View allAll Photos Tagged overworked
My heart goes out to doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers who are overworked and putting their lives on the line. They are the heroes of this crisis.
After twelve years languishing in limbo, the Order's battlecruisers greatcruisers return to active service. The world of 1924 is a very different time from their glory days of 1909-1912, and their gun layout is now long obsolete. However, the dangerously overworked enthusiastic and untroubled shipyards of the Ordenric have refitted the remaining three of the class up to mostly modern standards! Just don't put them in the line with the battleships. The most striking additions are the new towers for fire control gear, brand new 12" guns with improved elevation and boring, the replacement of the 5" gun turrets with 6" gun turrets (with the removal of casemate guns), and the AA mounts. Invisibly to the viewer, more powerful geared engines have been added as well as torpedo protection (actually that is visible in the middle). You can see a little torpedo boat 1922 on the other side of the bow, for scale :^)
The Dreodspirs are about as uncomfortable to live on as their namesakes, the infamous prison-towers of the Inquisition. Unusual boiler arrangement ensures that all spaces are equally heated to an uncomfortable temperature, especially in the tropics. Air conditioning has been installed but it's not very effective, and the magazines are now refrigerated to prevent any premature detonations. Magazine duty is the most sought-after posting on the ship. With the turrets and their associated support spaces, and the boilers and engine rooms arranged uneconomically, there is not much space for actual quartering, storage, and so on. All available surfaces are utilized, leading to cans of paint and washboards being used as tables while sacks of vegetables and fruit hang from the hallway ceilings. The chaotic internal layout is attributed to the critical wounds Holmweard took in battle, as damage control crews were unable to repair the breached hull quickly do to an inordinate amount of banana bunches in their way. Careless crewmen, or a Ziamese plot? You decide.
Muh stats:
Maximum speed: 30 knots (thanks, oil sprayers for the coal!)
Armament: 4x3 12" guns, 4x2 6" guns, 6x2 1.5" autocannons, 16x1" autocannons
Range: 10,300 km
Armor: 10" armor belt around engines and magazines, 9" on main turrets and barbettes, 2" on secondary turrets, 1" in all other non-vital areas
Rain on paeony flower.
I wanted to give my viewer a break from paeony images which explains why this one was taken at the beginning of June but not tinkered with until now.
But your time is up! Back to my favourite flower. [Editor’s note: he always says his favourite is whatever flower he is looking at at the time so don’t take him too seriously (it just encourages him anyway and that is a Bad Thing.)]
Delightful dreamy drops of recent rain on pink paeony petals, actively asking for alliteration…
Rain is interesting because it is pretty pure water (apart from Carbonic acid from the atmosphere, and nitrous and nitric acids from pollutants lol), so it’s got a lot of natural surface tension caused by the peculiar structure of water molecules.
The drops always try and form the shape of least energy, which without gravity would be a perfect sphere. But here we have a stationary drop on a petal so there are three things to balance for the poor overworked droplet: Surface tension with air, surface tension with the petal, and gravity.
You can see that the left-hand curve is bendier than the right as gravity is pulling that way so the two sides are under different tension. And the drop works all that out without a brain - isn’t that wonderful? (Yep, I admit it. I have lost you in my enthusiasm :) ).
One of the nightmares of aspiring physicists is to work out the mathematical equation that would describe the shape of the curves. Which is pretty much why my aspirations became expirations I am sure!
Well, I hope you enjoy the image anyway. Thanks for taking the time to look. Much appreciated, as ever.
[Handheld in daylight.
Developed in Lightroom for brightness and colour. Reduced Clarity.
Processed in Affinity photo with tender sharpening with Unsharp Mask.
Depth of Field blur filter to concentrate on the main drop.
A bit of play with Shadows and Highlights.]
This is one of those photos that sort of jumped out at me long after it was taken. Happens all the time. I'm out shooting and the shutter is just clicking away. I'm responding to visuals but also quite often the feelings I'm getting. Sometimes I make strong mental connections with what I'm seeing. I might attach some significance to this or that and really go after it, work different camera angles, bracket exposures, etc. Sometimes I return home with dozens of shots of a single subject. All essentially the same, with perhaps just a bit of nuance in between. Always hoping for the definitive shot, just the right light, just the right angle, just the right focus. But there are many other shots in a typical session that are almost careless by comparison. Grab shots I call them. Lift and point the lens; click goes the shutter; onward. I seem to alternate between these two methods and there's little rhyme or reason as to when or why. I love the careless approach because it reminds me of the quick studies we used to do in life drawing class. They were designed to help us learn to capture the human form without overthinking it. Results were more fluid and less likely to appear overworked. This thinking carries right over to photography. And I love it because gems like this often turn up. And as I started to mention, I often don't notice or appreciate these until long after the session. This old gravestone is a case in point. I had passed over it several times as I reviewed the shots from this day. But finally I paused and really looked at it for the first time. Just something about it. Haunting in a way. Poor Hattie died in 1862; she was just 24 years old. It's incredible to me that this stone has stood guard over her grave for the past 157 years, slowly eroding but still conveying the sadness of her passing. Hands carved on gravestones of this era are normally gesturing, fingers pointing up or down; two hands clasped, or praying hands. Here there is simply a raised hand without any sort of gesture; there's no pretense or and real art form to the carving. Despite its simplicity it evokes the the grief that must have occasioned her untimely passing. Hattie's final wave goodbye.
Despite the limited space, the new police station is packed with all the necessary features for its daily operation. The Command Center for Operation and Response Team (CCORT) stands in the city under sand blue, black and grey major colors, getting rid of the usual bright blue palette.
Giving way to the vehicular entries, the reception is moved to the first floor led by a wide staircase which becomes a welcoming and prominent feature along the street. Above it are the detention section, interview rooms, and one record room.
Going further up will be the main office for the officers, accompanied with pantry and the female restroom. Half of the area is a double volume space to receive more daylight through the big window. There’s also a meeting room which can be used as a war room if needed.
Above them will be the laboratory and equipment room, where evidence can be analyzed and where weapons and tools are stored. There are also the male restroom and one meeting room. Speaking of the restrooms, both of them have shower in case the overworked officers need to take a break.
Finally you will reach the top floor where the director’s office and flight control room are located. One can also reach the rooftop which is an Orca pad. The parking receiver is usually closed, and extends out upon Orca landing. The charging equipment sits on the side. Seldom do we see an Orca here actually since it’s usually parked for charging and equipment check.
Now, VCPD (V City Police Department) has a solid base for daily operations, providing all the services and support to the citizens in the town!
For the very first time *Lunacy* is looking for bloggers!
I wont overwork any of you, it's a growing brand so the rules are easy and chill ♥
Thanks to anyone who paid attention to this post ♥
One for the kids.
Oil, collage and levelling gel on canvas
(basically, this was a serious portrait that I overworked, then destroyed - but it didn't want to die so I brought it back to life:)
Our Daily Challenge - Skill
229:365
I had a plan
it failed
this is all I have
So over it
It's midnight, catch you all tomorrow
dark or light will wait for us?
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ci attenderà buio o luce, quando la linea della vita si interromperà?
