These two were waiting on the edge of the village for a lift into town. Fortunately, we had some spare seats and were able to help. Stutter Village, Tibet

This is a single exposure edited in Lightroom. 1.5 second exposure with multiple flashes from my flash unit to create the double exposure. The strobe on stage to the left of the dj had also been going off which created a stutter on the deck in front on the dj.

 

ISO: 400

f13

Shutter speed: BULB

Flash trigger: Thumb on the 'test flash' button.

Flash Settings: M 1/8 power.

On aspirations beyond one's background or capabilities. There is a certain irony in the recognition that this has never changed.

 

To laugh might appear to be the best response.

 

This film (1962) impressed me as an 8-year-old. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that a stutterer doesn't stutter whilst singing. It felt good to let rip, to allow words, now and then, to flow. The yodelling would be part of the warm-up, I guess.

 

I fantasised about being chosen to be in the 'Vienna Boys Choir'.

Then along came Julie (The Hills Are Indeed Alive), reminding me that a certain Mr. Hitler was Austrian.

 

This was the colour of my hair, more auburn than ginger, and the freckle proliferation is about right. Freckles are difficult to 'tie down' in Infrathin.

 

That this was all happening 'mid-Hayley Mills' and 'The 5 Find-Outers' was only doubly confusing.

 

I did end up singing a stutter-free 'Panis Angelicus', solo, in church.

 

Two of the boys on the poster were ginger, which seemed to convince me that young paddies were in with a chance.

 

'Sean Scully', even, blimey O' Reilly!

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQfrNmcxLCA

My self-portrait on the cover of a book. I licensed it to marchand de feuilles

  

You can read more about it on my blog. :)

you feel so good it makes me stutter

Cavendish Mews is a smart set of flats in Mayfair where flapper and modern woman, the Honourable Lettice Chetwynd has set up home after coming of age and gaining her allowance. To supplement her already generous allowance, and to break away from dependence upon her family, Lettice has established herself as a society interior designer, so her flat is decorated with a mixture of elegant antique Georgian pieces and modern Art Deco furnishings, using it as a showroom for what she can offer to her well heeled clients.

 

Today however Lettice’s drawing room, usually a haven of peaceful gentility, has been given over to a more joyful and exuberant festive atmosphere as Lettice hosts a bottle party* for friends after a wonderful day out at the Henley Regatta**. At a recent dinner at the Savoy Hotel***, Lettice’s beau, Selwyn Spencely, son of the Duke of Walmsford, has devised a plan to help thwart the plans of his scheming mother, Lady Zinnia, and Uncle Bertrand to marry him off to his cousin, 1923 debutante Pamela Fox-Chavers. Lady Zinnia has been snubbing Lettice, so he and Lettice have arranged for Lettice to attend as many London Season events as possible where Selwyn and Pamela are also in attendance so that Lettice and Selwyn can spend time together, and at the same time make their intentions so well known that Lady Zinnia won’t be able to avoid Lettice for too much longer. So far, they have been seen together at the Derby**** the Fourth of June at Eton*****, the Crystal Palace Horse Show, Ascot Week****** and today the Henley Regatta. The party at Henley consisted of Lettice, Selwyn and Pamela, Lettice’s friends Dickie and Margot Channon, who are part of Lettice’s Embassy Club coterie, her old childhood chum Gerald, also a member of the aristocracy who has tried to gain some independence from his impecunious Wiltshire family by designing gowns from a shop in Grosvenor Street, and a young debs delight******* whom Pamela is attracted to, the wealthy son of a banker, Jonty Knollys.

 

Edith, Lettice’s maid, fled to the relative quiet and safety of the Cavendish Mews kitchen as the party decamped noisily in the drawing room, discarding hats, canes and parasols across available surfaces before collapsing in fits of boisterous laugher into chairs and on the Chinese rug in the middle of the room. Now comfortably ensconced in the comfort of Lettice’s Mayfair drawing room, the party gets underway. Dickie insists on playing his usual role of barman as he relishes making cocktails for his friends with bottles purloined from Lettice’s black japanned cocktail cabinet in the adjoining dining room. Whilst he whips up concoctions for the pleasure of his friends, they all sing along with Gerald as he plays the latest tunes on his new banjo********.

 

“Yes we have no bananas, we have no bananas today!” the party sing joyously as Gerald concludes ‘Yes! We Have No Bananas’********* before applauding as he ends the song with a flourish.

 

“Oh, I wish Cyril was here.” sighs Gerald wistfully.

 

Lettice glances up in alarm from her seat opposite him where she had been toying playfully with the orange ribbons on her apricot dyed wide brimmed straw hat. As her eyes grow wide, Gerald realises his mistake in mentioning his secret lover’s name aloud.

 

“Who’s Cyril, old boy?” Selwyn asks with piqued interest as he takes a sip of Dickie’s cocktail concoction from his highball glass.

 

“Oh he’s… he’s…” stutters Gerald.

 

“He’s a musical chap who lives as a border in the home of Miss Milford, one of Gerald’s and my friends.” Lettice pipes up quickly, covering up Gerald’s awkwardness at trying to formulate a reply. “He’s quite theatrical type; performs in shows on the West End and enjoys a sing-along as a result, doesn’t he, Gerald?”

 

“Yes, yes he does!” replies her best friend with a look of extreme gratitude on his face.

 

“Milford?” Margot asks with a slight slur from her seat as she cocks an eyebrow lazily at Lettice. “Isn’t that the same name as your new milliner, Lettice darling?”

 

“What? Oh yes.” Lettice replies a little awkwardly herself. “She takes in lodgers too.”

 

“You’re friends with your milliner?” Margot continues with a perplexed air as she tries to piece the story together with a slightly alcohol addled mind. “How frightfully irregular.”

 

“Well… I… err.” stammers Lettice, glancing down the front of her apricot cotton summer frock.

 

“Oh Angel!” laughs Selwyn good naturedly. “You really shouldn’t try and cover for Gerald. Telling falsehoods doesn’t suit you, and it gives you away since you are no good at it.”

 

Both Lettice and Gerald blush with embarrassment.

 

“You are a black horse, aren’t you Gerald?” Selwyn continues, reaching down and giving him a soft brotherly slap on the back. “So, it isn’t a Gaiety Girl********** you’ve been hiding from us at all! It’s their landlady.”

 

“I say, Gerald old boy,” pipes up Dickie. “I do hope she doesn’t have a face like the ones you see portrayed in Punch every week!”

 

“Yes,” giggles Margot, releasing a hiccup amongst her titters. “All fat doughy face and washerwoman’s arms!”

 

“Or perhaps she is,” adds Selwyn with a conspiratorial wink at Gerald. “And he’s just using her to get to the prettiest of her Gaiety Girls.”

 

Gerald laughs cheerfully as much with relief at not being found out as being a homosexual for his inadvertent gaffe, as in an effort to go along with Selwyn’s thoughts and encourage the idea that he has a pretty girl cloistered away somewhere. “Well, a gentleman never reveals his secrets, Selwyn.”

 

“Oh, enough Selwyn!” exclaims Pamela. “Stop being a brute and teasing poor Mr. Bruton. His private affairs are his own!”

 

“Sorry Pammy.” Selwyn hangs his head in mock shame.

 

“I should think you are, Selwyn.” Turning to Gerald she addresses him. “Ignore him, Mr. Bruton. Anyone would think him a common labourer’s man rather than a future duke! My cousin can be a charming man, but when he is in a teasing mood, he is relentless.”

 

“Oh, I know Miss Fox-Chavers.” Gerald replies with a knowing smile. “You forget that I know your cousin well. He and I are members of the same club at St. James’.”

 

“Which you seldom attend these days” Selwyn points out, enjoying his ability to tease Gerald again. “Evidently because you have a better offer from somewhere, or more to the point, someone else.”

 

“Selwyn!” admonishes Pamela again.

 

“Gerald, won’t you play us something to dance to?” Lettice pipes up in an effort to change the subject and draw the attention away from her dear childhood friend who is evidently uncomfortable under Selwyn’s scrutiny. “I should so like to dance. What about you Miss Fox-Chavers?”

 

“Oh yes!” She looks hopefully at Jonty Knollys sitting next to her.

 

“Not I,” Margot manages to slur. “I don’t know what you put in these, my dear,” She glances at her husband as he adds a fresh slice of lemon to the lip of a highball glass full of a violent green looking concoction. “But whatever it is, it has gone straight to my head.” She sinks back into her seat and cradles her glass in her hands against her stomach.

 

“Oh my love, you’ve never had a head for cocktails.” Dickie says with a loving sigh as he shakes his head and looks with affection at his wife.

 

“How about a two-step?” Gerald asks as he starts searching noisily through the pile of sheet music he has brought with him from the back of his Morris***********.

 

“That sounds fine to me, Gerald darling!” Lettice enthuses. “You aren’t too overcome by Dickie’s cocktails as well, are you, Selwyn darling?” she adds teasingly.

 

“Certainly not, my Angel.” Selwyn replies, depositing his half drunk cocktail down onto the black japanned coffee table and offering her his hand chivalrously, helping her to rise from the comfortable white brocade cushions of her rounded tub armchair. “Shall we?”

 

“Aahh! Here we are!” Gerald says, withdrawing a piece of music with a creamy yellow cover adorned with red writing. He quickly tunes a loose string on his banjo and begins playing the opening bars of the ‘Auto Race’************ two-step.

