necklaces hiding spot.
Ginny came over to me.
I watched, her black satin Qipao sheath dress with the green lining flowing elegantly along her figure, the rhinestone dragon with the emerald eyes shimmering. It was a shame that someone looking that pretty should be so sad I thought with pity.
“Would Cleo have gone off with it?” I pondered aloud as I squatted, peering under the steps.
“That Estella scared him off,” Ginny said from the other side of the pagoda.
“Estella?” I asked
“ She was with Claire, and that odd lady who I told you was taking to Cassie.”
“Estella had intentionally scared away poor Cleo and then went chasing after the poor thing.
What about” Wood Bead Lady? I asked
Ginny half-heartedly snickered. “ I like that name.”
Then went on…
“She sat down, literally right next to me. Claire reached over wanting me to hold her. Which I did. We chatted for a bit. Estella came back alone, and stood behind me teasing Claire.”
“It was then I decided to head off to find you. Leaving your “Wood Bead Lady, whom I handed Claire back to, and Estella there.
“That lady sure is an odd one, Dontcha think?” Ginny commented.
I arose, agreeing with her, my mind racing. Something was nagging at it, but for the life of me, I couldn’t think of what it was. All I could focus on really was trying to help my friend find that errant necklace of hers.
“It’s not here, is it?” Ginny said with a miserable tone of voice.
I went over and reassuringly hugged her.
“ Let’s go find my mum. Maybe someone found it and turned it over to her. Wouldn’t it be funny if we spent all this time looking and she had it all the while?”
This cheered her up, and we began to walk back, a bit more happy and hopeful.
==========================
We passed the lady in purple silk who was drinking wine as she chatted away with several other ladies.
Gone was the “Wood Bead Lady” and her gang of followers.
The ladies turned to us as we passed.
I stared with an open mouth…
Gone also was the lady in purple silk’s diamond and sapphire necklace!
The other two were surprisingly not wearing necklaces either, and one, wearing an old satin and lace wedding dress, I could have sworn had been wearing a rather handsome pearl choker!?
“Cheers, “ they said to us
“Cheers” Ginny answered back half-heartedly
But I didn't answer. My attention had been pulled away, as the several things I had observed recently tried to click together in my mind, but it was like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces.
We were almost at the table when Cassie caught up with us and greeted Ginny. I was looking away, watching mum straighten a few things at the tables. Her necklace sparkled as she bent over.
Then I spotted Estella carrying Claire over to mum.
Claire reached out her arms to be picked up. Mum stopped what she was doing, reached down, and lifted her. Then she was hugged and patted by my mum as she spoke to the caterer. While sneaky Estella watched from alongside them.
Claire’s mother Clarice had just then come up to join them.
I gasped upon seeing that little Clair had that quickly unclasped and was now holding the ends of mum’s diamond necklace in one hand.
As her mother pulled her away, Claire let go and I saw the necklace fall inside the front of my Mum’s dress. She was wearing a full silk slip which must have prevented her from feeling it siding down.
I saw it plop out and fall to the ground between her shimmery silver sandals.
With relief, I saw Estella bend down to the ground behind mum to retrieve it.
Relief turned to horror as I then saw Estella, instead of handing the diamond necklace over, quickly walking off with it, unnoticed by the others.
I gasped, hand to my throat, too frozen in disbelief to act.
Estella disappeared behind a tall hedge that blocked the portable toilets the guests were using, from sight.
It was then I saw the “Wood Bead Lady” coming from around the side corner of our house. And also disappeared behind the same hedge.
Then, that quickly the Wood Bead Lady appeared from the hedge on the side Estella had entered.
Remembering the game, I assumed that Estella had handed the diamond necklace off to her. The lady’s actions appeared to confirm that.
She had stopped, and I could see her looking at Mum, who was still chatting away, clueless as to what was going on.
Then the “Wood Bead Lady” saw me gaping at her.
With a start, she held up her skirt turned, and moved off across the green towards the gardens. I knew then she was heading for the thicker ring of woods that borders our property on the other side.
No one except me has been paying any attention to what was happening.
Wood Bead Lady” had almost entered the gardens before I finally was able to give a warning voice to Ginny over the situation.
“Hurry, she may be getting away with them” I snapped, grabbing a puzzled Ginny by the arm.
I started to apologize to Cassie that we had to go when suddenly I was gobsmacked. Cassie no longer was wearing a necklace either!
From behind me, I heard a bewildered Ginny ask...
“Who is getting away with what?”