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much better large size and on black - molto meglio in grande e su sfondo nero
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impegnato in cantiere con molto da fare, scusate...
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busy with overwork on site, sorry...
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Today I’m busy with overwork ... few few time to stay on flickr, sorry...
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much better large size and on black - molto meglio in grande e su sfondo nero
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I spent 7 nights and 8 days in London in August with my family, Tiziano and Giulia and their families.
I’m trying to show 100 shots that I’ve made there, that represent my “London point of view”.
12 August:
Westminster/Big Ben/House of Parliament
Westminster Abbey (it’s strictly forbidden to take pics)
Westminster bridge
Southbank
London eye
Boat to tower
Tower hill
Covent Garden
■ Trafalgar square
Pall Mall
Regent Street
Piccadilly circus
Paddington
Thanks for all your kind comments to my last photos …
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Grazie per tutti i gentili commenti alle mie ultime foto…
We are showing ourselves today for 'it's me'.
This is the first 'free' weekend we have had in a while (we do have a fun night out planned) and my first chance to get some cleaning jobs done. I'm knackered now!!
Overworked staff show real dedication to their job of caring for the medical needs of patients. In this ward the nurses are primarily concerned with rehabilitation and physiotherapy, but as always they are trained to deal with whatever emergencies may arise.
Just preparing for an exhibition, that's why I don't build much new stuff right now. However, I'm actually overworking and improving some older models, this wrecker included which was meant as a 7w+ interpretation of City set 60056 (one of my favourites due to its intriguing colour design), combined with quite a few Technic stuff to improve its playability - in fact a "Technic City" MOC according to Andy L's definition (see the group).
The revamped model has a longer hood and new tires, the chrome silver rims are used in a better way at the rear, plus there are quite a few minor modifications. However, the (hand operated) functions stay the same:
- winch (same as in the original set)
- boom up and down (via mini linear actuator)
- lifting cradle up and down (via mini linear actuator)
It's the 7w scheme that allows the use of the mini linear actuators which would be difficult on a 6w model.
100% Lego, no custom chrome.
Captain "Johnnie" Walker gazes out onto the River Mersey as sailing ship MAYBE heads down river after departing from Canning Dock. Captain John Walker was the Royal Navy's most successful anti-submarine commander of World War II. He died in 1944 primarily as a thrombosis brought on by overwork and exhaustion. In 1998 the statue by Liverpool sculptor Tom Murphy of Captain Walker in a typical pose was unveiled at the Pier Head in Liverpool by the HRH Duke of Edinburgh.
Click Here for more photographs of Liverpool: www.jhluxton.com/England/Merseyside/Liverpool
TS Maybe was built in 1929 and owned by Jan Jacob Van Rietschoten, father of the flying Dutchman, Cornelis ‘Conny’ Van Rietschoten, the only skipper to win the Whitbread Round the World Race twice.
In the hands of the Rietschoten family, TS Maybe spent many years sailing around the world.
A major milestone in the ship's history was participation in the first ever International Tall Ships Race in 1956.
She is now one of the few vessels that took part in that first race to still be competing in the International Tall Ship Races.
In 1962, TS Maybe was bought by the Swiss family Hans Fehr, who were experienced sailors and enjoyed sailing in warmer climates. She sailed mainly around the Mediterranean and in the 1970s regularly crossed the Atlantic between the West Indies and the Mediterranean.
During the 1980s she also sailed through the Panama Canal and up the East coast of the USA to Canada.
Tall ship Maybe was sold to her present owners in 1989 and underwent another complete restoration retuning to sailing in 2007.
She returned to the International Tall Ship Races in the Baltics in 2009. In 2011, TS MAYBE was restored to her original gaff ri
I am still struggling with:
- Impatience
- overworking
- running out of mixed colours and inability to match colours used in the studies
- paint drying out in the mixing bowls
- choosing colours for darker areas and shadows, i.e. neutralized
colours (in this study I used purple which, with the Quinacridone Gold/Burnt Sienna mix made some kind of brown).
I still do graphite studies mainly because I quite like drawing in graphite. Maybe I am going to do another drapery study. Painting folds is so difficult.
Daniel Smith paints
A5 Arches med. 300gsm
Ball-point pen
www.flickr.com/photos/30079014@N03/53104558000/in/datepos...
taken for our daily challenge - diagonal
Been out of town. Probably won't catch up but I do hope to jump back in again.
This is overworked but I wanted to exaggerate the colors and contrast.
A rare iPhone shot here. I'd spent a while taking long exposures of Vauxhall with my Canon 6D, and as I was leaving the area I noticed the evening sun on the power station. Didn't quite have the motivation to get my gear out so did a quick iPhone snap which came out pretty well.
This was taken with the camera within Lightroom Mobile rather than the stock Apple 'Camera' app, as it doesn't do all the automatic processing which I find makes cityscape and architecture shots look overworked for my taste ...
Serena
Watercolor for JKPP
www.flickr.com/photos/searen_art/4927486733/
This was a difficult one for me. I kept trying to fix it and overworked it, plus not an ideal likeness I'm afraid.
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Today and tomorrow busy with overwork & out of office, sorry...
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much better large size and on black - molto meglio in grande e su sfondo nero
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I spent 7 nights and 8 days in London in August with my family, Tiziano and Giulia and their families.
I’m trying to show 100 shots that I’ve made there, that represent my “London point of view”.
13 August:
The Mall
St. James Park
■ Buckingham palace
Changing of the Guard
Green Park
Clarence House
St. James Palace
Savile Row
Fortnum & Mason
Carnaby Street/Soho
Oxford Street
Thanks for all your kind comments to my last photos …
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Grazie per tutti i gentili commenti alle mie ultime foto…
From the underground steel cage fight matches at Silent Sam's, Vilgax prepares for combat!
Doctor Aloysius James Animo, temporarily known as D'Void in the Null Void, is one of Ben Tennyson's enemies, a mad scientist obsessed with genetic experiments on animals. He was first introduced in Washington B.C. and became one of the most recurring villains in the Original Series.
Dr. Animo is an insane mad scientist with delusions of grandeur. Due to his constant defeats at the hands of Ben Tennyson and his family and friends, Animo has become greatly unhinged by the time of the Omniverse series. At present, he spends much of his time in a Plumber prison, creating plush toy versions of his mutated creatures and talking to them.
In Omniverse, he's made three attempts to get revenge on Ben and mutate the world, with all his plans failing miserably. He also has a cell full of stuffed animals with parts mixed in with other animals. He talks to them as if they're real.
Five years prior Ben 10
Dr. Animo was once a respected and promising researcher in veterinary science who was driven crazy when he desired to rebuild animal DNA into super animals.
His career was cut short when it was discovered that he was performing twisted genetic experiments on animals. He had hoped that his research would win him the Verities Award, which is an award in veterinary science. Because of the nature of his research, he lost the award to another doctor, named Kelly. This drove him mad and he faded to obscurity for five years until he could perfect his research.
Because he locked himself indoors for five years, his skin and formerly brown hair turned pale from overwork and lack of exposure to sunlight.