 

Lettice falls into the now comfortable feel of Selwyn’s arms as he begins guiding her across the drawing room floor. They move carefully around her furniture as they move in time to the music, whilst also being careful not to bump into Pamela and Jonty who look happily into one another’s eyes as they too move in time to the jolly two-step.

 

“You know I’ve had such a lovely day today, Selwyn darling.” Lettice confides with a beaming smile as she looks up into her dance partner’s handsome face.

 

“So have I, my Angel.” he concurs with a purr. “A ripping day.”

 

“This little plan of yours seems to be working out quite nicely, Selwyn darling.”

 

“For whom?” Selwyn asks.

 

“Why for us, of course!” Lettice relies in surprise. “Who else?”

 

“Well, I don’t think Uncle Bertrand thought it was fearfully ripping when he laid eyes on you sitting next to me, and Jonty Knollys sitting alongside Pammy.”

 

“Yes,” Lettice muses with a juddering sight as she casts her mind back to earlier in the day on the Thames when Selwyn introduced her to his uncle as Bertrand drew the punt containing he and his second wife Rosalind alongside the punt containing their party. “I did notice the colour rise in his face. I don’t think it was caused by indigestion from their picnic luncheon in the bottom of their punt.”

 

“How perceptive you are, my Angel.” Selwyn says with a chuckle. “Still this is what we agreed to, wasn’t it?” After Lettice nods, he continues as he carefully guides her around the back of one of her armchairs, “And Zinnia must be aware of you by now. Our photos have appeared in the society pages of all the major newspapers. Uncle Bertrand’s firsthand observations will only add credence to the stories and rumours that are no doubt filtering back to her in Buckinghamshire. She cannot go on ignoring you forever.”

 

“Selwyn?” Lettice asks a little apprehensively. “Selwyn are you sure we’re going about this the right way?”

 

“Whatever do you mean, my Angel? I thought we agreed that this was the course of action that we were going to take. You just said yourself that you thought it was working out quite nicely for us, and I agree. You aren’t having misgivings about it are you?”

 

“Well, a little.” Lettice admits. “I mean, it does smack of rubbing your mother’s and uncle’s noses in it rather, don’t you think?”

 

“I told you, Zinnia is the best player of ostriches that I know. She happily sticks her head in the sand so she can’t see what she doesn’t want to. We have to get her to see, and Uncle Bertrand too, that you and I are not going to be persuaded to break our involvement. And Pammy deserves a chance to pick a suitor that she likes, not one that Zinnia and Uncle Bertrand have chosen for her. She deserves happiness every bit as much as you and I do. You are happy, aren’t you, may Angel?”

 

“Oh yes, of course I am, Selwyn darling. And, I’d say we aren’t alone in that happiness,” Lettice nods towards Pamela and Jonty, who only appear to have eyes for one another.

 

“Indeed yes.” Selwyn agrees in acknowledgement. “He’s one of the good chaps.”

 

“He seems it. Lovely manners, and he seems to make your cousin happy.”

 

“Well, I’m pleased because he only fancies Pammy for herself, and not her money.”

 

“He comes from the banking Knollys, doesn’t he?”

 

Selwyn nods. “So, he doesn’t need her money, like some of the others buzzing around her do. There are too many young men with ancestral castles and country estates falling into decrepitude who look towards Pammy as a means to restore their fortunes. I’d hate for her to throw away her heart on a cad.”

 

“You love her very much, don’t you, Selwyn?” Lettice smiles.

 

“I do.” Selwyn agrees. “She is my cousin after all.” He feels an almost imperceptible change in Lettice as she stiffens slightly in his arms. “But don’t worry, my Angel. I love you more.”

 

Lettice’s stance eases. “That’s just as well, Selwyn darling, because I love you too.”

 

The pair move together happily in silence for a little while whilst Gerald’s lively jaunty banjo notes and the sounds of Dickie squirting soda water into a cocktail fill the air around them.

 

“Have you worked out how you’re going to break the news to Mrs. Hawarden yet?” Gerald calls out to Lettice as she and Selwyn dance near to him.

 

“No,” Lettice sighs with exasperation. “Not yet.”

 

“Mrs. Hawarden?” Selwyn queries. “Isn’t she the woman you visited during Ascot week who wants you to redecorate her drawing room?”

 

“That’s her!” pipes up Gerald.

 

“And her dining room.” Lettice adds a little despondently. “She wants me to redecorate rooms that I feel should really be left unaltered. They are fine as they are, but she seems to have it in her head to tamper with them and ruin them with inferior fabrics and foolish ideas about what she thinks makes for tasteful redecoration and modernisation.”

 

“Well, can’t you talk her out of her ideas? I sense some trepidation, my Angel.”

 

“She won’t be told,” Gerald announces to the room as he continues playing without missing a beat. “So Lettice has decided to turn her down.”

 

“Not trepidation,” Lettice corrects Selwyn, picking up on his question of her. “Genuine fear.”

 

“Of what?” Selwyn asks. “Of her? Of saying no to her?”

 

Lettice nods as they move in time to Gerald’s playing. “She really is very domineering, I’ve discovered, and whenever I make a suggestion that counters her opinion, she just talks more loudly and stridently over the top of me to drown me out. She is convinced that I am the only interior designer who has her vision – even though I don’t. She telephones almost every day in an effort to wear me down. It’s become such an issue that I’ve had to make Edith lie to her and tell her I’m not at home, just so I don’t have to speak with her.”

 

BBBBRRRINGGG!

 

As if on cue, the silver and Bakelite telephone suddenly begins to trill loudly.

 

“Well, thinking of the devil, herself.” Gerald remarks as he continues to play.

 

“Oh don’t say that, Gerald!” hisses Lettice as Selwyn sweeps her away again.

 

BBBBRRRINGGG!

 

“Oh Margot,” Lettice calls from Selwyn’s arms as he continues to lead her in the dance. “Be a brick and answer that will you? Edith doesn’t like answering the telephone at the best of times, so she certainly won’t answer it in front of all of us.”

 

BBBBRRRINGGG!

 

Margot sloppily pulls herself up out of her chair and her slight alcoholic stupor and deposits her glass clumsily onto the surface of the low coffee table before her. Leaning over in a rather ungainly way, she grasps the receiver and picks it up just as it is about to ring again. Leaning over the arm of the chair she pulls the long curling black flex towards her and mutters into the receiver over the top of the noise around her, “The hon… honahhrable Lettice Chet… Chetwynd’s residence.” She pauses, her partially smeared lips hanging open as she listens. A distant deep male voice burbles down the line quite loudly and then stops. “Ssshhhh!” she hisses to everyone around her, waving her spare elegantly bejewelled hand in a sign to temper their noise before placing it against her uncovered ear as the burbling voice begins down the line again.

 

Gerald stops playing and both couples stop dancing abruptly. Dickie holds the soda syphon in his hands, his finger on the trigger, paused to add a dash of soda water to the glass before him. All eyes focus on Margot and the telephone’s receiver.

 

“Well, it’s not Mrs. Hawarden,” Selwyn notes as he hears the decidedly male voice yelling from his end.

 

“Ssshhh!” Lettice hushes him, patting his chest with her hands.

 

Margot leans back into an upright position and smothers the mouthpiece of the telephone with her hand as she takes the receiver away from her ear. She looks up to Lettice. “It’s your father.” she says dully. “He says it’s urgent.”

 

Lettice pushes herself quickly from Selwyn’s arms and rushes over to the telephone. She takes the receiver from Margot.

 

“Hullo Pappa.” The distant deep male voice speaks loudly down the line again. “No, no Pappa. That was Margot.” The Viscount blasts something unflattering about Margot at his daughter. “Well, we’ve been having cocktails you see, after our afternoon at Henley.” Lettice closes her eyes and hopes to avoid a rebuke. “I told you that we were going to the regatta today. Remember Pappa.” The Viscount starts talking again at length. “What? Oh, oh no Pappa?” He continues, and as he speaks down the telephone line from Wilshire the bright colour in Lettice’s face drains away. “Well yes of course, Pappa.” More speaking from the Viscount’s end of the line. “Yes, well Gerald’s here too. Of course, we’ll set off straight away.” His distant voice softens as he says goodbye. “Goodbye Pappa.”

 

Lettice hangs up the receiver which releases a bright tinkle as she replaces it in the cradle of the telephone. She stands still for a moment, staring ahead of her but seeing nothing.

 

“Lettice?” Gerald asks, but she doesn’t answer.

 

Suddenly she snaps out of her momentary stupor and walks with purpose into the dining room towards the green baize door that leads to the servant’s part of the flat. “Edith! Edith!”

 

“Yes Miss?” Edith pops her head around the corner of the door a moment later.

 

Lettice lowers her voice. “Edith please make us all some coffee and then go and pack me an overnight valise. Please pack my black crepe dress and a few of my more sombre frocks and my pearls will you. Mr. Bruton and I shall be departing for Wiltshire very shortly.”

 

“Yes Miss!” gaps Edith.

 

“I’ll explain later, Edith. Just serve the coffee as quickly as you can and then pack for me. You can clean up after we have all left.”

 

“Yes, Miss.”

 

Turning back Lettice strides across the dining room and back to the drawing room.

 

“I’m sorry everyone, but we’ll have to bring this party to an abrupt conclusion, I’m afraid.” Lettice announces shakily.

