I predict that the vast majority of people that see this would agree this looks like a magical place to visit… or even live! You definitely get your legs a daily workout going up and down these hills to eat Italian food and drink Italian coffee. And if you go uphill and downhill enough, you can even get a bit of Italian desert!

- Trey Ratcliff

Click here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

As predicted, the Pretendolino lives!

WB64 could perhaps be NC64, the set is on open ended lease to Greater Anglia as cover during the overhaul of the entire GA mk3 fleet. Presumably one of the DVT's is going as well.

25 October 2014 and 57302 leads the set with 37419 and 37682 on the rear through Glan Conwy station on the Conwy Valley branch. Silly train ain't gonna find Crown Point down there...

Google Trends Proves That Beards Aren't Dead (Or Even Dying).

Predicting the death of the beard has become an annual tradition for so-called style experts all over the internet.

Here are three tips to stay at the top of the beard game.

1. Don't be afraid to try a new style

One of the worst things we can do is get complacent with our style.

If your beard starts to look tired and dated, it makes you look like you have stopped caring, even stopped paying attention to the world around you.

Even a moderate style change can make a huge difference.

If you've been keeping a 3 or 4 inch beard, try keeping the same style, but bringing it down a couple of inches so that it more closely hugs your face.

Tighten up your look by keeping it short along the sides of the face, fade it into your hair at the sideburn, and make sure you're taking care of stray hairs by trimming regularly.

Had a goatee for years? Let your full beard grow out. Give it a bit of length and make sure you are grooming it daily. If you can't make it work, keep the full beard but try a stubble length.

If you're rocking a full beard, the possibilities are endless, but a more sleek, refined style like the Verdi is an easy first step into shaping your beard.

2. Pay attention to the little things

Attention to detail can make or break a man.

When people see that there are fly away hairs, a poorly trimmed (or not at all trimmed) neckline, or that you simply do not groom your beard at all, they're going to assume the worst.

If you can't even give your beard the attention it deserves, they'll think you don't pay attention in other areas of life, too.

Imagine the consequences when you're interviewing for a better job. Or trying to impress a potential mate.

You could lose out on a job or business opportunity, and even a relationship, because of your bad beard habits, so create a daily routine and make it a habit.

3. Condition daily with a balm or oil

Perhaps the most important method of your grooming routine, the foundation on which everything else rests, is the daily conditioning of your facial hair using a balm or an oil.

If you do nothing else, you will see significant results just from giving your beard a bit of moisturization.

Of course a balm helps control your beard and allows you to style it while keeping stray hairs in place, but your personal preference will dictate whether you use balm or oil.

The health, the shine, the overall cleanliness of your beard will be evident to all who look at it if you simply apply a bit of a natural moisturizing conditioner every morning.

Beards are not dead.

And that means more men than ever will be growing beards.

It's no longer enough to just grow a beard. You need a good beard to keep up with the competition. Get serious about your grooming habits and make sure that the more beards other men grow, the more yours stands out.

-------------------------

Candid street shot Toronto, Canada.

Taken at Knab Rock , Mumbles today with my phone after watching hail and rain showers pass furiously across the bay,

Come to Ireland. Say "It's going to rain".

Both umbrellas were confiscated shortly afterward by a banker, in a serious case of mixed idioms.

Weather reports predict the so called "Beast From The East" is due to revisit the UK over the next few days, today the 16th of March 2018 I visited Collieston Bay, its the first time I have witnessed the impact unusual weather has had on the area, it really was exhilarating and offered great photo opportunities.

Collieston is a small former fishing village on the North Sea coast in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The village lies just north of the Sands of Forvie Special Protection Area, between Cruden Bay and Newburgh.

The earliest recorded history of Collieston is of the arrival of St Ternan, a Columban monk on a mission to convert the local picts to Christianity. There is, however, evidence that people lived here during much earlier times.

Collieston was established as a fishing village by the 16th century, and it provides the first safe harbour in over fifteen miles of beachesand dunes stretching north from Aberdeen.

Fishing for herring, haddock, whiting and codflourished in the 17th century and 18th century and was the foundation of Collieston's economy. The village became known for 'Collieston Speldings', salted and sun-dried haddock and whiting, a popular delicacy throughout Britain. As drift netting developed during the mid 19th century, the fishing began to decline and the focus of the industry shifted to places like Peterhead because the harbour at Collieston was too small to safely accommodate the larger boats needed.

The numerous sea caves in the nearby cliffs, and small coves with shingle beaches provided ideal terrain for smugglers. In the late 18th century it was estimated by the Excise that up to 8000 gallons of foreign spirits were being illegally landed in the area every month. In 1798, the notorious village smuggler, Phillip Kennedy, was killed by a blow from an exciseman's cutlass. His grave and tombstone still stands in the village graveyard.

A ship from the Spanish Armada, the Santa Caterina, carrying arms for the Earl of Erroll is said to have sunk just off the rocky point of St Catherine's Dub in 1594. In retaliation for the Earl's involvement in the Catholic plot against him, James VI blew up the Earl's castle which stood on the cliffs, a mile north of Collieston. The Earl went on to rebuild Slains Castle, six miles further up the coast, in 1597.

Collieston is now mainly a commuter village serving Aberdeen, and is largely given over to tourists during the summer months.

Have a great day!

Midwest Tornadoes A well-predicted tornado outbreak swept across the Midwest on a Sunday afternoon, Nov. 17, 2013, wiping out the town of Washington, Illinois, just east of Peoria. These animation of GOES-EAST cloud top images on November 17 from 1300 to 2200 UTC/8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST verify the hundreds of severe storms that were reported across Illinois and Indiana, but do not identify which ones had tornadoes beneath them.

Credit: NASA GOES Project/Dennis Chesters

NASA image use policy.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

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As predicted, heavier snow fell overnight & I bundled up in the morning to take some photos. Just enough to make everything look pretty (for now) & give us a white Christmas!

Did you know that the "Marseille tarot" is associated with the city? Why do you ask? It was brought by Mary Magdalene, the hidden wife of Jesus. She came to Provence, not Marseille. Aren't you wondering why the decks contain 78 cards if only 22 are used? And has anyone ever told you that the Tarot was never designed to predict the future? This includes the Tarot's history and the rich symbolic significance of the Magdalene heresy that is embedded into its images. This hidden heresy relates to the recognition of Mary Magdalene as the wife of Jesus Christ. This sheds light on the need for the balance of the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine in our World today.

The gypsy clairvoyants recovered the Tarot for its particularly effective system for understanding all the unconscious mechanisms, for better orienting oneself towards the right choices, and ultimately for healing.Mary Magdalene (Mary of Magdala), the woman with the jars in Christian symbolism, could well in this case be represented in the star chart. But their hypotheses stopped there. No one had ever imagined that the Tarot itself represented the teaching and life of Mary Magdalene in its entirety, let alone that the Tarot had been created by Mary Magdalene herself in the first century.It changes the dating of the Tarot from the 14th century to the 1st century AD with Mary Magdalene, the Tarot de Marseille thus becoming the ancestor of all Western tarot cards, i.e. "the Tarot".

Historians and experts say that the Tarot originated in Italy during the Renaissance, towards the end of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th. On the other hand, nobody thought that the Tarot de Marseille itself came from Marseille.Mary Magdalene is the Saint who was the first witness to Christ's resurrection. In other words, she sees the Resurrection. Now, in the Tarot, if you look again at the Judgement and the World side by side, you will see that the Saint in the World card is looking in the direction of the light blue Christ who is rising from his tomb. So here we have a major Tarot code which explains that the naked Saint in the World card is the one who witnesses Christ's resurrection.

fr.camoin.com/tarot/Tarot-Marie-Madeleine-Magdala.html

This tradition begins with the MAT, the traveller who sets off in search of the Grail, but also the people of the MAT, the gypsies. The tradition was reborn with esotericism around 1880. That's when Wirth arrived at Guaita's. How did they send this to Waite? He's still waiting for the piece of the jigsaw to be put together into a clearer system. We're sticking to the stuff available in the web stock.

Oswald Wirth is known for his occult and esoteric work on the Tarot de Marseille. He produced his own version of the 22 Major Arcana cards, and also worked on representing the Minor Arcana with the help of Gérard Encausse, known as Papus, who also studied the Tarot for occult and esoteric purposes, and Arthur Edward Waite, who also produced his own tarot with the popular success we all know. The links between Wirth and Waite are still a secret, but the agility at the heart of esoteric houses and the porosity that may have existed before the 1914 war. Today it's remains like a mirage and that's hard to imagine an other mind. So I've tried to compile some information about these great men, these great initiates, because today everything has been reduced and simplified.