Ben 10
Sometime before his first appearance in the show, Animo watched a TV report showing Ben as Diamondhead saving a camp from a giant robot. This inspired him and led him to look for a way to create his own minion monsters.
Animo eventually appeared in Washington B.C., where he created a device called the Transmodulator, which gave him the ability to mutate animals into twisted giant versions of themselves. He then was able to upgrade it so it could reanimate dead cells, literally bringing dead animals back to life, although his reanimated monsters were actually zombies.
Using his new army of animals, he intended to kill Kelly and get the award he had lost, but Ben eventually destroyed his Transmodulator, reversing its effects. Animo was then arrested.
Animo without his gear
He appeared again in the episode Dr. Animo and the Mutant Ray, where he created a much larger version of the Transmodulator using the broken-off faceplate of the Omnitrix and a large telescope in an abandoned astrology lab.
This version mutated living creatures with alien DNA, creating odd mixtures of alien and terrestrial creatures, such as a Heatbat. He had also managed to turn Grandpa Max into a Stinkfly-larvae type creature.
Before he could complete his plans to use a satellite to shoot the ray all over the world, Ben stopped him with Gwen's help. Since his mutants (with the exception of Grandpa Max) were never shown being cured, it is possible that they are still around.
For some reason, his trademark giant frog is also present, though he may have simply re-mutated it sometime after his original defeat. How and when he escaped is unknown.
In Divided We Stand, he escaped what seems to be Alcatraz Island on a mutant seagull (he had trained the seagull to smuggle in parts he could use to build a Transmodulator and then mutated it) and captured one of Ben's Ditto clones to access the DNA stored in his Omnitrix.
Using this DNA, he created an army of self-replicating Lepidopterran mutants, but they were destroyed and he was captured again. Afterwards, Max deleted all of his computer files, preventing him from using any more Omnitrix DNA in his experiments if he escaped again.
In Ben 10 vs. the Negative 10: Part 2, Animo was part of the Negative 10, a team assembled by Sir Driscoll to defeat the Tennysons. He used a mutant bat and prairie dog to fight the Tennysons.
Animo briefly appeared at the beginning of Secret of the Omnitrix, where he captured Max and Gwen and created a dangerous bomb. Although he escaped, Ben destroyed the bomb, unintentionally causing the Omnitrix's Self-Destruct Mode to be activated.
Animo briefly appeared at the end of Destroy All Aliens, where he and his mutant frog attack Ben, Gwen, and Max while they were on another road trip.
Goodbye and Good Riddance (What-If?)
Animo made a brief appearance at the end of Goodbye and Good Riddance, wearing an ape-like exo-suit, and leading a group of animal mutants towards Ben's school. Ben left class to stop him.
Five years prior to Omniverse
In Special Delivery, Dr. Animo and his Mutant Mosquito had encountered and were defeated by Ben when he transformed into Way Big and picked up Mr. Baumann's delivery truck in order to knock Dr. Animo into a wall and threw it at the Mutant Mosquito in order to project it into outer space.
In Evil's Encore, Dr. Animo used Technobugs to take over the Plumber's HQ at Mount Rushmore. His goal was to spread his mutation ray all over the planet by hijacking the Plumber's network of satellites. He was stopped by Ben, Max, and Gwen when they destroyed his Technobugs and sent him to prison.
Alien Force
Four years later, during the time of Ben 10: Alien Force, Dr. Animo was found in the Null Void (he purposely went in to find new animal species but couldn't get out) where he assumed control over the Null Guardians and took on the alias "D'Void".
He planned to open a wormhole to use the Guardians to take over the Earth, and he forced the citizens there to gather a mineral that not only powered his drill but gave him immense strength and near invulnerability (to the point where a direct attack on him was completely ineffective). In Voided, his plans were foiled by the joint efforts of Helen, Manny, Ben, Max (codenamed "The Wrench"), and a group of other Plumbers' kids (including a Havoc Beast and a Vulpimancer).
Ultimate Alien
Animo later returned in Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, having somehow escaped from the Null Void and going by his true name again.
At the beginning of Escape from Aggregor, he used a device to take control of the Yeti in the Himalayas and create a "De-Evolution Bomb" to turn everyone in the Southern hemisphere into yetis (which Ben, Gwen, Kevin and even the Yeti thought was a stupid idea).
Using Brainstorm, Ben was able to turn his mind-controlled Yeti against him, while Kevin and Gwen disabled the bomb. He was then captured by the Plumbers.
Animo returned in It's Not Easy Being Gwen where he attempted to raise an army of his signature mutated Frogs using the enhanced version of his telescopic Transmodulator.
He was eventually defeated by Gwen, Ben, and Kevin. After being brought to the authorities, Animo was released from prison a few months later on good behavior.
Animo appeared again in The Eggman Cometh where it was revealed that he had acquired a farm. In his farm, he used a de-evolutionary ray to turn chicken eggs into Pterodactyl eggs. He was eventually stopped when Ben used Juryrigg to turn the de-evolutionary ray into an evolution ray and then Jetray to turn all of the Pterodactyls back into chickens.
Omniverse
Dr. Animo has removed the top of his skull and replaced it with a glass dome in order to have better control over animals and other self-upgrades.
He has apparently developed a hobby of cutting up and stitching together stuffed animals (and in future episodes, talking with them, showing that between Ultimate Alien and Omniverse, Animo's blatant insanity has only gotten worse), his cell full of them.
Animo returned in It Was Them where from his cell, he had been mutating ants and using them to construct a sky-scraper-sized base with a transmitter to mutate every ant on earth. He also made a "King Ant" costume, which was armed with flame throwers. Ben and his new partner Rook fought Animo and his army. He was later attacked by Khyber's Pet in the form of Mucilator.
Animo attempted to control the beast, but only provoked it into attacking him. Ben got Animo's ants to attack Mucilator and Rook was able to kill the ants by creating an anti-ant bomb from Animo's equipment. This forced a retreat from the beast and allowed Ben and Rook to return Animo to his cell.
In Evil's Encore, Animo, five years after his first attempt, again attempted to use a Technobug to escape, take over the Plumber's base, and mutate the world, but his plan was thwarted before it even started as Blukic eats the Technobug as a snack.
In T.G.I.S., he had somehow managed to escape Plumber Prison and had revived V.V. Argost with a mixture of cryptids as a new body. Apparently, the process had taken 3 years, the delay being attributed to fighting Ben Tennyson and his time spent in jail.
He later decided to capture Fiskerton, to research him and add him to his collection, but he and Argost ended up defeated by Ben, Rook, and The Saturdays. He was last seen running off after his control over the Chupacabras was destroyed.
In Animo Crackers, he was seen back in his cell at Plumber Prison, indicating that he had been recaptured. Due to the actions of his future self, he managed to escape and joined him to try and steal a huge repository of DNA. However, he was thwarted by the actions of Ben, Rook, Spanner, and arguing with his future self.
In the end, he was recaptured with his memory of this event erased by Gutrot.
