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By 1992, my tastes in railroad photography had morphed from quantity to quality. The Amador Central hit my radar, as it was dependent on the beleaguered timber industry, and its motive power was a pair of 40+ year old Baldwin S-12s. Just 55 miles to the south of AMC's base in Martell, California, the Sierra Railroad had a trio of Baldwin S-12s at its enginehouse in Oakdale. If you had an affinity for photogenic shortlines - especially those with elderly locomotives constructed by minority builders - the Sierra foothills in Central California were the place to be.
These photos were taken the first time I visited the Amador Central Railroad in July 1992. My wife and I had chased the SP 4449 south from Portland the previous weekend, and we were visiting our friend Tom Messer in Fair Oaks. He took me to Martell so we could chase AMC. Unfortunately, the day we chose for a visit was a day that the railroad only switched out the Georgia Pacific mill, and did not run down the hill to the Southern Pacific interchange at Ione. These are the images I recorded on Kodachrome that day.
In this image, AMC 9 is passing the decrepit, abandoned AMC depot. By 1992, I would imagine that any clerical or administrative functions for the railroad were handled by parent Georgia Pacific, either at the local mill or a corporate office.
Review of Google street views indicates that the depot was removed sometime between 2007 and 2015.
The long running Ralston Type-8 morphed into the 'Tigre' line in 1938, running late, as the promised V8 from Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Cord line failed with that company, and the inline-8 which had similarly been bought it from A-C-D (used in the Auburn), was also no longer in series production from the engine works.
No matter. There was a modest stockpile of inline-8 engines which was gradually depleted in the manufacture of the Rhino model. Meanwhile 1938 brought with it a V8 engine from Cadillac, fitted to a chassis frame of Ralston's own design. The shorter engine allowed a greater allocation of overall length to the passenger area - though truth be told, more of if went to providing greater luggage capacity, and a more cab-forward look to the cars.
The Tigre MkI, still know as the Type-8 Tigre was replaced after WWII, with a MkII design, losing this Type-8 appellation. The new model appeared at the end of 1953, the car based on the new post WWII Cadillac frame, engine and underbody of the 1948-53 Series 60 (in particular the slightly longer 60 Special). The tooling was transferred to Ralston upon completion of the 1953 model year. By this stage the preceding MkI was now 15 years old, though this included the period through the war years.
The adoption of Cadillac underpinnings provided the Ralston Tigre MkII with the calibre of running gear demanded by the marque's premium position, though with a much reduced outlay, particularly compared to their premium US-based builders such as Packard. Key differentiation with the originating Cadillac was the Ralston themed 'X' radiator grille, unique bumper treatment, and completely reprofiled rear fender tops, truncating in a rocket-pod tail lamp cluster, instead of the Cadillac 'fin'. Not elements sat completely at ease with the carryover Cadillac based structure.
An update to the Tigre MkII in 1956 led to the MkII-B. a few of the elements were cleared up in the styling, plus the addition of a number of 'flourishes' that had emerged during the 1952-55 model years. Chief among these were 'tailfins' no longer the preserve of Cadillac, but sprouting taller and wilder each year on all US domestic brands. Compared to the 1954 model, the MkII-B had slightly taller fins, but they were much more prominent in the styling, as they were accentuated by both chrome trim separating them from the fender bulge, and also incorporating one of the zones for the bi-colour and tri-colour themes.
In 1958 the car was upgraded further with the advent of the MkII-C. This model again received changes to the fender, front and rear. At the front, the fender height was increased, making the car look both more modern, and also tying the top ridge into the unmodified doors and sides. The rear fender was modified to include a tapering fin, which then led to a tail lamp treatment which was to evolve further into a 'rocket pod' on subsequent models. The 'X' theme was continued to include a 'X' rocket, mounted centrally in the trunk lid. This could alternatively be swapped out for a conventionally styled horizontal trim, if the Continental spare wheel option was included (though this had also phased out of popularity over a short time period). The new trunk lid also shared the tapering profile of the fins. Although this look less modern compared to the newly squared up trunk lids from GM and Ford's divisions, it suited the 'classic' lines of the Ralston Tigre model, leading many to state that the MkII-C was perhaps the most conservatively handsome of mid-century Ralston models, particularly on the SWB closed models.
Additional styling changes included a modest reinterpretation of the grille, including the addition of 'Dagmars' at its extremities, and a new front bumper including marker lights.