The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot is a deck of tarot cards traditionally used for divination and spiritual practice. It was designed by English illustrator Arthur Edward Waite and American designer Pamela Colman Smith, and first published in 1909. It uses the codes and symbols of the Tarot de Stanislas de la Guaita illustrated by Oswald Wirth. Oswald Wirth was Stanislas de Guaita's secretary, and in collaboration with him drew a Tarot, which has since been republished as the Wirth Tarot. It is also known for its occult symbols and its references to the Hermetic tradition and the Kabbalah. The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot is one of the most popular and widely used tarot decks in the world. It has inspired many interpreters, authors and practitioners of divination, as well as artists and writers.

Wrapping it All Up…

To summarize, the Nine of Cups is a card of actualization, accomplishment and indulgence. It can also mean the reverse depending on its orientation. It holds significance in many areas of your life, from success and riches, to love and loss. Spiritually, it speaks to a feeling of fulfillment, and materially, it calls to plenty. That was everything you might need to know about the Nine of Cups and the meanings associated with drawing the card. We feel the need to clarify that despite the orientation you may draw the card in, not to fret or become too complacent. The tarot cards do not control or enforce their readings in any aspect of your life. They tell a possible story, based on divination and your own vibrations that attract their energies. Because of this, you can play into the reading or shatter expectations completely.There is not much to say about the booklet because there are only 5 translated pages per language. A brief summary of Oswald Wirth's life precedes the presentation of the 22 cards of the Major Arcana. Each card has an explanation in 3 or 4 sentences. The publisher guarantees that the meanings are as faithful as possible to Wirth's vision.

en.tarotquest.fr/review-en-007-golden-wirth-tarot.html

Remember that even drawing the card upright does not mean you can sit back and good things will come to you. The card calls you to action to go after what you want, appreciate what you have, and indulge in the rewards. Conversely, drawing the Nine of Cups in reverse calls you to exercise caution, reflection, and self-discovery. This is because whether it’s the stars, a roll of the dice, or the draw of the card doesn’t matter. The Universe guides us, not shackles us to our fate, and ultimately you alone are in control of your life.

Wirth is best known as the author of Le Tarot des imagiers du Moyen Âge (1927), translated and published in English as The Tarot of the Magicians. Joseph Paul Oswald Wirth (5 August 1860, Brienz, Canton of Bern – 9 March 1943) was a Swiss occultist, artist and author. He studied esotericism and symbolism with Stanislas de Guaita and in 1889 he created, under the guidance of de Guaita, a cartomantic Tarot consisting only of the twenty-two Major Arcana. Known as "Les 22 Arcanes du Tarot Kabbalistique", it followed the designs of the Tarot de Marseille closely but introduced several alterations, incorporating extant occult symbolism into the cards. The Wirth/de Guaita deck is significant in the history of the tarot for being the first in a long line of occult, cartomantic, and initiatory decks.

The occult in life: Stanislas de Guaita - memories of his secretary Oswald Wirth

They recruited Gérard Encausse to help rebuild the tradition of alchemists. Encausse, who went by the pseudonym “Papus”, was a Spanish-born French physician and occultist who had written books on magic, Cabalah and the Tarot. From the end of the 19th century until his death, Oswald Wirth (1860-1943) exercised a veritable moral magisterium over French alchemy. Through his works and the magazine Le Symbolisme, which he founded and edited, he made a major contribution to restoring to alchemy its spiritualist and symbolic dimension, largely abandoned during the 19th century in favor of political battles. His personality and aura inspired Jules Romain to create the character of Alchemist Lengnau in Recherche d'une Eglise (volume 7 of Les Hommes de bonne Volonté). Initiated in January 1884 in a Châlons-sur-Marne laboratory during his military service, he left the alchemists of France to join the Great Work shortly after settling in Paris. Secretary to Stanislas de Guaïta (1861-1897), a writer and poet whom his friend Maurice Barrès described as "the renovator of occultism", he owed it to him, by his own admission, to "write legibly". Although he denounced what he called "low occultism", Wirth (who was a magnetizer) nourished part of his symbolic reflection with Hermetic contributions.

Oswald Wirth's symbolic tarot is one of the few tarot cards to reveal the key to the knowledge of the ancient initiates, secretly conveyed for millennia.

The theosophical reductions (what can be learned from the experience we live) and the tetrads (the experience itself, its origin and its possible development), enable everyone to interpret the messages of the 78 beautifully illustrated cards with accuracy and precision. The historical tarot deck, created in the Marseilles style, is based upon the original designs by famous Swiss kabbalist and occultist Oswald Wirth. The 22 Major Arcana first appeared in 1889 in a hand-colored limit edition deck. The 22 Major cards have French titles and the Hebrew letters attributed to each card by Eliphas Levi, and popularized by Oswald Wirth. This authorized full 78-card deck is printed with vivid colors on gold background. The 56 Minor Arcana cards present the four traditional suits of Swords, Batons, Cups and Coins. The pack includes a booklet of commentary by Stuart R.

www.usgamesinc.com/oswald-wirth-tarot.html

Stanislas de Guaita (6 April 1861, Tarquimpol, Moselle – 19 December 1897, Tarquimpol) was a French poet based in Paris, an expert on esotericism and European mysticism, and an active member of the Rosicrucian Order. He was very celebrated and successful in his time. He had many disputes with other people who were involved with occultism and magic. Occultism and magic were part of his novels. De Guaita came from a noble Italian family who had relocated to France, and as such his title was 'Marquis', or Marquess. He was born in the castle of Alteville in the commune of Tarquimpol, Moselle, and went to school at the lyceum in Nancy, where he studied chemistry, metaphysics and Cabala. As a young man, he moved to Paris, and his luxurious apartment became a meeting place for poets, artists, and writers who were interested in esotericism and mysticism. In the 1880s, Guaita published two collections of poetry The Dark Muse (1883) and The Mystic Rose (1885), which became popular. De Guaita was influenced by the writings of l'Abbé Alphonse-Louis Constant, alias Eliphas Lévi, a prominent French occultist who was initiated in London to rosicrucianism by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1854. Eliphas Lévi was also initiated as a Freemason on 14 March 1861 in the Grand Orient de France Lodge La Rose du Parfait Silence at the Orient of Paris. De Guaita became further interested in occultism after reading a novel by Joséphin Péladan which was interwoven with Rosicrucian and occult themes. In Paris, de Guaita and Péladan became acquainted, and in 1884, the two decided to try to rebuild the Rosicrucian Brotherhood. They recruited Gérard Encausse to help rebuild the brotherhood. Encausse, who went by the pseudonym “Papus”, was a Spanish-born French physician and occultist who had written books on magic, Cabalah and the Tarot.

In 1888, De Guaita founded the Ordre kabbalistique de la Rose-Croix, or the Kabbalistic Order of the Rose-Cross. Rosicrucianism is an esoteric movement which first began with the publication of the three Rosicrucian Manifestos in the early 17th century. Guaita's Rosicrucian Order provided training in the Cabala, an esoteric form of Jewish and Christian mysticism, which attempts to reveal hidden mystical insights in the Bible and divine nature. The order also conducted examinations and provided university degrees on Cabala topics. Guaita had a large private library of books on metaphysical issues, magic, and the "hidden sciences." He was nicknamed the "Prince of the Rosicrucians" by his contemporaries for his broad learning on Rosicrucian issues. Papus, Peladan, and Antoine de La Rochefoucauld were prominent members. Maurice Barrès was a close friend of De Guaita.

In the late 1880s, the Abbé Boullan, a defrocked Catholic Priest and the head of a schismatic branch called the “Church of the Carmel” led a “magical war” against de Guaita. French-Belgian novelist Joris K. Huysmans, a supporter of Boullan, portrayed De Guaita as a Satanic sorcerer in the novel La Bas. Another of Boullan’s supporters, the writer Jules Bois, challenged De Guaita to a pistol duel. De Guaita agreed and took part in the duel, but as both men missed, no one was hurt.

By the 1890s, De Guaita's, Papus' and Péladan’s collaboration became increasingly strained by disagreements over strategy and doctrines. Guaita and Papus lost the support of Péladan, who left to start a competing order. De Guaita died in 1897 at the age of 36.

