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Jpeg Whitethroat pics digiscoped in June 2017 from the archives
The shots were digiscoped through a Swarovski ATX 30-70x95 Spotting Scope using a DCB II adapter and Panasonic Lumix GX8 camera with 1.7 20mm pancake lens
Veteran's Oasis Park is rife with bunnies. Both cotton tail and desert hares. All bear scoping by Jasper. They're just so tempting because they run when you chase them. What could be more fun!
Sgt. Dmitri Kirov
13th Guards Rifle Division
As our detour through southeastern Europe continues, we’ve laid siege to Budapest. We’ve been ordered to take the airfield to prevent any further resupply to the German and Hungarian troops still in the city. The airfield is mostly held by Hungarians, and command doesn’t seem to think too highly of them. But even if they aren’t as well trained as the Germans, they seem to be just as well equipped. And besides, I saw firsthand at Stalingrad what encircled, desperate soldiers are capable of.
Speaking of Stalingrad, command has let us team up with Lt. Romanova again, the sniper we met during the fighting for the train depots. Zubarev says it’s almost like having our guardian angel back, watching over us through her scope.
Managed to grab an hour this morning, I've been meening to get this shot for a while, I'm still not 100% happy with it, might have to re-visit this one when I finaly get myself a new tripod that gave up the ghost shortly after this.Then went home and knocked my sons tooth out with a ball - not the best of days for Badger or young Badger junior:(
f22, 180secs, 12mm, iso100
Imaged the Heart Nebula located in the constellation Cassiopeia. This has been a lower priority target for me in the past but got bumped up once I went mono. I'm glad I was able to get a decent shot of it this year. My camera and scope combo give a good FOV on this faint target. Oiii was extremely faint, but luckily good narrowband processing techniques can mask that well.
Total exposure time for this image is: 29 hours.
Equipment:
- AT65EDQ Scope
- ZWO ASI1600mm-Pro Imaging Camera
- Belt Modded Orion Sirius EQ-G
- QHY miniGuideScope and QHY5L-ii mono guidecam
- Chroma Ha/Oiii/Sii filters
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Software:
- N.I.N.A. for capture
- PHD2 for guiding
- PixInsight for Processing
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Acquisition:
- 175 x 300" Ha - Chroma 5nm
- 69 x 300" Oiii - Chroma 3nm
- 104 x 300" Sii - Chroma 3nm
- 200 gain and 50 offset, -10C
- 20 flats and flat-darks per filter
- 30 darks from library
- Nights: 10/12, 10/14, 11/6, 11/7/20
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Processing:
Each Master Image:
- Calibration, Integration, DrizzleIntegration
- DynamicCrop
- DynamicBackgroundExtraction
- Deconvolution (Ha only)
- TGVDenoise + MMT noise reduction using EZDenoise Script
- Arcsinhstretch (x2) to bring to nonlinear
- HistogramTransformation for further stretch
- CurvesTransformation to bring up background level
- StarAlign Oiii and Sii to Ha
- Starnet to remove stars from each master; duplicate starless Ha and set aside to use as Luminance layer
Combine Starless Masters via PixelMath:
- Duplicate Oiii and rename to 'f'. CurvesTransformation to boost signal of f and lower background
- R: f*Sii + ~f*Ha
- G: f*(0.7*Ha + 0.3*Sii) + ~f*Oiii
- B: Oiii
- Visit thecoldestnights.com/2020/06/pixinsight-dynamic-narrowban... for more information on Dynamic Narrowband Combinations
- CurvesTransformation to slightly reduce green and boost saturation
Starless Ha Luminance Processing:
- CurvesTransformation for contrast
- RangeMask + LocalHistogramEqualization on Melotte 15 to bring back details
- DarkStructureEnhance script at 0.3
- UnsharpMask using a new RangeMask
Combine Luminance and Color:
- LRGBCombination with Luminance at 85% weight and chrominance noise reduction enabled
Add Back Color Stars and Final Processing:
- StarAlign linear Oiii and Sii masters to linear Ha master
- Arcsinhstretch just barely each linear master
- Duplicate each barely stretched master and Starnet each to remove stars
- PixelMath: Master_Stars - Master_Starless to get just the stars for each channel
- PixelMath: Combine the stars of each channel into a color star image:
- R: Ha_stars
- G: Sii_stars
- B: Oiii_stars
- PixelMath: RGB_Stars + RGB_Nebula to add stars into nebula image
- DynamicCrop to remove edges
- Save and Export
Astrobin Image Of The Day 9th January 2020
Amateur Astronomy Image Of The Day 25th January 2020 AAPOD2
Published in Universo Magico 27 March 2020
EGB 4 (a nebula discovered by Ellis, Grayson, & Bond in 1984) is NOT a comet, despite it's comet-like appearance. It is an emission nebula surrounding a catacylismic binary star system called BZ Cam in the constellation of Camelopardis.