The 1954 car launched with the same tune 331 CID (5.4 litre) V8, producing 230 bhp (175 kW), for 1956 this was raised to 285 bhp (213 kW) with an increase in capacity to 365 CID (6.0 litres). The 1958 MkII-C retained the 365 CID V8, but power increased to 310 bhp (230 kW).
Shown here is the 1958 MkII-C Convertible in two-colour treatment Dark Red, and Rose Beige.
This Lego miniland scale Ralston Tigre MkII-C Hardtop Coupe (1958) has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 108th Build Challenge - The 9th Birthday, titled - 'LUGNuts Turns Nine' - where all previous build challenges are available to build to. This model is built to the LUGNuts 63rd build challenge, - "Designing the Ralston Tiger" featuring fictional vehicles styled with an 'X' form in the styling.
033481 (Lanaudiere, QC, Canada) Quand on voit un rayon de soleil ces temps-ci, on prend tout ce qu'on peut tellement c'est rare. Celle-ci prend les teintes du soleil couchant et le ciel se couvre de belles couleurs. Très beau spectacle!
At the end of the day, when the sun is going down and the colored sky is beautiful. A rare moment this winter!
A little different this time, but fun to make, allthough it is not all perfect yet :p Think I will try this again another day :)
One of the best oooold skins (and i mean old ) !So goes to show, that it all depends how you dress it up ...or rather down in this case ! And for the record ...i didn't have to morph the hell out of that either.Shame the creator has just vanished in to thin air !
Vidocq est rentré dans la végétation et Morphée s'apprête à le suivre. Avant ça, il me passe devant à une dizaine de mètres, puis soudain c'est l'attaque !
Les bois s'entrechoquent, je suis à moins de 10 mètres ! Ce n'est pas un affrontement titanesque plus de la chamaillerie entre frustrés d'être tombés sur plus fort et plus expérimenté !
Les cerfs poursuivent leur bataille plus loin, il est temps pour moi de m'éclipser...
Cerf élaphe en forêt de Mormal
By 1992, my tastes in railroad photography had morphed from quantity to quality. The Amador Central hit my radar, as it was dependent on the beleaguered timber industry, and its motive power was a pair of 40+ year old Baldwin S-12s. Just 55 miles to the south of AMC's base at Martell, California, the Sierra Railroad had a trio of Baldwin S-12s at its enginehouse in Oakdale. If you had an affinity for photogenic shortlines - especially those with elderly locomotives constructed by minority builders - the Sierra foothills in Central California were the place to be.
These photos were taken the first time I visited the Amador Central Railroad in July 1992. My wife and I had chased the Southern Pacific 4449 south from Portland the previous weekend, and we were visiting our friend Tom Messer in Fair Oaks. He took me to Martell so we could chase AMC. Unfortunately, the day we chose for a visit was a day that the railroad only switched out the Georgia Pacific mill, and did not run down the hill to the SP interchange at Ione. These are the images I recorded on Kodachrome that day.
Someone had done a nice job putting this lettering on the side of the enginehouse. By this date, the railroad was owned by Georgia Pacific, which also owned the mill that provided the line's traffic base. Note the GP blue paint on the Chevy pickup's bumper.
The long running Ralston Type-8 morphed into the 'Tigre' line in 1938, running late, as the promised V8 from Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Cord line failed with that company, and the inline-8 which had similarly been bought it from A-C-D (used in the Auburn), was also no longer in series production from the engine works.
No matter. There was a modest stockpile of inline-8 engines which was gradually depleted in the manufacture of the Rhino model. Meanwhile 1938 brought with it a V8 engine from Cadillac, fitted to a chassis frame of Ralston's own design. The shorter engine allowed a greater allocation of overall length to the passenger area - though truth be told, more of if went to providing greater luggage capacity, and a more cab-forward look to the cars.
The Tigre MkI, still know as the Type-8 Tigre was replaced after WWII, with a MkII design, losing this Type-8 appellation. The new model appeared at the end of 1953, the car based on the new post WWII Cadillac frame, engine and underbody of the 1948-53 Series 60 (in particular the slightly longer 60 Special). The tooling was transferred to Ralston upon completion of the 1953 model year. By this stage the preceding MkI was now 15 years old, though this included the period through the war years.