His original drawing of an inverted pentagram with a goat's head appeared in La Clef de la Magie Noire (The Key to Black Magic), published the year he died. It later became conflated with Baphomet, or the Sabbatic Goat. In 1888, De Guaita founded the Ordre kabbalistique de la Rose-Croix, or the Kabbalistic Order of the Rose-Cross. Rosicrucianism is an esoteric movement which first began with the publication of the three Rosicrucian Manifestos in the early 17th century. Guaita's Rosicrucian Order provided training in the Cabala, an esoteric form of Jewish and Christian mysticism, which attempts to reveal hidden mystical insights in the Bible and divine nature. The order also conducted examinations and provided university degrees on Cabala topics. Guaita had a large private library of books on metaphysical issues, magic, and the "hidden sciences." He was nicknamed the "Prince of the Rosicrucians" by his contemporaries for his broad learning on Rosicrucian issues. Papus, Peladan, and Antoine de La Rochefoucauld were prominent members. Maurice Barrès was a close friend of De Guaita. In the late 1880s, the Abbé Boullan, a defrocked Catholic Priest and the head of a schismatic branch called the “Church of the Carmel” led a “magical war” against de Guaita. French-Belgian novelist Joris K. Huysmans, a supporter of Boullan, portrayed De Guaita as a Satanic sorcerer in the novel La Bas. Another of Boullan’s supporters, the writer Jules Bois, challenged De Guaita to a pistol duel. De Guaita agreed and took part in the duel, but as both men missed, no one was hurt. By the 1890s, De Guaita's, Papus' and Péladan’s collaboration became increasingly strained by disagreements over strategy and doctrines. Guaita and Papus lost the support of Péladan, who left to start a competing order. De Guaita died in 1897 at the age of 36. His original drawing of an inverted pentagram with a goat's head appeared in La Clef de la Magie Noire (The Key to Black Magic), published the year he died. It later became conflated with Baphomet, or the Sabbatic Goat.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislas_de_Guaita

Lévi and Wirth interests also included Freemasonry and Astrology. He wrote many books in French regarding Freemasonry, most importantly a set of three volumes explaining Freemasonry's first three degrees. On January 28, 1884, Wirth was initiated in the regular Scottish Rite Masonic Lodge La Bienfaisance Châlonnaise affiliated to the Grand Orient of France. In 1889, he joined the Scottish Rite Travail et les Vrais Amis Fidèles where he became Grand Master . In 1898, the latter lodge was admitted to the Grand Lodge of France.

Works[edit]

Le Livre de Thot comprenant les 22 arcanes du Tarot (1889).

L'Imposition des mains et la médecine philosophale (1897), Paris.

La Franc-maçonnerie rendue intelligible à ses adeptes, sa philosophie, son objet, sa méthode, ses moyens, three volumes:

Vol. I: Le livre de l'Apprenti : manuel d'instruction rédigé à l'usage des FF. du 1er degré (1893, 2nd revised edition 1908), Paris.

Vol. II: Le livre du Compagnon : manuel d'instruction rédigé à l'usage des FF. du 2° degré (1912), Paris.

Vol. III: Le livre du Maître : manuel d'instruction rédigé à l'usage des FF. du 3° degré (1922), Paris.

Le Symbolisme hermétique dans ses rapports avec l'alchimie et la franc-maçonnerie (1910), Paris.

Les Signes du zodiaque, leur symbolisme initiatique (1921), Paris.

Le Serpent vert (1922) (translation and analysis of Das Märchen by Goethe), Paris.

L'Idéal initiatique (1924), Paris.

Le Tarot des imagiers du Moyen Âge (1927), Paris.

Introduction à l’étude du tarot (1931), Paris.

Les Mystères de l'art royal - Rituel de l'adepte (1932), Paris.

Stanislas de Guaïta, souvenirs de son secrétaire (1935), Paris.

Le Symbolisme astrologique : planètes, signes du zodiaque, maisons de l'horoscope, aspects, étoiles fixes (1938), Paris.

Qui est régulier ? Le pur maçonnisme sous le Régime des Grandes Loges inauguré en 1717 (1938), Paris.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oswald_Wirth

Interpretation of this Cards

Ace of Cups's Meaning

The Ace of Cups signifies the beginning of period of strong emotional health for you. Expect copious joy, happiness, and love to surround you during this time. Existing personal relationships may strengthen, meaningful new ones are likely to form. If marriage is in your future, you are likely to lay the foundations for it during this time.The Ace of Cups represents overall satisfaction throughout all different areas of your life. It predicts success and abundance through use of good intuition and creativity. New relationships or possibly a birth or pregnancy could be associated with these positive outlooks.

www.trustedtarot.com/cards/ace-of-cups/

The Wheel of Fortune's Meaning

Symbolic of life's cycles, the Wheel of Fortune speaks to good beginnings. Most likely, you will find the events foretold to be positive, but, being aspects of luck, they may also be beyond your control and influence. Tend those things you can control with care, and learn not to agonize over the ones you cannot.

www.trustedtarot.com/cards/wheel-of-fortune/

The Star's Meaning

The Star's presence signifies a period of respite and renewal for you. This renewal may be spiritual, physical, or both. It is a particularly positive sign if you or someone close is recovering from illness or injury. It is a light in the darkness, illuminating your future and your past.

www.trustedtarot.com/cards/the-star/

Eight of Wands's Meaning

Prepare yourself for an abrupt increase in the pace of your life. Things are about to get very busy. They good news is that any projects you begin will progress quickly, you will experience few delays, and the conclusion is likely to be successful. This card is also good news for relationships, although it raises the possibility of needing to travel for relationships. All things considered, this is a good card to find in your spread, as long as you are willing to buckle down and get to work.

www.trustedtarot.com/cards/eight-of-wands/

Drawing on Success: Nine of Cups Tarot Card Meaning

What else is there to glean from the card? It represents the fulfillment of a goal or some deep, unfulfilled desire. But tarot cards are tricky business. Their meaning is usually tied to the context of a situation, and in fact many diviners will read more than one card during a fortune telling. The meaning of Nine of Cups then, can change depending on its adjacent cards.

Its meaning can also change depending on where you are in life. What you’re struggling with, or where you’ve been or are going also changes the card’s meaning. Our tarot aficionados reading this article will also acutely point out that tarot cards have two different meanings, depending on the orientation that the card is facing when drawn. The Nine of Cups upright meaning is different from the Nine of Cups reversed meaning!

We’ll go over as many of these as we can in this article, to prepare you for everything you’d need to expect after drawing this card. Maybe you’re a tarot card enthusiast brushing up on knowledge or maybe you’ve recently had or thought about getting a divination. Perhaps you’re simply curious and want to find out more. Whatever the case, we hope you find this article educational, enlightening, and most importantly, fun! Without further ado, everything you need to know about the Nine of Cups:

Upright: Everything You Need to Know(That We can Think of!)

After a long trial in your life, the Nine of Cups represents a positive, fruitful conclusion. The nine cups are sometimes interpreted to mean different ups and downs, or different challenges you’ve faced before now. Now is important, because the Nine of Cups encourages you to ‘drink up.’ That you should happily partake in the success you have worked and endured for. The tarot card is a wake-up call that you have entered a positive chapter in your life, and should enjoy it. The Nine of Cups can also refer to something in the future in a different context. If you are yearning for something, and draw the Nine of Cups, there’s a good chance it will come true! Indeed, this tarot card is sometimes referred to as the wish card. Because of its association with fulfillment and plenty, the tarot card also has positive meanings in health, love, career and finances. We’ll go over each below: Career-wise, the Nine of Cups focuses more on the confident, successful man more than the cups of blessings themselves. You will find yourself taking in the admiration of your peers and workmates. It’s likely that tasks you found challenging or difficult before are becoming easier or even menial to accomplish. This is the time to look towards possible advancement in your position. Maybe move to a different job that holds better opportunities. This is also a prime time to ask for a raise. Move confidently. Though arrogance is a fool’s errand, don’t shy away from the rewards waiting for you. Your superiors are likely more receptive towards such moves in light of your increase in skill. Most importantly, at the end of the journey symbolized by the nine cups, you’ve likely earned this.ust as in your career, financially the Nine of Cups signifies blessings and comfort. This is the time to relax, to treat yourself a little. From tiny things like the raise you’re likely to score to a bonus on performance here and there, things will add up. While thrift is a virtue in itself, it can’t hurt to celebrate your success a little. You’ll likely need it.Remember that the good times won’t last forever. Fear of what is to come often takes away from the now. Remember that you’ve earned the success and subsequent rewards that come to you. In fact, what we’re going over next has a lot to do with the opposite of everything you’ve read so far. The reversed meaning of this card in particular is a sign of the bad times to come.To summarize, the Nine of Cups is a card of actualization, accomplishment and indulgence. It can also mean the reverse depending on its orientation. It holds significance in many areas of your life, from success and riches, to love and loss. Spiritually, it speaks to a feeling of fulfillment, and materially, it calls to plenty.