 

Margot, Dickie, Pamela and Jonty all groan and complain loudly.

 

“Whatever is the matter my Angel?” Selwyn asks, walking over and grasping his sweetheart by the shoulders. “You look so pale.”

 

“Lettice?” Gerald asks again, putting his banjo aside. “You said I was here.” He says softly. “What is it? Is it Mummy?”

 

Lettice doesn’t answer immediately, stunned once again into silence by shock.

 

“No,” she says weakly at length, an air of disbelief in her voice. “It’s Uncle Sherbourne.” She references Lord Tyrwhitt, patriarch of the family of the estate adjoining her own family’s estate, and father of her sister-in-law Arabella. “He’s collapsed whilst out on the estate.” She looks at Gerald. “We have to go to home to Wiltshire right now.”

 

*Bottle parties, a private party to which each guest brings their own liquor, came into vogue during the 1920s and 30s initially especially after prohibition in America and liquor licence restrictions in Britain.

 

**The Henley Royal regatta is a leisurely “river carnival” on the Thames. It was at heart a rowing race, first staged in 1839 for amateur oarsmen, but soon became another fixture on the London social calendar. Boating clubs competed, and were not exclusively British, and the event was well known for its American element. Evenings were capped by boat parties and punts, the air filled with military brass bands and illuminated by Chinese lanterns. Dress codes were very strict: men in collars, ties and jackets (garishly bright ties and socks were de rigueur in the 1920s) and crisp summer frocks, matching hats and parasols for the ladies.

 

***The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by Carte's family for over a century. The Savoy was the first hotel in Britain to introduce electric lights throughout the building, electric lifts, bathrooms in most of the lavishly furnished rooms, constant hot and cold running water and many other innovations. Carte hired César Ritz as manager and Auguste Escoffier as chef de cuisine; they established an unprecedented standard of quality in hotel service, entertainment and elegant dining, attracting royalty and other rich and powerful guests and diners. The hotel became Carte's most successful venture. Its bands, Savoy Orpheans and the Savoy Havana Band, became famous. Winston Churchill often took his cabinet to lunch at the hotel. The hotel is now managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. It has been called "London's most famous hotel". It has two hundred and sixty seven guest rooms and panoramic views of the River Thames across Savoy Place and the Thames Embankment. The hotel is a Grade II listed building.

 

****The Derby Stakes is one of the greatest sporting events of the London Season, and is held in June at Epsom Downs Racecourse every year. It gets its name from its founder, Edward Smith-Stanley, the 12th Earl of Derby, who inaugurated the race as a lark in 1780. It is perhaps the most democratic of all events on the London social season calendar as it was not founded by royalty. It grew in popularity because of the patronage of the Duke of York (later King Edward VII) who found the race to his liking and attended every year, often entering horses from his own stud. As well as being a place of great joy, it also witnessed a tragedy in 1913, when suffragette Emily Davidson threw herself in front of King George V’s horse to draw attention to the plight of women wanting the vote. Sadly, such a heroic act killed her, turning her into one of the most famous martyrs of the suffragette movement.

 

*****June the fourth is an important day for Eaton College in Windsor. The day is celebrated annually with a tradition known as the “Procession of the Boats” or the “Swan Upping Ceremony”. During the ceremony, the reigning sovereign’s swan marker and his assistants row up the River Thames in traditional skiffs to check on the health of the swan population. Eton College students, dressed in their distinctive black and white uniforms, also participate in the ceremony, riding up and down the river in their own boats, accompanied by the school’s band playing lively tunes. After the ceremony, the town of Eaton and the college celebrate with a variety of festivities including music, food, drink and parties.

 

******Royal Ascot Week is the major social calendar event held in June every year at Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire. It was founded in 1711 by Queen Anne and is attended every year by the reigning British monarch and members of the Royal Family. The event is grand and showy, with men in grey morning dress and silk toppers and ladies in their best summer frocks and most elaborate hats.

 

*******A “debs’ delight” is an elegant or attractive young man in high society who is also an eligible bachelor and thus a suitable match for a young debutante.

 

********Originating out of America during the 1920s the banjo quickly gained popularity in Britain too because it was reasonably cheap as an instrument, portable, easy to learn on and musical duelling matches were played like draughts or chess.

 

*********"Yes! We Have No Bananas" is an American novelty song by Frank Silver and Irving Cohn published on March the 23rd, 1923. It became a major hit in 1923 when it was recorded by Billy Jones, Billy Murray, Arthur Hall, Irving Kaufman, and others. It was recorded later by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, Spike Jones & His City Slickers, Kidsongs, and many more. The song became a best-selling sheet music in American history. It inspired a follow-up song, "I've Got the Yes! We Have No Bananas Blues", recorded by Billy Jones and Sam Lanin (with vocals by Irving Kaufman and others) in 1923. Al Jolson recorded on film, an operatic version, in blackface, in the 1930s

 

**********Gaiety Girls were the chorus girls in Edwardian musical comedies, beginning in the 1890s at the Gaiety Theatre, London, in the shows produced by George Edwardes.

 

***********Morris Motors Limited was a privately owned British motor vehicle manufacturing company established in 1919. With a reputation for producing high-quality cars and a policy of cutting prices, Morris's business continued to grow and increase its share of the British market. By 1926 its production represented forty-two per cent of British car manufacturing. Amongst their more popular range was the Morris Cowley which included a four-seat tourer which was first released in 1920.

 

************”Auto Race” is a popular two-step composed in 1908 by American musician Percy Wenrich (1887 – 1952), who is perhaps more famously known for his hit songs like “Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet” and “On Moonlight Bay”.

 

This 1920s upper-class drawing room party is different to what you may think at first glance, for it is made up entirely of 1:12 size dollhouse miniatures.

 

Fun things to look for in this tableau include:

 

Lettice’s tea set is a beautiful artisan set featuring a rather avant-garde Art Deco Royal Doulton design from the Edwardian era. The jam fancies are also artisan miniatures from Beautifully Handmade Miniatures in Kettering. He has a dizzying array of meals which is always growing, and all are made entirely or put together by hand. The glass comport is made of real glass and was blown by hand. It too comes from Beautifully handmade Miniatures.

 

The books that you see scattered around Lettice’s drawing room are 1:12 size miniatures made by the British miniature artisan Ken Blythe. Most of the books I own that he has made may be opened to reveal authentic printed interiors, although these are amongst the exception. In some cases, you can even read the words of the titles, depending upon the size of the print! I have quite a large representation of Ken Blythe’s work in my collection. What might amaze you even more is that all Ken Blythe’s opening books are authentically replicated 1:12 scale miniatures of real volumes. To create something so authentic to the original in such detail and so clearly, really does make this a miniature artisan piece. Ken Blythe’s work is highly sought after by miniaturists around the world today and command high prices at auction for such tiny pieces, particularly now that he is no longer alive. I was fortunate enough to acquire pieces from Ken Blythe prior to his death about four years ago. His legacy will live on with me and in my photography which I hope will please his daughter.

 

The magazines on the lower shelf of the coffee table were made by hand by Petite Gite Miniatures in the United States.

 

The very realistic floral arrangements around the room are made by hand by either the Doll House Emporium or Falcon Miniatures in America who specialise in high end miniatures.

 

Margot’s umbrella comes from an online stockist that specialises in miniatures, whilst her red handbag with its gold chain strap comes from Kathleen Knight’s Doll’s House in the United Kingdom

 

Lettice’s drawing room is furnished with beautiful J.B.M. miniatures. The Art Deco tub chairs are of black japanned wood and have removable cushions, just like their life sized examples. To the left of the fireplace is a Hepplewhite drop-drawer bureau and chair of black japanned wood which has been hand painted with chinoiserie designs, even down the legs and inside the bureau. The Hepplewhite chair has a rattan seat, which has also been hand woven. To the right of the fireplace is a Chippendale cabinet which has also been decorated with chinoiserie designs. It also features very ornate metalwork hinges and locks.

 

On the top of the Hepplewhite bureau stand three real miniature photos in frames including an Edwardian silver frame, a Victorian brass frame and an Art Deco blue Bakelite and glass frame.

 

The fireplace is a 1:12 miniature resin Art Deco fireplace which is flanked by brass accessories including an ash brush with real bristles.

 

On the left hand side of the mantle is an Art Deco metal clock hand painted with wonderful detail by British miniature artisan Victoria Fasken.

 

In the middle of the mantle is a miniature artisan hand painted Art Deco statue on a “marble” plinth. Made by Warwick Miniatures in England, it is a 1:12 copy of the “Theban Dancer” sculpture created by Claire-Jeanne-Roberte Colinet in 1925.

 

The carpet beneath the furniture is a copy of a popular 1920s style Chinese silk rug, and the geometric Art Deco wallpaper is beautiful hand impressed paper given to me by a friend, which inspired the whole “Cavendish Mews – Lettice Chetwynd” series.

Nikon D50 50mm 1.8d lens reversed. Aperture of f8 and 1/500 stutters peed with pop-up flash. Follow my 500px for more photos: 500px.com/iloveburgersomuch

(no, i did not stutter)

 

can you tell that i am really looking forward to spring?

 

art teacher friends/contacts: see much more of my school's work on Artsonia. :)

Hermosa Beach, April 2011

Seaside Reverie

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 11: (L-R) Chaya Goldstein and Emily Blunt attend the 2022 Freeing Voices, Changing Lives Gala at Guastavino's on July 11, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for American Institute for Stuttering)

If I cry

The whole day long,

They say that I

Must be more strong.