Powers and Abilities
Dr. Animo has the power to telepathically or emphatically control animals. This ability is furthered by his headgear. This includes ordinary animals, but also his mutant monsters and even aliens, as he was able to take control of the Null Guardians. He learned this power from one of Ben's other enemies, Clancy, who could control bugs and other arthropods the same way.
In addition to this power, Animo is a genius and brilliant scientist, skilled in both machines and genetic experiments, who usually uses his knowledge to give him additional powers.
His trademark invention, the Trans-modulator and its variants (including on two occasions a device he called a De-Evolution Bomb), allows him to turn animals into powerful, dangerous mutants as well as reanimated the remains of long since extinct animals into zombie-like creatures both of whom serve as his minions.
His other inventions include a machine able to convert heat into energy used to increase his strength and durability, and a head band amplifying his control over animals so he could control creatures like the Yeti.
In addition, Animo is - partly out of necessity - a master of technical improvisation, capable of constructing his devices from the simplest of materials. The prototype of his Trans-modulator was constructed from commercially available electronic components and an alternated kitchen sieve.
In the Original Series, he usually relied on armies of mutated animals to fight for him.
In Animo Crackers, he is given a new pair of antennae by his future-self, which not only allows him to control animals, but also to mutate them, as he mutates a group of squirrels to attack Rook.
Weaknesses
Animo's biggest weaknesses are his temper, arrogance, and all around crazy behavior.
He would lose control over all the cryptids if his antennae get damaged or taken.
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A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Ben 10
Sumo Slammers
Dr. Animo
2006, Bandai
Went with the family to Prescott for the French-themed event, 'La Vie en Bleu'. Being the first event I've been to since the winter I did far too much socialising and not enough sketching and photographing. I did find time to draw two cars. I fear I overworked the first sketches (in blue pencil) so I had another go at them when i got home.
for all of us who labour, the underpaid, the overworked, the under appreciated, of all colours and persuasions, may this day of rest and contemplation bring rejuvenation and rest.
somebody asked me in two different scenarios why am i in self-exile and if i ever get tired...
i am in self exile because i am honestly sick (healthwise, thank god not mentally), down with tons of obligations (in and out of work), been going thru a self- reflection and penitence for this holy week and im simply homesick and battling all sorts of internal and external dementors.
yes, i do get tired. in fact i am super tired. i am over worked. and at the end of the day. i ask myself. why do i kill myself with excessive overworking. but then i remember. oh yes. i know why. im living in america. im living in the land of the almighty greens. i have to work for myself, for everyone, in fact i even have to work for my own name, status and my color.
so i said: "oo napapagod ako, pangalan ko nalang pinagtratrabahuhan ko pa, pati ba nman ang kulay ko..:
so ill correct the wrong notion. living here doesn't mean we pick up dollars from the trees like autumns traditional apple picking. living here means working, working, working and working your way for your name, color and if lucky for an airfare, a chance to go back and visit your home soil.
on explore april 7,2008 #98
The famously long, low silhouette, ever-alert expression, and bold, vivacious personality of the Dachshund have made him a superstar of the canine kingdom. Dachshunds come in two sizes and in three coat types of various colors and patterns. The word 'icon' is terribly overworked, but the Dachshund'with his unmistakable long-backed body, little legs, and big personality'is truly an icon of purebred dogdom.
A little bit overworked version in a context with the used action-cam is to find here: youtu.be/iUU42aA65wM
Thanks very much for your interest, fav or time to comment !!
The old Cass foundry and repair shop, built in 1922 and burned down in 1972.
Cass, Pocahontas County, West Virginia
The history of the town of Cass follows the evolution of the lumber companies that inhabited the valley and operated the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Mill. Once a symbol of the economic power that drove this valley, the mill building has been victim of two major fires in 1978 and 1982. Now only twisted steel and rusted machinery remain amid the cracking cement. Trees and vines grow in a place where humans once toiled among the machines of lumber and fine wood products production.
The mill operation was enormous during its heyday 1908 to 1922. It ran two 11-hour shifts six days per week, cutting 125,000 board feet of lumber each shift, an impressive 1.5 million feet of lumber per week. The Cass mill also had drying kilns using 11 miles of steam pipe to dry 360,000 board feet of lumber on each run.
The adjoining planing mill was three stories high, measuring 96 by 224 feet. Massive elevators carried up to 5,000 feet of lumber to the separate floors and machines. Some of the flooring machines were so big that it took 15 men to operate them. There were two resaws here that could accommodate boards up to 35 feet long. The large surfacing machines finished all four sides of a board in one operation.
Roy Clarkson, in Tumult on the Mountain, estimated that in 40 years the Cass mill and the mill at Spruce turned more than 2-14 billion feet of timber into pulp or lumber. The town of Cass was named for Joseph K Cass (left picture), Chairman of the Board of W.Va. Pulp & Paper Co. Each morning the C&O dispatched a 44-car pulpwood train for the paper mill at Covington. At its peak, West Virginia Pulp and Paper employed between 2,500 and 3,000 men. In an average week six to 10 carloads of food and supplies traveled over the railroad to 12 logging camps. Indeed, the ruined mill is a symbol and a reminder of a past resplendent with human achievement. But the story of the mill is also a story of the rails that linked that mill with the timber in the nearby mountains.
At the turn of the century lumbermen eyeing the large tracts of virgin timber on Cheat Mountain, west of Cass, decided to route the timber east through a mountain gap and down the steep grade to the planned mill. An interchange between the Greenbrier and Elk River Railroad at Cass and the C&O was most economical but it called for the building of a difficult mountain railroad.
In 1900 Samuel Slaymaker, a timber broker, set up a construction camp at the mouth of Leatherbark Creek (the present site of the Cass shops). He and his hardy men pushed the rails up and along Leatherbark Creek, and gained altitude by constructing two switchbacks. Tracks were laid around the face of the promontory -- up and up along the ridge, winding until at last the rails reached the gap between the mountains. Here a camp named Old Spruce was established.
Around 1904, 1-1/4 miles of track were laid from Old Spruce to Spruce, a new town on the Shavers Fork on the Cheat River. At 3,853 feet, Spruce became the highest town in the eastern United States. From Spruce, the track eventually ran 35 miles south into the Elk River Basin to the town of Bergoo and 65 miles north, along Shavers Fork of Cheat River. Spruce became the hub of the rail empire. The main lines (Cass to Spruce, Spruce to Bergoo and Spruce to Cheat Junction) were 82 miles long. During the 1920s there were many miles of branches in use at once, but the total length was probably about 140 miles at maximum. Altogether the logging railroad built about 250 miles of track. At Spruce a large pulp peeling rossing mill was constructed. Billions of board feet of logs passed through Spruce and eventually went over the mountain behind the tanks of big 4 ton Shays like Number 12.
The Town of Cass after 1905
After 1905 the railroad went through a succession of name changes. The Greenbrier & Elk River became the Greenbrier, Elk & Valley Railroad in 1909, only to become the Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk Railroad (GC&E) in 1910. This quick succession of names reflects the early permutations so characteristic of a young and booming logging empire. Actually, all these names changes are a bit misleading because West Virginia Pulp and Paper (WVP&P) owned and operated the entire lumber operation from its beginnings. The original lumber company was West Virginia Spruce Lumber, set up by West Virginia Pulp and Paper to develop Cass property. WV&P bought (on paper) its West Virginia Spruce operation in 1910. At that time the railroad became a common carrier.