It has an unusual bow-shock structure as BZ Cam (with it's associated wind) moves through the interstellar medium, similar to the bow wave in front of a ship that is moving through water.
BZ Cam is believed to be a white dwarf star that is accreting mass from an accompanying main-sequence star of 0.3-0.4 solar masses.
It is around 2,500 light years away, and has a space velocity of 125 km/second.
I can only find one previous image of EGB 4 online, a NASA APOD from 2000, so I believe this could be the first amateur image and the first colour image.
Astrodon Blue: 15x300"
Astrodon Green: 15x300"
Astrodon Lum: 20x600"
Astrodon Red: 15x300"
Astrodon OIII: 25x1800s bin 2x2
Astrodon Ha: 56x1800s bin 2x2
Total Integration: 48 hours
Captured on my dual rig in Spain.
Scopes: APM TMB LZOS 152 (6" aperture 1200mm focal length)
Cameras: QSI6120wsg8
Mount: 10Micron GM2000 HPS
References:
apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap001128.html
THE ASTRONOMICAL JOURNAL, 115:286-295, 1998 January © 1998. The American Astronomical Society.
aanda.org/articles/aa/full/2001/36/aa1385/aa1385.right.html
I wasn't going to throw this one on Flickr, but Mari kept telling me how cute she thought this shot of a squirrel I found at Stanley Park was. Not only was he standing up, he also let me get really close to him. June 21, 2008.
Sometimes it's really hard to stay focused and follow that path. Many undertakings could have been such a better experience if not all that noise around it. Everything and everyone want's a piece of that undertaking, it's like late passengers hopping on a train leaving the station. These life distractions will definitely slow you down and you might achieve a lot but not necessarily what you really want. You might reach your goal but the taste of victory has been spoiled.
--------------------------------------------
Camera: Kiev 88
Lens: Volna-3
Film: Fomopan Active 400iso
Shutter: 1/500th sec
Everyone's favorite reflection nebula
Gear used...
Askar PHQ65 with Reducer
ZWO ASI294MC Pro
iOptron CEM26
ZWO ASI120MM Mini
ZWO 30mm guide scope
50 / 300 second exposures
10 Dark
Processed with Pixinsight and Lightroom Classic
Messier 58 (M58 or NGC 4579) is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo and is about 68 million light years away from Earth. In the Messier Catalog, this galaxy is the most distant object.
Tech Specs: Meade 12” LX-90, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ZWO ASI071mc-Pro, Antares Focal Reducer, 63 x 60 second at -10C, 30 darks and 30 flats, guided using a ZWO ASI290MC and Orion 60mm guide scope. Captured using Sequence Generator Pro and processed using PixInsight. Image date: March 20, 2021. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Always be ready for an adventure. Typically W9 and I don't share our space with many people. A nice mix of bird watchers and twitchers packed the Marsh yesterday. Scope/camera lady tipped us off to the location of the rare Eurasian Wigeon. Thank you.
