View allAll Photos Tagged physically"
I took a couple hundred 4x5 photos of cemeteries this summer - all on x-ray film. I've developed exactly zero of them.
Developing x-ray is a challenge for me. Not getting it right, I think I have that basically down. But physically doing it. I can't use my normal daylight method (Steerman Press Tank) due to x-ray film having emulsion on both sides. Nothing can touch either side during the process.
So I have to use trays with glass on the bottom. This works really well for me. The issue is that I don't have a darkroom at home (and cannot, I promise). So I have an Ilford dark tent set up at work.
This arrangement is basically fine except that I have to be at work longer. Also, the water there is super weird. I think it's just aerated, but it's also kind of brown. Tan on a good day. I've used it for well over a year now and it seems fine, but still.
I usually use HC-110 for six minutes. Basically stand development, though I flip each sheet a couple of times during the process. I'd like to speed things up, and would like to experiment more with Rodinal and less diluted dilutions.
Again, this is not me asking for advice. The system I have is the best I can do and I like my results. I guess I'm just complaining. I want to see what I shot, but actually putting the work in is work. Literally *at* work.
Someday maybe I'll have a home darkroom. But my small apartment is basically all windows. And the bathroom windows aren't frosted so much as they are fresnel lensed. When the sun is out, my bathroom looks like god is killing people right outside.
So until I get my shit together, this is as close to a cemetery photo as I'll have - a sign warning against trespassing in a cemetery after dark.
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'To Undermine Romance'
Camera: Mamiya RB67
Film: Fomapan 100
Process: FA-1027; 1+14; 9min
Kansas
July 2024
One of the problems with photography is that when you are creating your art, you have to be physically in the presence of the subject. This isn't true with writing.
If I wanted to write of some east coast town, I could simply do so. Granted, it might help to have been there before, but once that prerequisite is met, I have all the time in the world till my memory fades to get it all down.
But if I wanted to photograph this east coast town, I not only have to be there while doing it, I have to carry whatever tools I'm using to do so.
And then I must consider the lighting, the angle, the focus. It's not as simple as "capturing it all" as you might with the pen.
This is typically not much of a problem for most photographers. We're often told to always carry a camera and to photograph your daily life. And for most that is wonderful advice.
But that's not how I photograph.
I don't carry a camera as part of my daily travels. I don't carry one to work, the grocery store, the post office, the record store. When I talk a walk around the neighborhood, I leave my camera at home.
And when I'm at home, I'm not setting up shots to capture my apartment. I don't even think of it. Likewise when I'm at work.
Calling yourself a "travel photographer" fills the air with some National Geographic longing. Picture me in a pith helmet, treading through jungles and the Sahara!
But I am a travel photographer. My inspiration doesn't live with me. Nearly every photo I've shot for the past however long has been outside of my city. I just don't feel inspired by where I live. It's not what I'm interested in creating.
This isn't a rule (why have those?). I have photographed Seattle quite a bit and have enjoyed it thoroughly. But it's not what I think of when I daydream photography. It is not important. What I have to say has little to do with my own home. And yet, what I photograph has everything to do with home.
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'Reiterations'
Camera: Mamiya RB67
Film: ORWO UN54 (Lomo Potsdam)
Process: HC-110 H (1+63); 7.5min
Pennsylvania
July 2024
I wish I could say that I was returning here physically, but instead I loaded some of my old raw photos from my 2014 trip to Iceland. Looking at these old photos has given me the travel bug, and I'm hoping that 2017 will bring me some new adventures.
From the photoblog at www.shutterrunner.com.
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Flickr! It's been so long. I've been so absent, online and in photography unfortunately. I have reasons though!
The last year has required a lot of me, physically and emotionally. It's difficult to explain the dominos of it all, but in a brief summary, my beloved grandparents passed away last year, both at nearly 97 years old, I was close to them. When I was three they built a house on the lot of property next to my parents' house, making us a little family on over 8 acres in the woods. I grew up with them living next door, which had a significant and wonderful impact in my life.
My parents inherited their house after they passed. Which left my parents' house vacant. It's an old house, full of...character, I'll say. :) It's the house I grew up in. Basically, it's old and outdated, but I saw potential in giving it life once again. My parents also graciously offered us another vacant lot, to build on if we decide in the future.
So...ultimately me and Nick decided we wanted to move to the woods. It has meant significant downsizing and downgrading on our home, but has opened our lives up to so much more freedom and a heavy dose of nature, which I so desperately crave. It has meant giving things up, living in limbo, large amounts of physical labor, and jumping right into the unknown. It's been scary, exciting, and exhausting.
At this point though, about a year since the idea was conceived, we are days away from closing on the sale of our house. We have settled into our temporary home (until we build), but still have renovation projects to work on. I've built trails to run on the property, and spend time daily outside in the beautiful forest. I feel confident we uprooted our life for the right reasons, and love the direction we are headed.
I'm feeling ready for this chapter to close, and the next to begin. One that opens our life back up to even more travel and photos...with hopefully a lot less painting!
I feel like we've been following a glimmer of light on the horizon. It would have been easier to ignore it and go to sleep in the approaching night. But that glimmer held hope, ideas, and opportunity, however unknown. I'm feeling so thankful we kept chasing that horizon.
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Zambia
Why do we have such a fascination with rainbows? Perhaps it’s because they are illusionary objects which cannot be physically approached. Or maybe it’s because they contain the totality of the spectrum of light visible to the human eye. They are elusive, floating at 42 degrees above the horizon when sunlight is refracted through raindrops. A symbol of peace, pride and inclusivity, the rainbow is imprinted in mythology, art and culture. This rainbow was shot in front of the Victoria Falls in Zambia.
A physically handicapped old man sitting on a Rickshaw and buying flowers.
At night , from a small town near Calcutta ( Kolkata ) in the state of West Bengal in India.
First time physically seeing Grandma in 4 months.
This little bundle of sunshine has brought joy into our lives during these trying times. This is our world.
For FlickrFriday
Theme: This Is My World
What better way to physically distance from people than go into nature? Decided to do more day trips, taking photos and going on drives. Wanted to capture the beauty of PNW in fall colors. The nasty, windy, stormy weather brought out a beautiful rainbow :-).
Reproducibility of an image. Ika assignment where we are asked to physically alter a photo (no photoshop etc!) in order to create a new image.
i am honestly in the worst mood right now.
I'm not as strong as people think. Not physically, but emotionally. I can't function properly knowing someone i know out there hates my guts. I can't tell you guys how hurt i get when someone swears at me and means it. Everybody around me swears everyday and quite frankly i'm fine with that, cause i know they don't mean what they say. But when someone i've known for years suddenly lets his anger out and swears at me, i can't handle that. It makes me think about how horrible i've treated him to get him to that state. I honestly don't know what i could've done to make him so mad at me, but i really feel like crap right now and to be honest, i'm really just on the verge of breaking down.
I hate drama, I despise it
sorry for the boring repetitive shots lately, i guess i'm still in a slump. I don't think i'll be out of it anytime soon until i resolve everything.
There are openings, horizons and steps that are physically impossible in this picture. The neat book picture includes a reflection from a black marble like surface. The book and the reflection are two separate perspectives and the join between them is false to create a line angled similar to that seen at the top of the book. The step down on the marble is in the opposite angled direction. Either the effect is unnoticed, or it might whilst being unrecognised cause a slight visual attraction as the viewer sees something seems not to be right. These very slight variations when regarded might give a feeling a little like that generate when viewing a much more revealing work by artists like Maurits Cornelis Escher.
I took a picture of this book on the release date of the book. I seemed to have angered one person and another person thought that I was advertising the book. Today I took this pictures and edited a few touches to it. The book has a provocative title and I do have the book as my centre piece here. I am neither trying to further offend, nor advertise. The links that I have always had with my picture are shared again here and they may reveal that this book is a positive perspective on the past and a bright vision for us to carry forwards.