In 1926 merger negotiations were conducted between GC&E and the Western Maryland, which wanted to tap the rich coal reserves of the region. March 3, 1927 saw an agreement reached, and the Western Maryland purchased the 74 miles of north-south mainline between Cheat Junction to Bergoo. Shays were used to pull coal until the line could be renovated to accommodate the massive WM H-8 2-8-0's. Up to 10 locomotives were required to boost the coal loads up the steep grade.
The town of Spruce began to die when the peeling mill ceased operations in 1925. In the early 1930s the town became an isolated helper station on the Western Maryland. With the coming of diesels, all locomotives serving Cass were transferred to Laurel Bank and Spruce became a ghost town; all that is left now is crumbling concrete slabs, rubble and a two-track horseshoe curve of railroad track.
Mower Lumber Company acquired the Cass operation in 1942 to cut second growth timber on Cheat and Back Allegheny. Track was re-laid into old logging areas. Huge steam skidding machines were rigged on the hillsides and knobs, bringing saw logs for the mill on the rail lines. But second growth could not feed the mighty mill for long. By 1950 the operation was in decline. The sawmill worked only one shift; the big four-truck shays languished on sidings while three overworked and tired three-truck Shays, Number 1, 4, and 5, were assigned to the hill.
With Edwin Mower's death in late 1955 family members were unable to keep the operation going. The rail-haul logging operation and bandsaw mill ceased operation abruptly July 1, 1960. Employees were not notified until their shift ended on June 30. That night gloom and despair hung heavy over the town of Cass; it seemed likely that the town would go the way of Spruce. Three months after the mill closed, Walworth Farms (controlled by Peter Grace, a principal of W.R. Grace Co. of New York) purchased all the landholdings and acquired Mower Lumber Company. The town of Cass and railroad was retained by real-estate-oriented offshoot, The Don Mower Lumber Co. A scrap dealer, the Midwest Raleigh Corporation, was subcontracted to dismantle the line. It seemed that the life cycle of the logging town and its railroad had reached its bitter end.
But other forces were at work this time. In late September 1960, a rail fan, Russel Baum of Sunbury, Pa., initiated an effort to save the railroad. Baum reasoned that the Shays and the old logging track could become a big tourist attraction. A small number of local businessmen formed the Cass Planning Commission and state legislators were approached. Skeptical officials initially declined to participate. But when the state legislature's prestigious Joint Committee on Government and Finance took an inspection trip over the former Mower Lumber "railroad to the sky," to Bald Knob, the bureaucratic wheels were set in motion.
During the State Legislature's regular session in early 1961 an appropriation was approved and the governor of West Virginia signed a bill bringing Cass into the state parks system. The Midwest Raleigh Steel Corporation received $125,000 for seven miles of "main line" track from Cass to Old Spruce and four miles of branch line from Old Spruce to Bald Knob. Also included in the agreement were three locomotives, 10 flat cars, four camp cars, three motor cars and other equipment. Work began almost immediately, but an old logging railroad doesn't turn into a tourist line overnight. It wasn't until 1963 that Shays Nos. 1 and 4 were put in working order and safety rails and benches were installed on a few flat cars. Trains went about halfway up Back Allegheny Mountain, above the switchbacks to a pleasant pasture that has since come to be known as Whittaker Station. At that time there was not enough money to fix the tracks the remaining distance to Bald Knob.
The first year of operation was all that was needed to prove the skeptics wrong. Twenty-three thousand people flocked to this remote mountain town and its former back woods logging railroad.
Expansion of Cass continued. The shop, initially leased, was purchased from Mower Lumber Company. In 1966, $800,000 was invested in rehabilitating the line to Bald Knob; the total line was opened in 1968. In 1977, the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources acquired the former logging Company properties in Cass. Buildings were repaired and repainted. And by 2010, twenty of the former company houses have been restored and are rented to the public as park cottages. People now have the opportunity to spend their vacation in Cass.
Since 1985, the West Virginia Department of Commerce has proceeded with plans to further develop the historic town. More company houses are being restored for use as cottages. Replica plank walkways have been constructed throughout the town, and white picket fences now surround the cottages.
Possibilities for development for the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park are limitless. The future will bring additional recreational facilities for park visitors, including a campground, hiking trails, and additional interpretive programs.
The people of Cass and West Virginia are deeply rooted in their own expansive and fascinating history -- the history of bold, pioneering men and women who settled this country and built a magnificent logging empire under very difficult circumstances. The spirits of the past were reincarnated in the original visionary and determined supporters of the Cass Scenic Railroad who engaged in the lonely, tough struggle of transforming a tired, worn-out and about-to-be-scrapped logging railroad into a first-rate living museum. Today the spirits of past achievement live on in the men and women who keep a priceless collection of antique steam locomotives running much longer than ever intended, on a railroad that is surely one of the most interesting and challenging in the world.
I was on a waiting list for Tom Hoffman's Watercolor workshop in Portland. I gathered my supplies alone with my urban sketching backpack and parked around the corner just incase someone dropped out the last minute. Class stayed full, so I sketched this building around the corner. After a while I realized I was freezing and hungry. I may have overworked this, but I had a good time. It was a good day.
If you are in need of some colour, this should give you a heavy dose. This turned out a bit eye-blasting. :)
My To Do list is very long at the moment, and I also have more than one on the go. I decided to create this week's self portrait around the idea of a REALLY long list of things to do because sometimes these things can get out of hand. When I am too focused on getting things done I feel a bit like a "human doing" rather than a "human being".
Recipe:
Pineapple jam
4 pineapples
2 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
6 cloves
300g sugar (or more to taste)
1. Peel and core pineapples. Cut into long segments and hand grate with a box grater. (This keeps the pineapple pulp fibrous; dont be tempted to blend in a food processor)
2. Strain out the pineapple juices.
3. Place pineapple pulp and half the sugar with whole spices in a large saucepan
4. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to med-low to keep the simmer. Stir regularly to prevent burning. As the juice cooks off, slowly add the reserved juice a little at a time.
5. After about 1-1.5hours, the jam would have reduced to a sticky texture and caramelized. Remove spices. Add remaining sugar (or more to taste).
6. Continue cooking over med heat stirring constantly until pineapple jam is a dark amber colour
7. Let cool completely and refrigerate overnight
Matcha shortcrust dough
125 g soft unsalted butter, cut into cubes
150g flour
1 tbs matcha powder
50g icing sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1. In a bowl of an electric mixer, blend together butter and sugar until creamy and smooth.
2. Sift together flour, icing sugar and matcha powder. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and cream together until well-blended.