 

If I'm hard

And I am strong,

They say that

That, is very wrong.

 

And if I birth

Till I am poor,

I must be stu---

pid, that's for sure.

 

And making money,

Saving cash?

They say that I

Am much too brash.

 

Then if I laugh,

When I am witty,

I am crude,

It is a pity.

 

And if I pout

And look quite sour,

I'm a stubborn,

Sullen, dour.

 

When confessing,

Stutter, halt...

Yes, you guessed,

It's all my fault.

 

If life throws me

An awful curve,

It is a pain

That I deserve.

 

So makeup on,

Yes, it goes.

Perfumed head

To perfumed toes.

 

'Cause lipstick's red,

And red, rouge paint,

Will make ya what...

Ya think you ain't!

 

Hilary McRee Flanery

She comments: 'I write short stories and books to bare my soul because after 10 kids, God KNOWS I can’t bare my body.'

Seascape shot at the IJsselmeer, Friesland, the Netherlands.

 

Stutter time: 30s

Apterture: F8

ISO: 100

6-stop ND

I am not use to dictation so I have a tendency to occasionally stutter or speak a little faster then I mean to. If I was taking face to face I would definitely be doing a better job at speaking.

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Ok, so I got this one powered as well. I know she "stutters" a little bit (if you know what I mean), but that's the problem of the track section being too short and the speed being too low. I'll add a 2nd pantograph and finish the bogies when there's more time, but apart from that she's done. I'll upload some proper pics and a better video then.

League of Heroes: Ascent

 

Episode 3: Darkest Before Dawn - Part 2

 

“We interrupt our continuing coverage of the New Brickton prison break, it seems that we are getting an unexpected live feed from the madness in Midtown.” The news anchor stuttered, nervously shuffling through the stack of papers on the news desk. “Frank, can you switch us over…”

 

Static… and then the picture suddenly changed from the busy news room to a devastated street. A blonde woman, statuesque and menacing stares into a shaky camera lens.

 

“Good morning citizens of New Brickton. From this day forward, it will be remembered that you sent forth your champions to face Celedon the Destroyer… and I have found them wanting. They lie here now in pathetic heaps, driven before me and broken at my feet. Is this really the best you have to offer? I demand a challenge worthy of my strength! For every hour that I am unsatisfied, I will raise another block of this insignificant city! Your only other option is complete surrender. Death or servitude, I give you the gift of choice mortals. Your first hour begins now.”

 

The broadcast suddenly cuts to a rainbow test pattern. Unseen by the camera, a winged figure descends to the devastated street. Upon touching down on the pavement, she kneels over the motionless form of the Indestructible Man.

 

“Wake up! Please!” She shakes Fred’s seemingly lifeless body, “Fred, I don‘t know what’s happened to us, but I do know that you are still alive and I know that we need to get you and your friends out of here.”

 

This was built for the League of Lego Heroes Group… www.flickr.com/groups/llh/

 

1. Green I, 2. printed dolly, 3. how i got my stutter, 4. Green II, 5. My love of Green Doors, 6. Pay Attention To Me, 7. Untitled, 8. Those Cookies, 9. India Rose Textiles, 10. "Wonder Frog"..., 11. Little Green Mittens, 12. Sporting Vintage Brooches, 13. 0145, 14. shades of green, 15. work in progress...Green 1 inch squares, 16. green wednesday, 17. Untitled, 18. New rainboots, 19. Green Lady PC1, 20. DETALHES. DETAILS., 21. *secret bunny* wrap skirt...green and pink, 22. see the doll. . . ., 23. NA - Pastel green/Green dotty Vintage kerchief dresses (1 left), 24. green, green, 25. Cupcakes

 

Fourth mosaic for my colour week:

moline.typepad.com/

 

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

There once was a warthog

with a stutter

who spoke mostly with a hiccup

and a mutter.

He improved things, it's true,

just for something to do,

And now his speech is smoother

than butter.

Read the write-up on The Brothers Brick.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 11: <> attends the 2022 Freeing Voices, Changing Lives Gala at Guastavino's on July 11, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for American Institute for Stuttering)

The odd cloud effect is due to the use of the Comet Mode, of the Advanced Stacker PLUS (v14). About twenty frames taken at one second intervals were combined to create this shot. All were taken at 15mm using a fish-eye which is uncorrected. I'll also be showing a vertorama of the Spire and a huge multi row panorama of the entire building.

 

See the tags for more information about the exposures.

 

Young Tri-colored Heron stump fishing near the mouth of Horsepen Bayou

Read the write-up on The Brothers Brick.

My weekend, pretty much.

Alhambra, CA, March 2011

Golden State Memories

" “If that’s what you’re into,” Harry said, hopelessly honest, and leaned in and kissed him again, holding him pressed up against the doorframe and kissing his mouth, the curling corner of it, and his jaw and a place near his ear. Malfoy made a little sound, broken in the middle, that made Harry’s heart stutter in his chest." - Drop Dead Gorgeous by Maya

 

-

 

(Disclaimer: Photo has nothing to do with the text.) *makes whimpery sniffly noises*

 

Please read for backstory: raining-on.livejournal.com/154583.html

Why is it so difficult to get a slideshow onto flickr?! The quality is much reduced and it ends abruptly although my file is high quality with a fade out :( Therefore best seen small…… ipad is ideal ;o)

 

Anyway, I thought this might be a better way of presenting my weird fireworks photos and contains all the pictures in the Focus blur album and some more :)

 

If it stutters, pausing it for a while might help so it can build a buffer.

 

Music (if you can call it that) is Kaboom by David Solano.

Reconstructing that room above the shop, coaxing out 'memory aids' in the telling of a story of a possible transformation. The shop was called the 'Bon Bon', and stuttering Ruin's nickname was Ruin Bon-Bon.

 

The building is gone now, replaced by a fun palace called 'Playtime'. There is a certain poetry there.

 

There are no other records of the place, other than this photo of Ruin's sister (on the right) with her youngest brother, in need of a nappy change. The other girl, a long dead friend of Ruin's sister, can bask in the limitless anonymity generously provided by infrathin.

 

Infinity is funny like that.

 

What's real is real (see below). What is reconstructed is obvious. It's a way forward in a backwards direction, photoshopped (and A.I.'d) to within an inch of its life.

 

There was another smaller window above the door (St. Patricks), the doorway is 'real', but only one window is of interest to me, or to Ruin rather.

 

I like the geometric imposition, triangles and rectangles imposed on what was fundamentally chaotic, like some dilapidated preordained order, making it somewhat closer even to what it actually was, this dingy window framing abuse and possible healing.

 

Ruin could feel that possibility deep in the pit of his stomach, unsurprisingly more or less exactly where he remembered the initial intrusion of the abuse to have lodged, when he was a boy.

Bắt đầu lao vào ăn chơi đã \m/

 

~ Dạo này bị đơ hỏng thấy có miếng cảm xúc nữa -.-

 

Cuộc sống cho bạn một nỗi đau thì tự nó sẽ đem đến cho bạn 1 người để xoa dịu nỗi đau ấy

Mr. Maurice Morris, local Margate man...

--

Stutter Rap - Morris Minor & Majors

Stuttering Barred Frog (Mixophyes balbus), Mid-north Coast, New South Wales.

 

It was very dry in the forest this time of the year and one of the creeks had no water except for a small pool with tadpoles of this species. I spotted this juvenile sitting a few metres away in the leaf litter where it had begun to develop the characteristic blue upper-eye of the adult.

St Andrew, Collyweston, Northamptonshire

 

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?

— Only the monstrous anger of the guns.

Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle

Can patter out their hasty orisons.

No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;

Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—

The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;

And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

 

What candles may be held to speed them all?

Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes

Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.

The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;

Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,

And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

 

Wilfred Owen, Anthem for Doomed Youth, 1916

 

And so to church-exploring again, a day in which our hero takes a bicycle ride into Rutland and north Northamptonshire. He rides two ridges either side of the great Welland Vale, meets an eccentric churchwarden, sees double, frightens a horse, has his head turned by a young American lady, witnesses the longest railway viaduct in the British Isles, has another incident with a lady over wheelie bins and climbs hills no man of his age should be expected to climb.

 

An early start, the 0600 from Ipswich, arriving Stamford, Lincolnshire at 0810, and then I headed straight across the county border and up and out the long ridge that runs on the Northamptonshire side of the Welland Vale, climbing higher and higher with spectacular views into the Vale below. The day was overcast, which is always a disappointment in this part of the world with its stone buildings which are brought to life in sunshine, but even so the villages are lovely and the rolling hills dramatic.

 

My plan was to visit my 50th Northamptonshire church, and then cut and run back to Stamford via Ketton. However, this was not the way things would turn out.

 

My first port of call was only a couple of miles out of Stamford, but involved a steep climb on the busy Stamford to Kettering road before turning off and swooping down and then up into the exquisitely pretty hilltop village of Easton-on-the-Hill and its church of All Saints, which I was surprised to find was locked without a keyholder notice. I hadn't expected this. I wondered if I was too early, because it was still a few minutes short of 0830, but the bloke cutting the grass said it was usually open by this time, but he thought it had been left locked because there was a wedding later that day. He didn't have a key, and of course as it is usually open every day there wouldn't be a keyholder notice, would there.