That was everything you might need to know about the Nine of Cups and the meanings associated with drawing the card. We feel the need to clarify that despite the orientation you may draw the card in, not to fret or become too complacent. The tarot cards do not control or enforce their readings in any aspect of your life. They tell a possible story, based on divination and your own vibrations that attract their energies. Because of this, you can play into the reading or shatter expectations completely.

Remember that even drawing the card upright does not mean you can sit back and good things will come to you. The card calls you to action to go after what you want, appreciate what you have, and indulge in the rewards. Conversely, drawing the Nine of Cups in reverse calls you to exercise caution, reflection, and self-discovery. This is because whether it’s the stars, a roll of the dice, or the draw of the card doesn’t matter. The Universe guides us, not shackles us to our fate, and ultimately you alone are in control of your life.

trusted-astrology.com/nine-of-cups-meaning/

Originally from German-speaking Switzerland, Oswald Wirth (1860-1943) arrived in Paris at the age of twenty. Here he became acquainted with various enthusiasts of the occult sciences, in particular the members of the Société Magnétique de France, among whom he soon became known for his abilities as a "curative magnetiser". After a short stay in London, in 1884 he joined the Grand Orient de France, an event that kindled his interest in Masonic symbolism.Early in 1887 he met Stanislas de Guaita, with whom he formed a deep and indissoluble friendship. The Marquis introduced the young man to the study of the Cabala and the Tarot, and after the necessary period of apprenticeship welcomed him as a member of the OKCR, the Kabbalistic Order of the Rosicrucians. Having noticed his drawing skills, he suggested that Wirth design a new deck, with the aim of restoring the cards to their "hieroglyphic purity", as Eliphas Lévi had wished in his day.En partant de la base de deux jeux, le Tarot de Marseille (un Tarot de Besançon précisément) et un jeu italien, Wirth fit une élaboration importante, surtout en ce qui concernait (selon sa vision) la correction des erreurs présentes, la juste attribution des couleurs et les détails singuliers des figures. Ainsi virent le jour, après à peine un an, Les XXII Arcanes du Tarot kabbalistique, restitués à leur pureté hiéroglyphique sous les indications de Stanislas de Guaita (Paris, 1889).Early in 1887 he met Stanislas de Guaita, with whom he formed a deep and indissoluble friendship. The Marquis introduced the young man to the study of the Cabala and the Tarot, and after the necessary period of apprenticeship welcomed him as a member of the OKCR, the Kabbalistic Order of the Rosicrucians. Having noticed his drawing skills, he suggested that Wirth design a new deck, with the aim of restoring the cards to their "hieroglyphic purity", as Eliphas Lévi had wished in his day.The reference to Guaita was accurate because, although the Marquis left no writings on the Tarot, it is correct to think that Wirth's Arcana were an expression of his teachings. Wirth himself acknowledged that he had been introduced to the mysteries of esotericism by his spiritual father."Guaita, knowing me to be a draughtsman, advised me from our first meeting in the spring of 1887, to restore the 22 Arcana of the Tarot to their hieroglyphic purity, and immediately documented this by entrusting me with two tarots, one French and the other Italian, as well as the Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie, the capital work of Eliphas Levi, in which the Tarot is the subject of copious commentaries. This was the starting point for the present work, whose spiritual authorship is attributable to Stanislas de Guaita. Having submitted to him a first Tarot redesigned according to the rough decks compared, this learned occultist offered me his criticisms, which were taken into account when the Kabbalistic Tarot was published in 1889. (...) With the help of Stanislas de Guaita, I set to work to acquire the science of symbolism that would allow me to reconstitute the Tarot. (...) As soon as one succeeds in making the symbols speak, they surpass all speeches in eloquence, for they enable one to rediscover the lost Word, that is to say the eternal living thought of which they are the enigmatic expression. Decipher the hieroglyphs of the profound silent wisdom common to thinkers of all ages and religions, of myths and poetic fictions, and you will come up with concordant notions relating to the problems that have always preoccupied the human mind". (Oswald Wirth, The 22 Arcana of the Kabbalistic Tarot restored to their hieroglyphic purity under the guidance of Stanislas de Guaita). Each major arcana is marked with a Hebrew letter, according to the scheme devised by Eliphas Levi. According to many, Wirth had the merit of knowing how to accept and summarise the thought and principles of the most important Masonic initiatory currents. He used them to interpret the secrets of the Great Work, devoting himself to the study of alchemy, the Cabala and the Tarot. For Wirth, symbolism was a universal value, and he tried to bring the teachings of the various esoteric schools down to a common matrix through the use of a common symbology, derived directly from the archetypal concepts of Masonic thought. He wrote texts on the Tarot in which he defined the art of divination as a kind of priesthood, and numerous texts on Freemasonry, in which he tried to make the institution comprehensible to laymen and adepts alike in a simple yet transcendent way:

"Such a definition is realistic if we consider that the person exercising divination must feel himself to be a 'mediator', a 'means', an 'intermediary' and an 'instrument' of such capacity. A priest is: the moment he performs a ritual, the power of that ritual captivates and involves him to the point where it almost cancels out his very personality."

www.franck-durand.fr/lhistoire-oswald-wirth-tarot-du-moye...

1929 Knapp-Hall

Published in Los Angeles using the chromo lithography process, this deck of seventy-eight cards is the oldest tarot deck inspired by Wirth's that we have been able to find. It was created by the artist J. Augustus Knapp (1853-1938) in collaboration with Manly P. Hall, director of the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles. In addition to the many features of the Wirth tarot on each illustration, the yellow cartouche is as it appeared on Oswald Wirth's first tarot: with the title in capitals (and the World with the double numbering 21 and 22). The fifty-six minor arcana are freely created. The backs of the cards also feature the word TARO (without the T). This deck was republished in 1985 by the USGS under the name Knapp-Hall Tarot.

www.tarot-artisanal.fr/enquete-des-tarots-dits-de-oswald-...

As i predicted in my Magical player shot, Rogers Federer took his revenge against Novak Djokovic yesterday by beating him (7-6,7-6, 6-4)

By winning this game, Federer achieved:

1) His 4 th straight US open (2004-2005-2006 and 2007). It's a new record.

2) 12 th Grand Slam titles (the second after Sampras who has won 14 Grand Slem titles

3) 2,4 millions dollars for just the US open title (poor of him)

To see my tennis set

Have a great week !

Weather.com predicted cloudy skies on Sunday evening. Good thing I ignored their forecast and decided to shoot anyway. Turns out, the skies were clear enough for a pretty decent sunset, captured from East Boston in the LoPresti Park area. Admittedly, the composition is a bit busy, but I had little else to work with, so here you go.

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The red mother eye is watching

Born Friday morning. All is well.

Great Canadian Loon -- This diver is well-known in Canada, appearing on the "loonie" coin and the previous series of $20 bill, and is the provincial bird of Ontario. Also, it is the state bird of Minnesota.

The voice and appearance of the Great Northern Loon has made it prominent in several Native American tales. These include a story of a loon which created the world in a Chippewa story; a Micmac saga describes Kwee-moo, the loon who was a special messenger of Glooscap (Glu-skap), the tribal hero; native tribes of British Columbia believed that an excess of calls from this bird predicted rain, and even brought it; and the tale of the loon's necklace was handed down in many versions among Pacific Coast peoples. Folk names include big loon, black-billed loon, call-up-a-storm, ember-goose, greenhead, guinea duck, imber diver, ring-necked loon, and walloon.

From wikipedia

SkyFire predicted a decent chance of a colorful sunset on this day before the remnants of Hurricane Rosa arrived, so I decided to check out the Burnham badlands in NW New Mexico. Not as showy or well known as other hoodoo lands in the Bisti and Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah, there was still plenty to see and photograph. Best of all, my pal Colorado Plateau photographer extraordinaire Cecil Whitt & I had the place all to ourselves.

This Sunday was an exciting day at the flea market! Funnily enough, I predicted that we would find treasures. It was Colleen's last day of sort of summer vacation (meaning she would go back to working both jobs instead of just one). On top of that, we had plans to hang out with our friend, Lisa, in the afternoon. It's always on those busy days that you find cool stuff, but don't have the chance to enjoy it. I just knew we would finally have a fruitful weekend at the flea market on the day we had other plans in the afternoon. Despite the gloomy weather, there were exciting things to be found. The pieces of American Girl clothes were all super cheap--$1 to $2 each. The seller had seen us at another booth nearby looking at doll clothes. When we passed his table, he beckoned us over asking if we collected American Girl clothes. It seriously pays off sometimes to be very open about collecting dolls, because I never would have noticed the AG clothes on his table if he hadn't motioned us over. The coolest thing about these pieces is the fact that we completed two of our outfits. We FINALLY got the diaper and a pair of shoes to go with Billie Jean's "meet" outfit. Colleen also noticed that a pair of the shoes were the ones that went with Bitty Baby's Pretty Pink Outfits (both getups were ironically purchased at the flea market back in 2014). There were a few other AG odds and ends we snagged too, like Samantha's gaiters.