Not advertising, but here are the ISBN numbers that I could see, please check on price and edition whether Hardback, or Paperback, the Paperback is not released as I post this description, see date below.
Hardback ISBN-10 : 180096188X ISBN-13 : 978-1800961883
Kindle ISBN-13 : 978-1800961913
Audiobook available through many platforms.
Paperback ISBN-10 : 1800961901 ISBN-13 : 978-1800961906
This title will be released on March 12, 2026
This book is better described in the links below than I can do here, I have only just received it. “WITCHES of SCOTLAND is a campaign for justice; for a legal pardon, an apology, and a memorial for the thousands of people – mostly women - that were convicted of witchcraft and executed between 1563 and 1736 in Scotland.” From the ongoing campaign this book has been delivered. It has has a great jacket to light and the wonderful design covers a great document that delves into a previously often overlooked history.
© PHH Sykes 2025
phhsykes@gmail.com
How to Kill A Witch builds to form a rich patchwork of tragic stories, helping us comprehend the underlying reasons for this terrible injustice, and raises the serious question - could it ever happen again?
Unveiling the truth behind centuries of injustice.
www.witchesofscotland.com/book
WITCHES of SCOTLAND
is a campaign for justice; for a legal pardon, an apology, and a memorial for the thousands of people – mostly women - that were convicted of witchcraft and executed between 1563 and 1736 in Scotland
Wells Cathedral - the most 'poetic' of English Cathedrals. Other Cathedrals may be taller, longer, wider, more physically daring - but few, if any, can match the artistic beauty of Wells.
The 180 feet (55 metres) high central tower is the tallest church tower in Somerset, and is an outstanding example of Gothic architecture, even in a county famous for its majestic towers. Originally built in the 13th century, it was substantially rebuilt in the 14th century. It began to sink, however, and so three massive 'scissor' arches, for which the Cathedral is famous for, were inserted under the tower to support it. It is due to these scissor arches the tower remains standing.
Infrared processing brings out the majesty of this tower, I feel.
The mountains of life can be physically and mentally demanding, constantly testing strength, endurance, agility, balance and mental control. When you’re hanging on by your fingertips it’s okay to let go sometimes and rely on the support of your belayer friends until you’re ready to continue the climb.
10:52 Unsustainability
In my personal space...physically, mentally, and spiritually. Occasionally.
Shot with Nikon Micro Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 lens on Nikon D7000.
Colors/tones adjusted in Lightroom, then cropped and saved as JPG file in Photoshop.
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(click on the image if it appears fuzzy when zoomed in or press L 2-3 times)
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In Flickr Explore on 2023/03/01
Texas. 2016
© All rights reserved. All my images are copyrighted. Any unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. No image can be copied, reproduced, shared, altered or used in any way, both physically or electronically, without my prior written permission.
Victoria and Albert Museum:
Examples of the works of Art in the Museum – South Kensington Museum – Published in 2 Volumes in 1881
Sometime ago I posted some of the illustrations from the above book and I hoped that would be able to find them physically in the museum and photograph them. I took the first 15 illustrations from this book and went on the V & A website; A Search the Collections site. My results were based upon the following criteria:
(1) Items I couldn’t find anywhere
(2) Items that were in storage
(3) Items I did locate and photograph.
So I will be posting them, along with their locations in the museum, against the original plate and photograph from storage (where possible). The original price and any further information I might find.
So often, you cannot find or physically form the words to express your experience. Maybe you feel compelled to create images to try to show how it feels to live this unspeakable, unbearable, almost unbelievable experience. It may make no sense or have no significance to anyone else and this practice of creating images is a deep, important part of your healing journey.
[image created on 2-23-2024]
Recently I became very fascinated by digital pinhole photography. This image was created with a modified pinhole body cap. I think I’m drawn to this type of photography because I feel it relates to my life and it seems to teach me far beyond photography. There are strict limitations that can drastically alter how images are captured and the final outcome of the photos, there is a lack of clarity compared to how I normally capture images with a lens, it’s difficult to predict exactly how the image will look and beauty and meaning can be found in the process and the final photo. It gives me a chance to practice embracing the unfamiliar, change, finding beauty in imperfection and growing in new ways.
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As a way to cope with circumstances beyond my control, survive and work to keep fighting for life I decided to try to take at least one photo (or more) each day. I call this “a photo (or more) a day.” Practicing this form of therapeutic photography helps me work to focus on the present moment, gives me something familiar and enjoyable to focus on as I use photography skills that have become like second-nature to me and being able to view the images I capture helps me recall what I was thinking, feeling and noticing at the moment when I created the photos. More of the photos from this series can be seen on my Instagram account
I may not always have the energy, time or capacity to share photos from this series—especially with the very challenging circumstances my family and I are experiencing—and will do my best to continue taking a photo (or more) a day even if I’m not able to share.
If you would like to support my work and my family, one way you can do so is by ordering my zines:
Many thanks for your support.
When I joined Flickr, it was so I could enter a photographic competition. I never imagined, fifteen years later that I would have so many followers, have shared so many images, or have made some of the best friends I have (even ones whom I have never physically met but have connected with emotionally and spiritually). Thanks to Flickr, and the exposure it has given my work, my images have appeared in books, journals and magazines around the world, I appear on numerous websites, and I have three postage stamps all featuring my images. The world of social media can be ruthless, yet here on Flickr, I have found a kind, friendly and receptive community of like minded people ready to embrace other members. I have much to be grateful about, thanks to Flickr.
So, happy twentieth birthday, Flickr! Thank you for everything you are, and all that you do. I am paying tribute to this wonderful platform by using the Flickr livery of bright blue and hot pink in a still life using my latest obsession, cotton spools.
When it was my birthday a few months ago, a very dear friend who enjoys photography as much as I do, and knows that I collect beautiful and vintage pieces, gave me a wonderful selection of antique ribbons, buttons, buckles, lace and other fine notions. She also gave me three follow up tins of similar delightful gifts for Christmas.
Amongst the gifts was a pretty ribbon of vibrant blue and white embroidered daisies, some blue, magenta and pink crocheted daisies from Poland, some Estonian hand dyed lace and some tiny segments of crochet, all of which I have set up on the back terrace against one of my antique embroidered Art Deco doilies from the 1930s, and accessorised with some peacock blue silver and enamel buttons from Birmingham, hallmarked 1910, some tiny Japanese cloisonné vest buttons from the 1880s, some pink rose buttons from the 1960s, a Victorian spool of W. and J. Knox peacock blue linen thread and a spool of Dewhurst's Sylko Rose Pink cotton which dates from between 1938 and 1954.
W. and J. Knox Ltd was first established over two centuries ago when the Knox family set up a small textile mill in Kilbirnie to spin the locally-grown flax fibre and to manufacture linen thread. It was first registered as a company in 1778 then subsequently named W. and J. Knox in the 1800s by the sons of the founder. The Knox family was involved with the company for the first 200 years, with ownership passing through the generations, and agents being set up all over the world. Hearsay places an agent in New Zealand only ten years after Captain Cook’s discovery, and written records show trade agreements in place in the early 1800s in Canada. Cosalt plc purchased the company from Linndustries in the 1970s, with ownership passing to the local management team in 2004, following an MBO. Two centuries after opening, Knox is still based in the same Ayrshire town, and is now owned by the local management team, following an MBO from Cosalt plc in 2004.
