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One of New Zealand's tallest trees, kahikatea thrive in a swamp environment and don't mind having quite wet feet, as here at Lake Brunner.
Kahikateais a coniferous tree endemic to New Zealand.
The tree grows to a height of 55 metres (180 ft) with a trunk exceeding 1 metre (3 ft) in diameter, and is buttressed at the base. It is dominant in lowland forest and wetlands throughout the North and South Islands. The leaves are spirally arranged; on young plants, they are awl-shaped, 3 to 8 mm long, and twisted at the base to lie spread to the sides of the shoot in a flat plane; on mature trees, they are scale-like, 1 to 3 mm long, and placed all round the shoot. The cones are highly modified, with the cone scales swelling at maturity into an orange to red, fleshy, aril with a single apical seed 3 to 5 mm in diameter. The seeds are dispersed by birds, which eat the fleshy scale and pass the seeds in their droppings.
Welcome to the first Plague Monday.. you'd think being stuck at home meant I'd be able to churn out more of these, but hey, turns out when all childcare and other services are out of whack, well, it's hard. Luckily we here at Collectors Haven (OK, really ME here) thrive on hard, so appropriately, we talk about a rat toy today.. specifically the 6 inch Master Splinter from the NECA TMNT movie line.
Splinter is the character that provides the Turtles their training in the arts of Ninjitsu and life on the whole. I'm only familiar with the cartoon iterations, so there he's the primary source of guidance, but I suspect with so many years of content they must have gained a teacher or two since the 80s. Unlike the cartoon, Splinter is not a man turned hybrid, but rather, he is the pet rat of Hamato Yoshi, rival to Oroku Saki, who mastered Ninjitsu through the powers of observing his master, and is able to transfer this knowledge once the mutagenic process is completed. Where does he get the weaponry and what not for the Turtles? I've asked this question for years and decided I probably don't want to know what one does in 1990s NYC for stuff like this.
Splinter comes with a very modest set of contents. There is the figure, a slice of pizza, a pair of nunchucks (for that scene at the end of the movie), and a canister of TCRI mutagen though I don't remember TCRI itself being introduced until Secret of the Ooze. That's it.. no extra hands or other pieces.
Much like the 6 inch Turtles, the amount of detailing this figure has is very impressive, and I'm confident if I were to ever get the 1/4 scale figure, it'd be even more visually exciting. The sculptors did a great job at replicating the overall look of Splinter, which includes fur detailing and the overall silhouette of the character. Unlike the Turtles, however, some liberties needed to be taken due to the figure not having rooted hair, but again, I didn't bother, but I've seen photos where if you take off the robes, Splinter has some great detailing across his entire body. it's all good from my side. NECA also did an excellent job replicating the tattered robes that Splinter wears.. I don't know how much work it is mass manufacturing a mangled robe, but it looks fantastic and tailoring is actually quite good and hangs on the figure appropriately.
You've also got to love the FML expression on Splinter, which, to be fair, was what he generally looked like in the film. Fortunately, I don't have the lazy eye edition that other collectors have reported.
So for all the work that went into the aesthetics of the figure, the actual play part of the figure isn't the greatest, though it can't all be attributed to the design only. Starting with articulation, he's got pretty much what you'd expect. Splinter has toe, ankle, single jointed knees, hips, waist, mid torso, standard shoulders, elbow pivot and rotation, wrists, and ball jointed head. The tail is unwieldy, but is made of a soft rubber material with holes in it to allow for better flexibility, which of course allows for actual standing, as well as helps prevent unnecessary stress on the piece. While all the points of articulation are there, the proportions and stature of the figure makes any real dynamic posing, or posing in general, of Splinter somewhat of a challenge. Of course, it's not like he did much in the movie either.
The figure is quite well painted. As stated above, he's done very well overall. Not real issues with regards to poor paint mostly due to the fact i don't have an extreme lazy eye situation. Any colour changes or weathering are well done.. no abrupt changes or splashes of colour or overspray. Masking is well done with sharp dividing lines. Oveall, I feel that the paint work on here is probably a smidgen above the normal punching weight for NECA, and is really only marred by the slightly weak eye application, and if I'm being anal retentive about things, there's also paint missing on the knuckle of the left foot..
Build quality.. well, it's NECA. Joints are a bit stiff out the box and need to be softened either by heat or general working it in. Joints generally work well with holding poses, with the exception of the neck on mine - the head comes off quite easily. The material used is.. I dunno.. that kind of rubbery yet solid plastic that all NECA figures are made from, which does allow for the generally intricate detailing on the figure. Then there are the hands... oh Lord. The hands look fine, but honestly, they are completely and utterly USELESS when it comes to holding the smaller accessories - Splinter can hold the TCRI canister quite easily as it's really just balanced in his hands. I have no idea how they did it in the promo shots.. maybe they're taped on, or maybe we got budget cuts and an extra pair of hands was not included.