3. Add in egg yolk and vanilla, mixing just to blend. (Dont overwork the dough.)
4. Divide dough into 2 and wrap well in clingfilm. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight until firm.
Assembly:
Pineapple jam (enough jam to yield 4 batches of matcha shortcrust)
Matcha shortcrust dough
Preheat oven to 170C
1. Remove shortcrust dough from fridge and allow to rest for 10 min to soften.
2. Roll pineapple jam into balls of 6-7g each
3. Roll out the matcha dough with a rolling pin inbetween two pieces of clingfilm until about 0.5 cm thick.
4. Using a well-floured pineapple tart mould, cut out tart shapes and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
5. Top the tarts with a ball of pineapple jam each
6. Bake at 170C for 20 min until firm and browned.
Monday's version of Square Butte. Every time I am out this way this Butte has something else to offer. There is suppose to be 7 to 10 inches of snow moving in over the Rocky Mountain front and I would assume these clouds are the culprits that are bringing this wonderful stuff our way.
A bit overworked but I think it gave the shot a 3D effect:)
30 x 40 oil on canvas
Seven large "plein air" works from June to July 2015 continuing the theme of the previous two residences of 2013-14 . These works are painted in oil on canvas and were largely done out of doors. This series is my response to the high contrasts of summer and a reflection upon Walden and my affection for the place. My current work is an assimilation of the "Plein air" work from 2012-14 and trying to work larger and more consistently on each painting. Whilst the imagery may appear very traditional, believe me these are places I have a great deal of affection for and therefore I feel some liberty to inject the work with sentiment. As for mark making and surface, I have kept the colours pure and the marks free and not overworked or tidied up in the studio. There are evidences of drips and dribbles, dashes and blobs all over the surface, for me this is evidence of the working process and not to be erased. As with all my work a sense of pattern and trying to resolve what's before me in strong geometry and colour.
Front wheels aren't spinning, the model must be overworked. But the new Speed Champions hubcaps in combination with the newer Town tires improve the look very much in my opinion.
Célia asked for a shot looking up at the lighthouse. This is the best I took of the day. I might have overworked this a little too. I really need to work on the HDR to make natural dynamic ranges.
This sky really caught my eye when I was there, but as I said in another post, the sea was washing around my ankles and it's very easy to get cut off from the shore. At high tide my head would have been under water if I'd stayed. Any criticisms have to factor in my circumstances ;-)
Paris Street Photography, by Jonathan Nardi - 2014
Some photos are available for purchase here: WalkinginParis Etsy Shop
Watercolour on 300 lb Arches 11.5" x 15". I started to paint this sunflower a few months ago and was having a great time until I came to the centre, so I put it aside. The reference photo for this can be seen in my "Animals & Close-ups" folder. I think the centre is a bit overworked, but I finished it today.
Good that I had to stop at this point as my train was coming, the sketch may have been overworked if I had more time.
The lazy days are over, Fynn. Santa has called. He is overworked and wants you to come over and help out. :)
Gonville and Cauis College, University of Cambridge. I'm going through a blue phase:-)
We live in the age of instant communications: tweets, blogs, FB etc. Sometimes things come out when they shouldn't. Take the recent tweet of Carol Vorderman when she announced that her daugher Katie had secured a place at Cambridge. In her excitement she let it slip that the college was Gonville and Cauis. Aha! Ask an official at the college and you'll get silence, "No coment". It's supposed to be all hush hush. Thanks to social media we now discover all sorts of things by bypassing the normal channels.
Does it matter, though? There is now info (junk) overload. What matters is that it should be relevant to us and that it enhances our lives in some way, or even offers light relief in these days of stress and overwork.
After inspecting northern pastoral lands in South Australia, devastated by a drought in 1864 - 1865, Surveyor-General George Woodroffe Goyder advised the colonial government to discourage farmers from planting crops to the north of a line delineating the extent of the 12-inch (30cm) annual rainfall.
Goyder’s findings were embodied in the first schedule of the Waste Lands Alienation Act 1872, which permitted farmers to purchase land on credit only within designated agricultural areas. From east to west, ‘Goyder’s Line of Rainfall’ ran approximately from the Hundred of Pinnaroo, swung northwest to the Hundred of Commooroo and the Melrose area, southwest through Yorke Peninsula to the Hundred of Wallaroo, then northwest across Eyre Peninsula from the Hundred of Hawker to south of Darke’s Peak, and across to the Hundred of Chilundie near Thevenard.
The law was short-lived; favourable seasons in the north encouraged the government to pass Act No. 22 of 1874 repealing the 1872 Act and allowing the sale of land under credit agreement outside ‘Goyder’s Line’. A run of bad seasons in the 1880s halted the northward progression, forcing many farmers to abandon their homesteads and, more often than not, a severely eroded landscape.
Surveyor-General George Woodroffe Goyder:
George Woodroffe Goyder (1826 - 1898), surveyor-general, was baptized on the 16th of July 1826 at Liverpool, England, son of David George Goyder, physician and Swedenborgian minister, and his wife Sarah, née Etherington. The family later moved to Glasgow where George studied surveying and was articled to a railway engineer. He migrated to Sydney in 1848. After three years with an auctioneering firm he visited Melbourne and went to Adelaide where he decided to settle. In June 1851 he entered the South Australian civil service as a draftsman and on 10 December at Christ Church, North Adelaide, married Frances Mary Smith.
Goyder joined the Department of Lands as chief clerk in January 1853. In quick stages he rose from second assistant to assistant surveyor-general in January 1857. In April he took charge of an exploration to report on country north of pastoral settlement. He was amazed to find Lake Torrens full of fresh water and its flourishing eastern surroundings very different from the desert described by Edward Eyre in 1839. His exuberant report persuaded the surveyor-general, Captain (Sir) Arthur Freeling, to examine the area in September. No more rain had fallen but hot winds had killed the vegetation and turned the lake into a bed of mud. Freeling returned to criticize Goyder for mistaking flood for permanent water, being misled by mirage and misconceiving the value of the northern country. Although Goyder had proved that Eyre's horseshoe of salt lakes was penetrable and thereby opened the way to further exploration, he was too conscientious to ignore his blunder and in 1859 at his own request led survey parties to triangulate the country between Lakes Torrens and Eyre and to sink wells. When Freeling resigned Goyder was recalled from the north to become surveyor-general on 19 January 1861 at a salary of £700.
Goyder's northern surveys had attracted many large pastoralists who soon demanded modified conditions for their leases. With extra duties as inspector of mines and valuator of runs Goyder went north to classify grazing leases, rents and rights of renewal. In less than twenty months he rode over 20,000 miles (32,186 km), visiting 83 stations and handling his departmental correspondence each night. When his valuations were published the outback lessees complained bitterly and inside pastoralists demanded re-assessment while smallholders and urban anti-squatters condemned any concession to hungry graziers. In this three-sided struggle four ministries rose and fell but Goyder stood firm. In 1865 three commissioners were sent north to reassess rents but found the country in severe drought. In November Goyder was directed to go north and from his own observations to lay down on the map 'the line of demarcation between that portion of the country where the rainfall has extended, and that where the drought prevails'. With a small mounted party he went to Swan Reach on the River Murray and thence north-west to Pekina, east to Melrose and returned through Crystal Brook to Adelaide. A map published in 1866 showed his line of travel with a wing sweeping east from the Murray to the Victorian border and another from Spencer Gulf far to the west.