I turned and nodded in the direction of the fleeing lady.
“Wood Bead Lady, No time to explain” I yelled behind me as I pulled Ginny away.
We began weaving in and out of quests, leaving bewildered ladies in our wake.
I saw Mrs. Shannon directly ahead and gently moved her away.
“Hello Cade, what's up?”
“Explain later” I called out over my shoulder
I looked back at her and gulped, Mrs. Shannon was no longer wearing what had been her rather expensive ruby necklace. Nor was Gabriella wearing hers…
I swore under my breath as I remembered what I had seen by the wrought iron bench in my secret garden. I pictured the lady we were pursuing, Estella, and little Claire playing what I had thought was a game of keep away using their necklaces...
“Bloody hell am I a twit, it had not been a game played merely to amuse a young child.” Claire had been a pawn, groomed to be the necklace-lifting “Finger Smith” to use an old pickpocketing term. I was now swearing to myself not to have caught on sooner.
“Perfect gambit. If wee Claire was caught removing your necklace, the assumption was merely a young child playing and accidentally undoing my necklace. . The victim would twitter to the tyke teasing her as you silly dickens, while the necklace was retrieved and the young miss Claire would be hugged for being so precious.
Buggers, if I haven’t seen them play acting in the secret garden, I’d have thought the same if it had been me. But I probably would not have been one to catch on, and have lost my necklace as a result, as Ginny had.“
I thought all this as Ginny and I was scurrying our way through the garden as fast as our heels would let us.
We reached the outer edge of the garden, a green space of about 28 meters, only to see the thief had run into the woods ahead. I caught a glimpse of her using the well-worn dirt path that led through them. The path would eventually be ending up in an old cemetery with the road(Abbots Chase Lane)on its outskirts.
When we finally reached that path and entered the cool woods, all was quiet. No sound or sign of the lady thief. We removed our heels and slowed to an uncomfortable walk...
I warned Ginny as she walked beside me.
“Keep your eyes open”
“So could you at least tell me now what's going on? She asked
“I think that Wood Bead Lady has mum's necklace, and I strongly suspect she has yours also. Along with the Shannons and who knows how many other necklaces she got that Mum’s guests were wearing. I told her in between gasps of now quite labored breaths.
Ginny stopped me with a gasp, a hand to her breast...asking...
“Cadence, are you saying my necklace was not lost but nicked?”
I nodded, “ By the Wood Bead Lady I repeated.”
“ How did she manage all that?” Ginny asked, her turn to be gobsmacked.
“She had a helper. “
I moved Ginny on, continuing the pursuit, slow as it was. I explained in a hushed voice what all I had observed, as we walked on.
================
After what felt like an hour, but only had really been ten minutes, we finally reach the cemetery. Looking around we see nothing moving. All is eerily still and silent.
We had just begun moving in along the path when suddenly Ginny swore very loudly and grabbed my shoulder. “Bloody well twisted an ankle!” She wailed quite loudly.
I led her off to the side of the path. “Here sit on this bench,” I instructed her as I helped her down.
“Go on..” she screeched aloud, wincing In pain massaging her ankle.
I went on alone, cautiously, leaving my whimpering friend behind.
I felt a bit more vulnerable now that some of the excitement of the chase appeared gone, and I was now alone. Though my adrenaline was still making my heart beat fast.
I passed by a mausoleum, catching my reflection in the mirror.
“All dressed up and alone.” I thought fearfully to myself. “What a wicked turn of events.”
Reaching an open gate on the other side I go out onto a small parking lot.
Which lets out on the paved road that intersects the road our house is on. I hear a car's tyres screech off in the distance.
Miserably I admit to myself
“I think we lost her”
And with her had gone mums diamonds Ginny's pendent, Mrs. Shannon's and her daughter rubies, that innocent lady's sapphire necklace, Cassie’s diamond garnet necklace, and who knew what other guests had lost their expensive necklaces to Claire's seemingly innocent hugs...
If only I had been quicker on the uptake I sighed as with my mind's eye I pictured little Claire hugging mum and the terribly unsettling aftermath.
Now totally feeling both dejected and depressed, I turn and make out way back to Ginny waiting alone in the cemetery.
>>>>>>>>
I made it back to the stone bench, only to find it empty
I hear a familiar voice whimper close by…
It was Ginny!
I move off and from behind a tree saw down into a small gully
There I see the “Wood Bead lady” holding a knife to Ginny's chest as her free hand was eagerly removing my friend's remaining emeralds.