So yeah.. overall Splinter looks pretty good, but as an actual figure he's kind of mediocre when it comes to posing or holding his included accessories. So yeah, I'd highly recommend him to accompany your Movie Turtle team.. but have him standing in the background.
Still working on our Thrive Artwork for Winter. Pastor didn't like the shell with the oranges I posted previously. He wanted a picture... and people. So we went for a Panhandle Beach in winter look.
We're also going for a redesign of our bulletin shell. We're going from a legal size tri-fold to a letter size no-fold. The worship registration card will be perfed.
These will be pre-printed with the artwork and the text in the News and Notes section and on the Worship Registration Card will be printed in-house each week.
"You fight dandelions all weekend, and late Monday afternoon there they
are, pert as all get out, in full and gorgeous bloom, pretty as can be,
thriving as only dandelions can in the face of adversity."
~Hal Borland
© all images copyright of Karen Wyatt and any use without permission is illegal
The Pittock Mansion was home to Portland pioneers Henry and Georgiana Pittock from 1914 to 1919. During the late 1800s and the early 1900s, their lives and work paralleled the growth of Portland from a small Northwest town site to a thriving city with a quarter million population. With its eclectic architectural design and richly decorated interior, including family artifacts, the Pittock Mansion stands today as a living memorial of this family’s contributions to the blossoming of Portland and its people.
English-born Henry Lewis Pittock journeyed on a wagon train from Pennsylvania to Oregon in 1853 where, at the young age of 19, and in his own words, “barefoot and penniless,” he began working for Thomas Jefferson Dryer’s Weekly Oregonian newspaper. In 1860, at the age of 26, he married 15-year-old Georgiana Martin Burton of Missouri. Six years prior, Georgiana had crossed the plains from Keokuk, Iowa to Oregon Territory with her parents. Georgiana’s father E.M. Burton was a flour mill owner and one of early Portland’s well known building contractors.
Together, Henry and Georgiana began a long life of work, community service, and devotion to family, which would last 58 years and celebrate six children and eighteen grandchildren.
A consummate businessman, Henry Pittock took ownership of the Weekly Oregonian in 1860, changing its format to the daily paper we read today. He went on to build an empire incorporating real estate, banking, railroads, steamboats, sheep ranching, silver mining, and the pulp and paper industry.
Georgiana dedicated herself to improving the lives of the community’s women and children. She helped found the Ladies Relief Society in 1867, whose Children’s Home provided care, food, and shelter for needy children. Georgiana also worked with the Woman’s Union, and played a key role in building the Martha Washington Home for single, working women.
The couple was known for their quiet reserve, helpful demeanor, and love for the outdoors. Georgiana cherished gardening, and kept a terraced flower garden at the mansion covered with every kind of flower imaginable. She frequently adorned her house with cut flowers, and is recognized for originating the tradition of Portland’s annual Rose Festival.
A vigorous outdoorsman, Henry rode horses in the Rose Festival parades, and was a member of the first party to climb Mt. Hood, one of the spectacular peaks visible from the mansion. On one of his climbing expeditions, someone suggested that the group sit down and rest, at which point Henry responded, “The man who sits down never reaches the top.”
Henry and Georgiana were at the pinnacle of their successful lives when they commissioned architect Edward Foulkes to design and build their new home overlooking Portland, the city they loved.
They began planning and designing their new home in 1909. The mansion was completed in 1914, replete with stunningly progressive features including a central vacuum system, intercoms, and indirect lighting. The house also creatively incorporated Turkish, English, and French designs. In keeping with their loyalty to their home state, the Pittocks hired Oregon craftsmen and artisans, and used Northwest materials to build the house. The final estate included the mansion, a three-car garage, a greenhouse, and the Italianate gate lodge servants’ residence, all situated on 46 acres of land almost 1,000 feet above downtown Portland.
At 80 and 68 respectively, Henry and Georgiana moved to their new home. The hard-working couple who had lived in the heart of Portland as it developed from a forest clearing to a bustling business center, now resided high in the hills, with a breathtaking vista of their beloved Portland. It was a warm and gracious house for both the adults and children of the family.
Georgiana died in 1918 at the age of 72, and Henry in 1919 at 84. The Pittock family remained in residence at the mansion until 1958, when Peter Gantenbein, a Pittock grandson who had been born in the house, put the estate on the market.