Belle Vue Mill, commonly known as Dewhurst’s, was built by Thomas Dewhurst in 1828. It opened in 1829 as John Dewhurst & Sons and was one of Skipton’s largest spinning and weaving mills. The mill’s position next to the Leeds Liverpool Canal meant that raw cotton could be shipped in by boats from Liverpool. Finished goods would then be sent back the same way ready for distribution. Coal to power the machine’s steam engines was also delivered by barge. In 1897 Dewhurst’s was bought by the English Sewing Cotton Co. It continued to produce Sylko, one of the mill’s most famous products. It was produced in over 500 colours and sold throughout the world. Sylko cottons are still available at haberdashers today.
Ski touring is physically demanding, requiring a good level of cardiovascular fitness and skiing proficiency.
Ski touring allows individuals to escape the crowded slopes of resorts and immerse themselves in the pristine beauty and tranquility of the Austrian Alps. Many enjoy the peaceful quiet of exploring untouched natural environments and connecting with the mountains on a deeper level.
Ski touring equipment includes specialized skis with climbing skins and bindings that allow for free-heel movement for uphill travel, along with the ability to lock the heels for downhill skiing.
This week I will be creating a number of experimental images. In this image I am physically creating layers by holding a rectangular piece of plastic containing various cut outs to be used for stenciling over a bathroom counter.
In case you were wondering, this ball is used in the dryer when drying things like comforters that are meant to stay fluffy.
I removed this photo from CC's challenge and plan on adding a different one tomorrow.
"True life is elsewhere"
Lately I've been travelling, both physically and mentally... I've been seeing some new sights, and seeing some old sights in a new way. They say that you should go out of your mind at least once a day, and I think that may be far too little... the more time I spend in my own reality, away from the stresses we create in our lives, the more I change my perspective to be that of a tiny little soul surfing a tiny planet for time being, the more amazing every moment becomes. I look back to the days where I used to live in the real world, what an odd place to set up a home. I think, instead, I'll just keep wandering around in my own reality, with nothing to make me sad, and no commitments (except this elephant) and nothing stopping my life from being one filled with wonder and awe!
Giving CatLABS X FILM 80 a try
Physically, it’s a strange film with its very thick backing paper. It’s so thick that it won’t work in some cameras. The film base is thin. It did handle well in the scanner. I had to load it carefully on the developing reel because it would hang up. The film itself does a decent job on the image. I believe that it might be rebranded Shanghai GP3 film. I may use it now and then. But since it won’t work in my Pentax, it won’t be my main film.
Developed in Ilford ID-11 1+1
Lake Meriwether near Woodbury, Georgia USA
I love this woman! Whatever the weather is, she would be there out walking slowly, going around the mall, sitting on some bench for a while and returning to her place, I don't know where her home is because she passes my place and goes on. She is an outdoor person, she must have done so much in her younger days, carried so much burden mentally and physically. I admire her activeness even in the senior years. She has a beautiful smile(I would love to picture it) too.
Not everybody we meet touches our heart. This woman with her fragile state makes an impact in my mind.
Wrigley Field. 2016
© All rights reserved. All my images are copyrighted. Any unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. No image can be copied, reproduced, shared, altered or used in any way, both physically or electronically, without my prior written permission.
The image is a humorous juxtaposition of the man's physical and mental state. While physically chained to a large ball, symbolising burdens and restrictions, he is mentally "chained" to his phone, oblivious to his surroundings, even a bookstore filled with potential escapes. The title, "Unchain My Heart, Please Set Me Free," is ironic as it refers to emotional freedom, yet the man is voluntarily enslaving himself to technology.
From an existentialist perspective, the image speaks to the modern human condition. We yearn for freedom and meaning, yet often find ourselves trapped by our own choices and distractions. The man's engrossed expression on his phone reflects our tendency to seek refuge in the virtual world, even when it hinders our personal growth and connection to the real world.
I don't really feel like this much...I'm just kind of tired - physically and emotionally. More than anything I liked how the light was hiting my back and as I played with it, I liked the purple tint - it gives it a somewhat darker, sadder feel to it and I liked the way the purple highlighted things and played with the light more. Yeah, thanks Daddy for photoshop!! ;o)
I almost forgot, I was tagged by Alina! So here we go:
Last thing you watched on TV?
Jeopardy I think?
Whats in the fridge?
Umm....food....and select beverages.
Last person you talked to?
Heh....hmmm....the person I talked to knows...
Favorite color?
Blue and/or purple
Any pets?
Two cats (duh!)- Mickey and Adrienne
Favorite smell?
What?? ummm....fresh baked bread, I don't know...or fresh baked brownies or cookies.
Whats your current mood?
tired, exhausted, trying to stay positive, but I have no motivation, and so FULL.
Last time you went out?
out? What is this "out" of which you speak?
Who was it with?
myself most likely
Are you overly emotional?
Um....yes, most certainly, probably.
What is your prefered type of music?
It really does depend....I like most types of music, so whatever my mood happens to be, that's what I listen to.
If you could be anywhere right now, where would it be?
Somewhere with fantastic fall colors - like....Michigan perhaps? or somewhere really really warm instead....anywhere other than here?
Last movie you saw?
Thor
Chicago. 2016
© All rights reserved. All my images are copyrighted. Any unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. No image can be copied, reproduced, shared, altered or used in any way, both physically or electronically, without my prior written permission.
“Whatever you are physically...male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy--all those things matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. All those other things, they are the glass that contains the lamp, but you are the light inside.” - Cassandra Clare
listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8lTRHtri5k
[A simple shot from a magical morning in Canada back in January. The lovely Lulu is pictured here--thank you, Lu, for freezing your tootsies off for me while I shot this.]
Love Lock Tunnels
Includes:
Rigged Ear Gauges
Physically Based Rendering + Blinn-Phong Materials
Fits Swallow Male + Female Gauged Small, Pixie Gauged Small, and Gauged XL
Texture HUD With Four Metals
Available at Shotgun: Grunge!
Day 268 [9-24-2016]
I'm trapped. Today I have reached my mental peak. I am no longer physically capable of spending every day trapped inside of my house. I feel like I am going crazy. I am having all day lasting headaches that wont seem to go away. I don't eat anymore. I will have maybe one meal a day now. I feel like my body is getting weaker. I had to escape today so I rode my bike to the harbor and stayed there. I was out for about three hours keeping to myself and watching as the sky turned from sunny to dark. Scott and George stopped by just before I was about to head home which cheered me up. I wish I could have gone with them. Now I am home. The last place I want to be right now. I am not good at being told to keep still for too long. It is unhealthy for me.
This rich starfield spans almost 10 degrees across the sky toward the northern constellations Cassiopeia and Perseus. On the left, heart-shaped cosmic cloud IC 1805 and IC 1848 are popularly known as the Heart and Soul nebulae. Easy to spot on the right are star clusters NGC 869 and NGC 884 also known as h and Chi Perseii, or just the Double Cluster. Heart and Soul, with their own embedded clusters of young stars a million or so years old, are each over 200 light-years across and 6 to 7 thousand light-years away. In fact, they are part of a large, active star forming complex sprawling along the Perseus spiral arm of our Milky Way Galaxy. The Double Cluster is located at about the same distance as the Heart and Soul nebulae. Separated by only a few hundred light-years, h and Chi Perseii are physically close together, and both clusters are estimated to be about 13 million years old. Their proximity and similar stellar ages suggest both clusters are likely a product of the same star-forming region. via NASA ift.tt/2d6Gz3C
Copyright Robert W. Dickinson. Unauthorized use of this image without my express permission is a violation of copyright law.
When I was checking to see what would be a good background color for this Macro Mondays' theme of "pink," I discovered that pink’s complementary color is mint. What better way to honor the color mint than by spelling it out in pink letters? Yes. I know. I’m weird.
The lettering is adhesive-backed. The letters have the levitating look that you get when you Photoshop and paste something to a background, but I assure you, I actually did physically apply them to the glass tiles. Total width of the picture is about 2.5" (64mm).