In the lower portion of the flea market, down the hill into a somewhat muddy area, we walked by a booth with vintage toys. I studied the table as we passed, but didn't see anything worthwhile. However, on the ground on the right side of the booth I spotted an open vintage case (looked like a hatbox almost) and a cardboard box beside it. At first it just looked like a bunch of figurines from the 60s. But as we started to continue onward, Skooter caught the corner of my eye. Immediately I pounced. It turns out there was another Skipper there too. She was a Twist 'N Turn Waist doll with a mutilated leg. Colleen picked her up too for purchase. The Ideal Toys dolls caught my attention as well. I knew they weren't Tammy, but I couldn't figure out if they were from her family/friend line or were different dolls altogether. When Colleen inquired about the price, the man said he'd unload it all for $20. Normally, with the amount of stuff and condition of it, we wouldn't have paid that much. But with 60s doll items, sometimes a singular dolly will be marked that much (I think Colleen paid $25 for her first Skooter doll at an antique store in a handmade outfit). It turns out that we got Misty, Tammy's friend, and Pepper, her little sister. Additionally, there was this awesome Supergirl included! Ironically, I almost left Todd behind because he was so grotesque. I had been wanting a Todd or Tutti doll since 2011, when we got back into collecting. 60s Barbies were some of the first thing that really excited us in those days. Todd was so foul and covered in goop, I mistook him for a freaky figurine. But something told me not to leave him behind. The moment I held him at home, I lost it when I realized who he was. Plus, he was wearing his original outfit!!! Who doesn't love a doll who needs all that TLC?!! The little doll house furniture will work well for our mini houses we've had since we were kids. It's from the Ideal Toys Petite Princess Furniture line. Many of the pieces were broken beyond repair, but these were the things we could work with. Plus, we found two 60s Barbie clothing items--Ken and Ricky's jackets (I seriously would have died if Ricky had been included...he's in the top ten cutest boy dolls ever list).

The two Babysitters Inc Skipper dolls were from the elderly couple we always buy from. I also snagged an Ever After High body donor from them. The poor girl had a missing eye that was sharpied over. But she was still wearing her outfit AND had both hands. It was cheaper buying the donor doll than getting a pair of hands from Mattel's Replacement Part website (this is why it makes more sense to use dolls who are too far gone as body/part donors rather than trying to fix them all).

As for the Cabbage Patch boy, he is without a doubt my favorite find. I was feeling the Cabbie Fever on Sunday...so was Colleen. At the flea market there are always sellers who put boxes and containers of random junk (literally) on the ground and on tables. They do not take any of it out, you are meant to dig through the bins. Usually I do a quick once over of these booths since they have boring things (like homeware). But as we finished an aisle, I saw a yarn head in a clear container. Immediately my doll senses tingled...I knew it was something cool. From a distance the hair color reminded me of my 1985 Twins. I tried to not get overly amped, knowing it was probably a very similar doll to one I already had. However, as I neared I noticed his legs looked abnormally long and like a slightly different texture. When I turned this guy over I saw the freckles and the cheaper looking head/hair. Immediately I thought to myself, "This is one of the foreign CPKs. Jesmar perhaps?" Sure enough he sported the Jesmar tag (his outfit is also original--tagged Jesmar too). The poor fella was foul, covered in stains and smelling like a dumpster. His condition alone warranted a rescue. The seller was super nice and only wanted $6 for him. I suppose he could have been cheaper, but since sellers at our flea market want $25 for a CPK doll usually, it was a deal. We named him Picasso, and he was a wonderful addition to our CPK family.

Dolls in photo from left to right:

-1984 Cabbage Patch Kids (Jesmar)

-1977 Charlie's Angels Sabrina

-1965 Tutti's Tiny Twin Todd

-1966 Pocketbook Doll Jan

-1967 Super Queen Supergirl

-1965 Tammy's Best Friend Misty

-1965 Tammy's Sister Pepper

-1964 Skipper's Friend Skooter

-1968 Twist 'N Turn Waist Skipper

-2018 Babysitters Inc. "Stroller" Skipper

-2019 Babysitters Inc. "Bedtime" Skipper

Questa foto di fioritura con gocce di pioggia è la mia favorita per raffigurare la Primavera !

Mi voglio attenere alle stagioni quando cominciano e finiscono, seguo l'evolversi delle stagioni, mi piace la bellezza che ogni stagione offre !

*************

Quest'anno sta succedendo qualcosa di particolare un pò anomalo, ma talvolta è successo anche negli anni passati.

L'anno scorso non era così e nemmeno nel 2016, anzi in questi due anni trascorsi la primavera è arrivata in anticipo !

****************

Cosa sta succedendo adesso?

SARA' PRIMAVERA TARDIVA

Di certo sarà una stagione tardiva questa Primavera. Le previsioni che si spingono a lungo termine, prospettano un clima piuttosto incerto, molto spesso con temperature sotto la media. Sempre più notiamo che i lettori non si stupiscono affatto del tempo primaverile variabile, anche freddo. Ciò perché nel passato ci sono stati parecchi eventi rigidi in piena primavera, anche in aprile avanzato.

TARDIVE PRIMAVERA, NON SONO UNA NOVITA'

Le tardive primavere non sono una novità degli ultimi anni, ci sono state anche in passato. Ma questo marzo sembrerebbe essere peggiore della media delle primavere che esplodono tardivamente.

PROIEZIONI STAGIONALI, CONFERME

Stiamo osservando quotidianamente i vari aggiornamenti dei modelli stagionali, osservazione che supporta chiaramente scenari invernali duraturi. Ora si guarda con interesse il possibile trend meteo climatico di aprile ed anche in questo caso è possibile scorgere gli effetti di dinamiche orientate alla prosecuzione del freddo su una larga fetta del Vecchio Continente.

(Meteo Giornale)

****

This photo of flowering with raindrops is my favorite to depict Spring!

I want to stick to the seasons when they start and end, I follow the seasons, I like the beauty that every season offers!

*************

This year something particular is happening a little anomalous, but sometimes it happened in past years.

Last year it was not like that and not even in 2016, indeed in these last two years spring has arrived in advance!

****************

What's happening now?

IT WILL BE LATE SPRING

Of course this Spring will be a late season. The long-term forecasts predict a rather uncertain climate, very often with below-average temperatures. More and more we notice that readers are not surprised at all of the variable spring time, even cold. This is because in the past there were several rigid events in full spring, even in late April.

LATE SPRING, ARE NOT A NEW

The late springs are not new in recent years, there have been in the past. But this March would seem to be worse than the average of the springs that explode belatedly.

SEASONAL SCREENINGS, CONFIRMATION

We are observing daily the various updates of seasonal models, observation that clearly supports lasting winter scenarios. Now you look at the possible climatic trend in April with interest and also in this case you can see the effects of dynamics oriented to the continuation of the cold on a large slice of the Old Continent.

(Meteo Giornale)

On night of August 26, 2017, I checked and there are only a little over 1,500 views to go; so this is going to happen sooner than I thought, like maybe August 27, 2017.

My thanks to each and every one of you for each and every one of them. Dorothy Delina Porter aka Pixel Packing Mama

Delina is pronounced with a long *i* sound if you are saying it out loud in your brain right now. Actually, it is still pronounced that way whether you are or are not saying it out loud in your brain. *grin*

"ARTSY sign for reaching 25 Million Views"

Weather reports predict the so called "Beast From The East" is due to revisit the UK over the next few days, today the 16th of March 2018 I visited Collieston Bay, its the first time I have witnessed the impact unusual weather has had on the area, it really was exhilarating and offered great photo opportunities.

Collieston is a small former fishing village on the North Sea coast in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The village lies just north of the Sands of Forvie Special Protection Area, between Cruden Bay and Newburgh.

The earliest recorded history of Collieston is of the arrival of St Ternan, a Columban monk on a mission to convert the local picts to Christianity. There is, however, evidence that people lived here during much earlier times.

Collieston was established as a fishing village by the 16th century, and it provides the first safe harbour in over fifteen miles of beachesand dunes stretching north from Aberdeen.