The adoption of Cadillac underpinnings provided the Ralston Tigre MkII with the calibre of running gear demanded by the marque's premium position, though with a much reduced outlay, particularly compared to their premium US-based builders such as Packard. Key differentiation with the originating Cadillac was the Ralston themed 'X' radiator grille, unique bumper treatment, and completely reprofiled rear fender tops, truncating in a rocket-pod tail lamp cluster, instead of the Cadillac 'fin'. Not elements sat completely at ease with the carryover Cadillac based structure.
An update to the Tigre MkII in 1956 led to the MkII-B. a few of the elements were cleared up in the styling, plus the addition of a number of 'flourishes' that had emerged during the 1952-55 model years. Chief among these were 'tailfins' no longer the preserve of Cadillac, but sprouting taller and wilder each year on all US domestic brands. Compared to the 1954 model, the MkII-B had slightly taller fins, but they were much more prominent in the styling, as they were accentuated by both chrome trim separating them from the fender bulge, and also incorporating one of the zones for the bi-colour and tri-colour themes.
In 1958 the car was upgraded further with the advent of the MkII-C. This model again received changes to the fender, front and rear. At the front, the fender height was increased, making the car look both more modern, and also tying the top ridge into the unmodified doors and sides. The rear fender was modified to include a tapering fin, which then led to a tail lamp treatment which was to evolve further into a 'rocket pod' on subsequent models. The 'X' theme was continued to include a 'X' rocket, mounted centrally in the trunk lid. This could alternatively be swapped out for a conventionally styled horizontal trim, if the Continental spare wheel option was included (though this had also phased out of popularity over a short time period). The new trunk lid also shared the tapering profile of the fins. Although this look less modern compared to the newly squared up trunk lids from GM and Ford's divisions, it suited the 'classic' lines of the Ralston Tigre model, leading many to state that the MkII-C was perhaps the most conservatively handsome of mid-century Ralston models, particularly on the SWB closed models.
Additional styling changes included a modest reinterpretation of the grille, including the addition of 'Dagmars' at its extremities, and a new front bumper including marker lights.
The 1954 car launched with the same tune 331 CID (5.4 litre) V8, producing 230 bhp (175 kW), for 1956 this was raised to 285 bhp (213 kW) with an increase in capacity to 365 CID (6.0 litres). The 1958 MkII-C retained the 365 CID V8, but power increased to 310 bhp (230 kW).
Shown here is the 1958 MkII-C Convertible in two-colour treatment Dark Red, and Rose Beige.
This Lego miniland scale Ralston Tigre MkII-C Hardtop Coupe (1958) has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 108th Build Challenge - The 9th Birthday, titled - 'LUGNuts Turns Nine' - where all previous build challenges are available to build to. This model is built to the LUGNuts 63rd build challenge, - "Designing the Ralston Tiger" featuring fictional vehicles styled with an 'X' form in the styling.
Photo de Les Demeures de Morphee. This reflects the weight of oneself. Fittingly near to the Law courts
""Legendary" is the only word for the JetStar. It was designed by the celebrated Lockheed Skunk Works in the late 1950s, which was at the time under the incredibly intuitive genius of Kelly Johnson. Johnson was the brains behind many aircraft, from the P-80 Shooting Star to the U-2 spy plane, as well as the awesome A-12, which in turn morphed into the incredible SR-71 Blackbird. These planes were all designed before computers and all work was done on a blackboard and with a slide ruler.
When Kelly got the 'go ahead' on the JetStar, the story goes, he wrote down that day the first flight would be 8 months away, to the day - and it did fly on that designated day, as promised. The plane was designed with every back-up system of a Boeing 707 and the initial pilot training took 6 months to teach them to think fast enough and far enough ahead in anticipation of the plane's needed inputs.
The aircraft's original purpose was to compete in a competition to provide a general Utility Transport Category plane for the Air Force. The two aircraft that made the final grade were the two-engine versions of the JetStar from Lockheed and the Saberliner from North American. The JetStar was the initial choice by the Air Force. Meanwhile, the Kennedy White House was looking for Presidential/VIP transport to augment the first 707s that were being used as Air Force One aircraft, and they contacted Lockheed asking if the JetStar could be re-configured as a four-engine aircraft. Lockheed turned to Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Engines about replacing the two French-built Orpheus engines on the original design with four Pratt engines and the plane was re-engineered to its current design, adding slipper tanks on the wings for extra fuel and range.