 

It seemed a shame, because Pevsner has lots to say about how lovely the inside is. A big church, the graveyard narrow and big-treed to the south, difficult to get a shot from that side, but wide-open to the north with some grand 18th Century memorials, which was some recompense. The 18th Century was Stamford's heyday of course, one of the most important towns in England before the Industrial Revolution.

 

I hate starting the day with a locked church, but it would be one of only a couple in the course of the day. I headed back on to the busy road which in less than two miles brought me into Collyweston, an even prettier village, although the traffic spoilt it a bit. Here was the church of St Andrew, locked with a keyholder notice. The church is set back from the main road behind a large wall, with just a narrow doorway entrance. This is unusual, but it is the same at Helpston in Cambridgeshire, not so very far off and a very friendly church. However, this doorway had a sign saying 'this gate is closed. The trees are dangerous.'

 

I peeped over the wall, and the church looked a bit neglected. Was it still in use? I headed up the main road and turned off into an unutterably lovely high street of mainly 17th and 18th Century stone buildings, some thatched, others roofed in 'Collyweston tiles'. A gated alleyway ran up to the south side of the church, and a sign said 'you can't get through the churchyard. The trees are dangerous'. All very curt and to the point. I headed down to the church, but I could see the padlock on the doors, and a sign 'Because we've had robberies, we have to keep the church locked. If you have a genuine reason for visiting, the key is at...' and it listed five keyholders, all surprisingly close by, neighbours in fact.

 

I chose the first one on the list, a few doors down from the gated alley. Here, a sign said 'tradesmen, itinerants and salespeople - you can knock on this door all you like, no one will hear you. If you have a genuine reason for calling, open the door, walk up the alley and ring the bell at the far end.' At this point I realised I was dealing with a genuine eccentric, and so it proved. He jumped at the chance to show a stranger his church. As we walked back to the church I said I was sorry to hear there had been robberies. "Yes, well," he said, "there was one long ago. But the main reason we keep the church locked is we can't find anyone reliable to open and close it each day', which reminded me of one of the reasons my late friend Tom Muckley used to give as the most likely ones for churches to be kept locked, and not for security reasons at all.

 

A tall, rather shabby church, and stepping inside was to find a rather sad interior and a sense of past glories, for Lady Margaret Beaufort had a castle at Collyweston, and the 15th Century brought plenty of money for church renewal. A chapel at this time was built on the south side of the chancel, and 20th Century restoration has revealed inside it the original outside wall of the late Norman church. There is a very good AK Nicholson war memorial window which includes an image of the church (and, incidentally, part of the churchwarden's house, he was proud to note). There is a very tall south clerestory, but no aisle, filled with early 19th Century glass 'brought here from a Yorkshire church'. No one seems to know who it is by. I noticed the Sarum screen still in use, and I asked the churchwarden if they were still High Church. 'We get what we're given', was his curt reply.

 

I said farewell to my new friend and then headed back on the busy road towards the next village, which was set below where the A47 Leicester to Great Yarmouth road crosses it. On the map it looked a busy junction, but I knew the A47 well from travelling to and from Leicester when my son was at university there, and it is quite cycleable at this point, quite unlike what it will be like once it gets into Norfolk. A lot of the traffic there must come off of the A1 I suppose. Duddington was reached after a short distance in the Leicester direction, and here was the church of St Mary, and it was open.

 

A lovely village, and a delightful setting for the church, up an alley between cottages and then set on a small, round, raised churchyard, which must be an ancient space. The church is very pretty, though a bit of an oddity, as the spired tower is set at the east end of the south aisle. Inside, the church is lovely, such a difference to the previous church, clean and light and overseen by glorious Norman arcades with capitals, but on a small scale, for this is not a big church. I thought it was delightful, and of course it had no difficulty in stepping up as church of the day so far.

 

I now headed out of Duddington at the western end of the village back onto the A47, but just before I reached it I crossed the gently winding River Welland by an old stone bridge and in doing so crossed into Rutland for the first time. Barely half a mile on the A47, and I turned off again towards Tixover.

 

To be continued.

Freedom of speech crisis concept and censorship in expression of ideas symbol as a human tongue wrapped in old barbed wire as a metaphor for political correctness pressure to restrain free talk or limit communication.

Mixophyes australis

Watagan Mountains

Jay Cortez and Jade Kalvin-The beginning!

 

This is a story of Jade Kalvin and Jay Cortez. And before they have become the very hard to control, an yet irrevocably in love, relationship couple they are today.

 

The summer of 2010, rite before senior year, Tuesday, August the 1st.

 

The town of Spirit city, bus number 748, came rolling up to a stop at the bus stop at the Spirit city mall. A girl with red hair, green eyes, yet with some form of fireyness in them, hopped off the bus. She had a purple one strap sling backpack with her, and had bright neon yellow and orange headphones on her ears. As she walked to the doors of the mall, the man watching her stepped out of his brand new Chevy truck. He saved up for it all summer and had made a deal with the owner of the dealership to get it. It was his favorite color, metallic blue. As he stepped out of it, taking one last look in his side mirror, pushing his shaggy, but perfect blonde hair off to the side then back, styling it the way he likes it. He always tried to accentuate his natural tan skin, and his dark blue eyes. He locked his truck, and followed the girl inside.

 

As the girl with the firey red hair went into a Zumiez store, looking at pretty much everything, but stopping at the skateboards in the back. The blonde tall man had followed her in. He knew that this was pretty weird. But, all through the school year last year, he'd liked her, he just never had the guts up to ask her out before now. He was trying to get through his study's anyways. But this year was going to be different. He would ask her out.

"Hello, Welcome to Zumiez, can i help you find anything today?" A salesman asked him. "Nah, im good. Just lookin' around." He replied back with a smile. "All right, if you need anything, dont be shy to ask." And the salesman was off in a flash. The blonde man made his way back to the skateboards as well, looking up at each vivid colored board hung on a pipe on the ceiling for show. He looked over, seeing the red haired beauty only 5 feet away from em. She looked at him then, and he gulped nervously, and smiled back. "Y-you like skating?" he asked her, not able to help the stutter that left his lips. The girl smiled at him, and nodded. "Yea. Im pretty good actually. Though i mostly just like to ride the long boards, or any cruising kind of boards...what bout you?" she asked him, stepping up one step towards him. The blonde man smiled, an nodded. "Yea, i skate now and then. More into BMX or racing though. Kind of more of a... a thrill, you know?" The girl smiled, and giggled a chiming shy sound. He loved her laugh, it gave him butterflies. "Yea, i know watchu mean. Thats why i surf, snowboard, and even dirt race as well...Im Jade Kalvin..you?" Jade said. She'd finally introduced herself, professionally at least. He smiled, and shook the hand she held out, smiling. "Im Jay Cortez. And nice, the dirt racing sounds really kool. I’ve never done it before." he said, honestly. Jade smiled, and shrugged. "Perhaps i could show you sometime." She turned her head though when the salesman he saw when he came in walked up to her. A short man, with a red Mohawk that was about an inch or two long. "Can i help either of you back here with anything?" he asked, and Jay couldn't helped but glare at him, cause he was checking out Jade's chest. "Yes. I would like to buy one of those boards up there. I jus, cant really decide between two." Jade said to the man, not seeming to notice he was being a pig. "Well. Which two is it between miss?" he asked, as he grabbed a ladder, and set it up to place. Jade pointed to two area's of the square of hanging board that they were in. "Its either that cruiser Element board there, or, that cruiser Purple panda board there." The man saw the walking distance, an gulped. He wasn't in the greatest shape.

He got em both down though, and handed them to Jade. "Well, which one calls out to you hun?" he said. Jay wanted to wring his fat little neck for calling er that. But Jade just looked at himself anyways. "Which one do you think i should get Jay?" Jade asked him. His stomach had that butterfly feeling again when she acknowledged his existence. He couldn't help but smile again, looking at the boards though. "Well. The Element one is pretty kool, but...i think the panda one looks like it could be more, You, you know?" He smiled, and he hoped that he didn't give emself up that he'd bin watching her secretly, but not like a creep.

She smiled though, handing the salesman back the Element one. "I think i'll take this Panda one." she said with a smile, an he smirked when he saw and heard the man sigh and grumble that he had to go back up. His arm got grabbed though by Jade, and willingly, he was pulled over by the trucks and the wheels, and the grip-tap, and bearings side of the store. "Wanna help me pick out everything else Jay?" Jade asked him, again with her beautiful smile. Jay just nodded and smiled. "Of course. I'd be glad to."

 

For the next 30 minutes, they had spent 20 of that in Zumiez, getting Jade's new skateboard, and a few new clothes and shoes. The next was in Spencer's for the rest. And now they were headed to the food court. Jay was almost like a puppy dog. He had the puppy dog, follow you around for life, kind of feel. But he didn't hate it like he usually would hate it. He knew then, that Jade was the one that he was waiting for.