Overall lighting was from incandescent room light. The tiles were lit by one 2-AA incandescent Maglite top left of the glass tiles and one 2-AA incandescent Maglite to the right side of the tiles.
ISO 800, f32 at 6 seconds. Canon 6D Mark II and Canon 100mm f2.8L macro IS USM Lens.
Lightning XR728 full afterburner at Bruntingthorpe.
Apologies for the poor quality, but my body was being physically shaken at the time!
Texas. 2016
© All rights reserved. All my images are copyrighted. Any unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. No image can be copied, reproduced, shared, altered or used in any way, both physically or electronically, without my prior written permission.
While my son was reeling in a small trout on Baum Lake in Shasta County, California, USA an osprey swooped in from a nearby tree and tried to steal his fish. I already had my camera aimed in the right direction so I grabbed a burst of frames of the action. These are my three favorite frames assembled in a triptych showing the moment just after the bird grabbed the fish out of the water followed by trying to get a better grasp of it, and the moment just after dropping the fish.
Ultimately, after what had to be one crazy roller-coaster ride for the trout, it was reeled in and released mostly unscathed (at least physically).
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest and most powerful feline in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Mexico across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. Apart from a known and possibly breeding population in Arizona (southeast of Tucson), the cat has largely been extirpated from the United States since the early 1900s.
This spotted cat most closely resembles the leopard physically, although it is usually larger and of sturdier build and its behavioral and habitat characteristics are closer to those of the tiger. While dense rainforest is its preferred habitat, the jaguar will range across a variety of forested and open terrain. It is strongly associated with the presence of water and is notable, along with the tiger, as a feline that enjoys swimming. The jaguar is a largely solitary, stalk-and-ambush predator, and is opportunistic in prey selection. It is also an apex and keystone predator, playing an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and regulating the populations of prey species. The jaguar has an exceptionally powerful bite, even relative to the other big cats.[3] This allows it to pierce the shells of armoured reptiles[4] and to employ an unusual killing method: it bites directly through the skull of prey between the ears to deliver a fatal bite to the brain.[5]
The jaguar is a near threatened species and its numbers are declining. Threats include habitat loss and fragmentation. While international trade in jaguars or their parts is prohibited, the cat is still regularly killed by humans, particularly in conflicts with ranchers and farmers in South America. Although reduced, its range remains large; given its historical distribution, the jaguar has featured prominently in the mythology of numerous indigenous American cultures, including that of the Maya and Aztec.
Etymology
A jaguar at the Milwaukee County Zoological GardensThe word jaguar is pronounced /ˈdʒæɡwɑr/ or, in British English, /ˈdʒæɡjuː.ər/. It comes to English from one of the Tupi-Guarani languages, presumably the Amazonian trade language Tupinambá, via Portuguese jaguar.[6] The Tupian word, yaguara "beast", sometimes translated as "dog",[7][8] is used for any carnivorous mammal.[9] The specific word for jaguar is yaguareté, with the suffix -eté meaning "real" or "true".[6][9][10]
The first component of its taxonomic designation, Panthera, is Latin, from the Greek word for leopard, πάνθηρ, the type species for the genus. This has been said to derive from the παν- "all" and θήρ from θηρευτής "predator", meaning "predator of all" (animals), though this may be a folk etymology[11]—it may instead be ultimately of Sanskrit origin, from pundarikam, the Sanskrit word for "tiger".[12]
Onca is the Portuguese onça, with the cedilla dropped for typographical reasons, found in English as ounce for the Snow Leopard, Uncia uncia. It derives from the Latin lyncea lynx, with the letter L confused with the definite article (Italian lonza, Old French l'once).[13]
In many Central and South American countries, the cat is referred to as el tigre ("the tiger")
Taxonomy
The jaguar, Panthera onca, is the only extant New World member of the Panthera genus. DNA evidence shows that the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, snow leopard, and clouded leopard share a common ancestor and that this group is between six and ten million years old;[14] the fossil record points to the emergence of Panthera just two to 3.8 million years ago.[14][15] Phylogenetic studies generally have shown that the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is basal to this group.[14][16][17][18] The position of the remaining species varies between studies and is effectively unresolved.
Based on morphological evidence, British zoologist Reginald Pocock concluded that the jaguar is most closely related to the leopard.[18] However, DNA evidence is inconclusive and the position of the jaguar relative to the other species varies between studies.[14][16][17][18] Fossils of extinct Panthera species, such as the European Jaguar (Panthera gombaszoegensis) and the American Lion (Panthera atrox), show characteristics of both the lion and the jaguar.[18] Analysis of jaguar mitochondrial DNA has dated the species lineage to between 280,000 and 510,000 years ago, later than suggested by fossil records.[19Geographical variation
While numerous subspecies of the jaguar have been recognized, recent research suggests just three. Geographical barriers, such as the Amazon river, limit gene flow within the species.The last taxonomic delineation of the jaguar subspecies was performed by Pocock in 1939. Based on geographic origins and skull morphology, he recognized eight subspecies. However, he did not have access to sufficient specimens to critically evaluate all subspecies, and he expressed doubt about the status of several. Later consideration of his work suggested only three subspecies should be recognized.[20]
Recent studies have also failed to find evidence for well defined subspecies, and are no longer recognized.[21] Larson (1997) studied the morphological variation in the jaguar and showed that there is clinal north–south variation, but also that the differentiation within the supposed subspecies is larger than that between them and thus does not warrant subspecies subdivision.[22] A genetic study by Eizirik and coworkers in 2001 confirmed the absence of a clear geographical subspecies structure, although they found that major geographical barriers such as the Amazon River limited the exchange of genes between the different populations.[19] A subsequent, more detailed, study confirmed the predicted population structure within the Colombian jaguars.[23]
Pocock's subspecies divisions are still regularly listed in general descriptions of the cat.[24] Seymour grouped these in three subspecies.[20]
Panthera onca onca: Venezuela through the Amazon, including
P. onca peruviana (Peruvian Jaguar): Coastal Peru
P. onca hernandesii (Mexican Jaguar): Western Mexico – including
P. onca centralis (Central American Jaguar): El Salvador to Colombia
P. onca arizonensis (Arizonan Jaguar): Southern Arizona to Sonora, Mexico
P. onca veraecrucis: Central Texas to Southeastern Mexico
P. onca goldmani (Goldman's Jaguar): Yucatán Peninsula to Belize and Guatemala
P. onca palustris (the largest subspecies, weighing more than 135 kg or 300 lb):[25] The Pantanal regions of Mato Grosso & Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, along the Paraguay River into Paraguay and northeastern Argentina.
Physical characteristics
The jaguar is a compact and well-muscled animal. There are significant variations in size and weight: weights are normally in the range of 56–96 kilograms (124–211 lb). Larger males have been recorded at 160 kilograms (350 lb)[26] (roughly matching a tigress or lioness), and smaller ones have extremely low weights of 36 kilograms (80 lb). Females are typically 10–20% smaller than males. The length of the cat varies from 1.62–1.83 metres (5.3–6 ft), and its tail may add a further 75 centimeters (30 in). It stands about 67–76 centimeters (27–30 in) tall at the shoulders.[27]
The head of the jaguar is robust and the jaw extremely powerful. The size of jaguars tends to increase the farther south they are located.