She had already taken Ginny's emerald earrings and was now gleefully stuffing her emerald bracelet, down inside her purse. As I saw them. She then began working off Ginny's pretty ring, saying wickedly to her victim in the process.
“ Find the catered private parties, I always say, they have nice stuff with easy pickings, like this one, wouldn't you agree dearie?
Heard about this one from two school girls flapping their whiney lips on a city double-decker about having to work here as caterers.
Then I found that simply precious little one and her gullible sneaky friend, who I was able to use in acquiring several of these rich twits necklaces. Yours was the first my sweet. Didn’t feel a thing did you? Well, none of ‘em did, so engrossed in playing with the young ‘un weren’t they now. When I finished that game by playing it on that Shannon broad, I left the tyke in the hands of Estella. Then I paid a “visit” inside the house to find the ladies' bedrooms. That’s where the good stuff usually can be found. Pity the Hostess was wearing the good diamonds, but I found enough in her jewel case to compensate, and in her cheeky daughters also. Cleaned them both out., did it I ” she cackled with delight.
I gasped inwardly, heart sinking, remembering I had left my case open. All my jewellery, including the rings and bracelet I had taken off, had been stolen. And all of my mum’s pretties also….
The “Wood Bead Lady“ continues as she finished working off the emerald ring from Ginny’s finger and plopped it into her purse. She began to methodically paw a shaking Ginny over checking that nothing had been missed as she happily smirked to herself…
“Was quite hard to pass up the opportunity of acquiring that far too lovely diamond necklace the Hostess was so alluringly wearing, just begging to be plucked off. Funny, when I was going through her bedroom, I was fantasizing that she would have to come into the house for something so I could…but she didn’t. So I had to have one more look at the pretty things before leaving…Didn’t I?… Wait now….What was that?”
As I listened in, with a deep sinking feeling, I move back, my expression shows that I’m desperately thinking of a way out of this.
I end up stepping on a twig in the process, the sharp crack it makes giving me away.
The Wood Bead Lady” stopped talking and immediately looked towards the source of the sound she had heard.
Seeing me, “Wood Bead Lady” grabs Ginny. Pulling my struggling friend tightly up against her, now holding the knife to Ginny’s throat.
“Wood Bead Lady” snarls at me, her lip raising like a bulldog. Her words dripping with a coveting wickedness
“Welcome here my pretty one. Should have let me go. Come down now and join your friend my sweet and let me have
another close peek of your pretty party dress.”
She beckons me to come down with the knife.
“Then I'll make you a bit more comfortable. It must be hot walking around weighed down with all those lovely jewels your a wearin! “
I took a step back, Ginny smirks, giving me a wink as the “Wood Bead Lady” continues.
“Don't run away love. I have your friend, and if you don’t want any harm to befall her…”
She left her sentence dangling, her focus now entirely on me, and off from her now still captive.
A bit encumbered by the tight-fitting Qipao dress, Ginny had slowly positioned her legs. I saw her take a deep breath, and in a fluid motion grabbed the lady's arm and with a yell that resounded loudly through the cemetery, neatly backflipped her, In a perfectly executed jit Jitsu move.
The knife had flown from the thief's hand clattering against the side of a gravestone.
Not at all surprised, I had kept my wits, As I quickly moved down into the gully and quickly snatched it up.
Walking over to her prone, dazed figure, I spit out my words with a great deal of relief and satisfaction as I pick up her weighty purse...
“Wood Bead Lady’s” eyes were opened wide, watching me while she lay sprawled out on the ground. as I spoke.
“If you hadn't been such a greedy bitch, luv, you would have gotten clean away with your little scheme. You went “a bridge too far” as the saying goes by having Estella going for me Mum’s diamonds. That’s when My cheeky ass finally caught on, otherwise, you would have got away scot-free with the jewels!”
Ginny comes over and hugs me. I opened the “Wood Bead Lady’s” purse and hearing the lady thief moan, I continued…
And really ‘DEARIE’ was it worth it being unscrupulous enough to take the jewellery from innocent children like Claire and Gabriella! Ginny figured you would hide like the coward you are, and came up with the idea to fake the hurt ankle. Figuring she would present an easy-looking victim, the kind you obviously prefer, whose shiny emeralds would be a far too tempting lure to bring you out of hiding. Ginny is a pretty damn good actress wouldn't you say!?”
The lady just moans more. I open the purse so Ginny and I can have a look.
Our eyes bulged as we take in the not small pile of expensively glistening jewelry inside.