The threat of demolition at the hands of land developers, and the extensive damage caused by a storm in 1962, brought concerned citizens together to raise funds to preserve the site. Seeing this popular support, and agreeing that the house had tremendous value as a unique historic resource, the City of Portland purchased the estate in 1964 for $225,000. Fifteen months were spent restoring it. The mansion opened to the public in 1965, and has been a community landmark ever since.
A house of historical significance and visual magnificence, the Pittock Mansion today offers us a uniquely personal opportunity to peek into the past, and study our world as it was - from the viewpoint of one Portland family
for more
Goal: Create a spring version of the bulletin for our year-long "Thrive: the acts of the Holy Spirit" sermon series on the book of Acts
Audience: Church family- primarily young families (parents in their 20s - early 40s)
Direction: Our pastor does mostly expository preaching- moving through a book of the Bible bit by bit, in order. Because of this, the exact topic of a sermon usually varies week to week, not giving us a strong visual to grab onto for the whole series. We thought that since we were spending an entire year in Acts, we'd go for seasonal shells. This is the spring version. The series title Thrive hearkens to the explosive growth of the church and the of individual believers.
Project: 8.5x11 bulletin shell, left third will be perforated for our Worship Registration Card.
Other important info: I'm not real crazy about how "Thrive" is just floating in mid air. Should I try to ground it? How are the blending mode on the branches working? Does it actually look like the word is stuck in the tree? Any other advice would be GREATLY appreciated!
Thrive is a community building project geared towards inspiring people to get more involved with each other and their community.
Zinnia Beauty at the Chicago Botanic Garden 9/15/11 ...Sorry for the noise in compression :)
I've got school all weekend to get my smarticles... but I hope you all have a beautiful and colorful weekend!
Pompeii is a vast archaeological site in southern Italy’s Campania region, near the coast of the Bay of Naples. Once a thriving and sophisticated Roman city, Pompeii was buried under meters of ash and pumice after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. The preserved site features excavated ruins of streets and houses that visitors can freely explore
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style!- Maya Angelou
Olympus e-420 + Vivitar Series 1 90mm f2.5 Macro
From a walk around my place on the last Sunday in November
Here's draft 2 of this logo.
Our next sermon series, Thrive, is on the book of Acts and will go for a whole year. We're trying to create a logo for the series and then create seasonal bulletins using the one logo.
Boss man loves this version working in the suggestions from here on draft 1. He wants to add the tagline "The Acts of the Apostles" and I'm struggling with how best to do it. I tried it below "Thrive" right justified, but the vines looked funky with it, so I'm trying it above the T now. Any suggestions?
The Hebridean is a small, hardy breed with fine bones and a tail reaching no lower than the hocks. Both sexes are horned, and about 10% of animals have four or more horns. Occasionally polled ewes are to be seen but these are genetically four horned and usually produce horned lambs. The animals are entirely black, though the fleece usually goes grey with age. Lambs may have a dark brown appearance because the tips of the fleece have been bleached by the sun. The wool has a relatively long staple and a stiff, springy quality. It sheds water easily. The face and legs are free of wool. Adult fleece weighs about 1.5kg and has an average Bradford Count of 48-50. Ewes lamb very easily. Although pure bred twin lambs weigh 3.5-4.5kg intervention is rarely required. Lambing percentages depend upon the management system and grazing available: for mature ewes, typically 175% for lowland flocks and 120% for upland. The Hebridean is a very active and long-lived sheep, ewes often still lambing well at ten years or more. It thrives on all types of grazing and responds well to all management systems. Average mature ewe weighs 38-40kg, rams 50-55kg.
This exquisite medieval doorway in the thriving town of Azemmour on the central west coast of Morocco is one of the many untouted architectural jewels in the crown of this ancient town, which predates even Casablanca and Fez...and has long been a stop along the spice trail of Africa. The craftsmanship and simple beauty are as remarkable as the state of preservation. People still dwell in this little house....and many others in the old medina. The old doors are often re-used on new homes when the old ones are demolished over the centuries. This moorish berber door predates the building by 250 years. The islamic town of Azmir predates the old 16th C. Portuguese-built medina by 300 years....and the first village built upon this clifftop site predates Azmir back 1000 years before when the Carthaginians (including Hannibal), Romans and Phoenicians visited the village. Over 2000 years of occupation and trading with travellers in one place. The detailed carving and artwork found throughout the medina and fortress must be seen first hand to truly be appreciated. I tried to capture some of that beauty through my lens.
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