However, there is another side to the JetStar: its commercial history. Of the 206 JetStars built, only 15 or so were actually delivered to the Air Force inventory. The rest were purchased by individuals and corporations who needed trans-continental and trans-oceanic transportation. The earliest planes went to the likes of the Vanderbilts, the Shah of Iran and a myriad of Fortune 500 companies (Howard Hughes had four of them through his Summa Corporation).
The aircraft went through 3 engine up-grades in its history, each of which added to its range, reliability and legend. Going on 50 years later there are still over 80 of the planes in use by high net-worth individuals, corporations, and several governments around the world. Current users think nothing of gutting a used JetStar and investing millions (the original JetStar was the first non-military plane of its type to cost more than $1 million). They put new interiors in them now that are alone worth more than twice the plane itself cost - now or originally! In addition, to date, no JetStar has ever gone down due to component failure. Lockheed estimates that half of the planes today are used by people who still do not trust two-engine aircraft - even the likes of the ultra-modern and state-of-the-art Gulfstreams.
This C-140B-LM, S/N 62-4201, was manufactured by Lockheed Corporation in Marietta, Georgia, and delivered to the USAF on 3 July 1963. The aircraft was sent to the 1254th Air Transport Wing at Andrews AFB, Maryland, where it remained until January 1966, when it was transferred to the 89th Military Airlift (Special Air Mission) Wing at the same base. The 89th SAM Wing provides transportation for the President and other cabinet-level VIPs. This aircraft was assigned to President Lyndon Baines Johnson and First Lady Claudia Taylor "Lady Bird" Johnson.
In June 1972 this aircraft was redesignated as a VC-140B and by the summer of 1977 was shipped to Ramstein AB, Germany, to serve with the 435th Tactical Airlift Wing. The aircraft was once again redesignated and reconfigured as a C-140B in February 1978, and later that same year moved to the 58th Military Airlift Squadron at Ramstein. The 89th Military Airlift Wing acquired the aircraft again in March 1982 and kept it until it was returned to the 58th in January 1987.
This JetStar returned to the United States in October 1987 when it was sent to serve with the 375th Aeromedical Airlift Wing and the 1467th Facilities Checking Squadron stationed at Scott AFB, Illinois. The plane was used to check aircraft instrument landing systems, a truly tough job for any airplane, and after a left wing spar cracked she was sent to Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona for storage in January 1989. In January 1992 the Jetstar was acquired for static display at Hill Aerospace Museum.
The aircraft began restoration four years ago and has consumed approximately 2,000 manhours and $35,000 on its journey back to presentability. Work should be completed by the end of 2004.
Our restoration goal is a unique one: we want the plane to look as nearly as possible as it did when first delivered July 3, 1963, inside and out. When delivered to Hill Aerospace Museum from storage at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona there was only carpeting and side panels in the main cabin and one-half of the cockpit was missing.
The initial restoration of the cockpit was done by contacting current owners of JetStars and asking them where they went for mechanical parts, etc. Those companies in turn were contacted and over the course of a year, mostly all JetStar parts and instruments were located to fill in the gaps on the instrument panel. Then we located various flight navigation instruments that the pilots would have used in that era and put them in the cockpit along with charts, etc., so it would look like the pilot had just left the aircraft.
The cabin section was a much more difficult job, primarily since the existing seat frames are still in demand for current flight restorations. The old carpet was removed and used as a template for cutting and then installing new padding and carpeting throughout the aircraft. While doing this, over 300 emails and faxes went out trying to locate seats. Finally, we got a call from the prop master at Universal Studios, who said they had a set of JetStar seats that had been used in the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie "True Lies," which we could buy from them. Eventually they were delivered and their installation was completed. Finally, we contacted the company that made the first JetStar interior kits for the Air Force and they kindly duplicated the headrests and our seats were complete.
The rest of the cabin interior was then treated as "theater" and appropriate knick-knacks (including original 1965 air-sickness bags) were put in the cabin. We even acquired a deck of "Aboard The Presidential JetStar" playing cards that President Johnson had ordered and laid them out on a table, to appear as if the President had just departed the aircraft.
Then something VERY interesting happened: while closing the air stair door a chip of white paint flaked off and we found the one-of-a-kind Air Force blue paint that indicates Presidential usage. We then had some individuals who had worked on the plane at the 89th SAM Wing at Andrews AFB come by and they confirmed that both President Johnson and Lady Bird used the plane extensively. We will be re-painting the aircraft in Presidential livery and moving it inside a gallery so the cockpit and interior will be available to the public for viewing." - www.hill.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/3972...