When they had to split up in the food court to get food, cause Jay couldn't eat the food Jade wanted, he hurt all over. They met up in a few minutes though, in a kinda, sticky, situation. See, they didnt see each other, and had ran right into each other, thankfully only spilling on the floor, an not each other. "Oh no. I am so so so sorry Jay. I am a total klutz. I am so very sorry." Jade said. He could see how much she was sorry. "It is as much my fault Jade. We are both klutzes" he said with a chuckle, grabbing some napkins off the table, and wiping the drinks puddles up. "Shall we sit?" he asked her gentlemanly with a smile, pulling her chair out for her. She smiled, and sat down in her chair down, taking her backpack off first, and then her purple jacket. Which now he realized why the salesman at Zumiez stared. Her breasts were so luscious. He just wanted to press his face in between them, and he'd be completely safe there. He pulled his mind back from his day dream, and pushed the chair in when she sat. Sitting on her right side, they began to eat. When they were almost done, only eating there fries left, Jay gulped, trying to find the words for what he was about to say. Jade interrupted him first though. "Hey Jay...can i ask you something?" Jay's eyebrows rose a bit curiously. "Uh, yea sure. Anything." he said.

Jade gulped audibly, fiddling with her drink cup. "Uhm..well, I have this..friend..an she likes this guy..." she bit her bottom lip nervously. “Go on.” he said. Jay wondered if there really was another friend, or if she was just using a medifor for herself. "And well, she is really afraid of what to do next. See, the relationship is new in itself, and she doesn't want to ruin anything with taking it further, but, she feels that if she doesn't, it'll be the biggest mistake of her life." She looked up at him with innocent scared eyes. He knew it was about her then, and just smiled at her, saying simply whilst laying his hand on hers. "You do what feels right Jade. If risks weren't worth taking, people would just be in there living rooms, watching TV. I say just to take the chance." His words made her smile, and that means that he smiled back. "All rite. In that case. I uhm...i have something to say to you." she said, biting her lip again. "Look..i like you Jay..alot. I know we met an all, like, just today, but, i want things to be more. It feels like it should be more, you know?" She looked at him straight on, there eyes meeting. Jay smiled, and leaned in his chair to her, holding her hand. "I feel the same way Jade. I just didnt want to freak you out by asking too fast." he smiled, and chuckled a bit.

 

Jade blushed, holding Jay's hand right back. She'd never felt this way before him, least not this strong at the first meeting. She even wanted to have sex with him this soon. There were connections with them out the wazoo. "Would you like to see a movie Saturday?" Jay asked her. She smiled, zoning back in. She nodded, and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "Yes. I'd love that. A lot" Jay smiled, and he stood up. "I'd hate to leave though..but i uh, gotta go to work." he said, and she pouted a little bit, but stood up. "Oh, right, the construction job huh? Well, guess I’ll see you Saturday." Jade said, and Jay hugged her. He was so tall though, that the top of her head could actually fit in the crook of his neck. She liked it there. She felt protected there. A feeling she hadn't felt in a long long time. "You have my cell number right?" Jay asked her, and she nodded. "Course. You have mine too, rite?" He chuckled, and kissed her head. "Of course, of course." he smiled, being all smarty-pants like.

 

Jade didn't have anywhere else to go, so she asked Jay if he could drop her off at her house. He'd be picking her up on Saturday night anyways. "So, i guess i'll see you Saturday..." she said, fumbling with her keys in her hand. Was he going to kiss her or not? Or was he really only one of the select few that actually had manners. That was a total shock to her. "I want to kiss you, you know Jade. I just, i don't want to go that fast. That is usually when things go bad. We have a few days till Saturday though. We can call each other and hang out, and text, and IM as well. Lets just save the kiss till then, all rite?" Jay asked, totally throwing her off her guard as she just stared at him, shocked. She'd nodded slowly though, amazed. This was the one for her. And as she got out of the truck an waved him off, and unlocked the door to her 2 story modern city house, she knew that he was the one that would change everything about her. And it scared her a little bit.

 

"Hi sweetie." said Jade's mom, Julia Kalvin. She really didn't look like her mom, or her dad, for that matter. She often wondered if she was adopted. But, they had the blood tests and everything to prove that she was there's. Plus, when two fire spirit controller's have a child together, there child rubs off on them that way. Meaning, her Fire controlling, is one hell of a mess. She has to watch herself all the time.

"Hey mom." Jade said back to her, dropping her bag down at the couch as she sat down, smiling. "Someone had a fun day at the mall. Did you meet someone hon?" she asked her, Jade just blushed. "I guess im easy to read...but yea...i did mom. I really did. An uhm...he asked me...out...for Saturday....and I said that i'd be glad to go..." she said to Julia, gulping. She was almost never allowed to have dates. She always just used to sneak out her window at night.

Julia just looked at her and shook her head sighing. "Jade honey, you know your father doesn't like you dating. Why do you keep trying to?" she asked her. Jade just glared at the floor, picking her shopping bags up, and her new skateboard. "Im not dealing with this now mom. Cause thats a crap rule! Im 17 fucking years old! I should be able to do what i want! I have a job, i get, okay grades in school, its not fair!" She yelled, storming up the stairs, and turning in the hall an running to her room, slamming her door, and locking it shut. Julia sighed, and went back into the kitchen to make dinner. "That child will never learn her role in life if she keeps going like this."

 

Jade was slumped on her bed, face first of course, her head buried under a stack or pillows. "This fucking sucks. Im trapped in this house..." She said mumbled into the pillows. She wasnt all that trapped. I mean, her parents had provided the job for her, even if it was at a pizzeria, they knew the owner, and had made her sound good to him. And not to mention the room she had. She kept it dirty mosta the time, cause she was just too lazy to clean it. But her room was a purple angled ceiling room, with posters of skateboarders, rock-stars, and a few...dozen, half naked man pics as well. She has the most, to her, advanced laptop of all time, including a number of gaming systems. And a pretty big walk in closet. She even had one of those windows, where it opened up to a little balcony so she can sit out there...that was also how she snuck out most of the time.

"I guess they know best..." Jade said, sitting up an pushing the pillows back up at the head of the bed. Standing up, she went to her bathroom, yeah, she had one of her own too. "Need to shower for work..god, why do i need to do that..." she groaned, but started to undress. She couldn't help but look at the scar on her flat, but muscular stomach in the bathroom mirror. She'd gotten it when she was a baby. She couldn't remember it, but her parents said she had to have her appendix taken out. Her fingers brushed the smooth surface of it. "I hope Jay wont mind looking at it while he.." Jade gasped. That thought of him, seeing all of her, and being inside of her, hadn't fully, crossed her mind. "Great...now im gonna be even more nervous for Saturday." she said with a sigh. She touched the tips of her shaggy, mixed length real red hair, and smiled a little. She never considered herself beautiful. She was and probably will always remain a tom-boy. She blushed though, remembering when Jay had looked at her breasts in the food court earlier. She felt beautiful then, cause he wasn't just looking at her breasts. He was looking at her. "Maybe...Saturday could be bigger then i thought." with a little smile spreading on her face, as she stepped into the steaming shower.

 

50 minutes later, Jay was taking his first break of 3 for his shift. Eating a turkey sandwich and a coffee mug beside em, he pulled out his cell phone, and dialed the number he'd already memorized. Jade's number. He chewed fast, not wanting her to pick up on him eating while they were talking. The ringing kept on ringing though, and he worried if his dream was about to come crashing down on him. His stomach started to clench when he heard a distant "Hello?" He nearly chocked, coughing to clear his throat. "Uhm, hey, its me Jay. You uh, busy?" he asked, though the voice had sounded odd. "Er...this is not Jade....this is her mother." His eyes had widened, and he'd dropped his phone. "Hello? Jay?" Jade's mother asked, and he scrambled to pick it up. "Sorry bout that...im on break at work, and i just got bumped and dropped my phone...so uhh...your her ma...huh..." "Yes. Jade is in the shower right now, if you wanna call back, i can tell her you called." her mother said to em. He could tell it in her voice, she did not like him. "No. thats fine. I'd like to talk to you actually. About, maybe, allowing Jade to go out with me Saturday night. She uh, said you guys are pretty strict with guys and her dating, and i just wanted to say that, im a nice guy, i have a job, a great one, i get straight a's in school, i dont do drugs or anything, and i dont look for sex anywhere. I just want to go out with her for one night, and if she doesn't like it, i swear i will leave her alone." Jay didn't realize that he was rambling though.

"Jay Jay Jay, stop. Just, take a breather." she said, sighing. "Look, i know you like her, and by that reason, im betting on a lot. But its not up to me...its up to her father. He is really protective when it comes to her. So, maybe tomorrow, you could come over for dinner tomorrow. Its a Wednesday, and neither of us work, so, i figured that'd be an okay date." Jay's eyebrows rose up. He didn't work either, but he was still surprised that this was happening. "Uh, yea, i uh, guess i can do that...should i bring anything over mam'?" he asked, gulping. "Just be yourself. Be over at 8, all right? And my name is Julia Kalvin, my husbands is Marty Kalvin." Julia said. Jay gulped, nodding, then realizing she couldn't see him. "Yes mam'. It was a pleasure talking to you." "As was you. See you tomorrow. buh bye." And she was gone. "Well, that was interesting...." Jay said as he shut his phone and finished off his sandwich. "But, gotta get back to work now." He stood up, putting his empty sandwich baggy in his lunchpack, and his coffee mug, carrying it inside the paper mill employee wash-up area, and putting it in his locker. He turned around and got right back to work.