Fishing for herring, haddock, whiting and codflourished in the 17th century and 18th century and was the foundation of Collieston's economy. The village became known for 'Collieston Speldings', salted and sun-dried haddock and whiting, a popular delicacy throughout Britain. As drift netting developed during the mid 19th century, the fishing began to decline and the focus of the industry shifted to places like Peterhead because the harbour at Collieston was too small to safely accommodate the larger boats needed.

The numerous sea caves in the nearby cliffs, and small coves with shingle beaches provided ideal terrain for smugglers. In the late 18th century it was estimated by the Excise that up to 8000 gallons of foreign spirits were being illegally landed in the area every month. In 1798, the notorious village smuggler, Phillip Kennedy, was killed by a blow from an exciseman's cutlass. His grave and tombstone still stands in the village graveyard.

A ship from the Spanish Armada, the Santa Caterina, carrying arms for the Earl of Erroll is said to have sunk just off the rocky point of St Catherine's Dub in 1594. In retaliation for the Earl's involvement in the Catholic plot against him, James VI blew up the Earl's castle which stood on the cliffs, a mile north of Collieston. The Earl went on to rebuild Slains Castle, six miles further up the coast, in 1597.

Collieston is now mainly a commuter village serving Aberdeen, and is largely given over to tourists during the summer months.

This brings us to Sir Doktor Professor Karl Raimund Popper’s attack on historicism. As I said in Chapter 5, this was his most significant insight, but it remains his least known. People who do not really know his work tend to focus on Popperian falsification, which addresses the verification or n...

#freeebook #freebook #ebook #book #Pomdy

Editor: taphuong

www.pomdy.com/book/the-black-swan/part-two-we-just-cant-p...

Predicting your call on the extra board can be a bit like long division, needlessly complicated and never really sure you got it right... until the phone rings. Today I thought I had it all dialed in, a phosphate train off the CSX coming north on the Superior Sub was showing ordered for 1230 out of Pokegama with no north pools available for several hours, got it. Just before that call was expected to come in, the phone rang. CN Crew Caller... well shit. “Mr Hennessy are you qualified on the T-Bird?” Yes. Yes I am. So off to Keenan I went. Left a little early in hopes of catching some iron ore action, timing was great as I paced a northbound limestone train from Alborn up to the range, unfortunately the sun was shit for northbound moves. Coming up to Fairlane I spied a load of pellets ready to head south, hedging my bets that he would get the light clearing the limestone train I parked. Sure enough the limestone blazed past and the pellet loader was headed to the docks in Duluth. These standard cab dash 8’s hold a special place in my heart as I made my first solo run as an engineer in one (CN 2019) on a Q119 several years prior. Most fans up here loath the toasters and covet the sd40’s, a sentiment I certainly understand but anywhere else in the country finding standard cab dash 8’a leading trains in 2021 would be constitute a miracle from christ himself... on the range, just another reason not to take the lens cap off. I should get out more often to shoot these dinosaurs, but CN is very good at finding ways to occupy my time and my daughters take up the rest. These old GE’s may have another couple years left in them but the kids only stay 5 and 3 for another couple months. Priorities... It does make me appreciate the rare moments trackside that I have however!

I first profiled the Goodman-Malone Taco Bell in early May 2020 (www.flickr.com/photos/l_dawg2000/49964758913/in/album-721...), and sure enough six months later, work is underway to transform the location to the latest Taco Bell look. Thankfully (and contrary to first reports), it looks as if this will just be a repaint and sign update however, as opposed to the somewhat more drastic changes that were done at the similar Church Rd. location. Sadly, that remodel wiped away much of that Taco Bell's original, very cool exterior traits.

I'm going to keep adding these to my general "Taco Bell Tour" album, instead of giving this location it's own space, since I don't believe there will be much reason to do dozens and dozens of photos of this exterior refresh. But heck, might as well start doing a few photo tags at least :P

____________________________________

Taco Bell, 2008-built, Goodman Rd. at Malone Rd., Southaven MS

Weather reports predict the so called "Beast From The East" is due to revisit the UK over the next few days, today the 16th of March 2018 I visited Collieston Bay, its the first time I have witnessed the impact unusual weather has had on the area, it really was exhilarating and offered great photo opportunities.

Collieston is a small former fishing village on the North Sea coast in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The village lies just north of the Sands of Forvie Special Protection Area, between Cruden Bay and Newburgh.

The earliest recorded history of Collieston is of the arrival of St Ternan, a Columban monk on a mission to convert the local picts to Christianity. There is, however, evidence that people lived here during much earlier times.

Collieston was established as a fishing village by the 16th century, and it provides the first safe harbour in over fifteen miles of beachesand dunes stretching north from Aberdeen.

Fishing for herring, haddock, whiting and codflourished in the 17th century and 18th century and was the foundation of Collieston's economy. The village became known for 'Collieston Speldings', salted and sun-dried haddock and whiting, a popular delicacy throughout Britain. As drift netting developed during the mid 19th century, the fishing began to decline and the focus of the industry shifted to places like Peterhead because the harbour at Collieston was too small to safely accommodate the larger boats needed.

The numerous sea caves in the nearby cliffs, and small coves with shingle beaches provided ideal terrain for smugglers. In the late 18th century it was estimated by the Excise that up to 8000 gallons of foreign spirits were being illegally landed in the area every month. In 1798, the notorious village smuggler, Phillip Kennedy, was killed by a blow from an exciseman's cutlass. His grave and tombstone still stands in the village graveyard.

A ship from the Spanish Armada, the Santa Caterina, carrying arms for the Earl of Erroll is said to have sunk just off the rocky point of St Catherine's Dub in 1594. In retaliation for the Earl's involvement in the Catholic plot against him, James VI blew up the Earl's castle which stood on the cliffs, a mile north of Collieston. The Earl went on to rebuild Slains Castle, six miles further up the coast, in 1597.

Collieston is now mainly a commuter village serving Aberdeen, and is largely given over to tourists during the summer months.

just because……

my SIL dearest gave me this for some special occasion and we both think it’s so pretty. (And not just because it’s blue!)

CMWD_blue

Btb, I figured out how to make this my “screensaver” welcoming screen on iPhone Able— how cool is that!!

It’s actually calledasto glass

As predicted by the prophet Zacharie Delaplaya, the Four Surfers of the Apocalypso will soon emerge to sound the death knell of summertime. Splitting the sea foam from atop their mounts, they’ll arrive at great speed to announce to the sun-lovers and terrace dwellers the end of this lovely season. So enjoy the time you have left to knock back a pint and live each day as if it was the last act. Carpe diem!

This little iris is a sure predictor of rain. First the bud swells and then when it opens you can be sure that 24-36 hours later it will rain. Never fails.

007/366

Front and center is the Grime Fighters Chevrolet Crew cab pickup truck with a Meyer Lot Pro snow plow/plough

Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Just as Ingrid and a few others around here predicted, I FINALLY got the TNT fever! My new favourite is my 'sunkissed' blonde TNT who arrived last week - she is almost mint, with no fading or paling ANYWHERE... not even any pinpricks or such! A big hearty THANK YOU to Ingrid (RomitaGirl67) for reminding me she was on my watch list and that she was a pretty reasonable BIN sale! She has already bonded with my chocolate Bon Bon TNT and they love to pose together. Blonde TNT is in my 'Swirly Cue' gifted to me from DeanReen- Thanks again Deany!- while Choc Bon-Bon is wearing an outfit I have wanted for the LONGEST time: 'Wild 'N Wonderful', also from 1968. I wanted to wait till I found one with the very HTF gladiator boots, which are the coolest! (The Mattel designer Carol Spencer once remarked that she copied these boots from a pair she owned!) Their bright colours pop against the Barbie 'Family' house, I think...

Weatherdog Nanook predicts snow

Since Woodtick predicted that I was about to unleash a deluge of Milwaukee Road shots, I'd hate to disappoint. In the early '80s, recently shed of its "Pacific Extension", the Road found itself short of power (or at least power that worked.) Trains started to sport CN power on other parts of the railroad, but the trains that connected with DW&P in Duluth were a likely candidate for power pools - or just borrowing when short! Milwaukee Road had a longstanding agreement for trackage rights on the former Northern Pacific "Skally" to Duluth; by the '80s it had become rights on the former NP up to Hinckley where the NP crossed the former Great Northern from Minneapolis to Duluth. By this time the NP was mostly gone from that crossing on to the north, so the through trains used the former GN to complete the trip to the Twin Ports. This route was fairly active with BN trains (most of their through trains would use the GN all the way up from Northtown Yard in Minneapolis) and also the MILW and C&NW trackage rights trains...and then the Soo Line, too. This train is on the BN's Minnesota Division, the Sixth Sub that connected the wye at "Division Street" (and the Milwaukee's "Pigs Eye Yard") with the Wisconsin Division, Second Sub, at White Bear Lake. From there it's the ex-NP route to Hinckley (a.k.a. "the Skally.") The tracks in the foreground belong to the C&NW - the "Omaha" - going to and from Chicago. I think that's "East St.Paul" yard around the curve on the Omaha. I believe that practically all of this, except the Union Pacific that was the Omaha, is gone. Now the CP and the UP use the former GN through Northtown all the way to Superior with their trackage rights trains.