She visited Montmartre, but got lost in a dream, and Rio's the one she's dreaming of. Oh, she's definitely in love! A game plan set in place to send Jem and the Holograms soaring to France on business soon morphed into one colossal nightmare! The drama began the night the band met Lin-Z Pierce and Anthony Julian at Countess Danielle du Voisin's boat party. Unfortunately, the celebration ended with a hostile takeover executed by the Misfits, whose lead singer destroyed the control unit to the yacht, almost killing everyone aboard! Deeply irritated by their rivals, Jem and Kimber both agreed that their band would get the last laugh when they win the Battle of the Bands contest, but Jem insisted that they would need something extra spectacular to defeat the vamps of Rock 'n' Roll. Anthony Julian was eager to sign on as the official director for their video. Danielle immediately expressed her desire to cover the band's expenses, no matter the cost! And Howard Sands, caught up in the spirit of generosity, didn't think twice about providing his private jet for transportation. Then Danielle came up with a brilliant idea for location—Paris! The reality of that moment was too much for Jem and the Holograms to take in all at once, for each member felt eternally grateful for the love and assistance from their newest friends! Jem suggested that the band finish their album, first, and then set off on their adventure. Two days passed and the moment had finally come for the girls to depart for Howard Sands' private jet with their designer luggage in hand and instruments in tow. The concept was simple: Spend a few lovely days in the capital of France to shoot the music video for their latest hit, “Twilight in Paris”, with a little sightseeing in between, and then return home. After a few hours of flying through the bright sky, Jem and the Holograms finally touched down in Paris and immediately began working while still whirling from the opportunity bestowed upon them. However, unbeknown to them, Eric Raymond had embezzled enough money to send Zipper on a mini vacation to clock their every move and sabotage their video by any means! Meanwhile, on the streets of Paree, Anthony enjoyed showing off his directorial expertise while rehearsing a long elaborate scene with Jem and Shana. Off to the side of the shoot, a rivalry began to develop as Kimber grew more and more annoyed at Jem and showed less interest in shooting the video. Aja noticed Kimber's apparent state of discomfort and made a point that they're all apart of the same group. Several feet away, leering from behind the corner stood Zipper, armed and ready to engage in risky business by leading Jem and the Holograms into a deadfall! Emotionally scorned and bored, Kimber made a break from the group and decided to take a long walk. Rio noticed her in the distance and ran over to make sure that everything was ok, but the two began to argue over the amount of attention given to Jem. Rio mentioned that Kimber was acting like a spoiled child and that Jem was not trying to steal the spotlight. All bets were off at that moment as Kimber became livid to the point where she almost exposed Jem's true identity! A malfunctioning meltdown was averted, thanks to some swift footwork from Shana and Aja who both rushed over to collect Kimber and insisted that Jem would explain her secret to Rio when she felt the time was right! Meanwhile, listening and watching high above on the ledge sat Zipper, psyched up and prepared to execute his diabolical plan to flip a large gargoyle over on top of Jem and the Holograms who were performing just below! After the second take, the entire crew looked up for one second to see the gargoyle careening to the ground, and Rio, reacting on his instincts, flew through the air and pushed Jem and her girls out of harm's way! Anthony held Shana in shock and wondered where the oversized boulder appeared from, while Rio pulled Jem into his arms and held her close. Unhinged from reality, the group looked around for answers. Then, with another swift glance upward to the ledge, they soon discovered their worst nightmare...Zipper who was hopping like Batman from one rooftop to the next in a frantic attempt to escape! A few days later, Jem and her girls arrived back in California and noticed the entire city covered with Misfits posters. Angry as hell, Kimber took it upon herself to visit Eric at his office to get answers. Once there, she warned him that the Misfits would not get away with trying to rig the competition in their favor. And right away, Eric began to soft soap the star keyboardist with a promise that if she signed a contract with Misfits Music, then he would make her an overnight success. Not quite sure what to make from his proposal, Kimber stood her ground, spoke her mind, and then walked out the door. Meanwhile, at Starlight Music, Jerrica received a call from Lin-Z Pierce to appear on her wildly popular music television show! Immediately, Jerrica accepted the invite and said that she would inform her bandmates about the news, but Lin-Z insisted that it would have to be only her without the Holograms. Overwhelmed with appreciation, Jerrica agreed. Unaware of the facts, Shana and Aja jumped for joy, but not nearly as quick as Kimber who immediately flipped when she heard the news! Jerrica didn't know what to say other than admit that Lin-Z only wanted Jem for the appearance. No longer able to keep it together, Kimber blew her stack and exclaimed that she was sick of being the invisible woman behind Jem, and announced that she was going solo (hmm, déjà vu). Sadden by the revelation of her sister's decision to leave, Jerrica was moved to tears and decided to call Lin-Z and insisted that the interview would have to include the entire band or no one at all. And the chipper reporter was happy to suit her needs and agreed to have them appear together. Meanwhile, while riding around the