 

"Man...only 8...how the hell can time be going by soooo sloowwwlllyyyy?" Jade groaned as she was surfing the net on her favorite website, Gaiaonline. "I want this night to be over already. And tomorrow, started." She said, smiling. She was really looking forward for dinner with her parents and Jay. Just then, she looked around her room, seeing the mess. "Oh crap...we will come up here, i know it...i gotta clean up." She got up, stepping on a overturned skateboard half under her bed, and catching herself before any horrible damage was done. "Okay...what i trip over something in this place, its time to clean you way more often." She said to, the room. For the next hour though, she had turned on a series of bands, most of them punk, a few country, rock, rap, an hip-hop songs. Currently, she was singing along to Eminem's and Rihanna's 'Not Afraid' song, as she picked up some last bit of laundry when her cell phone rang. She dropped the clothes in the basket by her bed, an picked her phone up from her bed, an looked at the caller ID, smiling as she picked it up, saying with a cheery. "Hey Jay. How's it goin?" She heard Jay chuckle, and it sounded so warm, she wished he was with her now to laugh in front of her. "Its goin good. Just, relaxing from a hard days work. What about yourself?" Jade sat down on the bed, crossing her legs and getting comfy. "Its okay. I just spent the hour cleaning a very dirty room." She paused, and faced palmed herself. Why had she said that! Of all things, she thought she could just get away with hiding her lazyness. "I mean, it wasn't that dirty or anything..but im not a neat freak or.." She stopped talking when she heard him laughing. "Your funny Jade. You know i dont care if your a little dirty, or overly clean right? I still like you. Nothing's gonna change there." Jade's heart began to swell, really feeling what he said, and almost crying. "I..i know..im just, nervous for tomorrow, and Saturday...cause uh...if my father doesnt like you...its not happening.." She gulped, whispering. "Although its not like iv'e never snuck out on a date or anything...but he checks on me now." She heard Jay sighed a bit. "It'll be all right hun. If we hafta keep the relationship a secret from your father for us to work, it'll happen. But im not gonna give up on you just cause your dad's a...your dad. Im only leaving if YOU say to leave. I wont force anything on you. Ever." Jade smiled a bit, she wasn't sure when it happened, but she'd turned on her stomach, and was waving her feet in the air slowly. She totally now got why those pre-teens on TV sat like that. They were talking about, or to, there true love. "Yea. But i dont think i'll ever say those words. So, your here for life hun." She giggled a lil bit, smiling, hearing him chuckle his deep throaty chuckle again. From that moment on, they'd spent the entire night from 8:30 pm, to 5:45 am, talking on the phone, sometimes in hushed whispers cause each of there parents would check on them, more so her own though.

 

"Jade, wake up. honey, wake up. Only a few hours left till that guy gets here." Marty Kalvin had said, shaking Jade till she woke up. She yawned, and stretched, curling back up. "Come on. Get up....I'll tell em he's not good enough if you dont get up." Marty said, smirking a bit. Jade glowered up at her father, mumbling. "You wouldnt..." As she sat up then, looking around. "So, i really slept all day then?" she asked her father, and he nodded, making a tsk-tsk noise. "Yes. Really. Seemed like zombies couldn't even wake you up for the longest time. Now hurry up. You need to shower and change an be ready in 2 hours." Marty said, standing up an leaving Jade's room. "Oh damn.." She said, looking at her alarm clock, and then her phone, seeing she had a text, from one friend, her friend Cho, and Jay. "Hehe. kool cho." she replied to her, then looked at Jay's text.

 

'Jade, cant wait 2 c u, im bringin a surprise, c u soon. <3 Jay'

 

"Awww. cute...surprise huh...wonder what it could be." She said, plugging her phone in to charge cause it was on her last bar, then going to the bathroom to brush her nest of her hair out, an hopping into the shower. Exactly 2 hours later, she was out of the shower, and downstairs, helping he mom out with the cooking when the doorbell rang. "Oh! He's here! Get the door dad!" She screeched happily to her father.

 

Jay was super nervous, waiting outside the door. He saw a man open the door, thinking it was the father. Gulping down the vomit that he thought would come up at any moment, he extended his free hand to him. "Sir. Im Jay Cortez. Its nice to meet you." Marty shook his hand back. "The feelings mutual. Please, come in." as Marty stepped to the side to let him in. Jay walked into the living room, it was a little bit bigger then his own living room. Much nicer though. It had green walls, a earthy colored carpet, and pictures of sports achievements by all three family members hung on the walls. There was a large couch that circled around a giant flat screen television, with cases of dvd's on a free standing shelf next to it. "This is a nice place you have here sir." Jay said to Marty, who was right behind him. He gulped a little bit nervously, leaning against the couch. "Have a seat. I'll go get my only daughter." Marty said, walking past em an into a different room. Jay let out a little sigh, sitting down in the middle of the couch. The TV was turned on, and there was a Paula Deen episode on. She was making pot-roast.

All of a sudden, warm hands were over his eyes, and he jumped a little bit, getting a kiss on his cheek. "Im really hoping thats you hun, cause if its your dad, im gonna be a little bit afraid." He chuckled, Jade laughing, an letting him see, coming around the couch, an he just stared at her, drooling a tiny bit.

"Your beautiful Jade." Jay said to her, smiling. Jade was wearing a very sexy purple jean skirt, kind of short, and a white blouse, with a purple bra, one of the top buttons was undone, so he could see the top of her perfect breasts underneath. He had to look at his feet, cause he was getting to excited. Standing up, he picked her hand up, kissing it. "Its a pleasure to see you miss. Your incredible." Jade blushed, and sat down on the couch, he followed along, sitting close to her, his hand still in his pocket with his surprise in said hand. "Sooo...i am actually really curious Jay..but uhm....what was this 'surprise' you said earlier?" She asked him and he just laughed, leaning back against the couch. "You'll see. Lets wait for the night to come to an end first." He smiled. Jade made a puffy pouting kind of face, and Jay just pressed his finger lightly on her lips. "Oh you'll see...how long till the dinner starts?" he asked, and she looked past him at the room Marty had disappeared in, and she'd entered. "Mom said it'd be about 20 minutes...wanna come upstairs an see my room?" she asked, an Jay smiled, holding her hand. "Only if its all right with your parents. I dont wanna get my ass kicked before they get to know me more." Jade stood, pulling on his hand that was in hers. "Oh come on. They know where to find us. Sides, we should have some privacy, cause i know that my dad's listening to our every word right now." Her eye had twitched then, and he turned around on the couch, Marty came into view a few seconds later, his arms crossed. "Sit back down Jade. No one is going into any of the rooms." He growled, flames appearing in his eyes. "Uhm, yes sir." Jay said, looking down at his hands. Jade was glaring at her father though. "We're not gonna do anything dad! And i jus wanna show em my room. God." Marty just shook her head, Julia calling for em though. "Dear, could you come here please?!" Marty sighed, saying "Yea, coming." Glaring once more at Jay, an then going to the kitchen. Jade had grabbed Jay's hand, and was surprisingly pretty strong as she pulled him up, and pulled em up the stairs, and to what looked like her room, pulling an in and shutting an locking the door. "Phew. I think we have about 5 minutes." Jade said, sitting on her bed, smiling cutely. He gulped, sitting hesitantly next to her. He'd never bin in a girl that he liked this much, room before. "So, this is your place, huh? Its really....purple." He chuckled, smiling at her. Jade was biting her lip, and he realized that she was kneeling close to him, her knee's touching his thighs. "Uh...something wrong Jade?" he asked her, and she just blushed. "No. Nothing..its just...." she looked up a little bit shyly at him. "Id you like me...how come you haven't kissed me?" Jay's eyebrows rose up, his cheeks going pink. "Er..i have wanted to. I just, didnt want to move that fast..." he looked down. About 30 seconds past, and Jay looked up at her, shifting on the bed so one leg on crossed half on the bed, one leg still touching the floor. "Jade, may i kiss you?" Jade smiled at him, and nodded, blushing a red color. "Of course you can." She said.

Jay took the side's of her face in his hands lightly, leaning forward into her, she leaned a bit as well, as they sweetly shared there first kiss together. He tasted her lips with almost a starvation. She tasted like burnt marshmallows, lilacs, and heat. Lots of heat.

 

Jade wrapped her arms around Jay's neck, shifting a little, still kissing em, and sitting in his lap. He tasted so delicious. Like a blueberry Popsicle, he was hot at the same time, like a bottle of Tabasco sauce. Things were heating up between them. All too fast, though, it seemed like neither of them wanted or could stop.

An abrupt sharp knock sounded at Jade's door though, ending there very steamy kiss, in which they both sighed heavily. "The 2 of you down stairs in one minute, or else!" Marty's voice said through the door, clearly pissed that they'd both ignored his orders. "Oh come on dad! Im just showing Jay my PS3! Chill out!" Jade said to Marty, at the same time, grabbing a remote on her bed, and clicking a button, so a shelf popped out of the entertainment center, showing her PS3. "I dont care Jade! You know the rules! Now get down here in one minute, or else Jay's gone, and your forbidden to see him again!" Marty yelled at Jade through the door. Jade just glared at the door, saying back to him challengingly. "You cant do that dad!" Marty just saying. "Yes, i can. im your father, and i can have you sent to military school!" Jade's eyes started to tear up a bit, and Jay wanted to punch Marty for making those tears form. He just held her hand though, standing up, saying to him. "We're coming sir." Marty growling, and pausing a second more before his footsteps were heard going down the stairs. "Hey...its all right. We have Saturday." He said with a smile to her, leaning down an kissing her cheek, wiping the tears away from her eyes. Jade just nodded, and they were out of her room in 30 seconds, entering the dining room. And right as they entered, he pulled the chair for Jade out for her, she smiled at him, ad sat down, and he went and sat across from her. Sniffing and looking around the room, smelling pot roast and mashed potatoes filling the house, and saying to Julia with a smile. "Everything smells great Mrs. Kalvin." Julia smiled, setting a napkin on her lap. "Thank you Jay. I hope you are hungry. Im afraid i made a little too much." They both laughed a little bit, Jay smiling an saying. "Mam, i dont think i ever get full. My brother and i often have contests to see who can eat the most without throwing up after wards" Only a second past when he cleared his throat. "I mean, i guess that's not dinner conversation..but yeah...." He bowed his head, fumbling underneath the table in his hands. "Would you mind saying grace dear?" Julia asked Marty. The room fell silent, and Marty began. "Thank you lord, for giving us this food on our table. Thank you Julia for preparing such a delicious meal. We thank you lord before we eat, imagining you here beside us so as we may dine with a friend. Amen." And a group "Amen" was heard after his.