Goyder's rainfall line was first used for the reassessment of leases and the relief of stricken pastoralists. After the drought broke in 1867 he cautiously admitted that his line separated 'to a certain extent' lands suitable for agriculture and those fit only for grazing. This statement strengthened the urban land reformers in the general election in April 1868. Led by Henry Strangways they introduced 'Agricultural Areas' where sections up to 320 acres (130 ha) were to be sold at auction on credit, thus enabling small farmers to compete against wealthy speculators. When the new Act was passed in January 1869 Goyder had chosen six areas, each with easy access to the coast. While the new sections were marked out he took 150 men to the Northern Territory where incompetence and delay in the surveys were causing much discontent. His prompt and firm action soon restored confidence. He recommended Palmerston (Darwin) as the capital site, completed the survey of 665,860 acres (269,467 ha) in six months, reported on traces of minerals and located a million acres (404,690 ha) of average quality suitable for the growth of tropical products. He sailed for Adelaide in November and next February visited Victoria to see the working of land regulations there. He disliked random selection before survey but his mission led to amendments of Strangways' Act. Liberal extensions of credit to new farmers and good seasons in the 1870s brought land sales of nine million acres (3,642,210 ha) for the decade. With larger sections and better opportunities to buy land in well-watered areas he discouraged attempts at farming beyond his line. He pursued this policy as chairman of the railways commission in 1874-75 but northern newspapers claimed that the southern districts were full and ridiculed the accuracy of the line. Scorning Goyder's warnings the government yielded in 1874 and made land available beyond the line. Farmers pushed north and had fair harvests but the onset of bad seasons in 1880 left them in dire distress. At great expense they had to be relocated south of the line, their sections reverting to sheep runs spoiled by wind erosion and destruction of native vegetation.
One of Goyder's many enterprises sprang from the colony's severe shortage of timber. He did his utmost to preserve trees and encourage planting. In 1873 he recommended the use of forest reserves and in 1875-83 was chairman of the Forest Board with John Ednie Brown as chief conservator. Another constant project of Goyder's was water conservation. Starting with wells and dams on northern stockroutes he persuaded the government to spend £300,000 on drainage in the south-east in 1867. In 1871 he inspected pumping machinery and irrigation works in Britain and America and returned to Adelaide with much knowledge of boring for artesian water. He advised many pastoralists on water problems and rejected such impracticable schemes as irrigating the Adelaide plain by a canal from the River Murray. His paper on the development of water conservation in 1883 indicated the immense scope of his inquiries.
Nicknamed 'Little Energy', Goyder was reputed the ablest administrator and most efficient public servant in the colony. A martinet in office hours he won the respect and affection of his subordinates. As 'king of the lands department' he served under 24 different commissioners of crown lands through 34 changes of ministry and helped to amend over 60 Lands Acts. Costs of his department rose from £15,000 in 1861 to £165,000 in 1883 when his power began to wane but in the same time he quadrupled the colony's revenue from land sales and leases. Disgruntled graziers, farmers and miners all charged him with partiality but it was never proved. In fixing rents, boundaries and valuations he was scrupulous and firm, and his rulings were tolerated because of his integrity and honour. In fieldwork his powers of observation were almost uncanny; he brought fortunes to many settlers but remained comparatively poor. He tendered his resignation in 1862, 1873 and 1878 but each time was persuaded to withdraw it by increments to his salary. He was earning £1250 a year when he retired on 30 June 1894 and was then given £4375 in lieu of a pension. In October leading citizens gave him a purse of a thousand sovereigns. He was appointed C.M.G. in 1889.
Goyder consistently overworked himself and his health suffered. For years after 1861 he had scurvy and in 1869 returned from Darwin with 'nervous and muscular debility' and was ordered complete rest. His wife was then recuperating in England where she died on 8 April 1870 at Bristol from an overdose of sleeping pills. In 1871 Goyder took nine months leave and visited Britain and America leaving his nine children with Ellen Priscilla Smith, his deceased wife's sister. On 20 November he married her: they had one son and twin daughters. Goyder died on 2 November 1898 at his home Warrakilla, near Aldgate, leaving an estate of £4000.
Source: SA History Hub & Australian Dictionary of Biography.
Sgt. Weeper, command log:
Landing on Corellia would’ve been a nice change of pace from the swathes of snowy hills on Vandos Prime had it not been following on the aftermath of that ice block. We’d essentially been demoted to simple police work. Riots, not to mention the lack thereof violence, were nothing compared to a coordinated and sophisticated insurrection. The political climate was different this time. Mourning squad was on its way to do its duty but it all felt truly off.
Our modest force was placed in the parks outside of the noblemen’s places. Their homes were the most extravagant and ornate above the rest of the city growth. Many were simple workers on the shipping yards but now they were rioting in the streets, claiming ‘bad pay’ and ‘overworking’. If only they had an ounce of honor in their work it might’ve been justified. They seemed pitiful enough based on the briefings yet seeing them eye to eye was almost uncomfortable.
Then there was a breaking point in the tension. Voices began to rise and hands belonging to the blurry faces of the riot shook and jested at an individual. The movement seemed to be heading to the front. We thought that the non-lethal weapon outfitting was for looks. Now it was evident that there was and edge, waiting to be unsheathed.
“Do you know what it’s like to be worked?” The man started off on a rant or monologue of the sorts. “Do you even see the work that builds the galaxy for your war? Do you even know what it is to be human?” That was the sting that hit with a seething venom. Bearer had taken a particular liking to him.
“Just because I’m a lab rat doesn’t make me any less a rat!” Bearer was certainly throwing some fiery words for a man meant to perform basic crowd control. It was rather poetic for a clone admittedly.
“Oh, but I’m no rat. I’m guessing you don’t have an idea as to what these blood-stripes mean. They distinguish a man from his outfit. A soldier from his squad. A leader from his audience. It takes the most dedicated will from a Corellian soldier to get these! I’d even guess you have no idea what being a true soldier is!”
Bearer has enough and lit up his baton. Pall was gripping his shield so taught that the white was practically showing through the glove over his knuckles. A screaming match ensued where no one seemed to be getting anywhere. Someone from the crowd threw a glass and rioters we kicking trash up at us. I felt removed by an enigmatic enormity. Somehow, as the patriarchal brother of the squad, I found myself in the childish bickering. What did it mean to be a true soldier? Follow the orders to a T. Right? Now I thought back to my last minute call on Vandos Prime. That was blatant disregard to the given protocol. What was I thinking? Only now in the heat did I think of something so detrimental to myself. What did it mean to be a true soldier? These protesters did seem to display some honor.
Weeper, out.
In 1973 I did a northern working trip with a friend. We headed north from Vancouver and our first stop was Terrace, where we found jobs on a tree planting crew. We stayed in the Luso Hotel, pictured above, which could be described most accurately as a dump. There were drunken fights in the hallway at night - that sort of thing. Was the town as bleak as it looks in this photo? Yes. I hear it's better now, but I haven't been back.