Jaguar skull and jawboneFurther variations in size have been observed across regions and habitats, with size tending to increase from the north to south. A study of the jaguar in the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve on the Mexican Pacific coast, showed ranges of just 30–50 kilograms (66–110 lb), about the size of the cougar.[28] By contrast, a study of the Jaguar in the Brazilian Pantanal region found average weights of 100 kilograms (220 lb) and weights of 300 lb or more are not uncommon in old males.[29] Forest jaguars are frequently darker and considerably smaller than those found in open areas (the Pantanal is an open wetland basin), possibly due to the smaller numbers of large herbivorous prey in forest areas.[30]
A short and stocky limb structure makes the jaguar adept at climbing, crawling and swimming.[27] The head is robust and the jaw extremely powerful. The jaguar has the strongest bite of all felids capable of biting down with 2000 lbs of force twice the strength of a lion, and the second strongest of all mammals after the spotted hyena; this strength is an adaptation that allows the jaguar to pierce turtle shells.[4] A comparative study of bite force adjusted for body size ranked it as the top felid, alongside the clouded leopard and ahead of the lion and tiger.[31] It has been reported that "an individual jaguar can drag a 360 kg (800 lb) bull 8 m (25 ft) in its jaws and pulverize the heaviest bones".[32] The jaguar hunts wild animals weighing up to 300 kilograms (660 lb) in dense jungle, and its short and sturdy physique is thus an adaptation to its prey and environment.
A melanistic jaguar. Melanism is the result of a dominant allele but remains relatively rare in jaguars.The base coat of the jaguar is generally a tawny yellow, but can range to reddish-brown and black. The cat is covered in rosettes for camouflage in its jungle habitat. The spots vary over individual coats and between individual Jaguars: rosettes may include one or several dots, and the shape of the dots varies. The spots on the head and neck are generally solid, as are those on the tail, where they may merge to form a band. The underbelly, throat and outer surface of the legs and lower flanks are white.[27]
A condition known as melanism occurs in the species. The melanistic form is less common than the spotted form (it occurs at about six percent of the population)[33] of jaguars and is the result of a dominant allele.[34] Jaguars with melanism appear entirely black, although their spots are still visible on close examination. Melanistic Jaguars are informally known as black panthers, but do not form a separate species. Rare albino individuals, sometimes called white panthers, also occur among jaguars, as with the other big cats.[30]
While the jaguar closely resembles the leopard, it is sturdier and heavier, and the two animals can be distinguished by their rosettes: the rosettes on a jaguar's coat are larger, fewer in number, usually darker, and have thicker lines and small spots in the middle that the leopard lacks. Jaguars also have rounder heads and shorter, stockier limbs compared to leopards.[35
[edit] Reproduction and life cycle
Jaguar females reach sexual maturity at about two years of age, and males at three or four. The cat is believed to mate throughout the year in the wild, although births may increase when prey is plentiful.[36] Research on captive male jaguars supports the year-round mating hypothesis, with no seasonal variation in semen traits and ejaculatory quality; low reproductive success has also been observed in captivity.[37] Female estrous is 6–17 days out of a full 37-day cycle, and females will advertise fertility with urinary scent marks and increased vocalization.[36] Both sexes will range more widely than usual during courtship.
Mother about to pick up a cub by the neckMating pairs separate after the act, and females provide all parenting. The gestation period lasts 93–105 days; females give birth to up to four cubs, and most commonly to two. The mother will not tolerate the presence of males after the birth of cubs, given a risk of infanticide; this behaviour is also found in the tiger.[38]
The young are born blind, gaining sight after two weeks. Cubs are weaned at three months but remain in the birth den for six months before leaving to accompany their mother on hunts.[39] They will continue in their mother's company for one to two years before leaving to establish a territory for themselves. Young males are at first nomadic, jostling with their older counterparts until they succeed in claiming a territory. Typical lifespan in the wild is estimated at around 12–15 years; in captivity, the jaguar lives up to 23 years, placing it among the longest-lived cats.[29]
Social activity
Like most cats, the jaguar is solitary outside mother-cub groups. Adults generally meet only to court and mate (though limited non-courting socialization has been observed anecdotally[38]) and carve out large territories for themselves. Female territories, which range from 25 to 40 square kilometers in size, may overlap, but the animals generally avoid one another. Male ranges cover roughly twice as much area, varying in size with the availability of game and space, and do not overlap.[38][40] The jaguar uses scrape marks, urine, and feces to mark its territory.[41]
Like the other big cats, the jaguar is capable of roaring (the male more powerfully) and does so to warn territorial and mating competitors away; intensive bouts of counter-calling between individuals have been observed in the wild.[42] Their roar often resembles a repetitive cough, and they may also vocalize mews and grunts.[29] Mating fights between males occur, but are rare, and aggression avoidance behaviour has been observed in the wild.[41] When it occurs, conflict is typically over territory: a male's range may encompass that of two or three females, and he will not tolerate intrusions by other adult males.[38]
The jaguar is often described as nocturnal, but is more specifically crepuscular (peak activity around dawn and dusk). Both sexes hunt, but males travel further each day than females, befitting their larger territories. The jaguar may hunt during the day if game is available and is a relatively energetic feline, spending as much as 50–60% of its time active.[30] The jaguar's elusive nature and the inaccessibility of much of its preferred habitat make it a difficult animal to sight, let alone study.
Hunting and diet
Illustration of a jaguar battling a boa constrictor
Illustration of a jaguar killing a tapirLike all cats, the jaguar is an obligate carnivore, feeding only on meat. It is an opportunistic hunter and its diet encompasses 87 species.[30] The jaguar prefers large prey and will take adult caiman, deer, capybara, tapirs, peccaries, dogs, foxes, and sometimes even anacondas . However, the cat will eat any small species that can be caught, including frogs, mice, birds, fish, sloths, monkeys, and turtles; a study conducted in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize, for example, revealed that jaguars there had a diet that consisted primarily of armadillos and pacas.[41] Some jaguars will also take domestic livestock, including adult cattle and horses.[43]
The jaguar has an exceptionally powerful bite, even relative to the other big cats. It is an adaptation that allows it to pierce the shells of armoured reptiles.While the jaguar employs the deep-throat bite-and-suffocation technique typical among Panthera, it prefers a killing method unique amongst cats: it pierces directly through the temporal bones of the skull between the ears of prey (especially the Capybara) with its canine teeth, piercing the brain.[44] This may be an adaptation to "cracking open" turtle shells; following the late Pleistocene extinctions, armoured reptiles such as turtles would have formed an abundant prey base for the jaguar.[30][42] The skull bite is employed with mammals in particular; with reptiles such as caiman, the jaguar may leap on to the back of the prey and sever the cervical vertebrae, immobilizing the target. While capable of cracking turtle shells, the jaguar may simply reach into the shell and scoop out the flesh.[38] With prey such as smaller dogs, a paw swipe to the skull may be sufficient in killing it.
The jaguar is a stalk-and-ambush rather than a chase predator. The cat will walk slowly down forest paths, listening for and stalking prey before rushing or ambushing. The jaguar attacks from cover and usually from a target's blind spot with a quick pounce; the species' ambushing abilities are considered nearly peerless in the animal kingdom by both indigenous people and field researchers, and are probably a product of its role as an apex predator in several different environments. The ambush may include leaping into water after prey, as a jaguar is quite capable of carrying a large kill while swimming; its strength is such that carcasses as large as a heifer can be hauled up a tree to avoid flood levels.[38]
On killing prey, the jaguar will drag the carcass to a thicket or other secluded spot. It begins eating at the neck and chest, rather than the midsection. The heart and lungs are consumed, followed by the shoulders.[38] The daily food requirement of a 34 kilogram animal, at the extreme low end of the species' weight range, has been estimated at 1.4 kilograms.[45] For captive animals in the 50–60 kilogram range, more than 2 kilograms of meat daily is recommended.[46] In the wild, consumption is naturally more erratic; wild cats expend considerable energy in the capture and kill of prey, and may consume up to 25 kilograms of meat at one feeding, followed by periods of famine.[47] Unlike all other species in the Panthera genus, jaguars very rarely attack humans. Most of the scant cases where jaguars turn to taking a human show that the animal is either old with damaged teeth or is wounded.[48] Sometimes, if scared, jaguars in captivity may lash out at zookeepers.[49]
[edit] Ecology
[edit] Distribution and habitat
The jaguar has been attested in the fossil record for two million years[24] and it has been an American cat since crossing the Bering Land Bridge during the Pleistocene epoch; the immediate ancestor of modern animals is Panthera onca augusta, which was larger than the contemporary cat.[23] Its present range extends from Mexico, through Central America and into South America, including much of Amazonian Brazil.[50] The countries included in this range are Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica (particularly on the Osa Peninsula), Ecuador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, United States and Venezuela. The jaguar is now extinct in El Salvador and Uruguay.[2] It occurs in the 400 km² Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize, the 5,300 km² Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, the approximately 15,000 km² Manú National Park in Peru, the approximately 26,000 km² Xingu National Park in Brazil, and numerous other reserves throughout its range.