city, Kimber tried to forget the incident by blasting some popular beats from her favorite radio station, KMAX. Already well aware of her sister's passion for KMAX, Jerrica brilliantly constructed a plan to visit the radio station with the hope of reaching out to her over the airwaves, and sent an emotional plea for her to return to the band, adding that without her as their keyboardist, there's no Holograms, thus no JEM! While listening to the broadcast, a tearful Kimber made a sharp u-turn and burnt rubber all the way back to Starlight Mansion, and agreed with her sister that, without JEM, there's no band, period! Rio pulled up a second later to warn Jerrica that they all had 15 minutes to airtime, and also had a lot on his mind about their relationship. On the way to the studio, Rio explained that he often finds himself in a confusing battle with trying to relate to Jerrica, and that she's too involved with Jem. He then revealed that he could no longer be Jem's road manager. In a panic, Jerrica begged Rio to stay, citing that they simply could not move forward without him. At Lin-Z's studio, inside the dressing room, Jerrica gave her star earring one slight touch and it was SHOWTIME! After a stellar performance of “I Got My Eye on You”, the girls took a seat to begin their interview. On the opposite side of the stage sat the Misfits who were already angry at Jem for just being there and wanted equal airtime, so they decided to razz the set. At that point, Lin-Z was past the point of reasoning and asked all three hellions to leave! As the Misfits exited the show, Pizzazz made an attempt to sink her claws into Rio by offering the purple prince the position of her very own personal bodyguard, and whispered that if he ever got tired of working for Jem, then he could come work for her instead. Sickened to the core, Rio spurred her offer straightaway! But an irritated Pizzazz took his rejection to heart and rammed him with an elbow to the gut, throwing him backwards and into a heavy duty light stand which fell over while yanking the electrical cords from the ceiling and sending the scaffolds and other equipment crashing down at Jem! Now trapped in a corner of the studio, and almost seconds away from the shock of her life, Jem belted out a guttural scream for help! The entire studio watched in trepidation as Rio jumped on an operating crane and eased his way over to where she stood, swept her up in his arms and whisked her away to safety! There were several lessons to be learned on that fateful day, but Jem and Rio became closer than ever before and developed a secret passion that would carry them through the years ahead.
There was high-risk action at every turn during her time in Paris, but what I find exceptionally interesting is that, while trying to avoid death, Jem never broke a sweat nor disarranged not one strand of hair on her head lol. And speaking of her beautifully fluffed hair, the end results for this particular version of Jem display more of a distinctively rich pink hue, possibly brighter than any other version in the collection, and nearly identical to Raya's hair. The color actually appears more richer in shade with strands of light pink highlights. I had to double-check, but one close look in the light and I noticed the light pink tint immediately! Can't say I'm feeling her dark eyebrows, but the length of her bangs takes care of that. Her cosmetics are flawless! Jem sat at her magnificent vanity table and pulled out her huge compact of light pink “Ciao Paris” highlighter and brushed a bunch of it on her brow bones, then swiped a great amount under her lash lines where her eyes and cheeks meet. She reached out for her pink “Splendere Luminoso” eyeshadow and added a few strokes above her creases, then came in with blue “Shootin' Star” shadow to the center of her creases, and jazzed it all up with a heap of shimmering aqua blue “Out of This World” dust on her lids and down around the tear ducts of both eyes. Her eyeliner is very important to her, and she's taken her time with constructing her thick, extensively sharp wings with “Midnight Tryst” liquid liner, and then used her “Breakfast in Bed” mascara to intensify her top and bottom lashes! She then opened up her secret drawer to reveal an expensive tube of pink “Frosted Frenzy” lipgloss, poked on two coats of pink “Light Rosé” nail polish, and backed away to check the view—UH-HUH! Let's talk about her outfit for a minute. The style, the colors and fabrics are all too hot for words and resemble pieces that were on loan from the Madonna “Boy Toy” collection lol. Here we have an aqua blue bodysuit, a stretchy, white lace dress with a flared hem, matching white lace gloves, and white ‘80s ruffled ankled socks! And the contents are bountiful! She's stylin' with a double strand of white pearls, a pearl bracelet, her hot pink, shiny leather belt w/ silver buckle and, lastly, her hot pink lacquered heels. Talk about packing it in! Her hot pink wireless microphone concludes her on-stage look. I have confirmed from day one that I'm all about Jem, but it's really Jerrica who happens to be the true star of this duo set! In the seven years of Integrity's Jem collection, the Design Team has taken great care of the JB line, already producing two variations that pale in comparison to each other, on top of killer fashions that are customary to the series. The torch has now made its way to the hands of TIP Jerrica, and she's raised this fiery instrument high above her head to claim victory! My goodness, how her hair shines! The razor cut, platinum blond bob was not only a clever move on their part, but was official confirmation as to how much Integrity honors this franchise! The members of the Design Team are faithful to the authenticity of Jem, the characters and their fashions, and this is why I am a faithful customer! The first thing I noticed a few months ago was her makeup...IT'S IMMACULATE!