Bathroom, Kensington Church Street, London W8

It was foggy all day. The forecast predicted it would lift by noon but it only got thicker. I headed downtown after work to see what the city looked like smothered by the moisture of a winter meltdown. I must say it was beautiful. I've shot the old McLean County Courthouse many times but this is by far my most favorite shot. The fog helped to isolate it from the clutter of the city. The contrast is less than perfect but it's to be expected when shooting thru a cloud.

This column is believed to represent the four seasons of the year – one on each side. The images on the closest side show a representation of the rain god – Chac shown with the nose of an elephant. Chac is one of the most frequent images that we saw throughout Chichen Itza.

Obviously, rain was extremely important to the Maya culture. I assume this was primarily because the Yucatan peninsula is very hot and they would have been highly dependent on rain for drinking water and agricultural irrigation. On our visit, we have been more concerned with the over-abundance of rain related to hurricane Irma. Either way, it is obvious that predicting the weather has been a chief concern of people for a very long time and we still don’t quite have it figured out.

Nikon D7100

Tamron SP 10-24mm F/3.5-4.5 Di II

10mm @ f/10 – 1/800 sec – ISO 400

Heavens-above.com predicted a pass of the International Space Station that would be visible to the Space Coast. It was lower and dimmer than I would generally chase, but I still went to my favorite spot, the "Cuki," a sailboat in Melbourne Beach, FL that was washed ashore after Hurricane Irma.

It was cloudier than expected, and I was a bit disappointed by how undramatic the streak turned out until I later looked at the ground track of the Station. At the time of the left-most section of the streak shown here (over the condos), the Station is over the Gulf of Mexico, well south of New Orleans, roughly 1,000km away. The closest the Station would come was 750km, roughly over the sailboat in the streak, and somewhere over Alabama east of Montgomery. And, as it enters the shadow of the Earth (after emerging from behind the cloud in the right section of the frame), the Station is nearly 1,100 km away, cruising over (roughly) Blacksburg, Virgina.

New Orleans, Alabama, and Virginia. And we can see it from Florida. Kinda cool, no?

Details:

This is a composite of two 120-second exposures, shot at ISO400 and f6.3 with a Canon 5DIV and a Rokinon 14mm lens. Initial edits done in Lightroom, composite done in Photoshop (while avoiding the temptation to draw in a bolder streak) and edits were done (again) in Lightroom, then Color Efex2 (detail enhancer) and then some noise reduction was applied with Dfine2.

Predicting the unpredictable....FUN!

They predicted a big snowfall last night, but it turned out to be more rain than snow, thankfully. They did postpone the baseball game I was supposed to work, however. Hard to play baseball in rain or snow.

20-11-2013

Snaps from my neighborhood, taking a walk with the dog. They predict wet snow for the afternoon/evening.

Based on the following, I was ready:

National Weather Service Tucson AZ

200 PM MST Wed Apr 4 2018

DISCUSSION...a very weak upper level trough passing by will continue to spread high clouds across the region this evening with the potential a colorful sunset.

Finally, snow predicted for us this week! I cannot wait to get out and ski! We got all the skis waxed yesterday and I am anxious to get out with Waylon and try out our new skijoring set-up I got for Christmas!! Let it come, I say!

Michel de Nostredame, dit Nostradamus, né le 14 décembre 1503 à Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, et mort le 2 juillet 1566 à Salon-de-Provence, est un apothicaire1 français (on dirait en français moderne : pharmacien2).

Selon bien des sources3, il aurait également été médecin, bien que son expulsion de la faculté de médecine de Montpellier4 témoigne qu’il n'était pas possible d’être les deux à la fois5.

Pratiquant l'astrologie comme tous ses confrères à l'époque de la Renaissance, il est surtout connu pour ses prédictions sur la marche du monde.

Il est né de Jaume6 de Nostredame et Reynière (ou Renée) de Saint-Rémy le 14 décembre 15037. Jaume était l'aîné des six (certains disent dix-huit) enfants du couple Pierre de Nostredame et Blanche de Sainte-Marie.

Le nom des Nostredame vient de son grand-père juif, Guy de Gassonet (fils d'Arnauton de Velorges), qui choisit le nom de Pierre de Nostredame lors de sa conversion au catholicisme, probablement vers 14558. Selon les archives d'Avignon, et selon les archives de Carpentras qui parlent souvent de juifs des autres régions, il est suggéré que l'origine du nom Nostredame fut imposée9 par le cardinal-archevêque d'Arles, Pierre de Foix. Le grand-père de Nostredame, Pierre de Nostredame, était si convaincu de sa foi qu'il a répudié sa femme d'alors (Benastruge Gassonet) qui ne voulait pas quitter le judaïsme. Le curieux « démariage » fut prononcé à Orange le 14 juin 1463 (ce qui lui a permis finalement d'épouser Blanche).C'est son bisaïeul maternel, Jean de Saint-Rémy, ancien médecin et trésorier de Saint-Rémy, qui lui aurait transmis en 1506 les rudiments des mathématiques et des lettres. Mais ceci est douteux, vu que la trace notariée (Archives dep. des Bouches du Rhône B. 2.607) de ce vieux personnage disparaît en 1504.Il part très jeune à Avignon pour y obtenir son diplôme de bachelier ès arts. On le disait doué d'une mémoire presque divine, d'un caractère enjoué, plaisant, peut-être un peu moqueur « laetus, facetus estque mordax »10. Ses camarades l'auraient appelé « le jeune astrologue », parce « qu'il leur signalait et leur expliquait les phénomènes célestes », mystérieux alors pour beaucoup : les étoiles filantes, les météores, les astres, les brouillards, etc. Il dut apprendre aussi la grammaire, la rhétorique et la philosophie. Mais il doit quitter l'université après un an seulement, et donc sans diplôme, à cause de l'arrivée de la peste (fin 1520). Neuf ans plus tard (1529), ayant cependant pratiqué comme apothicaire (profession non diplômée), il s'inscrit à la Faculté de Montpellier pour essayer d'y gagner son doctorat en médecine. Il se fait connaître grâce aux remèdes qu'il a mis au point en tant qu'apothicaire. Mais il est bientôt expulsé pour avoir exercé ce métier « manuel » interdit par les statuts de la faculté [voir site Benazra Espace Nostradamus]. Son inscription de 1529 et sa radiation sont les seules traces de son passage à Montpellier, et on ne connaît pas de document attestant qu'il ait été docteur d'une autre université. Mais, sans être affirmatifs, la plupart des érudits du vingtième siècle pensent qu'il n'est pas impossible que l'expulsion de Nostredame ait été temporaire et qu'il soit devenu quand même diplômé de l'université de Montpellier (comme le prétendaient aussi, en ajoutant des détails supplémentaires peu croyables, certains commentateurs très tardifs comme Guynaud et Astruc), bien qu'il lui ait manqué le premier diplôme nécessaire pour accéder au doctorat, car les noms de plusieurs des diplômés connus de cette université sont absents, eux aussi, de ses registres11 — à moins que ceux-ci n'en aient pas été de vrais diplômés non plus (le phénomène du « faux docteur » étant très connu à l'époque).

Vers 1533, il s'établit à Agen12, où il pratique la médecine de soins à domicile. Il s'y lie d'amitié avec Jules César Scaliger. Cet Italien, installé à Toulouse, érudit de la Renaissance, est « un personnage incomparable, sinon à un Plutarque » selon Nostradamus ; il écrit sur tout. Impertinent, il s'attaque à tout le monde, s'intéresse à la botanique et fabrique des pommades et des onguents. Mais le jeune « imposteur » inquiète les autorités religieuses par ses idées un peu trop progressistes pour l'époque.

La durée précise de son séjour à Agen est inconnue ; peut-être trois ans, peut-être cinq ans. Les points de repère manquent et l'on ne peut offrir que des dates élastiques. Vers 153413 Nostredame s'y choisit une femme dont on ne sait même pas le nom14, qui lui aurait donné deux enfants : un garçon et une fille. L'épouse et les deux enfants moururent, très rapidement semble-t-il, à l'occasion de quelque épidémie, la peste vraisemblablement.