The jaguar can range across a variety of forested and open habitat, but is strongly associated with presence of water.The inclusion of the United States in the list is based on occasional sightings in the southwest, particularly in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. In the early 1900s, the jaguar's range extended as far north as the Grand Canyon, and as far west as Southern California.[45] The jaguar is a protected species in the United States under the Endangered Species Act, which has stopped the shooting of the animal for its pelt. In 2004, wildlife officials in Arizona photographed and documented jaguars in the southern part of the state. For any permanent population to thrive, protection from killing, an adequate prey base, and connectivity with Mexican populations are essential.[51] On February 25, 2009 a 118 lb Jaguar was caught, radio-collared and released in an area southwest of Tucson, Arizona; this is farther north than had previously been expected and represents a sign that there may be a permanent breeding population of Jaguars within southern Arizona. It was later confirmed that the animal is indeed the same male individual (known as 'Macho B') that was photographed in 2004 and is now the oldest known Jaguar in the wild (approximately 15 years old.)[52] On Monday March 2, 2009, Macho B, which is the only jaguar spotted in the U.S. in more than a decade, was recaptured and euthanized after he was found to be suffering from kidney failure.[53]
Completion of the United States–Mexico barrier as currently proposed will reduce the viability of any population currently residing in the United States, by reducing gene flow with Mexican populations, and prevent any further northward expansion for the species.[54]
The historic range of the species included much of the southern half of the United States, and in the south extended much farther to cover most of the South American continent. In total, its northern range has receded 1,000 kilometers southward and its southern range 2,000 km northward. Ice age fossils of the jaguar, dated between 40,000 and 11,500 years ago, have been discovered in the United States, including some at an important site as far north as Missouri. Fossil evidence shows jaguars of up to 190 kg (420 lb), much larger than the contemporary average for the animal.[55]
The habitat of the cat includes the rain forests of South and Central America, open, seasonally flooded wetlands, and dry grassland terrain. Of these habitats, the jaguar much prefers dense forest;[30] the cat has lost range most rapidly in regions of drier habitat, such as the Argentinian pampas, the arid grasslands of Mexico, and the southwestern United States.[2] The cat will range across tropical, subtropical, and dry deciduous forests (including, historically, oak forests in the United States). The jaguar is strongly associated with water and it often prefers to live by rivers, swamps, and in dense rainforest with thick cover for stalking prey. Jaguars have been found at elevations as high as 3,800 m, but they typically avoid montane forest and are not found in the high plateau of central Mexico or in the Andes.[30]
Substantial evidence exists that there is also a colony of non-native melanistic leopards or jaguars inhabiting the rainforests around Sydney, Australia. A local report compiled statements from over 450 individuals recounting their stories of sighting large black cats in the area and confidential NSW Government documents regarding the matter proved wildlife authorities were so concerned about the big cats and the danger to humans, they commissioned an expert to catch it. The three-day hunt later failed, but ecologist Johannes J. Bauer warned: "Difficult as it seems to accept, the most likely explanation is the presence of a large, feline predator. In this area, [it is] most likely a leopard, less likely a jaguar."[56]
Ecological role
The adult jaguar is an apex predator, meaning that it exists at the top of its food chain and is not preyed on in the wild. The jaguar has also been termed a keystone species, as it is assumed, through controlling the population levels of prey such as herbivorous and granivorous mammals, apex felids maintain the structural integrity of forest systems.[28][57] However, accurately determining what effect species like the jaguar have on ecosystems is difficult, because data must be compared from regions where the species is absent as well as its current habitats, while controlling for the effects of human activity. It is accepted that mid-sized prey species undergo population increases in the absence of the keystone predators and it has been hypothesized that this has cascading negative effects.[58] However, field work has shown this may be natural variability and that the population increases may not be sustained. Thus, the keystone predator hypothesis is not favoured by all scientists.[59]
The jaguar also has an effect on other predators. The jaguar and the cougar, the next largest feline of the Americas, are often sympatric (related species sharing overlapping territory) and have often been studied in conjunction. Where sympatric with the jaguar, the cougar is smaller than normal and is smaller than the local jaguars. The jaguar tends to take larger prey and the cougar smaller, reducing the latter's size.[60] This situation may be advantageous to the cougar. Its broader prey niche, including its ability to take smaller prey, may give it an advantage over the jaguar in human-altered landscapes;[28] while both are classified as near-threatened species, the cougar has a significantly larger current distribution.
[edit] Conservation status
Jaguar populations are rapidly declining. The animal is considered Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources,[2] meaning it may be threatened with extinction in the near future. The loss of parts of its range, including its virtual elimination from its historic northern areas and the increasing fragmentation of the remaining range, have contributed to this status. The 1960s saw particularly significant declines, with more than 15,000 jaguar skins brought out of the Brazilian Amazon yearly; the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of 1973 brought about a sharp decline in the pelt trade.[61] Detailed work performed under the auspices of the Wildlife Conservation Society reveal that the animal has lost 37% of its historic range, with its status unknown in an additional 18%. More encouragingly, the probability of long-term survival was considered high in 70% of its remaining range, particularly in the Amazon basin and the adjoining Gran Chaco and Pantanal.[50]
The major risks to the jaguar include deforestation across its habitat, increasing competition for food with human beings,[2] poaching, hurricanes in northern parts of its range, and the behaviour of ranchers who will often kill the cat where it preys on livestock. When adapted to the prey, the jaguar has been shown to take cattle as a large portion of its diet; while land clearance for grazing is a problem for the species, the jaguar population may have increased when cattle were first introduced to South America as the animals took advantage of the new prey base. This willingness to take livestock has induced ranch owners to hire full-time jaguar hunters, and the cat is often shot on sight.[29]
The Pantanal, Brazil, seen here in flood condition, is a critical jaguar range area.The jaguar is regulated as an Appendix I species under CITES: all international trade in jaguars or their parts is prohibited. All hunting of jaguars is prohibited in Argentina, Belize, Colombia, French Guiana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, the United States (where it is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act), Uruguay and Venezuela. Hunting of jaguars is restricted to "problem animals" in Brazil, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru, while trophy hunting is still permitted in Bolivia. The species has no legal protection in Ecuador or Guyana.[24]
Current conservation efforts often focus on educating ranch owners and promoting ecotourism.[62] The jaguar is generally defined as an umbrella species — a species whose home range and habitat requirements are sufficiently broad that, if protected, numerous other species of smaller range will also be protected.[63] Umbrella species serve as "mobile links" at the landscape scale, in the jaguar's case through predation. Conservation organizations may thus focus on providing viable, connected habitat for the jaguar, with the knowledge that other species will also benefit.[62]
Given the inaccessibility of much of the species' range—particularly the central Amazon—estimating jaguar numbers is difficult. Researchers typically focus on particular bioregions, and thus species-wide analysis is scant. In 1991, 600–1,000 (the highest total) were estimated to be living in Belize. A year earlier, 125–180 jaguars were estimated to be living in Mexico's 4,000 square kilometer (2400 mi²) Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, with another 350 in the state of Chiapas. The adjoining Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala, with an area measuring 15,000 square kilometers (9,000 mi²), may have 465–550 animals.[64] Work employing GPS–telemetry in 2003 and 2004 found densities of only six to seven jaguars per 100 square kilometers in the critical Pantanal region, compared with 10 to 11 using traditional methods; this suggests that widely used sampling methods may inflate the actual numbers of cats.[65]
On 7 January 2008 United States Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall approved a decision by the George W. Bush Administration to abandon jaguar recovery as a federal goal under the Endangered Species Act. Some critics of the decision said that the jaguar is being sacrificed for the government's new border fence, which is to be built along many of the cat's typical crossings between the United States and Mexico.[66]
In the past, conservation of jaguars sometimes occurred through the protection of jaguar "hotspots". These hotspots were described as Jaguar Conservation Units, and were large areas populated by about 50 jaguars. However, some researchers recently determined that, in order to maintain a robust sharing of the jaguar gene pool necessary for maintaining the species, it is important that the jaguars be interconnected. To effect this, a new project, the Paseo del Jaguar, as been established to connect the jaguar hotspots.[67]
Fonte-Wikipedia.