 

Jay was on his 2nd plate, Marty almost never took his eyes off of him, Julia and Jay kept up most of the conversation, while Jade just stayed quite, not wanting anything to go wrong that would make her be banned literally from Jay. She couldn't help but look at her father for his reaction on a few Jay's responses. She must have bin loosing her touch though with him, cause she couldn't make out some stuff. She just knew it wasn't good faces, and it freaked her out even more. She didn't know what her father was thinking, but she really hoped that he approved of Jay.

 

It was 2 hours later that the 4 of them were in the living room, sprawled out on the couch. Julia had her head resting on Marty's shoulder, believing to be asleep. Jay was nodding off a tiny bit also, but he remained awake. Jade was practically curled up on his lap, her head more though, resting on him, passed out, they were watching the only thing on TV at that night, and old re-run for Sports center. Jay had his arm around Jade's waist, every so often to say something to Marty, still a little bit nervous. "So, i felt it when you stepped in my house, and i didnt want the girls to hear...but your a water user, yes?" Marty asked Jay, being taken completely off guard. "Er...yes sir...." Jay said, biting his lip. He looked up at Marty though, glaring a bit, saying quietly so not to wake the girls, but harshly to Marty. "Why would it matter sir?" Marty just shook his head. "It doesn't. Just dont want my little girl being outnumbered cause you decide to use your ability on her and weaken her." His eyes were narrowed at Marty, now super pissed that he'd even think he'd use force on Jade. His arm tightened around Jade's waist. "Sir, i would never force Jade into something that she didnt feel comfortable with herself. And i am very insulted that you insinuated id do that in the first place sir. I did not do that with you at all. And i dont appreciate you doing it to me." They just stared at each other. About 15 minutes later, Marty turned the TV off. "Should probably get the girls in bed, i should hit the hay as well. Work in the morning." Marty said, lightly nudging Julia to wake her up. "What is it hon?" Julia asked Marty, looking up at him with one eye open. "Time for bedtime." Marty said with a tiny smile, kissing her nose tip sweetly, seeing her blush. Jay did the same nudge to Jade, Jade didnt open her eyes though, she just grabbed the purple throw blanket on the end of the couch, and put it over her head, mumbling. "Nu uh. Not moving. And neither are you." she said. He chuckled, and looked at Marty and Julia who stood up and headed for the stairs. Marty was looking at him. "You have 5 minutes." Marty said to him, and he picked Jade up into her arms, keeping the throw blanket on her, and heading up the stairs after her parents.

Getting into Jade's room, and leaving the door a couple inches cracked so Marty didnt freak out, Jay layed Jade down on her bed. He started to take her shoes off when her hand on his arm stopped him, and looked up at her. "Sorry...thought that you were asleep..didnt mean to wake you.." He said, gulping. Jade just looked up at him, sleepily, but happily. "Its ok Jay. I know my dad is going to say yes. He didnt kill you on his first sight of you...your home free." She smiled at him, sitting up onto her elbows, still laying somewhat. Jay just stared at her, dumbstruck. Why'd she put him through all the night of thinking he hated him then? He got it then. She was testing him. To see if HE could handle her father and all he through at him. And probably seeing if he was brave enough to stay with her in the first place. "You Jade, are a little bt of a game player, aren't you?" He asked her, eyes narrowed a bit, but he sat closer to her, up by her hip, leaning his head down to hers, so he was only an inch or so away. He could see her blush clear on then. "I just wanted to know...if you could...handle...my dad..." she said, looking down. Jay tilted her head back up to him, and before she could say anything, kissed her sweetly. And just as it came, it started out slow, and then became hot passionate kisses all over her lips and neck, nipping at the thin skin on her neck also. Why was is so easy for them to get physical? He's kissed girls before, he'd guessed that she'd kissed guys too. But for some reason, it seemed like it was only her, that he wanted to kiss now, and the only one that ever got his blood boiling, like she did. He pushed himself away from there make-out session, panting a little bit, cause he hated himself for ending it. "Sorry i just...need to think Jade.." he said to her, looking down. Jade looked at em worriedly though. "Maybe you should go home then...cause i think if you stay here...with how we just were...neither of us will make it through the night with our clothes on..." she said, chuckling a bit, even if those words were 100 percent true at the moment. They kissed goodnight, for a minute or so, and then he headed out to his truck and headed off for home, where he ran into his father watchign TV with his mom in the living room. "Hey Jay. Good dinner?" His mom, Molly Cortez, said. "Yea..was deffiantly eventful..." he muttered the last part so they couldnt hear him, as he landed on the peach flowered couch beside the twin couch his parents were on. He noticed his dad had a can of beer in his hand and his other arm was around his mom's shoulders. There were also a few cans on the coffee table beside him. "So Jay, whats the family like?" his mom asked him in her regular sweet tone. He was so much like his mom. Sweet, caring, dark blue beuatiful eyes like his. And there personalities were almost alike. Only thing different was there gender, and hair color. Which was kind of confusing. She was a pure dark dark dark DARK brown haired woman, and his dad had red hair. Yet, hisself and Kai were both blonde as blonde could get. Jay cleared his throat a bit, crossing his leg like a man does. "They were pretty kool actually....her dad...kinda doesnt like me i think though...her mom reminds me of you though ma." he said with a smile to her, and she smiled back. "Im hoping that that is a good thing hun." his mom said, his dad chiming in with a oh so charming. "Its cause he doesnt want his girl gettin preggo. Duh. And your someone who looks like the guy he'd look out for." Jay just stared at him, a little bit pissed that he'd say that. His mom chimed in before he could get the chance though. "Hun, dont start anything please. And Jay, he's a little bit right. More just about his daughter dating. It sounds to me like her father doesnt want to let go of her so easily. Its not necessarily directed entirely at you." Jay sighed, standing up and stretching. " I guess..i gotta be at work in the morning...gotta catch some z/s...night." he walked over an kissed his mom on the cheek, heading down the hall to his room, and shutting his door, landing on his bed. "Man...im tired, but i cant settle down either..." he mumbled to himself, turning his stereo on to some techno music. Taking off his shoes, shirt and jeans, and getting into bed in just a pair of blue boxer briefs, he looked at his own chest, seeing not great muscles there, or on his arms. "I gotta buff up if i wanna be with her...she's not gonna want to wanna see a stick like me with her all the time...gotta protect her when i have to." thinking about something else, like work in the morning, put him to sleep in an instant.

   

((goin to bed. will finish this later))

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 11: Emily Blunt and Nolan Russo, Jr. attend the 2022 Freeing Voices, Changing Lives Gala at Guastavino's on July 11, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for American Institute for Stuttering)

" Create a dreamworld using light and space that surrounds you." - Tomasz Lazar

SPNC - Year 2 - Instruction # 25

This is the twenty fifth Instruction for the Year 2 of the Street Photography Now Project, written to inspire fresh ways of looking at and documenting the world we all live in. Photographs contributed should be new work made in response to the Instruction.

 

Might delete this now I see it large

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?

— Only the monstrous anger of the guns.

Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle

Can patter out their hasty orisons.

No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;

Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—

The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;

And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

 

What candles may be held to speed them all?

Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes

Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.

The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;

Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,

And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

 

Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) - Killed in action on 4 November 1918 (age 25) during the crossing of the Sambre–Oise Canal, exactly one week (almost to the hour) before the signing of the Armistice.

ANTHEM FOR DOOMED YOUTH - Wilfred Own

 

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?

— Only the monstrous anger of the guns.

Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle

Can patter out their hasty orisons.

No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;

Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,—

The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;

And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

 

What candles may be held to speed them all?

Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes

Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.

The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;

Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,

And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

Alabama Hills Formation Timestack

 

114 photographs from 5:55 to 6:18 PM (24 minutes) during the sunset/blue hour.

 

See another version of this image posted to Instagram.

The white balance of that image is a little off since I did it on an uncalibrated monitor.

 

Some Rights Reserved: 2018  Steven Christenson

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[ASP_99_USt_N-603847-953x114]

"The male’s breeding song is a jumble of clear notes mixed in with wheezes, trills, and stutters, lasting up to 10 seconds. Males incorporate snippets of the songs of many other species, including Ash-throated Flycatchers, Verdins, Curve-billed Thrashers, American Kestrels, Western Scrub-Jays, and many more." Allaboutbirds

music: jankenpopp, foufoune chrome ccbysa2.0