It wasn't a very cooperative duck and after 200+ photos we moved along. The newly constructed bridge on the Marsh is finally open to foot traffic. It was a no-brainer to check it out. Suddenly Scope/camera lady charges out from the brush waving her arms overhead and yelling for us to stay away. A moment later she was walking over to us and thanking us for being so understanding. She explained that she was on a deadline to find 250 birds.
W9 and I are watchers. Finding a new bird can be reason to celebrate. But it really is the adventure of the journey ... learning something new and being able to recall and connect the information we've stuffed into our heads. Giving the game our best effort and still getting it wrong sometimes. Humbling. Thrilling.
One of Alexander Calder's outdoor sculptures in the grounds of Hauser & Wirth in Bruton, framed through another one of his sculptural art pieces.
bold= Deadpool
italic= Serious Voice
underlined= Jokey Voice
bold underlined= Dolly
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I got up from where I was laying to see a huge puddle of blood. Yep, I was shot.
Jesus Christ that hurt!
The pain was still there, just it wasn't as strong. I saw my mask laying on the floor a few feet away from me. I grabbed my swords and walked towards the mask. The last thing I remember is seeing a glint of light from the scope of a sniper rifle. If it was strong enough to go through the strongest type of window know to man than it was either a military grade rifle or highly illegal.
You finally decided to wake up. I had to do the unthinkable and talk to him.
Hey! I'm not that bad!
Shut up, I'm trying to think!
Whoever that was must have a lot of money to afford an assasin. Especially one with sniping skills like that.
I grab my phone and call Dolly.
Dolly, I need your help.
Does Mr. Deadpool need help with his suit again?
Dolly, it's is important.
I'll be up in a second
I put my swords into the sheaths on my back and put on my mask. I didn't want to do this but I have to, for Vanessa.
Wade? What is it
It takes her a second but she notices the broken glass and the puddle of blood.
Is that?
Yes. Did you call Warren
Yes, but why?
It's time for the X-Force protocol, go suit up then meet me here.
Okay
Yeah whoever hired the assasin is screwed.
-------------------------------------------------
Sorry for the wait on this guys! I hope you enjoyed it! C&C is welcome!
-Darman
The MOPRA radio telescope facility is located near Coonabarabran / Siding Spring Observatory / Warrumbungle National Park in NSW, Australia. It is 22 metres in diameter and is operated by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
A bit of interference "noise" from the scope is apparent.
Taken in April, 2018 during the inaugural Astrophotography / iTelescope Masterclass held by Dr. Christian Sasse at Siding Spring Observatory.
Timelapse shot on April 18, 2018.
Never been scoped out at close range by a manatee before. Who nose why this one was doing it in the marina at Everglades National Park. Notice the tiny little eyes.
One of the adjusters for zeroing in the telescopic sight on my air rifle. Taken for Macro Mondays "Circle" theme
This was something hard to start actually. But it is finished now! Fully recolorable after first ungroup.
Thanks to Alexander for the markings.
Please credit me for my work
The other day, my boss was looking at my photography and mentioned that my photo "Reaching for the Water" reminded him of one of his favorite places in our general area. He claimed that it was as gorgeous as Rocky Mountain National Park, but with almost no people. When I got home, I did a lot of searching to find photos of the area, but all of them seemed to be shot with 7 year old point and shoots at midday. Determined to be one of the first with good quality photos, I decided to check it out today and plan for a future sunrise/sunset trip. After scoping it out, I can absolutely back up his claims...
Of the probably 100+ lakes in the area, this was amazingly one of the least interesting I came across. I typically wouldn't post a shot from one of my scoping trips (in fact, I usually don't even take any pictures on them), but I am just so psyched to go there again that I will anyway.
Weather permitting, I will be heading up very, very early on Monday to shoot the sunrise at the most mindblowing of the locations I visited today. Stay tuned! UPDATE: Weather permitting failed as there isn't supposed to be a cloud in the sky all day. Wednesday it is.