Florence Kiplagat (left) goes on to victory in 2016 Chicago Marathon.
© All rights reserved. All my images are copyrighted. Any unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. No image can be copied, reproduced, shared, altered or used in any way, both physically or electronically, without my prior written permission.
It's a low paying, physically demanding job, and the weather is often bad, but when the prairie hits its sweet spot - gentle breezes, green grass - and you're there on horseback, it may be the best job on earth. This young fellow was working with two others that day, moving a herd of cows from one pasture to the next. They all seemed to be having a great time.
Photographed near Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2016 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
On my holiday to the seaside by coach, I was dressed with bells so they could all hear where I was, and waterproof pants so I would not cause a problem on the long coach journey without any chance of a pee, I didn't need them, I was sick on the coach instead.
Coach travel often had me either feeling unwell or physically sick, I think it was the soft and often stuffy coach that made me unwell, if I traveled by bus there was never a problem.
My health problems had started as a baby when I caught the measles, it was just by luck that I survived, although in later years, poor long sight, part deafness and slightly weak bladder muscles did cause minor upsets.
My mothers lack of taking me to the doctor over my childhood problems did not solve any matters, but as I always appeared to be healthy, by not catching Mumps, German Measles, Chicken Pox and all the other childhood diseases, meant that in her mind there was never the need for me to see the doctor, as a baby I was never taken to any of the baby or toddler groups, it seemed I missed out on my free orange juice.
As I was never registered with any authorities, or attended any play groups or any areas where I might meet other children. When it came to sorting out the matter of school shortly before my 5th birthday, nothing happened, my mother had plans around this period for moving out of the area, nothing more was done about the matter of school.
For my first five years I had a totally adult influenced way of life. It was after my 6th birthday that I started school and met other children (strange creatures).
-------------------------------
With my early school reports it mentions that I don't listen, if a teacher was behind me and out of sight, I often had little idea that they were talking, in later schools, if an adult came into the room, we were meant to stop work and stand up, if I was engrossed in work, I seldom noticed this and received some form of punishment over my apparent rudeness.
In hearing tests, I proved I could hear quiet sounds, but this was tested as both ears together.
A nurse stood in a quiet hall and spoke at a distance behind me, first on one side then the other, I was able to hear both sets of sounds, however when she was standing to the left, I was simply picking up the sound with my good right ear. The other test was with a tuning fork, again when it was sounded on my poor ear I picked the sound up with my good ear.
Had one ear at a time been tested, with the other ear fully blanked off, then a different result might have been noticed.
For my sight, from the back of a classroom, some teachers writing could be difficult to follow, I just guessed at most of it. If we were required to copy down what was on the blackboard (1900-1960s learning device using chalk) in full, my version if checked later by the teacher showed minor differences.
My inability to catch a ball if it was thrown from a distance was also a failure. They decided I had double vision.
Going for a pee when I needed one in my early years was fine, providing I was allowed to go when I asked.
When out with my grandmother when we were shopping for an hour or so in the morning, I might put in the request to use the local public toilets. The answer was always "No wait a little longer", meant it was only a few of minutes before there was an accident, or a bit of a nuisance in the minds of adults. At the age of four I still often wore waterproof pants when out with my grandmother just in case.
In the afternoons when my mother took me out, I was in her choice of clothing and as she was more relaxed in allowing me the use of a public toilet, I had few problems.
Infant school gave no problems during lessons, teachers allowed us to visit the toilet in the middle of a lesson, possibly believing that it was the shyness of those that did not want to go during break when there were too many others about and now found the need.
The only problem I had for a short time was during the afternoon break when we had to lay and rest for a short period whilst we listened to the teacher read a story to us, the school had the idea that we should lay on our front, I was always use to sleeping on my side. The slight pressure when I was on my front even if I had just visited the lavatory resulted in a very small wet patch on the front of my shorts, not noticed by the others but only by the teacher, I received some sympathy, not something I had ever experienced before.
When it was mentioned to my mother, it resulted in me going back into waterproofs for school. I was a little embarrassed, but as other boys in class also wore them, I was never teased.
Eventually I solved the problem by fidgeting during our rest period, and together with a girl we were thrown out of this story time rest break and spent the time in our small playground.
My third infant school made any problems much easier to hide, for PE we changed out of our thick grey trousers into thinner shorts, during the summer months we wore these for the entire day as they were more comfortable. There were two types, the ordinary very loose type made of cotton and a slightly tighter type made of nylon, their advantage was that they were also waterproof, the tell tale sign was the elastic in the lower leg, almost half the boys wore them, so I was not alone in this choice.
From the age of eight at primary school, my bladder did give problems, I had no visible accidents during lessons, as I timed my visits to the toilet at the start of every break and at the end of the lunch break.
However delay my ability to visit the toilet at the start of these breaks, or during a fit of the giggles, and it did give problems.
Once my milk had been finished at the start of morning break, if I was allowed out it was fine.
Delay me by deciding that this was the ideal time to inflict some form of punishment, when the teachers saw me standing in a puddle it seemed to them that I was in fear, which was partly true, but in the main, it was just that I simply could not wait any longer.
Those of us from the children's homes were often refused permission to leave the room in the middle of a lesson by some of the teachers, a few from the Home had used this time as a method of searching other children's coats for money and sweets. We just had to sit at our desks and hope we could last the rest of the lesson. Kids from the Children's Home in wet trousers were not a rare sight, a punishment from most of the Sisters' once they knew we were not allowed out during lessons, would be that you had to wear waterproof pants to school for a week or so, but no other punishments.
At the age of eight the Sister in the Children's Home decided that for chapel where I would not get access to the toilet, providing me with a pair of waterproof pants to wear under my trousers might solve the matter before it started.
Slowly the list of when I should wear the waterproofs increased by Sister after the odd accident, to cover Sunday school, parties, coach & bus travel, train outings, trips into the village, visiting the governor when in trouble, and if I was in my dungarees as I might not be able to undo them in time, I was quite happy with Sisters instructions, if it stopped any chance of teasing at school or other events over damp shorts.
I was more afraid of having an accident an allowing others to see it, that others around me had accidents and after a little bit of teasing could laugh the matter off was not something I could understand, it was the thought of what Sister or my mother would have said.