And now? Makeup! Ms. Benton is in multicolored heaven with her “Passion in Paris” pancake makeup palette! Clearly, she beat the living daylights out of her canvas because there's hints of modern day flare literally marked all over her face, and I just can't pause from examining her creative work! While sitting in front of her vanity mirror, she began with applying pale aqua blue highlighter, in “Tropical Seabreeze”, to her brow bones. Next, she included a shimmery aqua blue shadow, in “Expensive Des Bijoux”, to her eyelids, and combined a layer of aqua blue “Mi International Amour” in an oval-shaped wing just above her creases, and a second, more defined wing of blue “Sky's the Limit” eyeshadow directly along the middle sections of her creases! Her black “La Tragédie” eyeliner coasts onward from the beginning of her eyelids to the outer tips with a jagged, needle-pointed wing that was drawn with the utmost of precision! She's a perfectionist for crying out loud lol. Ms. Benton straightened everything out with violet purple “Grape Parfait” shadow and “Kir Royale” liner across her bottom lash lines, as well as a playful presentation of blue “Smurfette's Revenge” mascara on her lashes! A few swipes of “Hawt, Hawt Heat” blush to her cheeks, and a coat of her “Cool as Fire, Hot as Ice” pink lipgloss and she's ready to go! Jerrica's outfit differs from her counterpart in more ways than one. For example, she's sporting a hot pink nylon hat, a long single strand of pearls, and her long white lace dress has long sleeves and a high slit on the side—cute, cute, cute! The dress is lined with a stretchy aqua blue tulle, as opposed to the see-through fabric used for Jem. Jerrica also wears an aqua blue bodysuit, white ruffled ankle socks, a double-length, hot pink belt w/ silver buckle, and a pair of matching hot pink heels. Both dolls knock me over with joy and elation!
My deep-seated love for this set allows me to appreciate every nook and cranny, and I certainly do! In sum, the TIP gift set has a little something for Jem doll collectors everywhere. It's fun, colorful, and at the same time, stylish and contemporary. As you take a long look at this set, you too will notice an air of Paris percolating from every angle! Ooh la la! ✈️
The lines were drawn/sewn free hand with a sewing machine. The bird was made with a thrifted white canvas and recycled upholstery fabric. I'm trying to phase out new fabrics from my stash. I would like to use only recycled clothes and fabrics, as well as vintage pieces to make my toys. I'm still looking for cotton and wool stuffing. There's something special and unique about making toys with recycled fabrics. It adds to their character, they have a history, it feels good to make them.
Drawing on Bird is part of the Morphe II Soft Toy Exhibit in Australia, October 2006.
Drawing on Bird
recycled fabrics
recycled polyfil
repurposed wire
original drawing by
five-year-old boy
A Snowy Egret (right) and a White-morphed Reddish Egret (left) hungrily foraged along the dunes while the post-storm gale-like winds tried to send them flying.