Shot with my Sigma 10-20mm @ around 11mm and new B+W ND110 to try to compensate for the boring, nearly midday sky.
Plushi-scope leads Teddy Team 6. He wears a fairly mobile mech unit purposed for long range sniping and surveillance. He can survey the battle field well guiding other fluffy in their combat against nightmares.
Not the best light or colour yesterday morning (until we had packed up and were heading home) so the best option was a long exposure and mono conversion :-)
Bullpup conversion of a Russian Bizon SMG. Reworked receivers, reworked magazine, and a bunch of the usual goodies. 2x-4x illuminated-reticle scope mounted on the top rail.
Inspired by Jake's 0.6 OMON.
Tonights gorgeous waning Moon - so worth the wait for this awesome shot!
Prime focus single shot, Canon 600D, Maksutov 127mm scope
M33 Triangulum Galaxy. Scope: TSAPO65Q with NPR-1073 0.8x Reducer. Mount: SkyWatcher EQM-35 Pro. Camera: ZWO ASI294MC Pro. Guide: SkyWatcher 50mm EvoGuide ith Altair GPCAMv2 130. 10x5Min. Processed in APP. Finished in Adobe CC.
© Darlene Bushue - All of my images are protected by copyright and may not be used on any site, blog, or forum without my permission.
On top of the world....always a favorite spot to visit when we're in the Tetons; great for sunrise or sunset with views of the Teton range in one direction and the Teton valley in the other. Enjoyed the company of a blue grouse on this particular evening as well as an interesting storm front brewing in the distance. Mike was scoping while I was photographing, one of his favorite things to do when we're out west; and I couldn't resist a shot of my favorite model :-) He told me he's going to start charging a modeling fee....LOL!!!!
Have a great Thursday, and as always, thanks for visiting and commenting!!!!
www.mediafire.com/?8kuejg7wk3xspth
Please credit Wes, and me!
It's a rather large code, and it contains some white shapes, but mounting it on a rail shouldn't be a problem!
Wild strawberry on the overgrowing field on the scopes of the Central Russian upland near Pushchino, Moscow region
Indian temples are storehouses of art works and sadly not recognised and inevitably there is very limited scope to appreciate the same. Varadaraja Perumal temple houses a very pretty collection of Vijayanagara era artworks surrounding the main deity. And while the rush to see the main deity was huge, the space around was largely bereft of anyone stopping by to catch a glimpse of the artwork. Here's a sample rather furtively captured as photography wasn't permitted (this is one rule that needs revision across all over). But probably the light from the lord washed over the sins
Appreciation to the Jackhammer's designer =]
...Stupid BF2 taking a Shotgun that isn't even in production
- www.kevin-palmer.com - This was my first and last chance to point a telescope at Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS.
The Silken whisper of Flickering Desires
A Chronicle
Adapted from the Final Entry Entitled:
Their Regal Gambit
Subtitled:
While Sherlock Holmes vacationed
The first score had been made, now for the Coup de Grace! So far their little operation had gone as smooth as silk, or in this case, satin. Now just to make sure the husband of the silken gowned brunette displaying the jewels in question was still safely out of the picture! Then Mollie would let her husband know that with the coast clear, freeing him to stage his approach of the lady in the long swishing satin gown he had been keeping an eye on all evening. The one who was wearing the exquisite necklace of fiery flickering diamonds, just daring someone to expertly slip it away the throat of its unsuspecting owner.
And therein lay the rub, She happily thought….
As Mollie made her way down the quiet corridor to the gentlemen’s smoking lounge, she lovingly played through her mind the series of unfortunate ( or fortunate?) events that had led her and her husband to this place. It had all began with an innocent one named Tabitha…….