In the Home there was generally no punishment if you had an accident and wore waterproofs, with my mother it would have been the lack of treats for that day. Other boys of my age at school might have made a fuss, for some the thought of been made to wear rubber pants would have been worse than be seen in wet shorts, I found it easier to go along with the adult requests.
The other alternative was to wear shorts with a plastic lining that would end in a puddle on the floor.
Little thought was given to why I might have daytime problems, and nothing was put on my medical notes as to the need to find a reason for the odd day time accident.
Hands are the chief organs for physically manipulating the environment, used for both gross motor skills (such as grasping a large object) and fine motor skills (such as picking up a small pebble). The fingertips contain some of the densest areas of nerve endings on the body, are the richest source of tactile feedback, and have the greatest positioning capability of the body; thus the sense of touch is intimately associated with hands. Like other paired organs (eyes, feet, legs), each hand is dominantly controlled by the opposing brain hemisphere, so that handedness, or the preferred hand choice for single-handed activities such as writing with a pen, reflects individual brain functioning. - Wikipedia.
Copyright © 2011 Ray Wood. All Rights Reserved.
I've had a loooooong day. I've not long got home (about 9pm) - it's been draining physically and emotionally so I'm just posting this one picture before I crash into my bed. I will comment tomorrow on all your wonderful photos.
The Sphere is a large metallic sculpture by German sculptor Fritz Koenig, currently displayed in Battery Park, that once stood in the middle of Austin Tobin Plaza, the area between the World Trade Center towers in Manhattan. After being recovered from the rubble of the Twin Towers after the September 11, 2001 attacks, its fate was initially uncertain and it was dismantled into its components. Although it remained structurally intact, it had been visibly damaged by debris from the airliners that were crashed into the buildings and the collapsing skyscrapers themselves.
Six months after the attacks, following a documentary film about the sculpture, it was relocated to Battery Park on a temporary basis—without any repairs—and formally rededicated with an eternal flame as a memorial to the victims of 9/11.
I am LOVING the Olympics, especially the swimming! Michael Phelps is a god. Physically he reminds me of my first boyfriend John, also an Olympic swimmer (he qualified but then the U.S. boycotted the 1980 Olympics) -- tall, lanky, zero body fat, broad shoulders, long arms, narrow hips, super talented.
The pool shown behind me also reminds me of my first boyfriend. During a swim meet here one weekend, we decided to sneak away (totally verboten) between races to have sex. When we got back to the pool -- late -- my heat had just dived into the water so I ran to the starting block and dove in 30 seconds behind the other swimmers and swam my race. John missed a key race and boy oh boy did we get in trouble! But hey, we were 16 and 17, head over heels in love with raging teenage hormones!
I think that was the weekend our family dog ran away too because some $*&#($ kids threw firecrackers at him. That was awful, but thankfully we did find him again.
Today was a sentimental swim because Comstock closes in a week. They're demolishing it to rebuild a spiffy new pool in its place.
53/365
I finished reading Donna Tartt's 'The Goldfinch' today, and it only took me...a week and a half. But it is 864 pages long, and quite a heavy book, both physically and metaphorically. It gives you a lot to think about, and reminds me of Friday afternoon philosophy lessons at the end of the second year when I would spend most of my time on the windowsill and we would all get so side-tracked that we would never actually learn what we were supposed to learn, but something much, much more interesting. It asks some pretty deep questions. It also reminds me a lot of some of the Russian classics, Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, not only because of the vast number of Russian characters and the fact that Dostoyevsky is mentioned a lot but the way it is written and the way it handles philosophy.
It is one of those books that I want everyone to read and I want nobody to read. It is such an amazing book, and I really want to talk about it, and I really think everyone should experience it, but then I do not want to share it, I do not want people to read it and then turn around and say that they did not enjoy it and point out all of its weaknesses. I have had that with books before, I have loved them and recommended them, and then someone has turned around and told me all the things they hated about it, and that always ruins a book for me, more so than someone telling me what happens at the end.
Ball Cam is an innovative camera-in-a-ball that Lizzie Sykes invented. She uses the cam in collaboration with dancers to produce a series of highly original dance/video pieces in which the dancers themselves are able to control the camera. These are photos of 'Compass' - a live perfomance event by Olu Tawio and Lizzie Sykes that took place at the exhibition.
ARTIST STATEMENT
"At the core of my work is the moving image. Other dynamic forms I work
with are dance, landscape and recently sound... combined with video. I love
the concept of cameras. The physical, immediate, sometimes playful nature
of the work means that now and then I need to create cameras, or bits of
cameras, to achieve the response in myself and an audience that I’m looking
for.
"Ultimately, the films are all collaborations that evolve from a response to an
initial idea. That starting point is the beginning of an organic process where
I develop and devise an idea, one that often changes out of all recognition by
working at it physically, on location."
Collaborative documentary in situ of the salon exhibition, the study gallery of modern art, poole (04-08 nov)
On occasion, in this rather crazy and serendipitous world of ours, you may be fortunate enough to meet a person who shares with you a number of characteristics or traits, whether they be a soulmate, or just a like minded soul.
Well, thanks to Flickr, I have "met" (not physically but mentally and spiritually) a number of such like minded souls (since I already have my soulmate). If you follow my photostream you will know that I am blessed to be surrounded by a number of artists, including the artisan who gave me this present, and more so, a gift that goes far beyond the present itself. Made with love, it really is the gift that keeps on glistening.
I am one of those people who really enjoy Christmas. I enjoy it for many reasons, not least of all because I get to give gifts I have gathered throughout the year to my family and friends, and I get to wrap them up in beautiful papers and bows. I don't do it for the accolades, or even for a word of appreciation. I do it because I really get so much pleasure from the gift of giving, and the art of gift giving. This artisan friend of mine is exactly the same, and a rare individual who truly appreciates the art of giving and sharing art. I feel exactly the same when giving gifts. Often it is far more than the gift itself, but the experience of receiving the gift and the delight, joy and anticipation of carefully unwrapping a piece of art, to reveal a piece of art that I am giving.
Imagine my excitement and sheer delight when my artisan friend from half way across the world sent me the most wonderful gift of a handmade tassel. This collage is made up of images I took when I received it, with the tassel at its heart, and details of the tassel tall around it.
The present came presented in pink tissue paper. As the tissue paper fell away, it revealed an ornately decorated box featuring an actress from an Eighteenth Century opera by Rameau or Lully, performed for the Sun King, as well as a beautiful French court shoe, tied with a pink satin bow decorated with bejewelled lace and silk flowers. Inside on the underside of the lid was the actress' male theatrical companion, whilst wrapped up in a star spangled transparent bag, the beautiful tassel sat on a soft bed of padding.
The tassel itself is made up of carefully selected ribbons and laces, and even a few skeins of woven wool, mostly in shades of dusky pink (one of my favourite colours), decorated with the most remarkable collection of silver charms, all of which are connected to me in a personal way: teddy bears and a hearts, love tokens, kisses, stars and a wonderful book of faerie tales which reads "once upon a time".
As you know, if you listen to my teddy bears, I'm an old softie - even more than they are - so by the time I reached the tassel, I was a blubbering mass of tears, not because I was unhappy, but because I was so touched that my artisan friend took the time to create a gift of art, so deeply faceted with layers of her careful observations of me, my likes and passions, that it quite stunned me!
I shall be forever grateful to this wonderful friend, who truly is proof that love is the indeed the gift that keeps glistening!
Merry Christmas to you all!
Desert varnish forms only on physically stable rock surfaces that are no longer subject to frequent precipitation, fracturing or wind abrasion. The varnish is primarily composed of particles of clay along with iron and manganese oxides. There is also a host of trace elements and almost always some organic matter. The color of the varnish varies from shades of brown to black. (Wikipedia)