We felt we were being exploited - overworked, underpaid - and so I went to Kitimat to check out jobs at the Alcan smelter while David headed for Prince Rupert. No cell phones in those days, so we reported to each other via pay phone at a prearranged time. No luck at Alcan, but David told me there were jobs galore in Rupert, and he was correct. I hitchhiked the hundred miles from Terrace, and on the first morning of my "creative job search" was hired at the grain elevator. Total number of doors I knocked on: one. Total time searching: fifteen minutes.
Meanwhile I continued to document everything, including every place I passed through. A lifelong obsession. I'm sure the Luso - for losers, we figured - is long gone. This photo doesn't give me warm fuzzies, nor does it induce any nostalgia, but rather, gratitude that I only stayed a week. Best memory from Terrace? We spent evenings at a pub down the street, where we'd sip a couple of beers very slowly to make them last, while David taught me how to play chess. We played each other and anybody else who wanted a game every day for the next two months, and when our trip was over I could beat the average player. I still can. A good player, on the other hand, will almost always mop the floor with me.
Photographed in Terrace, British Columbia (Canada) on Kodak Tri-X (ISO 400); scanned from the original negative. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©1973 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Photographed at San Antonio Open Space Preserve, California, U.S.A.
=> Please click on the image to see the largest size. <=
This very young Gray Squirrel was very tentative in exploring the trunk of this oak tree and I wondered if it left its nest earlier than it should have. It was very close to the ground when I took this photo but later disappeared back up to the top area of the tree...perhaps to return to the nest for another week or so. 😊
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From Wikipedia: The western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus) is an arboreal rodent found along the western coast of the United States and Mexico. It is a tree squirrel. In some landscapes, the Western grey squirrel has lost habitat or experienced local extinction due to competition with other squirrel species and other pressures on their population.
Description[edit]
The western gray squirrel was first described by George Ord in 1818 based on notes taken by Lewis and Clark at The Dalles in Wasco County, Oregon.
Sciurus griseus is the largest tree squirrel in the Sierra Nevada and Central California range. It has plantigrade, pentadactyl feet with two phalanges. Compared with the eastern gray squirrel S. carolinensis or the fox squirrel S. niger (which have been introduced into its native range), these squirrels are shy, and will generally run up a tree and give a hoarse chirping call when disturbed. It is the largest native tree squirrel in the western coastal United States. Western gray squirrels exhibit a form of coloration known as counter shading. The dorsal fur is a silver gunmetal gray, with pure white on the underside; there may be black flecks in the tail. Ears are large but without tufts. The ears turn reddish-brown at the back in the winter. The tail is long and typically very bushy. Also, it stays in a curved upwards in an "S" shape.
Tree squirrels undergo a complete head-to-tail molt in the spring and a rump-to-head molt in the fall. Tail hair is replaced only in the spring. Nesting mothers will use their tail hair to line birthing nests. Western gray squirrels eat berries, nuts, a variety of seeds, and the eggs of small birds.
Reproduction:
Western gray squirrels reach sexual maturity at 10 to 11 months, and at approximately one year of age, will begin breeding.[5] They mate over an extended period ranging from December through June. Young are born after approximate 44-day gestation period. Juveniles emerge from nests between March and mid-August. Litter sizes range from one to five kits which remain in the nest for a longer period than other squirrels. The kits are relatively slow in development, and will not leave the nest for six months or more, another species disadvantage when in competition with other, more-rapidly fledging squirrels. Young gray squirrels have furled tails which will not reach fullness until adulthood. This is a good indicator of age and maturity. Mother squirrels often seem to be overworked with a stressed appearance, complete with bruised and battered nipples. Mating squirrels can be very physical and will bite and injure each other. Females can be quite territorial, and will chase others away and have fairly violent altercations between themselves.
Reproduction:
Western gray squirrels reach sexual maturity at 10 to 11 months, and at approximately one year of age, will begin breeding. They mate over an extended period ranging from December through June. Young are born after approximate 44-day gestation period. Juveniles emerge from nests between March and mid-August. Litter sizes range from one to five kits which remain in the nest for a longer period than other squirrels. The kits are relatively slow in development, and will not leave the nest for six months or more, another species disadvantage when in competition with other, more-rapidly fledging squirrels. Young gray squirrels have furled tails which will not reach fullness until adulthood. This is a good indicator of age and maturity. Mother squirrels often seem to be overworked with a stressed appearance, complete with bruised and battered nipples. Mating squirrels can be very physical and will bite and injure each other. Females can be quite territorial, and will chase others away and have fairly violent altercations between themselves.
Behavior and diet:
Western gray squirrels are forest dwellers, and can be found at elevations up to 2,000 m. Time on the ground is spent foraging, but they prefer to travel distances from tree to tree. They are strictly diurnal, and feed mainly on seeds and nuts, particularly pine seeds and acorns, though they will also take berries, fungus and insects. Pine nuts and acorns are considered critical foods because they are very high in oil and moderately high in carbohydrates, which help increase the development of body fat. They feed mostly in trees and on the ground. They generally forage in the morning and late afternoon for acorns, pine nuts, new tree buds, and fruits. They feed on pinecones and many other nuts in preparation for the winter.
When on alert, they will spread their tails lavishly, creating an umbrella effect that shields them and possibly provides cover from overhead predators. They are scatter-hoarders making numerous caches of food when it is abundant, and thus contribute to the seed dispersion of their food trees. Although squirrels show relatively good scent relocation abilities, some food caches are never reclaimed, becoming seedlings in the spring. Though they do not hibernate, they do become less active during the winter. Like many prey animals, they depend on auditory alerts from other squirrels or birds to determine safety. Once an alarm call is transmitted, those present will join in, and the trees become a cacophony of chirping squirrels. Tree squirrels are prey for bobcats, hawks, eagles, mountain lions, coyotes, cats, raccoons and humans.
9Y9A6379fFlkr
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scusate, oberato di lavoro...
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much better large size and on black - molto meglio in grande e su sfondo nero
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busy with overwork, sorry...
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entro il mare
Lascia la luce
entrare nel mare
stasera
ed il pensiero si ferma
così
in piedi di sabbia
ai confini del molo
respiro il vapore
poche virgole blu
quando il sale nell’aria
bagna pelle e vestiti.
Ho chiesto alle rocce
in fondo
se l’abbraccio dell’alga
nascondesse la vita
nell’attesa ora
oggi
ho capito lo scopo
di correnti sommerse
trattenere chi ondeggia
e goderne la danza
nel ritorno dell’amore che dona
e ancora mi scopro
incapace di gesto
se non trasportato dal mare
assieme alla luce.
.
.
inside sea
(my translation is only a faint attampt to render in English an Italian born text)
Let the light
enter the sea
tonight
and the thought stops
in that way
with sand foots
at the edge of the pier
breathing steam
few blue commas
when the salt in the air
wets skin and clothing.
I asked the rocks
at the bottom
if the seaweed's embrace
hiddens life
in that waiting now
today
I understand the purpose
of underwater currents
who hold sway
and enjoy the dance
in a return of love full of gifts
and still find myself
unable to act
if not transported by sea
together with that light.
.
.
Guido Ranieri Da Re
agosto 2009
[0209]
Stintino, Sardegna