Mollies’ Flash back
They had first come across Tabitha at a resort casino deep in the Catskills. Mollie and her husband had been there about three days, scoping out the grounds, and its wealthy clientele. At the casino they both spotted Tabitha at the same time. She was seated at a baccarat table, really standing out in an elegant dress of gold and black striped silk and velvet Her well-toned body displayed numerous pieces of expensive jewelry. A fat little purse dangled, unheeded by her side. Tabitha had held Mollie’s attention mainly due to the strong resemblance she had to herself. Tabitha’s jewelry, a flashy diamond journey style necklace, matching earrings, wide diamond tennis bracelet, and multiple gem encrusted rings, had held Mollies pickpocket husbands’.
Mollie went on to the bar and watched as her husband waited for the seat next to Tabitha to become vacant. Then he sat, asking for chips, while unobtrusively eyeing Tabitha’s bracelet. He began striking up a conversation with Tabitha, finding her to be an easy mark. He soon learned from the chatty girl that she was a divorced, upper executive for a well-known digital arts company servicing the movie industry. It was during this conversation that Tabitha babbled about the upscale, invitation only(you know), black tie formal ball she would be attending in England the next month. Now, as her husband was keeping Tabitha occupied Mollie had walked by the pair, ‘tripping’ into her husband, who palmed off to her , the diamond bracelet which had been ever so subtly slipped from around the unwary Tabatha’s’ wrist. Walking away with the bracelet secured in her purse, Mollie made her way to their small bungalow. Her husband did not break in his conversation with Tabitha; a mark would seldom suspect a friendly person of stealing from her.
Later that evening, Mollie wore the pricy bracelet while mutually admiring it over a bottle of merlot with her husband. They discussed the high-class affair Tabitha had been bragging about. Wistfully, Mollie admitted it was a shame they had not received an invite. Her husband smiled, and pulled a thickly embossed and crested envelope from his pocket. Easily adopting a British accent, he said “The silly little twit was carrying this in her purse!” The envelope revealed a pair of invitations to the Princess’s Jubilee Royal Ball. As the pair continued to empty the bottle of fine merlot, what had started as speculation, turned towards reality, and soon plans had been laid.
As they lay in bed later that night, Mollie turned to her husband, just think about the jewels that will be worn at the English Ball, she shivered with the delightful thoughts. Do you remember the last time we were in England? Mollie looked at her husband slyly, you remember, the Wriggling Whelp Whispering Wisk! She stated teasingly. Mollie knew the quickest way to get her husband’s goat was coming up with silly phrases to describe his more outlandish endeavors. Such phrases like The Tingling Touch Ice Melt, The Slippery Slick Taffeta Pull, The Glossy Gowned Dangling Peel, or her personal favorite, The Ticklish Wedge Clam Dip, never failed to get a response. In this case the response was a brief pillow fight leading into a romantic interlude, ending up with them in bed as they reminisced about the last time they had “visited” England a few years back…..
It had proven a fairly profitable venture with the jewelry alone netting almost 100,000 pounds. It all had culminated quite nicely at one of the posh events they had crashed that final weekend. Their final score had come about from a rambunctious doe eyed Fourteen year old in a shiny dress who had been oblivious to the valuably delicious gold pendent studded with small rubies and emeralds that sparkled ever so invitingly as it swung from her throat. A pair of matching dangling earrings dripped from her ears as she has run around unminded by her elders. Mollie had indignantly stated to her husband that the antique trinkets were simply just too expensive for a child so squirminly young to be trusted with. Her husband then went about the task to prove his wife correct in her statement.
After talking a bit about the English Girls parents reaction to the unsolved disappearance of their daughters ultra-pricey pendent , Mollie came back to the present and asked if the lady in the maroon silk that her husband pointed out the previous evening would be wearing the same jewels to the dance tomorrow night? Or better her husband replied sleepily, good Mollie pronounced, I did like her emeralds.
In Merry Ole England
They had arrived in England several weeks before the Royal Ball and began the preparations.