D'après certains commentateurs catholiques des Prophéties - Barrere, l'abbé Torne-Chavigny notamment - Nostredame aurait dit en 1534 à un « frère » qui coulait une statue de Notre-Dame dans un moule d'étain qu'en faisant de pareilles images il ne faisait que des diableries. D'aucuns pensent que ses relations avec un certain Philibert Sarrazin, mécréant de l'époque, de la région d'Agen, avaient rendu Nostredame plutôt suspect à la Sainte Inquisition15. Celle-ci l'aurait même invité à se présenter devant son tribunal de Toulouse pour « y être jugé du crime d'hérésie ; mais il se garda bien de répondre à cette citation »16.

Après la mort de sa première femme, Nostredame se serait remis à voyager. On l'aurait trouvé à Bordeaux, vers l'an 1539. Les commentateurs tardifs Moura et Louvet se le représentent en la compagnie de savants renommés de l'époque et du cru : l'apothicaire Léonard Baudon, Johannes Tarraga, Carolus Seninus et Jean Treilles, avocat.

Nostredame accomplit de 1540 à 1545 un tour de France qui l'amène à rencontrer de nombreuses personnalités, savants et médecins. La légende signale le passage du futur prophète à Bar-le-Duc. Nostredame y aurait soigné, d'après Étienne Jaubert17, plusieurs personnes et notamment une célèbre (?) Mademoiselle Terry qui l'aurait souvent entendu « exhorter les catholiques à tenir ferme contre les Luthériens et à ne permettre qu'ils entrassent dans la ville»18.

Une tradition très douteuse affirme qu'il a séjourné un temps à l'abbaye d'Orval, qui dépendait de l'Ordre de Cîteaux, située alors au diocèse de Trêves, à deux lieues de l'actuelle sous-préfecture de Montmédy, un séjour que Pagliani, après plusieurs autres, date de 154319. On ne sait s'il faut y ajouter foi, même si, avec Torne-Chavigny et Napolêon lui-même, beaucoup de gens lui attribuent les fameuses prophéties d'Orval, Prévisions d'un solitaire, ainsi que celles d'un certain Olivarius. On les aurait 'trouvées' à l'abbaye d'Orval en 1792, date approximative de leur style même. La première (de style tardif, elle aussi) serait datée de 1542, antérieure donc de treize ans, comme on le verra plus loin, à la préface des premières Centuries. Mais il semble plus probable que toutes les deux aient été composées au XIXe siècle à la gloire de Napoléon20.

Ici se termine le cycle de pérégrinations de Nostredame qui l'a mené en somme, après être rayé de Montpellier, du Sud-Ouest au Nord-Est de la France. Nostredame atteint la quarantaine (1543) et commence une seconde phase de déplacements qui va le rapprocher de la Provence et le pousser vers l'Italie, terre bénie de tous ceux qui connurent à son époque l'ivresse de la Renaissance.

Les premières étapes de ce périple sont probablement Vienne, puis « Valence des Allobroges », dont parle Nostradamus dans son Traité des fardemens et confitures à propos des célébrités qu'il s'honora d'y avoir rencontrées : « A Vienne, je vis d'aucuns personnages dignes d'une supprême collaudation ; dont l'un estoit Hieronymus, homme digne de louange, et Franciscus Marins, jeune homme d'une expectative de bonne foy. Devers nous, ne avons que Francisons Valeriola pour sa singulière humanité, pour son sçavoir prompt et mémoire ténacissime... Je ne sçays si le soleil, à trente lieues à la ronde, voit ung homme plus plein de sçavoir que luy »21.

En 1544, Nostredame aurait eu l'occasion d'étudier la peste à Marseille22 sous la direction, a-t-il dit, d'un « autre Hippocrate, le médecin Louis Serres »23. Puis, il est « appelé par ceux d'Aix en corps de communauté pour venir dans leur ville traiter les malades de la contagion dont elle est affligée. C'était en l'année mil cinq cent quarante six »24.

On le voit certainement à Lyon en 1547 où il s'oppose au médecin lyonnais Philibert Sarrazin25, à Vienne, Valence, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence et, enfin, à Arles, où il finit par s'établir. Là, il met au point un médicament à base de plantes, capable, selon lui, de prévenir la peste. En 1546, il l'expérimente à Aix lors d'une terrible épidémie : son remède semble efficace comme prophylactique, mais il écrira lui-même plus tard que « les seignées, les medicaments cordiaux, catartiques, ne autres n'avoyent non plus d'efficace que rien. » (Traité des fardemens et confitures, Lyon, 1555, p. 52) Malgré ce succès douteux, Nostredame est appelé sur les lieux où des épidémies sont signalées. À la même époque, il commence à publier des almanachs qui mêlent des prévisions météorologiques, des conseils médicaux et des recettes de beauté par les plantes. Il étudie également les astres.

La Maison de Nostradamus à Salon-de-Provence.

Le ­11 novembre 1547, il épouse en secondes noces Anne Ponsard, une jeune veuve de Salon-de-Provence, alors appelé Salon-de-Craux. Le couple occupe la maison qui abrite aujourd'hui le Musée Nostradamus. Il aura six enfants, trois filles et trois garçons ; l'aîné, César, deviendra consul de Salon, historien, biographe de son père, peintre et poète.

Nostredame prend le temps de voyager en Italie, de 1547 à 1549. C'est d'ailleurs en 1549 qu'il rencontre à Milan un spécialiste en alchimie végétale, qui lui fait découvrir les vertus des confitures qui guérissent. Il expérimente des traitements à base de ces confitures végétales et, de retour en France, il publie en 1552 son Traité des confitures et fardements.

En 1550, il rédige son premier « almanach » populaire – une collection de prédictions dites astrologiques pour l’année, incorporant un calendrier26 et d’autres informations en style énigmatique et polyglotte qui devait se montrer assez difficile pour les éditeurs, à en juger par les nombreuses coquilles (où certains voient le signe que l'auteur était dyslexique). Dès cette date, Michel de Nostredame signe ses écrits du nom de "Nostradamus". Ce nom n'est pas l'exacte transcription latine de 'Nostredame', qui serait plutôt Domina nostra ou Nostra domina. En latin correct, ‘Nostradamus’ pourrait signifier : « Nous donnons (damus) les choses qui sont nôtres (nostra) » ou « Nous donnons (damus) les panacées » (nostrum, mis au pluriel), mais il est également permis d'y voir un travestissement macaronique (et très heureux) de 'Nostredame'.

En 1555, installé à Salon-de-Provence, il publie des prédictions perpétuelles (et donc en théorie, selon l'usage de l'époque, cycliques)27 dans un ouvrage de plus grande envergure et presque sans dates ciblées, publié par l’imprimeur lyonnais Macé (Matthieu) Bonhomme. Ce sont les Prophéties, l'ouvrage qui fait l'essentiel de sa gloire auprès de la postérité.

source Wikipédia

Holga 120CFN, Fomapan 100 film, google predictive search

Forecasters predicted a Perseid "outburst" event this year. I am not a regular Perseid observer so I cannot really attest to this but for the two hours that I was out watching the night sky between 2am and 4am, I saw many meteors streaking across the sky. Unfortunately most of them were very fleeting and rather faint (probably due to the heavy light pollution where I was).

The Perseids are known for being colourful meteors and this one I managed to capture has a distinct purple to green transition as it streaked across the sky.

short-lived blue skies, storm is rolling in, snow predicted for the rest of the week :(

As predicted - I went bird hunting but I found so much more than birds this weekend. Great weekend to be outdoors in Texas even though the sun got really warm.

Just a bit more info on the caracara - it is a member of the falcon family. It is thought that it was the original bird depicted on the flag of Mexico although that bird is now a golden eagle. Very non-falcon like in its behaviour, it tends to scavenge as well as hunt for its prey although I've seen a a pair of these birds tormenting a whilte pelican on East Beach at Galveston. They literally drove the white pelican off its nest and away. I guess you might say they don't play nice.

While predicting where the birds will overnight on this refuge is an iffy proposition, this shallow lake just off the tour-route road is a regular hangout. The trick is to check it out early to see if any pathfinder birds have already selected it. If so, they will continually vocalize to the overflying birds trying to entice them to drop down and join them (increasing safety in numbers). There are several blinds here that you can select for different vantage positions. It's still early, and this lake was eventually completely filled with overnighting birds.

IMG_4266; Sandhill Cranes