At that moment We all hear the tyres of a car crunching in the parking lot. Soon I hear the welcome voices of papa and my brother calling out.
It must have been his car I head heard the screeching of it’s tyres off in the distance.
It was a happy reunion, and a relief to see the “Wood Bead Lady” being led off wearing papa’s cuffs.
As an addendum, I have to admit I had it wrong.
It was discovered that the weaselly Estella, had indeed been helping the “Wood Bead Lady” with her scheme by standing behind a lady holding Claire, waiting to snatch up the dropped necklace.
But, when the “Wood Bead Lady” had disappeared after taking Mrs. Shannon’s rubies ( to break in and pilfer our bedrooms) Estella then started to use Claire’s game to her own advantage. First to acquire Gabrielle’s ruby necklace, then apparently boldly upping her game by going for Mum’s diamonds.
This became clear after it was discovered that Mum’s Diamond necklace was not inside the “Wood Bead Lady’s “ handbag.
Estella was questioned, caught in a lie, and eventually admitted she had sold both necklaces in a pawn shop for £25. They were both recovered.
So it was just a coincidence that the two passed by each other behind the Hedge.
A coincidence that I happened to have seen, and was probably the only reason the “Wood Bead Lady” was caught red-handed with the jewels.
Fini
What a view from on top of this hill! Locals and lovers probably know this place well, but what a surprise for me.
On the other side of that big chunk of skyscrapers of downtown Nashville lies the Cumberland River. On the other side of that unseen river that the modern skyline blocks are some truly great spots to take photos of downtown Nashville's northeast facing skyline.
But this overlook from on high of downtown’s southwestern back is also picturesque and historical. Later, in post-edit, I inserted an image of the moon that I had taken earlier. The sky in my image seemed to want it so.
How did I find this spot? I like to pursue and photograph what remains of Civil War historical spots. I discovered this particular hill and beautiful overlook through the horrors of war, from the research I did on important Nashville military positions during the American Civil War.
Civil War battlefield history: This overlook supported the eyes of the Union’s right flank, which was located here on old Bald Hill at the southwest section of Nashville. Nashville fell to the Union early in the Civil War, February 1862. This spot had a Union fortification during the occupation of the city. United States troops at this fortification could see movement in the city below, and they could observe around the Union military headquarters at what then was called Fort Andrew Johnson (which is the lit up Tennessee State Capitol building on the far left of the photo).
In December of 1864, General John Bell Hood of the Confederacy desperately hoped to pull General William Tecumseh Sherman away from marching his Union troops to the sea by deploying his own Southern troops to march in the opposite direction. The Confederate general hoped Sherman would turn around from lopping off the legs of the Confederacy in order to stop Hood. If Hood could retake occupied Nashville in northern Tennessee, surely, that would force Sherman to come after him. The Confederacy’s attempt late in the war to retake the city would be known as the Battle of Nashville.
Sherman would not be distracted. Instead, he and General Ulysses S. Grant put General George Henry Thomas in charge of stopping Hood. In the Battle of Nashville, Thomas would frequent this very spot where I am standing to observe the battlefield. Right here, nearly 155 years ago.
General Thomas' watchful eyes, careful planning and methodical execution paid off. Wikipedia observes: "In one of the largest victories achieved by the Union Army during the war, Thomas attacked and routed Hood's army, largely destroying it as an effective fighting force."
The Civil War was drawing to a close.
I’m really excited to share that my debut monograph "Collected memories" is now available.
Working towards this book has been a labour of love for the past 5 years and I'm incredibly proud of the result.
The debut monograph by Australian photographer Mark Forbes: Collected memories presents a cohesive blend of carefully composed scenes, from faded interiors and common, relatable spaces, to the romance of our environment being reclaimed by nature. Turning the pages there is a stirring sense of both subtle ordinary beauty and inherent personality sprinkled across each plate. Forbes’ photographic preference, using medium format film, is slow and methodical - and this approach can be felt throughout the quiet pages.
Hardcover book, 300 x 250 mm
112 pages, 57 colour plates
Published by Hatje Cantz
Printed in Berlin, Germany
Editor: Nadine Barth
Book design: Julia Wagner
Cover illustration: Seth J Lally
Alongside the regular edition, there is also a special signed and numbered (/50) artist limited edition of the book with one of two signed and numbered archival giclee prints.
Link to purchase "Collected memories" and the special artist limited edition:
Once the green outer hull is gone, you continue spinning the pecan as you work on removing the soft shell.
Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com