In an irony of fate, the profit they had realized from poor Tabitha’s bracelet had paid for a large chunk of their little excursion. Keeping his accent, and adding a trim beard, Mollies husband looked radically different from the man Tabitha had encountered. During the weeks following their arrival, the pair had practiced like they always did before undertaking a new venture. But this time it was with a more daring edge, they quite simply could not afford being caught red handed in a foreign country. Mollie assumed her practice the role. That of the richly dressed, well jeweled quarry. Her husband would stalk and attempt to relieve her of a piece of her jewelry as she went about her business, shopping! The idea being that, If he was able to do so without being caught by an obviously aware Mollie, than he should have no problem at the Royal Ball. As it usually happened when they practiced in this manner, her husband did incredibly well. Mollie had had several pieces of jewelry vanish from her person during the week, without her noticing how or when.
The final night of practice Mollie decided to dress to kill. Looking quite devastating in a glossy gold halter and a long brown velvet skirt with gold stiletto heels clicking as she moved. A diamond heart pendant hung down from her neck, swaying provocatively out from between her breasts. A bracelet, similar to Tabitha’s purloined diamonds, was wrapped around her wrist.
She left their penthouse and made her way to the street outside. Some type of festival was going on as she waded through the crowded streets to the nightclub. Her rings sparkled as they kept rhythm with her swaying diamond waterfall earrings. Just daring her husband to make a move for any of them.
Mollie drank and danced the night away with no hide or hair of her husband until she returned late that evening to their apartment. She found him in the hot tub, smirking. She undressed and joined him. Okay, how did u do it she demanded? I felt nothing, no one bumped or brushed against me all evening that I was not aware of. He opened his fist, allowing her heart diamond pendant to dangle freely in front of her. A magician never reveals his tricks my little cat, he purred, as the pendant swayed in a sparkling arch.
Cat was short for “Cat Lady”, a moniker he had placed upon her when she had broken into a sleeping woman’s room and removed the jewels from her gold case, and even managed to slip off a ring she was wearing. The fact that she was passed out in a drunken stupor, still dressed in her long party gown, didn’t count , or so her husband teased.
You should have been a surgeon! , my dear, Mollie exclaimed with pride. Then she leaned towards him, her green eyes gleaming in earnest, time for a real practice run Mon Cherie, she said in dead seriousness. Then Her eyes opened wide, I got it she exclaimed, I’ll call it The Slinking Sneaky Shearing Snag she pronounced joyfully, getting a face full of water in reply to her effort. Okay Cat, let’s get down to business he retorted, I know just the affair. Mollie listened intensively as her Husband described their next plans, derived while eavesdropping on a couple of ladies shopping in a jewelers.
The next weekend (two weeks to the evening before the Royal Ball) Mollie found herself at a quaint upscale wedding reception held in the large gardens of a country church. She was attired in the same bewitching ensemble that she had been wearing on the final night of practice. Her only jewels were a recently acquired pair of sparkly cascading earrings set with emeralds and diamonds. The affair of the plump piqued peacock plucking she had mused while getting dressed. The only other exception was that the long fiery red hair she had inherited from her Irish namesake grandmother had been cut and dyed blond. Blue contacts had also been added to the disguise to hide her vivid green eyes.
They soon targeted an older jewel laden snob at the reception. An older lady , well jeweled, of the arrogant know it all, obey me totally type whom everyone tries to avoid. While Mollie engaged the mark in a mostly one sided conversation(the older ladies) the lady had become so deeply engrossed about talking about herself and her ties with royalty, that she never detected being relieved of a heirloom antique gold chain and jeweled pendent by Mollies husband who had approached her unnoticed from behind.
It was all Mollie could do no to bring attention to it by looking at the wickedly expensive piece as it was slipped up and away from the Dowager’s ruffled heavy satin blouse.