Location: Fort De Soto Park, Tierra Verde, Florida, United States of America
By 1992, my tastes in railroad photography had morphed from quantity to quality. The Amador Central hit my radar, as it was dependent on the beleaguered timber industry, and its motive power was a pair of 40+ year old Baldwin S-12s. Just 55 miles to the south of AMC's base at Martell, California, the Sierra Railroad had a trio of Baldwin S-12s at its enginehouse in Oakdale. If you had an affinity for photogenic shortlines - especially those with elderly locomotives constructed by minority builders - the Sierra foothills in Central California were the place to be.
These photos were taken the first time I visited the Amador Central Railroad in July 1992. My wife and I had chased the SP 4449 south from Portland the previous weekend, and we were visiting our friend Tom Messer in Fair Oaks. He took me to Martell so we could chase AMC. Unfortunately, the day we chose for a visit was a day that the railroad only switched out the Georgia Pacific mill, and did not run down the hill to the Southern Pacific interchange at Ione. These are the images I recorded on Kodachrome that day.
Here, AMC 9 fouls the California Lane grade crossing as the brakeman throws a switch.
*They started their primordial existence as microscopic lifeforms placed on separate parts of the Earth's Oceans by a dying race of ancients with the hopes of reviving a once great species. Over ions of existence the unpredictable conditions of this planet slowly morphed them into strange and unrecognizable versions of themselves."
MAKARA
"She grew to embrace the warmth of the sun, despite it's harsh conditions and unforgiving intensity. Through the millennia, her skin flooded with rich dark melanin and she eventually abandoned the ocean as her home. However, life on land has it's own dangers with many predators of all sizes. With that, her hunting techniques became much more aggressive and her food sources more abundant. Through the years, many forms of life on Earth came and gone. Eventually, the rise of bipedal creatures emerged with and strange concepts such as "societies" and "governments" and "currency" arose. Humans have, for one reason or another, evolved to to look and behave strikingly similar to her and she hides among them, despite the fact that she is not human at all. One of these cultures called her Makara and she took the name as her own. In the current age she does not hunt or fight for food or survival. Humans have built mega metropolis' which provide a luxury of easy living, away from the constant hunting and fear of outside predators. Makara has all but forgotten her ancient aquatic past, as she has evolved to live on land among humans and speak their many languages. She thrives within the crowded streets filled with light even in the dark of night. One night, she mind stirs with strange telepathic messages in an ancient tongue..."
Makara is a OOAK Nnaji in Coffee skintone and Busty chest option. Her body blushing is aubergine and deep green, and her body covered in gruesome scars. Her lips and nails are a deep burgundy and her alien gharial eyes vivid shades of green.
SOBEK
"Like her sister, was born in water. But unlike her sister she felt cradled by the dark. The depths of the ocean provided solitude. She feared the sun and it's violent rays. Unable to stand even the faint light that peaked through the surface she delved into the darkest depths she could find. A large section of this ocean is an endless expanse of pitch black water or an "abyss" which interconnects with countless maze-like rocky passageways that expand for thousands of miles. This entire area, completely void of sunlight and home to very few lifeforms, provided a shelter for the her. However, while these underwater caverns are mostly void of life, the few that do manage to exist are extremely aggressive and monstrous in appearance. In the abyss she evolved into a silent ambush predator to feed and hide from horrifying creatures that roam the deep dark. Millenniums pass and she can heard the voices of humans in the water. They tell legends of her and call her Sobek. After ions of lonely existence something in the void calls to her and she discovers an ancient life form of unknown origin even older than herself. A sentient orb covered in metallic scales that is able to telepathically communicate with her. The creature reveals ancient cosmic knowledge, telling her she has a sister, and proposes a trade. It will guide her to her brethren and protect her from the sunlight she fears, but only if she allows the scaled orb to bond with her flesh."
Sobek is a OOAK Nnaji in Milk skintone and Busty chest option. Her body blushing is lilac and burned turquoise. Her head is covered in hand sculpted scales to enhance her monstrous looks. Her lips and nails are a palest pearl pink and her fanged teeth share the same steel grey as her alien gharial eyes.
It seems Bear's eyes have morphed from blue into green recently. I think I like the green yellow of his eyes. I hope he keeps this color but the blue was pretty awesome too. Only time will tell.
Here he is collapsed on the waiting room floor of the vet clinic I work at. He had just gotten done tearing around after Charlie our clinic cat; they are buds. Sleepy puppy eyes were kicking in. A patch of sunlight was just touching him.
And Flickr over sharpened this one on me. Ugh.
10 weeks, 17.6 lbs today.