This time it was mollies turn to keep chatting as her husband headed to the door. He had almost made it when two youths ran into him as they scurried away from a rather sullen looking tween girl they had been teasing, and now were in possession of her purse. Mollie stole a look as she saw her husband topple onto the chasing girl. He managed to extracted himself from the girls long slinky gown that she had probably been forced into by an overly conceited mother. He apologized, and left the girl to go after her antagonizes. Later, when Mollie had caught up to him she teased him about his clumsiness. He just smiled, and pulled out from his vest pocket the most exquisitely matched pearls that the youth had been openly displaying from around her throat and wrist at the reception!
They were, most definitely, ready. The fated evening could not come soon enough. But it finally did.
They had had no problem with using the fancy invitations to gain entrance. Security was heavy, as expected, but with a very lax atmosphere. Mollie was wearing the salmon coloured gown she had had especially made for such occasions, her new blond hair style and the blue contacts. In a coup foray of sorts, Mollie wore the pearls that had been taken by her husband during his run in with the sullen girl at the wedding reception. Her husband was wearing his usual tux with a hand tied bowtie. His ruffled sleeves easily moved up and down along his wrists.
Mollie and her husband split up, each spending the first few hours mingling solo, and taking it all in as they thoroughly enjoyed the Ball and all its many stimulating attractions. It had gone smooth as silk. Spending the first few hours prowling while the guests liquored up Mollie scoping out exactly the right candidates. Dangling jewels with easy clasps were everywhere!, it was surprising how the best of jewel makers skimped on the clasps required to keep the expensive pieces in place. Clothing also made a difference. Silks and satins were quiet and slipped easily. Taffeta could be whispery, more of a challenge. Velvet could easily snag as a piece was being lifted. But these were the costliest of materials, and the wearers would logically be wearing the costlier of jewelry.
Mollie and her husband regrouped several hours later, unobtrusively under the pretense of dancing. Gently discussing their plans. They settled on three likely prospects amongst the almost three hundred present. The first was an older spinster type wearing a luxurious dress of embroidered navy silk and displaying jewelry studded with diamonds and sapphires. The second was a middle aged snotty blonde wearing a shamelessly low cut green silk taffeta gown (which Mollie secretly liked)wearing a thick gold bracelet studded with vulgarly large rubies surrounded by a sea of small sparkly diamonds. She was alone, and a heavy drinker. The third was a longshot. A lanky , flighty brunette wearing immensely valuable jewels of blindingly sparkling Diamonds. Her necklace alone was in the upper hundred thousand range, with a clasp that was one of the easiest to coax open. The only problem was that she came with an obviously newlywed husband who doted on her every move. Both were heavy drinkers, and if he would only leave his wife’s side for, say about fifteen minutes, the necklace would be theirs!
They had decided that any one of the three would produce results worth a king’s ransom, appropriately enough, all things considered. The plan was for her husband to take his time selecting the easiest jewel to acquire from amongst the ones the three marks were displaying , make his move, and pass it off to Mollie who would leave forthwith, while her husband stayed a little while longer to make sure everything remained calm before making his exit stage right via the hallway.
As Mollie went to her station, she saw the Blue silken lady, along with her sapphires and diamonds, leaving with a rather unsavory looking male, eyeing her with a look Mollie knew all too well. Mollie decided to follow them, thinking to herself that some women are just prone to being victimized. Good luck with that one Mollie thought unkindly, as she stole one last look at the ladies glistening sapphires, hope he leaves her with something she sarcastically wished wickedly to the couple’s backside as they went out the exit at the end of the hall. One down and out she thought. Then she spied the husband of the newlywed pair heading down the hall towards her with an older, grey bearded man. Getting close she heard them talking about the Gentlemen’s smoking lounge. Mollie decided to give her husband a signal, but when she found him he was already in the arms of the blond. Molly immediately noticed the absence of the jeweled bracelet from his partners’ wrist. She went back to her table. Immediately she was set upon by some drunken snob asking her to dance. She allowed herself to be taken up into his arms. Spending a few unenchanting minutes with Mr. two left feet, before her husband tapped him on the shoulder cutting in. They danced, Mollie placing a hand into his pocket and feeling something cold and metal wrapped her hand around it. Looking him in the eyes she told him about the now unguarded bride, as she palmed the willowy blonde’s bracelet. They decided to go for it, and as the music ended, Mollie made her way to the hall, where she secreted the blondes bracelet safely away
One down, one more to go! An exquisite necklace of flickering diamonds waiting to be nimbly slipped away from the throat of its unsuspecting wearer. Now just to make sure the husband of the silken gowned brunette displaying the jewels in question was still safely out of the picture! Then to let her husband know that with the coast clear, he was free to stage his approach of the lady in the long swishing satin gown he had been keeping a drooling eye on all evening. The one wearing the exquisite necklace of flickering diamonds waiting to be so expertly slipped away from the throat of its unsuspecting wearer.
She was able to see the groom in windowed room, the husband and his friend were smoking a pair of long cigars and drinking brandy in large glass snifters. Mollie passed unnoticed as she mad e her way to the ladies powder room. He was still there, only halfway through a long stogie as she passed again on her way back. Neither time was she observed. Mollie mad her way back to the Ballroom. She sat down at one side of the room, once again allowing the sights of so many bejeweled women to soak in. Her husband was dancing with a lady in a flowing red ball gown, jewels sparkling in abundance, not aware of the danger so close at hand, nor that even with her husband and his particular skill set so close to them, that at that moment nothing could be safer from his fingertips. Finally she caught her husband’s eye. Mollie innocently rubbed a finger along the side of her nose, a subtle signal that it was safe for him to precede.
Mollie was now uncharacteristically having butterflies in her stomach; it was a huge gamble, trying to get away with a pair of thefts in this inhospitable atmosphere. She kept second guessing herself, Bird in hand she kept thinking. But the lure was too great, and it was with a heavy sigh of relief when Mollie saw her husband finally kiss the hand of the young bride after their dance. Mollie could see that she was no longer sporting the thin silver necklace and its row of at least two caret diamonds that had been encircling her throat with their rippling flashy brilliance all evening. Molly stayed put, not daring to leave until her husband had brushed by her in passing and made his way out the hallway to the exit. She waited for a long fifteen minutes, then curling her hand around the necklace that had been dropped into her lap as he had passed; she gained the safety of the hallway. Just in time. For coming down the hallway was none other than the lady in the long luxurious gown and now bare throats groom and his distinguished looking friend. She passed by them, feeling the men eyeing her with roving wolfish gazes. Then she passed them, and proceeded unhindered to once again enter the ladies’ powder room where the necklace soon joined with the Blondes bracelet in its hiding spot.. Than calmly Mollie left, walking past two security Bobbies, virtually unnoticed. The Groom had been absolutely ignorant to the fact that his young Bride’s ridiculously valuable necklace had walked right past him out the door.
Mollie did not let herself really breathe until she had gained the safety of the street. She allowed herself to imagine the commotion as the news of the missing jewels were circulated around the cavernous Ballroom. There would be a flurry of activity, flashes and sparkles as the women checked themselves reassuringly that they were still in possession of their trinkets. Mollie would have loved to have stayed and watched, but obviously could not do so. She rejoined her husband at their meeting place and they drove off. They made their way to Ireland where they spent a cautious week touring before leaving for the states.
Once the profit was realized from their haul that eventful evening, including obnoxious Dowagers the jeweled antique pendent, and was added in to the modest amount they had already accumulated from previous adventures, Mollie and her husband were able to retire to Ireland and live quite an unpretentious life together in a small stone manor in the woods.
Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives
A ski mountaineer checking out the many options for a perfect day of #skiing at #Tuckermans from Hojo's. This guy proceeded to head up to the Hillman's/Dodge's area and I headed up into the bowl where I had the place to myself for 2 hours! The first run was still icy but the next 5 were amazing!
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